OK everybody just needs to calm the heck down about the All-Star game.

It ended in a tie. This does not presage the crumbling of our nation, or even of baseball. I'm really struggling to figure out why this incident has so enraged sportswriters across America.

The game is meaningless. OK, technically, yes, all baseball games are meaningless, it's not like we go to war and then say "well, if the Allies can make this double-play then its freedom for Poland!"

But this game is meaningless even within the strictures of baseball. It doesn't decide anything, it doesn't count for anything. It's not even chosen fairly - fans pick players they like, not necessarily the best players. And the coaches try to be fair, but come one, they favor their favorite players as well.

The criticism seems to be, if we're going to have the game, let's play it. And if that means ruining players for the rest of the season, then so be it. I just don't get that -- we should have a minor enjoyment for one meaningless night even if it ruins the rest of the season?

I think a lot of this comes down to this idea out there in sports that everything was always better in the past. It's prevalent in all sports (football commentators act like turf is second only to ebola as a deadly force. If it's that serious we should be dropping astroturf in Iraq, not bombs, and we could watch Saddam fall to the ground clutching his knees). But baseball is the worst. Maybe it's because I only started following baseball as an adult, but I just don't get it. I have no problem with the designated hitter, night games, inter-league play, whatever. It's a game we're not talking about editing Shakespeare here. Life evolves, and baseball should too.

For an even better rant about this, see Sarah Bunting's Tomato Nation. (Although I think I completely disagree about Pete Rose, and I totally support Jim Gray.)