When it comes to competition and sports on television, the fare of late has been leaving fans wanting something better. Last weekend, the Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of NASCAR -- suffered in the ratings because of a pothole on the track that resulted in nearly two hours of delays. The NBA also served up their All-Star weekend of festivities; they were a major dud, especially the Slam Dunk contest that used to be one of the best exhibitions in sports. And the Vancouver Olympics? So far, so dull.

However, there was one very exciting competition on television and it aired over the last two nights -- the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Live from Madison Square Garden, the dog show was one of the purest contests I've seen on TV in a long time. It was exciting and tension-filled, especially last night between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. when the judge started to evaluate the best in show candidates.

In this age of easily maintained celebrity, all you need to stay in front of people's eyes are a pretty face and a willingness to be there. Mario Lopez has both, and he's built that into a a career that keeps him resurfacing from one unrelated project to another without ever really showing any particular gifts for performing.

Now, he's going to host the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this February on USA -- because, when you think elite canine breeding competitions, you think Mario Lopez. (Somewhere in all this is a joke about what a dog Saved by the Bell was, but it's too much of a reach to go there.)