Latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated): See who's No. 1 and what else falls where this week. (Toronto!?!); plus 2019 Sports Fan Misery Index (latest column), 50,000 Names (Memorial Day) & more

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 27. It is Memorial Day in America. Please hesitate to wish someone a "happy" Memorial Day, bearing in mind it is a day to remember and honor our servicemen and women who lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces. Below is a video honoring those soldiers. 2) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): The new Sports Fan Misery Index, genuflecting to Warriors' greatness, getting to know Tyler Gaffalione, new Raconteurs video & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Latest column: Miami sports suck right now. But oh do we have company!: Dolphins: No championship in 45 years. Panthers: Last won hockey playoff series 22 seasons ago. Marlins: Haven’t made postseason in 13 years or had winning record in 10. (Even the reliable Heat missed the playoffs). So how bad do we have it in South Florida pro sports? I did the research and was stunned to find, for example, that the Fins' 45-year title drought doesn't even make the Top 20 for such futility. If misery loves company, this your column, Miami, as we present the new Sports Fan Misery Index encompassing the 123 franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. To read, please visit Take Heart, South Florida. We're Bad, But Hardly Alone.

Other most recent columns: Riley, Heat, Everyone Else Chasing Warriors' Epic Greatness / Meet Tyler Gaffalione: Local Jockey Who Made It (Really) Big / Smart Decision A No-Brainer: Dolphins Should Start Rosen / Zion Williamson's Power to Reject the Lottery / All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right / Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. NBA: Finally, a Finals! It's Golden State vs. Toronto!?: Golden State's long wait to know its NBA Finals opponent is over after sweeping Portland. And that opponent, unexpectedly, is Toronto, which rallied from 15 down at home Saturday night to oust top-seeded Milwaukee and reach its first Finals. Meaning we now must all accept the dreadful hashtag #WeTheNorth. All hail, Kawhi Leonard! For now. King Warriors and Steph Curry are heavy favorites in Finals that start Thursday. Defending champ Golden State playing with extra rest is like Warren Buffett getting a raise.

2. NHL: Boston-St. Louis Finals begins Monday: The Boston Bruins are favored to continue that city's recent across-sports dominance vs. the underdog St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals beginning Monday. The Blues were last in the Finals in 1970, and, as we know in Miami, anything that happened even before the Dolphins' first Super Bowl win is officially ancient history.

3. MARLINS: Signs of life for the Fish, sort of: Miami won a season-best six games in a row before dropping the first three games of a four-game set at Washington. Marlins are at Nationals again today before returning home vs. San Francisco. For Miami, odds of finishing worse than the '62 Mets are now suddenly and seriously in jeopardy.

4. TENNIS: Nadal, Halep favorites in French Open: The French Open began in Paris Sunday with Rafael Nadal favored to win his 12th men's crown in the event and Simona Halep the betting pick to repeat her women's title. An odd sight: Serena Williams only the fifth favorite among women. Then again it's a major she has won "only" three times, and not since '15.

5. AUTO RACING: Pagenaud wins Indy 500 roars at the Brickyard: The 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 happened Sunday with defending champion Will Power (still love that name) the betting favorite, but ti was Frenchman Simon Pagenaud who lifted the milk bottle. It's the only day on the American motorsports calendar when IndyCar reigns and NASCAR must curtsy.

6. INTER MIAMI: OK, so now they're building three stadiums!?: The David Beckham/Jorge Mas team set to debut in Major League Soccer next year is building a new Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to play the first two seasons while their permanent Miami Freedom Park home is built. Now they've secured land in Overtown for a potential stadium as well -- perhaps a fallback if the Melreese site falls through? This team better be a beautiful baby, because the pregnancy has shall we say not been smooth.

7. UM BASEBALL: Canes disappoint in ACCs, await NCAA fate: Splitting two games in the ACC Tournament, and blowing a five-run lead in the second, wasn't what coach Gino DiMare had in mind for his 16th-ranked Canes. Now Miami awaits its postseason destination in the NCAA Division 1 Selection Show on Monday. Of course UM will get in. The question: Will Miami host a regional?

8. DOLPHINS: Six workdays left before training camp: Miami has remaining OTA practice days May 28-29 and 31 and then a mandatory minicamp June 4-6. Then it's off for a few weeks before the start of full training camp in late July. All of it leading to what is expected to be a dreadful season!

9. SOCCER: Ticket snafu shadows start of Women's World Cup: The quadrennial event kicks off June 7 in France (two of the 24 teams have been training in SoFla), with the defending champion United States playing its first match June 11. But before any of that there's outrage from fans over ticketing. Say you bought four tickets to Game X. Well, they might not be together! I mean, seriously?

10. SOCCER: Liverpool favored in Champions League final: An all-England Champions League final this coming Saturday In Madrid finds Liverpool a solid betting pick over Tottenham. Some of that is Liverpool seeking its sixth European crown and Tottenham its first. More of it is Liverpool with nine wins vs. only one loss (with four draws) in past 14 league matches vs. the Hotspur.

Missing the HB10 cut: Gabreille Union said on late-night TV that Dwyane Wade was surprised to learn a carton of milk didn't cost $20. Welcome to The Real World Of Rich-Guy Retirement, D-Wade! ..... Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard left to be head coach at his alma mater, Michigan ..... Congrats to the Canes' Estela Perez-Somarriba for winning just the second individual national title in women’s tennis in UM history ..... A Bills player is wearing O.J. Simpson's No. 32 for first time since 1976. Begging the question: Why?!? ..... All-NBA teams came out and LeBron James, for the first time, was relegated to third team. Oh the indignity! ..... A 19-year-old top baseball prospect skipped the MLB Draft to sign with Japan. Dear MLB: Pay your draftees more or see a trend ..... It's Finland vs. Canada Sunday in an expected gold medal game in the IIHF men's ice hockey world championships in Slovakia. Four Florida Panthers represented their country and one is skating for gold: Juho Lammikko of Team Finland ..... WNBA's 23rd season is underway. I'll check back in around the Finals ..... Former NFL star Chris Long admitted he regularly smoked marijuana and got away with it. Roger Goodell is looking into retroactive punishment for retirees ..... Several female squash competitors were outraged after they were given sex toys after a tournament in Spain. We're going to leave it at that and move on! ..... Update: Countdown now 2,583 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY AND OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS: I post this same video every year on Memorial Day. "50,000 Names" is a George Jones song released in 2001. It is specifically about the names carved on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial but, more broadly, it is a tribute to all who have given their lives in service in the U.S. Armed Forces. To anyone reading who has lost a loved one, we remember yours and all of our fallen heroes today.

Select other recent columns: Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson / Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft, Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T. / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

We're bad, but hardly alone: Dolphins, Marlins and Panthers losing in historical context. New column; plus genuflecting to Warriors' epic greatness, getting to know Tyler Gaffalione, new Raconteurs video & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 25. It's always football season, so it's always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, why Rosen should start over Fitzpatrick, Le Batard Show in New York & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

NEWEST COLUMN: DOLPHINS, MARLINS AND PANTHERS LOSING IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Dolphins haven’t won a championship in 45 years, Panthers last won a hockey playoff series 22 seasons ago and Marlins haven’t made the postseason in 13 years or had a winning record in 10. (Even the reliable Heat missed the playoffs). So how bad do we have it in South Florida pro sports? I did the research and was stunned to find, for example, the the Fins' 45-year title drought doesn't even make the Top 20 for such futility. If misery loves company this your column, Miami, as we present the update Sports Fan Misery Index encompassing the 123 franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. To read our latest column, please visit Take Heart, South Florida. Were Bad, But Hardly Alone.

HEAT, REST OF NBA CAN ONLY GENUFLECT AT WARRIORS' EPIC GREATNESS: Golden State is in a fifth straight NBA Finals, the longest NBA streak since the Boston Celtics made a crazy 10 in a row in 1957-66. Unless you know something I don't, the Warriors are steaming toward a fourth championship in that span. After sweeping Portland in the West finals, it defies logic to imagine GS will now lose in the Finals to a Milwaukee team struggling to survive Toronto in the East. The Warriors are so good they win with Kevin Durant out injured. Steph Curry (pictured) is so good he has scored 33, 36, 37, 36 and 37 points in his last 4 1/2 games. Some say Durant is the best player in the NBA. I say he isn't even the best player on his own team. The Warriors and Curry are climbing the charts in terms of greatest teams and players ever. I explore all of this in my latest column, and also discuss the tough spot teams like the Miami Heat are in as they struggle to regain relevance in the deep shadow of a modern NBA dynasty. To read, please visit Riley, Heat, Everyone Else Chasing Warriors' Epic Greatness.

FROM DAVIE AND GULFSTREAM PARK, THE FEEL-GOOD STORY HORSE RACING NEEDS: You may have noticed. I break from the Dolphins/Heat/ball sports rut whenever I can, as much as I can get away with, to write about different stuff. So the jockey who won the Preakness on Saturday (pictured) happens to be a young man who grew up in the town of Davie, with Gulfstream his home track. Now, at 24, he already has won more than 1,000 career races and $42 million in purse money. I think this third-generation jockey's story is worth telling, and knowing. Hope you might agree. To read it, please visit Meet Tyler Gaffalione: Local Jockey Who Made It (Really) Big.

Other most recent columns: Smart Decision A No-Brainer: Dolphins Should Start Rosen / Zion Williamson's Power to Reject the Lottery / Dreaming Of a Heat Lottery Night Miracle / All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right / Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson.

THE RETURN OF THE RACONTEURS: After two albums (remember the songs "Steady As She Goes" and of course the sports staple "Seven Nation Army"?) and then a 10-year hiatus, The Raconteurs are back, led by Jack White and co-fronted by Brendan Benson (far right below), who is  the son of one of my best friends. Can't wait to see them in a live show again. Below is "Help Me Stranger," the latest video offered from their forthcoming new album: 

Select other recent columns: Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft, Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T. / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Why Dolphins should start Rosen -- no matter what. Latest column; plus Hot Button Top 10 (updated), Zion/lottery column, Game Of Thrones finale, Le Batard Show in New York & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 20. Happy birthday, Christopher, our eldest son! Proud of you, kid. 2) Game Of Thrones! I'll put off my full commentary on the series finale until later in week, rather than do the spoiler-alert thing. For now: The negative reaction is more predictable than warranted. You want the perfect ending? Write your own damned show! 3) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat luckless in NBA Draft lottery, ESPN's mock-guess for Heat at 13th, Back In My Day link, The List & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Le Batard Show in New York: We spent the past weekend Big Apple-ing as part of the Le Batard & Friends live, sold-out Saturday night stage event at the Gramercy Theatre, which I was honored to be a part of. What a blast! The Le Batard show has a loyal following nationwide, and those fans are fiercely into it, as we saw again Saturday. So nice to meet so many of you in the post-show meet and greet!

Why Dolphins should start Rosen over Fitzpatrick: In Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Rosen and third guy Jake Rudock the Dolphins have the smartest quarterback room in the NFL. But club's decision on who to start is a no-brainer. Forget "open competition" and may-the-best-man-win. There is every reason to start Rosen. To read why in my newest column please visit Smart Decision A No-Brainer: Dolphins Should Start Rosen.

Other most recent columns: Zion Williamson's Power to Reject the Lottery / Dreaming Of a Heat Lottery Night Miracle / All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right / Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. NBA: New Orleans wins lottery, Zion as Knicks crap out: Pelicans surprisingly won the draft lottery, vaulting to No. 1 and the right to grand prize Zion Williamson in the June NBA Draft, although Zion has until June 10 to try to force a trade to a preferred team. Meanwhile New York, hoping for Zion after a league-worst season, settled for the third pick as a legion of disappointed Knicks fans wept to the sheer delight of the rest of America.

2. DOLPHINS: The Beard takes early lead in offseason QB race: As periodic OTA practice days continue building toward the mandatory Dolphins minicamp June 4-6, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick & His Fabulous Beard by acclimation have the early lead over young gun Josh Rosen in the ballyhooed quarterback competition. Of course it would be dumb for anybody but Rosen to end up starting. Someone please advise coach Brian Flores as such.

3. NBA: Golden State seeks sweep, Milwaukee leads in conference finals: Defending champion Golden State leads Portland 3-0 in the West finals entering Monday's sweep-seeking Game 4 in Oregon, while top overall seed Milwaukee leads in the East finals 2-1 over Toronto after Raptors' double-OT win Sunday, with Game 4 Tuesday. Scary: The Warriors are playing, and winning, without Kevin Durant.

4. HEAT: Miami's miserable lack of lottery luck continues: Heat stayed stuck with the 13th overall pick in next month's draft, once again failing to get lucky in the draft lottery. In eleven lotteries Miami has stood pat five times, moved down six times and moved up not at all. Ever. #IHatePingPongBalls

5. GOLF: Koepka wins PGA Championship after Tiger misses cut: Tiger Woods was betting favorite after last month's unexpected Masters win, but started badly Thursday at Bethpage in New York and missed the cut, while Brooks Koepka enjoyed the early lead with a scorching 63 and held on to win. Love the lurching storyline on Tiger. Post-Masters: He's baaaccckkk! Today: Should we worry about Tiger?

6. MARLINS: Fish sweep! Fish sweep Fish sweep!: Miami is still an MLB-worst 13-31 but won a season-high third straight game Sunday at home to sweep the Mets. Miami has lost seven straight prior to the sweep. Now it's seven straight on the road at Detroit and Washington starting Tuesday.

7. SOCCER: Watford gets clobbered in FA Cup final: Upstart Watford faced mighty Manchester City Saturday in the FA Cup final -- Watford after its first crown in its first final since 1984. Alas, it was a 6-nil rout by Man City. Meanwhile Liverpool and Tottenham are girding for June 1 Champions League final, marking first all-England final since Man U-Chelsea in 2008.

8. NHL: Boston sweeps, St. Louis leads: Boston swept Carolina in four straight games to win the East and head to the Stanley Cup Finals. Bruins now wait for St. Louis (up 3-2 after Sunday's 5-0 win) or San Jose to get out of the West, with Game 6 on Tuesday. Thank the ice gods for Boston, the only "name" franchise in a low-watt final four shy on superstars.

9. HORSE RACING: War Of Will wins Preakness Stakes: Saturday's Preakness, for the first time since 1951, found the second leg of the Triple Crown series without any of the top four horses to cross the finish line in the Kentucky Derby. Improbable went off as 5-2 fave to earn Bob Baffert's record eighth Preakness win, but it was second-favorite War Of Will across the wire first. Meanwhile Maximum Security's owners are suing over the DQ that erased their Derby win. Dark days for the Sport of Kings.

10. UM BASEBALL: Solid regular season ending, now its on to ACCs: Canes finished a solid 38-17 regular season, ranked 17th nationally in Gino DiMare's first season, and now begin play in the ACC Tournament Thursday and Friday vs. Virginia and North Carolina in Durham. Then it's the NCAA Regional ... and then Omaha ... maybe?

Missing the HB10 cut: Bulletin: NCAA weighs entering 21st Century! They're talking about maybe compensating athletes for use of their names and likenesses. Sounds like it'll be stuck in committee for the next 16 years ..... The good luck Cats? The four Panthers playing in the IIHF men's ice hockey world championships going on in Slovakia -- their teams won 14 of their first 16 games ..... A judge excluded that incriminating police-sting video from Robert Kraft's solicitation trial. For Bob, the happy endings keep comin' ..... Women's World Cup getting close. It'll be good to see the U.S. women, coached by Miamian Jill Ellis, do what the American men never do. Contend! ..... I trust the rest of Lockhart Stadium demoliton is going better for Inter Miami than the lame photo-op that began it? ..... WNBA opens its 23rd season later this week. Dare you to name the reigning champion or MVP ..... Update: Countdown now 2,590 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

Select other recent columns: Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft, Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T. / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Zion's power to defy NBA lottery. Latest column; plus ESPN's mock draft pick for Heat after Miami goes luckless in lottery; also, Rolling Stones' rescheduled Miami tour date, latest Back In My Day (Birthday Wishes!), The List & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's FRIDAY, MAY 17. Rolling Stones rescheduled tour date at Hard Rock Stadium is Saturday, August 31, it was announced today. 2) Find a link to my latest Back In My Day video (Birthday Wishes) on Twitter @gregcote. 3) It's Le Batard in New York Week in America! Live stage show Saturday night at Gramercy Theatre. Sold out. 4) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 5) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, Dolphins pushing all right buttons & more. Also, join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Zion's power, right and options to defy lottery: Chances are Duke's Zion Williamson will end up a New Orleans Pelican, after they unexpectedly won the right to draft him No. 1 overall next month in this week's draft lottery. But Williamson has options to fight the system. We explore in our latest column. Please visit Zion Williamson's Power To Defy Lottery.

ESPN'S POST-LOTTERY MOCK DRAFT GUESS FOR HEAT: And with the 13th pick in the NBA Draft in June, the Miami Heat select ... Oregon center Bol Bol. That's according to a new ESPN post-
lottery mock draft today. If true, the Heat will soon have a Bol Bol to match the Marlins' Victor Victor. Bol (pictured) is a 7-2, 222-pound Sudanese beanpole aged 19, and of course the son of Manute Bol. He played in only nine games for Oregon last season, averaging 21 point and 9.6 rebounds. ESPN's explanation for its Bol-to-Heat guess: "Bol brings much-needed 3-point shooting and rim protection. He's a top-five talent in this draft, finding himself this low due to a season-ending foot injury, which is certainly a concern. Miami has a clogged salary sheet and very little star power to show for it, making this an important draft. A rebuild might be around the corner, considering this aging roster and the limited options for improvement in the short term. With that in mind, positional fit might not be as important as sheer talent and upside, which could cause the team to look at a younger prospect like Bol, who wasn't able to show the full extent of their abilities during the season. Bol might not be an ideal fit with this team's culture, considering the questions about his approach to the game, but there is little doubt that his talent looked worthy of a much higher selection than the late lottery before he broke his foot in December." My take: I think better fits and therefore better guesses might be, say, USC guard Kevin Porter Jr. or Indiana forward Romeo Langford. Bol would tempt if that foot checks out fine, but does a roster with Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo wanna be thinking center?

NBA DRAFT LOTTERY NIGHT: HEAT GO LUCKLESS -- AGAIN -- BUT KNICKS BIG LOSERS: Miami had the 13th pick in the draft going into the lottery and stayed there, getting no help from the ping pong balls once again. This was the Heat's 11th time in the lottery. Miami has now stayed put five times and gone down six times, not once improving its lot. Big losers: New York Knicks, who thought they'd get the No. 1 pick and generational star Zion Williamson but wound up with the third pick and not Zion Williamson ..... Original post: In my newest column I'm having a little fun with the Miami Heat's loonngg odds in Tuesday night's NBA draft lottery, determining who picks where in the June draft. Miami is set to select 13th overall and likely will stay right around there. But! There is a 1 percent mathematical chance -- one in 100 -- that the Heat will draw the No. 1 overall pick (a.k.a Duke's Zion Williamson). It is 3.4% likely Miami will get a top-three pick. Do you believe in miracles? Why not dream! Take a flight of fancy with me. In the column I outline why the Heat is overdue some lottery luck. I list all the ways sports is often so kind to longshots and adept at delivering major upsets. And I detail how it isn't impossible for the lottery 1 percenters to luck into No. 1. It has happened before. Pictured right, straight outta your dreams: Zion Williamson in a Heat uniform. To read the column, please visit Dreaming Of a Heat Lottery Night Miracle.

Other most recent columns: All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right / Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson / Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great.

THE LIST: DOLPHINS' TOP INTERCEPTORS: Miami this week signed cornerback Xavien Howard to a lucrative contact extension through 2024. How his career interception numbers compare to the Dolphins' top five in career picks. IPG refers to interceptions per game: 

Player                                Ints/Gm     IPG      Years

Jake Scott                          35/84       .417     1970-75

Dick Anderson                     34/121     .281     1968-77

Sam Madison                       31/138     .225     1997-05

Glenn Blackwood                29/118     .246     1979-87

Patrick Surtain                    29/108     .269    1998-04

Xavien Howard                   11/35       .314     2016-present

Select other recent columns: Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft, Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T. / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

The latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated): Game 7s, minicamp, lottery party, demolition -- see who's No. 1 and what else falls where this week; plus Dolphins pushing all the right buttons (latest column), Happy Mother's Day & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 13. Hope y'all had a nice and Happy Mother's Day and a Feliz dia de las Madres! Was thinking of and missing my own wonderful mom today, grateful my wife is the best mom there is, and thankful Christopher found a great one in his own wife. Lucky! 2) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Inter Miami's "Demolition Ceremony," shame and stain on Kentucky Derby, Back In My Day video, Dolphins' 1-in-10K shot at Super Bowl, D-Wade at Met Gala, The List & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Latest column: 'New Dolphins' pushing all the right buttons: I'm feeling really upbeat about where the Dolphins are and where they're headed. I discuss many of the reasons why in my latest offering, an unusually optimistic column about a long-down franchise that is seeing a cloud lift at last. To read that column, please visit All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right.

Other most recent columns: Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson / Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. NBA: Seventh Heaven! Kawhi, CJ lift Raps, Blazers to final four: The two best teams -- defending NBA champion Golden State and overall No. 1 seed Milwaukee -- were waiting, and resting. Warriors, even sans Kevin Durant, eliminated Houston Friday behind Steph Curry's 33-point second half, after the Bucks had previously dusted Boston in five games. A pair of Sunday Game 7s would send the the underdogs to the conference finals -- and it was Toronto ousting Philadelphia on Kawhi Leonard's five-bounces-off-the rim buzzer beater, and Portland eliminating Denver behind CJ McCollum's 37 points. 

2. DOLPHINS: Draftees and dreamers at Fins rookie minicamp: Fifty players, draftees led by No. 1 pick Christian Wilkins and dreamers alike, wrap up Dolphins' three-day rookie minicamp on Sunday. Full-squad OTA workdays follow on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. You cannot stop it, people. Football season!

3. HEAT: Miami plans arena watch party for draft lottery: The Heat will throw a draft lottery watch party at the arena this Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. with free admission. Miami has a 1 percent chance to land the overall No. 1 pick (a.k.a. Zion Williamson) in the June 20 draft, and a 4.7% shot to score a top-four pick. In other words, it's mathematically likely to end up a meh result in the 10-14 range. By the way, am I the only one who thinks it a bit odd the Heat is throwing a party to essentially celebrate it being in the lottery for not being good enough to make the playoffs?

4. INTER MIAMI: MLS club on the clock with start of Lockhart demolition: Inter Miami held a "Demolition Ceremony" that amounted to knocking down a small ticket building. It was a lot more ceremony than demolition. But the clock has started. The club now has about nine months to raze the old Lockhart and build a new stadium there in time for the March 2020 start of its MLS expansion season. Inter will simultaneously be trying to get going on its eventual home at Miami Freedom Park. Tick-tock, Jorge Mas.

5. GOLF: Tiger heads PGA Championship field in year's second major: The PGA Championship runs this Thursday through Sunday in Farmingdale, N.Y., the year's second major. Tiger Woods predictably is an 8-1 betting favorite off the big bounce of his exhilarating Masters win. But Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy lead a crowed field of wanna-be spoilsports.

6. SOCCER: All eyes on Champions League, FA Cup finals: Upstart Watford will face favored Manchester City next Saturday in the FA Cup final -- Watford after its first crown in its first final since 1984. Meanwhile Liverpool and Tottenham improbably overcame first leg losses to Barcelona and Ajax to reach the June 1 Champions League final, marking the first all-England final since Man U-Chelsea in 2008. Liverpool is the Champs League favorite because, well, when you shake off a 3-nil loss to eliminate Messi, you get to be.

7. MARLINS: Stinky, skidding Fish continue to lose: Miami is an MLB-worst 10-29 after five straight losses. Blessedly, Sunday's rainout at the Mets prevented another one. Marlins will return home Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay, and you can bet Marlins Park will be brimming with literally hundreds of fans.

8. NHL: Boston in command, San Jose out front in conference finals: Boston leads Carolina by a commanding 2-0 in the East and San Jose leads St. Louis 1-0 in the West as Stanley Cup conference finals continue Monday at Sharks. Thanks goodness for Boston, the only "name" franchise in an otherwise low-watt final four. 

9. HORSE RACING: Preakness shadowed by Derby fallout, key non-entry: Next Saturday's Peakness Stakes in Baltimore runs in the aftermath of the Kentucky Derby controversy that robbed Maximum Security of its win. And the horse gifted the Derby, Country House, will not run at Pimlico -- instantly robbing Triple Crown season of any chance of a Triple Crown. Improbable at 2-1 odds and War of Will at 7-2 are near co-favorites in the Preakness, but a feeling of Who Cares clouds the whole endeavor.

10. BASEBALL: Red Sox honored at White House, sort of: The Boston Red Sox (heatin' up; won four straight; look out!) were honored at the White House for winning the World Series, except the official WH notice called them the Boston Red "Socks" and said they'd won the "World Cup" Series. Oy. Moreover, most persons of color associated with the team including Puerto Rican manager Alex Cora declined to attend. So, in effect, the president was honoring the "white Socks."

Missing the HB10 cut: Happy Mother's Day, madres! Fun trivia: Every athlete in history has had a mother ..... Breaking news: Frank Vogel agrees to coach the Los Angeles LeBrons ..... UM baseball up to 19th in polls and go for three-game sweep Monday at Wake Forest as regular season wanes. Omaha, please ..... Congrats to Hurricanes women's tennis for reaching the second round of the NCAA team championships for the 18th year in a row ..... Canes women's golf, alas, was knocked out in regional play and did not advance ..... Retired Heat star Dwyane Wade and wife Gabrielle Union attended the Met Gala. Dwyane tried to make high fashion of a black hoodie. Points for effort ..... U.S. weightlifting championships conclude today in Memphis, on the grounds of Elvis' Graceland estate. Division winners get a peanut butter 'n 'nana sandwich ..... Panthers Evgenii Dadonov (Team Russia) and Frank Vatrano (USA) are thinking gold in the IIHF men's ice hockey world championships underway in Slovakia. Two other Cats in it, Juho Lammikko (Finland) and Vincent Praplan (Switzerland), face longer odds ..... Update: Countdown now 2,597 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

Select other recent columns: Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft, Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T. / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

All the things going right with Miami Dolphins. New column; plus ESPN explains how Fins could win Super Bowl (!), clock ticking for Inter Mami, the horses--- Kentucky Derby, new Back In My Day video (Wallets!), D-Wade rocks Met Gala & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 11. It's always football season, so it's always the right time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

NEW COLUMN: A LOT IS GOING RIGHT WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS: I write (very) optimistically about the Dolphins in my latest column, as the team goes through this weekend's rookie minicamp. An impressive new head coach in Brian Flores. Building-block defensive pieces led by Xavien Howard, Minkah Fitzpatrick and rookie Christian Wilkins (pictured). The Josh Rosen trade and the possibility of grand prize Tua Tagovailoa in next year's draft. A premier left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. The 12 draft picks expected next year, and almost $100 million to spend. And more. Miami hasn't been an especially relevant team for some 20  years. Now, I sense this long under-the-radar franchise finally is turning a corner. To read that column, please visit All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right.

DOLPHINS WIN SUPER BOWL! (WELL, ONCE IN 10,000 SIMULATIONS): ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) for the 2019 projects the Miami Dolphins for 5.6 wins, second-lowest to Arizona's 5.5 (which is why the Cardinals are given a 16 percent likelihood of securing the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2020 to Miami's 14%). The Dolphins are given a 5 percent shot at making the playoffs, a 2% likelihood of winning the AFC East, and a less than 1% chance to win the Super Bowl. But! Of 10,000 computerized simulation run by ESPN on the season, exactly one had Miami winning it all in the Super Bowl it will host. Writes ESPN today: "To build our projections, we simulated the 2019 season 10,000 times. And exactly once -- simulation No. 5,130 -- the Dolphins went on to win the Super Bowl. How did they do it? A Miami miracle of astronomic proportions. Brian Flores' team made a late run, winning four consecutive games from Weeks 13-16 before dropping a Week 17 contest in Foxborough against Flores' old team. No matter: At 10-6, a feisty Dolphins team led by either Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick (FPI isn't clear) sneaked into the playoffs as No. 6 seed. On the road, Miami dismantled the AFC South champion Texans before a rematch against the division-rival Patriots. And this time, it pulled off the upset. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' defense were then no match for Rosen and/or Fitzpatrick in the AFC Championship Game. And miraculously, Flores' team finished it off with a victory over the Eagles two weeks later. And so it's possible, Dolphins fans. It's spring, and thankfully, due to simulation 5,130, all 32 teams officially have hope." OK, "Su-per Bowl!" chant on my cue. Ready?

'DEMOLITION CEREMONY' STARTS CLOCK ON INTER MIAMI"S FRANTIC RACE TO THE FINISH: It was more ceremony than demolition at Inter Miami's media event today outside the dilapidated shell of the old Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. All they did Wednesday was a glorified photo op during which they began to demolish a small ticket building (pictured). It is hard to envision the site going from this to a brand new Lockhart Stadium essentially in nine months -- by the March start of the 2020 inaugural season for Miami's new Major League Soccer team. But owner Jorge Mas swore assurances it would happen for the stadium Inter will call home at least the first two seasons, until its Miami Freedom Park site is completed where Melreese golf called home. So in effect the Mas/Beckham group is planning and building two stadiums at once, some 35 miles apart. And, ceremonially at least, the the frantic race against time began Wednesday. I was at today's event. For my column, please visit Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish.

THE SHAME AND THE STAIN ON THE KENTUCKY DERBY: The annual horse race at Churchill Downs, kickoff to Triple Crown season, may be America's most hallowed sporting event. The Masters in golf -- an event with 60 years' less tradition -- is the only other event guaranteed to be conveyed with strings and tinkling pianos in TV coverage. That's why mess of a controversy engulfing this year's Derby is so big. It is a spray-paint  of graffiti on tradition. Maximum Security won the race. The stewards took it away and made Country House the official, if illegitimate, winner. The sports asterisk, heretofore best used when Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record, is now needed in thoroughbred racing. To read my latest column please visit Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain.

Our previous most recent columns: Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson and / Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great.

RETIREE WADE STRUTS HIS FASHION AT MET GALA: Retired Heat star Dwyane Wade (still not used to saying that) and actress-wife Gabrielle Union rocked the 2019 Met Gala over the weekend -- the "Super Bowl of Fashion" fundraiser in New York, where celebs paid $30,000 per person just to get in the door to be papparazzi'd for a good cause. The Miami power couple are wearing outfits by Dundas, and looking sort of like a royal couple from the Game Of Thrones.  (Has D-Wade just made the hoodie elegant?) Other A-list athletes there included Tom Brady, Serena Williams, A-Rod, Odell Beckham Jr., Colin Kaepernick, Saquon Barkley and Lewis Hamilton. Serena, from Palm Beach, is pictured going all canary in an Atelier Versace gown with matching Nike sneakers, to the degree sneakers and a Versace gown might ever be called "matching."

THE LIST: AMERICA'S OLDEST SPORTS INSTITUTIONS: Another reason this year's Kentucky Derby controversy is such a big deal is its history. A comparative look at when each of these major American sporting events was first held:

Event                                   Year  

Kentucky Derby                    1875

Stanley Cup                          1893

World Series                         1903

Indianapolis 500                    1911

The Masters                          1934

NBA Finals                            1947

Super Bowl                           1966-*

U.S Open tennis                    1968-**

Notes: *-Season of first Super Bowl; game played January '67. **-Open era. (Sorry, Canada, but the U.S. has won every Stanley Cup since 1994, so it's an American event...).

THE NEW BACK IN MY DAY: WALLETS!: The latest BIMD that premiered today/Tuesday on the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. One of my better ones based on the reaction in the room and what I'm seeing on social media. Hope you enjoy...

Other recent columns: Dolphins Big Winners With Draft-Day Trade For QB Rosen / Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Le Batard Takes Miami To Manhattan / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / And our Dwyane Wade Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft / Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star / And Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T.

Select other columns: Bosh Honored On A Wistful Night Of 'What If' / Beckham's Miami Soccer Odyssey Takes Latest Detour / Will Diaz's Canes Justify 'The New Miami' Hype? / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Trip to Miami Inspired a National Bobblehead Shrine / The Intrigue Left: Will LeBron Go Out On Top? / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Robbery at Churchill Downs! Equine outrage and this week's Hot Button Top 10 (updated): See who's No. 1 and what else lands where; plus Brady, Marlins, Lexi, Rosen (links to our latest columns) & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 6. Hope y'all had a happy Cinco de Mayo and properly celebrated the Mexican Army's 1862 upset victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. 2) Football is never done, so it's always the perfect time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Signs of Jeter plan emerging amid Marlins losing, Brady is as Brady as ever, Fins get Tagovailoa in early '20 mock draft, Killian and Aquinas in elite category & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Our four most recent columns: Brady Is As Brady As Ever / Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging / Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson and / Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. HORSE RACING: Reversal robs Maximum Security at Kentucky Derby: Maximum Security was robbed of Saturday's Kentucky Derby win on a reversal for impeding other horses, handing the win to undeserving 65-1 longshot Country House. It was a decision that will live in horse racing infamy -- only the second time in 145 Derbys the winning horse has been DQ'd, and the first time on account of action on the track. Max, once a $16,000 claiming horse, had won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream. My column from five weeks ago: Maximum Security Wins Florida Derby.

2. NBA: Conference semifinals tight and getting tighter: Toronto and Denver won on the road Sunday to tie their conference semifinal series at 2-2. Tonight Boston and Houston host Game 4s trying to tie their series 2-2. Competitiveness welcome after the previous rounds' mostly yawning lopsidedness.

3. MARLINS: Losing continues for struggling, swept Fish: Marlins are an MLB-worst 9-24 and after being swept at home by Atlanta Sunday and now set out on a seven-game road trip. Meantime the club demoted former No. 1 prospect Lewis Brinson to minors and fired president of business ops Chip Bowers. Signs of progress, too, but a rough Year 2 for Derek Jeter.

4. DOLPHINS: Rookie mini-camp next on offseason agenda: Dolphins' post-draft offseason work begins this coming weekend with a May 10-12 rookie mini-camp for top pick Christian Wilkins and the other newbies. Nine full-squad OTA workdays will follow in May, when we'll see new QB Josh Rosen in a Fins uni for the first time. Then it's a mandatory mini-camp June 4-6. You cannot escape football, folks. You can try. You'll fail.

5. NHL: Carolina sweeps, but other three playoff series tight: Carolina bounced the Islanders in a four-game sweep but the other three conference semis are as competitive as you'd like. St. Louis beat Dallas on Sunday to force a game 7, while Boston and San Jose have 3-2 leads over Columbus and Colorado.

6. SOCCER: Champions League second-leg semis on deck: Barcelona face Liverpool Tuesday and Tottenham play Ajax Wednesday in leg-two of their UEFA Champions League semifinals, with Barca up three goals and Ajax one. And if you still haven't seen Messi's bending upper-left corner goal in the opener, Google it. Magic.   

7. HEAT: Miami awaits big decision by Dragic, Whiteside: Opt-in or out? Stay or test free agency? Hassan Whiteside ($27 million) and Goran Dragic ($19.2M) have pricey decisions to make that will hugely affect the Heat's roster and salary cap flexibility. Whiteside, benched for Bam Adebayo late in season, may be the likelier to leave.

8. HURRICANES: UM Sports Hall inducts eight more: The UM Sports Hall of Fame inducted an eight-person 2019 class this week led by former football star Vince Wilfork, the behemoth defensive tackle who went on to star as a New England Patriot. For me the Hall lets in too many, but that's true of Halls everywhere. Exclusivity, people!

9. PANTHERS: Cats have six reps in hockey worlds: Florida Panthers have four players and two others participating in the 2019 IIHF men's ice hockey world championships May 10-26 in Slovakia. Players will be Evgenii Dadonov (for Team Russia), Frank Vatrano (USA), Juho Lammikko (Finland) and Vincent Praplan (Switzerland). Also, Cats FM Dale Tallon is serving on advisory group for U.S. men's team, and goaltending coach Rob Tallas is working with Team Italy. "Go USA!" said a thoroughly biased Hot Button.

10. CANES BASEBALL: Canes winning, climbing polls: Gino DiMare's rookie season as coach is picking up steam. UM is now 34-14, has won six straight, just completed a home sweep of Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, and is up to 21st in the national polls. Omaha, please! (Too soon?)

Missing the HB10 cut: It has escaped our attention until now, but James Jones (Miami American High, UM, Heat) is now general manager of the Phoenix Suns. Good luck, James. You'll need it ..... Update: Countdown now 2,604 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

Other recent columns: Dolphins Big Winners With Draft-Day Trade For QB Rosen / Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Dolphins at 13: Twice Lucky, One Horrific Tragedy / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Le Batard Takes Miami To Manhattan / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / And our Dwyane Wade Final-Week trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft / Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star / And Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T.

Select other columns: Bosh Honored On A Wistful Night Of 'What If' / Beckham's Miami Soccer Odyssey Takes Latest Detour / Will Diaz's Canes Justify 'The New Miami' Hype? / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / 'Coach Crutch' Has Nova Southeastern Soaring / Trip to Miami Inspired a National Bobblehead Shrine / The Intrigue Left: Will LeBron Go Out On Top? / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Dolphins, Jets, Bills make strides at QB, but Brady is as Brady as ever. New column; plus positives of Jeter's Marlins rebuild emerging even amid losing, Dolphins get their prize in first '20 mock draft, Killian and Aquinas make exclusive list & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 4. If you missed it visit BIMD: Phones! for our newest Back In My Day video from this week's Le Batard show on ESPN. 2) Football is never done, so it's always the perfect time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Ugly America through prism of sports, why this could be watershed Dolphins draft, latest Back In My Day (Phones!), your verdict on Fins draft & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

New column: Rest of AFC East growing, but Brady is as Brady as ever: Jets have their franchise QB in Sam Darnold. Bills love their new guy in Josh Allen. Dolphins have Josh Rosen now and (they hope) Tua Tagovailoa in a year. The rest of the AFC East is making strides at the key position/ The problem? Tom Brady is as Brady as ever. For my latest column, please visit, Brady Is As Brady As Ever. 

MARLINS LOSING BIG, BUT SIGNS OF JETER'S PLAN ARE EMERGING:  To much of Baseball Nation the Marlins are a joke. And with reason. Worst record in MLB. Lowest attendance in the majors. Last year's No. 1 prospect, Lewis Brinson, demoted to the minors because he can't seem to hit .200. But in my newest column I explore all the ways that signs of Derek Jeter's grand reboot plan are emerging, even amid the squalor of this losing season. The starting pitching in particular and a now-deep minor league pipeline in general make Miami a club with a future. (Current best pitcher Caleb Smith is pictured). I spoke with a bunch of fans for this column and quote a few of them in it. And I'll say this: The hard core of 7,000 or 8,000 Marlins fans are some of the best in South Florida. Their optimism and vision, despite the losing all around them, is pretty impressive. To read this latest column please visit Marlins Losing Big Now, But A Future Is Emerging.

Other most recent columns: Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson / Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great / Dolphins Big Winners With Draft-Day Trade For QB Rosen / Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / Dolphins at 13: Twice Lucky, One Horrific Tragedy / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Le Batard Takes Miami To Manhattan / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / And our Dwyane Wade Week trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft / Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star / And Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T.

MCSHAY: TAGOVAILOA TO DOLPHINS IN 2020: In his way-too-early-but-I'm-doin'-it-anyway first 2020 mock draft, ESPN's Todd McShay has Dolfan dreams come true with Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa (pictured) going No. 1 overall to Miami. If it happens, after one season, Josh Rosen will be bumped yet again by his team taking a QB first overall. Three other things notable from McShay's mock: Other QBs in first round are Oregon's Justin Herbert, fifth to Raiders, and Iowa's Nate Stanley, 31st to Chargers. No Jake Fromm of Georgia. 2) Florida CB C.J. Henderson, 11th to 49ers, and Gators DE Jabari Zuniga, 21st to Titans, are the only state-college players taken. And 3) More than one-third of the first round, 11 of 32 players, are from Alabama (seven) or Clemson (four).

KILLIAN, AQUINAS MAKE RARE LIST: Miami Killian and Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas are two of only 12 high schools nationwide to have had multiple player selected in the recent NFL Draft, with two each. Killina draftees both were Miami Hurricanes: Sheldrick Redwine and Jaquan Johnson. Aquinas' draftees were No. 2 overall selection Nick Bosa and Jordan Scarlett. The only schools with three players each were in Cocoa, Florida and Allen, Texas. Florida schools led all states with a combined 34 draftees, followed by Texas with 27 and California with 22.

Select other columns: Bosh Honored On A Wistful Night Of 'What If' / Beckham's Miami Soccer Odyssey Takes Latest Detour / Will Diaz's Canes Justify 'The New Miami' Hype? / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / 'Coach Crutch' Has Nova Southeastern Soaring / Trip to Miami Inspired a National Bobblehead Shrine / The Intrigue Left: Will LeBron Go Out On Top? / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

The ugly America we have become through the prism of sports. Newest column; plus 3 reasons this might prove to be Dolphins' best draft in more than 20 years, latest Back In My Day video (Phones!), your grade on Fins draft & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

It's THURSDAY, MAY 2. Welcome, May. It's been almost a year. 2) Happy 86th Birthday Week to Willie Nelson, country music icon and the freest of spirits. 3) Football is never done, so it's always the perfect time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins draft bounty and you-grade-it poll, your verdict on Wilkins as the No. 1 pick, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Newest 'Back In My Day' video: This premiered earlier this week on the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. To watch, visit BIMD: Phones!

NEWEST COLUMN: WHAT AMERICA HAS BECOME THROUGH PRISM OF SPORTS: I happen to not be a Trump voter or supporter. But I try to be nonpartisan in my latest column in lamenting that pro golfer Lexi Thompson was chased from social media by the torrent of negative comments she called "hurtful"  after she played a round of golf with the president. We are so divided, us against them, one side fighting the other, hitting each other with rights and lefts. We can blame who's in the White House if we wish. But this is us. It is we the people who have been unable -- maybe unwilling? -- to rise above the divisiveness and rancor. This is not a typical column for me. To read it please visit, Welcome to the New America, Lexi Thompson.

WHY THIS HAS CHANCE TO BE DOLPHINS' MOST IMPACTFUL DRAFT IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS: My three main reasons, in shorthand: 1) Clemson DT Christian Wilkins, taken 13th overall, shows every indication of being a star, a fixture on the line for years. And his lockerroom presence is just as good. He'll be a culture cornerstone, an instant leader. 2) I believe in Josh Rosen’s continuing potential to be a franchise QB, and it was a steal of a deal to get him for a low second-round pick and a fifth. It is low-risk, high-reward. If he blossoms, great. If he doesn’t, there’s still Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jake Fromm in 2020. Rosen is a safety net, a potential elite QB in case "Tank for Tua" doesn’t pan out. 3) The stockpiling of additional draft picks for next year. Miami has 12, and that could grow to 14 with expected compensatory picks for losing Ja’Wuan James and Cam Wake in free agency. Wilkins and Rosen are pictured. To read the full column please visit Rosen Has Chance To Turn A Good Dolphins Draft Great.

Our previous Dolphins draft columns on Rosen trade, Wilkins pick: To read, visit Dolphins Big Winners With Draft-Day Trade For QB Rosen and Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins. Yes, I really liked both moves. When your first two days deliver an elite defensive tackle and a potential franchise quarterback on the cheap in a buyer's-market trade -- that's good work.

POLL RESULT: SOLID APPROVAL FOR DOLPHINS' OVERALL 2019 DRAFT: We asked, "What do you think of what the Miami Dolphins got done in the 2019 NFL Draft?" The poll included the trade for the QB Rosen as a part of the team's draft bounty. Your verdict: Very Impressed/Love It 27.34 percent; Impressed/Like It 43.17%; Fair/It's OK 21.58%; and Disappointing 7.91%. I say that's solid to  strong approval -- 70.51% loving or liking it.

Other most recent columns: Dolphins at 13: Twice Lucky, One Horrific Tragedy / Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa in '20 / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Le Batard Takes Miami To Manhattan / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About So Much More Than Golf / In Joel Quenneville, Panthers Get Their Riley, Their Shula / And our Dwyane Wade Week trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft / Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And A 30-point Star / And Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T.

Select other columns: Bosh Honored On A Wistful Night Of 'What If' / Beckham's Miami Soccer Odyssey Takes Latest Detour / Will Diaz's Canes Justify 'The New Miami' Hype? / Why Tannehill's Legacy Probably Isn't What You Think / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / 'Coach Crutch' Has Nova Southeastern Soaring / Trip to Miami Inspired a National Bobblehead Shrine / The Intrigue Left: Will LeBron Go Out On Top? / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

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

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote

Twitter @gregcote