MANCHESTER, England -- When you're Marcus Rashford, there is rarely a day off.

Granted a rest by Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to recover from an international break during which he was scored in both England games, Rashford decided against spending the day with his feet up. Instead, he was at the Selfridges store in Manchester city centre encouraging people to help the homeless this Christmas.

United's No. 10 turned 22 on Halloween and those closest to him talk about a player and a person who is becoming more and more mature. Having scored 10 goals in his past 11 games for club and country, including one in the 3-3 draw with Sheffield United on Sunday, he is in the form of his life.

- ESPN FC 100: Our annual ranking of soccer's best players
- Why Liverpool and Man City are so good
- Is it time for Messi to leave Barcelona?

Off the pitch, he is beginning to use his platform -- he has nearly 10 million followers on Instagram and Twitter combined -- to promote messages other than "focused on the next game" and "we go again". He has spoken out on racism in football and voiced his concern when The Sun newspaper printed a controversial story about English cricketer Ben Stokes.

Rashford's efforts to help the homeless in Manchester has morphed into the In the Box Campaign -- a drive to collect essential items to hand out to homeless people over Christmas -- but it started with the Rashford family, mother Melanie and brothers Dane and Dwaine, handing out money on the street. In other words, Rashford is not just a famous face to front a charity.

"I just remember even when I was a kid, we used to train in Salford and at the time we didn't drive so we used to get a bus into town and a bus out of town," Rashford says. "And between the two bus journeys, you have to walk through the city centre. And probably every morning you'd see five or 10 different people, and from then it was in my mind. As I got older, I'm in a position to make a difference for them.

"It's a no brainer for me, I think. Why not?" Rashford continues. "That's how it all developed [the In the Box Campaign] and just stemmed from there. This is the most productive way ... For me, this type of stuff is making a bigger difference to our lives than just giving them money."

Part of Rashford's aim is to give something back to Manchester, the city that has shaped him whether he has lived in Withington or Sale Moor. As United fans sing whenever he scores, he is "Manc born and bred."

"Everyone knows everyone, I wouldn't say it's a normal community," says Rashford. "I've lived in three or four different places in Manchester and each place is as much as home as the last place. The people around your neighbourhood -- it's all just very, very homely. I think as a city that's massive and we have to use that to our advantage.

"I'm from one part of Manchester but people from all over Manchester are coming in and helping." Rashford continues. "It's something that coming in I expected and Manchester is a beautiful city and the more people that get to know that the better."

It is approaching four years since Rashford, well-grounded and well-spoken, burst into United's first team with two goals on his debut as a teenager. Since then he has scored on his Premier League debut, Champions League debut, League Cup debut, England Under-21 debut and full international debut. He has reached 50 United goals in fewer games than Cristiano Ronaldo and in July signed a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2023.

Rashford is one of the most recognisable faces in the world, but it is only now that he is starting to reveal parts of his personality. Shielded by United, he rarely does interviews except for one or two minutes after games when he is requested by the various broadcast companies who pay for the privilege. A dedicated professional, he can usually be found at his Cheshire home or at Manchester United's training center, Carrington.

He has not yet played 200 games for United, but he is already the face of Solskjaer's young team. Along with Jesse Lingard, Rashford has been key in helping youngsters like Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams settle into the squad. His emergence has coincided with a turbulent time at Old Trafford and while Ryan Giggs played nearly 1,000 games under one manager, Rashford has already played for three.

"Of course you have ups and downs, and for me it's all part of the journey of becoming successful," said Rashford. "If there are downs then you take them all day long. I'm obviously very happy in my position right now and you just want to keep improving and keep bettering yourself as a person."

Despite playing during a relatively lean period in the club's history, Rashford has still managed to collect winners' medals in the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. But he has signed up for four more years on the understanding that he will be able to win the Premier League and the Champions League with the team he has supported since he was a boy.

"It had to be United for me," said Rashford. "You know, I remember when I was younger, you used to go and train at other clubs and as soon as I trained at United that the first time, that was it. I remember saying to my brother, 'I don't want to go to anywhere else now. And that the feeling of a family that we have in Manchester, when I went to United, that was the exact same thing.

"It's like one big family and everybody, the coaching staff, from all ages, they all want the best for you. I think that's what draws people into Manchester United. Once they become a part of it, it never leaves them. When I was a kid this is this is what I dreamed of doing."

Maxine Blythin, the transgender cricketer who was recently named as Kent Women's Player of the Year, has revealed she was shocked by the negative reaction towards her.

Blythin, who was born with a condition that meant she failed to go through male puberty as an adolescent because her testosterone levels were too low, won the award in late September without major fanfare. But when controversial columnist Katie Hopkins responded negatively on Twitter earlier this month, it sparked a raft of vitriol on social media against Blythin.

While the furore did not necessarily surprise Blythin, it was all the more shocking to her given the support she had received from friends, family and many in the cricket community.

"From obviously reading media stories you know that that kind of mentality is out there," Blythin told Sky Sports. "There are people who just don't like you because you're different or you don't fit into their binary norms that they see.

"You get a lot of hate mail, some more extreme than others. It's probably the hardest thing, I think, for someone like me to experience because because it's someone saying, 'you are not valid, I get to decide who you are, not you', without any understanding of the biology behind it, the science behind it, and just in general how your brain works.

"My friends have all been accepting. My family, with some time, were very accepting. At work I've never had any issues, on the sporting field, not a single comment, no issues. In just general life, going to the shops, going anywhere, not a single issue at any stage. I've just been living my life being a normal human, going to work, going to the shops, paying taxes."

Blythin paid tribute to Kent captain and England opener Tammy Beaumont, who was quick to throw her support behind Blythin in a series of Tweets aimed at Hopkins, including one which said: "Personally I'm proud to call her my team-mate and my friend. So please attempt [sic] don't speak for me or my ovaries."

Blythin said she had spoken with Beaumont since to tell her how much she appreciated her support.

"Having someone who openly shows her support despite knowing what backlash you could get from it, from people who just don't know anything about the story, anything about biology, anything about who I am or what I'm doing, is very brave of Tammy and something I appreciate a lot," Blythin said.

| What a season she's had!

Your 2019 Kent Women Player of the Year is.... Maxine Blythin!#OnlyTheOrses #SuperKent pic.twitter.com/TRXWZ7NLTU

— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 27, 2019

The story did raise more nuanced debate surrounding possible physical advantages Blythin may possess over other women competing with or against her, especially that she is more than six feet tall. As an opening batsman, she helped Kent win the Women's County Championship this year, finishing her debut season as the county's third-highest run scorer.

Asked whether she had any physical attributes which might prove to be an advantage, Blythin said: "Nothing particularly, only the differences you get in humans in general.

"There are girls in my team who are a lot stronger than I am, there are girls with longer arm spans than I do, girls with bigger hands than I do, just in my own team, never mind the teams I play with or against. I've just got some naturally good bits, ie. tall is beneficial for some things, but I've got very thin arms.

"In my family I'm not considered abnormal. I've got a tall dad, a tall mum. I'm quite normal sized for my family. My sister is pretty tall as well."

While the ECB's playing regulations allow Blythin to play women's cricket simply by identifying as transgender, she would have to meet the ICC's more rigorous standards if she were ever selected to play for England, which includes a limit on testosterone levels. However, she said she would welcome the opportunity if it came along.

"If I was invited to, it would be the biggest privilege of my life," she said. "Speaking to people who have played at that level, even if it's just for one game, it's one of the biggest occasions of their sporting lives. I'd 100 percent say yes. I'm not expecting it but I would say yes."

Blythin also has a condition called gender dysphoria, where a person experiences discomfort or distress because their biological sex does not equate with their gender identity and she remembers feeling that way "before I can remember other memories".

"The first thing I can remember as a kid is thinking that way," Blythin said. Throughout my adolescence, my childhood, I always had that feeling of being different but without the way to articulate, without the knowledge to know where I stood.

"Back then, parents weren't given that kind of information, that kind of story was not easily accessible. You didn't have trans role models, you didn't have anything like that, so being able to articulate who you are was not easy."

Describing her experience of gender dysphoria, Blythin told Sky: "It's a feeling of disgust, a really hurtful feeling ... my best way is to ask what makes a man. If you come back and tell me it's what's in your trousers, you've not grasped what being a man is.

"You have to look inside yourself and really think. Now, imagine you're a man in a woman's body - but you're still thinking about what makes you who you are. To then have that body stare back at you in the mirror... that's the easiest way to explain it."

Asked to describe herself, Blythin said: "A woman, simple as. I always have felt that way, I've always wanted to articulate it as such."

Cricket South Africa has lost their arbitration case against the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), with costs. That means the WPCA board, which was suspended by CSA in September over concerns relating to their governance and financial affairs, will need to be reinstated. CSA is understood to be challenging the decision.

On September 22, CSA disbanded the WPCA board and installed veteran administrator Andre Odendaal in its place. CSA and the WPCA had disagreements over a construction project at Newlands Cricket Ground. CSA provided WPCA with a loan of R81 million (US$5,5 million) to complete the building work, which will house a college, offices and several other facilities but then expressed concerns over the progress of the project. CSA also hinted that spectator safety could be compromised during the New Year's Test and suggested the fixture would be moved but then confirmed Newlands will host England from January 3.

Three weeks after the board was suspended, the WPCA launched an urgent application for CSA's decision to be overturned. They argued that CSA had "no right or entitlement," to step-in and should have held a hearing before suspending the board. CSA and the WPCA went to mediation to attempt to resolve the issue but failed and then proceeded to arbitration, which was won by WPCA.

CSA is also facing a second legal battle, against the South African Cricketers' Association, who have taken the board to court over a proposed restructure to the domestic system. CSA want to implement a 12-team provincial competition from the 2020-21 season which would wipe out the existing six-team franchise structure and create one domestic tier (South Africa currently has two).

Organisers say the 10km route was missing 23 metres so times, including Charlotte Arter’s fast 31:34, will not be officially recognised

Times recorded at this year’s Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash, including the 31:34 run by Charlotte Arter, will not be officially recognised after the course was found to be 23 metres short.

On Tuesday organisers announced that the race distance had been reassessed after the event and due to “slight alterations in the course landscape” it did not measure up to the full 10km.

“The race distance was found to be short by 23 metres,” said a statement in part. “This is approximately 4 seconds for athletes on a time of 29 minutes for 10k.”

At the time we reported how Arter’s mark was the fourth best ever legal British 10km time behind Paula Radcliffe’s 30:21, Liz McColgan’s 30:39 and Wendy Sly’s 31:29.

Arter won the race ahead of Abbie Donnelly (32:00) and Beth Potter (32:05).

The men’s title had been claimed by Omar Ahmed as he clocked 28:38 to finish one second ahead of Ross Millington as nine athletes went sub-29 minutes and 29 went sub-30:00.

“As you are aware, we had a very fast field of the top UK elite athletes competing in one of the UK’s favourite 10km road races,” said organisers.

“The race distance has been re-assessed after the event and due to slight alterations in the course landscape, the race distance was found to be short by 23 metres. This is approximately 4 seconds for athletes on a time of 29 minutes for 10km.

“This may be a small margin and still equates to a very fast time, but unfortunately times recorded at the event will not be recognised by UKA and Power of 10. We would like to apologise for this error and reassure you that the race will be relicensed for 2020.”

World 50km champion and world record-holder Aly Dixon was among those to have taken part in the event on October 27, clocking a 34:09 chip time.

“Kudos to the organisers for remeasuring but gutting for the athletes who thought they had ran a PB,” she wrote on Twitter. “My watch measured it spot on but I know they aren’t 100% accurate.”

Kudos to the organisers for remeasuring but gutting for the athletes who thought they had ran a PB. https://t.co/Umy0s1gaoo

— Aly Dixon (@alydixon262) November 26, 2019

Andy Murray's journey from a tearful admission that his career was likely to end after a major hip surgery to winning an ATP title less than a year later is one of 2019's greatest sporting stories.

Now the British former world number one's emotional journey over the past two years has been laid bare in a behind-the-scenes documentary, Andy Murray: Resurfacing, which is being aired on Amazon Prime from Friday.

Here are eight things we've learned from it:

His childhood experiences in Dunblane led to anxiety

Murray, 32, grew up in the Scottish town of Dunblane and was a pupil of the local primary school when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and their teacher in March 1996. He hid in the headmaster's study when the tragedy happened.

Murray knew the gunman and opens up about the traumatic experiences of that day, along with other emotional family experiences which have shaped his life.

After previously being asked by director Olivia Cappuccini why tennis is important to him, the three-time Grand Slam champion finally responds in a powerful late-night voice message.

"Obviously I had the thing that happened at Dunblane, when I was around nine," he tells Cappuccini, who is the partner of Murray's brother-in-law, in December 2018.

"I am sure for all the kids there it would be difficult for different reasons. The fact we knew the guy, we went to his kids' club, he had been in our car, we had driven and dropped him off at train stations and things.

"And within 12 months of that, our parents got divorced. It is a difficult time for kids, to see that and not quite understand what is going on.

"And then six to 12 months after that, my brother Jamie also moved away from home. He went away to train to play tennis. We obviously used to do everything together. When he moved away that was also quite hard for me.

"Around that time and after that, for a year or so, I had lots of anxiety that came out when I was playing tennis. When I was competing I would get really bad breathing problems.

"Tennis is an escape for me in some ways because all of these things are bottled up and we don't talk about these things.

"Tennis allows me to be that child. That's why it is important to me."

The tears in Washington came because he thought his career was coming to an end

Following a first hip surgery in January 2018 and a tentative return later that year, Murray had the more serious resurfacing operation in January this year in a bid to rid himself of the chronic pain he was still suffering.

One of the most striking moments of the first comeback was the scene where, after he had beaten Romanian Marius Copil in the Washington Open third round at 3:02am local time, the Scot sat down in his chair, draped a towel over his head and sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes on court.

Now we are told the full extent of his mental state. That was the moment when he felt his career was coming to an end.

In a video message filmed at 5:09am in the American capital, he says: "I was really, really emotional at the end of the match because I feel this is the end for me.

"My body just doesn't want to do it any more and my mind doesn't want to push through the pain barrier any more.

"I was just hoping I was gonna feel better than this after 16, 17 months.

"It's just an emotional night because I felt I'm coming to an end. I'm really sad about that because I want to keep going but my body is telling me 'no'.

"It hurts and I'm sorry, I can't keep going."

Wife Kim told him to quit after 'bleak' Christmas phone call

After another tough training block in Miami towards the end of 2018, Murray said he was getting "zero enjoyment" from being on court.

He calls his wife Kim, who was back home in London, in a phone conversation which she describes as "pretty bleak".

"He always wanted someone to tell him to stop and I'd tried to explain nobody could because it was nobody's decision to make other than his," she says.

"I knew that is what he wanted and I knew what he was calling me for.

"I told him 'you're clearly not happy, you said you'd give it until Christmas - I was putting the Christmas tree up - call it a day'."

He almost changed his mind about emotional Australian Open announcement

Although Murray had privately been thinking he was approaching the end, he had given few clues publicly and that meant a tearful announcement in a pre-tournament news conference at the Australian Open surprised the world.

Murray said he thought he could get through the pain until Wimbledon and then stop playing, although he also conceded the Grand Slam in Melbourne might be his last tournament.

Yet on the morning of his planned admission he still had doubts whether he should reveal all.

"I'm going to say something today, I know I'll get emotional," he says, two hours before facing the media.

"But I change my mind all the time. I need to say something. Or I don't."

Murray describes how he is feeling nervous, anxious and has butterflies in his stomach, while walking around that morning without much pain in his hip.

"When making a decision like that I want my leg to feel really sore," he says.

That led to doubts. So he calls his physio Shane Annun. "I'm thinking I'm making a mistake," Murray says.

His surgeon warned him of the dangers of making a tennis comeback

Murray eventually chose to have the resurfacing operation with renowned surgeon Sarah Muirhead-Allwood, who had previously operated on the Queen Mother, at the London Hip Unit.

At a post-surgery meeting, Murray speaks of how he is worried about damaging his hip again and needing further surgery if he goes back to playing tennis.

"What if I said, if you went back to playing first-class tennis, I think you've got a 15% chance that in the first seven years you could destroy the hip," she tells him.

Murray laughs nervously.

"That is what it is like, it's not it will or it won't. It is chances. For seven years of tennis would you take that risk?"

Murray initially doubted whether he would return to the court because he said he was happy with being pain free and given a new lease of life.

But his mum Judy correctly predicts that will change.

"My gut is telling me he has unfinished business. He's not fooling me," she says.

He watched a gruesome video of the hip surgery

No holds are barred when it comes to seeing the footage from Murray's two hip surgeries.

Early in the film, we see graphic images of his operation with Australian surgeon John O'Donnell in January 2018 and Murray assessing his post-op scar which he concludes looks "pretty neat".

Later, after deciding in January this year he wanted to have the hip resurfaced, we see him watching a gory video of someone else having that operation.

"I find that funny, that they're literally using a hammer," he says.

Shortly after, he is having the operation for real. Everything from the moment he lies down on the surgical bed - including graphic images of bloody instruments working on the joint inside gaping flesh - is captured by the camera.

"It's not a good idea to be running around a tennis court," Murray says dryly as he comes around from the operation.

Wife Kim, along with fitness coach Matt Little and physio Annun, joke that the remark must be captured by the filmmaker because they know he will change his mind - again.

He has a bromance with his physio

Murray's 'bromance' with Annun provides the lighter, and funniest, moments of the film.

"I'd love to marry Shane, I'd have so much fun," says Murray.

Annun says Murray likes to tap into his weakness - being "gullible" - with his other physio Mark Bender saying he views the pair as an "old couple that know exactly what buttons to push".

The pair's relationship is again captured while they are starting Murray's rehabilitation work after the second hip operation, a warm and funny scene where Murray shows his affection for the physio.

"The brilliant thing about having a sore hip is I can hug Shane and he can't get away from me because otherwise he will hurt my hip. He can't force his way out of my hug," he laughs.

These exchanges show Murray's sharp sense of humour and how he like to "wind up" his team. Bender also bears the brunt of Murray's cheeky humour as we learn his nickname is 'Slender'.

"It's ironic because he's not particularly slender," giggles Murray.

He used to feel there was animosity towards him

Murray's announcement at the Australian Open that an illustrious career seemed to be heading towards the end brought a universal showing of affection and respect towards him.

But it has not been until recent years - following Wimbledon, Olympic and Davis Cup triumphs which endeared him further to the British public - that he has felt it.

"He did used to feel there was a certain amount of animosity towards him," his wife Kim says.

"I think he would accept now there is a lot of love out there. What he has done, I have to pinch myself sometimes. I can't believe I've watched it happen."

DETROIT, Mich. – The Historic Trans-Am Series will join the on-track lineup during the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear May 29-31 at Belle Isle Park.

The Historic Trans-Am Series features some of the most iconic cars from what’s considered one of the greatest eras of Trans-Am racing in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Featuring such cars as Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs, AMC Javelins, Pontiac Firebirds, Ford Falcons, Plymouth Barracudas, Dodge Challengers and more, the Historic Trans-Am Series will connect fans to the legendary Motor City muscle cars that helped build Trans-Am into one of the top forms of motorsports in the United States.

Some of the greatest drivers of all time – including Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Jim Hall, George Follmer and many more – originally raced the cars that will take to the Raceway at Belle Isle Park track. In 2020, the series will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the historic 1970 Trans-Am season. The cars that will compete in Detroit are the actual vehicles that raced in the Trans-Am Series in the golden era.

“We know how passionate people are in Detroit about classic cars and Motor City muscle and the Historic Trans-Am Series features some of the coolest and most powerful cars in racing history,” said Bud Denker, Chairman of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. “Our fans are going to love seeing these classic machines up close in the Fifth Third Bank Paddock and it will be amazing to see them in action again on the Belle Isle track at the Grand Prix.”

With an expected field of more than 30 classic cars, the Historic Trans-Am Series cars will be on track during all three days of the Grand Prix and the vehicles will also be on display in the Fifth Third Bank Paddock, which will once again be open to all ticketholders in 2020, throughout the weekend. The Historic Trans-Am Series will practice on both Friday and Saturday of race weekend before qualifying and racing on Sunday, May 31 on Belle Isle.

In addition to the Historic Trans-Am Series, the 2020 Grand Prix will once again feature the only NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader weekend – the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit, along with the sports cars of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing on Saturday afternoon and a doubleheader weekend from the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli. With six races over the course of the weekend, fans at the Grand Prix will enjoy a great value with a diverse racing lineup on track.

When an NHL player walks down the street and gets a cup of coffee, how anonymous can he be in public? We've all fallen into the trap of searching our names on the internet; how often do NHL players do the same? When it has been a long week, and it's time to treat yourself, what's the go-to cheat meal for a hockey player? What's the most Canadian saying, eh?

In another roundtable, ESPN polled NHL stars for their opinions on these questions and more. Here's what the players had to say.

On a scale of 1-10, how anonymous can you be in public? (with a one being nobody recognizes you and 10 being you can't walk down the street without being swarmed)

Torey Krug, Boston Bruins defenseman: I'm about a six in Boston. Most people stare at me and are like, 'That guy looks so familiar, but he's so small. He's super short. There's no way it's him.' But also in the neighborhood that I live in, it's a great community. I'll be walking down the street and people just yell, 'Hey, Kruger, what's up?' It's not annoying at all, it's actually a lot of fun. In another city, I'd be like a two. It's rare that somebody would come up. It's very low-key.

Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers forward: I was pretty recognizable in New York. I mean, I'm a big guy. I'm pretty out there on social media. I'm a very personable person. If one person knows me, I'm not the type of person who is like, 'Get the hell away from me. Don't take this picture.' I don't want the picture, but I was probably that person when I was younger who was asking for it. So I would say a seven or an eight.

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche defenseman: In Denver, I'm probably like a two or three. I've been recognized, but I would say the vast majority don't know what my face looks like. In a random city, I'm a one. I'm a nobody.

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings forward: In Detroit, I'd say six. [In another city,] I'd say a one, maybe a two.

Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers goalie: It all depends on where you are in the city and what time it is. There are definitely moments when it's a little hectic, but there are also days when it's very relaxed. So it's hard. I'm going to say 5 in Sweden. [New York] is less than Sweden for sure. I'm going to say a 3. It is nice. That's why I love New York. You blend in pretty good, and you can live a pretty relaxing life. There are definitely moments and days when it's more intense and there's more focus, but there are also moments when you feel like you can live a pretty average and normal life, and that mix is great.

Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis Blues forward: In the city that I'm playing for at the time, a five maybe? It's tough. With the beards and stuff, you can wear hats, but you can still see the beard. In a place like Chicago, walking down the street, people would never know. Unless you're going to, like, a sports bar ... maybe [you'd be recognized]. But other places, you could go pretty under the radar.

Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights forward: In Vegas, maybe like a seven. It kind of happens often that people recognize me, which is fine because the fans in Vegas are not too much. They just say, 'Hey, Jon, thanks for everything you are doing for the city. Can we grab a picture?' It's always super nice and super friendly, so I love it. In [any other city,] nobody is going to notice that much. Obviously, when we come in a bus, a lot of people will notice. If I go to Montreal or places like that, I get recognized -- maybe more than Vegas. But I don't mind it.

Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils forward: In Toronto, I'd say a six out of 10. In Jersey, I'd say, like, a two. Usually it's the opposite way around, but that's the market that we're in: There's so many sports, and a lot of different people living around here. In Toronto, they're obviously crazy about hockey.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie: In Tampa Bay, it's a two. Maybe they recognize me, but people are so nice there, they respect me, so they don't ask me for too much. In Moscow, I'd say it's a five or a six. In my hometown, it's a 10.

Matt Duchene, Nashville Predators forward: Depends where you are. I think you can be a zero, and I think you can be a 10. Nashville, I'm not sure. Probably I would say pretty low. I think it's pretty touristy around downtown. I know it's touristy because I've been a tourist there many times. So I think you could fly under the radar there. There are other places where you wouldn't, but I haven't experienced it yet. Ottawa was ... yeah, it was up there for sure. Columbus was actually pretty [similar] -- they love the team there. Their fan base is really sneaky, a pretty awesome fan base they have there.

Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils goalie: Can I be anonymous, or am I anonymous? There's a difference. I can be pretty anonymous if I want to be. Depends on where I am. If I'm in Canada or Vancouver, they still remember me pretty well. That's, like, a five. Around here [in New Jersey,] I could be, like, a two but probably, like, a three. I wear a lot of hats and sunglasses -- not on purpose, just because that's what I wear.

Who has the best flow in the league?

Marchessault: I've got to go with my linemate, William Karlsson. It's beautiful. I don't think he wears that much product. That's what I love about it. It's natural. I used to have [long hair] too, when I was in junior. When I see his, I kind of miss it, but I can never pull it off as nice as him, so that's why I don't do it.

Krug: You're looking at it.

Makar: Gabriel Landeskog. Just amazing. Incredible.

Larkin: Tyler Bertuzzi, my teammate. He puts no effort into it. None. I think he cuts it himself.

O'Reilly: Lundqvist's hair. It's pretty iconic.

Hall: Erik Karlsson. The length is nice.

Which version of the NHL do you like better: 6-5 games or 2-1 games?

Marchessault: I think I like it better 2-1. More tight, a little more fun. Obviously, I don't want [Marc-Andre Fleury] to get scored on for five goals, but if we score six, we win.

Krug: I like them both. The tension of a 2-1 game is pretty special. If we win that game, I'm pretty pumped because I did my job as a defenseman. That's my criticism from most people: that I'm not defensive enough. So I get pumped about a 2-1 game that we win. A 6-5 game, the emotional roller coaster for a fan is way more intriguing. It means I'm doing my job as an offensive defenseman but also not doing my job because that's a lot of goals getting scored on us.

Makar: As a fan, you definitely want 6-5, but as a player, 2-1 is an intense game. You know both teams are good.

Larkin: 6-5 because it's more fun scoring goals.

O'Reilly: Playoffs, I like the 2-1. Regular season, 6-5. And it depends if I'm playing or watching. If I'm watching, obviously 6-5 is more fun.

Hayes: 6-5 ... until the playoffs.

Schneider: I like 2-1 games, personally. You can have the same amount of chances but have a game end 6-5 or 2-1. I think saves are exciting and just leads to more tension. Those 6-5 games are just like, "whoa, what the heck?" kind of games. A 2-1 game has more tension, provided there are good chances; otherwise, a 2-1 game is pretty boring.

What's the most Canadian saying?

Krug (American): "Oh, don't ya know?" We actually don't have that many Canadians on my team. We have only, like, three Canadians -- by far the least in the league. But they say that.

Makar (Canadian): "Eh." It has to be "eh." I've been caught quite a few times in the U.S. saying that.

Larkin (American): "Eh." "Sorrey" is a real one, too.

Duchene (Canadian): Anything with "eh" in it. Back home it's like, "How are you there, eh?" That's probably the one that everyone says the most.

O'Reilly (Canadian): "How's it going, eh?" I say that all the time. "Eh" is kind of like a question. You're almost asking for reassurance. It's almost like a question.

Hayes (American): "Eh" or "sorrey."

Schneider (American): "Eh" is the obvious one, but a lot of Canadians point out that I say "huh," and it's the exact same thing. It's so ugly, too. But I do say it. "Runners" is a pretty Canadian thing. When they say they're going to grab their sneakers, they say "grab my runners." They say they are going to "have a nap" instead of take a nap. "Go for a pint" is a Canadian thing, too. That's how they suck you in, too: "Let's go for a quick pint," and then it turns into more than that. "Go for a rip," that means go for a quick drive or ride. I had a whole list when I lived there.

Hall (Canadian): It just differs from province to province. People in Alberta have accents compared to Ontario, and I feel like I'm the only one that realizes it. Like a good Alberta saying is, "No doubter."

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks forward (Canadian): "For the boys."

Why in hockey do you call one another boys? In other sports, they call one another men.

Hayes: I think hockey is the most tight-knit team sport by far. No one is above another. In football, you have offense and defense, and they don't even hang out. There's the wideouts and the DBs and the quarterback and the O-line ... it's cliquey. In the NBA, you have 12 guys, and they don't hang out with each other. Our old owner owns the Knicks, and they don't hang out with each other.

In hockey, we have so much fun together. I don't think I've had a guy on my team in my five years pro where I was like, this guy is an a--hole. I think it's more of a joke, we're just so tight with each other, it's like, "Let's go, boys."

Toews: It's just because we don't grow up. We're playing a kids' game.

What player in the league are you most in awe of?

Marchessault: Obviously [Connor McDavid]. I also think [Nathan] MacKinnon is so impressive. I love watching him. I'm a big fan. He's electric with the puck. He's just dynamic. He goes so fast, dribbles and everything, just looks so fast and so easy at the same time. For me, it's so much fun to watch. Overall, [Aleksander] Barkov has got to be up there. He's fascinating to watch. I played with him, too. He's probably one of the most impressive players I've played with.

Krug: Everything Sidney Crosby does. He'll score a couple goals. It's stuff you wouldn't even think of doing in slow motion. Patrick Kane is right up there, in my opinion. Patrick Kane is my favorite guy to watch, he and Auston Matthews are so similar, and I enjoy watching them. But Sid is who I am most in awe of.

Makar: Nathan MacKinnon. He's unbelievable. He just has a very good routine. He's very strict in terms of the stuff he does -- as a lot of great players do -- so I try to learn from that.

Larkin: Johnny Gaudreau. As a little guy, he's so skilled. He gets, like, five breakaways a game and makes a play every time he has the puck. He's amazing with the puck. You can't catch him. You can't hit him. He circles around you. It's amazing.

Vasilevskiy: Kucherov. He's working every day, working hard. Never satisfied. Hard on himself all the time. So that's what makes him one of the best in the league. It's really fun to play against him at practice. We have our own competition every time. We make each other better every day, so that's great.

Hayes: Probably Crosby. He's getting older, and he's still the same player. He's getting better every year. I've gotten to know him a bit over the last couple years, and it's impressive how he goes about being a professional. As big of a hockey celebrity as he is, he's not in the public at all -- and that's impressive.

Schneider: Either Crosby or Kucherov. Crosby because of how he's done it that long, it's so unique. There haven't been many superstars that do it like him, blending that grit and skill and creativity and leadership. Kucherov is one of the hardest players to read and defend. He can do it all -- he can shoot it or pass it -- it feels like he's in control all the time. He knows exactly what he wants to do. If you're using the old scouting scales, he's like an 80 in everything in baseball terms. And then McDavid is just insane.

When was the last time you Googled yourself?

Marchessault: I was in junior, probably. It's been a while. Nothing comes up that is new. A lot of people, if they want to say something, they'll come in my social media account and be stupid and talk about it. When we lost last year [in the playoffs,] a lot of that happened, and I wasn't afraid to answer back. My wife hated it. She was like, "Why are you doing that?" I was reckless, but after a couple days, I deleted everything on there. One guy, I lost it when he commented on my kids. I just lost my marbles. I released on him, I went super low and criticized his looks and stuff like that. It was awful, but when you talk about family and kids, that's crossing the line for me.

Krug: It's probably been years. I don't spend much time on Google. That's not searching yourself on Twitter, though. On Twitter, I'll search frequently. Especially being in my contract situation, I want to see what rumors are out there. So I'll search frequently.

Makar: Maybe a month ago, when I was with some buddies. Just joking around. I wasn't really involved, it was them, so I don't know what they found. I was just, like, there. I searched myself on Twitter once, and I probably won't do it again. I don't like looking at that stuff.

Larkin: It's been a while -- at least over a year. It's been a while. Sometimes I look up my stats, just to see the analytics time of the game.

Vasilevskiy: It's been a while -- like a year, over a year for sure. Actually, I was looking for pictures. If I Google myself, I am just looking for pictures. I don't read any media.

Hayes: Google, no. Twitter, though, sometimes I'll search my name there.

Hall: It's been a couple of years. It hasn't happened many times. I probably searched myself on Twitter six months ago. Actually, the last time I did it was after my year-end news conference. I wanted to see what the Devils had on me. I don't go on Twitter a whole lot, unless it's to tweet. Sometimes I delete the app on my phone. But I can remember doing that after my news conference. I feel like I say a lot where they can put something out which is good or bad, I don't know, so I wanted to see what they posted.

Schneider: It's been a while. I probably did it more when I was younger. I got off Twitter a long time ago -- I never really used it -- and I'm private on Instagram, so I'm a social media dud. I'm not really that interested in myself, good or bad. I find that the world is a pretty mean place in general. With my kids and the life I have now, I don't even know what people are saying about me, good or bad. So I'm not really concerned. All I care about is what my wife and kids think of me and what my teammate and organization think of me. At this point in my life, I don't have energy to worry about anything else. It's really an energy thing. I'm too lazy to look it up.

What's your cheat meal?

Marchessault: I'm a big fan of a cereal bowl at night. I don't do it too often, but when I do ... I'm a big fan of Mini-Wheats or Cheerios. Trix sometimes. My kids actually eat super healthy. The Trix is there for me.

Krug: I grew up eating a lot of cheeseburgers. That's my favorite thing. But probably today, if I have pizza, I'm all about it.

Makar: You could always go chocolate cake or ice cream. That's always good.

Larkin: I love candy. It's not really a cheat meal. I don't eat it a lot. If I'm really going for it, I'll go to Wendy's. Spicy chicken nuggets are back.

Lundqvist: I'm a big cheeseburger guy. I eat a lot of cheeseburgers. I don't see that as a cheat meal, though, because I rely on it. It's too good not to eat it. I honestly don't see it as a cheat thing. Maybe some people do, but I don't.

What's an impulse purchase you've made in the past year?

O'Reilly: I bought another guitar, which is stupid. I walked in. I was getting something fixed on one of my guitars, and I saw this vintage Gibson. And it was electric. I've never bought an electric guitar, but I saw it, and it just caught my eye. I started playing it a bit and talking to the guy. And then I came back an hour later and bought it. I brought it home, and I was like, "Why did I get another guitar? I have so many." But it was so cool.

Marchessault: A house? I guess that is not too impulsive. You can't really lose money on it, unless it is a bad investment, which I don't think it was. Maybe a better answer is this: Me and my wife went to Prague on vacation after the World Championships, and we went to the Breitling store, and it seemed to be a good deal, and we both got a watch. So that was impulsive.

Hayes: Probably a Rolex.

Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.

RISING

Jon Rahm (+9%): Once – that’s how many times Rahmbo has finished outside the top 13 since June. Incredibly consistent and continually maturing, he’s poised to take his game to new heights in 2020. 

Sei Young Kim (+7%): Largely overshadowed this year because of Jin Young Ko’s brilliance, Kim saved her best for last, draining a clutch 25-footer on the final hole to earn a third title and pocket the biggest prize in women’s golf history.

Tyler Duncan (+5%): Epitomizing the depth of today's PGA Tour, the 30-year-old Purdue product hadn’t won ANYWHERE since the 2011 Indiana Amateur ... and now he’s a winner.  

Brendon Todd (+3%): At some point he was going to run out of gas, and unfortunately for Todd it happened on the front nine Sunday at Sea Island. His closing 72 cost him a third consecutive win (and a piece of Tour history), but the larger point remains: He’s back, improbably.

Webb Simpson (+1%): The RSM playoff loss means he’s now gone winless over the past 18 months, but since then he’s racked up five runner-up finishes and risen to No. 11 in the world – his best position since 2012. 

FALLING

Rory (-1%): ’Twas a bizarre end to his banner year, with rounds of 64-74-65-73 to finish fourth in Dubai. It added up to McIlroy’s 19th top-10 around the globe this year, but a season-ending title could have sent a strong message heading into 2020.

Frankie Molinari (-2%): The machine is broken, or at least breaking down, after another finish outside the top 40 in Dubai. Since his ugly collapse at the Masters, Molinari doesn’t have a top-10 in 14 starts and looks decidedly ordinary – again.

Sergio (-3%): In what appears to be a make-good for his embarrassing DQ last year in Saudi Arabia, Garcia has generously waived his appearance fee (reportedly in the $550,000 range) to return in 2020. It was yet another sad reminder that a) Garcia was never suspended for taking a machete to the greens, and b) the European Tour continues to have no issue supporting this regime. 

CME format (-4%): The LPGA’s season finale provided a compelling back nine, but that doesn’t mean the format was a rousing success. Sixty is too many players for an all-or-nothing, big-money, free-for-all. They should consider a true playoff system (ending with 30) and maybe even a match-play portion for the final jackpot.

Former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso has been cleared of three counts of tax fraud in a Madrid court.

Alonso, who retired in 2017, was accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office of €2 million from 2010 to 2012 while on the books at Real Madrid, and of allegedly creating a tax haven for unpaid taxes on the revenue of image rights.

If found guilty, Alonso would have faced up to a five-year prison sentence and a €4m fine.

Unlike other high-profile players, Alonso refused to accept a plea bargain and always maintained his innocence.

Alonso's advisors, Ivan Zaldua Azcuenaga and Ignasi Maestre Casanovas, were also cleared of any wrongdoing.

Many high-profile football players have been investigated for tax fraud in Spain. Recently, former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Juventus, accepted a €19m fine and received a 23-month suspended sentence for tax fraud, while Barcelona star Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month sentence and paid back approximately €17m in back taxes in his settlement.

Alonso joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 in a £30m move from Liverpool. He spent five seasons with Madrid before joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014.

The 37-year-old is now coaching Real Sociedad's reserves.