Greg Cote's Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog

G1: Heat 103, Pacers 102 (OT). LeBron does it again!; plus poll disses Shula, Super Bowl vote no big deal, Tiger v. Sergio & more

BLOG NOTE: Not sure who is seeing this and who isn't, or whether glitches are contained. My blog is among a few at MiamiHerald.com that have been wracked by technical issues all day, a problem not yet entirely resolved. My understanding is the blog may be accessed from some smart-phones and tablets (etc.), but not always from PCs or laptops. Hopefully we'll be fully back up soon. Apologies in the meantime.

1) It is WEDNESDAY, MAY 22. "Stay white, Miami!" --Micky Arison, 2006. Watch for our Heat-Pacers Game 1 post right here by around mid-afternoon. 2) Gut feeling. Newly retired Brian Urlacher is not a Hall of Famer, although it's arguable. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Miami suffers Super Bowl shutout, fishing with Lauren Tannehill, Chicago pays off Heat bet, Sad-O-Meter. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote.

I'm now on Instagram. Follow at user name: upsetbird

Spurs up 2-0 in West: Miami's presumptive foe in the NBA Finals is looking like San Antonio now, although Memphis indicated in last night's overtime loss that it can enter next two home games with confidence.

Click on No Drama, Just Dominance for today's preview column by me on the Heat-Pacers series. I pick Miami in five games.

G1: HEAT 103, PACERS 102 (OT): LEBRON'S 30 POINTS, BUZZER-BEATER LIFT MIAMI: Wild, ultimately thrilling night downtown, with LeBron James' 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists lifting Miami -- and his driving layup winning it as time expired. THIS is why he's the best, the NBA's MVP. Game 2 here Friday. Makes you wonder if this loss will leave Indiana dispirited, or feeling it can win this series. I suspect the latter. After two lopsided series, it feels like the playoffs have finally begun! (Watch for game column online). ..... Original post: As I count the reasons Miami will beat Indiana in five games in the Eastern Conference finals starting here tonight, I must include the reason embodied by these two players as they enjoy an off  day with their families on South Beach. The Heat has superior abs. Our players' six-packs are eight-packs. It helps that the abs shown happen to be attached to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, two other reasons to favor the Heat. Miami also leads Indiana in beaches. On a more serious note, the Pacers' weakness is their bench, a Miami strength. Also think Indy's penchant for protecting the paint will open up 3-point shots for the Heat. It'll be interesting to see if Chris Bosh can draw Roy Hibbert out of his comfort zone, and also how effective LeBron will be against an unusually strong defender in Paul George, who bothered James into 14 turnovers in three regular season meetings.

YEAH BUT PACERS DOMINATE HEAT IN COACHES WHO CAN SPIN A BASKETBALL WHILE BRUSHING TEETH: Indiana coach Frank Vogel did this on David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks" segment as an 8th-grader in 1986. Click HERE to see the video.

SHULA 5TH-GREATEST COACH: DISS, OR FAIR?: It's an ESPN poll to select the 20 greatest NFL coaches from a ballot of 50. Bearing in mind that Don Shula has won more games than anybody, I thought it odd that the initial graphic for the poll showed Tom Landry front and center, flanked on one side by Vince Lombardi and Chuck Noll, and on the other by Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh on the other. (No Shula). When last I checked the voting, Shula was running in fifth place after (in order) Lombardi, Walsh, Belichick and Noll. Rounding out the top 10, after Shula, were Landry, Paul Brown, Joe Gibbs, George Halas and Bill Parcells. Also of note, Jimmy Johnson was running in 13th place.

POLL RESULT: DEAR NFL: KEEP YOUR SUPER BOWLS. WE DON'T CARE ALL THAT MUCH: Oh, the Dolphins and South Florida businesses care that Greater San Francisco and Houston beat Miami for the 2016 and '17 Super Bowls, for sure. But the South Florida infantry of citizens and Dolphins fans? Not so much. We asked in the previous blogpost how important it is to you that SoFla host a Super Bowl. The results: "Very important," 33.4 percent. "Somewhat important," 19.0 percent. "Not important at all unless the Dolphins are in it," 47.6 percent.

HERE'S A HOLE. CRAWL IN IT, SERGIO: This Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia tiff is lowering itself to deliciousness. Golf is rarely this much fun. Sergio escalated the unfriendliness yesterday when he was asked kiddingly if he'd be inviting Tiger over for dinner and said, "He can come over every night . We'll serve fried chicken." (To Sergio's credit, at least he didn't include watermelon for dessert). Sergio later apologized, sort of, lamely saying, "There was no way the comment was meant in a racist manner." (Really, Serg? Seriously!?) Tiger justifiably Tweeted that the comment was "wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate." Garcia is pictured at left eating KFC (Kentucky Fried Crow). Quick scorecard: Woods, 14 career majors. Garcia, zero majors, zero class.

MARLINS SAD-O-METER BACK ON 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. After an aberrant two-game winning streak, yesterday's loss has the S-O-M back on track. Updated Sad-O-Meter: Current record, 13-33 (.283). Season projection, 45.78 wins, 116.22 losses.

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Classic!: Louisville wins NCAA; plus Marlins shut out in home opener (hitters wanted), Masters odds, "Kid K" Fernandez, D-Wade's injury, Shalala verdict & more

1) It is MONDAY, APRIL 8. No live blog chat today due to my being on furlough. Chat will return next Monday. 2) R.I.P. to two women of disparite greatness: Margaret Thatcher, 87, and (pictured) Annette Funicello, 70. 3) Click on Random Evidence for yesterday's latest Sunday notes column. It leads with NCAA's basketball party juxtaposed with group's rough time for scandals. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Shalala's responsibility, UM's risky play with NCAA, Bosh burglarized, Marlins' tough start, Dolphins draft. 5) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.

MAJOR MONDAY: MARLINS DROP HOME OPENER: Marlins opened their 21st season at home tonight with a 2-0 loss to Atlanta and it might be the oddest year yet for the club: A still-sparkling-new 1-year-old ballpark speaking of optimism and better days, but fan unrest and and a low-budget team inside that park. The 1-5 road trip to start the season only underlined forecasts of a long, losing season. Now this. And Giancarlo Stanton's early struggles at the plate are an early concern. You want a bright spot? Despite a blown save that cost him a win, 20-year-old Jose Fernandez (pictured) -- "Kid K" (patent pending) -- pitched five strong innings, giving up only three hits, one walk and one run, and striking out eight in his big-league debut. Very impressive. Very encouraging. As for tonight's opening crowd, the announced gate was a near-sellout 34,439. The actual crowd seemed a bit smaller. Club owner Jeffrey Loria attended outfitted in a bulletproof vest. OK I made up that last part.

MAJOR MONDAY II: LOUISVILLE WINS NCAA: No. 1-seed Louisville was a 4-point favorite over No. 4 Michigan and it was hard not to like the Rick Pitino's Cardinals here. They won 82-76 in a thriller, trailing by as many as 12 but proving to be the better team. Great game. Feels like the NCAA Tournament in men's basketball started months ago, hundreds of teams ago, a million shredded brackets ago. March Madness has been going on so long, March couldn't even contain it. Now, finally, it ended with somebody cutting down the net. My pick was : Louisville, 72-66. The semifinals:

No. 1-ranked Louisville d. No. 9 Wichita State, 72-68 -- Emotional factor clearly resided on this half of the Saturday doubleheader. Wichita State's impossibly nicknamed Shockers were rightly cast as the surviving Cinderella, but heavily favored L'ville took on a whole new level of rootability when guard Kevin Ware suffered that gruesome broken leg last week. I thought only a particularly hot night by W-State's 3-point gunners would keep it close, but the u-dogs led early and kept it tight. Thought the Cardinals were the national champion-designate, and a clear choice here. About the only edge I gave to Wichita State was the mascot. My pick was: Louisville, 78-62.

No. 4-ranked Michigan d. No. 4 Syracuse, 61-56 -- This was doubleheader's better half, what should be and was a great game between contrasting teams. It was Michigan's run-and-gun featuring national player of the year Trey Burke vs. Syracuse's befuddling 2-3 zone defense. Over/under on TV screenshots of ex-Heatnik Tim Hardaway cheering Wolverine Jr.: 4.5. I could see why Michigan was slight favorite, but I just had a hunch about the Orangemen. The hunch was wrong; Wolverines won despite an off-night (7 points) by Burke. But I nailed the score if not the winner. Would have had an exacto if not for Michigan's last-second layup. My pick was: Syracuse, 59-56.

TIGER WOODS BIG BETTING PICK AT MASTERS: El Gato is 5-2 to win this week at The Masters, an usually heavy favorite for golf. Rory McIlroy at 8-1 and Phil Mickelson at 10-1 come next. Defending champ Bubba Watson is 33-1, tied for 12th.

SMART HEAT TELL WADE TO TAKE IT EASY: Dwyane Wade's tempermental right knee needs babying right now, and so the Heat properly are babying it. Wade last played March 29 and could sit until the playoffs. Meantime teammate LeBron James is the NBA's player of the month for March. He also was player of the month for November, December, January and February. No player has ever been POM five straight months in one season. Gee, I wonder if LeBron will be named MVP again!? (Is the Pope Argentine?)

Poll result: Shalala bears responsibility in UM's NCAA mess: We asked what UM president Donna Shalala's responsibilty level is in the Hurricanes' NCAA matter, and 24.3 percent said "a great deal," 32.4% said "moderate," 29.9% said "minimal" and 13.4% said "none."

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Over at 27: Heat lose, streak finished; plus yay or nay on new Dolphins logo? (poll, vote now), Nike/Tiger ad, sad men of tennis & more

[1) It is WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27. Dolphins today signed OG Lance Louis, the former Bear. 2) Tim McCarver announcing today he'll retire from Fox Sports after this year's World Series. 3) In the Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Herald building/stuff in my abandoned desk, Heat worry, Dolphins stadium vote, Madness, Marlins. 4) Join us on Twitter @agregcote.

HEAT STREAK ENDS AT 27: Miami loses tonight at Chicago, 101-97, ending its 27-game winning streak, trailing only the Lakers' 33-game run in 1971-72. Not a bad thing, this loss. Shot at history is over, but so is the pressure. Now Heat can concentrate on readying for the playoffs. Meantime, predictionmachine.com had played that Lakers-Heat matchup 50,000 times and found the '72 Lakers beating this Heat team 54.4 percent of the time. Computer had given Miami a 17% percent chance to tie L.A.'s record and 15.1% chance to beat it, all a moot point now.

DOLPHINS' NEW LOGO: LIKE OR NO LIKE?: Back on March 18 this blog was the first at The Miami Herald to bring you the new Dolphins logo that had been leaked. (It will be officially revealed by the club during next month's NFL Draft). Today my newspaper has a story about how the "buzz rises" over the new design. My first thought was to smile at the timing, at the idea that -- in the midst of a history-chasing Heat win streak and the Canes' historic run in March Madness -- it's the new logo that we as a sports community might be buzzing about. My second thought was to throw a blog poll up in here, because it's fine there is a new logo (it'll certainly spike merchandise sales), but the question is whether fans like it. Is it better? An improvement? The current and new logos are presented above right side by side here. (Sorry about the Mystery Thumb on the new logo; it belongs to whomever leaked the photo). Dolphin Jared Odrick seems shocked to be wearing the new logo, at left. The iconic starburst is a bit different but major change is that the new dolphin loses the helmet with the 'M' and is more stylized. Old dolphin appears to be standing on its tail; new one appears to be swimming. Compare the logos, vote for which you prefer and say why.

HEAT BIG 5 @ 70: Miami fell short in it bid for a 28th straight win tonight at Chicago. Meantime, the blog loves bells 'n whistles especially the nerdy-stat variety and so we started this one we are running throughout Heat season at five-game intervals (although we skipped 65). It's top-five cumulative ranking of Heat players having the biggest overall impact based on eight statistical categories. The numbers themselves might not mean much but the numbers relative to each other give an indication of the contribution players are making. The Big 5 @ 70 Games (56-14, entering tonight):

Rank (@60)   Player   Total

1 (1)   LeBron James   2,707.1

2 (2)   Dwyane Wade   1,869.6

3 (3)   Chris Bosh   1,601.8

4 (4)   Mario Chalmers   1,093.5

5 (5)   Ray Allen   1,027.3

Bubble: Shane Battier, 710.6

GRATUITOUS AMANDA MARCUM UPDATE: Our daily unabashedly sexist dose of Amanda Marcum, wife of Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield, while waiting for the Hurricanes to resume play (Thursday night) in the NCAA Tournament. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the Tiger Woods photo just below keeps sneaking glances up at Amanda.

ON NIKE'S NEW TIGER WOODS AD: The situation: Tiger Woods this week regains his world No. 1 ranking for first time since October 2010 and Nike whips out the ad pictured, using one of Tiger's own quotes. The controversy: Mr. Internet and Ms. Twitter seem to think the quote alludes dismissively to his past marital/infidelity woes and that the ad sends The Wrong Message. The truth: Get upset about something that matters. It's a bleepin' Nike ad. [And in an unrelated story, Tiger Woods Adds Celebration Where He Slowly Licks Shaft of Putter. Man, how I love The Onion!]

THE SAD MEN OF KEY BISCAYNE: Sony tennis moves toward this coming weekend's finals and the men's side is hurting. Roger Federer didn't enter this year, Rafael Nadal unexpectedly withdrew, and now world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been ousted by German journeyman Tommy Haas -- at a week shy of 35 the oldest man in 30 years to defeat a top-ranked player. That leaves Andy Murray the only person left on the men's side who wiggles the interest meter.  

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The Avengers: Heat get 18th straight, payback vs. Pacers; plus UM on All-ACC, Tiger reigns at Doral, Reggie Bush, Heat Big 5@60 & more

Live Blog Chat Monday!: Thanks to all who tapped in today (in the separate blogpost directly below this). We do it every Monday 1-2 p.m.

[1) It is MONDAY, MARCH 11. You know how the Guinness people have a world record category for everything? I went to Calle Ocho Sunday and saw them affirming a new world record had been set for "most arepas per square mile." 2) Click on Random Evidence for the latest Sunday notes column from me. It leads with the cornucopia of March, our busiest sports month. 3) NFL teams can sign other teams' free agents starting Tuesday, and all indications are the Dolphins' No. 1 target is WR Mike Wallace. If they don't land him, they'll go after Morley Safer. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat/Canes, NCAA/UM, Sweetest 16s, Tiger Woods, Hugo Chavez, Dolphins, Elton John. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

UM's Larkin makes ALL-ACC: Canes guard Shane Larkin today was named to the All-ACC first-team, with Kenny Kadji making the second-team. Larkin and Durand Scot were named to the conference's All-Defensive team. 

HEAT-PACERS: NO LOVE LOST AS MIAMI STREAK HITS 18 GAMES: Remember that Indiana led Miami 2 games to 1 in last year's playoffs before the Heat rallied in a very contentious, physical series, and that Indiana had beaten the Heat in both games so far this season. It was in that context that Miami's 105-91 home win last night was big beyond extending the win streak to 18 games. Anticipated a playoff-atmosphere night with two teams bringing out the A-games and the Pacers one of those chippy, annoying, under-your-skin type of opponents. Thought this might be Miami's most interesting game until the March 31 test at San Antonio. Oddity: Mario Chalmers (26) and Chris Bosh (24) led Heat scorers. Cannot remember another time in the Big 3 era that neither Dwyane Wade (23) nor LeBron James (season-low 13) were among the top two scorers.

CANES CLINCH ACC REGULAR-SEASON BUT FALL IN POLLS: Conference regular-season title? Check. UM men have it after Saturday's 62-49 finale here over Clemson. Postgame net-cutting, the whole bit. (Pictured: The Herald's Al Diaz captures Kenny Kadji getting his piece of nylon). Next: the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., with Miami's first game on Friday. Now that's a title worth having. Not that the regular-season isn't, but it's sort of like hanging a banner from the rafters that trumpets a division championship. It isn't what you want. That's still ahead for UM, this coming week ... and beyond. I thought No. 6 Miami would fall into 8-10 range after a 1-1 week and was right. UM is No. 9 in today's new AP poll.

IT'S ALL TIGER AT DORAL: Tiger Woods had a four-stroke lead entering Sunday's final round of the PGA Tour's World Golf Championships event at Doral, and played it safe to win by two over good friend Steve Stricker. Tiger with a lead entering Sunday is like me with a 10-minute head start entering a buffet line. It just isn't fair to the competition. Click on Unfinished Business for today's latest column from me, from Doral. I write that wins like Sunday's, though prestigious, lucrative and confidence-building, will never be enough for Tiger unless or until he wins another major. Tiger is pictured right holding his trophy on the 18th. I snapped it on my iPhone and liked it only because it shows Tiger standing in shaft of line sent down by God just for him. [Note to readers: The phrase "Cadillac Championship" was edited into my column, and should not have been. I do not use the names of corporate sponsors in columns and have not for many years. The phrase has since been removed from the online version]. 

HEAT BIG 5 @ 60: The blog loves bells 'n whistles especially the nerdy-stat variety and so we started this one we are running throughout Heat season at five-game intervals. It's top-five cumulative ranking of Heat players having the biggest overall impact based on eight statistical categories. The numbers themselves might not mean much but the numbers relative to each other give an indication of the contribution players are making. The Big 5 @ 60 Games (46-14):

Rank (@55)   Player   Total

1 (1)   LeBron James   2,304.8

2 (2)   Dwyane Wade   1,638.1

3 (3)   Chris Bosh   1,383.3

4 (4)   Mario Chalmers   893.6

5 (5)   Ray Allen   888.8

Bubble: Shane Battier, 601.0.

Poll result: Heat huge pick to advance beyond Canes: We asked which was likelier: a Heat repeat NBA championship or the Hurricane men reaching the Final Four? It wasn't close, as 91.4 percent voted another Heat title as more likely.

SAYONARA, REGGIE BUSH: My newspaper reporting Sunday that popular RB Reggie Bush (pictured) won't return to the Dolphins for a third season in 2013. Not a surprise in any way, but the finality of it instantly transforms the team's running back situation from solid to less so -- and suggests the position may be a lesser target in free agency or the draft. Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller are the guys for now. Thomas has not distinguished himself and has been a bit injury prone. Miller shows promise but is unproven. Not sure if either is an every-down. Perhaps together they can be?

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Weighing how far Heat, Canes will go. Poll. Vote; plus Tiger roars at Doral, latest NCAA outrage in UM case, Chavez, irate Dolphins & more

[1) It is SATURDAY, MARCH 9. Busy all weekend down at Doral golf but will try to publish a spankin' new blogpost by Sunday morning. 2) Dolphins and WR Brian Hartline agree to new five-year contract, also re-sign backup QB Matt Moore. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Word to the'Wolves, Dan Sileo, Heat 16th, lunatic diplomacy, golfers rapping, Downton Abbey. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

"OK, so it turns out this was probably a crappy idea for a poll. Go ahead and vote anyway." --Greg Cote 

WHAT'S MORE LIKELY: HEAT REPEAT TITLE OR CANES IN FINAL FOUR?: Heat won a 17th straight game last night, extending their club record in dispatching Philly, and clinched a playoff spot in doing so -- for those who had any doubts about that. There have been some sketchy/narrow wins along the way , like that 1-point home win over lousy Orlando on a LeBron James layup with three seconds left, but 17 is 17. On the collegiate side of town the Miami Hurricanes seem to be headed in the wrong direction as the regular season wraps up today vs. Clemson, with three losses in the past four games after the 71-69 home loss to mediocre Georgia Tech. UM got LeBroned on a buzzer-beater as the school was denied its first outright ACC regular-season title. Now the No. 6-ranked Canes can expect to tumble out of the top 10 in the new polls Monday. In terms of this poll question, I don't think it's as simple as Hot Heat/Cold Canes. I like the Heat's title chances more, no doubt, but still think the Canes are very capable of a deep run into the Final Four in a crazy, wide-open season without a clearly dominant team. Your vote and thoughts are invited.

ON LATEST NCAA EMBARRASSMENT IN UM CASE: This truly is becoming a farce. Now it turns out a former NCAA official wrote a letter to the judge who sentence Nevin Shapiro beseeching leniency so that Shapiro might serve as a consultant to the NCAA or as an educational speaker to its members. The dunce who wrote the letter is former director of enforcement Ameen Najjar. Just one more reason -- of many -- why the NCAA should credit UM for "time served" (self-imposed sanctions) and end this mess with no further penalties except those it might impose upon itself.

MIAMI'S SWEETEST 16'S: In honor of the Heat's winning streak reaching a sweet 16, I chose the most notable players to have worn No. 16 for each of our four pro franchises. (It hasn't been a very common number). DOLPHINS: QB David Woodley (1980-83) -- Led Miami to losing 1982 Super Bowl before giving way to some guy named Dan Marino. MARLINS: SS Edgar Renteria (1996-98) -- One-time all-star best known for winning hit in 11th inning of Game 7 in '97 World Series. PANTHERS: RW Nathan Horton (2003-10) -- Former No. 1 pick is fifth in club history with 142 goals. HEAT: Oddly, no Heat player has ever worn No. 16.   

TIGER SHOWS RORY THE WAY AT DORAL: Dream pairing launched the PGA Tour's World Golf Championships event at Doral with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and No. 2 Tiger Woods (pictured) in a threesome with English star Luke Donald. Tiger leads the event by two strokes heading into today's/Saturday's play. I'm down there columnizing today and Sunday. Meantime, click on The Weight of No.1 for my preview column. It was on the struggling McIlroy, who found becoming No. 1 much easier than being No. 1.

CHAVEZ DEATH A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR RODMAN?: Now that Dennis Rodman has met with and effusively praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, an enemy of the United States, he might have embarked on a world tour of lunatic diplomacy, providing propoganda platforms for other controversial leaders who are seen as critics and adversaries of the U.S. Alas, too late now to get with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who passed away Wednesday at 58 after battling cancer. Chavez is pictured in happier times with his ally, friend and fellow baseball fan, Fidel Castro. (P.S., Marlins played the Venezuelan national team Wednesday and declined a request for a moment of silence. I found hilarious the reason: "There wasn't enough time to honor the request." Yes, because it takes a lot of intricate planning to do nothing but be quiet for about 10 seconds!)

DOLPHINS BLAST MYSTERY POLL: A mysterious new poll whose sponsor is unknown has found that 73 percent of likely Miami-Dade voters in a referendum would oppose the proposed tax-break plan that would pay for almost half of the $400 million in Dolphins stadium improvements. And the Dolphins are irate. Club president Mike Dee called it a "ginned-up" poll with slanted questions, becoming the first man in decades to use the phrase "ginned-up." A previous poll found 100 percent opposition to the tax break, but the only voter polled was Norman Braman. Not sure how the question in this latest poll was phrased, but I believe it might have been: "Would you support giving almost $200 million to fat-cat Dolphins owner Stephen Ross while God-fearing folk in your own neighborhood are forced to eat cat food?"

WHADDYA MEAN ELTON JOHN IS A DIVA!?: Reports out of Brazil are that Elton John -- in the country for a Saturday concert -- has demanded a separate room for his array of dozens of fancy eyeglasses at the five-star Ouro Minas hotel in Belo Horizonte. That is  because the glasses apparently must be kept at exactly 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit. I do not find Elton's demand for a separate room crazy at all. What I do find outlandish is that the eyeglasses have run up $3,000 in charges from their room's mini-bar. 

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The Laura Silberman sham; plus Heat win record 15th straight, UM falls one to No. 6, Dolphins franchise Starks, golf's surprise, Bar Eaters & more

[1) It is MONDAY, MARCH 4. Sorry, again, that there was no live blog chat today due to a scheduling conflict. We'll be back at it next Monday 1-2 p.m. as usual. 2) Aside to Auto Nation: The "who you gonna call..." jingle that worked with the word "Maroone" does not work now. So stop it, please. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins and Darrelle Revis, Heat do Harlem Shake, Heat/Canes lead monster hoops weekend. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

THE SHAM AND SHAME OF LAURA SILBERMAN: I saw this on TV and thought it was a joke. Like something from a Saturday Night Live skit. Premise: Female kicker gets historic NFL tryout but is so godawfully bad that it's, well, it's ridiculous-funny. So Silberman, 28, of New York City, appears Sunday at an NFL regional scouting combine at the Jets facility and becomes -- officially, and for all-time -- the first woman to participate in an NFL-sanctioned tryout. And what does she do? She sets women's sports back about two decades. She attempts two kickoffs. One goes 19 yards, the other 13. Then she stops, claiming a bad leg. She had played club-level soccer, no football. She had kicked her first football about two months earlier. Reports are she was unsure how to place the ball on the tee, or where to stand on her approach. She was thoroughly unprepared and unqualified for anything related to an NFL tryout. It smells like a publicity stunt. Yet the NFL played along, promoted her appearance, and the media throng there included E! Entertainment. Now, because of her "first," I have no doubt a quickie book or a deal for a really bad movie are right around the corner. Remember when "firsts" meant something? First man on the moon. First woman in Congress. First black president. Let the record state that the "first woman in an NFL-sanctioned tryout" was preposterously unqualified and had no business being there.

HEAT WIN CLUB-RECORD 15TH IN A ROW: [Update: Heat tonight won No. 15 in a row, 97-81 at Minnesota, led by D-Wade's 32 points. And I was dead-wrong about this being a danger/trap game]. Original post: Back to back the Heat have beaten a very good West team in Memphis and conquered an East rival in New York on the great stage of Madison Square Garden to reach a club-record-tying 14 consecutive wins. Tonight the record 15th straight W should come easily at last-place Minnesota, right? Except you know it won't, right? It's a classic trap game. Pictured: A lobster trap of the type Dave Wannstedt would hang in the Dolphin lockerroom certain weeks. The letdown factor will be big for the Heat tonight. Plus LeBron James has a slightly hyperextended knee and is questionable to play. He'll play (knowing LeBron), but this might be a good time for his first rest of the season. By the way, still not sure what to make of the Heat re-signing ancient Juwan Howard. Can't imagine he'll play any significant minutes. To afford that roster luxury is another sign how good the Heat are.

CANES DROP ONLY ONE SPOT TO NO. 6: That's in today's latest Associated Press college men's basketball poll, and that's fair and reasonable, following a narrow loss at Duke. Top five: new No. 1 Gonzaga, then Indiana, Duke, Kansas and Georgtown. Florida is 11th.

DOLPHINS FRANCHISE STARKS: To nobody's surprise, the Dolphins today placed their franchise tag on defensive tackle Randy Starks, guaranteeing he will be among the top-paid at his position but assuring he will not be lost in free agency. It would have cost the team more money to franchise pending FA's such as tackle Jake Long or cornerback Sean Smith. Assigning a franchise tag is the first major step for general manager Jeff Ireland as he outlines how the coming free agency period will play out for Miami.

WHAT A-ROD DOES IN HIS SPARE TIME: Yankee and Miami's own Alex Rodriguez, when not rehabbing from an injury or denying suggestions of steroid use, is now reportedly busy dating Torrie Wilson, a former wrestler and Playboy model. Torrie is pictured. (Is it cold in this blog!?)

 

GOLF'S CONSTANT SURPRISE: Enjoyed covering Sunday's final round of the Honda Classic up in Palm Beach and writing this column on the sport's splendid unpredictability. The week's script called for a Rory McIlroy-Tiger Woods showdown. Instead the final leaderboard was highlighted by a guy in Mr. Rogers' sweater (winner Michael Thompson, pictured) and a guy who'd had two heart transplants, Miamian Erik Compton. No team or individual sport more than the PGA Tour offers an anything-can-happen/anybody-can-win feel every week. Already looking forward to Doral this week.

Poll result: Interest in Revis, but not for 1st-round pick: We asked what you'd give up to get Jets CB Darrell Revis in a trade, and a plurality of 33.5 percent said 2nd and 3rd-round draft picks, 25.2% said a 2nd or 3rd-rounder and lower picks, 7.2% said a 1st-round pick and 5.9% said a 1st-rounder and more if needed. Another 28.2% would not give up picks for Revis.

A WAR ON BAR EATERS: A "bar eater," according to the Greg Cote Encyclopedia of Pet Peeves, is a person who walks into a fine restaurant, sits at the bar and orders a full meal that he or she consumes at the bar -- thereby occupying limited space intended for people who are A) there only to drink, or are B) there having drinks while waiting for a table. Again, I'm not talking about sports bars here; I'm talking about nice restaurants. To bar eaters and establishments that allow them: Restaurant tables = eating. Restaurant bars = drinking. Quiz in the morning.

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What draft picks would you give to get Darrelle Revis? Poll. Vote now!; plus Heat wins 14th straight, Canes lose & more

[1) It is SUNDAY, MARCH 3. The Catholic world is officially Popeless, but I press on with plans for a brand new blogpost on Monday morning. 2) Headed up to Palm Beach today to columnize off final round of Honda Classic. 3) R.I.P., Bonnie Franklin (pictured), TV mom from 'One Day At a Time,' dead at age 69. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tiger Woods, Odrick goes Hollywood, LeBron's pregame dunks, Heat Big 5@55, Tony Bennett. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Click on Random Evidence for my latest wisea-- Sunday notes column, this one leading with the Marlins lending a whole new connotation to March Madness.

WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND TO TRADE FOR DARRELLE REVIS?: Assuming his full recovery from knee surgery, the Jets cornerback is without question the best in the league -- just what Miami (and others) need. And New York reportedly won't pay him what he wants and has him on the trade block. I explore all of this in today's latest column; click on Could A Jet Land in Miami? The column more broadly is on the huge challenge for Jeff Ireland, and I explore receiver Mike Wallace as the main free-agent target, but Revis is the gist of it. Is it likely to happen? No. NYJ undoubtedly would prefer to not trade Revis within its own division. But Miami is one of the few teams with both the salary-cap space to sign Revis and the draft picks (10 including five in first three rounds) to perhaps entice the rebuilding Jets. If Miami presented clearly the best offer, might the Jets then bust convention and make the inter-division deal? The column is simply a conversation piece that exhorts Ireland to at least explore the deal. Share your thoughts. Vote in our poll and say why.

HEAT JOIN HARLEM SHAKE CRAZE: I guess Gangnam Style is, like, so 15 minutes ago. Now it's the Harlem Shake and your Miami Heat are feeding the flame with THIS VIDEO, shot in their lockerroom. Fans will find this delightful and nuthin' but fun; Heat haters will hate it, of course. Starts with Chris "Birdman" Andersen flapping wings, then segues into a mad carnival of characters (pictured), with LeBron James dressed as a king (natch), Udonis Haslem as a fireman, Mario Chalmers as Super Mario, Chris Bosh with a big ghetto boombox, somebody wearing a giant bear head (Dwyane Wade, I hear) and others in masks. After several watchings I just noticed the player in the horse's head! (Best view at about 0:36 or 0:37). the whole thing is surreal. Weird. Goofy. Great. Notably, the video does not include Lil Wayne. The defending champion Heat have won 13 games in a row. Obviously filming this silly video and having a barrel of fun has distracted the team from its basketball (!) Update: Last time I looked the vid had about 4.2 million views, and likes were outnumbering dislikes by about a 30-to-1 margin. AMERICA'S TEAM!

HEAT WIN 14TH STRAIGHT; ANOTHER HUGE WEEKEND IN AMERICA'S BASKETBALL CAPITAL: Started Thursday night as Hurricanes women stunned No. 5 Duke 69-65 one month after they'd lost at Duke by 39 points. (UM women are now 20-9 and should sneak back up into the polls as they end their regular-season Sunday at Virginia Tech). Last night the Heat made it 13 straight with a 98-91 dispatch of tough Memphis, despite only 4-for-14 shooting from LeBron James. (Pictured left: Who knew there was a movie called Memphis Heat?) Today the Heat played at the New York Knicks and won 99-93, after NYK had beaten Miami twice by 20 each. Sunday's win tied a Miami club-record 14-game win streak. LeBron James' 29 points led a 65-point contribution by the Big 3. And Saturday, of course, No. 5-ranked Hurricanes played at No. 3 Duke and fell 79-76 in a thriller after embarrassing Duke here 90-63 on Jan. 23. (Pictured right: Dick Vitale caught up in excitement of that January game here) Today's rematch was, for me, the biggest regular-season game in UM basketball history. Great effort by Miami, but Canes simply could not defend Duke's Ryan (36 points) Kelly.

Poll result: Most are rooting for Tiger: We asked if you are rooting for Tiger Woods to catch or surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors and 57.3 percent said yes, 38.5% said no and 4.2% were undecided.

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Do you root for Tiger Woods? Poll. Vote!; plus LeBron saves the dunk!, Jared Odrick goes Hollywood, Tony Bennett, Loria's poll record & more

ESPN's OTL on Loria: Thanks again to ESPN for having us on Outside The Lines for yesterday's segment on Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. (I'm second-from-left on the screengrab here -- the guy who looks like he doesn't belong on TV). Behind-curtain tidbit: Club president David Samson also was a guest and we taped at same studio in different rooms, and spoke cordially before and after. He doesn't take personally my professional criticism, which I respect.

[1) It is THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28. Always a test to see how teams respond after loss, and No. 5-ranked Hurricanes men did it very well last night in beating Virginia Tech. 2) I am now following my latest crush @emmyrossum. I get to admit that because my wife doesn't read anything I write, which has its advantages. 3) Can you imagine being next Pope and having Benedict still living in the Vatican? Be like if Barack refused to leave White House. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Loria letter/outtakes/poll, Heat hit stride, Canes football/hoops, Oscars, celeb diving, giant prosthetic feet. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Click on Fabulous February for today's latest column by me, on the huge month for the Heat, for LeBron James and, less noticed, for a revitalized Dwyane Wade.

TIGER IS AMONG US. ARE WE ROOTING FOR HIM AGAIN?: A little over three years ago, late November 2009, Tiger Woods' world blew up when the expose of his serial infidelity ruined his marriage and image. It may have contributed to seriously damaging his career, too, considering his career majors have been stuck at 14 since the 2008 U.S. Open. Once he seemed a cinch to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors, now there are doubts whether Woods, now 37, ever will. The kings of golf's zoo, the Golden Bear and Tiger, are pictured. Are you rooting for Tiger to pass Jack? I sort of am. His post-scandal contrition was a model for guys like Lance Armstrong, anyone caught in a lie, to follow. I think his image is largely repaired and that, in the midst of his majors slump, he has become what he never was before: an underdog. A comeback story. Tiger begins play today/Thursday in the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens as the PGA Tour's So-Fla swing begins. His next majors shot, The Masters, is fast approaching. Share your thoughts on Tiger in this poll, and say why you feel as you.

DOLPHINS' ODRICK GOES HOLLYWOOD: Dolphins defender Jared Odrick is one of 22 current and ex-players enrolled in second annual "NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp" taking place March 11-15 at Universal Studios in L.A. It's a league initiative designed to offer a crash course for players pondering post-football career related to film industry. Odrick is pictured looking camera-ready.

LEBRON: PREGAME SHOWTIME WILL GO ON!: [Thursday update: LeBron announces detractors will not deter his pregame dunks. OHTHANKGOD!] Original post: LeBron James' pregame dunking during warmups have become must-see for Heat fans; click HERE to watch one of Tuesday night's. James had enough energy left over to score 40 points and lead Miami's double-OT win over Sacramento for a 12th straight victory. (Dwyane Wade added 39 points). But LeBron now is threatening to quit his pregame throwdowns because many on Twitter are slamming him for doing this yet declining to participate in the NBA All-Star dunk contest. "Maybe I should stop because it's making a lot of people mad," he said after last night's game. "They're like, well, if you can do it in warmups why don't you be in the dunk contest. Stop it." Yes, stop it, please. And enjoy.

HEAT BIG 5 @ 55: The blog loves bells 'n whistles especially the nerdy-stat variety and so we started this one we are running throughout Heat season at five-game intervals. It's top-five cumulative ranking of players having the biggest overall impact based on eight statistical categories. The numbers themselves might not mean much but the numbers relative to each other give an indication of the contribution players are making. The Big 5 @ 55 Games (41-14):

Rank (@50)   Player   Total

1 (1)   LeBron James   2,123.6

2 (2)   Dwyane Wade   1,476.6

3 (3)   Chris Bosh   1,272.8

4 (4)   Mario Chalmers   832.0

5 (5)   Ray Allen   817.2

Bubble: Udonis Haslem, 554.3

Poll result: Anti-Loria sentiment sets record: You know our blog loves polls. Done hundreds of them. But none quite like this. We asked if you wished Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria would sell the team -- yes or no (you may still vote in blogpost directly below this) -- and 97.6 percent said yes. No other question we have ever posed has gotten such a landslide.

ON THE LEGENDARY TONY BENNETT: Wife and I saw crooner Tony Bennett at the Broward Center for the Perfoming Arts last night, and he was great. I'm grading somewhat on the curve. He's 86, after all. But he was still great, in some ways all the more impressive because of his age, not despite it. I love seeing aging, legendary music artists I have not seen before, and am happy to have added Bennett to a long list that includes Count Basie, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. Bennett was in such fine voice that even showed it off by setting down his mic and singing half a song a capella. He'd just bragged about the acoustics of the hall, and sure enough his unamplified voice was strong and carried. I do have a few nitpicks (or it wouldn't be me). The opening act was Bennett's middle-aged adult daughter (groan), and she performed six songs, which was about three too many. (They later dueted on one). l don't mind a father showcasing his daughter, but too much of her meant tnot enough him; Bennett himself performed only about 50 minutes. I also wished he hadn't abbreviated just about every song including his signature tune, I Left My Heart in San Francisco. He omitted the entire preamble that leads into the title words, on the one song most in the audience wished was longer, not shorter. Afterward, Bennett came out for a few curtain calls but did not play an encore. Despite the minor disappointments it was a great show by a true American original -- after Frank Sinatra probably the greatest singer of his generation and genre.

TEEN EATS DEODORANT: A 19-year-old young woman revealed on the "My Strange Addiction" TV show that she eats deodorant. I have nothing to add but this link.

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Sports in Miami: Still a Football Town or now a Basketball Town? Poll. Vote!; plus Canes win again, affenpinscher, Tiger, the next Pope & more

Hurricanes win again!: No. 3-ranked UM men win last night at Florida State, 74-68. Not easy, but impressive considering Canes had not won in Tally since 2006. Poll position: Protected.

[1) It is THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14. New blogpost coming later this morning. 2) Michael Jordan turns 50 and is on Sports Illustrated's cover for the 50th time. 3) Tiger Woods has confirmed he will play the Honda Classic beginning Feb. 28 in Palm Beach Gardens. Huge. Tiger still the biggest draw in golf. 4) Happy 204th birthday yesterday, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, as most know, is the former vampire hunter who also served as U.S. president. 5) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat and Canes on fire, Grammys, Kate Upton. 5b) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

"I may be paranoid. I heard somebody this week refer to 'Fat Tuesday' and I thought they were talking about me." -- Greg Cote

Click on The Ultimate Double-Double for my recent column, on the possibility Miami this year could accomplish something that has happened only twice in 66 years: One city celebrating an NBA title and an NCAA men's champion the same year.

WHAT ARE WE? FOOTBALL TOWN OR BASKETBALL TOWN?: There used to be no doubt. Miami was a Football Town by acclaim. It was so because, rounded off roughly from 1970 through 2000 we had Super Bowls, Don Shula, Dan Marino and five Hurricanes national titles in a seemingly endless run. Neither the Heat nor two Marlins World Series crowns could penetrate the football armor, and Panthers hockey stayed mostly on the periphery. Is football losing its grip, though? The Dolphins and Canes haven't been national powers in a long time, while the Heat have become just that. Now, too, suddenly, UM men's hoops ranks No. 3 in the nation. Does the Canes' emergence and especially the full blossom of the LeBron James Era change the dynamic? is Miami now a Basketball Town or at least moving in that direction? That is what this poll is about. Apologies in advance to baseball, hockey, soccer, cricket and kickball fans, but at this point it's an either/or on football or basketball. Remember, this is not a favorite-team poll, but rather a read on which sport is now bigger here. South Floridians, how do we now think of ourselves in terms of sports? Folks from elsewhere, which sport do you now most associate with Miami? Vote and say why.

BANANA JOE IS TOP DOG: Affenpinscher sounds like a condition I should see my doctor about but instead is a breed of small dog, and one of its kind, Banana Joe (pictured) won the big prize this week at the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The inherent ridiculousness of pampered, preening, prancing dogs on parade is what inspired a favorite movie of mine, Best In Show, which you absolutely must watch if you have not. Still trying to confirm speculation that Banana Joe celebrated his triumph by taking an unceremonious dump on the red carpet.

IF THE NEXT POPE WAS AMERICAN, AND HE WAS A MIAMI SPORTS FIGURE: It has come to my attention that Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down at the end of this month on account of old age, which happens once every 598 years. Catholics world-wide are abuzz, and speculation roars: Who'll be the next Pope? Enough with Europe, already. It is time for an American Pope! It also is time for tradition-bound Catholics to think outside the box and anoint someone who is devout but also a lay person. My nominee for next Pope, pictured right, is former Marlins manager Jack McKeon: Pope John Aloysius MMIII (the Roman numerals designating the 2003 Marlins World Series title he won). Jack is the right age for a Pope, 82, and is a devout Catholic who attends Mass regularly. The Pope has worn a baseball hat (right); why then can't a baseman man don a papal hat? The one possible drawback -- cigar smoke in the Vatican -- could be overcome. Should Jack not accept the post, my two other nominees for next Pope are, pictured left, Don Shula or Edwin Pope. Shula is the right age, 83, and also is a devout Catholic. He would be Pope Donald Francis LXXII (designating the '72 Perfect Season). Edwin Pope, 84, may or may not be a Catholic, or devout, but has the perfect name. No Roman numerals would be needed. He simply would be Pope Pope. Should the Catholic Church choose to maintain tradition and require that the next Pope be a Cardinal, there is no clear choice. It might have been Stan Musial, but he just died.

OBAMA'S STATE OF UNION ADDRESS: Forgetting the politics or content of it, I thought the oratory was strong. The "they deserve a vote" chant over the applause on gun-control was effective speech-making. By the way, I hate when the other party gets to air the opposing view right afterward. I'd hate it no matter who was or wasn't in office. To me, a president through his election has won the right to present the State of the Union without an immediate televised counterpoint from the side whose ideas and ideals were not elected. I may be wrong.

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Tannehill vs. World: Name best young QB. New poll; plus NSD, Gangnam golfer, Heat Big 5@45, Amazin' Canes win again & more

This is your National Signing Day headquarters! (Not really): Proudly, we won't have up-to-the second updates on whether, for example, the Hurricanes landed coveted long-snapper Lennay Tanktread of Surgery Prep, because we know that info is only available to you about a thousand other places including live on ESPN. However, later in the day, we will assemble all pertinent information and then -- after extensive research consisting of the Internet -- we'll assess how the Canes and others did. Stay tuned.

[1) It is WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6. Hey, sorry I'm late, y'all. Barack and I were off skeet-shooting. 2) Alex Rodriguez thinks he might be the victim of a conspiracy. Looky here. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): How power outage saved Super Bowl, SB grades, TV, '14 odds. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Yes, the Amazing Kreskin is still alive: His publicist informs us the Amazing Kreskin correctly predicted the Super Bowl winner. That puts Kreskin in the exclusive company of myself and about 86.3 million other people who also correctly picked Baltimore. 

TANNEHILL AGAINST THE WORLD: NAME THE BEST YOUNG QB: Watching the Super Bowl the other night at my house with a small group, a friend remarked, of Colin Kaepernick: "(Ryan) Tannehill might become really good, but he's not this guy." I said nothing but immediately thought: Blog poll! This is a Golden Age of Golden Young Arms in the NFL. Just look at the seven names in the poll. All meet my criteria: One or two years' NFL experience, and 25 years old or younger. (The "somebody else" category also might include, among others, Nick Foles, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker and Christian Ponder. Notes on three more: Sam Bradford is 25 but has played three pro years, Matthew Stafford turns 25 this week but has played four, and Brandon Weeden was a rookie this past season but is 29). Here is how impressive the poll names are: Tannehill might be last in some estimations, and he just passed for 3,294 yards as a rookie. You'll wish you had about five votes here but you only have one. So. Which young QB would you most want on your team? Vote and say why.

HOW AND WHY CANES LOST RB RECRUIT COLLINS TO ARKANSAS: I know folks at South Plantation High; was the baseball announcer there for several years. And I can tell you Miami didn't lose highly recruited running back Alex Collins to Arkansas because of anything Al Golden's staff did wrong. I am told Collins' decision was based on two factors: 1) He had built up a strong relationship with Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, and when the coach moved to Arkansas (on Dec. 4, 2012) and took his Miami-area recruiter Charlie Partridge with him, Collins' thoughts immediately went with him to the Razorbacks because of that relationship. 2) The Southeastern Conference. Playing in America's premier college-football conference was something Miami and the ACC could not offer. Despite Miami's history of great running backs, Collins became convinced the SEC stage would better foster a future NFL career. A pretty major blow to UM's recruiting  class as Wednesday's National Signing Day arrives.

PROFESSIONAL GOLFER DOES IT GANGNAM STYLE: It was James Hahn, on the green, after a birdie putt. Funny. Click here to watch.

HEAT BIG 5 @ 45: The blog loves bells 'n whistles especially of the nerdy-stat variety and so we started this new one we are running throughout Heat season at five-game intervals. It's a top-five cumulative ranking of the players having the biggest overall impact this season based on eight statistical categories. The numbers themselves might not mean much but the numbers relative to each other give an indication of the contribution players are making. The Big 5 @ 45 Games (31-14):

Rank (@40)   Player   Total

1 (1)   LeBron James   1,711.1

2 (2)   Dwyane Wade   1,139.6

3 (3)   Chris Bosh   1,087.5

4 (4)   Ray Allen   687.5

5 (5)   Mario Chalmers   665.6

Bubble: Udonis Haslem, 454.1

Heat's subtle early lobbying to re-sign LeBron: LeBron James can leave in free agency after next season, in 2014, and one way Miami hopes to keep him is simply to show constant appreciation, publicly and privately. "To never, ever take him or what he does for granted," as coach Erik Spoelstra likes to say. Two nights ago James scored 31 points on a career-best, near-perfect 13-for-14 shooting. The consistency of his excellence can make it seem routine; Spoelstra's constant praise fights that. James telling ESPN.com last week he doesn't feel he gets enough credit for taking less money to be here did not surprise Heat officials. As one member of the front-office staff told me, "LeBron likes to be appreciated."

LARRANAGA'S AMAZING HURRICANES: [Update: UM steamrolled visiting Boston College last night, Miami's 10th straight win to go 9-0 in the ACC] Original post: I try to avoid hyperbole. Don't use words like "amazing" often. But Jim Larranaga's Miami men are 17-3, have won nine in a row, have risen to a program-best-tying No. 8 in the national polls, and are 8-0 in the ACC -- the first team other than Duke or North Carolina to do that since 1981. Yes: that's pretty amazing. I spoke to Larranaga yesterday for today's column. Being a head coach in the ACC had been a lifelong ambition of his. Even when he gained national attention leading George Mason to the Final Four in 2006, he had not arrived to where he wanted to go. Now, in his second season here in the ACC, Larranaga is proving he belongs. He is proving to be the perfect man to win big and also to grow college basketball in what has never been a hotbed. Click on Fulfilling A Dream for the full column.

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