To complement the new poll question (Should the All-Star Game Be Put on Hiatus?), I'd like to quickly share my idea to enhance the overall experience of the annual ritual.

With the success of the NHL Winter Classic, a game played on an outside rink in front of football-size crowds, why not combined this event and the All-Star Game to create a fantastic showcase for the sport and the current wave of young talent?

Imagine the spectacle:

More than 40 of the best players the National Hockey League has to offer, in front of a drooling 60,000-fans crowd, celebrating the game in its most stripped-down and primal state. The excitement, buzz and overall media coverage could probably be the most exciting thing to happen to this event and the game in a long, long time.

Visit this NHL.com web page for videos of the Classic and pictures of the rink preparation.

On top of that, I believe that the game, if played in less-than-friendly markets, can actually help the home team in the short and long run. It creates awareness among sports fans of a given region and also becomes a media darling that could help with the coverage in the future.

Also, let's not forget that this happening has an impact on the economy of a region, with the national and international exposure and all the participants that need a hotel room, food and entertainment. From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

"With four days of festivities surrounding it, the NHL All-Star Game is expected to create an economic impact of $20 million, according to Atlanta Sports Council estimates.

In fact, Atlanta Sports Council President Gary Stokan thinks it could go as high as $25 million.

"We do actual economic impact surveys afterwards," he said. "It's the best information we've been able to gain, which is a nice hit for the city."

That's not as much as is projected for 2008's Chick-fil-A Bowl ($30 million) or Southeastern Conference football championship ($25 million), but as Philips Arena has a sell-out capacity of 18,545 compared to the nearly 70,000 seats of the Georgia Dome, that means people in this crowd will spend a lot more money."

I'd like to hear your views on my idea and the whole concept of the All-Star game, by first voting on the poll question in the right sidebar and then head here to comment on Ballhype.