GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8. Congrats to Katie Meier and Canes women's basketball for last night's huge home win over No. 4 Notre Dame. Nice at least one team in town is winning! 2) Football is done, but never to late to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Check it out on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins' Flores hire with poll, Heat to retire Bosh jersey, new Back In My Day video & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest column: Manny Diaz's redemption: Canes football spiraled into a mess in December and Diaz leaving was part of the problem. The past five weeks, culminating with Wednesday's National Signing Day, helped Diaz fix it ... and redeem himself. To read full column, visit The Redemption Of Manny Diaz.
Other most recent column: Visit Here's Why Dolphins Hit Big With Flores Gamble.
BUONICONTI DOCUMENTARY AIRS TUESDAY; D.WADE DOC COMING: This should interest Miami sports fans -- especially vintage Dolfans and current Heat fans. On Tuesday at 10 p.m. HBO will premiere "The Many Lives Of Nick Buoniconti," a feature-length documentary on the life story of the Dolphins Hall of Fame linebacker who became a lawyer and a sports agent and, later, after his son was paralyzed by a football accident, a driving force behind The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Today, at 77, Buoniconti suffers from severe neurological issues that include warning signs of CTE. Buoniconti famously once told
Don Shula to go f--- himself in a sideline tempest, which both Nick and the coach discuss in the film. Something I did not know: (Spoiler alert!) As an agent Buoniconti once represented baseball star Andre Dawson, in 1981 making Dawson one of the highest-paid players in the game with a $6 million deal. Also on the doc front, Imagine Documentaries is producing one on the life of Heat star Dwyane Wade, encompassing his Hall of Fame-headed basketball career and his off-court life, from childhood through the current "Last Dance" farewell season. A release date has not yet been announced.
MCSHAY: DOLPHINS TO DRAFT HEISMAN QB KYLER MURRAY IN APRIL!: Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray to Dolphins with 13th overall pick,says ESPN's Todd McShay today in his new Mock Draft 2.0. Says the Toddster: "Yes, the risk is apparent. Murray is undersized at 5-foot-10 and still hasn't decided on his baseball career. But he has an electric arm and some of the best athleticism I've seen at the position in years. New offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea would have a real talent to develop at quarterback if Miami moves on from the Ryan Tannehill era." I would add: The moving on from Tannehill is pretty much a foregone conclusion and has been for awhile. I'd love Fins to take a QB in first round. But I'd take Murray (pictured) only if his commitment to football was unequivocal.
THE EIGHT CANES PREP SIGNEES WHO MADE NATIONAL RADAR: Miami's 2019 recruiting class completed on Wednesday numbers 24 -- 16 traditional high-school signees and eight transfers. UM's national class ranking is a disappointing 30th (ESPN), but those rankings do not include transfers, and Miami did very well there. Anyway, of the 16 prep guys incoming, half of them, or eight, show up in at least one of ESPN's national Top 300, 247sports' top 300 or Rivals.com's top 250. The only two listed in bold are the only two to make all three lists, with No. 1 overall Canes recruit Jeremiah Payton pictured . Our composite ranking of UM's elite eight:
1. Jeremiah Payton, WR, Neptune Beach, FL (54th/247sports; 61st/ESPN; 76th/Rivals).
2. Christian Williams, DB, Daphne, Ala. (141st/Rivals; 160th/247sports); 174th/ESPN).
3. Avery Huff, LB, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (170th/Rivals; 207th/247sports).
4. Jahfari Harvey, DL, Port St. Lucie, FL (188th/Rivals; 210th/247sports).
5. Keontra Smith, DB, Hollywood Chaminade (188th/247sports; 231st/ESPN).
6. Te'Cory Couch, DB, Hollywood Chaminade (215th/ESPN).
7. Cameron Williams, DL, Hollywood Chaminade (247th/Rivals).
8. Jason Blissett, DL, Queens., NY (294th/247sports).
POLL RESULT: SOLID SUPPORT FOR FLORES HIRE (BUT DOUBTS, TOO): We asked, "What best reflects your opinion of the Dolphins hiring Brian Flores as head coach?" There were four choices, but, breaking it down to thumbs-up or thumbs-down, it was just about exactly two-thirds approval at 66.90 percent. Two caveats, though. 1) Looking more closely at the those who approved, more than twice as many "Liked" the hire (45.77%) compared to those who "Loved" it (21.13%). 2) A sizable 28.17% voted "not sure/have my doubts," while another 4.93% wished they'd never fired Adam Gase.
Other most recent columns: Le'Veon wants Dolphins, And Interest Should Be Mutual / Bonds and Clemens Inch Toward Cooperstown, But A-Rod Faces Tougher Road / We All Got Cheated, Not Just Saints. This Is Offseason for Dolphins to Be Bold, Not Think Tanking / 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 / 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.
Super Bowl With a Smirk quintet: Smirk V: Mahomes, Reed top Honors night. But what about Miss Colombia? / Smirk IV: Of 100-plus Super Bowl Canes, he was 1st / Smirk III: No comment, say halftime performers / Smirk II: No. 1 Dolfan on edge of history / Smirk I: Welcome to 'Suit' Bowl LVIII.
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.
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Twitter @gregcote
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