I'll reserve judgment re. "sham", mostly because I think the traditional All-Star game is an even bigger sham (read: pure shit), no matter the reason(s) for show-casing it. I've posted before that I'd rather see something like Rendez-Vous '87 than the trash heap that is the annual All-Star game. The four nations thingie might not live up to Rendez-Vous '87, but it’s gotta be better than the
fastest skater, hardest shot, or all those other skill challenges I couldn’t give a single shit about, only to be capped off by whatever the f*** they call that "game" that only barely resembles hockey because of the ice and a puck. Now, if you want to know how I really feel about the All-Star break, just ask me