NEW YORK -- Within minutes of locking out players Thursday amid contentious negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball scrubbed all remnants of player likenesses off its official properties such as MLB.com, replacing player photos with generic silhouettes.

In response, players decided to lean all the way in.

Players started to change their profile pictures on Twitter to the generic player silhouettes in solidarity and as a response to the league's action. The decision to do so was not an organized, calculated move by the Major League Baseball Players Association but rather started off as a joke in a small player text group chat, according to New York Mets pitcher Trevor Williams, one of the first to change his profile picture.

"It was just being silly," Williams told ESPN. "It's a meme. When you think about it, by us posting a picture of what MLB does, we're doubling down on what they're doing. It's not supposed to be serious."

It's amazing to see players around the league change their avi in solidarity. MLB can take away our image but never our LIKENESS!

— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) December 2, 2021

I have no idea what likeness means

— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) December 2, 2021

During a news conference Thursday morning, commissioner Rob Manfred said the league was legally obligated to remove all player likenesses because of the lack of a collective bargaining agreement.

Along with Williams, San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, New York Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon and Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker were among the first players to change their profile pictures on Twitter.

Due to the lockout, players cannot use team facilities or work with trainers. Taillon underwent surgery in October to repair a partially torn ankle tendon and was expected to miss five months.

"Since MLB chose to lock us out, I'm not able to work with our amazing team Physical Therapists who have been leading my post surgery care/progression," Taillon tweeted. "Now that I'm in charge of my own PT- what should my first order of business be? I'm thinking I'm done with this boot. It can go."

Since MLB chose to lock us out, i'm not able to work with our amazing team Physical Therapists who have been leading my post surgery care/progression. Now that I'm in charge of my own PT- what should my first order of business be? I'm thinking I'm done with this boot. It can go?

— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) December 2, 2021

The bit soon started catching on among those not in the initial group chat. When Mets reliever Trevor May woke up Thursday, he noticed players changing their profile pictures and decided to join in.

"I saw it, and that's what I did," May said. "Anything when it comes to Twitter, memes, I'm all for it. I just went for it. It's not a strong message I'm trying to send. ... This is one of the funny ways for players to poke at [the league]. It's a funny way to point out they don't really have anything without us."

Other players who joined in included Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, free-agent reliever Sean Doolittle, Minnesota Twins pitcher Randy Dobnak, Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger and shortstop J.P. Crawford, free-agent second baseman Shed Long Jr., and Mets closer Edwin Diaz.

The Arizona Coyotes say they're staying put.

The team vehemently denied a Forbes' report on Thursday citing an unnamed banking source that the Coyotes are up for sale "with the idea of [a] buyer eventually moving the team to a new arena in Houston."

Arizona quickly issued a statement in response.

"This is false. Totally false," the statement read. "We're not selling. We're not moving. The Coyotes are 100 percent committed to playing in Arizona."

This was the latest in a string of relocation rumors surrounding the Coyotes, and not the first involving a potential move to Texas.

Back in 2018, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta reportedly met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to have "preliminary talks" about buying the NHL club and moving it to Houston. Fertitta declined to comment, and nothing more was reported about a pending partnership.

At the time, hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway held a 51% controlling interest in the Coyotes, which he purchased in 2014. On July 29, 2019, Barroway sold that controlling interest to billionaire Alex Meruelo, while Barroway stayed on as a minority owner.

The Coyotes may not be actively looking for a new city to play in, but they do need to find a new rink. Last August, the City of Glendale announced it was opting out of the joint lease agreement they have with Arizona to play at Gila River Arena, making the Coyotes homeless (as of now) for the 2022-23 campaign.

The lease worked on a year-to-year basis, allowing either side to opt out if needed. The City's decision to terminate their agreement came after long-term negotiations fell through due to multiple notices of balance owing by Arizona.

Coyotes President and CEO, Xavier A. Gutierrez, said in August that the team was "disappointed" the City of Glendale had broken off the multi-year negotiations and reiterated the team's desire to find a permanent home in the area.

"We are hopeful that they will reconsider a move that would primarily damage the small businesses and hard-working citizens of Glendale," Gutierrez said. "We remain open to restarting good-faith negotiations with the City. Most importantly, the Coyotes are one hundred percent committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona, and nothing will shake our determination to do what is right for our organization, residents of the entire Valley and, most important, our fans."

To that end, the Coyotes have been trying to build a new 16,000 seat venue in Tempe, but face pushback there as well. The club's $1.7 billion proposal for the project would include hotels, apartments, and a shopping area over 46 acres of city-owned land.

But airport officials have raised concerns about the development's proximity to the Sky Harbor Airport, as the property would line up with their two busiest runways. The Coyotes claimed the building heights they were proposing would not impede planes descending into the airport, and vowed to work with officials in the area to address any issues that came up.

In his first public address since his February car crash, Tiger Woods said that he's still in pain and unsure if he'll ever play golf again professionally.

But by the look of a few practice swings Wednesday ahead of the Hero World Challenge, you'd never think that he was close to having his right leg amputated earlier this year. 

After posting a clip of himself on the range last week with the caption "making progress," it appears Woods is continuing to make progress. But whether or not progress is ever fully made is still up in the air. 

Barcelona have contacted Edinson Cavani's representatives to gauge his interest on leaving Manchester United for the Camp Nou during the January transfer window, various sources told ESPN.

ESPN has learned that a Barcelona representative contacted Cavani's environment to inquire out about his situation.

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The 34-year-old striker has a contract at Old Trafford until the end of the 2021-22 season but has made only eight appearances this season following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cavani has said previously he would not rule out playing in LaLiga.

However, sources also told ESPN that Cavani plans to consult with Manchester United's incoming interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, on his plans for the striker before making a decision.

Sitting somewhere in the middle of all the discussions over why Donny van de Beek hasn't worked at Manchester United, and whether it's best to cut and run, is the player himself.

In the space of 16 months, he has gone from being indispensable for Ajax and making a strong claim for the No. 10 position in the Netherlands national team to a peripheral figure at Manchester United and out of the Dutch reckoning.

His time at United since his £35m move from Ajax can be summed up by three matches against Villarreal. First was last season's Europa League final, where he cut a disconsolate figure as one of the unused substitutes. Then in the Champions League in September, cameras caught his frustrations as he was again left on the bench while his side chased a winner.

Against the same opposition in November, Van de Beek was handed a rare start in Michael Carrick's first game in charge following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It's too early to say whether it marks the start of a new beginning or another false dawn.

"He was perfect for the system at Ajax, but I don't think United and Donny are a good fit," ex-Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart told ESPN.

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Those who know Van de Beek are adamant that this turbulent spell will not throw him off his rhythm but could instead motivate him to take his game to the next level. After all, he is, at his core, still the same brilliant player who helped inspire Ajax to their Champions League run in 2019, the player who scored against Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur and was then pursued by Real Madrid, only to ultimately sign for United. But for whatever reason, it's been an uneasy marriage. To date he has made just four Premier League starts across nearly a season and a half, and has managed just 61 minutes in the top flight this term.

It could be that Solskjaer's exit will give Van de Beek another chance to prove himself at Old Trafford. He scored the final goal of Solskjaer's tenure in their 4-1 defeat at Watford and played an hour under Carrick in the 2-0 win at Villarreal on Tuesday that guaranteed progress in the Champions League.

Regularly ignored by Solskjaer, the Norwegian's sacking can only be good news for Van de Beek. United have successfully hired an interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, to take the team until the summer before making a permanent appointment in the summer. Van de Beek can only hope the new men, whoever they are, are keen to offer every player a clean slate.

Over the course of the past nine months, ESPN has spoken to staff at Manchester United, Dutch football experts, former internationals and other sources in the game. This is the story behind the curious case of Van de Beek and whether his prospects will improve at United, or it's time to leave.

What United saw in Van de Beek

Dutch players have covered every inch of the sliding scale of success to failure at United. For every success story like Jaap Stam, Robin van Persie, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Edwin Van der Sar, there have also been those who never settled, like Memphis Depay or Alexander Buttner. Van de Beek became the 12th Dutch player to sign for United in September 2020 when they paid Ajax £35m for the chance to sign him.

Solskjaer said the transfer strengthened "the depth of talent" in midfield, with Van de Beek's "ability to see space, time his movements and read of the game" some of the key attributes that led to United signing him. Yet earlier that summer, United were convinced Van de Beek was Real Madrid-bound. They had followed him closely for the best part of a year, and when they heard Madrid had ended their interest in the Dutch international, they moved quickly.

Sources told ESPN that United were pleased with how easy it was to deal with Van de Beek and his entourage: Negotiations were painless, and Solskjaer, having spoken to the midfielder on the phone, was pleased with Van de Beek's manner.

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With Paul Pogba's future uncertain (his contract expires in 2022) and Solskjaer still not convinced by Fred, United saw Van de Beek as player who could offer an option as a No. 10, 8 or 6 in their midfield. But in the summer of 2020 that also saw United chasing Jadon Sancho, a new centre-back and a holding midfielder, the Van de Beek signing was a surprise option. He wasn't a "must-have," but instead a luxury player who would bring added class to a packed part of the squad.

The early stages were promising as Van de Beek endeared himself early to the fans both on and off the field. A post on Instagram showed he had a new pool table in his Manchester home, complete with United badge emblazoned on the felt. He scored on his Premier League debut off the bench in United's 2020-21 season-opening defeat to Crystal Palace on Sept. 19, but it proved to be a false start, and United fans were limited to sporadic glimpses of their new midfielder.

Sources told ESPN that people within the club in those early months were drawing comparisons between Van de Beek's introduction to United and how Henrikh Mkhitaryan fared in the early stages of 2016-17 after completing his move from Borussia Dortmund. United felt Van de Beek would find the pace of the Champions League more familiar, rather than the workload and intensity of the Premier League. It's something ex-Tottenham and Netherlands midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart can relate to, when he made the switch to the Premier League from Real Madrid in 2010.

"I found the pace of the game was much quicker as you never had a break," Van der Vaart told ESPN in July. "[In other leagues] you'd take your time over a throw-in, or free-kick, but in England, everyone expects you to continue, continue. That was the hardest thing, but though the game was quick, there was a lot of space to play in between the lines, and as a No. 10 that was great."

Adaptation takes time, but how much time?

As it became apparent that Van de Beek would have to bide his time at United, sources told ESPN there was already interest shown in him from clubs looking to pick up a potentially disgruntled, ill-suited player for a discounted fee. When the transfer window reopened in January 2021, Solskjaer said he had explained to the player why he was being used sparingly, and reiterated that the player had a long future at United.

While Van de Beek kept working hard, others spoke and ruminated on his behalf as transfer rumours swirled. Ajax legend Sjaak Swart said he would not have stood for being used for four minutes here and there, leaving Van de Beek's then-agent Guido Albers to insist his client was happy at United. Van der Sar, the Ajax CEO and former Man United goalkeeper, also said in January he could understand why Van De Beek was struggling for game time with the midfield logjam of Pogba, Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic and the talismanic Bruno Fernandes.

Others were less diplomatic. Legendary Dutch striker Marco van Basten said the 2020-21 season had been "shocking" for Van de Beek's rhythm and that he "shouldn't have joined United." Frans Hoek, who served as goalkeeping coach at United under Louis van Gaal, compared Van de Beek's situation to Depay's ill-fated spell at the club after moving from PSV and the Eredivisie to United, saying that like Depay, he "needed time to adapt."

"Donny has played well the times he got the chance. I think we are too quick sometimes to jump on 'oh, he's not playing, it's a failure,'" Solskjaer said in January. "But with Victor Lindelof and Fred as examples, it takes a little bit of time and now they are massively important players in our squad and in our team, which will be the same with Donny. He will grow more and more for next year."

A muscle injury kept Van de Beek out of action at the start of February and he would make just two starts, playing 262 minutes in the Premier League through the remainder of the 2020-21 season. He was shifted around the team in both the Europa League and FA Cup, too, even starting on the left against Roma in the semifinal second leg against Roma.

"Come on: If there's one thing he isn't, it's a left-winger," Ronald de Boer told ESPN in June. "He doesn't have the speed or creativity for that: He's a team player and needs to be in the middle of the park. That's something the manager should know."

By the time of the Europa League final, Solskjaer's trust in Van de Beek appeared to be rock-bottom, as he was kept on the bench despite United's inability to break through against Villarreal. Van de Beek cut a solitary figure postmatch as United picked through the bones of their tepid defeat on penalties. "It was a very sad," Ronald de Boer said. One source told ESPN that the sight of Van de Beek reminded them of how unhappy and isolated Jesse Lingard looked after their semifinal defeat to Sevilla the previous season.

Last summer's Euros were seen as a "line in the sand" moment for Van de Beek, a chance to reset. He made the original 26-man squad under then-manager Frank de Boer, with Van der Vaart saying at the time: "He was lucky to be nominated. There's so much competition in that position." But then came an untimely groin injury, and Van de Beek was ruled out of the competition.

After further restricted game time at the start of the 2021-22 season -- he didn't play a first-team game until a six-minute cameo at the end of United's 4-1 win vs. Newcastle on Sept. 11 -- Everton came close to securing him on transfer deadline day, sources told ESPN, only for Solskjaer to block the move. Five days later, Van de Beek spoke to ex-Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand on his FIVE podcast. "I speak with the manager about it and the club," Van de Beek said. "They were clear they wanted me to stay here. The manager was really positive about me and he said, 'I need you and I want to keep you here.'

"Of course, what I see here now in the beginning of the season is difficult, because I didn't play one minute, but he said, 'What I see every day in training, I see a different Donny now.' He was really positive about me and I'm feeling well. He sees a big difference, that I'm a little bit stronger now. He can see that I now have one year experience here in England. If he sees me now and in the beginning, he sees a big difference."

Van de Beek was asked on the podcast whether he could trust Solskjaer with the hope of more first-team football. "I just need to work hard and I hope I can show the people, one day, what I can do," he said.

"You can never promise [game time]. This is football, and I think you can never promise a player if he will play or not. You can train every day hard, but in the end you need game time to show your best shape. If you play once in a month, you cannot show your best." Just 23 days later, he was throwing his chewing gum down from the raised bench at Old Trafford and having to be calmed by his teammates as he remained unused against Villarreal.

The rare loss of composure from Van de Beek was unlike him, yet Solskjaer was typically diplomatic about the show of frustration.

"He knows he is not frozen out," Solskjaer said. "It's Man United and when a headline player is not playing for Man United, it is always going to make headlines. I've got plenty of them every week that don't play, so I don't have any issues with Donny; he knows what he needs to work on, what we want him to work on. He is diligent in his work and he has never ever let his mood affect his team and teammates negatively.

"You have to have that fire in your belly if you're going to make it."

'Perhaps they didn't think clearly about what sort of player they were getting'

Despite United insisting he hadn't been "frozen out," Van de Beek was left out of Louis Van Gaal's first Netherlands squad in September. "I called Donny van de Beek yesterday," Van Gaal said in August. "I told him that he needs to start playing games." He hasn't featured for the national team since.

It's been a bemusing 16 months for those who know him so well in the Netherlands. ESPN spoke to a couple of sources close to Ajax, and they've been surprised at how little Van de Beek has played but aren't concerned about him.

"His attitude, even after that first season, will still be outstanding. He's mentally strong, and won't be doubting his own ability," said one source. Ronald de Boer, who made 304 appearances for Ajax, coached Van de Beek in the Ajax under-17s and says Van de Beek is a "calm boy ... he doesn't get crazy if things happen, he's a player who won't give up."

One theory is United haven't yet figured out what Van de Beek's best position is, having seen him predominantly as a No. 10 for Ajax during the 2018-19 season, and then a No. 8 behind Hakim Ziyech in 2019-20.

"He can be a very good asset. I think he can play the role of being the more attacking player in a two-man midfield, like [Thomas] Tuchel uses at Chelsea, or if they have one sitting midfielder, he can push ahead," Ronald de Boer said in June. "He makes the runs in behind the striker and scores goals. He knows the right moments to arrive in the 18-yard-box and can finish.

"Donny is like Davy Klaassen, like Jari Litmanen -- he needs the team around him that can help deliver him. He's not a player like Bruno Fernandes, a technical player who can create something out of nothing even if those around him are playing poorly -- no, Donny is a team player. And that's a danger.

"When you go from Ajax for a lot of money, people think he can do miracles. He can do miracles with the team -- he'll make the runs, do the work defensively, one-touch player, he's a real team player. And they have to realise that Donny is depending on the team to help him. Perhaps they didn't think clearly about what sort of player they were getting."

Sources have told ESPN that Solskjaer was always worried about Van de Beek's defensive discipline and it was telling that against Villarreal, Carrick had to drop Bruno Fernandes to make room in the midfield. According to sources, United are looking to hire a more technical coach to replace Solskjaer -- both in the short and long term -- which should offer Van de Beek more opportunities, but there are no guarantees.

Van de Beek's future will likely be a hot topic running into the January transfer window. In late October he changed agents -- moving from Albers to Ali Dursun, who also looks after Frenkie de Jong and Lindelof, potentially with an eye on moving on in January. His preference is to succeed at Old Trafford and his plans for January will depend heavily on whether things change now that Solskjaer is gone.

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince said he should move in January, while Ferdinand thinks Van de Beek may be "too nice" and that his politeness has led him to not getting the "situation you require for yourself."

With the new money at Newcastle and other teams looking to reinforce their ranks, Van de Beek will be an attractive target with Everton and Wolves linked. The longer he stays in the wilderness, the more likely it is that his stay at United will be marked down as an ill-fitting marriage.

"As nobody will leave, [Donny] needs a bit of luck to get into the starting 11," Van der Vaart says. "He's too good a player to play two seasons on the bench. For me, he needs playing minutes and needs them fast. He's young, but time flies. When you come with high expectations -- it must be really hard for him. A club like Borussia Dortmund was the perfect next step in his career. A club like Manchester United? Maybe the step was too big for him."

The Women's Six Nations will remain in its own dedicated window in the calendar for the 2022 tournament.

The 2022 tournament starts on 26 March and will culminate on the new 'Super Saturday' on 30 April, with the three final matches played on the same day.

All 15 games will be broadcast on the BBC across TV and iPlayer.

The tournament will also be broadcast in full in Ireland and Italy.

"Increased visibility is key for the growth of the women's game," said Six Nations chief executive Ben Morel.

"We are delighted to have enhanced broadcast partnerships in place along with a continuation of the dedicated window from which we saw such success last year.

"These two key developments along with continued investment in many other areas including performance, commercial and marketing will enhance the Women's Six Nations for fans and players alike."

England are the reigning Women's Six Nations champions and play Scotland in the Championship opener in Edinburgh.

Next year's men's competition runs from 5 February to 19 March.

"So, I am a Jedi."

"Not yet. One thing remains. Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will."

Kirby Smart doesn't watch a lot of movies. He doesn't have time for that. Certainly not from August through spring, when every precious free moment of potential screen time wouldn't dare be wasted on the cinema because it would be much better utilized watching film.

But even the most casual of cinephiles are familiar with the most unavoidable plot point of them all. From Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader and Harry Potter vs. Voldemort to Pacino vs. De Niro at the airport and the Titans vs. the hillbillies in the Virginia state title game.

The third act. The final conflict. The climax. Call it whatever you want, but like Thanos standing over Tony Stark, the cathartic final showdown with one's mortal enemy to finally achieve that over-the-hump life-changing victory is inevitable. Unless, of course, it turns out that this isn't "Endgame." It's "Infinity War." Our hero totally gets his butt kicked, and this wasn't the final showdown after all.

Kirby Smart has seen that movie too many times before. He has starred in it -- stuck inside an endless loop of pain until he can figure out how to wrestle the Time Stone from Nick Saban, the Mad Titan of college football. The chance to do that will come for Smart and his Georgia Bulldogs once again this Saturday in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Fittingly, it comes on the same field where Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide have ripped the hearts right out of the Dawgs so many times before.

"We don't focus on history," Smart said Monday as he addressed the media prior to this weekend's showdown. "I think every team is independent of the previous, so it is what it is, and our guys have got to go out and play well. What happened in those games will be of no relevance to this game. I think anybody with good coaching sense would tell you that."

Yes, they would. Certainly, right now, here in the moment, seeking to sidestep such talk of curses and slumps and former apprentices seeking to topple their masters, and all the psychology that comes with all the above. But outside of the crucible of in-season context, Smart has always acknowledged the significance of it all. He smiles but also flinches a little when someone mentions how close he has come to the Hollywood ending.

Especially that one night. You remember it. The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. Overtime. Leading 23-20. After taking a sack, Alabama faced second-and-26 with its backup quarterback, freshman Tua Tagovailoa, in the game. One pass later, the season was over. Georgia had lost. In Atlanta. On the same field and against the same team where the Bulldogs will be playing Saturday.

"We have definitely been involved in some amazing finishes, but too many times it's been as the other guys," Smart said in July 2018, barely six months after the most staggering of those losses. "I could sit here and tell you that I was able to just immediately erase that and move on, but that would be a lie. The hope is that you take those moments when you had your heart broken and remember them as steps that got you there when you do finally reach that goal you were so close to. What you have overcome will make that moment even more special than it was already going to be."

Since leaving the side of former boss and mentor Nick Saban in 2016, Kirby Smart has led his alma mater to an unprecedented level of success, even for a place as rich in college football tradition as Georgia. In six seasons, Smart's Dawgs have won 64 games, four SEC East division titles, an SEC championship and a 4-2 postseason record that includes wins in the Rose and Sugar bowls. His team is currently ranked No. 1 in the land and is riding a 16-game winning streak, one shy of a program record set from 1945 to 1947. They enter Saturday's SEC title game as 6.5-point favorites over Alabama, the first time the Tide has been officially listed as an underdog in more than six years.

Smart once patrolled the defensive backfield for Georgia as a player. Now, as UGA's head coach, he is leading one of the greatest defenses in college football history, despite plying their trade during the sport's most explosive offensive era. The Dawgs have allowed 6.9 points per game, the fewest of any team since 1986. They have not allowed more than 17 points in any of their 12 games, the first defense to do that in 42 years.

Now come the buts. And they are all written in crimson.

BUT ... Georgia is 0-6 against Alabama since 2008. Smart was coach in the last three, including a 2020 regular-season loss that went from a 24-20 halftime lead to a spirit-crushing 41-24 loss.

BUT ... Georgia has lost two of its three SEC championship game appearances under Smart, including a 2018 heartbreaker that saw the Tide roll back from a two-touchdown second-half deficit.

BUT ... the last time Alabama was an underdog was also against Georgia, which was favored by one point on Oct. 3, 2015 in Athens -- and Bama won 38-10. Smart was Alabama's defensive coordinator that day, and at season's end, took over at his alma mater.

BUT ... even after Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M team beat Bama earlier this season, former Saban assistants are still 1-24 against their old boss.

BUT ... every single time Georgia and Alabama play, especially in Atlanta for any sort of championship trophy, everywhere the Dawgs and Kirby Smart go, they will be forced to watch second-and-26 over and over again.

There is only one way to stop that cycle, and Smart knows it. Georgia must give the world that third-act moment, that final conflict, that climax, where the once-cursed finally become the heroes that they were born to be.

Smart said it himself back in July: "Listen, the goals are obvious. They are right in front of us. We know what we have to do, one goal at a time until only the ultimate goal remains."

Like the little green guy said. For the Georgia Bulldogs, one thing remains. They must confront their Vader. It is their destiny.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Hours into Major League Baseball's first work stoppage in 26 years, commissioner Rob Manfred said the union's proposal for greater free agency and wider salary arbitration would damage small-market teams.

Owners locked out players at 12:01 a.m. Thursday following the expiration of the sport's five-year collective bargaining agreement.

Since 1976, players can become free agents after six seasons of major league service. The Major League Baseball Players Association proposed starting with the 2023-24 offseason that it changes to six years or five years and age 30.5, with the age in the second option dropping to 29.5 starting in 2025-26.

MLB would keep existing provision or change eligibility to age 29.5.

"We already have teams in smaller markets that struggle to compete," Manfred said during a news conference at the Texas Rangers' ballpark, not far from the hotel where negotiations broke off. "Shortening the period of time that they can control players makes it even harder for them to compete. It's also bad for fans in those markets. The most negative reaction we have is when a player leaves via free agency, We don't see that -- making it earlier, available easier -- we don't see that as a positive."

Baseball is in its ninth work stoppage, threatening the start of spring training on Feb. 16 and Opening Day on March 31.

"The players' association, as is their right, made an aggressive set of proposals in May, and they have refused to budge from the core of those proposals," Manfred said. "Things like a shortened reserve period, a $100 million reduction in revenue sharing and salary arbitration for the whole two-year class are bad for the sport, bad for the fans and bad for competitive balance."

An agreement by early-to-mid-March is needed for a full season.

"Speculating about drop-dead deadlines at this point, not productive," Manfred said. "So I'm not going to do it."

Union head Tony Clark planned a news conference for later Thursday.

Negotiations have made little to no progress since they began last spring. Manfred said a lockout was management's only tool to speed the process.

"People need pressure sometimes to get to an agreement," Manfred said. "Candidly, we didn't feel that sense of pressure from the other side during the course of this week."

In many ways, the core of the dispute is over the union's desire to have more teams chasing players, leading to more competition on the field and higher salaries, and management's desire to restrain salaries in an effort to prevent high-revenue teams from gaining an even greater percentage of stars.

"I've watched this game as an insider for more than three decades," Manfred said. "I think that most people who understand the game realize that in our smaller markets, it's a lot harder to win than it is in our bigger markets."

British athletes remain in America under coach who is currently being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct but another member of the squad, Daryll Neita, leaves group

Adam Gemili and Laviai Nielsen have been removed from the Lottery-funded World Class Programme by UK Athletics after choosing to stay in Florida with coach Rana Reider, who is the subject of an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.

A statement from UKA read: “UKA’s position has not changed in that any athlete working directly with Rana Reider given the confirmed complaints of sexual misconduct against him from US Safe Sport, will not be able to be supported through the World Class Programme (WCP).

“Our discussions have been ongoing with athletes who are working directly with Rana Reider in Florida.

“To date Daryll Neita has chosen to leave the group and find an alternative coaching set up and has committed to the WCP for the year ahead.”

READ MORE: Rana Reider investigated

However, UKA added: “Adam Gemili and Laviai Nielsen have elected to remain in Florida and accept they will not be supported through the WCP for the time being. UKA understand the significant commitment these athletes have made to be based in Florida for the winter and that they will remain part of the training group until a further update from US Safe Sport is provided.

“All lines of communication will remain open with the athletes and we will support them with any future decision making as and when there are any developments communicated by US Safe Sport.”

LaLiga's attempt to stage a league game in the United States has had another setback with a Madrid court rejecting its appeal of an earlier ruling that had prevented a Barcelona match at Girona from being played in Miami.

A Spanish court had ruled on March 2020 in favour of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which was opposed to having league games overseas.

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An RFEF statement said: "The following conclusions are drawn from the sentence notified this morning: the Spanish justice endorses for league games outside of Spain to be prohibited, it condemns the League once again to pay the costs of the judicial process and again the courts pronounce themselves in favour of the RFEF in a judicial process with the League."

LaLiga, which is considering an appeal of this latest sentence to Spain's Supreme Court, said in a statement on Thursday: "The internationalisation of Spanish football is a key issue for the future of the industry. Consequently, it will continue to work towards achieving the crucial objective of holding a match outside of Spain."

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has faced resistance not only from Spain's FA but also FIFA in his attempts to stage LaLiga games in the United States. Players and fans were also opposed to games being staged overseas.

Sources told ESPN that LaLiga did not view this most recent judgment as a definitive ruling on the issue of playing games abroad, but was focused on how such decisions should be made by Spanish football's governing bodies.

LaLiga signed a 15-year marketing agreement with Relevent Sports in August 2018 to promote the sport in North America and expand its brand.

The deal included hosting one regular season Spanish league game on American soil every year -- with Girona's home match against Catalan neighbours Barcelona earmarked for January 2019 at the home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

While the Spanish FA blocked LaLiga from staging games overseas, it did take the 2018 Spanish Super Cup to Tangier, Morocco.

The RFEF then signed a €120m deal for the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to host the Supercup for three years. It was moved to Spain last season due to COVID-19.

The Spanish FA did say earlier this year that it was open to discussing with LaLiga "the issue of playing games overseas" as part of making changes to the format to make the league more attractive.

Tebas said in May that LaLiga will keep trying to take league games to the United States.

ESPN's Alex Kirkland contributed to this report.