Meister der Farbe » Shanghai, where it opened its season with an 80-70

This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Toronto Maple LeafsOverall: 118 Title track: 100 Ownership: 93 Coaching: 18 Players: 112 Fan relations: 113 Affordability: 122 Stadium experience: 107 Bang for the buck: 121 Change from last year: +4It took just one season for the all-world leadership corps of president Brendan Shanahan, GM Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock to make an impact in Toronto: For the first time in three years, the Maple Leafs did not finish dead last in our standings.Whats goodNot much, at least not yet. The Leafs finished 30th out of 30 teams in the NHL standings in 2015-16, missing the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 tries. But Babcock warned that things would get worse before they got better when he left the Red Wings -- where he won the Stanley Cup in 2008 -- for hockeys highest-profile job in 2015. Long-suffering fans have bought into Babcocks plans: Coaching jumped 20 spots, to No. 18, despite the dismal first-year results. There is cautious optimism in Canadas biggest city these days as the rebuild continues. It grew further when Toronto won the draft lottery and took American center Auston Matthews with the top overall pick. Fellow blue-chippers William Nylander and Morgan Reilly are already on board, and Torontos goaltending should be better thanks to the acquisition of former Ducks backstop Frederick Andersen.Whats badDespite the optimism, not all is rosy in Toronto. Its no coincidence that the Leafs are our lowest-ranked NHL team for the ninth consecutive season. They have the worst fan relations in the league (113th overall). Their average ticket price ($113.66) is an astounding 25 bucks more than the next-most expensive in the NHL and almost double the league average. That makes the laughable Leafs the least affordable team to support in North America. Not surprisingly, those who pay through the nose for an inferior product (mainly corporate types, resulting in unoccupied seats and a lifeless atmosphere at Air Canada Center) also get the worst bang for their buck in hockey.Whats newLook, its always going to cost top dollar to attend a Leafs game. Hockey rules Toronto, regardless of the standings. But real change is happening. Shanahan, Lamoriello and Babcock own three of the sharpest minds in the sport, and they have been afforded the time and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainments vast resources in the hopes of snaring, eventually, the clubs first Cup since 1967. Leafs Nation can feel it: Title track jumped 20 spots this year. Even long-hated MLSE is winning hearts and minds, with ownership up 22 spots.Full rankings Cheap Air Max 97 Orange .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Cheap Air Max 97 Purple . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. http://www.cheapairmax97.us/cheap-air-max-97-all-pink/ . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. Cheap Air Max 97 Red .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Cheap Air Max 97 Yellow . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. STANFORD, Calif. -- Reid Travis scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half and Stanford made coach Jerod Haase a winner in his home debut with a 96-69 victory over Cal State Northridge on Tuesday night.Haase, who began his college playing career at Bay Area rival Cal, came to Stanford after four seasons as coach at Alabama-Birmingham. He replaced Johnny Dawkins, who got Stanford to the NCAA Tournament just once in eight seasons.It means everything to give him a win, Travis said, especially all the work weve put in, just building that relationship with him and the coaching staff.Haase called the experience awesome.Had a blast. The thing that continues to stand out in my mind is how much I enjoy coaching these guys, he said. Theyre so willing to learn and do what we ask of them.Travis missed the final 22 games of last season with a stress fracture in his leg but has come out of the blocks fast. He had career highs of 24 points and 17 rebounds in the Cardinals opening win over Harvard on Friday in Shanghai, China.Against CSUN, the 6-foot-8 junior made 6 of 9 shots from the field and converted 7 of 10 free throws, a big improvement from his 10-for-19 effort at the foul line vs. Harvard.Travis also showed the kind of hustle Haase was known for during his playing days at Cal and Kansas when he knocked over a half-dozen seats on the baseline while scrambling for a loose ball.Its definitely what he tries to instill to us, Travis said of the hustle. Toughness is one of our standards. When we get on the court, its full speed ahead.Marcus Sheffield added 17 points, Josh Sharma scored a career-high 15 and Dorian Pickens had 14 for Stanford (2-0).CSUN coach Reggie Theus said 20 turnovers were more than his team could overcome.We did a poor job of handling the double teams early in the game. That really got us ooff in the wrong direction, said Theus, adding that the Matadors defense was sporadic.dddddddddddd A lot of times when things are not going well offensively, your defense suffers. Thats the mark of a team still trying to become a good team.Kendall Smith, who grew up an hour away from the Stanford campus, scored 17 points to lead CSUN (1-2).BIG PICTURECSUN: On the heels of an encouraging performance in a 102-87 loss at No. 16 UCLA -- a game that featured 14 lead changes -- the Matadors gave the ball away 20 times and were outscored 28-5 off turnovers.Stanford: The Cardinal made the long trek back from Shanghai, where it opened its season with an 80-70 win over Harvard, and showed little travel hangover. The Cardinal led by as many as 18 points in the first half and was up 31 points with less than 8 minutes left in the game.STAT OF THE NIGHT: Stanford was last in the Pac-12 last season in both 3-point percentage (.320) and 3-pointers made (.172) and was a quiet 1-for-6 from the arc against Harvard in its opener. But the Cardinal made eight of its first 12 shots from 3-point range and finished 9-for-16 against CSUN. Six different players made at least one, led by Sheffield, who was 3 for 4.UP NEXTCSUN returns home to play Saturday against Northern Illinois, which puts its 2-0 record on the line Wednesday against Idaho before heading to California.Stanford continues its three-game, weeklong home stand Thursday against Weber State, which dropped to 1-1 after a 69-68 loss at Pepperdine on Tuesday. Stanford better enjoy the home cooking while it can because it hits the road again for a Thanksgiving week tournament in Orlando, Florida beginning with a matchup vs. Miami on Nov. 24. ' ' '