1. Do you agree with the selection of Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice as the 2009 MLB Hall of Fame inductees?

Honsen: Henderson deserves to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. The guy is the most prolific leadoff man to ever play the game. Rice, on the other hand, makes for a good story getting into the Hall in his last year of eligibility, but he wouldn’t be in this spot if Hall of Fame voters didn’t blacklist players suspected of taking steroids.

Ben: Are you kidding? Rickey Henderson changed the game. When he got on first base he basically nuked the pitcher’s sense of cool. After he stole second the pitcher would be so rattled he would lose his command and give up that crucial hit. Rice is one of the most consistent hitters of all time and also rightly earned the honor.

Maks: Henderson is an easy choice, and Jim Rice isn’t that much of a stretch. The real question is, how does Tom Lampkin get the shaft every year?

Christian: Christian Caple agrees with the selection of Rickey Henderson as a Hall of Famer, because Christian thinks Rickey was the best base-stealer of all time and one of the more underrated players to ever put on a uniform. Or, in his case, a lot of uniforms.

2. Which NBA team not named Boston, Cleveland or Los Angeles has the best chance at making a strong run in the postseason?

Honsen: My money’s on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ben: Based on leadership and experience, I have to take San Antonio here. Tim Duncan takes his team deep year after year and there’s no sign that the Spurs are slowing down now. The team just has too much chemistry to crumble — as some of the less experienced playoff-bound teams will.

Maks: At the risk of being threatened or sued by the Blazers, the only teams that come to mind are Orlando and Utah. But the title is LeBron’s for the plucking now and for the next decade. Like him or not, we might as well get used to that idea.

Christian: Oklahoma City. They’ve put themselves in a pretty good position to make a run under the radar, now that they’re only 27 games under .500.

3. How surprised are you to see the Cardinals so far in the NFL playoffs and do you expect them to continue winning?

Honsen: Their dominance over Carolina was so surprising it was like they drank Belichick juice, until you realize that anyone that doesn’t cover Larry Fitzgerald will get torn to shreds. I don’t expect the Cards to continue that success against the Eagles but no one thought the Giants were going to win the Super Bowl last year.

Ben: A bit surprised, but they faced a rookie quarterback and another who was a turnover machine. The talent is there but they’ve always self-destructed. If they are lucky enough to make it to the Super Bowl, the Steelers or Ravens will eat them alive.

Maks: It’s unreal to see an NFC West team in the conference championship game with home field advantage. Boy, it must have been in the cards.

Christian: I’m not surprised, because they have God on their side now that Kurt Warner is starting at quarterback. I expect them to continue playing football, until NFL rules dictate that they cannot.

4. What do you think of ESPN.com’s new layout?

Honsen: I like it. It’s simple, it’s user-friendly, and it’s presented in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you with too many words at first glance.

Ben: It’s cool looking. Pretty user-friendly, too, I guess. All the Star Trek ads are getting a little lame, though.

Maks: Most people seem to really hate it — then again everyone hated the new Facebook until they learned to take solace in others’ heartbreak. Maybe the new ESPN.com will one day grow on us too.

Christian: It’s better than The Daily’s.