All-Star Weekend 2013

All-Star weekend used to be my all time favorite sporting event, but with time it has lost some apeal since it now seems to be more of a celebrity event than a sporting event. There is also just too much hype. I don't want to watch the musical guests perform or see Justin Bieber play basketball, I just want to see the most talented players do their thing.

Even though the event has lost some luster, I'm looking forward to the All-Star game this month. Is it just me or does it seem like half the players selected come from 3 or 4 teams? I'm still waiting to see who is going to compete in the dunk contest this year. Is the NBA going to wait until the day before the event to announce the participants an attempt to create more suspense?

Speaking of the dunk contest, please get more contestants. Having only 4 participants is like picking up the coverage during the semi-final round. Whoever does the worst automatically has bragging rights to say they were the fourth best dunker in the contest that year. The contest was much more exciting when you had more competition like the ones involving the participants in the photos below. Those were the days. You at least got to see more than a total of 12 dunks over the course of the evening.

These contestants were fun to watch

Also, please keep the lights turned on for the dunk contest. I remember back around the time when Jason Richardson won, the NBA decided it would be cool to hold the contest in the near dark. The footage looked more like it took place in a night club then it did on a basketball court. Last year's dunk by Paul George would have been cool if the ball and rim also glowed in the dark. I felt it was once of the better dunks but nobody will ever know since he elected to do it IN THE DARK!

Also lets please take it easy on the stupid props. Putting down a piece of tape at the foul line or sticking a sticker in the backboard is fine, but they have taken props way too far. I will pull my hair out if I see a phone booth, car, choir, or aircraft carrier used to somehow make a dunk look better. 

One final request...Please don't let the fans vote. I'd rather have Dr. J, Dominique, and other great dunkers decide who wins than a bunch of clueless fans texting in on their phones and turning it into a popularity contest.