1) It is WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19. I thought Uncle Fester I mean Joey Crawford (both pictured) did a fair job as referee last night. 2) Thanks to Tony Kornheiser for having us on to talk Heat today. 3) Bengals on Hard Knocks is further proof that series is struggling for teams to participate. People in Cincinnati are barely interested in the Bengals. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat G5 loss, Faith Healers, NCAA/UM mess, Miguel Olivo, Sad-O-Meter.
Blog held hostage: Almost, folks. We've been mighty Heat-intensive as you'd expect throughout this playoff run, with no apologies. But right after the championship parade as soon as this thing ends, one way or the other, we'll be back to more of a smorgasbord format. Patience.
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My column off the game: Click on Survival for the full column, which did not make all Broward editions of the print edition because of deadline. Simply one of the great, big nights in Miami sports history.
FINALS G6: HEAT 103, SPURS 100 (OT): LEBRON'S 32, LATE HEROICS SAVE MIAMI: Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW! NO matter how long I've been doing this, some things still amaze me. Miami trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter. Everything was slipping. The NBA discreetly was readying the postgame championship ceremony for San Antonio. And then? LeBron James. He took over. Scored 18 from the fourth quarter on, ended with a triple double and saved Miami's repeat-championship hopes, saved the notion of a dynasty -- saved everything. Now all they have to do is do it all over again Thursday. "Best two words in team sports," said coach Erik Spoelstra. "Game 7." Those are the two best words from Miami's vantage right now. For the dejected Spurs, not so much. Link to my column off the game is just above. ..... Original post: 1) Heat must use the crowd for a high-energy fast start. Dwyane Wade has lamented how Miami tends to start off slow; he's right. 2) A
great and efficient game from LeBron James. He shot 56.5% during the season but it's 43.6% in the Finals. And if you take away his
superb Game 4 it's 38.1%. Miami needs LeBron back to his normal (dominant) self. 3) Wade and Bosh must continue to complete a big Big 3 as they've down lately. 4) Better point-guard play. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole are slumping simultaneously. Stop that! 5) Back to Birdman! Whether Mike Miller starts again or they go back to Udonis Haslem is not as important, to me, as significant doses of Chris Andersen off the bench. Miami remains a betting favorite (see below), even though only three previous times since the 2-3-2 Finals format began in 1985 has a team trailed 3-2 and won two straight at home as Miami must now do. Those were the 1988 Lakers, 1994 Rockets and 2010 Lakers.
WILL THE HEAT DO IT?: Yeah I know, this is another poll predisposed to be Miami-friendly given its place in a MiamiHerald.com blog. But we also know from experience that about half of all votes in our polls come from outside of Florida and that the last time we did a Heat-Spurs poll a huge number rolled in from Texas. Besides, our readers have always been pretty good about voting what they really think more than what they hope. You are challenged again. Will the Heat win two in a row and a repeat championship? Vote now and say why.
Heat still a betting favorite for crown: Despite trailing 3-2 in the Finals Miami still is a 4-5 betting favorite via Bovada, with San Antonio at 21-20. MVP odds entering Game 6 are LeBron James 4-5, Danny Green 2-1, Tony Parker 5-1, Tim Duncan 10-1 and Dwyane Wade 15-1.
CRAIG SAGER BOBBLEHEADS: The minor-league Fort Myers Miracle are planning a Craig Sager Bobblehead Night on June 29, with a scheduled appearance by the sartorially ghastly broadcaster himself. This is a blog. Could I say it if it weren't true?
SAD-O-METER BACK IN HIBERNATION: Marlins have won two in a row -- see, Heat, it isn't that hard! -- and six of past 10 to vault to a .319 winning percentage. The Sad-O-Meter will return if and when the Marlins fall back below 300.
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1) It is SATURDAY, JUNE 8. LeBron James finally has the one little career honor that had eluded him. He's on the cover of NBA 2K14 (pictured), his first time fronting that video game. Click here for the brief trailer promoting the Oct. 1 release. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NBA Finals poll, Heat-Spurs betting odds, Biogenesis baseball scandal, UM football title chances, Marlins Sad-O-Meter.
POLL: WHAT DOES A GAME 1 HOME LOSS DO TO A FAN'S CONFIDENCE?: Heat fans are wrestling with themselves, down 1-0 in these Finals, home-court advantage squandered. Is confidence unwavering and seeing this as a mere minor blip? Or is confidence shaken to a point Miami feels like the underdog now? Or is it somewhere in between? I wonder if fans can really even be honest with themselves. If one wants so badly for a Heat repeat-title, mustn't wishful thinking be part of any claim to continued supreme confidence. All of this is worth gauging today. So vote and say why you feel as you do. And vote honestly. If you can...
FINALS G1: SPURS 92, HEAT 88: MIAMI TIRES, SQUANDERS FOURTH-QUARTER LEAD: The Heat had five turnovers in the fourth quarter. San Antonio had four the entire game. You want a telling stats? There it is. LeBron and D-Wade both blamed the loss at least in part on physical condition, with Miami coming off a 7-game conference finals series and San Antonio with a week's more rest. "We were a little fatigued," said Wade of the late going. "We looked like a team coming off a seven-game series." James corroborated, saying, "I could see it in a few of our guys' faces." Well, get lots of rest the next two days, fellas. Game 2 Sunday. Look for my column off the Game 1 loss online. ..... Original post: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh vs. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Only 52 percent in an ESPN SportsNation poll say Miami's
Big 3 is better. (See a stats comparison in The List below). And, although Miami is favored by betting odds, 51% in that same national poll say San Antonio will win and 65% are rooting for the Spurs to win. All of this fine is fine if you're a Heat fan because you know your team tends to play very well when challenged
or doubted. (In that spirit I would throw in that a landlside 86% called SA's Gregg Popovich a better coach than Erik Spoelstra. I too think Pops is a great coach, although we Gregs secretly resent Gregs who feel the need to add that second 'g' to the end of the name. It's uneccesary. It's haughty. It's like Tom calling himself 'Thom'. Where was I!?) There is a strain of thought that Indiana gave Miami a harder time than San Antonio will. That's false. Spurs are not as physical and don't rebound as well but are a better all-round team, especially offensively. How the Heat guard Parker (mostly with Mario Chalmers) will be as important as how Kawhi Leonard fares defending LeBron. The key, of course, will be Wade ansd Bosh performing better overall than they did most of the Eastern finals, and I think San Antonio presents a better matchup for that than did Indy. Finals prediction: Heat in 7.
Uh oh. Gamblers flocking to Spurs: This from Kevin Bradley, sports book manager for Bovada: "The fact that the Heat had to go to 7 games with the Pacers seems to have left a negative impression with our bettors who have been increasingly betting more on the Spurs for the Series." Bradley said 66 percent of the public is on the Spurs against the line, and that just over 60% of the money was on San Antonio plus-5 points in Game 1. "It is not often during the regular season we are fans of the Heat here at the book," Bradley said, "but during the playoffs they have given us some great results so far."
Poll result: Heat in six games (and in general): We admitted all along that a poll in a Miami Herald blog (you may still vote) naturally is skewed heavily toward the Heat, and sure enough 86.4 percent picked a Miami championship, with most (55.2%) calling it in six games. Votes rolled in from 44 states and 40 countries. Not surprisingly, after Florida, most votes came from Texas, where 59.5% overall picked the Spurs.
MARLINS WIN IN 20 INNINGS: Longest game in Marlins history. That's blog-worthy. Fish win at Mets today 2-1, in 20. Shouldn't that count as two wins? Marlins could use the help.
"U-S-A!" SERENA TAKES THE FRENCH: This morning in Paris Serena Williams dusted Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 to become the first American to win tennis' French Open since Serena herself did way back in 2002. A truly remarkable career adds another page.
THE LIST: BIG 3 VS. BIG 3: Miami's vs. San Antonio's based on regular-season and playoff averages for points, rebounds and assists entering The Finals:
MIAMI Regular-season Playoffs
LeBron James 26.8 - 8.0 - 7.3 26.2 - 7.3 - 6.4
Dwyane Wade 21.2 - 5.0 - 5.1 14.1 - 4.9 - 4.9
Chris Bosh 16.6 - 6.8 - 1.7 12.3 - 6.6 - 1.2
Totals 64.6 - 19.8 - 14.1 52.6 - 18.8 - 12.5
SAN ANTONIO Regular-season Playoffs
Tim Duncan 17.8 - 9.9 - 2.7 17.8 - 9.2 - 2.1
Tony Parker 20.3 - 3.0 - 7.6 23.0 - 3.9 - 7.2
Manu Ginobili 11.8 - 3.4 - 4.6 11.5 - 4.5 - 5.4
Totals 49.9 - 16.3 - 14.9 52.3 - 17.6 - 14.7
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THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS!: San Antonio's own Big 3 is on a regional Sports Illustrated cover this week, and is labeled 'The Biggest 3.' Ouch. Take umbrage, Heat Big 3. Take umbrage and seethe. Take umbrage, seethe and be fueled.
1) It is THURSDAY, JUNE 6. Watch for Heat-Spurs Finals Game 1 preview post in the blog by early afternoon today. 2) A Panthers/Sunrise arean source told me this Saturday's Fleetwood Mac concert has been canceled. 3) R.I.P. Deacon Jones, iconic name, QB-plunderer who coined the word "sack." 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat Game 7 win, List: Home Game 7s, Marlins Sad-O-Meter.
"A Florida woman, Gloria C. Mackenzie, 84, has claimed that $590 million Powerball jackpot. The happiest people on Earth today? Her heirs." --Greg Cote
Click Heat: Rising for my column off team's Game 7 victory.
THE NBA FINALS POLL: HEAT OR SPURS? HOW MANY GAMES?: Yes, I know. A Heat poll appearing in a Miami Herald blog will obviously skew toward Heat fans and hardly be a scientific cross-section. Sort of like taking a favorite-fast-food survey in a McDonald's. Nevertheless! Our polls generally draw about a 50/50 breakdown of votes from Florida and from elsewhere; more than just fans of Miami teams are readers here. In addition, you all have shown an impressive ability to answer honestly when I put out a call -- as I do here -- to please vote what you honestly predict will happen, not what you hope will. Besides, it's just a blog poll! Vote and say why.
Heat, LeBron top Finals betting odds: Our friends at Bovada have Heat a 5-12 NBA Finals betting favorite, with Spurs 2-1. LeBron James is a huge MVP pick at 4-9, followed by Tony Parker 9-2, Tim Duncan 7-1 and Dwyane Wade 8-1. Series scoring over/unders include LeBron 27.5, Parker 21.5, Wade and Duncan both 17 and Chris Bosh 14.5.
MIAMI AT CENTER OF LATEST BASEBALL SCANDAL: Various reports are that stars Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun are among some 20 players who will be suspended by MLB for their involvement in the Biogenesis Clinic scandal. A-Rod of course is Miami-raised, Braun is a UM alum and the clinic was located in Coral Gables. This story has us written all over it. Rodriguez, near the end of what should have been a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, could see that Cooperstown future obliterated by steroids. Braun, nearer the beginning of a promising career, also will never fully overcome the stain. Sad, sad.
CANES FOOTBALL A RISING DARKHORSE FOR NATIONALTITLE: It's funny. The Dolphins are getting the hype this offseason but the betting odds (7.5 over/under on wins) says it's unjustified. That's a non-
playoff number. The Miami Hurricanes have gotten far less local hype, but these numbers suggest they merit much more: Bovada's new national-title odds have UM tied for 11th at 28-1. Alabama a big frontrunner to repeat at 3-1, then it's Ohio State and Texas A&M at 13-2 and Oregon at 7-1. (Florida is 20-1, FSU 33-1). Canes also making noise in Heisman Trophy odds, with RB Duke Johnson (pictured) at 14-1 (tie/8th) and QB Stephen Morris 25-1 (tie/15th).
Adjusted baseball odds: Also from Bovada, Tigers now the World Series fave at 13-2, ahead of Braves and Cardinals at 8-1 and Rangers at 17-2. Marlins dead-last at 5,000-1. Any takers?
UPDATED SAD-O-METER: MARLINS BACK ON LOSING TRACK: We have this new blog feature we update as
long as Marlins' winning percentage is under .300 -- as long as the New York Mets' infamous 1962 record of 40-120 (.250) is within dubious reach. Now, three straight losses have set things wrong, putting the team back near pace to challenge the Mets' loss record. Updated Sad-O-Meter: Current record, 16-44 (.267). Season projection, 43.2 wins, 118.8 losses.
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1) It is SATURDAY, MAY 18. Sesame Street is introducing a new character named Armando or "Mando," which may or may not be an homage to Herald sports writer Armando Salguero. Mando is pictured at right. (Is it me or do half of the Sesame Street characters sort of look like this?) 2) Former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle dead at 71 of reported suicide. Sad story. All-time great name, Dick Trickle, but a sad story. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat Game 5 win, Wade health poll, LeBron No. 2 in money, most disappointing hotel, catchers' fake fingernails, Sad-O-Meter. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote.
Another year, another horse fails to win Triple Crown: Affirmed in 1978 remains the last to do it after Kentucky Derby winner Orb finished a disappointing fourth in today's Preakness Stakes, won by Oxbow with ancient Gary Stevens aboard. Orb started on the rail and really struggled to extricate himself from traffic.
"David Beckham is retiring? What a big, big loss for the sport of underwear endorsing." --Greg Cote
UPDATED: HEAT CRAZY-BIG FAVES TO REPEATS AS CHAMPS: If you want the other side you stand to make some big bucks. Are you that daring? New from Bovada, championship odds on the five teams still alive show Heat at 1-3, Spurs 5-1, Grizzlies 6-1, Pacers 20-1 and Knicks 40-1. Miami odds to win East and get to Finals: 1-9. Man! Based on the public perception that sets the odds, let's just go ahead and plan that parade right now. I'm just sayin'.
EASTERN FINALS SET: HEAT VS. PACERS: Indiana beat visiting New York 106-99 tonight to win the series 4 games to 2. Miami will host Eastern finals Game 1 vs. Pacers on Wednesday night. The series suggests Pacers are a better team, although that is debatable. Both teams fared well against Miami this season, Indy going 2-1 against the Heat and the Knickerbockers 3-1. The other factor in answering the poll question below was the vantage point of your vote. It might have been based on which team you think would be an easier draw for the Heat. Or you might have voted for what you think the more exciting series would be. On the latter criteria the clear preference would seem to have been New York, a bigger rival with more starpower and boorish fans in constant need of shutting up. Based on results, your choice was pretty clear. Enjoys the Eastern finals anyway.
UPDATE: HEAT MIDDLE-FINGER LADY: South Florida's most famous birder is keeping sharp between playoff series. After honing her skills against the Bulls' Joakim Noah, Middle-Finger Lady now prepares for Indiana or New York in the next round. Pictured left, MFL transmogrifies into a clownishly grinning LeBron James in a final, parting-shot farewell to Noah. At right, Middle-Finger Lady inexplicably proffers the Flying Digit to an adorably dumbfounded polar bear.
DWYANE WADE: PROM DATE: What cute story. Archbishop Coleman Carroll senior Nicole Muxo posts a YouTube video asking Heat star Dwyane Wade to be her prom date. He calls her cell phone with his regrets, then moments later walks into the Friday ight event in Coral Gables, shocking her. Later Wade Tweeted, 'I had a blast at Prom. Never be 2 scared to ask.' The couple is pictured on the dance floor. This, among a million other reasons, is why South Florida loves Dwyane Wade.
Click HERE for a 3-minute video on how Wade pulled off his big prom surprise. Good stuff.
LATEST TRAVAILS OF CHAD JOHNSON: Free-agent receiver Chad (nee Ochocinco) Johnson lessens his chances of ever playing again with a warrant for his arrest for failing to report to his probation officer stemming from the domestic violence issue that got him cut by the Dolphins. The latest misstep is indicative of Johnson perhaps suffering from DAS, Dumbass Athlete Syndrome. There is no known cure.
UPDATED! MARLINS' SAD-O-METER: We have this new blog feature we update as long as Marlins'
winning percentage is under .300 -- as long as the New York Mets' infamous 1962 record of 40-120 (.250) is within dubious reach. Well, six straight losses with last night's have brought the S-O-M roaring back as the season inches past the one-quarter mark. Updated Sad-O-Meter: Current record, 11-31 (.262). Season projection, 42.43 wins, 119.57 losses.
BACKSTORY: COMPANY NAMES: Took this pic on my phone camera as proof there is a baked-goods company operating in South Florida under the name Bimbo. (Primary dictionary definition: "A foolish, stupid or inept person.") I am envisioning the initial meeting of company investors. "OK, first things first," says the boss. "We need a name that represents who we are. Thoughts?"
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. New blogpost coming later this morning! 2) The Steelers signed an offensive tackle named Guy Whimper. That's right: Guy Whimper. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): LeBron's MVP, updated NBA playoff odds, Dolphins' stadium loss, Tyson Clabo, Orb, media bias, Sad-O-Meter retired. 4) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
G1: BULLS 93, HEAT 86: MIAMI FLAT AFTER LONG LAYOFF(Bulls lead 1-0; Game 2 Wednesday in Miami): Too easy to blame the rest and the rust. Too convenient. That might explain the slow start for Miami Monday, but does it also explain the Heat leading by four after three quarters and then surrendering 35 fourth-quarter points? Miami shot poorly (39.7%), got out-rebounded and maybe underestimated the Bulls' will. "Our backs are against the wall now," said Chris Bosh. "We have to respond." The backs-against-wall thing might be a bit dramatic, or at least early. But the need to respond Wednesday in Game 2 is beyond paramount. ..... Original post: The Bulls are talking the talk, but when they try to walk the walk, the walk has a limp. Can an injured, hobbled Chicago squad coming
right off a wearying 7-game series stand up to a rested, reigning
champion? Let's find out! Bulls will be missing both Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich tonight, and a couple of other guys, notably Joakim Noah (foot; pictured left in an intimate moment with LeBron James) are not 100 percent. Then there's the whole missing Derrick Rose drama. Da Bulls are feisty, though, still smarting over the 2011 playoffs when Chicago was top-seeded but got bounced by Miami in five games. That's when Noah called the flashy Heat "Hollywood as hell," remember? This time around, says Bull Taj Gibson, "Words cannot express how badly we want to beat them." Added teammate Marco
Belinelli, "We're not going to be scared and our mentality is to win." OK good luck with that. Fully healthy (Rose, Deng) I do think Chitown matches up pretty well, as a rugged-defending, strong-rebounding team. They can stretch this series if Carlos Boozer comes up big and Nate Robinson is hot. But the Bulls just aren't healthy. Oh, and Miami ain't Brooklyn. Series pick: Heat in 5 games.
SHOULD DERRICK ROSE BE PLAYING?: It's the question Chicagoans have been wondering, and now it
overshadows this Heat-Bulls playoff series that starts tonight. Derrick Rose, star guard, had his knee surgery almost exactly one year ago and is medically cleared to play but says he is not ready. "You want that (to play), but you've got to look at the big picture," he said over the weekend. "If I'm not healthy, no way I'm stepping on the court. I'm in control of the whole process." It is not ruled out that Rose might return later in this Heat series -- but not expected. Imagine if Rose were on your team. How would you feel about his continuing caution. Vote and say why.
MEET GARY WASHBURN, PROFESSIONAL SPOIL SPORT: The Boston Globe's Celtics writer Gary Washburn (pictured) has identified himself with a story today as being the one voter, of 121, who did not cast a first-place vote for LeBron James for NBA MVP. James would have been the first unanimous winner ever if not for Washburn, who voted for the Knicks' ball-hoggin' Carmelo Anthony. Washburn made two points in his mea culpa. One was that he was surprised to be the lone wolf, thinking that Kevin Durant, Anthony, CHris Paul and perhaps Kobe Bryant all would get first-place votes. (Dear Gary: No, because everybody else but you knew who the clear MVP choice was). His second point was, "I thought Anthony was the most valuable player to his team this season, not the best player in the league." (Dear Gary: Voters every year, including 120 of 121 this year, sort of see it as a league-wide award, not a team award). I was harsh last night in the blog to call the then-mystery voter an "idiot." I don't think Washburn, whom I do not know, is an idiot. I do think he's a guy who cast a really bad vote that he'll wear like an ill-fitting suit the rest of his career.
SERENA WILLIAMS SLAMMED BY PROTEGE: Rising American tennis star Sloane Stephens, 20, calls her former hero Serena Williams, 31, a fraud who has been unkind and shunned her. Surprising stuff (click here to read), because I saw Serena as a mentor to Stephens. Not shocking, though. Serena is a real diva and I have written as much, including noting during the recent Key Biscayne tournament here that she kept a room full of reporters waiting close to an hour without a word of explanation, let alone apology.
UPDATED BASEBALL AWARDS ODDS: From Bovada, favorites as of today: NL MVP, Braves' Justin Upton 9-2; Cy Young, Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw 3-1. AL MVP, Tigers' Miguel Cabrera 2-1; Cy Young, Red Sox's Clay Buchholz 11-4.
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, MAY 1. Another year, another Greg Cote snub in the Tony nominations. 2) "I am no better, and neither are you." --Sly Stone, 1968. This for the intolerant: Everyday People. 3) Played golf Sunday at Jacaranda for a great cause in the Angela Kramer-White Memorial Tournament. I played lousy; however, I did win closest-to-the-beer. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Grading Dolphins draft, Canes avert shuout, Heat sweep Bucks, Shane Larkin, Marlins Sad-O-Meter. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
Nets stay alive to face Heat guillotine: Brooklyn beats Chicago 110-91 at home to shave Bulls' series lead to 3-2. Winner faces Miami. Game 6 Thursday night in Chitown.
Click on The First Steps Forward for my latest column, on the bravery of Jason Collins and why this is important for pro sports and for the cause of equal rights.
WIZARDS CENTER: "I'M GAY": Free agent 7-foot center Jason Collins, who finished this season with the Washington Wizards, reveals himself as the cover subject (pictured) of the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated newly available. His story begins: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay." Click here for the whole story; it is as compelling as you'd imagine. Collins has seldom been an important player on the court. He last started in the 2006-07 season and has become an end-of-the-bench journeyman. His career scoring average is 3.6 points. But he has become an important player now, near the end of that career, by becoming the first active, openly gay athlete in one fo America's big-four team sports. Does this have the same impact as if a rising star had come out? No. But it still is a significant watershed in that a door that always has been shut has now been nudged ajar. Somebody had to be the first. Good for Jason Collins. Update: There has been widespread praise and support for Collins on Twitter and then there as this from Dolphin Mike Wallace: 'All of them beautiful women in the world and guys want to mess with other guys ... I just don't understand.' Wallace soon deleted the Tweet and quickly apologized. Hey you're not all alone, Mike. Chris Broussard today on ESPN called being gay "an open rebellion to God." What century is this again!?
DOLPHINS' SUPER BOWL ODDS: Courtesy the good folks at Bovada, updated post-draft Super Bowl betting favorites are 49ers at 6-1, Broncos 15-2, Patriots 8-1 and Seahawks 9-1, with Miami a modest 40-1 (tied for 18th). Pats/Dolphins are 1-2 in AFC East well ahead of Jets at 75-1 and Bills at 100-1.
Dolphins' pre-training camp dates announced: Rookie minicamp will be May 3-5. OTA offseason workouts will be May 21-23, May 29-31 and June 3-6. And mandatory minicamp will be June 11-13.
Poll result: Dolfans pleased if not quite thrilled with draft: We asked for grades, almost 3,000 of you and counting have responded and a plurality of 48.4 percent gave Miami's draft a "B." "A" (26.1%) outpolled "C" (21.3%), while only 4.2% voted "D." So roughly three-quarters voted A or B. Is that fairly interpreted as pleased-but-not-quite-thrilled overall?
THE REMARKABLE ED DUBOIS: I met Ed (pictured) several years ago researching a 50-years-later column on a Miami team that won the 1958 Little League World Series. Ed was a member of that team who went on to a colorful career as a private investigator whose work in the 1990s partly inspired the new Mark Wahlberg/Dwayne Johnson film, Pain & Gain. Actor Ed Harris portrays the role of DuBois in the movie. DuBois, also a songwriter, has a new country-rock feel song called Pain & Gain. Click on the title to download.
UPDATED: MARLINS "SAD-O-METER": We have a new feature we'll update in the blog throughout the season as long as the Marlins' winning percentage is under .300. The New York Mets'
1962 record of 40-120 (.250) is widely regarded as the nadir in its class -- the single worst season in modern MLB history. Now, your Marlins are threatening that ignominy, despite a season-best two-game winning streak. (The sad face is now for Giancarlo Stanton getting injured yet again). Marlins Sad-O-Meter: Current record after last night's win, 7-19 (.269). Updated season pace, 43.62 wins, 118.38 losses.
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1) It is MONDAY, APRIL 22. Thanks to all of today's live blog chatters. We do it Mondays from 1-2 p.m. Now I'm back in The Herald's Mock Draft Laboratories today birthing my annual M.D. Details to come. 2) Somewhere, Ryan Tannehill is smiling as Darrelle Revis is traded from Jets to Bucs. 3) "Stay white, Miami!" --Micky Arison, 2006. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins schedule and forecast, NBA first-round odds and picks, Branden Albert, Brittney Griner. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
FIVE REASONS HEAT FANS SHOULD BE COCKIER THAN EVER: Ebulllient joy should be raging across the area after last night's 110-87 Game 1 rout of Milwaukee in the first-round playoff series. Heat fans should be cockier than Stephen A. Smith because of these five reasons:
1. LeBron James is so good it's frightening. Last night he scored 27 points on 11 shots. Is that even possible? Bucks cach Jim Boylan: "The guy is the best player in the world, so what can you do?" Bucks guard Brandon Jennings: "You fall asleep out there because you're so worried about what LeBron's gonna do." Dwyane Wade: "LeBron is in playoff mode. We like him like that."
2. Heat is now bigger than just the Big 3: D-Wade was quiet with 16 points, Chris Bosh took only seven shots and it hardly mattered. Miami no longer is a team that needs all of the Big 3 to be 'on.' As James said, "We have so many threats on the floor now, it allows me to play without stress." That stress is transferred to the opponent, because...
3. Bench and depth make Miami better: This year's new weapons, Ray Allen and fan favorite Chris "Birdman" Andersen, combined for 30 of the team's 42 bench points. Former key reserves like James Jones and Joel Anthony are stuck to the bench now. Mike Miller didn't even play last night.
4. Confidence is at an all-time high: Winning it all last year, the record-setting regular season this year. LeBron's MVP season and last night's spar from Allen/Andersen combine to make this team, right now, feeling better about itself than it ever has.
5. Milwaukee poses no threat: Heat can ease though this series and use it to hit a stride for bigger tests ahead because the Bucks, after guards Jennings and Monta Ellis, have no real third scoring threat. I mean, the center is Larry Sanders. What the hell is HBO's Garry Shandling doing as a starting center!?
* Click Milwaukee No Match for my column off Game 1. Click The Best Got Better for my column in our Heat postseason preview section. Click Random Evidence for our Sunday notes column leading with Heat playoffs and Dolphins draft making it an exciting time for Miami fans.
Heat introduce new playoff song, "Wade in the Water": Click on Wade in the Water to hear Heat's new playoff anthem, featuring the lyric, "Wade in the water, he gonna trouble the water..."
'Trouble the water,' of course, is street slang for create havoc or, in this case, dominate the postseason. OK that's the premise here. The real story: Wade in the Water is a 1950s gospel song by the Staple Singers (pictured). To imagine this old spiritual being played in the arena as pump-up music is (at least to me) funny.
G1: HEAT 110, MILWAUKEE 87: LEBRON'S 27 LEAD PLAYOFF-OPENING WIN: LeBron James' 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists led Miami in Game 1. It was close for awhile but the champions pulled away. Heat enjoyed 43 bench points, including 20 from Ray Allen, and showed last night why it is better than last season. Allen and Chris "Bird" Andersen, the two new players, played major roles. Dwyane Wade was quiet and Chris Bosh took only seven shots, but it didn't matter. Mike Miller couldn't get off the bench Sunday night. ..... Original post: Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings promised the Bucks would win this series in six games. The number of people in the United
States who truly believe that could convene in the bed of a Ford F-150 pickup truck and not be particularly crowded. Miami is a prohibitive betting favorite not just to win this first-round series but to win four games in a row starting with Game 1 here tonight at 7; odds of a sweep are 4-to-5. The intrigue in this series, for me, is to see how coach Erik Spoelstra's starting lineup and rotation shake out after the Big 3 of
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and steady fourth starter Mario Chalmers. Will the fifth man be Udonis Haslem? Shane Battier? What will be Mike Miller's role? Will the basic rotation be pared to nine or even eight? Might we see an April Surprise such as big minutes for Joel Anthony? The better question for the moment: Can the Bucks avoid a four-game sweep? I say no. Pictured left: What arriving fans will see at the arena tonight. Pictured right: A deer in the headlights.
WHAT TEAM IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO A HEAT REPEAT?: Sorry, but "nobody" isn't an available
answer. Heat fans have a right to be confident/cocky with Miami a 5-to-8 betting favorite to repeat. But somebody out there poses the biggest eventual challenge, whether it's Carmelo Anthony's Knicks in the East, perhaps the Thunder or Spurs out West ... or someone else. We might all agree the answer is most likely not Milwaukee, but after that, who? Take a dip in our poll and say why. A number of the early votes are saying "somebody else." Curious who you mean. Indiana? L.A. Clippers? Share.
Heat beyond prohibitive first-round favorites: Miami is a 1-to-250 betting favorite to advance past this first round, according to Bovada. That's insane. Next biggest favorite is Oklahoma City at 1-20. Heat individual over/unders on series averages are LeBron James 27.5 points, Dwyane Wade 21.5 and Chris Bosh 16.0. For Milwaukee it's Monta Ellis 19.5 and Brandon Jennings 16.5.
THE LIST: HEAT PLAYOFF HISTORY: This is the first time Miami has faced Milwaukee in the postseason, making Bucks the 15th different opponent Miami has met. Heat playoff opponents, ranked by total number of postseason games:
Games Opp. Heat W-L (Series) Years
29 NY Knicks 15-14 (2-3) 97-98-99-00-12
26 CHI Bulls 9-17 (2-4) 92-96-97-06-07-11
17 BOS Celtics 9-8 (2-1) 10-11-12
16 DET Pistons 10-6 (2-1) 00-05-06
12 IND Pacers 6-6 (1-1) 04-12
12 DAL Mavericks 6-6 (1-1) 06-11
12 ATL Hawks 5-7 (0-2) 94-09
9 NJ Nets 8-1 (2-0) 05-06
7 NO Hornets 4-3 (1-0) 04
5 OKC Thunder 4-1 (1-0) 12
5 PHI 76ers 4-1 (1-0) 11
5 ORL Magic 3-2 (1-0) 97
4 WAS Wizards 4-0 (1-0) 05
3 CHA Hornets 0-3 (0-1) 01
NOTE: Heat's six seven-games series have been in 1997 (Won/Knicks); 2000 (Lost/Knicks); 2004 (Won/Hornets); 2005 (Lost/Pistons); 2009 (Lost/Hawks); and 2012 (Won/Celtics).
THE LIST II: HEAT PLAYOFF RECORDS: Individual Heat postseason game records in eight major statistical categories across the franchise's 25-year history:
Category Record Player Set
Points 46 Dwyane Wade 2010 vs. BOS
Field goals 19 LeBron James 2012 vs. BOS
Free throws 21 Dwyane Wade 2006 vs. DAL
3-pointers 7 Damon Jones '05 v. NJ & Mike Miller '12 v. OKC
Rebounds 20 Rony Seikaly '94 v. ATL & Shaq. O'Neal '06 v. CHI
Assists 15 Dwyane Wade 2005 vs. WAS
Steals 6 LeBron James 2012 vs. IND
Blocks 9 Alonzo Mourning 2000 vs. DET
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1) It is SATURDAY, APRIL 20. It is Record Store Day! Unshackle yourself from the chains, go find a local indie shop and hunt for some great vinyl. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat MVOG poll, Heat-Bucks, Kiper plays Ireland, Marlins odds, Shane Larkin, reflections on Boston. 3) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
That ol' Peyton Magic?: Bovada tells us the Super Bowl champion Ravens will be a 7 1/2-point underdog at Denver in the 2013 NFL season opener, the first time in at least eight years the defending champ has been an opening 'dog.
DOLPHINS SCHEDULE IS READY FOR PRIME TIME: NFL schedules were finalized, and Miami will be under the lights thrice: Sept. 30 at New Orleans (a Monday), Oct. 31 here vs. Cincinnati (a Thursday),
and Nov. 11 at Tampa Bay (a Monday). Dolphins open with two straight on road, Sept. 8 at Cleveland and Sept. 15 at Cleveland, with the home opener Sept. 22 at 4:05 p.m. vs. Atlanta. Bye week is Oct. 13. The full schedule:
The quickie analysis: Six games clear favorites, four clear 'dogs, six in-between. Seeing 10-6 / playoffs as a legitimate early possibility. Not a great home schedule, beyond Patriots and champion Ravens. Although I guess we still include the Stinkin' Jets, even though they actually do stink now.
NBA FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF ODDS, OUR PICKS: The 16 most deserving teams have made the playoffs that start this weekend. Or, as i like to say it: The 15 most deserving teams plus the Milwaukee Bucks. Our opening-round synopses and picks, starting with the East of course:
No. 1 seed Miami Heat vs. No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks: Must we even go through the pretense that the losing-record Bucks will be anything other than ease-into-it fodder for the revving defending champions? No, we must not go through that pretense. Miami vs. Milwaukee in the first round is like the U.S. vs. Barbados in a war. Bovada betting title odds: Heat 2-3, Bucks 500-1. My pick: Heat in 4 games. [Click on Must Win for today's latest column from me on the Heat as it segues from regular season to playoffs].
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and wise Doc Rivers have enough left to make this interesting. Surely the recent Boston bombings will be an emotional factor. NYK and Carmelo bring too much, though. Title odds: Knicks 16-1, Celtics 66-1. My pick: Knicks in 7.
No. 3 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks: Indy brings the annoying, cocky, defensive brats Miami wouldn't mind avoiding en route to the Finals. I give Hawks a better chance than most seem to but do not see an outright upset. Title odds: Pacers 25-1, Hawks 150-1. My pick: Pacers in 6.
No. 4 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 5 Chicago Bulls: By seed and betting odds an even series. Tough to side against Deron Williams, but I like Chitown rising up even without Derrick Rose. Title odds: Nets 60-1, Bulls 60-1. My pick: Feels like an upset even if it isn't. Bulls in 7.
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets: James Harden vs. his former team makes the easy storyline, but Jim is surrounded by enough talent o top his ex's. No hiccup here to the inevitable OKC-Heat Finals rematch. Title odds: Thunder 17-4, Rockets 100-1. My pick: Thunder in 6.
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol have been on the court together without Kobe Bryant five minutes all season. Five minutes! Just a gut feeling on this one. Title odds: Spurs 10-1, Lakers 40-1. My pick: Upset! Lakers in 7.
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors: Denver has hardly seemed to miss Danilo Gallinari. I give Golden State less a first-round shot than any team not named Milwaukee. Title odds: Nuggets 25-1, Warriors 100-1. My pick: Nuggets in 5.
No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies: I think a strong Memphis defense will slow LAC into a haf-court mode and take away the Clips' run-and-lob preferences. Title odds: Clippers 25-1, Grizzlies 40-1. My pick: Upset! Grizzlies in 6.
NOT SURE BRANDEN ALBERT IS WORTH IT: The Dolphins are negotiating to agree to terms with
and then trade for Chiefs left tackle Branden Albert -- even though coach Andy Reid later told KC media his team had not granted Miami permission for such discussions. Hmm. Anyway, the issue to me is whether Albert (pictured) is worth the second-round pick being talked about. He is 28, a pretty solid starter but nothing more. Has not made a Pro Bowl in five seasons. Has had sporadic back issues. He'll be wanting Jake Long money, but is he worth it? Is he that much better than Jonathan Martin to spend that much and also yield a high pick? I'd be more inclined to make the deal if it was for the lower (54th overall) of Miami's two 2R picks; the other is 42nd overall.
Poll result: Battier, Birdman lead Heat 'MVOG' vote: Who is the Heat's Most Valuable Other Guy? (Meaning non-Big 3). We asked, and you anointed Shane Battier (40.4 percent) and Chris "Birdman" Andersen (30.3%) as your clear picks. Results surprised me a bit. I thought starter Mario Chalmers (12.7%) and star-reserve Ray Allen (11.3%) would fare much better. The other four guys on the ballot (Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis) had negligible support.
GOOD FOR BRITTNEY GRINER: The Baylor star-turned-No. 1 pick in the recent WNBA draft has revealed
she is gay. She didn't "announce" it. She mentioned it casually. She was not defensive, flip or ambiguous. It was as if she was discussing the weather. Perfect. America has been waiting for a prominent, active professional team-sports star to come out. We have one now. It isn't the headline maker it would be if it were an NFL or NBA star -- far from it. But that's OK. Griner's honesty (and to a degree bravery) makes it that much easier for her male counterparts to someday prove themselves as strong. You're out there, guys. We're waiting...
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1) It is THURSDAY, APRIL 18. NFL says Larry Litttle will anounce Dolphins' 2nd- and 3rd-round draft picks. 2) UM linebacker Eddie Johnson officially departs for Hinds Community College. 3) R.I.P. Pat Summerall, 82, for many the voice of football. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Boston Marathon tragedy, Man vs. World on Heat, Dolphins' Mount Rushmore results, UM spring football, New Orleans visit. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
Heat-Bucks schedule: Game 1--Sunday 21st at MIA 7 pm; 2--Tuesday 23rd at MIA 7:30; 3--Thursday 25th at MILW 7; 4--Sunday 28th at MILW 3:30. If necessary: 5--Tuesday 30th at MIA tbd;p 6--Thursday 2nd at MILW tbd; 7--Saturday 4th at MIA tbd. Click on Must Win for my forward-looking column off last night's regular season finale. Dwyane Wade says Miami must win a repeat title for the record-setting regular season to matter.
FORGET THE BIG 3. WHO HAS BEEN HEAT'S MOST VALUABLE OTHER GUY?: LeBron James will win another NBA season MVP award or the league should be disbanded. So a vote on the Heat's season MVP
would be pointless; it's obvious. Likewise, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are the Heat's second and third
best and most valuable players beyond argument. But after the Big 3? There the debate begins. In this poll I offer a choice of the eight other players who have played most. Any of four of them, to me, might be legitimate picks here. Have your say. Vote and say why.
KIPER PLAYS IRELAND ON DOLPHINS DRAFT: Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, take the month off. ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper has done your job for you by revealing Miami's picks in the first three rounds. Dolphs are only NFL team with five, by the way. They'll be, says Mel: 1st round (12th overall)--Alabama OT D.J. Fluker; 2R (42nd)--Florida State DE Tank Carradine; 2R (54th)--UConn CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson; 3R (77th)--North Carolina State CB David Amerson; and 3R (82nd)--Harvard FB Kyle Juszczyk.
MORE REFLECTIONS ON BOSTON: I grew up in South Florida but was born in Massachusetts, 25 miles west of Boston, in Lawrence. Many longtime readers know the Red Sox and Carl Yastrzemski were my
first love in sports. My second was the parquet floor on which Bill Russell and John Havlicek worked. But of course I felt Monday's Boston Marathon tragedy not because of those roots, but as an American. Background matters not at a time like that. We are all one country. It sounds corny, but it is the one truism that the terrorists fail to understand: That what they think will tear us apart, binds us together instead. I was so moved to see people running toward where the bombs blew, to render aid. To hear of runners sprinting straight from the race to the nearest hospital, to donate blood. New York understands, and so the Yankees last night displayed both teams' logos with the banner, 'United We Stand,' and played the Red Sox anthem Sweet Caroline during the game. (Click here to see and hear that sweet gesture). Times like these remind us there are so many evil people in the world .. but also that there are so many, many more who are good. [Click on We Deal With It for my reaction to the tragedy, a column I am grateful to say has appeared in newspapers all over the country].
Papelbon goes there: Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies (and ex-Red Sox) pitcher, might have had a little internal voice saying, "Don't go there." But he went there. He might have heard that little inward voice warn, "Don't be that guy." But he was that guy. Papelbon, yesterday, on the Boston bombings: "Today's day and age has gotten so crazy. Shoot, man, Obama wants to take our guns from us and everything."
MARLINS UPDATED WORLD SERIES ODDS. NO, SERIOUSLY!: Hey, Mr. Vegas wants somebody to bet on everybody. Hence, odds. Updated World Series odds from Bovada, new today, have a bunched crowd for favorite, with Tigers 7-1, Braves 15-2 and Nationals 8-1. Your Marlins are dead last now at 1,000-to-1.
SHANE LARKIN, DON'T GO: Hurricanes point guard Shane Larkin's protrcated decision whether to return
to UM or enter the NBA draft is said to be leaning toward go-pro, according to ESPN's Chad Ford. That would be unfortunate for him, I think. Larkin would not be a certain first-round draft pick. TNT's Steve Kerr, appearing on 790 The Ticket recently, responded to my question about Larkin's NBA future by saying he'd be a career backup. Larkin needs another college season to solidify his first-round status and improve perceptions about his upside on the next level.
On FIU's basketball hire: Norfolk State's Anthony Evans taking over FIU men's basketball feels like a solid hire if only because -- unlike star names Richard Pitino and Isiah Thomas before that -- Evans seems like he might not treat the job as an immediate stepping stone. FIU doesn't need another fast-break outta town. It needs a coach who wants to stay, and build.
"DEAR GREG...": "...your blog's OK but would be better if occasionally you would show a picture of Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill riding a go-kart. Thank you." Dear reader, I'll see what I can do. No promises.
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17. Dolphins' Joe Philbin is named one of four new members of a coaches' subcommittee to the NFL Competition Committee. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins' Mount Rushmore vote, Heat's club-record for wins. 3) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.
ON THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING TRAGEDY: I have written about this even though it is only in the most peripheral and insignificant sense a sports story. That's OK, because I am not a sports writer first. I am an American. Click on We Get Up; We Deal With It for my new column on yesterday's tragedy, now online and in the A-section of Tuesday's inky pulp editions.
ONE MAN VS. WORLD ON HEAT TITLE LIKELIHOOD: John Hollinger, ESPN's NBA numbers-nerd turned Memphis Grizzlies executive, is pretty much flying solo on thinking Miami is not the favorite to repeat
as NBA champion. His rankings formula that ESPN continues to use has Oklahoma City rated No. 1 by better than a 2-point margin over the Heat, and his playoff permutations give the Thunder a 34.1 percent likelihood to win the title, vs. Miami's 25.9%. (It's a two-team race. Next are Denver at 8.8% and the Knicks at 7.5%). Hollinger does not reflect public opinion, which sets and moves betting lines. Bovada today has Miami a prohibitive 5-7 favorite to repeat as champ, with OKC next at 9-2. (That's a big shift to the Heat just since Jan. 5, when Bovada had Miami a 2-1 favorite and OKC 15-4). I side with the odds over Hollinger. Miami's path to the Finals is a bit less trecherous than OKC's in the West. Don't think the Knicks can beat Miami in a long series, not even if Carmelo Anthony stays fire-y. It's also huge that the Heat (36-4 at home) will have the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. One could argue intangibles such as "hunger" leaning in OKC's favor in the presumptive repeat Finals, but I wouldn't -- not with LeBron James and Miami chasing a dynasty, a legacy. Pictured: LeBron celebrating last summer's trophy. Lesson contained in photo? Erik Spoelstra should never again wear a cap backward.
DOLPHINS' MOUNT RUSHMORE: SHULA EDGES MARINO FOR PEAK: We asked for your input on a Dolphins Mount Rushmore in the previous blogpost (you may still vote) and almost 8,000 votes were cast -- one of our most successful polls ever. Thanks to all. Don Shula, Dan Marino, Larry Csonka and Joe Robbie made the mountain, in that order. Shula with 24.38 percent edged Marino's 24.17% for the top spot. (Given the poll format, that means each was included on more than 96% of ballots cast). Csonka made it comfortably with 16.55%. The fourth spot was tight, with founding owner Robbie edging Bob Griese, 10.79 to 10.14. I think your choices were solid, as was the order. (I wonder if Marino might have narrowly topped Shula if the vote were taken prior to his recent little infidelity skirmish). Anyway, thanks to all.
A quick note on the 'Mount Rushmore' concept: Of course I am aware my friend Marc Hochman does a Mount Rushmore thing on his 790 radio show. Folks, Mount Rushmore has been around since 1925 and media references to "the Mount Rushmore of..." have been around nearly as long. In the mid-'80s I nicknamed the Hurricanes' defensive line "Mount Rush-More." On July 16, 2010, pre-dating Hoch's bit, I wrote, "Any local athletic Mount Rushmore started with Don Shula and Dan Marino before opening itself to debate." (You could look it up; I did). Upon Neil Rogers' death I referred to Uncle Neil as being on the -- you guessed it -- of local radio. And so forth. The idea is hardly Hoch's, or mine. Laying claim to Mount Rushmore is about like taking credit for a play on March Madness bracketology. C'mon, man!
ON UM SPRING FOOTBALL: Never been a big fan of college spring football. I think universities could save a ton of money and also swing the student-athlete definition a bit closer to what it should be by not having the guys be football players in February, March and April. Beyond that, results of UM's Spring Game on Saturday were less than illuminating. QB Stephen Morris and RB Duke Johnson looked great. We figured going into the spring that the Canes looked explosive on offense but had doubts to settle on defense. Exiting the spring we think the same.
SINGING NEW ORLEANS' PRAISES: Love the Big Easy. Been there for three or four Sugar Bowls, a couple
of Dolphins-Saints games, two Mardi Gras and, just now, a long weekend with friends. The people are great, and the music and food get me every time. Love the architecture and the funky vibe (photos by me). The city is constantly in party-mode and therefore is
very touristy, but there nevertheless are places worth visiting despite the tourist factor. They include Cafe du Monde for beignets, Preservation Hall for old-school jazz, and Nola for dinner (the stuffed chicken wings are one of a kind). Also did a bayou airboat excursion that was well worth it. I avoid Pat O'Brien's; you can drink a better Hurricane elsewhere. In the future I'll also steer clear of the all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys at Daisy Dukes. They lead to trouble ... :)
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