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We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

• Vote: Was Yao Ming's return encouraging or discouraging?
• Vote: Play "20 Questions" for the NBA season | Did Rajon Rondo claim PG supremacy?

One day down and, what, only 168 more to go? It's almost time to talk magic numbers.

Always the 100-yard sprint that starts a marathon season, the NBA's opening night took on a new dimension this season with the Heat and Celtics enjoying a playoff-like atmosphere in Boston. But with 81 games to go, instead of something between three and six in a playoff series, SportsNation blogger cvgolfguy takes some solace in the parallels with another debut flop.

• " Boston knows who they are, they have an identity, been playing with each other for a while now. Miami doesn't have an identity, they haven't been playing for years and years together, so they were a little confused about what was going on. ... I wonder if the sort of media backlash that happened when the Jets lost will happen to Miami. Like when the Jets talked it up all offseason long, lost the first game, and everyone wrote them off." -- Check out cvgolfguy's blog.

“

The Heat came within 3 in the fourth quarter, despite the fact that dwayne wade was suffering through one of the worst games of his career, which was an aberration, not the norm. That's a fact.

” -- brennangh

“

Nice win by the Lakers Last night! I loved our bench they really stepped up big time. And the Rockets got my respect they showed they really wannna fight for a playoff spot this season. But to me Shannon Brown & Steve Blake stole the night!!

” -- RocAFella248

“

i am about ready to trade hill, lopez, and frye. Give hills position to josh or try to get carmelo, and get some descent bigmen

” -- Mr Ntense

• Rank 'Em: Which teams are most likely to challenge the Lakers?
• Rank 'Em: Are Carmelo Anthony and Tim Duncan the top potential 2011 free agents?

A consolidation of player power in Miami is the talk of the offseason, for obvious reasons. But when do we talk about a diffusion of power in the Western Conference?

Phoenix moves on without Amare Stoudemire but with Hedo Turkoglu. Utah has to hope Al Jefferson and Raja Bell equal the departed Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver. Dallas kept Dirk Nowitzki, no minor feat, but it's hard to envision Tyson Chandler as the missing piece of the puzzle. Will impending free agency distract Carmelo Anthony? Will Yao Ming stay on his feet for an entire season? Should we just let the Lakers skip ahead to the NBA Finals?

In following Horace Greeley's advice, Al Harrington said he picked the Nuggets instead of the Mavericks based on each team's potential (the extra money inherent in suggestions that the Mavs were loathe to give him five years probably didn't hurt). We say if Harrington can judge Western Conference potential, he's a better man than us.

jay (uptown dallas)

are the mavs seeking ant other trade scenerios right now

ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan

Jay, Donnie Nelson says the team will be as active as ever. They'll continue to probe New Orleans about Chris Paul. the Hornets just fired GM Jeff Bowers, so things are in flux there and Paul is getting increasingly uneasy about the direction of the franchise. Otherwise, the Mavs will keep calling clubs for trades, kicking around Carmelo, as if that's going to happen, but yes, they will be looking for trades, particularly a blockbuster to land a star to pair with Dirk. I think the percentages are low. Full transcript

“

Great signing by Denver. Al Harrington was the only bright spot on a horrible Knicks team. He's young and from NJ so you know he has energy and toughness.

” -- mcbrinkosu

It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)

Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)

Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)

Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)

• Vote: Do the Lakers need Chris Bosh to defend their title?
• Chat: J.A. Adande on Lakers, Cavs and everything NBA, 3 ET (12 PT).
• Chat: ESPN Los Angeles' Andrew Siciliano talks L.A. sports, 12:30 ET (9:30 PT).

The Eastern Conference will be at a disadvantage against the Western Conference in the All-Star Game as long as Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett are starting and there aren't any DeLoreans involved. But did the East's best team just throw the West up for grabs?

Almost exactly a month ago, the talk was about the Lakers challenging Michael Jordan's Bulls record for most wins in a season. All right, actually we were talking about that; you were a little more realistic in saying the Lakers would win between 66-69 games. Then again, a month ago, Conan O'Brien still had a show. And after dropping a 93-87 decision against a Cavaliers team that didn't have Mo Williams, the Lakers would need to close 34-6 just to reach 66 wins.

So here we are. The Lakers still lead all challengers in the West by four games. But between Kobe's finger, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest's intermittent frailty and the sweep by the Cavaliers, are the Lakers vulnerable? Here's how SportsNation sized up their challengers.

mike (ca)

Loved you on the sports guys podcast, got to do it again, any moves by the lakers??

Chad Ford

I think there is one big move for the Lakers ... Bynum for Bosh. If they don't make that happen then I don't think they make a deal. Full transcript

Stephen (Glendora, CA)

what about the bosh for bynum (and others) trade - might not have any stock, but you guys think it would be worth doin for us in LA? Bosh can be pretty beastly.

ESPN Los Angeles' Andy Kamenetzky

Stephen,Were that deal was a true possibility (and I don't think it really is, for what that's worth), the Lakers would obviously have to consider it, because Bosh is too good a player not to. The key is how confident they are in Drew and Pau meshing. It's easy to forget the two haven't played together a lot because of injuries, and getting two seven-footers like that on the same page takes time. If they think it won't happen, you make the deal. If they think it will, you stand pat with what's still a frontcourt most teams would kill for. Full transcript

joe (toronto)

John...I keep hearing these Bosh for Bynum trade proposals, but wouldn't the Lakers want to make sure they can re-sign Bosh to a long term deal before giving up a promising young center?

John Hollinger

Yes, they would want to be sure, but I've heard that wouldn't be an impediment -- Bosh, like most players, would happily re-up with L.A. Full transcript

• Vote: Was Ray Allen off-base?
• Rank: Where do the Celtics stand among the league's best?

Ray Allen has never been one for controversy -- the last time we can recall him doing something out of the ordinary was when he starred in He Got Game. That's why it's such a surprise that one of the league's most businesslike players is taking on an unusual target: the fans.

Allen is of the opinion that fans have too much influence in voting for the All-Star game. Specifically, Allen takes issue with the likely inclusion of Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, both of whom are in position to start the game despite having sub-par seasons. Is Allen suggesting that, just maybe, the fans don't know what they're talking about? Perhaps. More likely, there's an element of favoritism involved -- it's difficult to seperate logic from emotion when it comes to evaluating players. Does Allen have a point?

“

No the format doesn't need to be changed. Why? Because All-Star weekend is about just that. ALL STARS. If a player is having a great season in the NBA, sometimes he'll get voted to an All-Star game, HOWEVER, the real reward of recognition comes at the end of the season, with the All NBA voting. Being on the All NBA 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams, or the All NBA Defensive 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams is where you get recognized career wise moreso than All-Star appearances, but this obviously isn't just about performance, but also about MONEY.

” -- vgametime

“

I agree guys like Iverson and McGrady aren't wothy to be All-Stars based on their play this season, but it's the fans' game. They should be able to vote for whoever they wanna see. Period.

” -- steinhardt711

• Vote: Does Tracy McGrady have more left in the tank than Allen Iverson?
• Chat: John Hollinger, 2 ET | ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon on Mavs, 3 ET

Back during the depths of summer, we called on names like Bo Jackson, Sam Bowie and Sterling Sharpe in speculating on Yao Ming's basketball future. As it turns out, between the Rockets' two most recognizable names, he might have actually had the rosier outlook.

Yao won't play until at least next season, but will that be sooner than Tracy McGrady dons the uniform again after the team gave him a leave and will reportedly try to trade him?

When McGrady returned to the active roster recently, 56 percent of SportsNation said he wouldn't play a significant role this season. That majority may have included Rockets coach Rick Adelman, but it didn't include the aging (former?) star. He only turned 30 last spring, but with all the NBA miles already on the odometer, are we watching an Iverson-like frustrated farewell?

“

I'm sick of his "me first" act and his inability to stay healthy. When the team wanted him last season he decided he'd try micro-fracture surgery against team wishes. Then the team is in the playoffs and he predicts they'll lose...he was still a member of the team, whether he believed it or not you don't predict your team will lose.

” -- Atreyeu

Lakers fans are understandably excited about the new season, and the defending champs are a popular choice to repeat among bloggers in the ESPN.com community.

"I've never been more excited for the opening of any season, any sport," blogs kurtnaphansen. "The combination of being on the heels of the Lakers winning the NBA championship, of all the trash talk from Cavs, Celtics, Magic, Spurs and even Blazers fans, and of a very new interesting development with the addition of Sheed to Boston, Shaq to Cleveland and Artest to LA."

Below are fan blogs and predictions about the season, which tipped off this week. Click through to respond. If you don't already have an ESPN profile, create one now and start blogging.

More fan blogs

Fan pictures

• Vote: What's your take on the season's opening night?
• Beyond the Nation: Cleveland Plain Dealer on Shaq's assesment.
• Chats: NBA Insider David Thorpe, 12 ET | Chad Ford's Tuesday wrap

Posting his NBA predictions minutes before the season's opening tip, SportsNation blogger Dukeyanks1515 pegged the Cavaliers as the best of the Eastern Conference, two spots ahead of the Celtics. Oops. (We'll cut him some slack; he also had the Wizards No. 5 in the East and the Mavericks No. 7 in the West, predictions which look downright prescient after Gilbert Arenas torched Mark Cuban's team in a 102-91 win).

As Tuesday debuts go, Shaquille O'Neal's was rather less successful than, say, the new Michael Jackson movie. Actually, it was less successful than Randy Foye's first game with the Wizards. O'Neal put up 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 29 minutes, and the Cavaliers dropped a 95-89 decision to the Celtics. But whether Shaq actually improves the Cavaliers is just one question we've got after the first night of games. Also on the agenda:

• Is Gilbert Arenas one the five best players in the league when healthy? Vote
• Would you rather have Andrew Bynum or Greg Oden for the next decade? Vote
• Did Ron Artest or Rasheed Wallace look like a better fit in victory? Vote

“

C's have the better bench now, which is why it was a relatively easy win tonight. When is Cleveland going to bring in a real PG for Lebron? Mo Williams is garbage; an undersized SG pretending to play PG. He can't set up his teammates, he gets exposed defensively, and if his shot isn't going down, then what's his value?

” -- dinosaurworld

“

It's one game and according to Celtic's fans they have already won the NBA championship. They fail to realize that two of our starters are new to the system and it will take them awhile to get acquainted. There was some sloppy play by the Cavs that will be corrected as time goes on.

” -- eatthegator

In the immediate aftermath of the team's most recent championship, SportsNation was split as to whether or not the Lakers were favorites to repeat. But when the Cavaliers made their big move, literally, by adding Shaquille O'Neal to the mix, popular support swung in favor of LeBron James' team.

So what impact does Ron Artest have on things? Well, voters still think Artest would fit better alongside LeBron and Shaq, but it's no longer a contest for the top spot.

By a better than 2-to-1 margin, it's the Lakers for two.

And Artest's combustible past aside, voters not only think Dennis Rodman was more of a handful for Phil Jackson; they think a current member of the Lakers is more of a chore.

• It was a relatively quiet long weekend, although Hedo Turkoglu did his best to create some dramatic fireworks. SportsNation isn't buying that Toronto's Turkish community or Turkoglu's comfort level with the Eastern Conference had much to do with his apparent reversal after reaching a verbal agreement to sign with the Blazers. They also aren't convinced pairing Turkoglu with Chris Bosh makes the Raptors a playoff team.

• Vote: Jason Kidd's decision to stay and Rasheed Wallace's relocation
• Groups: LA Laker Haters | Celtic Pride CHAMPIONS! | Portland Trail Blazers Nation

“

Great job hedo you went from playing for an elite team in the east to nearly playing for an up & coming portland squad to playing for a lottery team? The raptors will flirt with .500 at best and hedo can watch the playoffs from his cosmopolitan house enjoying the extra $$$ he has accepted for losing!

” -- bos411

“

well i think the hedo deal was worth it for toranto yeah they have no shot at winning the whole thing but they are trying to put fans in the seats making the playoffs do that and hedo proved he is a playoff performer against the CAVS but when it comes down to it great pick up by the raptors

” -- blackmatt86