Radek Martinek, All-Star?

I received an e-mail a few days ago from someone who has made it his mission to get Radek Martinek voted into the All-Star game. You may recall a similar effort last year in support of Rory Fitzpatrick, which nearly succeeded. As much as I like Marty as a player and value what he contributes to the team, I'm conflicted about publicizing this campaign.

The original purpose of the Fitzpatrick campaign was to point out the flaws in the NHL's decision to encourage people to vote as many times as they wished for the All-Star starters. It picked up steam because fans were attracted to the idea of rewarding a player whose contributions to his team were less tangible than those that were normally recognized. I admired the grassroots nature of the campaign, as well as the enthusiasm that accompanied it. I even got a little kick out of the subversive, anti-establishment angle of circumventing the intentions of the league.

But let's face it. Rory Fitzpatrick is not an All-Star. What didn't sit well with me was the idea that a deserving player would be denied the honor of starting in the All-Star Game. You could argue that it really doesn't matter because it's just an exhibition and the rosters are always flawed (a deserving player with an incentive clause might have something to say about that). You could also argue that a player like Marty deserves such an honor because his contributions are so valuable yet receive so little recognition. I kind of like that argument. I really like the quiet player who just goes about his business and gets his job done. But, again, is Radek really an All-Star?

So here's how I've decided to handle this dilemma. I have mentioned that this campaign to elect Marty to the All-Star Game exists. And that's all I'm going to tell you. Now it's up to you.