Traditionally, professional all-star games are not the most watched or competitive contests. There are several reasons for this, but the biggest is that players often show a lack of effort even with the league’s biggest stars playing together because they don’t want to risk injury. Both the NBA and the NFL have tweaked their formats recently to no avail, with the games becoming less and less serious and garnering less audience.

“They should be more competitive,” John Brown University Senior Cody Ferguson said.

This was not the case for the NHL all-star game this year, which finally cracked the code with an international competition. The 4 Nations Face-off was a new all-star format devised to get players to compete at a higher level. Instead of representing their conference, NHL players from Sweden, Finland, the United States and Canada represented their nations. With the integrity of their countries and international glory on the line, the players came to play. This competition also ended a long international hockey hiatus dating back to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with many players getting the opportunity to represent their nations for the first time.

The United States defeated Finland 6-1 on the first matchday of the round-robin tournament, and Canada dispatched Sweden 4-3 in overtime to set up the first of two hotly contested matchups between the bitter North American rivals. Before the contest (which was held in Montreal), the United States National Anthem was booed by mostly Canadian fans, and three fights broke out in the first 9 seconds of action. After the fighting that started the night, the brutal contest featured intense action with the United States pulling out a 3-1 win.

“Something like this, when you see the intensity and the emotion and how much guys actually care and want to win and represent their countries, you can't really compete with that. It's not comparable to an all-star game or a Pro Bowl or something like that. This is something that's like playoff hockey. This is like Game 7 every night,” U.S. center Vincent Trocheck said.

When the players were given something bigger to play for, they showed up.

“It's funny: You put the flag behind the meaning of something and guys' switches just kind of flip,” Canada forward Travis Konecny said.

The rematch in the final game didn’t disappoint, this time being played on American soil in Boston. Both teams traded goals until it was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, sending the game to a 20-minute sudden-death overtime. After a little more than 8 minutes of the extra period, Canada’s Connor McDavid scored the winning goal to defeat the United States 3-2.

Going into the game, sports betting reflected the increased interest in the Title game matchup, with 7 to 10 times more money being wagered compared to the average NHL game, according to ESPN and Caesars Sportsbook. Viewership of the grudge match also set numerous records for a hockey game, with ESPN reporting 10.4 million American viewers at its peak. Meanwhile, over 10.7 million Canadians tuned in to watch the game according to Sportsnet, which is over a quarter of the nation’s population.

With the success of the 4 Nations Face-off, many have speculated what it could mean for the future of All-star games, particularly in the NBA, where there are sufficient international players for a “USA vs. The World” type of competition. Others have suggested a charity game to add to the motivation.

“The winners get to decide where money should go to a charity that the NBA gives to,” Ferguson said.

As far as hockey is concerned, it is certainly one of the best events for the sport in recent memory.

“It’s just incredible how much of a home run 4 Nations has been for the NHL and hockey in general. Friends who never watched a hockey game in their lives reaching out asking what the plan is for tonight’s game, what food we’re ordering, etc. Definition of growing the game” Retired NFL star J.J. Watt said via X.

Going forward, there are set to be numerous international hockey competitions, starting with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. If they are anything like the 4 Nations Face-off, then fans have a lot to look forward to.

Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske on Unsplash

It is often thought that the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime show is supposed to bring people together through music, yet some would also agree that several Halftime shows in the past have brought on enough controversy to potentially lose some viewership. Once thought as a family-centered event, the past few shows have especially inclined some parents to change the channel. Despite any statements the NFL makes about what their company is or represents, it is not intended to be a family channel but rather a sports entertainment network, pulling in viewers from around the world with the appeal for entertainment through football.

With that in mind, the Super Bowl Halftime show has never been about bringing others together in a communal sense but rather bringing viewers together. In the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime show, Michael Jackson’s performance brought the number of viewers to 133.4 million, a record which remained unbroken until 2025. Since then, the NFL has strived to find performers who would increase the viewings for the game and maintain their attention.

Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show featured multi-award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, whose popularity skyrocketed during last year after his song “Not Like Us” went viral. Leading up to the show, people debated just how much the NFL’s preview team would censor his global hit during the performance. After elaborate teasing throughout the show, Lamar finally played the song and though it was heavily censored, the infamous “A minor” line remained untouched, much to the joy of many in the stadium and watching at home.

At first, I questioned the NFL’s choice for the Halftime show performing artist, not to say Lamar isn’t a quality performer. He is well-known and well-respected, and has acquired well-deserved global success. Right now, Lamar is in the top five on Spotify and is the only music artist outside of the classical or jazz genres to receive the Pulitzer Prize in music. He is also one of the highest Grammy-winning rappers in history. As a matter of fact, many consider him the greatest rapper of all time. As far as qualification goes for who should perform at one of the biggest stages in America, there are few artists today who could meet the same recognition.

However, despite being one of the top artists on the planet, his very, very popular (yeah, that song) is also quite controversial: it is a diss track on the world-famous Canadian rapper Drake, who was named number eight on Billboard’s list of the “50 Greatest Rappers of All Time.” Lamar’s song “Not Like Us” being a shot at Drake happened to be one of the few things I knew about Lamar before the Super Bowl, so as I watched the first half of the game come to an end, I was a little tense—perhaps as much as the Chiefs fans—as I watched the show begin with my family. Would the NFL allow Lamar to defame Drake, uncensored? Shockingly, the NFL let Lamar throw his punches with little restraint. He wore his glittering silver necklace with the lowercase letter “a” as he and thousands upon thousands of others in the stadium shouted the lines, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young” and “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” which Genius.com argues could add to the allegations against Drake for grooming underage girls.

To be honest, I did not know much about Lamar before the Halftime show. I could only recognize the one song, and from the few lines I heard, it sounded like just another—if not brilliant—diss track. After much research and a handful of conversations with others, I realize that not all of Lamar’s music is about dissing other rappers, but the fact remained that Lamar performed “Not Like Us” at the show, and he was praised for it. The NFL didn’t seem to care much about what that could have meant for Drake before they agreed to have Lamar do the show. Everyone in the nation was in on the diss of Drake, and as far as the NFL was concerned, that was entertainment they could use.

I can’t really argue that a quicker wit with cleverer insults is hilarious material. With talk show hosts cornering celebrities about past flukes to high-grossing films featuring shock-effect quips from characters, we’re all ironically drawn to division and discourse. We like watching someone have the last word in a fight. We laugh when our leaders banter (The Wall Street Journal’s 2024 Presidential Debate YouTube videos between Biden, Trump and the following debate with Harris have a total combined viewing of 37 million views), and as long as it’s not directed at us, we can’t get enough of disrespect on a stage. Discourse entertainment has been embedded in our culture long enough to be naturally entertaining to us, but my hope is that this is not prescriptive but descriptive. Enjoying a rapper disrespecting another rapper in front of millions of people is what we enjoy now, but it’s not something we have to continue encouraging or striving for. We risk too much by leaving this unchecked. If we go on disrespecting each other, devaluing those we deem lesser than us, we’ll all be left laughing mockingly at each other from our sides of the line, chanting, “They not like us!”—excusing it all as harmless entertainment.

Photo courtesy of Dorel Gnatiuc on Unsplash

In recent years, people have begun to celebrate “Galentine's Day” on Feb. 13 in addition to Valentine's Day. Many attribute the origins of Galentines to a “Parks and Recreation” episode that aired on Feb. 11, 2010, where Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, throws a party to honor the female friendships in her life. While Galentines parties can take any form — from a lovely brunch to a meticulously planned event — sometimes it can be nice to have a night in and watch a movie with those you care about the most. There are many movies over the years that have not only culturally impacted women all over the world but also displayed the importance of female friendships and sisterhood. These are just a few:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Four best friends, Tibby, Lena, Carmen and Bridget, find themselves in the charity shop one day with the perfect pair of pants: a pair that will fit each of them perfectly. As each friend goes their separate ways that summer, they decide to send the pants to each other so each can have a turn, writing of their adventures with the pants. While each girl is inexplicably different, they are close friends. As they learn of each other's troubles and worries throughout the summer, they comfort each other and help to make things right again. Originally a book, the story of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” is one of strong female friendship that transcends conventional barriers.

Legally Blonde (2001)

“Legally Blonde” was not only a groundbreaking film 24 years ago but has continued to inspire young girls and women everywhere. Women can be heard quoting Elle Woods iconic line, “What, like it's hard?” whenever they come up against someone who doubts them, showing just how much of an impact this movie has had. In the film, Elle is trying to win her boyfriend back by joining him at Harvard Law School. There she learns that he has already found a fiancée, Vivian Kensington. While Elle and Vivian should have been enemies, hypothetically, the two lift each other up and apologize for any way they have mistreated the other before actually getting to know them. Elle and Vivian are only one of the great examples of a healthy female friendship in the film, and they continue to show others the importance of not just helping each other grow but also not judging a book by its cover.

Mamma Mia (2008)

In “Mama Mia” Donna is preparing for her daughter Sophie’s wedding when Sophie drops a bombshell: she has invited the three men that may potentially be her dad to her wedding. Donna hasn’t seen any of the men since the summer she spent with them years ago and is understandably overwhelmed at the news. Donna’s friends, Tonya and Rosie, are not only there for her in that moment, but, as seen in the second film, have been by her side the whole time as she raised Sophie as a single mother. The two help Donna through her emotions at seeing the three men again and help her decide what she wants to do about the identity of Sophie’s real father. This film shows the importance of community and how important it is for each woman to not only invest in those around her but also the younger generations.

Miss Congeniality (2000)

For many years, people have looked on the pageant industry as something that hurts young girls and is overall detrimental. While “Miss Congeniality” doesn’t portray all the realities of the pageant industry, it does show how the unique community it can bring to young girls and women can be extremely uplifting. In “Miss Congeniality” Special Agent Gracie Hart goes undercover to stop a terrorist attack at the Miss America competition. There, she meets many other women who she first writes off as vain and out of touch. As she starts to interact with them, however, she sees the power in their femininity and how important a strong female community can be.

Little Women (2019)

Originally a novel by Louisa May Alcott, “Little Women” follows the four March sisters through their adolescent years into adulthood. While three of the sisters, Jo, Meg and Amy, have left home, they all come back when they hear that Beth has become ill. As they comfort their sick sister, they must come to terms with the ways they have treated each other. “Little Women” is a story of sisterhood, both the good parts and the bad. While Alcott didn’t shy away from the hurt that the four sometimes caused each other, this story has gone down in history as one showing the love and unique bond in sisterhood.

The Barbie Movie (2023)

Greta Gerwig’s critically acclaimed film “Barbie” follows Barbie, who seems to have the perfect life in BarbieLand. One day, Barbie starts to have new thoughts and feelings and learns that it means something is wrong with her owner in the real world. Barbie decides to travel there to see if she can make things better with Ken, played by Ryan Gosling. Once the two find themselves in the real world, they realize that it isn’t the perfect place that they thought they had helped influence it to be. Barbie decides to take her owner, Gloria, and her daughter, Sasha, back to BarbieLand to show them how great it is, however, once there, Barbie realizes that Ken has brought new ideas of the patriarchy from the real world to BarbieLand. As Barbie and her friends try to fix all that has gone wrong, they learn the powerful lesson of not being who you are and that you don’t need anyone else to decide what you are worthy of.

Oceans 8 (2018)

 “Oceans 8” is the newest installment of the Oceans franchise that was rebooted in 2001 with George Clooney playing Danny Ocean. While the older movies feature a star-studded all male cast, “Ocean’s 8” switched things up, following Debbie Ocean, Danny’s sister. The film begins with Debbie getting released from jail and unfolds as she starts to plan her next heist. As she selects each of the seven she needs to help her complete the task at hand, Debbie focuses on the skills that each might bring to the job. Debbie surrounds herself with an all-female crew, even with that not being her intention going into it. As viewers watch them work together to pull off the heist, they see the power in women standing up for themselves and working together to make the impossible happen.

Hidden Figures (2016)

“Hidden Figures” follows three African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn, and their work for NASA in 1961 during the height of segregation. As each of the three are given the possibility for a promotion inside NASA, they lift each other up to overcome the obstacles at work and home. Katherine, Mary and Dorothy can be seen pouring into one another not just in their personal lives but also in their professional lives. As the movie continues, the three also work in the hearts of their coworkers around them and help to unite the community within NASA under the common goal of winning the Space Race. This true story of female friendship and the power of working together is one for the ages.

Photo Courtesy of Engin Akyurt on Pexels