All-Star Saturday Cup of Canis

Morning everyone. It’s Saturday, which means tonight is “All-Star Saturday Night,” featuring the skills competition, three-point shooting contest, and dunk contest.

Perhaps it’s because I’m a grumpy bastard, but I’ve never enjoyed this (or the All-Star Game itself.) Well, when they first started the dunk contest it was fun, but now..’

Anyway, festivities begin at 7:00 pm Central, and are televised on TNT.

It’s even less interesting for Wolves fans this season with no Wolves participating after last year when Karl-Anthony Towns won the skills competition to great acclaim, and Zach LaVine defended his dunk contest title from a spirited challenge from Aaron Gordon.

Here’s the list:

Skills Competition

Devin Booker (Suns)
DeMarcus Cousins (Kings)
Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
Nikola Jokic* (Nuggets)
Gordon Hayward (Jazz)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)
Isaiah Thomas (Celtics)
John Wall (Wizards)

Three-Point Contest

Eric Gordon (Rockets)
Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
Wes Matthews (Mavericks)
CJ McCollum (Blazers)
Klay Thompson (Warriors)
Kemba Walker (Hornets)
Nick Young (Lakers)

Dunk Contest

Aaron Gordon (Magic)
DeAndre Jordan (Clippers)
Glenn Robinson III (Pacers)
Derrick Jones Jr. (Suns)

Feel free to discuss these scintillating events in comments.

Elsewhere on the sporting scene, Minnesota United revealed their kits for their first MLS season last night:

Personally I’m a little underwhelmed, but it doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the Loons season. Thinking about getting the MLS version of league pass so I can watch. My guess is they won’t win a lot, which makes it perfect for a Wolves fan.

They open on March 3rd in Portland, and have their home opener (at TCF this season) on March 12th.

Since I got requests yesterday, today in history:

1129: Jerusalem taken (again) by Christians after treaty with Egyptian ruler Al-Kamil.
1503: The future Henry VIII becomes Prince of Wales
1519: Cortez sails from Cuba for the Yucatan peninsula with 500 men.
1574: Dutch rebels conquer Zeeland.
1678: Pilgrim’s Progress published in England.
1688: Quakers protest slavery at Germantown, PA.
1797: Trinidad surrenders to British.
1804: First land-grant college chartered (Ohio U. in Athens, OH.)
1814: Napoleon victorious over Austrians at Battle of Montereau.
1857: Chinese residents of Sarawak rebel (unsuccessfully) against the “White Rajah” James Brooke.
1861: Jefferson Davis inaugurated as president of the confederacy in Mobile, AL.
1865: Evacuation of Charleston, SC.
1885: Huck Finn is published in the U.S.
1913: Francisco Madero, president of Mexico, is overthrown.
1924: Edwin Denby, Sec. of Navy, resigns due to Teapot Dome scandal.
1930: Pluto discovered.
1953: First 3-D feature film premieres in New York (Bwana Devil.)
1954: First church of Scientology founded in L.A.
1965: The Gambia becomes independent from British Empire.

Today’s musical birthday is Dr. Dre, born in 1965

Have a great Saturday.