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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.

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Bulls preview | Cavaliers preview | Celtics-Cavaliers | Cuban best owner in sports | Eastern Conference predictions | Jordan among untouchables | Jordan memories | Letter to LeBron | Magic preview | NBA questions | No worries in Lakerland | Remember the Bulls? | Teams to watch | Traveling rule | Western Conference predictions | Wizards' issues

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Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd have finalized their rosters and hung the bunting for "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 the Celtics going to win the NBA title?
Boston started well with a win in Cleveland against the Cavs, who have their own title aspirations. Is the first game predictive of the entire season?

Are the Phillies being disrespected heading into the World Series?
Only one of the experts on ESPN.com is picking Philadelphia to win. National sentiment, including in Vegas, favors the Yankees over the defending champs.

Is it time for fans of bad teams to root for better draft positioning?
The Titans, Rams and Bucs are winless. Seven others have one or two wins. Miracles happen, but a high draft pick is more likely than a playoff spot.

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.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

• 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

Kickoff couldn't come soon enough for SportsNation, including Purdue fans like slim83. The Boilermakers open with the Toledo Rockets.

These are our favorite photos uploaded this week. If any of the images stir you to sing your school's fight song, click on them to view a larger picture and to comment. If you have a great picture or saw one you think the world should see, leave a brief description and a link in the Conversation section below.

The start of school doesn't mean the collapse of fun, regardless of the high jinks posted by Yohnkers. Football fans are trickling back into the profiles, and people are sharing pictures of their summer games and vacations.

Here are our favorite fan photos uploaded this week. Click on the images to view a larger version of the pictures and to comment. If you have a great picture or saw one you think the world should see, leave a brief description and a link in the Conversation section below.

Would you rather own a house in a neighborhood with potential or rent in the swanky part of town? We should probably mention the former comes with an average of 49.9 inches of snow each year, while the latter comes with a beach and 49.9 fewer inches of snow. And Kobe Bryant. We're not sure how that fits in the analogy.

It's not clear that choice confronts Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis just yet, but if reports are true that he's the leading candidate for the Timberwolves' vacancy, it may.

So what would you do? On the Minnesota side, you get some good young players like Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Jonny Flynn and Corey Brewer, even if voters aren't sure that's a winning foundation with or without Ricky Rubio. On the Los Angeles side, well, you get another year with Phil Jackson and Bryant, but you also get another year older hoping the Buss family isn't going to turn out like Hank Steinbrenner minus all the cash.

• Still some confidence in SportsNation that Rubio eventually plays for Wolves.
• Vote: Are the Timberwolves building a winning team?
• Groups: Minnesota Sports Fans | Lakers | Real Laker haters

Ladies and gentlemen, our long national nightmare is finally over. After what feels like years and years of deliberation, the decision has finally been made. Brett Favre has ...

Wait, no, check that. Lamar Odom has chosen to sign with the Lakers. That's Lamar Odom, ladies and gentlemen. Not Brett Favre.

OK, it's not as if Odom stretched this out for ages while riding around on a lawn mower. The Odom saga, while not about a future Hall of Famer or anything, is the story of a skilled but enigmatic sixth man who could be the final turn in a championship team's Rubik's cube. In addition to the Lakers, Odom had been linked to the Heat (which SportsNation thought would be a good fit) and the Blazers (not so much). That's all a moot point now, as Odom's deal will keep him in Los Angeles for three years, with a fourth-year option and $27 million guaranteed. You could buy a whole lot of taffy with that kind of dough.

• SportsNation thought the Lakers needed Odom to repeat ...
• ... but figured the Heat needed him more than the Lakers did.
• Most of SportsNation thought Odom was really never going to leave.
• Beyond the Nation: John Hollinger gives the Lakers a 50-50 shot to repeat as champions.
• Groups: L.A. Lakers Fans | The Lake Show | Lakers Rule

It's a time for optimism in the NBA, where Anthony Randolph can get hearts fluttering in the Bay Area after tying a Las Vegas Summer League record with 42 points in a game (all right, not every heart). Heck, it's a time when even Knicks fans can shelve the cynicism for a few seconds, as SportsNation blogger allikskat does in making a case for a Big Apple revival.

And then there are the Lakers, who ought to be in the best mood of all.

Colin Cowherd and Kobe Bryant began their conversation on "The Herd" (click on the link on the left to hear the whole thing) by discussing the simple pleasures of parenthood. Then they moved on to Lamar Odom. At least, we think there's a separation between talking offspring and talking about a guy who sustains himself on candy.

After seeing Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu cash in on stellar postseason performances, it's no surprise Odom wants to cash in on his. But soon after the NBA Finals, SportsNation placed him a distant third to those two when it came to enhanced reputations. And when it came to Ariza or Odom remaining alongside Kobe, Odom was the consolation prize.

• Do the Lakers need Odom to repeat? The 'Nation is truly divided.
• More clear is Lamar Odom needs the Lakers more than they need him.
• Majority still thinks Odom ends up with the Lakers this season.
• Chat: Do the Lakers need Odom? Ask John Hollinger at 3 p.m. ET.

If Michelle Beadle is wearing the yellow jersey after two days of "SportsNation" TV, co-host Colin Cowherd is second by only tenths of a second.

The race is on to your answers about the the biggest stories of the day.

Check out the show topics, cast your votes and watch on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET!.

Will Ron Artest win a championship with the Lakers?
If Phil Jackson could handle Dennis Rodman, Ron Artest should be no problem. But what if the newest Lakers star is not as good as Trevor Ariza?

Do teams like Utah have a fair shot at the BCS title game?
Complaints and congressional hearings abound for the college football postseason, but what about beefing up the schedule?

Would you rather watch LeBron dunking or being dunked on?
Let's go to the tape to see Xavier University sophomore Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James. Wait, maybe not. Nike reportedly confiscated the footage.

Would you donate $100 to your team's Roy Halladay fund?
There are plenty of pitching-hungry fans out there (just listen to the screaming by Mets followers). Time to break out the checkbooks.

Is second place a failure for Lance Armstrong?
It's obvious after the first few days of the Tour de France that Lance isn't conceding the race to teammate Alberto Contador or any other cyclist.

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

At the end of the "SportsNation" TV show on Monday, Colin Cowherd told co-host Michelle Beadle the debut took so much energy he didn't know if he could do it again.

Guess who's back?

Check out the big stories of the day, cast your votes and watch on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET!.

If you had $900 million to spend, would you buy the Cubs?
The family of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts reportedly has a deal to buy the team and Wrigley from the Tribune Co. for $900 million.

Where will LeBron James play after 2009-10?
LeBron told Trevor Ariza he'd be in Cleveland after next season. Or he didn't. NBA free agency is a game of intrigue and rumors.

Awesome or weird?
What do you think of Ron Artest reportedly going to find Kobe Bryant in the shower to tell him he could help the Lakers?

Should the 76ers try to sign Allen Iverson?
A.I. averaged more than 30 points a game in four of his 10 full seasons in Philadelphia. His average has dropped, but he can still score.

Would you partake in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona?
Thousands of people risk goring and trampling each year in Spain. Are you interested in a road trip?

And our final question ....
Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis carry a built-in rivalry to the lineup card that will be filled out by Joe Maddon, manager of the third AL East team of note.

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