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rantnrave:// The most relevant MLB player on social media might surprise you. Hint: It's not Mike Trout. You won't find Trout on MLB's opening night. The Angels haven't made the playoffs in two years. And Trout doesn't like talking about himself either. That makes MLB's best player also one of its conundrums. What does the league do when its brightest star isn't all that marketable? The NBA trots out LeBron James on national TV as often as it can and he's in commercials or elsewhere in public even when he isn't playing basketball. Peyton Manning is still selling you pizza and insurance. Tom Brady is in the gossip pages and a big endorser. What does Trout do? Can you name one product he shills? Should that automatically be part of his job? Does it hurt MLB that Trout isn't omnipresent? It can't help. ... The Raiders are on the move. To quote Mike and Trent: "Vegas, baby. Vegas!" At one point, an NFL team moving to the country's gambling capital would've been unimaginable. But gambling isn't constricted to city limits anymore and the league's stance has evolved. The NFL's new market inefficiency: finding a city that will agree to pay for a stadium. The NFL will say it regrets moving out of Oakland but it couldn't find a stadium solution. But the league has abandoned three fan bases in less than two years. Free dollars > fan loyalty. ... Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley has best analysis yet of what Jamie Horowitz is trying to do with Fox Sports 1. He's not turning the network into the sports version of Fox News but it is going to be pushing boundaries, not staying middle of the road. ... Sixteen U.S. Senators are standing with the U.S. women's hockey team as it battles for better pay and negotiates to end its boycott. ... What's a good barometer to check which app or platform is currently in fashion? Athletes. This is a small sample size but for NBA players right now Instagram Live is on top of the usage list. Facebook is at the bottom. ... Correction: Mathieu Flamini is French, not Italian as I described him in Monday's newsletter.

More athletes are trotting onto the political playing field than ever before -- protesting, commenting ... running for office?

Matt Foley | OZY

The U.S. women's team star caused quite a stir by kneeling for the national anthem. But, she tells Matt Pentz, she has no regrets about fighting for what's right.

Matt Pentz | The Guardian

Latino players have long felt lost in translation in the minor and major leagues. How MLB is taking on this linguistic and cultural challenge.

Jorge Encinas | NPR

More than mere exercise, long-distance running can act as a form of therapy. We spoke with comedian Richard Gadd and musician Mishka Shubaly about how ultrarunning helped and hindered when they sought to face their demons.

Si Hawkins | Vice Sports

After being unable to play professional basketball due to a rule prohibiting hijab, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is fighting to get the rule overturned.

Shireen Ahmed | Teen Vogue

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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