GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, JUNE 10. Happy birthday, Donald Duck, born on yesterday's date in 1934. 2) Always football season, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, here: Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins will be better than expected, Inter Miami casts for Luis Suarez, Fins wrap up offseason, Marlins draft bats, Schnellenberger snubbed again, latest Back In My Day video, R.I.P. Todd Tongen and Dr. John & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Will Dolphins be too good for Tua? Latest column: A bright new coach, interesting quarterback battle with upside, really good receivers, strong defensive tackle rotation, productive linebackers, better than average secondary -- too many positives for Miami to be god-awful in 2019. Meaning it may be difficult to be bad enough for the No. 1 overall 2020 draft pick and grand-prize Tua Tagovailoa. To read my newest column, visit Miami Dolphins Will Be Better Than You Think In 2019.
Other most recent columns: Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez and Reasons To Like Flores & 5 Keys To Dolphins Season. Also: For Marlins, An Encouraging Two Weeks Is Progress / Drama Kings: How NBA Became America's Most Interesting Sport / Buckner Legacy One Of Notoriety And Forgiveness / Ranking Dolphins, Heat, Marlins & Panthers' Best Young Players.
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. SOCCER: Inter Miami aims high, guns for Luis Suarez: Inter Miami, the MLS expansion team set to debut in 2020, wants the Barcelona striker Suarez to be its signature star, a massive get if they can make it happen. Suarez has scored 25-plus goals seven straight seasons for Liverpool and then Barca at the highest levels of futbol. He might instantly be the biggest star in MLS. Might also be the biggest score of David Beckham's career.
2. NBA: Can a Golden State miracle deny Toronto?: Toronto won on road Friday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead over reigning champion Golden State in the NBA Finals, and now the Warriors face a must-win to stay alive in Game 5 Monday night/tonight in Canada. They hope to have Kevin Durant back ... but will it be enough? Meanwhile, a dumbass Warriors minority owner was banned for a year for shoving the Raptors' Kyle Lowry in a courtside incident.
3. SOCCER: U.S. debuts Tuesday in Women's World Cup: Month-long Women's World Cup is now underway in France, with the reigning champion United States team led by Alex Morgan up front and Hope Solo in goal playing its first group match on Tuesday vs. Thailand. Americans will be expected to win; no Thais allowed. (Sorry). U.S. are a narrow betting favorites to again win it all but host France and Germany will be stout challengers. On my count: "Let's gooooo States!"
4. NHL: Boston forces Game 7 in Stanley Cup: Boston had to win and did, 5-1, in St. Louis Sunday night to force an NHL Final Game 7 Wednesday in Beantown. St. Louis seeking its first-ever Stanley Cup but odds swing now to the Bruins. Somebody will win the Cup. Somebody won't win. But the big loser might be the NHL and its officiating, whose controversial calls and non-calls have shadowed this Final.
5. MARLINS: Recently hot Fish back home, and back to losing: In mid-May the Marlins were 10-31, threatening the 1962 Mets for historic futility. Since then they've been 13-9 -- but have now dropped four straight with Sunday's blown-lead loss as they continue a nine-game homestand. Meantime Miami went offense in the MLB Draft, starting with top pick J.J. Bleday, a Vanderbilt corner outfielder who led NCAA Division 1 with 26 homers this season. Fish went bats with first five picks before finally taking a pitcher.
6. TENNIS: Nadal, Barty take French Open crowns: It was Rafael Nadal winning his record 12th French Open title Sunday in Paris over vs. little-known Dominic Thiem in the men's final, after Thiem upset Novak Djokovic in a five-set semifinal. In Saturday's who's-that women's final, No. 8-seeded Ashleigh Barty won her first Grand Slam title by beating unseeded Marketa Vondrousova. Amanda Anisimova, a 17-year-old who lives in Aventura north of Miami, reached the semifinals before falling.
7. GOLF: U.S. Open rolls this week at Pebble Beach: The second of four men's golf majors begins this Thursday at Pebble Beach in Cali, with Brooks Koepka (13-2 betting odds) and Dustin Johnson (7-1) the near co-favorites. Masters champ Tiger Woods (10-1) and Jordan Speith (14-1) are next. Jack-chasing El Tigre has won three U.S. Opens, but none since 2008, and no USO top-10 finish since '10.
8. HORSE RACING: Sir Winston wins Belmont Stakes: A memorably wacky Triple Crown season in thoroughbred racing ended fittingly Saturday in New York. After a disqualified winner rocked the Kentucky Derby and a riderless horse in the Preakness, the Belmont went to a 10-1 longshot as Sir Winston beat favorite Tacitus by a length. Only one horse, War Of Will, ran in all three TC races, a continuing problem for the sport.
9. DOLPHINS: Fins minicamp wraps up offseason work: This week's mandatory Dolphins minicamp ended the team's offseason program. Next stop, ready or not: Training camp in late July, then exhibitions, then the season. Meantime the one pressing question -- Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen? -- remains unanswered, and likely won't be until August.
10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Three ex-Canes on Hall ballot, but no Howard: Former Miami Hurricanes defensive stalwarts Jerome Brown, Ray Lewis and Dan Morgan are on the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot revealed this week, but once again, championship coach Howard Schnellenberger was illogically denied. The problem: the Hall's minimum winning percentage requirement unfairly penalizes coaches like Schnellenberger who take on challenges such as turning around a moribund Louisville program and starting FAU football from scratch.
Missing the HB10 cut: Dwyane Wade spoke at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High's graduation ceremony. D-Wade is everywhere. It's the "Don't forget about me!" withdrawal phase recently retired athletes tend to go through ..... Four-star prep offensive lineman Jalen Rivers commits to Miami. Sorry kid. Only five stars rate the HB10 ..... Golf analyst Hank Haney got in trouble for saying South Korea had taken over the LPGA and predicting "somebody named Lee" would win the Women's U.S. Open last week. The winner? Jeongeun Lee ..... We're down to eight NCAA Super Regional baseball teams playing to reach the College World Series, but since none are from Florida, it isn't happening ..... UCLA beat Oklahoma for the women's softball title, thanks to somebody's walkoff single ..... Hurricanes' Michelle Atherley won a bronze medal in the heptathlon to lead UM performers in the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track & Field Championships ..... Panthers girding for June 21 NHL Draft and free agency to follow ..... Tom Brady tried to patent "Tom Terrific" to (he claims) stop people from calling him that, all the while drawing the wrath of Mets fans on behalf of original Tom Terrific Tom Seaver. Dumb story, but anything that gets folks made at Brady has my attention ..... 24 Hours of Le Mans is next weekend. My word for two straight days in a car? Hell ..... Cricket World Cup continues. Top seeds Jiminy and Buddy Holly still in it ..... Update: Countdown now 2,569 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup ..... R.I.P., Todd Tongen and Dr. John.
Other select recent columns: End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / 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 / Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish / Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain / Dolphins Land Big Prize in Wilkins / 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
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