GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31. R.I.P., Gene Wilder (pictured), 83, the great comic actor who passed away from complications of Alzheimer's, and also Hubbard Alexander, 77, a receivers coach who helped Miami Hurricanes win national titles in 1983 and '87. 2) Fading Marlins now 3 1/2 back in wild-card race. Wake bats, please. 3) Got a robo-call from actor Martin Sheen on behalf of a Congressman I'd never heard of. Thanks for the valuable input, Marty. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Your latest Greg's Lobos fantasy team verdict, Hot Button Top 10, introducing LeBatard Show Lobos & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.martin sheen, ronbo call. on behlaf of a confressman id never head of.
CSM, DSM are returning: Our blog's Canesfan and Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls are back for another football season. Look for them right here immediately following every Hurricanes and Dolphins game, beginning this Saturday Sept. 3 for UM, and on Sept. 11 for the Fins.
DON'T HATE KAEPERNICK, HATE WHAT HAS MOTIVATED HIS PROTEST: The 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is being called un-American by many for sitting during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, often at the hands of police against unarmed black men. I hate that he is doing that; it saddens and angers me to see anyone disrespect our flag by sitting during the anthem. But I hate even more what makes him feel he must. And what he is doing is closer to very American than un-American, by the way. Protest is a huge and vital part of our history, from the Boston Tea Party to the Vietnam War to the next city where the next unarmed citizen is shot. Free speech is the foundation of our freedom. This is the topic of my latest column. Click on Kaepernick's Protest Does Not Make Him Un-American to read in full. But that's my opinion. I want your's. Take a dip in our poll and check back often to monitor evolving results.
FREE CHRIS BOSH! HEAT OWE HIM AND FANS A DECISION: Heat preseason training camp begins in less than a month, on Sept. 27, and yet the team still has not informed Chris Bosh whether he will be cleared to play, or under what conditions, as he comes back from a second straight season interrupted by a blood-clots scare. Bosh says he is ready and able. Monday he posted videos of himself on Snapchat shooting and participating in basketball drills. rills on his Snapchat account. And on Twitter he wrote, "Everybody keeps asking if I'm hooping. Yes, I'm hooping. I'm a hooper." Well, actually, it's more accurate to say he's hoping to be hoping. He still needs the club to give him the OK. If they do not, ugliness and a legal battle may be in store. I get the team's abundant caution on Bosh. Whether he can return to a contact sport on blood-thinning medication is a real concern. But it has been a long time to figure that out and make that decision, and the new season draws near. Heat fans and especially Bosh deserve clarity from the Heat on Bosh's future with the team.
Poll result: Your rankings of my friends-n-family fantasy league teams, and where Greg's Lobos landed: We asked you which fantasy football team you'd most want to have based on each team's top four picks. Here was your order, and whose team it is in relation to me:
8.74% --
3.15% --
3.15% --
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is MONDAY, AUGUST 29. Dolphins and Uber announced a new partnership today. Go to my Facebook page to read team's press release in full. 2) R.I.P., Dick Assman, 82, the Canadian gas station owner propelled briefly to fame in 1995 when David Letterman, amused by his name, had Assman on as a recurring guest. 3) Yes, your dog's jawsare strong. An average 44-pound dog exerts a bite-pressure of 363 pounds. An average adult human's is 65 pounds. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins impress vs. Atlanta, Wade cousin killed, Fins talent vs. optimism, Canes heritage dissed, Marlins get Francoeur, Riley's Heat gloom confirmed, Rolling Stone joins our cause, your verdict on Dolfan optimism & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
Twitter just told me, "Your Tweets earned 1,000,953 impressions over the last 28 days." Not exactly sure what that means, but I think it's my first time over 1 mill for a month. So, thank you, Twitter family!
Latest column: Hope for Dolphins, Canes starts with Gase, Richt: Miami's two flagship football teams have done a lot wrong most of this decade. What they've done right: Hire Adam Gase and Mark Richt. This is only the second time in 51 shared years the Fins and Canes both have begun a new season with a new head coach. Click on Gase, Richt and Hope for my latest column.
OUR 10-TEAM FANTASY DRAFT: VOTE WHO YOU THINK PICKED THE BEST TEAM: Greg's Lobos had our last of three fantasy drafts on Sunday. The Lobos will be competing 1) in a random league that won us in an ESPN V Foundation fundraising auction; 2) in the LeBatard Show's League of Lobos; and 3) in our own friends-n-family league. We had an earlier poll on our V Foundation team, and our LeBatard Show team is detailed at the end of this blogpost. Our friends-n-family league had its draft Sunday, and that's this poll. All of us gathered in person, not online. We did it old-school, with a giant draft board on the wall gradually populated with names. Afterward, of course, we stood around arguing who'd had the best draft, or worst. Whose teams looked strongest, or shakiest. Now I invite you to tell us. In this poll the teams are listed in draft order in case you wish to take that into consideration. We're a 10-team PPR league, and this was a standard snake draft. Our poll is based on each team's first four picks, because if we listed all 16 names for each team it'd be unwieldy. Peruse each team's top four and, based on that, vote which team you'd most want to have. Then check back often to monitor evolving results. Tomorrow we'll let you know who was behind the winning team and how your rated our Greg's Lobos.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. HURRICANES: College football is back! Canes suspend 2, open in 5 days: Week 1 locally features Hurricanes hosting Florida A&M on Saturday, two days after FIU debuts here vs. Indiana. UM on Saturday severed ties with two of its better defensive players in DE Al-Quadin Muhammad and LB Jermaine Grace after both were found guilty in a school probe of improper luxury-car rentals in violation of NCAA rules. This week signals official start of the Mark Richt era at UM. Hasn't played a gamed yet, but he's already won by keeping his program clean.
2. DOLPHINS: Fins beat Atlanta, prepare for stadium unveiling in preseason finale: After encouraging 17-6 win over Atlanta and roster cuts, Dolphins prepare for preseason finale on Thursday -- and public unveiling of refurbished, newly renamed Hard Rock Stadium. Place looks great. Will the team?
3. MARLINS: Playoff-chasing Fish add help, wrap homestand: Team is 1 1/2 games off playoff pace in a five-team wild-card scramble as it sets out today/Monday on seven-game road trip. Fish will be a part of the Tim Tebow audition after earlier trading for outfield help in Jeff Francoeur. Dear Jeff: Pretend like it's 2011, your last really good season.
4. TENNIS: U.S. Open, year's last major, set to begin: Starts today in New York with Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams top seeds as usual. Tennis is predictable. Then again, defending women's champ Flavia Pennetta is a household name only in her own house.
5. MARLINS PARK: Stadium to host major auto race, World Baseball Classic: Good week for the Little Havana home of Marlins. First it's announced park will host Race of Champions on Jan. 21-22, annual event pitting Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar drivers. Then stadium landed first-round WBC games March 9-12 featuring U.S., Canada, Colombia and Dominican Republic. Now if only they'd add a few Marlins playoff games.
6. LITTLE LEAGUE: New York team wins annual youth World Series wraps up: "U-S-A! U-S-A!" The U.S. champion team from Endwell, N.Y. beat international champs from Seoul, South Korea on Sunday to make a U.S. team LLWS champions for first time since 2011. Was it fate? How could an American team from "End well" not have a happy ending?
7. OLYMPICS: Fallout from Rio controversy for Solo, Lochte: U.S. soccer suspended and cut ties with goalkeeper Hope Solo after she called victorious Sweden "cowards," and U.S. Swimming's Ryan Lochte saw several major sponsors including Speedo drop him over his gas-station episode in Rio. Good-looking athletes, but Ugly Americans.
8. HEAT: Riley's pronouncement of "bad summer" is affirmed: Pat Riley himself called it a "bad, bad summer" for the Heat, and evidence is rolling in. SI.com this week gave Miami a D+ in its offseason grades, and ESPN.com projected the Heat for a sub-.500 38.3 wins, 10th in the East. No LeBron, no D-Wade, no assurance yet on Bosh. No hope?
9. COLIN KAEPERNICK: QB protest by sitting for national anthem: The 49ers' embattled QB refused to stand for the U.S. national anthem to protest the country "oppression" of people of color. It's the latest chapter in his new autobiography, "How My Once-Promising Career Went Straight to Hell."
10. SOCCER: Group stage set for Champions League: Thirty-two teams in eight groups of four were drawn this week to begin play Sept. 13 in the Champions League to crown the king of European club football. Headlines went to Group C, where Manchester City was drawn with Barcelona -- meaning new Man City manager Pep Guardiola will face his longtime former club. You know you love you some international soccer when you drop a Pep Guardiola reference!
Missing the HB10 cut: Cousin of Dwyane Wade killed in Chicago shooting. "Enough is enough" Wade had said of gun violence. So sad. ..... Cricket! World cricket powers India and West Indies playing two weekend matches at Central Broward Stadium. Do cricket players have single names like in soccer. Is the star named Jiminy? (Sorry) ..... Tony Romo got injured. Or, did that go without saying? ..... Florida Panthers dealt Dave Bolland's bloated contract and 2015 top draft pick Lawson Crouse to Arizona for second- and third-round picks. Preseason begins Sept. 27 to launch perhaps first season in club history in which winning Stanley Cup seems a legit possibility ...... Booker T. Washington beat St. Thomas Aquinas in duel of local prep football powerhouses. Circle the date. Aquinas losses come about as often as Halley's Comet ..... Only five schools in poll-era have won more national championships than Miami's five, but the Canes were ranked only 14th in an ESPN piece on college football royalty. Question: What do they mean by "fuzzy math"? ..... The Chicago White Sox, feeling the name U.S. Cellular Field wasn't awful enough, announced their stadium's new name will be Guaranteed Rate Field. No, seriously ..... Oakland Raiders have trademarked the name "Las Vegas Raiders." No, but they aren't leaving or anything! ..... Signs you may be a degenerate gambler: You bet big on Friday's Arizona Rattlers-Philadelphia Soul game in Arena Bowl 29 ..... Answer: KFC gives away tubes of "Extra Crispy Sunscreen" that smells like fried chicken. Question: What do you mean real life sometimes reads like something from The Onion? ..... Todd Marinovich was found wandering in somebody's backyard, naked and with drugs. Or, did that go without saying? ..... Congratulations, Chargers top draft pick Joey Bosa. All of San Diego hates you and you haven't even played a down yet ..... Farewell, daily fantasy sites Draft Kings and FanDuel. Sure will miss those nonstop TV ads ..... The Oakland A's traded pitcher Mike Rzepczynski, explaining, "We got tired of trying to spell and pronounce his name" ..... According to Brazilian media, 20-year-old Ingrid Oliveira and 17-year-old Giovanna Pedroso have ended their Olympic diving partnership after Oliveira kicked the teen from the room they shared at the Olympic Village in Rio so she could enjoy a night of sex with Brazilian canoeist Pedro Gonçalves. Um, is that a canoe, or are you just happy to see me?
INTRODUCING GREG'S LOBOS II, THE LEBATARD SHOW TEAM: We introduced you previously to the 2016 Greg's Lobos team that will be competing in the league that donated the most money to ESPN's V Foundation to have me as a member. Now I'd like you to meet the Greg's Lobos squad that will be competing in the LeBatard Show's League of Lobos this season, a PPR league. I'd imagine this is the team we'll be referencing most on the air. Mea culpa: We were last of 14 teams in the snake-draft order. Our players, by round: 1st--RB Devonta Freeman (reigning MVL; welcome back D-Free); 2nd--WR Allen Robinson; 3rd--QB Drew Brees; 4th--WR Randall Cobb; 5th--TE Delanie Walker; 6th--RB Melvin Gordon; 7th--WR Willie Snead; 8th--RB Theo Riddick; 9th--RB Tevin Coleman; 10th--Seahawks D/ST; 11th--WR Terrance Williams; 12th--TE Clive Walford; 13th--PK Chandler Catanzaro; and 14th--QB Teddy Bridgewater. Last season's 10-team league has grown to 14 teams with one dropout (Papi) and five expansion teams. Returning teams are Dan, Stugotz and myself along with Mike, Roy, Chris, Charlie, Guillermo and Allyson. The five newbies are Amin Elhassan, Randy Scott, Sarah Spain, Pablo Torre and (are you ready) WWE pro wrestler Tyler Breeze.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is FRIDAY, AUGUST 26. The Marlins' comeback from 6-2 down to win last night -- that's one of the games they'll look back on and credit should they make the playoffs. 2) Marlins hosting WBC: Marlins Park will host first-round World Baseball Classic games next March 9-12 involving USA, Canada, Colombia and reigning champ Dominican Republic. 3) A new double-billboard (pictured) in Miami-Dade near the Wynwood epicenter of the Zika virus has been put up to promote condom use against the spread of the virus. Click on image for larger view. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins preseason thus far with poll, Race Of Champions coming to Miami, what really sank Ryan Lochte, KFC sunscreen & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
Miami only 14th among college football 'royalty': ESPN in this piece today examines which schools lead the list of college football royalty. They have a five-way tie for first place, which is lame. Also dubious: the Miami Hurricanes, tied for sixth with five national championships in the poll era, are ranked only 14th, below both Florida and FSU. Oy!
Imagine if Dolfans were optimists right now: Preposterous, I know. But that is the premise of today's new column by me. Pessimism is easy. Optimism takes effort. Click on All The Things That Could Go Right to read our latest column in full.
The Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls will be back with the regular season. Look for the first one the night of Sept. 11.
WADE'S COUSIN KILLED IN CHICAGO SHOOTING: Just a few weeks ago at the ESPY Awards Dwyane Wade was one of four NBA stars to somberly address the issue of gun violence in America. "Enough is enough," he said. Yesterday in Chicago, Wade's own cousin was fatally shot on Chicago's South Side. Police said Nykea Aldridge, 32 (pictured), died when two men fired shots at a third man walking with Aldrudge and that the bullet was not intended for her. Aldridge was pushing a baby stroller when killed. She was the daughter of Wade's mother's sister. So awful. Wade, the former Heat star now with the Bulls (still strange to say), Tweeted last night: "My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough." Click here for the full story via the Chicago Tribune.
PS3: DOLPHINS 17, ATLANTA 6 (FINAL) IN ORLANDO: STRONG SHOWING IN DRESS REHEARSAL:Postgame thoughts: OK I wrote that "Try Optimism" column and a lot of you angst-ridden Dolfans chided me. Fine. But last night you saw signs. Miami was playing a team that won two more games than the Dolphins did last year and Miami controlled the night. Tannehill looked sharp. The offensive line protected well. The defense looked solid. Overall a very encouraging performance. Ndamukong Suh was excellent before leaving with a minor ankle injury. I wonder if Zak Dysert might unseat concussed Matt Moore as backup QB. Bottom line? A good night for the Dolphins and coach Adam Gase. ..... Halftime thoughts: Very solid half by Miami. One that is encouraging. Ryan Tannehill sharp, 20-for-29 for 155 yards, with at least three drops, and the one interception off a deflected ball at the line. Not much running game, but a fair dose of Arian Foster (5-10 rushing with a TD, 2-20 receiving). Offense held possession by almost a 2-to-1 margin. Dolphins defense solid, too, limiting ATL to 116 offensive yards on 27 snaps. Good to see Cam Wake in his season debut. Coach Adam Gase on first half: Said offense "did a a good job. A tipped ball for a pick is always a tough one to swallow but I thought I liked the tempo of the guys." Also liked his defense: "We got some hands on some balls. I feel like they did a great job as far as putting pressure on them. The four-man rush was good. Coverage was tight. I feel like we made some strides." ..... Original post: The third exhibition of four is a Dolphins "home" game tonight, though it's being played up in Mousetown, scheduled there originally as a hedge in case the facelift on the newly renamed Hard Rock Stadium was not yet ready for public view. Miami is 1-1 in fake games after winning at the Giants then losing in Dallas, but of course PS3 is always the big one, the one dress rehearsal in which starters play a lot and how you look sort of matters. The exhibition finale will be mostly rest-starters/don't-get-hurt mentality, so tonight is the night to see the closest facsimile yet of the actual 2016 Dolphins. But only to a point! Expect Miami to not show much or flex the playbook offensively. Why? Simple. The Falcons' second-year coach, Dan Quinn, got hired because he previously was Seattle's defensive chief, and now runs the same defense (albeit with much less talent) in Atlanta. Miami opens the regular season where? At Seattle. So the Fins obviously won't provide a lot tonight for the Seahawks to study and prepare for. That's standard NFL gamesmanship. Having said that, the starters will play more than in the first two fake games. Receiver Jarvis Landry said tonight is "not something to judge us by," but also acknowledged the added emphasis on PS3: "Of course. Usually the third preseason game for your starters is the game that you get the most burn. For us, it’s an opportunity to go out and make it feel like a game as much as possible." Hopefully we'll see a sizable dose of Arian Foster, who continues to be slotted higher than Jay Ajayi in (for what it's worth) fantasy rankings and drafts. Also interested to see if Cam Wake, back from an Achilles injury, makes his season debut defensively. Coach Adam Gase must cut 15 players from the roster by this coming Tuesday so the bottom-thirders will be playing for their professional lives tonight. Who says there's no drama in August! Since tonight's game counts, a little, sort of, I'll update scores live here as they happen and check in with halftime and postgame thoughts.
QUANTIFYING DOLPHINS' TOP-TALENT SHORTFALL: As Miami prepares for its third preseason game tonight in Orlando, the dress rehearsal vs. Atlanta, ESPN.com this week is out with its annual Top 100 ranking of NFL players, and your Dolphins fared poorly with but one player mentioned, the guy over there. Meanwhile elsewhere in the AFC East there are 16 guys mentioned among the Patriots' seven, the Jets' five and the Bills' four. The division's Top 100 talent, according to the Worldwide Leader's panel of 50-plus King Sport experts:
Patriots (7): 3rd overall--TE Rob Gronkowski; 6th--QB Tom Brady; 50th--S Devin McCourty; tie-56th--OLB Jamie Collins; 89th--CB Malcolm Butler; tie-93rd--WR Julian Edelman; and 99th--OLB Dont'a Hightower.
Jets (5): 30th--CB Darrelle Revis; 32nd--DE Muhammad Wilkerson; tie-56th--WR Brandon Marshall; 65th--DE Sheldon Richardson; and 72nd--C Nick Mangold.
Dolphins (1): 25th--DT Ndamukong Suh (pictured). That's it, folks. I thought Jarvis Landry deserved a spot somewhere in lower 100. Reshad Jones might have, too, and thought even Cam Wake still might have snuck in. Alas, no. Only Suh. And he plummeted from a No. 4 overall ranking a year ago.
Also of note on the list: Former Hurricane TE Greg Olsen (Panthers) ranked 45th, ex-Canes DE Calais Campbell (Cardinals) ranked 66th; former Dolphin and Cane DE Olivier Vernon (Giants) ranked 91st; and ex-Dolphin CB Vontae Davis (Colts) ranked 96th.
Poll result: Preseason thus far has made Dolfans less confident, not more: We asked how the Dolphins' first two preseason performances have left you feeling about the team and season, and by a more than 6-to-1 margin it was "worse" (62.8 percent), not "better" (9.6%). The other 27.6% answered "no different."
WELCOME ABOARD, ROLLING STONE: The Chicago White Sox have announced they will change the name of their stadium from U.S. Cellular to Guaranteed Rate Field. In other words, a bad name is getting worse. This led RollingStone.com, in this article today, to write the headline, "Yes, Chicago White Sox Have the Worst Stadium Name in Sports," with this subhed: "It's time to start protesting corporate sponsorship by calling your team's stadium whatever you want."Hallelujah! You all know I have been saying and writing that for years, and that I generally refrain from referring to corporate-named stadiums and arenas in columns. Just last week, in this column on the renaming of Hard Rock Stadium, I wrote: "I fundamentally dislike the idea of corporate names on stadiums and arenas, as many careful or longtime readers know. In most columns I avoid them where possible. I go with generic descriptions, such as the Heat playing in "the downtown bayside arena." Because why should I pimp for an airline? (Or a casino?) TV networks that have lucrative partnerships with leagues are contractually bound to mention "Hard Rock Stadium" early and often during telecasts. But newspapers and other independent media are not. Neither are fans. Consider: All that's left is for franchises to lease their very team's name to corporate sponsors. "The Heat Presented by McDonald's," with golden arches on the jerseys. Would you start calling them the McDonald's Heat because you were told to? So why can't you continue to call it Marlins Park even after naming rights are sold?" So, apparently our little cause is growing. Welcome aboard, Rolling Stone. Nice of you to join us!
HERE'S WHY MARLINS GETTING JEFF FRANCOEUR WAS SMART: Marlins last night acquired right fielder Jeff Francoeur (pictured) from the Braves, giving up a pair of minor leaguers. I like the now mentality; there is a wild-card playoff spot to be won. Francoeur, 32, is past his prime but not a has-been. Here's why I like the move: 1) There was a need, with Giancarlo Stanton out, and Ichiro better when used less. 2) Very good right fielder with big range and a strong arm. Has led NL in outfield assists five times and leads all active RF'ers in defensive double plays. 3) Can still hit. Last season and this one (a combined 619 at-bats), Francoeur has 20 homers, 29 doubles and 78 RBIs with a .258 average. Not great production, but not bad, either. And 4) Really positive veteran clubhouse presence for a young team in a stretch run. Good move, Fish.
RILEY SAID HEAT HAD A BAD SUMMER. CONFIRMED!: Pat Riley called it a "bad, bad summer for us." SI.com this week agreed, giving Miami a "D-plus" in its NBA offseason grades. The Heat held onto center Hassan Whiteside but not a lot else went right, from losing beloved icon Dwyane Wade to the continuing uncertainty over Chris Bosh to being forced to overspend to keep Tyler Johnson to failing to land the "whale" Kevin Durant. Franchise's summer might have been a "F," but at least none of Micky Arison's cruiseships sank. Pictured right, apropos of nothing, the Heat logo reimagined, via an uproxx.com redesign of NBA logos as hip-hop artists. Trick Daddy: Liberty City's own!
PEYTON'S STILL AN NFL STAR: Love the new DirecTV ads starring retired Peyton Manning, to the tune of Lionel Richie singing, "It's Peyton on Sunday morning," as our man walks around in his bathrobe doing menial chores. That HGH/Al-Jazeera controversy rolled off Peyton's back like water off a seal. Now, even in retirement, he's still a likable, lovable star in the buildup to this NFL season.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24. Todd Marinovich found naked with drugs. Or, did that go without saying? Click here. 2) I'm not fascinated by celebrity; closer to the opposite. But I must admit I'd love to know the real reason why Simon & Garfunkel grew to hate each other. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, your verdict on Greg's Lobos roster, grandma rapping & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
Marlins' wild-card playoff game: Mark it on your calendar if you are feeling optimistic. The Marlins' wild-card playoff game would be on Wednesday, Oct. 5 if (currently 1 1/2 games off pace) they make it.
The Olympics are about the world, not the gold: That is the theme of my latest column. In a world rending and seeming to come apart, the Olympic Games give it a stage to come together, at least symbolically. Click on The Real Olympic Ideal to read in full.
HAVE FIRST TWO EXHIBITIONS LEFT DOLFANS FEELING BETTER OR WORSE?: Miami's preseason is half done after a win at the Giants and a loss at the Cowboys, with Thursday's dress rehearsal vs. Atlanta in Orlando up next, followed by a wind-down Sept. 1 vs. Tennessee at the new-ish Hard Rock Stadium. The question: Have the two games thus far, the totality of them -- good and bad all considered -- left Dolphins fans feeling better or worse about their team and season than they felt entering the preseason? I know, I know. Preseason doesn't matter yada yada. But it does offer hints and indications. It can move the needle on outlook. I know your opinion is subject to significant change. But I'm talking about right now. Take a dip in our poll and check back often to monitor evolving results.
'RACE OF CHAMPIONS' COMING TO MARLINS PARK: It was announced yesterday the Race Of Champions, an annual event dating back more than 25 years, will be run inside Marlins Park this coming Jan. 21-22 -- its first time held in the U.S. The race pits drivers from various forms of racing competing in identical machines. See the trailer below. The first three drivers confirmed to compete are four-time Formula 1 world champion and reigning ROC champ Sebastian Vettel of Germany, NASCAR champion Kurt Busch and IndyCar champ and Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. Impressive field if that's just the start. And an interesting idea. Nice get for Marlins Park -- and for South Florida.
THE TWO REAL REASONS IT GOT SO BAD FOR RYAN LOCHTE: Lochte always has come off a bit like the goofball/airhead who should always have a bit part waiting in a stoner movie. Now sponsors are dropping America's disgraced Olympic swimmer, including Speedo. It wasn't just that he wreaked vandalism in a gas-station bathroom in Rio. It wasn't even that he then panicked and made up a story about being robbed at gunpoint. Here are the two reasons it turned out so bad for Lochte: 1) The U.S. Olympic Committee initially tried to dismiss this as kids blowing off steam. No. Sorry. Lochte is 32. He is, literally, old enough to have known better. 2) His so-called apology was lame, made it worse. There was no real contrition, just a carefully worded mea culpa that never quite admitted regret for anything beyond the obvious lack of judgement. At 32 he was expected to be an elder statesmen for the U.S. team, not a buffoon with a middle-school mentality. And once his story unraveled, once he was caught, he needed a genuine,unequivocal apology, not the bulls--t he dished out. Played right, people would be feeling sorry for Lochte today over much ado about very little. Played the way it was, he's the jerk who is getting what he deserves. His swimming career has been spent in the shadow and wake of the legend, Michael Phelps. That has to have been tough. He might have played the role fate dealt him with grace. He fell short.
KFC EXTRA-CRISPY SUNSCREEN. NO, SERIOUSLY: Not so rarely, there is something in the news that is real and actually happening, but feels instead like something you should be reading in the The Onion. Latest case in point: KFC Extra-Crispy Sunscreen. The fried-chicken giant yesterday introduced a 30SPF sunblocker that, yes, smells like fried chicken. Take that, scent of coconut! (Click here for the backgrounder). The chain gave away 3,000 free bottles yesterday in a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote its extra-crispy chicken. Don't worry, Coppertone. Colonel Sanders won't be elbowing your space on Walgreen's shelves. It's just a PR stunt. But a rather good one at that. I love the concept of someone on the beach tanning -- someone we imagine is lean and fit -- smelling like deep-fried thighs and wings. Come to think of it, this is somewhere in between real and The Onion. Good for the Colonel. I like where KFC is going with its advertising. Smart. Fresh. Fun.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is MONDAY, AUGUST 22. A happy birthday today to my wife, the greatest person I know or have ever known! 2) Also, happy 77th birthday today to one of my boyhood heroes, Carl Yastrzemski (pictured). Congratulations, Yaz,and here's to many more! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins clobbered in Dallas, Greg's Lobos 2016 roster with poll, your verdict on Hard Rock Stadium name & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. OLYMPICS: Sublime to ridiculous, Rio Games are over: The sublime? The Summer Olympics wrapped up last night in Rio de Janeiro with the U.S. easily winning the most overall and gold medals, led by swimmers Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, by Simone Biles-led women's gymnastics and with men's basketball taking the crown on Sunday. The ridiculous? Plenty of competition, but vandalizing, lying Ryan Lochte takes the Fool's Gold.
2. FACILITIES: Hard Rock Stadium new name for home of Dolphins, Canes: The music-themed conglomerate of casinos, hotels and restaurants is paying Dolphins owner Stephen Ross $14 million a year to have its Hard Rock name on his stadium. Given how the Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes have fallen off the national stage the past 10-plus years, I wonder if "Rock And & Hard Place Stadium" or "Hard Luck Stadium" would be names more apt.
3. DOLPHINS: Fins' defense blows in Dallas, third exhibition is Thursday: Miami is 1-1 in the preseason after Friday' 41-14 loss in Dallas. Ryan Tannehill looked good, but the defense looked like it was nowhere close to ready for September. Dolphins face Atlanta in fake-game three this Thursday in Orlando. That Sept. 11 opener in Seattle is coming fast. Uh oh.
4. MARLINS: Fish stop the bleeding as return home nears: Marlins stopped their slump with a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh completed Sunday, but still are 1 1/2 games back in wild-card standings beginning a six-game homestand on Tuesday. The one upside to the recent slump? Opportunity to start blaming Jeffrey Loria for something again.
5. HURRICANES: UM turns sights on FAMU and season: Fall training camp wrapped up Saturday for the Canes, who will have a scrimmage game Wednesday geared specifically for Sept. 3 season-opening opponent Florida A&M. Miami led the "others receiving votes" category in AP's preseason Top 25, meaning Canes are as close to ranked as you can get without being ranked.
6. LAKATRIONA BRUNSON: Miami Jackson coach makes history: Congratulations to Brunson, 39, who became the first woman to coach a football game in Florida high-school history. Added bonus: Jackson won its opener, 36-0, over Coral Reef.
7. HEAT: Coach's message to fans leaves somebody out: Erik Spoelstra's video message to fans on team's website mentioned excitement over the young "core four" of Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson. We pictured a forgotten Chris Bosh thinking, "Hey. Remember me!?"
8. UFC: McGregor edges Diaz in thriller: UFC 202 saw Conor McGregor decision Nate Diaz in a fight that had pay-per-view buyers getting their money's worth. After taking some hits recently, including the anticlimactic letdown of ballyhooed UFC 200, UFC needed this.
9. SOCCER: Strikers debut with win in new home: The NASL's Fort Laudderdale Strikers debuted in their new home of Central Broward Stadium last night with a 3-1 win over Ottawa led by a spectacular bicycle-kick goal from Italian forward Amauri. Sorry, though, but I miss Lockhart already.
10. LITTLE LEAGUE: Youth baseball World Series underway: The Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., pits 16 U.S. and international teams of kids ages 11 and 12 vying to reach next Sunday's championship. Past controversies have included overage players. The latest: Nine players suspended for performance-enhancing Happy Meals.
Missing the HB10 cut: Marlins Park will announce this week it is hosting a 2017 auto race involving NASCAR and IndyCar drivers. Racing at Marlins Park? Warning track becomes race track? Sounds interesting ..... Marlins' Jose Fernandez became second-fastest ever to 200 strikeouts in a season, doing it in 139 2/3 innings. If only the science of cloning had been perfected ..... A game-worn Stephen Curry mouthguard sold for $3,190 at an auction. Proving true the old P.T. Barnum adage, "There's a sucker with $3,190 born every minute ..... James Harrison called Roger Goodell crooked. Is Donald trump suing for copyright infringement? ..... Bad news: Florida Gators suspend two from season opener. Good news, they hope: Luke Del Rio, son of Raiders coach Jack, named starting QB ..... Countdown five days 'til Arena Bowl 29. I won't watch, but thank you at least for not using Roman numerals ..... Darren Sharper: Sports' Bill Cosby. Sad. No, pathetic!
Poll result: Most give a thumbs-up, "solid" rating to Greg's Lobos fantasy team: We invited you to rate Greg's Lobos fantasy draft and 2016 roster led by Todd Gurley and Ben Roethlisberger and a plurality of 34.7 percent voted "solid/pretty good." After that it was 27.7% "decent/not bad," 14.7% "strong/really good," 13.7% "mediocre/meh" and 9.1% "weak/really bad." Had the options been letter grades, the As/Bs would have beaten Ds/Fs by better than a 2-to-1 margin, 49.5% to 22.8%.
GRANDMA RAPS, AND IT ISN'T AWFUL: When we call ourselves a sports blog that likes to surprise you with other stuff, we ain't lyin'. Here, a 74-year-old woman raps about Jesus, and it isn't nearly as terrible as it could be. Kicks in strong around the 30-second mark. Listen:
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GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is SATURDAY, AUGUST 20. Click here to read Ryan Lochte's apology for his behavior and falsehoods while at the Rio Olympics. 2) I have rediscovered a 1971 song, Neil Diamond's "I Am, I Said." It's a shade melodramatic, as is Diamond's style, but really compelling and gorgeous in a way. Listen here. 3) Ohio man arrested for trying to have sex with parked van. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Newly named Hard Rock Stadium with poll, Hillary as Usain, fading Marlins, Joy Taylor, your verdict on MLB's Purgatory Four & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
It's baa-aaack! Dolfan Satisfaction Meter to return: The DSM postgame blog polls will be back for another season this year, but they begin with the regular season, not in the preseason. Look for the first one the night of Sept. 11 immediately following the opener at Seattle.
PS2: DALLAS 41, DOLPHINS 14: TANNEHILL SHINES; DEFENSE, NOT SO MUCH:Postgame thoughts: NFL history made last night. Believed to be first game in league's 97 seasons that included quarterbacks named "Zac" and "Dak." Ryan Tannehill strong overall in an active evening, 12-for-20 for 162 yards and two TDs, a fat 119.2 passer rating. That'll work. And good they let him and the offense breathe a bit. Also, coach Adam Gase upgraded from last week's sideline T-shirt to an actual collared shirt. Progress! The rest? Not so good. Debut of Arian Foster an anticlimactic nothing: 2 carries, minus-5 yards. Ten Dolphins penalties. Defense? Awful. All over. Front to back. Especially against the pass. Awful. I saw in one fantasy draft ranking Miami's defense was ranked 28th. Thought that was low. Now I get it. I don't care if it's August or not. You don't give up 41 points. Work to do at 1-1 as the preseason pivots. Fake-game No. 3 -- fast, this Thursday vs. Atlanta in Orlando -- will be the full-ish dress rehearsal where the starters play a lot. Then will come the exhibition finale and only preseason home game at the newly refurbished and rebranded Hard Rock Stadium. Real season opener at Seattle chugging in hard. Uh oh. Original post: Last week Miami won its exhibition opener 27-10 at the Giants after trailing 10-0. In the real season that would have been impressive with no yeah-buts. In fake-game context it was boring and proved little, mainly because Ryan Tannehill barely played (seven snaps, four passes) and we saw little of Adam Gase's new offense. That should change tonight in Dallas as Tanny plays significantly more and we more substantively see what the quick-release/short-pass attack might actually be like. The preseason debut of RB Arian Foster (pictured) will also be a factor in tonight having more of a "this is the real offense" feel than last week. Foster, the former Pro Bowl star coming back from injuries at age 29 and obtained dirt-cheap, is a real wild card this season. He and young Jay Ajayi are fighting for the starting job and primary workload. Expectations for Foster may be modest, but there also is a big upside. Foster outranks Ajayi on most fantasy draft boards. Dolfans allowing themselves to dream big and imagine what has to go right for this to be a playoff season are surely including a bona fide return to form by Foster. If he can be who he was for most of 2010-14, or even close, the Dolphins will have a bargain, and a godsend. His skills catching passes out of the backfield, in addition to the ball carrying, dovetails with elements of the Gase offense. A first look at Foster, more Tannehill, and Tony Romo starting on the other side will give tonight a real-game feel -- however briefly.
GREG'S LOBOS REVEAL 2016 DRAFT RESULTS AND ROSTER: We had our fantasy draft Thursday night in the league that had the winning bid to have Greg's Lobos join this season. I was amazed how many leagues across the country bid for a good cause: ESPN's annual V Foundation fundraiser. I believe the winning bid topped $2,000. There will be three Greg's Lobos this season: this team, the one in the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz league, and the original Lobos from our friends 'n family league. Last night we drew the overall No. 3 pick in a standard-league, 10-team snake draft. The Lobos draft, in order by round: 1st round--RB Todd Gurley; 2nd--RB Mark Ingram; 3rd--WR Jordy Nelson; 4th--RB Carlos Hyde; 5th--WR Jarvis Landry; 6th--QB Ben Roethlisberger; 7th; WE Donte Moncrief; 8th--RB DeAngelo Williams; 9th--TE Martellus Bennett; 10th--WR Kevin White; 11th--TE Julius Thomas; 12th--QB Jameis Winston; 13th--WR Travis Benjamin; 14th--RB Benjamin Cunningham; 15th--Vikings D/ST; 16th--PK Matt Prater. I am pinning my hopes on huge productivity from Big Ben, superstar breakout numbers from Gurley, and big stat seasons from Ingram/Nelson/Landry. (Click here for a video on Landry's training regimen). But the Lobos' secret weapon could be Hyde, who I see as poised to bust out as a top-tier back this season, especially in that Niners offense. I like my team. Do you? Let us know in the poll below. Here's the team based on projected starting lineup:
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Todd Gurley
RB: Carlos Hyde
WR: Jordy Nelson
WR: Jarvis Landry
TE: Martellus Bennett
FLEX: RB Mark Ingram
D/S: Vikings
PK: Matt Prater
Reserves: WRs Donte Moncrief, Kevin White and Travis Benjamin; RBs DeAngelo Williams and Benjamin Cunningham; TE Julius Thomas and QB Jameis Winston.
Poll result: A strong thumbs-up for the new Hard Rock Stadium name: We asked what best represents how you feel about "Hard Rock Stadium" as the new name for where the Dolphins and Hurricanes play. A plurality of 31.0 percent voted, "Whatever. It'll always be Joe Robbie Stadium to me." However, otherwise, the new name met with huge approval, with love/like swamping dislike/hate by a landslide 9-to-1 margin of 53.9% to 5.9%. The breakdown: Love 28.2%, Like 25.7%, Dislike 3.0% and Hate 2.8%. The remaining 9.3% chose the poll option, "
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GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is THURSDAY, AUGUST 18. If coaches took their cue from Donald Trump: "The only way we lose this game is if the other side cheats and the system is rigged." 2) We're No. 8! Florida is the eighth-freest state in the U.S., based on this new study factoring various data. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): 'Purgatory Mount Rushmore' poll, Hot Button Top 10, Dolphins-Giants PS1, Olympic tears, Heat schedule dissected, six days in November & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
On newly christened Hard Rock Stadium: The name on the stadium doesn't matter, only the team in it does. Pro Player, Land Shark, Sun Life, now Hard Rock -- it's Dolphins stadium on Sundays, Hurricanes stadium on Saturdays, and up to us whether we choose to use the leased corporate name at all. Heck, it's still Joe Robbie Stadium to me! Call it what you will. What matters is that the Dolphins and Hurricanes win inside that place, whatever it's called. That's the theme of my latest column. Click on Name Of Stadium Doesn't Matter to read in full.
WHAT DO WE THINK OF HARD ROCK STADIUM AS THE LATEST NAME FOR THE HOUSE THAT JOE BUILT?: It's still Joe Robbie Stadium to me, at least in my heart, but, putting a positive spin on it, I'd say Hard Rock Stadium at least is a better name (certainly more football-macho) than the previous three. I hate all corporate names, as careful readers know. In columns I avoid them when possible. I go with the generic, such as the Heat playing in "the downtown bayside arena." Why should I pimp for an airline? I hate the idea that companies spend big to fix their name onto where our teams play. Even worse is that we fans (and most sheep-like media) immediately fall in line and obediently start using the new paid-for-advertising. We don't have to, you know. They can't make us. Call it Joe's Place. Steve's Canopy. Dolphins Stadium. Canes Park. Whatever. You wanna hear Pavlov's bell and go with Hard Rock? Great. That's fine, too. Unless you're against gambling and therefore casinos, chances are there isn't a moral issue. Plus Hard Rock Stadium beats the pants off A) Pro Player, an ill-fated subsidiary of underwear giant Fruit of the Loom; B) Land Shark, a third-tier beer; or C) Sun Life, a Canadian financial company. So the progression has gone from underwear to beer to a foreign company peddling life insurance to casinos. Here's a thought. Make the Dolphins, who haven't won a playoff game since 2000, earn that Hard Rock designation. Given the tough situation the Fins are in and have put their fans in, until the team wins another playoff game, call if Rock & A Hard Place Stadium. I'm just having a little fun. What do you think of the new name? Vote and check back often to monitor evolving results.
SUMMER OLYMPICS MEET PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS: Two of my favorite things to follow closely, both current, are presidential politics and the Summer Olympics, and so I loved and couldn't resist passing along this mashup "photo" somebody sent to me, with Hillary Clinton as Usain Bolt. Relax, Republicans and Trump-ets. The photoshop is merely reflecting the trend in public opinion polls, which of course are always subject to change. If the Donald takes over the lead in the national polls lead we'll certainly rejigger this to have The Donald's coif atop Bolt's winning body. Deal? The Olympics end Sunday. The ultimate race, the one for the White House, ends Nov. 8.
MARLINS: SLIP-SLIDIN' AWAY...: Perhaps it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy that when slugger Giancarlo Stanton was lost for the season with his latest injury, most wrote off the Marlins' chances of winning a wild-card playoff ticket. The Fish have now lost two in a row and five of their past seven to fall two games off wild-card pace. One team they are chasing, Pittsburgh, hosts Miami Friday through Sunday. Marlins need to take at least two of three to keep a grip on this thing.
Poll result: Strong Hall of Fame support for MLB's 'Purgatory Mount Rushmore': We asked if Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, and by nearly a 3-to-1 margin it was 51.5 percent saying yes to all four vs. 17.4 voting no to all four. Another 19.2% said yes to Rose but not the steroids guys, while 8.2% said yes to the 'roids guys but not Rose. The remaining 3.7% were undecided.
WELCOME TO THE BIG-TIME, JOY TAYLOR: Former Dolphin Jason Taylor's kid sister (pictured left, and I cannot explain that beam of orange light rising out of her head)) made a nice mark in South Florida as a 790 The Ticket radio morning co-host and since has landed nationally at Fox, where she'll soon be joining Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe on a still-unnamed FS1 morning show. With the big time comes increased attention, scrutiny and criticsim, of course, so it's no surprise awfulannouncing.com dug up some old Joy Tweets to produce this story under the headline, SKIP BAYLESS' NEW MODERATOR JOY TAYLOR ONCE CALLED HIM A 'STRAIGHT UP CARTOON' AND 'TROLL'. On the bright side, without question, Skip Bayless has been called much, much, much worse.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is TUESDAY, AUGUST 16. Are you a big Jack White fan as I am? Excited to hear he'll be releasing a career-spanning acoustic double album in September. Details here. Pictured right: Jack and I backstage at a concert several years ago. I know him (very casually) through occasional meetings related to our mutual friendship with Brendan Benson, Jack's buddy and Raconteurs bandmate. Not sure which is more astounding about this photo: Jack's creepy, pasty-white makeup, or my luxuriant head of hair. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): John Oliver on the American newspaper, Ricky Williams stir-fries cannabis in butter, complete 2016-17 Heat schedule, betting odds for Dolphins/NFL, your verdict on Summer Olympics & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
It's Radio Tuesday!: I'm back in-studio today with the Dan LeBatard Show With Stugotz (minus the 'Gotz), 8:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. locally on 790 The Ticket, 10-1 nationally on ESPN Radio and simulcasting on ESPNU.
A-Rod and Hall of Fame: Time for MLB to reconcile with its stars in purgatory: This is my latest Sunday column topic, and reaction to it -- good and bad, for an against -- is filling up my email inbox. I write that it is time for MLB to reconcile with what I call its Purgatory Mount Rushmore: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Pete Rose and Alex Rodriguez. Click on Time for Baseball and Cooperstown to Reconcile With Banished Stars to read in full.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature (updated) is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. MARLINS: Stanton out for season; playoff hopes imperiled: Fish are in intense fight for second NL wild-card spot as team set out Monday on seven-game road trip with a second straight win. But big news is that slugger Giancarlo Stanton's groin injury will shelve him the remainder of the regular season -- a huge blow to postseason hopes. This marks fourth time in past six years Stanton has missed a big chunk of season injured. Then again, Miami is now 12-3 without Stanton this season, so hope breathes.
2. DOLPHINS: Miami wins at Giants in preseason opener: The franchise's 51st season launched with a fake-game win Friday, 27-10, in East Rutherford, and fake-game two is this Friday in Dallas. Be happy, Dolfans, sure. But moderation, too, please. I’d remind you the 2007 Cam-powered Dolphins who went 1-15 won their preseason opener, too.
2. OLYMPICS: Swimming, gymnastics lead way for U.S.: Usain Bolt glided to the 100-meters gold, but the story of the Summer Olympics at its midpoint in Rio has been Team USA kicking ass looking good in the medal count, led by gymnast Simone Biles and that really tall swimmer who won his record 23rd career gold medal. Mike Phillips? No, wait. Oh yeah: Michael Phelps!
4. ALEX RODRIGUEZ: Miami’s A-Rod plays last game for Yanks, won't join Marlins: Rodriguez’s last game in pinstripes came Friday. So he is now retired ... unless of course the Marlins signed him because they decided that what their playoff run is lacking was a little circus-y distraction. But that won't happen, by mutual agreement. Too bad. Click on on A-Rod to Fish Made Sense for today's latest column on what might have been.
5. HEAT: Four marquee visits highlight 2016-17 schedule: Miami's newly released season schedule features a Nov. 10 return by Dwyane Wade in Bulls uniform, one visit by Kevin Durant’s Warriors, and two late-season visits by the champion Cavaliers and their top player, Whatshisname.
6. HURRICANES: UM holds Canesfest as season draws nearer: With school's Sept. 3 football opener vs. Florida A&M now only 18 days away, Canesfest fan event was held Saturday in the basketball arena. Good news: Hurricanes under new coach Mark Richt should be good. Bad news: ACC mates/roadblocks Florida State and Clemson are, like, great.
7. TIM TEBOW: Former quarterback plots future in baseball: Tim Tebow, major league outfielder? The former Florida Gators star and NFL QB has informed MLB teams he'll avail himself for a tryout? Alrighty then!
8. LEBRON JAMES: King signs three-year, $100 million extension: Cleveland is smiling, and that supposed possible eventual return to Miami has gotten less likely. James eschewed free agency next summer to sign an extension whose $31 million salary next season will make him NBA's highest-paid player for first time in his career.
9. SOCCER: English Premier Leagues gets underway: The English Premier League season is underway, a soccer league followed more and more in America. Out of the blue Saturday, somewhere in your neighborhood, somebody was arguing about the talent level of Everton's back line.
10. TEAM USA BASKETBALL: No given for an American gold?: U.S. men have had two close calls in Rio, leading some analysts to speculate that the Kevin Durant-led, NBA star-driven Americans might not win gold, after all. "Yeah, right!" laughed all of America in unison.
Missing the HB10 cut: Gloves worn by Muhammad Ali in his 'Fight of the Century' vs. Joe Frazier in 1971 sold at auction for $606,375. If I'm paying that much for two used gloves, each one better be holding a blank check for about $300,000 ..... Heat owner Micky Arison wrote an open letter thanking fans, acknowledging the club's rough summer and pledging renewed dedication to winning. How about an open letter assuring Chris Bosh will be back? How 'bout that!? ..... The NASL Fort Lauderdale Strikers are six days from their debut at new home at Lauderhill's Central Broward Stadium. The Lauderhill Strikers?
PS1: DOLPHINS 27, @ N.Y. GIANTS 10: CURTAIN LIFTS ON DRESS REHEARSAL WITH TANNEHILL (BARELY) IN SPOTLIGHT: OK, say this. Winning your fake-game debut on the road 27-10 after trailing 10-0 is pretty impressive/encouraging. Miami has not opened a season with a more impressive exhibition-opening win, based on point differential, since 1984. So there's that. But what jumps out about this meaningless result is new coach Adam Gase's weird quarterback rotation. Starter Ryan Tannehill played only the first series (2-for-4 for 8 yards) and did not return. That's brief, especially when Gase was on record saying the first-team offense may need a bit more work. Crazy-early for either a second guess on that or for a "great start!" enthusiasm, but let's say the lack of Tannehill is the most notable takeaway from fake-game No. 1. By the way, Gase and staff wore gray T-shirts. Must be saving the sideline look for the real season. More dissecting of tonight's weather-delayed fake-game No. 1 is not needed because, well, because it was fake-game No. 1 ..... Original post: Preemptive strike: Yeah, yeah. I know. Preseason games don't matter, especially the first one. So whether the Dolphins beat the Giants in PS1 tonight in East Rutherford or don't, who carese? OK. But! The next month very much does matter for Miami even if it doesn't count. And how the team looks Friday night very much does matter, too, even if the result does not. For the rut-stuck Dolphins, more than for most teams, August is going to set a tone. It is going to indicate whether naysaying oddsmakers are right and Miami is still around a Fortune .500 team unlikely for the playoffs -- or whether Dolfans can muster the bravery to believe things are (finally) different. League powers have nothing to prove in August, and awful teams can't change perceptions in one preseason. It is teams in that fragile in-between, like Miami, that have the chance to reshape themselves in August, changing the confidence level that comes out of the lockerroom and that is reflected in the way fans feel. This is especially true of franchises whose head-coaching change has broadcast a new direction. And doubly so if that coach, Adam Gase, got hired because his skill set was particularly suited to extract the dormant potential from fifth-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill. No matter who wins or loses tonight or the final score, how Tannehill and Gase's new offense look and perform will be the most obvious takeaway from this preseason opener. Click on Result Won't Matter, But How Tannehill Looks In New Offense Will for my latest, full column previewing the Dolphins' season launch.
OLYMPIC MOMENTS THAT BRING GREG COTE TO TEARS, AND WHY: I sat and watched hours of the Rio Oympics last night for the first time in these Summer Games, enjoying the continuation of America's big run in swimming and women's gymnastics. I'm a patriot, if not an outright jingoist, and I get emotional cheering for Team USA. I teared up (I'll admit) watching Simone Biles win women's all-around gymnastics gold, watching Aly Raisman's triumphant silver in the same event, watching Simone Manuel (pictured) become the first African-American woman to win individual gold in swimming (100 freestyle) and of course watching G.O.A.T. Michael Phelps win his 22nd gold. And hearing the national anthem at those medal ceremonies! Good stuff. Also enjoy seeing the parents in the stands. As a father who coached and cheered two sons in youth sports, I can almost imagine how it must feel to see your child at their sport's pinnacle, on this stage, and cast the memory back to when they were 6 and just getting started. Such emotion the Olympics can draw forth -- all of it compounded by the fact these athletes work their entire lives and have trained the past four years for these moments, for a minute or even seconds that will determine whether their dream comes true or is shattered. Thank you, Olympians.
HEAT SCHEDULE POINTLESSLY DISSECTED: ESPN, with too much time on its hands, uses a complicated formula (excruciating details here) to rank which NBA teams have the hardest to easiest schedules, and what that projects to mean. It estimated Brooklyn's most-difficult schedule will translate to 5.32 extra losses, and at the other end Boston's easiest schedule will equate to 3.34 extra losses. The Miami Heat schedule is ranked 12th-most difficult of 30 teams, yet translates to 0.47 extra wins. Awriiight! ESPN's synopsis on the Heat: "Considering the Heat are stuck way down in South Florida, their travel looks pretty favorable. However, Miami has a league-high 33 games against teams that will be more rested." My synopsis on this ESPN ranking: "Sounds like filling space in the dead of the offseason."
SIX DAYS IN NOVEMBER: Circle Nov. 5-10, a Saturday through Thursday, on your calendar. It's almost three months away, but worth anticipating, because here's what we get within that six-days span: Nov. 5 is Pitt at Hurricanes, the appetizer. Nov. 6 is Jets at Dolphins. Nov. 8? Oh, yeah. Presidential election day. Then Nov. 10: Dwyane Wade's return to Miami in a Chicago Bulls uniform. It could be one of the most memorable, enjoyable one-week spans we've seen. But only if my candidate wins, of course.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is THURSDAY, AUGUST 11. Pictured is Time magazine's latest cover, about the Donald Trump campaign, entitled 'Meltdown.' This is the most volatile, fascinating presidential election season of my lifetime, and I'm not sure there is a close second. 2) Single-game tickets to the Oct. 10 FSU at Hurricanes game have sold out. To go, you now must buy a UM season-ticket package. 3) R.I.P., ESPN broadcaster John Saunders, 61. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Favorite Summer Olympics sport poll, Tinder's favorite jobs, college football/Canes/Kaaya betting odds, your Marlins/A-Rod verdict & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
Thank you, HBO: I am blatantly double-dipping into your product to float this latest blogpost. First comes my take on John Oliver's recent rant on journalism and newspapers, followed by Bill Simmons' interview last night with actor Seth Rogen and former Dolphin Ricky Williams discussing weed:
BULL'S-EYE: THANK YOU, JOHN OLIVER, FOR YOUR SPOTLIGHT ON THE VALUE OF, AND SAD STATE OF, THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER: A bit belatedly (this first aired Sunday on HBO's Last Week Tonight With John Oliver), I wanted to thank Oliver for his typically astute take, in this case on journalism in general and finacially struggling American newspapers in general. As Donald Trump wars with the media, calls reporters the most dishonest people in the world and creates a climate in which his supporters chant "lock them up!" at journalists, Oliver properly places in context the continuing value of local newspapers while also skedwering the direction in which they are headed in the digital age. Most fellow journalists like myself -- infantry at the ground level who haven't been laid off, yet -- found the piece brilliant. Most management-level newspaper bosses likely did not. The Newspaper Association of America did, not, either. Click here for the story why. I thought it was spot on in every, on both its overarching points: 1) Why local newspapers continue to be indispensable even as they struggle economically. And 2) how newspapers have been forced to make unfortunate decisions and go in dubious directions in an attempt to survive in the digital age. A thoughtful and thought-provoking piece here. [Note to self: You should have led this blogpost with something about the Dolphins or Canes. Would have gotten a lot more online clicks!]
WEED CHAT: SETH 'N RICKY TALK POT WITH BILL SIMMONS:This was from last night's Any Given Wednesday With Bill Simmons on HBO. "High"light: Williams revealing he sautes marijuana in butter in order to stir-fry food in a cannabis flavoring. (I wonder if Malia Obama would enjoy that? OY!) Marijuana has officially been de-stigmatized when a popular actor, a prominent former NFL star and a major sports broadcaster sit around all talking about smoking pot, and doing it as casually as if they were discussing the Olympics. And, perhaps even more remarkably, when the reaction and attitude of an old sports columnist is far, far closer to nonchalant amusement than it is to outrage.
DOLPHINS, NFL STAT-LEADER BETTING ODDS: Via Bovada today: Passing yards--Drew Brees is favorite at 5-1 odds, then Ben Roethlisberger 6-1 and Philip Rivers 15-2, with Dolphin Ryan Tannehill tied for 16th at 40-1. Receiving yards--Antonio Brown is fave at 2-1, then Julio Jones 3-1 and Odell Beckham 15-2, with Fins' Jarvis Landry tied for 20th at 66-1. Rushing yards--Adrian Peterson is the pick at 3-1, then Todd Gurley 5-1 and Doug Martin 10-1, with Miami's Jay Ajayi tied for 22nd at 50-1.
COMPLETE 2016-17 HEAT REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE: Highlights include one visit by Dwyane Wade in a Bulls uniform, one visit by Kevin Durant and Golden State, two trips here for LeBron James' Cavaliers and (hallelujah!) no Christmas Day game:
DATE DAY OPPONENT TIME TV
OCTOBER
26 Wed. @ Orlando 7:00 PM FSS
28 Fri. CHARLOTTE 8:00 PM FSS --- HOME OPENER
30 Sun. SAN ANTONIO 6:00 PM FSS
NOVEMBER
1 Tues. SACRAMENTO 7:30 PM FSS
4 Fri. @ Toronto 7:30 PM FSS
7 Mon. @ Oklahoma City 8:00 PM FSS
10 Thurs. CHICAGO 8:00 PM TNT --- DWYANE WADE'S 1ST AND ONLY VISIT
12 Sat. UTAH 8:00 PM FSS
14 Mon. @ San Antonio 8:30 PM FSS
15 Tues. ATLANTA 7:30 PM FSS
17 Thurs. MILWAUKEE 7:30 PM FSS
19 Sat. @ Washington 7:00 PM FSS
21 Mon. @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM FSS
23 Wed. @ Detroit 7:30 PM FSS
25 Fri. @ Memphis 8:00 PM FSS
26 Sat. MEMPHIS 8:00 PM FSS
28 Mon. BOSTON 7:30 PM FSS/NBA TV
30 Wed. @ Denver 9:00 PM FSS
DECEMBER
1 Thurs. @ Utah 9:00 PM FSS
3 Sat. @ Portland 10:00 PM FSS
6 Tues. NEW YORK 7:30 PM FSS
7 Wed. @ Atlanta 7:30 PM FSS
9 Fri. @ Cleveland 7:30 PM FSS
10 Sat. @ Chicago 8:00 PM FSS/NBA TV
12 Mon. WASHINGTON 7:30 PM FSS/NBA TV
14 Wed. INDIANA 7:00 PM FSS/ESPN
16 Fri. L.A. CLIPPERS 8:00 PM FSS
18 Sun. BOSTON 6:00 PM FSS
20 Tues. ORLANDO 7:30 PM FSS
22 Thurs. L.A. LAKERS 7:30 PM FSS
23 Fri. @ New Orleans 8:00 PM FSS
27 Tues. OKLAHOMA CITY 7:30 PM FSS/NBA TV
29 Thurs. @ Charlotte 7:00 PM FSS
30 Fri. @ Boston 7:30 PM FSS
JANUARY
1 Sun. DETROIT 6:00 PM FSS
3 Tues. @ Phoenix 9:00 PM FSS
4 Wed. @ Sacramento 10:30 PM FSS
6 Fri. @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM FSS
8 Sun. @ L.A. Clippers 3:30 PM FSS
10 Tues. @ Golden State 10:30 PM FSS/NBA TV
13 Fri. @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM FSS
17 Tues. HOUSTON 7:30 PM FSS/NBA TV
19 Thurs. DALLAS 7:30 PM FSS
21 Sat. MILWAUKEE 7:30 PM FSS
23 Mon GOLDEN STATE 7:30 PM FSS --- ONLY VISIT BY DURANT/WARRIORS
25 Wed. @ Brooklyn 7:30 PM FSS
27 Fri. @ Chicago 8:00 PM FSS/ESPN
28 Sat. DETROIT 7:30 PM FSS
30 Mon. BROOKLYN 7:30 PM FSS
FEBRUARY
1 Wed. ATLANTA 7:30 PM FSS
4 Sat. PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM FSS
6 Mon. @ Minnesota 8:00 PM FSS
8 Wed. @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM FSS
10 Fri. @ Brooklyn 7:30 PM FSS
11 Sat. @ Philadelphia 7:30 PM FSS
13 Mon. ORLANDO 7:30 PM FSS
15 Wed. @ Houston 8:00 PM FSS
24 Fri. @ Atlanta 8:00 PM FSS
25 Sat. INDIANA 8:00 PM FSS
27 Mon. @ Dallas 9:30 PM TNT
MARCH
1 Wed. PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM FSS
3 Fri. @ Orlando 7:00 PM FSS/ESPN
4 Sat. CLEVELAND 8:00 PM FSS --- 1ST OF 2 VISITS BY LEBRON
6 Mon. @ Cleveland 7:00 PM FSS
8 Wed. CHARLOTTE 7:30 PM FSS
11 Sat. TORONTO 8:00 PM FSS
12 Sun. @ Indiana 6:00 PM FSS/NBA TV
15 Wed. NEW ORLEANS 7:30 PM FSS
17 Fri. MINNESOTA 8:00 PM FSS
19 Sun. PORTLAND 6:00 PM FSS
21 Tues. PHOENIX 7:30 PM FSS
23 Thurs. TORONTO 7:30 PM FSS
26 Sun. @ Boston 6:00 PM FSS
28 Tues. @ Detroit 7:30 PM FSS
29 Wed. @ New York 7:30 PM FSS
31 Fri. NEW YORK 8:00 PM FSS
APRIL
2 Sun. DENVER 6:00 PM FSS/NBA TV
5 Wed @ Charlotte 7:00 PM FSS
7 Fri. @ Toronto 7:30 PM FSS
8 Sat. @ Washington 7:00 PM FSS
10 Mon. CLEVELAND 7:30 PM FSS --- 2ND OF 2 VISITS BY LEBRON
12 Wed. WASHINGTON 8:00 PM FSS
Poll result: Pool wins poll as swimming reigns in Summer Olympics: In an incredibly unpopular poll we asked what is your favorite sport to watch in the Summer Olympics and among five choices swimming led with 31.4 percent, followed by track & field 22.0%, gymnastics 18.7%, basketball 5.1% and soccer 4.2%. Another 18.6% voted "something else."
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10. The Chicago Cubs lead in MLB in run differential with plus-186. The record, plus-411, was set by Joe Dimaggio and Red Ruffing's 1939 Yankees. 2) The pie chart on Ichiro's 3,000 MLB hits: 84.43 percent Mariners, 10.37% Yankees and 5.20% Marlins. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Should Marlins sign Alex Rodriguez with poll, Hot Button Top 10, your verdict on Dolphins/Canes win totals & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Vine,Periscope and Snapchat.
Suey Awards/Back In My Day: The LeBatard Show's annual Suey Awards voting is underway, and there is a category to name the best of our Back In My Day segments. There are 12 finalists. Click here for a 9-minute audio highlighting each, or here to go directly to the poll. Surprisingly, to me, there is one clear leader. My personal pick (Research) isn't even in the top five.
OTHER THAN CANOE SLALOM AND BADMINTON, WHAT SUMMER OLYMPICS SPORT INTERESTS YOU MOST?: Are you like me with the Summer Olympics? There are 39 sports, officially, and I don't pay attention to about 35 of them. Somewhere in Rio de Janeiro right now the U.S. could be going for the gold in canoe slalom. Whatever. Words never spoken: "You catch that South Korea-Australia badminton match last night?" I have identified and put to a poll vote what I'd call the five bell-cow sports that carry the Summer Games. I may be wrong. That's why God invented the "other" category. Take a dip in our poll, say which Rio Games sport most interests you, and check back often to monitor evolving results:
TINDER SHOWS SOME LOVE FOR JOURNALISTS: Dating site Tinder just released its list of the most "right-swiped" jobs in Florida for men and women, the Tinder equivalent of approval or liking someone, and "Journalist" is No. 4 for men -- meaning that if my wife would allow me to date, I might have a shot. The esteem for my profession comes as a pleasant surprise, and in the wake of Donald Trump calling journalists "the most dishonest people in the world," which, as Ma used to say, is like the pot calling the kettle black. Notice that "CEO/Entrepreneur" also ranks high quite high on both lists. Hmm. If I ask someone what they do and they answer, "I'm an entrepreneur," the bulls--t bell goes off and I assume what they really mean is, "I'm currently unemployed, but I have a plan in place to become a billionaire."
UPDATED COLLEGE FOOTBALL ODDS FOR CANES, KAAYA: From Bovada today, not much love for the Miami Hurricanes, who now are 100-1 lonmgshots to win the national championship (tied for 28th), after being 66-1 immediately following last season. A huge reason is the high regard for ACC rivals and UM roadblocks Clemson and Florida State. Favorites nationally are Alabama at 6-1, LSU 7-1, Clemson 17-2, Michigan and Ohio State both 9-1, and Florida State 10-1. Heisman Trophy favorites are LSU RB Leonard Fournette at 4-1 and Clemson QB DeShaun Watson at 9-2. Canes QB Brad Kaaya (pictured) is tied for 16th at 33-1.
Poll result: Close call, but most think Marlins should sign A-Rod: We asked what best reflects your thoughts on whether the Marlins should sign a soon-to-be-available Alex Rodriguez, and it was 48.6 percent "Yes, yes. Do it!" and 44.9% "No. Please. No!" The other 6.5% were undecided.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day...
