The pressure is on Houston; Denver could not have done a better job.

The All-Star circus will come to town next year, and we're confident Houston can put on the parties and the rest of the periphery hospitality, having triumphed through the Super Bowl and baseball All-Star bashes.

Denver handled the stuff off the court well, too. But we can fix the basketball part.

First, it needs to be understood that there should be basketball in there somewhere. And we understand the NBA is not going to take the microphone from the screaming ringmasters, though if it was all so wonderful, the league would not have to pay someone to scream, turn down the music or sit down the dancers.