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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)

• 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)

It's forlorn former star day here in SportsNation. First, we had the suggestion Michael Vick might be wishing he was lucky enough to be Trent Edwards. Then it was Charlie Weis wishing we were a landlocked country. Now we turn to Allen Iverson, who it sure seems like is wishing he never signed with the Grizzlies. Iverson has been granted a leave of absence from the team, a perk what few season-ticket holders there are in Memphis would assuredly love to pursue. The owner says he'd know if Iverson was contemplating retirement, but will the guard's career in Memphis make Jerry Tarkanian's run with the Spurs look like FDR's time in the Oval Office?

• Vote: Has your opinion of Iverson changed over the years?
• Your Power Rankings: We know the Grizzlies aren't No. 1, but are they No. 30?
• SportsNation thought T.O. and the Bills was a worse match than A.I. and the Grizzlies.

“

Here's how to deal with the bench role: put up the numbers, make your coach take notice to the point where he has no choice but to put you in the starting lineup.

” -- infamoss

“

Iverson continues to show the behavior that put the NBA in decline. Wade, Lebron, Bosh, are the New Skool now and they are doing it on the floor and off it with professionalism. Iverson is still holding onto to values of his era which had the NBA on the police blotter frequently. He didn't change with the times and this is already seeming like the end is going to sad instead of celebrated

” -- chellowebb

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

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd are listed as probable on the "SportsNation" TV injured list. Go ahead and start them on your fantasy team this week.

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

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

Who has the better fist pump?
Does Rafael Nadal, king of clay and thorn in Roger Federer's side, or Tiger Woods, rival of Ernie Els, have the better celebratory gesture?

How many games will the Cowboys win this season?
More than nine? Fewer than nine? Nine exactly? Emmitt Smith pegs the team at seven wins if the coach and QB don't improve.

Is Memphis a good fit for Allen Iverson?
A.I., using that newfangled Twitter service, said Wednesday that he's going to play for the Grizzlies. One fan predicted a team that averages zero assists.

Will Brett Favre start 16 regular-season games?
The Vikings were quick to toss their other QBs under the bus for him, and he's only one game from a tie for the NFL's longest games played streak.

Which team will win the Titans-Steelers game?
LenDale White is unapologetic for stomping on the Terrible Towel last season, which has Steelers fans frothing at the mouth.

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.

• Vote: Take the Quentin Richardson tour of the country.

Apparently Quentin Richardson comes with a warning that if you do not forward him to a friend within 30 days, great misfortune will befall you. Although considering the Clippers, Grizzlies, Knicks and Timberwolves are among the teams he's been "employed" by since last playing an NBA game, maybe the curse is more of a retroactive deal.

Richardson is not a star player. His impact on the upcoming season probably ranks somewhere in the vicinity of Glen Davis remaining in Boston or Leon Powe heading to Cleveland. But we can't help ourselves; Richardson's tour, paper tour though it may be, of NBA cities is worthy of a blind Greek poet (preferably of the deceased variety).

Let's run through this. On April 15, Richardson scored nine points in 11 minutes as the Knicks closed the regular season with a win against the Nets. On draft night, the Knicks dealt him to the Grizzlies (for Darko Milicic of all people). Then the Grizzlies traded him to the Clippers, who traded him to the Timberwolves, who just traded him to the Heat.

Considering Richardson shot 39 percent from the field last season, we're starting to wonder if Washington, D.C., really has the most popular "Cash for Clunkers" program.

• Voters don't think Dwyane Wade is sticking around beyond this season.
• Groups: Real Miami Heat Fans | Minnesota Sports Fans | Memphis Grizzlies fans

“

Ok, Q must be filming a reality show.

” -- ZEEKERINI

“

I feel bad for Q now. He's no where near as bad as Mark Blount. The Heat might as well throw a parade just for getting rid of that guy

” -- Dwayne_Johnson23

“

Q must have some serious frequent flyer miles. He's gonna be a good bench warmer for the heat.

” -- laranadepaz

It seems safe to say Allen Iverson will someday find his way to Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame. He's already No. 16 all time in points in the NBA, and he's about one good season away from passing Patrick Ewing, Jerry West, Reggie Miller and Amazing Grace Smith. Heck, it was just a year ago that SportsNation ranked him on the cusp of its own Redeem Team (Joe Dumars begs to differ).

Now if only we could figure out what city will come before the not-so-gem of Massachusetts on his career itinerary.

Iverson is hardly alone in NBA circles in his current quest for employment, but with each Andre Miller and Lamar Odom signing, he's starting to stand out more and more. It's one thing for Jamaal Tinsley to need work; it's another for a Hall of Famer who is younger than Steve Nash.

A month ago, SportsNation thought the Heat would be the best fit of the teams rumored to be in the mix. Now the Knicks are in play and rumors have extended all the way to Greece (hey, at least SportsNation thinks he'd be as good an ambassador for basketball as David Beckham has been for soccer in the United States). Surely some team will give Iverson the mid-level exception and 18 shots a game, right?

• 62 percent of SportsNation believes Iverson can still contribute for a contender.
• Beyond the Nation: Bill Simmons makes a case (No. 50) for an Iverson comeback.
• Beyond the Nation: Iverson talks about his image and the nature of celebrity.

“

AI/Mayo/Gay/Rando lph/Gasol. Not a bad starting 5 that can definitely run and put up some points. They would be a better team with this move. Warrick could still be good off the bench for them though. They need D with that lineup from somewhere.

” -- XmanY

“

Iverson fans need to give it up. We're not saying he's not great. He's great. But you have to have a pretty bad team if he can do it more good than harm. And while this is something he could fix if he wanted to, it's getting very late for that dog to learn any new tricks. I'd love to see him do it. But even then, he wouldn't be proving the "haters" wrong - he'd be proving that he should have been listening to them all along.

” -- The Pragmaticist

NO. 1: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Bill Simmons thinks Blake Griffin should run away as fast as he can. Even after watching his favorite coach head to New York and Shaquille O'Neal come and go, Steve Nash still has it easier than Griffin, according to SportsNation. And did we mention the traffic? Welcome to the NBA, kid.

• More than half of voters think Griffin would have gone third or lower last year.
• Clippers jokes aside, 43 percent expect them in the playoffs within two seasons.
• Oklahoma one of only states that expects Griffin to be an NBA star.

“

I feel bad for Clipper fans. The organization sucks, not the team. They manage to MISmanage every star player they have had. I used to think it was all Elgin Baylor but he his gone and they still suck. Oh well Griffin will get paid and do his time. When his rookie contract is up he will jet.

” -- BigVilFromWestPhil

NO. 2: MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Good barbeque and bad basketball. Since Robert Traylor's no longer in the mix, the former isn't enough of a selling point to convince current prospects to fix the latter. Ricky Rubio supposedly won't go there. Hasheem Thabeet canceled a workout. How are they supposed to draft someone they can later give away in a trade?

• SportsNation thinks Hasheem Thabeet a better fit for Grizzlies than Ricky Rubio.

“

Memphis is tailor made for Rubio, you need 2 solid PGs to succeed in this league, sometimes 3.

” -- walnutkid07

NO. 3: OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
It appears a Red River tandem of Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin isn't in the works, but Taylor Griffin is still available. Hey, it worked for Harvey Grant.

• SportsNation and Chad Ford concur; it's Ricky Rubio to the Thunder.

“

Blake Griffin is obviously the best talent, but I believe a defensive minded, rebounding center like Hasheem Thabeet would be a great fit for the talent currently on the roster. He would essentially knock Krstic down to the four, Green to the 3, and Durant to the 2 guard slot while his body fills out. Only if Griffin isn't available, though.

” -- dustemoff151

We like to think that somewhere, in whatever afterlife, reincarnation, biodegradable scenario you choose to believe in, we will all be held accountable for our mock drafts. Let's just say that if you don't get at least 10 picks right, you're coming back as a Clippers fan.

With that out of the way, let's take a spin around SportsNation's mocks.

• Things take a quick turn for the different in TheGodOf6thGear's mock, with the Thunder passing on both Ricky Rubio and James Harden to get Kevin Durant some frontcourt help.
• Things are a tad more conventional in manny24435's take on things, although even Duke alum Grant Hill didn't have Gerald Henderson going this high in ESPN The Magazine's mock draft.
• The top 10 is all codywin25 concerns himself with (come on, Michael Jordan could use all the help he can get), but that's enough time to find an interesting home for Stephen Curry.
• Blogger GOBIIIGCOUGS dispenses with the first round and goes right to lobbying on behalf of Washington State guard Taylor Rochestie as a second-round sleeper. Too much time in the Palouse may have gone to his head.

Join in lottery conversations: No. 1 Clippers | No. 2 Grizzlies | No. 3 Thunder | No. 4 Kings | Nos. 5, 6 Timberwolves | No. 7 Warriors | No. 8 Knicks | No. 9 Raptors | No. 10 Bucks | No. 11 Nets | No. 12 Bobcats | No. 13 Pacers | No. 14 Suns

“

If God cares about Blake Griffin, he will compel the Clippers to trade the #1 pick to OKC.

” -- bman5780

“

This is a very important week for the Wolves, lets hope Khan doesn't jack it up. Thursday: Draft. Friday: Find a head coach. Saturday: Apologize to Al and the remaining players on the team who didn't get traded away Thursday night. Sunday: Send out email to season ticket holders and potentials kissing their butt. Big week Khan. Big week.

” -- n0tbradpitt