How to Fix the Dunk Contest

DeMar DeRozan stated it best a year ago, when he campaigned against props that have taken over the dunk contest. The best pure dunker in the field of Serge Ibaka, Blake Griffin, JaVale McGee and himself, DeRozan was eliminated after the first round, probably because he didn't use any props: gospel choruses, Kias, teddy bears...

"There's no telling what might happen next year," DeRozan said. "Someone might use a trampoline."

Well, that didn't happen, but there was a motorcycle to jump over, a camera attached to eventual winner Jeremy Evans' ear, and a glow-in-the dark jersey (the only one that was actually kind of cool). Also included in this year's contest, rated an "F" by over 35% of SportsNation, was corny dialogue prior to practically every dunk.

There was also P Diddy proclaiming "black power" after stating his favorite sports movie was White Men Can't Jump before Chase Budinger's first attempt. I'll let you be the judge.

Honestly, I wouldn't care about all this garbage, if the dunks were actually impressive. This year, only one really stood out: Evans' two-ball alley-oop slam. Budinger, Paul George and Derrick Williams were all disappointments.

Oh, and Blake Griffin jumping over the car last year wasn't any good either.

It's just frustrating as a fan when TeamFlightBrothers on YouTube feature hundreds of slams that completely blow the NBA dunk contest away.  

Another problem: the contestants. It pains me to hate on these role guys, but when there was a graphic saying Chase Budinger had registered six dunks all season, well, yeah.

As Charles Barkley stated, LeBron and those other superstars need to "get off their butts" and get into the dunk contest.

I hate LeBron. And I don't like most of the other NBA superstars either. But their participation would make for a better contest from a fan's perspective. I don't need to explain why. Or at least get legitimate dunkers back out there, such as DeRozan, Andre Iguodala, maybe a John Wall.

And get rid of those stupid props.

Why Not? ManRam Signs With Oakland

The likely outcome of the Oakland Athletics' signing of soon-to-be 40-year-old Manny Ramirez is a great deal of unfulfilled hype. But for $500,000 (what they are paying him if he makes the big league club), isn't that the worst thing that could happen?

Manny's one-year deal is a minor league contract, but he heads into Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Chances are he will make the A's roster for the regular season, and will be able to play after serving a 50-game suspension for PEDs (this was his second offense; he normally would have had to wait 100 games, but him sitting out last season negated half of them).

For the (very) small market A's, this can only be a positive. $500,000 is almost nothing to a pro sports team, even the A's, and can be made up in a few days by the extra ticket sales Manny will bring in. They are also starving for offense; they finished 12th of 14 AL teams in runs scored a season ago. While Manny will be turning 40 around the time he'll be able to play, it is hoped that he will be able to provide a spark from the DH spot.

He's also been working out all winter, something characteristic of him, even if it doesn't seem so. He's in playing shape currently, although not being juiced up on PEDs could have an impact to his power numbers along with age.

Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, the highest-paid player on the A's roster (four years, 36 million), has expressed interest in playing alongside Manny. It's been perceived Ramirez would be a positive clubhouse addition with a group of young guys, as opposed to a distraction. Based on all he's been through, the Manny being Manny act will probably tone down.

If Manny can come into Oakland, be half the hitter he was, and sell some tickets, that will be all owner Lew Wolff and the rest of the Athletics organization can ask for.

The Team No One's Talking About

With Jeremy Lin and the Knicks, and of course the Miami Heat and now L.A. Clippers receiving all the coverage, the 21-9 San Antonio Spurs continue to remain under the radar.

In fact, it's always been this way, save for when Tony Parker was dating Eva Longoria.

The nation, or at least ESPN, has been thrilled with the Knicks' seven-game winning streak powered by Lin, which includes all of one win over a team with a record above .500 (the Lakers). Meanwhile, San Anton has ripped off nine straight, including quality wins over the 76ers and Thunder. Unnoticed.

When you have a team with a leader as humble and professional as Tim Duncan, attention is not going to seek you out. And San Antonio isn't exactly New York when it comes to marketability. The Spurs have a veteran, collected locker room without guys demanding trades (a la Dwight Howard) or talking about returning to old teams (LeBron James), essentially producing no drama at all. Just winning basketball games.

The team aspect championship teams require certainly exists in San Antonio. Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair have helped to take all of the dirty work off of an aging, but still productive, Tim Duncan. Tony Parker is averaging a career high in assists (7.8) in his 11th season. Richard Jefferson, who didn't appear to have much left heading into this season, saved the day by filling in nicely when Manu Ginobili was out.

Age was supposed to be a factor for the Spurs, particularly in this condensed season. So far, it hasn't been. In fact, while a future core might not be presently on the roster, youth is definitely emerging. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, and Gary Neal have been key pieces to this year's club, a welcoming sign to Spurs fans worried about Duncan and Ginobili's age.

Gregg Popovich's steady crew has a rocky road ahead the next nine games, including matchups with the Clippers twice, Blazers, Nuggets twice, Bulls, and Knicks. Shouldn't phase this bunch at all.

Heart, Hustle, and Muscle

This past Friday I watched in person as my beloved 76ers fell in a 78-77 heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Clippers. The reasons for the loss on the Sixers' end were glaringly obvious: missed free throws, too many forced jump shots early in the shot clock, and lousy final play execution.

And former Sixer Reggie Evans.

The old-school, grind-it-out vet came in and simply out-hustled every other player on the floor. He sprinted the floor like a six-year-old would, and dove for loose balls like they were hundred dollar bills about to fall down a storm drain. He made Elton Brand appear as a ghost on the glass, at one point giving L.A. an opportunity for 5th-chance points.

Reggie Evans has made a career out of this type of work. In a league where being lackadaisical is the norm, the 31-year-old plays every possession as if his life rides on its outcome. No, he isn't even close to being the most skilled guy out there. Scoring is an unknown to him, and he is a career 52% free throw shooter. His skill set on another guy may have him fighting for a D-League spot.

He's simply in the league because of his blue-collar, never-say-die attitude every minute he's on the floor. It's why he's started 289 of 592 career games despite never having a scoring average of six points or more. The effect he is capable of having on a basketball game isn't seen in the stat sheet, but unbeknownst to all, it does in the final score.

When leaving the Wells Fargo Center, I heard plenty of mutterings asking why the Sixers' organization let him walk in free agency. Come playoff time, a guy like Reggie Evans can certainly be missed, because when the time comes to man up, he's always there.

No Shame in Losing?

At least it appeared that way just hours after the New England Patriots' 21-17 Super Bowl loss at the hands of the New York Giants, when star tight end Rob Gronkowski was seen dancing shirtless with tackle Matt Light to LMFAO at the Pats' post-Super Bowl party (Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Vince Wilfork, Chad Ochocinco and others didn't attend).

Gronk's high-ankle sprain appeared to have limited him all game against the Giants, where he recorded just two catches for 26 yards after having fifteen receptions in the previous two postseason games. But on the dance floor? See for yourself in the video above: he looked perfectly fine. Sure, not as much stress is put on the ankle dancing as making high-impact cuts on a football field, but nonetheless, his actions still raise questions.

It's especially annoying to Pats fans, who listened in all week to SportsCenter's 24/7 Gronkowski ankle updates. His questionable status didn't appear to be a hoax, either, as his play did seem directly affected.

And of course, there's the matter of losing. I was sitting next to a Patriots fan for the entire game, and he seemed a lot more upset by the loss than Gronk did at that party.

Top 25 Baseball Players (20-25)

20) Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis Cardinals

Why is Yadi ranked above Joe Mauer, Alex Avila, Victor Martinez, and the rest of MLB's catchers? Hitting wise, Mauer and Martinez are better, no questions asked (although Molina outhit Mauer last year by a landslide). Avila will be. But defensively, Molina is the best the game has to offer. He manages a pitching staff far better than Martinez, and pretty much everyone else outside of Carlos Ruiz. He possesses a cannon for an arm. And a .309 postseason average, where's he been the battery mate of two World Series-winning pitching staffs? Not bad.

21) Justin Upton, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks

One of baseball's brightest rising stars, Upton is still just 24 years of age. In 2010, he had an awful strikeout rate (152 in just 492 ABs), but he cut it down to 126 in 100 more at-bats in 2011. He was an MVP candidate for a D'Back team that surprised all by making a run into the playoffs. By the time his career is done, his fireplace mantel could possess that hardware.


22) Felix Hernandez, P, Seattle Mariners

Though tying a career high with fourteen wins last year (one more than his 2010 Cy Young season, proving wins to a starter don't signify anything), King Felix took a step back from the past two years. His ERA jumped 1.2 points to 3.47, and he threw sixteen fewer innings. That being said, the stuff was there (222 Ks), and 2011 shows all the signs of a slightly off year (and it was still a very impressive season). By the time his career is done, he'll possess a Hall of Fame resume.


23) Jose Reyes, SS, Miami Marlins

Yeah, he won the batting title this past season. He steals bags, too. But Reyes plays a shaky shortstop, and I'm not going to lie, sitting out the last game to preserve his batting title definitely hurt his ranking. He hasn't been clutch or produced much RBI-wise out of the leadoff hole, but heading this potent Marlins lineup could do him wonders.


24) Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox

Boston fans love the grit and grind the little guy plays with. He'll probably never again touch his 2008 numbers at the plate, maybe due to the fact he goes out of his way to hit home runs. Nonetheless, Pedroia is a wonderful player, and he'll play an integral part of the Red Sox' attempt to return to the postseason.


25) Michael Young, 3B, Texas Rangers

Certainly his batting stats were inflated by his the protection of Texas' explosive lineup. But still, it takes elite skill to hit .338 under any circumstance. And 213 hits at age 34? Ridiculous. And while this doesn't pertain to rankings, he showed he's an excellent team guy (see: Stranded in Texas) by accepting his role as everyday utilityman. Young's a true professional with a ton of skill (and 2061 career hits).

Honorable mentions: Alex Avila, C, Detroit Tigers; Matt Cain, P, San Francisco Giants; Hunter Pence, RF, Philadelphia Phillies; Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins; Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers; Cole Hamels, P, Philadelphia Phillies; Mariano Rivera, P, New York Yankees