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Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I would have completed today’s newsletter earlier but watched Anthony Edwards’s dunk a few more times.
In today’s SI:AM:
💸 Blake Snell’s deal
🗽 Soto’s Broadway debut
📝 The 10 best NFL signings
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What took so long?
With Opening Day just over a week away, last year’s National League Cy Young winner has finally found a new team.
Tiger Woods during the 2023 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. | Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
PGA Tour Policy Board members, including Tiger Woods, joined Jay Monahan in meeting Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the Saudi PIF.
A high-stakes meeting took place on Monday in the Bahamas.
Tiger Woods, along with PGA Tour policy board members and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, met Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), for the first time in person.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Tour player directors headlined by Tiger Woods, and Saudi Public Investment (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan had a pow-wow in the Bahamas on Monday afternoon to discuss the PIF’s presumed plan to invest in the PGA Tour. Based on the note Monahan shared with Tour players, it sounds like hands were shaken, (expensive) bread was broken, and that was about it.
Monahan and Al-Rumayyan sat next to one another and announced a framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi PIF, which is the sole funder of LIV Golf, on June 6, 2023.
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
The overvalued teams, undervalued teams, and potential Cinderellas are in our latest bracket picks for the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament.
The beauty of March Madness and the reason everybody tunes in is because nobody knows what will happen. We think we do. You don’t get credit for predicting the annual 12 seed upsetting the 5 seed. We all know that’s happening.
It’s the No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickson upsetting top-seeded Purdue in 2023 that keeps us watching. Or the No. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats falling flat on their faces against the No.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer hasn’t coached a game for the Crimson Tide yet, but he’s already drawing one of the top salaries in college football.
The school announced Monday that the first-year coach of the Tide has agreed to an 8-year contract worth $10 million in 2024. His base salary will increase annually and will be worth $11.75 million during the final year of the deal.
“College athletics is under very unique changes,” athletic director Greg Byrne said Monday (via: 247Sports). “We’re adapting constantly right now.
The 2024 NFL free agency period continues to roll on, but we’ve already seen plenty of moves that will shape how rosters look heading into the summer months. That means it’s time to dig deep into the updated depth charts and start getting rankings ready for the best-ball and re-draft madness that’s just around the corner.
We’ve already examined the biggest winners and losers among players who have changed teams, so now let’s take a look at how player movement affected those who didn’t see a change of address.
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The Braves are once again the favorites to win the division but as far as Atlanta is concerned, it’s all about what they do in October.
For the past few years, the story of the National League’s Eastern Division has been one that feels very familiar to how it was during the 1990s.
The 2024 NFL draft is the next big event of the offseason, which means this is prime time for mock drafts and trade predictions.
NFL.com’s latest mock draft by Daniel Jeremiah came out Tuesday morning, and it has a big move in it, with the Minnesota Vikings trading with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 4 pick and then selecting former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Monday that the Vikings have interest in McCarthy and will have coaches at his pro day in Ann Arbor on Friday.
In a memo sent Monday to PGA Tour players, commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed a widely reported meeting in the Bahamas between Tour Policy Board player directors and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chairman of LIV Golf.
Monahan did not offer many details but called the meeting “constructive” and part of a continuing process.
“The conversation throughout was constructive and represents an important part of our due diligence process in selecting potential investors for PGA Tour Enterprises,” Monahan wrote.
Photo by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
F1 drivers and teams face a big time challenge with this week’s Australian Grand Prix
Time is a constant in Formula 1. Every second, or millisecond, matters. Teams and drivers work around the clock to shave off every bit of time they can and those efforts could make the difference between a podium finish, and a finish outside the points.
But for this week’s Australian Grand Prix, there is another time-related challenge facing the teams and the drivers.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The Baby Birds zoomed up to 101 wins and the division crown in 2023, and their nest of prospects only continues to grow.
For almost a decade, the daunting AL East was dominated by the high-profile New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, as well as the perennially savvy Tampa Bay Rays. In 2023, however, the division champion was none of those three teams; instead, it was the ascendant Baltimore Orioles.
Anthony Edwards dunked so hard he injured his finger.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star guard stole the show at the Delta Center on Monday night, as he threw down a monstrous, poster dunk on Utah Jazz power forward John Collins during the third quarter of Minnesota’s 114–104 victory over the Jazz.
But Edwards’s dunk, which he called the best of his career during a postgame interview, came at a price.
Former Georgia football player Ahkil Crumpton is going to spend the next several decades in federal prison.
The Justice Department announced that Crumpton has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for interference with commerce by attempted robbery and another 10 years for false statement during the purchase of a firearm stemming from the shooting death of Elijah Wood. He is not eligible for parole.
Crumpton is accused of shooting Wood during a gas station robbery attempt in 2021, according to the DOJ. Wood was shot once in the chest while on FaceTime with his girlfriend.
A horrifying scene unfolded during Monday’s action at the Miami Open when French tennis player Arthur Cazaux collapsed in the middle of his match against Harold Mayot.
The moment came during the third set with Cazaux awaiting a serve from Mayot. With Mayot going through his pre-serve routine, Cazaux began leaning to his left before eventually falling and rolling onto his back. Cazaux laid on the court for a few seconds, barely moving, before a medic rushed onto the scene. The umpire also left their chair to check on Cazaux as well.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is paying the funeral expenses of a slain high school football player from Hurts’s hometown of Houston, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Jarvon Coles, an 18-year-old football player from North Shore High School in Houston, was shot and killed at a house party in Humble, a Houston suburb, on March 9. North Shore High School is a rival school of Hurts’s alma mater, Channelview High.
America loves a comeback story.
America also tends to love outlaws and mafia gangster movies.
Well, America is really going to love the comeback story of NCAA outlaw and so-called American Gangster “Willy The Kid” Wade, the fired and exiled former LSU men’s basketball coach who is back in black and in the NCAA Tournament.
Wade, whose given name is Willl, has been shootin’ up the Southland Conference and other outposts in his first season as coach of the McNeese State Cowboys in Lake Charles, La. – 35 miles east of the Texas line.
DeBoer signed an eight-year deal to replace Saban after Saban retired.
Fantasy baseball draft season is here, and it’s always wise to have a handy list of players that could pay off in later rounds. Third base and outfield are both thin positions this year, so I have chosen to include sleeper hitters who can cover those positions. If you miss out on Julio Rodriguez, Kyle Tucker or Jose Ramirez early, don’t worry – there is upside to be found later in the draft.
Here are five hitters that could easily outperform their current average draft position (ADP). Be sure you also check out my five sleeper pitchers here.
Saquon Barkley left the New York Giants for the Philadelphia Eagles, signing a three-year, $37.75 million deal last week.
For Giants fans, it’s going to be tough to see their former star running back playing for one of their most heated rivals. For Eagles fans, they’re excited to add another explosive player to their stacked offense.
Philadelphia had fans all fired up on Monday when they released the first photo of Barkley with his new Jersey. The running back will be wearing No. 26, which he wore with the Giants and in college at Penn State.
Wisconsin QB Mabrey Mettauer might want to sharpen up his acting skills.
Mettauer is viewed by many Wisconsin fans as the QB of the future in Madison after enrolling early following a successful prep career in Texas.
He’s already packed on a significant amount of weight since arriving on campus, and while he won’t start this season, expectations for the young man are incredibly high.
Just don’t expect to see him land any Oscars for his acting abilities.
Over 600 players remain unsigned into the second week of NFL free agency and now teams are generally looking to fill gaps, scrounging for bargains or trying to find players at positions they may want to address in the draft but also want veterans to have some flexibility.
So many teams are re-checking with their pro personnel departments for the NFL’s top remaining free agents. I mentioned many teams, but that doesn’t necessarily include the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are apparently embracing the off portion of offseason.
Let’s rank the 50 best players in the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament.
March Madness feels like the culmination of a lifelong journey for so many of the athletes who have dedicated their lives to the game of basketball. Fans don’t don’t see the long hours in the gym spent honing their skills and their bodies, but when the NCAA tournament comes around, suddenly the whole country is invested in the outcome of these games.
Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42, Russian club Salavat Yulaev said in a statement on Tuesday.
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
After securing a controversial point in Saudi Arabia, Haas heads Down Under in search of more
Haas secured their first point of the 2024 Formula 1 season in somewhat controversial fashion in Saudi Arabia, as Kevin Magnussen held up the chasing pack behind him to give teammate Nico Hülkenberg enough of a cushion for P10 in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Now as the grid heads Down Under for the Australian Grand Prix, the team is hoping to build off that early success.
NFL free agency is littered with bad contracts. The kind of contracts that any reasonable person knows is a bad idea immediately.
Yet the signings happen every year because general managers need to keep their jobs, and an abundance of cap space is too juicy to ignore.
But every once in a while, a great signing takes place. One that makes the team better both short and long term.
Below, we ranked the top 10 signings from the 2024 free-agent class.
10. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Henry is a physical back who will join a contending Ravens roster.
Bob Huggins is interested in returning to West Virginia, but changes will have to be made.
Huggins left the WVU program after being arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence, and the move came shortly after he was disciplined for using a homophobic slur during a radio interview.
His time with the Mountaineers ended in rapid and disappointing fashion. Yet, he’s open to the idea of returning or coaching elsewhere.
Anthony Edwards reminded us why he’s in the running for the face of the NBA. Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard, sped down the lane with his team down one, elevated and executed a hammering dunk on John Collins of the Utah Jazz.
It was a dunk so devastating, Edwards might’ve injured his own hand, though he appeared alright afterward.
“Emphatic” isn’t strong enough a word to define what Edwards pulled off on Collins.
The Ant-Man went airborne, trucking the Jazz guard mid-air. Anthony Edwards’ slam is already being crowned as Dunk of the Year.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards had one of the most impressive moments of the 2023-24 NBA season on Monday night. During the third quarter of Minnesota’s 114-104 victory over the Utah Jazz, Edwards caught a pass and drove straight into the lane, elevating to finish a monstrous dunk over forward John Collins.
The clip went viral immediately, and the dunk’s aftermath left both players suffering minor injuries. Edwards said after the game that he dislocated his finger on the play while Collins suffered a head contusion, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards helped propel his team to a win on Monday night, and his game kicked into a different gear during the second half after he threw down what was perhaps the dunk of the 2023–24 season over Utah Jazz forward John Collins.
After the win, the 22-year-old was shown the replay of his monstrous jam on the court during his postgame interview with Bally Sports, and even Edwards himself couldn’t help but admire his own work of art.
“Oh my god. That’s my biggest dunk of my career, I’m not gonna lie,” said Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards raised the bar in the NBA dunk of the year debate. The 22-year-old guard threw down one of the most vicious poster dunks in recent memory over Utah Jazz forward John Collins during the third quarter of Monday night’s matchup.
Edwards went straight at Collins, taking off from just inside the free-throw line before emphatically finishing a dunk so powerful that he appeared to hurt his finger. The dunk sent the commentators and fanbase into a complete frenzy.
Anthony Edwards with the dunk of the year pic.twitter.
Anthony Edwards’ dunk of the year on John Collins injured both players.
Anthony Edwards is no stranger to the dunk of the year contest. Back in his rookie year of 2021, Edwards absolutely baptized Yuta Watanabe for one of the best dunks you will ever see. Believe it or not, he may have outdone himself on Monday night against the Utah Jazz.
As the Timberwolves were on their way to a 114-104 win in Utah, Edwards unleashed an all-timer that gave John Collins a head injury, and will probably be viewed across all media platforms tens of millions of times.
Anthony Edwards put John Collins on a poster with a vicious slam that left Collins with a head contusion. Edwards went on to dominate the game.
Blake Snell has agreed to a 2-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, confirming a report by the New York Post. It includes an opt-out after the first season.
Jorge Martin analyzes how Corbin Burnes, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others will fare in fantasy baseball with their new teams.
OG Anunoby is out due to a post-surgical flare-up in his right elbow, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to return.
Free agent MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer is ready to pitch against the New York Yankees on March 24 as part of Mexico’s Diablos Rojos professional baseball team.
The 33-year-old, 2020 Cy Young winner has garnered interest from MLB teams, but no one’s worked up the gall to take a chance on him.
Bauer announced Monday that he’ll pitch against the Yanks in an exhibition game in Mexico next week. He pitched against Los Angeles Dodgers prospects as part of the Asian Breeze (a traveling club from Japan) last week.
Former San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell is signing a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
The deal is reportedly worth $62 million with an opt-out clause after this season.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is coming off a superb season in which he recorded a 2.25 ERA and allowed the fewest hits per nine innings (5.8) but also led the majors with 99 walks.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned to practice on Sunday for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in January.
Although the team hopes to have its star center back by the first or second week of April, coach Nick Nurse told reporters after practice that there is no timetable for Embiid’s return to action.
“Joel was here today, yep. He was on the court. He went through a little bit of the practice,” Nurse said, via Ky Carter of Sixers Wire. “All non-contact stuff. He’s lifting weights right now. No timeline for his return.
Blake Snell, the top remaining free agent on the market, has reportedly made his choice, agreeing to a two-year deal with San Francisco. He has won two Cy Youngs.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso and UCLA guard Kiki Rice are set to feature in a new four-part docuseries, Full Court Press, co-produced by ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
The docuseries will premiere on May 11 and 12 on ABC and then be available to stream on ESPN+. The trailer was released on Monday.
Unparalleled, behind-the-scenes access with three of college basketball’s biggest stars: Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice 🙌
The four-episode docuseries, “Full Court Press,” premieres on May 11 and 12 on ABC and ESPN+.
Veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith parted ways with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason after 13 years with the franchise. Last week, Smith agreed to join the New York Jets, where he’ll serve as a key pass protector for Aaron Rodgers in 2024.
Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, has been with the Cowboys since he was drafted in the first round back in 2011, and he expressed his gratitude to the organization in an Instagram post on Monday.
New Eagles QB Kenny Pickett said he’s “confident” in how he “handled” the news of Russell Wilson’s addition to the Steelers and that he’s “where I’m supposed to be.
New Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will make an average of $10.875 million per year, ranking him in the top five nationally among the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Former Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is retiring from the NFL after six seasons.
The 49ers have forfeited a 2025 draft choice and were penalized four spots for a selection in this year’s draft as a result of administrative payroll accounting errors.
Chase Young, who tied a career-high with 7.5 sacks with Washington and San Francisco, is signing a one-year, $13M contract with the Saints, sources told ESPN.
“Can I kick it?” No, you can’t.
NBA guard Evan Fournier went full “Ray Guy” when the Detroit Pistons lost to the Miami Heat on a buzzer-beater Sunday afternoon.
Fournier punted the basketball out of frustration following a 104-101 defeat.
Now, Fournier is answering to the league for his ‘misconduct.’
On Monday, Fournier was assigned a $25,000 fine for his kung-fu kick at Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit and the Miami Heat faced off Sunday in a tight contest between the 12-55 Pistons and the reigning Eastern Conference champs.
The NCAA Tournament Bracket is set and for many Americans, that means it’s time to start making picks for March Madness bracket pools. In case you missed it, I wrote a general tips & tricks piece with advice for filling out your own bracket as you attempt to win your office pool.
For this series, we’re going to go through each region and deliver an in-depth breakdown of each of the 16-team clusters, with some of my favorite picks and sleepers.
Former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Deandre Ayton once blamed icy conditions outside his place in Portland for not attending a game in January.
Now, the Trail Blazers center blames his poor performances from early this season on the air mattress he slept on.
Ayton, 25, doesn’t sound ready to be an adult.
READ: Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton Misses Game Due To ‘Icy Conditions’ That Stranded Him At Home
The King of Excuses is truly unmatched.
Taylor Moore smiles after winning the 2023 Valspar Championship. | Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
The PGA Tour continues its Florida Swing on the West Coast, where the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook awaits.
A full field of 156 PGA Tour professionals will head to the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook for the Valspar Championship this week.
This tournament marks the fourth—and final—PGA Tour stop in Florida, with the “Snake Pit” taking center stage in the golf world.