Greg Cote's Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog

Play ball! Marlins lose opener, fans weigh big decision; plus Final Four poll (vote now), Dolphins confirm logo, Heat-Spurs, Creepy Easter Bunnies & more

1) It is TUESDAY, APRIL 2. World's worst-kept secret confirmed: Dolphins made it official that this is the new logo. Had planned to reveal it coincidental with NFL Draft but it was out so why wait? 2) Sorry again about missing yesterday's live blog chat. We'll get back at it next Monday. 3) Hope y'all had a Happy Easter. See below for our special "Cavalcade of Creepy Bunnies." 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes out/March Madness, Brent Grimes, Riley rips Ainge, Marlins odds, Doug Gottlieb, Bosh's camel. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.

Gratuitous April Fool's Joke: Ricky Williams records song!: Well there's no point in trying to sell this as real, given the date, technology like Shazam and the fact anybody listening to music in the '90s may know the song. But I'll be damned if the voice and trippy lyrics in THIS SONG don't sound like something Ricky Williams might do. So pass this along to any gullible friends. Enjoy. 

PLAY BALL! MARLINS OPEN SEASON AT NATS: [Update: Marlins lose opener at Washington, 2-0, yesterday on a pair of Bryce Harper homers. Decent start by Ricky Nolasco but negligible offense against Stephen Strasburg]. The home opener isn't for a week, but Miami launches its 21st season at Washington, the new darling-favorite of the NL East and also seen as a stacked World Series contender. Quite a contrast to the young, low-payroll (again) Marlins. Click on They Make It Difficult for my Marlins season-preview column. Club president David Samson says he wishes Marlins fans would leave their anger behind and "just enjoy baseball again," as if the club's own actions with the latest fire-sale/payroll-slash hadn't fractured trust and made that so difficult. Having said that, spring is all about renewal (say the baseball poets), and Opening Day always sees the slate wiped, so let's try on a bit of optimism. Or at least benefit of doubt. Shall we? This is a time that challenges Marlins fans witha big decision: What does being a fan mean? My feeling always has been that a team is not its owner; a team is bigger. I think fans can think the worst of Jeffrey Loria and still support their team. I may be wrong. We'll see. For now, for better or worse, ready or not ... play ball!

FINAL FOUR SET! WHERE IS YOUR ROOTING INTEREST? VOTE NOW: Two by-seed upsets on Saturday and another in Sunday's first game left one Cinderella standing in the men's NCAA Tournament as it pared from eight teams to the Final Four. A synopsis of the Elite Eight games is below, but first, it's time to take sides. Which of the Final Four teams -- Louisville, Michigan, Syracuse or Wichita State -- will you be rooting for? Remember, this is not asking who you predict will win, but rather who you most want to win. Vote and say why:

Final Four odds: No surprises here. Courtesy Bovada, Louisville a prohibitive championship favorite at 2-3, followed by Michigan 3-1, Syracuse 17-4 and Wichita State 12-1.    

Elite Eight results:

* No. 4 Michigan d. No. 3 Florida, 79-59;in Arlington, Tex. Florida was favored by 3 points in game of keen interest in Miami area because of slew of Gators alum down here and also the left-over animus toward UF from old days when Canes-Gators was bitter rivalry. Gators trailed 11-0 out the gate and never recovered, with Michigan solving a very good UF defense despite an off-game by Tim Hardaway's kid.

* No. 1 Louisville d. No. 2 Duke, 85-63; in Indianapolis, Ind. Louisville was favored by 3 1/2 points. It was 1 vs. 2 and Coach K vs. Rick Pitino. Don't get much better! Canes fans would have strong feelings watching Duke, UM's biggest ACC rival, while Pitino's son now coaches FIU. Cardinals won despite losing Kevin Ware to an ugly broken leg. Louisville will meet Michigan in one semifinal next week.

* No. 4 Syracuse d. No. 3 Marquette, 55-39; Orangemen used suffocating defense to vanquish the team that vanquished the Hurricanes. Even many 'Cuse fans think Jim Boeheim is an a--hole, but the man can coach. Orange will face Wichita State in the other semifinal and be favored.

* No. 9 Wichita State d. No. 2 Ohio State, 70-66; Wichita State led by 20 then held on to play March Madness' Last Cinderella Standing. And what were the odds that the biggest surviving surprise team of the tournament would be nicknamed Shockers? I mean, seriously.

National championships represented by Final Four teams: 4 -- 2 by Louisville (1986-80); 1 each by Syracuse (2003) & Michigan (1977); 0 by Wichita State.

TAKE THAT, SPURS! LEBRON, WADE SIT, HEAT WIN ANYWAY: Miami sat LeBron James and Dwyane Wade vs. Spurs Sunday but Heat won anyway on a last second shot by Chris Bosh. Turnabout was fair play. Remember when San Antonio controversially sat its stars for the game in Miami? The 27-game win streak was great. Won't retro-fit as meaningless just because it ended. But tonight felt like the game that would better indicate Miami's likelihood of repeating as champion. It's a very possible if not likely NBA Finals preview. It had been much anticipated. Heat had won three straight over Spurs so both teams would be looking to make a statement -- or so one might have thought. But Heat's lineup manuever changed everything. This makes that prospective NBA Finals matchup all the more interesting. 

Two words for Herald's 'Heat 25' poll: Sammy Schulman!?: He is a Heat front-office executive, a background guy. Nothing against him personally. No doubt he does a great job. But he is an example of the pitfall in picking a franchise's 25 most influential figures on its 25th anniversary, as the Miami Herald is now doing with the Heat. We offer 46 candidates. There are 12 to 15 at most who are clearly deserving of this honor. There are an equal number who have no business being on the ballot. The top 10 in early voting, in order, are: Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Alonzo Mourning, Erik Spoelstra, Micky Arison, Tim Hardaway, Udonis Haslem, Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Bosh. You can vote here. Let's stuff the ballot for Sammy Schulman!!!

THE THREE TENORS? HOW ABOUT THE THREE COLUMNS!: I hit a trey in Sunday's newspaper and online. That's a rarity. 1) The regular Sunday notes column (click Random Evidence) leading with NCAA hoops. 2) A live column (click Serena's Reign) off Saturday's women's tennis final on Key Biscayne. And 3) a Marlins/baseball preview section column (click The Oddest Season) on how Miami opens its 21st season Monday surrounded by so much fan anger. I need a rest. (Well, except for blogging of course).

EASTER SPECIAL: CAVALCADE OF CREEPY BUNNIES!: I know this was a serious, joyous holiday for believers because Jesus rose from the dead. But since this is a blog and not a church, I figured I'd mark the holiday by picturing a few of the creepiest looking Easter bunnies I could find. Click on the photos for a larger view. Warning: They may haunt your dreams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Heat win 27th straight!; Canes, Heat having way too much fun (dueling videobombs); plus Cinderella FGCU, Gators, UM title odds & more

[1) It is TUESDAY, MARCH 26. New blogpost coming later today. 2) Sorry we had to skip our live blog chat yesterday; we'll pick it back up next Monday. 3) Click on Random Evidence for my latest Sunday notes column. Leads with Heat/Hurricanes hoops mania. 4) In the Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes, Heat win; Madness, Serena, Haiku winner. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.

Heat win 27th straight: A routine 108-94 win at Orlando last night for No. 27, moving ever closer to Lakers' 1971-72 NBA record of 33. LeBron James one rebound shy of a triple-double. Ho hum.  

Canes 4th-best odds for national title at 15-2: New from Bovada, it's Louisville favored at 3-1, then Florida 19-4, Indiana 5-1, and UM and Ohio State both 15-2. Florida Gulf Coast is 16th (last) at 75-1. 

HEAT, CANES HAVING WAY TOO MUCH FUN: DUELING PHOTOBOMBS!: Chris Bosh, who leads the Heat in photobombs -- actually, videobombs -- struck again last night (left) as Dwyane Wade (who had the night off) interviewed LeBron James following Miami's 26th win in a row. Bosh crept in with a karate chop and then a Japanese-style bow. Click on Heatbomb to watch. Not long after, in Austin, Tex., UM's Julian Gamble (right) photo-bombed an interview with teammate Shane Larkin. Click on Canesbomb for the animated version. Edge to Gamble for the simplicity and the creepy grin. Let the good times roll!

SUPER BALL SUNDAY: HEAT STREAK, CANES SEASON ON LINE AGAIN AND STILL ALIVE: It was another sublime, heart-stopping doubleheader for Miami basketball junkies...

No. 2 Hurricanes d. No. 7 Illinois, 63-59 -- Sweet 16, anyone? Miami was a 7-point favorite to get there for only the second time in school history (2000), and did, if barely. Rion (The Lion) Brown's 21 points including two key late free throws led UM, along with Shane Larkin's huge 3 with a minute left. Miami will next face Marquette. NCAA Sunday had a distinct state flavor, of course, because:

Gators, FGCU also advance: No. 3 Florida Gators beat No. 11 Minnesota, 78-64, and feel-good No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast (see below) beat No. 7 San Diego State, 81-71 -- the first 15-seed ever to reach the Sweet 16. Now FGCU will face Florida in next round. Oh my. Click on Dunk City for a tribute video to Florida Gulf Coast. (All of our state teams didn't win, alas. Also last night, No. 8 UM women were one-and-done in their NCAA bid, losing to No. 9 Iowa, 69-53).

Heat d. Charlotte Bobcats, 109-77 -- OK I didn't manufacture any fake drama here. The Bobcats suck. Truly reek. But a 25-game winning streak makes every game huge when you are after the NBA record of 33, so the onus was on Team LeBron to not stumble. And they didn't. It's 26 now. And all you need to know about the degree of rout is that late-game sightings for Miami included James Jones and, yes, Juwan Howard. Another minute and I'd have been looking for Rory Sparrow to tear off his warmups.

Poll result: UM run bigger than Heat streak right now (but barely): We asked what was bigger right now, the Canes' NCAA run as a No. 2 seed or the Heat's record-seeking winning streak (you may still vote, in blogpost directly below), and UM was winning with 54.3 percent.

MADNESS BY THE NUMBERS (through Sunday; entering Sweet 16): A daily tracking of upsets and my bracket in the men's NCAA Tournament. Upset watch: Total games played so far--48, excluding play-ins. Upsets by seeding--14 (29.2%). Biggest upsets by seed in round of 64: 15-Florida Gulf Coast d. 2-Georgetown, 14-Hahvahd I mean Harvard d. 3-New Mexico. Biggest upsets in round of 32: 9-Wichita State d. 1-Gonzaga, 12-Oregon d. 4-St. Louis, 15-Florida Gulf Coast d. 7-San Diego State. My bracket: Sweet 16 teams still alive: 10 (L'ville, Duke, Ariz, OSU, K-State, Mich, Fla, Ind, 'Cuse and Miami). Biggest loss so far--Gonzaga, which I had reaching Elite Eight. I'm in fair shape overall. Guaranteed to have at least three teams in final eight, and could have as many as seven.

MEET CINDERELLA: No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast certifiably is this NCAA Tournament's official Cinderella -- every March Madness must have one -- and, this year, Cinderella has a face. It is pictured right. She is Amanda Marcum, the wife of FGCU coach Andy Enfield. Granted, this is not a Disney Cinderella. This is a Cinderella from a 16-year-old boy's dreams. Nevertheless! She used to be a model and has posed for the cover of Maxim and others mags. Amanda is now all Mom'd up (see left), but it's OK. We know who she is underneath it all. And FGCU won again last night -- so Cinderella lives!

MARLINS' EXPECTED AWFULNESS NOW OFFICIAL: Courtesy ESPN The Magazine's new MLB preview issue, Miami's Marlins will finish last in the NL East with a projection range of 60 to 74 wins. Only the Astros (54) have a lower downside on victories. The season begins a week from Monday, assuming the Marlins don't just say screw it and skip the whole thing.

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

G12: Hurricanes 52, @ Duke 45 (Final): Morris, Duke of Gables lead wild season-ending win!; plus Gators upset Noles, FIU & more

[1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24. Welcome to the Collball Week 13 post as most teams -- including five of the seven state FBS teams -- wrap up their regular seasons. 2) R.I.P., boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho and actor Larry Hagman, TV's J.R. Ewing. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: Voting underway!: Voting now underway in the season-ending CSM poll in a separate blogpost directly above this one.

G12: HURRICANES @ DUKE: MEANINGLESS? NOT TO UM: Final: The story of the season to a large degree: Enough Miami offense to overcome a faltering defense as Canes win season finale, 52-45, at Duke to finish 7-5, and 5-3 in the ACC. Stephen Morris' 369 yards passing and three TDs and Duke Johnson's 169 yards rushing and three scores lead the victory. How many 'Duke Beats Duke' headlines and references might we now expect? ..... Second half: UM lead down to 52-45 with 2:30 left. ... Canes lead whittled to 45-38, mid-4Q, after allowing a fourth TD pass of the game. ... UM lead down to 45-31 on 99-yard Duke scoring pass-n-run. ... Duke of Gables with a short, Tebow-esque scoring pass to Wilford, but ruled incomplete upon review. Looked like a TD catch to me. ... Miami lead comfy again at 45-24 after Morris to Mike James for 72-yard TD catch and run. ... Sensational Duke Johnson with his third TD run, a 65-yarder, and Canes gor wlead to 38-24. ... A 23-yard Duke TD pass narrows UM's lead to 31-24, suddenly too close for comfort. ... Duke within 31-17 on 10-yard scoring toss. ... Canes add 23-yard FG for 31-10 lead. ..... First half: Mike James 1-yard scoring run makes for a safe 28-10 halftime lead for UM. ... Breathing room again for Miami at 21-10 on Duke Johnson 6-yard TD run. ... Blue Devils within 14-10 after Brandon Connette 4-yard TD run caps 81-yard drive. ... Duke on board with 43-yard field goal to cut UM lead to 14-3. ... Miami now up 14-0 after Duke Johnson 18-yard TD run. ... UM up 7-0 on Stephen Morris 11-yard TD pass to Clive Walford. ..... Original post: I heard this game described on local radio as being "utterly meaningless." It is not. It is quite the opposite for Miami. The university self-imposing a postseason ban for a second straight season due to the NCAA investigation makes this tantamount to a bowl game for the Canes. A win to finish 7-5 also would mark symbolic (as well as literal) improvement for UM over last season. Perhaps most important, Miami by winning would claim at least a share of the ACC Coastal Division title -- postseason ban or not. For these reasons I think coach Al Golden's troops will be fired up. And they'd better be, because Duke (also 6-5) isn't the doormat it typically is. Give me the Canes. Stephen Morris has too many weapons for this opponent, and the biggest one is diminutive freshman Duke Johnson. In the Battle of the Dukes, give me The Duke of Gables. My pick was: Miami, 30-20.

The end for some, not for others: UM (self-imposed ban) and FIU (not bowl-eligible) are the only two of seven state FBS teams that will end their 2012 football seasons today. FAU and South Florida are not bowl eligible but end their regular seasons next Saturday. Florida, FSU and UCF are bowl-eligible.

Other featured state FBS games:

No. 6 Florida 37, No. 10 FSU 26 -- This for me was the national game of the week -- although that would be Notre Dame-USC in retrospect if the Trojans can upset the No.1 Irish tonight. The Gators were 4th in the all-important BCS rankings and still could play themselves up into the national championship game with this win and some luck with other results. I figured that to be moot. I'm surprised Florida won. Gators offense had struggled lately, and for them to put up 37 on FSU's awesome defense was impressive. They're partying tonight in Tallahassee. (Then again, when aren't they partying in Tally?) My pick was: FSU, 24-13.

Louisiana-Monroe 23, FIU 17 -- Seems like ages ago that FIU was the preseason Sun Belt favorite, but now the Panthers (3-9) say goodbye to The Belt after wrapping up a disappointing, injury-marred, bowl-less season at home. La-Mo was a stronger team and ended things fittingly for The Int'l. My pick was: La-Monroe, 31-17.

My record: This week, 2-1. Season, 41-15.

Other state FBS games: UCF d. UAB, 49-24; and Cincinnati d. South Florida, 27-10, Friday night. FAU had a bye.

National Game of the Week: Florida-FSU (see above).

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G11: Hurricanes 40, USF 9 (Final): UM earns bowl-eligibility as Morris passes for 413 yards; plus FIU wins Shula Bowl, Noles 'n Gators roll & more

[It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18. Welcome to the Collball Week 12 post. 2) Want to rent Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill for a golf outing or bar mitzvah? Details in blogpost directly below this latest one. 3) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote (under construction; new vids soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: Voting now underway!: Vote in the latest edition of the CSM in a separate post directly above this one.

G11: SOUTH FLORIDA @ HURRICANES: Final: Very, very impressive show by UM today on Senior Day. Now what? ..... Second half: It's 37-3 on Morris' 65-yard scoring pass to Clive Walford. Game over. ... UM now up 30-3 on Stephen Morris 87-yard TD pass to Herb Waters. ... Duke Johnson 8-yard TD run has UM in control, 22-3. ..... First half: Nervous lead for UM. Great opportunity for a late 23-0 lead was squandered. ..... Original post: The Canes are square at 5-5 following last week's 41-40 heartbreak loss in the final seconds at Virginia, and still seeking to become bowl-eligible today for a bowl game they may or may not play in. UM improbably still has a chance to play into the ACC championship game, too, although a self-imposed postseason ban could erase that as well. We'll see, and likely soon, if a win today forces UM president Donna Shalala to make a decision. Meantime Al Golden tries to keep the blinders on his team and the distractions off. Today's visitor: the inaptly named South Florida Bulls. (Dear Opponent: You're from Tampa. That is in the middle of the state toward the west side. You are in South Florida about like the Napa Valley is in Southern California. I'm guessing USF does not offer a degree in geography). The Bulls have disappointed at 3-6, and their offense suffered a huge loss with season-ending injury to QB B.J. Daniels. Also, their defense has allowed 30 or more points in five games. Do not expect a replay of last year's puntfest in Tampa, won by UM, 6-3. Should be an emotional, high-scoring and victorious Senior Day in UM's home finale. Hope a nice crowd shows, although that's always dicey. Either way: Canes bowl-eligibility, step right in! My pick was: Miami, 34-23.

U thiefs! That's Bull!: Notice that USF's logo is a stylized green bull inthe distinct shape of a 'U.' Also note that USF has had an ad campaign around the theme, "Can U feel it?" Hmm. Doesn't 'The U' reside in Coral Gables? Will the real U please stand up, please stand up...

Ban, not bowl: In a previous blogpost we asked if Miami should self-impose a postseason ban or not related to the ongoing NCAA investigation. Self-impose a ban had 54.9 percent, compared to 36.7% who want to play and 8.4% who are undecided.

Other Week 12 featured state FBS games (all Saturday except where noted):

FIU 34, FAU 24: Kleenex, please. Emotion getting me. It was the final Shula Bowl on Friday night up in Boca Right-on. These not-so-old rivals are soon to be ex-rivals as FIU prepares to leave the Sun Belt. Weird game featuring a long lightning delay left both squads with three wins. I expected better, Owls. My pick was: FAU, 27-23.

No. 10 FSU 41, Maryland 14: Jimbo's Noles were steaming to a spot in the ACC championship game and sure as heck weren't to be derailed here, against a Terrapins team down to its fifth quarterback, a converted linebacker. My pick was: FSU 42-7.

No. 6 Florida 23, Jacksonville State 0: Jax State (the other Gamecocks) were pretty good for their size but unable to run with (or pass with, or defend) the Gators. My pick was: Florida 38-0.

My record: This week, 3-1. Season, 39-14.

Other state FBS game: Tulsa d. UCF, 23-21.

National Game of Week: No. 13 Stanford d. No. 2 Oregon, 17-14. No. 1 Kansas State also lost meaning the inside track to the BCS Championship game now belongs to Notre Dame and -- oh no! -- Nick Saban's Alabama.

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G10: Virginia 41, Hurricanes 40 (Final): Last-second heartbreak for UM!; plus Gators, Owls, 'Bama loses & more

[It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11. Welcome to the Collball Week 11 post. 2) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote (on hiatus; new vids soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: New poll today at 4:30 p.m.: Find the latest edition of the CSM in a separate post beginning today at 4:30 p.m. sharp!

G10: HURRICANES @ VIRGINIA: Final: UM falls to 5-5, is denied bowl-eligibility (for now) and sees its chances of reaching the ACC title game take a hit in a 41-40 heartbreak loss at Virginia. Stephen Morris with 3 touchdown passes, Duke Johnson with 150 yards rushing and a 95-yard kick-return score and Phillip Dorsett with 103 yards receiving -- and it still isn't enough. Canes pass defense scorched all day. The decision whether to self-impose another postseason ban still looms for UM, but it won't be relevant until Miami wins that sixth game. Bowl status and the ACC title game both remain in play for the Canes. ..... 2H: Canes give up fall-behind TD pass with six seconds left, lose 41-40. ... UM up 40-35 on safety after Virginia QB called for intentional grounding from end zone. ... Cavaliers within 38-35 with 5:33 to play. Oy! ... Stephen Morris to Phillip Dorsett TD for a 38-28 lead has UM on brink of bowl-eligibility. Very efficient day for Morris. ..... 1H: Duke Johnson has thrown an 8-yard touchdown pass, had a 52-yard run to set up another score, and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a TD to lead Miami's 24-21 lead. True freshman of the year in college football. ... Credit to Al Golden for suspending receiver Rashawn Scott and linebacker Eddie Johnson for violating team rules. That's a coach with backbone. ..... Original post: Virginia, despite a far inferior record, is a 1-point favorite at home today as the Canes try to become bowl-eligible ... and then hope the university allows them to participate in the postseason at all. Strange days. UM is angling to win the ACC Coastal Division for the first time and get into the conference championship game with no clue whether they'll be allowed to related to the NCAA investigation and the notion the school might self-impose a ban. All Al Golden's guys can do is win, and control what they can control. Like the Canes today. Cavaliers don't have an offense that scares you, and their D has given up 42-plus points in three losses. And UM has more at stake. My pick was: Miami, 24-20.

Poll result: Self-imposed postseason ban right choice for UM: I'm rarely surprised by results of any of or blog polls, but this susprised me. The vote for another self-imposed postseason ban  won with 54.9 percent, compared to 36.7% who want to play and 8.4% who are undecided.

Other Week 11 featured state FBS games (all Saturday):

No. 9 Florida State 28, Virginia Tech 22: Noles rallied Thursday night to escape with a win and keep alive strong chances of reaching the ACC title game. My pick was: FSU (via Pigskin Challenge).

No. 7 Florida 27, Louisiana-Lafayette 20: La-La is pretty good (for a Sun Belt team) but I gave them no shot in The Swamp. Well, Florida needed to score the final 14 points to escape. My pick was: Florida, 37-10.

FAU 37, Western Kentucky 28: Very nice road win for Owls, a 16 1/2-point underdog. That's three wins. Decent first season so far for new coach Carl Pelini. My pick was: WKU, 31-17.

My record: This week, 2-2. Season, 36-13.

Other state FBS games: UCF @ Texas-El Paso, 7 p.m. FIU and South Florida have byes.

National Game of Week: No. 15 Texas A&M d. No. 1-Alabama, 29-24. Turmoil in the BCS! 

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G9: Hurricanes 30, Virginia Tech 12: Big home win has UM in command to reach ACC title game; plus FIU, Gators & more [updated]

[1) It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1. Welcome to the Collball Week 10 post. 2) You may still vote in our Heat confidence poll or comment on new Marlins manager Mike Redmond in blogpost directly below this new one. 3) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote (on hiatus; new vids soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: Voting now underway! Find the latest edition of the CSM in a separate post directly above this one and vote now.

G9: VIRGINIA TECH @ HURRICANES: [Click on Big Milepost On The Road To 'Back' for my column from last night's UM game]. Final: Big home win puts Miami in command to reach ACC title game. ..... 4Q: Miami up 30-12 and sealing it with 37-yard FG with three minutes left. ... UM with a now-safe 27-12 lead on Duke Johnson's 7-yard run set up by Phillip Dorsett's 20-yard halfback pass to QB Morris. ..... 3Q: Hokies miss 47-yard FG try. ... Luther Robinson fumble recovery for Miami inside Canes 5 saves team from potential tying score by Tech. Notably, Robinson was the player whose dad went on local radio to complain about his kid not playing enough. ..... 2Q: up 20-12 at halftime after 20-yard Va-Tech FG on last play of half. ... Miami now ahead 20-9 on 31-yard Wieclaw FG ... UM up 17-9 on 22-yard Jake Wieclaw FG set up by 65-yard run from Duke Johnson. ... Canes up 14-9 after 73-yard scoring run by Hokies QB Logan Thomas followed by missed kick. ..... 1Q: UM up 14-3 after Morris 19-yard TD pass to  Mike James set up by 81-yard kickoff return by Duke Johnson. ... UM lead now 7-3 after 22-yard Hokies FG. ... UM 7-0 on Stephen Morris to Allen Hurns 16-yard pass after blocked punt by Eddie Johnson. ..... Original post: I'll be down in prestigious Miami Gardens tonight columnizing off this, and, as a glass-half-full guy, I must say this is about as big and exciting as a game between two 4-4 teams can get. I'm serious. Va-Tech probably is UM's biggest ACC rival after Florida State, and the Canes improbably still steer their own destiny in terms of reaching the conference championship game. I say improbably because UM has lost three in a row, and slumping .500 teams don't generally enter November thinking any sort of championship game. I feel like Tech might be a slightly better team, although it too has stumbled after a 3-1 start. I also am not sure if the Canes enjoy any home-field boost to speak of. But I just have a feeling that Al Golden will have his guys fired up for a national prime-time stage. College football tips on emotion far more than the Sunday game, and this is a night where that comes into play. My pick was: Miami, 27-24.

Other Week 10 featured state FBS games (all Saturday):

No. 7 Florida 14, Missouri 7: UF dreams took a gut-punch in that Cocktail Party loss to Georgia, now the Gator boys were back in The Swamp to take out a little frustration. They barely did in a result that won't impress any poll voters outside of those from Missouri. My pick was: Florida 45-14.

FIU 28, South Alabama 20: Was this to be the day? Could it really happen? Might The Int'l finally claim that elusive second victory to slightly lift the face of a frowning season? I had little faith in the Mario Brothers but they sowed me something. My pick was: South Alabama, 24-20.

Navy 24, FAU 17: Spinning it positively, I did give the Owls a better chnace to win than if the city of Boca Raton was sending its best fleet up against the U.S. Navy. My pick was: Navy, 31-16.

Florida State has a bye.

My record: This week, 3-1. Season, 34-11.

Other state FBS games: South Florida d. Connecticut, 13-6; and UCF d. Southern Methodist, 42-17.

National Game of Week: No. 1-Alabama d. No. 5-LSU, 21-17. 

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Marlins add amateur nudist Redmond to manager merry-go-round; plus Heat confidence poll, my Halloween video, Tannehill, SOPY rank & more

[1) It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1. Did you have a happy Halloween? We're a mid-traffic neighborhood. Probably candied about 30 kids. 2) Enough with the Dwayne Bowe-to-Dolphins speculation and rumors! (Please?) 3) Visit our video channel atYouTube/TheGregCote (on hiatus; new vids coming soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Halloween video from me to you: Click HERE to watch. It stars me, new Heater Ray Allen, defrocked Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, and the sublime Lauren Tannehill. Enjoy!

MARLINS HIRE MIKE REDMOND AS MANAGER: Marlins interviewed three others including the ghost of Larry Bowa, who last managed in 2004 and turns 67 in December, but the clear frontrunner all along was Redmond, the former Marlins catcher. He has only Single-A experience as a manager but is praised as ready by those who know him. I like the hire. Redmond is perhaps best remembered during his Marlins years for once entering the batting cage nude -- wearing only spikes and batting gloves -- to help break a losing streak. That isn't legend; he admits it. And it worked. The season was 2003. The Marlins won the World Series.

OPENING NIGHT: RINGS ON, BANNER UP, HEAT BEATS CELTICS: [Update: Heat beat Celtics, 120-107, behind 29 from D-Wade, 26 from LeBron and 19 apiece from Ray Allen and Chris Bosh. Click on The Routine Of Excellence for my column from the game]. And the curtain lifts on Year 3 of the Big 3. The Heat NBA championship that was won in June and celebrated with a parade is celebrated anew onight as the 2012-13 season commences. A ring ceremony and lifting of the championship banner will precede a game against the Boston Celtics, who most experts expect will meet Miami in the Eastern Conference finals. Ray Allen switching sides only enlivens an already heated rivalry. Boston is counting on Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (pictured with LeBron) to once again play younger than they are. The Celtics lead the Heat's East roadblock alsong with Indiana and perhaps Chicago. Waiting in the NBA Finals, should Miami returns, figures to be the fortified L.A. Lakers, Oklahoma City again, or perhaps San Antonio. I know Heat fans are confident; the question is how confident? Vote now.

Poll result: Sorry LeBron, but it's still D-Wade: We asked in a recent blog poll who your favorite Heat player is, and Dwyane Wade had 60.1 percent to LeBron James' 34.2. The other 5.7% chose "someone else."

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: OK on one, not so much on the other... NFL predix: Had a decent Week 8 on my Friday pix page, going 10-4 overall and 7-6-1 vs. the betting line. Nailed two outright upsets with Falcs over Eagles and Raiders over Chiefs, but, oh, missing that Miami game hurt. What was I thinking! Greg's Lobos: My fantasy team sucks, or I do running it. Fell to 2-6 with a 124-87 loss. Had nobody over 17 points. Not giving up on a playoff spot but the 'Bos need to pick it up. Let's go!  

TANNEHILL INJURY ONLY A BRUISE: MRI results on Ryan Tannehill's injured left leg showed no structural damage to the knee or quad, only a deep bruise. His status for Sunday's game at Indianapolis is a legitimate questionable. "What he can or can't do Wednesdday and Thursday will deteremine his availability," a club spokesman told us. Meanwhile Matt Moore's status rises as one of NFL's better backup QBs.

McKinnie and strip clubs: Hey here's an only-in-Miami story for you. Bryant McKinnie is being sued in Miami-Dade Circuit Court by the father of rap star Trick Daddy. The allegation: That McKinnie, Ravens offensive tackle and former Miami Hurricane, ran up $375,000 in bills at South Florida strip clubs -- money borrowed from the dad of Daddy. McKinnie told the Baltimore Sun the suit us "bogus."

Marlins 40-1 odds for next World Series: Bovada has new odds out already for 2013 World Series and leaders are Tigers 6-1, Yankees 7-1 and Giants 10-1. Miami is a respectable 40-1 but unfortunately that's fourth in the NL East after the 12-1 Nationals and 14-1 Braves and Phillies.  

PANDA TIME! FITNESS IS OVERRATED: Moms, give your child that extra Twinkie. Dads, let that gym membership lapse. Kids, fat is the new thin! The Giants' Pablo "Panda" Sandoval is the World Series MVP -- the man sitting atop all of baseball -- following his team's sweep of the Tigers. Sandoval in the postseason led the Giants in home runs, RBIs and carbs. Here he is. Mr. America!

SOPY RANKINGS (WEEK 9): ALPHABET SOUP: E.J. LEADS B.J.: This college football season marks 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 9 it's Florida State's E.J. Manuel leading for a third straight week, but narrowly over South Florida counterpart B.J. Daniels. The SOPY Top 10 entering Week 10:

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

1 (1)     E.J. Manuel, FSU-qb     157 = 1,483.5

2 (3)     B.J. Daniels, South Florida-qb     231.5 = 1,457

3 (2)     Stephen Morris, Miami-qb     BYE = 1,241   

4 (4)     Jake Medlock, FIU-qb     110.5 = 1,112

5 (6)     Blake Bortles, UCF-qb     173.5 = 1,099.5

6 (5)     Chris Thompson, FSU-rb     DNP = 965

7 (7)     Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb     88.5 = 946

8 (8)     Graham Wilbert, FAU-qb     165.5 = 941

9 (9)     Mike Gillislee, Florida-rb     117 = 834

10 (--)     Latavius Murray, UCF-rb     218 = 700

Bubble: Duke Johnson, Miami-rb, 692.

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

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G8: Florida State 33, Hurricanes 20; plus Gators, FIU & more

[1) It is SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21. Ding dong, Heath Bell is gone! 2) Welcome to the weekly Collball post! 3) You may still vote in our A-Rod/Marlins poll in post directly below this new one. 4) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: Voting underway! Voting underway in latest edition of the CSM in a separate blogpost just above this oner.

G8: NO. 14 FLORIDA STATE 33, HURRICANES 20: Canes hung with the Noles into the third quarter before faltering. Stephen Morris played but not particularly well, and UM could not muster a running game. Original post: Coach Al Golden was saying it could be a game-time decision whether his starting quarterback will be Stephen Morris, who is nursing a tender ankle, or inexperienced Ryan Williams, but by Friday it was clear Morris was doubtful and therefore Williams likely. FSU is heavily favored either way although, with Morris, I'd have given Miami a great chance to beat the spread on a near-three-touchdown betting line. That's a huge head start to give a talented Canes squad at home in a rivalry game. Overall though it's very hard to imagine red-hot E.J. Manuel won't lead the Noles to the top of the scoreboard. Manuel has a fair shot at the Heisman Trophy now that WVU's Geno Smith has stumbled, and could really feather his chances in this ABC telecast. My pick was: FSU, 31-23.

Other Collball Week 8 featured state FBS games, in order:

Troy 38, FIU 37: FIU, preseason Sun Belt favorite, cascades to a 1-7 record with another heartbreak loss on a Troy rally. The Int't had a pretty decent upset shot against Troy's mediocre Trojans in a conference game. What happened to Mario Cristobal's mojo? Where da magic at!? My pickwas: Troy, 31-27.

No. 2 Florida 44, No. 7 South Carolina 11: Stomp! The Ol' Ball Coach Steve Spurrier ambling back into The Swamp always feels special, this time augmented as a marquee top-10 matchup and the collball Game of the Week nationally. Gamecocks had won past two vs. Gators but I liked Florida at home to stay unbeaten and protect the catbird seat of that No. 2 BCS ranking. Gators were healthier than they've been, especially on the O-line. My pick was: Florida, 24-20.

South Alabama 37, FAU 34: Owls on hunt for that elusive second victory and had a fair shot in this Sun Belt game at S-Bama, which had allowed 30-plus points in all five losses. My pick was: South Alabama, 27-21.

My record: This week, 4-0. Season, 29-8.

Other state FBS games: No. 16 Louisville d. South Florida, 27-25; and UCF d. Memphis, 35-17.

National Game of the Week: Gators hosting Gamecocks (see above).

Note: We're on holiday this weekend so updates here will be done with less alacrity than usual.

G7: North Carolina 18, Hurricanes 14 (Final): Two-point try that wasn't haunts UM in first ACC loss, and QB Morris hurt; plus Gators, Noles, FIU & more

[1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13. Welcome to the weekly Collball post! 2) You can still vote in our Jeff Ireland poll in blogpost directly below this new one. 3) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: Voting now underway: The latest edition of the CSM appears in a separate blogpost directly above this one and is now accepting votes.

G7: NORTH CAROLINA @ HURRICANES: Final: It now appears Morris might miss next week's big visit by Florida State. ..... UM's previous two losses were to ranked opponents on the road. Though very lopsided, those defeats at least could be rationalized. In some ways this loss was worse because, although close, it was at home to an ACC rival with the same record. ..... Stephen Morris departed in fourth quarter with an ankle injury but he'd been struggling. What ended up really hurting UM was a planned two-point conversion try that ended up being an extra-point kick because of a five-yard penalty. UM would have been in position for an attempted tying field goal late in game had that two-point try been attempted and converted. In the end, UM's deefnse contained UNC's high-powered offense pretty well. It was the Heels' defense that proved better than expected, and too much for Miami. Canes now 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the conference. Halftime: question going in was whether Miami's struggling defense could limit UNC's high-powered offense. The bigger question at the half is whether UM's offense, especially the passing game, can generate enough against the Heels' D. ..... Original post: This ACC Coastal Division game reiterates how Miami is held in such little regard. Both the Canes and North Carolina are 4-2. UM is 3-0 in the conference to the Heels' 1-1. Yet the visiting team is a 7 1/2-point favorite. I think it's UNC's three-game winning streak during which a very impressive offense has scored 141 points -- juxtaposed against a Miami defense that has been pretty awful. Also, it's not as if the Canes enjoy much of a home-field advantage at Dolphins stadium, where I'd anticipate another half-full gate. The onus is on embattled UM defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio (pictured left) to get his unit turned around now. Some Canes fans derisively refer to D'Onofrio as Onofrio -- as in, no D. I might also suggest "D'Oh-no-frio." Not sure there's a miracle cure for this young defense. Nevertheless, UM has the offense (despite last week's implosion vs. Notre Dame) to hang with UNC in a shootout. And I like coach Al Golden having his guys mentally ready for a big bounceback showing. Last week hurt, but an ACC championship game appearance is still very much in play, ever more so with a win here. Upset! My pick was: Miami, 34-28.

Other Collball Week 7 featured state FBS games, in order:

No. 12 FSU 51, Boston College 7: How would Noles rebound from their national-title-hope ruining loss at N.C. State? By taking out all that frustration on poor B.C., I thought. And was right. My pick was: FSU, 45-14.

No. 4 Florida 31, Vanderbilt 17: Vandy was bad but not awful; they played South Carolina to a 17-13 loss. And Gators were coming off that big emotional triumph over LSU. So this was a letdown game. Thought UF wouldn't blow its ranking but expected a close game. My pick was: Florida, 27-19.

Middle Tennessee 34, FIU 30: I understood FIU being a home 'dog. Mid-Tenn was better overall, and what passed for a Panthers defense was allowing an outrageous 37.8 points per game. The Int'l was due something to go right, though, an encouraging game. And the return from injury of QB Jake Medlock would be a huge boost. Alas, FIU feel inches short in the final seconds, continuing a snake-bit season now 1-6. My pick was: FIU, 30-27.

Louisiana-Monroe 35, FAU 14: This was a La-Mo team that opened season with a 34-31 OT loss to then No. 8 Arkansas. They averaged 39.6 points. Pray for the Owls. My pick was: La-Monroe, 41-16.

My record: This week, 3-2. Season, 25-8.

Other state FBS games: UCF def. Southern Miss, 38-31. South Florida had a bye.

National Game of the Week: No. 9 LSU def. No. 3 South Carolina, 23-21. Steve Spurrier's 'Cocks needed a big road to feather chances of sneaking up into the BCS National Championship game, but fell short.

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G6: Notre Dame 41, Hurricanes 3 (Final): Irish level UM with a most humbling defeat; plus Gators beat LSU, Noles lose stunner, FIU & more

[1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6. Welcome to the weekly Collball post! 2) You can still vote in our World Series poll in blogpost directly below this new one. 3) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote and join us on Twitter @gregcote]

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G6: NOTRE DAME 41, HURRICANES 3 AT SOLDIER FIELD: Final: Embarrassing. Humbling. Stunning? You don't lose 41-3 wihtout all of that being in play. Miami killed itself with early mistakes and then got buried all over the field by Notre Dame. The Irish defense dominated what had been an explosive Canes attack. And Miami's problematic defense got run over for 379 ground yards. A thorough whipping. ..... Second half: Irish just scored again. I'm getting to tired to keep track. I can't count that high. ... George Atkinson's 55-yard TD run in final minjute of quarter makes it a 34-3 burial. ... Wood's 3-yard TD run makes it 27-3. Mistakes killed Miami in the beginning. Lately it's just Notre Dame overpowering UM's defense. ... Dames up 20-3 as Cierre Wood 2-yard TD follows his 37-yard run. UM needs TD drive now or hopes will start fading to black. ..... Half: Early mistakes have proved very costly for Hurricanes, but credit Notre Dame's defense, too. Miami has only 171 yards in total offense. ..... 2Q: Canes catch a break when Irish miss a 34-yard FG try on half's final play. ... Wieclaw with a particularly ugly 47-yard FG miss with 1:02 left in half. ... now up 13-3 on 32-yard kick. Canes need offense pronto. ... Dames add 22-yard FG for 10-3 lead. ..... 1Q: Canes within 7-3 on Jake Wieclaw 28-yard kick, after holding penalty nullified Stephen Morris 13-yard TD run. First 1Q points given up by ND all season. UM its own worst enemy so far. ... N-Dame up 7-0 on Theo Riddick 1-yard scoring run on drive kept alive by roughing-punter penalty and helped along by a personal foul. ... Roughing the punter penalty gives Notre Dame new life. Canes killing themselves early. ... Phillip Dorsett drops what should have been a 72-yard TD pass and later drops a perfect pass in the end zone, both on first series of game. Nerves? Weather? (44 degrees at kickoff). ..... Original post: Once upon a distant time they called this game "Catholics vs. Convicts." Now they're calling it the "Shamrock Series." What I'm calling it is UM's big chance to prove to the doubters that this team is for real. There are seven Top 25 teams with a loss, and four of them have fewer wins than Miami's four. So why is UM not a ranked team entering this signature game vs. No. 9 Notre Dame at Soldier Field? Because that proof is lacking. It isn't a conspiracy. Isn't an anti-Cane thing. The haters have not infiltrated the polls (that we know of). There are two reasons: 1) That 52-13 spanking at Kansas State lingers. Poll-worthy teams are not supposed to lose like that. 2) Setting aside the easy win over Bethune-Cookman, UM's three wins over like-sized teams all have had a frantic quality to them. Miami trailed Boston College 14-0 and trailed into the mid-third quarter before rallying. The Canes dug a 36-19 hole against Georgia Tech before that improbable comeback. Then they trailed early and got tied late against North Carolina State before winning on a long TD bomb with 19 seconds left. Poll voters have cause to wonder how good UM really is. So now comes the game -- Notre Dame -- to answer all of those doubts. To confirm them or swat them away. An upset victory at Soldier Field and the Canes will blast into the Top 25, perhaps way up close to the middle of it. Because voters won't have any choice. My pick was: Miami, 31-27.

Other Collball Week 6 featured state FBS games, in order:

Arkansas State 34, FIU 20: Disappointing Panthers, preseason Sun Belt favorites, fell to 1-5 with a conference home loss Thursday night. Tough to win with your starting QB and best runner both out injured, but where's that Mario Cristobal magic? My pick was: Arkansas State (no score), as per Herald's Pigskin Challenge.

No. 10 Florida 14, No. 4 LSU 6: Game of the Week to The Swamp. Especially afterward. A rare college defensive battle found Gators rallying behind strong D and workhorse Mike Gillislee leading ball-control offense. I felt like I had been underestimating the Gators all season. Alas, I continued with this prediction. My pick was: LSU, 24-20.

North Carolina State 17, No. 3 FSU 16: Stunna! Noles were thinking BCS national championship and didn't think they'd slip against a Wolfpack defense that just gave up 44 points and about 7,000 passing yards to Miami. A real shocker. My pick was: FSU, 47-23.

My record: This week, 1-3 (ouch). Season, 22-6.

Other state FBS games: UCF def. East Carolina, 40-20, on Thursday; Temple def. South Florida, 37-28, on Saturday. FAU had a bye.

National Game of the Week: What a week! Honors to No. 4 LSU @ No. 10 Florida (see above), but very honorable mentions to 6-South Carolina def. 5-Georgia, 35-7; and 8-West Virginia def. 11-Texas, 48-45. Hope those Longhorn DBs are ready for the Magic Geno.

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