ESPN

• Vote on the state of the leagues.

Picture Vice President Joe Biden behind you while you read this post, rising every few sentences to offer a standing ovation. Actually, come to think of it, he might be available to do it in person. Just promise the White House you won't quote him on anything.

It's time for SportsNation's "State of the Leagues" address.

With the All-Star break in baseball the only stretch of days all year when all four leagues are effectively dormant, it seemed like a good time to see where we stand. Sure, we could listen to Roger Goodell, Bud Selig, David Stern and that hockey guy, but if we want to be spun, we'll stick with Dead or Alive to spin us right round (like a record, baby).

Not surprisingly, if you've been conscious at any point in the last two decades, it's the NFL's 'Nation, and we're all just living in it. Almost all voters believe Goodell's league is in either "excellent" or "good" shape. Even in Michigan, where the only thing worse than the team is the economy, only 6 percent of voters think the NFL is "troubled."

The drama comes from the NBA and MLB. Both leagues are rated as either "excellent" or "good" by slightly more than half of SportsNation. But the NBA gets more attention as both "troubled" and "excellent" than MLB. In other words, you either love Kobe and LeBron or you hate Zach Randolph. There's not much middle ground for Stern's league.

• The state of the NFL is: Good, leaning excellent.
• The state of the NBA is: Good, leaning acceptable.
• The state of MLB is: Good, leaning acceptable.
• The state of the NHL is: Acceptable, leaning troubled.
• The state of NASCAR is: Troubled.
• A 'Nation divided on which league it watches less now than in the past.