Dolphins owner Ross founds major anti-racism initiative; plus what is your faith in Ryan Tannehill? Poll. Vote now; also Fins/NFL Week 6 picks, updated World Series odds, Canes hoops, Spurrier-quitting poll & more
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16: Hurricanes men are No. 36 (11th in "others receiving votes" after the Top 25 in the first basketball coaches' poll. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL 'n Greg's Lobos Fantasy Week 5 results, updated SOPY standings, 2 Canes honored, Dolphins staff change, more Ultimate Standings & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also on Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Periscope.
Updated World Series odds: For the final four, via Bovada, today: Blue Jays 9-5, Cubs 5-2, Mets 10-3, Royals 18-5. "Let's go Cubs!"
DOLPHINS OWNER ROSS FOUNDS MAJOR ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVE: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross today is introducing the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a nonprofit organization that will utilize athletes and sports to speak out against racism and discrimination. RISE is to begin airing public service announcements during football games this weekend. Athletes on board with the initiative include LeBron James, Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Antonio Brown and Steph Curry. Ross sees sports as a unifying force in an America that needs unifying. "Sports is the common denominator in the world that brings everyone together," Ross tells The New York Times. "If there’s any one place in the world where there is equality, it is probably sports. That was something that didn’t always exist. We’ve come a long way. Why can’t society use sports as a way to bring people together and create change?" Click here to read the full NYT story.
THE ONUS IS ON TANNEHILL TO DELIVER: Today's latest column by me is on how the Dolphins' $93 Million Man, quarterback Ryan Tannehill, must do more. Click on A Better Tannehill Is What Dolphins Need Most. Some are seeing the column as overly harsh, perhaps, but it notes Miami's turnaround from its 1-3 start relies mostly on Tannehill -- not on new interim coach Dan Campbell and not even on better play from Ndamukong Suh. It starts with Tannehill, who presently ranks 32nd of 35 qualifying QBs in yards per attmpts, 31st in completion percentage and 31st in passer rating. The slow starts and early deficits that have wrecked the game plans (being outscored 37-3 in the first quarter so far), well, that starts with Tannehill, too. Four years into the Tannehill Era, I am still not quite sure what we have here. Sometimes he looks like a good quarterback getting better and better. Other times he looks average. The inconsistency is itself is an issue. I'm curious your thoughts on Tannehill 3 1/4 seasons in, so I'm inviting those thoughts in this poll. What is your faith in Ryan Tannehill? Vote and say why.
UPSET BIRD DAY / NFL WEEK 6:Still hot. Went 11-3 overall and 8-4-2 against the spread last week, although our Week 6 got off to a rocky start last night. We sensed Saints might have it in them to hand Atlanta its first loss but didn't pull the trigger. Shoulda gone with our gut, but let logic get in the eay. Click on Week 6 Gems for all of our latest picks and full prediction capsules. There's happy news for Dolphins fans (except those fans who think I'm always wrong or a jinx). Also click on The Patriot Way for my weekly NFL notes column. It leads with the record number of unbeaten teams and how only one has the talent -- and motivation -- to stay that way.
A GREAT BIG CAREER FOR THE OLD BALL COACH, YES. BUT IN THE END, SPURRIER QUIT: Sometimes, even great stories have bad endings. I really enjoyed Steve Spurrier over the years. (We'll claim a little piece of him since he was born in Miami Beach). College football will miss him greatly. He elevated lowly Duke. He put the Florida Gators on the national map, winning a national championship in 1996 and coining "The Swamp." Most recently he brought the same relevance to South Carolina. His career record of 228-89-2 should see him in the sport's Hall of Fame. And he was even better in a press conference than he was on a sideline. Fresh. Colorful. Unafraid of needling and tweaking opponents and rival coaches. His old Gators visor and that perpetual smirk I'll never forget. But you see a 'but' coming, right? He quit. There is no sugar-coating it. By abruptly resigning and walking away from the Gamecocks this week, Spurrier did what every coach tells his players to never do. He gave up. Quit. If that's "leaving on his own terms," well, then those terms weren't very good. Unless we find out later the walking away involved a 70-year-old man's health issues, the shabby way Spurrier went out becomes a part of his legacy. It won't be an overshadowing cloud by any means. But it shouldn't be ignored, either, among all the rosy career eulogies I've been seeing and hearing yesterday and today. The Old Ball Coach was terrific. Yes. But, bottom line: He quit.
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