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The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.
Good morning! Don’t rankle your rival today. Coming up:
While You Were Sleeping: The HOF game was actually electric
I expected little from the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game last night. Just having NFL football on the screen was supposed to be glorious enough. Then, the Panthers and Cardinals actually put on a show?
- Carson Beck, Arizona’s projected third-string quarterback, looked great in limited action. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and led three scoring drives. Solid.
- But it was fellow rookie Haynes King, the Panthers’ projected third-stringer, who entered the game for Kenny Pickett and thrived. He threw for two touchdowns and, with zeroes on the clock, did this to win the game:
HAYNES KING WINS IT FOR THE PANTHERS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/HESbUZGhBN
— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026
It was fun, and it came in a convivial atmosphere as the NFL prepares to induct its new Hall of Fame class this weekend. Panthers legend Luke Kuechly, a member of this year’s HOF crew, spent his time yesterday campaigning for Cam Newton to join him in Canton.
That’s a discussion for another day. Let’s move on:
News to Know
Patrick Smith / Getty Images
Another wrinkle in the Kawhi mess
Our friends at “Pablo Torre Finds Out” reported last night that current Clippers star/possible future Raptor Kawhi Leonard had a second undisclosed sponsorship deal while in L.A., this one with Daktronics, the company that made the Intuit Dome’s massive video board. Leonard and the Clips are currently under investigation for allegedly circumventing the salary cap via a secret sponsorship deal with the company Aspiration, which has since gone bankrupt. A trade sending Leonard to Toronto is on hold until the investigation finishes. Read the newest reporting here.
Nice timing, dude
I’m all about wanting to win the press conference, but I need you to read what new Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland said yesterday in his introductory remarks: “We are here to win championships. If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” In any other year, it’s a fun jab at an in-state rival. In 2026, Indiana enters the football season as reigning national champion after a 16-0 season. Imagine having to backtrack on your first day.
Vini Jr. sticks with Madrid
After a public flirtation with Premier League club Arsenal, Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior agreed to a contract extension to stay with the La Liga powerhouse, where he’s played for the last eight years. He brings stability to what has been a summer of change for Real.
More news:
- The Buccaneers have “no plans” to move star nose tackle Vita Vea, despite his trade request. Read more.
- There is no timeline for Eric Bieniemy to return to Kansas City, but he’s still coaching from afar, as Jesse Newell reports.
- North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, son of head coach Bill Belichick, is going on medical leave. See our full update.
- UEFA still plans to boycott the World Cup despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s U-turn on his controversial proposal. More here.
- MLB suspended Mariners pitcher Gabe Speier three games for hitting Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres.
- Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas underwent surgery on his left wrist. It’s been a tough injury run for him.
📰 Find more news here 24/7.
Monitoring 👀: What are the Mercury doing?
Michael Hirschuber / Getty Images
Welcome back to another Monitoring, which is busy this Friday. No time to waste:
Kelsey Plum, what? The Mercury’s trade for the star guard last weekend is still sending ripples through the WNBA, both on the surface as a sheer blockbuster and, more importantly, within the team that traded for her. Phoenix is eight games under .500 with an aging core. Conventional wisdom calls for a rebuild there.
But as Sabreena Merchant explained this week, the Mercury simply don’t operate that way. Whatever the outcome, it does make Phoenix interesting.
The return of the NFL RB. In the past three days, a talented trio of running backs — Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson — have all gotten paid big bucks with little controversy. Gibbs became the highest-paid RB in NFL history yesterday with a massive extension. Taylor agreed to a similarly handsome deal yesterday, too, with Robinson earning his bucks earlier in the week.
It wasn’t that long ago we were debating whether running back was a position that deserved premium money at all. Taylor had a public dispute with the Colts three years ago. Saquon Barkley changed teams. Saad Yousuf explained this change with a simple premise: The NFL loves running backs again.
Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images
The Ocho. ESPN is once again leaning into a joke made in the comedy classic “Dodgeball,” producing a weekend’s worth of zany sports events for our viewing pleasure, scheduled perfectly in a quiet time for major pro sports. I also just wanted to use that dinosaur picture.
We have a full list of Ocho events here.
Poch’s next moves. It was a win when the USMNT re-signed coach Mauricio Pochettino this week, despite my warning about his longevity here. Now, if all goes according to plan, he has four years’ work ahead of him.
Recruiting comes to mind first. For whatever progress the Americans made at this World Cup, the talent disparity is still quite evident. Pochettino will have to both maintain and develop homegrown talent while also convincing dual-national candidates to choose his side.
Paul Tenorio detailed those players, plus Poch’s other priorities — how about a trophy? — this week. It’s worth a read.
Is everyone in MLB OK? I mean that in the nicest way, because yesterday provided us with two of the funnier gaffes I’ve seen this season. Let’s start with the Double Canseco we saw in Atlanta:
Acuna has hit as many home runs off the Marlins (27) as he has any other team. But this was the first time he has literally homered off two Marlins. Craziest homer of the year? pic.twitter.com/A5kUEdFOYQ
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 7, 2026
That’s just art. Let’s go to Philadelphia, where Luis Arraez knew when to give up:
Luis Arraez leaped over the tag at home plate …
But decided to just go back to the dugout 🤣 pic.twitter.com/4LUVHcTwl7
— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2026
Arraez has been fun in Philly already, not to mention that guest announcer who showed up in the press box this week and sounded like a pro’s pro. They have to get this guy in the booth for a playoff game.
Almost done:
Watch Guide
📺 NWSL: San Diego Wave FC at Gotham FC
8 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Two top-four teams in the NWSL face off as the season hits its stretch run. Throw it on.
📺 WNBA: Valkyries at Wings
9:30 p.m. ET on Ion
The league’s best story, as we highlighted earlier this week, travels to face a playoff team with two consecutive No. 1 picks on the roster. Fun Friday game.
📺 MLB: Rays at Mariners
9:45 p.m. ET on Apple TV
Tampa Bay is elite, but Seattle is a compelling case here too: just three games back in a tight AL West battle and 1 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot. Desperation wafts off this team, and for good reason. It makes for good TV.
Pulse Picks
Scott Taetsch / Getty Images
The NFL thinks Jayden Daniels is the league’s 13th-best quarterback. Barry Svrluga says he’s going to be way better than that this year.
Do you have Cooper Flagg’s NBA Debut Patch autographed card? The Mavericks would like to offer you a bounty.
Ted Nguyen has a really interesting story about why the two-high safety defense in the NFL isn’t going anywhere. Impress a film bro with this today.
I missed this story from earlier in the week about a former USMNT and Bundesliga coach who left the soccer world behind to … run McDonald’s franchises.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: CFB ambition tiers, 2026 edition.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our story explaining why Mo Salah signed in Turkey.
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