ATLANTA -- I'm having a hard time understanding all the fuss about Vince Carter starting in the All-Star Game. He didn't play in enough games? He owes it to Michael Jordan to surrender his spot? He ought to heed the advice of our self-appointed national hoop scold Charles Barkley?

As Yul Brynner might say, or would say if he could, "It's a puzzlement."

	Fans voted Vince Carter a starter because they want to see moves like this.

Carter is the absolute perfect guy to be starting and playing in the All-Star Game because, as most of us have known for years, the game and the accompanying weekend have nothing to do with actual basketball. The game itself is more of an Event At Which To Be Seen; look for the shots of Justin Timberlake and assorted rappers. The Saturday night entertainment -- we can't call it anything else -- celebrates the two aspects of the game that have brought it to its current, fundamentals-devolving state: the dunk and the 3-point shot.

In short, it's an all-sizzle, no-steak, all-heat, no-light, ultra-excess event and that is the ideal venue for Carter.

He won't get hurt. He doesn't have to defend. The outcome doesn't matter. He'll get unmolested drives to the basket for easy dunks. Why shouldn't he play? He should play wire to wire.

All this commotion about him "doing the right thing" and stepping aside, either because of his limited season or Jordan's overpowering presence, is ridiculous. Barkley thinks Carter's selection as a starter is a sign that fan voting does not work, even though those same fans decided Jordan shouldn't start and, basically, got most of the selections right. Barkley said Carter hadn't played in enough games (10 at the time the balloting ended) to be in the game. Rubbish. There's no stipulation on how many games one has to play.

"I think the fans pick who they like and they are going to put on the floor who they want to start," perennial starter Tim Duncan said. "I can't take anything away from the fans. They put the team out there that they want to see."

Precisely. They picked Yao Ming over Shaquille O'Neal because they wanted to see Yao. Now, Yao is having a terrific rookie season, but does he deserve to start over Shaq? Haven't heard anyone tell Yao he ought to surrender his spot to Shaq. Did Barkley rip that one too because he sees it as a popularity contest?

Uh, Charles, here's a news flash: It is a popularity contest. It's the All-Star Game. Carter is the embodiment of the kind of player that fans want to see in All-Star games. He's got hops. He can dunk. He shoots threes, sometimes falling out of bounds. It wasn't that long ago that he was going to be the Next Michael. Now, he's finally healthy and has been selected by the fans to play, and he's supposed to say, "Let someone else have my spot"?

Poor Vince. He has been bombarded with queries about this decision as if it somehow was right up there with the plans for troop movements in the Middle East. He started off his interview session on Friday by saying how much he respected Jordan, how much the whole league owed Jordan, but that he was doing what he thought was right. That should have been enough.

But no. He was asked if he was in a no-win situation. Saddam Hussein is in a no-win situation. Carter plays basketball.

	“	There were over a million plus people who had confidence in me and felt I should be out there. To turn my back on them would be a lot worse because I still would have to see those million plus people somewhere throughout the season. A man who makes his decision has to stand by his decision. ”
		— Vince Carter

"You could say it was a can't-win situation because of who he is," Carter said, referring to Jordan. "There were over a million-plus people who had confidence in me and felt I should be out there. To turn my back on them would be a lot worse because I still would have to see those million-plus people somewhere throughout the season. A man who makes his decision has to stand by his decision."

Whoa, Vince. A little too much gravitas there. You are correct. But all you needed to say was, "The votes are in. Unless we're getting recounted in Florida, I'm there. Next question."

Plus, here's the other part of this silly, sorry, story. To date, Jordan has said "No thanks" when asked about taking a starter's place. Tracy McGrady offered his spot. Allen Iverson offered his. MJ declined. So, he's going to change his mind if Vince comes to him? Don't think so.

But, there's always the chance that Jordan could start -- momentum is steadily turning in that direction and his All-Star coach, Isiah Thomas, said, "Michael Jordan should never come off the bench in an All-Star game." We can already see this subplot -- or is it main plot? -- unfolding. There should be some gentle persuasion in the East locker room -- and then the breathless television coverage leading up to the announcement of the starting lineups.

Carter was voted in as a starter by the fans. That's the way the system works. You know what they say about democracy -- it's a terrible system, except that it beats everything else. The people have spoken and Carter is one of their choices to start. He's healthy. He wants to do it. He should do it.

"We want to put on a show for the fans," Carter said.

Exactly. As they say, that's show biz.

Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.