BARRE, Vt. – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl officials have announced the postponement of Thursday’s Passumpsic Bank Night due to an inclement weather forecast.

The event has been rescheduled for Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. where the evening forecast calls for clear skies.

Passumpsic Bank Night features the second round of the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers.

The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and Allen Lumber Street Stocks also have a full card of action. The pits for the rescheduled program open at 3:30 p.m. and the front gates open at 5:15 p.m.. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

Chad Reed, 37, continues to amaze fans and fellow racers with his incredible desire to race in the sport of Supercross.

What drives a man who already owns the world record for the most Supercross starts, who’s won multiple AMA Supercross and motocross championships, been named AMA Pro Athlete of the Year, has owned his own race team and has even been honored by being named a member of the Order of Australia?

What could possibly motivate this legend of the sport to continue racing in the grueling world of Supercross at an age when most riders have been retired for nearly a decade?

That’s a question Reed gets a lot. Naturally, he has a quick retort in the form of his own question, “Why wouldn’t I want to keep racing?” he says. “I still enjoy the challenge of competition, pitting myself against the best in the sport and feeling the support from the fans every weekend.”

To hear Reed tell it, it’s a no-brainer. When most riders speak of burnout because of the long and rugged slog of the season, Reed seems to relish the constant travel and training, but he admits there were times when he hit a wall and wondered why he put himself through the seemingly never-ending rigors of what it takes to be a top-level rider.

“I think I put it down to the sheer passion I have for the sport,” Reed said. “That burns really deep and strong. I wasn’t exempt from it either. I went through a phase where a part of me almost lost interest. I got to the point where I was thinking, ‘Man, it would be nice to jump in a NASCAR car,’ or ‘Man, it would be nice to jump into a rally car.’ But for me, timing was everything.

“I got the opportunity to run my own team. So right when I felt like I was getting exhausted with the political BS that goes on within a factory race team, I was able to create my own destiny and do my own thing, be my own boss and work with my own people,” Reed continued. “I think my passion for racing has just gotten stronger from that point on. I got a new perspective, looking at things from a different angle of the sport and I think that helped give me a deeper understanding of how things work. It’s like the saying, ‘If I knew then what I know now.’ With age and experience you begin to understand better how things work and maybe why things happen within a team like they do.”

Reed was a last-minute signee for Joe Gibbs Racing Yoshimura Suzuki prior to the Supercross season. Fourth on the all-time AMA Supercross win list with 44 victories, Reed is one of the most popular riders in the paddock.

“Chad Reed is a consummate professional and I see that he has that hunger to win,” said Jeremy Albrecht, JGRMX team manager.

While certainly impressive and inspirational, Reed is no longer unique in sports for his longevity and ability to remain competitive at the highest level of competition. There’s Roger Federer in tennis, Tom Brady in the NFL and MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi.

Reed is quick to point out with a grin that Rossi and Brady are “a little bit older than I am.”

As he continues with a smile in his voice, Reed quips he was born under the Chinese zodiac Year of the Dog.

“I think maybe that makes me a little more stubborn,” Reed said. “Maybe the generation before us had one way of doing things and we said, ‘No, we’re going to do it this way.’

“Valentino is a close friend and he also has such a passion for what he does,” Reed added. “I don’t know Brady and Federer, but I can relate to a lot of the things I read about them, the things that they say and do and the unwillingness to give up.

“We also came along at a time when training went to that next level. The way you train, the way you rest and eat. I think we’ve benefited from that knowledge and undoubtedly that’s helped extend careers.”

One of the things Reed and every serious competitor in Supercross and motocross have to learn to deal with is injury.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – The Calistoga Hall of Fame announced Thursday that Brent Kaeding has been named Grand Marshal of the 12th annual Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway.

The 12th annual Louie Vermeil Classic continues to be held during the Labor Day weekend. The first of two nights of racing takes place Aug. 31 and concludes on Sept. 1. This year the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series will join the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series cars for a double header night of racing.

On Aug. 30, the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame dinner will take place inside the Tubbs building at the Napa County Fairgrounds.

Tickets for either the Hall of Fame dinner or Louie Vermeil Classic can be purchased by calling (916) 773-7223 Tuesday through Sunday.  Fans can also purchase general admission tickets by visiting hmc-promotions.ticketleap.com/2019-louie-vermeil-classic/.

Kaeding is a Hall of Fame member at Calistoga Speedway.  He is a 13-time champion of both the Northern Auto Racing Club and the Golden State Challenge Series.  Kaeding is the all-time leader in wins for both series. His 21 main event wins at Calistoga place him second all-time on the wins list.  He is listed with seven wins as a car owner at Calistoga.  Kaeding and Steve Kent are tied for the most Tribute to Gary Patterson wins at Calistoga.  Kaeding is one of the few drivers to win a non-wing and winged sprint car race at Calistoga Speedway.

“It’s a wonderful honor to be named Grand Marshall of the Louie Vermeil.  I have so many great memories of racing there with a wing and without,” Kaeding said. “The racing was always great but the things that stick out to me are all pre or post-race activities like the pancake breakfasts, racing during the fairs and drinking out in the pavilion until the sun came up.”

Kaeding was helped by legendary crew chief Billy Albini, leader of the hogs, who died on March 12.  This year the Calistoga Speedway has inducted Albini to join Kaeding in the Calistoga Hall of Fame.

“I knew of Billy in the ’70s but we actually partnered up in 1987.  We had a lot of success and won too many races to remember,”  Kaeding said. “We miss Billy tremendously and will be honored to be a part of his Hall of Fame induction to Calistoga Speedway.”

The NHL free-agent feeding frenzy has been reduced to a few nibbles. Team executives have absconded to their cottages. Hockey insiders are firing up their blenders for frozen beverages rather than Twitter for breaking news.

So, as hockey reaches its contemplative stretch of summer, what exactly have we learned from the last few weeks of the offseason? Here are 10 lessons, harsh or otherwise:

1. Offer sheets need both signatures

I shouted my defense of the Sebastian Aho offer sheet from the Montreal Canadiens until I was hoarse, and I will continue to do so. But I think we can all agree it was a relief to finally get a restricted free agent to sign one, after six years of mouth-foaming anticipation since the last one. But the harsh education on offer sheets this summer remains this salient point: The players have to sign them, too, as an indication that they want to leave their team -- which the vast majority of RFAs do not.

I can't really make this any clearer. Yes, it would make sense for Brayden Point to ink an offer sheet to get what he deserves as a premier young two-way forward. Or maybe he doesn't want to risk leaving Tampa Bay and doesn't want to break up one of the best (regular-season) teams in NHL history so he can compete to win the Stanley Cup. On top of the inherent problems with offer sheets -- from their winning percentage to the critical fallout befalling Marc Bergevin -- a major reason we don't see more of them is that players aren't interested in signing them. That's the NHL for you.

2. Stop contract shaming

If Aho is worth $8.454 million, Point might be worth even more. But he's going to probably end up signing a team-friendly deal because he wants to remain friendly with the team and potentially win a Stanley Cup with this group. And that's OK!

There are going to be many who criticize him, or any player who chooses not to maximize his earning potential for the sake of staying with a contender and/or remaining where their stuff is. But choosing this route is every bit as laudable as someone like Mitch Marner refusing to allow his team's other budgetary decisions to affect him. Which brings us to forward Kevin Labanc, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract to remain with the San Jose Sharks and was promptly labeled the dumbest player in hockey for doing so. "I think it was the best decision for myself and the team. The salary cap is tight, and sometimes you have to take a team discount. My biggest goal is to win a Stanley Cup this year. I had to take a bit of a discount, and I'm betting on myself to have an even bigger year," he told NHL Network Radio.

Hey, it's your career. You do you.

3. Doug Wilson is 'Lord Business'

On a related note: The Sharks' Doug Wilson somehow got Labanc back in on a $1 million contract. He convinced Erik Karlsson to sign on for eight years, although the $92 million obviously helps. And then he made yet another merciless decision with a beloved veteran player in letting Joe Pavelski walk away to the Dallas Stars, much as he did with Patrick Marleau two years ago.

Half of the GMs in this league would have rearranged life for Pavelski because his face is on the season tickets and because he literally bled for his team in the playoffs. But not Lord Business.

4. General managers are basically sports' climate change deniers

They are not here for your rising ocean temperatures and glacial retreat and destructive weather patterns. That's some future generation's problem. No, they're here for today. For the immediacy of Sergei Bobrovsky's $10 million AAV contract or Jeff Skinner's $9 million AAV deal, and not for what these contracts will look like in 2025, because there probably isn't a 2025 with the Florida Panthers or Buffalo Sabres for Dale Tallon on Jason Botterill, respectively, if these deals don't get done. Let the Sabres' next general manager (and by that we mean third or fourth in that span) figure out how to get Skinner's $9 million cap hit with a full no-move off the books if things get catastrophic.

5. A lot can change in two weeks

What if I told you that Kevin Hayes, a 27-year-old who has broken 20 goals and 50 points once in his career, has the fifth-highest cap hit ($7,142,857) of any unrestricted free-agent signee this summer, behind Artemi Panarin, Karlsson, Skinner and Matt Duchene? And that the contract runs seven years with full no-move protection for the first three seasons?

Luckily, the Philadelphia Flyers have never in their history overcompensated an unrestricted free agent whom they didn't regret in the first three seasons.

6. Artemi Panarin has disrespected the New York Islanders

According to the New York Post, Panarin said through an interpreter that he "dreamt of playing for the [New York] Rangers," adding, "my heart has been here. I'm really happy and lots of emotions. Just feeling a little overwhelmed the last two days, but I am really happy."

And yet there he was, talking with the Islanders, given them hope that Long Island would swipe a second free-agent prize away from James Dolan. But no, he was just stringing them along, always dreaming of being a Ranger. Look, we're not saying Islanders fans should go the Full Tavares the first time Panarin visits with the Rangers. But maybe warm up those "we don't need you" vocal cords.

7. In the end, that Matt Duchene trade was pretty messed up

In summary of the November 2017 three-team Duchene trade:

• Colorado ended up with defensemen Bowen Byram, Samuel Girard and Danila Zhuravlyov, center Matthew Stienburg, forwards Shane Bowers and Vladislav Kamenev, and goalie Justus Annunen.

• Ottawa ended up with forwards Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson, and defenseman Lassi Thomson, after flipping Duchene to Columbus.

• Nashville ended up with Kyle Turris and ... Duchene.

As ever, Ottawa remains "a team."

8. The PTO market once again grows

The cap system has successfully squeezed a portion of the veteran unrestricted free-agent class, so the "professional tryout contract" route will once again get crowded this September. For a preview, here are the current UFAs who are 34 and older. (Hey there, Dan Girardi.)

As Don Fehr of the NHLPA told the Canadian Press: "If, indeed, you have a situation in which the current system disadvantages veteran players, then obviously that's something the players are going to want to look at to see if there are changes that could be made, which would either remedy that or make the effect less significant." He said that in 2017.

9. Owners write the blueprints

I feel for Paul Fenton. I found him to be an insightful, shrewd executive with the Nashville Predators. He finally gets his shot with the Minnesota Wild, and it's like he can do no right, from the Victor Rask trade (which was terrible) to the Mats Zuccarello signing (which was terrible within the context of the team). But in the end, he's serving at the pleasure of his owner.

Wild owner Craig Leipold said in March: "We plan to make some noise this summer. Just so we all understand, this is not a rebuild. Look at our team: We are ready to play right now. We are building on the fly, and that's kind of our mantra right now."

One wonders what Fenton, if left to craft his own path, would be doing this summer instead of handing out five-year deals with trade protection to 31-year-old forwards...

10. It's the patience, stupid

The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils both had solid summers so far, and in both cases, patience was their virtue. The Devils kept their cap space open for a few seasons despite needing several upgrades in their lineup to contend. They were the only team in the P.K. Subban derby that could afford the full freight of his contract when the Norris Trophy winner became available. And the Avalanche had fielded Tyson Barrie offers for years but never shipped out their puck-moving defenseman -- until this summer, when their young D-core was built out and Nazem Kadri became available to solve several of their problems.

The week in Gritty

It's the summer for mascots, too, as our orange nightmare-fuel friend traveled over state lines to the Jersey Shore.

Trying to get that vitamin sea ?‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/TtQMg9dEwR

— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) July 10, 2019

Notice we didn't say he crossed "enemy lines," as South Jersey is very much Flyers Country. Just don't tell that to, you know, the mascot up the Turnpike, who gleefully chimed in on Gritty's whereabouts.

I'd want to get out of Philly too https://t.co/uqEsXGDrPy

— NJ Devil (@NJDevil00) July 10, 2019

Settle this with a Skee-Ball battle, our plush friends.

Jersey fouls

From reader Michael Jugan:

@wyshynski Seen at the HHOF #jerseyfoul ? pic.twitter.com/Jm0YlNCugO

— Michael Jugan (@HocEman) June 12, 2019

I'm actually ... into this? There's always been something hipster about transforming other sports uniforms with hockey iconography, and especially gear that could be worn in the summer months when sweaters aren't exactly a paragon of functionality. Like, for example, NHL-centric soccer jerseys, which have been mocked up on several occasions through the years. So not a foul. Not something I'd wear. But not a foul.

Five hockey sitcom episodes that aren't Seinfeld's "The Face Painter"

Thirty years ago, Seinfeld (then The Seinfeld Chronicles) premiered, a landmark show about "nothing" that spawned several thousand catchphrases and countless other sitcoms centered around stand-up comics that were, well, not Seinfeld. (Mulaney, we hardly knew ye.)

Some time later -- May 11, 1995, to be exact -- Seinfeld gave us "The Face Painter," the episode in which Devils fan David Puddy painted his face (and chest) to support the team, while scaring the life out of a priest.

This might be the most famous hockey-centric sitcom episode of all time, but it's not the only one. Here are five other non-Puddy sitcom hockey episodes:

1. "Lisa on Ice"

Outside of "The Face Painter," it's perhaps the most famous hockey sitcom episode. The Simpsons writer Mike Scully, the only hockey fan in the writers' room, pitched the sport as an option after they had already parodied baseball and football. Initially, he wanted to include cameos by Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, but the rewrite process tried to make the episode as non-"inside hockey" as possible.

2. "Mac's Big Break"

The knuckleheads from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia take on the joys of intermission shoot-the-puck contests, as Mac trains to win a prize at a Flyers game and instead wins a place on the SportsCenter blooper reel.

3. "The Platinum Rule"

Being the resident Canadian on How I Met Your Mother, Robin Scherbatsky invites hockey references. While dating a sportscaster named Curt "Ironman" Irons, she attends a Vancouver Canucks game against the Rangers and tells the gang she had the honor of meeting Mason Raymond. Cue Barney: "What's the opposite of name-dropping?"

4. "Stanley's Cup"

A sendup of "The Mighty Ducks," with the backdrop of the Avalanche/Red Wings feud. And then things get dark at the end, even by South Park standards.

5. "Never Love a Goalie" (Parts 1 and 2)

The debut of Boston Bruins' netminder Eddie Lebec on Cheers, and a glorious look into the idiosyncrasies of goaltenders and the people who love them.

Listen to ESPN ON ICE

Listen to every ESPN ON ICE podcast from the last season right here, including our finale, with free-agent grades and an Auston Matthews interview.

Puck headlines

• Montreal Canadiens jerseys, ranked worst to first. Man, no love for the barber poles. (Hockey by Design)

• RIP, Greg Johnson. (Grand Forks Herald)

• Ryan Lambert on the inherent conflicts for GMs: "In theory, and sometimes in practice, these two ideas are one and the same: You can't Compete for a Cup without first Competing for the Playoffs." (Yahoo! Sports)

• What Team North America would look like today. Yeah, there's zero chance Mathew Barzal doesn't make this team. (The Hockey News)

• Don Cherry says that despite reports to the contrary, he'll be back on "Coach's Corner." Here's why he should leave. (SB Nation)

• When is that Loui Eriksson trade coming again? (SportsNet)

• Finally, Ryan O'Reilly yanking out his own tooth at the ESPYS is the stuff Conn Smythe winners are made of.

Ryan O'Reilly removing his tooth on stage before giving a speech at the ESPYs is the greatest thing I've ever seen pic.twitter.com/kCunzYLoB5

— Josh Hyman ? (@joshhymanNHL) July 11, 2019

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

• Dom Luszczyszyn looks at the 10 best contracts in the NHL. (The Athletic)

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

• Our offseason report card for all 31 teams.

Barcelona have signed highly rated England youth international Louie Barry on a three-year contract.

Barry's contract with English side West Bromwich Albion expired last month and he had drawn interest from Europe's biggest clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Juventus.

- When does the transfer window close?

However, Barca managed to win the race for the 16-year-old's signature, with ESPN FC revealing how they wrestled him away from PSG at the eleventh hour.

??? Louie Barry s'incorpora al Barça. ?? El davanter anglès, de 16 anys, arriba procedent del West Bromwich Albion i jugarà al Juvenil A.

? https://t.co/zRVQXZDiO4#FCBMasia #ForçaBarça?? pic.twitter.com/zGFJfkeJeD

— FC Barcelona - Masia (@FCBmasia) July 11, 2019

The striker had even undergone a medical in Paris last Thursday and was set to sign for the Ligue 1 side on Friday before a last-minute intervention from Barca saw him make a U-turn.

He would have earned far more in France, but the sporting project presented by Barca's academy directors Jose Mari Bakero and Guillermo Amor convinced him, his family and his agents to change their minds at the last minute.

Barry underwent a medical at Barca's training ground last Saturday and signed a contract later that same day, with the club confirming the deal on Thursday.

Barcelona will have to pay at least €130,000 to West Brom in training compensation for Barry, per FIFA's regulations, although sources have indicated to ESPN FC they are willing to pay more as a goodwill gesture.

Barca are excited by Barry's potential. He has scored 19 times in 18 appearances for England at youth level and will link up with the club's U19 team later this montth, who play in the UEFA Youth League. He will live as the club's La Masia residency.

Barry had been at WBA since he was six years old and the club were desperate to keep him.

They offered him a one-year scholarship followed by a two-year professional deal with the promise of fast-tracking him to the first team, but he reluctantly turned the proposal down.

He's one of a number of England youth internationals to complete big moves this week.

Ex-West Brom teammate Marvin Rodgers has joined Manchester City, while Liverpool have edged out Europe's elite in their bid to sign Fulham's Harvey Elliott.

Captain Laurent Koscielny has refused to go on Arsenal's preseason tour of the United States, the club has said.

Koscielny's future at Arsenal is reportedly in doubt after entering the final year of his contract with no sign of a new deal.

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The 33-year-old has been linked with a return to France with Bordeaux.

Arsenal confirmed the news in a statement that said: "We are very disappointed by Laurent's actions, which are against our clear instructions.

"We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time."

Koscielny, who joined Arsenal from French side Lorient in 2010, has made over 350 appearances for the club. He last signed a contract extension in 2017, with that deal expiring at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

The centre-back suffered a serious knee injury against Atletico Madrid in May 2018, ruling him out of France's victorious World Cup winning campaign that summer, before he returned to action last December.

Arsenal will face Colorado Rapids in a friendly on July 16 before taking on Bayern Munich, Fiorentina and Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup. They kick off their Premier League campaign at Newcastle on Aug. 11.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have condemned "unacceptable racial abuse" suffered by 20-year-old Jordi Osei-Tutu, who is on loan from the north London club at German side VfL Bochum.

Bochum were playing Swiss team St Gallen on Tuesday evening when Osei-Tutu left the field in tears after an interaction with an opposition player.

In a statement released shortly after the incident, Arsenal said: "We are working closely with Bochum and Jordi and we are giving him our full support. Racism has no place in our game and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination."

New York City police say they are investigating a possible hate crime directed toward Megan Rapinoe after posters featuring the U.S. soccer star were defaced with derogatory slurs.

Police said the vandalism, which was discovered inside the Bryant Park subway station in midtown Manhattan on Monday, was being investigated by the New York Police Department's Hate Crime Task Force.

The posters have since been scrubbed clean. Rapinoe, who is gay, has been an outspoken advocate for gender equity and LGBTQ inclusion.

The U.S. women's national team was honored with a ticker tape parade Wednesday up New York City's Canyon of Heroes for winning the World Cup.

After the parade, Rapinoe urged Americans to "love more" and "hate less."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The 2019 Major League Soccer is cruising towards the halfway point and the annual All-Star Game, so what better time to see how the players are feeling about soccer in the U.S. and much, much more.

- Stream MLS on ESPN+
- MLS shopping lists: Who needs what in the summer transfer window?
- What happened to Freddy Adu?

As has become a tradition at ESPN, we asked MLS players during preseason and the early weeks of the 2019 campaign for their thoughts about some hot-button issues in the sport, collecting their answers for our fifth edition of MLS Confidential. This year, we went a step further: how do they spend time away from the pitch? What do they like to eat? Are they movie fans or do they prefer binge-watching TV shows? Which kits are their faves, and which teams do they hate going to play the most?

For the first time, all 24 MLS teams -- and 128 players -- put up responses as we compile the most comprehensive and colorful edition yet. Also of note: the illustrations are representations of the answers we received as all players provided answers on the condition of anonymity.

Previous editions: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

Let's get into it.

DOWNTIME: How they relax away from the field

Being a pro athlete means you're constantly in the spotlight when you're at work, doing your job, but how do the stars of MLS spend their time when they're not on the clock?

1. How do you unwind after a win?

Drinks: 26 percent
Go home/hang with family: 24 percent
Celebrate with teammates/go out on the town: 24 percent
Go for a nice dinner: 16 percent
Relax/sleep/recover: 10 percent

What the players said:

"I usually can't sleep much [after a game] so I chill with my dog and watch some TV."

"I celebrate at home with my family: my kids really help put it all in perspective."

"Probably just go out and have a few drinks with teammates. Nothing crazy."

2. Do you have a secret twitter account?

No: 92 percent
Yes: 3 percent
No comment: 2 percent
Don't use Twitter: 2 percent
I used to: >1 percent
Secret account elsewhere (e.g. Instagram): >1 percent

What the players said:

"Nope. I tweet what I want."

"I used to. We used to have them in the USL so we could tweet out funny observations, not to argue with anyone."

"Twitter, no, but Instagram, yes. It's just for friends."

"No. I don't need that. I'm pretty secure with who I am."

3. Date night or Netflix and Chill?

What the players said:

"Players are always inside chilling so it's nice to go out."

"Date night because when you become a dad, they are so rare."

"Netflix. Going out is expensive. I'm a low-key guy, it fits my personality."

"Netflix. It's more relaxing. Me and my fiancé can just hang out on the couch."

4. Fortnite or FIFA?

FIFA: 63 percent
Fortnite: 29 percent
Neither/no video games: 5 percent
Other game: 3 percent

What the players said:

"FIFA. I played Fortnite once and I died in about two seconds."

"Fortnite because I'm doing too much soccer already."

"FIFA. Fortnite is overrated."

"Fortnite because of the banter with the guys."

WORK MATTERS: MLS players on MLS

It's gameday. That means focus, preparation and execution. How do the players get ready for the big game? How do they celebrate after a big win? Which road trips do they dread as soon as they see the schedule? And how does this generation feel about the revamped playoff format -- which boasts single-elimination games hosted by the higher seeds instead of a two-legged process -- and the age-old question of whether U.S. soccer can handle promotion and relegation?

1. Which away game do you dread the most, and why?

New England: 23 percent
Houston: 12 percent
Columbus: 11 percent
Real Salt Lake: 7 percent
Orlando: 5 percent
Kansas City: 4 percent
San Jose: 4 percent
Dallas: 4 percent
Montreal: 4 percent
Vancouver: 4 percent
New York (Red Bulls or NYCFC): 4 percent
Minnesota: 3 percent
Toronto: 3 percent
LA (Galaxy or LAFC): 3 percent
Don't have one/love all road games: 3 percent
Seattle: 2 percent
Colorado: 2 percent
Philadelphia: >1 percent
Atlanta: >1 percent

What the players said:

"The cross-country flights are pretty tough, but New England is the worst. The hotel is right next to the stadium and there's nothing else to do around there. The fans aren't the best, the field isn't the best. Just the whole package I guess."

"Columbus, dull city and black and grey all the time."

"Houston: it's a long trip, always hot there and downtown is a ghost town on weekends."

"NYCFC: Small pitch, not many fans, long ride to the stadium from the city."

"New England. Terrible turf. Tom Brady world. Trader Joes and Bass Pro Shops."

"RSL/Utah, because it wouldn't be a place I'd like to live. A friend living out here said it's boring unless you are really into the outdoors."

2. What are your pregame rituals or superstitions?

None/not really: 43 percent
Same meals/routines: 18 percent
Same clothing and/or same pattern of getting dressed: 17 percent
Same music: 8 percent
Too many to note: 6 percent
Other: 8 percent

What the players said:

"I always listen to the same two songs before I take the headphones off and shut the phone off. I have smaller ones too. After the team picture on the field I always come over to the equipment guy and get a sip of water, then sprint towards the fans to acknowledge them and then come back to the huddle. It's always the same. [What two songs?] 'Congratulations' and 'Goosebumps.'"

"None. I learned early on that if you start doing that, you'll go crazy trying to remember everything. I do walk with my right foot on the pitch first, but that's more out of habit."

"I'm not too superstitious. I like to keep with my routine but it's a loose routine. So as long as I'm doing the things around my routine, like my pregame meal at a certain time, if I can get some pasta before a game, but I'm not superstitious."

"I watch the same YouTube video before every game. Eden Hazard, the dribbling machine."

"If I score, I'll eat the exact same stuff and at the same time have coffee. If I don't score, I'll change it up."

"If we lose a game or I played poorly, I won't wear the same kit and socks again."

3. Who has the best kit in MLS?

LAFC: 26 percent
Atlanta: 16 percent
Sporting KC: 13 percent
Seattle: 11 percent
FC Cincinnati: 6 percent
Orlando: 5 percent
Vancouver: 5 percent
NYCFC: 5 percent
Portland: 4 percent
New York Red Bulls: 2 percent
LA Galaxy: 2 percent
Chicago: 2 percent
Montreal: 2 percent
Real Salt Lake: >1 percent
Chicago: >1 percent
DC United: >1 percent
Minnesota: >1 percent
Toronto FC: >1 percent

What the players said:

"Seattle. The black and pink is nice and tight."

"LAFC. I like the bad boy look. They always look like the bad boys of LA, like the Raiders used to."

"Atlanta. They are sharp: can't go wrong with black and red."

"Atlanta, because I was there to help put that star on."

"Sporting KC. They always have something nice and clean."

"Love Orlando's all-purple kits."

"Cincinnati. I like the orange and blue. I think it's a good combo."

LAFC. I've always liked their jerseys. Simple and they have an impact."

4. New playoff format: love it or hate it?

Love it: 68 percent
Meh/don't care: 23 percent
Hate it: 9 percent

What the players said:

"Love it. I just feel like that the best teams over the course of the season should be rewarded with a one-off game at home in front of their fans. It also eliminates a lot of travel. I like the advantage for the higher-seeded team."

"There are positives and negatives. It makes for long offseason. If you go to MLS Cup final, you still get proper time to rest. If you don't make the playoffs, it might be too long. I don't want to be off the field for that long."

"I don't like it. I think that home and away is important so when you cut that short, I don't think you're going to get the best team necessarily winning."

"Like it. It speeds up the process and you need just four good games to win the championship. It gives opportunity to a team that wouldn't necessarily have a chance."

5. Would you like to see promotion/relegation in MLS?

What the players said:

"No. I just don't think it's feasible. I don't think an MLS team that gets relegated will be supported the way it needs to be supported. I think that the fan base isn't strong enough yet and ownership will lose too much money. I also don't think a USL team that comes up will be able to compete without spending a ton of money."

"It would never work. There's no infrastructure within the lower leagues. I think there's MLS teams that are still figuring things out, and it would just demolish the league entirely."

"If there are enough solid teams, yes. If we can get to 30 teams that average 15 thousand and above, 100 percent. But I wouldn't want to have 5,000 fans a game. I did it in Norway in the second division and those games are no fun to play in."

"No: It's too early for that in my opinion. I just think we can't afford to have a team like Atlanta or Seattle or Portland, a big market team, get relegated and then have a team like Orange County come up. It would be ridiculous to play in front 200 people at Orange County's USL stadium."

"No. I don't think U.S. Soccer is stable enough with the lower-level teams. I think if you look at how the USL played out last year, if a team like Red Bulls 2 won it, then you'd have an academy league playing in MLS."

"I just think the competition within the league and the Supporters' Shield race as the season winds down, some teams just tend to throw in the towel. And if there's promotion/relegation, the quality of games is still going to be high all the way through."

"Yes, 100 percent. I feel like it brings a lot more pressure. The competition will propel the sport even further in this country and the development. I think soccer should be more like the rest of the world in this country."

POP CULTURE: A look at their own fandom

Athletes have faves of their own, you know. Which musicians, movies and TV shows do they enjoy, especially when trying to relax or while traveling to a road game?

1. Who's your favorite superhero

Batman: 28 percent
Superman: 19 percent
Spider-Man: 15 percent
Thor: 5 percent
Hulk: 5 percent
Iron Man: 5 percent
OTHER (receiving 1 vote): 5 percent
The Flash: 5 percent
Black Panther: 3 percent
Captain America: 3 percent
Wolverine: 3 percent
Power Rangers: >1 percent
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: >1 percent
Deadpool: >1 percent
My parents: >1 percent

What the players said:

"My Dad. He's done everything for me."

"Batman. He's the most realistic of superheroes. He's got the human element to him."

"I'm kind of into the Thor movies. I like watching him walk around and just whack people with his hammer."

"As a kid I really liked the Flash, but his movies are trash so I don't know if I like him anymore. I'm gonna go with the Flash."

"Iron Man. I like his house and that he's big on technology. I love all the gadgets he has."

"Captain America because it's one of the nicknames I used to have. I even have a tattoo."

"Spider-Man. I grew up with his comics. My dad read me his comics. He's young, relatable and makes mistakes."

2. Which TV show are you binging?

Game of Thrones: 28 percent
The Office: 11 percent
Friends: 5 percent
Ozark: 5 percent
Don't watch much TV: 5 percent
Stranger Things: 2 percent
The Wire: 2 percent
Suits: 2 percent
Other (shows receiving one vote each): 40 percent

What the players said:

"I could watch the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' and 'Martin' all day long and not get tired of them."

"'Game of Thrones.' I'm into the ancient times and dragons. It's pretty dope the way they put everything together."

"'Game of Thrones.' It has everything: drama, betrayal, violence."

"'The Office.' It's funny, it's realistic. The humor is so subtle that every time you watch it you catch something new."

"'Ozark.' The suspense always leaves you wanting to know what happens next."

3. Who do you prefer: Kanye West or Drake?

What the players said:

"Drake. With Kanye, you never know what's gonna come out of his mouth."

"Kanye just because he's a better rapper. He's a better MC. Better lyrics. Drake is one of the best musicians of this century but Kanye could rap circles around Drake."

"Drake. He just makes better music. Right now he's untouchable. His worst song is Kanye's best song."

"Drake. Kanye is an idiot right now. I really don't like his ideas."

"Drake. I like old Kanye but new Kanye has me with mixed feelings."

"Drake, easy. Kanye's losing his mind."

FOOD: How the pros eat

Food is fuel for athletes but it's also something to be enjoyed after practice, at the holidays or during the offseason.

1. You've got one meal today: Burgers or tacos?

Burgers: 58 percent
Tacos: 40 percent
Both: 2 percent

What the players said:

"What's not to like about a good burger?"

"Good tacos, I should stress. Street tacos."

"It's a tie between American burgers and straight Mexican street tacos."

"I grew up in SoCal so I'm all about tacos. Carne asada is good."

"Being from Cali, Mexican food is a staple for me."

"Burgers. Tacos are too soggy."

"If I had to eat only one the rest of my life, I would go tacos."

2. What's your favorite cheat meal?

What the players said:

"Pizza. I'm from New York and it's just my go-to if I'm going to eat like crap."

"Something with peanut butter. Peanut butter is amazing."

"Chocolate runs through my veins."

"I have a sweet tooth. S'mores. Make 'em in the house myself, love 'em."

3. What's your go-to food before the game?

Chicken/carbs/veggies: 54 percent
Pasta: 18 percent
Fish/carbs/veggies: 11 percent
Chicken parmesan sandwich: 5 percent
PB&J sandwich: 4 percent
Eggs: 4 percent
Soup: 3 percent
Anything/no preference: >1 percent

There has not been a player like Kylian Mbappe -- at least, not since the turn of the decade.

According to TruMedia data, which goes back to the 2010-11 season, Mbappe's 33 Ligue 1 goals last season were the most of any player age 20 or under in Europe's big five leagues in that time period. When they were in the same age bracket, Lionel Messi topped out at 14 goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo never got above nine.

More recently, Romelu Lukaku's 2012-13 season with West Bromwich Albion and Kai Havertz with Bayer Leverkusen this past year are tied for second behind Mbappe, with 17. So, among goalscorers in his age bracket, Mbappe is nearly 100 percent better than anyone else, but his impact goes beyond goals and, indeed, his age bracket.

After registering eight assists in 2017-18, he had seven more last year; in terms of attacking production -- defined as "non-penalty goals plus assists per 90 minutes" -- there is him (1.50) and Messi (1.49) and then there is everyone else (with 1.04, Dries Mertens was the only other player above 1 NPG+A per 90). Sure, it's easier to score in France than in Spain or England, but Mbappe also produced at an elite level (1.16 NPG+A per 90) in the Champions League.

Mbappe, then, is a singular prospect and one of the two best attackers in the world. Moreover, he does not turn 21 until Dec. 20. If he stays healthy, it is easy to imagine a world in which he improves further and spends at least the next 10 years at the top of the game. Even if he does not get any better, his place atop the hierarchy is secure.

Given all that, he is by far the most valuable player out there. Transfermarkt pegs his market value at €200 million, while the CIES Football Observatory's algorithm lists it at €252m. Whatever the exact number, were Mbappe to switch teams -- and with Paris Saint-Germain in a perpetual state of flux, who knows! -- it seems likely that a buyer would at least have to come close to breaking the world transfer record to acquire him.

But what if the middleman was cut out? Mbappe's contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 season; if he ran it down, he could negotiate with teams of his choosing, play them against each other, then sign a deal with no transfer fee attached. He would only be 23 years old, so prospective employers would likely be paying for his entire prime. The scenario probably will not happen, but imagine if it did, in a global sport with no salary cap? The bidding war would be unlike anything seen before.

From an American-sports perspective, the development of the soccer labor market in Europe is difficult to comprehend. In the middle of the 20th century, clubs could allow contracts to expire, while retaining control of players' rights. Affected individuals needed permission to leave and if clubs refused, they could essentially prevent the player from moving to another team... while also not paying him.

That situation was eventually struck down in court -- how could it not be? -- with teams at least required to pay those they were not allowing to leave. However, they would still get a transfer fee if an out-of-contract player wanted to move on.

In 1995, Belgian midfielder Jean-Marc Bosman challenged the structure when his club, RFC Liege, cut his wages by 75 percent after his contract expired and refused to allow him to leave. The European Court of Justice ruled in Bosman's favor -- again, how could they not? -- and players were suddenly allowed to go wherever they wanted, without a transfer fee, once their deals ran out.

Despite fears of a world with constant player movement and disappearing transfer-fee revenue, not much changed at the top of the game. Juventus have made free agents like Andrea Pirlo and Aaron Ramsey a team-building priority, but most players move with a fee attached that gets split among agents and the clubs said player has previously represented.

"Whilst no transfer fee is being paid, Juventus are still paying significant salaries," said Daniel Geey, a sports lawyer and author of "Done Deal: An Insider's Guide to Football Contracts, Multi-Million Pound Transfers and Premier League Big Business." "The positive side is that the club may make huge transfer profit if they sell a player they signed on a free transfer. Conversely, not many other clubs could afford such salaries should they want to sign such players in the future, due to the additional transfer cost having to be factored in to any transfer."

Although it is called a "free" transfer, the term is misleading. When Juventus signed midfielder Emre Can last summer, they paid out €16m in fees. As that approach shows, players who enter the open market and sign contracts without a fee attached will typically make more money than when a multi-million-dollar sum essentially buys the right to pay that player a salary. However, despite the option of individually customized insurance policies that protect against injury and minimize risk, most are not willing to run down their deals.

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Part of it has to do with the strange function of agents. In American sports, it is in their best interests to get clients the best deals because they will get a percentage of it. In soccer, agents often serve as intermediaries between clubs and players. While they can get commissions from clubs when their players move outside the market, most get them as a chunk of transfer fees.

According to UEFA, the average commission is 12.6 percent, though it can be higher: Paul Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, reportedly earned £24m on his player's £89m move from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016. However, according to Stefan Szymanski, a sports economist and a co-author of "Soccernomics," the market exists in its current form because it is what the clubs want.

"What's really happening here is that because of the transfer system, the economic rents that are generated by players' services are being distributed amongst the clubs," Szymanski told me. "And whenever that happens, you get middlemen who come in. That's who the agents are. They facilitate the transaction. They're a manifestation of the problem in some ways, but they're not the source of the problem."

There is only one Mbappe. Way beyond his level, almost 75 percent of the global soccer-playing workforce makes less than $4,000 a month, according to a 2016 FIFPro report, the worldwide players' union. The average playing career, according to the Professional Footballers' Association in England, lasts eight years.

Those players are not in a position to go against the institutional inertia; they cannot afford to refuse a transfer or run down their deals because their clubs can just make them go train with the youth team or reserves and then they lose a year in what is already likely to be a short career. On top of that, if a lost season comes at the wrong time, it could also mean that a player doesn't get selected by his national team for the World Cup or a continental competition.

There are other ways players can exert control. Eden Hazard gained leverage by running his contract down to its final year, and Chelsea ultimately decided to sell him to Real Madrid, rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Outside Spain, where every contract is legally required to include a buyout clause, players could start negotiating automatic release clauses into their deals, which would allow them to enter into personal negotiations if a given club meets the asking price. But in both cases, players are still likely to earn less than they would on the open market.

Unlike the NFL or NBA, there is no collective bargaining agreement among players and the leagues, in part because there are so many professional teams and players scattered across the world, in different countries with different labor laws. When the current transfer regulations were agreed upon in 2001, it was a deal between the European Commission and FIFA, not FIFPro.

For various structural reasons, soccer players will likely never have the kind of negotiating power exercised in the NBA during the most recent free-agency period.

"There's a handful of stars who basically are the NBA. If those handful of stars decide to leave and form their own league, the NBA would more or less drop dead," Szymanski said. "Global soccer is a different proposition. It's hundreds of clubs with incredibly strong loyalties, most of whom would survive a mass walkout by the top hundred players."

Individual players are more important in a sport with five players rather than 11, and thanks to their historical importance as societal institutions, most soccer fans still identify with clubs ahead of players. Perhaps a high-profile star like Mbappe hitting the open market would start to shift the balance.

Or maybe someone else could try it even sooner: David De Gea, Christian Eriksen and Timo Werner, for example, have one year left on their contracts...