No. 1 Star: Sidney Crosby(notes), Canada

The FedEx Cup, golf's version of the playoffs, kicks off this week at the Barclays. And if you're wondering about the origins of the FedEx Cup -- or the reasons for its existence in the first place -- we've got your answers right here.

What's the point? Because this is America, dammit, and in America, we do playoffs for everything! Majors are nice, but they're like four beautiful little statues made of crystal and dreams. The playoffs are like an action movie where everything blows up in every direction, and the hero walks slowly away as a fireball erupts behind him.

That, or some people decided that golf needed goosing up after the PGA and wanted to make some extra coin. Take your pick.

What's new this year? The points system, for one thing. The last two years, the winner has run away with the FedEx Cup and its attendant $10 million before the final tournament at East Lake, a situation equivalent to the New York Yankees beating up on the American League in the playoffs so badly that they entered the World Series with a four-game lead.  (ESPN is trying hard to get this implemented, by the way.)

But this year, the format has changed. You've actually got to play well in the final event to win the Cup. And yes, this is the third new set of rules in the three years of the FedEx Cup's existence. Give 'em a break, this is all still new.