Vroom! @#$%&! NASCAR Week in Miami. (How much do you care?) Poll. Vote!; plus NFL pix 'n fantasy, Pavel Bure, SOPY, Big 3 Killed My Baby & more

IT'S RADIO TUESDAY: I'll be in-studio again today with Dan Le Batard and Stugotz on 790 The Ticket and FM 104.3 from 3 p.m. 'til 6 or so. Ears welcome.

[1) It is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13. Jeremy Lin: Nuthin' but ... air! 2) See results of latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter (ouch!) in blogpost directly below this newest one. 3) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote (under construction; new vids coming soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

IT'S NASCAR WEEK IN MIAMI! (HOW MUCH DO YOU CARE?): The 2012 NASCAR season ends Sunday down at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and even non-gearheads might have to acknowledge it is a huge deal that we have the season-ending race that crowns the champ. This year Brad Keselowski enters with a 20-point lead over five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, meaning Keselowski needs only a 15th place finish or better to win the season title. That might make this race seem anti-climactic, except this is NASCAR, where the chances of Keselowski being wrecked out of a race -- of his own error or intentionally -- cannot be discounted. Just look at this past weekend, when four-time champion Jeff Gordon intentionally wrecked Clint Bowyer, fully admitting it, and causing a melee between the two crews on pit road and in the garage. Gordon was fined $100,000 and docked 25 standings points. He should have been suspended. Now Bowyer is not ruling out retaliation Sunday at Homestead. Maybe auto racing is not your thing, but one thing NASCAR isn't is dull. Speeding, recklessness, road rage .. the perfect event for Miami! I follow NASCAR casually throughout the year but get amped for this annual Homestead crescendo. Do you? Vote in our latest poll and say why.

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: A mediocre meh and more misery. NFL predix: Am neither clicking-heels nor sullen over a 9-4-1 mark straight up and 6-8 against the spread. Nailed another Upset of the Week with Saints beating Falcons ("Aawwk!"), but got blindsided by that Dolphins loss. Greg's Lobos: My fantasy team continues to suck royally, now 2-8 after a 142-91 defeat. My mainstay Aaron Rodgers had a bye so I gambled. I signed and started Ryan Tannehill (silly me), figuring the Titans defense was historically bad. And how'd that work out!? Please don't answer.

'THE BIG THREE KILLED MY BABY': This is not an indictment of the Heat's LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who have -- to my knowledge -- never killed anyone's baby. (LeBron has no time for such shenanigans; too busy dropping 32 second-half points on Houston last night). But I was reminded the other day that the White Stripes once recorded a song called "The Big Three Killed My Baby." It was about the auto industry, not a darkly prescient ode to the Heat. Click here to listen.

On Heat's biggest challenge: In terms of likely NBA Finals foe, it isn't Memphis, despite the recent win over Miami. It isn't Oklahoma City, already vanquished and weakened by the James Harden trade. It could become the L.A. Lakers. But right now it's San Antonio. As for the Lakers, the problem isn't the coach, the problem is an old starting unit coalescing with little help from a roster lacking depth.

ROCKET MAN BURE ENTERS HOCKEY HALL: Congrats to the Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure, for his induction into the hockey hall of fame. His three-plus seasons with the panthers included NHL goal-scoring titles with 58 and 59 in 1999-00 and 2000-01. For those two seasons Bure was Marino-esque and LeBron-like in terms of sheer goal scoring.

SOPY RANKINGS (WEEK 11): NOLES' MANUEL BACK ON TOP: This college football season has marked the blog debut of our weekly State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, which I like to call the "Sunshine State Heisman." Our chart encompasses the most productive seasons of any quarterback, running back or receiver from the state's seven FBS teams: Miami, Florida and FSU, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. (Note: Rankings consider only passing, rushing and receiving, not returns). Our formula awards one point per offensive yard gained running or receiving and a half-point per yard passing, plus six bonus points for touchdowns thrown or scored. Because our rankings are cumulative, players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. After Week 11 it's Florida State's E.J. Manuel back on top. The SOPY Top 10 entering Week 12:

Rank (LW)     Player, Team-pos.     SOPY Pts. Week=Year

1 (2)     E.J. Manuel, FSU-qb     141 = 1,624.5

2 (1)     B.J. Daniels, South Florida-qb     BYE = 1,585.5

3 (3)     Stephen Morris, Miami-qb     138.5 = 1,503.5

4 (5)     Blake Bortles, UCF-qb     164 = 1,369.5

5 (4)     Jake Medlock, FIU-qb     BYE = 1,215.5

6 (6)     Graham Wilbert, FAU-qb     161 = 1,204

7 (7)     Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb     131 = 1,170

8 (10)     Latavius Murray, UCF-rb     135 = 1,049

9 (8)     Mike Gillislee, Florida-rb     53 = 1,006

10 (9)     Chris Thompson, FSU-rb     DNP = 965

Bubble: Duke Johnson, Miami-rb, 961.

State of the State rankings: 1. Florida (9-1); 2. FSU (9-1); 3. UCF (8-2); 4. Miami (5-5); 5. South Florida (3-6); 6. FAU (3-7); 7. FIU (2-8).

Click back. Will be updating/adding to this latest blogpost... 

Comments

[Jimbo]

not a Nascar fan, true story.

[FZB]

is this what we have to talk about?..NASCAR ?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ...

Kazaam, your last post (previous blog) directed towards Anti and myself wasn't very nice, I thought we were blog buddies, you hurt my feelings, you should apologize.

[Jimbo]

Joke of the day:

I was in a London pub on a Saturday night. Had a few drinks. I noticed two very large women at the bar. They both had strong accents, so I asked, "Hey, are two ladies from Scotland?"

On of them turned to me and screamed "It's WALES, you IDIOT!"

So I immediately apologized, and said, "Sorry, are two whales from Scotland?"

That's all I remember, woke up with a black eye.

[FZB]

congrats to the "Russian Rocket"..I actually know a guy that met him once at a russian restaurant..

[I am Kazaam]

Uh, no.

Anti Christ I like. You and woodcock spend most of your time on this blog insulting me, I'm not a big fan of either of you gents.

[I am Kazaam]

I don't know why NASCAR has it's last event down here, I'm sure they have to delay or call off the race if it rains.

Cote along with everyone else is sleeping on the Knicks. Worry about the west in the Finals, the Knicks could be the toughest out from the East.

[FZB]

What's the matter Kaz, you can't take a little criticism every once in a while?..OK then, I'll try to be a little nicer from now on.

scouts honor.

[Rawpimple]

NASCAR and hockey talk during football season? Man, if you didn't know the Fins and Canes stunk, now you do.

[Rawpimple]

.I actually know a guy that met him once at a russian restaurant..

Posted by: FZB | November 13, 2012 at 01:17 PM

No offense FZB, but that has to be the most exciting story I have ever read. You actually KNOW A GUY WHO MET Pavel Bure ONCE? WOW!!!!Incredible!!!! Since you have a major connection and you know the guy, could I get his autograph?

[FZB]

Rawpimple,

I knew you would be impressed.

I can't get you Pavel's autograph but I can get you the autograph of the guy that saw him at the russian restaurant...Just say the word and I'll hook you up.

[OC Dolphin]

I wonder which two mediocre players Ireland will draft after he deals away what looks like a #7 pick?

[FZB]

OC,

Oye bro, I know your borderline psychotic with what's going on in LA with the Laker's but don't be hatin on my son Ireland...

look at his first two numero uno's,Pouncey and Tannehill, those are terrific players..

[OC Dolphin]

Yeah, but I'm still lamenting over 2010 and how he traded away the #12 to SD, then getting Odrick and Misi while leaving Jason Pierre-Paul on the table.

In retrospect, do you think that was a good move?

I don't.

[OC Dolphin]

Obviously, Ireland is a double blended, inferior, Irish whiskey drinker and not a single malt, superior whiskey kind-of-guy.

[FZB]

OC,

THAT was a bad move by Bill Parcells (trading away our numero uno to SD), Ireland had no final say on that one...I know you don't believe me but is the truth, scouts honor.

Oye, everyone is burying Jim Buss on this move, did he REALLY hate P Jackson that much?..I mean the guy is basically his son in law, that's a strange situation.

[FZB]

OC said, Obviously Ireland is a double blended, inferior,irish whiskey drinker and not a single malt,superior whiskey kind-of-guy.

Obviously.

[I am Kazaam]

Jeff Ireland ferments and drinks his own pee like the filthy animal that he is.

[I am Kazaam]

Twitter says Kenyon Martin maybe joining the Heat, they could sure use another body to throw at big men defensively.

[what's in a name? No really...]

Nascar LOL

[I am Kazaam]

F*CK THE MARLINS.

Move to Las Vegas already, we'll eat the loss on the already rust-stained stadium.

[FZB]

wow,

the Marlins just traded the whole team to Toronto, I guess we'll have a triple A team next year.

Kenyon martin is a power forward, are we getting rid of Udonis?..Joel Anthony?...

Kaz, Ireland is a filthy animal??..I think that's a bit too strong don't you think?..

[Mr. Woodcock]

Yup, perfect place to remodel for the Miami Hurricanes football team they can take the freaking roof off and use it as a home for the homeless in Liberty City for all I care. The Marlins are the biggest joke to ever hit south Florida and it's not even close. Everyone with an ounce of brains knew that this was going to be one of the biggest land swindles in Florida history and Florida leads the nation in those. The only real way to deal with this guy who owns the Marlins is to beat him to a pulp in front of the stadium, tar and feather him, and hang him from the flag pole by his feet until he agrees to move the team to bumfuck.

[Mr. Woodcock]

Oye FZB, I don't think you appreciate the subtlety and flavor of triple distilled Irish whiskey. May I suggest a dram of John Powers Gold Label with a touch of water. Delic.

[Big Baby]

Marlins are in full blown rebuild mode they do have room for some free agents though now maybe they make a move there but that deal is a head scratcher Blue Jays are now instant contenders in the AL East much to my dislike.

[Mr. Woodcock]

Kazaam, I'm shocked, shocked that you don't like FZ and me. Dude, not only do we hold you in high esteem but we only bust your chops in a friendly familiar type of way, kinda like if we were frat brothers. You shouldn't be so thin skinned and take the good nature'd ribbing as a character building experience, lord knows you need as much exposure to the real world after spending your entire day wanking off in the lab while you watch sea slugs get it on in one of those little round glass fish bowls that kids put the little goldfish that they win at the fair into for their two day lifespans. Nice bro, nice.

[OC Dolphin]

FZB, the war between Phil and Jim Buss goes back quite a bit. Pretty much every Laker fan who has lived in the SoCa area during the Phil years knows about those two. This last knife stab was administered by Buss, when he faked Phil into thinking that he was desperate enough to take him back and Phil bit on that bait.

Buss can't stand Phil and Phil just thinks Buss jr. is a young self-important prince, wet behind the ears. Buss never seriously intended to offer Phil the job. He only acted as such to appease Laker fans who were chanting such request after Brown was let go. Jim allowed the ruse to continue, conveying that he was willing to go along with Phil's request for a piece of Laker ownership (a la Magic Johnson), plus veto power on player selection, and that he (Phil) had until Monday to accept the post. I'm sure Jim had a belly full of laughs after waking Phil up at midnight to tell him to go pound sand.

[I am Kazaam]

Some people are just arrogant scumbag a**holes. They can't help it. It's nearly impossible for those kinds of people to make up for how much everyone hates them by being great at their job.

Jeff Ireland is one, I've seen a couple interviews of him on youtube and heard an interview on LeBatard that Ross made him do when the protest to have him fired happened. He's come off like an arrogant scumbag a**hole in every interview I've ever heard and there's no doubt that's why he's only done one interview down here in the past two years.

David Samson is another. Here's a post I wrote two years ago, Loria's an idiot and who knows what Larry Beinfest does but David Samson is the arrogant scumbag a**hole holding the franchise back.

[I am Kazaam]

I don't support anything to do with the Marlins anymore, and won't until David Samson is gone(/retires?). I hope that nobody goes to the new stadium and they make good on their threat to move to Las Vegas. We can use OUR stadium for a MLS franchise, or just open it up for neighborhood dominos tournaments or something, it won't go to any more of a waste than it already is.

David Samson is just a straight up a**hole d**chebag, as demonstrated by his weekly appearances on the Dan LeBatard show and the following anecdote - I was sitting in the presidents box at the OB for a Thursday night game against Texas A&M a few years back and Samson was sitting right in front of me. There were a bunch of Wisconsin university people there and one of them was talking to Samson and told him that the guy hanging out by the window had won a championship for Wisconsin's volleyball team or something that year, and the guy held up his hand with the ring on it.

Samson looks at the guy's ring and says word for word and in a joking tone that convinced no one: "yea, that's one of those 'so what?' rings, if you want to see a real ring check this out", and he pulls his Marlins ring out of his jacket, puts it on his finger, and displays it for everybody hand open and palm down like the dainty little fanny bandit that he is.

OK, I feel better. That should hold me over until they trade away Hanley or Josh Johnson.

Posted by: I am Kazaam | November 16, 2010 at 08:11 PM

[Mr. Woodcock]

Wow, I just went to the previous topic posts and saw where Kaz dropped a few insult bombs at Anti and you FZ. And you would think that he would be thrilled with my attention, after all I did give him a cool name that he can stencil all his silk boxer shorts with the name Trust Fund in dollar green glow in the dark thread. Why you freaking little dweeb if it weren't for me giving you all this free pub you'd just be another loser with coke bottle glasses with callouses on your right palm the size of water melons as you sit around with an drum of Jergens hand lotion wanking away in the lab.

[I am Kazaam]

That 2010 rant was after the Uggla trade BTW. Now that Hanley and Josh Johnson are gone I can take a break until they trade Giancarlo.

[Mr. Woodcock]

What's wrong with the Canes moving in to the Spaceship, Kaz? Don't tell me that your aunt can't come up with 50 mil from her petty cash fund for Dem pols and increase the capacity to 65,000 for UM football.

[I am Kazaam]

David Samson on trading Hanley:

### Are the Marlins now building around Josh Johnson or is he on the trading block? "Nobody is on the trading block," Samson said. But... "If someone overwhelms us with something that makes us win more games, of course you make that trade."

### Samson, on what the Marlins have done the last 72 hours: "This is not a fire sale. This is saying: Mediocrity really isn't good enough. We're not trying to be a .500 team. We're trying to be much better. We want to win games and we think this is the better way to win games.

[Mr. Woodcock]

But Trust', you said you didn't care about the Marlins anymore and now it sounds like your going to blow a seal with all this Samson criticism. And speaking about blowing a seal, did you just come back from Dairy Queen it sure looks like you have vanilla ice cream all over your mug. Or is it something else?

[FZB]

Woodcock,

Yeah Bro, did you see how he treated Anti and me?..that was totally uncalled for but its OK, its obvious that Kaz has been a little sensitive as of late, maybe the Colombian girl dumb his ass and he's a little down or maybe he just wants to get in touch with his feminine side or maybe is that time of the month for him.

hey Kaz, we still love you buddy.

and Wood's, I'll try that triple distilled irish whiskey your talking about.

[FZB]

meat to say dump his ass..hehehehe

[FZB]

ooppps..

meant to say dump his ass..sorry, I'm on my third glass of wine.

[FZB]

maybe I should change to that irish whiskey Wood's is talking about.

[Anti-Christ]

Is David Sampson and Jeff Ireland related?
Or is it just a fluke these two guys are in charge of Miami's two pro-sports team?
Sorry FZB.