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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[1) It is SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24. New blogpost coming Monday morning. Meantime, It's Oscar NIght! That's big in my house, because my wife says it is. 2) Jay Z and Justin Timberlake's 12-city summer stadium show will be coming to Dolphins stadium on Aug. 16, the grand finale of the tour. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): War! UM vs. NCAA, hot Heat, FAU and prisons, Dolphins free agency, Marlins odds, Ron Fraser celebration. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
Click on Random Evidence for today's latest wisea-- Sunday notes column by me. Lead item: Roaring women. Ronda Rousey-Liz Carmouche headline UFC 157, Danica Patrick on Daytona 500 center stage.
HOW WILL WE FEEL WHEN LEBRON LEAVES US?: The recent column by me (click The Long Goodbye to read) wasn't popular with a lot of people, especially Heat fans, because it discusses what they'd rather
not consider -- let alone during a win streak that reached 10 games last night. Yet this to me is on a scale from very possible to downright likely: LeBron James opting out of his contract after next season and returning to Cleveland. LeBron himself invited the speculation by saying last year it would be great to play for Cleveland fans again. Since then he helped Miami win a title and the Cavaliers drafted superstar-to-be Kyrie Irving, whom LeBron raved about during the recent All-Star break. This week one of James' loudest critics, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Bill Livingston, wrote a fence-mending column saying LeBron should and would be welcomed back. It's conjecture, of course; Miami will try very hard to re-sign LeBron. But the idea of losing him is real enough to spawn this poll. Vote, say why and click back often to monitor the evolving vote. Early results suggest this one could be interesting.
Poll result: Landslide backs Shalala over NCAA: OK, OK. I should have known. I'm a Miami blog, after all. But, still. I could ask if you prefer love or hate and not get a landslide like this. We asked who's more right: NCAA president Mark Emmert pressing the case against Miami, or UM prez Donna Shalala saying no more punishment is deserved. And it was Shalala by 94.1 percent to 4.1%, with 1.8% undecided.
NO. 2 CANES FINALLY LOSE: The 14-game win streak is over. So is the unbeaten ACC record. So, likely, is the No. 2 ranking. Miami lost yesterday at Wake Forest, 80-65. It seemed as if the Canes were due a stumble after several last-second miracle wins.
THE OLD '72 PERFECTOS ARE AT IT AGAIN: It has become a South Florida tradition: The 1972 Perfect
Season Dolphins assigning themselves proprietary rights to watch over what has become of their franchise and, mostly, it seems, to b---- and moan about the sorry state of it. The latest: Former linebacker Nick Buoniconti (pictured), a Notre Dame alum, on a soapbox instructing the Dolphins to draft Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert with the 12th overall pick (even though most draftniks have Eifert going much lower). Dear Nick: I know that GM Jeff Ireland is not held in high regard by many Dolfans, but I think in this case they'd probably go ahead and trust his judgment over that of a 72-year-old former player who last played 37 years ago and is out pimping for a fellow Irish alum.
MARLINS' YOUNG TALENT: The good side of a fire sale is the infusion of young prospects. The Marlins have six in Baseball America's new Top 100: RHP Jose Fernandez (5th), OF Christian Yelich (15th), LHP Andrew Heaney (43rd), OF Jake Marisnick (64th), OF Marcell Ozuna (75th) and LHP Justin Nicolino (86th). Look for Fernandez and Yelich to get late-season callups this year and be factors by 2014.
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Live Blog Q&A/Chat Monday: Thanks to all of today's participants. See Chat post directly below this for a transcript of today's palaver. We do it every Monday 1-2 p.m.
[1) It is TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12. Skier Lindsey Vonn (pictured) was photographed boarding Tiger Woods' private jet. Say this much about Tiger: The man loves him some blonds! 2) Click on Random10 for my latest Random Evidence wisea-- Sunday notes column, leading with Heat-Lakers. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): National Signing Day/UM poll, LeBron/Wade 30-30- Club, Dolphins draft, Marlins prospects. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
"Raise your hand if you don't give a rat's a-- whether or not Lil Wayne was or wasn't kicked out of yesterday's Heat game." -- Greg Cote
"Yes I would love to be the next Pope. And other than not being Catholic or particularly religious, I believe I have as good a shot as anybody." -- Greg Cote
WE ARE A BASKETBALL TOWN (FOR THE WEEKEND, ANYWAY): We just experienced the greatest regular-season weekend for combined pro/college hoops in South Florida history. Because I said it was, just now. It
began Friday night as the Heat routed the visiting L.A. Clippers 111-89 and uber-hot LeBron James scored 30 points on only 11 shots, which is insane. Then Saturday the No. 8-ranked Miami Hurricanes hosted and flat-out whupped unranked-but-still-very-good North Carolina, 87-61, as UM won its 11th in a row, kept its unbeaten ACC record intact and skied to No. 3 in Monday's new rankings -- UM's best poll position ever. Sunday, the reigning NBA champion Heat hosted and handled the struggling-but-still-star-studded-and-interesting L.A. Lakers, 107-97, as LeBron continued a personal hot streak that has
lifted his greatness to a new level. Also Sunday, on the women's side, the Canes, trying to get back up into the polls, hosted but fell to No. 19 Florida State, 93-78. The recent play of LeBron stands above it all, of course. Above everything. The BPOTP (Best Player On The Planet) seems to be getting better and better. Sunday's fifth straight game with 30-plus points set a Heat record, and LeBron became the first player since 1982 with five straight 30s combined with 60-percent-plus shooting in each. LeBron should be illegal. Pictured: UM's Reggie Johnson and fans celebrating, and LeBron -- basketball maestro, the Stradivarius of his craft. What a weekend for South Florida hoopheads!
GRAMMYS WERE NIRVANA, AND I DON'T MEAN THE BAND: Steady readers are aware I love music across a wide spectrum, and last night's Grammy Awards were especially meaningful for me because they featured artists important to me. Elton John performed not once but twice, the sublime Mavis Staples was there, Jack White (pictured) was prominent and there was a Bob Marley tribute -- all right in my wheelhouse. I also have much of the nominated music on CDs (yes, I still buy CDs) or on my iPod, including the Black Keys' El Camino, White's Blunderbuss, the Alabama Shakes debut and more. This to me is a great time for fresh, arriving acts such as The Lumineers, Florence & the Machine, Mumford & Sons and more. Turn it up!
IN GRATUITOUS PRAISE OF KATE UPTON: Well if you can't have a bit of gratuitous sexism on the weekend, when the hell can you then!? Here is the leaked-on-the-Internet new Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover featuring Kate, and it's so nice we're showing it twice. Someone told me she appeared to be wearing some sort of fur hat or hood, but my eyes haven't made it up that far yet.
Poll result: Big thumbs-up for Canes recruiting class: We asked in the previous blogpost and 54.3 were "very pleased" with UM's 2013 football recruiting class given the small number and NCAA cloud, while another 28.3% were "somewhat pleased." Only 13.4% were "somewhat disappointed," while 4.1% said it depended on Alex Collins' final decision.
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[1) It is SATURDAY, JANUARY 26. Pat White signs minor-league deal with Marlins. Bill Parcells ... VINDICATED! 2) Prince has new song called Screwdriver and you'd click the word to see and hear. I like Prince and the song. Not a big fan of the naughty use of the word screw, but the music is percussive with nice bass. 3) Much flap over Beyonce lip-synching at presidential inauguration, but outcry was misdirected. Don't blame the singers for trying to make it easy on themselves. Blame the hiring party -- Super Bowl, inaugural committee, etc. -- that fails to insist on a live, real performance. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): UM crushes Duke, NCAA probe tainted, Miami's All-Star Game fiasco. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
BOSH-FOR-HOWARD DEAL IS PLAUSIBLE. BUT IS IT SMART?: I didn't start this rumor. Heck, ESPN.com
lists seven teams to whom a Dwight Howard trade would make some sense, and has Miami first. The trade would work financially as a straight-up deal. The Lakers could be interested because Howard -- beyond his health and attitude issues -- has not been an ideal fit in L.A. to say the least. Chris Bosh would work in the Lakers' offense better, lending an outside presence and allowing Pau Gasol to work closer to the basket. The Heat could theoretically be interested, too, in that Howard is younger and could provide the low-post presence and defensive rebounding that is lacking. For Miami, especially, though, the trade would be a gamble. It could become a chemistry issue, and it would rely on Howard's full health and his willingness to be the Heat's third scoring option. Don't get this wrong: Am not advocating a trade or even remotely predicting it might happen. Mavericks and Rockets seem likelier landing spots if L.A. made a deal. Worth considering, though, that's all. And discussing. Have a vote and say why.
LeBron's joyful tackle: LeBron James is still a big kid at heart in ways most pro athletes aren't, and that showed last night when he ran out to tackle a fan who'd just won $75,000 by making a halfcourt shot during a break in the Heat game. Click HERE for the brief video. Call this the latest step in the transformation of LeBron's national reputation since it hit rock bottom with The Decision in 2010. [Note: Heat Big 5@40 coming in new blogpost on Sunday].
TOP 10 SUPER BOWL STORYLINES YOU'LL BE SICK OF: [Note: I rarely republish in the blog what is in print but make an exception here because the column below appears in the newspaper under such a
godawful don't-read-me headline ('Lewis top Super Bowl story line') that I feel most readers ran from screaming from it. So here it is...]
I would describe Super Bowl Week — not the game itself, but the buildup to it — thusly: Thousands of journalists bound by custom and formula all writing and saying basically the same things while trying unsuccessfully to repackage them for an audience that not only has already heard these stories, but is sick enough of them to scream.
In other words, pretty much what I am doing right here with my Super Bowl Week primer, a list of top 10 story lines, a national cheat sheet for my media brethren set to descend locust-like upon New Orleans for the upcoming 49ers-Ravens game.
1. RAY LEWIS: Baltimore’s great linebacker (and ex-Hurricane) will be at the emotional epicenter of this game, a role for which he is insanely well suited. Ray is a baller. I don’t just mean once the game
starts. He’s bawling during the national anthem, pulling muscles with his squirrel dance and giving pregame speeches so fiery the field under his feet is left charred and smoldering. Your Friend the Media will plumb the soul of the Canton-bound Lewis and wonder aloud if he is the greatest defensive player ever. Coverage of him mostly will be breathlessly rosy, although some — the Serious Journalists Who Know It Isn’t All Fun and Games — will be unable to resist the temptation to revisit the 2000 murder indictment, later dismissed in exchange for Ray’s testimony against two other men. (These same Serious Journalists also will be writing densely this week about the league’s concussion crisis, a story no less important because nobody cares to read about it.) My hope? After a million floral retrospectives and odes to Lewis’ swan song have been reverently crafted, Ray casually mentions the day after the game that he has changed his mind and isn’t retiring, after all.
2. THE HARBAUGHS: Bro Bowl! Har-Bowl! Super Baugh! This has not been reported anywhere else, to my knowledge, but apparently Jim and John Harbaugh will be the first head coach brothers ever to duel
in a Super Bowl. And oh how the media swoons with enchantment! Father and former longtime college coach Jack Harbaugh, 73, will be more popular in New Orleans next week than beignets at Café Du Monde. Mom Jackie will need a phalanx of bodyguards to fend off the rush of reporters all seeking warm memories of a Harbaugh childhood, and tears, if she wouldn’t mind. For an offshoot, there also will be much contrasting and comparing of the Harbaughs with the N’Awlins-based Mannings: Peyton, Eli and patriarch Archie. (It’s why I have bought stock in media use of the phrase “first family of football.”) My hope? A major news outlet (thinking Yahoo!) will have the exclusive, intriguing interview with heretofore unknown third brother Jasper Harbaugh, but it will turn out Jasper never existed and was the work of the same guy who duped Manti Te’o.
3. BOUNTYGATE: A Super Bowl held in New Orleans the season of the Saints’ crippling Bountygate scandal and resulting penalties will spawn a thousand reheated analyses. (Not to mention vicious postgame booing of Roger Goodell as he presents the Vince Lombardi Trophy.)
4. 'MEDIA DAY': This is the one day during Super Bowl Week when both teams appear in the stadium and thousands of media members swarm upon them. The occasion is such that an
investment in media references to “circus atmosphere” might be prudent. This event is renowned for the Wacky Foreign Journalist, typically a Mexican radio bombshell in a low-cut wedding dress asking the quarterbacks to marry her, and also for the Adorable Kid Reporter, typically a 12-year-old there for Nickelodeon who gets ushered to the front of the line by handlers rudely elbowing through the crowd of legitimate journalists. This also is where hundreds of columnists looking for an easy day on account of a tee time lament the “media excess” and “circus atmosphere” of Media Day, unbothered by the irony that they are contributing to that excess by writing about it.
5. KAEPERNICK/FLACCO: It is mandatory a Super Bowl’s quarterbacks be the focus of the perspective-laden piece placing each man in an historical context, a formula challenging this time because neither
one has been in a Super Bowl before. (Or, as we in the media love to write and say: “On this stage before.”) The peg for Raven Joe Flacco: Is he “elite”? This will be the game that anoints or denies him. Unless perhaps the Ravens win even though Joe had a really crappy game, in which case a reevaluation of the word elite might be necessary. The peg for San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick: The Breath of Fresh Air. Nine games ago, this guy was most known for his tattoos, but now he’s a pass/run wunderkind. Watch an enterprising columnist visit a New Orleans tattoo parlor (say, Tats ’R Us) to discuss Kaepernick’s body art with an eclectic local ink god — only to discover that 14 other enterprising columnists are there doing the same thing.
6. FOOTBALL VS. REAL LIFE: This is the staple annual theme piece for the beyond-sports, big-picture
journalist (thinking Mitch Albom, or perhaps Jeremy Schaap) who delights to juxtapose the extravagance and partying that surround a Super Bowl with the poverty being endured by real folks just blocks away. Any host city offers this contrast, dare say New Orleans more than most. This is where the serious writer notes that champagne, lobster and shrimp the size of kittens are being served at the Commissioner’s Party while, six blocks away, a family of 11 displaced by Hurricane Katrina lives in squalor battling over a can of tuna. (If the actual conditions are not quite squalor, well, this is why God invented embellishment!)
7. O.J. BRIGANCE: Most of the tear-jerk stories will center on Lewis’ farewell and on the Har-Bros, but
here is the real deal. Brigance, 43, is a former Ravens linebacker who now works in the club’s front office. He suffers from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), is wheelchair-bound and speaks through a computerized voice. Lewis calls him his and the team’s biggest inspiration. Bonus: Brigance played four seasons for the Dolphins (1996-99), so he qualifies to fill the coveted Hometown Angle role for South Florida reporters trying to “localize” the Super Bowl for their readers.
8. THE 'OTHER' EX'S: Here’s another Hometown Angle for the Miami guys to plumb. Stock premise:
“Ray Lewis is getting all the attention, but …” Baltimore safety Ed Reed and tackle Bryant McKinnie are other prominent ex-Miami Hurricanes for the Ravens, along with injured running back Damien Berry and receiver Tommy Streeter. For the 49ers, running back Frank Gore is a major player, and linebacker Tavares Gooden is a reserve. Oh, and of course Ted Ginn Jr., former Dolphins No. 1 draft pick, is a return guy for the Niners, so we’ll be looking for local reporters to invite a gloating Ginn to complain how he never got a fair shot here.
9. RANDY MOSS: A thousand stories and sound bites all will portray the Niners backup receiver and once-controversial figure as the “forgotten superstar” of this Super Bowl. Even though he obviously isn’t forgotten at all if so many people are writing and talking about him.
10. LOCAL FLAVOR: These is where media folks sent to New Orleans on the company dime justify the expenditure and prove to their bosses they aren’t covering the game from
their hotel bar by venturing into the city and filing descriptive “color pieces.” These would include the aromatic Cajun cuisine of Bourbon Street, the buoyant brass of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, casual use of the words “gris-gris” or “hoodoo,” and (almost certainly) a requisite tarot-card reading. A journalist’s research would likely also include three or four Hurricane cocktails at Pat O’Brien’s, a fact that would be omitted from one’s “color piece” but be deftly hidden on one’s expense report. That last thing is pure speculation, of course. I’m not speaking from experience or anything.
AL GOLDEN'S "HOMELAND SECURITY" STRATEGY: I find Al Golden's two most recent Hurricanes football hires to be good ones, but more than that interesting ones, for the same reason. James Coley, the
new offensive coordinator (from FSU, pictured top) and Mario Cristobal, assistant head coach/tight ends (from FIU, bottom) have this in common: Recruiting. It is a clear strength of both men, especially in South Florida. Cristobal is born and raised here and tapped in with local schools. Coley is a Miami High alum whose first coaching job was at Norland; ESPN has named him top recruiter in the ACC. I mentioned this coincidence to a
source in the football program. "But it isn't a coincidence. It's our 'Homeland Security' plan," the source said, the phrase his, not Golden's. "Al wants to dominate [recruiting] in Dade and Broward." That's especially true now as the school faces possible scholarship limits by the NCAA in the Nevin Shapiro case. If you don't have quantity, the quality had better be that much greater. The strategy to dominate in your bounteous backyard also sounds to me like a head coach digging in and planning to stay awhile. Golden and Cristobal were at the basketball arena with guest recruits during UM's big win over No. 1 Duke -- a result and ambience that could only have helped Canes recruiting leading to next month's signing day. And sitting right next to UM's current star running back Duke Johnson was the player Miami hopes follows in Duke's footsteps: South Plantation's heavily recruited Alex Collins. My guy coined the new reemphasis on South Florida as 'Homeland Security.' I might call it fencing in the backyard. Either way, Coley and Cristobal are smart hires to help Golden and UM get there.
SUPER BOWL PROP BETS (NORMAL AND NOT SO MUCH): There are hundreds. Some betting favorites that interested us, courtesy Bovada: MVP--Colin Kaepernick 7-4. First TD--Frank Gore 13-2. Alice Keys national anthem--2 minutes 15 seconds. Coaches' postgame handshake/bro-hug--7.5 seconds. Times word "Harbaugh" mentioned during game on telecast--20.5. TV rating/viewers--46/111 million. MVP thanks first--Teammates 5-4. (Sorry, God. You're at 5-2).
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9. Heat today signed forward Jarvis Varnado to 10-day contract. 2) From Bovada: Alabama an early (really early) 5-1 favorite to repeat as national champ, following by Oregon 8-1 and Ohio State 17-2. Florida and FSU lurking at 14-1. UM Canes tied for 11th at 25-1. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
Roll Tide! Miami crowns unfavorite son Saban; UM gets a hard lesson: You could have an arduous debate whether Monday's 42-14 rout was due to Alabama's wonderfulness or Notre Dame proving overrated. I'll take the former. Click on Give The Devil His Due for my column off the game centered on Saban's continued reign. Another quick thought more parochial: 'Bama destroyed the Irish; Irish dominated the Canes this season. I think we just got a measure on how far UM is from being championship caliber.
GRADE MIAMI'S BIG 3 SPORTS-TEAM OWNERS: They have been in the news lately. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross had his postseason state-of-the-team address this week (he likes his Philbin/Tannehill
frontline and says he'll open his wallet to win). Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, of course, was at the center of the latest cost-cutting, angering many fans. Even Heat owner Micky Arison, more of a background guy, made news with a Tweet tweaking Heat fans for not being satisfied. [I am purposely but without malice excluding the Florida Panthers' owner Cliff Viner, who simply is not known to nearly the degree of the other three]. Arison, Loria and Ross are pictured, left to right. This is not a poll on your favorite or least favorite team, but on these three men and their ownership/leadership. I invite you to step back and look at all of the Big 3 owners with fresh eyes and a big-picture perspective here. For example, should one weigh credit for the new ballpark against any animus toward Loria? By however you think a team owner ought to be judged, give a grade to each and say why. There are three polls below, followed by other bloggy stuff.
HALL VOTERS TAKE EASY ROAD ON BONDS/CLEMENS, BUT NOT RIGHT ONE: Today nobody was elected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time since 1996 -- with notable snubs led by first-time balloteers Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, the Steroids Era poster children. Click on Voters Predictable, But Not Right for my latest column, online now and shipping to Thursday's inky pulp editions. Craig Biggio's 68.2 percent of the vote came closest to the required 75%. Clemens (37.6) and Bonds (36.2) garnered around half the needed support. Local aside: Of 37 men on the ballot, 11 including "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine got zero votes.
ON MUSBERGER AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN: I tried to avoid this topic but ESPN forced my hand with its stupid public apology for Brent Musberger's comments about Miss Alabama during Monday's BCS National Championship at Dolphins stadium. You are in a coma in Tibet if you don't know by now that Miss
A is Katherine Webb and that she dates 'Bama QB AJ McCarron. Well, of course, she was shown on screen for about 30 seconds during the game -- it was a game where diversions from the actual football were welcome -- and a very-impressed Musberger called her a "lovely lady" and said "What a beautful woman!" and added: "Wow. Whoa!" It was cartoon-sexist but also harmless, like a playfully lecherous wink from Gramps, especially from a 73-year-old broadcaster who also used the word "youngsters" in the same sound bite. But hypocritical ESPN huffed and puffed and said, "We apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that." Two thoughts. 1) ESPN should apologize for itself, if anything. It was in their production meeting that someone surely mentioned the need to exploit capitalize on the star player having a sexy girlfriend. 2) Have we really reached a point where a TV commentator cannot remark favorably on the appearance of a woman who exploits trades in her own good looks? Seriously? This woman promenades in bleepin' BEAUTY PAGEANTS! Her entire being and life's goal is encapsulated by a sash that reads, AREN'T I HOT!? She is Miss !@#$ing Alabama! But old Brent can't say she's beautful!? Good lord on a horse.
HEAT OPEN ROAD TRIP BADLY: Miami lost 87-77 in Indy last night, a season low for points scored, but the story again was rebounding, or lack of. Heat got out-boarded 55-36, including 22-7 on the offensive end. Warning signs, or at least concern signs, continue for Miami.
Birdman to Heat?: Miami worked out and is considering signing unemployed center Chris "Birdman" Anderson, 34, the former Denver free-spirit who is an aggressive rebounder (a Heat need) but mostly known for his tattoos, evolving hair styles and, well, weirdness. He'd be an interesting hire. For the rebounds, and for the variety. Maybe a jolt in the dressing room would do the team some good.
SAFE-DRIVING SONGS: A study by London Metropolitan University (which obviously has more grant money than it needs) has determined the 10 songs most conducive to safe driving. It's related to heartbeat or pulse rate or some such thing. Click here for the story and list. Hint: One of the song's lyrics is (or should be): "Hold me closer, Tiny Dancer. Don't hit those other headlights on the hiiiighway..."
FUNNY FAKE ADS THAT SEEM REAL: Many know that the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain is owned by a very conservative family that leans on the Bible to oppose homesexuality. It is why many boycott Chick-fil-A and why others have rallied behind it. With all that in mind, I find this spoof ad funny.
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21. See results of latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter in blogpost directly below this new one. 2) Check out our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote (under construction; new vids soon) and join us on Twitter @gregcote]
Marlins' salary-dump trade:Team confirmed that the controversial, locally unpopular 12-player trade with Toronto is now official. The commissioner's office investigated the trade but, as expected, did not veto it.
SHARP DIVISION OF OPINION PRECEDED CANES' POSTSEASON BAN: University of Miami announced a second straight football postseason ban Monday morning, meaning the Canes will go consecutive seasons
without a bowl game for the first time since 1981-82. The move is not unexpected and is smart. Tough medicine, but smart. The university's statement noted this will "allow the football program and the university to move forward in the most expedited manner possible." In other words, get past this mess sooner. Put it in the rear-view and have a fresh slate. "We will get it fixed," said coach Al Golden (pictured) after Saturday's 40-9 win over South Florida made UM bowl-eligible. All of this is self-imposing results to the continuing NCAA
investigation in the matter of Nevin Shapiro, the rogue booster turned jailed Ponzi scheme thief. UM is counting on two straight self-imposed bowl bans lessening eventual penalties handed down by the NCAA. I am told by a source privy to the internal discussions there was sharp debate over whether to self-impose a ban. Not last year, but this time. "One school of thought was that giving up a possible berth in a BCS bowl would give us 'extra credit' with the NCAA," said the source. "But then the argument was that the BCS bowl is the reason to play. We win an ACC title that's our biggest moment since the last national championship." UM did what was right. Miami would have had to win at Duke next week to get into the ACC title game, where the Canes would have been a clear underdog to Florida State. And with five (or possibly six) losses, the bowl game preceding that for Miami would have been a minor one. What do you think UM should have done? I have already had a recent poll on this -- 54.9 percent supported a ban, 36.7% wanted to play and 8.4% were undecided -- but your reaction to the latest news is invited.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: DOUBLE-GOOD!: The fates must have picked Thanskgiving week to look benevolently upon me. NFL predix: A very solid week by me on my Friday Page last week, going 12-2 overall and 9-4-1 vs. the spread. Leading my parade: Outright upset bull's-eye on Jets winning in St. Lou. Fantasy: Hallelujah! Greg's Lobos finally snapped the losing streak and improved to 3-8 with a 107-100 win. Got a silly-good 47 from Andre Johnson but still needed 12 off David Akers' foot Monday night to clinch it.
NORTH MIAMI EMBARRASSES ITSELF, AWARDS KEY TO CITY TO KARDASHIANS: The vapid sisters famous for no discernable reason -- Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian -- were awarded the key to the
city of North Miami yesterday, also for no discernable reason. I have no doubt the Kardashians were thrilled, if only because the word "key" begins with a K. Key-giving North Miami mayor Andre Pierre presided over the ceremony, enabling residents with one more reason to enthusiastically bounce him from office. The Kardashians were honored ostensibly because they are filming part of their E! reality show in North Miami. Either that, or Snookie wasn't available. My immediate reaction when I heard the Kardashians were getting a key to the city? Change your locks, everybody!
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET (A REVIEW): We and two other couples took in Million Dollar Quartet at the Broward performing arts center the other day, the musical set in one mid-'50s night at Sun Records studio in Memphis, the only time Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis all were together. It does not rise to the level of Jersey Boys as theater, or as a story, but I'd nevertheless recommend it highly. Elvis and Cash are performed particularly well, stunningly so, and Lewis is a scen-stealer. One quibble: I'd cut a few songs and add a bit more story and a bit less music.
KESELOWSKI A FRESH, NEEDED CHANGE FOR NASCAR: Spent the day down at Homestead-Miami
Speedway Sunday and produced this column off the race on Brad Keselowski (pictured), who was crowned Sprint Cup season champ. Writing NASCAR is out of my comfort zone but I enjoy it. Most of the drivers are great to deal with, and you can't but help have a different perspective on sports watching these guys perform. Football players risk a knee injury? These guys risk more. Keselowski, 28, is a gust of fresh air. Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and that older guard are still around, but the new champ -- youthful, funny, cocky, a Twittering fool -- is a nice change. Now we see if he's a shooting star or has the staying power to be a multiple champ.
SOPY RANKINGS (WEEK 12): UM'S MORRIS IN DEAD-HEAT FOR LEAD, TITLE: This college football season has marked the blog debut of our weekly State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, which I like to call the "Sunshine State Heisman." Our chart encompasses the most productive
seasons of any quarterback, running back or receiver from the state's seven FBS teams: Miami, Florida and FSU, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. (Note: Rankings consider only passing, rushing and receiving, not returns). Our formula awards one point per offensive yard gained running or receiving and a half-point per yard passing, plus six bonus points for touchdowns thrown or scored. Because our rankings are cumulative, players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. After Week 12 it's Florida State's E.J. Manuel and the Canes' Stephen Morris (pictured) in a virtual tie at the top. The SOPY Top 10 entering Week 13:
Rank (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Week=Year
1 (1) E.J. Manuel, FSU-qb 81 = 1,705.5
2 (3) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 201.5 = 1,705
3 (2) B.J. Daniels, South Florida-qb DNP = 1,585.5
4 (4) Blake Bortles, UCF-qb 82.5 = 1,452
5 (5) Jake Medlock, FIU-qb 180 = 1,395.5
6 (6) Graham Wilbert, FAU-qb 188.5 = 1,392.5
7 (7) Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb DNP = 1,170
8 (9) Mike Gillislee, Florida-rb 136 = 1,142
9 (8) Latavius Murray, UCF-rb 73 = 1,122
10 (--) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb 77 = 1,038
Bubble: Chris Thompson, FSU-rb, 965.
State of the State rankings: 1. Florida (10-1); 2. FSU (10-1); 3. Miami (6-5); 4. UCF (8-3); 5. South Florida (3-7); 6. FIU (3-8); 7. FAU (3-8).
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[1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13. New video! Me on Sunday's Dolphins-Rams game and the honoring of Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. Click HERE to see and hear. 2) Thought Joe Biden won the VP debate last night, but thought Paul Ryan also did well and that it was close. 3) New song by Rolling Stones, courtesy Paste Magazine; click Doom And Gloom to listen. Sounds a bit generic to me but not bad, Mick. 4) Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote and join us on Twitter @gregcote]
Dolphins-Rams on local TV: Dolphins announced that Sunday's game will be televised locally. Also of note, RB Reggie Bush was added to the injury list as probable (knee).
DEFENDING JEFF IRELAND: I make the case in this new column that Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, a lightning rod for fan criticism and likely the least popular figure in Miami sports, is maligned -- criticized unfairly. Has he been perfect? Far from it. But he has done enough right that fans
should get off his back. A point I didn't put in the column but will mention here is that the whole "Fire Ireland" movement, such as it is, has zero traction, because owner Stephen Ross is a big backer. The Dolphins finally appear to have the right QB/coach combination in rookie Ryan Tannehill and first-year boss Joe Philbin, both Ireland hires. The running game and run defense both are very good, equating to a solid foundation. Reggie Bush proved a smart signing. Mike Pouncey was a great pick. Seven starters and seven prominent reserves have come from the past three drafts. Ireland also had a voice in drafting Sean Smith and Brian Hartline, and in importing Cam Wake from Canada. Again, I'm not nominating the guy for NFL executive of the year. I'm just saying the cartoonish vitriol isn't deserved. Time to wipe the slate clean on Ireland. Judge him by the Tannehill signing and Philbin hire, his two biggest decisions. Then judge him by what he does in the coming offseason with all those draft picks and all that money to spend. I had an Ireland poll in the blog just a month ago, showing 70.9 percent with an unfavorable opinion of him vs. only 12.1% favorable and 17.0 undecided. I won't repeat that poll but will offer a different one. I think the anti-Ireland sentiment is softening, or at least should be. Let's see if these new poll results bear that out.
NFL WEEK 6 PREDIX: DOLPHINS A CLEAR FAVORITE (UH OH): I say "uh oh" half-kiddingly, because things are so unpredictable in the NFL -- take last night's Titans win over Pittsburgh -- that being
favored hardly means anything. But I like Miami 19-13 over St. Louis (take that, Jeff Fisher!) because the Dolphins run-D will contain Steven Jackson and the Rams don't have a lot else offensively. Click on Week 6 Gems for all our latest picks. And click on JT & Zach for my Friday Page column. As Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, 99 and 54, go onto the club's stadium Honor Roll on Sunday, I rank them among the franchise's all-time top 10 defenders. (Hint: They rank really, really high...)
BASEBALL'S FINAL FOUR COMPLETE AFTER NATS COLLAPSE: Loving this postseason so far. Bud Selig should be, too. A pair of historic wild-card play-in games, and then all four division series go to the maximum five games, a first. The results: Tigers-Yankees in the ALCS (after NYY wins with a benched A-Rod), and Giants-Cardinals in the NLCS (after STL last night overcame a 6-0 hole against Washington). Rooting interest: Strong for Tigers in the AL, mild for Giants in NL. Would have been much more interesting, for me, with O's and/or Nats.
HEAT WIN IN BEIJING: Your Miami Heat beat the Clippers yesterday in Beijing, 94-80, in the first of two exhibitions in China. Pictured right: Chris Bosh being all adored and everything.
Poll result: Too much pink: I asked in the previous blogpost if a full month of NFL pinkness to promote breast-cancer awareness is OK or if it should be reduced to one week. The verdict: 59.5 percent said one week, 36.5% said keep it at four, and 4.0% were undecided.
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[1) It is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2. Find results of our latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter -- a number surprisingly high -- in blogpost directly below this new one. 2) Visit or video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote and see our latest mini-commentary on Saturday's big day by QB Stephen Morris and the Canes. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
MARLINS MVP: FINDING THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: A miserable Marlins season expires with games tonight and Wednesday, and most disappointed fans are grateful for it to end. From the Ozzie Guillen/Fidel mess to the Hanley trade to the injuries to Heath Bell to all the losing -- what a bleepin' nightmare. I know that when I
invite you to select a team Most Valuable Player the inclination might be to vacate the award in disgust and say nobody deserves it. But we'll be bigger than that. (Won't we?) I think three men have most stood out above the mess. Mark Buerhle has been the starting pitcher they thought they were getting: Solid, consistent, 13-13 despite poor run support, a team-leading 202 innings and 3.74 ERA. Shortstop Jose Reyes has lived up to expectations, too: .284 with 37 doubles, 11 triples and 38 stolen bases. And outfielder Mike Stanton, despite missing a month injured, hit .290 with 37 homers and 86 RBIs. Who is the diamond in the rough season? Vote for the Marlins' 2012 MVP and say why.
JABAR GAFFNEY AN UPGRADE FOR DOLPHINS: Farewell, Legadu Naanee. If only you had more catches than vowels. Dolphins upgraded today by replacing Naanee with veteran Jabar Gaffney, 31, the ex-Gator. Should slot in as a nifty third WR after Brian "Sudden Star" Hartline and Davone Bess. Gaffney's past two seasons (with Broncos and Redskins) were his best, totaling 133 catches for 1,822 yards (13.5 average) and seven TDs.
D-WADE DUMPS NIKE FOR LA-NING: Heat star Dwyane Wade has left the Nike Jordan brand in favor of Beijing-based La-Ning in terms of shoe and apparel endorsements. Change effective Oct. 1.
Heat ranks among ESPN Top 500 players: LeBron James No. 1, of course, Dwyane Wade No. 8 and Chris Bosh 18. Others ranked: Ray Allen 64, Mario Chalmers 104, Shane Battier 107, Udonis Haslem 129, Joel Anthony 209, Mike Miller 236, James Jones 252, Norris Cole 256 and Rashard Lewis 257. What jumps out is Lewis' low ranking. Guaranteed, Heat expects a healthy-again Lewis to perform like a top-100 guy. Wouldn't surprise me if he won the starting power-forward role.
Poll result: Three rings the magic number for Heat's Big 3: In a recent blogpost we asked how many NBA championships it will take for the Heat 's Big 3 era to be fully seen as a success, and a plurality of 46.6 percent said three. Two rings got 26.7%, four or more got 17.5%, and only 9.2% said the one title already achieved.
ON CABRERA, YAZ AND THE TRIPLE CROWN: Carl Yastrzemski, last man to win baseball's Triple Crown
in 1967, was my first boyhood idol. I never particularly liked Miguel Cabrera, the ex-Marlin. Now the Tigers' Cabrera (pictured) is poised to win the Triple Crown. With two games left he is plus-4 in average, plus-1 in homers and comfortably up in RBIs. I have mixed emotions, but ultimately I think Cabrera would be a worthy successor. Among active players only Albert Pujols has had a start to his career better than Cabrera's, and even that is arguable. Cooperstown beckons. If only he'd remained a Marlin. If only.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: Had a bit of a bounceback with my picks, but my fantasy slump continued. NFL predix: I went 10-5 straight-up last week and 7-7-1 vs. the spread, a modest rebound both ways, but numbers to neither encourage boasting nor chagrin. You killed me with those five picks last night, Romo. Way to come up big on a big stage, you Gagmeister. Greg's Lobos: We lost, 149-122, not getting enough beyond Aaron Rodgers' 35 points. You're usually in trouble when your second-leading scorer is your defense (Houston, 23).
AMERICA'S RYDER CUP COLLAPSE: I love to play golf (badly), like it as a TV sport and was riveted by the weekend U.S. vs. Europe Ryder Cup even though the match-play can be confusing. How could the Americans blow a 4 1/2-point lead entering Sunday!? What a choke. Seriously. Captain Davis Love III, face of the team Tiger Woods and culprit/goats like Jim Furyk should all be embarrassed. Get outta my country!
LIL WAYNE AND ELVIS: Rapper Lil Wayne has topped Elvis Presley's record for most charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with 109. However a large asterisk is required. Only 42 of Wayne's songs were essentially his; all the rest found him credited as contributing, often in a minor way. Pictured is Elvis. Nah. It's Lil.
BIRK: RHYMES WITH...: Ravens center Matt Birk has broadcast his narrow-mindedness by writing an anti-gay marriage editorial in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, apparently in reaction to teammate Brendan Ayanbadejo's public comments in support of marriage equality. I remember the simpler days when teammates argued about play-calling, not politics. Birk argues his stance does not represent homophobia. I guess it only represents him thinking he is somehow better than or at least entitled to more rights than gay people. I leave you with the delightful irony of a man with Birk's views making his living, as a football center, with another man's hands constantly under his crotch.
SOPY RANKINGS (WEEK 5): CANES' MORRIS LEAPS TO NO. 2 OFF RECORD DAY: This college football season marks the blog debut of our weekly State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, which I
call the "Sunshine State Heisman" until a Heisman lawyer tells me to stop. 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 5 it's B.J. Daniels of South Florida (pictured) on top for a third straight week, with UM's Stephen Morris leaping to second after his record-setting 566 yards passing. The SOPY Top 10 entering Week 6:
Rank (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Week=Year
1 (1) B.J. Daniels, South Florida-qb 155.5 = 985.5
2 (4) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 315 = 902.5
3 (2) E.J. Manuel, FSU-qb 136 = 830.5
4 (3) Jake Medlock, FIU-qb DNP = 616.5
5 (6) Chris Thompson, FSU-rb 98 = 606
6 (7) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb 69 = 542
7 (5) Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb BYE = 527
8 (9) Blake Bortles, UCF-qb 145.5 = 521.5
9 (--) Phillip Dorsett, Miami-wr 208 = 484
10 (--) Graham Wilbert, FAU-qb 96 = 460.5
Bubble: Mike Gillislee, Florida-rb, 446
State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (5-0); 2. Florida (4-0); 3. Miami (4-1); 4. UCF (2-2); 5. South Florida (2-3); 6. FIU (1-4); 7. FAU (1-4).
BIEBER VOMITS ON STAGE: Hours after the Dolphins left Arizona Justin Bieber performed in Glendale Sunday and vomited on stage. Click here if you dare. The teen- and preteen female audience didn't seem to mind. In fact I hear Bieber's expelled chunks are now selling on eBay.
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[1) It is MONDAY, AUGUST 27. New blogpost coming later this morning! 2) NEW VIDEO! DOLPHINS TRADE VONTAE DAVIS: Visit our video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote to see all of our "The View From Miami" mini-commentaries including the newest on on today's trade of Vontae Davis. Subscribe (it's free) to receive latest videos as they are posted. 3) Musical treat: Chuck Berry and John Lennon jamming on "Johnny B. Goode" in 1972. Click here to watch 'n listen. 4) Does A's pitcher Bartolo Colon being suspended 50 games for a failed drug test mean MLB had just perfomed a Colonoscopy? 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
UPSET BIRD COUNTDOWN: 11 DAYS: The Upset Bird and I kick off our season of Friday NFL prediction pages Sept. 7, and began a 21-day countdown that each day is honoring notable birds. Following the British band A Flock Of Seagulls, today we welcome American singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow.
Dolphins trade Vontae Davis: The Dolphins have traded cornerback Vontae
Davis to Indianapolis for a second-round draft pick. A lower pick also will be involved, likely a sixth rounder. This strikes me initially as a positive deal for the Dolphins. Davis had had a poor camp, reporting out of shape and losing his starting job. And the Colts figure to be bad enoough that the second round pick likely will be very high. However, the trade also seems to be another indication that the Dolphins are conceding playoff chances for 2012 and are firmly in (re-)building mode. The trade also begs the question: Are Sean Smith and Richard Marshall a capable NFL starting corernback tandem. They'd better be.
PS3: ATLANTA 23, DOLPHINS 6 (FINAL): IF THIS WAS A DRESS REHEARSAL, THE DOLPHINS ARE IN RAGS: A 23-6 loss to Atlanta last night puts Miami at 0-3 in the preseason after what was supposed to be a dress rehearsal game for the regular season. Uh oh. The first-team defense was OK, but the first-team offense stunk. So many dropped passes. Pretty ghastly. Ryan Tannehill does not have the surrounding talent in terms of playmakers to make his job any easier. Click on Help Wanted for my latest column, off last night's game. ..... Original post: Ryan Tannehill in his first performance since being named the season's starting quarterback will get the
attention tonight. [Vote in Tannehill poll just below] But the broader picture to emerge will be how good (or bad) we can expect the team to be this year. Whether Tannehill will be piloting a credible playoff contender or a long-ways-to-go pretender should come clear in a way it hasn't yet. The first two preseason games (losses to Tampa and Carolina) were far more about player evaluation than the scoreboard. In some cases starters played little. Likewise next week's fourth and final exhibtiion will be about resting starters, staying healthy and determining final roster spots. It is preseason game No. 3 -- that's tonight -- that will see starters playing as much as three quarters and the effort to perform well and win considered paramount. This will be more of a regular-season prteview. That's why, for example, we can expect to see more Reggie Bush/running/offensive balance. Atlanta and Miami are two of only five teams that are 0-2, so a shade of added incentive will be there. This is the dress rehearsal. We're about to find out how ready for some football the Miami Dolphins really are.
HOW GOOD WILL TANNEHILL BE?: Admittedly the question of how good new Dolphins
starting QB Ryan Tannehill will be is at this point either unfair or more likely just wildly premature. We might not have an accurate read for a few years, after all. (Or at least for a few months). But, this being a blog and not a set of encyclopedias, I can't wait. I want to know now how high we're setting the bar for this guy. Dolfans and others, I am not asking what you hope but rather what you realistically expect. Vote and say why.
Four Dolphins in NFL top-200: Scouts Inc. for ESPN.com ranks the NFL's top 200 players, and the four Dolphins listed are tackle Jake Long (20th), linebackers Cameron Wake (57th) and Karlos Dansby (134th) and cornerback Vontae Davis (179th). The usual suspects in the toverall top five: Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Calvin Johnson and Darrelle Revis.
THE LATEST ON HARD KNOCKZZZ: The latest epsiode of HBO's Hard Knocks with the Dolphins was so
forgettable I forgot to mention it right away. Is it just me or does the novelty of these shows wear off pretty quickly? I mean how many times can you watch and listen to Joe Philbin hem and haw to a player in his office without wishing you were doing something else. Highlight of the episode for me was that one of my all-time favorite songs, Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, was played in the practice bubble. (Click here to hear the song). I also had to smile at Philbin's advisory to Ryan Tannehill about the scrutiny he'll get from the media. "They're not bad people," said Joe, of reporters. "That's what they're paid to do."
NUDE ROYAL ROMP!: Britain's Prince Harry, of course, got nekked in a
game of strip billiards in his Las Vegas hotel VIP suite the other day with a bunch of friends and some hotties they'd met, according to various reports. Harry evidently isn't very good at pool, based on the TMZ photos pictured. I think this is where I am obliged to be cheeky and mention "crown jewels." GET IT!? I could care less that His Princeness did this. He's young. He's single. He can afford it. I do wonder, though, about his royal judgement. Like, in a crowded, liquored-up room full of cell phone cameras, this wasn't going to get out!? No official reaction from Queen Elizabeth or from Bucknaked Buckingham Palace.
THE CONE OF PREMATURE CONCERN: I would never choose the 20th
anniversary of Hurricane Andrew to make fun of our general overreaction to tropical storms. OK, maybe I would. Tropical storm Isaac remains in South Florida's watch cone even though it is veering west and now seems a greater threat to turn into Hurricane Mitt and mess with the Republican National Convention in Tampa. But, sure enough, on local TV last night, we saw the rote, stock stories about locals taking preparedness to premature extremes by stocking up on water, batteries, cans of tuna and so forth. So cute.
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[1) It is THURSDAY, AUGUST 23. New blogpost coming later this morning. 2) TANNEHILL NAMED STARTER: LATEST VIDEO! Watch our "The View From Miami" mini-commentaries on our new video channel at YouTube/TheGregCote. Latest is on rookie Ryan Tannehill being named Dolphins starting QB, a TVFM record-setter for most views. (Thank you). (I say in the vid that Miami's last Super Bowl win was 1972. Oops. Of course I know it was '73). 3) Showtime pulled the plug a week early on "The Franchise" reality show starring the Marlins. Finale episode aired last night, not Aug. 29 as first planned. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]
UPSET BIRD COUNTDOWN: 15 DAYS: The Upset Bird and I kick off our season of Friday NFL prediction pages Sept. 7, and began a 21-day countdown that each day is honoring notable birds. Following the NBA great Larry Bird, today we welcome the influential jazz saxophonist who died in 1955, Charlie "Bird" Parker.
RYAN TANNEHILL NAMED DOLPHINS STARTING QB: It begins. The Ryan Tannehill era in Miami. The rookie takes over as starting quarterback beginning this Friday night in preseason game No. 3 vs. Atlanta and will open the season as the starter. It was announced mid-afternoon yesterday by coach Joe Philbin, and it is welcome news -- the right decision. Also it is a decision [Brag Alert!] that I have been advocating since the first day of training camp, the first and one of few in the media to do so. Click on The Right Decision for my new column, now online and in today's/Tuesday's pulp editions. Click HERE to listen to Philbin's press conference explaining the choice.
DOLPHINS HAVE 8TH-LONGEST ODDS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS: Bovada issues odds for each NFL team making the playoffs and the Dolphins -- at yes/plus-350 -- are tied with Arizona for the eighth-longest odds. The most likely playoff teams are seen as the Patriots at yes/minus-900 and the Packers and Texans both at yes/minus-600. The seven teams given even longer odds than Miami are the Redskins +450, Buccaneers +500, Rams +600, Colts and Jaguars both +700, Vikings +800 and Browns +1,000.
AN OPEN LETTER TO HANK WILLIAMS JR.: "Dear Bocephus: You lost me, hoss. I have been a huge fan of your music since the '70s. I still think Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound is one of the great country songs of all time. You didn't lose me because of your music. You lost me because of the man you've become. Because of the hatred. You shouted to a crowd at the Iowa State Fair: "We've got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!" One of the lyrics on your lates album is, "Hey Barack, pack your bags, head to Chicago, take your teleprompter with you so you'll know where to go." Almost forgot. Last year you compared Obama to Hitler. Enough. This is hate-mongering, inciteful, and by my view un-American. Most of all, perhaps, it is just so damned disrespectful. You have every right to think it, and say it. I have every right to consider myself a disappointed former fan."
AUGUSTA NATIONAL DESERVES NO CONGRATULATIONS: The venerable home course of The Masters golf tournament has (finally) been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century, admitting its first female members, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina banking executive Darla Moore. Years of public pressure and protests led to Augusta to at last act. Some might say congratulations are in order and heap the club and its directors with profound credit. I'd leave it at, "It's about damned time," and move on.
GIANCARLO STANTON: THE REASON TO STILL WATCH: The 2012 Marlins are almost unbearably sad. The dubious fight to catch up to .500 seems lost. The season cannot end soon enough, but for one reason: Giancarlo Stanton's at-bats. Despite missing a chunk of season injured Stanton (pictured) has become the 32nd Marlin in 20 seasons to hit 24 or more home runs -- he hit his 25th and 26th Monday night -- and among those we present the top five HR-per-at bat ratios, updated through Monday's game. Conclusion: Call Mike Jacobs an aberration. Stanton ranks second for now only to Gary Sheffield among the most dangerous home run hitters in club history:
11.93 Gary Sheffield, 1994 (27/322)
12.36 Sheffield, 1996 (42/519)
12.81 Giancarlo Stanton, 2012 (26/333)
14.91 Mike Jacobs, 2008 (32/477)
15.18 Stanton, 2011 (34/516)
ON MELKY CABRERA: Cabrera, of course, is the San Francisco Giant suspended 50 games for a failed drug test in the stretch run of a possible NL MVP season for him. It is a sad reminder MLB is not yet fully past its steroids era, and that stars are still liable to be swept up in the net. Cabrera's shame is compounded by the news he cooked up a bizzare alibi for himself, creating a fake website selling fake cream that he supposedly bought and used unaware of its illegal contents.That's rich! Here's what else should happen to Melky: 1) The All-Star Game MVP he recently won should be vacated and the trophy ordered returned. 2) He should be ineligible for league MVP votes. 3) He should be ineligible to win the NL batting title for which he currently stands second.
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