TEMPE, Ariz. -- Longtime Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill died Wednesday while surrounded by his family and loved ones, the team announced. He was 88.

"We are overwhelmed by the support our family has received, not only now but throughout the latest chapter of his life," Bidwill's son, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill, said in a release. "We are especially grateful to the nurses, doctors and other caregivers whose endless kindness and compassion in recent years have made our dad's life so meaningful.

"Above all else, we will remember him as a man devoted to the three central pillars of his life -- his immense faith, his love for his family and his life-long passion for the Cardinals and the sport of football."

In Remembrance of Mr. B

Read by Larry Fitzgerald pic.twitter.com/YKAO0Awtrp

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 2, 2019

Bill Bidwill's father, Charles, bought the Chicago Cardinals in 1932, and Bill was associated with the team for eight decades. He started as a ball boy as a child and went to work for the team full time in 1960 -- the Cardinals' first season in St. Louis -- after a stint in the Navy. He became owner in 1972; the team moved to Arizona in 1988.

Bidwill gave up day-to-day operations to Michael in 2007, when Michael became the team president.

Under Bidwill's ownership, the Cardinals toiled in mediocrity. They had five winning seasons from 1972 until Ken Whisenhunt was hired as head coach in 2007, Michael's first year in charge. The Cardinals went to their first and only Super Bowl the next season.

Despite a lack of success on the field, Bidwill was ahead of the curve with diversity in the NFL. He hired the first black female executive in league history, Adele Harris; the NFL's first black contract negotiator, Bob Wallace; and the league's first black head coach-general manager tandem, Dennis Green and Rod Graves.

The Cardinals established the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship in 2015 as a way to promote and increase diversity on their coaching staff.

Bill and his wife, Nancy, were married for 56 years before she died in 2016. Together they had five children: Nicole, Bill Jr., Patrick, Tim and Michael.

Bidwill is survived by his five children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

"Bill Bidwill was part of the NFL family his entire life, starting from his days as a ball boy through his time as an owner," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Although never one to seek the spotlight, Bill had an incredible sense of humor and he made extraordinary contributions to the NFL. Bill's vision brought the Cardinals, the NFL and multiple Super Bowls to Arizona. He was a leader in embracing diversity and employed the first African American female executive, and the first African American general manager and head coach tandem. We extend our condolences to Bill's family and the Cardinals organization, which along with his faith, meant so much to him."

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. -- Writer-director Spike Lee added to his New York Knicks collection by purchasing 13 items associated with his favorite team in a recent auction.

The family of late Knicks coach Red Holzman sold off 35 items that netted $319,341, according to SCP Auctions, which handled last week's sale.

Among Lee's acquisitions was the used original net from Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, won by the Knicks, and Holzman's NBA Coach of the Year trophy that season.

Lee paid $69,184 for the net and $31,517 for the trophy, according to the auction house in Laguna Niguel, California.

Lee attended Game 7 at Madison Square Garden as a 13-year-old.

"It was a memory I will never forget," he said in a statement from SCP Auctions. "Willis Reed coming back and the Garden went nuts. It was a very special moment in Knicks history."

Holzman's championship ring from 1970 went to a bidder for $107,482.

CLEVELAND -- The Indians wasted no time on one of their biggest offseason decisions: Bringing back Corey Kluber was a no-brainer.

Cleveland said it intends to exercise Kluber's $17.5 million contract option for next season, when the two-time Cy Young Award winner is expected to be healthy -- and maybe rejuvenated -- following an injury-shortened 2019.

Kluber made only seven starts before a line drive in Miami broke his right arm. The 33-year-old endured months of inactivity and rehab and was nearing a return when a strained oblique muscle set him back.

On Wednesday, team president Chris Antonetti announced the team's decision on Kluber. And while the move wasn't unexpected, the timing was unusual because the Indians typically take their time with major moves.

The difference this time is that it's Kluber, who has been one of baseball's most dominant pitchers the past six years. His track record gives the Indians confidence he'll bounce back -- and maybe be as good as ever.

Kluber's been a workhorse, logging at least 203 innings in each of the previous five seasons. It's taken a toll on his body, but manager Terry Francona thinks the down time could help Kluber going forward.

"I think this is almost a blessing in disguise. Yeah, we missed the heck out of him, but come next year I bet you he has a chance to be the Kluber that we've seen and relied on. For the innings and what he has given our team, I betcha he has a chance of being that again because of having a little bit of a layoff."

The Indians could buy out Kluber's 2020 option for $1 million. The club has an $18 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout.

Antonetti also said the team plans to decline options on second baseman Jason Kipnis ($16.5 million) and reliever Dan Otero ($1.5 million). Kipnis, who has spent his entire nine-year career with Cleveland, would get a $2.5 million buyout. Otero would receive a $100,000 buyout.

Kipnis was having a solid season for the Indians, who won 93 games despite being ravaged by injuries. The 32-year-old doubled in his final at-bat before tests revealed he broke the hamate bone in his right hand -- the same injury that sidelined third baseman Jose Ramirez during Cleveland's playoff push.

Antonetti said it's possible the team will consider re-signing Kipnis, a two-time All-Star.

"I wouldn't close any doors," Antonetti said. "All this means is that we're not going to exercise his option. It just wouldn't work at that value. We'll remain open to Kip potentially returning. Irrespective of whether or not he returns, he's made a huge contribution to the organization in the time he's been with us. If you think back to him getting drafted as an outfielder in the second round. We were talking the other day about remembering the instructional league games where he was working on the conversion to second base.

"He put in a tremendous amount of work to turn himself into a really good and productive major league player. And he's been part of a lot of really good teams at the major league level. We're really appreciative of all the contributions he's made and are thankful for that."

If Kipnis is gone, the Indians may move Ramirez back to second base. However, that would leave a hole at third and the club doesn't currently have an experienced player to fill that position.

Francona said Ramirez told him he'd play wherever needed, but would prefer not to bounce around.

"We're comfortable that Jose can play both at a premium defensive quality," he said. "I agree with him, going back and forth is hard, especially at this point in his career. Wherever he plays, he's going to be good."

In other moves, the Indians announced that bullpen coach Scott Atchison was fired after one season.

Roberto Perez, who had an unexpectedly strong offensive season, will have an injured ankle evaluated and could need surgery.

Well, we're off and running. The MLB playoffs got off to a wild start Tuesday in Washington, with more fun on the way with the American League wild-card game Wednesday in Oakland.

What's on tap

The most important thing of the day: Who gets to face the Astros? The Rays and A's are two of the most fascinating stories in baseball this year, but the reward for whichever small-market success story survives Wednesday night is a daunting ALDS matchup with MLB's best team.

The view from inside the stadium: For a couple of teams that love analytics and thinking outside the box, Tampa Bay and Oakland have lined up an old-school type of pitching matchup, with A's manager Bob Melvin announcing Tuesday that Sean Manaea will face the Rays' Charlie Morton. Meanwhile, fans in Oakland are hoping history doesn't repeat itself -- again. The A's have lost eight straight winner-take-all postseason games, five of them at home.

A stat to impress your friends: There have been 28 wild-card teams in completed postseasons since the current format began in 2012. Just six of those teams have reached the AL or NL Championship Series. Only two have reached the World Series. The Giants beat the Royals in the 2014 World Series when both were wild cards.

Predictions: Morton has been terrific all season, and I see him going six or seven strong innings, replicating his clutch performance in the 2017 World Series. Kevin Cash might then use six relievers to get the final eight outs. Rays 3, A's 1. -- David Schoenfield

This has a chance to be the single best game of the postseason. Oakland 2-1. -- Jeff Passan

About last night

Stud of the night: Nationals reliever Stephen Strasburg. Well, he was a reliever Tuesday, holding down the Brewers with three shutout innings after Max Scherzer went the first five and gave up three runs. That set the stage for the eighth-inning dramatics.

Dud of the night: Brewers right fielder Trent Grisham, who overran Juan Soto's bases-loaded hit in the eighth, letting the ball skip under his glove and the go-ahead run score. Milwaukee fans will be left to wonder what would have happened with the injured Christian Yelich in right.

Highlight of the night:

Off the diamond

Social media says:

Juan Soto celebrating with his dad is amazing. #JugamosDuro pic.twitter.com/Q80VO0Z09V

— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2019

Quote of note: "There's not an atmosphere like it. It's going to be rowdy. It'll be fun to watch. These guys have no idea. It's like a Raiders game. You get crazy people." -- A's pitcher Brett Anderson on what he expects the AL wild-card environment to be like on Wednesday in Oakland

Best of the playoffs so far ...

Our running postseason MVP: Juan Soto. The Nationals' 20-year-old star delivered in the biggest at-bat of his young career with a two-out, bases-loaded hit that also happens to be ...

The play of this October: Soto's single/Grisham's error turned a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 Washington lead. Unfortunately for Grisham, the play will be part of those postseason blunders lists -- and it could take on a life of its own if the Nationals end up winning it all.

Game of the postseason so far: Brewers-Nats, of course. The first game of this postseason set the bar pretty high, with a truly unexpected comeback via a wacky turn of events. The fun has begun!

While certain teams have turned the act of not spending on major league payroll into an art -- if you consider losing 114 or 108 or 105 games a form of art -- we can all agree that the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics don't spend due to obvious market limitations. They don't compete on the same financial playing field as the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers.

Yet they find ways to win. The Rays followed last year's 90-win campaign with 96 victories and their first playoff berth since 2013. The A's won 97 games for the second straight season and are back in the playoffs. Yes, it's just a wild-card game for the opportunity to move on to face the powerhouse Astros, but Wednesday's game at the Oakland Coliseum is also for the crown of best non-spender in baseball.

The Rays had an Opening Day payroll of about $69 million -- 26th in the majors and actually less than they spent in 2018. They took a 90-win team, spent less and won more games. The Rays did, however, have the highest-paid player in franchise history on the roster this season. The A's opened with a payroll of $96.8 million, 21st in the majors. Of the 11 teams with the lowest payrolls in the league, only two -- the Rays and A's -- finished with winning records.

In order to do that -- and get to this point -- both teams had to make astute moves along the way. It's worth noting that both teams have had continuity in the front office. Billy Beane has run Oakland's baseball operations since after the 1997 season, and general manager David Forst has been his longtime No. 2 guy. The Rays' duo of Erik Neander and Chaim Bloom worked their way up through the organization, first under Andrew Friedman and then under Matthew Silverman (now the team president).

Unlike what we saw this season with the likes of the Tigers, Orioles, Marlins and other teams, the A's and Rays have never really hit rock bottom. The A's did lose 94 and 93 games in 2015 and 2016, but they've drafted in the top 10 only three times under Beane (2016 through 2018, with a high of sixth overall). Since their breakthrough season in 2008, the Rays have drafted in the top 10 once.

Here are 10 important moves -- five for each organization -- that helped them get to the 2019 AL wild-card game (8 ET on ESPN, Statsast broadcast on ESPN2).

June 5, 2014: A's draft Matt Chapman in the first round (25th pick)

The A's had long focused on college players in the draft under Billy Beane, but heading into the 2014 draft, their previous four first-round selections had been high school players. They went back to their roots when they selected Chapman late in the first round out of Cal State Fullerton. Chapman was already viewed as a plus-plus defender at third base, but there were concerns about his hit tool and a line-drive stroke that didn't produce much power in college. (He hit .312 his draft year with six home runs but more walks than strikeouts.) In fact, all the draft analysis at the time mentioned that Chapman hit 98 off the mound in a couple of relief appearances for Team USA, so pitching was a fallback option if the bat didn't come around.

It did. Chapman changed his swing to add more launch angle, and though he initially struggled with strikeouts in the minors, he reached the majors in 2017, won a Gold Glove and finished seventh in the MVP voting in 2018, and posted a 6.7-WAR season in 2019 after smashing 36 home runs and continuing to play great defense. Of all the first-round picks in 2014, only Aaron Nola has so far posted more WAR than Chapman (and nobody else is close to those two).

Dec. 9, 2014: A's acquire Marcus Semien from White Sox for Jeff Samardzija

Billy Beane traded Addison Russell to acquire Samardzija to bolster a playoff run in 2014 that ended with a crushing loss to the Royals in the wild-card game. With Samardzija under team control for one more season, the A's flipped him for a package that included Semien, who hit .234/.300/.372 in 64 games for the White Sox. The A's liked Semien's athleticism and his on-base ability in the minors and gambled that he could stick at shortstop -- a position the White Sox weren't convinced he could play (he played second and third for the White Sox as a rookie).

It took some patience -- Semien's first half-season at shortstop was an error-prone disaster -- but he became an average-to-plus defender at short and could win a Gold Glove this year. Semien had been a steady 2.5- to 3-win player entering 2019, but he added more power (83 extra-base hits), improved his walk rate (87 walks) and played every game, finishing third in the AL with 8.1 WAR, behind only Mike Trout and Alex Bregman.

Oh, the A's also picked up Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley in the Samardzija trade, and those two combined for an additional 2.1 WAR in 2019.

Jan. 11, 2017: Rays acquire Ryan Yarbrough (and Mallex Smith) from Mariners for Drew Smyly

Talk about a classic under-the-radar pickup. Smith was the primary player in this trade, with Yarbrough more of a throw-in -- a lefty without a big fastball who had good numbers at Double-A and maybe projected as an up-and-down guy or possible reliever.

All he has done in his two seasons in the majors is go 27-12 with a 4.02 ERA, and though win-loss record is hardly the best way to judge a pitcher, you'd rather be 27-12 than 12-27. Yarbrough has admirably filled the role of the "bulk" guy, often coming in after the opener. He's hardly a starter, but he chews up valuable innings and is the kind of do-whatever-it-takes pitcher that every staff needs. As a bonus, he grew up in Florida rooting for the Rays.

Nov. 20, 2017: A's acquire Ramon Laureano from Astros for Brandon Bailey

Laureano had been a terrific scouting discovery by the Astros, a 16th-round pick out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M College in 2014. Laureano received some attention in prospect circles after a big season in the minors in 2016, but then he struggled at Double-A in 2017, hitting .227. The Astros didn't have room for him on their crowded 40-man roster, so instead of exposing him in the Rule 5 draft, the A's jumped in and got him for a minor league pitcher.

Laureano reached the majors in August 2018 and helped spark the A's to a wild card with a strong final two months. His powerful arm soon earned him regular spots on highlight reels:

The big surprise has been the bat, as he hit .288/.340/.521 with 24 home runs in 434 at-bats, giving the A's a solid two-way player in the outfield. Bailey might yet develop for the Astros -- he had a solid season at Double-A -- but the A's had struggled to fill center field since Coco Crisp left after the 2014 season, and Laureano has proved to be the fix there.

Dec. 7, 2017: A's sign Yusmeiro Petit as a free agent

Think of all the contracts to big-name relievers that have gone bad the past couple of seasons: Brandon Morrow and Craig Kimbrel (so far) with the Cubs; Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw with the Rockies; Jeurys Familia with the Mets. The least expensive of those deals was Morrow's two-year, $21 million deal with the Cubs -- and he managed just 30⅔ innings over two seasons.

The A's signed the rubber-armed Petit for two years and $10 million, plus a 2020 option for $5.5 million. In his two seasons with Oakland, Petit has been the biggest workhorse reliever in the majors, pitching 154 games (he led the league with 80 appearances this year) and 176 innings while going 12-6 with a 2.86 ERA. Knowing that he can't go out and sign big-name starters, Beane has managed to build excellent bullpens the past two seasons -- without spending too much of the team's limited resources. Petit has been that invaluable setup man who has anchored the pen both of his seasons in Oakland.

July 31, 2018: Rays acquire Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow from Pirates for Chris Archer

For a couple of years, everyone tried to get the Rays to trade Chris Archer. The Rays resisted and resisted before finally making a deal -- at just the right time, in retrospect, given Archer's poor performance with the Pirates. It looks like an absolute heist for Tampa Bay. (The Rays also got pitcher Shane Baz, a former first-round pick, in the trade.)

Meadows and Glasnow were former top-rated prospects who had fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh. Meadows kept getting hurt, and Glasnow struggled so much in the majors as a starter that the Pirates had moved him to a relief role. The Rays bet on talent. Meadows played 138 games, made the All-Star team and hit even better in the second half, finishing at .291/.364/.558 with 33 home runs. His 142 wRC+ (a park-adjusted sabermetric batting stat) ranked fifth in the AL. Glasnow stormed out of the gate, winning AL Pitcher of the Month honors in April, and though he missed most of the rest of the season with a forearm issue, he returned in September, and his potential remains sky-high.

Dec. 21, 2018: Rays sign Charlie Morton as a free agent

Morton's two-year, $30 million contract (plus a vesting option for 2021) is small potatoes for the Yankees or Red Sox, Tampa Bay's AL East rivals, but it was the second-largest free-agent contract in Rays history. (Greg Vaughn got a four-year, $34 million contract back in 2000.) Morton's $15 million salary was the largest single-season payout in Rays history.

Morton was worth every penny, going 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 194⅔ innings. At 35, he established career highs in wins, ERA, innings, strikeouts, OPS allowed and WAR. In a season in which home runs were flying out in bulk, Morton allowed just 15 homers, and with 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell inconsistent at times and injured at others, Morton stepped up as the staff ace and will start Wednesday's wild-card game.

Dec. 21, 2018: Rays acquire Emilio Pagán from A's in three-team deal

Did you miss this trade when it happened? Probably. The most interesting player involved was Jurickson Profar, who went to the A's. Pagán had a 4.35 ERA for the A's in 2018, but Oakland had several other relievers ahead of him in the pecking order. The Rays also had plenty of bullpen options, but given their opener strategy, they figured you can never have too many relief arms, and Pagán had a good strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In fact, the Rays were so deep on Opening Day that Pagán began the season at Triple-A Durham. At the time, manager Kevin Cash said Pagán will "be a huge part" of the team this season, but he wanted lefty Adam Kolarek as a better matchup for the first couple of series. Pagán was back up by April 17, he allowed one run over his first 20⅔ innings and 18 outings, and he eventually took over as the team's closer, finishing 4-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 20 saves while increasing his K's per nine from 9.1 to 12.3.

Feb. 11, 2019: A's re-sign Brett Anderson as a free agent

The 31-year-old veteran lefty reached the majors with the A's way back in 2009 and won 11 games in an impressive rookie season. But he had mostly battled injuries since then, making it through a full season only once (in 2015 with the Dodgers). He started 17 games with the A's in 2018 -- his second most in a season since 2010. So who was interested in him? Pretty much no one. Too much of an injury risk.

The A's brought him back right as spring training was kicking off, for the small total of $1.5 million, plus another $1 million in performance bonuses. Anderson managed to stay healthy all season, making 31 starts and pitching 176 innings, second on the team to that of Mike Fiers. He's an anomaly in today's game of strikeouts, averaging just 4.6 K's per nine (last among the 130 pitchers with at least 100 innings), but he went 13-9 with a 3.89 ERA.

May 10, 2019: Rays purchase Travis d'Arnaud from Dodgers

You never know how a season will unfold. The Rays acquired Mike Zunino from the Mariners in the offseason to be their starting catcher. D'Arnaud began the season with the Mets but was released on May 3 after a 2-for-23 start. He signed with the Dodgers two days later and got one at-bat, and when Zunino strained his quadriceps and joined backup catcher Michael Perez on the injured list, the Rays needed another backstop. They reached out to old friend Andrew Friedman and purchased d'Arnaud for $100,000.

All he did was hit .263/.323/.459 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs in 92 games, including a .320/.368/.590 line with runners in scoring position. With Zunino struggling, d'Arnaud started 62 games at catcher and another 16 at first base, providing a little offense behind the plate -- the kind of little positives that add up when you have a lot of them.

The American 400m hurdler is used to life in the spotlight but tells Euan Crumley why making some big changes left her ready to take on the world

Sydney McLaughlin was six years old when she got her first taste of winning an athletics race and earned the prize of a chocolate bar for her efforts. “You can get me to do a lot of things with candy!” she laughs. “Running, chores, homework…”

In the 14 years since that moment the objective of finishing first has not changed, but the rewards on offer most certainly have. This remarkable 20-year-old is competing at her first IAAF World Championships of what many expect to be a stellar athletics career. You could argue, in fact, that it already has been.

McLaughlin arrived at the 2016 US Championships with a string of world age bests (her first came at the age of 14) and a world under-18 400m hurdles title to her name, but she well and truly made her mark when clocking a world under-18 best and world under-20 record of 54.15 to finish third and gain selection for Rio to become the youngest American track and field Olympian since 1972.

She would come fifth in the semi-finals in Brazil, but this was by no means the end of the story. A lowering of her under-20 record would follow in 2017 before the production of an astonishing collegiate season last year. That 400m hurdles world under-20 mark became 52.75, while a 400m personal best of 50.07 was clocked, as well as 22.39 for 200m and 11.07 (albeit wind-assisted) for 100m.

The decision to forego the rest of her time at the University of Kentucky and turn professional was duly taken.

“Before Oslo I was actually more excited than I was nervous,” says McLaughlin of the Diamond League debut she made in June and it showed when she promptly stormed to an impressive victory and looked right at home in the spotlight.

The Diamond League trophy came home with her in fact after winning the final in Zurich and it’s only on American soil that McLaughlin has tasted defeat this summer – at the US Championships in Des Moines when Dalilah Muhammad ran through the rain to break the world record.

The meeting of the two promises to be one of the highlights of these world championships where the American strength for the women’s 400m hurdles is frighteningly good.

That McLaughlin has hit such a high level this year says much not only for her work ethic and innate talent, but her ability to cope with significant change.

Becoming a professional brought with it a move to a high-profile talent agency, a contract with New Balance and a move from Kentucky to Los Angeles to work with a new coach in the form of 2004 Olympic 100m hurdles champion Joanna Hayes (she was previously guided by Edrick Floreal). It is a switch which appears to be suiting the New Jersey native well.

“Everything is more calm,” says McLaughlin. “It’s a big adjustment with a new coach and everything but I think this year has been pretty smooth to say the least.

“Everything is pretty new and I think that’s the best part. As I’m stepping into this next stage of everything, I get to take it from a fresh start and just adjust everything as it comes.

“It has its rough patches, as everything does. There’s a lot of downtime and I’m trying to figure out how to make the most of that but I’m just not really thinking of it as a job at this point – I’m still trying to do the sport that I love and enjoy the process of it all.”

It’s clear that coach and athlete have started off on the right foot, too.

“She’s not really stressed on times and records and titles – it’s just about me progressing and learning how things work,” says McLaughlin of Hayes. “It is my first year and she is constantly reminding me of how young I am and that you don’t always have to break a record and you don’t have to win every single race.

“Just learning and really continuing to move forward is the biggest thing when it comes to how she coaches.

“I think in the past I’ve been put in situations where the pressure was on my shoulders very much and that was coming from the coaching standpoint. When it comes to her, it’s a very understanding situation between the two of us, as well as more just focusing on myself and things I can control.

“She does a great job of making sure I’m always in the right mindset when it comes to racing and things like that.”

The “downtime” and figuring out how to occupy herself when she’s not training or racing has been perhaps the biggest challenge McLaughlin has to face – mentally, at least.

With her studies on hold for the moment, there is an admission of spending “too much time watching TV and being on my phone” but this is not a woman who stands still for long, however, and her mind is already thinking about the possibilities which are out there.

“Being a student athlete, you always have your studies and the social aspect of being on campus and having your friends around so you’re still occupied other than practice but when you’re out here you’re really just focusing on this and as of just now I’m not taking any classes,” she says.

“I think eventually, when we get things under control and decide which direction we want to go in then we’ll change that.”

What would she like to do?

“I’m already in the social media realm and we’ve talked a bit about doing some things through YouTube but in my downtime I’ve listened to a lot of TED talks and read a lot of books.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what kind of major I want to do and originally I was thinking about communications and journalism but I want to switch to life coaching. That’s definitely something I’d consider because being in the sports realm and seeing what the pressure is like and all the mental aspects, that would definitely be right up my alley.”

First, however, comes the task of taking on the world and, perhaps more specifically, Muhammad. McLaughlin had never seen anything quite like that world record run earlier this summer but, even in the whirlwind, she was taking notes and learning.

“It was very intense,” she says of the race. “I don’t remember much because I was on the outside but I do remember coming off that last turn and seeing her make an incredible move that I’d never seen before and crossing the line and being in so much shock. In the rain, in Des Moines, it was amazing to see and it was also amazing to be in second place and see what it’s going to take to do that one day.

“Just being able to be put in that situation – where it does take such a fast race to make the US team – it helps build character and also take mental notes for if that time ever comes for me then I’ll know what to do.”

Will that time be now?

“It should be pretty intense but I’m just excited to get that US uniform on again,” says McLaughlin. “I haven’t worn it since Rio so that’s exciting and we’ll go out there, do our best and maybe the US can sweep (win all the medals).”

McLaughlin comes from an athletic family – her father Willie was a 400m runner with a PB of 45.30, while mother Mary ran in high school and brother Taylor is a world under-20 silver medallist over the 400m hurdles – but she was given the space to find the sport for herself.

It was clearly a match made in heaven.

“I think most of it was just the feeling of stepping on the track and, at least when I was younger, something that just came naturally, it gave off a feeling of just belonging and effortlessness, feeling like that’s what I was supposed to do,” she says of her early experiences.

“As I’ve got older it is a lot more hard work and a lot more tiring but it’s still that same feeling of freedom.”

She adds: “My fastest races, I actually don’t remember. I go into a mental state where you’re aware but you’re really not in the moment because everything is just flowing. You’ve finished and you’re like ‘oh wow, I just ran’ and you’re there mentally but at the same time your body is just doing what it knows how to do.

“I think the more thought you put into it and the more you overthink it, that’s when things become difficult and mistakes can be made. It definitely takes a level of relaxation and trusting the process to get through some of those harder races.”

A healthy dose of perspective helps, too, and McLaughlin’s philosophy is particularly simple. “I think just being the best that I can be and understanding that, regardless of what happens, it’s a race and I’m going to go out there, put my best effort into it and either way I’m going to walk away from it alive,” she says.

“It’s a case of going out there, leaving everything that I have out on the track and knowing I did everything that I could.”

TOMS RIVER, N.J. – After a successful partnership at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway in July, DriveSmart Warranty will return to Rick Ware Racing to sponsor the team’s efforts in Sunday’s Drydene 400 at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway.

Veteran driver JJ Yeley will pilot the No. 52 DriveSmartWarranty.com Ford Mustang for Sunday’s Cup Series playoff race at the Monster Mile.

In their debut together, Yeley drafted to a competitive 12th-place finish at the World Center of Racing two months ago.

DriveSmart strives to protect families from high-cost repair bills. Aligning with a team that stays true to family-oriented values, RWR and DriveSmart have come together to help NASCAR fans save money on unexpected auto repairs.

“We are very excited where we are going with DriveSmart Warranty,” said Rick Ware Racing team principal Rick Ware. “We kicked things off at Daytona in July and looking forward to having them with us again at Dover. We have been working on several projects since July and looking to build on what we have achieved going into the 2020 Cup Series season.

“DriveSmart CEO Daniel Rodd and his staff are exactly the kind of marketing partners we like to have at Rick Ware Racing, and they are great at promoting their involvement with our organization.”

The puck drops on the 2019-20 NHL season on Wednesday night, including the St. Louis Blues raising their championship banner and the San Jose Sharks visiting the Vegas Golden Knights for a renewal of their budding rivalry.

But we're looking way ahead, answering the big questions: Who will win the Stanley Cup? Who are the favorites for all the major awards? Here are our picks:

Jump ahead:
Atlantic | Metro | Central | Pacific | Cup
Hart | Ross | Norris | Vezina | Calder | Adams

Atlantic Division

This division is a pretty clear split between a trio of elite teams (Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto), three teams that need another year or so (Ottawa, Detroit and Buffalo) and a couple teams that could go either way (Montreal and Florida).

Sean Allen: Toronto Maple Leafs
Ben Arledge: Tampa Bay Lightning
Pierre Becquey: Tampa Bay Lightning
John Buccigross: Toronto Maple Leafs
Sachin Chandan: Tampa Bay Lightning
Linda Cohn: Tampa Bay Lightning
Aimee Crawford: Tampa Bay Lightning
Rick DiPietro: Tampa Bay Lightning
Dimitri Filipovic: Toronto Maple Leafs
Emily Kaplan: Tampa Bay Lightning
Tim Kavanagh: Toronto Maple Leafs
Don La Greca: Tampa Bay Lightning
Vince Masi: Tampa Bay Lightning
Victoria Matiash: Tampa Bay Lightning
Barry Melrose: Tampa Bay Lightning
Chris Peters: Tampa Bay Lightning
Greg Wyshynski: Toronto Maple Leafs

Metro Division

This division is expected to be a bit of a cluster this season, and that's reflected in the variety of teams that our panelists picked to win the crown:

Sean Allen: Pittsburgh Penguins
Ben Arledge: Washington Capitals
Pierre Becquey: Pittsburgh Penguins
John Buccigross: Washington Capitals
Sachin Chandan: Carolina Hurricanes
Linda Cohn: Washington Capitals
Aimee Crawford: New Jersey Devils
Rick DiPietro: Washington Capitals
Dimitri Filipovic: Carolina Hurricanes
Emily Kaplan: Washington Capitals
Tim Kavanagh: Washington Capitals
Don La Greca: Washington Capitals
Vince Masi: Carolina Hurricanes
Victoria Matiash: Washington Capitals
Barry Melrose: Washington Capitals
Chris Peters: Washington Capitals
Greg Wyshynski: Washington Capitals

Central Division

This has been the toughest division in many recent seasons, and 2019-20 appears to be no different. Who emerges from this meat grinder?

Sean Allen: Winnipeg Jets
Ben Arledge: Colorado Avalanche
Pierre Becquey: St. Louis Blues
John Buccigross: Colorado Avalanche
Sachin Chandan: Colorado Avalanche
Linda Cohn: Dallas Stars
Aimee Crawford: Colorado Avalanche
Rick DiPietro: Dallas Stars
Dimitri Filipovic: Nashville Predators
Emily Kaplan: Nashville Predators
Tim Kavanagh: Nashville Predators
Don La Greca: Dallas Stars
Vince Masi: Nashville Predators
Victoria Matiash: Dallas Stars
Barry Melrose: Colorado Avalanche
Chris Peters: Colorado Avalanche
Greg Wyshynski: Nashville Predators

Pacific Division

Much like the Atlantic, the Pacific has some clear haves (Vegas, San Jose, Calgary), have-nots (Edmonton, Los Angeles, Anaheim) and a pair of mystery teams (Arizona, Vancouver).

Sean Allen: Vegas Golden Knights
Ben Arledge: Vegas Golden Knights
Pierre Becquey: Vegas Golden Knights
John Buccigross: Calgary Flames
Sachin Chandan: Calgary Flames
Linda Cohn: San Jose Sharks
Aimee Crawford: Calgary Flames
Rick DiPietro: Vegas Golden Knights
Dimitri Filipovic: Vegas Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Vegas Golden Knights
Tim Kavanagh: Vegas Golden Knights
Don La Greca: San Jose Sharks
Vince Masi: Vegas Golden Knights
Victoria Matiash: Vegas Golden Knights
Barry Melrose: Vegas Golden Knights
Chris Peters: Vegas Golden Knights
Greg Wyshynski: Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup Final

Any of the 16 teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs has a chance to win, as recent teams have made the final or won the Cup after clinching in the season's final weeks. Who do our panelists see winning it all?

Sean Allen: Maple Leafs over Jets
Ben Arledge: Lightning over Avalanche
Pierre Becquey: Lightning over Golden Knights
John Buccigross: Flames over Maple Leafs
Sachin Chandan: Golden Knights over Lightning
Linda Cohn: Lightning over Stars
Aimee Crawford: Lightning over Avalanche
Rick DiPietro: Lightning over Golden Knights
Dimitri Filipovic: Lightning over Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Capitals over Predators
Tim Kavanagh: Predators over Bruins
Don La Greca: Lightning over Stars
Vince Masi: Golden Knights over Hurricanes
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights over Lightning
Barry Melrose: Golden Knights over Bruins
Chris Peters: Lightning over Golden Knights
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs over Golden Knights

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Does the MVP's team need to qualify for the playoffs? That's the great debate, and seems to influence some of our panelists' picks here:

Sean Allen: John Tavares
Ben Arledge: Nathan MacKinnon
Pierre Becquey: Sidney Crosby
John Buccigross: Nathan MacKinnon
Sachin Chandan: Nathan MacKinnon
Linda Cohn: Nikita Kucherov
Aimee Crawford: Connor McDavid
Rick DiPietro: Nathan MacKinnon
Dimitri Filipovic: Auston Matthews
Emily Kaplan: Connor McDavid
Tim Kavanagh: Nathan MacKinnon
Don La Greca: Connor McDavid
Vince Masi: Nathan MacKinnon
Victoria Matiash: Connor McDavid
Barry Melrose: Nathan MacKinnon
Chris Peters: Mark Stone
Greg Wyshynski: Sidney Crosby

Art Ross Trophy (scoring title)

This is purely our best prediction of who will have the most statistical success.

Sean Allen: Nathan MacKinnon
Ben Arledge: Nikita Kucherov
Pierre Becquey: Nikita Kucherov
John Buccigross: Connor McDavid
Sachin Chandan: Nathan MacKinnon
Linda Cohn: Connor McDavid
Aimee Crawford: Nikita Kucherov
Rick DiPietro: Connor McDavid
Dimitri Filipovic: Connor McDavid
Emily Kaplan: Connor McDavid
Tim Kavanagh: Connor McDavid
Don La Greca: Connor McDavid
Vince Masi: Nikita Kucherov
Victoria Matiash: Connor McDavid
Barry Melrose: Nikita Kucherov
Chris Peters: Connor McDavid
Greg Wyshynski: Connor McDavid

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Though the definition of what makes a top defenseman has changed over the years, there's no doubt that any team would want these players roaming their blue line:

Sean Allen: Erik Karlsson
Ben Arledge: Morgan Rielly
Pierre Becquey: Brent Burns
John Buccigross: Cale Makar
Sachin Chandan: Brent Burns
Linda Cohn: Victor Hedman
Aimee Crawford: Morgan Rielly
Rick DiPietro: Morgan Rielly
Dimitri Filipovic: Roman Josi
Emily Kaplan: Seth Jones
Tim Kavanagh: Roman Josi
Don La Greca: Miro Heiskanen
Vince Masi: Brent Burns
Victoria Matiash: John Carlson
Barry Melrose: Victor Hedman
Chris Peters: Seth Jones
Greg Wyshynski: Victor Hedman

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Although the GMs are the ones voting for the Vezina, everyone's entitled to their opinion!

Sean Allen: Connor Hellebuyck
Ben Arledge: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Pierre Becquey: Ben Bishop
John Buccigross: Frederik Andersen
Sachin Chandan: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Linda Cohn: Ben Bishop
Aimee Crawford: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Rick DiPietro: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Dimitri Filipovic: Marc-Andre Fleury
Emily Kaplan: Frederik Andersen
Tim Kavanagh: Ben Bishop
Don La Greca: Sergei Bobrovsky
Vince Masi: Frederik Andersen
Victoria Matiash: Frederik Andersen
Barry Melrose: Carey Price
Chris Peters: Pekka Rinne
Greg Wyshynski: Frederik Andersen

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

It's looking like a three-horse race for the rookie crown this season, with No. 1 draft pick Jack Hughes, No. 2 pick Kaapo Kakko and Chris Peters' No. 1 prospect Cale Makar.

Sean Allen: Jack Hughes
Ben Arledge: Kaapo Kakko
Pierre Becquey: Jack Hughes
John Buccigross: Cale Makar
Sachin Chandan: Cale Makar
Linda Cohn: Jack Hughes
Aimee Crawford: Jack Hughes
Rick DiPietro: Kaapo Kakko
Dimitri Filipovic: Cale Makar
Emily Kaplan: Kaapo Kakko
Tim Kavanagh: Kaapo Kakko
Don La Greca: Jack Hughes
Vince Masi: Cale Makar
Victoria Matiash: Jack Hughes
Barry Melrose: Jack Hughes
Chris Peters: Cale Makar
Greg Wyshynski: Cale Makar

Jack Adams (top coach)

The Jack Adams generally goes to the coach whose team exceeds expectations the most, as evidenced by Barry Trotz winning for last season's revitalization of the Islanders.

Sean Allen: Mike Babcock
Ben Arledge: Jared Bednar
Pierre Becquey: Gerard Gallant
John Buccigross: Jared Bednar
Sachin Chandan: Jon Cooper
Linda Cohn: Joel Quenneville
Aimee Crawford: John Hynes
Rick DiPietro: Joel Quenneville
Dimitri Filipovic: Rod Brind'Amour
Emily Kaplan: John Hynes
Tim Kavanagh: John Hynes
Don La Greca: Joel Quenneville
Vince Masi: John Hynes
Victoria Matiash: Jim Montgomery
Barry Melrose: Jim Montgomery
Chris Peters: Jared Bednar
Greg Wyshynski: Joel Quenneville

Our panel: Sean Allen, NHL fantasy columnist; Ben Arledge, associate editor; Pierre Becquey, deputy editor; John Buccigross, SportsCenter anchor, "In the Crease" host; Sachin Chandan, fantasy hockey editor; Linda Cohn, SportsCenter anchor, "In the Crease" host; Aimee Crawford, senior editor; Rick DiPietro, ESPN Radio host, NHL analyst; Dimitri Filipovic, NHL writer; Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter; Tim Kavanagh, general editor; Don La Greca, ESPN Radio host; Vince Masi, Sports & Information research specialist; Victoria Matiash, NHL fantasy columnist; Barry Melrose, NHL analyst; Chris Peters, NHL prospects writer; Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer.

The European Tour has unveiled its schedule for the 2020 season, a globetrotting itinerary that will include 46 tournaments across 29 countries.

The new campaign will actually kick off late next month, with the Hong Kong Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa both concluding on Dec. 1. The first tournament of the new year will be the South African Open Jan. 9-12, with the April 30-May 3 Andalucia Masters the first event actually played in Europe. The new season will conclude Nov. 22 at the DP World Tour Championship.

The Rolex Series will return for the fourth season and will include the circuit's eight biggest events. The first Rolex Series event will be in Abu Dhabi in mid-January, followed by the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which is moving to late May, and the Scottish Open, annually played in July the week before The Open. Other Rolex events include the BMW PGA Championship (Sept. 10-13) and the Italian Open (Oct. 8-11), with the season closing out with three straight Rolex events in Turkey, South Africa and Dubai in November.

Three of the eight Rolex Series events are listed without a confirmed 2020 venue: the Irish Open, Italian Open and Turkish Airlines Open. The schedule also includes a "confirmed UK event" Aug. 6-9 and a TBD event Aug. 13-16. The French Open, Scandinavian Invitation, Volvo China Open and Maybank Championship are all also listed without a confirmed venue.

The British Masters, hosted in recent years by one of the Tour's top English stars, will next year be hosted by Lee Westwood at Close House and played July 30-Aug. 2, the same week as the men's Olympic golf competition in Tokyo.

Click here for a closer look at the full 2020 schedule.

Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Jozy Altidore headline the 26-man U.S. roster as manager Gregg Berhalter prepares his side for its initial foray into the CONCACAF Nations League.

Ajax defender and dual national Sergino Dest, who has attracted interest from Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman, is a notable absentee.

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A revised World Cup qualifying format for CONCACAF will use the FIFA World Rankings to determine which teams advance to the final round Hexagonal, due to begin next year. While the U.S. -- currently ranked second in CONCACAF -- is a shoe-in to make it to that stage, the Nations League will have an impact on those rankings.

Teams not ranked inside the top six aren't completely shutout of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but will instead have to go through a second, more rigorous playoff track involving 29 teams and between 14-16 additional qualifying matches for each, just for the opportunity to claim the final spot. That gives the U.S.'s group opponents, Cuba and Canada, plenty to play for. The U.S. faces Cuba at Audi Field on Oct. 11, and will play Canada at Toronto's BMO Field four days later.

"This is competitive soccer. Any time there is a trophy on the line and in the inaugural Nations League tournament, we want to put ourselves in a position to win," Berhalter said. "One thing that's important is we continue to bring some of the younger guys along, integrate some new players into camp, but also have a familiar base. Most of the guys have been in camp before, understand how we want to play, and we think that continuity will help in our performance."

Berhalter has more of his first-choice roster available thanks to the return from injury of Newcastle United defender DeAndre Yedlin and Reading defender Matt Miazga. The same can't be said for RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams and Lille forward Tim Weah. Adams recently returned to training following a groin injury, but has yet to see minutes with his club. Weah is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Much focus remains on the 18-year-old Dest, who has broken into Ajax's first team this season following some excellent performances for the U.S. at last summer's FIFA U20 World Cup. Dest appeared in two matches for the U.S. during the last international window, but an appearance in the Nations League would tie him to the U.S. permanently. Koeman recently met with the defender to gauge his interest in playing for the Dutch. Berhalter has been in contact as well, yet Dest isn't on the roster for these two games.

"I understand there is going to be a lot of attention surrounding the availability of Sergino in this next camp," he said. "I've had conversations with Sergino, the conversations were positive, and the content of these conversations is going to remain private."

The biggest surprise among the invitees is midfielder Brenden Aaronson. Aaronson has enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Philadelphia Union, scoring three goals and adding two assists in 27 appearances. He has also impressed in training camps with the U.S. U23 team.

"There are two things that standout about Brenden. The first thing is that he's getting regular minutes, and the second is that he's playing for a team that's doing really well," Berhalter said. "We always look for that combination. He's a very agile player, very aware between the lines, able to give solutions offensively and very secure on the ball. He's another case of getting a younger guy into the program, getting our eyes on him and also letting him understand what it means to be in with the full men's national team."

The roster also includes the Toronto FC duo of Altidore and Michael Bradley, who will have the unique opportunity of facing Canada in their club's home stadium.

"I think it's very important to have veterans in the team; for them to share the heritage of what it means to be a United States men's national team player," Berhalter said. "For them in particular to go back to Toronto and play a game of this magnitude is special. We know they will be familiar with their surroundings, we know they will be familiar with the opponent -- playing with some of the Canadian guys at TFC -- so we think it's a great opportunity for them.

USMNT ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC; 61/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 8/0), Zack Steffen (Fortuna Düsseldorf/GER; 16/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 8/0), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 13/2), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 10/0), Matt Miazga (Reading/ENG; 17/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 36/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 59/0), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 11/2)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 150/17), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 11/2), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 15/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 32/13), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 16/0), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 20/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 3/0)

FORWARDS (7): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 115/42), Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 28/5), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Tyler Boyd (Besiktas/TUR; 7/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 35/6), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 9/2), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 53/10)