Believe it or not, the following players actually do appear regularly on their teams' power plays.

Brady Tkachuk, W, Ottawa Senators: So far this season, Tkachuk has compiled 67:31 in total power play time this season. That ranks 58th in the NHL, which might sound low, but only until you realize that five players per team should be putting forth a decent showing in this category. Some names below him in total power-play ice time: Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Brent Burns and Ryan Johansen. Does that help contextualize how much time he has played on the man advantage?

How many power-play points has the younger Tkachuk contributed to our fantasy coffers? Zero. The team's 8.8% success rate on the man advantage doesn't help. But at least for now, Tkachuk is being left alone as a member of the "top" unit and will likely be left there until it finds its footing.

The Sens were 13th in the league for power-play success last season, but they also had Matt Duchene and Mark Stone for a bulk of the campaign. This unit isn't going to be as good as last season's, but it's also not this bad. After the trade deadline last season, the Senators ranked 17th in the league on the power play in March and April. Things will turn around for this unit, and that will drive some fantasy relevance for Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot. I'm exploring buy-low options on both.

James van Riemsdyk, W, Philadelphia Flyers: He's a power-play specialist by trade and has been getting the minutes to show for it, but the points just aren't there. In 65:24 of total power-play ice time this season, JVR has one goal on 18 shots. This despite the fact that the Flyers are doing just fine on the man advantage. The team is 13th in the league in success rate so far this season, with the four other members of the top unit sporting at least six power-play points.

But the rest of the unit's success bodes well for JVR. It means he is doing his job well as the net presence on the man advantage. He's allowing his teammates to score and will stay on the unit with them as long as that's the case. That means he'll be there when the luck starts to change in his favor. More rebounds, more loose pucks to bat home and more deflections are coming van Riemsdyk's way.

He needs the power-play profile to be fantasy-relevant. Signs point to that production coming sooner than later.

Dustin Brown, W, Los Angeles Kings: Out there for 63:53 so far in total power-play time, Brown has but one helper on the man advantage. He has been dragged down by the team's overall success, to be sure, as they have eight power-play goals total, but he's supposed to be up there with his unit-mates for production; Anze Kopitar has seven power-play points, and Drew Doughty has five.

Although I think Tkachuk and van Riemsdyk could be in for better times ahead, I have concerns that the Kings will move away from Brown on the top unit. In Saturday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Brown was off the top power-play unit, and Adrian Kempe was promoted in his stead. Without power-play time, Brown might not be worth stashing in leagues that don't have hits as a category.

Cam Fowler, D, Anaheim Ducks: Currently 18th among all defensemen with 62:04 in power-play ice time, Fowler's two power-play points put him in a tie for 47th in production on the man advantage. This could be another buy-low scenario, however, as the Ducks have no one else to turn to.

Anaheim has five power-play goals so far this season, which is second-worst for success rate and worst for total power-play scoring in the league. The unit is better than this showing and will turn things around. You can't stack Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg up front and not expect some better returns. With no one knocking on the door to usurp Fowler's role, he has time to hang around long enough for the ship to right itself. I wouldn't be expecting world-beating numbers, as Fowler has never been a top-tier option, but 15 to 20 power-play points in the remainder of the season would help make him a No. 3 defenseman in fantasy.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes are 23rd in the league for success rate and have 10 power-play goals so far, but Ekman-Larsson has only one power-play assist in 60:20 of total power-play ice time. But things don't look promising. Young Jakob Chychrun is lurking on the depth chart and appears to be gunning for the top spot in recent games. Although neither has a power-play point in November, Chychrun has outpaced OEL for power-play ice time in the month and is getting more time on the first unit.

As good as Ekman-Larsson is in real life, it doesn't look like his profile is going to translate to fantasy in the same way. Since his 27 power-play points in 2015-16, Ekman-Larsson hasn't climbed back to 20 in the three seasons since, and it doesn't look like he's on pace to get there this season. Without those power-play booster stats, he can't be the No. 2 fantasy defenseman he should be.

In the meantime, Chychrun could be a deep-league sleeper for when/if this Coyotes power play finds its groove.

Forwards on the move

Max Pacioretty, W, Vegas Golden Knights (up five spots to No. 43): When it looked like things couldn't get better for Pacioretty to have a huge rebound season, here he is elevated to the top line with William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. He has consecutive games with two points and is still locked in on the Golden Knights' power play. He has six goals in November already and is back on pace for a 30-goal campaign (not to mention 75 points). The Golden Knights, with a healthy Alex Tuch, have the capacity to go three lines deep on scoring, so it's good to see Pacioretty still in a top role. (Paul Stastny, for what it's worth, gets downgraded here, as he slipped to the third line with Tuch and Cody Glass. That isn't horrible, but it's not the best role with the club.)

Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins (up 18 spots to No. 61): Malkin isn't the top-tier superstar he used to be, but he's going to be leaned on heavily during Sidney Crosby's prolonged absence. Malkin still has the capacity to scale up his production when he's the centerpiece of the attack, which he will be until January.

Brock Nelson, C, New York Islanders (up 10 spots to No. 148): Don't look now, but the line of Nelson, Derick Brassard and Anthony Beauvillier is looking like the top unit for the Isles of late. Their production is getting a spike by forming the top power-play unit together, with the addition of Mathew Barzal. All three are available in the majority of leagues, and Nelson should be a key addition even in shallower formats. He's on pace to top his career-high showing from last season.

Defensemen on the move

P.K. Subban, D, New Jersey Devils (down 11 spots to No. 64): Things aren't looking great for Subban. It was frustrating enough that he hasn't been playing on the top power-play unit for the Devils, as Sami Vatanen kept that role. Now, with Vatanen sidelined, Subban isn't the next choice, as Will Butcher has been holding down the point on the top unit. It seemed natural, given that he is two years removed from a 16-goal, 25-power-play-point season that put him in the running for the Norris Trophy, that Subban would have little trouble ascending the Devils' depth chart. Almost 20 games into the campaign, that has not been the case. Given his upside, I'm loathe to send him spiraling down the rankings, but that's the next step if the situation doesn't change soon.

Goaltenders on the move

Braden Holtby, G, Washington Capitals (up 18 spits to No. 132): It's going to take more than five solid games in November for Holtby to earn trust back from fantasy owners. One of the biggest chasms between real life and fantasy results can be evident in Holtby. For the Capitals, he's a reliable No. 1 backstop who has proven he can take them to the Cup. For fantasy players, he's a winning netminder with ratios that make you question whether the Ws are worth it that and who is prone to poor stretches. Still, it's encouraging to see him limit opponents to two or fewer goals in four of his five starts this month. Ratios are the only thing holding Holtby back from being a No. 1 fantasy goaltender, so this is a huge stretch for him.

New to rankings

Colin White, Zach Hyman, Derick Brassard, Oskar Lindblom, Dennis Cholowski, Conor Garland, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Alex Iafallo, Alex Killorn.

Just missed

Colin Miller, Andrew Mangiapane, Jared Spurgeon, Zdeno Chara, Jason Dickinson, Alexander Nylander, Linus Ullmark, Jordan Eberle, Jack Campbell, Sam Steel, Barclay Goodrow, Warren Foegele, Ryan Pulock, Christian Dvorak.

Dropped out

Alexander Kerfoot, T.J. Brodie, Dominik Kubalik, Max Comtois, Sami Vatanen, Robert Thomas, Anthony Duclair, Anthony Cirelli, Duncan Keith.

Despite being heralded as one of the elite teams heading into the 2019-20 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled out of the gate for the first quarter of the season, with an even 22 points in 22 games.

Is coach Mike Babcock to blame? Can they fix the issues internally, or will they need to make a trade to get things right? And will they get back on track to qualify for the playoffs? Our panelists serve up their takes on those topics.

1. What's wrong with the Maple Leafs?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: The Maple Leafs could win the Stanley Cup this season, but they'd have to win every game by a football score. They can't defend. They're currently 28th in expected goals against at five-on-five. Last season, they were 27th. Without a goaltending safety net like they had last season -- they're 26th in even-strength save percentage, down from sixth in 2018-19 -- that has been exposed. And two years running, that's a philosophical issue.

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: Toronto's identity is supposed to be its dynamic offense, but it's the No. 12 scoring team in the league. (It's not ideal that John Tavares and Mitch Marner have barely spent time together because of injuries.) The offense was supposed to compensate for the bigger fundamental roster issues, namely the defense. The lack of physicality and a reliable backup goaltender are compounding the issues further.

Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer: Everyone always focuses on their defensive woes and how they've chosen to construct their roster in relation to that, but the most concerning developments this season have actually been on the other end of the ice. A team that was fifth in high-danger chances generated, fifth in expected goals scored and second in goals scored at five-on-five last season has slid down to 24th, 25th and 14th in those respective categories this season. They've gone from being a devastating rush team to one trying to grind things out by firing shots from the point and working the cycle game; their personnel is simply ill-suited for that. In trying to atone for previous playoff failures, they've ironically lost sight of the one thing above all else that made them truly special in the first place.

Rick DiPietro, radio host and former NHL goalie: The Maple Leafs have lost their past five games, and in those loses have been outscored 23-13. This team continues to struggle in their defensive zone, and unfortunately this season their offense and special teams haven't been able to erase the problem with scoring outbursts. Injuries and a lack of continuity with the lineup has something to do with that, but even when they're healthy, this team still lacks the necessary commitment in their own end.

2. Should they fire Mike Babcock (and if yes, who takes over)?

Wyshynski: Mike Babcock is one of the most overrated coaches in sports, with a reputation forged through a miraculous goaltending run by Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003, having Nicklas Lidstrom as his hockey spine in Detroit and standing behind a bench of hockey immortals with Team Canada. The Leafs have shown as little interest in his voice lately as Babcock has shown in changing his philosophy in coaching them. That said ... I can't drop the ax and promote Sheldon Keefe from the AHL unless this Leafs team remains an absolute mess with the trinity -- John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews -- all healthy at the same time, which hasn't been the case for most of this season.

Kaplan: I don't know whether that's necessarily the right answer, unless Babcock has truly lost the room. The logical replacement is Toronto's AHL coach, Sheldon Keefe, but he has no NHL experience, so is that putting this Stanley Cup-ready team in a better position to win? My gut says no.

Filipovic: Yes. If he's not going to use the pieces he was provided in the way they were intended to be used, then they should find someone who will. Especially since it's easier to find a new coach than it is to completely change the makeup of the roster. The most logical alternative would be Keefe, who presumably shares a similar vision with GM Kyle Dubas and is willing to execute it given the shared history of success between the two of them at lower levels. Everyone is going to point to the success the Blues had following their coaching change last season, but the more logical comparison here is actually the 2015-16 Pittsburgh Penguins, who shed a coach with an outdated system for one who was able to come in and get the most out of a talented group of players.

DiPietro: The Leafs' upcoming West Coast trip to Vegas, Arizona and Colorado may only intensify the pressure in Toronto to make a coaching change, but I'm not sure firing Babcock solves the problem. However, there is a possibility that because of their salary cap restraints and inability to make an impactful trade, they'll fire Babcock to shake things up. In that case, his replacement would most likely be Keefe.

3. Make a realistic trade that improves the team's chances this season.

Wyshynski: I agree with the sentiment here that attempting to pull a goalie from the Penguins would be a wise and frugal decision, but why stop there? Flip Tyson Barrie (a pending unrestricted free agent) to the Penguins with a sweetener and attempt to bring back defenseman Justin Schultz (another UFA) to fill that right-handed defense hole.

Kaplan: The Leafs need a new backup goaltender, and Pittsburgh is a good trading partner. The Leafs can either buy low on Casey DeSmith (who has struggled a bit in the AHL this season) or swing for Tristan Jarry (an ideal choice, as he's making just $675,000). In exchange, the Leafs could give up prospect Jeremy Bracco plus a draft pick.

Filipovic: The Leafs can't really make any significant improvements right now without parting with a core member of the team, which they won't do. They don't have the room to take on salary, and they're already down a first-round pick this coming summer. One easily fixable thing they could do on the margins that would go a long way is getting a reliable backup goaltender that gives them a chance to win when Frederik Andersen gets a night off. In the six games they've sat Andersen, they have yet to give up fewer than four goals against or stop 90% of the shots they've faced. That's a tough disadvantage for any team to overcome.

DiPietro: The Maple Leafs' biggest need at the moment is a reliable backup goalie, and because of their salary cap issues, he has to be cheap. Unless Barrie is traded and a goalie comes back to Toronto as part of that deal, I think Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry is a realistic option.

4. Will they turn it around and make the playoffs?

Wyshynski: Of course. I picked them to win the Stanley Cup. A quick check of the NHL rulebook reveals that they can't win the Stanley Cup if they're not in the playoffs, so obviously they're going to be a playoff team. (But seriously, yes, they'll make it. And hopefully avoid the Bruins in the process.)

Kaplan: There's certainly time, and I think this team will get a jolt once everyone is healthy (though Marner isn't expected back for at least another three weeks). Toronto has certainly lucked out that the Lightning have also been off to a slower-than-expected start -- though Florida also poses a threat in the Atlantic.

Filipovic: Yes. There's no way to sugarcoat their performance, because they've been painfully mediocre thus far. They're currently 3-7-3 with a minus-14 goal differential against teams sitting in playoff position, and if not for beating up on inferior competition (they're 6-2-1 with a plus-9 differential against the rest of the league) the overall results would look even worse. But they still possess too much raw talent not to eventually figure things out to some degree, and I'd be leery of completely writing off a team that should theoretically still be able to generate offense as effortlessly as they've shown they can in the past.

DiPietro: As we're all sitting here writing about the Maple Leafs' struggles and whether or not they should fire Babcock, they're currently two points out of a wild-card spot. This team has too much talent and plenty of time to right the ship. They'll continue to get healthy, and once they are, I have a hard time believing they aren't a playoff team.

NAPLES, Fla. – The Race to the CME Globe becomes the Race to the CME Globe Champion this week.

The difference won’t be as subtle as the name change. In fact, there’s history being made in the changes at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Here’s a primer going into the LPGA’s season finale:

The new format

Under the previous format, 72 players qualified for the Tour Championship in a season-long points race, with the top 12 in points having a chance to win the $1 million season-long bonus. Once in Naples, two competitions were simultaneously staged, one for the tournament trophy in a traditional 72-hole stroke-play competition with a $2.5 million purse and $500,000 first-place check, and one for the CME Globe with its $1 million bonus going to the top point winner at tournament’s end. The points were reset before the season finale.

Under this year’s revamped format, 60 players qualified for the Tour Championship in the season-long points race. In Naples, however, the points are now being abandoned in favor of a winner-take-all competition (this week's winner takes the tournament and the season-long prize) with the event purse doubled to $5 million. All 60 players have a shot at the largest winner’s check in the history of women’s golf ($1.5 million) in a 72-hole stroke play competition with no cut.

The other prizes

The LPGA will honor its top players at its LPGA Rolex Awards Dinner Thursday night at the Ritz Carlton at Tiburon Golf Club.

Jin Young Ko has a chance this week to join Ariya Jutanugarn as the only players to win the Rolex Player of the Year Award, the Vare Trophy for low scoring average, the Rolex Annika Major Award and LPGA money title while ending the season as the Rolex world No. 1.

Jutanugarn did it last year.

Ko currently holds the No 1 ranking and has already locked up the Rolex Player of the Year Award and the Rolex Annika Major Award.

Carlota Ciganda won the $1 million prize as the Risk Reward Challenge winner with the best total scoring average on the designated risk-reward holes through the 2019 season.

TV Coverage (All times ET)

Thursday – 4-7 p.m. (tape delay) on Golf Channel; live stream, 1-4 p.m.

Friday – 4-7 p.m. (tape delay) on Golf Channel; live stream, 1-4 p.m.

Saturday – 4-7 p.m. (tape delay) on Golf Channel;  live stream, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday – 1-4 p.m. (live) on NBC;  live stream, 1-4 p.m.

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

RISING

Tommy Fleetwood (+9%): Winless (but highly competitive) for 22 months, the Englishman got off the schneid at the best possible time. His win in Sun City was worth $2.5 million and now sets up Fleetwood to potentially steal the Race to Dubai, if he can stay hot in the season finale. 

Brendon Todd (+7%): Everyone loves a comeback story, and Todd’s is better than most: From top 50 in the world to the full-swing yips to a possible career change to back-to-back wins on Tour. His arrow, improbably, is pointing up again.

Brandon Matthews (+5%): Because of his compassionate response to a fan with Down Syndrome, Matthews is now more well-known for losing on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica than if he’d won. Hopefully tournament directors take note of a kid who clearly has his priorities in order.  

Russell Henley (+2%): A tip of the cap to Henley, who missed the cut at the Mayakoba after he called eight penalty shots on himself for violating the one-ball rule. It was an overly harsh penalty, so maybe he’s in line for karmic payback.

Jordan Spieth (+1%): What to get the man who has almost everything this holiday season? How about some free world-ranking points, as Spieth, down to 43^rd in the world, was gifted a spot in Tiger’s no-cut Hero World Challenge. ’Tis the season of giving.

FALLING

Abe Ancer (-1%): To be fair, everyone Honest Abe’s age (28) would probably love to tussle with Woods in an exhibition ... but to actually vocalize it? Shades of Stephen Ames, man.

Vaughn Taylor (-2%): Needing a birdie on the 72^nd hole to force a playoff, Taylor left his 15-footer short. Ouch.

J-Day (-3%): Hoping for some momentum heading into Royal Melbourne, Day instead bombed out with a second-round 77 in Mexico on his way to a missed cut. It’s looking more and more likely that the (gulp) Skins Game win will be the highlight of his year.

Euro Tour drama (-4%): Only four players have a mathematical chance to unseat Bernd Wiesberger as European No. 1, and they all require at least a second-place finish in Dubai and the Austrian to play horribly. Good luck with that.

Cristiano Ronaldo had scored 32 goals for Portugal before celebrating his 27th birthday. With the Juventus forward now just one goal away from breaking the 100 barrier on the international stage, it is worth remembering where he stood when he was the same age as Harry Kane.

Kane, who is 27 next July, took his own international tally to 32 during England's 4-0 Euro 2020 qualifying victory over Kosovo on Sunday and his goal in Pristina was enough to move him one clear of Ronaldo -- and Israel's Eran Zahavi -- to end the qualifying campaign as Europe's top scorer with 12 goals.

Ronaldo will be 35 next February, but despite the years in his legs, he was still able to make 2019 the most productive year of his career in terms of goals for his country by netting 14 times for the European champions. During 2019, Ronaldo has scored hat tricks against Switzerland and Lithuania, who he also hit four against in Vilnius in October.

But if there is a sense of Ronaldo scoring goals like a man in a hurry, it is probably because he knows that he must set the bar incredibly high during the final years of his career in order to ensure that any milestones he goes on to set prove to be beyond the chasing pack. The 100th goal will surely come before the Euro 2020 finals (stream live next summer on ESPN+ in U.S.).

Ronaldo, Portugal, and every company associated with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, will want to make sure that the century barrier is broken sooner rather than later so that the achievement attracts the spotlight it deserves. Who, and where, Portugal play next will almost certainly be arranged to suit the Ronaldo machine, although it might be pushing it to suggest that San Marino should be offered a friendly game in Lisbon next March.

But once the 100th goal is scored, the next target will be the world record of 109 goals, set by Iran's Ali Daei between 1993 and 2006, and few would bet against Ronaldo making it 110, and beyond, in 2020. Time will catch up with Ronaldo soon, however, and he will be acutely aware of who is most likely to go close to whatever tally he ends up with.

Lionel Messi is now on 70 goals for Argentina following his penalty against Uruguay on Monday, but at 32 and having already announced one international retirement, in 2016, it is doubtful that the Barcelona star will stick around long enough to hit at least another 40 international goals.

Neymar, with 61 goals in 101 appearances for Brazil, has a chance, but with his 28th birthday looming in February and his career treading water at Paris Saint-Germain, it is fair to question whether his best days are already behind him.

Romelu Lukaku is two months younger than Kane and the Inter Milan forward has already bagged 52 goals for Belgium, so he is a clear threat to Ronaldo's eventual tally if the Belgians can sustain their status as one of the world's best international teams.

But Kane is perhaps the one player that Ronaldo should fear most, simply because he appears to share the same voracious, even selfish, appetite for goals. The Tottenham striker has scored 18 goals for England since the start of the World Cup last year -- the same as Ronaldo -- and he has become as lethal against the weaker nations as the Portuguese forward. Since the start of Russia 2018, Kane has hit hat tricks against Panama, Bulgaria and Montenegro and also boosted his tally with two goals against both Tunisia and Kosovo.

Kane went into the World Cup as England's joint-32nd highest scorer on 14 goals -- level with Paul Scholes -- but less than 18 months later, he stands in sixth place, on 32, with a serious chance of breaking Wayne Rooney's record of 53 within the next few years. The Tottenham man certainly has momentum on his side, and like Ronaldo, he has also claimed penalty-taking duties for his country. Ronaldo has scored three penalties for Portugal in 2019, while Kane has scored four, and missed one, for England this year.

But although Kane now has a virtually identical record to Ronaldo at the same stage of his international career, the latter accelerated towards 100 by hitting 67 goals for his country since turning 27. Emulating that incredible consistency will be the big challenge for Kane, who has already suffered a number of ankle injuries during his career. Form and fitness are everything for a top player, but Kane possesses the same determination as Ronaldo to score at every possible opportunity.

And with England appearing to be a nation on the rise under Gareth Southgate, the likelihood is that there will be more emphatic victories over the lower-ranked nations in the years ahead -- fixtures which will give Kane the opportunity to do what he has become so good at recently, by taking advantage of weaker opponents.

Ronaldo is in a different league right now, but with luck on his side, Kane might prove to be the one that goes closest to catching him.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Retired New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hasn't ruled out a return to football in the future, but he has no plans to do so in 2019.

"I wouldn't say 'never coming back,'" Gronkowski told ESPN on Tuesday. "I'm 30 years old. I'm young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I'm feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man.

"It's always an option in the back of my head. It's not like I'm not staying in shape and not doing anything. I'm never stressed over it."

Gronkowski's remarks Tuesday morning came after he announced business-based plans to host a Super Bowl party in South Florida, which potentially spiked hopes of Patriots fans that he would return to play for the team this year. If Gronkowski had planned to return this season, he would have to do so by Nov. 30, per NFL rules.

Gronkowski, who retired in March, playfully asked, "What's better, me playing in the game or me hitting this party?"

The 9-1 Patriots could use Gronkowski, as quarterback Tom Brady expressed his frustration with the offense after Sunday's 17-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronkowski, who says he is having fun in retirement, has been watching his former team closely.

"The defense is just tremendous, the way they're coming together with the veteran leadership they have there, and the skill set they have. With the offense, they're finding ways to make it work like they've always done, putting guys in the right situation to make plays. But man, they're missing some guy who is 6-6, 260 [pounds]. They're missing that guy, for sure," Gronkowski said with a laugh, referencing himself.

Gronkowski, who once said he never spent a dollar of his football paycheck and instead lived off his endorsements, has capitalized on speculation about his playing future.

He had touted a big announcement Tuesday morning, which turned out to be a Super Bowl party called "Gronk Beach." As part of the announcement, Gronkowski produced a video that featured two versions of himself -- one urging him to return to football, the other promoting the party.

I'm bringing the FIESTA ? to Miami with GRONK BEACH BIG GAME WEEKEND presented by @MonsterEnergy! Prepare for my personal over the top oceanfront music festival featuring my friends @diplo | @kaskade| @RickRoss | @official_flo | @djcarnage | @3LAU https://t.co/FANgwjNUDQ pic.twitter.com/wD16Su0EA5

— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) November 19, 2019

In some ways, the video captured where he is at this point in his life.

"It's definitely a different chapter, doing a lot of different things, just finding what I really like I do, and finding out things sometimes I don't like to do," he said. "It's definitely interesting because I've played football my whole life.

"I have to keep things going, that sports competitiveness going. I love to play backyard games, pickup games, because I still have that competition in me. That's how I've been my whole life, playing sports. Also with the fun aspect, too. Even since I was a little kid -- we always hustled, always played sports, but then we would always have a party after, go enjoy ourselves, because that's what life is all about."

Gronkowski, who said his best experience at a Super Bowl party came after the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 1, 2015, still feels support from Patriots fans.

"Many of them say they want to see me back on the field, but I take it more deeply to the heart when they tell me they appreciate the nine years with the team and they just want to see me happy and healthy," he said.

It's the most subtle but important connection in sports: a quarterback's grip on the football. Critical but somehow often unnoticed, it can be the difference between offensive supremacy and pick-sixes galore. NFL quarterbacks all hold it a little differently -- the laces are crucial or optional depending on whom you ask -- but every great quarterback has a story behind why he grips the ball the way he does. So we asked around, from perennial MVP candidate Tom Brady to reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes to 2019 MVP front-runners Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson, to get a glimpse at how some of the league's starters have managed to get a grip.

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Every single quarterback grabs the ball just a little bit differently. It's a natural thing -- no one really taught me. I've tried different grips. But mostly, I just always go back to my original grip from when I was a little kid throwing the football for the first time. Most quarterbacks pick up the ball and just naturally throw it. I don't really even care that much about throwing with the laces, which goes back to my high school days when we ran the spread and I had to get the ball out fast. A lot of times when I take a three-step drop in the NFL I still throw without the laces. And I still actually like throwing more without the laces than with them.

INDIANAPOLIS – DragonSpeed has announced plans to to field an LMP2 program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Henrik Hedman and the team’s NTT IndyCar Series driver, Ben Hanley, are the first two drivers named to the program that will include six LMP2 events in addition to the Rolex 24 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

The team’s regular third driver in IMSA and fourth pilot for the Rolex 24 will be announced at a later date.

Running from the same Indianapolis base as its NTT IndyCar Series squad, the 10Star DragonSpeed machine will run alongside a new ORECA O7-Gibson LMP2 entry from Kyle Tilley’s Era Motorsport. DragonSpeed’s European operation will continue to be based at its shop in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France as the team targets a fourth consecutive invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“IMSA’s changes to the LMP2 class rules and schedule have put it on a par with the ELMS in terms of gentleman driver appeal, and we are responding enthusiastically to that,” said DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian.

”We had decided to add the four Michelin Endurance Cup races to my European schedule, but with IMSA requiring a Bronze driver in LMP2 now, I couldn’t pass up the chance of racing again at some of my favorite tracks – such as Road America and Laguna Seca – by doing the full season,” Hedman said.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing, was named the Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner Monday night at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series awards banquet at the Ray Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

“I am proud of the season this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team put together. My guys worked their asses off all season long to give me the opportunity to win the Auto Club Road the Future Award. I couldn’t have done it without them,” Prock said. “I would have never been here without John Force and Robert Hight. They gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream and I owe the world to them. I hope I made them proud.”

Prock, son of three-time championship tuner for Robert Hight’s Auto Club Chevy Camaro SS, Jimmy Prock, made his NHRA professional debut at the 2019 NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and went onto race a full season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Halfway through the tour, at the 16th race of 24, Prock earned his first professional victory at the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., sharing the winner’s circle alongside team owner and NHRA legend John Force as he earned his milestone 150th career victory.

Prock joins a list of only 10 previous rookies to win in their first season and is the 13th rookie to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six race playoffs.

Luis Enrique returned to his role as manager of Spain on Tuesday, having temporarily stepped down in June for personal reasons.

Two months later, the former Barcelona manager shared the tragic news that his nine-year-old daughter Xana had died following a five-month battle with bone cancer. During his absence, Roberto Moreno oversaw the team, but said in September he would step aside should Luis Enrique decide to come back.

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Following Spain's 5-0 victory over Romania, which completed their Euro 2020 qualification campaign, sources had told ESPN FC that Moreno was to be dismissed from his role.

And the head of the Spanish FA, Luis Rubiales, confirmed Luis Enrique's return in a news conference: "We signed a contract in which it was left clear that when Luis Enrique wanted to return, he could.

"That same day I said that in the moment Luis Enrique felt strong enough to return, the door was open. We have acted with complete openness. Since the death of his daughter, we have spoken three times. First on Aug. 29, I gave him my condolences.

"At the end of October we spoke, and yesterday we spoke. Between the first call and the meeting at the end of October, Robert Moreno told us he had spoken with Luis Enrique and he had told him he wanted to return to work -- we found out through Robert Moreno."

"On Sunday [sporting director Jose Francisco] Molina spoke to Robert Moreno. Robert Moreno, with everything coming out, said: 'I want to know what you're going to do now.' Molina said: 'Let's talk after qualifying.' Moreno said again: 'I want to know.' Molina said to him: 'Look, if Luis Enrique wants to come back, to lead the project he started, we will evaluate that possibility.'

"That was the conversation on Sunday. Yesterday we received a message from Robert Moreno. He said he wanted to agree to his departure and not be an obstacle to the return of Luis Enrique.

"I called Luis Enrique around noon. I told him what was going on. I asked Luis Enrique if he would return to his post. Luis Enrique said yes. He is delighted to return, and thanked us for sticking to our word. Molina then set up a meeting with Robert for today at 10 a.m. to discuss everything.

"The first one to know everything, that Luis Enrique wanted to return, was Robert. We have been really happy with Robert. We thank him for his work. But the leader of this project was Luis Enrique."