GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 28. Football is at its crescendo and so 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. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Cooperstown polls on Bonds/Clemens/A-Rod/Rose, your verdict on Super Bowl want-to-win/will-win & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest column: Le'Veon Bell to Dolphins? 2 major obstacles, but not impossible: To read my newest column, visit Le'Veon wants Dolphins, And Interest Should Be Mutual.
Other most recent columns: Bonds and Clemens Inch Toward Cooperstown, But A-Rod Faces Tougher Road and We All Got Cheated, Not Just Saints. Also: This Is Offseason for Dolphins to Be Bold, Not Think Tanking / Blueprint For Dolphins Is Right In Front Of Them / Kooch Never Made Canton But Helped Make Dolphins History / A Better Coach Isn't Dolphins' Biggest Need / From Dark and Empty to the Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50 / Hurricanes' Wild Ride From Chaos to Calm / Wade Deserves All-Star Sendoff / The Dolphins Seem Desperate, And It's About Time / Getting Diaz Back The Perfect Fit For UM / Richt Can Call It Retirement, But He Just Quit On The Canes / Miami's Hate-Hate Relationship With Nick Saban.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): 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:x
1. NFL: It's Super Bowl Week in America!: It's L.A. Rams and New England Patriots in the buildup to Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta next Sunday, and the Saints stuck back in New Orleans, and the NFL building a super-sized asterisk to attach to this game.
2. HEAT: Will Wade be chosen all-star reserve?: Miami is 24-24 after two straight winning entering a three-game homestand. And Dwyane Wade learns this Thursday if he'll be selected as an all-star reserve in his Last Dance season. Call it D.Wade's last shot.
3. HORSE RACING: Gulfstream hosts Pegasus World Cup: A horse named City of Light burst through the rainy gloom at Gulfstream Saturday to win the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, the richest horse race in America. The race casual fans will next pay attention to, the Kentucky Derby? One-third the purse.
4. BASEBALL: Rivera makes history to lead Hall inductees: Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina are the newly elected members of Cooperstown -- Rivera by a first-ever unanimous vote. Wait a second. Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. didn't earn every vote but a closer did? Meanwhile cover the kids' eyes. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are getting closer.
5. TENNIS: Championship weekend at Aussie Open: After No. 4 seed Naomi Osaka beat No. 8 Petra Kvitova on Saturday in an unexpected Australian Open women's final, 1-2 heavyweights Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal went at it this morning to decide the men's half of the year's first major -- Djokovic winning in straight sets. And once again "Nowhere" answers the question, "But what about the American players?"
6. PANTHERS: Yandle reps Cats in All-Star Game: The Metro beat the Central 10-5 Saturday in the 64th NHL All-Star Game Saturday in San Jose. Defenseman Keith Yandle repped the Panthers, who are skidding through a disappointing season but won three straight entering the break, sparked by Vincent Trocheck's return from an ankle injury.
7. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men, women in opposite directions: Miami men are 9-10 after three straight losses and six in past seven games after Sunday's home loss to Florida State. But Canes women are sailing at 18-4 with four straight wins including a big one over No. 13 Syracuse. Hope Katie Meier doesn't hurt her back carrying the program.
8. RUNNING: Marathoners pound Miami streets: While you were asleep early Sunday morning after drinking too much last night, thousands of serious runners were flooding downtown streets in the annual Miami Marathon & Half-Marathon. I'd complain about the inconvenience to drivers, but if you're in a car at 6 a.m. on a Sunday in Miami, you'd better be delivering the Herald. By the way, a guy from Kenya won the race. Or, did that go without saying?
9. PRO BOWL: NFL all-stars meet in Orlando: The Pro Bowl went off Sunday in Orlando for the third straight season, with the AFC beating the NFC 26-7. Originally selected rosters changed by one-third because of attrition. Cornerback Xaven Howard represented the Dolphins, because he's young and so doesn't know yet that what you want is to be chosen for the Pro Bowl but not actually play in it.
10. GOLF: Tiger opens season at Torrey Pines: Justin Rose carved out a 2-shot win in the Farmers Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego that ended Sunday. Tiger Woods, in his first event of the new season, finished at 10-under par, tied for 20th place. Except on the attention leaderboard, where he remains on top.
Missing the HB10 cut: Was watching some of that 24-hour race at Daytona. If Greg Cote is in a car driving for more than four hours, he's looking for a Motel 6 ..... Isn't there something sadly fitting about the Dolphins being unable to sign their new coach until the Patriots finish playing in the Super Bowl? ..... Oh college football Transfer Portal, bless you for causing QB Tate Martell to transmogrify from a Buckeye to a Cane! ..... The Senior Bowl was Saturday, because apparently an entire season is insufficient for scouts to know about players ..... As college baseball nears the Gators and Seminoles are ranked No. 4 and 6 in Baseball America's preseason poll. The Canes under new coach Gino DiMare are unranked ..... Marlins FanFest has been scheduled for Feb. 9. Derek Jeter hopes your ballpark experience is so much fun you'll barely notice the team is still bad ..... Update: Countdown now 2,703 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
POLL RESULT: YOUR HALL VERDICTS ON BONDS, CLEMENS, A-ROD AND ROSE: We asked you if The Polarizing Four -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Pete Rose -- should be in the Hall of Fame. After more than 1,200 votes, you voted YES for all four. It was 80.80 percent for Rose, 77.74% for Bonds, 75.27% for Clemens and 69.49% for Rodriguez. Based on the Cooperstown requirement of 75% for admission, Rose and Bonds are plenty good to go, Clemens is in by a millimeter and, sorry A-Rod, close, but no Hall for you.
APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five 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.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
Twitter @gregcote
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