Stanley Cup: Blackhawks-Bruins

The Blackhawks returned to their high-scoring -- and winning -- ways Wednesday, putting six past the Bruins in an OT win. Will the victory shift the Stanley Cup finals in Chicago's favor? Who will lift the Cup? Vote!

  • Who had the best Game 4 for the Blackhawks?

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      12%
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      35%
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      25%
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      28%

    Discuss (Total votes: 57)

  • How would you rate Tuukka Rask's performance in Game 4?

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      8%
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      33%
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      43%
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      16%

    Discuss (Total votes: 63)

  • Which team will win the Stanley Cup finals?

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      15%
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      46%
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      16%
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      23%

    Discuss (Total votes: 4,724)

  • Who are you rooting for in the Stanley Cup finals?

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      59%
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      41%

    Discuss (Total votes: 70)

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video

It's difficult to predict just how good a team will be even one season in advance, and the further out you get, the more hazy your predictions become. Too many things can happen -- stars get injured, draft picks flame out, coaches get fired, and so on. Our NFL insiders have made an attempt to predict where each team will rank in the 2016 season. Do you agree with their analysis? Submit your own below!

NFL Future Power Rankings

49ers

49ers

San Francisco 49ers<

Bears

Bears

Chicago Bears

Bengals

Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals

Bills

Bills

Buffalo Bills

Broncos

Broncos

Denver Broncos

Browns

Browns

Cleveland Browns

Buccaneers

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cardinals

Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals

Chargers

Chargers

San Diego Chargers

Chiefs

Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

Colts

Colts

Indianapolis Colts

Cowboys

Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

Dolphins

Dolphins

Miami Dolphins

Eagles

Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

Falcons

Falcons

Atlanta Falcons

Giants

Giants

New York Giants

Jaguars

Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jets

Jets

New York Jets

Lions

Lions

Detroit Lions

Packers

Packers

Green Bay Packers

Panthers

Panthers

Carolina Panthers

Patriots

Patriots

New England Patriots

Raiders

Raiders

Oakland Raiders

Rams

Rams

St. Louis Rams

Ravens

Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

Redskins

Redskins

Washington Redskins

Saints

Saints

New Orleans Saints

Seahawks

Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks

Steelers

Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

Texans

Texans

Houston Texans

Titans

Titans

Tennessee Titans

Vikings

Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

Your Rankings

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AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Team USA wins three straight

It's now three straight wins for the U.S. men's soccer team in their bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Team USA has been solid on both sides of the ball, only allowing one goal in wins over Jamaica, Panama and Honduras, a team who defeated the U.S. 2-1 in February. Has their recent win streak piqued your interest in men's soccer?

  • How does the U.S. men's soccer team's three straight wins in World Cup qualifying matches impact your interest in men's soccer?

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      49%
    •  
      47%
    •  
      4%

    Discuss (Total votes: 4,084)

  • What do you expect from Team USA men's soccer if the team qualifies for the World Cup?

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      20%
    •  
      63%
    •  
      17%

    Discuss (Total votes: 25,055)

  • Do you expect to see Team USA men's soccer win a World Cup in your lifetime

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      49%
    •  
      51%

    Discuss (Total votes: 3,935)

  • Will soccer eventually become a major sport in the United States?

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      58%
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      42%

    Discuss (Total votes: 9,298)

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The visuals really don't look good for Heat fans coming off Tuesday night's win. Sure, most of them stayed to the bitter end, but a noticeable percentage left in the closing seconds of regulation. You all know what happened next -- the Heat pulled off an amazing comeback that none of these fans got to see in person because security (probably correctly) declined to let them back into the arena. Miami has gotten some flak for being a less-than-enthusiastic basketball town, but we've seen fans lame out in the final minutes of games everywhere from Boston to Beijing. That last part was used only for alliteration. We've never been to Beijing.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Comment »

NBA Finals: Game 7

The Miami Heat came back in grand fashion against the San Antonio Spurs in one of the most exciting postseason games in recent memory. LeBron James lost his headband and caught fire (metaphorically), Ray Allen hit another clutch 3-pointer, Chris Bosh had a number of key blocks in overtime, and the Heat are alive for another day. With such a dramatic end to Game 6, it's almost absurd that both teams have to play again -- but play again they must, in Game 7 in Miami.

  • Which team will win Game 7? (Thurs., 9 p.m. ET, ABC)

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      46%
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      54%

    Discuss (Total votes: 215,225)

  • The Heat are favored by 6.5 points over the Spurs in Game 7. What will the final score be?

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      29%
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      26%
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      45%

    Discuss (Total votes: 42,045)

  • What are you expecting out of LeBron James in Game 7?

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      49%
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      32%
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      12%
    •  
      7%

    Discuss (Total votes: 28,803)

  • Which Big Three will perform better in Game 7?

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      37%
    •  
      63%

    Discuss (Total votes: 28,746)

  • What should LeBron James do with his signature headband in Game 7?

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      50%
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      50%

    Discuss (Total votes: 55,940)

  • Which team are you rooting for in Game 7?

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      63%
    •  
      37%

    Discuss (Total votes: 118,763)

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Antron Brown, Courtney Force

Welcome to SportsNation! On Wednesday, two of drag racing's biggest stars, Antron Brown and Courtney Force stop by to chat about the NHRA season, as well as this weekend's Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H. (coverage all weekend on ESPN2 and ESPN3).

Brown, @AntronBrown, who chats at 3 p.m. ET, sits in fourth place in the Top Fuel standings. He is the reigning Top Fuel champion, having won the 2012 title in becoming the first African-American driver to win a championship.

Force, @courtneyforce, who chats at 3:20 p.m. ET, youngest daughter of dragster legend John Force, sits in seventh place through the season's first 10 events.

Send your questions now and join the chat Wednesday starting at 3 p.m. ET!

More Special Guests: Previous chats | SportsNation

Go to chat »


Which sports city is the most miserable? DJ Gallo has a take, believing that -- among the metropolises with at least three pro teams (or two pro teams and at least one big college program) -- Cleveland takes the stale cake from this "top" 25. Do you agree? Click on the city names to make your own rankings!

Miserable sports cities

Atlanta

Atlanta

Teams: Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Georgia Tech.


Baltimore

Baltimore

Teams: Orioles, Ravens, University of Maryland.


Boston

Boston

Teams: Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox.


Chicago

Chicago

Teams: Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, DePaul basketball, Northwestern University.


Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Teams: Bengals, Reds, University of Cincinnati.


Cleveland

Cleveland

Teams: Browns, Cavaliers, Indians.


Dallas

Dallas

Teams: Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, TCU.


Denver

Denver

Teams: Avalanche, Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies.


Detroit

Detroit

Teams: Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers.


Houston

Houston

Teams: Astros, Rockets, Texans.


Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Teams: Colts, Pacers, Butler basketball.


Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Teams: Angels, Clippers, Dodgers, Ducks, Kings, Lakers, UCLA, USC.


Miami

Miami

Teams: Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Panthers, University of Miami.


Milwaukee

Milwaukee

Teams: Brewers, Bucks, Marquette hoops.


Minneapolis/St. Paul

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Teams: Timberwolves, Twins, Vikings, Wild, University of Minnesota.


Nashville

Nashville

Teams: Predators, Titans, Vanderbilt University.


New York City

New York City

Teams: Devils, Giants, Islanders, Jets, Knicks, Mets, Nets, Rangers, Yankees.


Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Teams: Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, 76ers, Villanova basketball.


Phoenix

Phoenix

Teams: Cardinals, Coyotes, Diamondbacks, Suns, Arizona State University.


Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Teams: Penguins, Pirates, Steelers, University of Pittsburgh.


Seattle

Seattle

Teams: Mariners, Seahawks, University of Washington, not the Sonics.


St. Louis

St. Louis

Teams: Blues, Cardinals, Rams.


Tampa

Tampa

Teams: Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays, University of South Florida.


Toronto

Toronto

Teams: Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, Raptors.


Washington D.C.

Washington D.C.

Teams: Capitals, Nationals, Redskins, Wizards.


Your Rankings

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video

Complaining about money is generally a way for a famous athlete to bring down the ire of the internet on his or her head, but Lolo Jones' recent money complaint might mask a legitimate, larger point. Jones tweeted out a Vine video of a $741.84 paycheck she received for training for the U.S. bobsled team. That's not bad for a week's pay, but the check was for seven months, a fact that Jones mocked in her video. Some fellow bobsledders were not amused, calling the video insulting. Jones said her point was to make people appreciate how hard Olympic athletes work, but her delivery might have muddled her message.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Comment »

Are the Miami Heat on the brink?

LeBron James has been unable to escape talk about his legacy. This has been broadly true ever since his rookie season, but it's picked up ever since he started going to the Finals on a semiregular basis. It's not a bad problem to have, but it has to be stressful, especially because the Heat will be playing for their metaphorical lives Tuesday night. A loss in six games could have a ripple effect on LeBron and the Heat -- he'd be 1-3 in the Finals, coach Erik Spoelstra could find himself out of a job and, in general, the Heat would be that much further from LeBron's promise of multiple championships.

How damaging would a loss in these Finals be to LeBron James' legacy?

  •  
    40%
  •  
    42%
  •  
    18%

Discuss (Total votes: 105,205)

  • Is Erik Spoelstra on the hot seat if the Heat lose the Finals?

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      48%
    •  
      52%

    Discuss (Total votes: 35,292)

  • If the Heat lose in the Finals, how many championships will they win with LeBron James?

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      49%
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      37%
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      14%

    Discuss (Total votes: 9,632)

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Max Scherzer leads pitching aces

The Tigers' Max Scherzer is the first pitcher to win 10 games this season. More impressive: He's done it without losing a game. But Scherzer isn't the only undefeated starter in the majors, as the Diamondbacks' Patrick Corbin and Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox (currently on the DL) are at 9-0 and the Reds' Mat Latos (6-0 with eight no-decisions) also sport unblemished records. Which pitcher will be the first to taste defeat? Vote below!

Which of these starters will be the first to lose a game?

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    14%
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    23%
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    48%
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    15%

Discuss (Total votes: 63,558)

  • Max Scherzer is 10-0 in 14 starts. How many games do you think he will win in 2013?

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      9%
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      45%
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      40%
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      6%

    Discuss (Total votes: 4,099)

  • Who is the best pitcher in the Tigers' starting rotation?

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      42%
    •  
      58%

    Discuss (Total votes: 4,117)

  • Which of these pitchers should win the NL Cy Young Award?

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      24%
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      16%
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      21%
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      32%
    •  
      7%

    Discuss (Total votes: 3,958)

  • Which of these pitchers should win the AL Cy Young Award?

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      17%
    •  
      14%
    •  
      16%
    •  
      47%
    •  
      6%

    Discuss (Total votes: 3,973)

Comment »