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We don't wish ill on anyone. Actually, that's not true, but we don't wish ill on anyone relevant to this discussion. Nevertheless, injuries happen, and as we've seen time and again -- Tom Brady last season, Alex Rodriguez early in the MLB season and Alex Ovechkin in recent weeks, to name just a few -- they sometimes happen to the biggest of stars.

And so it was that the populace of Cleveland found itself holding its breath after LeBron James injured his wrist on a dunk against the Wizards. There's little reason at the moment to think it's a long-term issue, but it makes us wonder. Which team would take the biggest hit if it lost its star for an extended period?

• Your Rankings: Which superstar would be the biggest loss for his team?

“

That's what you get for dunking the ball so hard down by 17 to the Wizards. Why was he dunking like that? You're down 17 lay the ball up dont dunk where many of things can go wrong on a fast break where the nearest wizard player was on the bench.

” -- ravenisthebest7

“

Lebron's MRI showed positive for having won zero championships.

” -- treelocX

• Your Rankings: Who are the leading candidates for NFL MVP?
• Chats: Chris Mortensen wrap | Matt Williamson, 12 ET | Mel Kiper, 1 ET

Should we offer a moment of silence for fantasy football owners coming to the realization that Saints safety Darren Sharper has scored more touchdowns this season than Steven Jackson, Brandon Jacobs or Anquan Boldin?

The Saints are just outside the top 10 in total defense at the moment, which is kind of remarkable when you think about how often their opponents have the whole field to work with after yet another Saints touchdown and yet another Saints kickoff. Sharper may not be the sole reason for the success, given that he shares the field with guys like Charles Grant and Jonathan Vilma, but as a newcomer with a league-best six interceptions and three touchdowns, he's becoming the face of it.

When push comes to shove, 67 percent of SportsNation prefers a great defense to a great offense. But are you ready to give a guy like Sharper MVP consideration?

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will be blocking kicks all day on "SportsNation" TV.

Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

Are you rooting for or against Alex Rodriguez?
A-Rod has finally broken out in the postseason and is saying all the right things. Of course, he still plays for the Yankees.

What should the NFL do to better protect officials?
Umpires could be outfitted with helmets or repositioned in future seasons to prevent injuries from collisions between players and officials.

Which was more impressive?
Was Reggie Bush leaping into the end zone or Adrian Peterson crushing William Gay a more spectacular play?

What do you think of Mark McGwire becoming the Cardinals’ hitting coach?
Is it a big deal that the slugger has never addressed questions about PEDs, or is it time to stop talking about the past and look to the future?

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

Neither Michelle Beadle nor Colin Cowherd will be traded by the "SportsNation" TV producers before next week's deadline.

Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

Is there any downside to Adrian Peterson saying he wants "all the records"?
It's not like defenses don't have his number circled. The Vikings RB already has 481 yards and seven TDs this season (3,582 and 29 for his career).

Is Jimmy Clausen a legitimate Heisman candidate?
The Notre Dame quarterback has thrown for more than 300 yards in all but one game this season and 12 TDs to only two interceptions.

If all were interested, which coach would you most want to hire?
Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan all have rings. Would one of them turn around your woeful franchise or take your team to a title?

Are you offended by ads featuring scantily clad women?
Montreal Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque has apologized for an alcohol ad in which he appears playing street hockey.

Should the Bears have gotten more out of Kyle Orton and Cedric Benson?
The ex-Bears quarterback is 5-0 in Denver. The ex-Bears RB leads the league in rushing. Does their success reflect poorly on their former team?

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

• Your Power Rankings: Are there any AFC East teams in your top 10 this week?
• Vote: Get an early start picking Week 6 games, including the Giants at the Saints.
• Chat: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson talks to SportsNation, 12:15 ET.

It's not that the Dolphins didn't have a passing game in Monday's win against the Jets. Chad Henne completed 20 passes and put balls where even Ted Ginn Jr. couldn't drop them. Heck, Ronnie Brown had half as many completions as the Browns' Derek Anderson did Sunday. But it's not images of Chad Henne that are casting doubts on SportsNation's contention last week that the Jets were the eighth-best team in the league. (Even if 77 percent of SportsNation is convinced Henne is the guy the Dolphins can build around).

No, Monday's lasting image was Rex Ryan's vaunted defense getting pushed around, specifically by Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Wildcat offense.

So what's a more miserable way to spend three hours watching football -- knowing there's nothing your defense can do to stop a guy like Peyton Manning from picking you apart through the air or watching Brown and Williams (or Adrian Peterson -- did we mention he's chatting today at 12:15 ET?) churn up yards and clock?

• Your MVP Watch: Which players are in your top 5 after the first four weeks?
• Wednesday chat wraps: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Fran Tarkenton

Save for the Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals and Panthers, NFL teams are already a quarter of the way through the regular season. Most places, that means an opportunity for fans to take stock of what they've seen and set expectations for the remaining 12 games. In St. Louis, where the Rams have been voted the worst of the worst four weeks running, we don't recommend diverting your attention from the Cardinals. (Or the Blues, for that matter. In fact, if the Saint Louis Billikens have any halfway decent post players, you might just want to skip ahead to basketball season).

Through just a quarter of the season, we've already seen three teams trade the top spot in SportsNation's Power Rankings -- not to mention 15 teams ranked somewhere in the top 10 at some point. And as good as Drew Brees has been, his Saints have cracked the top 2 just once. Just imagine how messy this would be in the BCS.

“

NFC East is a hugely overrated conference at the moment. The Redskins and Cowboys appear to be actively bad teams; and both the Eagles and Giants have question marks as to the health of key players.

” -- MNRyan55

“

The fact is, the Jets won't even be a part of the play-off picture, so why are we even bothering with them now. The AFC will come down to the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens and probably the Chargers and the NFC will most likely come down to the Saints, Giants, Vikings, Bears, Eagles and Packers.

” -- MadMax1018

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will lean back after "SportsNation" TV and enjoy the "Monday Night Football" doubleheader.

Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

Will the Patriots' offense be better than it was two years ago?
Tom Brady's encore to the 16-0 season in 2007 was cut short by a knee injury last season. Can he pick up where he left off?

If Michael Jordan unretired, could he still help an NBA team?
During his Hall of Fame induction speech this past weekend, Jordan didn't sound ready for his playing days to be over. What would another comeback look like?

Who had the more inappropriate outburst?
Kanye West opened his mouth during the VMAs. Serena Williams, losing and upset at a foot fault call, berated a line judge at the U.S. Open.

Will the Bears make the playoffs?
Jay Cutler was not impressive in his Bears debut. Brian Urlacher is done for the season with a wrist injury that requires surgery.

Who had a better Week 1?
Drew Brees completed 26 passes for 358 yards and 6 touchdowns. Adrian Peterson ran 25 times for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Which quarterback was more impressive winning his first road start?
Jets rookie Mark Sanchez threw for 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception. USC freshman Matt Barkley threw for 195 yards and an interception.

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd plan to bounce ideas and your opinions off the low-hanging "SportsNation" TV scoreboard.

Argue the hot topics and vote on the biggest stories. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

Whose pictures are you more likely to search for on the Web?
Are you more likely to be looking for online photos and videos of actress Jessica Biel or quarterback Tom Brady?

Which quarterback would you rather have?
The Chargers' QB has a six-year extension reportedly worth $92 million, but he doesn't have a Super Bowl ring like Eli Manning.

Do Mark Sanchez's good looks help make him a better QB?
The Jets' rookie signal-caller has already posed in bathing suits and shorts for GQ, and winning could only burnish his media-friendly image.

Which running back would you pick No. 1 in a fantasy draft?
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is a popular choice, but ESPN fantasy guru Matthew Berry argues that Michael Turner will have a better year.

What do you think of Chiefs coach Todd Haley?
When the first-year head coach said that nobody had made the K.C. roster, yet, was that a smart motivational ploy or a stupid stunt?

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

• Rankings: Is LaDainian Tomlinson still one of the five best backs in the game?

There's little doubt who the best running back in football is these days; he's the guy that has more states than Minnesota native Walter Mondale carried in 1984 voting for the Vikings to win the NFC North despite Brett Favre's decision to stay retired.

As long as you have Adrian Peterson, you have a chance. Then again, that's not altogether different from how people felt about Larry Johnson as the 2007 NFL season approached.

You remember Johnson, the guy who rushed for 1,789 yards on a record 416 carries in 2006, a year after topping 1,700 yards with 20 touchdowns in a breakout campaign. Back in June, 2007, voters said he was the second-best back in the game (granted, Secretariat's margin of victory in the Belmont was a photo finish in comparison to LaDainian Tomlinson's lead) and clearly the Chiefs' most indispensable player.

Now it's 2009 and despite better than 800 yards last season, Johnson can't get a sniff when it comes to the backs "SportsNation" (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2) is asking voters to rank for Thursday's show. Just more proof that success can be fleeting at one of the NFL's most physically demanding positions. Be forewarned, Vikings fans.

• Voters say Tomlinson is not the player Chargers can least afford to lose.
• Jim Brown beat out Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith as SN's all-time best.

“

wonder where RBs that had a goodly amount of carries combined with a goodly amount of receptions fit in in all this? For example: Matt Forte had 316 carries last year, far below the 370 curse mark, but also caught 63 passes...combined touches 379, so he's over the limit. May not mean anything at all, but I expect to see a drop off in his production this year simply because teams will scheme to shut him down more, IMO.

” -- The Mini Ditkas

“

L.T. will duplicate his numbers from last season, and I can tell you now.. I spent too much time watching him log around 50 yards with zero scores to rest easy. Time to find a new horse for my squad.

” -- noodlerii