No upside

There is no upside to throwing the first pitch in a baseball game. It is the same with the NBA Slam Dunk Contests.

If you do well, no one cares.

If you mess up, everyone will laugh and post it on Instagram.

So, why do people keep doing it?

Because it is a privilege. It is a story people can tell. It is for people who are measuring something else other than popularity.

The question that is worth asking is: If you knew you were to fail, would you still do it?