1) It is SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7. It is Pearl Harbor Day, commemorating the "day of infamy" 72 years ago. 2) R.I.P. Nelson Mandela, 95, who helped the world understand that civil rights was not just an American ideal. Click HERE for a snippet of a long-ago concert that raised my awareness of Mandela and the fight. 3) To the several e-mailers who are asking: I have bunch of back-loaded vacation days I need to use by end of year. That's why I have had fewer columns lately. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes bowl-opponent poll, Disney porn, Marlins sign catcher, Mike Wallace returns, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, SOPY rankings & more. 5) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
"I fear for Elton John's well-being as he performs in Moscow, in a country with institutionalized anti-gay bigotry. And this is our Winter Olympics host? For shame." --Greg Cote
SPORTS-RADIO WARS: VOTE NOW FOR YOUR FAVORITE STATION:Morning show gabber Marc Hochman did his final show this week with 790 and 104.3 The Ticket and, after a 90-day non-compete clause expires, he'll magically appear as afternoon host on rival 560 WQAM. This is big news in the local sports-radio market. Even better, it's the launch point for our latest Sports-Radio Wars poll. We have done something similar twice before, in 2006 and 2010. It is time again. We offer a choice of the four most prominent English-language sports-radio stations in South Florida, and invite you to choose the one you most listen to or like the best. Which would you choose if there could be only one on the local dial? I offer the stations in this poll without description, comment or prejudice. They are listed numerically below. Perhaps we'll follow this up soon with a favorite-radio-personalities poll, but for now, pick a station, just one, and say why.
COLLBALL ROUNDUP: PICKS FOR FSU-DUKE, OTHER TITLE GAMES:Two of our seven state FBS teams conclude their regular seasons today, and there are six other national Top 25 matchups including Florida State-Duke in the ACC Championship Game. Our picks on those eight games:
Week 15 state FBS games:
No. 16 UCF 17, Southern Methodis 13: Knights already had locked up AAC crown and a BCS bid, so I foresaw a meaningless-game letdown, and was right. My pick was: UCF, 24-16.
Rutgers 31, USF 6: You couldn't pay me to have watched this game. My pick was: Rutgers, 16-13.
National Top 25 matchups:
No. 17 Oklahoma 33, No. 6 Oklahoma State 24: Sooners have owned this series but I thought the boys from Stillwater were better this year. Saw Cowboys earning share of Big 12 title, BCS bowl spot. Oops. My pick was: OSU, 31-24.
No. 9 Baylor 30, No. 25 Texas 10: Both rivals still had a shot at a BCS bowl. Only one of them had an unstoppable offense. Baylor said goodbye to its 63-year-old stadium in style. My pick was: Baylor, 52-31.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 3 Auburn 49, No. 5 Missouri 42: Tigers vs. Tigers in the title-game nobody would have predicted a year ago, when these two were a combined 8-16. Auburn, with Ohio State llosing, played itself into the BCS Championship. They avoided a letdown. Team of destiny? My pick was: Missouri, 24-20.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 7 Stanford 38, No. 11 Arizona State 14: ASU's only other loss also was to Stanford, 42-28, in September. Tough to beat a good team twice, but I thought the healthier Cardinal would do it and earn another Rose Bowl berth. My pick was: Stanford, 31-27.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 1 FSU 45, No. 20 Duke 7: Jameis Winston is a free man headed for the Heisman Trophy and the national championship. Duke stood in the way, but it was like a gnat trying to halt a thundering rhinocerous. The point spread was almost 30. That was no insult to Duke; that's how good the Noles are. The Miami Hurricanes put up 30 points on Duke. Imagine what Winston and this offense might do? My pick was: FSU, 58-17.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 10 Michigan State 34, No. 2 Ohio State 24: Buckeyes had won 24 games in a row and had to make it 25 for a spot in the BCS championship vs. FSU. Instead, Michigan State won a Rose Bowl berth. It was a classic offense vs. defense battle. I took the Big O, and was dead wrong. My pick was: Ohio State, 34-27.
My record: This week, 5-3; season, 84-30.
U.S. SOCCER DRAWS WORLD CUP 'GROUP OF DEATH': If Group G isn't the proverbial Group of Death I don't know what is. Eight four-team groups for next summer's World Cup came out today and the United States (14th in the current FIFA World Ranking) is paired with No. 2 Germany, No. 5 Portugal (with Cristiano Ronaldo) and No. 24 Ghana (which eliminated the U.S. from the 2010 WC). Oy! Host Brazil is the '14 World Cup betting favorite, with Germany, Argentina and Spain generally coming next. America's odds got a bit longer today.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 14 NFL PREDIX: COLD WEATHER, COLD RESULT FOR DOLPHINS: Huge game for Miami Sunday in the AFC playoff chase, but Pittsburgh will be freezing, and I think the Dolphins playoffs hopes will turn from warm to cold. I trust Ben Roethlisberger in these temps more than I trust a team from the tripics. Click on Week 14 Gems for full prediction capsules on the Dolphins and all other games, and on King Sport Third-Quarter Awards for our Friday Page NFL notes column. My week got off to a good start last night. I had Jaguars upsetting Texans, 24-20. Jags won, 27-20.
Poll result: Canes fans want Manziel over Bridgewater in bowl, but barely: I asked Hurricanes fans if they'd prefer UM play a bowl game against Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel or against Louisville and Teddy Bridgewater -- the two likeliest opponents. Manziel got the nod, 53.7 percent to 46.3.
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4. Several e-mailers are asking so here's the answer: I have bunch of back-loaded vacation days I need to use by end of year. That's why I have had fewer columns lately. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins whip Jets, DSM poll & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
"It's cute the Heat thinks it has two teams that could make the playoffs. I'd feel better if I was more sure the Heat had one team that could win another championship." --Greg Cote
"Passengers should not be involuntarily bumped from a flight to accomodate a Florida Gators basketball team getting to a game. The game, frankly, is not that important." --Greg Cote
CHOOSE YOUR VILLAIN: DO CANES FANS WANT MANZIEL OR BRIDGEWATER IN BOWL GAME?: This is a tough call but it's looking like Miami's delicious most-likely option for a bowl game: Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Dec. 31 in Atlanta, or Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville in the Russell Athletic Dec. 28 in Orlando. (Bridgewater and Manziel are pictured, left to right). I may be overstating to use the word "villain" for either except that Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner, has done plenty to make himself disliked nationally -- sort of the player version of Nick Saban. The feeling about Bridgewater is more personal to Miami. Many Hurricanes fans have not forgotten that the Miami Northwestern star was UM-bound before decommiting after the firing of coach Randy Shannon. To some, he's a turncoat. Which opponent -- and QB -- do you most hope UM ends up with in its bowl game, and why?
WALT DISNEY SPINS IN GRAVE: A technical glitch led a movie theater in Pinellas Park, Fla. to show two minutes of hard-core porn to an audience awaiting Disney's G-rated Frozen. This is a blog. Could I say it if it weren't true? Click here.
MARLINS SIGN BOSOX CATCHER: The Marlins today agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He has started the past three seasons. A switch-hitter, he hit a career-best .273 with 15 homers, 40 doubles and 65 RBIs last season for the world champs. One negative: He struck out 139 times in 121 games last season. This is big money by Marlins standards, a positive sign.
Red Sox, Yankees and Ellsbury: I can tell you as a representative of Red Sox Nation that the sting of losing Jacoby Ellsbury is lessened significantly by the delight in knowing the desperate, rudderless Yankees have grossly overspent, yet again.
MIKE WALLACE ON RETURNING TO PITTSBOO: Dolphin Mike Wallace, today, on his Sunday return to Pittsburgh to face his former team: "I already know how my welcome is going to be, it’s not going to be too pretty, I’m looking forward to it, though." Does he expect booing? "Definitely. Yeah." On what he'd say to angry Pittsburgh fans: "I wouldn’t say too much. Everything happens for a reason. At the end of the day, this is still a business. You can’t get caught up in too many feelings and emotions. Most people won’t understand that, so I wouldn’t even try to even explain."
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 13: MORE HEARTBREAK AND AWFULNESS: It's just been one of those seasons, folks... NFL predix: Went 9-7 overall and a miserable 5-11 against the spread this past week. A few nice picks, like Dolphins' (mini) upset and Texans-with points over Pats, but not nearly enough. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos fell to 2-11 but I continue to insist I'm not that bad. This week I lost 146-144 to our league's top team, placing eight of nine positions in double-digit points. (Did I just say my 2-11 team isn't that bad? I think I did).
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 14: WINSTON HAS ALL BUT CLINCHED: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. Current leader, FSU QB Jameis Winston, broke that record. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Final, expanded SOPY standings will appear next week. UCF and USF have one regular season game left, meaning Blake Bortles still has a very slim mathematical chance to overtake Winston. Our 2013 standings entering Week 15:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk14=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 189.5 = 2,107
2 (3) Jacquez Johnson, FAU-qb 225 = 1,866
3 (2) Blake Bortles, UCF-qb 107.5 = 1,817
4 (4) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 166 = 1,560
5 (5) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 64 = 1,284
6 (8) Allen Hurns, Miami-wr 173 = 1,187
7 (6) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 61 = 1,165
8 (7) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb DNP = 1,051
9 (9) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 25 = 977
10 (--) Kelvin Benjamin, FSU-wr 230 = 910
Bubble: Kenny Shaw, FSU-wr, 885. Other team leaders: USF--Marcus Shaw-rb, 857; Florida--Tyler Murphy-qb, 723; FIU--Lamarq Caldwell-rb, 620. Note: UCF and USF have played 11 games, all others 12 each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (12-0); 2. UCF (10-1); 3. Miami (9-3); 4. FAU (6-6); 5. Florida (4-8); 6. USF (2-9); 7. FIU (1-11).
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1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30. Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My turkey soup recipe is below. (Click on the image at right for the disturbing animated version). 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Thanksgiving Special, Bird Day NFL picks, Bullygate Thanksgiving video & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Significant Bullygate update: The Dolphins and suspended bully Richie Incognito reached an agreement to extend Incognito's team suspension with pay. This is significant. It positions Miami to reinstate Incognito if the findings of Ted Wells' NFL investigation make that plausible from a public relations standpoint. It had earlier been reported Incognito would never again play for Miami. Well, that no longer seems nearly as certain.
COLLBALL WEEK 14
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G12: Results are in on the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 78.0 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday's 41-31 victory at Pittsburgh putting Mami's final regular-season record at 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. That is UM's highest CSM rating since Week 6. (This is not the season-ending CSM poll; we'll have a final one after the bowl game). This is the fifth year for these polls in our blog. They are your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, program's direction, and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Polls never close, but results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that will be around 9 a.m. Sunday.
2013 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 82.9% (19.9-very, 63.0-somewhat) following 34-6 victory vs. FAU.
G2: 96.7% (71.2-v, 25.5-s) following 21-16 victory vs. Florida.
G3: 95.7% (77.2-v, 18.5-s) following 77-7 victory vs. Savannah State.
G4: 97.6% (67.9-v, 29.7-s) following 49-21 victory at South Florida.
G5: 95.8% (60.4-v, 35.4-s) following 45-30 victory vs. Georgia Tech.
G6: 82.3% (41.8-v, 40.5-s) following 27-23 victory at North Carolina.
G7: 68.4% (31.2-v, 37.2-s) following 24-21 victory vs. Wake Forest.
G8: 65.7% (28.5-v, 37.2-s) following 41-14 loss at Florida State.
G9: 15.1% (4.7-v, 10.4-s) following 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G10: 5.7% (2.5-v, 3.2-s) following 48-30 loss at Duke.
G11: 51.1% (6.2-v, 44.9-s) following 45-26 victory vs. Virginia.
G12: 78.0% (21.9-v, 56.1-s) following 41-31 victory at Pitt.
Next/Final poll: Following bowl game, date TBD
G12: HURRICANES @ PITT: Final: The bad news? UM's defense was spotty, especially against the run. The good news? Everything else. Stephen Morris threw for almost 300 yards, Stacy Coley had three long TD plays totaling 139 yards, and Allen Hurns had nine catches for 173 yards to cap a terrific regular season for him. With the win bowl-bound Miami still had a chance to sneak into the ACC title game vs. FSU, but that ended when Duke won Saturday. ..... Halftime: The Stacy Coley Show, starring Stacy Coley. TD passes of 32 and 34 yards and a 73-yard TD run are about all you need to know of Miami's easy first half and comfy lead. The scary thing? Coley should have four TDs; he dropped a perfect pass in the end zone. ..... Original post: National television on ABC. Freezing-cold weather. Regular- season finales with bowl positioning in play. Lots to like about today's Canes at Pittsburgh game. For 8-3 Miami, a narrow favorite, a win also could see The U creep back up into the polls and keep slim ACC title-game hopes alive. Panthers are 6-5, pretty good, but Canes should win if Stephen Morris masters the conditions and turnovers are not a factor. (Admittedly, a lot to ask). The Hurricanes, with a win, are projected to meet either Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta) or Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando). That means Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater, so UM had better pack its pass defense for the trip. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Beat Pitt today, or the bowl stakes shrink. My pick was: Miami, 28-24.
Other Week 14 state FBS games, chronologically:
FAU 21, FIU 6: The annual rivalry for the Don Shula Trophy was more of a Nightmare Bowl this year. FIU was a miserable 1-10. FAU had lost its head coach to a drug-related scandal around midseason -- but rallied and became bowl-eligible today. Remember: You can't spell "bowl" with "OWL"! My pick was: FAU, 37-13.
No. 19 UCF 23, USF 20: The Knights are rolling to an AAC title and major BCS bowl game and wouldn't be stopped by the ornery Bulls, but this one took a late escape. My pick was: UCF, 28-7.
No. 2 Florida State 37, Florida 7: Was this where we were supposed to pretend that the rivalry and home field and pride and all that good stuff would somehow turn this into a competitive game? I wouldn't bet on it. Jameis Winston,under investigation in a sexual assault case, calls the field his "sanctuary" and continues to thrive despite the distraction. Was close for a long while, but then the FSU offensive dam burst as you knew it would. My pick was: FSU, 41-14.
Week 14 national Top 25 matchups (all Saturday):
No. 4 Auburn 34, No. 1 Alabama 28: Iron Bowl was the Game of the Week and fittingly ended with a thrill, a 106-yard Auburn TD return of a missed field goal. Nick Saban out-coached himself to lose another shot at a national title. My pick was: Alabama, 31-21.
No. 10 South Carolina, 31, No. 6 Clemson 17: This was first time in 111 meetings both had been top-10 as both Tigers and 'Cocks angled for a BCS bowl. My pick was: Upset. Clemson, 27-24.
No. 8 Stanford 27, No. 25 Notre Dame 20: Stanford drive to a Rose Bowl wouldn't be derailed by the Irish. My pick was: Stanford, 27-21 (one point from an exact score).
No. 5 Missouri 28, No. 21 Texas A&M 21: Mizzou needed the win for the SEC East title and got it at home. Johnny Manziel is now 0-4 against ranked teams this year. My pick was: Missouri, 38-31.
No. 22 UCLA 35, No. 23 Southern Cal 14: USC had won five straight this season under Ed Orgeron, and seven in a row at home in this rivalry. My pick was: Southern Cal, 27-20.
My record: This week, 6-3; season, 79-27.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 13 NFL PREDIX: DOLPHINS BEAT STINKIN' JETS: Dolphins a slight underdog at Jets Sunday but Geno Smith will find a way to see a Miami victory. Rivals might both be 5-6 but don't let the haters tell you it isn't a big game. Winner will still have a decent shot at an AFC wild-card playoff berth. Click on Week 13 Gems for full prediction capsules on the Dolphins and all other games, and on Outlook Cloudy for my NFL notes column, leading with the playoff picture. My week got off to a decent start with the Thanksgiving Day tripleheader; I went 2-1 straight-up and the same against the spread.
SAVE THE CARCASS! GREG'S TURKEY SOUP RECIPE:(Photo of soup taken on my kitchen counter, 2:45 p.m. Friday) To make stock, submerge turkey carcass in 3 quarts water. Rough-chop and add a handful each of celery, onion and carrots. Add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper and teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer at least 1 hour. Strain and reserve stock. Pick remaining meat from carcass and add to pot, along with 2 cups chopped leftover turkey, 1 cup of diced onion, 1 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup fined-diced carrots and 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning. Add 1 1/2 cups uncooked ditalini (white rice may be substituted). Stir, simmer until pasta is done. Stir in handful of fried onion crumbles, and S&P to taste. Serve. (Good now, better reheated tomorrow). Enjoy!
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27. Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends. 2) I am shocked and dismayed that TV's Family Guy would kill Brian the Dog (pictured), my favorite erudite cartoon animal of all-time. Still hoping it's a Beatles/Paul-is-dead styled hoax. 3 In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall to Carolina, DSM & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
"What the hell!? I thought this was supposed to be a sports blog!" Well, it is. Mostly. And usually. But occasionally real life intervenes...
A REFERENDUM ON RYAN TANNEHILL: The Dolphins' young quarterback is now 27 games into his NFL career. This might be too soon for hard conclusions, but it is not too soon for opinions to be forming, and setting, like wet cement turning by degrees to stone. You know the Dolphins' offense has struggled, but how much of that is on Tannehill? What is your faith in him moving forward? This poll may provide a glimpse of our collective opinion. Vote and say why.
AWFUL 'KNOCKOUT GAME' AN EXTENSION OF AMERICA'S GLORIFYING OF VIOLENCE: If you haven't yet heard of the so-called "Knockout Game," it will disturb you. Or should, anyway. In the "game," someone comes up to an innocent, unsuspecting victim and sucker-punches him or her with the violent intention of knocking them unconcious -- just for fun. For fun. Victims have included the elderly. Deaths have been reported. It is an awful, sub-human trend in crime. Click here for a general backgrounder, and here for the perspective of BlackAmericaWeb.com, which says the "game" has its roots among urban African-American youth. I read this quote from Chuck Williams, a Drexel University psychology professor and expert on youth crime: "We market violence to our children and we wonder why they're violent." He's so right, of course. There are video games that outrageously make sport of violence and killing. There are sports themselves -- I'm thinking UFC -- that are just short of barbaric. Am I blaming mixed martials arts for the Knockout Game? No. But there is at least a subliminal link between a society that cheers UFC and a society whose children make a sport of punching someone into submission. What's the point of even denying it?
'Knockout Game' news update: I have been made aware, because of this blog item, that a class-action lawsuit is pending against the makers of the video game Grand Theft Auto V, over claims the video depicts and encourages 'knockout' crimes. (Click here for a GTAV tutorial on how game players can best utilize a knockout punch).
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 12: LOBOS WIN! LOBOS WIN!: Been a long season, folks, so yes is I doexaggerate the good news. NFL predix: Went only 7-6-1 overall but a solid 8-5-1 against the spread, including outright upset calls on Pats over Broncos ("Aawwk!"), Titans over Raiders and Steelers over Browns, plus Bucs and Chargers with points. Why can't I do that every week! Fantasy: Greg's Lobos finally won again! It was 151-128 with five guys scoring in the 20s to end a Texans-esque nine-game losing streak and improve to 2-10.
FAST FORWARD TO HEAT-PACERS, PLEASE: With Chicago's Derrick Rose out for the season (again) and Brooklyn a shambles, can we just fast-forward to a Heat-Pacers Eastern finals, please? A lot of air just went out of this NBA regular season for me. The only question is who gets the No. 1 seed, and right now Indiana seems hell-bent to have it. (Apropos of nothing, click HERE for a well-made Samsung video on LeBron James. I say well-made because it starts out with some nice publicity for the Miami Herald. Yee-uhh.
AN HOMAGE TO THE EAGLES: We saw the Eagles perform the other night at the Heat arena (Pat Riley was there), and I'm happy to say the name of their latest tour, The History of the Eagles, is apt. Anyone who has followed this band since its 1970s heydays will enjoy the chronology of the concert. It begins with just co-founders Don Henley and Glenn Frey on stage, acoustically recalling the band's origin. The stage is gradually populated in order, ending with crowd favorite Joe Walsh. There were a few lesser-known cuts but mostly the show sticks to the greatest hits. The sold-out crowd ate it up. For me, any discussion of Greatest American Bands must start with the Beach Boys, Eagles and Springsteen's E Street Band. Then I might swoop in with the Greateful Dead and Pearl Jam. Who'd make your top five in the category?
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 13: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. The current leader, FSU QB Jameis Winston, already has surpassed that total. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 14:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk13=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 117.5 = 1,917.5
2 (2) Blake Bortles, UCF-qb 181.5 = 1,709.5
3 (3) Jaquez Johnson, FAU-qb 257.5 = 1,641
4 (4) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 119 = 1,394
5 (5) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 99 = 1,220
6 (7) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 141 = 1,104
7 (6) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb DNP = 1,051
8 (9) Allen Hurns, Miami-wr 132 = 1,014
9 (8) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 29 = 952
10 (--) Kenny Shaw, FSU-wr 119 = 858
Bubble: Rannell Hall, UCF-wr, 822. Other team leaders: USF--Marcus Shaw-rb, 770; Florida--Tyler Murphy-qb, 723; FIU--Lamarq Caldwell-rb, 603. Note: UCF and USF have played 10 games, all others 11 each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (11-0); 2. UCF (9-1); 3. Miami (8-3); 4. FAU (5-6); 5. Florida (4-7); 6. USF (2-8); 7. FIU (1-10).
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1) It is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22. I'm up in Random Evidence Laboratories summoning Sunday's notes-column package. 2) Happy 70th birthday, Billie Jean King. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Ted Wells brings fabulous mustache to Miami, NFL's anti-bullying initiative, Elvis and Lennon as they'd look today, 790 fires P.D., Dolphin cheerleader on Beautiful People list, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, SOPY rankings & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
It was 50 years ago today: John F. Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963 happened in my lifetime, but barely. I have a first grader's faintest memory of being sent home from school, walking into my house in west Hollywood, and seeing my mother transfixed by the TV, watching history unfold in black and white, and sobbing. JFK was not a man or a president to me, he was an image, a symbol. Fifty years later he is still that, handsome and unaged. Any fellow oldies out there who remember 50 years ago today?
THE RIGHTS AND WRONGS OF THE 2013 DOLPHINS: Miami at 5-5 is one of nine AFC teams with five or four wins and in a mad scrum for the final playoff spot. Should make for a finish to the season that is more exciting than the team itself. Here are some things that have gone Right and Wrong to land the Dolphins where they are, which is teetering between good and bad, between a team that gives you hope and gives you headaches. Four Rights, Four Wrongs in random order:
Right: Charles Clay: The young tight end is blossoming into an offensive force. Not Rob Gronkowski/Jimmy Graham, but good enough and better than Miami has had lately. He has 42 catches for 474 yards, and a team-leading four TD receptions and 258 yards-after-catch.
Right: Pass defense: It isn't great or consistent, but it has exceeded expectations. Helped by the Cam Wake-led pass rush, Miami's defense has the sixth-lowest opponent passer rating (77.4) and is tied for sixth with 13 interceptions. Only three teams have given up fewer than Miami's 11 touchdown passes allowed. Dimitri Patterson's four INTs and Brent Grimes' three (with 12 passes defensed) have given the secondary some unaccustomed impact.
Right: The punter: Seriously. Brandon Fields' 49.3 average leads the league and his 42.4 net average is fifth. On a field-position-minded team not exactly making scoreboards break with overuse, that's big.
Right: Ryan Tannehill: The is a marginal 'right' but I see progress. His completion percentage and TD/INT ratio are improved. He is on pace to make a run at 4,000 yards. Given the O-line nightmare, Wallace's underperformance and an erratic running game, Tannehill is moving closer to being the answer.
Wrong: A low-impact draft: They traded way up for DE Dion Jordan, who has been largely invisible. Mel Kiper Jr. just ranked 45 rookies based on current impact. Dolphins among them: Zero. Seldom a good sign when a kicker is your big find. Jordan and a couple of others may yet prove themselves, but based on immediate impact the '13 draft was a bust. That's on GM Jeff Ireland.
Wrong: Mike Wallace: Team is not getting sufficient return on its $60 million free-agent investment. Wallace has caught barely half of the balls thrown to him (44 of 85) for only 534 yards and one TD, with far too many drops. Miami paid for an elite, star receiver and is getting just another guy.
Wrong: Offensive line shambles: I don't mean Bullygate. I mean the state of the O-line even before the scandal, and now moving forward. The state is sad. It stinks. Center Mike pouncey is the team's only proven, quality blocker, a situation that drags down the entire offense.
Wrong: Run defense: The interior D-line anchored by Paul Soliai and run defense were supposed to be the team's strength. It's been mediocre. Miami ranks 25th of 32 teams allowing 122.6 yards per game. The past four games it's been an unacceptable 154.3.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 12 NFL PREDIX: DOLPHINS BEAT BULLYGATE, BUT WON'T BEAT CAM: The ongoing distraction of Bullygate isn't beating the Dolphins, as proved last week vs. San Diego. But overcoming Cam Newton and an excellent Carolina defense won't be as simple for Miami at home Sunday. Click on Week 12 Gems for full prediction capsules on the Dolphins and all other games, and on Manning Vs. Brady for my Friday Page NFL notes column, leading with Sunday's classic quarterback duel and how history will view each man. My week got off to a mixed start last night. I (unwisely) picked Saints to cover a 9-point line in Atlanta and Falcons kept it close.
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1) It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21. I'm down in the Friday Page Dungeon whipping up this week's NFL picks. Do not disturb. Actually, the way my picks are going, please disturb. 2) Sachs Media Group has produced artist renderings of what deceased celebrities might look like today. Elvis Presley, at 78, and John Lennon, at 73, are pictured. Creepy! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins beat San Diego, DSM poll, Jimmie Johnson reigns at Homestead & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
TED WELLS BRINGS FANTASTIC MUSTACHE, SMILE TO NFL INVESTIGATION OF DOLPHINS BULLYGATE: Ted Wells is the prominent New York attorney hired by the NFL to independently investigate the Richie Icognito/Jonathan Martin/Bullygate mess. He is, as we speak, haunting Dolphins HQ in Davie, interviewing coaches, players and staff, culling information and looking out for incidents of juvenile pranks, towel-snapping and so forth. Ted is said to be perfect for this task and extremely fair, but that isn't what interests me. What does is the otherwordly aura put forth by this man. The strange mustache that is so wide as to be equal parts creepy and sinister. The magnetic, toothy, fixed grin. Ted, Smooth Operator, looks like a guy who would leave The Most Interesting Man in the World speechless and feeling inferior.
NFL partners in anti-bullying initiative: The NFL and USA Network on Dec. 2 will launch a series in which league stars including Ray Rice and J.J. Watt (nobody from Miami) help kids deal with bullying, hate and discrimination. Cris Collinsworth will narrate. A league spokesman told us the initiative is conciidental with NFL's ongoing investigation of the Dolphins' Bullygate matter.
790/104.3 THE TICKET FIRES PROGRAM DIRECTOR: The Miami market's top-rated sports radio station, 790 and 104.3 The Ticket, has fired program director Tod (yes, with one 'd') Castleberry (pictured), who joined the station in March 2012 from Washington, D.C. Staff was informed late Monday. A replacement has not been named. The firing is seen as extremely well-received within the building.
CONGRATULATIONS, ELIZABETH: The Bleacher Report website trotted out the "101 Most Beautful People in Sports," instantly making it the most 101-related entity since Disney's 101 Dalmatians. No. 1 was Arianny Celeste, a UFC "Octagon Girl," instantly ruining what little credibility pretty-lists have to begin with. As your public servant I culled the list for South Florida-related pretties and found four, not counting ex-Dolphin Reggie Bush (No. 57) and future Miami MLS owner David Beckham (No. 17). Our four are: No. 80, tennis star Serena Williams from Palm Beach; not my type because it looks as if she could kick the s--- out of me. No. 54, young tennis star Sloane Stephens, from Plantation. No. 33, Heat bon vivant Dwyane Wade. And, at No. 23 our Miami-area Prettiest Pretty ... Elizabeth, a Dolphins cheerleader! That's right: Just Elizabeth. She is pictured for your ogling pleasure.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 11: EUREKA!: I know that nobody exclaims, "Eureka!" anymore. So what. I had a good week; well, a partly good week in picks if not fantasy. I'll take what I can get. NFL predix: Went a solid 11-4 outright but only 3-9-3 against the spread, with three games pushing on a 3-point line. Nailed two outright upsets (wins by Dolphins and Steelers) but not enough else went right ATS. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos fell yet again, of course. I'm now a surreal 1-10 after a 136-107 loss in which I had no scorer with more than Larry Fitzgerald's 18 points. Sad.
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 12: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. FSU QB Jameis Winston is comfortably the current leader. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 12:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk12=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 138.5 = 1,800
2 (3) Blake Bortles, UCF-qb 319 = 1,528
3 (2) Jaquez Johnson, FAU-qb 141.5 = 1,383.5
4 (4) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 201.5 = 1,275
5 (6) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 126 = 1,121
6 (5) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb DNP = 1,051
7 (7) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 69 = 963
8 (8) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 56 = 923
9 (9) Allen Hurns, Miami-wr 107 = 882
10 (--) Rannell Hall, UCF-wr 202 = 780
Bubble: Kenny Shaw, FSU-wr, 739. Other team leaders: Florida--Tyler Murphy-qb, 723; USF--Marcus Shaw-rb, 720; FIU--Lamarq Caldwell-rb, 547. Note: UCF and USF have played nine games, all others 10 each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (10-0); 2. UCF (8-1); 3. Miami (7-3); 4. Florida (4-6); 5. FAU (4-6); 6. USF (2-7); 7. FIU (1-9).
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It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14. I'm deep down in the Friday Page Dungeon today summoning my latest NFL predictions. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins lose to Tampa Bay, DSM poll, Stephen Ross speaks, poll result on Bullygate's impact on Philbin/Ireland & more. in and Jeff Ireland, related poll, Incognito states his side of it & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
DOLPHINS HELD HOSTAGE: ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE INCOGNITO/MARTIN MESS!: Today's latest column by me -- click HERE to read -- is my own little cease-and-desist order on the comically excessive media coverage of the Dolphins' bullying controversy and on the public's profound overreaction to the issue. Somehow, a gossipy little internal tiff between two guys playing an anonymous position for an under-rader team metastasized into a national soap opera and scandal. It's quite ridiculous, really. I explore how it got to this point, fueled by the buzzword "bullying," by the sociological subplots of lockerroom "culture" and race, and by everybody's (but mine) fear of being politically incorrect. Enough! Joe Philbin and the Dolphins need to stop allowing this to hijack their team and season. Enough!
'Incognito files grievance.' This is what I mean!: The Bully today filed a token, procedural, money-grab grievance with the league over his Dolphins suspension, and somehow it's major news? Who gives a [bleep]! Enough Bullygate! Let's pay attention again when The Victim talks. Let's pay attention when the NFL investigation reports its findings. Beyond that, dispense with the minutae.
NASCAR, BRAZIL OFFER ALT-SPORT CHANGE OF PACE: I'm just about bullied-out on this Dolphins calamity (see above), feeling roughly the same hearing the names Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin as I did hearing the name Nevin Shapiro. Now we get a break, or at least a diversion. The Dolphins' home game this Sunday versus San Diego will be drowned out, figuratively and closer to literally in terms of noise, first by Saturday night's Brazil-Honduras soccer match in the same stadium, then concurrently on Sunday by NASCAR's grand season finale at Homestead. There are no crowds like crowds for Brazilian soccer, and that game, though just a "friendly," will come closer to filling the stadium than the Dolphins do a day later. Homestead also will draw more fans Sunday than the beleaguered Dolphins. Anyway, I'm curious which of this weekend's two major Miami alt-sports events interests you more, so here is a boutique poll. (Boutique poll means I know it won't interst most of you, but I invite you to expand your horizons). Vote and say why.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 10: AWFULNESS UNABATED: My shame knows no knows no end... NFL predix: Nice bookend upset calls on Vikes over Skins Thursday and Bucs over Dolphs Monday. In between? Not so good. Was 7-7 straight-up, 5-9 vs. the spread. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos fell yet again, to 1-9, this time in a heartbreaker, 101-100. All I needed was 7 points from Mike Wallace Monday night. All he gave me was 5. Story of my season!
BEST TO RESERVE JUDGMENT ON JAMEIS WINSTON: "FSU quarterback Jameis Winston under investigation for sexual assault." You see that or hear that and it's too easy to assume guilt. We shouldn't. This happened almost one year ago, last Dec. 7. No charges have been filed. Winston has denied guilt through an attorney. Why this became public after a year is a mystery. Not to mention the police report listed the perpetrator as 5-9 to 5-11 and Winston is 6-4. There are enough question here to lend the benefit of doubt.
HOLY S---! WHEN LEBRON SPEAKS, HEAT LISTEN: Prior to Tuesday's Heat win LeBron James said, "It's simple. The first seven games, we're playing like s--- defensively." What he said rhymed with spit but wasn't spit. It was a rare occasion when he has cursed publicly, in an interview. It worked. James took over with 33 points to whip Milwaukee last night but it was noticably improved defense that spelled the night. That D they played, it was some good s---.
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 11: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs andreceivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Because our rankings are cumulative players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. FSU QB Jameis Winston is comfortably the current leader. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 12:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk11=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 94.5 = 1,661.5
2 (2) Jaquez Johnson, FAU-qb BYE = 1,242
3 (3) Blakes Bortles, UCF-qb 95 = 1,209
4 (5) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 174 = 1,073.5
5 (4) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb DNP = 1,051
6 (7) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 135 = 995
7 (6) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 16 = 894
8 (8) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 56 = 877
9 (--) Allen Hurns, Miami-wr 148 = 775
10 (--) Tyler Murphy, Florida-qb 114.5 = 723
Bubble: Marcus Shaw, USF-rb, 651. Other team leader: FIU--Jake Medlock-qb, 476. Note: UCF and USF have played eight games, all others nine each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (9-0); 2. UCF (7-1); 3. Miami (7-2); 4. Florida (4-5); 5. FAU (3-6); 6. USF (2-6); 7. FIU (1-8).
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It is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8. I'm locked in the Random Evidence Laboratories conjuring Sunday's notes-column package. Even more fodder than usual. (Thank you, Dolphins!) 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): More on Dolphins' bullying mess including poll result, Heat's stumbling start, UM hall inductees & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
DOLPHINS' BIG PROBLEM ISN'T JUST WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: This Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin/bullying mess has swallowed the entire week and team (and to an extent this blog) in a way the Dolphins haven't experienced since star running back Ricky Williams abruply quit in his prime on the eve of the 2004 season. The NFL independently investigates what happened that caused Incognito to be suspended from the team and Martin to take a leave under emotional duress, but what happened or why shouldn;t be the biggest issue concerning coach Joe Philbin right now. It's what happens next with the two principles in this scandal, and it's a no-win situation for the club. Players fervently want Incognito reinstated and have lobbied for that, but the herald alreday has reported he he "done" here, and to welcome him back might be a P.R. nightmare. Players do not want Martin back, but taking him back anyway might be likely if only from a legal/liability standpoint. What to do, what to do? Help the Dolphins decide. Vote in this new poll and say why.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 10 NFL PREDIX: DOLPHINS WOES CONTINUE IN TAMPA: After a chaotic, distracted week spent answering nonstop questions about (of all things) bullying, I see the Dolphins ripe for an upset loss at winless Tampa Bay. (Reminding you, Dear Reader, that this isn't me hoping that, but merely predicting it. Click on Week 10 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks, and on The Dolphins' Dilemma for my Friday Page column. It's on the club's no-win choice moving forward on what do do with Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin, which we discuss more fully (and ask you about in a poll) directly above in this blogpost. My week got off to a great start last night. I picked Vikings to beat Redskins in an outright upset, and the Purples came through for me.
CAT SACK FEVER: PANTHERS FIRE DINEEN: Coach Kevin Dineen and assistants Gord Murphy and Craig Ramsey are unemployed as of this morning, fired by our NHL Panthers, who are 3-9-4 and on a seven-game losing streak. Three wins in 16 games is a terrible start, but the sacking feels a tad premature on the part of the new ownership and GM Dale Tallon. This is a youthful team and a season of low expectations. I thought both things might have bought Dineen a bit more leeway and time. The new man on at least an interim basis is Peter Horachek (pictured), who'd been coaching the club's AHL affilitae in San Antonio. Good luck, Pete; you'll need all you can get.
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It is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6. Watch for new blogpost coming later today.2) Tough to see Duke Johnson's season-ending ankle injury; knew it was bad right away. Tough break for Canes, too. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): FSU routs Hurricanes, CSM poll, Collball Week 10 roundup & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Profane, shirtless and raging in a bar: Heree's our boy Richie Incognito, video courtesy our pals at TMZ. Warning: Rough language and Richie's big belly. Click HERE.
ON THE DOLPHINS' EMBARRASSING BULLYING MESS: This is so silly yet so serious, an episode of macho lockerroom foolishness that has become a national embarrassment for the Dolphins. When it's on the Today show, you know it has made its way beyond sports. The Dolphins late last night suspended guard Richie
Incognito for his role in the harrassment and bullying of teammate Jonathan Martin, the tackle who earlier had left the team under emotional duress. (Incognito and Martin are pictured, left to right). It has been reported the bullying include "threatening and racially charged" texts and voicemails from Incongnito to Martin, a lunchroom prank in which teammates all rose at once and left their table as Martin sat -- what is this, middle school? -- and also Incognito pressuring Martin to pay $15,000 to fund a few players' trip to Las Vegas. The indefinite suspension of Incognito is justified if everything I know is accurate, and I'd be shocked if he ever played for the team again. Martin's future with the team also is murky. The nightmare also speaks poorly of the team's culture and leadership -- things that start at the desk of coach Joe Philbin. Remember the good old days when a losing streak and giving up too many sacks were all Philbin had to worry about? What a holy embarrassment. What a mess. This poll invites you to parcel blame. Vote for one or two or all three answers -- as many as you think apply -- then say why you voted as you did, and check back to monitor evolving results.
Vote for 1 or 2 or all 3 options -- as many as you feel apply:
MARLINS MOVING ON RADIO: The Marlins' AM radio home has been 790 The Ticket. Starting in 2014 it will be 940-WINZ. A 790 executive sent a memo to staff this (Wednesday) morning calling the Marlins "A bad deal for our radio station" and "a drain on our ratings."
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 9: MORE MISERY: Stephen King wrote a book called Misery. I'm the living
embodiment of it with my 2013 football season. NFL predix: Started off so well, nailing the Dolphins' Thursday upset of Cincy. Then, the crapper. Finished 6-7 overrall, 3-10 against the spread. Awful. And speaking of awful... Fantasy: Greg's Lobos continued as the Jacksonville Jaguars of my fantasy league, falling to 1-8 with a 111-97 loss. Tom Brady was Tom Brady for a change (35 points) and still my plunge continued.
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 10: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and
receivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Because our rankings are cumulative players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. FSU QB Jameis Winston is comfortably the current leader. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 11:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk10=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 195.5 = 1,566
2 (3) Jaquez Johnson, FSU-qb 179.5 = 1,242
3 (2) Blakes Bortles, UCF-qb BYE = 1,114
4 (4) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb 97 = 1,033
5 (6) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 108 = 899.5
6 (8) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 194 = 878
7 (5) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb BYE = 860
8 (7) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 83 = 821
9 (10) Marcus Shaw, USF-rb 40 = 651
10 (--) Kenny Shaw, FSU-wr 44 = 636
Bubble: Jonathan Wallace, FAU-rb, 634. Other team leaders: Florida--Tyler Murphy-qb, 608.5; FIU--Jake Medlock-qb, 467.5. Note: FAU has played nine games, UCF seven and all others eight each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (8-0); 2. Miami (7-1); 3. UCF (6-1); 4. Florida (4-4); 5. FAU (3-6); 6. USF (2-6); 7. FIU (1-7).
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It is WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30. In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall in New England, DSM poll & more. 2) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Heat lose at Philly after strong Opening Night: Dwyane Wade sat out tonight resting his knees (not a good sign) as Miami fell at awful Philly, 114-110. Are we panicking yet? Click on Curtain Lifts Well for my column off Tuesday's season-opening win over Bulls. Click onEnjoy The Ridefor my Heat season-preview column.
YES OR NO: WILL HEAT THREE-PEAT AS CHAMPS?: Was Opening Night big enough for you? You had double-champion Heat opening the season at the bayside arena
to begin the journey to a three-peat. You had
Will it be a Big 3-peat?
the banner-raising and ring ceremony. You had the Chicago Bulls in the house and the bad blood this series brings. You had the long-awaited return of Derrick Rose, sharing the court with the best player on earth in LeBron James. Let's go! Now here's our poll premise. I give you a $100 bill to bet all or nothing. You can put it on the Heat three-peating as champ. Or you can put it on the field, every other team. Where is your money going? This is not asking if you want Miami to repeat; this is asking the cold gambler in you to enter the ballot box. Can you do it? Vote your gut, and say why.
BEARD POWER! RED SOX WIN SERIES!: Boston wins World Series 4 games to 2 over St. Louis tonight at Fenway Park, 6-1, Boston's first championship-clinching win at home since 1918. I was there in spirit as a proud infantryman in Red Sox Nation since 1967. As you can see by the photo taken yesterday at the 790 radio studios I have grown a full beard in homage to my bearded Bosox so that I too can look like a 19th Century U.S. President just like Mike Napoli. Let's go Sox!
ADVICE TO DOLPHINS ON HOW TO PLAY POUNCEY MESS: Dolphins center Mike Pouncey was served a
grand jury subpoena in the Aaron Hernandez murder case, and neither he nor the club are saying anything. Bad strategy. You must get out front and out in the open on this. The case is toxic. A team on a four-game losing streak cannot afford this distraction, or any murky association with it -- and murky is what you allow it to be if you don't say anything. Is Pouncey (pictured) wanted simply as a witness because he knew Hernandez from their Florida Gators days? Or is he somehow implicated as suspect? The latter notion seems outlandish, but is allowed to fester in the lack of comment from the Dolphins. (Pouncey saying only yesterday, "I'm going to play a good football game" when asked about the controversy continued the club's PR misplay).
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 8: UPSWING AND TAILSPIN: First, the upswing. Then, the tailspin. NFL
predix: Had Rams-with-points last night to cap a pretty solid week. We went 9-4 overrall, 7-6 vs. the spread. That's actually a good week both ways based on the year I'm having, which tells you a little something about the year I'm having. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos have become the Jacksonville Jaguars of my fantasy league, I say with shame. I fell to 1-7 with a 154-97 loss, Dez Bryant (22) my only player over 20 points. My playoffs hope are all but shot. The downward spiral of Tom Brady captains my personal Titanic.
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 9: CANES' DUKE CLIMBS TO 4TH: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the
most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Because our rankings are cumulative players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. FSU QB Jameis Winston is comfortably the current leader. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 10:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk9=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 153 = 1,370.5
2 (3) Blakes Bortles, UCF-qb 199 = 1,114
3 (2) Jaquez Johnson, FAU-qb 130 = 1,062.5
4 (5) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb 180 = 936
5 (4) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 56 = 860
6 (6) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 101.5 = 791.5
7 (8) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 143 = 738
8 (10) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 134 = 684
9 (9) Jonathan Wallace, FAU-rb 37 = 616
10 (7) Marcus Shaw, USF-rb DNP = 611
Bubble: Kenny Shaw, FSU-wr, 592. Other team leaders: Florida--Solomon Patton-wr, 506; FIU--Jake Medlock-qb, 467.5. Note: FAU has played eight games, all others seven each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (7-0); 2. Miami (7-0); 3. UCF (6-1); 4. Florida (4-3); 5. FAU (2-6); 6. USF (2-5); 7. FIU (1-6).
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