GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. Happy new month, all! 2) My Back In My Day segments so popular on ESPN Radio's LeBatard Show have come to the Herald. Click on Pencils to see the first one. 3) 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. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Annual rate-my-fantasy-team poll & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
OY! NSFW! HERE'S THAT SEXY GIANCARLO STANTON VIDEO!: At least Stanton keeps his pants on. (I think). And this woman looks like she's 40. Not that there's anything wrong with that!
My three new columns:
The MVP case for Stanton: The Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton isn't an MVP lock but should be, with power numbers ahead of the pack in a way baseball hasn't seen since the 1930s and '40s. Click MVP: Stanton Has History On His Side to read.
Hurricanes season preview: Hopes are way-high for Year 2 of the Mark Richt era even as a new QB, Malik Rosier, takes over. I preview the season that opens this Saturday vs. Bethune Cookman. Click Litmus Test: Beat FSU to read.
NFL Team Ranking: Who's No. 1 may not surprise you but how high the Dolphins rank might, in our annual ranking of the 32 teams entering the season. Click on 2017 NFL Team Ranking to read.
AT UCF 61, FIU 17 (FINAL): TOUGH OPENING TEST LAUNCHES THE BUTCH DAVIS ERA: Click on Not the Welcome-Back Butch Imagined for my column from Orlando. Original post: Davis tonight coaches his first game since his North Carolina days ended in 2010 as his FIU Panthers open as 17-point road 'dogs at Central Florida in Orlando. FIU could be pretty good with the ball, led by a rare fourth-year starting QB in Alex McGough and the school's career rushing leader in Alex Gardner. It's defense that always seems a concern for FIU. The D gave up 44, 42, 49 and 42 points in last season's last four losses, and the Cats also lost at home to UCF 53-14. The Knights are on the upswing under second-year coach Scott Frost, who inherited an 0-12 program and lifted it to 6-7 last year. Davis (pictured), at age 65, is trying to forge FIU's first winning season since 2011.
PS4: DOLPHINS 30, AT MINNESOTA 6 (3Q): HA HA. OUR SCRUBS ARE BETTER THAN YOUR SCRUBS! FINS END PRESEASON 2-2 AS FAKE GAMES FINALLY OVER!: Very few starters will play tonight and those who do won't play much, so if you're tuning in at all you'll mostly be watching guys trying to fill out the bottom third of the roster. With roster cuts looming, fringe players will either be sneaking in or sealing their doom. Coach Adam Gase, on what he'll be looking for
tonight in Minny: "It’s going to be more about can we execute a little better than we have been, especially with those backup guys. We’ve had a lot of busts and not quite being in the right spot and not doing our job consistently. I know these guys will play fast. I know they’re going to play hard. We just need to execute a little better." There will be a couple of things to look for among front-line players, such as whether recovering LB Rey Maualuga will see a few plays, and whether the Byron Maxwell-Alterraun Verner cornerback battle will see either play. Also, the left guard starting job figures to see either Jesse Davis or Anthony Steen emerge a winner tonight. Me, I just wanna see Ndamukong Suh get in for an extra-point kick and then get on to the real season, please.
POLL RESULT: OUCH. GREG'S LOBOS CLOBBERED IN DRAFT VOTE: We invited you to rate my fantasy football team -- blindly, not knowing which team was mine from among 12 in my friends 'n family PPR league -- based on each team's first three draft picks. Pretty tight three or four-way race, then a big dropoff. Let's just say I hope my team exceeds your modest expectations! But at least I beat my wife. Wait. Let me rephrase that... Your results, with each team's top pick listed):
17.32% -- Team 2 (Antonio Brown, pictured) drafted by my brother
15.83% -- Team 3 (Le'Veon Bell) drafted by my daughter-in-law's sister.
15.70% -- Team 12 (Melvin Gordon) drafted by my youngest son.
12.04% -- Team 9 (Mike Evans) drafted by my eldest son.
6.90% -- Team 5 (Odell Beckham) drafted by a nephew.
6.63% -- Team 4 (Julio Jones) drafted by a family friend.
6.09% -- Team 8 (Jordy Nelson) drafted by a nephew.
5.28% -- Team 10 (A.J. Green) drafted by me, Greg's Lobos. Oy!
4.87% -- Team 7 (Devonta Freeman) drafted by family friend's husband.
4.47% -- Team 1 (David Johnson) drafted by my daughter-in-law.
2.98% -- Team 11 (Michael Thomas) drafted by nephew's wife.
1.89% -- Team 6 (LeSean McCoy) drafted by my wife.
1. Philadelphia at Marlins, 7:10 p.m.: Stanton, Fish try to end 4-game skid.
2. Navy at FAU, 8 p.m.: See if Lane Kiffin era launches better than Butch's did.
3. Costa Rica at U.S. 6:30 p.m.: World Cup qualifying men's soccer match in N.J.
4. U.S. Open tennis, 1 p.m.: Third-round matches begin from New York.
Select other recent columns -- Stanton Chasing 1984. Dolphins' Double-Jay Attack Portends Dynamic Offense. Stanton the Litmus Test For New Owners. Also: Double QB Quandary A Rarity. New Owner, New Hope. A Diamond, Shining. Immortality Calling. Specials: Thank You, Mae Riback. 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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