GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 31. The season-final Canesfan Satisfaction Meter rating is its lowest since 2014. Go HERE for the sad details. 2) Last chance: Visit MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018 to watch our annual holiday video. It's ho-ho-horrible! 3) Football is nearing its crescendo and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the (late) gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Alabama beats Oklahoma in Orange Bowl/CFP semifinal, Clemson-Notre Dame, Gators-Michigan & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
COLUMN ON GASE FIRING, TANNENBAUM DEMOTION:To read, visit The Dolphins Seem Desperate, And It's About Time.
COLUMNS ON RICHT RETIREMENT, DIAZ TAKING JOB: To read, visit Richt Can Call It Retirement, But He Just Quit On The Canes and Getting Diaz Back The Perfect Fit For UM.
Column: Alabama dynasty? Canes have been there, done that. But have they just seen map to getting back?: For my column from the stadium off last night's Alabama win over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl/CFP semfinal, visit 'Bama Shows Miami The Way Back To That Good. Also: Miami's Hate-Hate Relationship With Nick Saban.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G16/SEASON FINAL: 6.9%: Results are certified in the latest and season-final Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they 6.9 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 42-17 loss at Buffalo putting Miami's final season record at 7-9. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Because this is the final 2018 DSM poll, we suggested added emphasis for "season as a whole." Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10:30 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on Twitter @gregcote. The approval there was 24 %).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
G6: 75.0% following 31-28 OT victory vs. Chicago.
G7: 8.9% following 32-21 loss vs. Detroit.
G8: 5.8% following 42-23 loss at Houston.
G9: 29.6% following 13-6 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.
G10: 5.8% following 31-12 loss at Green Bay.
G11: 4.1% following 27-24 loss at Indianapolis.
G12: 15.6% following 21-17 victory vs. Buffalo.
G13: 83.9% following 34-33 victory vs. New England.
G14: 6.5% following 41-17 loss at Minnesota.
G:15 3.4% following 17-7 loss vs. Jacksonville.
G16/Final: 6.9% following 42-17 loss at Buffalo.
Yearly DSM Results: 2018--6.9% (following 7-9 season); 2017--7.7% (6-10); 2016--76.2% (10-6/playoff loss); 2015--18.1% (6-10); 2014--2.7% (8-8); 2013--4.2% (8-8); 2012--29.8% (7-9); 2011--34.9% (6-10); 2010--3.8% (7-9); 2009--31.2% (7-9); 2008--96.9% (11-5/playoff loss).
G16: @BUFFALO 42, DOLPHINS 17: ANOTHER ROAD COLLAPSE AS MIAMI ENDS 7-9: Final thoughts: Been preoccupied today with Mark Richt's sudden retirement. Plus, my postgame thoughts for this Dolphins loss might include swear words, so let's leave it alone ..... Original post: NFL Week 17 features all division games, all on Sunday, and 13 of the 16 matter in some way — either featuring a playoff-bound team or having a direct bearing on the postseason and its seeding order. Alas, this is one of the three exceptions: A sad wheeze to the finish line for two teams bereft of all playoff hope as the 7-8 Fins visit 5-10 Buffalo at 1 on CBS, with Miami a 3 1/2-point underdog. The Dolphins sag in with two straight losses and the Bills with four in the past five games. Expected weather in the 30s will provide a fitting tableau for a game both teams would just as soon not be playing. Fins lucked to beat Bison 21-17 on Dec. 2 when Charles (Hands Of) Clay failed to catch the game-winning pass in the end zone in the closing seconds. Make it Bills here in a venue call. Miami is 1-6 on the road this year, and has won only nine of its past 26 trips to Orchard Park. Dolphins also will be missing top cover-guy Xavien Howard for a fourth straight game. (Quick aside: Probably not a good sign when your team’s MVP award is won by a cornerback in an average pass defense who missed a quarter of the season injured. Suggests a paucity of worthy candidates. It was Ryan Tannehill’s award to win in his comeback season, but until he finds the map to the playoffs, his Dolphins future will forever be cast in doubt). I’ll hedge here with that extra half-point on the bet-line, though. See Fins within a field goal in a low-scoring game owing to offensive meekness more than defensive might. By the way, Miami didn’t really start out 3-0 this season, did it? We imagined that, right? My pick: Buffalo, 20-17.
Visit Week 17 Gems for all of our regular season-ending selections.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 30): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature 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: Richt abruptly retires in wake of rout-loss in bowl, Diaz returns: UM somehow got crushed and embarrassed 35-3 to a five-loss Wisconsin team in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, closing a disappointing 7-6 season. Sunday, bad got worse with Mark Richt's abrupt retirement as head coach. Then got better with Manny Diaz returning to replace him. Crazy. For my new columns: Richt Can Call It Retirement, But He Just Quit On The Canes and Getting Diaz Back The Perfect Fit For UM.
2. DOLPHINS: Gase fired, Tannenbaum demoted in wake of 7-9 season: An embarrassing 42-17 loss in Buffalo Sunday ended a 7-9 season. On Monday, the Fins fired coach Adam Gase and gave Mike Tannenbaum's power over personnel to Chris Grier. Crazy II. What a wild two days and end of year for football in Miami.
3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama wins Orange Bowl for a Tide-Clemson finale: The 85th Orange Bowl gave us two games in one Saturday night: Alabama racing to a fast 28-0 lead and then Oklahoma dominating after that. The only game that counted, though? 'Bama, 45-34, in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Hard Rock, making it Crimson Tide vs. Clemson in the championship game week from Monday. Reports that Nick Saban may have almost smiled in the closing seconds could not be substantiated.
4. HEAT: No Dragic, no problem for hot Heat: Despite Goran Dragic's extended injury absence the Heat has won six of past seven to climb to 17-17 and sixth place in East. This evening vs. Minnesota, Miami will try -- again-- to top .500 for the first time since 3-2.
5. UM BASKETBALL: ACC schedule begins for Canes men, women: Miami men are 8-4 and the women 11-2 and ranked No. 24, but it's been breadsticks and appetizers. The meat and potatoes start this week, on Thursday with the women hosting Virginia Tech and then the men hosting No. 20 North Carolina State.
6. NFL: Six teams alive for three remaining playoff spots: Math, NFL style, as the regular seasons concludes today: 32 teams, 12 playoff spots; 17 teams eliminated (sorry, Miami), 15 teams still in it; 9 teams have clinched postseason tickets, 6 still alive for the final 3 spots to be determined today.
7. GATORS: Florida upsets Michigan in Peach Bowl rout: Florida finishes 10-3 with a 41-15 bowl-rout of Michigan in the Peach, led by QB Feliepe Franks. State teams now 2-2 in bowls, with FIU joingin Flirida win win column, and UM and South Florida falling. UCF plays LSU in the Fiesta on Tuesday.
8. PANTHERS: Hints of hope for Cats, but is it too late?: Florida has won five of its past seven games but still langusihes at 16-21 and seven points off playoff pace nearing NHL midseason. Whole year has been a long climb from those 0-4 and 2-10 starts.
9. UCF: Former cheat Jones reclaims title: Repeated PEDs cheat Jon Jones, in his first fight in 17 months, last night defeated Alexander Gustafsson to reclaim his light-heavyweight title in UFC 232, immediately talking up a rematch with rival Daniel Cormier. It's sure to happen, too, pending Jones' next test-positive.
10. FLOYD MAYWEATHER: Bizarre fight in Tokyo on deck: Floyd Mayweather loves attention almost as much as he loves money, so he is fighting Japanese kick-boxing star Tenshin Nasukawa in a bizarre three-round exhibition under boxing rules on New Year's Eve. America has never heard of Nasukawa but is now his biggest fan.
Missing the HB10 cut: Baseball free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still unsigned and Marlins' J.T. Realmuto still has not been traded. Updates as warranted ..... Update: Countdown now 2,731 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
Select other recent columns:End Of Hope For Dolphins. For Tannehill, Gase, too? / Diaz Leaving Is Biggest Canes Loss Of Richt Era / Tannehill's Litmus Test Is Pass or Fail / Oh What We Had, And What We Lost / Wade's World Bigger Than Hoops, And Good For Him / Honeymoon Over: How Collapsing Seasons Put Heat on Gase, Richt / NASCAR Needs A Next Big Thing / No More Excuses, Florida Panthers / To The Good-Guy Grinder In The Shades / Time to Flip the Old Narrative On Miami As a Sports Town / Can Riley Rescue Heat From Purgatory? / When 3 World Cup Legends Were Ours.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
Twitter @gregcote
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