Arne Duncan might not have solved juvenile delinquency yet, but he’s a dominant force in the world of celebrity basketball.
9. Marco Belinelli Needs Extra Round to Win 3-Point
Contest
We’re
pretty sure he’s the first champion of this event that ever put up two air balls during the first round.
8. Andre Drummond Dominates NBA Rising Stars Game
Of all the preliminary events leading up to the
All-Star Game, the Friday game of the leagues best rookies and sophomores is
slowly working its way to the top of the list. Dion Waiters (who some team
should be trying to acquire for a low-ball offer from the Cavaliers) and Tim
Hardaway Jr. put on an impressive 3-point display in the second half, and Drummond put up a 30-25 line.7. Austin Dillon Puts the #3 On the Pole for Daytona 500
Here’s what I wrote last year after Danica Patrick won the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500…
1. Richard Petty
claiming his 200th and final career win with Ronald Reagan in
attendance at the 1984 Firecracker 400 (Petty was, and still is, a diehard
Republican, so this victory turned into a glorified campaign stop for Reagan
while he was running for his second term in office).
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
winning the Pepsi 400 just five months after his father died in a last-lap
crash in the 500 (as someone who watched the whole race live, I don’t care
about the conspiracy theory. That was the most memorable NASCAR victory by
anyone of the entire decade).
3. Danica Patrick winning the pole for this year’s Daytona 500.
3. Danica Patrick winning the pole for this year’s Daytona 500.
You might think I’d come down negatively on this, but you’d
be mistaken. Qualifying at Daytona is in the discussion of most boring things
you could ever watch on television. Furthermore, qualifying means very little
at a restrictor plate track where cars zoom from the back to the front in less
than a handful of laps. If NASCAR did anything to “encourage” a pole-winning
run by Patrick, I’d call that some damn good marketing.
I stand by those comments, and we’ll rank Dillon’s pole winning effort somewhere in the top 10.
6. #2 Arizona Falls in Double Overtime
Arizona
doesn’t have that championship look to it anymore without forward Brandon Ashley.
5. John Wall Wins (I Guess?) 2014 Slam Dunk Contest
It’s
a shame that the confusion over the format marred what was one of the most explosive dunks in years by Wall.
4. Denny Hamlin Wins Event Formerly Known as The Bud
Shootout
Hamlin’s impressive comeback run after an injury-marred and pain filled 2013
continues. 3. Canada Survives Against Finland
Finland successfully slowed the game down against the superior Canadian squad, but Drew Doughty notched his second goal of the game in overtime to give Canada a win in Group B.
2. Kyrie Irving Leads Eastern Conference Comeback in NBA All-Star Game
I don’t know what was more entertaining, the 200 combined dunks and 3-point attempts, or Marv Albert and Steve Kerr complaining about the lack of defensive effort.
1. T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Quick Deliver Dramatic
Shootout Win Over Russia
Who
knew that T.J. Oshie was the grandmaster of the shootout? Taking advantage of a
weird international rule that lets a team use the same shooter after the first
three attempts, Oshie ended up going 4-6 to defeat the more
talented Russian forwards. There’s a good chance Oshie could strike again as
the Olympic Tournament enters elimination play.
