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Good morning. We start today on a heavy note.
Serious Matters: Moore fired by Michigan, detained by police
To say yesterday was a turbulent day in Ann Arbor would be an understatement. Before we get to any implications, the latest news we have:
- Michigan fired football coach Sherrone Moore after the school found evidence he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.
- Police later detained Moore after being called to the address of a female staffer, and the former Wolverines coach was being held in jail as of last night. Authorities said his detainment was part of an assault investigation.
There are questions remaining about the timing of all this. A source told The Athletic that the university received an anonymous tip about the improper relationship but initially found no supporting evidence. Thus, Moore — in the second year of a five-year contract — was preparing for the Wolverines’ upcoming bowl game against Texas and even assembling a staff for next year.
Credible evidence of the relationship surfaced in the last 24 hours, the school said, and Moore was gone. I urge you to read our full news story on the matter, which contains great detail about this entire saga.
Melinda Meijer / ISI Photos via Getty Images
The implications for the football program itself, while secondary in this moment, are also jarring. Moore finishes 17-8 in two years on the gig, marked by missteps and huge wins, both on the field and the recruiting trail. Michigan is a premier job, but what will the hiring process even look like at this wonky point in the cycle?
Biff Poggi, the “most interesting man in coaching,” will be the interim coach for the bowl game. We’ll keep you updated as this story plays out.
Let’s move on:
News to Know
Dustin Satloff / Getty Images
Orioles snag Alonso
One day after missing out on Kyle Schwarber, the Baltimore Orioles signed former Mets slugger Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal, sources confirmed to The Athletic. Alonso had a strong year in 2025, hitting 38 home runs and a league-leading 41 doubles. The move makes total sense for both player and team, but it’s difficult to imagine Alonso in something other than a Mets jersey. What’s New York doing, anyway? Will Sammon tried to answer that.
Crooks goes off, again
Iowa State center Audi Crooks is the story of the early women’s college basketball season, particularly after scoring 30 points in the Cyclones’ 74-69 win over rival Iowa last night. As we detailed yesterday, Crooks is actually on pace for history: She’s scored 306 points in 281 minutes of play this year, which would make her the first DI women’s college hoops player this century to average at least one point per minute.
YouTube TV to release sports package
YouTube TV, the streaming giant that just a month ago drew the ire of sports fans, will launch 10 genre-specific packages next year, including a sports package. The “skinny bundle” will offer every major sports network, with options to add things like NFL Redzone and Sunday Ticket. No word on pricing yet. See more details.
More news
- We covered buzzer-beaters yesterday but missed a boatload of hockey madness: Tuesday’s four game-tying goals within the last 15 seconds of regulation set a record.
- The ACC will re-examine its tiebreaker policy after 8-5 Duke ended up winning the conference title. Of course.
- The Athletic named its college football All-America teams. See the rosters.
- Sneaky big NFL Draft news: Teams will only have eight minutes between picks in the first round, down from 10, starting next year. Good. More details here.
- Speaking of the NFL, the league is returning to Munich for games in 2026 and 2028.
- PWHL player Britta Curl-Salemme has been consistently booed over her social media activity. In an exclusive interview, she told The Athletic that fans misunderstand her.
Pulse Polls: The bets are back
I apologize for not having our normal betting picks these last couple of weeks. The holiday week and a generally crammed news cycle have prevented us. But we’re back this week, and naturally, we’ll resume our reader bets. Also, I want to vainly prove I won’t run away from our bad year on the balance sheet.
Your options this week, with odds via BetMGM:
- Navy (-6.5) vs. Army, because it’s our most patriotic game this weekend
- Jets (+12.5) vs. Jaguars, because that’s my pick for someone covering these bonkers spreads
- Ravens and Bengals over 51.5, because that feels too easy
Vote below. Please help me, my fake bets are dying:
What to Watch
📺 NFL: Falcons at Buccaneers
8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Atlanta is eliminated from playoff contention, but this is the NFC South, where the norms of football don’t exist and four teams throw rocks at each other to decide who’s champion. Tampa Bay is tied with Carolina at 7-6 and needs every win from here on out. Nerves will be high.
📺 NHL: Panthers at Avalanche
9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
The two-time defending champs head to play the team everyone thinks will win the Stanley Cup this year. It’s a hell yeah for me.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
NBA teams are rebounding better than before. Why? It started with a phone call to New Zealand.
When visiting teams, both in the NBA and the NHL, arrive at Madison Square Garden, a challenge awaits … before they even start the game. I love stories like this.
There are eight undefeated men’s college basketball teams left. Brendan Marks ranked them all.
We have fantasy football recommendations before you set your lineups tonight/this weekend. Start Jaxson Dart, KC Joyner writes.
There’s a new NFL mock draft up on the site, too, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza going at No. 1. See the picks.
An entire generation of sports fans, including myself, grew up watching Stuart Scott on “SportsCenter.” ESPN looked back at Scott’s massive impact in a great documentary last night.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: NBA front office rankings.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Sherrone Moore news story from above.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.