The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s day by day sports activities publication. Sign up here to obtain The Pulse straight in your inbox.
Good morning! Merry Christmas to all who rejoice. We’re having enjoyable beneath. For the newest information, check here.
GIF Gifts, Pt. 1: Merry Gifmas, once more
We’re again for the actual factor this morning on precise Christmas Day. I hope you’re all having a merry time. More GIF items, from us to you:
The Bounce’s Zach Harper checks in with one of the extra aesthetically humorous GIFs of the season. That’s Desmond Bane pelting OG Anunoby with a basketball. I’m nonetheless laughing. Zach advised me that is what he would do to anybody who pronounces “gif” with a onerous “G” as a substitute of “jif,” because the creator of the file extension stated he intended.
Team G-if ceaselessly, although.
Until Saturday’s Jason Kirk is up subsequent, and he went with a shark:
Here’s Jason’s reasoning:
“I think this year’s college football image I laughed at the most was that time a UNC crowd was so fed up with Bill Belichick, even the shark bailed early.”
Still extraordinarily humorous. Scoop City’s Jacob Robinson is subsequent with a newer entry:
“Nothing epitomizes the mix of weirdness and excitement that the 2025 NFL season’s brought better than a Jameis Winston touchdown reception — though there’s still time for Philip Rivers to surprise us.”
Tracks. And lastly, now we have The Athletic FC’s Phil Hay:
Phil explains:
“I’d love to know how many goals are scored each day in professional soccer around the world. The safe answer is ‘loads.’ So I was chuffed that we picked up on this overhead kick from an Argentine game in May — because seven months later, it went on to win FIFA’s Puskas Award for the best men’s goal in 2025. The panel must be TAFC readers.”
I’ve watched that one about 45 instances since Phil despatched it to me. Absurdity.
- One closing ask, within the kind of a Pulse Poll: What’s the perfect reward sports activities gave you this yr? We’ll run our favorites this weekend. Write your answer here.
Enough of Gifmas for a bit. Let’s get to what you’re watching at present/utilizing to bond with and/or keep away from your loved ones.
🎄 Watch Guide 🎄
Friends, there may be a lot to watch at present. We’re getting into chronological order, with our high picks famous with an asterisk. Need extra inspiration? The Bounce has … delicious takes on the NBA slate.
📺 NBA: Cavaliers at Knicks*
Noon ET on ABC and ESPN
📺 NFL: Cowboys at Commanders
1 p.m. ET on Netflix
📺 NBA: Spurs at Thunder*
2:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN
📺 NFL: Lions at Vikings
4:30 p.m. ET on Netflix
📺 NBA: Mavericks at Warriors
5 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN
📺 NBA: Rockets at Lakers*
8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN
📺 NFL: Broncos at Chiefs*
8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video
📺 NBA: Timberwolves at Nuggets*
10:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN
I feel it’s fairly humorous that the NFL has clearly been making an attempt to swipe Christmas viewers away from the NBA, the normal Christmas powerhouse, however comes up penniless right here. Just one stable playoff crew exists in these three video games, and there may be little on the road. (BTW: Our visuals crew is again with a handy guide to every playoff scenario this week.) Anyway.
Get tickets to video games like these here.
Pulse Picks
A extra severe story that deserves shine on Christmas nonetheless: Hannah Vanbiber and Dan Santaromita have a prolonged report on prediction markets and the approaching impression on sports activities. Read that here.
Who are golf’s subsequent massive stars? Our all-star crew of writers made their picks for 2026.
Need a hockey jolt? We have seven NHL things to get hyped about within the new yr.
Enjoyed this profile from earlier within the week on the new-ish boss of Red Bull’s F1 crew, Laurent Mekies. That’s a big job.
We’ve largely determined that basketball groups shouldn’t foul up 3 factors. But, as John Hollinger wonders, what about 2 points?
📫 That’s all for now! Say hiya at [email protected], and check out our other newsletters.