GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, JUNE 9. Stunned to hear that chef and travel host Anthony Bourdain, 61 (pictured), had taken his own life. The demons can be so invisible. I hope he has found the peace that eluded him. 2) Delight the Dolfans in your life with the perfect anytime-gift: our 'Fins At 50' book. Their reaction is sure to be: "Wait. Greg Cote wrote a BOOK!?" Click on Amazon to check it out. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): In search of Dolphins' Grand Plan, how Trump hijacked NFL protest cause, LeBron Summer Sweepstakes, The List (NBA Finals sweeps) & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Marlins' 25th Anniversary weekend: They're the Florida Marlins again, at least temporarily. Fish are back home and in the old teal this weekend vs. San Diego with events marking the franchise's 25th Anniversary season, including an alumni softball game before Sunday's game. The club's anniversary logo is pictured. Fish opened homestand (and celebration weekend) with a 4-0 win on Caleb Smith's gem last night. The rebuild-of-a-season hasn't been one to celebrate, but let nostalaia win the weekend.
Me rapping 'California Love." No, seriously: On the LeBatard Show this week it came up that my favorite hip-hop song is "California Love" by Tupuc Shakur with Dr. Dre. I started doing it. The result is one of those simultaneous moments of both intense shame and unfettered delight. Listeners started giving me rap names, including Lil Weezy (I've had a cough) and Notorious O.L.D. Thanks to @Ryan_Cortes for the audio here. To listen: Cote Does California Love.
FIVE WITH MIAMI TIES AMONG FORBES' 100 RICHEST ATHLETES: Forbes today drops its annual list of the Top 100 richest athletes in the world over the past year, including salary and endorsements, and five men with Miami ties (three current, two former) make the list. Boxer Floyd Mayweather tops the list at $285 million, with the rest of the top 10 populated by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Neymar, LeBron James, Roger Federer, Steph Curry, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford. Notably, zero female athletes make the list. Click Top 100 for the full list. The five Miami athletes or ex's to make it:
No. 32: Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins quarterback, $35.2 million -- Forbes includes Tannehill's near-$18 million salary from last season plus "an upfront $16.7 million payday early in 2018 when the Dolphins converted almost all of his 2018 base salary into a bonus to provide cap room for the team." Notably, his income includes only $500,000 in endorsements (Adidas), quite low for an NFL starting QB. Nevertheless, life is good for Mr. and Mrs. Tannehill (pictured). Tannehill is signed through 2020, but neither of the last two seasons of his deal include any guaranteed money.
No. 42: Dwyane Wade, Heat guard, $31.8 million -- Notably almost half of Wade's income ($14M) is from endorsements. Forbes: "The 12-time All-Star remains a prolific endorser with a dozen partners. His biggest pact is his shoe deal with Chinese brand Li-Ning. He joined the brand in 2012 and was given an equity stake in addition to his multi-million annual guarantee."
No. 65: Chris Bosh, former Heat forward, $26.3 million -- Includes $1 million in endorsements income. Heat waived Bosh in July 2017 due to medical issues (blood clots) but he has not officially retired. Forbes: "The Heat are on the hook for the remainder of his contract, which ends after the 2018-19 season when he will earn $26.8 million."
No. 77: Hassan Whiteside, Heat center, $24.5 million -- Includes $750K in endorsements. Forbes: "Whiteside re-signed with Heat for $98 million over four years during the summer of 2016. Injuries limited him to 54 games this past season, and the center frequently complained about his minutes when healthy. Heat and Whiteside could be headed for a divorce."
No. 92: Jarvis Landry, former Dolphins receiver, $23.2 million -- Includes $750 in endorsements. Forbes: "Cleveland locked up Landry with a blockbuster five-year, $75.5 million contract. The $47 million in guaranteed money is tied for the third-most ever for a wide receiver. Landry is an aspiring musician and is interning this summer at record label Quality Control Music, which is home to acts like Migos and Lil Yachty."
NEWEST COLUMNS: ON DOLPHINS, TRUMP/NFL: Do Adam Gase's Dolphins have a map on how to get from here to really good? A plan? This offseason has underlined
doubts. I tackle the state of the Dolphins in my latest column. To read it, click In Search of the Dolphins' Elusive Grand Plan. In my previous column I explore how President Trump's awful yet calculated and politically self-serving subterfuge -- lying -- has brilliantly (for him) hijacked the NFL's anthem protest cause to wrongly make it about the flag and patriotism instead of about police shootings of unarmed black men, about racism, profiling and social injustice. To read that column, click on Uninvited Eagles Latest Pawns In Trump's Subterfuge.
Other recent columns: Handicapping the LeBron Summer Sweepstakes -- now underway with last night's Cavs elimination by an NBA Finals sweep / When Sports Stopped Being All Fun & Games / The King, Indeed: LeBron Tops Michael / NFL Hiding Problem And Hoping It Goes Away / Tannehill's Defining Season / A Solution To Jeter's Impatience / Heading For Home: An Ode to Jim Morris / Confessions of a Lifelong Dolfan.
OUR APSE CONTEST-HONORED COLUMNS: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked me the No. 5 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose / NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye. (For all of our most recent columns, browse MiamiHerald/GregCote).
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