Yao or Love? You decide.....

I was sitting here thinking about what to write about next when I remembered that tonight is the NBA All-Star game. So it only seems appropriate to write something relevant to what has become quite the sports spectacle.

The NBA all-star game is, for the most part, a chance for the best and brightest of today's stars to showcase their talents in a relatively laid-back environment where defense is played only sparingly and alley-oops are more common than free throws. The weekend begins with the celebrity game. This year's notables included Justin Bieber, who looked like the best Canadian player since Steve Nash for about six seconds. I mention this only because I might have Bieber fever. Next up was the rookies versus sophomores game. This years game was highlighted by John Wall's 22 assists, DeMarcus Cousins' 33 points and 14 rebounds, and Blake Griffin's 14 points and a variety of thunder jams. These guys are the best of this new crop of first year players. This year, the Rookies won 148-140. Their may be some bragging rights involved, but mostly the game is meant to entertain the fans. The score says it all.

From there, the weekend really heats up with the slam-dunk contest. Watch Blake Griffin, who won the contest, dunk over a car here. This next one is just for k(n)icks because it was not at the all-star game but I had to show it anyways. This is my personal favorite Blake Griffin highlight reel moment here.

After this, we finally get to the actual All-Star game. This year it is being held in Los Angeles. It is much like the rookie v. sophomore game in that defense is not played and there is really nothing at stake. And the game is fine for what it is. But what really gets under my skin is that fans continue to screw up the vote on who starts in the All-Star game. There are a few examples, I think, but I want to concentrate on the one that is ridiculous: Yao Ming.

As is the case with many NBA big men, Yao has had trouble staying healthy. In fact, he sat out the entire 2009-2010 NBA season because of a stress fracture in his left foot. Mercifully, he was not named to that years team - although I think it is because his name was not allowed on the ballot. The NBA makes you play in at least one game to be considered for the All-Star team. This year he mustered a mere five games before re-injuring himself on November 10th. Yet he still managed to be named the starter to the 2011 All-Star game!!!!! Really? How is this possible?

The way I see it the only people to blame are the fans that continue to vote out of player loyalty, rather than to reward a player for having an all-star caliber year. How, in the name of all that is good about sports, did Kevin Love not get voted as the starting center for the Western Conference?  So far this year he has recorded the NBA's first 30 point/30 rebound performance since Moses Malone (in case you don't know, Moses is considered by many to be a Top 10 all-time player) did this in 1982 - six years before Love was even born! He leads the league in rebounds per game (15.5 per game), double-doubles (51 out of 56 games, including 42 consecutive), and shoots 45% from downtown. But I get it: Yao averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in the five games he played in. Awesome. It is clear that Yao deserved the start.

Come on fans. Get it right! This one was embarrassing. Don't hate on a guy just because he plays for the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves. If you do not want to have your privileges taken away because the powers that be finally realize you keep mucking this up, I suggest you pay attention next year.