Ridiculuous...but great TV

Every year the great and the good of the American basketball scene collect together over All Star Weekend

It's a full on show-boating extravaganza. Don't expect anything particularly tactical, Do expect SHOWTIME. Ridiculous stats are posted; Kobe Bryant scored 37 points to help the West defeat the East 148-143. Defence isn't what this game is about.

But perhaps the best reflection of what the weekend is all about is the legendary Dunk contest, as immortalized by latter day heroes Dominque Wilkins and Micheal Jordan. This year it was won by Blake Griffin. For one dunk he grabbed the rim with his elbow after have slammed the ball home and for his final play he caught the ball in mid air as it was thrown out of the sun roof of a medium sized family car. I should perhaps mention that this involved jumping over the aforementioned automobile, whilst a choir sang 'I believe I can fly'.

Absolutely ridiculous but completely entertaining and that's what All star weekend is all about. Roll on the regular season.

For the record I preferred this dunk by Serge Ibaka where he 'rescued' a teddy bear from the rim with his teeth before slamming the ball through the rim.



Incredible - as a perpetually grounded small forward who even in his younger years had problems leaving the ground the air modern day players create is astounding. Which is why I now hang around the three point line and drop in bombs from downtown.

A lot of truth here

There is an evolving list of thoughts on Bruce Mau Design's website. It's essentially a collection of insights into the studio's culture, its thinking and its beliefs. Here are some that stand out for me:

• Keep moving - The market and its operations have a tendency to reinforce success. Resist it. Allow failure and migration to be part of your practice.
• Don’t enter awards competitions - Just don’t. It’s not good for you.
• Think with your mind - Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.
• Laugh - People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I've become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves.

Nice site incidentally - using cargo to excellent effect.

Stats don't lie*

Everyone makes mistakes and over the course of a season refereeing decisions will even themselves, but…

• In the four Arsenal matches Phil Dowd has refereed this season, the Gunners have conceded four penalties and had two players dismissed. An average of one penalty a game and half a dismissal.
• In the other 17 top-flight games Dowd has taken charge of this term, three penalties have been awarded and five players dismissed. An average of one penalty every five and a half games, and one dismissal every three and half games.

* Alternative title = The Referee's a wanker