{"id":810105,"date":"2026-08-11T13:54:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/810105\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T13:54:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:54:24","slug":"lets-talk-about-some-freaks-plus-a-cursed-round-of-golf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/810105\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s talk about some Freaks. Plus: A cursed round of golf"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning! Take your kid for a jog today. Coming up:<\/p>\n

Measurables: Welcome back, Freaks<\/p>\n

Every day now seems to bring another harbinger of football. Today\u2019s: Bruce Feldman\u2019s\u00a0Freaks List<\/a>, another annual rite of passage, which highlights the best athletes in college football, as informed by coaches and staff across the sport.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fun for the premise alone, but also for what it\u2019s become over 20-plus years. It\u2019s not just an early top NFL prospects list; there are historically Division II and III players on this list, as the entire college football community tries to get their guys noticed.<\/p>\n

I pulled two big names and one unheralded guy for us:<\/p>\n

1. South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor
Again, the Gamecocks are loaded with talent and will be on your favorite pundit\u2019s Playoff sleeper list. Harbor was already the first player in the history of the Freaks list to occupy the top spot for two straight years, and now he\u2019s back here again after dropping to No. 3 last year. He\u2019s 6-foot-6, around 240 pounds and runs for the track team. Bruce reports Harbor hit 23.8 mph during offseason workouts this summer. His fundamentals need some polish, but the talent is there.<\/p>\n

The Gamecocks actually have\u00a0three\u00a0players on this list: Harbor, edge Dylan Stewart (No. 14) and quarterback LaNorris Sellers (No. 36). If Carolina is on and you\u2019re around this fall, just watch.<\/p>\n

2. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
I almost didn\u2019t include him here, because the excellence is so assumed. Smith has arguably been the best wideout in college football since he arrived on campus in Columbus. Bruce calls him the best player in the country, bar none. He\u2019s the linchpin for the preseason No. 1 team and said he\u2019s gotten faster this offseason, which feels unfair.<\/p>\n

92. Harding University FB Andrew Miller
These are my favorite people on the Freaks List. Miller is a\u00a0fullback\u00a0who ran for 2,000 yards last year and clocked a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. The fullback title may be misleading for a team that runs the wishbone formation, but I still love it. Miller has the size and talent to make an NFL roster. He also catches snakes in his free time.<\/p>\n

See more Freaks here<\/a>.\u00a0Let\u2019s move on:<\/p>\n

News to Know\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Ronald Martinez \/ Allsport<\/p>\n

Nelson dead at 86
Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson died yesterday at 86 years old, his family\u00a0announced<\/a>. Nelson won five titles as a Celtics player and, as a coach, pioneered a style of basketball \u2014 \u201cNellie Ball\u201d \u2014 that looks right at home in today\u2019s NBA. He favored fast pace and smaller players to outrun opponents. He is the second-winningest coach in league history.\u00a0Read the tributes to him here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

McBride sets record
Lynx guard Kayla McBride hit 10 3-pointers in Minnesota\u2019s 103-90 win over Dallas last night, giving her the WNBA record for most triples in a game. She scored 43 points, which also sets the franchise record for most points in a game.\u00a0McBride has a great story, too<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More news:<\/p>\n

Lions backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater\u00a0left the team.\u00a0Read more<\/a>.
\nBraves ace Chris Sale\u00a0got ejected yesterday \u2026 a day he wasn\u2019t starting \u2026\u00a0before the first pitch<\/a>.
\nOut of the FedEx Cup playoffs:\u00a0Brooks Koepka.\u00a0In:\u00a0Michael Brennan,\u00a0who\u00a0won the\u00a0Wyndham Championship\u00a0yesterday<\/a>.
\nSeen at\u00a0LIV\u2019s\u00a0tournament yesterday:\u00a0PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan,\u00a0which is curious, as PIF pulled funding for the league.\u00a0More here<\/a>.
\nHezly Rivera\u00a0repeated as\u00a0U.S. gymnastics\u00a0champ yesterday.\u00a0She\u2019s the first woman since Simone Biles to do so<\/a>.
\nIt was a tough day for big\u00a0tennis\u00a0names:\u00a0Jannik Sinner\u00a0withdrew<\/a>\u00a0from the Cincinnati Open,\u00a0Aryna Sabalenka\u00a0got upset<\/a>\u00a0at the Canadian Open and\u00a0Alexandra Eala\u2019s\u00a0magical run through the Canadian Open\u00a0fell short<\/a>.
\nAmerican soccer wunderkind\u00a0Cavan Sullivan,\u00a0the 16-year-old set to join Manchester City when he turns 18, scored a goal and assisted on another for the Philadelphia Union last night.\u00a0Watch them here<\/a>.
\nDemi Vollering\u00a0won the\u00a0Tour de France Femmes\u00a0thanks to\u00a0a stunning attack on the final stage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0\u00a0Find more news here 24\/7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Things You Need to See: A stroller sprint for the books<\/p>\n

A man named Stephen Biebelhausen ran a mile in just 4:17 over the weekend in Cleveland as part of the Guardian Mile race. The time alone is impressive for anyone running a mile. But look at what Biebelhausen was toting:<\/p>\n

4:17 MILE WHILE PUSHING A STROLLER\u203c\ufe0f HISTORY MADE IN CLEVELAND \u26a1\ufe0f<\/p>\n

The world record for the fastest mile with a stroller was set by Stephen Biebelhausen and his baby at last night\u2019s Guardian Mile \ud83d\udc76\ud83c\udfc3 pic.twitter.com\/mCpCkOg59S<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) August 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

With his cute daughter in tow, Biebelhausen set the men\u2019s Guinness World Record for\u00a0fastest mile run with a stroller<\/a>, something I didn\u2019t know existed until now. Way to dad-shame me, dude.<\/p>\n

Almost done:<\/p>\n

Watch Guide<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa MLB: Phillies at Cardinals
7:45 p.m. ET on FS1
Philly clings to the final NL wild-card spot at the moment, which always makes for good drama. St. Louis is 59-59, 3 1\/2 games back of that final wild-card spot. This game will alter the NL playoff math.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa WNBA: Tempo at Dream
8 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBC Sports Network
Toronto is out of the playoff race for now \u2014 the eight postseason teams are pretty set at this point \u2014 but Atlanta is worth a gander here. The Dream are 7-3 in their last 10 and sit in a glut of teams from seeds Nos. 3-8 all within three games of each other. As we always say: Every game counts.<\/p>\n

Pulse Picks\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Scott Strazzante \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mike Trout\u00a0brought his\u00a0Angels teammates\u00a0to his private golf club in New Jersey on Aug. 3 for a round of team bonding. Four of them got traded\u00a0during the outing.\u00a0Incredible story from Ken Rosenthal today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mike Vorkunov has a fun list of\u00a0NBA Hall of Fame tiers<\/a>,\u00a0in which\u00a0Jalen Brunson\u00a0jumped a level this year. Huh.<\/p>\n

There have been some really, really good \u2014 even legendary \u2014 players who have worn\u00a0No. 88\u00a0for the\u00a0Cowboys.\u00a0So why won\u2019t the team retire it?<\/a><\/p>\n

Cooper Lutkenhaus\u00a0is a\u00a0track phenom\u00a0who just turned pro.\u00a0He\u2019s also still in high school<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If the\u00a0college sports bill\u00a0passes\u00a0Congress,\u00a0we could be in for another \u2014 and more final \u2014 version of\u00a0conference realignment.\u00a0See the possible new conferences here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday:\u00a0Caitlin Clark\u2019s tech Saturday,\u00a0which got rescinded<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most-read on the website yesterday:\u00a0Tom Burrows\u2019 incredible interview with Brandon Williams, the former Manchester City player who wound up in jail.\u00a0Read it here<\/a><\/p>\n