MIXING IT UP
Raheel Ramzanali: Some off-the-wall ideas to save NBA All-Star weekend
Raheel Ramzanali
Feb 19, 2018, 8:35 pm
Lebron might be interested in the dunk contest in Raheel's new world. NBA.com
Well, another NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone, but the discussion regarding the weekend is not over. There was once a time when the Saturday night festivities were must-watch TV, but now because we’re desensitized to dope ass dunks or because I’m just older, the night just doesn’t have that oomph it once had growing up. So, being the visionary I am, here are some ways to improve the NBA All-Star Saturday Night festivities.
Team Flight Brothers vs Team NBA Dunk Contest: NBA players are so proud to be the best in the world that they hate being challenged for that title so it would be an interesting twist if we had a Team Flight Brothers vs Team NBA Dunk Contest. Simply put, Team Flight Brothers are professional dunkers that travel from show to show. These guys throw down stuff that we haven’t even imagined and mostly do it for YouTube views. Here, I’ll wait as you go down the YouTube rabbit hole of Team Flight Brothers dunks. You back? Yep, now you know why this would shatter ratings and bring the best of the best in the NBA to protect the crown.
The Markelle Fultz Rule: The 3-Point Shootout is one of the coolest things to watch, but it gets so boring seeing the best shooters go at it. That’s why every year we need to put in the perceived worst shooter in the game as one of the shooters so we get a point of reference showing how good these shooters really are in the game. Just imagine the cringe factor of Markelle struggling to hit the rim while Devin Booker easily strokes in 24 plus points.
One Free Throw Bet: This one is one of my favorite questions to post on Twitter: You have one free throw and if you make it, you get $50,000, BUT you can choose Dwight Howard to shoot it for you and if he makes it, you get $75,000! Pick five fans and they come out and get to decide on national TV how they want to go at this bet. Look, Howard struggles from the line, but he knows the pressure of shooting from the line on national TV. Do you risk missing it all OR go for it all and let Howard get you $75,000?!
King of the Court: One of the best games to play with friends after a grueling practice is king of the court. Simply put, this is 1-on-1 with as many guys as we want. The goal of this game is to score 15 on a revolving group of defenders. If you make it, you stay on. You miss? GET OFF and wait your turn to play defense and force a stop. Could you imagine LeBron, Westbrook, James Harden, Durant, etc. going at it for a million dollars to the charity of choice?! This would get a bigger rating than the All-Star game, honestly.
Twitter Dunk Contest: Simply put, right before the Team Flight Brothers vs NBA Dunk Contest, we get four of the biggest trash talkers on Twitter to compete in a 8-foot dunk contest. So you can talk smack from your couch, but can you entertain on national TV on a lowered goal?!
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Two first-place clubs riding identical hot streaks meet again Wednesday night as the Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies in a marquee midseason showdown.
The Astros, winners of six straight at home, enter with a 46-33 record and a firm grip on the AL West. They've surged behind strong pitching and timely hitting, outscoring opponents by 10 runs over their last 10 games while posting a 3.40 team ERA. Mauricio Dubón has been a spark during that stretch, slugging four homers in his last 10 games, while Isaac Paredes continues to anchor the lineup with a team-high 16 home runs.
They’ll hand the ball to rookie left-hander Colton Gordon, who brings a 2-1 record and 4.54 ERA into his eighth start of the season. Gordon has shown flashes of potential but will face perhaps his toughest test yet against a Phillies lineup loaded with talent and plate discipline.
Philadelphia, 47-32 and sitting atop the NL East, has the third-best on-base percentage in baseball (.331) and no signs of slowing. They've gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, outscoring opponents by 15 runs and batting .267 during that stretch. Trea Turner has begun to heat up, going 12-for-42 in his last 10 contests, while Nick Castellanos remains a consistent threat with 21 doubles and 41 RBIs on the year.
The Phillies will counter with ace Zack Wheeler, who enters with dominant numbers: a 7-2 record, 2.61 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts. Wheeler’s command and swing-and-miss stuff have been a constant all season, and the Astros will have to work for every base runner.
This is the second meeting between the two clubs this season, with the Astros winning the first contest, 1-0. With both teams trending upward, it has all the makings of another tight, low-scoring battle. The betting line favors Philadelphia (-160), with the over/under set at 7.5 runs — a reflection of the elite pitching expected on both sides.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. EDT at Daikin Park.