The Pulse newsletter 📣 | It is Athletics’s daily sports newsletter. Register here to receive The Pulse straight to your inbox.
Good morning! I care about you. Inside:
Feedback loop: the game was good, but most of you didn’t care
Before we get into the bad news, let’s start with some props: Last night’s NBA Cup Finals were fantastic. A 124-113 comeback victory for the Knicks against the Spurs, in a game that felt like a playoff game — and might even be a preview of the Finals. This is, to be clear, a marked improvement over the December basketball we’ve seen in recent years in the NBA.
New York (18-7), in particular, looks like a contender in its own right under new coach Mike Brown. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby had 25 and 28 points last night. Jordan Clarkson had a point in the second half, hitting three 3-pointers. Victor Wembanyama finishes -18 against this defense. This is a great result for Knicks fans.
But again: did it matter to us? Judging by yesterday’s poll results, the resounding answer from more than 17,000 of you was no:
Sixty percent of you don’t care about this event that the NBA has tried so hard to make relevant. Some points on current issues here:
- First of all, the Cup is a drain on the teams, as John Hollinger wrote earlier this month. The Cup has only added to the hectic pace of the start of the season, and some teams are already gassed before 2026 even begins. John’s story struck a chord and even sparked a response from the NBA. It’s worth reading.
- There is a level of artifice here not found in the European football competitions the league hopes to emulate. There, teams from several leagues compete, offering something completely new to viewers. Here, NBA teams play… against other NBA teams. Marcus Thompson II made an excellent suggestion: Maybe the NBA should open it to the world. I completely agree.
It’s funny, I approached this topic yesterday agreeing with the masses. It’s difficult to truly become emotionally invested in the NBA Cup given the parameters described here and in yesterday’s newsletter. And yet this overwhelming response puts me on the defensive: the NBA is at least trying something. The players are clearly motivated, although paying them more money on top of the money they already earn for playing in those same regular-season games adds to the aforementioned artifice. But they try, and it counts.
I went to The reboundI’m asking Zach Harper for help:
“Ultimately, I think the Cup is a good thing. Not everyone is convinced. Not everyone takes it seriously. The pitches look stupid. But it adds something that’s missing for early interest/competition in a long season… once we get to the final games. It will probably stick around, and after years and years, the younger generations will care enough about it to make it a thing. That’s the point of this. Connecting with the future fans. That’s why it’s valuable. That and winning $500,000.
Congratulations to the Knicks for winning the Cup title and its prize money. I hope we care more about it next year. Let’s keep moving forward:
News to know
WNBA, players still far away
By a factor of two, to be exact. Sources said Athletics’According to Ben Pickman, the players’ latest proposal to the league amid CBA negotiations calls for 30 percent of the league’s and teams’ total revenue to go to the players, while the league’s latest offer has that figure at less than 15 percent. The current collective agreement ends on January 9 and there are already concerns about the upcoming season. The full story is worth reading.
More news
- After violent negative reactions, FIFA it will be $60 World Cup tickets accessible to approximately 1,000 fans per game. Not enough, in my opinion, but it’s a start.
- Luis Suárez38, finalizes deal to re-sign with Inter Miami for next season. Read our full report.
- Also in NBA news: Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will decide on a possible extension in 2026, with emphasis on Seattle And Las Vegas.
- Jim Harbaugh he said he texted Sherrone Moore after the former Michigan coach was fired and arrested. Read Harbaugh’s full comments.
- Drew Mestemaker, North Texas QB should enter the transfer portal after his coach left for Oklahoma State. He’s going to make a lot of money.
- Nick Saban, former Alabama coach is now a minority owner of the Nashville Predators.
- A new travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump could prevent supporters of Senegal and Ivory Coast from attending the World Cup. Learn more.
- A professional darts player lost in World Darts Championship …then he punched a table until his hand was bloody. Full story here.
What to watch
📺 NCAAF: Old Dominion vs. South Florida
6 p.m. ET on ESPN
Both of these teams are 9-3 and are led by dual-threat quarterbacks who both lead their teams in passing and rushing yards this year. The Bulls are particularly interested in this StaffDNA Cure Bowl, a team coached by new Auburn boss Alex Golesh and ready to welcome Ohio State’s Brian Hartline. Louisiana and Delaware play the nightcap in the 68 Ventures Bowl.
📺 NHL: The Devils against the Golden Knights
10 p.m. ET on TNT/HBO Max
New Jersey (18-14-1) battles in a crowded Metropolitan Division while Las Vegas (16-6-9) leads the Pacific, but the two teams are separated by just four points in the standings. New Jersey is still determine your path to follow after missing Quinn Hughes.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse selection
Andrew Marchand crowned his second edition “Gold Clickers” his winners and losers of the year in the sports media this morning. See his choices.
Basically, Carson Carels is a 17 year old farm boy from a long line of them. He also happens to be the NHL the most promising project at the moment.
John Hollinger returns with the next NBA subject that we will talk about at length: the trade deadline. He picked his All-Dateline team here.
What would a national title mean for each College Football Playoffs team? Will Leitch had fun with this.
I think Mom will agree with this dinner distraction: Larry Holder shares how a father and his 13-year-old sons took over dinner with a video that won them the most expensive prize. Shohei Ohtani map exist. Amazing stuff.
A Warriors a fan sent an email to the team owner Joe Lacobblaming him for Golden State’s poor start to the season. He didn’t expect Lacob to respond.
Patrick Mahomes And Micah Parsons both tore their LCD last weekend. Mike Jones says that’s enough evidence to abandon the idea of 18th match. I agree, but I don’t know if the league will listen.
Most clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The NBA Cup poll.
Most read on the site yesterday: NFL Week 16 Power Rankings.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello to [email protected]And check out our other newsletters.
