You might have noticed that I am asked to rank things from time to time. And who doesn't love a good ranking? Within that genre, the lowest-hanging fruit would seem to be simply rating the best players in MLB. The results are a matter of preference. How do you define best? What methodology did you use? What are the numbers underpinning your rankings?

For years now in baseball, this most basic of analysis topics has been completely, utterly undramatic. The answer has simply been: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. If your method tells you something different, then the credibility of that method is hanging by a thread.

Yet last year, in conjunction with the release of our annual ranking of baseball's top 100 players, I was asked to poke around the topic. Trout topped our collaborative rankings for the sixth consecutive season. The questions to examine: Did my methods of answering the "best in the game" question agree? (They had better.) And would it be possible for anyone to catch Trout during the 2020 season? (Not really.)

Trout rendered the question moot by going out and winning his third American League MVP award, hitting .291/.438/.645 with 45 homers and 104 RBIs. Only a late-season foot injury prevented Trout from putting up his first 50-homer season. That's probably bad news for wanna-be Trout usurpers. He still has something left to shoot for. But within this paragraph, there are two essential threads to the same story -- Trout's continued greatness and that late-season injury.

Here we are again. Trout began last season as the unquestioned best player in baseball. He won another MVP award and deserved it. And thus, once again, any update on the central question is inherently undramatic. Of course Trout still is the best player in the game. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Still, if you dig in under the hood, Trout's lead over the rest of baseball might be shrinking. And it's possible that it has shrunk enough that he could conceivably be surpassed in the coming season. It's not likely to happen. Not likely at all. But it's less impossible than it was a year ago at this time.

For anyone who has wondered whether the Chicago Cubs could actually go through with trading a former league MVP and one-time face of the franchise in Kris Bryant, this week's Mookie Betts blockbuster served as an important reminder about the lengths a team is willing to go to make its payroll work.

Now they have proof that dealing a player of this caliber can -- and most likely will -- happen. If Betts can get traded, anyone can.

"This is as cutthroat as ever now," Bryant teammate Anthony Rizzo said of the business side of baseball. "We're talking about trading the MVP of the league a couple years ago, who's done a lot for this franchise."

As for when Bryant could move, that question has been unclear since the offseason began. With just days until spring training opens, the timing takes on additional importance.

"The activity of our offseason isn't indicative of how much we've been on the phone and have been working," general manager Jed Hoyer said recently of the Cubs' lack of moves. "The major free-agent market just wrapped up. There's been a lot of activity. I expect that up to and into spring training, that's going to continue. The trade market will continue to be an active place well into February."

Those comments were made before Betts was dealt, so Hoyer has already been proved right. But even after the Cubs won the service-time grievance Bryant and the players' union filed against the team, there has been no movement with a Cubs roster that clearly needs a change. The front office has talked to just about every team in need of a hitter.

Here's a look at the Bryant trade market:

The (original) contenders

Are the Atlanta Braves done adding after signing Marcell Ozuna? Will the Washington Nationals go to camp with Asdrubal Cabrera taking over for Anthony Rendon? Are the Texas Rangers comfortable with their offense heading into their new stadium? The Los Angeles Dodgers are out of the Bryant market after landing Betts, but where do the Philadelphia Phillies stand in all this? All four of those contenders are potential fits, and while this sort of thing typically is answered by now, this trade market has developed later than normal.

Seeing what the Red Sox got back for Betts -- who, granted, has just one year under contract to Bryant's two -- could help restart a conversation, with teams now having a better idea how to value the return for a superstar. A healthy Bryant, with two years of arbitration-controlled salary, landing on a contender, at this time of the winter, could be a difference-maker for his new team. But which team -- if any -- will step up to meet the Cubs' asking price?

The Rockies

It sounds like the wildest of scenarios, Bryant going to the Colorado Rockies for the disgruntled Nolan Arenado. But is it just crazy enough to work? Star third baseman for star third baseman?

The Rockies would have to pay a portion the $234 million due over the seven years remaining on Arenado's $260 million contract -- assuming the third baseman opts in to the rest of his deal to come to Chicago. And the Cubs would still have to figure out a way to get below the $208 million payroll threshold to avoid paying the luxury tax for a second consecutive year.

Colorado would get out from under a player who has expressed concerns about staying there -- and could force the franchise's hand by opting out of his contract after the 2021 season -- while acquiring a good player in return who gives them more flexibility. They could keep or trade Bryant at that point.

The Cubs would end up with a cornerstone, franchise player already under contract, with some of his salary paid for by his old team. Maybe it's not so ridiculous after all, and the teams have talked about such a deal, according to multiple league sources.

Bryant stays put ... for now

With every passing day, this scenario is gaining steam. It would be the ultimate irony if the Cubs can't get any deals done but end up competing for a title anyway.

Perhaps new manager David Ross will unlock what has held back the team the past couple of seasons. The front office knows this is a possibility, but what's good for now won't be for the future unless several players sign extensions and some young players emerge from a farm system that has produced nothing since the World Series win in 2016.

One thing is certain, the Cubs aren't paying the luxury tax three years in a row (which would kick in more severe penalties), so finding a way to reset for 2020 is their best bet.

That's how a lot of this Bryant talk began, even though it's not all about the team's payroll. The Cubs knew exactly the position they were going to be in this offseason -- two years away from a core group of players becoming free agents.

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So their goals became threefold: get under that tax, trade for some young players who could extend a window for winning, and shake up a stale lineup. Those factors -- along with a belief that Bryant will go to free agency no matter what -- are the reasons for him being in more trade discussions than any other Cub. A Bryant trade could kill three birds with one stone.

What has been left unstated is the question of just where Bryant ranks among baseball's elite. Until two injury-prone seasons, Bryant was on track with the best in the game. He still has produced at a near All-Star level, but not at an untradable level.

So where does that leave the Cubs? In the same place they've been all offseason: trying to get the most for a player who -- after the arbiter's decision -- has one more year of team control than Betts did. The Red Sox didn't exactly get a haul for one of the best players in the game, but two years of Bryant and no need to attach an expensive player like David Price to the deal should net the Cubs more than Boston got. Or perhaps it will be 1½ years of Bryant, if the Cubs wait until July to make a move. That might be their very best chance to shake things up, but doing some of that now would at least check something off their winter to-do list.

"This is obviously likely to be one of our less active offseasons," Hoyer said just before the Super Bowl. "We've had some incredibly active ones. That said, the offseason is not over. For the Cubs, things probably got pushed back a little bit. We're probably at a different place in the offseason, calendar-wise, than we normally would have been. We're not necessarily finished making moves going into spring training."

The world shot put finalist talks to Katy Barden about her training schedule

Coming off an 11th-place finish in last year’s IAAF World Championships shot put in Doha – an event in which she threw a PB of 18.61m in qualifying – Sophie McKinna was loath to change her training set-up as she moved into 2020.

“If things are working I don’t want to make huge changes, especially going into what is potentially the most important year of my career,” she says.

McKinna will compete indoors but, this year, it’s an abbreviated season with a specific purpose: “The indoors will be to blow the cobwebs away and to break up training a little bit,” she says.

“Now that I’ve got the Olympic qualification we’ve got to be a bit more frugal with what we do because that’s got to be the main focus. Everything has to centre around that. The indoor season will be a great little tester to see where we are and to remind me how to compete.”

AW: What are the essential components of training at this time of year?
“The technical points are now the most important for me,” admits McKinna. “It’s about learning the event and learning the technique.

“When I was younger I used to think it was about being really strong, but obviously that has a shelf life because everyone else will catch up, so for me it’s about learning a really good technique that you can then build on. We’ve been changing my technique very slightly too, making it more efficient, so I’ve been working hard on that to get it automatic.”

AW: Favourite session at this time of year?
“I enjoy all the track stuff, although ultimately I love to throw and that’s why I started down this path. My favourite session is a throwing session when I can show off what I’ve been working on.”

AW: Least favourite?
“Anything to do with plyometrics or high reps. I had one a few weeks ago – four sets of 15 deadlifts – which was atrocious and made me rather ill.”

Remaining part of the team

McKinna was a talented hockey player and although she no longer plays due to the risk of injury, she remains a key squad member and believes the team experience is invaluable.

“I watch every Saturday, they call me ‘pitch- b**ch’,” she laughs. I’m basically the water-boy now, so actually that’s been really good for me because it’s a competitive environment, but it’s a different type of competitiveness.

“When you’re an athlete in an individual sport it can be very lonely, so Saturdays are really nice to get back in the fold with the team.”

A TYPICAL JANUARY TRAINING WEEK

McKinna currently works as a police custody officer and a gym instructor. She trains twice per day, six days per week.

MONDAY: am – stretch/recovery; 15min bike or jog and mobility session; pm – throws session putting into practice drills. “I also help coach a small group of athletes on a Monday before my throws session. They sometimes stay on to watch me throw when they’re finished. I love it and I get so much joy when they PB.”

TUESDAY: am – plyometrics at the beach or track – jumps/sprints; pm – lifting in the gym

WEDNESDAY: “I spend Wednesdays at Lee Valley with my coach Mike (Winch) – he watches how I’m doing technically and will feedback. I also do either plyometrics or gym work.”

THURSDAY: am – stretch/recovery; 15min bike or jog and mobility session; pm – lifting (different lifts to Tuesday)

FRIDAY: am – plyometrics; gym; pm – throws session (after delivering a coaching session as per Monday)

SATURDAY: Rest day

SUNDAY: Gym (“I usually just do one session, but sometimes I’m lifting too”)

“I do a lot of sprinting and a lot of plyometrics,” she says. “Before every throwing session I do short sprints and stuff like standing long jump to build my explosive power. Plyometric work isn’t my favourite thing to do but it’s probably my biggest weakness, so we have to work on that the hardest.”

A record 60,000 places will be available for the 40th staging of the event following unprecedented demand

Organisers of the Great North Run are preparing to celebrate the 40th staging of the event with the largest ever number of places available to runners.

Race capacity has been increased to 60,000 following unprecedented demand for entries, with the ballot remaining open until 9pm on Sunday (February 9).

The iconic half-marathon, which takes runners from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields, will return on September 13, with more than 200,000 people expected to line the streets to cheer on participants.

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: “This is already the world’s biggest half-marathon, but the demand we’ve seen this year has been amazing.

“We’re pleased that we’re able to accommodate a few more runners and take our entries to 60,000. It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend, with new experiences and entertainment and with so many people entering the draw for places this year we want as many as possible to get in on the action.

“We’re grateful to all of our partners – the councils, police, NHS trusts / medical providers, fire brigade and Nexus  – who have worked with us to ensure that we can accommodate more runners, while making sure they have a happy and safe experience.”

Plans to celebrate the Great North Run’s 40th staging – GNR40 – were unveiled last month and include moving the popular Great North 5K from the Saturday prior to Great North Run day back to a Friday night and inviting the business community of Tyneside to enter a team as part of the Business Challenge, which will allow the full Saturday to be dedicated to the Junior and Mini Great North Runs which have developed into the world’s biggest children’s running events.

British Athletics publishes updated Tokyo 2020 selection policy which outlines the World Athletics invite process

British Athletics has published an updated selection policy for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which features new standards relating to the World Athletics invite process.

World Athletics will use a dual qualification system of entry standards and invitations through global ranking for the Games and the new British Athletics selection document gives further information on that invite process for UK athletes.

Athletes can still gain automatic qualification for the Games by being one of the top two placed eligible athletes in each individual trials event, provided they also achieve a World Athletics qualification standard within the relevant qualification period. Those finishing outside of the top two but who possess a World Athletics qualification standard can then also be considered for selection.

Up to three athletes can be selected for each individual event and so if any quota places remain available once the World Athletics qualification period closes on June 29, the global governing body may issue invitations based on world ranking.

If an athlete receives an invite, they may be selected by British Athletics provided they have achieved the relevant British Athletics Olympic standard, outlined below.

If they receive an invite but have not achieved the standard, an athlete may still be selected under the ‘future global medal potential’ section of the policy, if the selection panel believes that they are potentially capable of winning an individual medal in a future global senior championship.

“After listening to feedback from the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission and following consultation with lead coaches and statisticians, standards have been introduced that will reflect the potential for an athlete to finish in the top eight at the Games,” said the national governing body.

“Athletes who meet these standards and are in receipt of a World Athletics invite will be selected.”

The World Athletics qualification standards can be found here.

British Athletics Olympic standards

British Athletics states that their standards are based on “the average performances achieved by athletes in the season which they have finished in the top eight at the Olympic Games or World Championships and the level of performances that have on average been required to finish in the top eight and reach finals at the Olympic Games and World Championships”.

The governing body adds: “In some cases, these calculated standards are higher than the World Athletics qualification standards, so for these events the British Athletics Olympic Standard is equal to the World Athletics qualification standard.”

For the marathon and 50km race walk events, athletes must achieve the standard between 00:00 (GMT) on January 1, 2020, and 23:59 (BST) on April 26, 2020. For all other events the period runs between 00:00 (GMT) on January 1, 2020, and 23:59 (BST) on June 21, 2020.

“For the avoidance of doubt,” adds the GB selection document, “if an athlete has not achieved a qualification standard but receives a World Athletics invitation based on their world ranking, this does not guarantee selection.”

The full British Athletics Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games selection policy can be downloaded here.

After going 15 years without hosting a Test, Rawalpindi was hosting its second one in as many months. Unlike in December, though, better weather is forecast and on a surface with a green tinge, Azhar Ali decided Pakistan will bowl against a depleted Bangladesh side.

Pakistan made no changes from their previous XI that beat Sri Lanka by 263 runs five weeks ago in Karachi. This meant Bilal Asif, the recalled offspinner, and Faheem Ashraf will need to wait for their opportunities.

Bangladesh had to ring in five changes to the side that last played a Test, in Kolkata. For starters, Liton Das will keep wicket in Mushfiqur Rahim's absence. Mushfiqur opted out of the tour citing security concerns and is currently looking to prove his match fitness in the Bangladesh Cricket League having recovered from a hamstring injury. Mominul Haque, the captain, drops down to No. 4. It was also confirmed that debutant Saif Hassan will open alongside Tamim Iqbal.

Shadman Islam and Imrul Kayes, who were the openers in their previous Test, aren't part of the squad, while Rubel Hossain, who wasn't on the tour of India, is returning to the Test XI for the first time in 18 months, having last featured in the Caribbean in July 2018. There was also no place for Mehidy Hasan, Nayeem Hasan and Al-Amin Hossain, all of whom started in Bangladesh's previous Test.

Tamim, who missed the tour of India, returns on the back of scoring a historic triple-century last week. His 334 not out in Mirpur is Bangladesh's highest-ever first-class score.

This is the second leg of Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan. They were whitewashed in the T20Is in January. After this Test, Pakistan's players will dive into the PSL and round off the tour in April, when Bangladesh return for an ODI and the second Test.

Pakistan: 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Mohammad Abbas, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Naseem Shah

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Nazmul Hossain, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Liton Das (wk), 7 Mohammad Mithun, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Rubel Hossain, 10 Abu Jayed, 11 Ebadat Hossain

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – On Thursday at Pebble Beach, Peyton and Eli Manning embodied what the real golf experience looks like for most of us.

It wasn't in their difficulty hitting fairways or making pars during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but in the bonding around their shared struggle.

These former NFL quarterbacks, these winners of two Super Bowls each, were just "regular Joes" having a great time being with each other on a beautiful day on the Monterey Peninsula.

Norman Rockwell couldn’t have captured the spirit of the golf experience for the vast majority of us better than the images the Manning brothers gave us at Spyglass Hill. Rockwell couldn’t have painted a better picture illustrating the sport’s appeal for those of us more interested in the camaraderie of a regular Saturday game than the numbers we scratch on scorecards. He couldn’t have communicated that better than Peyton and Eli did walking side-by-side off every tee box, engrossed in conversation and laughter.

Even when they were making a mess of the 10^th hole, there was kinship in the hilarity of the calamity.

“We were both right, in the woods,” said Peyton, the older brother at 43. “Eli hit a shot, and it hit a tree and bounced over, right where I was standing. I hit my shot, and it bounced dead right [off a tree], over to where Eli was standing.

“That was impressive.”

Actually, Eli is in the hunt in the team competition. He and Kevin Chappell are 8 under, three shots off the lead. Peyton and Luke Donald are 5 under.

Of course, with Peyton being the expert prankster, Eli wasn’t sure what to expect in his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am debut.

“I was a little nervous coming in,” Eli, 39, said. “I’m a rookie, and I thought I might get hazed a little bit.

“I was surprised I had any golf balls in my bag. I thought big bro might remove those from the bag.”

Peyton laughed.

“It’s still early,” he said.

Yeah, they still love to needle each other, to pull pranks on each other, but not so much on this day.

With Eli nervous in his Pebble Beach debut, and with Eli making a new life early in his retirement, this was a day to relish what having each other as brothers meant on this stage.

“I’m kind of pulling for him,” Peyton said. “I want him to hit a good shot, and I can kind of hear him in the background when I hit a bad shot. He kind of feels for me. 

“I think that’s kind of how Eli and I have always been, watching each other play [football]. We’ve kind of had each other’s backs and pulled for each other.”

While the Mannings may be the first family of football, with papa, Archie, and oldest brother, Cooper, also former players, a much smaller ball also bonds them now.

“Me and Eli get to play together, with my dad and Cooper,” Peyton said. “That’s probably as good a foursome as you can get for us.”

Nowadays, their golf games are like reunions.

“We are all spread out -- Denver, New York and New Orleans -- so to be on the golf course for four hours together, with no phones and no distractions, we catch up, trying to have some fun,” Peyton said.

And, oh, they do know how to have fun at each other’s expense when the situation dictates.

Peyton still likes to take credit for toughening Eli in his youth. After Thursday’s round, he told the story of how he liked to pin Eli to the ground when they were kids, using his knees to lock up Eli arms and then digging his knuckles into Eli’s chest.

He wouldn’t stop until Eli passed important pop quizzes, insisting they were meant to educate Eli about important matters.

He’d make Eli name the 12 SEC schools.

“Which is important,” Peyton said.

And name the 28 NFL teams of that time.

“By division,” Eli said.

“Which is important,” Peyton added.

And, once Eli got all that down pat, Peyton would throw in some other obscure test.

“Like naming 10 cigarette brands,” Peyton cracked. “Which is important for an 8-year-old to know.”

Eli took some pride in pointing out he got some payback not so long ago on a golf trip with Peyton. He snuck into Peyton’s room while he was napping, jumped on top of him, pinned him in a corner and gave Peyton an atomic wedgie. 

“An atomic wedgie is when you pull the underwear over the head,” Eli said. “It was one of my proudest moments.”

Eli said he still owes Peyton a lot more payback.

“I promise you, over 39 years, I’m still definitely behind,” Eli said. “From age 7 to 15, I had no defense.”

The brothers laughed at that. There’s so much to remember between shots this week, so much to look forward to, with their families promising to grow even closer with the NFL no longer consuming them.

“To play with my brother today, and for two more days for sure, is special,” Peyton said.

“We have a lot of fun and laughs,” Eli said.

That’s what golf is for the vast majority of us.

Sydney's weather looks set to ruin the BBL final at the SCG between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Stars. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting that 60-130mm of rain could fall in Sydney on Friday, 45-90mm could fall on Saturday, and 40-80mm could fall on Sunday. What will that mean for the tournament? Here are the answers to the key questions.

What is the minimum number of overs needed for the match to go ahead?

Five overs per side are needed to constitute a match.

Who wins the BBL title if the final is washed out?

If the BBL final is washed out then the Sydney Sixers will be crowned BBL champions.

Under the BBL rules and regulations for 2019-20, rule 16.10.2.7 states: "If there is a tie (with no 'Super Over' possible), No Result or an Abandoned match in the "Grand Final" then the home team shall be declared the winner of the "Grand Final" and BBL Champions."

The Sixers are the home team for the final after winning the Qualifier against the Stars in the new finals format. Despite the Stars finishing higher on the table and winning more games in the home and away season, the Qualifier was designed to give the top two teams a double chance. The winner of the Qualifier would host the final and become the new no.1 seed and the loser would get a second chance in the Challenger which the Stars won on Thursday night against the Sydney Thunder at the MCG.

Is there a reserve day for the final?

There is no reserve day. The BBL final has never been washed out in eight previous seasons. Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said on Thursday that the reserve day is something that will be reviewed at the end of the season.

"They will be some of the things we can look in terms of our reflections and what that means for the tournament," he said. "We'll consider that and all of the other dynamics of the season when it's over."

In any event, if there was a reserve day on Sunday in Sydney it looks likely that it would also be washed out due to rain.

"I think going forward into future tournaments that would make a lot of sense to have a reserve day because at the end of a long tournament you don't want the final match being not played," Sixers captain Moises Henriques said.

Will the final be moved to another city?

The final won't be moved although Cricket Australia were asked whether this was possible earlier in the week when the forecast became clear. They have already moved the Bushfire fundraiser T10 match that was due to be played at the SCG on Saturday in the lead-up to the BBL final.

But it is understood that the logistics and cost of moving the BBL final made it extremely difficult at short notice. Tickets for the final at the SCG had already sold out and would have needed to be refunded. It was also deemed unfair to the Sixers to have the final moved to Melbourne when they had earned the right to host and have the advantages associated with that.

"I don't think it's helpful to any sporting competition to change the rules midway through the season," Roberts said. "We really wanted to respect the position of the BBL final. The BBL is one of the premier sporting competitions in the world and you don't play with the rules of a premier sporting competition."

Henriques said: "If that was something discussed at the start of the tournament then possibly, but definitely not 24 hours out from a game, when we've completely sold out our home ground, then if you wake up tomorrow and there's no rain. So we kind of feel like through the season we had, finishing second and only one point behind the Stars in the regular season, then knocking them off in Melbourne in the qualifying final that we've earned the right to host the final."

A BBL final has been played at a neutral venue once before with the BBL 04 final between the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers held in Canberra at Manuka Oval. But all the teams in the competition were aware that it would be a neutral final in Canberra prior to the tournament starting and every team played with that knowledge.