PATASKALA, Ohio – Meyer Shank Racing has released the first images of the new livery for the No. 86 AutoNation Acura NSX GT3 that will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The No. 86 AutoNation Acura NSX will be driven by full season drivers Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry. They will be joined by Japanese driver Shinya Michimi for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds and French pilot Jules Gounon for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Featuring a magenta color scheme, the majority Acura is liveried in celebration of AutoNation’s DRV PNK campaign). The DRV PNK campaign has raised more than $20 million towards cancer research and treatment.

“We’re really excited to be partnered with AutoNation again for the 2020 season,” said team co-owner Mike Shank. “What this company does with its DRV PNK campaign is really important to us and having a livery that stands out like this is an awesome way to raise awareness about what AutoNation is doing to help in the fight against breast cancer. We’ve got some great momentum from our GTD championship last season, and we have two champions as our full-time drivers this year so we are eager to get 2020 going.”

The new livery will make its debut next week at the Roar Before the 24 test (Jan. 3-5) before the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of the month (Jan. 22-26).

For months, the defining moment of 2019 was the St. Louis Blues winning their first Stanley Cup. Especially since everyone is now copying that "promote an interim coach, find the song in your heart and you too can go from worst to first!" thing.

But then Don Cherry and Bill Peters personified the sports' diversity and inclusion problems. Then Mike Babcock, Marc Crawford and Peters (again) symbolized the physical and mental abuse by coaches against players at every level of hockey. And the definitive moment was redefined.

As we turn our attention to 2020, these scandals are still being investigated and scrutinized by the NHL. They will, in some way, help define how the next year in hockey plays out. But there are plenty of others who will add their own definitions.

Here are the people who will matter most in hockey in 2020.

(Note: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman isn't listed here, because he doesn't need to be. He remains the most influential figure in the NHL. He'll always matter most, as everyone except Gary Bettman will tell you.)

Alex Ovechkin

The Capitals star entered the holiday break with 681 career goals. Assuming he has 15 more goals in him this season -- a fairly safe assumption, given his durability and average of 0.61 goals per game -- Ovechkin will pass Teemu Selanne (684), Mario Lemieux (690), Steve Yzerman (692) and Mark Messier (694) into eighth on the all-time list. The next milestone is 700 goals, accomplished by seven players in NHL history.

Yet as the assault on Wayne Gretzky's 894 continues, Ovechkin has other Baltic sculpin to fry in 2020: chasing a second Stanley Cup with a Washington team that very much looks like a contender for it. Prepare the public fountains in D.C. thusly.

Daniel Carcillo

Since retiring in 2015, Carcillo has been providing needles for the hockey power structure's balloons on a variety of issues, including concussion awareness and mental health of players. His Twitter feed (@CarBombBoom13) became a clearinghouse of news on those topics, as uncomfortable and as alienating as it could feel for him. "It's been difficult to be a man on an island. But I have a really great tool with social media," he said.

In 2019, in the wake of the coaching scandals, Carcillo's role as an abuse survivor and player advocate took on a new urgency. His call for stories of abuse from his peers inspired over 400 players to message him, many of them talking about the sexual abuse they suffered in minor and junior hockey. How he moves forward with this campaign could help define the movement in 2020.

Carcillo is also one of the most vocal skeptics about the NHL's role in fixing these problems. Look no further than his reaction to the league's "coach abuse hotline" that was recently announced.

"Do I think that NHL players will call into a hotline and the NHL's going to listen to their voicemails? Absolutely not. There's always fear of reprisal," he said.

There are certainly times when the volume of Carcillo's work can seem scattershot or overwhelming. But on the big issues, few voices have the legitimacy and the reach of the former NHL brawler.

Kim Davis

Davis has been with the NHL since November 2017, when she was hired as the league's executive vice president for social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. But her role took on new prominence this month, when it was announced that Davis would lead a "multidisciplinary council to suggest initiatives, monitor progress and coordinate efforts with all levels of hockey" in response to the recent coaching behavior controversies, and specifically the racist language used by former Flames coach Bill Peters against Akim Aliu.

"This has just accelerated our timeline and our resolve. There's often some kind of defining moment for an organization that causes that organization to both accelerate its efforts but also to become a rallying call for that organization. So I see that as positive," she said at the NHL board of governors meeting in December.

Davis has been doing great work outside the spotlight in the NHL for the last two years, but this announcement put her front and center on the league's diversity and inclusion challenges. "[It's about] creating an environment where people -- players and people within our sport -- feel a level of trust such that they believe they can now step forward and speak the truth. Speaking truth to power is hard," she said.

Mike Babcock

Will he get another coaching job in 2020? That greatly depends on Babcock. As Mark Whicker wrote in the OC Register recently, "Mike Babcock's career is long past rewinding. It also might be salvaged if humiliation changes him as profoundly as success did."

Humiliation is an understatement. The stories of mental abuse from his days with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings have sandblasted the gold off his coaching standard. Can anyone look at Babcock and not think of Johan Franzen being driven to a nervous breakdown on the bench? Or Darren McCarty saying the Red Wings "won in '08 in spite of [Babcock] and lost in '09 because of him"?

As Whicker notes, there is a path back for Babcock. One with public mea culpas and behavioral counseling. One with a tacit admission that his tactics were wrong, and that he can change with the times. In other words: the kind of crisis public relations that can provide cover for his next employer should one want to hire him. And, in the process, a potential template for other shamed coaches to use in their comeback attempts.

Of course, the real fascinating thing is when Babcock would want to get back to work, given that he's collecting a reported $22 million-plus from the Leafs through 2023.

Gerard Hall

Hall is the CEO and founder of SportsMEDIA Technology, the company tasked with making puck and player tracking (finally) a reality for the NHL. SMT became the league's primary partner after it split with Jogmo World Corp. -- which had been developing the data processing side of tracking for a few years -- due to what Bettman called "organizational and financial challenges."

So now it's on Hall's firm to finally crack the code on the technology -- and I'm skeptical of this mixed-use of sensor tracking and optical tracking -- which could revolutionize how we assess players and analyze games. Oh yeah: and how we bet on hockey. That too. The plan is still to have the tech in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs with 2020-21 targeted for full implementation.

Tod Leiweke

It may not hit the ice until 2021, but the Seattle expansion team is going to make a lot of news next year. Most notably, we won't have to refer to it as "the Seattle expansion team" after the franchise's nickname and colors are revealed at a fan event after the All-Star break. (Our choices: Sockeyes, if we're sticking to the actual potential names; Sasquatch, if we're being honest.)

Leiweke, the team's CEO, will have enormous input on both. But he's also the guy who hired GM Ron Francis, and then stood by him during the ongoing NHL investigation into physical abuse allegations against Peters when Francis was GM of the Carolina Hurricanes and Peters was the coach.

Barring something unforeseen, Francis will be tasked with hiring the first coach for Seattle -- something that could happen before the end of 2020, depending on the candidates' availability. It's here we'll recycle the speculation on Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice, whom Francis played for and worked above in Carolina, and who is in the last year of his contract -- even though he recently said that he's very happy in the 'Peg.

Emilie Castonguay

When we say the words "NHL player agent," the first image that comes to mind isn't likely to be a 35-year-old woman. Which is (a) a shame and (b) about to change in a big way with Castonguay. A member of the ascendant Momentum Hockey agency, she's the agent for presumed 2020 first overall draft pick Alexis Lafreniere, and a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry.

"Knowledge is power," she told USA Today. "And I have that. As soon as I start talking hockey, they realize I know what I'm talking about; the fact I'm a female is forgotten."

Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo and Braden Holtby

Three potential free agents, all of them difference-makers.

After the New Jersey Devils cut ties with him, and as he has given little indication that he sees Arizona as his next long-term NHL home, Hall is expected to become the belle of the free agent ball this summer, following in the courtship footsteps of Artemi Panarin and John Tavares. While maximizing the financial rewards of this once-in-a-career moment is obviously paramount, there's speculation that Hall's desire to play for a true Cup contender might be the ultimate determining factor in his decision.

Or maybe it'll end up being the chance to play with Connor McDavid, in an effort to realize the career achievement that was stolen from him in an ill-advised, one-for-one trade a few seasons ago ...

Meanwhile, Roman Josi's biggest fan currently resides in St. Louis. The Predators defenseman set the market price at $9.059 million annually against the cap, and Pietrangelo goes unrestricted next summer. The Blues aren't flush with cap space, and earlier this season they traded for a young, right-shooting defenseman they immediately extended for seven additional seasons at $6.5 million annually. Now, Pietrangelo is better than Justin Faulk. In theory, the Blues would no doubt like both on their roster. But the game is "get Petro to take a hometown discount," and he might not be playing it.

If Pietrangelo goes to free agency ... well, you can't exactly pop on over to Target to pick up a 24-minutes-per-game, Norris Trophy-contending captain. (Although they do have a few bins of Cody Cecis.) Even though he turns 30 in January, Pietrangelo is the kind of foundational piece teams will covet and rearrange their salary structures to acquire. Thinking of you, Kyle Dubas.

Then there's Holtby. Ilya Samsonov, 22, is clearly the heir to Holtby's crease in Washington as the 30-year-old approaches unrestricted free agency next summer. Remember that Target, with the defensemen? Yeah, you can't get a Vezina- and Stanley Cup-winning goaltender with a career .928 postseason save percentage there, either. Sergei Bobrovsky earned $10 million annually on a seven-year contract last summer, two months before he turned 31. What does Holtby get? Or could the hirsute netminder stick around for a few more years with the Caps?

These are a few of the people who will mold and shape what hockey in 2020 is going to look like. But as always, these things can be unpredictable: Who knew Craig Berube would come to define hockey in 2019? Or, better yet, that Gritty would define 2018?

Jersey Fouls

From Nationwide Arena:

@wyshynski this is a new level of #JerseyFoul at Nationwide tonight pic.twitter.com/BWRmb9ov4h

— Brad Carlson (@BradleyTheBrave) December 20, 2019

Well, that's one way to erase the legacy of Brandon Saad with the Columbus Blue Jackets. I'll plead ignorance as to what that patch is. At least until the metal fans email me with what I presume will be the answer.

Three things about World Juniors

1. It has been incredible to watch the popularity of the IIHF World Juniors surge in the past decade here in the U.S. I think it's the result of three different factors: American hockey fans' growing interest in the NHL draft and prospect rankings; American sports fans' obsession with international tournaments and the jingoistic chest-beating that accompanies them; and, on a related note, that the U.S. has gotten really, really good at World Juniors. The Americans have won more gold medals (3) than Canada (2) since 2010, and have medaled in each of the last four tournaments. The Sleeping Giant has stirred.

2. World Juniors is one of my favorite tournaments because the stakes are both incredibly high and hilariously low for American hockey fans, which must frustrate our neighbors to the north like Homer infuriated Frank Grimes. The U.S. wins gold? Awesome. We cheer, we gloat, we rag on Canada. The U.S. fails to win gold, and/or finishes behind Canada? Who cares!? It's junior hockey. We don't know our Kelowna from our Kamloops! None of this really matters! It's not the Olympics!

The beauty of this dichotomy are the reactions when Canada comes up short in World Juniors, and there are three instant reactions:

• "Our best players are playing in the NHL." Well, our best players never picked up a stick because they were recruited to play football and basketball instead.

• "Everybody needs to stop taking this so seriously, they're just kids." You typically hear this after several weeks of the Canadian media covering the team like it's the 1985 Oilers.

• "We need to figure out what's gone wrong here, because our gold medal is in the possession of someone else." This is the part where Canadians start holding national symposiums on junior hockey goaltending pipelines. It's glorious.

So, in essence, win or lose, the U.S. wins.

3. Finally, on another World Juniors note, this was a bummer of a tweet from Kristen Whelan:

I'm so glad that whilst World Juniors and the Spengler Cup are on every TSN, we get the great privilege of watching U18 Women's Worlds online through a glorified doorbell cam pic.twitter.com/lSS4paqvt8

— Kirsten Whelan (@kmtwhelan) December 26, 2019

There are apparently minimum standards for streaming, but the IIHF apparently felt the standard for the women's under-18 tournament was, "Hey, at least it's pointed towards the ice." Embarrassing.

Listen To ESPN On Ice

We recently had a chance to chat with Rob Paulsen, a Red Wings superfan who's one of the most accomplished voice actors in the business. He's the man who gave us Raphael from the Ninja Turtles and Pinky from "Pinky and the Brain." Listen here.

Winners and Losers of the Week

Winner: Breaks

There was a time when it felt like the world just stopped around Christmas. Stores shuttered, streets were empty, and everyone took a breath for a day. Now, supermarkets are open at 6 a.m. on Dec. 25. The NHL taking a holiday break could be seen as the league leaving money on the table -- look at the frenzy surrounding NBA games on Christmas, for example -- but I think it's a quaint break for athletes who play an absolutely grueling season.

Loser: Lias Andersson

Andersson would say he didn't get the breaks with the New York Rangers, which is why he requested a trade from the organization last weekend. The No. 7 overall pick in 2017 has loads of talent and considerable swagger. But as Vincent Mercogliano noted, Andersson may have also had an unfortunate sense of entitlement.

Winner: P.K. Subban

Subban successfully proposed to Lindsey Vonn in August -- and Vonn flipped the script and proposed to Subban on Christmas. "Men deserve engagement rings too and this is what P.K. deserves," she said.

Loser: Anthony Beauvillier

The Islanders forward has a 14.5 shooting percentage this season, but we're assuming that doesn't include the shot he took in tweeting actress Anna Kendrick on Christmas Day -- no doubt after watching the new Disney+ original "Noelle." As of Thursday night, the "Pitch Perfect" star had yet to respond, despite the fact that outlets like the New York Post and Buzzfeed have picked up on the pickup attempt. So, perhaps a tentative "loser" here.

Winner: Sheldon Keefe

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing at a 120-point pace under their new head coach. I'd like to think it's because they're generally relieved to be out from under Babcock's thumb. But it's probably because they're 16-7-4 with a healthy Mitch Marner in the lineup.

Loser: California coaches

Dallas Eakins' Anaheim Ducks, Bob Boughner's San Jose Sharks and Todd McLellan's Los Angeles Kings reached the holiday break tied for last place in the Western Conference, at 34 points. The last time all three Golden State franchises missed the playoffs was 1995-96.

Puck Headlines

As bold moves go, ranking the leading scorer of the decade at No. 15 and behind two teammates is right up there.

Interesting takes from Hemal Jhaveri on the Jeremy Roenick suspension.

Ryan Lambert thinks the Vegas Golden Knights' standings surge is nigh.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook will undergo surgery on his right shoulder Friday and on both hips in early 2020, the right side in early January and the left side in early February. He'll turn 35 in April and has four years left on his contract after this season. What a completely unprecedented turn of events this would be if a veteran player with a regrettable and immovable contract was suddenly stashed on long-term injured reserve in perpetuity to remove that hit from a team's cap? Again, something we've never seen before, folks.

The NBA has sent a proposal to teams calling for a 78-game regular season, along with an in-season tournament for all teams and a reseeding of the playoffs when the field is cut to the final four clubs. Something to watch when it comes to the NHL, especially that reseeding bit.

A man's life was saved after he suffered a heart attack while playing hockey.

The drive to get Paul Henderson into the Hockey Hall of Fame remains an epic example of Canadian delusion.

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

Justin Bourne on why the Tampa Bay Lightning are still a force with which to be reckoned. ($)

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

Loved this oral history of the John Carlson tournament-winning goal at the 2010 World Juniors from Chris Peters, a goal I very much cared about because it meant the U.S. won something.

The Chicago Fire have appointed former FC Basel manager Raphael Wicky as the club's new head coach.

"I am honored and proud to be named the head coach of Chicago Fire FC," said Wicky.

"This is a position that comes with a lot of responsibility and I can promise the fans and everyone at the Club that I will work hard and give my all. During conversations with [club directors] Joe Mansueto and Georg Heitz, I felt that we all shared a similar vision for the Club and how to move it forward. That was important to me.

"Chicago is a world-class sports city and this club has a bright future, both on and off the field. I can't wait to get started."

The former Switzerland international brings 27 years of experience as a player and coach in Germany, Spain, his native country, and the United States. Wicky most recently coached the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team, helping them qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup.

The 42-year-old transitioned into coaching shortly after his playing career ended. His first head coaching job came at Swiss club Servette FC before moving to FC Basel. Wicky guided Basel, one of Switzerland's most successful clubs, to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, the best Champions League result in Swiss history.

"I know Raphael very well from our time together at FC Basel in Switzerland," said Chicago Fire FC sporting director Heitz. "He is a man of high character who fits the philosophy and vision of this club. He has a fresh, modern approach to football. Raphael has a great appreciation and respect for the sport and because of his time on the pitch, including representing his country at a World Cup, he is able to communicate extremely well with players.

"Raphael, who is familiar with Chicago, has always wanted to coach in MLS. Since he arrived in the U.S. and played here, he has become a student, learning about and studying MLS and what it takes to be successful in this League. We're thrilled that he will be our new head coach."

His playing career featured a 12-year run with the Switzerland national team, during which the midfielder earned 75 caps, highlighted by appearances at the 2006 FIFA World Cup as well as the 1996 and 2004 UEFA European Championships. Wicky spent 11 of his 17 years as a professional with Bundesliga clubs Werder Bremen and Hamburg and finished his career with former MLS side Chivas USA.

South Africa 72 for 4 (Archer 2-37) and 284 lead England 181 (Denly 50, Philander 4-16) by 175 runs

South Africa's bowlers, led gallantly by the retiring Vernon Philander, put their side in a commanding position before a cache of top-order wickets left England with some hope after an intriguing second day at Centurion.

Philander did not concede a run from his opening five-over spell, which yielded one wicket, before finishing with the remarkable figures of 4 for 16 off 14.2 overs as England were restricted to just 181 in response to South Africa's first-innings 284. He was well supported by strike bowling partner Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, the latter critically accounting for middle-order danger men Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow as the hosts thrived where the visitors had toiled the day before.

But, with the second-day pitch offering enough variation and bounce to sow some uncertainty in the batsmen's minds, England's bowlers were able to make inroads late in the final session, sending South Africa to the close at 72 for 4 with debutant Rassie van der Dussen not out 17 and nightwatchman Nortje on 4.

In all, 15 wickets fell in the day, but with South Africa's lead approaching 200 it looked like a collapse of 7 for 39 by the tourists may turn out to be the most significant passage of play.

South Africa had resumed on 277 for 9 before Stuart Broad had Philander caught behind off the 11th ball of the day. Broad, who had dismissed Rabada with the last ball on day one, finished South Africa's first innings with four wickets, as did Sam Curran.

Philander and Rabada had England floundering at 15 for 2 early in their reply. Philander dismissed Rory Burns in the fourth over of the innings, caught behind by Quinton de Kock with a beautiful delivery that zeroed in on off stump and clipped the bottom of the glove.

Burns had already produced one nervous moment when he seemed to take his time in calling for a review when he was given out, caught behind off Rabada, on the first ball of the innings. Replays showed Burns had merely clipped his front pad with the bat and the decision was overturned.

Rabada had Dom Sibley caught behind in a messy dismissal that initially wasn't given out by umpire Paul Reiffel, prompting a review from South Africa before Sibley walked. Joe Denly called Sibley back to wait for the DRS result, but Reiffel instructed Sibley to keep walking as his reaction had suggested he'd hit the ball, which was confirmed on replay.

Joe Root and Denly were given a tough examination, with Root needing to be checked over by the physio after being struck a heavy blow on the helmet by a Rabada bouncer. Denly, on nought, survived a dropped catch a short time later when he edged Rabada towards first slip van der Dussen, who grassed the chance as de Kock dived across him.

The England pair set about launching a rescue mission, pushing their team to 60 for 2 at lunch, but Philander, who conceded his first run - a single to Root - on the 34th ball he bowled, struck with his 37th when he saw Root coming down the pitch and induced an outside edge that went through to de Kock.

Denly shared a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket with Stokes but, having brought up his half-century with a lovely driven four off Dwaine Pretorius, Denly was gone three balls later edging the same bowler through to de Kock.

Stokes was a welcome sight at the crease for England, who know only too well his ability to produce heroics when needed and who would have been worried by his absence from the field for a large part of the third session on day one as he was feeling unwell, but his stay at the crease was curtailed as Nortje came to the fore. Nortje bowled Bairstow through the gate with a rapid delivery that kept a little lower than expected and then had Stokes caught behind for 35.

An excellent catch at short leg by Zubayr Hamza sent Curran back to the pavilion and handed Rabada his second wicket and when de Kock brilliantly caught Buttler off the bowling of Philander, he joined Mark Boucher (four times), AB de Villiers and Denis Lindsay as the only South African wicketkeepers to take six catches in an innings. Only four keepers have taken seven, and none of them for South Africa.

England conceded a first-innings lead of 103 a short time later after Rabada had Broad caught by Dean Elgar and Philander bowled Jofra Archer.

Early breakthroughs for James Anderson, Broad and Archer lifted England's spirits, however. Anderson, who also took a wicket with the first ball of the match, struck in the first over of South Africa's second innings to dismiss Aiden Markram lbw for 2. Broad then had Hamza caught down the leg side by a diving Buttler, who then took another tidy catch leaping to his right after Archer found Elgar's inside edge.

England had their fourth when Archer had Faf du Plessis caught at long leg via a down-on-one-knee scoop that flew straight to Curran.

Van der Dussen and Nortje saw their side through to the close without further loss and, with their first-innings top-scorer de Kock still to make an appearance, South Africa held the upper hand.

Graeme Smith has assured South Africans of all races that he is committed to transformation after he was criticised by the Black African Cricket Clubs (BACC), who held a meeting at the Wanderers on Friday. The group, which formed in 2011 after a racially charged split in the Central Gauteng Lions, aim to reposition and grow black African cricket and expressed their mistrust in the current administration's ability to do that.

Smith was not present at the meeting, nor has he been directly approached by the BACC yet. South Africa's new director of cricket was working in Centurion, venue for the first Test with England, but when asked for comment, he issued this statement saying he understood concerns among the black community about putting "their trust in a white man of my background".

"I'm fully aware that in times of change in any organisation there will be instances of uncertainty and distrust from members of certain groups," he said. "I'm also well aware that in South Africa, it will take a lot for some members of the black community to put their trust in a white man of my background. I can assure them however that I fully intend to do my best to advance the transformation agenda of Cricket South Africa and ensure that young black African players are given the opportunity that they deserve to reach the highest levels in all areas of the game."

Smith's acknowledgement of his own privilege came in response to an accusation that he does not fully grasp the black African experience, which is steeped in the legacy of Apartheid segregation. In cricket terms, that is best illustrated by national representation where only eight black African players have been capped at Test level, out of the 107 players since readmission, which speaks to the differences in opportunity and is the BACC's main concern.

"You are sitting with a director of cricket who has the responsibility to develop everyone," BACC chairman, Ntsongo Sibiya, said. "I am not sure what he understands about a kid in Soweto or in a rural area. I don't think he understands those dynamics. If you were a black man and Graeme Smith becomes director of cricket, would you trust him to develop your side? I am saying Graeme Smith, the position, not Graeme Smith, the man. I am talking about the director of cricket position. It is a critical position. It needs to be managed. It needs to make sure it does what this country needs. It needs to be someone that thoroughly understands."

In an effort not to concentrate the conversation on race alone, the BACC put forward other names for the director of cricket position, who they believe have more experience in transformation. "Had you said Adrian Birrell or Greg Hayes was the director of cricket, none of us would have complained. They have a track record over time of producing black cricketers," Lewis Manthata, a BACC member, said.

Birrell and Hayes are both from the Eastern Cape, the heartland of black African cricket, and have worked in rural cricket programmes for many years. While Hayes was instrumental in Makhaya Ntini's development, Birrell has worked as recently as 2017 as the national assistant coach. Smith, despite captaining his country for 11 years, has not worked in development.

"To produce a bowler, all you need is a pair of spikes. To produce a batter, you need a R10,000 bat. How do we make sure any boy with potential can come through?" BACC chairman Ntsongo Sibiya

"There is no one currently in the system who understands how to develop a black African child," Sibiya said. "We have a lot of players who have come through the system but they don't make it all the way, not because of ability but because the system halts them and does not allow them to go to the next level."

He pointed to economic issues, such as the differences required in equipment for different kinds of cricketers and the dearth of facilities in townships, as examples. "To produce a bowler, all you need is a pair of spikes," Sibiya said. "To produce a batter, you need a R10,000 (US$700) bat. You need support. If you look at Temba Bavuma, he has got that support. How do we make sure any boy with potential can come through?"

Essentially that speaks to a class issue, which is inevitably tied up with race in South Africa. Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are both from wealthy backgrounds, while even the likes of Ntini, Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo, who are from more modest beginnings, received scholarships to top schools, where they excelled.

Therein lies the BACC's greatest concern - they want to be able to produce a cricketer from an underprivileged area, who is also allowed to develop there. They have called on the government, CSA (despite its debt forecasts), and the corporate world to provide the funds for this to be made possible. "How do you expect players of colour to come through if there is no investment?" Manthata said. "Government has a responsibility to invest but they have far more important issues to deal with. It's the responsibility of federations and those with monopoly power."

That presents a conundrum. South Africa's past has created a present where the wealth of the country is more prevalent in some demographics (ie. non-black African), but for transformation to succeed it needs the buy-in of all races. The BACC, whose names suggests otherwise, claim their meetings, which will be taken around the country soon, are open to all. They also said their agenda covers all players of colour even though it is most concerned with black African players.

"The meeting said anyone that has vested interests in black African people can attend," Sibiya said. "We had white people, we had coloured people. It was a black African agenda but not necessarily a black African meeting. We are looking at transformation generally and black Africans in particular as the most marginalised group from the past."

South Africa went into the Centurion Test - the first since Smith took the director of cricket job and appointed Mark Boucher as head coach - with only four non-white players, including one black African, which is shy of the transformation target of six and two, although injuries to Bavuma and Ngidi have limited the selectors' options.

"Stats don't lie," Vernon Philander said, 10 matches into his Test career, when he had already taken 63 wickets at an average of 15.96 and bowled South Africa to the Test mace at Lord's.

"Stats don't lie," someone might have said to Philander, after he managed a mere 15 sticks in six Tests this year at a relatively steep 25.80. Sure, his average was always going to go up after that start but this was the highest it had been in four years. The numbers told him the end was nigh, so he announced his retirement, which will come at the end of this series.

"Stats really don't lie," Philander was reminded, when he finished with 4 for 16 at SuperSport Park. Not only are those his best figures of 2019 but also his most economical when bowling more than seven overs in an innings.

Then there are the things the stats don't say. His opening spell of five maidens set the tone for South Africa taking a 103-run first-innings lead; his final burst of 2 for 10 post-tea sealed it. Throughout, Philander schooled everyone in how to bowl in conditions which can be described as slightly helpful, and how to control an innings with consistency and not much more.

He opened with six balls that shaped away from Dom Sibley, each ever closer to the outside edge. Once, Philander found it, but the chance died on Faf du Plessis in the slips. Philander did not have to wait too long for reward. The first ball of his second over found Rory Burns' bottom glove.

That was the only the first example of Philander's ability to build pressure. He spent the rest of the spell testing Joe Denly's defences, with balls that nipped back in, hit the pad and snuck past the inside-edge. All of those deliveries threatened. None of them could be scored off. The over after Philander finished, Kagiso Rabada found Denly's edge, Quinton de Kock dived across Rassie van der Dussen at first slip, to whom the ball just carried. If the catch had been taken, England would have been 26 for 3. Instead, they went to lunch on 60 for 2.

Philander conceded his first run after the break but also took the biggest wicket. Joe Root's attempted tickle to third man turned into an edge to the keeper, off a ball the England captain should have watched rather than walking down the pitch to play. Philander then kept Ben Stokes quiet for 11 balls, making the opposition's most aggressive player work his way in, rather than smash his way there.

Dwaine Pretorius and Anrich Nortje burrowed their way through the middle-order before Philander was called on after tea in a bid to finish things off. Sam Curran played the only two shots in anger against him, the first a well-timed swipe through point for four, the second a streaky edge past gully. For a change, Philander mixed up his lengths, opting for slightly shorter balls for parts of the next two overs and he even managed some extra bounce. Jos Buttler's edge was found.

But it was the final wicket that summed up Philander, the bowler we have known for so long. Full, top of off, the batsman playing down the wrong line, and dislodged. Philander led the team off the field, far ahead of anyone else and jogged up the stairs to the dressing room faster than he usually does on the field. The SuperSport Park crowd was around half (5,974) of what it had been on day one (10,995), but Philander received applause that sounded as if it had come from three times that number, making it one of the few occasions when he has been able to bask in the light on his own.

Since his debut Test season, when he cleaned Australia up at Newlands in 2011, Philander has flown under the radar. Despite opening the bowling, he was always considered the third prong in the attack, after Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. And when neither those two were in operation, Philander stood in the shadow of Rabada, who is talked about as the leader of the attack despite being Philander's junior.

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South Africans, and probably many others, are excited by the emphatic. Pace. Bounce. Swing. Reverse Swing. One-handed catches on the boundary. Anything that has the obvious potential for drama. It's only some who are serenaded by more subtle arts. Perhaps that's why Philander's status was never as exalted as his colleagues.

And then there are appearances. Philander does not have a throbbing vein or demon eyes, like Steyn. He rarely flares his elbows in despair or falls over in his run-up, like Morkel. He does not lope in, with the grace of a gazelle, like Rabada. He has a portly profile and the most animated thing he does on the field is call for reviews prematurely, and his captains have learnt to work around that. (It's simple: just ignore him.)

Philander doesn't even say the most exciting things in interviews which has resulted in him being under-quoted (there's only so many times we can write the word "obviously,"), under-profiled and maybe even under-praised. The end result is that we all owe Philander a little bit more recognition, so here it is:

The South African attack will miss Philander's skill and guile and leadership. Their loss is Somerset's gain. Perhaps it's only fitting that the country against whom Philander proved his worth after some considered his start a fluke, and the country against whom he will bow out even though he looks as though he has another season in him, will be the country where his career officially ends. Stats don't lie, and Philander will likely rack up a few more good ones on the county circuit but for now, he is not concerned with his returns.

"I've only got a few [Tests] left so I've got to make the most out of it," he said. So far, that's exactly what he's done.

The Miami Hurricanes fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos on Friday, one day after being shut out in historic fashion by Louisiana Tech in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.

On Thursday, Miami athletic director Blake James gave head coach Manny Diaz a vote of confidence, but James said "changes are necessary" after the Hurricanes completed their second losing season in 12 years.

The Hurricanes went 6-7 this season and struggled offensively in their only year under Enos, averaging 25.7 points per game.

Miami's 14-0 loss on Thursday night was the first shutout in the Independence Bowl's 44-game history.

It also marked the first time that a Group of 5 program has shut out a Power 5 school in a bowl game since the beginning of the BCS/College Football Playoff era in 1998, according to Stats Inc.

The Hurricanes had entered the game with the nation's worst third-down conversion percentage.

Enos, 51, served as an offensive assistant at Alabama last season. He was the head coach at Central Michigan from 2010 to 2014 before spending the next three seasons as Arkansas' offensive coordinator.

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles running back Jordan Howard has been medically cleared to return from a shoulder stinger and is "good to go" for Sunday's regular-season finale against the New York Giants, coach Doug Pederson said Friday.

Howard, who served as the Eagles' primary back before the injury, has not played since Week 9.

The dynamics have shifted in Howard's absence, with rookie Miles Sanders emerging as a critical piece of the Eagles' offense. A candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sanders has accounted for 40% of the team's production over the past two weeks and ranks seventh in the NFL in all-purpose yards (1,590).

Pederson suggested Sanders will keep his spot atop the depth chart, and that Howard will be worked back in gradually.

"The challenge is we've been planning [for the Giants] with Miles and Boston [Scott], and Jordan gives us a third back, situational guy," Pederson said. "We understand who he is. But as far as the conditioning and the game shape and being ready, you just can't give him a full complement of plays. And we don't necessarily want to disrupt what we've got going, but he is a big piece, obviously, to our offense."

Howard rushed for 525 yards on 119 carries (4.4 yards per carry) with six touchdowns over the first nine games before being hurt in a win over the Chicago Bears, his former team. The Eagles have formed an identity on offense over the past several weeks, with strong chemistry developing between Carson Wentz and his young group of skill-position players, led by Sanders.

The Eagles could clinch the NFC East title with a win against New York on Sunday. If they make it, Philadelphia would have a bruising north-south runner in Howard available for the postseason.

The highly anticipated Feb. 22 rematch between heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury is now official, with a site deal complete and tickets ready to go on sale on Saturday.

Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions announced on Friday that the fight, as expected, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will headline a joint pay-per-view between Fury broadcaster ESPN and PBC partner Fox, which also handled Wilder's Nov. 23 pay-per-view fight, a rematch against Luis "King Kong" Ortiz at the MGM Grand.

"I'm happy and I'm excited that the rematch is finally happening," said Wilder, who will make his 11th title defense. "I want to give the fans what they want to see. I've been doing it with my last three outings -- Fury, [Dominic] Breazeale and Ortiz. They've been spectacular events -- from my ring walks where I gather all the energy of the people, to my uniforms that I wear to help spread that energy. Then I give them what they all come for -- the knockouts, and my knockouts have been amazing.

"I proved myself the first time and I'm ready to do it again. It was a very controversial fight. I promise my fans that there won't be any controversy with this one. I'm going to finish it."

When Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs), 34, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), 31, of England, met last December at Staples Center in Los Angeles, they turned in a memorable fight that ended in a controversial draw that most had Fury winning.

Fury outboxed Wilder for long stretches, but Wilder scored two knockdowns -- one in the ninth round and a massive one in the 12th that Fury somehow survived before the bout was ruled a split draw. Wilder won 115-111, Fury got the nod 114-112 and the third judge scored it 113-113.

Fury, who will make the sixth defense of the lineal title, said he is also pumped up for the sequel, which he will enter after having parted ways with trainer Ben Davison earlier this month to go with Javan "Sugar" Hill, the nephew of the late International Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

Fury and Hill had gotten to know each other a decade ago, when Fury spent time training in a Steward camp.

"There's no more ducking and diving," Fury said. "The date has been set, and the 'Bomb Squad' is about to be securely detonated and the real champion crowned as the world watches on for the most anticipated fight in years. This is unfinished business for me, but come Feb. 22, this dosser will finally get what's coming to him, and I can't wait."

Wilder, however, hardly ducked the rematch with Fury. After the first fight last December, Wilder and Fury both called for an immediate rematch and they had a deal in principle agreed to for a fight this past spring, only for Fury surprisingly to go in another direction. He signed with Top Rank to co-promote him with Frank Warren and aligned with ESPN, with whom Top Rank has a long-term exclusive deal.

Wilder and Fury finally did agree to the rematch in a rare deal between rivals Top Rank and PBC, one that also includes a third Wilder-Fury bout. But before the rematch would take place, the deal called for each to first have two interim bouts. Wilder and Fury got through those bouts to set themselves up for much bigger paydays than they would have received had they had the rematch right away.

Fury won both of his bouts against obscure opponents. He blew out Tom Schwarz in the second round on June 15 at the MGM Grand and then had an unexpectedly grueling decision win over Otto Wallin on Sept. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Fury suffered two horrendous cuts over his right eye. The cuts, one a gaping wound, required 47 stitches to close.

Wilder also handled his business with a pair of highlight-reel knockouts. He destroyed mandatory challenger Breazeale in the first round on May 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and then rallied from a lopsided deficit on the scorecards to drill Ortiz in the seventh round last month -- after struggling for the first six rounds -- in what was the final hurdle to him and Fury meeting again.

Orlando Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury and will be reevaluated, according to coach Steve Clifford.

Aminu, who has a torn meniscus in his right knee but opted against surgery, has been sidelined since late November.

Clifford told reporters Friday that Aminu's knee locked up during Thursday's practice and that the veteran forward is having trouble bending it.

Clifford also announced that center Mo Bamba will not play Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers after turning his ankle Thursday at practice. Bamba's status is uncertain for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Clifford.

Aminu, 29, is averaging 4.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18 games this season, his first with Orlando.