Saturday night fun once again

PHILADELPHIA\nLast year, Saturday night at the All-Star Weekend was like sitting through a rock concert with a hangover.\nUgly, excruciating and most of all, nauseating. I'd made a few suggestions following the event as to how the league could switch it up a little bit to make it less painful. The NBA didn't quite follow all of my suggestions, but the changes they did make were well-executed improvements.\nFrom the improved slam dunk contest, which has been getting negative press, to the exciting three-point contest that went into "overtime" to determine a winner, to the brand-new three-on-three contest, which is a brilliant idea.\nSo now I'm giving my opinion on what the NBA needs to keep around for next year's Saturday night in Atlanta.\n1. Two words: Jason Richardson. He's a Michigan State grad, but don't hold that against Richardson, who is my new favorite player in the NBA. Not only did he bring fans to their feet during the dunk contest -- which is as impossible as talking to IU's Athletics Director, Michael McNeely -- but he won MVP of the Rookie basketball game. And as difficult as this is to say as a Wolverine sympathizer, he's impressive, and just starting to climb towards his potential. \nMuch better than the Pacers' Jamal Tinsley, who also played in the rookie game. His play made you cringe like you'd just eaten a lemon. Yuck!\n2. Two more words: Charles Barkley. He did commentary all night for TNT -- and I don't know what was better -- when he ripped on fellow TNT broadcaster, Kenny Smith, after Kenny got shot over by N'Sync's Justin Timberlake or when he felt "big" back in Philly, but that lately he felt "big" everywhere. There is no one like Charles.\n3. After last year, I said I never wanted to see a re-run dunk in the Dunk Contest, but now I am eating my words. The format of the dunk contest switched to one original dunk, one partner dunk and one dunk off the wheel. \nThe newly-introduced wheel was broken into sub-categories of previous dunks seen in past All-Star games. The MJ classics, Spud Webb's dunk and of course, Vince Carter. And wherever the player landed, that's the dunk they had to do.\n4. Okay, I do have one complaint. No more fan patrols or mascots. I understand they are filler for downtimes during commercials and such, but really. There are only so many times I am going to stand up and wave for a t-shirt or cheer for the Memphis Grizzlies grizzly bear mascot. Well, actually, I never would, so get rid of them.\n5. Going back to the wheel o' dunks -- it's much better for the judges to be the ones whose dunks are being imitated. Julius "Dr. J" Erving watches as three of his dunks got revived. He did a good job of not being too horrified as two of them were massacred. \nAll in all, the evening was much improved. Except for the entertainment, which included an old and bloated 80's light-rock favorite, Hall and Oats. Hey, I didn't say all the kinks were ironed out.