9 hours Ago
The Pulse Newsletter đŁ | This is The Athleticâs daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! I too am playing only home games from here on out.
We start with another busy night in the NBA . Quickly: Wembyâs great game came on the same day when the Spurs confirmed that coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke earlier this month. The 75-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
More details on that here . Letâs move on: The legend of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is one that inspires hushed whispers. Is he coming over this winter? Does his fastball really sit at 100 mph? No way he gets posted, right? Yes, Sasaki is coming â a shocking move, in reality â and he has the chance to be spectacular: In a statement following his posting announcement, Sasaki said he wants to âclimb up from a minor-league contract and become the best player in the world.
â I canât wait to watch him pitch. Read Stephen J. Nesbittâs explainer on Sasaki for more , including when he could sign.
Deion stokes Shedeur flames Colorado coach Deion Sanders once again said he will be heavily involved in the draft process for both his son, QB Shedeur Sanders, and WR/CB Travis Hunter, the current Heisman Trophy favorite, even to the point of intervening against the âwrongâ team. âIâll do it privately,â Deion said yesterday in an extremely public forum on FS1. There is precedent â see Manning, Eli â but only for players picked in the top few selections.
Hunter will go very early ( mock draft here ), while Shedeur is harder to predict. See Deionâs full comments . Advertisement Richardson to start again Anthony Richardson is again the Coltsâ starting quarterback, coach Shane Steichen said yesterday, two weeks after Joe Flacco became QB1.
The 22-year-old is both the most talented and most frustrating quarterback in football, producing highlight-reel throws contrasted against a 44.4 completion percentage. Yet this is probably a good move after Flaccoâs 1-3 tenure as starter.
James Boyd broke it down here . Bronny staying home Bronny James will only play in home games for the G Leagueâs South Bay Lakers, a source confirmed to The Athletic âs Joe Vardon, which seems like an odd decision on its face. Bronny is a member of the Lakersâ 15-man roster, but has played just 16 minutes this year.
Cutting out road G League games will significantly lessen overall playing time this year for LeBron Jamesâ 20-year-old son, already considered a raw prospect. Read our full analysis here . More news The beauty of golf is its ability as an equalizer.
Itâs a hard game for both me (an unathletic writer) and Caitlin Clark (one of the most recognizable athletes in the world). And we both love it, apparently. The difference? I donât get invited to pro-ams (understandably), while Clark gets mobbed while playing with Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam.
Sigh. I thought Hugh Kellenbergerâs piece from Clarkâs round yesterday was great because it makes Clark seem so ..
. normal. She chunked some shots.
She took a mulligan. She even bailed on a hole. She really is me on the golf course.
The results are in from yesterdayâs poll, and I completely agree with the majority: The âfightâ between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson this weekend feels like pro wrestling in the saddest way. Thatâs no diss to pro wrestling, a sport that makes no bones about what it really is. The Tyson fight is a sanctioned , professional bout which will likely end with little entertainment.
Maybe Iâm wrong. Weâll see Saturday. Thank you, as always, for voting.
đș NFL : Commanders (7-3) at Eagles (7-2) 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video One of the most important games of the NFL season thus far.
These two are the class of the NFC East, and this game could end up deciding the division winner â or at least seeding in the NFC playoff picture. đș CFB: UCLA (4-5) at Washington (5-5) 9 p.m.
ET on FOX A classic Pac-12 Big Ten matchup here between two confusing teams. The Bruins are hot, winners of three straight, including victories over Nebraska and Iowa. Some bowl eligibility could be decided here.
Get tickets to games like these here . đ§ âThe Athletic NBA Dailyâ talks about that absurd Wembanyama game and the Cavsâ flawless start. Listen here .
Why do the Chiefs love defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo? His wacky blitzes, his parental instincts and ...
banana pudding. Read this story today . GoÌran Stubb is known as hockeyâs forgotten pioneer, a builder who shaped the sport in Finland.
Support is growing to put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame . Cool read. Marcus Thompson II has an interesting look at how the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first test for how the NBAâs new rules impact superstars.
Catch up here . Earlier in the week, our UK staff produced an eyebrow-raising report about the ongoing cold war between Premier League teams and their scouting staffs. Testy.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday : Our story on Klay Thompsonâs welcome back to the Bay . Most-read on the website yesterday : Steve Buckleyâs column on the Michael Strahan national anthem âcontroversy,â which shouldnât make you mad unless you just want to be mad . đ« Love The Pulse? Check out The Athletic âs other newsletters .
(Top photo: Eric Espada / Getty Images).
