Author: Michael

Cole Leinart, the son of former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, isn’t a lefty like his father but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in regard to arm talent. Although he is only 16 years old, he is well on his way to big things.

7 pic.twitter.com/zNEBagHe5G
— Cole Leinart (@Cole__Leinart) January 29, 2023

Leinart, a Class of 2026 recruit, will begin his sophomore year at Mater Dei in the fall. The legendary west coast football powerhouse has produced Bryce Young, Matt Barkley, J.T. Daniels, Amon-Ra St.

People forget Pete Davidson was a BUCKET
I guess Pete Davidson is a hooper now?
Actor and comedian Pete Davidson stopped by UNLV’s basketball gym to get a run in with the Runnin’ Rebels, and surprisingly, he can kinda hoop!

Introducing our newest walk-on.. Pistol Pete Davidson pic.twitter.com/eqrVr68zjd
— UNLV Men’s Basketball (@TheRunninRebels) June 7, 2023

I think the wildest part of this is that Davidson doesn’t look that athletic. He’s real skinny, doesn’t look super quick, but he’s schooling these dudes.

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Get to know Elly De La Cruz now because EVERYONE is going to be talking about him 
“He’s just … different.”
That was me, Wednesday night, over and over again as I tried to explain Elly De La Cruz, the Cincinnati Reds phenom who over the course of just two games in the majors has taken the baseball world by storm. I found myself talking about launch angles, exit velocity, and speed from home to third.
Eventually she stopped me.

Belligerent ’til the end, Greg Norman fights on. The LIV Golf chief executive has declared that the breakaway league is “not going anywhere” but will instead flourish because of the merger of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Dalvin Cook has been cut, and these teams make sense.
The next major running back cut is in the books. On Thursday the Minnesota Vikings release Dalvin Cook, after failing to find a trade partner. Cook joins Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey among the high-paid RB extension players who have either been cut or traded due to their cap hit exceeding their worth on the field.
It’s wild to think we’re in this position again, but it’s just how the NFL is moving now.

Welcome to the 11th installment of a weekly mailbag that I will be writing about the world of sports media (and anything else you want to chime in on). Please email me any questions you have to Jimmy.Traina@si.com or send them via Twitter.
I did a bad job reminding you guys to send me questions, so we’re a little light this week. I will step it up next week.

Photo by Stew Milne/USFL/Getty Images for USFL
Could AAU for football work? The ex-USFL president is trying to make it happen.
Prep Super League founder Brian Woods is no stranger to ambitious plans. Woods is formerly the president of the USFL, and his next major project is a super league for elite high school football players, independent of state high school athletic associations.
The Prep Super League is intended to be somewhat like an AAU program for 11-on-11 football, with 12 teams in major markets across the country, from Los Angeles to Miami.

The Vikings are parting ways with star running back Dalvin Cook, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He is expected to officially be released Friday. 
Minnesota was looking to trade Cook, one of the most dynamic tailbacks in the NFL, but no deal could be realized, and he’s set to become a free agent, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Several teams will be interested in Cook, including the Dolphins and Broncos, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Cook, 27, is coming off a season where he rushed for 1,173 yards and caught 39 passes for 295 yards, scoring a total of 10 touchdowns.

Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images
New Netflix documentary takes up-close look at pro cycling
With the success of its Drive to Survive documentary series chronicling life in Formula 1, Netflix is now trying to expand its sports coverage. After already tackling tennis and golf, professional cycling is now on the menu.
On Thursday, June 8, Tour de France: Unchained was released on the streaming service. Produced by the same company that also did Drive to Survive, it presents an up-close look at the biggest cycling race in the world over the course of eight episodes.

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Nikola Jokić keeps finding new ways to amaze me.
In today’s SI:AM:
⛰️ ​​The Nuggets’ star duo goes off
🌟 Pickleball’s teenage phenom
🏌️‍♂️ Rory McIlroy’s reaction to the LIV merger
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