PLACERVILLE, Calif. – Placerville Speedway officials have announced that the El Dorado County Fairgrounds quarter-mile has been given the green light to host a test and tune this Saturday, May 9.

Several requirements will be in place and participants are asked to please follow them, as this is the first step in showing that the speedway can abide by the specified guidelines in order to have a racing season. The Test and Tune will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. with pit passes $25 per person. The pit gate will open at noon, while the grandstands and concessions will be closed.

Another one of the important details to note is that participants are required to arrive in the same vehicle and are limited to six people (five plus the race car driver). Participants will be asked to exit the tow vehicle to check in together and will be escorted to a designated pit area. No personal vehicles are allowed in the pits.

The following guidelines/requirements have been approved by the county for this Saturday’s test and tune at Placerville Speedway:

Preparation:

• In order to continue keeping the county safe, please clean and disinfect all equipment prior to arrival at the facility.

• It is highly recommended that all trucks, trailers, motorhomes, personal vehicles be actively disinfected through a wipe-down process by individual attendees prior to arrival to Placerville Speedway.

Travel to:

• All team members (referred to as participants) should travel and attend with household contacts only if possible.

Pre-Event:

• If a participant or team member is sick or displays symptoms of COVID19 – STAY HOME! Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, cough, headache, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, chills or repeated shaking with chills.

• Participants should wash hands with soap and water after being in a public place, after blowing nose, coughing, or sneezing, preparing and/or consuming food.

• Participants should avoid touching their faces.

Upon arrival at Placerville Speedway:

• Participants will arrive together in the same vehicle and are limited to a total number of six people (five in addition to the race car driver). Participants will be requested to exit the tow vehicle to check in together and will be escorted to a designated pit area.

• Participants will be required to sign the standard waiver/release as well as an additional COVID-19 waiver/release. Do NOT exit your vehicle to walk up to the pit booth, you will be directed to exit your vehicle when you reach the gate.

• Participants will have their temperature taken at time of check in.

• All teams will pit 10’ apart

• Participants will remain in their designated pit area and will adhere to the 6’ Social Distancing requirement from other participants.

• Participants will be allowed in the spectator area to watch their respective team car when it is on the track, but will need to vacate the area when their car exits the track.

• Participants will be allowed to bring their own food & beverages (no alcohol, no glass and no open flame bbq’s)

• Face masks are not required in El Dorado County but are encouraged.

Event:

• Officials will communicate with Participants over the PA system.

• No more than three cars will be allowed on the track at one time.

Special Considerations:

• If you are or live with someone over the age of 65 or with underlying medical conditions, please consider staying home or be prepared to self quarantine upon your return.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said he does not believe Barcelona should be named champions if the La Liga season cannot be completed.

Players in Spain are being tested for the coronavirus this week ahead of a return to individual training sessions.

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La Liga has confirmed that it hopes to resume playing competitive games in June and finish the 2019-20 season this summer.

"We are two points behind Barcelona, so it's still possible we can be champions," Courtois said in an interview on his website. "It would be unfortunate if the season were cancelled.

"If they decide to stop the competition and Barcelona are named champions, I wouldn't find it completely right. They drew once against us and lost once, so we showed them that we're a better team. We're two points behind them, but I wouldn't agree with that.

"In England, I could understand if Liverpool become champions. I don't know how many points ahead they are. I'd like to finish the season. I think a championship is based on all the matches that have to be played. It's 11 games too early to decide on the champions."

Madrid's players will return to their Valdebebas training ground on Wednesday morning to undergo testing for the coronavirus, with a view to returning to training next Monday once club medical staff have received test results.

The club's training ground was quarantined on March 12 and players were sent home after basketball player Trey Thompkins tested positive.

This week, the facilities have been disinfected and prepared for use, in accordance with a protocol for the return of professional sport approved by Spain's Ministry of Health last week.

A four-week, phased process will see player testing followed by individual activities, then group sessions and finally, if all goes to plan, competitive games.

"I think we should be playing, but of course we have to consider our safety," Courtois added. "We have to be 100% sure before we play again, because you can be infected without carrying symptoms.

"You have to be careful who you come into contact with. What happens when there's a player infected on another team? But of course I'd love to finish the season.

"Fear isn't the right word. I still visit my kids. If I haven't already been infected, then I can still get infected or infect them. You hear stories of young, healthy people getting sick. That's not what you want."

There have been almost 220,000 coronavirus cases in Spain since the pandemic began, and over 25,000 deaths.

Having looked over 28 years of transfer data for my list of the 100 best Premier League transfers -- 100-51 here and 50-1 here -- it is time to go in the opposite direction. Say goodbye to Thierry Henry and hello to Bebe. It's time for the 50 worst transfers in Premier League history.

I tried to keep the rules for determining the worst transfer simple. In short, I wanted to measure the impact a player had on a club versus the impact he would have been expected to have when he signed originally. I paid special attention to anyone whose story or impact off the pitch was particularly notable. And while I only considered a player's performance as a Premier Leaguer in the best transfers piece, in this feature, I factored in what he did after relegation if it continued to make the transfer look worse, most notably with anyone whose wages continued to drag down his team.

One more note: All the transfer values in this column are from Transfermarkt. Some of that data may be at odds with what was publicly reported at the time.

Honorable mentions

• Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United) is the patron saint of these sorts of lists, but I really think it's more about his name than anything else. The Cameroonian only cost £4.1 million when he was signed by United in 2003, and as a 22-year-old, he was more of a prospect than a realistic replacement for Roy Keane. If he was named Eric Stevens and arrived from Bradford City, Djemba-Djemba would not get the same sort of attention he has since leaving United.

• Several strikers who flamed out in a short time span miss out, including Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich City), Jozy Altidore (Sunderland) and Andreas Cornelius (Cardiff City).

• I'm not quite prepared to rule on most of the transfer flops of the 2019-20 campaign given the unique position we find ourselves in because of the coronavirus outbreak, so Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham) Joelinton (Newcastle) and Moise Kean (Everton) get a pass, at least for now.

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50. Marcelino, DF, Newcastle

Signed from Real Mallorca (Spain) for £6 million, 1999

At a time when English football was still relatively insular and distrustful of foreign players, Marcelino became the caricature of what could go wrong if a team dared look outside the British Isles for talent. The Spain international couldn't stay healthy early in his tenure on Tyneside, and after Ruud Gullit was sacked, Sir Bobby Robson simply didn't trust him.

Having developed a reputation as a "bottler," he spent four years with the club but played just 17 matches, including zero across his final two years in the Premier League. While Marcelino helped Rafa Benitez prepare for his time managing Newcastle and returned to watch his old team play, supporters still asked about the finger injury which cost the defender more than two months on the sidelines.

49. Dennis Wise, MF, Leicester City

Signed from Chelsea for £3.2 million, 2001

Signed as a 35-year-old to replace Neil Lennon in midfield, Wise immediately presided over Leicester's relegation from the Premier League. He then showed up to training camp the following summer in Finland and punched teammate Callum Davidson in a card game spat, breaking the Scottish player's cheekbone. The punch cost Wise the £3m remaining on his Leicester deal and is likely the best thing he ever did for the club, which soon entered administration.

48. Park Chu-Young, FW, Arsenal

Signed from Monaco (France) for £5.9 million, 2011

The South Korea international was one of several signings Arsene Wenger seemed to make in a panic at the end of the 2011 summer transfer window, just days after his club had been ripped to shreds in an 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

While the club signed future manager Mikel Arteta and academy boss Per Mertesacker, they also added overmatched left-back Andre Santos and striker Park over the two-day span, with the latter leaving his hotel in the middle of a medical with French side Lille to sign for the Gunners. While Santos had his own issues, Park played a total of eight minutes in the Premier League over two-plus seasons with the club.

47. Milton Nunez, FW, Sunderland

Signed from PAOK Salonika (Greece) for £2.4 million, 2000

Also known as Tyson Nunez, the Honduran made just one substitute appearance during his time on Wearside, which is fitting for a player whom Sunderland signed by accident. Sunderland manager Peter Reid was reportedly attempting to sign 6-foot-0 future MetroStars striker Adolfo Valencia to his team, but he mistakenly ended up with the 5-foot-4 Nunez instead.

The whole situation ended up in a lawsuit, although Nunez wasn't totally sidelined during his time with the Black Cats. He scored a brace in a 3-2 Honduras road win at RFK Stadium against the U.S., which was the last World Cup qualifier the U.S. lost on home soil for 15 years.

46. Yannick Bolasie, FW, Everton

Signed from Crystal Palace for £26 million, 2016

While Everton's recruitment in the Farhad Moshiri era has been inconsistent at best, few would have argued with the signing of the 27-year-old Bolasie from Crystal Palace when it happened. Sadly, the winger tore his ACL months after arriving and hasn't been the same player since.

The Congo international missed nearly a full year and has made just 29 appearances over four seasons at Everton, with the club loaning him to Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon. Bolasie, reportedly earning something close to £80,000-per-week, has produced more loans (three) than league goals (two) during his time at Goodison Park.

45. Angel Di Maria, FW, Manchester United

Signed from Real Madrid (Spain) for £67.5 million, 2014

One of the most significant examples of United's habit of getting the least out of world-class players, Di Maria got off to an impressive-enough start at Old Trafford after being signed for a British transfer record. The Argentine was named club Player of the Month in October, but after missing time with a hamstring injury, never seemed to regain his old form.

His family was understandably unsettled by an attempted robbery in February, while the star winger was scapegoated for Louis van Gaal's uninspiring debut season. He was sold to PSG after one season at a loss of £10.8m, at which point Di Maria returned to his old self.

44. Afonso Alves, FW, Middlesbrough

Signed from Heerenveen (Netherlands) for £15.3 million, 2008

Sometimes, you mine the Eriedivisie for its top scorer and come away with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Other times, you end up with Alves, who had scored 44 goals in 39 matches for Heerenveen before joining Middlesbrough in the winter transfer window. He was actually decent in his first half-season with the club, scoring six goals in 651 minutes, but the subsequent year was a disaster.

In 2008-09, Alves scored just four times in 31 appearances for a Boro team that netted just 28 goals all season, the fewest of any Premier League club. Gareth Southgate's team unsurprisingly went down, with Alves taking much of the blame before leaving for Al-Sadd.

43. Per Kroldrup, DF, Everton

Signed from Udinese for £6.1 million, 2005

Few players have had briefer Premier League careers than the Denmark international, who joined high-flying Everton in summer 2005 and immediately suffered a groin injury. When he recovered, manager David Moyes inserted him into the lineup for a Boxing Day fixture against Aston Villa, which Everton lost 4-0.

After one January appearance as a sub in the FA Cup, Everton cut their losses and sold Kroldup to Fiorentina for £3.6m. The 6-foot-4 defender had a fine career outside of England, but even he admitted he couldn't cope with English football.

42. Ben Gibson, CB, Burnley

Signed from Middlesbrough for £15.2 million, 2018

When Sean Dyche shelled out a club-record £15m to sign Gibson, Burnley thought they were signing an emerging central defender on the fringes of the England team. Over nearly two full seasons, though, Gibson has made a total of one Premier League appearance, scoring in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Everton. He was last seen training with Middlesbrough and has likely completed his Clarets career.

41. Oumar Niasse, FW, Everton

Signed from Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia) for £16.1 million, 2016

Another recent Everton flop, Niasse's tenure with the club has been downright bizarre. Signed by Roberto Martinez during the winter transfer window, Niasse only played 131 minutes over five matches before being told he had no future with the club by new boss Ronald Koeman.

After outlasting Koeman on Merseyside, Niasse became a bit of a cult hero and scored eight times in 22 appearances. Since then, though, he has played just 77 minutes over two seasons, mixing in a scoreless loan spell at Cardiff. His Everton career will end this summer.

40. Corrado Grabbi, FW, Blackburn

Signed from Ternana (Italy) for £10.2 million, 2001

With the days of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton gone, you can understand why the recently promoted Rovers made their move to sign the 25-year-old Grabbi, who had finished second in Serie B after scoring 20 goals for lowly Ternana the prior season.

Graeme Souness was hoping to come away with a budding star, but Grabbi failed miserably in England and scored just once in his debut season, losing his place to Andy Cole. Grabbi finished his run in England with two Premier League goals in 950 minutes across three seasons before returning to his home country.

39. Fernando Torres, FW, Chelsea

Signed from Liverpool for £52.7 million, 2011

Most of the players on this list have not been up to the standards of the Premier League, but Torres is a different sort of problem. While he was one of the best strikers on the planet during his time at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, he was surprisingly ordinary after signing for Chelsea.

Torres scored 65 league goals in 7,856 minutes for Liverpool, or about once every 120.8 minutes; after signing for Chelsea, he netted a mere 20 league goals in 6,824 minutes, which was closer to once every 341 minutes. He was 26 upon his arrival, so it wasn't as if Chelsea signed a player who should have been past his peak. It just never seemed to come together in West London for the World Cup winner, who scored just once in his first half-season and never topped eight Premier League goals in his time with the club.

Chelsea eventually let Torres, the most expensive player on this list, leave on a free transfer. His tenure didn't live up to expectations, but fans still have some fond memories of his time with the club, most notably his goal at Barcelona which sealed a place in the 2012 Champions League final.

38. Andy Carroll, FW, Liverpool

Signed from Newcastle United for £36.9 million, 2011

The player signed to replace Torres didn't turn out too well, either. There was understandable shock when Liverpool broke their club record for the second time in a matter of hours, but while the £22.8m move for Ajax's Luis Suarez turned out to be a work of genius, Carroll's signing proved to be a misstep.

The 22-year-old had really only spent one half-season as a starting striker for Newcastle in the top flight, scoring 11 goals in 19 games, but injuries and coaching changes marginalized the lanky striker. He scored just six goals in 44 matches for Liverpool before being shipped off to West Ham.

37. Juan Sebastian Veron, MF, Manchester United

Signed from Lazio (Italy) for £38.3 million, 2001

In hindsight, it does seem a little curious that Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to break up that famous midfield of Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and David Beckham by making Veron the most expensive transfer in English history at the time. Veron was a more complete player than any of the four, but as Gary Neville said with the benefit of hindsight, he wasn't a like-for-like replacement for either of United's central midfielders.

Ferguson saw Veron as a unique difference-maker and famously defended the player in an expletive-filled rant to the media, but despite winning Player of the Month in his first full month with the club, Veron seemed to wither by the end of his first season and never seemed to find the right role with the club. United cut their losses after two years and sold him to Chelsea for £19.3m.

36. Andrea Silenzi, FW, Nottingham Forest

Signed from Torino (Italy) for an unknown fee, 1995

One of the top scorers in Serie A in 1994 and a one-time Italy international, Silenzi was unfairly positioned as the replacement for Stan Collymore, who had just been sold to Liverpool. Ostracized as the first Italian in Premier League history, Silenzi failed to score in 12 appearances, only three of which were starts. Forest then sent Silenzi back to Italy on a loan from which he never returned.

35. Didier Ndong, MF, Sunderland

Signed from Lorient (France) for £18 million, 2016

34. Papy Djilobodji, DF, Sunderland

Signed from Chelsea for £8.6 million, 2016

I'll link these two players because they both went through a similar saga. Sunderland signed Ndong and Djilobodji in summer 2016. Neither impressed as Sunderland finished with just 24 points and were relegated. Ndong was a much better player than Djilobodji, but both of their Stadium of Light careers ended the same way. They each went on loan during Sunderland's infamous follow-up season, when they were relegated for a second consecutive campaign. Both were released after failing to report for training over the summer, a tactic the club likely preferred to get their respective wages off the books.

33. Massimo Taibi, GK, Manchester United

Signed from Venezia (Italy) on a free transfer, 1999

Other sources have suggested Taibi cost £4.5m, but at any price, his brief run as United goalkeeper was a disaster. Ferguson signed Taibi to compete with Mark Bosnich and Raymond van der Gouw as the Scot tried to replace Peter Schmeichel. The Italian only started four matches for United, allowing 11 goals in the process, most notably that famous gaffe against Southampton's Matt Le Tissier.

That came in Taibi's third appearance, and while the 6-foot-3 keeper blamed his studs, there were no such excuses when Taibi allowed five goals against Chelsea in his fourth and final appearance for United. Ferguson's other keepers only allowed 34 goals across their other 34 games, though, as United comfortably won the league.

32. Francis Jeffers, FW, Arsenal

Signed from Everton for £13.8 million, 2001

Arguably the first significant transfer misfire of the Wenger era, the 20-year-old Jeffers was famously signed to serve as the "fox in the box" for an Arsenal team that only had the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp to rely upon for scoring. Jeffers had some injury issues even before signing for the Gunners, but the reality is that he just wasn't a great player. He scored six Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons for Everton as a teenager and then never topped that mark in any season at any level afterward. He scored just four goals in 548 minutes for Arsenal before beginning the itinerant phase of his career.

31. Kostas Mitroglou, FW, Fulham

Signed from Olympiakos (Greece) for £13.7 million, 2014

With Fulham attempting to avoid relegation, the addition of Mitroglou seemed like a coup. The Greece international had scored 30 goals in his prior 36 appearances for Olympiakos, which led the Cottagers to shell out a club-record fee to sign him in January.

But if you don't remember Mitroglou's career at Craven Cottage, well, you aren't alone. Fulham sacked Rene Meulensteen and replaced him with Felix Magath, whose hyper-emphasis on fitness led the German to omit Mitroglou from the team. The striker played just 153 scoreless minutes for relegated Fulham and never appeared for the club again. He went back to Olympiakos on loan and then to Benfica before being sold to the Portuguese club for £6.3m in 2016.

30. Marco Boogers, FW, West Ham

Signed from Sparta (Holland) for £653,000, 1995

Things started bad and didn't get much better for Boogers, who was sent off in his second appearance for the Hammers after an attempt to saw off Gary Neville's leg at the knee. Boogers would make just two more appearances for West Ham and finished his Premier League career with 100 total minutes on the pitch.

When he returned to Netherlands during his four-game suspension for the Neville tackle, a misheard quote from West Ham's press officer led the Sun to publish a headline suggesting Boogers had left the club to live in a Dutch caravan. The story wasn't true but, after a knee injury, he did return to his homeland to finish his career.

29. Nikola Zigic, FW, Birmingham City

Signed from Valencia (Spain) for £6.3 million, 2010

The 6-foot-7 Zigic scored the opener in Birmingham's 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Arsenal, but the rest of his Birmingham tenure was less notable. He scored five goals in his first season as the club were relegated, and while he managed 28 goals over three years in the Championship, Birmingham simply couldn't get rid of the Serbia international.

Zigic was reportedly on £50,000-a-week and had no clause to reduce his wages in the case of relegation. With no takers, he lingered for years. It peaked with what manager Lee Clark called "the worst training session I have ever come across" in 2013.

28. Michael Owen, FW, Newcastle United

Signed from Real Madrid (Spain) for £22.5 million, 2005

You can't fault Newcastle for trying. With Alan Shearer entering his final year at the club, they tried to sign the best possible replacement for their club legend by bringing Owen back to England. Injuries had blunted his impact during a lone season in Madrid, but the pacey English star was still only 25 and had scored 70 goals across his final four seasons with Liverpool.

Everything went wrong for Owen during his first two seasons with the club, when he suffered thigh and foot injuries before tearing his ACL in the opening moments of England's 2006 World Cup game against Sweden. Owen played just 14 games over those first two years on Tyneside and, while the next two were better, he still only managed 19 league goals over 4,073 minutes and a total of 26 over his four years in black and white.

27. Owen Hargreaves, MF, Manchester United

Signed from Bayern Munich (Germany) for £22.5 million, 2007

While Hargreaves had battled injury issues before making his move to England in summer 2007, nobody could have anticipated just how badly the England international would struggle to stay healthy. Hargreaves won the double in his debut season for United, but his career was basically over at 27.

The Canada-born midfielder would make just five more appearances in the Premier League, four of which came over his final three seasons with United. After one subsequent 14-minute appearance for Manchester City, Hargreaves retired.

26. Seth Johnson, MF, Leeds United

Signed from Derby County for £10.4 million, 2001

Another English midfielder whose career was cut short in his 20s by injury, Johnson is most famous for the perhaps-apocryphal story surrounding his signing with Leeds. As it goes, Johnson arrived for his negotiations with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale hoping to come away with £13,000-per-week. Ridsdale's initial offer was £30,000-per-week, and when Johnson gasped, Ridsdale misconstrued the sentiment and upped his offer to £37,000-per-week. It became the perfect encapsulation of how Leeds' spending spree at the turn of the century went disastrously wrong.

Johnson struggled to stay healthy, and once the club entered administration and were relegated to the Championship, they were stuck in an impossible situation. He had made 59 appearances for the club, but with the 60th set to trigger a £250,000 payment to Derby that Leeds couldn't afford, Johnson sat on the bench for the remainder of the season. He would return to Derby on a free transfer, in part because he was impressed with the club's training facilities. They had been funded by Johnson's sale to Leeds.

25. Sergey Rebrov, FW, Tottenham

Signed from Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) for £16.2 million, 2000

Rebrov was part of a famous strike partnership with Andrey Shevchenko at Kyiv. While Shevchenko starred at Milan before disappointing at Chelsea, Rebrov went directly into the anonymous English phase of his career.

Spurs were hoping to see the striker who scored 10 times in the Champions League during his final season with Kyiv, but Rebrov managed just 10 Premier League goals over 59 appearances, including one in 30 during his second season. Spurs then loaned him to Fenerbahce for the remainder of his contract.

24. Roberto, GK, West Ham

Signed from Espanyol (Spain) on a free transfer, 2019

The only player signed in the present season on this list, Roberto's career with the Hammers was short but disastrous. Taking over for injured Lukasz Fabianski, calamitous performances saw Roberto allow 14 goals (including an own goal) across his seven starts. West Ham claimed just one point from those matches, and Roberto's struggles led the club to sack both manager Manuel Pellegrini and director of football Mario Husillos.

The Hammers had a 31% chance of going down when the Premier League season was stalled and, given they were averaging 1.2 points per match without Roberto, it would be fair to pin a significant amount of blame on him if they do go down. Other players have cost more and failed to live up to much higher expectations, but very few players can inspire total regime change and open up the possibility of relegation in 686 minutes of football.

23. Giannelli Imbula, MF, Stoke City

Signed from Porto (Portugal) for £21.8 million, 2016

Stoke aren't the sort of club who would typically spend this much money on any one player, so there was a lot of pressure on club-record signing Imbula to make an immediate impact after Stoke signed him away from Porto. Charlie Adam compared Imbula to Patrick Vieira when he signed for the club in 2016, and given that Vieira was 40 years old at the time, it was probably fair.

Imbula became the symbol of Stoke's rapid decline and departure from the Premier League, as the midfielder made just 26 appearances over his two years with the club. He was dropped to the U-23 team and loaned out as Stoke were relegated. Imbula then helped Vallecano get relegated from La Liga before being sent home from his loan in Serie A with Lecce after three appearances. Stoke cancelled Imbula's contract by mutual consent with 18 months to go.

22. Saido Berahino, FW, Stoke City

Signed from West Bromwich Albion for £12.5 million, 2017

I would argue that the once-promising Berahino did more to consign Stoke to the Championship. In 28 matches and 1,214 minutes for Stoke in the Premier League, he failed to score even once. After scoring three goals in the second-tier the following season, the club terminated Berahino's contract after he was arrested on charges of driving drunk.

21. Eliaquim Mangala, DF, Manchester City

Signed from Porto (Portugal) for £40.5 million, 2014

Mangala looked to be a rising superstar when City spent more than £40m to buy him from Porto, but Mangala was inconsistent under Manuel Pellegrini and frozen out under Pep Guardiola.

The defender started just four more league matches under the former Barcelona manager and was loaned to Valencia and Everton. Mangala was allowed to leave for Valencia on a free transfer this summer and has the third-largest gap between his transfer fee and subsequent sale return of any player in Premier League history.

20. Jack Rodwell, MF, Sunderland

Signed from Manchester City for £11.3 million, 2014

It's unclear whether the one-time England international simply stalled after his rise at Everton or really wasn't all that good in the first place. Sunderland signed Rodwell after a two-year spell at Man City and gave him a contract worth £70,000-per-week, crucially leaving out a clause that would have reduced his salary if the Black Cats were relegated to the Championship. When Rodwell's indifferent play and struggles with injury helped push Sunderland into the second tier, they were stuck with one of the most expensive players in the division.

That would have been one thing if Rodwell was a key member of the club, but he played just 105 minutes as Sunderland were relegated again. Facing a £43,000-per-week salary in League 1, they were able to convince Rodwell to cancel his contract. He became the symbol of Sunderland's fall down the league as an overpaid, disinterested mistake. You can criticize him for taking the money, I suppose, but Sunderland are the ones who handed him the contract.

19. Agustin Delgado, FW, Southampton

Signed from Necaxa (Mexico) for £5.2 million, 2002

It should be telling that Southampton were more surprised when Delgado showed up in 2003 than they would have been if he had stayed home. Then one of the club's biggest signings, Delgado got on Gordon Strachan's bad side after seemingly prioritizing trips back to Ecuador for his national team over playing for the Saints.

He played just 65 minutes and trained five times in his first season after joining Southampton in 2002, only to then play all three matches for Ecuador in the World Cup. Delgado made just two starts and played a mere 303 minutes over his three years in England, scoring once. His time ended with Southampton threatening to block him from signing with another club until his contract expired, seemingly out of frustrated spite.

18. Kevin Davies, FW, Blackburn Rovers

Signed from Southampton for £10.1 million, 1998

Davies had a long, productive career and played more than 440 games in the Premier League, but very few of them came with Blackburn. Southampton paid just over £1m to sign Davies in 1997, but after a nine-goal campaign, Brian Kidd paid more than 10 times that amount to bring the 21-year-old to Blackburn, but Davies scored one lone goal in his 21 appearances with the club. Blackburn were relegated, Kidd was fired and Davies was sent back to the Saints after the season in exchange for Egil Ostenstad.

17. Gaston Ramirez, AM, Southampton

Signed from Bologna (Italy) for £13.7 million, 2012

I promise this is the last Southampton attacker for a bit. Ramirez was signed as a 21-year-old out of Serie A and got off to a promising start in the Premier League, but after his first season, things went pear-shaped. The Uruguayan started just three matches and played a total of 578 minutes over his final three seasons on the south coast, contributing one goal and one assist over that timeframe.

Ramirez spent most of his time on the bench, although he did make loan moves to Hull City and then to Middlesbrough before heading to the Riverside on a free transfer. He was reportedly one of the club's highest earners at £65,000-per-week.

16. Alberto Aquilani, MF, Liverpool

Signed from Roma (Italy) for £18 million, 2009

Brought in as a replacement by Rafa Benitez for departing club legend Xabi Alonso, Aquilani failed to live up to his predecessor's established level of play. The Italian started just nine times in his lone season with Liverpool, and while he contributed five assists in 817 minutes, Benitez's departure brought Aquilani's career on Merseyside to a close.

He was loaned to Juventus and Milan before permanently joining Fiorentina for just £1.8m in 2012. Aquilani later said he wished he had never signed for Liverpool in the first place. You get the feeling their fans might agree.

15. Steve Marlet, FW, Fulham

Signed from Lyon (France) for £15.8 million, 2001

There are unquestionably worse players on this list, but I'm not sure any other Premier League signing led their chairman to take the manager who made the signing to court. Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed refused to pay the sacked Jean Tigana part of his salary and accused the Frenchman of deliberately overpaying for Marlet to try and pocket part of the fee.

The move didn't work, but neither did Marlet, who scored 11 goals in 49 starts over his two seasons in West London. Marlet later described his time with the club as "hell".

14. Roger Johnson, CB, Wolves

Signed from Birmingham City for £7.2 million, 2011

When Wolves signed Johnson from relegated Birmingham, they were hoping to add a leader to their backline. The only place he led them was down the same path. With Johnson taking over as club captain, Wolves were immediately relegated.

The nadir of their season likely came when the defender was fined after showing up drunk for training in March, though there was further indignity when Wolves were relegated again the following year. Johnson never appeared for the club again.

13. David Bentley, MF, Tottenham Hotspur

Signed from Blackburn for £19.8 million, 2008

An Arsenal prospect who left in search of first-team football before excelling at Blackburn, Spurs had every reason to be excited when they signed Bentley. The winger arrived at Spurs as a 24-year-old who was breaking into the England team and left totally uninterested in football as a calling.

Bentley struggled in his debut season, only contributing one goal and three assists in 1,826 minutes, and things only got worse. After a second uninspiring season, he lost his place by dousing manager Harry Redknapp with a celebratory ice bucket. Spurs subsequently sent Bentley on loan to Birmingham, West Ham, Blackburn, and even FC Rostov in Russia, without the winger showing his old form. Bentley was sidelined for months with a knee injury, and after his contract with Spurs expired, he chose to retire at the age of 29. He finished his Spurs career with just two goals and five assists in 42 appearances.

12. Bebe, MF, Manchester United

Signed from Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal) for £7.9 million, 2010

If Bebe isn't the worst signing Sir Alex Ferguson made, he's certainly the most haphazard. Bebe hadn't played at a level beyond the Portuguese third division, but on the recommendation of former assistant Carlos Quieroz, Ferguson shelled out £7.9m to sign a player who once suited up for Portugal in the Homeless World Cup.

It was a bold move for a player Ferguson would later admit he had never seen play, with the Scottish legend claiming he had made the move to beat Real Madrid to the punch. He need not have bothered. Bebe suggested he would have preferred to stay at his orphanage, and while he later carved out a professional career in Spain, he wasn't up to the United standard. He played just 75 Premier League minutes during his time at Old Trafford.

11. Alexis Sanchez, FW, Manchester United

Signed from Arsenal in a swap for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 2018

United's worst signing of the Premier League era, though, has to be a transfer which was seen as a coup at the time. Sanchez appeared set to join Manchester City before United's cross-town rivals balked at the Chilean star's wage demands. United handed Sanchez a four-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth £391,000-per-week with £75,000 appearance bonuses and a £1.1m annual bonus in the hopes of the 28-year-old serving as the focal point of their post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic attack.

Instead, Sanchez scored just three Premier League goals in one-and-a-half seasons. While he's dealt with injuries, the reality is that the once-exciting winger has looked like a shadow of his old self. A slowed Sanchez doesn't fit in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's counter-attacking style of play and an attempt to reduce the wage bill led United to loan him to Inter this season. The Red Devils are still paying Sanchez more than £200,000-per-week to play in Italy.

United once signed Robin van Persie from Arsenal under similar circumstances and rode the star striker's goals to a league title. As great as that move was, the Sanchez transfer has gone equally as poorly.

10. Mario Balotelli, FW, Liverpool

Signed from AC Milan (Italy) for £18 million, 2014

Although it's easy to look back on Liverpool's first candidate to replace Suarez as a foolish bet, there was some logic behind their attempt. Balotelli was still only 24 and coming off of a 14-goal season in Serie A for Milan. The price was reasonable and, in Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool felt like they had a manager who had spent the last several seasons getting the most out of a mercurial talent in Suarez.

It quickly became clear that they had made a mistake. Rodgers was publicly critical in admitting Balotelli was his last available choice to replace Suarez, and the Italian scored one Premier League goal for Liverpool in 939 minutes before leaving to return to Milan on loan. His failure contributed to Rodgers' sacking just over a year after nearly leading Liverpool to a Premier League title. New boss Jurgen Klopp had little interest in Balotelli and allowed him to leave the club for Nice on a free transfer.

9. Winston Bogarde, DF, Chelsea

Signed from Barcelona (Spain) on a free transfer, 2000

Thanks to billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, it's been a long time since Chelsea had any meaningful financial concerns, but we're still not too far removed from the days when the club were deep in the red and on the verge of a financial crisis. Bogarde figured as one of the causes of their near-insolvency. Signed on a free transfer and handed a contract worth £40,000-per-week under the stewardship of Gianluca Vialli, things began to go wrong just 13 days later, when Vialli was sacked.

Replacement Claudio Ranieri didn't rate Bogarde, who began a lengthy run in the reserves. According to the man himself, Chelsea refused to loan him unless the other club would pick up the entirety of his wages. Naturally, nobody wanted to pay a defender short on match fitness and riding the Stamford Bridge bench for £40,000-per-week, so Bogarde simply faded into the background. He made just nine Premier League appearances in his first season and then never made another for the club -- or any other side -- again.

8. Tomas Brolin, MF, Leeds United

Signed from Parma (Italy) for £4.5 million, 1995

While the media at the time seemed to blame Brolin's failures on his weight and lack of desire, I suspect some of the blame for this fiasco should fall on Leeds' shoulders. Brolin had suffered a serious foot injury on international duty for Sweden in 1994 and barely played for Parma before Leeds spent a club-record £4.5m to sign him in summer 1995.

Brolin actually wasn't all that bad in his brief time playing with the club, scoring four goals in 18 Premier League appearances, including a brace in a 2-0 win over West Ham. With Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson choosing to play Brolin out of position, the Swede decided to respond with a deliberately awful performance in a 5-0 loss to Liverpool the following week. Brolin refused to return to Leeds the following season, went to Zurich to play on a minimum salary to prove his point about money not mattering, and then briefly went back to Parma on a loan.

With the striker alternately practicing with the reserves or skipping out on training altogether, Leeds eventually banned him from their stadium during matchdays before releasing him altogether. After a brief spell with Crystal Palace, Brolin retired from the game at 28.

7. Andriy Shevchenko, FW, Chelsea

Signed from AC Milan (Italy) for £39.5 million, 2006

Thought of as Roman Abramovich's "white whale" for years, the Russian finally got his man and convinced Milan to sell Shevchenko to Chelsea for a British record fee. The move for the Ukrainian seemed likely to precede a move away for Didier Drogba, with Jose Mourinho expected to use Shevchenko as his preferred option up front. The problem was that the new man was 29 and, while he had been scoring for fun at Milan, he seemed to age overnight after his move to Stamford Bridge.

Injuries, inconsistency and the resurgent form of Drogba limited Shevchenko to just nine Premier League goals in 48 appearances. Mourinho stuck with Drogba and used Shevchenko out of position, leading Abramovich to eventually sack the Portuguese coach in 2007. Shevchenko went on loan to Milan after his second season and then moved back to Dynamo Kiev on a permanent transfer.

6. Dani Osvaldo, FW, Southampton

Signed from Roma (Italy) for £13.6 million, 2013

Osvaldo isn't the only Premier League player to get into a fight with a teammate -- John Hartson famously kicked Eyal Berkovic in the jaw while the two were at West Ham, while Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer got into a mid-match fistfight while the pair were at Newcastle -- but those were one-off incidents. Southampton had been forewarned and should have known better.

Osvaldo had already been sanctioned for fighting Erik Lamela at Roma before joining Southampton in 2013, and while he scored three goals in 855 Premier League minutes during the fall, Osvaldo's Saints career came to a close shortly after he head-butted defender Jose Fonte during training. Osvaldo never played for the club again, as he was loaned to Juventus, Inter, and Boca Juniors before being released.

5. Adrian Mutu, FW, Chelsea

Signed from Parma (Italy) for £17.1 million, 2003

One of the first signings of the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge, Mutu was expected to form an attacking partnership with fellow Serie A recruit Hernan Crespo. Mutu had a solid debut season at Chelsea, contributing six goals and eight assists in the 2003-04 campaign, but made just two appearances under Jose Mourinho before being released. The cause? A failed drugs test, with Mutu testing positive for cocaine usage.

Mutu was banned from the sport for seven months, with Chelsea releasing the forward before starting litigation against their former player. After various appeals, the courts ruled that he owed Chelsea around €17m from his own pocket.

4. Bosko Balaban, FW, Aston Villa

Signed from Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) for £7 million, 2001

While £7m does not seem like an extravagant sum in the context of today's transfer values, consider that this was the 23rd-largest transfer in the summer of 2001 for a Premier League club. By that measure, it's roughly equivalent to Leicester paying £30.1m for Ayoze Perez last year. This was the sixth-largest fee Villa had ever paid for a player at the time, according to Transfermarkt's records. And, according to reports in 2002, most of the transfer fee ended up going directly to Balaban himself.

I want to put that in context because Balaban might be one of the least impactful signings in Premier League history. It took him eight months before he could complete a full 90-minute match, and even that came in the reserves. The Croatian never started, playing just 138 scoreless minutes across eight appearances, and was loaned back to Dinamo after a disastrous first season. After he threatened to spend the remaining 30 months of his contract in the reserves, Villa settled a deal to end his time in the Midlands after two years.

Balaban unsurprisingly blamed Villa for his failed tenure in England.

3. Ricky Alvarez, MF, Sunderland

Signed from Inter Milan (Italy) for £9.5 million, 2015

There's a lot to unpack here. Alvarez initially signed with the Black Cats on loan for £900,000 during the 2014 campaign. The loan had a clause obligating Sunderland to buy Alvarez at the end of the season as long as they stayed in the Premier League and a bothersome left knee didn't prevent Alvarez from passing a medical. Alvarez played just 13 games after suffering an injury to his right knee, which had undergone microfracture surgery years earlier. After staying up, Sunderland tried to get out of their obligation to buy, claiming that the right knee injury had been a product of the left knee troubles acknowledged in the original agreement.

Here's where it gets bad. Sunderland's attempt to get out of the agreement failed. At the same time, to reinforce their standing, the club didn't offer Alvarez a contract, which allowed the Argentinian to sign with Sampdoria on a free transfer. That's right: Sunderland paid £9.5m for a player who then immediately left the club.

It gets worse. Sunderland lost their claim that Inter should have repaid much of Alvarez's loan fee and wages as a result of the injury. Velez Sarsfield, which helped develop Alvarez earlier in his career, successfully sued to receive €362,500 in solidarity payments. On top of all that, Alvarez himself took Sunderland to the Court of Arbitration of Sport to sue the club for his loss of earnings between his time with Sunderland and Sampdoria. The Black Cats are suing their former club doctor for £13m to try to recoup losses. Given their success rate with litigation related to the Alvarez transfer, Sunderland might be smart to move on and pretend this never happened.

2. Danny Drinkwater, MF, Chelsea

Signed from Leicester City for £34.1 million, 2017

It's difficult to even remember now, but when Chelsea signed Drinkwater in summer 2017, he was still on the fringes of the England picture and a regular in midfield for Leicester. At the time, it seemed like Chelsea might have signed him at the last moment after Ross Barkley turned down a move to Stamford Bridge -- Barkley would later head to Chelsea during the subsequent winter transfer window -- but, at the very least, they would have expected Drinkwater to be part of their midfield rotation, given he had been key to Leicester's incredible title win a year earlier.

Things obviously haven't panned out that way for the former Manchester United trainee. Drinkwater made 12 Premier League appearances in his debut season with Chelsea, but after Antonio Conte left, the midfielder has been floating out of relevance. There was one appearance under Maurizio Sarri in the Community Shield, and he has not appeared in a Chelsea kit since. Frank Lampard showed little interest in giving him an opportunity either, after arriving as his third manager in three seasons.

Loan moves to Burnley and Aston Villa have been more disastrous. After joining Burnley, Drinkwater got into a fight at a nightclub after allegedly trying to take home the girlfriend of League 2 defender Kgosi Ntlhe, and suffering an ankle injury in the process. Drinkwater only made one appearance with Burnley, and while he made four with Villa, he was responsible for two goals in a 6-1 loss against Manchester City before being sent back to Chelsea after head-butting a teammate at training. With Drinkwater reportedly on £100,000-per-week, it's difficult to see how Chelsea will find a way out of their most disastrous signing.

1. Ali Dia, FW, Southampton

Signed on a free transfer, 1996

Other players have certainly been more damaging to their club's finances or performance than Dia, who signed for free and only made one appearance with Southampton. Nobody got sacked or relegated because of Dia, although you might argue that the former should have happened given the series of colossal missteps which led to him making his first and only Premier League appearance.

The Dia story feels like it comes from another universe. A man calls Southampton manager Graeme Souness pretending to be World Player of the Year George Weah. The Milan striker recommends Dia, his cousin, suggesting he had just scored two goals for Senegal the prior week and played with Weah for Paris Saint-Germain before spending 1995 in the German second division. He would be an exciting prospect if any of that had been true. Dia was actually a 31-year-old college student who occasionally dabbled in non-league football.

Souness brought Dia in on a trial. Days later, he named him to the bench for a Premier League match against Leeds. Amazingly, after an injury, Souness sent Dia on as a substitute in the 32nd minute for Matt Le Tissier. His Premier League career lasted 53 minutes before Souness admitted his mistake and substituted Dia off. Dia went back to non-league football, never to return.

From Southampton's perspective, this is the worst transfer in Premier League history. From a neutral side of things, this is one of the best things that has ever happened. I don't want to do the "in-my-day" argument because it's boring, but I think it's fair to suggest that the modern Premier League is staid and professional to a fault. Today, there's no way a random university student could get a Premier League manager on the phone, and even if they succeeded, it would take two seconds to realize none of those claims about Dia were true.

There's something romantic about getting on your landline and convincing one of the most decorated players in Liverpool history that your friend is a Premier League-caliber footballer, let alone actually getting him onto the pitch for 52 minutes. Dia spent nearly as much time on a Premier League pitch in 1996 as Drinkwater did for Burnley. There will always be more players who command disproportionate transfer fees or who struggle to stay healthy after making an expensive move. In the Premier League, there will never, ever be another Ali Dia.

Tom Harrison has reiterated the ECB's commitment to The Hundred despite facing accusations of gambling cricket's future on the tournament's success, but concedes that English cricket's losses this summer could reach £380 million if the entire season is wiped out.

Appearing in front of a panel of MPs as part of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on sport in the UK, Harrison was accused of "betting the house on red" in terms of investing so heavily on the controversial competition.

But despite accepting the ECB could be facing losses of £380 million as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harrison insisted "even more effort" would be put into The Hundred once cricket resumed and maintained the tournament would be a "profit centre" for the game from its launch.

At one stage Julian Knight, the DCMS chair, put it to Harrison that the ECB had taken "a huge gamble" on The Hundred. In doing so, he alluded to the relatively heavy start-up costs of launching a tournament which feature a new format of the sport and a decline in the ECB's financial reserves - they have fallen from £73 million in 2016 to £11 million when the last set of accounts was published 12 months ago - which has left the game less well placed to deal with the pandemic than might have been the case.

"When you say it's a profit centre," Knight said, "there's been widespread disquiet over the advent of The Hundred and the fact there was a large outlay to bring it about. You've bet the house, effectively, on red and unfortunately, the casino is closed."

"I wouldn't categorise The Hundred as a gamble," Harrison replied. "It's a profit centre for cricket as has been demonstrated. It was going to bring in £11 million of profit to the game this year. It carries with it an extra dividend to the counties, which is critical revenue to them.

"At a time like this, when we are facing enormous pressure on finances, it seems to me even more important we focus on the areas of the game which are going to generate interest, audience and commercial revenue. Especially with the weight of evidence we had behind the Hundred in terms of the ticket sales, in terms of traction the competition was getting in the very audience we were setting out to get.

"I understand there is significant resistance to The Hundred. There has been for two years. That does not make it a bad idea. Or an idea that's not likely to succeed. We will put even more effort into The Hundred post this crisis because I think cricket will desperately need, in a hugely competitive landscape, cricket will need to pull every lever to ensure cricket remains relevant in a society that has so much choice."

Later, Harrison was pressed on his claim that The Hundred was projected to make a profit in its first year. For while Harrison suggests the costs of the tournament are £39.1 million - against a projected income of £51 million - it is understood that figure excludes the £1.3 million a year guaranteed to each of the first-class counties for the five-year duration of the tournament.

"Is it correct the Hundred will only make a profit if you exclude the £1.3 million payment guaranteed each year to each first-class county?" Giles Watling asked.

ALSO READ: Case for Hundred 'much greater' due to Covid-19 outbreak - Harrison

"Yes, but the £1.3 million every year to each county is a dividend and not part of the P&< (profit and loss) of the tournament," Harrison said. "That is part of the deal, if you like, that was done with the counties to give the ECB permission to create a new tournament with all the objectives sitting behind it. It's is not linked to the P&<. It's a dividend that is a crucial part of the agreement that we have with the first-class counties."

Harrison believes the Hundred's significance is more than financial, though. He also told the MPs the ECB had evidence the tournament was appealing to a new audience that could help the game broaden its appeal and move away from its reliance on the broadcast deal with Sky.

"We'd sold 170,000 tickets in February for this year's men's and women's Hundred," he said. "The game had never sold that number of tickets at that speed before with the exception of the Cricket World Cup. So we were in a very strong position to achieve exactly what we set out to achieve in terms of growing the audience for cricket in this country.

"The profile of ticket buyers was extremely encouraging. The evidence we have from the data behind those ticket sales it that was largely under-40s with the intention of taking children to those events. In some circumstances as a first opportunity to see live cricket. That's precisely the kind of audience we were after.

ALSO READ: ECB, CWI hold 'positive talks' on rescheduling Windies Tests

"But let me be clear: we are heavily reliant on cricket's existing audience as well. The more we can create a groundswell of audience that is representative of our country - multi-cultural, diverse, men and women, boys and girls, from all parts of the country - the better prepared we will be to sustain our wonderfully diverse sport in this country with all its weird and wonderful formats.

"At the moment, we're very heavily [reliant] - to the tune of three-quarters of our revenue - on one broadcaster. Anyone looking at a business plan for the long-term health of a sport will be looking at that number and thinking it's a big risk. The Hundred helps us look at different ways of diversifying our revenue in the future and securing the future of 18 first-class counties."

Despite his confidence in The Hundred, Harrison admitted the game was facing "the most significant financial challenge cricket has ever faced". Having previously suggested the game could be facing losses of up to £300 million if the entire season was lost, he now feels that figure could be significantly higher, and conceded that the sport was already "staring at a £100 million loss this year, whatever happens".

"It could be as bad as £380 million," he said. "That's the worst-case scenario. It's the loss of 800 days of cricket across the ECB and professional clubs.

Unquestionably, it's the most significant financial challenge cricket has ever faced."

The world champions are taking an early flight home from Nairobi.

Australia had beaten India in seven straight ODIs prior to this to be the outright favourites coming into the first quarter-final of the ICC Knockouts, but a young Indian team looking to emerge from the shadows of the match-fixing scandal made quite a statement.

That it was an 18-year old Yuvraj Singh, with his gum-chewing nonchalance and elegance, and birthday boy Zaheer Khan who left their imprint on the big stage made it all the more special for India.

Had new captain Sourav Ganguly stuck to his plan of dropping down to No. 4 and opening with rookie S Sriram to lengthen the middle order, Yuvraj may have not even had the opportunity to play. But he was talked out of the idea by the senior players and Anshuman Gaekwad, the head coach, and that set the stage for Yuvraj in what was his second ODI, but the first time he got to bat in an international.

Yuvraj's 84 off 80 stood out for many reasons. He was fearless, his ball-striking was clean, ability to pick gaps top-notch and his match-awareness - twice he was alert to possibilities of sneaking in an overthrow - allowed India the opportunity to claw back despite losing more wickets than comfortable ever since Sachin Tendulkar's quickfire start, where he got stuck into Glenn McGrath.

Even with Tendulkar, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid gone, Yuvraj didn't shelve his natural game. There was a punch to his shots that made it appear as if he wasn't nervous, the pull made multiple appearances and just his casual demeanour at the crease - not to be mistaken for laziness - gave you the impression that he had a lot of time to play hit shots. His partnerships of 40 and 64 with Vinod Kambli and Robin Singh respectively, helped arrest a middle order collapse.

But batting wasn't his only contribution on the night. A sensational diving catch while being airborne to send back pinch hitter Ian Harvey, and a potentially game-changing direct hit to run out Michael Bevan which came on the back of Ricky Ponting's wicket, turned the tide in India's favour. From a comfortable 159 for 3, Australia had slipped to 163 for 5.

Bevan had pushed the ball to mid-off and instinctively took off for a single, until he saw Yuvraj swoop in and effect a direct hit at the bowler's end to fall an inch or two short. Until then, Bevan had made an industrious 42, built around working the ball into the gaps and finding the odd boundary, making Ganguly's task that much tougher because India needed to identify a fifth bowler.

Ganguly turned to Tendulkar for his bag of offspin, legspin and a deceptive googly, and the move paid off. Ganguly got more than he would have bargained for, because Tendulkar not only sent down seven economical overs but also managed to dismiss Ponting. All summer, nine months ago, India hadn't come close to winning in Australia. This was their chance, but Australia still had the ice-cool Steve Waugh at the crease. Suddenly, the blazing start and the asking rate, which they were well ahead of courtesy fireworks up top from Adam Gilchrist, started to catch up.

Soon after Bevan and Ponting were dismissed, Damien Martyn was bowled off a Robin offcutter and the pressure was back on Australia. Most of the responsibility lay on Steve Waugh's shoulders, but the bulk of the scoring from there was done by Brett Lee, who took on Anil Kumble with a six over long-off, a sweep to the fine-leg boundary and a cut to point for four to collect 15 off the 41st over.

The match was poised with Australia needing 42 off 36 and three wickets in hand, but Khan's accurate line got rid of Steve Waugh when he made room and missed a length delivery, and Ajit Agarkar followed it with a wicket maiden that included Lee's scalp to edge India ahead again. Jason Gillespie's three fours off Agarkar in the 46th over gave India a scare again but he eventually handed a simple catch to Robin and India stormed into the semi-finals by stunning the world champions.

Bottom 10 Inspirational Thought of the Week

As we got on the floor, was embarrassing, trust me
The saleswoman walk me straight over to Husky
I still got stonewashed denim, Bobby Brown patent leather
Members Only jacket, ain't nobody fresher than me

I said I got on my good clothes

-- "Good Clothes" by Little Brother

Here at ESPN's Bottom 10 headquarters, located in a room above the dry cleaners where SVP has his neckties steamed, we are floating on a cloud of perchloroethylene, overcome with excitement about the further expansion of the Bottom 10 Cinematic Universe into the world of the NBA.

Has there ever been a better time to appreciate the style and fashion of the league than right now, when we're all quarantined at home watching classic "The Last Dance" footage of Michael Jordan and his teammates dressed to the nines in their silk suits and berets?

And then, when we look down at ourselves on the couch, wiping away the Fritos crumbs to take a look at the tank top and pajama bottoms we've been wearing for 47 consecutive days, has there also ever been a better time to appreciate the NBA's on-court apparel misfires? You know what we're talking about. Those jerseys that were so heinous that even Dwayne Schintzius would shout "Damn, that's ugly!" as he moussed up his mullet on the bench.

So, slide on your favorite Emeka Okafor Charlotte Bobcats jersey and that well-worn pair of technicolor Alex English Denver Nuggets short-shorts and read ahead. With apologies to Alexander Julian, Benjamin Russell and Steve Harvey, here's the All-Time Bottom 10 NBA Jerseys.

MORE: The top 74 jerseys of all time

1. Sacramento Kings, 2005-06, gold alternates

When I was in college, my roommates and I spotted a couch that had been placed on the curb across the street from our dorm. It was full of holes and I'm pretty sure full of bedbugs, but we carried it up the stairs into our room.

Instead of buying slipcovers, we just took the gold faux silk sheets off the bed of our roommate named Dirty and threw them over the furniture. They were loose fitting and so slick we kept sliding off our seats and onto the floor.

A decade later, Dirty called me on the phone. "Hey man, the Sacramento Kings are on TV and I think Shareef Abdur-Rahim is wearing my college bed sheets."

2. Dallas Mavericks, 2003-04, silver alternates

These droid-metal Mavs uniforms were so awful that team owner Mark Cuban ordered them scrapped after only one game. There's a photo from that game where Dirk Nowitzki is driving by the Lakers bench and Phil Jackson is staring at the shiny, fluid material, clearly wondering if he might be experiencing an acid flashback.

3. Multiple teams, Christmas 2013, "Big Logo"

'Twas the evening of Christmas and throughout every game,
All the jerseys were horrid and exactly the same.
Then I heard LeBron James exclaim as he hung 19 on the Lakers,
"Is this a T-shirt from the gift shop? We look like hoops fakers!"

4. Golden State Warriors, 2012-13, sleeved alternates

WARRIORS! COME OUT TO PLAY-AYYYYY! Oh ... no ... wait ... go back inside and change. Then you can come out and play.

These were the first sleeved jerseys in modern NBA history. They probably should have been the last. It's no wonder Golden State started winning titles shortly after ditching these.

5. Boston Celtics, 2014-15, gray alternates

Classics that we once believed could never be ruined, but for at least a brief moment were in fact totally ruined: Ford Mustang in 1974, Coca-Cola in 1985, Godfather movies in 1990, the Batmobile in 1995 and the uniform of the Boston Celtics in 2014-15. They were the embodiment of our feelings about that other ruined stuff: gray and confusing.

6. LA Clippers, 2015-17, red road

The rectangular chest logo worn by Blake Griffin and Chris Paul was supposed to read "LAC" for Los Angeles Clippers, but looked much more like "CLA," as in the California Library Association.

As any Los Angeles librarian will tell you, in the Dewey Decimal System these CLA jerseys are filed under 812.5, with the other American tragedies.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers, 1981-83, gold home

The Cavaliers wore these shirts -- described officially as "gold with wine stripe" -- for two seasons. During that span, Cleveland posted a combined record of 39-126.

I'm assuming the wine stripe came from what was spilled on them as they drank to forget the games they'd just played.

(Editor's note: The road version of this jersey is pictured here.)

8. Dallas Mavericks, 2019-20, City edition

Tex Moton has long been a leader of Dallas' renowned street art scene, spending more than 25 years decorating Big D with his handiwork and inexplicably forced during most of that time to duck, dip, dive and dodge city officials who have never embraced the idea of street art. Unfortunately, the one time we needed them, they were not able to keep Moton from the Mavericks' locker room last November.

9. Washington Wizards, 2015-16, red alternate

Against a backdrop that looks like a red unitard from a distance, a blue basketball appears to be travelling through a time-space portal that will launch the ball off the player's left shoulder, presumably via the speed it built up traveling through the Daytona 500-like lefthander sewn directly over that same player's crotch.

If you went to a sci-fi movie in 1975 and they had a scene portraying what basketball would be like in 2015, this was the costume they likely had on.

That or the designer just really loves pinball machines.

10. Washington Wizards, 2006-09, gold alternate

Paging Mr. Arenas ... a Mr. Gilbert Arenas ... we have the Vanderbilt Commodores intramural sports director on Line 1 ... he's saying y'all stole his rec center basketball uniforms.

"You're actually rooting for the clothes, when you get right down to it."

This famous line from "Seinfeld" might have been intended to mock sports fandom, but when it comes to uniform appreciation, it's actually appropriate. In this case, we are rooting for the clothes -- the best clothes in NBA history, according to ESPN's NBA experts.

With the NBA in limbo in the midst of its 74th season, we got together to rank the top 74 jerseys to ever grace an NBA court.

For the purposes of this exercise, we considered a team's jersey set (home, road, alternate) a single entity, unless the styles differed in ways more significant than a color swap, something that has happened more frequently in this era of jersey "editions," some of which are worn only a handful of times each year.

When it comes to jerseys, most people have different tastes, and our panel was no different. But there was near-consensus on the three jerseys that emerged at the top of the list.

MORE: The Bottom 10 jerseys in NBA history

74. Memphis Grizzlies (Grind City Blue)

Seasons worn: 2004-19

Notable players in this look: Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph

The Grizzlies dumped the black from their early Memphis years and settled on a set of blue tones that became synonymous with Grit 'N' Grind. -- Adam Reisinger

73. Cincinnati Royals (White with stripes)

Seasons worn: 1967-70

Notable players in this look: Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Van Arsdale

Vertical text doesn't always work on NBA jerseys, but the Royals made it look good with an iconic red, white and blue color scheme. -- Reisinger

72. Philadelphia 76ers (Red 'SIXERS')

Seasons worn: 1994-97

Notable players in this look: Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse, Clarence Weatherspoon, Derrick Coleman

Dana Barros wore this No. 3 jersey in 1994-95. Allen Iverson wore the same jersey two years later as a rookie. One of them made it more memorable. -- Dave McMenamin

71. Orlando Magic (Sublimated stars)

Seasons worn: 2001-03

Notable players in this look: Tracy McGrady, Mike Miller, Darrell Armstrong, Patrick Ewing

Stars on jerseys have never been as cool as when Tracy McGrady was dropping buckets all over the league in these. -- Nick Friedell

70. Seattle SuperSonics (Space Needle)

Seasons worn: 1995-99

Notable players in this look: Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, Hersey Hawkins

It's not the classic Seattle look, but this Space Needle-inspired design is what most people remember when thinking about the Shawn Kemp- and Gary Payton-era Sonics. -- Andrew Lopez

69. Brooklyn Nets (Black and white)

Seasons worn: 2012-present

Notable players in this look: Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Kevin Garnett, Kyrie Irving

Ditching hues for a clean black and white look was bold. Then-part-owner Jay-Z debuting the jerseys himself in the first-ever Barclays concert became the perfect Brooklyn launch. -- Nick DePaula

68. Washington Wizards (Stars and Stripes)

Seasons worn: 2016-17

Notable players in this look: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris

During the 2016-17 season, the Washington Wizards unveiled a "Stars and Stripes" alternate in honor of military servicemen and women. The Wiz broke out the uniform for every home game during their 2017 playoff run. -- Aaron Dodson

67. Denver Nuggets (Blue Dazzle)

Seasons worn: 2003-08

Notable players in this look: Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby

This is one of those jerseys that just screams 2000s. The dazzle cloth version stands out above the set that just followed it. -- Lopez

66. Buffalo Braves (Baby blue)

Seasons worn: 1973-77

Notable players in this look: Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith, Adrian Dantley, Gar Heard

Simple and smooth -- that blue stood out even in a city known for its perpetually snowy and gray demeanor. -- Friedell

65. Phoenix Suns (Western blue)

Seasons worn: 1973-92

Notable players in this look: Alvan Adams, Walter Davis, Kevin Johnson, Tom Chambers

The Suns tweaked their original jerseys by adding a "Western" font, and the look was so good it lasted nearly two decades. -- Reisinger

64. Milwaukee Bucks (Classic green)

Seasons worn: 1968-73

Notable players in this look: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jon McGlocklin, Bob Dandridge, Oscar Robertson

There isn't a lot going on here, but sometimes simpler is better, especially when your franchise won its only title in this look. -- Reisinger

63. Kansas City Kings (Blue/white script)

Seasons worn: 1972-75

Notable players in this look: Nate Archibald, Sam Lacey, Jimmy Walker, Nate Williams

The swooping underline and subtle crown accent atop the script "Kings" font can still be seen throughout the franchise's identity, even well after the franchise moved to Sacramento. -- DePaula

62. Philadelphia Warriors (Original blue)

Seasons worn: 1946-62

Notable players in this look: Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Arizin, Neil Johnston, Tom Gola

The Warriors landed five different spots on our list, this one for the jerseys in which Wilt Chamberlain began his Hall of Fame career. -- Reisinger

61. Dallas Mavericks (Modern navy)

Seasons worn: 2001-09

Notable players in this look: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Jason Terry, Michael Finley

Mark Cuban's first goal upon buying the Mavs was modernizing the franchise. Their sleekened and colorblocked navy new look has carried the team ever since. -- DePaula

60. Philadelphia 76ers (Two-tone PHILA)

Seasons worn: 1965-66

Notable players in this look: Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Chet Walker

Two-tone doesn't always work. This is one of those times where it does with the classic "PHILA" across the chest. -- Lopez

59. Detroit Pistons (Lightning bolt)

Seasons worn: 1978-81

Notable players in this look: Bob Lanier, John Long, Terry Tyler, Kent Benson

The lightning bolt that extends from the side of the jersey down to the shorts is an incredible design element that makes this a memorable look. -- Reisinger

58. L.A. Clippers (Royal blue)

Seasons worn: 1984-87

Notable players in this look: Bill Walton, Michael Cage, Marques Johnson, Derek Smith

In 1984, the Clippers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles and changed their colors from light blue/orange to royal blue/red. New team uniforms delivered a new "CLIPPERS" font, marked by a Pacman-esque "C." -- Dodson

57. Philadelphia 76ers (Classic red)

Seasons worn: 1978-91

Notable players in this look: Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Mo Cheeks

This is the longest-lasting jersey in 76ers history, and with good reason. Simple, understated, classic, in bold, beautiful colors that helped raise a banner. -- Reisinger

56. Atlanta Hawks (Neon stripe)

Seasons worn: 1970-72

Notable players in this look: Pete Maravich, Walt Bellamy, Lou Hudson, Walt Hazzard

Pistol Pete flipping crosscourt and behind-the-back passes in these jerseys makes them a classic look worth remembering. -- Friedell

55. Milwaukee Bucks (Statement edition)

Seasons worn: 2017-19

Notable players in this look: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez

Big logos replacing a team name or city wordmark is a recipe for disaster, but the Bucks pulled it off. Extra credit for the numbers in between the antlers. -- McMenamin

54. Dallas Mavericks (Classic green)

Seasons worn: 1981-92

Notable players in this look: Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Mark Aguirre, Brad Davis

Why this look and not the blue of Dirk's rookie year? Two words: Curly L's. The unique font over the green background makes this stand out. -- Reisinger

53. Utah Jazz (Red Rocks)

Seasons worn: 2017-present

Notable players in this look: Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors

All for any Utah jersey that incorporates mountains or rock formations -- instead of you know, Jazz, which belongs in another city. -- Lopez

52. Golden State Warriors (Blue and gold)

Seasons worn: 1989-97

Notable players in this look: Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Latrell Sprewell

These jerseys will forever be associated with the Run TMC era. They were sleek, they were fun and the team scored a lot of points with Don Nelson calling the shots. -- Friedell

51. Denver Nuggets (Navy cursive)

Seasons worn: 2008-12

Notable players in this look: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, Nene

The yellow cursive. The dazzle fabric. The baby blue side panels pairing with the dark blue base. These were legit. -- McMenamin

50. Buffalo Braves (Diagonal striped)

Seasons worn: 1971-73

Notable players in this look: Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith, Elmore Smith, Bob Kauffman

Every few years, the LA Clippers break out these as throwbacks. They should do it more often. No other franchise has a look quite like it, with diagonal stripes and offset text and numbers. -- Reisinger

49. Brooklyn Nets (Brooklyn's Finest)

Seasons worn: 2018-19

Notable players in this look: D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris

Once these threads were introduced to the game, they were a B.I.G. hit ... get it? Sorry. Anyway, these Notorious B.I.G.-inspired jerseys paid homage to the famous Brooklyn rapper's style with their "Brooklyn Camo" trim. -- Lopez

48. Philadelphia 76ers (Bicentennial stars)

Seasons worn: 1976-77

Notable players in this look: Julius Erving, World B. Free, Doug Collins, George McGinnis

If any franchise could get away with having a jersey for just one year, it's the 76ers, who wore these for the nation's bicentennial. They were Dr. J's first 76ers jersey, making them an instant classic. -- Reisinger

47. Philadelphia 76ers (PHILA)

Seasons worn: 1966-67

Notable players in this look: Wilt Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham

Historically, the shortened city wordmark design is associated with Wilt Chamberlain's dominance of the 1960s. Then Allen Iverson single-handedly launched the throwback jersey era of the 2000s, after gracing the cover of SLAM in retro "PHILA" and fro'd fashion. -- DePaula

46. New York Knicks (Black accents)

Seasons worn: 1997-2012

Notable players in this look: Allan Houston, Stephon Marbury, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson

Many teams have tried to incorporate black into their traditional color scheme with mixed results. This was a success. The black side panels make the thick orange piping stick out, and the white outlining "New York" works too. Bonus: Players' uniform numbers were on their shorts. -- McMenamin

45. Detroit Pistons (Teal horse)

Seasons worn: 1996-2001

Notable players in this look: Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Lindsey Hunter, Jerome Williams

Abandoning Detroit's simple blue and red uniforms of the beloved "Bad Boys" era wasn't well-received at the time, but the vivid teal tone and literal Piston graphic jerseys became a cult classic years later. -- DePaula

44. Cleveland Cavaliers (Navy alternate)

Seasons worn: 2005-10

Notable players in this look: LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejão, Mo Williams

The deep navy base and dark burgundy side panels made the white "Cleveland" wordmark stand out. But it was the seemingly minuscule details -- from the gold outline around the lettering to the alternating blue, wine and gold piping that accented the collar and shoulder seams -- that made it special. -- McMenamin

43. Atlanta Hawks (Blue and red)

Seasons worn: 1966-70

Notable players in this look: Lou Hudson, Lenny Wilkens, Zelmo Beaty, Bill Bridges

These baby blues looked great on Hawks players back in the day and when the team brought it back as a throwback look. This jersey came over from the St. Louis Hawks, and should've stayed around longer. -- Lopez

42. Minnesota Timberwolves ('Purple Rain')

Seasons worn: 2018-19

Notable players in this look: Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson

Never has a team used an alternate jersey to honor a person so well. The purple combo, in honor of Prince, was a hit in the Twin Cities. -- Friedell

41. Philadelphia 76ers (Modern blue/white)

Seasons worn: 2015-present

Notable players in this look: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, JJ Redick

The minor tweaks made to this set over the ones from the previous six seasons amounted to a major upgrade, bringing back the "PHILA" wordmark, the side stars and blue as the primary road color. -- Reisinger

40. Toronto Raptors (Black and purple)

Seasons worn: 1999-2003

Notable players in this look: Vince Carter, Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams, Morris Peterson

To distance themselves from the cartoonish yet classic "Barney" dinosaur jerseys, the Raptors went with a more conservative look. But it still had its flair from the two-toned purple front and black back, to the tall and skinny font to the neat silver notches on the sides. -- McMenamin

39. Portland Trail Blazers (Lowercase 'blazers')

Seasons worn: 1985-91

Notable players in this look: Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth

Something about lowercase letters and Portland just seems to fit. Portland was perfectly weird with the lowercase "blazers" on the jersey, whether the lettering was vertical or horizontal. And the red on black just pops. -- Lopez

38. Portland Trail Blazers (Uppercase 'BLAZERS')

Seasons worn: 1991-2002

Notable players in this look: Rasheed Wallace, Arvydas Sabonis, Clifford Robinson, Clyde Drexler

Associated with the "Jail Blazers" era, Rasheed Wallace & Co. carried the Blazers' best edition of its trademark dual stripe-accented uniform, with simple red collar-accenting bands and the lack of the smaller silver stripe that was added in 2002. -- DePaula

37. Utah Jazz (Purple mountains)

Seasons worn: 1995-2004

Notable players in this look: Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek, Bryon Russell

Though the loud, oversized mountain graphics took some warming up to in contrast to Stockton and Malone's old-school game, they were worn during the franchise's only Finals appearances, and are now one of the most beloved classic looks leaguewide. -- DePaula

36. Sacramento Kings (Purple alternate)

Seasons worn: 1999-2004

Notable players in this look: Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby

With a revamped roster coming out of the league's lockout, the Kings donned vibrant purple alternates with glittering silver neckline accents that lined up well with their newfound national attention on nightly highlight shows. -- DePaula

35. Golden State Warriors (The Town)

Seasons worn: 2017-18

Notable players in this look: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant

Oakland jerseys in the last days of Oracle were a dynamic combination for a team that always found a way to rise to the occasion when needed in the midst of winning a second straight title. -- Friedell

34. Miami Heat ('Back to Black')

Seasons worn: 2012-14

Notable players in this look: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen

The Big Three Miami Heat debuted their "Back to Black" look in 2012, when the Lakers came to South Beach. Basically, it's the tuxedo of basketball uniforms, with black lettering and numbering, featuring white trim. -- Dodson

33. Orlando Magic (Road black)

Seasons worn: 1989-94

Notable players in this look: Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott

No NBA team has ever looked as good in pinstripes as the Orlando Magic. The franchise rocked black pinstripes on the road for five seasons before the uniform became an alternate in 1994. -- Dodson

32. Portland Trail Blazers (Championship red)

Seasons worn: 1974-77

Notable players in this look: Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks, Larry Steele, Maurice Lucas

Redheads wearing red is usually a fashion don't, but don't tell that to Bill Walton, who looked legendary in leading Portland to its only NBA title in 1977 while wearing these classic jerseys. -- Reisinger

31. Cleveland Cavaliers (Blue CAVS)

Seasons worn: 1987-89

Notable players in this look: Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Ron Harper

For two seasons in the late 1980s, the Cleveland Cavaliers sported a royal blue road uniform with "CAVS" across the jersey's chest. Look closely, and you'll notice the "V" is a basketball dropping in a hoop. -- Dodson

30. LA Lakers (Sunday whites)

Seasons worn: 2001-17

Notable players in this look: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom

For decades, the Lakers were the lone franchise to not wear white at home. Not long into the "Sunday Whites" era of the 2000s, Kobe Bryant's 81-point game created an iconic moment for the jerseys to be remembered. -- DePaula

29. San Antonio Spurs (Black)

Seasons worn: 1989-present

Notable players in this look: Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili

While the team's "Fiesta" logo may have featured festive shades of teal, pink and orange, the main on-court jerseys have always stuck to a simple black and silver design, personifying the no-frills approach that the franchise has long been known for. -- DePaula

28. Miami Heat (Vintage red)

Seasons worn: 1995-99

Notable players in this look: Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, P.J. Brown, Jamal Mashburn

Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway gave these jerseys an edge. That team played hard and tried to impose its will on the opponents every night with Pat Riley leading the way. The jerseys matched the mindset he wanted to instill on South Beach: toughness. -- Friedell

27. Golden State Warriors (Modern)

Seasons worn: 2010-present

Notable players in this look: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala

The Splash Brothers era will always be defined by this look. Steph and Klay knocked down jumpers, Draymond provided the defensive engine and it didn't hurt to throw Kevin Durant in a few years later, either. -- Friedell

26. Sacramento Kings (Baby blue)

Seasons worn: 1985-90

Notable players in this look: Reggie Theus, Otis Thorpe, LaSalle Thompson, Wayman Tisdale

When the Kings relocated from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985, the franchise switched up its swag, changing the team's primary color from royal to baby blue as a new canvas for the scripted "Kings" font. -- Dodson

25. Utah Jazz (Purple Jazz note)

Seasons worn: 1984-96

Notable players in this look: Karl Malone, John Stockton, Mark Eaton, Thurl Bailey

When the Jazz moved to Utah, they switched from purple road jerseys to green. They switched back in 1984, became a Western Conference contender, and went back to a similar look for their current jersey set. -- Reisinger

24. Vancouver Grizzlies (Original)

Seasons worn: 1995-2000

Notable players in this look: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Bryant Reeves, Greg Anthony, Mike Bibby

With inspiration coming directly from Native Canadian community members -- the turquoise and brown represented the sky, heavens and local grizzly bears -- the expansion franchise burst onto the scene with one of the loudest and more creatively detailed designs in league history. -- DePaula

23. Houston Rockets (Red with yellow trim)

Seasons worn: 1976-95

Notable players in this look: Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Otis Thorpe, Calvin Murphy

Never underestimate the heart of a champion, and never underrate a classic look. The Rockets won back-to-back titles in this one, but changed to a quintessentially '90s design a year later. It was definitely a mistake. -- Reisinger

22. Indiana Pacers (FloJo)

Seasons worn: 1990-97

Notable players in this look: Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, Rik Smits, Detlef Schrempf

Stemming from an intern's suggestion, 1988 Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner was tapped to rebrand the Pacers, after earning praise for her own elaborate racing uniform designs. The vertically striped "Flo-Jo" jerseys have been considered the franchise's best ever since. -- DePaula

21. L.A. Lakers (L.A. baby blue)

Seasons worn: 1960-66

Notable players in this look: Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Rudy LaRusso, Dick Barnett

With rookie Jerry West in tow for the franchise's move to Los Angeles, the blue and white cursive "Los Angeles" unis represented one of the last links to the Lakers' Minnesota roots, before the switch to the team's long-standing palette of purple and gold. -- DePaula

20. Chicago Bulls (Black pinstriped)

Seasons worn: 1995-96

Notable players in this look: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc

When you have an iconic regular set of jerseys, it's hard to add something that will also stick out. But that's just what the Bulls did with this jersey. Going with black made sense, but adding the pinstripes took it over the top. And red pinstripes at that? Brilliant. -- Lopez

19. Chicago Bulls (Script Chicago)

Seasons worn: 1973-85

Notable players in this look: Michael Jordan, Artis Gilmore, Reggie Theus, Norm Van Lier

A young Michael Jordan wore this uniform for only one season, during his 1984-85 rookie year. But it's hard to forget the most iconic image of the red jersey: His Airness taking flight in the 1985 dunk contest with two gold chains dangling over the slanted "Chicago" cursive. -- Dodson

18. Atlanta Hawks ("Pac-Man" red)

Seasons worn: 1982-92

Notable players in this look: Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, Spud Webb

Debuted during Dominique Wilkins' rookie season, this uniform became a Superman suit for the Atlanta Hawks. Wilkins is the only player to have remained with Atlanta during the entire near decade the team was outfitted in these threads, with "HAWKS" on the jersey in a white mesh cutout that reflects onto the shorts. -- Dodson

17. New York Knicks (Classic blue)

Seasons worn: 1968-79, 1983-97

Notable players in this look: Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Charles Oakley

Outside of a drastically different look in the early '80s, this is how the Knicks took the floor for the better part of three decades. Black trim was added in the '90s (because it was the '90s) but this is the look that will always be associated with New York's most successful teams. -- Reisinger

16. Detroit Pistons (Bad Boys blue)

Seasons worn: 1981-96

Notable players in this look: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman

When someone says "Detroit Pistons jerseys," this is what comes to mind (unless you're at Coachella, where teal horses run free). The Bad Boys won in classic red, white and blue, and the team brought a similar look back in 2001, just in time for another championship run. -- Reisinger

15. Minnesota Timberwolves (Black with tree trim)

Seasons worn: 1996-2008

Notable players in this look: Kevin Garnett, Terrell Brandon, Wally Szczerbiak, Sam Mitchell

Kevin Garnett made these what they were. He made the team successful and he made these jerseys tough, especially with the green tree trim around the sides. The best moments in franchise history came when Garnett & Co. were rocking these and racking up victories. -- Friedell

14. Toronto Raptors (Original Dino)

Seasons worn: 1995-99

Notable players in this look: Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby

Laughed at and widely mocked at the time of their initial release, the Raptors' Dino sets slowly became one of the more beloved jerseys in the NBA. The large dinosaur logo on the chest with the pinstripes was a bit too much at first, but it's all love now. -- Lopez

13. Philadelphia 76ers (2000s Dazzle)

Seasons worn: 2000-06

Notable players in this look: Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie

As if the star athlete wearing these uniforms wasn't rare enough, the "dazzle" fabric that the Sixers wore when few teams around the team were doing it only made Allen Iverson stand out more. The fact that he had it on for Game 1 of the 2001 Finals only cemented its appeal. -- McMenamin

12. Seattle SuperSonics ('80s green and white)

Seasons worn: 1978-95

Notable players in this look: Jack Sikma, Nate McMillan, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton

This look always represented the city of Seattle well. Stylish and different just the way they like it up in the Pacific Northwest. Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp putting together alley-oops in the classic green and whites? That was fun. -- Friedell

11. Phoenix Suns ('90s black)

Seasons worn: 1993-2001

Notable players in this look: Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, Jason Kidd

Black and orange can be a tricky color palette to paint with. Yet the Suns managed to sidestep any Halloween vibes (or Cincinnati Bengals likeness, for that matter) with their sunburst uniforms in the '90s. Bonus: "Suns" reads just the same if you look at the uniform upside down. A neat Easter egg created by the font choice. -- McMenamin

10. Washington Bullets (Red, white and blue)

Seasons worn: 1974-87

Notable players in this look: Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, Phil Chenier, Bob Dandridge

The red, white and blue stripes and the double-L forming hands reaching for a ball are so iconic that when the Wizards redesigned their jerseys a few years ago, they stuck as close to this design as possible (current NBA rules prevent teams from simply reusing old designs as their primary set). -- Reisinger

9. New Jersey Nets (Stars and Stripes)

Seasons worn: 1972-81

Notable players in this look: Julius Erving, John Williamson, Bernard King, Billy Paultz

Julius "Dr. J'' Erving might as well have been an Afro'd Uncle Sam in the 1970s, when he donned this stars-and-stripes uniform en route to two ABA championships. Founded in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans, the franchise kept its patriotic swag when it joined the NBA in 1976. -- Dodson

8. Miami Heat ('Vice' collection)

Seasons worn: 2017-present

Notable players in this look: Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler

Now that Miami has unveiled four "Vice" jerseys -- black, pink, white and blue -- let's just say what needs to be said: These should be the permanent jersey set for the Heat moving forward. This look just oozes Miami culture. If the Heat switched, it would be the best look in the league. -- Lopez

7. Charlotte Hornets (Teal pinstripes)

Seasons worn: 1989-96

Notable players in this look: Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry

With only 10 playoff appearances in the 31 years since the league expanded in 1988 to welcome the Hornets -- and no postseason run past the second round -- it's not a stretch to say that this uniform is the best thing that's ever happened to the franchise. -- McMenamin

6. San Francisco Warriors (The City)

Seasons worn: 1966-71

Notable players in this look: Rick Barry, Al Attles, Nate Thurmond, Jeff Mullins

Pictures of Rick Barry and Al Attles in this jersey are a reminder of some fun up-and-down basketball in the Bay. These are so nice that the present-day Warriors still bring these back from time to time to pay homage. -- Friedell

5. Denver Nuggets (Rainbow skyline)

Seasons worn: 1985-93

Notable players in this look: Alex English, Fat Lever, Michael Adams, Danny Schayes

In the 1980s, when the Denver Nuggets introduced new uniforms, they were statistically the fastest team in the NBA. High tempo defined Mile High Basketball, and the franchise even took on-court style to new heights with jerseys featuring a rainbow skyline theme. -- Dodson

4. Orlando Magic (Electric blue)

Seasons worn: 1994-98

Notable players in this look: Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Horace Grant, Nick Anderson

The Magic took their first alternate jersey -- the electric blue version of their original look -- and made it their full-time road look in the mid-'90s. It had style and an air of coolness as Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway made these a winner in the franchise's heyday. Why did the organization ever go away from the pinstripes? -- Friedell

3. Chicago Bulls (Road red)

Seasons worn: 1985-present

Notable players in this look: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Derrick Rose

When you think of Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning six championships, you think of these jerseys. The red stands out the most. The B-U-L-L-S across the chest. It's what Jordan wore when he dropped 63 at Boston Garden, when he hit the shot over Craig Ehlo and when he walked off against Utah in 1998. -- Lopez

2. Boston Celtics (Classic green)

Seasons worn: 1972-2014

Notable players in this look: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce

While several franchises undergo redesign cycles every decade, the Celtics' look is clearly here to stay. The original Celtics road jersey read "Boston" on the front, but was changed to "Celtics" in 1972, and remained that way until 2014, when the team switched back to "Boston." Aside from that, there have been only subtle shifts to the core design over time, with the simple styling remaining the team's trademark. -- DePaula

1. Los Angeles Lakers (Showtime gold)

Seasons worn: 1978-99

Notable players in this look: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott

In 1978, the Lakers made a change to their gold home jerseys, reversing the colors of the number and drop shadow. The purple digits pop off the gold mesh, creating a look as flashy as the style of play of the "Showtime" team that wore it. And the white drop shadow gives the numbers on the jerseys a classic feel that fits the history that was made by the players wearing them. -- McMenamin

Former Dragons fly-half Dorian Jones has signed for another two years with French second division side Soyaux-Angouleme.

Jones, 27, has already completed a two-year stint in Angouleme, although it was cut short by the coronavirus lockdown in France.

"I've really enjoyed it, they've welcomed me with open arms and they've been brilliant to me," said Jones.

Jones scored 132 points as his club finished seventh of 16 clubs in Pro D2.

He and Vannes lock Carwyn Jones were left as the only two Welsh professionals in the top two divisions of French rugby after Rhys Webb's acrimonious departure from Toulon.

The situation is a sharp contrast to the early 2010s, when Parisian club Racing 92 had Wales' Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, Luke Charteris and Dan Lydiate.

Webb came under verbal attack from Toulon's then-owner Mourad Boudjellal, and did not play for them after December 2019.

"I understand a lot of the things Rhys Webb said," Jones told BBC Sport Wales.

"But I'm really enjoying my rugby and there's a real home feeling there. I feel as though I'm playing back in Ebbw Vale, everyone's so friendly."

Jones headed to France at the end of a five-year stint with the Dragons, where he made 66 appearances and scored 208 points, before a brief stint on loan at Worcester Warriors.

He was on holiday in Dubai when the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic became apparent, and was advised by Angouleme to return directly to the UK just before the strict French lockdown took effect.

"The lockdown is very serious. There are fines issued for being out on the street, and if you do go shopping you have to have a paper signed to say that's where you've been. You can't be more than three kilometres from your home," said Jones.

The professional league season in France has now been scrapped after a government ban on sport until at least September, but Jones is thankful he can at least run and cycle in the hills above his Brynmawr home while he waits for the call to return to western France.

"It's disappointing because we were in with a chance of making the play-offs [for a Top14 place], but we can start focusing on next season.

"They're taking the virus very seriously to be fair, but they're rugby crazy and I'm getting numerous messages online asking: 'When will the game return?'

"They're desperate for it to return, but they are being very serious and taking the right [health] precautions."

The Rugby Football Union will be hit with revenue losses of £107m if the 2020 autumn internationals are cancelled because of coronavirus, chief executive Bill Sweeney says.

He said the lost revenue would be £85m if games were played without fans.

England are scheduled to host New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Australia at Twickenham in November.

“It is a very significant loss of revenue and we are doing what we can to mitigate it,” he added.

Sweeny was speaking to the government’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee as part of a discussion on the impact of the coronavirus on England's major sports.

The RFU has already lost £15m as a result of the pandemic and is set to lose £32m in revenue even if November’s matches go ahead as planned.

Sweeney and other executives, as well as England head coach Eddie Jones, have taken a pay cut of more than 25% in response to the crisis.

England are due to tour Japan in July and Sweeney suggested last month this could be moved to October.

England’s 2020 Six Nations campaign is yet to be completed, with their final game against Italy postponed.

Guidelines released by global governing body World Rugby on Monday suggested elite matches should be played behind closed doors until a coronavirus vaccine is freely available.

But Sweeney hopes England’s final Six Nations fixture can be played in October or November and said it will be “catastrophic” if the 2021 edition of the tournament is cancelled.

“Twickenham is a major asset for us - 85% of our income comes from hosting men’s international games at Twickenham,” he said.

“When you own a stadium it is a major cost and at the same time brings in large revenue.

“If this was to be prolonged and the Six Nations games were impacted, then it would be a catastrophic impact on rugby union in England.

“We would be looking at some very severe situations.”

With the 2019-20 NHL season on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic (here's the latest update on where things stand), we've started the NHL Viewers Club, highlighting some of the most rewatchable games from this season -- such as when EBUG David Ayres beat the Maple Leafs -- along with some cool hockey documentaries on ESPN+. So far, that has included "Big Shot" -- covering the fraudulent purchase of the New York Islanders -- as well as "Kings Ransom," which explored the events leading to Wayne Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings.

Today, we're watching a classic Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers game available on the ESPN+ streaming archive, which you can watch here.

It's a vintage performance for Mario Lemieux, as he scores five goals against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. But it's perhaps an even more impressive night for the Penguins, who win their 16th straight game -- beating the NHL record set by the 1981-82 Islanders. (The Pens, who won the Presidents' Trophy that season, would go on to win 17 straight, a record that still stands today.) This game featured plenty of star power, sizzle and 14 total goals. We dissect it all, plus debate Lemieux's status in the GOAT rankings, and explore how the 1992-93 Penguins would fare if they played in today's NHL.

Favorite random player sighting?

Emily Kaplan: The Penguins' roster is stacked with familiar names, including two current head coaches (Dave Tippett and Rick Tocchet) and a GM (Ron Francis), not to mention Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux and 1990s ubervillain Ulf Samuelsson.

Since the Rangers would win the Stanley Cup a year later, their roster features a bunch of fan favorites. But I was most amused seeing Joby Messier play with his second cousin Mark Messier on the Rangers. Joby was a former Michigan State defenseman, and his NHL career lasted just 25 games over three seasons (which also included four assists and 24 penalty minutes). According to The New York Times, the two Messiers weren't exactly close. "It would be a thrill to play on the same ice with Mark Messier," Joby Messier told the Times in 1992. "We don't really know each other all that well. I probably know a lot more about him than he knows about me."

Greg Wyshynski: My favorite random Ranger is Corey Hirsch, playing one of his four career games with the Blueshirts -- well, 40 minutes of a game, at least. A "goalie of the future" who was stuck in back of Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck on the depth chart, he would be moved by the Rangers two years later to the Canucks for Nathan LaFayette, and he would play 101 games in four seasons.

My favorite random Penguin (not to be confused with Penguin Random) is Tippett. The current coach of the Edmonton Oilers was in the 10th season of his playing career and took a pay cut as a free agent to chase this first Stanley Cup ring with the Penguins. "I told my wife a long time ago there are two things I want from this game: an Olympic medal and a Stanley Cup," said Tippett in 1992. He'd win a silver with Team Canada in Albertville, France, that year; but the Penguins were stunned by the Islanders in seven games in the semifinals, and Tippett retired sans ring in 1994.

What was your favorite moment of hockey nostalgia while watching the broadcast?

Kaplan: Jaromir Jagr's mullet, flowing with the wind, as he turns on the jets for a breakaway goal in the third period. So pure.

Wyshynski: Watching the "under construction" 1994 Stanley Cup champions. Look, as a Devils fan, I have a very conflicted relationship with the '94 Rangers, or least that's what my therapist tells me. So it was a kick to revisit the year before "Matteau, Matteau!" and to see a Rangers team that was slowly morphing into the Oilers -- Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Kevin Lowe and a newly acquired Esa Tikkanen, with Glenn Anderson and Craig MacTavish still to come. It was fun to see Alexei Kovalev and Hall of Famer Sergei Zubov as pups, and to see future trade assets Tony Amonte and Mike Gartner skating as Rangers. Plus, coach Ron Smith as the forgotten placeholder in between the late Roger Neilson and Iron Mike Keenan.

What were your favorite moments in this game?

Kaplan: I adore Mike Lange's goal calls. For Joe Mullen's short-hander, which opened the scoring, we got: "Joey, Joey Motorcycle!" Larry Murphy's tally earned a "Back in the fast lane, Grandma. The bingo game is ready to roll." On Lemieux's first goal, we are posed with the question: "How much fried chicken can you eat?" And on Lemieux's last goal: "If you miss that, shame on you for six weeks."

But the coolest moment, hands down, was the standing ovation the crowd at Madison Square Garden gave Lemieux for his fifth goal. This was an unmemorable season for the Rangers -- they had already gone through a coaching change and were pretty much eliminated from the playoffs by this game. But New York fans are true hockey fans, and they respect truly great performances. Let's not forget that Lemieux missed two months of play this season as he underwent treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Wyshynski: There's no topping that, so I'll just go with a weirder one. At 9:46 of the first period, Rangers rookie (and future Penguins star) Alexei Kovalev was tripped up by Pittsburgh defenseman Grant Jennings and slid into goalie Tom Barrasso. The Penguins goalie braced for impact by grabbing the cage behind him. What he actually grabbed was his water bottle, squeezing the life out of that thing as he maintained his balance and, in the process, giving Kovalev a shower as he lay in the crease. The first time you watch, it looks like Kovalev is checking for blood; in reality, he's wiping goalie water off his cheek. Yuck.

What was the turning point in this game?

Kaplan: When the Rangers couldn't score on Peter Taglianetti's major penalty in the second period, which included 34 seconds at 5-on-3. Expert penalty killing by the Pens, especially an all-out effort from Mike Ramsey, kept the Rangers off the board. Lemieux would score a short-handed goal toward the end, and the Pens would score five straight goals to open the third period to make this a blowout.

Wyshynski: To further Emily's point, it's that Lemieux short-handed goal at 16:05 of the second period (and about 58 minutes into the broadcast). What a sequence: Lemieux tries to set up Jennings for a tap-in goal on a 2-on-1, but Lowe manages to knock the puck out before it can cross the goal line. Later, Lemieux has the puck again and gets taken down by Graves. In the words of the Penguins booth: "He got hauled down at center ice. Looked at [the referee], didn't get the call. Stayed down for a while and that was a break, as it turned out." Indeed it was, as Barrasso found Lemieux in the neutral zone with a long lead pass as he was at the end of his shift. He went in on Hirsch, faked him out of his skates and completed the hat trick.

Who (or what) are your three stars of the game?

Kaplan:

• 1. Mario Lemieux. No. 66 was on a mission this game to catch up with some rookie named Teemu Selanne for the NHL's goal-scoring lead.

• 2. Mike Lange. I understand why Yinzers love them some "Langeisms." Grade-A stuff in this broadcast.

• 3. Joe Mullen. Most ignored hat trick ever.

Wyshynski:

• 1. Mario Lemieux. Watching Mario score goals was like watching an artist who could create masterpieces in every known medium.

• 2. Esa Tikkanen. The Rangers defensive forward was on the ice for one New York goal and six Penguins goals at even strength. So, an eventful night.

• 3. Those hand-drawn Penguins hockey sticks. My favorite strange moment of the broadcast (and 39 minutes in) was during the second period when the Pittsburgh booth was talking about former Oilers who are now Rangers and this random image of decorated Lemieux and Kevin Stevens sticks came on the screen without comment. Turns out the Penguins were using the Rangers' video feed, and New York's broadcasters were the ones talking about the sticks. Cue Mike Lange: "Everybody's looking for a phone number, where to call. We had nothing to do with it, folks!" The cherry on top: They used the random image of the sticks as the jumping-off point to sell an officially licensed Penguins golf putter for the low price of $25 plus shipping and handling.

Tomorrow on the ESPN NHL pause viewers' club pic.twitter.com/V4VZqYaAUV

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 4, 2020

Where does Mario Lemieux fit into your GOAT rankings?

Kaplan: He's No. 2, sandwiched between Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. The Great One is my obvious No. 1. Gretzky retired with 61 official NHL records. Today -- 21 years later -- Gretzky has 60. If that doesn't make you the GOAT, I don't know what does.

Lemieux was unique because he had skill, but also the size, reach and physicality that Gretzky lacked. Lemieux was perhaps just as dominant as Gretzky was -- and Lemieux's arrival to Pittsburgh as an 18-year-old singlehandedly revived the franchise -- but his career will always be a tantalizing case of "what if?" Lemieux played nearly 600 fewer games than Gretzky, and his career was plagued by injuries and sickness, which caused him to miss prime time in his career. We saw how dominant Lemieux was in this game, and I have no doubt that had he played the entire 1992-93 season, he would have joined Gretzky as the only players to score 200 points in a season. And had Lemieux not come out of retirement, he would have maintained his lead over Gretzky in career points-per-game rate.

Wyshynski: Lemieux is the greatest hockey player of all time and one of the most dominant athletes I've ever seen. We use the word "unstoppable" to describe a great number of things in pro sports, but it's the only way to describe Mario Lemieux in a one-on-one situation. It's there you see the bottomless deck of dekes in his possession, the way he used his large frame to create space, the stickhandling mastery and the underrated agility he had for a large center. He had Gretzky's abilities as a playmaker, but Gordie Howe's shot.

He scored 199 points in 1988-89 when everyone was scoring in the triple digits, and then scored 122 in 1996-97 when no one was scoring like that. As Emily said, the "what ifs" in a career marred by injury and illness are as puzzling as they are frustrating. But when he played, Mario was the best there was. That he made perfection look so effortless is perhaps his greatest attribute.

If the 1992-93 Penguins played in 2020, what does that look like?

Kaplan: This is the greatest Penguins team to not win the Stanley Cup, but I have a hard time comparing teams across eras because the NHL has changed so much. That said, a 2020 Ulf Samuelsson is getting plenty of calls from the Department of Player Safety. The 17-game winning streak would transcend hockey's limitations and be a daily fixation on SportsCenter.

I also wonder if we're talking about load management for Lemieux toward the end of the season. Though Lemieux torched the league with 160 points in 60 games after coming back from Hodgkin's lymphoma, it felt like that season took a toll on him. Then again ... who am I kidding? In today's NHL, star players still don't want to sit out, and I can imagine the conversation about Lemieux taking it easy for a Presidents' Trophy team down the stretch would have been a short one.

Wyshynski: Essentially this question becomes: Can a hockey team built for 1992-93 excel in a league that doesn't even look like that anymore?

Obviously, the high-end stars on the Penguins would excel in any era; and in Jagr's case, there's actually proof of concept there. Ditto Scotty Bowman, one of the greatest minds to ever patrol an NHL bench. Something tells me he might be able to figure out how to coach in today's game. But it's that back end that concerns me. The modern NHL demands speed and scoring from the blue line. These Penguins lacked that beyond Larry Murphy, who clearly embodied both in scoring 85 points in 83 games. The idea of 6-foot-6 glacier Kjell Samuelsson playing the minutes he played back then in today's NHL is ... well, not a recipe for success. It's a roster that really needed a guy like Paul Coffey, who starred for the Penguins in their back-to-back Cups (but was now skating for the Red Wings). Again, given the talent up front, behind the bench and in goal, they'd contend. But this team was very much built for 1992-93.

Lingering questions after watching?

Kaplan: Had Brian Leetch played a full season, might the Rangers have made the playoffs this season? The 1992 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman missed 34 games due to a neck injury he sustained in December. He returned for five games, then missed the final month of the season after a freak accident -- breaking his ankle when he slipped on ice while getting out of a taxi. Plenty went wrong for the Rangers in the 1992-93 season, which included a coaching change, but it's fair to wonder if Leetch was in the lineup, could they have won a game like this, not gone 1-10-1 down the stretch and made the postseason? And what chain reaction would that have had? Would GM Neil Smith not hire Mike Keenan in the offseason? Would the Rangers not win the Cup in 1994?

Wyshynski: What happens if David Volek doesn't score in overtime in Game 7 to lead the Islanders to that upset over the Penguins? Was this Penguins team good enough for the three-peat? That's tough to say. Keep in mind that they also lost Kevin Stevens to injury in that 1993 Game 7, so his status for the Wales Conference final would've been up in the air. They next would have faced the Montreal Canadiens, who went 12-2 after a 4-2 series win over Quebec in the first round, so that would have been a tall order. But if the Penguins had won the conference that would have given us Mario vs. Gretzky in the Stanley Cup Final. Ah, what could have been.