DUQUOIN, Ill. – The driver with the most feature wins on the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Magic Mile is returning this weekend, doing double duty at the one-mile dirt oval.

Three-time ARCA Menards Series Southern Illinois 100 winner Ken Schrader is slated to pilot his own No. 52 Ford in Saturday night’s 100-mile event.

Schrader, a six-time winner of the Bill Oldani Memorial UMP Modified event, is also slated to contest the 20-mile affair for that class, with heat races Saturday and the finale Sunday.

Schrader’s mile track debut came in 1979 at DuQuoin in the 100-mile USAC Stock Car event. After terrorizing local short tracks in sprint cars and stock cars it was only a matter of time before the popular driver began moving up in the professional ranks.

It was fitting that his first appearance on one of the big dirt tracks came at a facility he and his father visited, the one closest to his Fenton, Mo., home.

Ken’s first USAC race for Henry Sieveking had mixed results. He qualified third and started directly behind A.J. Foyt. However, the Ford Granada soon developed mechanical issues and he was forced out after 28 miles.

He finished fifth in the 1980 stock car race, and 16th in 1981. He also made his first appearance in a dirt champ car on the Magic Mile in 1981 finishing 11th.

Finishes of 12th, third, 28th and 30th followed.

NASCAR called in 1985 and Schrader ended up as the premier series rookie of the year. From there, Schrader’s NASCAR obligations kept him from running at DuQuoin for 15 years, until he returned in 2001 to contest the ARCA race, where he finished fourth.

It wasn’t until 27 years after his first appearance at DuQuoin that Schrader was able to enter victory lane. He won the 2006 Southern Illinois 100 from the pole and repeated again in 2007 and 2013.

Add in six wins in the Oldani Memorial, plus a crate late model win in 2006, and his 10 main event victories put Schrader at the top of the DuQuoin Magic Mile victory list.

Schrader’s last ARCA appearance at DuQuoin came in 2016, when he started second and finished third. His last appearance in a dirt champ car was in 2017, when he finished 19th for owner Dennis McQuinn.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Matt Hunwick is expected to miss this season due to a neck condition that bothered the 12-year veteran for much of last season.

General manager Jason Botterill based Hunwick's prognosis on offseason medical evaluations in making the announcement Wednesday, about two weeks before the Sabres report to training camp.

Hunwick was initially hurt last summer and the injury forced him to miss the first two months of the season. He was limited to playing 14 games.

Buffalo acquired the 34-year-old with forward Conor Sheary in June 2018 as part of a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hunwick has 25 goals and 119 points in 535 career games. He is entering the final year of his contract and set to make $1.75 million.

Hunwick's chances of making Buffalo's season-opening roster were uncertain after the team acquired Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju in separate trades this summer.

The Sabres are expected to place Hunwick on the long-term injured list, which will allow the team to free up space under the salary cap. Buffalo was projected to be about $1 million over the $81.5 million salary cap after re-signing defenseman Jake McCabe and goalie Linus Ullmark earlier this month.

The pots for the Champions League group-stage draw have been finalised after the conclusion of the final qualifying round ties on Wednesday.

Ajax, Club Brugge and Slavia Prague took the final three slots in the group stage, which begins on Sept. 17-18.

Three English clubs will be seeded in this year's competition, with Premier League champions Manchester City joined by the holders of the two European trophies -- Liverpool and Chelsea. Pot 1 also features the other champions of the top six European leagues.

- Champions League draw: All you need to know

Pots 2-4 are drawn up using UEFA's coefficient system, which ranks European performance over the past five seasons.

POT 1: Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Zenit St Petersburg

POT 2: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk, Ajax, Benfica

POT 3: Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Salzburg, Olympiakos, Club Brugge, Valencia, Inter Milan, Dinamo Zagreb

POT 4: Lokomotiv Moscow, Genk, Galatasaray, RB Leipzig, Slavia Prague, Red Star Belgrade, Atalanta, Lille

One team from each pot will be drawn into one of the eight groups, which can feature no more than one team from each country. The top two teams will advance to the round of 16.

The draw takes place on Thursday at 6 p.m. CET, midday ET.

Worcestershire v Nottinghamshire Match abandoned

No team has successfully defended the T20 Blast, but Worcestershire Rapids took a significant step towards becoming the first when they secured their quarter-final spot courtesy of a third abandoned game at New Road this season. Given that they adopted the "Rapids" moniker in a knowing nod towards the long and sad association between heavy rainfall and the ground it might seem a fitting way to progress.

The point was all they needed to guarantee progress and they can now earn a home tie with victory against Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Friday as long as Nottinghamshire Outlaws lose at home to Durham Jets. As well as any cricketing advantage, the additional home fixture would be worth around £100,000 to the club, some compensation for the loss of the group matches to the weather.

Alex Gidman, the first team coach, praised his side for overcoming a number of setbacks in recent weeks. Not least, given the importance of taking pace off the ball, has been the loss to injury of three spinners in Brett D'Oliveira, Ben Twohig and George Rhodes. Moeen Ali's omission by England has provided strong recompense: 140 runs and six wickets at a strike rate of one every 11 balls in his three matches.

In all, as many as 12 of the 18 counties have lifted the cup in its 16 seasons. Gidman knows a thing or two about the pressures of trying to retain trophies having been a young allrounder at Gloucestershire over the turn of the century, when they won seven one-day competitions in six years. Success, he thinks, brings its own complications.

"Defending it has been harder this season," he admitted. "We have found that teams are slightly better prepared either individually or collectively with certain plans. They have a better idea of how our guys perform and that sort-of happened too in the good old days at Gloucester. Teams know what to expect and pay you a bit more respect."

One example might be Pat Brown, a sensation last season with his quiver-full of variations which helped to bring 31 wickets. This time he has taken 13, not helped by the abandonments of course, and far from a disgrace for a lad who turned 21 only last week. He has just not been quite as prolific, even though he is, again, the county's leading wicket-taker in the format.

If you are going to learn then it may as well be from the best, and Gidman revealed that he has encouraged the squad to take heed of England's white-ball example under Eoin Morgan. "I told someone the other day that I genuinely think we've improved this season," he said, "and one thing we have taken from England is to embrace the fact we are champions, not fear it.

"Why wouldn't we try to draw from them given what they have done? They are literally the world champions, so it makes complete sense to copy the language and behaviours associated with them. And I'm very proud of our side. To make it to the quarters with a game to spare is a great effort. When teams have tried the different tactics I talk about, we've overcome them."

Which does beg a topical question: who is Worcestershire's Ben Stokes? Gidman seems to sense a headline as he pauses and smiles, but he whispers his answer anyway. "Moeen."

As well as both reaching the last eight in T20, Worcester and Nottinghamshire, the would-have-been opponents here, share a less illustrious feature. Both are enduring dreadful first-class campaigns, with Nottinghamshire 42 points adrift at the bottom of the Championship first division and Worcester next to bottom of the second. If they are still there in a month's time it will represent their lowest finish since 1992.

One theory is that the white balls offer little movement so batsmen are able to hit through the line without fear of repercussion. In truth, the nature of the format would probably demand they do so anyway. But when the red ball seams and jags, the same approach can all too easily lead to a clatter of wickets. Interestingly, Worcestershire have qualified for quarter-finals in five of the last six white-ball competitions, but were relegated in the Championship in 2018.

If this suggests they have concentrated on the shorter formats, it is a charge they would deny. They won their first two four-day games this season, but the top five has subsequently chopped, changed and struggled to perform. And so T20 is their one chance of success.

Gidman said: "It was a huge day for the club last year and to win the first trophy for donkeys' years [actually, since 2007] was a very proud moment for everyone. I think in the back of everyone's minds here the desire to do it again this year is very strong."

Surrey Stars 132 for 1 (Lee 75, Sciver 50*) beat Lancashire Thunder 97 for 7 (McGrath 41, Jones 3-24) by 35 runs

Lizelle Lee and Nat Sciver smashed stunning half-centuries to fire Surrey Stars to reduced-overs victory over Lancashire Thunder, by 35 runs, as the defending champions ended the Kia Super League in rip-roaring style at Blackpool.

Openers Lee and Sciver, the Stars captain, amassed a sensational 127 partnership in just two balls short of the allotted nine overs after rain prevented a start at Stanley Park until 5pm. The Stars, unable to defend their title having only previously won two of their nine games, finished with 131 for 1 before the winless Thunder replied with 97 for 7, of which Australian Tahlia McGrath hit 41 off 19 balls and Hannah Jones took three wickets.

South African Lee crashed 75 off only 28 balls with 13 fours and three sixes, while England allrounder Sciver reached 50 off 26 with a boundary of the last ball of the innings from international team-mate Kate Cross.

With the Hundred replacing the KSL for next summer, this was both sides' final game, and it included a combined total of 33 fours and nine sixes.

Lee, whose fifty came in only 17 balls in the fifth over, hit 70 of her 75 runs in boundaries, with her strike-rate of 267.85 the highest of the competition so far by some way. Both Lee and fellow right-hander Sciver played strongly all around the innings and hardly mishit a shot. They pulled, cut and hit over the top and down the ground with great authority.

Cross, having earlier won the toss, took the only wicket of the innings when she bowled Lee late on in the ninth over, but she conceded 42 in her two overs.

The 127 partnership is the second-highest by any pair in this season's Super League behind the 133 Western Storm openers Rachel Priest and Smriti Mandhana shared in a victory over Yorkshire at York earlier this month.

Lancashire's hopes of finishing on a high were dashed long before the halfway mark in the game. They finish 2019 winless, with nine defeats and a tie and have finished bottom of the table for three seasons out of four.

In four years, they have only won six times. Five of those came last year when they narrowly missed out on Finals Day. But McGrath had some fun in the chase, nonetheless.

She hit six fours and a huge six, over mid-wicket and out of the ground, in seven balls faced against seamers Eva Gary and Marizanne Kapp, taking the Thunder to 38 without loss after three overs. But she fell to off-spinner Bryony Smith, who struck twice in the fifth over to remove McGrath and fellow opener Eve Jones caught at long-off.

Another offspinner Jones then struck three in the seventh over to get Sune Luus caught at long-on by Lee - her second catch - and Indian Harmanpreet Kaur and Cross stumped, leaving the score at 71 for 6. Gray and Grace Gibbs also struck.

CLEVELAND -- Suspended Browns running back Kareem Hunt will not be permitted inside the team's facility while serving his eight-game ban for physical altercations.

The team had asked the NFL to allow Hunt to be around teammates, arguing he could use the extra support.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said Hunt, who signed with Cleveland in March after being released by Kansas City in December, can't be at the facility starting at 4 p.m. Saturday. That's when teams are required to submit 53-man rosters.

Hunt was suspended for two off-field incidents, one in which he shoved and kicked a woman. He's eligible to return to the team in November.

Browns receiver Antonio Callaway can be in the building during his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, but he can't practice.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield said it was "tough to hear" that Hunt won't be allowed to interact with his teammates.

You already saw the 2019 edition of NFLRank, our annual ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL for the upcoming season. But what about everything else? Football is more than just the players on the field.

We asked 10 NFL analysts -- Louis Riddick, Mike Clay, Mina Kimes, Seth Walder, Kevin Seifert, Dan Graziano, Matt Bowen, Field Yates, Jeremy Fowler and Trey Wingo -- to give their personal top-10 ranking for another area of the game, from head coaches to referees to uniforms to games you can't miss this season.

Here are 10 lists of 10 things ... from 10 different people.

Jump to:
Coaches | Front offices
O-Coordinators | D-Coordinators
Referees | Stadiums | Uniforms
Mascots | Traditions | Games to watch
NFLRank: Top 100 players

Louis Riddick's top 10 head coaches

1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: Belichick is simply the greatest game-day tactician of all time, and his six Super Bowls and 261 regular-season wins make him an easy choice for the top spot.

2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: Reid is a terrific offensive innovator who now has potentially the best young quarterback to come into the NFL maybe ever.

3. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles: He's an exceptional communicator and playcaller who did what Reid couldn't do in Philly -- win a Super Bowl.

4. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints: Payton understands how to exploit matchups as well as any other coach in history. And he has seven double-digit-win seasons and a Super Bowl to show for it.

5. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: He's the future. McVay is just a really brilliant football mind, and he's showing that he can be a passionate quarterback developer.

6. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Tomlin is considered one of the best to work for in the business in terms of his leadership style. And his teams have made the playoffs in eight out of 12 years.

7. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks: I can't think of anyone who does a better job of using positive reinforcement to make players believe in how good they can be.

8. Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears: He's a self-made success story who will climb this ranking quickly if he can get Mitchell Trubisky to play at a high level.

9. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: One of the rare coaches with a special-teams background, Harbaugh's 104 victories ranks sixth among active head coaches.

10. Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders: I think Gruden is an underrated offensive mind and leader who is poised to make the Raiders relevant once again.

Mike Clay's top 10 offensive coordinators

1. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: McVay serves as both the head coach and OC in L.A. His last four offenses have finished top 12 in points scored (his last two finished top two), and his 2018 Rams unit ranked top five in both rushing and passing yards.

2. Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots: McDaniels didn't work out as a head coach in Denver, and he's surely benefited from the presence of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, but there's a reason opposing teams keep trying to hire him away. For one, the New England offense has ranked no lower than fourth in points scored since he returned to the team in 2012.

3. Pete Carmichael Jr., New Orleans Saints: He's the league's longest-tenured OC by three years, and for good reason. The Saints' offense has finished no lower than eighth in yardage or 11th in points scored since Carmichael took over in 2009.

4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: Another head coach/offensive coordinator, Shanahan has seen nine of his 11 offenses finish in the upper half of the league in yardage, even though quarterback woes have been a major detriment over the past two seasons.

5. Norv Turner, Carolina Panthers: An NFL coach since I was born, Turner's creativity led the Panthers' offense to two or more touchdowns in every game through Week 14 and Cam Newton to career-best marks in completion percentage (68%) and off-target rate (14%) last season.

6. Greg Roman, Baltimore Ravens: A longtime NFL assistant, Roman maximized the skill sets of Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor, leading both to their career-best seasons. He will look to do the same with Lamar Jackson in 2019.

7. Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs: Bieniemy has only one season as an offensive coordinator under his belt, but he belongs in the top 10 after guiding the Kansas City offense to 565 points (third-most all time) and Patrick Mahomes to league MVP in his first season as a starter.

8. Ken Whisenhunt, Los Angeles Chargers: Whisenhunt stumbled during head coaching gigs in Arizona and Tennessee, but OC stops with the Steelers and Chargers have been successful. The Chargers have ranked no lower than 14th in offensive yardage and points since Whisenhunt's return in 2016.

9. Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns: A longtime FBS assistant, Monken progressively improved the Buccaneers' offense during his three seasons in Tampa Bay, capping off his tenure with a unit that paced the NFL in passing despite problems at the quarterback position. And now he gets Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr.

10. Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions: Bevell has never been a head coach and was out of the league in 2018. But the former Minnesota and Seattle OC has led five of his past six offenses to a top-11 finish in points scored, good enough to beat out Dirk Koetter (Falcons) and Randy Fichtner (Steelers) for the last spot on my list.

Mina Kimes' top 10 defensive coordinators

1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: He's not technically the Patriots' defensive coordinator, but the departure of Brian Flores means that Belichick, the greatest head coach in the history of football, will be calling plays on defense for the first time since 2010.

2. Don Martindale, Baltimore Ravens: Martindale, who took over Baltimore's defense last year, has devised an incredibly creative scheme to counter the passing explosion in the NFL, relying heavily on pre-snap communication and deception.

3. Wade Phillips, Los Angeles Rams: While the Rams' defense wasn't always perfect during the regular season, Phillips put on a clinic vs. Tom Brady in the Super Bowl that was underappreciated because of the outcome.

4. Kris Richard and Rod Marinelli, Dallas Cowboys: For all the talk about Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper this offseason, it was the Cowboys' rising defense -- led by Marinelli and playcaller Richard last year -- that guided Dallas back to the playoffs.

5. Gus Bradley, Los Angeles Chargers: While Bradley benefits from coaching one of the most talented units in the league, he's also managed to succeed despite a slew of untimely injuries (his ill-fated DB-heavy approach to the AFC divisional round notwithstanding).

6. Romeo Crennel, Houston Texans: The veteran coach stepped back into the coordinator role last season after Mike Vrabel left for Tennessee, guiding the defense to another top-10 finish in Football Outsiders' DVOA.

7. Jim Schwartz, Philadelphia Eagles: Since returning to his defensive roots after a stint as the Lions' head coach, Schwartz, one of the more innovative playcallers in the league, has helmed successful units, including the one that won the Super Bowl in 2018.

8. Leslie Frazier, Buffalo Bills: Bills head coach Sean McDermott, a former defensive coordinator himself, briefly took over playcalling last year before quickly handing the reins back to Frazier. The defense, which has been spectacular at stopping the pass, finished third in expected points added.

9. Dean Pees, Tennessee Titans: Pees coached the Ravens' defense during their Super Bowl win six years ago and announced his retirement last year. But the Titans convinced him to swiftly change his mind, and he led a unit that finished third in points allowed.

10. Todd Wash, Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars' defense fell off a bit from its elite status, but still allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game last season.

Seth Walder's top 10 front offices

1. New England Patriots: It's boring, but it's also accurate. The Pats have a knack for knowing when to cash in on a player (Jamie Collins), when to pick one up for cheap (Trent Brown) and when to pay the big bucks (Stephon Gilmore).

2. Indianapolis Colts: Through trade-downs in the draft, the Colts have built a nice core, including a rock-solid offensive line.

3. Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman built a Super Bowl champion team that remains one of the deepest rosters in the NFL.

4. Cleveland Browns: John Dorsey inherited a slew of assets from Sashi Brown, but he's capitalized on the opportunity. And he swindled the Giants out of Odell Beckham Jr. after Big Blue handed the wideout a contract.

5. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens have long mastered the compensatory pick game, and now they are building a team that embraces the strengths of an unorthodox quarterback that was acquired relatively cheaply in Lamar Jackson.

6. Seattle Seahawks: Seattle has had a slew of successes in the trade market, from bringing in Duane Brown to landing a haul for Frank Clark to repeatedly gaining value through draft pick trade-downs.

7. Los Angeles Rams: You can say this about the Rams: They're always looking to get better. The Todd Gurley contract was quite the gaffe, but hey, nobody's perfect.

8. Kansas City Chiefs: It hasn't been perfect, but one big gamble on Patrick Mahomes can fix a lot of other problems. Kansas City also cashed out on Marcus Peters at what may have been just the right time.

9. Dallas Cowboys: They'll probably pay Ezekiel Elliott more than they should, but the Cowboys' investment in the offensive line along with some tricky decisions in recent seasons -- like the transition to Dak Prescott at QB and releasing Dez Bryant -- have helped the team's long-term success.

10. Miami Dolphins: Tanking for Tua while taking a shot on a young QB with upside in Josh Rosen are exactly the right moves for Miami. Chris Grier is off to a good start as head of football operations by embracing a rebuild.

Kevin Seifert's top 10 referees

Note: This list is based on the degree to which each crew chief inspires confidence that he knows what he's doing, based on his call explanations and the efficiency of his game administration.

1. Bill Vinovich: His crews usually average the fewest penalties per game in the league, producing crisp games with maximum focus on players and coaches.

2. Clete Blakeman: Blakeman handles unexpected events well, most notably in 2016 when he correctly adjudicated a game-ending strategy in which the Ravens intentionally held nine opponents on a punt to drain the final nine seconds from the clock.

3. Ronald Torbert: A Harvard-educated attorney, Torbert carries himself with a confident demeanor that almost never changes -- unless he's warming up with a few jabs to the goal post.

4. Walt Anderson: Although he has stumbled through a few high-profile sequences, Anderson is a 24-year veteran who has seen just about every curveball possible for a football official. He knows the game and usually navigates it well.

5. John Hussey: Promoted to referee in 2015, Hussey has received a playoff assignment in each of the past two years, all while avoiding any major gaffes.

6. Carl Cheffers: He has come a long way since a memorable two-take announcement of multiple penalties in a 2010 game between the Cowboys and Texans. Even then, his calm demeanor and sense of humor served him well.

7. Tony Corrente: The 25-year veteran earned respect from coaches and players during his 2011 treatment for throat cancer, which was originally diagnosed after he suffered injuries trying to separate fighting players. According to Sports Illustrated, Corrente later thanked those players for hastening the diagnosis and improving his chances of recovering.

8. Brad Allen: Hired in 2014 as an umpire, Allen's game presence prompted the NFL to promote him immediately to referee before he had worked his first game. He remains relatively inexperienced at this level but works his games with confidence.

9. Craig Wrolstad: Wrolstad has been left out of the playoff picture the past two seasons and tends to keep his call explanations to a minimum.

10. Jerome Boger: Boger hasn't been given a playoff assignment in six seasons, since he headed the crew for Super Bowl XLVII, and his announcements can be difficult to follow.

Dan Graziano's top 10 stadiums

1. U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota Vikings: The space-age viking-ship exterior shape is a bit weird, but wait until you get a load of the gleaming, sunny, modern perfection inside.

2. AT&T Stadium, Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones built it to hold up for decades, and at the start of its second decade, it's as awe-inspiring as it was on Day 1. Every part of the experience is first class.

3. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Falcons: The funky retractable roof is cool to watch, but it's only part of what makes the site of the most recent Super Bowl stand out.

4. Century Link Stadium, Seattle Seahawks: The unique roof design that covers fans but not the field ... the Seattle skyline in the background ... and the noise, man. That's not just a myth, that place is loud.

5. Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers: The dirty little secret about NFL stadiums is that most of them look and feel kind of the same. Lambeau stands out because of the history. It feels old, but in all the good ways. It's a classic.

6. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Colts: Indy's big downtown barn could stand to open its roof a little more often, but the big side windows let in enough light for a nice day-game feel.

7. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs: Another oldie-but-goodie, Arrowhead stands out from the pack because of the fan experience. It gives Seattle a run for its money, noise-wise.

8. State Farm Stadium, Arizona Cardinals: It's cool that they slide the playing field out on rails so it can get some sunlight, then roll it in for games and practices. It's been around for 13 years already but still feels kind of futuristic.

9. Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers: Heinz has a wide-open feel with some views of Pittsburgh's rivers and underrated skyline, depending on where you sit. It's not the breathtaker that its baseball-stadium neighbor is, but it has a nice game-day feel.

10. Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver Broncos: As we get into the cookie-cutters, we'll give this one points for its swoopy upper-deck lines and picturesque setting.

Matt Bowen's top 10 uniforms

1. New Orleans Saints' color rush: I love the all-whites with the gold numbers. This is the cleanest look going right now in the NFL.

2. Oakland Raiders' home: The silver and black with the old-school logo on the lids and the single stripe is classic stuff.

3. Los Angeles Chargers' powder blues: I always judge uniforms by how the defensive backs look. That Chargers secondary in the powder blues? Come on, man. It's so smooth.

4. Green Bay Packers' home: Just think about Paul Hornung, Reggie White and Brett Favre in those green jerseys. I remember putting that uni on for the first time in the 2001 season, and it feels like you are a part of football royalty.

5. San Francisco 49ers' away: The gold pants and helmets with the white road tops ... I grew up watching Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in this traditional look.

6. Miami Dolphins' home throwbacks: Why did Miami ever change? The helmet, with the old school logo and grey mask, is just awesome. So are the aqua jerseys and striped socks. These need to come back for good.

7. Chicago Bears' home: I went to my first Bears game in 1985, a 17-10 win over the Colts. And nothing has really changed with this traditional look since then. The helmet is an all-timer, as are the orange and blue striped socks.

8. Los Angeles Rams' blue and gold throwbacks: I missed out on these (along with a Super Bowl ring) when I was drafted by the Rams in 2000. Good on L.A. for getting them back in the mix.

9. Buffalo Bills' home: The navy blue jerseys and pants I wore in Buffalo during the mid-2000s? Brutal. We looked like a feeder team for the Montreal Allouettes. But these home unis with white lids and royal blue tops? I love them.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers' home: The helmet logo being only on one side is great and unique. Plus, the black and gold jersey/pants combo is a standard in the league. It also looks good in Iowa City. Go Hawks.

Field Yates' top 10 mascots

1. Swagger and Chomps, Cleveland Browns: The only thing better than a human dressed up as a dog for a mascot is a human dressed up as a dog along with a real life dog as your mascot. Swagger, who is a very good dog, enjoys a meal of fried raven and often chews on Terrible Towels, per the Browns' official website.

2. Gumbo and Sir Saint, New Orleans Saints: Gumbo was formerly an actual Saint Bernard dog, which was the apex of the team's mascot history. But the current form (a costume) is still one of the league's best.

3. Warpaint and KC Wolf, Kansas City Chiefs: Full disclosure: I used to work for the Chiefs, which gave me exposure to some of the best Warpaint and KC Wolf had to offer. Warpaint galloping set the tone at Arrowhead Stadium, while KC Wolf pulled a variety of hijinks, which included body-slamming a person donning the opponent's jersey (WWE-style, so no harm inflicted). Moreover, KC Wolf does over 150 appearances per year as a motivational speaker. Impressive!

4. Blitz, Seattle Seahawks: Blitz's hobbies include jumping off of the roof of Century Link Stadium, flying with the Blue Angels and skydiving with Red Bull, per the team's website. Century Link gets as loud as basically any stadium in football, and Blitz plays a part in making that happen.

5. Billy Buffalo, Buffalo Bills: The recipient of a makeover just prior to last season, Billy has a more excitable demeanor to him now. Buffalo is home to one of the best game-day experiences in the league, with a fan base that bleeds passion and pride. Wikipedia even claims he is 8 feet tall.

6. Staley Da Bear, Chicago Bears: Named after the founder of the franchise, Staley has an incredible ability to toe the line of being both intimidating and fuzzy. His thick fur coat helps him survive the often frigid Chicago winters.

7. Steely McBeam, Pittsburgh Steelers: Both elements of this mascot's name pay tribute to the Steel City, and, like the Steelers' helmet that has a logo on only one side, Steely is unique compared to most NFL mascots in that he doesn't wear a jersey.

8. Swoop, Philadelphia Eagles: No city brings it stronger with mascots than Philly, as the Phillie Phanatic and Gritty have cross-sport appeal. But while Swoop may not generate as much pub, he's a fixture at one of the best home venues in the sport.

9. Miles and Thunder, Denver Broncos: Thunder (technically Thunder III) might be the most active mascot in the NFL, as the horse -- a real horse -- gallops the field following a touchdown.

10. T.D., Miami Dolphins: While many NFL mascots don a team uniform as part of the respective get-ups, T.D. takes it a step further. This dolphin wears a football helmet. It's both protective and stylish.

Jeremy Fowler's top 10 team traditions

1. Lambeau Leap, Green Bay Packers: Beautiful in its simplicity, the leap into the outstretched arms of Packers fans might be the game's best touchdown celebration, something other players and even fans dream of doing.

2. Terrible Towel, Pittsburgh Steelers: Thousands of these bad boys swing each Sunday at Heinz Field, and well-traveled Steelers fans have used them as distractions in away stadiums for years.

3. The cork pop, Miami Dolphins: The image of Mercury Morris and Co. downing Dom Perignon with each year's continuation of no other team matching their 1972 undefeated season is glorious NFL pettiness.

4. Black Hole, Oakland Raiders: From silver-and-black skeletons to bikers in Darth Vader masks, the rowdiest section of Oakland-Alameda County Stadium has a little bit of everything for Raiders brethren.

5. The sleeveless hoodie, New England Patriots: The list feels incomplete without a Patriots tradition, and more impressive than six Super Bowls is Belichick pulling this look off in practices and games.

6. Gjallarhorn, Minnesota Vikings: The massive, mythological horn sounds awesome in the Vikings' new stadium, especially when former star Vikings such as Randy Moss sound it off.

7. Thunder, Denver Broncos: For nearly three decades, Mile High Stadium gets hyped every time Thunder bursts through the tunnel draped in orange and blue.

8. "Fly Eagles Fly," Philadelphia Eagles: The NFL wouldn't be the same without this 1950s songwriting gem by Charles Borrelli and Roger Courtland that inspired Northeast Pennsylvania tailgates everywhere.

9. The 12th Man, Seattle Seahawks: Seahawks fans create such a cacophonous home-field atmosphere that the organization retired the No. 12 jersey back in 1984.

10. Fireman Ed, New York Jets: Now retired from leading the J-E-T-S chant, Ed Anzalone brought much joy and fervor to many dim seasons in New York.

Trey Wingo's top 10 games to watch this season

Note: This list is ordered chronologically, rather than by straight ranking.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Week 1: Why? It's the oldest rivalry in the game and it's the perfect start to the NFL's 100th season.

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams, Week 2: In an NFC title game rematch, will New Orleans coach Sean Payton challenge the first non-pass-interference call he sees just to flex on the rule he helped put in place because of what happened last January? I'm about it if he does.

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals, Week 3: It doesn't seem like much on paper, but this game could tell us a lot. How is Cam Newton's shoulder? What is Christian McCaffrey's workload looking like? And how is the Kyler Murray-KIiff Kingsbury offense working in its third game?

Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders, Week 5: "Hello, my name is Khalil Mack. Remember me?" The Raiders had 13 sacks last season -- 17 fewer than any other team and just half a sack more than Mack had on his own in Chicago.

Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots, Week 8: Will the Browns be living up to the hype at the season's midpoint? And if they are, can they add to it by going into Gillette Stadium and hanging with the champs? Very few AFC teams have had success there.

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 9: How will Indy be faring in the AFC without Andrew Luck? And with the drama gone, does Mike Tomlin regain control of the Steelers?

New York Giants at New York Jets, Week 10: These two teams play only once every four years. In the last matchup (2015), the Jets won in overtime. How will Sam Darnold and Le'Veon Bell be meshing at Week 10, and who will be starting at quarterback for the Giants in this NYC showdown?

New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles, Week 11: What happened the last time these two teams met? Oh yeah, a backup quarterback led one of the most improbable upsets in Super Bowl history. A 'Philly Special' repeat, anyone?

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears, Week 14: Both teams enter the season with Super Bowl aspirations, so this Thursday night matchup could have massive NFC playoff implications for both squads.

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots, Week 14: Amazingly I've yet to mention Patrick Mahomes in the first 13 weeks. But I circled this game pretty quickly. Will Mahomes be able to do what he failed to do twice last season: Beat Tom Brady and the Pats?

The NFL season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 5, when the Chicago Bears play host to the Green Bay Packers. Between now and then, teams need to cut their rosters from 90 players to 53. The cuts must be made by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

ESPN's NFL Nation projects what those rosters will look like below.

Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE
NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

The Bills will keep both Isaiah McKenzie and Duke Williams after a tightly contested competition for the team's final receiver spot. McKenzie's catch-and-run ability out of the slot may be more valuable than Williams' physical skill set, which is a tad redundant with the emergence of Tommy Sweeney at tight end. Roster projection

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins could see the quarterback job change hands multiple times throughout the season, but both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen should be roster locks. Jake Rudock has shown some flashes as a third quarterback, but he seems set to slide onto the practice squad if he clears waivers. Roster projection

New England Patriots

With Tom Brady looking to make history as the only 42-year-old quarterback to start all 16 regular-season games, keeping two quality players -- Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham -- on the depth chart behind him is smart business. Roster projection

New York Jets

Running back is by far the deepest position on the roster, with five NFL-caliber backs led by Le'Veon Bell. Who will be the odd man out? Roster projection

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has carried three quarterbacks once in the previous eight seasons. But doing so this year is a necessity given the Ravens' style of play. Baltimore can run its same offense if Robert Griffin III has to fill in for an injured Lamar Jackson because Trace McSorley is a safety net. Roster projection

Cincinnati Bengals

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins will anchor the defensive line, which might be the deepest positional unit on the team. Roster projection

Cleveland Browns

Garrett Gilbert has performed well enough this preseason to warrant the Browns keeping three quarterbacks. With backup Drew Stanton being 35, Gilbert makes sense for this season, and as a long-term backup possibility to Baker Mayfield. Roster projection

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mason Rudolph should win the No. 2 quarterback job. If the Steelers make that official this week, they can shop Joshua Dobbs or keep him as the No. 3. Devlin Hodges, No. 4 on the roster, has shown a deft passing touch but is likely a practice-squad option. Roster projection

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

The Texans may sign or trade for a veteran running back after Lamar Miller tore his left ACL in Houston's third preseason game. In Houston's RB group, only Duke Johnson and Taiwan Jones have played in an NFL game. Roster projection

Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck isn't on the roster at this point of the season for the first time since he was drafted in 2012. The real question mark is at backup, as it wouldn't be surprising if the Colts try to acquire a veteran behind Jacoby Brissett, who went 4-11 as a starter in 2017. Roster projection

Jacksonville Jaguars

The defensive line is the most talented position on the roster, and the addition of Josh Allen (drafted No. 7 overall) gives defensive coordinator Todd Wash a versatile player to move around. Roster projection

Tennessee Titans

Taylor Lewan won't appear on this projection because he is suspended for the first four games of the season. He opens the year on the reserve/suspended list and won't count toward the 53 until Week 5. Roster projection

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Rookie Drew Lock will likely open the season on injured reserve because of a right thumb injury. He can't throw, practice or make progress on the field to show the Broncos he's a viable No. 2 behind Joe Flacco. They could designate him to return and bring him back for practice. Roster projection

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are living dangerously if they go with fewer than four running backs, but that appears the way they're headed. They've needed the depth in previous years and left themselves short. Damien Williams has yet to prove he can be a featured back over a long season. Roster projection

Los Angeles Chargers

Expect Melvin Gordon to end his holdout in time to be on the Week 1 roster as one of four running backs. Troymaine Pope beats out Detrez Newsome here for the final running back spot. Roster projection

Oakland Raiders

Nathan Peterman could be Derek Carr's backup. Coach Jon Gruden is enticed by the more athletic Peterman's higher ceiling. Should Peterman fall apart in the exhibition finale at Seattle, Mike Glennon would get the gig. Roster projection

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott will show up before the first game of the regular season while Alfred Morris provides veteran cover at running back. As much as the Cowboys like what Tony Pollard has done in the preseason, he has never been an every-down back. Roster projection

New York Giants

The Giants go heavy at tight end, keeping four. Evan Engram is the pass-catcher. Rhett Ellison is the blocker along with Scott Simonson. And they like Garrett Dickerson. Roster projection

Philadelphia Eagles

Josh McCown will serve as Carson Wentz's backup while Nate Sudfeld recovers from a broken wrist, and possibly beyond. Cody Kessler was in line for that gig before the Eagles successfully lured McCown out of retirement. Now Kessler's spot on the roster is in serious jeopardy. Roster projection

Washington Redskins

Wide receiver is the toughest spot to call. Josh Doctson is, at best, 50-50 to make the roster. They have tried to trade him in the past, but would they really cut him? Roster projection

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

The Bears keep two quarterbacks -- Mitchell Trubisky and Chase Daniel -- on the active roster. Look for veteran Tyler Bray to be signed to the practice squad. Roster projection

Detroit Lions

The defensive line is the deepest area of the team and where some of the hardest cuts will come. The top six seem to be locked in, but after that, any combination of Mitchell Loewen, Kevin Strong, Fred Jones and P.J. Johnson would not be a surprise. Roster projection

Green Bay Packers

Tim Boyle has outplayed DeShone Kizer and should back up Aaron Rodgers. It's possible they could keep three quarterbacks, but that would mean general manager Brian Gutekunst would have to give up on Kizer less than 18 months after he traded for him. Roster projection

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' lack of receiving depth behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs is concerning. They might look to add a veteran pass-catcher from the crop that gets cut over the weekend, but they'll have at least five on the roster for Week 1. Roster projection

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones, who boasts the highest average for receiving yards per game in NFL history at 99.9, seeks a sixth straight season of 80-plus catches and 1,400-plus yards. Also part of the six-man receiver group, Calvin Ridley could be in for a massive second year. Roster projection

Carolina Panthers

It's a little bit of a mess behind Cam Newton at quarterback. Kyle Allen and Will Grier have two of the lowest yards-per-attempt averages of any quarterback with at least 25 throws this preseason. Neither has shown the capability to lead should Newton miss time. Roster projection

New Orleans Saints

Deonte Harris, an undrafted rookie from Division II Assumption College, could become the Saints' top kick returner. The electrifying 5-foot-6, 170-pounder looks like he's going to break one every time -- and he did with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown Saturday night against the Jets. Roster projection

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After surrendering 15 sacks through three preseason games, the Bucs have been searching hard for offensive line help, so there's a good chance the 53-man squad features players who aren't on their current roster. Roster projection

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

The late addition of Michael Crabtree changed the dynamics of the Cardinals' receivers room. The final spot, of seven, will likely come down to Damiere Byrd and Pharoh Cooper. Roster projection

Los Angeles Rams

Expect the Rams to carry three backups behind running back Todd Gurley, who practiced on an every-other-day schedule throughout camp. Roster projection

San Francisco 49ers

Would the Niners be open to a trade for one of their backup quarterbacks? Sure. But coach Kyle Shanahan won't just give away an NFL-caliber quarterback, and he believes he has three in Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. Roster projection

Seattle Seahawks

Paxton Lynch was gaining ground on Geno Smith to be Russell Wilson's backup before he took a nasty hit to the head/neck in the second preseason game. Smith has the edge in experience and Lynch has practice-squad eligibility. Roster projection

New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has signed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma, linking the franchise's highest draft pick in over three decades with the brand's original endorser, Knicks Hall of Famer Walt "Clyde" Frazier.

"We've had our eyes on him for a long time, going back to before last year," said Adam Petrick, Puma's global director of brand and marketing.

Over the course of the year, Barrett emerged as a top target for the brand, with executives strongly believing that he'll become the best player from his draft class, while also drawn to the appeal of the New York marketplace. Last season, the company also signed a Knicks rookie in No. 9 overall pick Kevin Knox, along with a mix of nearly a dozen rookies and veterans.

"New York is a very special city for us," said Petrick. "Our legacy goes back to Clyde and 1973, being the first brand to sign a signature basketball deal. We see New York as the homeland of Puma basketball."

For Barrett, there was mutual interest in Puma as the company was making a return to the basketball category with a renewed investment in signing NBA players, musicians, entertainers and even basketball trainers, like Chris Brickley.

Puma was the first company to present their endorsement offer and future plans to Barrett, pitching him in Los Angeles this spring, just before the NBA draft.

"RJ's excited for the opportunity to have a prominent profile with a major brand," said his agent, Bill Duffy. "It's very unique. Of all the top brands, it's hard for a young guy to craft a lot of visibility early in their career. Puma has committed to him at that level, and it's very exciting."

While Nike, Jordan and Adidas feature rosters that total more than 85% of the league's players, the opportunity to be among just 15 Puma endorsers would afford Barrett with more personalized marketing and attention.

"When it came time to sit down with RJ," continued Petrick, "it was about ensuring that he has a big splash this year, knowing that we're serious about activating him, using him in photo shoots and making him the face of the brand and certain products."

In tandem with the signing, Puma is opening a new 5th Avenue flagship store this weekend in Manhattan. A mural repurposing the city's classic "I Love NY" slogan was painted along 31st Street, declaring "NY ❤ RJ" and later featuring a Puma cat logo atop the heart, alongside the 19-year-old's face.

"Sure, a guy can be a star on any team and from any geography, but when you're able to get a guy that has the potential RJ has, and he's in a market where he's going to have the opportunity to be exposed to a lot from art, culture, fashion and music, that's a bonus," said Petrick.

As he mulled through additional endorsement offers from Nike and Adidas after the draft, Barrett first wore Puma sneakers at his Summer League debut in early July.

"He was well aware of the impact they made last year," said Duffy. "From a strategic standpoint, if they wanted to make an impression on young guys that, 'Hey, we're in this thing,' it certainly resonated with him. He was very aware of who they signed, the amount of players that they signed and that they wanted to be in the game. That meant a lot."

During his rookie photo shoot just weeks ago, Barrett debuted Puma's upcoming, unreleased sneaker model. Last season, the company outfitted players in a purposely gaudy, vibrant red and bright yellow colorway of their Clyde Court model, taking advantage of the NBA's new lack of color restrictions and drawing attention as players wore them with purple, black or even green uniforms. This season, that strategy may shift yet again.

"As brands become more and more aggressive with color, we're actually [going to be] playing a lot more with the classic, clean color of white, with a pop color of pink or green," said Petrick. "That's something that we think will be different."

A formal announcement event for the Barrett and Puma partnership is scheduled for Wednesday along 31st Street.

"It's great to be able to echo that legacy and history, in a market where Clyde is an icon, with the top rookie on that team," said Petrick.

Great news! I got a baseball time machine. It can take us to any baseball game in any year, so let's just pick our destinations and off we'll go.

Except, it can't go back. That's just science.

So: No, we can't see Jackie Robinson debut or Babe Ruth pitch or Oscar Charleston hit .451. These all have to be in the future.

Beyond that, here are the rules: We can go to baseball games, and only baseball games. We won't be able to leave the game or speak to anybody while we're there, but we can wander around the park and look at the scoreboards (if there are any). Our phones will not work, obviously, so no internet (if there is any). It's a pretty smart machine, so we don't have to know exact dates and times; "Adley Rutschman's major league debut" or "Lance Lynn's sixth start in 2021" will get us to those places if they exist. We have enough fuel for six trips, and we have to choose our itinerary right now. I know those are clunky rules, but time machines in 2019 are still clunky. Maybe they'll make a better one in the future.

Here's the trip I'm thinking of:

First stop: World Series, Game 4, 2019

This is explicitly an acknowledgment that you immediately started thinking about how to use this time machine to make money gambling when you return to the present. If you think about it, yuck, that's just theft, I can't believe you're using this incredible invention to steal money, but ... yeah, I probably want to do that too. So we use one trip for straight-up profit.

This game is designed to maximize that profit in just one trip. We want to pick something in the near future, so that when we return to the present we can start making bets and living our billionaire lifestyle almost immediately. One option would be to travel to one of tomorrow's night games, and bet as much money as we can raise on every score that shows up on the out-of-town scoreboard. But it would presumably raise eyebrows if you were to try to max out on regular-season baseball (with no history of placing huge bets or even having much money), and it would presumably be hard to get sports books to even take your $3 million bets on a Thursday A's-Royals game. But watching World Series Game 4 will give you a lot of information for high-profile betting possibilities: The pennant winners, a couple of ALDS winners, maybe the wild-card game winners, perhaps each team's final record, a whole bunch of regular-season stats, not to mention (probably, if you pay close attention) the results of World Series Games 1, 2 and 3. You've got time to keep doubling your bankroll on bets along the way, and it won't be too outrageous to lay down some six-figure bets during the World Series itself. You'll get super rich, you morally bankrupt scoundrel.

(We're picking Game 4 because there might not be a Game 7, 6 or 5, and I haven't yet figured out what happens if I ask the time machine to take us to a game that won't exist. We might end up in the void. Also, seeing Game 4's outcome will probably still let you return and watch the end of the World Series with some suspense!)

Second stop: Mike Trout's final game

The most fun part of most stories is the beginning. You get introduced to your dramatic hero, and to the high-minded concept that gives the story energy. But if the beginning is the most fun, the conclusion is the most necessary. Even if you start to hate the story, you have to see how it ends. Even if you get so bored by the story that you give up on it, you'll probably skip to the end -- or read the Wikipedia page -- to put your mind at ease that it did, in fact, conclude.

We've seen the fun start to Mike Trout's historic career, and it might stay fun for a really, really long time -- but now that we're in it, we all really must know, eventually, how it is going to end. So we'll use a trip to get there. This, yes, is a gamble, as we don't know how Trout's career will end, but the odds are -- knock on wood, knock on more wood, bring me every piece of wood there is -- it will end by his choice and with great ceremony. If we're there we'll find out, from all the speeches and scoreboard displays, how many hits he ended up with, how many homers, what his biggest moments were. We're going to see highlights from throughout his career, and there's a good chance we'll get to hear him speak as a middle-aged man, or at least see how he moves, waves and hugs as a middle-aged man. There's a pretty good chance he'll be an Angel for his entire career, and we'll get to see how that franchise sends off easily the greatest player in the team's history, if not -- but maybe -- the greatest player in the game's history. We'll get to see the longest standing ovation that human hips can support. In fact, I will predict this: No regular-season game (if it is a regular-season game) will have higher viewership between now and 2035 than this one.

We'll probably get to see it eventually anyway, but you can't be sure. None of us can take for granted that we'll be here for Mike Trout's final game. If you knew you wouldn't, you'd definitely want to read the Wikipedia page and see how it ends, if you could. We have a time machine. We can. Let's go.

Third stop: The 2048 All-Star Game

The bulk of the 2048 All-Stars probably haven't been born yet. In the next few years, they will be born. Some of them will live near you, and they'll start playing ball -- unheralded, of course, since nobody knows what history has in store for them. They'll be the one kid at a scouting showcase who, although even the scouts can't quite forecast it, will fulfill the very best version of their potential. Most will make their professional debuts in front of 1,000 people in small minor league cities, and tickets to sit 35 feet away from them will be cheap and attainable. When we return to the present, we will know who these future heroes are. We can actually go cheer for them.

The other benefit is that we'll get a good look at what baseball will look like in 30 years. That's true of any game in 2048, and there are probably games from that year that will be more interesting and historically significant, in retrospect. But the challenge of a time machine that only goes forward is that history hasn't already done the sifting for us. If the time machine went backward, you could plug in June 12, 1970, and see the most interesting game of that year -- the no-hitter Dock Ellis threw on LSD. But the whole point of baseball is that it's mountains of routine with a few nuggets of gold waiting to surprise you. We don't have the luxury, with this time machine, of watching a game a day for 30 years and building up a library of amazing moments. So there's probably not much hope of picking a day at random and seeing that year's most necessary moment. So, we might as well pick the All-Star Game, where at the least we know we'll get to see just how good the very best baseball players are going to get in the next three decades.

Fourth stop: The Marlins' 81st game in 2099

Somewhere along the way, I got to wondering when Major League Baseball would truly die -- probably not quit playing entirely, but reach some significant moment when it was clear it no longer had the critical mass to be considered a major sport. It's a very healthy industry/cultural gathering place right now in 2019. But nothing lasts forever, and after a lot of thought I more or less arbitrarily settled on "in 80 years." Well, let's find out!

At the least, I would like to see baseball in exactly 80 years, thriving or not thriving. We all spend a lot of time suggesting solutions for what ails Major League Baseball, some radical and some incremental. To go forward almost a century would tell us, right now, whether baseball has the appetite and capacity for any of those changes. If it does, if it has, we can go back to the present and enjoy the process of seeing it labor to make those changes. If it doesn't, we can make peace with baseball exactly as it is, and quit wasting mental energy trying to change a loved one that isn't going to change. And if the game 80 years from now is, in fact, in disrepair or irrelevant, then at least we'll be able to appreciate its final years. Obviously, even if baseball goes on forever, it is finite for you and me and everybody else whose cells are subject to the Hayflick limit. But, of course, we don't wake up and appreciate that finitude. We live every day like there are infinite more after it. If baseball is dying, and we knew for a fact because we'd already seen it die, we maybe wouldn't. We could start to say goodbye while we can.

Maybe it all takes place in virtual reality arenas! Maybe it's just Home Run Derby! Maybe it's played by robots! Maybe the peanuts are dusted with onion powder!

Also: Is there baseball in Miami? Is there Miami? Nobody is going to believe you when you come back, so it's probably pointless to find out, but if you knew for absolute certain what the answer to the latter question was, it might really change the way you lived your life. You might save the world!

Fifth stop: Opening Day, 7019

There was no human writing 5,000 years ago. No history, basically. In the span of those 5,000 years, humanity has done ... (motions around at literally everything). It is absolutely unthinkable to imagine what humanity will be like 5,000 years from now. Literally unthinkable. It is as foreign to our brains as, like, the concept of an omniscient creator existing on a separate spiritual plane. Way out there.

A recurring theme of religious awakening is when a person -- a prophet, a mystic, a sannyasini -- has a true encounter with the divine, it changes everything they think they know about their place in the world. The mundane daily concerns of our earthbound lives become tiny and ephemeral next to eternal truths. It's a glimpse of something incomparably bigger. It seems plausible that the same sort of awakening would happen if one were to see far enough into the future. Would an encounter at what we've collectively built/wrought in the next 5,000 years not be a glimpse of something bigger? Would it not inform your understanding of what humanity ultimately is, and how you fit into that? Or, put another way: If you were to watch a game in 7019, played entirely in the seventh dimension by an emergent AI for the entertainment of our collectivized brain, would you still get depressed by your fantasy team?

Sixth stop: Home

I'm tempted to use the sixth trip to go to the Dodgers game on April 15, 2047, to see whatever celebration they've put together for the Jackie Robinson centennial, and let ourselves get stranded there. That day, if the powers that be don't botch it, will be extraordinary, emotional, a necessary reminder of both the sins and the advancements of our past. And 2047 isn't so far into the future that our brains would explode from trying to live in it. We could go to the Jackie Robinson game and then step off the ride and just live there.

But better to go back home. I don't think future baseball (and the future) will necessarily be better, and I don't think it will necessarily be worse -- the past would probably feel ambivalent about our present -- but I just have so much invested in this generation. I don't want to miss Clayton Kershaw's final start or Rutschman's major league debut or Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. That's ultimately what the baseball lifestyle is about -- letting the moments find you, rather than cherry-picking the moments. Fingers crossed, we'll live to see the Jackie Robinson centennial in due time.