The Kansas City Royals' run as World Series contenders seems to be at an end, and the realities of being a low-payroll MLB team could sting this offseason.

Most of the Kansas City core could be out the door this winter, as top stars like Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are sure to be hot commodities in the 2017 free agent market. Can the Royals re-sign at least one or two of these players? That proposition is looking murky at best.

Funds are short for the 2015 world champs, whose $158 million payroll this season is less than half that of the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. This is a major issue in the latest free agency rumors.

         

Hosmer a Top Priority

Of the three big Royals set to hit free agency, Hosmer has the least amount of star power and is the most realistic option to return. He is also a favorite of the organization.

FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reported the team "loves" Hosmer and will make a serious push to bring him back. Kansas City is reportedly willing to exceed the $100 million mark with its contract offer, which at least puts them in the conversation financially with what big-market teams are likely to put up.

Hosmer said last year he was open to a long-term extension, per MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan, but he has stayed quiet on the matter this season. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgcxjjKNPyA

Heyman noted that making such a push compromises the Royals' position with Cain and Moustakas, but prioritizing a guy like Hosmer over the other two makes more sense if the team is as invested in him as Heyman reported. The team seemingly has to put all of its eggs in one basket, and Hosmer is a great choice.

The 27-year-old is in the midst of arguably his best MLB season. He is batting .317 with career bests of 189 hits, a .383 on-base percentage and a .876 OPS. His 24 homers are one of his career-high, and he still plays a mean first base. 

Per MLB.com, most of Kansas City's top prospects are pitchers or outfielders. That is not the case for top-ranked Nick Pratto, but his power can serve him well as a designated hitter, and the 18-year-old has time to transition to a new spot for the majors if Hosmer chooses to stay.

Given how Hosmer has excelled as a Royal, the hometown club should be a slight favorite. Yet this free agency can go anywhere. With the Kansas City core splitting, he could be more enticed with big money and a more competitive team. Keep an eye on this one, as it looks to be one of the most fluid situations among the top guys on the market.

       

Rangers and Cain a Match?

The Texas Rangers are certainly looking to upgrade back into playoff contention following a disappointing year under .500, and a Royals core member could be on the radar.

In his mailbag piece earlier this week, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers "have always liked" Cain, and they asked Kansas City about the speedy outfielder's availability on multiple occasions. Could this put them among the teams jockeying for Cain? Potentially not.

While Texas seems sure to gauge Cain's interest and discuss terms, Fraley sees the team focusing more on starting pitching this winter. The Rangers sit 12th in the American League with a 4.67 team ERA. 

Cole Hamels, 11-5, is the everyday starter and even his ERA is rough at 4.11. With the departure of Yu Darvish and possibly Andrew Cashner, it is easy to see why starting pitching could be such a priority for Texas.

Loading up on pitching may indeed put the Rangers out of Cain's price range. Every team wants a rangy, athletic center fielder who can hit, which is just what Cain provides. 

He is currently set to hit at least .300 for the third time in the last four seasons in addition to stealing at least 25 bases over that same span. Cain simply has all of the tools needed for a star leadoff man.

Yet he looks like a safe bet to play in a different uniform next season. If the Royals are that set on bringing back Hosmer, financial issues and prospect depth at outfield make it likely Cain will have better offers.

He is also 31 years old, which could steer him toward immediately contending teams for the last few years of his prime.

         

Mets Infield Appears to Stay Intact

Top New York Mets prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith have shown spurts of potential to become cornerstones of the franchise, and it seems a familiar face will join them in the infield next season.

Heyman reported the team is likely to pick up third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera's option for 2018. This would pay him $8.5 million before he becomes an unrestricted free agent the following winter. 

The 31-year-old has been solid in his two years in New York. He is hitting .273 with 13 homers and 55 RBI this season following a fantastic 2016 where he batted .280 with 23 jacks and 62 RBI. Especially with David Wright's future being uncertain at best, this is a smart move to keep some stability for the Mets.

The team's infield is now likely to be Cabrera along with Rosario at short stop and Smith manning first base. This qualifies as an above-average bunch if the latter two youngsters can start to blossom with a full season of work. That will leave fellow upcoming players Gavin Cecchini and T.J. Rivera to battle for the second base spot.

Wilmer Flores can provide depth as a utility option to spell an infielder when facing a lefty pitcher.

A vastly disappointing 2017 season may be closing for the Mets, but this team has a lot to look forward to next year, especially if the rotation can stay healthy.

       

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com. Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com. 

The 2017 MLB postseason may be just around the corner, but that does not mean it is too early to look ahead at potential impact free-agent moves that could abound this offseason.

Rumors are already starting to fly about possible destinations for pending free agents, particularly for teams out of the playoff picture with key players on the verge of testing the market. Meanwhile, contenders will be sure to eye pieces to fill in any weaknesses to ensure a return trip to the postseason. 

With that in mind, let us take a look at the latest buzz surrounding free agents.

         

Cincinnati Pushing for Cozart Return?

A brutal rotation and overall lack of pitching contributed to a down year for the Cincinnati Reds, but the National League Central cellar club did produce some unexpected standouts from the plate.

Zack Cozart, along with Scooter Gennett, led the way with a career year as the Reds currently sit in the middle of the pack in the NL in most hitting categories while having the league's worst team ERA. In Cozart's case, he seemed like a prime candidate to hit free agency as a decent infield option, but now his outlook is entirely different.

At 32 years of age, Cozart had never hit over .260, smacked more than 16 home runs or walked more than 40 times in a season. He has shattered all of those career highs in 2017 with a current .302 average, 24 homers and 60 walks in addition to easily setting career bests with a .388 on-base percentage and a .944 OPS. 

This transformation puts him in historical company, per noted Reds statistician and author Joel Luckhaupt:

https://twitter.com/jluckhaupt/status/908377644852563969

As a result, many assumed Cincinnati would sell high this summer and deal Cozart, but FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reported the team may have more long-term plans for the All Star:

"The Reds may try to keep star free agent shortstop Zack Cozart, which would make their decision not to trade him look a lot better. They certainly put a high price on him in trade discussions this summer, asking the Orioles at one point for top prospect Austin Hays, who later became the first player from the 2016 draft to make the majors."

This is certainly an interesting proposition for the Reds, but it has plenty of potential to turn into a miscue.

Cozart's career numbers clearly show that this season is an anomaly, and he did all of it playing on a one-year, $5.3 million deal. That figure, and years, is guaranteed to soar this offseason. So, does a rebuilding team like Cincinnati want to invest so much in a 32-year-old infielder?

The signs show that they are not totally committed to doing so. Heyman reported they placed and then pulled Cozart from revocable waivers after the trade deadline, but only because a team put in a claim. This forced the Reds' hand in not being able to trade him, as it looks like they were definitely interested. 

Unless Cozart agrees to a favorable discount, the Reds would be wise to let him walk. He has not shown he can consistently replicate his 2017 production, and five of the team's top 12 prospects are infielders, per MLB.com. 

Expect Cozart to eventually hit the free agent market, where more desperate teams are likely to take financial risks.

         

Japanese Phenom Closer to MLB Jump

Another year, another situation of MLB teams jockeying for the services of a major Japanese baseball star. Yet this looks to be an unprecedented free agency battle in the sport.

Shohei Otani is arguably the most unique, on and off the field, and talented player to ever come out of Japan, and he is only 23 years old. 

For his on-field production, Otani has earned the reputation as the Babe Ruth of Japan. Per Baseball-Reference, he exploded for 22 homers, 67 RBI and a .322 average in 2016 before putting up eight jacks, 31 RBI and a .337 mark in 60 games so far this year.

Furthermore, he went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA in 20 starts in 2016, but those numbers dropped in only four appearances this year to 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA. Otani posted double-digit wins and an ERA under 2.65 every year from 2014 to 2016.

It comes as no surprise that he is coveted by MLB teams, and his move took a big step recently. Heyman reported that Otani is interviewing potential agents, and he could even narrow his list down for second interviews by next week. 

The role of an agent in Otani's case may not be as influential compared to other big-time free agencies. Since he is under the age of 25, Otani cannot join MLB as a unrestricted free agent, meaning he can only sign with a team via its prospect pool funds. 

Right now, it seems the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have the most international pool money at $8 million, per a Heyman report in August. This makes Otani's potential decision more tied into fit than cash.

Whether he demands to be a starter and everyday player is not known, but at worst it appears Otani will be an impact player from either side of the mound. An interesting option could also be making him into a dominant reliever, which puts less wear on his body as an everyday position guy.

Either way, expect Otani to make the jump this offseason and for his name to be arguably the hottest on the free agent market.

      

Mets Hoping to Strengthen Bullpen

Injuries are the main culprit for the derailment of the New York Mets' season, but do not overlook relief pitching as an extreme weakness.

The bullpen has been historically bad in 2017. As it stands, the unit is third-worst in MLB, with 309 runs conceded along with a second-worst 4.77 ERA. Per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, 2017 breaks the 1962 Mets' record of 298 relief runs and is on pace to break that team's record of a 4.76 ERA.

Naturally, one of New York's top priorities this offseason is enhancing that bullpen, according to Heyman. 

The team's three top relievers in Jerry Blevins, Jeurys Familia and A.J. Ramos are all either under contract this season or under team control with arbitration rights. That leaves the Mets with a decent foundation and two potential closers in the bullpen, but more help is certainly needed.

New York could make a run at the big names in free agency like Wade Davis, but there are plenty of other solid middle-relief options. Luke Gregerson has thrown plenty of quality innings for the Houston Astros, while others like Brian Duensing, Yusmeiro Petit, former Met Addison Reed and Tony Watson are excellent potential additions that would not break the bank.

If the Mets can finally get some injury luck from its starting pitching to go along with a solid bullpen, this team is more than capable of contending in the NL. With that in mind, expect New York to make a heavy push to sign multiple quality relievers to make another run next season.

        

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information is via Spotrac.com.

A familiar face will grace the stage again in the 2017 U.S. Open men's tennis final, but a surprise upstart could deny him another accolade.

Rafael Nadal is back in a Grand Slam final, which is no shocker considering he's been in such a situation 22 previous times. Meanwhile, opponent Kevin Anderson has never appeared in a major final.

        

When: Sunday, Sept. 10; 4 p.m. ET

Television: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

           

Preview

In a tournament missing arguably three of the top five players in the world in Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, this type of final was destined to happen.

The lack of elite competition made it almost certain that either Roger Federer or Nadal would advance from their side of the bracket. The missing stars did give lower-ranked players a chance to make a serious run, and that is just what Anderson was able to accomplish.

Both players enter this match coming off four-set wins—each dropping the first set 6-4—but their paths to this point have been relatively stress-free.

Anderson did not face a seeded opponent until the quarterfinals, but he still impressed by knocking off No. 17 Sam Querrey in four sets before doing the same to No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta, who had not dropped a set previously.

In addition to becoming the first South African to play in a U.S. Open final, the No. 28 seed has made plenty of history with his play, per The Times's Stuart Fraser:

Kevin Anderson, the world No 32, is the lowest-ranked US Open men's singles finalist since the inception of the ATP rankings in 1973.

— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) September 8, 2017

Still, the undeniable fact is that Anderson was given a great opportunity to make such a run thanks to the slew of injuries to elite players.

Per Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, the 31-year-old acknowledged that in his on-court interview after confirming his place in Sunday's final:

"It's nice that some of them gave us a shot." -Kevin Anderson acknowledges the absence of the Big 4 in his on-court interview. #usopen

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 8, 2017

He will have to take down a perennial star to claim his first major title, though, but it hasn't been completely smooth sailing for the Spaniard so far.

Despite semifinalist Juan Martin del Potro being his only ranked opponent, Nadal has gone to four sets in three of his six matches and has twice dropped the first set. However, it should be noted he was 0-7 entering this tournament when losing the first set this season, so he has shown a new level to his game.

As a result, he could end up in more prestigious company with a win Sunday, per the ATP:

#Nadal looks to join list of 3-time @usopen champions in Open Era:
.@JimmyConnors, @rogerfederer, Sampras 5
John McEnroe 4
Ivan Lendl 3

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) September 9, 2017

From a numbers standpoint, the two-time U.S. Open champion is the undisputed favorite against Anderson.

The Spaniard is 4-0 against the South African, but all three of his hard-court victories came in 2015 or earlier. Still, Anderson has only won one set in those matches, so he will have to pull out some magic to get a win.

Anderson tends to play conservatively and wait for his opponent to make a mistake. That strategy could be challenging against Nadal, who is averaging just over 24 unforced errors a match in this tournament. Nadal was also able to dominate a similar type of player in Del Potro over the final three sets during his last match.

Anderson also relies on a heavy serve, which has allowed him win at least 80 percent of his first serve-points in five of his six matches. However, Nadal has also been adept at stealing service games, averaging just over six breaks per match thus far.

The key for Anderson pulling the upset will be to win the first set. Nadal is a ridiculous 47-2 when taking the opening frame this season to go with a 94.6 percent career rate. Again, he was winless in such situations before this tournament, so this looks like his lone minor vulnerability.

Anderson sports a decent 5-12 mark when losing the first set this year, but he is 18-3 when winning it. 

This will surely be a competitive match, but the more experienced Nadal looks like a safe bet to win his third U.S. Open title. Anderson will take the match to at least four sets, but his tremendous run will fall just short on Sunday.

Pick: Nadal wins in four

          

U.S. Open statistics are courtesy of USOpen.org, while career and season statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.

Historic heavy hitters like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal still loom for the men, but the 2017 U.S. Open could be a chance for relative newcomers like Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova to entrench their stakes in tennis' future.

The daunting obstacle that is Serena Williams will not be at Flushing Meadows, once again leaving the door open for others to challenge for a Grand Slam. While the dynamic duo of Federer and Nadal are still around, the men's side is also missing typical contenders in Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.

You can catch all of the action from Monday. Here is a breakdown of the viewing information and television schedule, as well some predictions of what to watch for.

       

Viewing Guide

The tournament takes off on Monday, with action starting at 11 a.m. ET going until 1 p.m. on ESPN3. ESPN will then broadcast the rest of the day's play until 11 p.m. This will be the schedule until the quarterfinals commence on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Men's and women's coverage will run from noon until 11 p.m. for the two-day quarterfinals. Women's semifinals will air on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m., with the men's semis starting the following day at 4 p.m.

Each final will start at 4 p.m., with the women's showpiece taking place Saturday, Sept. 9 and the men's decider playing out the following day.

A complete schedule can be found at USOpen.org.

       

Preview

Federer, already with five U.S. Open titles, and Nadal, two, have history on their sides as two of the greatest players to ever live. However, make no mistake that the men's bracket is rather wide open.

Despite rebounding from a knee injury that derailed him last season, Federer has defied the odds in 2017 with two Grand Slams wins, his first since 2012. The Swiss is dealing with a back ailment he suffered in the Rogers Cup final in early August. He has not played since, and although Marc Berman of the New York Post reported Federer does not expect the back to hinder him in New York, it is still a factor to keep in mind.

The injury may explain why the five-time U.S. Open winner landed third in the tournament seedings:

The #USOpen men's seeds are out!
1. Nadal
2. Murray
3. Federer
4. Zverev
5. Cilic
6. Thiem

See full list: https://t.co/S0wOhBSzLM pic.twitter.com/5Y4YCg0rPM

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 24, 2017

Nadal is seemingly free of injury heading into the tournament, a rarity for him in recent seasons. This makes it logical that the reigning French Open champion is the favorite, but the playing surface has not always been kind to Nadal.

The Spaniard has won 10 of his 15 events on clay. On hard surfaces, Nadal owns an impressive 22-7 mark on the season to go with a career winning percentage of 76.5. Yet this does not make Nadal automatic, especially considering he has no tournament wins this season on hard court, including three losses to Federer.

Andy Murray is also a mystery at this tournament, as he too has dealt with injuries. The Scot has not played since a hip ailment ended his run at Wimbledon. If healthy, Murray would likely be the favorite, although he has uncharacteristically struggled in some big moments this year. A career 67.6 percent winner in fifth sets, he has yet to do so this season.

One of the group of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal and Wawrinka has won every major since 2009 with the exception of two. With doubts lingering around the top seeds, now seems to be as good a time as ever for someone new to break through.

Youngsters Dominic Thiem and Alex Zverev have the talent to make deep runs. Also, look for a player like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to surprise. He has been excellent with a 17-6 mark on hard court this season, and with the door seemingly open at the U.S. Open, Tsonga may be able to make some noise.

Regardless, expect plenty of upsets and wild results on the men's side.

As for the women, several names stand out in Williams' absence.

Muguruza is on fire of late, having won the season's most recent Grand Slam in Wimbledon and the latest tournament at Cincinnati. As a result, it comes as no surprise Muguruza thrives on the big stage, which should translate to many more majors for the 23-year-old.

"It's a good position to be in," Muguruza said, per SI.com's Jamie Lisanti. "I don't see it as something negative. I just want to be ready and prepared to face all of these difficult matches. I know sometimes it seems difficult to carry, but I think it's a privilege to be in that position."

That mental fortitude has not fared well at the U.S. Open, though, where Muguruza has yet to advance past the second round in four tries. It is not typical for players with such poor histories to earn a No. 3 seed in a tournament, but Muguruza has the game to back it up.

She is a fast, long player who makes it difficult for opponents beat her on the volley. Thus, she owns a solid 45 percent winning rate this season on return points, which makes her a threat to take sets even when defending against serves.

She is not the top seed, though. That belongs to Pliskova.

The 25-year-old is the sport's No. 1 player, having won three tournaments this season while seemingly always finding herself in the finals or semifinals at each outing. Her all-around game is fantastic, as she sports a 78.6 percent mark in service games while winning 44.1 percent of her return points.

That helped result in a runner-up finish at last year's U.S. Open, but Pliskova has yet to win at a major tournament. Does that mean she can not do so this time around? Certainly not, but it is hard to count on a player with elite talent who has yet to break through on a big stage.

Expect Pliskova to make a deep run, but whether she wins is to be determined. If she does run into Muguruza in the final, she may have a decent shot. Pliskova owns a 6-2 career mark in the matchup.

One player to watch in particular for a surprising run is Angelique Kerber.

Kerber spent a considerable amount of time as the world's top player last season, during which she won the Australian Open and last year's U.S. Open. She also was a runner-up at Wimbledon.

This season is a different story. Kerber has only advanced past the quarterfinals in two tournaments while winning none of them. Her game has seemed to be missing its previous form. According to Chris Evert, the problem may be between the ears, per Kelyn Soong of the Washington Post:

https://twitter.com/KelynSoong/status/900393400855404545

If she rediscovers her game, then look out. Kerber is dominant when playing well. She also has winning records over top seeds Pliskova and Caroline Wozniacki in addition to splitting eight matches with Simona Halep.

The women's title is up for grabs, but look for Kerber, Muguruza and Pliskova to be the main contenders.

          

Men's statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com. Women's statistics are courtesy of WTATennis.com.

The final tennis major of the season is upon us, as the 2017 U.S. Open will begin on August 28 with several familiar faces expected to be serious contenders. However, stars sitting out on each side of the draw could make for some wild brackets.

Roger Federer seemingly discovered the fountain of youth with the turn of the calendar, having won two major tournaments this season after going nearly five years without a title. He could cap off his magical season with another Grand Slam, while longtime adversary Novak Djokovic is unavailable due to an elbow injury that ailed him throughout the year.

On the women's side, Serena Williams' pregnancy will keep arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time off the court. Victoria Azarenka will also miss the U.S. Open because of a personal matter. Still, this could be another chance for some the game's rising young stars to shine on the big stage.

Let us take a look at the top odds for each side, according to OddsShark.com. Continue for an outlook and predictions for both sides.

         

2017 U.S. Open: Men's Top Odds

Federer: 5/4

Rafael Nadal: 13/5

Andy Murray: 7/1

Alexander Zverev: 7/1

Nick Kyrgios: 14/1

Marin Cilic: 16/1

Grigor Dimitrov: 16/1

Milos Raonic: 20/1

Dominic Thiem: 25/1

Juan Martin del Potro: 28/1

        

2017 U.S. Open: Women's Top Odds

Garbine Muguruza: 6/1

Karolina Pliskova: 7/1

Johanna Konta: 8/1

Maria Sharapova: 9/1

Simona Halep: 9/1

Elina Svitolina: 10/1

Angelique Kerber: 12/1

Petra Kvitova: 14/1

Venus Williams: 14/1

Caroline Wozniacki: 16/1

            

Men's Outlook

After missing much of last season, including the U.S. Open, with a nagging knee injury, Federer winning two Grand Slams at 36 years old is nothing short of remarkable.

As a result of returning to the form of greatness, it is no surprise Federer is the favorite to win at Flushing Meadows, New York, for the sixth time. What he is doing should not be taken for granted, at least according to ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.

"Nobody’s doing what he’s done before at his age. He’s putting together the greatest year in the history of tennis, considering his age. I won’t speculate about his retirement. He’s playing phenomenal tennis. We need to appreciate it, run with it and see how far it goes."

However, Federer will not enter this tournament unblemished. Per Berman, the Swiss star is dealing with a back issue that forced him to drop out of a recent tournament in Cincinnati. His team said he is good to go after a two-week rehab, but a new ailment to a player Federer's age, particularly with his injury history, is not a great sign.

This could be where Rafael Nadal comes in.

The Spaniard is also experiencing a career revitalization, having recently moved up to the ATP's top-ranked player in the world. Thus, Nadal will enter the U.S. Open as the top seed, but he too could face struggles.

.@RafaelNadal starts his 4th stint at No. 1 in the @Emirates ATP Rankings. Read: https://t.co/zy3AUtjRFU pic.twitter.com/K6CFWR7xmh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 21, 2017

Nadal won the 2017 French Open, giving him four tournament wins this season on clay. When it comes to hard surfaces, though, the 31-year-old has yet to snag a tournament win. He has advanced to the semifinals on three occasions but has twice fallen to Federer in the finals.

Hard courts have never been Nadal's strong suit, as 10 of his 15 Grand Slams have been at Roland Garros. Still, he does have two U.S. Open titles, with one coming fairly recently in 2013. There are no apparent injury concerns of late with Nadal, and an opportunity is there to make a serious run with Federer not 100 percent, Andy Murray returning from injury and Djokovic and reigning champion Stan Wawrinka being absent.

This tournament remains rather wide open, but sleepers like 20-year-old Alexander Zverev could emerge, along with Grigor Dimitrov, who holds and impressive 24-6 mark on hard court this season. Also look out for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as a long shot. He has not advanced past the round of 16 since winning his last tournament in May, but he's been excellent with a 17-6 record on hard surfaces this year.

          

Women's Outlook

With not much separation between many of the top-odds players, it appears plenty of uncertainty exists regarding a possible winner for the women's bracket.

Garbine Muguruza is the favorite after winning the last major in Wimbledon for her second career Grand Slam win. The 23-year-old looks to be the next star in her sport, and she is playing like it of late with just two dropped matches since Wimbledon and a title in her last tournament at Cincinnati.

The Spaniard has the length, power and speed to challenge for many more majors down the road, and the evolution of her game has not been lost on tennis freelancer writer Tumaini Carayol:

https://twitter.com/tumcarayol/status/899348380551434240

She's been consistent in majors, with at least a round-of-16 appearance in the previous three this season, but Muguruza does have a tendency to come out flat. She's been knocked out of a tournament six times in 2017 before the third round. For a player ranked No. 3 in the world and pushing to take Karolina Pliskova's top spot, that is unacceptable.

Speaking of Pliskova, the 25-year-old plays a similar game to Muguruza. She was a finalist at last year's U.S. Open, but she has yet to claim a Grand Slam title in her career. 

Her service game is arguably the best in the world, and she has proved that this season. Pliskova is winning 73 percent of her first service points, along with 47.6 percent of her second serves. This allows her stay competitive in every set, or in some cases dominate like she did in her two-set win over Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the second round at Cincinnati, per BBC's David Law:

https://twitter.com/DavidLawTennis/status/897971429232312321

Pliskova owns a 6-2 career advantage over Muguruza, including a 6-1 mark on hard court. This makes Pliskova the rightful No. 1 seed and true favorite. Yet, there are some notable names that could shake up the field.

Maria Sharapova enters the tournament as a wild-card bid. She has not participated in a major since the 2016 Australian Open due to suspension, but she has been an elite player for numerous years. Whether she can find her touch right away remains to be seen, but a strong run could make her the story of the event.

Angelique Kerber is the most undervalued player heading into the U.S. Open. The former No. 1 player in the world has had a rough year with no tournament wins, but she is the defending U.S. Open champion along with taking the 2016 Australian Open title.

If Kerber gets going, she will be very tough to beat. Based on where she currently stands among the top odds, Kerber looks like an intriguing option to possibly claim back-to-back titles.

       

Men's statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com. Women's statistics are courtesy of WTATennis.com.

Firefighters from New York state are participating in a thrilling annual ladder-climbing competition.

Watch above.

                      

Connect to the stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game. Speaking of the game, it's time to take your sports knowledge to the next level!

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The calendar for elite high school basketball players is jam-packed. Almost from the time school starts in the fall, they're expected in the gym every day—even if the season doesn't tip off until November. And once their high school season ends, AAU play picks up and sends them zigzagging across the country for the summer.

So if you want to add another event to that already-crowded calendar—and you want top prospects to show—you better get creative. For Jeff Chen and Kashif Pratt, that was part of the inspiration for NYC Jam, a new full court two-on-two tournament coming to Harlem on Aug. 11. The tournament, which is sponsored by Bleacher Report, will feature some of the best basketball prospects in the northeast for a one-day event unlike anything else on the high school basketball calendar.

Around three months ago, Chen came up with the concept for a retro-style basketball tournament. At a time when he'd been playing a lot of full-court one-on-one games with friends, he also came across an old NBA Jam cartridge. Chen, who was born in 1988, was 5 years old when NBA Jam debuted and remembered being obsessed with the game as a kid. He always played with the Supersonics.

Using his marketing background and sports culture experiences as bedrock, Chen began crafting a concept that covered everything from the style of play to style of uniforms. He connected with fashion designer Eric Emanuel to craft eight heavy, 1990s-style mesh shorts. And he asked another designer, Michael Cherman of Chinatown Market, to create eight T-shirt designs with retro NBA logos on them—including, of course, the Supersonics.

"Everything comes full circle in fashion," Chen says. "Champion is relevant again, '90s gear is very in. I had a specific eight-bit vision for this tournament. It'll have a really cool video game look and feel."

When it came time to design the tournament itself, Chen collaborated with Pratt, who played basketball at New York's now-closed Rice High School and then at Iona and Seton Hall for college. Although many of the players who plan to compete weren't even born by the time NBA 2K debuted, much less NBA Jam, they were still thrilled about it.

"The kids were excited that they could be the focus," Pratt says. "Being on the court with 10 guys during most of these summer tournaments, you have to do something crazy to be seen. Here, you're going to be on the court with four people, and everything you do will be seen—from a pass to a shot or even how well you play defense."

The tournament will feature eight teams with three players apiece—and no coaches. The games will have four-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock with two timeouts per game. Each team gets five fouls, and after that, each foul will result in a one-and-one. The first player to reach five fouls on each team will be out for the remainder of the game. If another player fouls out, every one of his fouls will result in two free throws for the opponent, but the game will never devolve to two-on-one or two-on-none. The winner of three games in a row will take home the title.

The structure of the tournament was appealing to prospects, as evidenced by the attendees. NYC Jam will feature top-20 prospects in the Class of 2018 like Westtown School's Cameron Reddish (Pa.), Archbishop Molloy High's Moses Brown (N.Y.) and Roselle Catholic's Nazreon Reid (N.J.).

"I just told these guys, ‘There's not going to be a coach, just go out and play hard and have fun,'" Pratt says. "A month from now, it's no fun and it's all business for them. I think the NYC Jam setting will be the perfect end to their summer basketball seasons."

"These players are so skilled and fast," Chen says. "The games are going to be pick-and-rolls and isos and fast breaks. It's going to be jelly this, dunk that. These players can really hoop."

Originally, Pratt and Chen had hoped only to create a fun experience for for the hoops community. But because of B/R's sponsorship, the tournament will now be free to the public, and seats will be first-come, first-served. The tournament will start at 7 p.m. at the Dunlevy Milbank Center in Harlem. DJ Authorize will provide the soundtrack, and David "Cha-Ching" Teele and Jason Negron will call the games. And if Chen and Pratt have their way, it shouldn't take long to reach the first "He's on fire!" call.

"Growing up, these kids didn't play NBA Jam, but they did play NBA 2K," Pratt says. "And every basketball player grows up wondering what it would be like to see yourself playing in a video game. This an early chance for them to do just that."

Contact Jeff@nycjam.co with any questions about the event.

Summer is made for fun in the sun, ice cream and spending time on the beach. Summer is also the season for one of the most iconic summer shoes, the Nike Air Force One Low. In 2009, Nike released a version that combined these interests into a shoe that honored a Long Island mainstay, Jones Beach. This first iteration of the shoe was released in a limited quantity of 516 pairs, which is also Long Island's area code.  

Jones Beach is one of the top NYC summer fun destinations and is located on Long Island. This famous beach can be found in the small hamlet of Wantagh, NY, which is a barrier island connected to Long Island via the Ocean Parkway. About 6 million people visit Jones Beach every year for attractions like a full-size outdoor theater and 2-mile long boardwalk.

The Nike Air Force One Low “Jones Beach” features a tan canvas upper that combines "Birch" and "Sail-Stone" to create a beach sand look. The shoe is accented in off-white tan on the Nike "Swoosh" branding and seaweed details on the heel of the shoe. This shoe is detailed with off-white laces, a Jones Beach tongue tag and an icy translucent outsole that features the silhouette of Long Island.

Extra Butter Rep. Daniel blessed B/R Kicks with some insight into what made this re-release of the Nike Air Force One Low “Jones Beach” so special for Extra Butter.

 

Bleacher Report: How did this partnership with Nike come together?

Daniel, Extra Butter: When the shoe originally released, we had a really big response for it at our Long Island location (Rockville Center). Being based and having a lot of our roots in L.I.,  we crushed it. EB really prides itself on our ability to storytell and we did a great blog post and made sure we got a lot of great shots that really focused on the beach-centric theme of the shoe.

When Nike talked about bringing this shoe back, they were really eager to let us do our thing in terms of storytelling again. Taking the shoe to the next level out at our original location on Long Island.

 

B/R: So Extra Butter is originally from L.I.?

Daniel: Correct, back in 2007 we opened up, so [it’s been] over a decade now at the Rockville Center location. It's cool we are taking it back to our roots, it's about time Long Island got some love in this industry and we thought we were the appropriate ones to do it.

 

B/R: Really like the outsole of this sneaker. How much did the icy translucent “Long Island” outsoles inspire you guys to want to be part of the re-release?

Daniel: Nike did a phenomenal job at recreating stitch for stitch the original “Jones Beach” AF1. This shoe had a lot of great updates to it like the blue iridescent icy sole which is going to keep it looking fresh for longer.

It's funny you [mention] the bottom is your favorite part because at the pop-up shop we have this huge sculpture of the shoe that's rendered to look like a sand castle. It's equipped with the "Long Island" monogram on the bottom of the shoe. It's arguably the biggest AF1 sole I've ever seen. Right behind that, we have the "OG" pair on a display podium that again is made to look like a sand castle with yet another AF1 sole present.

B/R: What do you think is the best feature of this shoe?

Daniel: Being from Long Island, born and raised in Valley Stream, the Jones Beach pencil. It screams Long Island to me. That on the tongue with the "Jones Beach" embroidery, that tongue tag just takes me back to my youth, traveling to Jones Beach. Also, the Long Island mapping on the sole is moving for me. Long Island being my home and where Extra Butter was founded, it's always enjoyable to see that image.

 

B/R: You guys don’t ever seem to do the normal launch event and now you’re doing a beach party pop-up. Who came up with this?

Daniel: It was actually a collaborative effort as Nike really liked the fact that we are known for our storytelling. And when it comes to something like this, yes we can do a nice Instagram post and yes we can take some nice pictures but how do we take it to the next level? We were fortunate enough to team up with Arizona, which is a Long Island staple and found out on the island. We also teamed up with Shake Shack for a custom concrete-custard for this event. It's really been a collaborative effort to represent "What Is Long Island?"

In addition to the pop-up space at the shop itself, we have an off-site location at the Yacht Club in East Rockaway that features an impromptu pool made out of a shipping container to create this clear fish-tank like environment. The thing I'm most excited for is the special food truck hosted by Ghetto Gastro.

The Nike Air Force One Low 'Jones Beach' releases Today, Saturday, July 22nd for $130 USD. In order to purchase this shoe, you must go the Rockville Center Extra Butter location at 266 Merrick Rd, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 to get the full Long Island/Jones Beach experience.

It's always great to start a friendship through a common interest. For two young kids growing up in NYC, one of the biggest pastimes was break-dancing or "B-boying." The creative directors at NYC sneaker boutique Extra Butter, Jason Faustino and Bernie Gross, met each other while taking part in hip-hop's most famous dance style.

One of the shoes of choice for most B-boys has long been the Puma Clyde. This 1970s classic Puma silhouette meant as much on the basketball court on the feet of New York Knicks legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier as it did off the court for some of the most stylish people in NYC.

With fashion being one of the elements of hip-hop, making sure you had shoes that were "in" was just as important as anything else you wore. The Puma Clyde was even featured in the Netflix Original The Get Down, a show that explains the origins of hip-hop in the South Bronx during the late '70s. 

So what better time for the Extra Butter x Puma "Kings of New York" collection to hit the streets? Leveraging Puma's long relationship with NYC and its history in hip-hop, this pack embraces everything about what was "in" during the culture's nascent period. That includes the velvet upper (velvet being one of the most popular clothing materials), the fat laces (another hip-hop-inspired classic accessory) and the gold branding (gold accessories were the easiest things to add to an outfit as a sign of status).  

Bleacher Report: Why Puma and why now? Why New York?

Jason, Extra Butter: Why not a while ago? Because this is something that when I was opening Extra Butter I wanted to do, it just took a while to get to. Relationships with Puma and them celebrating the Clyde's anniversary [helped].

Why New York? New York is the birthplace of hip-hop, and I don't think there is any denying that. Break Dancing is one of the four elements of hip-hop, and Bernie and I met as B-boys. I was always a little sneaker nerd, and sneaker culture and style got way more serious as a B-boy.

As a B-boy, you have to have your style on point. How do you present yourself? What's your flavor? The Puma Clyde is synonymous with B-boy culture from the beginning. One of the special things about the shoe is that as much as it represents Clyde Frazier's amazing style, yet it's such a simple design, it's about what you do with the shoe. 

       

B/R: How much does the Clyde add to the hip-hop dimension of this story? 

Jason, Extra Butter: I've always had a connection with movies, and the word butter has the movie references like popcorn, but it's also "Old School" NY slang. Anything premium or dope was "butter."

We did velvet Clydes, we wanted people to touch this shoe and say, these are butter. We chose a red colorway and a blue colorway and it all ties into hip-hop because of the movie Beat Street. In the movie, one B-boy crew is in red and the other is in blue, and it is one of the most influential hip-hop movies. 

B/R: What led to doing the launch event as a B-boy battle?

Jason, Extra Butter: At Extra Butter, we don't want to deliver anything that doesn't give you a proper experience. And that ties back to movies having to do with the name Extra Butter. Movies are supposed to make you experience something different, take you to another world, and we want to do the same when you buy one of our products or collaborations.

If we are telling a B-Boy story, we are going to bring you there if you never experienced it before.

           

B/R: When did you fall in love with the Puma Clyde?

Bernie, Extra Butter: The last scene of the movie Wild Style, it showed some of the most famous Rock City Crew members and the legendary King Swift was getting down in a light blue and red pair. I must have searched for those shoes forever. Puma didn't retro colors back then, so when it was gone, it was gone. 

B/R: How did this collaboration come together? 

Bernie, Extra Butter: When Jay and I started building the Extra Butter brand, we knew that brands were going to come knocking on our door to do these kinds of special projects, and we understood that it was important to tell stories. When it came to Puma, we knew it had to be B-boying that we told a story of. We waited a couple of years before we had a serious conversation with Puma because we knew that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime, hit-or-miss type thing.

Originally, we wanted to celebrate the anniversary of Beat Street. One of the first famous movies that [brought] B-boying to the mainstream audience, featuring the Rock Steady Crew and the NY Breakers.

We knew we wanted to do a predominately blue pair and a predominately red pair, and the first sample of this collaboration was closer to the colors from the movies, but we didn't feel like that resonated with today's consumer. We went back to the drawing table, agreed to keep the red and blue motif, but executed it differently with some crushed velvet. We made a B-boy shoe premium. 

      

B/R: What was your favorite feature or part of making this shoe?

Bernie, Extra Butter: I want to say the velvet fat laces. I think most people would assume that if we were going to do a B-boy shoe that it would come with fat laces, but the fact that we did them with velvet takes it up a notch.

That was one of the things during the sampling process that was tough, as we wanted to make sure we did it right. We wanted to make sure it was double-sided velvet, make sure it tied well, and that it kept its structure.

Another feature that some people will notice after a couple wears is the NY monogram pattern on the inner lining of the shoe. 

Extra Butter, along with the UDEF Pro Breaking Tour, put on a B-boy battle that had the crowd fully invested in its outcome. With breaking legends like Crazy Legs and Junior Jakes on had as judges, B-boys from around the world battled it out. Ultimately, one of NY's own won the battle, the prize money and a pair of Extra Butter x Puma Clyde "King of New York" sneakers.

Crazy Legs (Richard Colon) gave us some more insight on the sport of "breaking," and he is involved with the Youth Olympics as they are bringing "breaking" to the Youth Olympics in 2018 with hopes of adding it to the regular Olympics by 2020.  

When asked about Puma and the Clyde itself and what it means to hip-hop and breaking, there were so many different responses from members of the B-boy community: 

Nemesis: Puma is something nostalgic, it was a big part of the golden era of the dance around the '80s. Puma was very prevalent in the hood because they were affordable and you could style them up to make them your own.

Too Sweet: Puma Suede or Clydes are all that B-boys play with. If it ain't Huaraches it's definitely Pumas. Beat Street made them what they are. When people think about B-boying they think about Beat Street and when you think about that you think about Puma. 

Crazy Legs: Puma Clydes are classics, and it's nice to see the originals, but it's also great to see the brand evolving. Seeing other options and flavors keeps B-boying fresh. 

Junior Jakes: Puma is one of the originals. It's great to see the folks at Extra Butter and Puma giving B-boying some love since it is an important part of hip-hop. 

A big shout out to Extra Butter for taking the time. You can follow Extra Butter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or simply visit their New York store located at 125 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002.

"What if I told you one of the most powerful teams in sports never played a game?"

Such is the tagline for Thursday's ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary, Mike and the Mad Dog. And while proclaiming a radio duo one of the most powerful teams in sports may sound overly dramatic, for those who've enjoyed sports radio in the past 28 years, their impact is undeniable.

New York's WFAN debuted in 1987 as the world's first-ever 24-hour sports talk station. Two years later, the struggling outlet was still searching for traction when it placed Mike Francesa, an insider with an encyclopedic knowledge of the sports world, with Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, a volatile everyman, for the afternoon drive-time show. Mike and the Mad Dog was born.

The results forever altered the sports media landscape. Almost three decades later, they remain the foremost duo in sports radio history, their influence visible in the debate shows that dominate today's programming schedules. Even though they split as partners in 2008, their passionate fans still long for the two to reunite. Both continue to thrive as solo hosts—Russo on SiriusXM and Francesa on WFAN—although the latter has become both a hero and a punch line in the social media era. With the documentary premiering Thursday and with Francesa's departure from WFAN looming in December, B/R spoke with Francesa, 63, and Russo, 57, separately to get their insights on the film and their status as pioneers in their field. 

       

B/R: What was the moment that really made the show for you guys?

Mike Francesa: I think the results did. I don't think any one thing did. Had the results not come so quickly, it would have been harder to keep together, because personally, we weren't trying to keep the show together. We were trying to pull it apart in the first couple of months. Neither of us was happy with it. Neither of us wanted to be there. There were a lot of outside forces pulling us apart. There were internal forces pulling us apart. There were a lot of people who won't admit it now who inside the company thought this was a total disaster, wanted to end it immediately. They won't admit to that now because of the success of it, but that was very true.      

And we got a tremendous amount of headlines. When that happened, that was it. Mike and the Mad Dog had arrived.

Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo: I think there's a couple. I think that "Dog Date Afternoon" the first year where—I wasn't married yet, no girlfriends—a girl who wanted to date had to write 25 words or less and send a postcard to our producer. We'd pick the winner and the winner would go to a Broadway play—Cats. Mike was very good with that. He set the whole thing up. I was a good sport about it. We got a lot of reaction.

And then I think there's a couple after that. The Giants' run in '90, when they won the Super Bowl, beating the Niners and Buffalo back-to-back; I thought that was very significant. And I think the third thing was Pat Riley. He was hip, he was coming from the Lakers, he had won all those championships. And his availability to me and Mike, and the fact that the Knicks got good right away, I think that was very significant, too.

       

B/R: How did the professional success lay the path for a personal relationship?

Francesa: We had to realize that we were a shotgun marriage—we were put together over a weekend, we had never even spent five minutes together, we never did a rehearsal show together, we never even had a production meeting before we went on the air together. They just put us in a studio together and said go to work. And it didn't work well. We were both trying to run the other one out of the show. That's what we were trying to do the first couple of months. And instead, once we saw what happened, we realized we had to work together.

       

B/R: Would the show have been such a success without that tension?

Russo: I think the tension really helped the popularity of the show because it was real and it was authentic and people could relate to it. You know, spousal issues, and everybody's got a boss they don't like. And I think it's added a component which has increased our popularity, the fact that there are so many dynamics with the two of us over the years that are talking points. ... The water-cooler talk—are they fighting, not getting along—it drew you in.

       

B/R: What made the show work?

Francesa: We just have a gift that we're two people who have just brilliant timing together. ... And that's the part that people missed about the show and made it very successful: We were always two individual performers who came together to do a show. We were not a show. We did not vacation together. Our show never shut down. When one of us went away, the other one worked.

Russo: We didn't copy Abbott and Costello or Martin and Lewis. There were no debate shows those days on TV. I had never worked with a partner before I had started to work with Mike. ... So it was an adjustment to work with a partner.

Me and Mike, when we argued, we both really believed what we were arguing for.

        

B/R: Do you have a fondest moment from the show?

Francesa: We did some crazy stuff. '94 was amazing. We both worked so much; it was unbelievable. The Knicks and Rangers. I think they played 49 playoff games and we were at 39 of them both home and away. We traveled for weeks on end—we went from Vancouver to Houston to New York back to Vancouver, to Houston. ... The way the city saw it was that it was not a big sporting event unless Mike and the Mad Dog were at the event.

       

B/R: How did you stay sane taking calls for so long?

Russo:  I always did a lot of calls. I was in Jacksonville and Orlando, where I didn't have the guests and didn't have the local teams. So I needed the phone calls. Mike's a little different in that department. He worked at CBS. He's a little bit more of an inside guy, a little bit more of an inside interpreter, so he didn't need the calls and didn't grow up with the calls as much as I did.

Francesa: You have to do it honestly. If anything, I've heard more through the years about how hard I am on the callers, but I react to the calls the way I think that people in their car would react as they're listening. If somebody says something outrageous or dumb or crazy, I'm going to say that. I'm not going to go 'thanks for the call' and go on to the next call. So I've always treated the caller completely different than the listener. The audience, I cherish. My callers, I challenge.

        

B/R: How did the introduction of the internet and then social media change the nature of your show, and how have fans changed over time?

Francesa: I don't know that they are different. What they do have is that we live in an incredibly different information age. There was a time where we had information that the audience didn't have. That's changed completely. The audience has every bit of information. ... So the bottom line is, knowing that, you have to bring an overriding opinion and an overriding personality. You have to have a personality that's captivating and you have to have an opinion that people want to hear.

Russo:  I do think that if you did the show today, you'd have to do it a little differently because you wouldn't be able to break all those stories that you could have broken in the old days. We were on the air when Magic Johnson—that's another big story, '91 HIV—4 o'clock on a Monday afternoon he announces his retirement. Nobody knew what that was about. We were on the air at 3:59—let's go to Magic's press conference. And he retires. We wouldn't have that today.

Francesa: But what I have that the fan doesn't have is a viewpoint. That's what is mine and mine alone, and that's what I have to bring, and that's why I've lasted and been successful. It became about not just having information; it's about understanding how things work. ... That's the indispensable stuff that the audience doesn't have.

        

B/R: What is it like now, where every mistake you make ends up on YouTube or Twitter and you're the constant butt of Al Alburquerque jokes? 

Francesa: You can't worry about it. When you get to a certain level of celebrity, there's not much you can do about it. If you don't want it, then walk away from it, because there's good to it and there's bad to it. If I make a mistake, hey, they are gonna ram it down my throat. That's just the way it is, and if you can't handle that, then understand that that's just the way it is. Now, has it reached an absurd point? Yes. There's a guy out there who just waits for me to make a mistake and then blasts it to everybody. The bottom line is it's just something I have to live with.

Russo: I think Mike right now, a lot of those little mistakes that he makes, I think it has a lot to do with Mike at times being a little bored. I think if Mike had a guy like me in there or somebody that was going to challenge him—five-and-a-half hours is a long time doing the show every day—I think a little bit has to do with he's done it all, he's seen it all, he might be a little bored.

         

B/R: To what degree did you guys give rise to all the debate shows that dominate radio and TV today? Can we blame the two of you for Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless?

Francesa: Yes. There's no question. I think it went from us to Mike and Mike, which was a very, very gentle show. It was very much a promotion show, not a real hard-hitting show. But then to Pardon the Interruption, which was clearly off Mike and the Mad Dog. Tony Kornheiser, who I've known forever, even admitted to me that was based on Mike and the Mad Dog. And I think a lot of them came off the success of Pardon the Interruption. I think that really was the one that set the template for the TV shows. So I think it all does emanate from the success of Mike and the Mad Dog.

Russo: I only recently thought about that. I think you can make an argument that we had some influence. I think the one thing that we did from a radio perspective that they didn't really address in the film is that Mike and I were really the first duet of sports talk. Before me and Mike in '89, most of your big sports talk show hosts were solo. And then me and Mike showed everybody that you could do two-way sports talk and that way you could do more hours together.

     

B/R: If you guys were together right now, how would you cover LaVar Ball?

Francesa: I think we would give him very little air time. I don't think he has any credibility. I think he's a fool.

Russo: I'd have no interest in him. I would pay no attention. The kid's a nice kid [Lonzo Ball]. The father's a pain in the ass. I'd never put him on.

       

B/R: What's it going to take to get you guys back together, even on a weekly podcast?

Francesa: I've been asked a lot over the past couple of days about Mike and the Mad Dog. I've said I don't know if that's even feasible. Dog's under contract. I don't see me working Monday to Friday ever again, five days a week. I wanted to leave on my own volition, where they wanted me to come back, where the revenues and the ratings are still at the top. It's not like they're running me out because I'm no longer good and I'm batting .210. I get to leave on my own and leave on a very high level, and that's what I really want to do.

Russo: The first thing is that you've got to remember that Mike still has four or five months to go. And I'm at Sirius. I'm going to be at Sirius. So Mike's going to have to come to me. And so from that perspective, Mike's going to have to weigh offers that he gets when he leaves FAN in December and see which one he likes the best.

Would I like to see me and Mike together again under the right circumstances where we can do it properly? The fans want it. Again, I don't think Mike's going to want to do Monday through Friday, so you'd have to find the right circumstances. But I think under the right circumstances...yes, I think Mike and I could easily do it, and I certainly wouldn't rule it out. I think it's a possibility. I really do.