GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is MONDAY, AUGUST 14. Click on Pencils for our new Back In My Day from last week's LeBatard Show. 2) Dolphins time! Know any die-hard Dolfans? Surprise and delight them with our new book on club's first half-century. Learn more or order here: Fins At 50. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins-Atlanta preseason opener, Jay Cutler poll, Fins in fantasy rankings & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
Cote on ESPN's Highly Questionable Uh oh: It's Me-Week on HIghly Questionable, according to me. I'll be in-studio on ESPN's HQ show today, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the middle of Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre. Shows airs 4:30 p.m.
Latest Sunday column: The anomaly of Dolphins, Canes' simultaneous QB upheaval: Quantifying how rare it is that the Fins and UM both are going into a season with new quarterbacks. And both can blame plain rotten luck. Click on Double QB Quandary A Rarity to read.
MARLINS: ON SALE OF CLUB TO JETER GROUP, GREATNESS OF STANTON: Jeffrey Loria agreeing to sell to the group fronted by Derek Jeter of course makes us wonder, "What's next?" But first ... LET'S PARTY! Click on New Owner, New Hope to read my latest column. On Stanton: Underappreciated nationally, overshadowed in his own city, the Marlins' slugger is having one of the great seasons in Miami sports history, having hit his MLB-leading 41st home run last night, one from tying Gary Sheffield's 1996 club record. My column is an unabashed appreciation. Click on A Diamond, Shining to read. Now, weigh in on what Marlins fans are talking about. Take a dip in our poll and check back often to monitor evolving results:
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, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. DEREK JETER: Group fronted by 'The Captain' gets winning bid for Marlins: Jeffrey Loria has agreed to sell the Marlins for $1.2 bllion to the group led by New York venture capitalist Bruce Sherman and fronted by ex-Yankees star Derek Jeter. Will they be great owners? That's for later. For now, that they're not Loria is good enough.
2. DOLPHINS: Ready or not, here comes Cutler!: Fins won preseason opener without him, and now host Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night with new QB Jay Cutler expected to start in first game action as a Dolphin. He's 'Club's best Jay since Fiedler!' Dolfans hope they can set the bar a bit higher.
3. MARLINS: At least Stanton's worth price of admission: Fish are sinking to 14th straight year sans playoffs as six-game homestand continues, but at least Giancarlo Stanton is reason to still pay attention, with an MLB-leading 42nd home run yesterday now projecting to season total of 59. Going, going ... Gone-Carlo!
4. HURRICANES: UM marks CanesFest with QB battle still unsettled: The Hurricanes' annual CanesFest fan event was held Saturday at Hard Rock after a closed morning scrimmage. Fans, three weeks from your season opener, do you know who your starting quarterback is? If so, would you please let Mark Richt know?
5. GOLF: Thomas wins PGA as season's final major wraps up: Little-known Justin Thomas, 24, won year's fourth and last major, the PGA Championship, in Charlotte, N.C. Did you know that when The Masters, U.S. Open and British Open get together for drinks they privately make fun of the PGA?justin thomas, 24
6. HEAT: Historic foreign game scheduled: Leaked highlights of next season's NBA schedule find Heat opening Oct. 18 in Orlando, playing club's first-ever international game Dec. 9 in Mexico and hosting Cleveland just once, March 27. So now LeBron has plenty of time to plan that "rest day."
7. SOCCER: EPL leads way as international soccer league play opens: League seasons began in English Premier League and across globe. Storybook start? Top English star Wayne Rooney, 31, scoring only goal of game in his emotional return to Everton after 12 years at Manchester United.
8. WRESTLING: Downtown Miami hosts WWE event Sunday: WWE was back in South Florida with a non-televised "house show" Sunday evening at the Heat's bayside arena. It featured SmackDown performers as part of SummerSlam Heatwave Tour, whatever the hell any of that means.
9. TRACK: World championships going on. And on. And...: The IAAF track and field world championships have been going on seemingly forever in London. Dear track: We sort of like you for two weeks every four years during the Summer Olympics. Otherwise, don't push it.
10. CIVIL UNREST: White supremacists wreak havoc in Charlottesville: This would be No. 1 in overall importance, of course. My question: What genius granted a demonstration permit to a bunch of hateful, racist, neo-Nazi losers?
Missing the HB10 cut: Countdown 13 days 'til McGregor vs. Mayweather, the only fight I've ever been sick of even before it happened ..... Has Kenny Easley's Hall of Fame induction speech in Canton ended yet?
POLL RESULT: CUTLER POLARIZING, BUT MOST POSITIVE ON SIGNING: We asked, "What best reflects your opinion of the Dolphins signing of quarterback Jay Cutler?" Your answer: Very positive, 14.91 percent; Positive, 42.34%; We'll see, 23.17%; Negative, 6.52%; and Very negative, 13.05%. Broken down, that's 57.25% thumbs-up versus 19.57% thumbs-down, nearly 3-to-1 in favor, with the rest in between.
HOT BUTTON DAILY: MON 8-14-17: Today's sports events of most interest in SoFla:
1. San Francisco at Marlins, 7:10 p.m.: Fish, sizzlin' Stanton welcome Giants.
2. Highly Questionable, 4:30 p.m.: I'm cohost on ESPN. Hey my blog, my shameless plug.
3. Dolphins practice, ongoing: Readying Cutler for his Thursday preseason debut.
Select other recent columns -- Immortality Calling (with Jason Taylor in Hall, who's next?). Right Time, Right Quarterback (Dolphins should have gone with Kaepernick). Also: The Uncommon Pressure On the Miami Dolphins. He Missed a Heck Of a Game. Blockbuster Would Be Slumpbuster for Riley. Paroled But Not Free. Don't Hold Your Breath. An Ageless Wonder, Even In Defeat. All-Star Week Proves Miami's Baseball Potential as Loria Era Ebbs. The Gentleman-Athlete Earned Our Thanks. Heat Lose Twice On Hayward. Bam Is Due Benefit Of Doubt. Make Fun of the Farce, But You'll Watch. No Parade In Sight. A Fall From Greatness And From Grace. NFL's Moral Obligation. The Dolphins' Eight Ifs. Home Run For Miami. The Jose Statue's Positive Purpose. An American Tragedy. History Breathes at UM Sports Hall. Is There A Team Brave Enough for Kaepernick?. Thank You, Mae Riback. A Ghost Tour of Miami's Sports Past. The Miracle of Liberty City. Thank You, Edwin Pope.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
Twitter @gregcote
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