A new contender in the West, plus saying goodbye to John Sterling

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.Good morning! Wear something bold today. Inside:  😤 Minnesota’s grit  📻 RIP, John Sterling 🏈 Dion Jordan’s incredible path While You Were Sleeping: The playoffs are getting betterEach year, the first round of the joint NBA/NHL playoff calendar takes a toll on me. Some nights can include eight postseason games, all shouting for their own attention. It becomes overwhelming in the nicest sense of the word. Advertisement