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Damar Hamlin’s status, Gregg Berhalter alleges blackmail and NHL tank-a-palooza

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Good morning. The latest on Damar Hamlin, and more.

Serious Matters

What we know about Damar Hamlin

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remained in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital Tuesday evening into today after he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Bengals.

  • Hamlin spent the night in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and remained there as of early Tuesday afternoon, the Bills said. The postponed game will not be resumed this weekthe league announced.
  • Also: After the NFL denied that it considered restarting the game, ESPN stood by Joe Buck’s statement that the league told the Bills and Bengals players they had five minutes to warm up before resuming play after Hamlin collapsed.

For updates on Hamlin’s status, follow our live blog.

Some further reading:

Messes

Berhalter alleges blackmail

USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter posted a lengthy statement on social media yesterday alleging that an individual contacted US Soccer on Dec. 11 — after the US was eliminated from the World Cup — about a 1991 domestic violence incident in an apparent blackmail attempt to “take him down” and end his relationship with the team.

  • Berhalter acknowledged an incident in which he kicked his now-wife in the legs during an argument outside a bar while the pair were dating as students at UNC. They split but reconnected months later, he said, and have been married for 25 years. His wife, Rosalind, also signed the statement.
  • US Soccer said it immediately hired an independent firm to investigate the allegation. That investigation is ongoing, and during the course of it, the federation learned of separate “inappropriate behavior toward multiple members of (its) staff by individuals outside of (the) organization,” which is now also being investigated.

Berhalter, remember, is not currently employed by US Soccer. His contract expired at the end of 2022 and we were waiting on news about whether he would be re-signed. The seemingly wild circumstances here don’t seem to provide much clarity either way.

US Soccer also said it will have “an announcement about who will lead the January men’s national team camp in the coming days.” Stay tuned.

The Next Big Thing

The other tank-a-palooza prospect


(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

We’ve dedicated plenty of space in The Pulse to basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama the past few months — much of it focused on NBA teams tanking in hopes of winning the NBA draft lottery.

Connor Bedard deserves the same attention. The presumptive top pick in this year’s NHL Draft is playing so well for Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championship that he might put NHL tanking in hyperdrive, Pierre LeBrun writes. Consider:

  • The 17-year-old has eight goals and 13 assists in five games — including an overtime winner against Slovakia on Monday to set up a Canada-US matchup in the semifinals tonight (6:30 pm ET, NHL Network).
  • Bedard could influence how teams trade away players ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. A number of teams are still in the mix for no. 1including the Blackhawks, Ducks, Blue Jackets, Coyotes and Sharks.

“At this age, best prospect since Crosby,” one longtime NHL team executive told LeBrun.

Money Talks

Football recruits spill on NIL

A defensive back earning $400,000 per year. Lamborghini photoshoots. T-bone steaks at Texas A&M.

Elite college football prospects had plenty to say about NIL offers and their best visits The Athletic‘s latest Recruiting Confidential. Our favorite quotes:

  • “Somebody tried to throw $1 million at me on signing day. Somebody called my parents and coaches. My loyalty to the program I signed with isn’t worth a million dollars. I’ll make that in no time.“
  • “The nicest place to visit was Cali. The best meal? Texas. I ate steaks, BBQ. I put on, like, five to 10 pounds when I went out there. I came back and had to work out to lose it instantly.”
  • “I took over 700 photos in one place. … It was kind of a waste of time.” Like the last time I went to Trader Joe’s after a month away.

Read the rest here.

Briefs

Zion to miss at least 3 weeks

Ugh. Pelicans star Zion Williamson will miss at least three weeks with a right hamstring strain sustained in Monday’s loss to the 76ers. Williamson is having a massive bounce-back season, leading New Orleans with 26 points per game; he put up a career-high 43 against Minnesota last week. The injury is another brutal blow to a Pelicans season that has been shockingly successful despite the lack of consistency within the lineup, Will Guillory writes. The projected lineup coming into the season (CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Williamson) has only played 10 games together.

Red Sox delay a big decision

Boston and third baseman Rafael Devers agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million deal to avoid arbitration. The Red Sox ultimately still want to sign the two-time All-Star to a long-term contract, but last time we heard, the sides were about $100 million apart. Yikes.

Panthers eyeing Harbaugh?

Add Carolina to the list of potential NFL landing spots for Jim Harbaugh. Panthers owner David Tepper has talked with Harbaugh about their head-coaching vacancy, per Joe Person. But it’s hard to know whether the interest is mutual and legit. Could Tepper be trying to get a feel for what fans think? Is Harbaugh leveraging the Panthers to better position himself for another opening? It’s all on the table.

Pulse Picks

(Top photo: Timothy T Ludwig / Getty Images)

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