Sports
America’s Achilles’ Heel in the AI Race
If you’ve ever watched or played water polo, you know that matches involve two drastically different battles.
Above the surface, there is fluid motion and effortless passing.
But below the surface, there’s grabbing and kicking and constant positioning for control.
That’s also happening with the global race to reach artificial superintelligence (ASI) first.
Because ASI won’t be achieved by algorithms alone — that’s just the battle going on above the surface.
You also need infrastructure, including advanced data centers, high-efficiency chips and a lot of specialized hardware.
And you can’t build any of this without a small group of minerals with names most people have never heard of… or even pronounce.
Neodymium… dysprosium… terbium… samarium.
They’re called rare earth elements. And they’re becoming a big problem for the U.S.
Because we might currently lead the race to ASI, but China dominates nearly every step of the rare earth supply chain.
That’s the battle unfolding under the surface today…
A cold war being waged over the rare earth elements that power AI.
The Chinese Choke Point
Without rare earth elements, modern AI hardware would grind to a halt.
They’re what allow high-efficiency motors to spin. They make advanced sensors work.
And perhaps most importantly, they’re what goes into the permanent magnets used in everything from missile guidance systems to the cooling fans in AI accelerator racks.
Over 70% of global rare earth mining happens in China.
But China’s real leverage is in processing, where the country controls as much as 90% of global refining capacity.
Distribution of rare earths production worldwide as of 2024, by country
Source: statista.com
It’s a strategic vulnerability for the U.S. — and we’re not blameless for the predicament we find ourselves in today.
After all, China didn’t become dominant in rare earths by accident.
This has been a 30-year strategy…
One that involved massive subsidies, tightly controlled domestic demand and environmental sacrifices few democracies would accept.
According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, thanks in large part to its vertical integration of industrial supply chains, China now leads in 7 out of 10 advanced industries globally.
China’s global market shares in advanced industries
Source: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Which means China’s rare earth advantage impacts much more than AI.
It gives them an advantage in developing robotics.
Quantum computing.
Advanced defense systems.
All the things that will define economic and military power in the 21st century.
And China is using this advantage as a geopolitical bargaining chip.
Like when Beijing imposed new licensing restrictions on rare earth exports in response to Trump’s proposed tariffs.
Specifically, China blocked shipments of heavy rare earths like samarium, which is essential for missile guidance systems and the radar units inside fighter jets like the F‑35.
Each F‑35 contains about 920 pounds of rare earth materials.
Without them, building or repairing these jets becomes a lot more difficult.
Back in June, President Trump’s trade team tried to get ahead of these restrictions by negotiating a limited truce with China over critical tech exports.
The U.S. agreed to ease certain export restrictions on advanced chip design software and select petrochemicals like ethane during these negotiations.
In return, China committed to resuming some rare earth exports…
But only for civilian use, and only under six-month licenses.
That left America’s defense and AI industries dangerously exposed.
While commercial magnet users were able to source limited quantities, many were forced to pay a premium of up to 30% for non-Chinese supply.
And military-grade materials, especially the high-purity samarium magnets used in precision weapons systems, remained off-limits.
So what’s the U.S. doing about it?
After all, we have deposits in places like Mountain Pass, California and Round Top, Texas.
But even if we mined them completely, it still wouldn’t cover our needs.
And refining them? That’s another story entirely.
MP Materials, the United States’ largest domestic producer, still sends its output to China for final processing.
That’s like drilling for oil in Texas, then shipping it overseas to be refined into gasoline.
The Pentagon is trying to fix this. It’s funding magnet manufacturing plants in Oklahoma and pushing for rare earth refineries in Louisiana and Nebraska.
Congress has also proposed tax credits to boost domestic magnet production.
But most of these projects won’t come online until 2026 or later.
By then, China could have even tighter control over the market. It’s already investing heavily in its own AI infrastructure, including a $50 billion expansion of its “Big Fund” to bolster its domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
And that’s another element of this tech cold war that the mainstream media has overlooked.
You hear about the U.S. trying to uncouple from Chinese materials.
But you rarely hear about the fact that China is also actively working to replace the last few pieces of Western technology it still relies on.
China wants to own everything from mining and refining to chip design and AI training. That way it can operate with total independence from U.S. or European suppliers.
It’s the logical next move in this tech cold war. And it’s why supply chains now matter as much as semiconductors.
Here’s My Take
Last week was another reminder of how fragile our place is in this high-stakes global supply chain.
On July 3, the Trump administration agreed to lift U.S. restrictions on chip-design software and ethane exports, largely due to China’s rare earths embargo.
In return, Beijing promised to extend six-month export licenses for civilian materials.
But military-grade elements like samarium? They’re still off the table.
It shows you that when it comes to rare earth minerals, China has all the leverage.
Sure, the U.S. leads in foundational AI research. We have better chips, stronger alliances and our government is clearly aware of the risks we face here.
But if we want to win the race to ASI, we have to build an industrial base that matches our ambition.
Otherwise, we might crack the ASI algorithm, but China will own the machines that run it.
Regards,
Ian King
Chief Strategist, Banyan Hill Publishing
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Muir was named to the 2025 All-MIVA Second Team following last season.
The Junior led the Mastodons in points (464.5), kills (391) and service aces (41) last year. He was second in the MIVA in kills per set (4.39), aces per set (0.41) and points per set (5.19) during conference play. Muir’s 5.09 points per set ranked fifth in the nation. The California native also was 10th in the MIVA in hitting percentage with .299. Muir recorded double-digit kills in 19 of the ‘Dons’ 26 matches. He hit a career-high 23 kills in three sets at McKendree, the third most in the program’s rally scoring era.
Purdue Fort Wayne finished seventh in the MIVA last season, finishing with a 4-12 conference record.
Muir and the Mastodons open the season on the Arnie Ball Court against Missouri S&T on January 10.
2026 Preseason All-MIVA Team (alphabetical by team)
Lucas Machado – Ball State
*Patrick Rogers – Ball State
Oguzhan Oguz – Lewis
Nico Paula – Lewis
Ryan McElligott – Loyola Chicago
Daniel Fabikovic – Loyola Chicago
Aleksander Sosa – Loyola Chicago
Yadiel Diaz – McKendree
Nate Flayter – McKendree
Stanislaw Chacinski – Ohio State
Shane Wetzel – Ohio State
Logan Muir – Purdue Fort Wayne
*Preseason Player of the Year
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Updated Dec. 15, 2025, 7:31 a.m. CT
AUSTIN, Texas – As Wisconsin’s Charlie Fuerbringer came up with a big block in the first set, Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield raised his arms in what somewhat resembled a flexing motion.
It was one of many ways in which the Badgers flexed their muscle on SEC power Texas as they won on the road in four sets, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, en route to their sixth Final Four of the Sheffield era and seventh overall in program history.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the 78 student-athletes placed on the Academic All-MAC Team for the 2025 volleyball season.
Eastern Michigan, Miami, and Western Michigan led the league with eight student-athletes each. Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Ohio followed behind with seven honorees each.
The Academic All-MAC honor is awarded to a student-athlete who has excelled in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport.
2025 Volleyball Academic All-MAC Honorees
Akron (4)
Martina Villani, Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice, 3.861
Gabby Brissett, Senior, Biology, 3.745
Vanessa Del Real, Junior, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 3.81
Sarah Bettis, Junior, Biomedical Science, 3.363
Ball State (7)
Gwen Crull, Junior, Property Management, 3.959
Lindsey Green, Junior, Communication Studies, 4.000
Sophie Ledbetter, Sophomore, Pre-Nursing, 4.000
Elizabeth Tabeling, Sophomore, Pre-Nursing, 3.725
Carson Tyler, Sophomore, Sport Administration, 3.912
Riley Whitlock, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.667
Camryn Wise, Junior, Computer Science, 3.723
Bowling Green (6)
Avery Anders, Sophomore, Marketing, 3.758
Jessica Andrews, Senior, Marketing, 4.000
Sydnie Hernandez, Sophomore, Human Development & Family Science, 3.757
Isabelle Laube, Redshirt Junior, Marketing, 3.863
Edyta Waclawczyk, Redshirt Sophomore, International Business, 4.000
Helen Wilford, Redshirt Sophomore, Biology, 4.000
Buffalo (7)
Luli Arcucci, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.489
Ava Kanj, Sophomore, Biochemistry, 3.908
Keira Kleidon, Sophomore, Exploratory, 3.862
Emma Converse, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.667
Manoela Forlin, Junior, Graphic Design, 3.590
Eve Adams, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.857
Chloe Brown, Junior, Health and Human Services, 3.751
Central Michigan (7)
Izzy Swiercz, Sophomore, Undeclared, 3.66
Natalia Rejment, Senior, General Management, 3.15
Alina Anderson, Senior, Accounting 3.68
Abby Olin, Senior, Mechanical Engineering + Spanish, 3.98
Grace Thomas, Sophomore, Undeclared, 3.65
Brooklyn Conner, Senior, Environmental Science, 3.65
Hannah Langton, Sophomore, Communication Sciences & Disorders, 3.81
Eastern Michigan (8)
Kendal Bonney, Senior, Elem Early Child Teach & Learn, 3.83
Ella Grasson, Senior, Sport Management, 3.87
Anna Guard, Sophomore, Biology, 3.61
Taeley Mahler, Sophomore, Comm Sciences & Disorders, 3.70
Surabhi Srinivasan, Junior, Mathematics-Secondary Education, 3.80
Wrigley Takats, Sophomore, Exploratory, 3.84
Ella Voorhees, Senior, Environ Sci & Society Interdis, 3.59
Hatteras Welker, Sophomore, Biology, 3.89
Kent State (5)
Greta Bolognini, Senior, Business Management, 3.66
Hailey Brenner, Sophomore, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, 3.45
Lesley Furuta, Sophomore, General Business, 3.87
Mackenzie McGuire, Senior, Exercise Science, 3.51
Nadia Miller, Sophomore, Exercise Science, 3.28
Miami (8)
Ellie Hanson, Senior, Psychology/Sport Management, 3.68
Hayden Hicks, Senior, Psychology/Sport Management, 3.89
Raegan Lantz, Junior, Human Capital Management & Leadership, 3.76
Anna McClure, Redshirt Junior, Strategic Communication, 3.83
Lydia Michelin, Sophomore, Kinesiology/Premedical & Pre-Health Studies, 3.89
Kamryn Utley, Sophomore, Public Health/Healthcare Sales, 4.00
Gentry Warrick, Senior, Kinesiology/Premedical & Pre-Health Studies, 3.29
Chelsea Williams, Junior, Kinesiology, 3.86
Northern Illinois (6)
Kylie Schulze, Junior, Marketing, 3.81
Rylea Alvin, Sophomore, Psychology, 3.746
Emma McCartney, Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering, 3,709
Ava Grevengoed, Sophomore, Kinesiology, 3.515
Ella Strausberger, Sophomore, Marketing, 3.442
Alexa Hayes, Senior, Criminology, 3.389
Ohio (7)
Caroline Curran, Junior, Engineering Tech & MGMT, 3.852
Sierra Evans, Sophomore, Journalism News and Info., 3.457
Olivia Gardner, Junior, Exercise Physiology, 3.660
Lexi Grissett, Sophomore, Marketing, 4.000
Kendall Hickey, Junior, Communication Studies, 3.396
Bryn Janke, Sophomore, Accounting & Finance, 3.895
Darbi Ricketts, Sophomore, Exercise Physiology – Strength & Conditioning, 3.384
Toledo (5)
Anna Alford, Senior, Public Health Management, 3.415
Grace Freiberger, Sophomore, Recreational Therapy, 3.909
Olivia Heitkamp, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.501
Macy Medors, Senior, Recreational Therapy, 3.989
Sierra Pertzborn, Redshirt Sophomore, Nursing, 3.558
Western Michigan (8)
Reeghan Boyer, Senior, Finance, 3.93
Mary Clare Brusek, Senior, Exercise Science, 3.77
Elana Erickson, Sophomore, Special Education, 3.79
Amanda Glanton, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, 3.84
Maddie Kmetz, R-Junior, Exercise Science, 3.73
Annalise Patchett, Sophomore, Exercise Science, 4.00
Carley Piercefield, Sophomore, Elementary Education, 3.48
Leah Richmond, R-Freshman, Exercise Science, 4.00
Earning the award for EMU is Kendal Bonney, Ella Grasson, Anna Guard (Burlington, Ky./St. Henry District), Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome), Wrigley Takats, Ella Voorhees, and Hatteras Welker.
Along with Eastern’s eight honorees, Miami and Western Michigan tied for the lead in the league with eight student-athletes honored. Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Ohio followed behind with seven honorees each.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
The honor marks the second for Bonney and Srinivasan, while Grasson, Guard, Mahler, Takats, Voorhees, and Welker earned the accolade for the first time in their respective careers.
Eastern’s eight honorees are its most since it also placed eight on the list in the 2022 campaign, and mark most in the Head Coach Kevin Foeman era (2023-present). Eight honorees are the most in one season for the Eagles since at least 2005.
2025 Volleyball Academic All-MAC Honorees
Eastern Michigan (8)
Kendal Bonney, Senior, Elem Early Child Teach & Learn, 3.83
Ella Grasson, Senior, Sport Management, 3.87
Anna Guard, Sophomore, Biology, 3.61
Taeley Mahler, Sophomore, Comm Sciences & Disorders, 3.70
Surabhi Srinivasan, Junior, Mathematics-Secondary Education, 3.80
Wrigley Takats, Sophomore, Exploratory, 3.84
Ella Voorhees, Senior, Environ Sci & Society Interdis, 3.59
Hatteras Welker, Sophomore, Biology, 3.89
Akron (4)
Martina Villani, Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice, 3.861
Gabby Brissett, Senior, Biology, 3.745
Vanessa Del Real, Junior, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 3.81
Sarah Bettis, Junior, Biomedical Science, 3.363
Ball State (7)
Gwen Crull, Junior, Property Management, 3.959
Lindsey Green, Junior, Communication Studies, 4.000
Sophie Ledbetter, Sophomore, Pre-Nursing, 4.000
Elizabeth Tabeling, Sophomore, Pre-Nursing, 3.725
Carson Tyler, Sophomore, Sport Administration, 3.912
Riley Whitlock, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.667
Camryn Wise, Junior, Computer Science, 3.723
Bowling Green (6)
Avery Anders, Sophomore, Marketing, 3.758
Jessica Andrews, Senior, Marketing, 4.000
Sydnie Hernandez, Sophomore, Human Development & Family Science, 3.757
Isabelle Laube, Redshirt Junior, Marketing, 3.863
Edyta Waclawczyk, Redshirt Sophomore, International Business, 4.000
Helen Wilford, Redshirt Sophomore, Biology, 4.000
Buffalo (7)
Luli Arcucci, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.489
Ava Kanj, Sophomore, Biochemistry, 3.908
Keira Kleidon, Sophomore, Exploratory, 3.862
Emma Converse, Sophomore, Business Administration, 3.667
Manoela Forlin, Junior, Graphic Design, 3.590
Eve Adams, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.857
Chloe Brown, Junior, Health and Human Services, 3.751
Central Michigan (7)
Izzy Swiercz, Sophomore, Undeclared, 3.66
Natalia Rejment, Senior, General Management, 3.15
Alina Anderson, Senior, Accounting 3.68
Abby Olin, Senior, Mechanical Engineering + Spanish, 3.98
Grace Thomas, Sophomore, Undeclared, 3.65
Brooklyn Conner, Senior, Environmental Science, 3.65
Hannah Langton, Sophomore, Communication Sciences & Disorders, 3.81
Kent State (5)
Greta Bolognini, Senior, Business Management, 3.66
Hailey Brenner, Sophomore, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, 3.45
Lesley Furuta, Sophomore, General Business, 3.87
Mackenzie McGuire, Senior, Exercise Science, 3.51
Nadia Miller, Sophomore, Exercise Science, 3.28
Miami (8)
Ellie Hanson, Senior, Psychology/Sport Management, 3.68
Hayden Hicks, Senior, Psychology/Sport Management, 3.89
Raegan Lantz, Junior, Human Capital Management & Leadership, 3.76
Anna McClure, Redshirt Junior, Strategic Communication, 3.83
Lydia Michelin, Sophomore, Kinesiology/Premedical & Pre-Health Studies, 3.89
Kamryn Utley, Sophomore, Public Health/Healthcare Sales, 4.00
Gentry Warrick, Senior, Kinesiology/Premedical & Pre-Health Studies, 3.29
Chelsea Williams, Junior, Kinesiology, 3.86
Northern Illinois (6)
Kylie Schulze, Junior, Marketing, 3.81
Rylea Alvin, Sophomore, Psychology, 3.746
Emma McCartney, Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering, 3,709
Ava Grevengoed, Sophomore, Kinesiology, 3.515
Ella Strausberger, Sophomore, Marketing, 3.442
Alexa Hayes, Senior, Criminology, 3.389
Ohio (7)
Caroline Curran, Junior, Engineering Tech & MGMT, 3.852
Sierra Evans, Sophomore, Journalism News and Info., 3.457
Olivia Gardner, Junior, Exercise Physiology, 3.660
Lexi Grissett, Sophomore, Marketing, 4.000
Kendall Hickey, Junior, Communication Studies, 3.396
Bryn Janke, Sophomore, Accounting & Finance, 3.895
Darbi Ricketts, Sophomore, Exercise Physiology – Strength & Conditioning, 3.384
Toledo (5)
Anna Alford, Senior, Public Health Management, 3.415
Grace Freiberger, Sophomore, Recreational Therapy, 3.909
Olivia Heitkamp, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.501
Macy Medors, Senior, Recreational Therapy, 3.989
Sierra Pertzborn, Redshirt Sophomore, Nursing, 3.558
Western Michigan (8)
Reeghan Boyer, Senior, Finance, 3.93
Mary Clare Brusek, Senior, Exercise Science, 3.77
Elana Erickson, Sophomore, Special Education, 3.79
Amanda Glanton, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, 3.84
Maddie Kmetz, R-Junior, Exercise Science, 3.73
Annalise Patchett, Sophomore, Exercise Science, 4.00
Carley Piercefield, Sophomore, Elementary Education, 3.48
Leah Richmond, R-Freshman, Exercise Science, 4.00
Follow Us
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics.
Nebraska 2 vs Texas A&M 3 – 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 37-35, 13-15
Coach Dani Busboom Kelly said after the loss that she was proud of what her team gave today and left the game with no regrets. “We maxed out with what we had today.” We read into that statement that some players were still sick, and we assume she was also talking about the injuries that happened to Campbell Flynn earlier in the week and the one that happened during warm-ups to Allie Sczech.
Even with all those challenges it is baffling to wrap our heads around what just happened. Texas A&M is a highly talented team that played nearly perfect volleyball inside the Devaney Center for three hours. The odds of such a feat are so low that we still cannot believe it happened.
The Aggies scouted and prepared for Nebraska with such precision. They seemed to know what shot Andi Jackson was going to hit before Jackson was even set, maybe they did. Maybe Nebraska was too predictable. Perhaps the shots the go for kills all year long because we are above the opposing block were the same over and over again.
Nebraska was blocked 30 times in this match and that stat doesn’t seem to capture the impact those blocks had on the match. Jackson was held to a .045 hitting percentage with six kills and five errors. Jackson doesn’t make that many errors, but she did tonight because of the Aggie block and perhaps a timing and connection issue with setter Bergen Reilly.
The Nebraska serve receive was also tested and if we are giving out grades got a C+. The serves were fast, flat and well located and Nebraska passers had real trouble. Laney Choboy was the target of many challenging serves. She passes some but also made five reception errors which means that ball wasn’t playable, point Aggies.
We enter the off season; we do it reluctantly and in a state of shock.
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.
Good morning! I hope you don’t run into your nemesis today. Coming up:
- 🏈 Big-name NFL teams eliminated from the postseason.
- 🏐 Volleyball juggernaut toppled.
- 🙅♂️ Alabama coach says no to suitors.
- 🗳️ Vote on front-office rankings.
Goodbyes: It’s holiday cleanout time in the NFL
Today is Dec. 15, which means it is a prime hour to clean. Maybe you’re clearing out old clutter toys to make room for new ones at Christmas. Maybe you’re getting an early start on the end-of-year reset.
In the NFL, it’s just time to say goodbye to some teams. Yesterday brought some jarring reminders of it. Who and what we’re saying goodbye to, posthaste:
1. The Kansas City Chiefs
The defending AFC champions are eliminated from postseason play before 2026 begins, which is a concept I have a hard time processing. Their 16-13 loss to the Chargers yesterday ended a streak of 10 straight postseason appearances for the franchise. It also brought a more immediate toll: Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL with less than two minutes to play. Brutal.
A good note from Jesse Newell’s column from the game: Kansas City was 12-0 in one-score games last year, which ended with a Super Bowl appearance. This year: 1-7. That’ll do it.
2. The Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings
Both were also axed from postseason contention yesterday, and poor Minnesota didn’t even get a chance to play first. It was a particularly dour day in Cincinnati, where a 24-0 loss to the Ravens and an unhappy Joe Burrow have put a pall over the fan base. Burrow doesn’t want out (not yet, at least), but it’s quite clear the franchise cannot waste another season of his prime again. Also contributing to the bad vibes: not shoveling the snow in Cincy.
Minnesota started its audition tape for next year’s contender status with a 34-26 win in Dallas last night that had J.J. McCarthy hitting the Griddy while walking into the end zone. Too late for 2025, fellas.
3. The Green Bay Packers … maybe
Green Bay, on paper, remains a legit contender at 9-4-1 with a 94 percent chance to make the postseason, per our simulator. But the season suddenly feels in extreme doubt after a 34-26 loss to the red-hot Broncos left superstar acquisition Micah Parsons with a non-contact injury that could be a torn ACL. Standout wide receiver Christian Watson also left the game with a chest injury and was evaluated at a Denver hospital afterward. Don’t forget that star tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL last month, too.
Let’s do a lightning round of other things we’re waving bye to before we get to the presents that can stay under the football tree:
4. The sack record 👀. Myles Garrett tallied 1.5 sacks in Cleveland’s blowout loss, putting him one sack shy of tying the NFL single-season record with three games to play.
5. Any worry about Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old Rams quarterback who started the season as an injury worry cemented his spot as the MVP front-runner in a wild win over his former team yesterday.
6. Au revoir, Cowboys. Dallas is essentially done (less than a 1 percent chance to make the playoffs) after that loss to the Vikings last night. At least the team has been interesting this year.
Now, let’s quickly talk about who’s still here:
Brian Fluharty / Imagn Images
- My first thought upon seeing the Chiefs eliminated: I wonder how the Bills feel. Buffalo (10-4) saw its boogeyman vanquished and beat the division rival Patriots in a thriller yesterday, which is about as good of a Sunday for the Bills as possible. Josh Allen quite literally left it all on the field.
- About those Broncos. Denver, despite some earlier skepticism, has won 11 straight to reach 12-2 and looked as impressive as ever in yesterday’s win over Green Bay. Add them to the cadre of AFC teams thrilled that Kansas City is done.
We have full takeaways from the weekend, of course, and it’s always good to fiddle around with the playoff simulator at this point in the season. Oh, and I didn’t even get to mention Philip Rivers’ comeback day.
Let’s keep moving:
News to Know
Dylan Widger / Imagn Images
A volleyball stunner
Texas A&M shocked Nebraska to advance to the NCAA volleyball Final Four yesterday in an upset I don’t think anyone expected. Coming into the match, the juggernaut Cornhuskers (now 33-1) had won 54 of 55 home sets this season before dropping the first two in yesterday’s regional final on their home floor. An epic two-set comeback was rendered moot by A&M, which heads to its first Final Four. Read more on what might be “one of the most entertaining matches” in the sport’s history.
More news
- Steph Curry hit 12 3-pointers last night, and the Warriors still lost.
- USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, a Brown graduate, gave a stirring and heartbreaking speech yesterday after the shooting at her alma mater. Her comments are worth a read.
- Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer shut down any talk of leaving for Michigan.
- Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia apologized for his comments after the Heisman ceremony Saturday night. See his statement.
📰 Find more news here 24/7.
What to Watch
📺 NFL: Dolphins at Steelers
8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN
This is a crucial game for Pittsburgh to burnish its hopes of a postseason appearance in Aaron Rodgers’ final season. An issue: Miami has won four straight. This should be a good one.
📺 NBA: Pistons at Celtics
7 p.m. ET on Peacock
Yes, 20-5 Detroit is still the best team in the East right now, but we should be talking more about Boston, which is 15-10 in what people thought would be a lost season. Jayson Tatum isn’t here, and this team is still really good. Compelling.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
We’re past ranking front offices in each professional sport. Who’s the best front office in all of the Big Four sports? You can vote on that here.
The Heat almost traded for Allen Iverson in 2006. Dwyane Wade shut it down.
Ken Rosenthal returns with a post-Winter Meetings notebook full of good tidbits, including one on the Royals’ interest in Jarren Duran. Read that here.
Can UConn go undefeated this season? Sabreena Merchant makes some good points in her weekly women’s college basketball Top 25.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our top 50 MLB free agents.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Jayna Bardahl’s excellent story on what happens when a ball lands in the stands in the NFL. Sometimes, it’s a lawsuit.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.
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Why a rising mid-major power with an NCAA Tournament team opted out of revenue-sharing — and advertised it
Falcons mailbag
Portal Update – Basketball and Gymnastics Take Hits
has always dreamed in Mercurial. Now his initials are on the boots.
The new Kyl…
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