Even though nothing is going on in the sports world tonight - save the WNBA, which is as close to nothing as you can get - I did not watch the MLB All-Star Game tonight. I'd rather watch Stephen A. Smith analyze a root canal than watch A-Rod slug it out with Barry Bonds.

Simply put, all-star games are the blandest, dryest pieces of entertainment sports have to offer. There have been two remotely entertaining all-star moments in the last 15 years: Magic Johnson winning the 1992 NBA All-Star MVP, and the 2002 MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie.

All-star games are great in theory: Watch all of your favorite stars all in one night and see the very best take on the other very best.

But in practice they fall woefully short for one simple reason: no one cares. Think Tom Brady would risk breaking a nail on a game that doesn't really mean anything? Think A-Rod will lose sleep over losing tonight's game? Think Shaq would work his tail off on an event that's just for fans - even if he doesn't do that at all during the regular season?

Part of the fun in sports is watching the best athletes in the world compete head-to-head with something on the line - pride, a championship, whatever. Winning a dunkfest with a combined 250 points doesn't register for them.

And it shouldn't. Athletes work non-stop for the games that matter - the playoffs and the regular season match-ups that get them there. Anything else that stands in the way - like a meaningless game just for fans - becomes a nuisance. That's why five NBA All-Stars sat out of this year's event due to injury. And that's why, in light of Robert Edwards blowing out his knee in a Pro Bowl event, players would rather sit at home and watch highlights on SportsCenter than risk injuring themselves further.

Granted, MLB has tried to make the game matter by having the winning league get homefield advantage in the World Series. But - NEWSFLASH - it's still crap.

So what can be done to make all-star events relevant? Your thoughts?