The Cowboys’ sky and roof are both falling, plus the USMNT’s big flex

On By Littum

Pulse newsletter | This is Athletics’ daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse straight to your inbox.

Good morning! You can cast a Hall of Fame vote today. Kind of.

While you were sleeping: USMNT hovers while Cowboys drill

Last night was busy. Let’s hit this quickly:

  • The USMNT is on to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals after a 4-2 win over Jamaica, a real flex for the Americans under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. Just look at this strike from Tim Weah:

Also, yes, Christian Pulisic confirmed that he was impersonating President-elect Donald Trump with his dance on target. See his full comments on the case here.

Status check: Are we for Cavaliers around 15-0 Cleveland?

There is an unspoken tenor in NBA circles about the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is a talented team, no doubt, with a superstar in Donovan Mitchell and an excellent supporting cast. A very good playoff team with a recent history of success.

So why is no one talking about these Cavs – just the fourth team starts a season 15-0 — as actual candidates? Before we get to why, let’s look at some bona fides:

  • As Zach Harper noted yesterday, Cleveland is shooting at a historic pace: 41.9 percent from 3, which would be the second best mark in NBA history (behind the 1996-97 Hornets when the 3-point line was closer). They have the highest offensive rating in the league and score the most points per game. match.
  • New coach Kenny Atkinson appears to be a perfect fit. I thought David Aldridge’s column on the Cavs last week was great, pointing out how Atkinson’s time as a Warriors assistant has clearly translated to this team. They’re shooting and scoring at a historic rate, yes, but it’s how Atkinson uses the roster — specifically Evan Mobley as a Draymond Green type — where the coach shines.

So why aren’t we hyped about Cleveland yet? The Boston Celtics, who the Cavs play tonight, is the short answer. Do you know who is No. 2 in both points per match and offensive rating? Bostonthat swamped this Cavs team for five games last year en route to winning a ring.

Tonight therefore feels a little bigger than a regular season game. Later this morning at our free NBA newsletter, Zach wonders if a win will even get people to buy into the Cavaliers, or if we’ll still be skeptical.

Let’s continue:

News to know

Avoid meeting with Soto
Today, top free agent shortstop Juan Soto will meet with the team that beat him in the World Series, according to multiple reports. His list of meetings also includes the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Mets so far. It’s unclear if LA is a legitimate threat to sign Soto, but the Dodgers do need field help, believe it or not. More context here.

Giants turn back to DeVito
Daniel Jones is no longer the starter in New York, Giants coach Brian Daboll said yesterday, putting Tommy DeVito — a minor pop culture sensation last year — back under center as QB1. Daboll added that Drew Lock will be the backup, so Jones will be inactive going forward. Dan Duggan has an insightful look at why the Jones era is officially over.

NHL referee taken to hospital
Referee Mitch Dunning left the ice on a stretcher last night after colliding with Colorado defenseman Josh Manson in the first period of the Avalanche’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia last night. The NHL later said Dunning was fully communicative and able to move all of his extremities at the hospital. Read our full report here.

More news

Pulse Polls: The unanimous Ichiro?

Baseball Hall of Fame announced its vote in 2025 yesterday, and for my money, it might be one of the most interesting polls in years. There is new names – Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia lead the way there – and guys on their last chance, like Billy Wagner.

But the biggest question raised by the revelation: Will Ichiro be a unanimous selection?

Only one player, Mariano Rivera, has ever been voted in unanimously. Not Babe Ruth, not Ken Griffey Jr., not Willie Mays, not Hank Aaron or any other legend not named Mariano Rivera. It seems simply absurd to me.

But we’re talking about Ichiro here. Before we dive in, I want to know how you feel: Does Ichiro deserve to be unanimous? I highly recommend reading Jayson Stark’s announcement on the subject before voting.

Make your voice heard here.

Look and listen

NBA: Cavaliers at Celtics
7:00 PM ET on TNT
As mentioned, this is a huge game anyway. But add some NBA Cup sauce and this is as elite as November basketball gets.

NCAAM: No. 6 Purdue at No. 15 Marquette
9:00 PM ET on FS1
The Boilermakers just took down No. 2 Alabama last Friday and are still underdogs here against the Golden Eagles. It should be fun.

Get tickets to games like these here.

“Scoop City” welcomed Giants writer Dan Duggan to talk about the Daniel Jones saga. Worth a listen.

Pulse selection

Wait, was this a trade? Andrew Marchand has a good explanation ESPN’s great “Inside the NBA” swing, which includes the network dispatch college football game back to TNT in the trade. Yes, really. Follow along here.

Josh Allen is probably the one MVP favorite now by the way.

CJ Moore has a good look at this week’s men’s college basketball top 25, which needs a new No. 1.

We missed this yesterday, but Jon Krawczynski perfectly captured a cool moment in Minnesota where Julius Randle completed his introduction to Timberwolves fans with an electric game winner.

I love any fun update on San Marinothe lowest ranked football team in the world … which achieved a promotion with another win yesterday.

Most clicked in yesterday’s newsletter: Our story on the homophobic comments it fined Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $100,000.

Most read on the website yesterday: Zack Rosenblatt’s excellent diagnosis of a lost Jets season.

Do you love The Pulse? Check out Athleticss other newsletters.

(Top photo: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)