Scooter Tuning Pics » grades into seven categories.Third: O

The hard-court season is usually a nicely paced escalation through the US Open Series of linked tournaments to the climax of the Grand Slam season at the US Open.Not so this year.This summer promises to be an extra long, hard and riveting march to the climax in Arthur Ashe Stadium, because the calendar includes the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (tennis starts Aug. 6).The six-week US Open Series action starts on Monday with the WTA event at Stanford (ESPN2 and WatchESPN will broadcast over 70 hours of all eight Road to the US Open events).Here are five key storylines for the coming hard-court season:1. The Olympics effect is impossible to predictThe stakes in Rio are huge, but playing there is a gamble in more ways than one. The tournament offers no ranking points. Many pros, including Roger Federer, will be eligible to participate in all three events: singles, doubles and mixed doubles. That means players will look at preparation with very different eyes -- and face different problems if they do well.Just how profoundly this will affect the contenders is difficult to gauge. Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber, for example, are the reigning champions at big tournaments before Rio. Murray will defend his Rogers Cup title in Toronto in late July, but Kerber has elected to skip Stanford. Shes focusing on Rio. Educated guess: Top contenders who play in the coming weeks will use the pre-Olympic events as training camp.2. American men have teed it up for a good summerThe U.S. men smell blood on the asphalt. Two of their top four singles players, No. 16 John Isner and No. 29 Sam Querrey, arent even taking part in the Olympics. Theyre putting all their eggs into the US Open Series basket. Its understandable, because the American men have momentum coming out of Wimbledon. Just dont expect the U.S. mens team to light it up in Rio, except perhaps in doubles. The singles squad, provisionally, consists of No. 26 Jack Sock, No. 25 Steve Johnson and two players outside the top 100, Denis Kudla and Brian Baker.Isner, Querrey, Sock and Johnson each made it at least to the third round at Wimbledon, and all prefer hard courts to grass. Each has a special reason to excel this summer. Querrey is proving critics wrong with his suddenly steely temperament. At 23, Socks peak-and-valley nature is leveling off. Johnson won his first title this summer and has all the mental tools. Isner, foregoing the Olympics, will be fresh for all the other events and historically does the most damage at this time of year.3. How much gas will Serena Williams have left in the tank?Williams has a glorious problem. But its still a problem. With her masterful win at Wimbledon, shes poised to surpass Steffi Graf as the Open eras most prolific Grand Slam singles title winner (theyve each won 22). But Rio comes first. She will be vying to become the first two-time singles gold medalist (as well as seeking her fourth doubles gold). It would make her one of the most distinguished of all Olympians.Entered in the Montreal WTA event, Williams may have as little as five days off before the start of Olympic tennis play, which lasts nine days. Williams is almost 35 years old; Rio will be physically and emotionally exhausting if she goes deep. Her task at the US Open (it starts 15 days after the last day of Olympic tennis play and just eight days after the closing ceremony) will be formidable.4. Are we witnessing Roger Federers last big dance?While Williams left Wimbledon triumphantly, her closest peer, Roger Federer, departed shrouded in mystery. Also 34, the Swiss icon may have missed his last opportunity to win Wimbledon when he lost control of his semifinal and was eliminated by Milos Raonic.Federer said years ago that he wanted to remain a factor in tennis until the Rio Games. He hit that goal with ease, but things suddenly plunged downhill this year: left knee surgery, back problems and the disappointment at Wimbledon, even though Novak Djokovic was finally out of his way.Federer has never won Olympic singles gold. He is still ranked No. 3. If he can take the punishment in Rio and through the hard-court season and then contend at the US Open once again, hes entitled to declare his intent to play until the Tokyo Games of 2020. Its a big if, though.5. Cincinnati, the land of opportunityThe Cincinnati combined Masters/Premier 5 tournament is usually the high point of the US Open Series leading to the grand finale in New York. Its perfectly positioned as the ideal tune-up for the last major. Unfortunately, this year it also begins the day after the men play their singles final and the women wrap up the doubles in Rio.A lot of good players wont be around to ride The Beast roller coaster at Kings Island this August. It also means players who are at the door of the elite may slip inside to try the sofa while nobody is home. This ought to be particularly good news for promising young players, such as Nick Kyrgios, Garbine Muguruza, Alexander Zverev, Belinda Bencic and Dominic Thiem.Add up all these threads, and the conclusion is towering and inescapable: There will be no shortage of storylines by the time the US Open begins at the end of August. Penny Hardaway Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Nikola Vucevic Magic Jersey . LOUIS -- St. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-penny-hardaway-magic-jersey/ . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. Timofey Mozgov Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Grant Hill Magic Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. For 14 years now, weve asked you to rate your favorite team in the categories that matter most to fans, from championships to cheap seats. Then, based on your feedback, weve ranked every pro franchise. Whos No. 1 this time? The Tampa Bay Lightning, who learned that to build a fanbase from scratch, youve got to put in the work.For more information on how the Ultimate Standings were compiled, see below.Rankings: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL?|?2015No. 1: Tampa Bay LightningLove -- offered and justified, frustrated or spurned -- has been at the heart of our Ultimate Standings for 14 years as weve used fan surveys and financial analysis to rank MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL teams by how they reward fans for the time, money and emotion they invest in them. So when Lightning captain Steven Stamkos answers a question about his teams fans, players and staff with You can feel that love -- well, that says it all about his teams place at the top.No. 2: San Antonio Spurs Last years champs, the Spurs, ranked first in the players category -- for the sixth year in a row. Thats in large part thanks to a No. 1 ranking in the category fans say is most important to them: players who always give their best effort. Almost across the board, the teams rankings are up from 2015 (theyre also No. 1 in coaching and ownership and rank no lower than 11th in any category), but the Lightnings conference finals run moved them ahead of the four-time Standings topper.No. 3: Carolina Panthers The Panthers are No. 1 in bang for the buck: They won more games than any team in the NFL last season while charging the ninth-lowest average ticket price in the league ($78.22).No. 4: Green Bay PackersNo. 5: Arizona CardinalsNo. 6: Nashville PredatorsNo. 7: Florida PanthersNo. 8: Dallas StarsNo. 9: Kansas City RoyalsNo. 10: Texas RangersNo. 11: Pittsburgh PenguinsNo. 12: Seattle SeahawksNo. 13: Cleveland CavaliersNo. 14: Memphis GrizzliesNo. 15: Baltimore OriolesNo. 16: St. Louis CardinalsNo. 17: New England PatriotsNo. 18: San Francisco Giants The Giants are known for AT&T Parks gorgeous view, so its no surprise that their stadium is second overall (behind only MLBs other famous waterfront property: Pittsburghs PNC Park). But its not just the Bay: AT&T Park is also No. 2 in providing a fan-friendly environment and No. 1 in making it enjoyable for fans to catch games on TV, the radio or online.No. 19: Denver BroncosNo. 20: Kansas City ChiefsNo. 21: Cleveland IndiansNo. 22: Pittsburgh SteelersNo. 23: Anaheim DucksNo. 24: Dallas MavericksNo. 25: Oklahoma City ThunderNo. 26: Baltimore RavensNo. 27: Charlotte HornetsNo. 28: Boston CelticsNo. 29: St. Louis BluesNo. 30: San Jose Sharks After missing the playoffs in 2015, the Sharks made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in 2016 -- and the fans responded by jumping them 58 spots in the rankings, the biggest leap by any team this year.No. 31: Detroit PistonsNo. 32: Jacksonville JaguarsNo. 33: Golden State Warriors In 2014-15, the Warriors offered fans a rare blend of success and affordability. Then they jacked up prices by more than 40 percent and missed out on a second straight title (did you hear they had a 3-1 lead?). Were not saying Warriors tickets arent worth it, but at an average price of $79.84, they have become a luxury good.No. 34: Washington NationalsNo. 35: Chicago BlackhawksNo. 36: Indiana PacersNo. 37: Atlanta HawksNo. 38: Los Angeles KingsNo. 39: Houston TexansNo. 40: New Orleans SaintsNo. 41: Arizona CoyotesNo. 42: Indianapolis ColtsNo. 43: Utah JazzNo. 44: Detroit Red WingsNo. 45: Pittsburgh PiratesNo. 46: Portland Trail BlazersNo. 47: Washington CapitalsNo. 48: Chicago Cubs The Cubs were tabbed the team most willing to pay to attract quality players and coaches. Sure enough, the Ricketts family opened the purse strings in recent years to sign Jon Lester, Jason Heyward and, on Sept. 28, Theo Epstein, for a reported $50 million-plus.No. 49: Detroit TigersNo. 50: Minnesota VikingsNo. 51: New Jersey DevilsNo. 52: Toronto RaptorsNo. 53: Miami HeatNo. 54: Atlanta Falcons The Falcons will have the lowest concession prices in sports in 2017: $2 for a hot dog, pretzel or soda (with unlimited refills) and $3 for nachos, waffle fries or a slice of pizza -- all including sales tax! What that means: You can feed a family of four twice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for less than it costs to park at a Cowboys game.No. 55: Arizona DiamondbacksNo. 56: Los Angeles AngelsNo. 57: Houston AstrosNo. 58: Philadelphia FlyersNo. 59: Cincinnati BengalsNo. 60: Buffalo SabresNo. 61: Carolina HurricanesNo. 62: Minnesota WildNo. 63: Columbus Blue JacketsNo. 64: Los Angeles DodgersNo. 65: Orlando Magic Orlandos Amway Center was this years top NBA stadium ... at 225th, behind 11 MLB, seven NFL and six NHL venues.dddddddddddd Yikes.No. 66: New Orleans PelicansNo. 67: Toronto Blue JaysNo. 68: Boston Red SoxNo. 69: LA ClippersNo. 70: Milwaukee BrewersNo. 71: Winnipeg JetsNo. 72: Milwaukee BucksNo. 73: Tampa Bay BuccaneersNo. 74: Colorado RockiesNo. 75: New York GiantsNo. 76: Buffalo BillsNo. 77: Colorado AvalancheNo. 78: Seattle MarinersNo. 79: Minnesota TimberwolvesNo. 80: Houston RocketsNo. 81: Cincinnati RedsNo. 82: New York Mets The Jacob deGrom Hair Hat was the best swag handed out this year. But because this is the Mets: They gave it away on the same day they announced deGrom likely needed nerve surgery and would be out for the season.No. 83: Calgary FlamesNo. 84: New York IslandersNo. 85: Oakland RaidersNo. 86: Philadelphia EaglesNo. 87: Minnesota TwinsNo. 88: Philadelphia PhilliesNo. 89: Dallas CowboysNo. 90: Tampa Bay RaysNo. 91: Miami Marlins From the high of Ozzie Guillen in 2012 to the looooow of Mike Redmond and GM-weirdly-turned-manager Dan Jennings in 2015, the Marlins have had some coaching drama. But this year, with Don Mattingly signed on as skipper, Miami jumped 84 spots in that category.No. 92: New York RangersNo. 93: Washington WizardsNo. 94: New York JetsNo. 95: Ottawa SenatorsNo. 96: Chicago White SoxNo. 97: Chicago BullsNo. 98: Montreal CanadiensNo. 99: Boston BruinsNo. 100: New York YankeesNo. 101: Denver NuggetsNo. 102: Philadelphia 76ersNo. 103: Chicago BearsNo. 104: Atlanta Braves Who needs to root for the home team? Not Braves fans: Atlanta offers sports most extreme combination of poor performance and cheap prices. The good guys might have won only 31 home games, but at least supporters paid less than $20 a ticket.No. 105: Tennessee TitansNo. 106: Miami DolphinsNo. 107: San Diego PadresNo. 108: Washington RedskinsNo. 109: Los Angeles LakersNo. 110: Brooklyn NetsNo. 111: Edmonton OilersNo. 112: Detroit LionsNo. 113: Sacramento KingsNo. 114: New York Knicks Yet again the Knicks had the worst combination of failure and high ticket prices of any team in sports. And they look likely to keep the title in 2017: The Knicks havent been to a conference finals in 17 years but still charge 25 percent more than any team in the NBA (an average of $129.38, $99 more than the Pelicans average).No. 115: Oakland AthleticsNo. 116: Vancouver CanucksNo. 117: San Diego ChargersNo. 118: Toronto Maple LeafsNo. 119: Cleveland BrownsNo. 120: Phoenix SunsNo. 121: Los Angeles RamsNo. 122: San Francisco 49ers The 49ers have created quite the perfect storm: Fans see San Franciscos owners as the NFLs most dishonest and its players as the least available in sports, while the front office has raised prices by more than 60 percent over the past five years (the NFL average is just 12 percent). Meanwhile, the 49ers won just five games in 2015 -- which helps explain why they were named the leagues worst in paying to attract quality players and coaches.The method to our ultimate madnessIt takes four steps for us to rank the 122 franchises in North America.First: Consulting firm Maddock Douglas surveyed 1,031 fans to form 25 criteria for the things most desired in return for the emotion, money and time they invest.Second: Teaming with NetReflector, an opinion research firm, ESPN.com asked fans to rate their home teams in each area; more than 72,000 of you did! We grouped grades into seven categories.Third: Our final measure, bang for the buck, uses calculations developed with Oregons Warsaw Sports Marketing Center to figure how well teams turn fans money into wins.Finally: We combined each teams scores across all categories into a weighted average. The result? Rankings that combine fan opinions and how well teams turn your dollars into wins. Ultimately, it all counts.Affordability (12.2%): Price of tickets, parking and concessions ??Coaching (2.8%): Strength of on-field leadership?Fan relations (27.2%): Courtesy by players, coaches and front office toward fans, plus how well a team uses technology to reach fansOwnership (12.8%): Honesty; loyalty to core players and the local communityPlayers (14.7%): Effort on the field, likability off itStadium experience (11.7%): Quality of arena; fan-friendliness of environment; frequency of game-day promotionsTitle track (3.9%): Championships won or expected within the lifetime of current fansBang for the buck (14.7%): Wins in the past two years per fan dollar, adjusted for league schedulesRankings: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL?|?2015Thanks for financial analysis to Paul Swangard and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. ' ' '