1) It's FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall in Dallas with DSM poll, Canes eke past Central Michigan with CSM poll, Hot Button Top & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Latest Herald NFL Week 3 QB Rankings: One man is running away with this thing as we enter Week 4. Visit Herald Week 3 NFL QB Rankings to find out who.
NEW! OUR NFL WEEK 4 PICKS ARE IN!: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a hot Week 3 in our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our new Week 4 selections. Will the Dolphins finally cover a spread by staying (reasonably) close against the Chargers on Sunday? Find out that, our Game of the Week, our upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 4 Gems now. Our picks appear online Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print). Beginning this week subscribers get an early look at our Week 4 picks, ahead of non-subscribers. So sign in or sign up! Our week got off to a rocky start Thursday night with a misfire on Eagles-Packers. The Green Bay defense let us down majorly. It's OK. Sally forth!
CAN HISTORYMIAMI MUSEUM'S FOOTBALL CELEBRATION HELP US FORGET TODAY'S DOLPHINS?:The Miami Dolphins are having a season most fans would rather forget. The rebuilding team has lost its first three games by scores of 59-10, 43-0 and 31-6. It is historic ineptitude. The worst start in the franchise’s 54 seasons. So what better time to escape to better days! To relive old glories. To snuggle into the past, when Don Shula still roamed the sideline, Dan Marino snapped passes and Jason Taylor was sacking the other quarterback. You won’t find any of that at Hard Rock Stadium these days. But you will find it in Miami. HistoryMiami Museum is celebrating 100 years of the NFL, with a big nod to the halcyon days of the hometown Dolphins, in a major new exhibit called "Gridiron Glory: The Best Of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame." It opens this Saturday, Sept. 28 and runs through Feb. 9, closing one week after the Super Bowl that Miami is hosting. Tickets are $8 to $10. To purchase tickets visit the museum at 101 W. Flagler Street in downtown Miami, or online at historymiami.org. For our full story including what you'll see in the 8,000-square-foot exhibit, visit Dolfans, Here Is Your Escape To The Glory Days.
DOLPHINS ARE EPIC-BAD -- BUT STILL MIGHT BE BETTER-POSITIONED THAN CANES. LATEST COLUMN: What we have here with Miami football in 2019 is not unprecedented, but very rare. I wondered when was the last time the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes had simultaneously stumbled into their seasons like this — the Fins 0-3 and UM 2-2. Turns out this is only the fourth such occurrence in 54 combined years. It happened in 2011, the season that got Tony Sparano fired and welcomed Al Golden to town. Other than that it only happened in 1966 and ‘69, when the pre-Don Shula Dolphins of George Wilson had the excuse of being an expansion team and the Canes were spinning wheels with Charlie Tate. A half century later, welcome to your dream jobs, rookie head coaches Brian Flores and Manny Diaz! No honeymoons for you. Just hard times, fast. That is the intro to my latest column, in which I explore the state of the Fins and Canes and posit why currently woeful Dolphins may be better-positioned than UM over the next few years to be nationally relevant again. [Diaz and Flores are pictured, left to right]. To read the full column kindly visit Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 3:NFL picks--Strong. Went 12-4 overall and 10-5-1 against the spread -- numbers I'll take any week, thank you. That included bull's-eyeing our Upset of the Week pick with Giants winning at Buccaneers, and another outright upset with Jaguars beating Titans. LeBatard Show fantasy--Yes again! Greg's Lobos, now 2-1, defeated Guillermo (a.k.a Billy) by 144-128 -- our score the highest for the week of the league's 16 teams. Rodee the Mike Evans train for 45 and also got 34 from Patrick Mahomes and a big 23 from Shady McCoy. Friends n' family fantasy--No! Lobos dropped to 1-2 with a tough 103-100 loss to Christopher. That, despite Deshaun Watson and Dalvin Cook giving me 51 combined. Worse, I just lost Saquon Barkley for a big chunk of season.
1) It's MONDAY SEPTEMBER 23. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 3 picks, Kaepernick blackballing enters Year 3 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our NFL Week 3 picks: This is our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, and here are our Week 3 selections. Will the Dolphins cover that gargantuan 21 1/2-point line at Dallas Sunday or get blown out yet again? Find out that, our Game of the Week, our upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 3 Gems now. Got the week off to a big start by nailing the Jaguars' upset win last night; see Week 3 Thursday Gem.
G4: CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT HURRICANES: TOUGHER THAN LAST WEEK ... BUT NOT MUCH: Canes shook off a season-wilting 0-2 start vs. Florida and North Carolina by taking out their frustrations on poor Bethune-Cookman 63-0 last week. Now Miami should cruise to a level 2-2 record Saturday at 4 p.m. here vs. another undersized foe in the MAC's Central Michigan, whom the Canes have never before played. The Chippewas are 2-0 this season vs. teams their own size but got crushed 61-0 by No. 17 Wisconsin. UM is no Wisconsin but this still should be (better be) another walk in the park for Miami, a 29-point betting favorite. More importantly this is a final tuneup of sorts, because, after this game and a bye week, Miami's full ACC schedule kicks in Oct. 5 vs. Virginia Tech. Pictured: An ad for Chippewa Boots, because, why not? Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 41-10.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: 8.5%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 8.5 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday’s 17-12 UM home victory over Central Michigan putting the Hurricanes' season record at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. That's a season-low rating. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program’s direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the weekly verdict, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 2 p.m. Monday.
2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.
G4: 8.5% following 17-12 victory vs. Central Michigan.
Next poll: Oct. 5 following game vs. Virginia Tech.
G3: DOLPHINS AT DALLAS: IT CAN'T GET ANY WORSE ... CAN IT!?: When your team has opened its NFL schedule with 59-10 (Ravens) and 43-0 (Patriots) home losses -- the worst two-game start in NFL history -- there might literally be nowhere to go but up. Unless, perhaps, your first road game is Sunday at 1 at Dallas, whose very good Cowboys are favored over Miami by even more than New England was last week. You’ve heard of "once bitten, twice shy"? Well, I’m twice bitten by the Dolphins so what does that make me? I pick Miami to win its opener in a big upset and it loses by 49 points. I pick Miami to cover an 18 1/2-point spread last week and the Fins lose by 43. The lesson? I’m done with this team. MIA to me means missing in action from now on. Now the Fins are getting an outrageous 21 1/2 points at Dallas. Along with Patriots-Jets, this marks the first time in 32 years the NFL has seen multiple 20-point spreads in one week. And that was the 1987 strike season, with replacement players. The 2019 Dolphins could use some of those. A bunch, actually. Josh Rosen will start at QB for Miami. Will it matter? Update: Dolphins sign DE Taco Charlton, the Cowboys' semi-draft bust, off waivers, so all is well. The 0-16 talk is silly. I still see the Dolphins having a chance to win four or five games. But oh lord this is not one of them. You have a better chance of winning the lottery while simultaneously being struck by lightning than Miami has of winning Sunday. Cote's pick: Cowboys, 38-7. (Click Week 3 Gems for all our latest NFL picks).
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3: 27.5%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 27.5 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon’s 31-6 Dolphins loss at Dallas putting Miami’s season record at 0-3. Oddly, that is a season high, presumably reflecting the sizable Tanking for Tua wing of the fandom. In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the final result, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday.
2019 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.
G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.
G3: 27.5% following 31-6 loss at Dallas.
Next poll: Sept. 29 following game vs. L.A. Chargers.
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:
1. DOLPHINS: Fins have solid half in Dallas ... but lose big: When you have lost your first two home games by an historic combined score of 102 to 10, there is a real chance you head out for your first road trip with absolutely no intention of ever coming back. Especially when that trip finds you a ridiculous 21 1/2-point underdog in Dallas on Sunday. Well, Miami lost 31-6. Bright spot: Fins almost looked like a real team in a 10-6 first half!
2. HURRICANES: UM unimpressive in barely beating Central Michigan: Let's be clear, Manny Diaz. When you start 0-2 with meaningful losses to Florida and North Carolina and then get to .500 with a walkover win vs. Bethune-Cookman and now an unimpressive 17-12 Saturday home win over Central Michigan, nobody is satisfied. Run the table, get into the ACC title game at 10-2, and then we'll talk.
3. MARLINS: Fish wrap up season's home schedule with win: Miami ended its home schedule on Sunday with a 5-3 win over Washington, and now set out on a seven-game road trip to end the long year. Season highlight: At 101 losses, Marlins would have to lose all seven on this road trip to tie the franchise record of 108 losses set in 1998. Woo hoo!
4. INTER MIAMI: Manchester City star Silva taking his talents here?: Manchester City star midfielder David Silva reportedly is set to become Inter Miami's first marquee signing. The English newspaper The Independent reports Silva will leave the reigning Premier League champions at the end of the season and is "likely to join" David Beckham's MLS expansion team. The Spanish star is 33 but still a top midfielder globally. Close the deal, Beckham!
5. BASEBALL: MLB season down to its final week: MLB regular season ends one week from Sunday, with not a lot of playoff-chase drama beyond the fight for both leagues' second wild-card spot. When last I checked the Marlins were 29 games back in the wild-card hunt, and had been mathematically eliminated back in 2014.
6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Can Willie Taggert save himself?: FIU a disappointing 1-3 after loss to Louisiana Tech Friday, then it was No. 9 Florida routing Tennessee Saturday, then No. 15 UCF losing at Pitt. Ah, but the big heat is on Florida State hosting Louisville. Noles coach Willie Taggert was 6-9 at FSU, a fast track to former coach, before winning Saturday.
7. PANTHERS: Altogether, now. Breathe deep and relaaaaax: Florida and new superstar coach Joel Quenneville began their eight-game preseason schedule 0-3. Repeat after me. It doesn't matter. Star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky hadn't played. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter...
8. HEAT: Adebayo embarrassed in burger fest as training camp nears: The new post-Wade, Jimmy Butler-led Heat announced they'd hold media day September 30, then preseason training camp October 1-5 in West Palm Beach, then open the preseason October 8 vs. San Antonio. Meantime center Bam Adebayo got crushed in a charity burger-eating contest by Japanese legend Takeru Kobayashi, who wolfed 20 burgers while Adabeyo ate only one. One!? C'mon, dude.
9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Notre Dame-Georgia tops national schedule: No. 7 Notre Dame visited No. 3 Georgia on Saturday and lost. That means Georgia gets to pretend for a little while that it has any prayer of maybe beating Clemson or Alabama this season.
10. WNBA: Playoffs underway, and Delle Donne owns 'em: WNBA playoffs are down to the semifinals, and if Elena Delle Donne doesn't cap her MVP season with a Washington Mystics championship I'm going to boycott the league by watching even fewer games than I do now.
Missing the HB10 cut: In the Chess World Cup in Russia, 43 spectators just fell asleep waiting for the next move ..... If you didn't love Mike Yastrzemski hitting a home run at Fenway Park while grandpa Carl (Yaz) looked on, then to hell with you! ..... The IndyCar racing season ends Sunday. Further details as warranted ..... Team USA kept its No. 1 overall ranking despite bombing in the FIBA World Cup. Has being No. 1 ever felt less like celebrating? ..... Update: Countdown now 2,464 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
1) It's THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Laughingstock Dolphins worst team ever?, NFL Week 2 Pix 'n Fantasy results, my weekend in New York City & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings: There's a new overall No. 1 for the season. Who it is should surprise nobody. Visit Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings.
NEW! OUR NFL WEEK 3 PICKS ARE IN!: Off our record-setting 2018 season we're back for our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, and here are our Week 3 selections. Will the Dolphins cover that gargantuan 21 1/2-point line at Dallas Sunday or get blown out yet again? Find out that, our Game of the Week, our upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 3 Gems now. Our picks appear online Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print. Visit Week 3 Thursday Gem for tonight's Titans-Jaguars pick). We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the point spread. It's been tougher so far in '19, but, early days!
QBS KEEP FALLING, AND NFL'S SHAMEFUL BLACKBALLING OF COLIN KAEPERNICK ENTERS YEAR 3. NEW COLUMN: The NFL has never tried harder to baby its precious quarterbacks with legislated protection. Even the sack itself is now penalized unless it is sort of paradoxically gentle, with the defender not permitted to land with his full weight upon the poor QB, the wide-eyed fawn trying to survive the mean jungle. Yet we have just set out on what already is a calamitous season for the most fragile, important position. Andrew Luck abruptly retires from the collective weight of too many injuries. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger is injured Sunday and out for the season. New Orleans’ Drew Brees is hurt the same day and out at least six weeks. Would-be Jacksonville savior Nick Foles is injured in the season opener and done until at least November. Aging Eli Manning is benched by the Giants. The Jets’ Sam Darnold (in the most Jets thing ever) is lost indefinitely with mononucleosis. Now Carolina’s Cam Newton seems injured. Again. The increasing reality is that teams need two quality quarterbacks, not just one. And yet Colin Kaepernick cannot find a job. Darnold’s replacement, Trevor Siemian, also gets injured and is lost for the year, so the Jets are down to third-stringer Luke Falk. The Miami Dolphins can’t decide who’s the least bad between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen. The Eagles backup is the relentlessly recycled Josh McCown. The Jaguars are now starting somebody named "Gardner Minshew." And, still, Kaepernick can’t get a job. This the intro to my latest column. This story is a continuing shame more relevant than ever this early season, and the NFL should not be let off the hook. For the full column, visit Turning Its Back on Kaepernick Enters Year 3 As NFL's Ongoing Shame.
1) It's WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18. Scroll to previous blogpost for results of latest Dolfan and Canesfan Satisfaction Meter polls. 2) Coming later today: Our NFL Week 3 Thursday night pick for Titans-Jaguars. 3) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes clobber Bethune with CSM poll, Dolphins crushed by Pats with DSM poll, Hot Button Top 10, handicapping ex-Canes, Fins on 2020 Hall ballot, R.I.P. Ric Ocasek & more. 5) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings: There's a new overall No. 1 for the season. Who it is should surprise nobody. Visit Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings.
DOLPHINS: WORST MIAMI TEAM EVER? NATIONAL PUNCHLINE COMING. MY NEWEST COLUMN: When the losing is this bad, the mocking follows. And that can be worse. It kicks you when you’re way down. It laughs at your pain. Belittles your pride. The Miami Dolphins are getting it already, two games in. The booing, the paper bags over heads, the Tanking Army among your owns fans delighting in the defeat — that isn’t even the worst of it. Becoming a national joke is. Sunday on Fox Sports’ NFL show, Cooper Manning (inexplicably) has a segment. This week the older brother of Peyton and Eli was doing a bit with two Ravens players. Cooper mentioned that Seahawks and Dolphins weren’t real animals, the setup line. One of the Ravens then said, "Dolphins are real." [Short pause] "Their team isn’t!" Cooper delivered the punchline as funny music ended the segment. Soon the Dolphins’ epic terribleness will reach the late-night monologues and be fodder. I happen to be buddies with someone connected to the "Saturday Night Live" writing staff gearing for the Sept. 28 startup of its new season. I asked whether the Dolphins’ woes might make the Weekend Update segment. "On the radar," he texted back. "Just need them to keep being awful." Never on a football field, a basketball court, a baseball diamond or a sheet of ice has South Florida seen a professional sports team this bad. The use of the phrase "professional" team feels dubious, although, technically, this is one. The Dolphins have lost 59-10 and 43-0 — the worst start by any team in the NFL’s 100 seasons — and yet, with no remorse evident, players get paid, anyway. Beleaguered rookie coach Brian Flores, handed a depleted team with an eye on the future, not now, can only put his head down and shoulder on. "We come in, we make corrections and we move on," he said Monday afternoon at camp. Then, as if firing a preemptive strike against reports of unrest and some players wanting out: "We don’t point fingers," he volunteered. "We don’t make excuses. There’s a room full of guys who aren’t doing that." When I say Flores’ Fins are our worst Miami team ever, that covers 137 combined seasons of Dolphins, Heat, Marlins and Panthers, and a fair share of losing. For the full column -- updated to include last night's trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh for a first round draft pick -- visit Worst Miami Team Ever? Epic Losing Already Making Dolphins A National Joke.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 2:NFL picks--Improved. Bounced back a rough start with a solid 11-5 mark overall and 8-8 against the point spread. LeBatard Show fantasy--Yes! Greg's Lobos crushed Mina Kimes 140-96.9 to go to 1-1, led by Patrick Mahomes' 39.6 points and and unexpected 22-and-change from Vance McDonald and Tyler Boyd. Friends n' family fantasy--Ouch. Lobos fell to 1-1 with a 128-114 loss. Led into Monday behind a combined 50 from RBs Dalvin Cook and Saquon Barkley, but got buried on MNF by 49 combined from my opponent's Odell Beckham Jr. and Le'Veon Bell.
MY WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY: Wife and I spent a long weekend in New York City that was splendid for three main reasons: 1) Saw "To Kill A Mockingbird" Friday night on Broadway at the Shubert Theater; 2) saw Brandi Carlile and Mavis Staples on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden; and 3) lucked to be able to miss Sunday's 43-0 Dolphins home loss to New England. Not sure which would qualify as the highlight, although the first two were hard to beat. "Mockingbird" was everything I thought it would be and more, which A-list performances especially from Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch and Celia Keenan-Bolger in a Tony Award-winning turn as his daughter Scout. It didn't hurt that we had front-row seats and were six feet from where Daniels/Finch sat onstage during courtroom scenes. Catch this play when in NYC if you can. Highly recommended. As for the concert? Well I have been a Mavis fan since the Staple Singers in the '70s and an admirer of her activism and her heart my whole life. Brandi Carlile came into my life like an epiphany just this year, and with such impact I goaded my wife into this trip mainly to see that twin-bill with Mavis opening at a sold-out MSG. It did not disappoint. An emotionally moving concert. Mavis is a national treasure still going strong at 80. Discover Brandi if you have not already, and thank me later.
1) It's MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16. R.I.P. Ric Ocasek, 75. His group The Cars were very big in my life when I was in my 20s and always held a place in my memory and heart. 2) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 2 picks, yes Dolphins are tanking and yes they should & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our NFL Week 2 picks: Will the Miami Dolphins lose by less than the epic 18 1/2-point betting line on Sunday? What is our Game of the Week. Who are our upset winners? Find out that and more by visiting Week 2 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3: 83.0%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 83.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 63-0 UM home victory over Bethune-Cookman putting the Hurricanes' season record at 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the weekly verdict, which is announced here the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday.
2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.
Next poll: Sept. 21 following game vs. Central Michigan.
G3: BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT HURRICANES: NAME YOUR SCORE: I know in the NFL very occasionally you see a crazy score like, say, 59-10. (Sorry, Dolphins). But generally speaking you don't get many silly-sized routs in the pros like you see too much in the college game, when major schools play small schools that have no shot. It is why I prefer the NFL. Which brings us to the Miami Hurricanes hosting Bethune-Cookman Saturday at 4 in UM's home opener at Hard Rock. Miami has played B-C four times this decade (most recently in 2017), and the Canes have won all four by a combined 169-37. Could have been worse. That involved a bunch of clear the bench and foot off the gas pedal. This could be more of a classic, thorough butt-whippin' because, at 0-2 for the first time since 1978, Manny Diaz and Miami are frustrated and eager to take it out on ... anybody. I'd be shocked if the final score was remotely close. If B-C had even half of Miami's score. So you're up, B-C Wildcats. The designated punching bag and stress relief for the Canes' early-season frustration. So I'll say it now, Wildcats. I'm sorry for your loss. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 61-0.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 24.6%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 24.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 43-0 Dolphins home loss to New England putting Miami's season record at 0-2. (That's an uptick. Tanking crowd weighing in). In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the official results. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.
2019 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.
G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.
Next poll: Sept. 22 following game at Dallas.
G2: NEW ENGLAND AT DOLPHINS: LET US PRAY: Miami is one of eight home underdogs in NFL Week 2, and oh what a dog! Combo of last week’s humiliating 59-10 opening loss to Baltimore and New England being New England has left Dolphins getting 18 1/2 points Sunday at 1. Perspective: That’s biggest NFL spread since 2007, and one of only three times in past 30 years a road team has been favored by this much. Interesting subplots: Brian Flores coaching against his former team, and Antonio Brown’s debut (maybe) for Pats. Oh, and will ornery Bill Belichick want to run it up for the way Miami stunningly beat his team here last season on that late 69-yard miracle lateral-fest? Would it shock for Fins to lose by 30-plus? Nope. But Miami is on a 5-1 run at home vs. Tom Brady, and I’m hunching that whatever pride wasn’t beaten out of the Dolphins last week will be marshaled for a credible performance that beats not the Patriots (don't be silly), but at least the point spread. Cote's pick: Patriots, 34-17. (Click Week 2 Gems for all our latest NFL picks).
ELEVEN EX-CANES, FINS ON 2020 HALL BALLOT: WE HANDICAP THEIR CHANCES: Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its 122 contenders for 2020 induction into Canton, a list that includes six former Dolphins and five ex-Canes. The mass will be pared to 25 semifinalists in November and then 15 finalists in January, who'll be voted on for induction during Super Bowl Week in Miami. None of the 11 locals is a good bet to get to Canton, but here's how we see them stacking up in terms of at least making the cut to 25: Best chance: Edgerrin James (pictured), because the former UM running back was a finalist in 2019. Decent chance: Ex-Fins LB Zach Thomas deserves Canton (as I've soapboxed many times), longtime stalwart Dolphins LT Richmond Webb has a case, and ex-Canes WR Reggie Wayne has pretty stout career numbers. A tiny shot, maybe?: Dolphins CB Troy Vincent, TE Keith Jackson and punter Reggie Roby, and Canes RB Clinton Portis and TE Jeremy Shockey. Nah, sorry: Punters Jeff Feagles and Matt Turk.
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:
1. DOLPHINS: Tankier and tankier as Fins crushed again: Miami was an 18 1/2 point underdog. On the bright side, the Dolphins could lose by double that point spread and still come closer than they did in last week's 59-10 loss. That's what I wrote. And it happened. Patriots, 43-0. Can Miami just concede the final 14 games? Please?
2. HURRICANES: Thank you, Bethune-Cookman. The Canes needed that: Honestly, I wrote that headline Thursday afternoon. But if the Canes do anything but win comfortably Saturday, just go ahead and cancel the rest of UM's season. They won 63-0. That'll suffice.
3. BASKETBALL: Team USA gags in awful FIBA World Cup performance: Stunner! Team USA was beaten by France and will play for seventh place Saturday in the FIBA Wold Cup in China -- worst finish ever by an American team that included NBA players. Why? Of 35 players originally selected for the U.S. player pool, only four were in China.
4. INTER MIAMI: Messi-to-Miami rumors heating up?: Soccer rumors that bloom and disseminate from Europe and and South America can be notoriously unreliable. Still, there seems to be traction to the notion Barcelona star Lionel Messi could be considering a late-career move to MLS with the new Miami team. Yes, please. Yes. Please!
5. HORSE RACING: Scandal engulfs Triple Crown winner Justify: New York Times reported that 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify failed a drug test one month before the '18 Kentucky Derby, and that the California Horse Racing Board decided to dismiss the case after the colt went on to win the Triple Crown. Shame, shame. Giant asterisk for the record book please.
6. BASEBALL: Going, going ... MLB sets all-time home run record: Baseball broke its all-time home run record with two weeks to spare when the 6,106th was hit this week. Oh, but the ball isn't joined. No way!
7. PANTHERS: Cats, full of hope, open NHL training camp: The non-superstitious Florida Panthers and new coach Joel Quenneville open training camp on Friday the 13th, working toward the first of eight preseason games this Monday at Nashville. Playoffs or bust, Cats. Excuses all gone.
8. MARLINS: Fish hurtling toward most-losses mark as season wanes: Miami's club-record 108 losses set in 1998 is in play as Marlins play out the string. Currently in midst of a West Coast swing, Miami's final homestand in Sept. 20-22 before ending (mercifully) with seven straight on road.
9. HEAT: Miami announces training camp dates: The new Jimmy Butler-led Heat announced they'd hold preseason training camp Oct. 1-5 at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, after media day Sept. 30. The first of five Heat preseason games is scheduled Oct. 8 vs. San Antonio.
10. SERENA WILLIAMS: She parties after U.S. Open finals loss: Serena rented out a New York Mexican restaurant and partied with friends 'til the wee hours after losing the U.S. Open final to again be denied a record-tying 24th major. Why do I have the feeling I want her to get that record more than she does?
Missing the HB10 cut: Antonio Brown, just on general principle ..... Sentences I Never Imagined Writing, one in a series: "LeBron James denied trademark application for phrase 'Taco Tuesday' ..... Hated to see Christian Yelich lost injured for rest of season, and in Miami no less ..... Chess World Cup underway in Russia, in case watching paint dry has proved too exciting for you ..... World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships have begun in Azerbaijan. That's like regular gymnastics, only more ridiculous ..... Update: Countdown now 2,471 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
1) It's THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. A day later, a month later, #NeverForget 9/11. 2) It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Quit whining! Dolphins smart to tank, will Fins get good in time to save Shula's legacy?, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy Week 1 results, Herald Week 1 NFL QB rankings & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
HEY IT'S OUR NFL WEEK 2 PICKS!: Off our record-setting 2018 season, we're back today in our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald with our Week 2 selections. Will the Dolphins cover that epic 18 1/2-point spread against the Patriots? Find out that, our Game of the Week, our upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 2 Gems. Our picks appear Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print. Visit Week 2 Thursday Gem for tonight's Bucs-Panthers pick). We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the point spread. Last we got off to a rough start at 8-7-1 overall and 6-10 against the spread, so, as with the Dolphins, there (probably) is nowhere to go but up! Let's see.
QUIT WHINING! DOLPHINS TANKING IS BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO THIS FRANCHISE IN 20 YEARS. NEW COLUMN: The hysteria surrounding the Miami Dolphins as they climb out from under the avalanche of the season opener and await the tsunami of Game 2 is quite unlike anything we have seen down here. I’m not sure whether to laugh out loud or simply shake my head in incredulity. The Dolphins are really bad, OK? A natural disaster. Deal with it. Except nobody seems to be dealing with it very well. Too many fans are acting like they didn;t see this coming. Too many Dolphins players (based on reports) are crying to their agents about wanting out. Fans and players alike need to understand that Miami's overt tanking -- whether they want to admit it publicly or not -- is the best, boldest, most foresightful thing this franchise has done in 20 years. It is pain now for better days ahead. I explore all of this in my latest column. Please visit Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should.
1) It's WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. The season-opening Dolfan Satisfaction Meter result is in, with a low (but interesting) total. Scroll down to the blogpost immediately below for details. 2) It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins crushed by Baltimore in opener with DSM poll, final CSM results, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
IT WAS 18 YEARS AGO TODAY. #NEVERFORGET
Our Bucs-Panthers Week 2 Thursday pick: Jameis Winston at Cam Newton. And the winner is... visit Week 2 Thursday Gem to find out who, and why.
My column from Dolphins' 59-10 opening loss: It was not as brutal as the score suggests. It was more so. Welcome to the weirdest season, where being really, really bad can be really, really good. For my column from the stadium, visit The Dolphins aren't awful. They're worse than that.
MIAMI HERALD WEEK 1 NFL QB RANKINGS: Out now! Who's No. 1? Is Ryan Fitzpatrick so far down we need a pickaxe and a flashlight to find him? Visit Herald Week 1 QB Rankings.
QUIT WHINING! DOLPHINS TANKING IS BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO THIS FRANCHISE IN 20 YEARS. NEW COLUMN:The hysteria surrounding the Miami Dolphins as they climb out from under the avalanche of the season opener and await the tsunami of Game 2 is quite unlike anything we have seen down here. I’m not sure whether to laugh out loud or simply shake my head in incredulity. The Dolphins are really bad, OK? A natural disaster. Deal with it. Except nobody seems to be dealing with it very well. Too many fans are acting like they didn;t see this coming. Too many Dolphins players (based on reports) are crying to their agents about wanting out. Fans and players alike need to understand that Miami's overt tanking -- whether they want to admit it publicly or not -- is the best, boldest, most foresightful thing this franchise has done in 20 years. It is pain now for better days ahead. I explore all of this in my latest column. Please visit Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should.
DEFENDING SHULA'S LEGACY AGAINST THE BELICHICK ONSLAUGHT: This is the historical subtext as the Dolphins and Patriots prepare this week to meet again Sunday in Miami. From a micro view the matchup is about Fins coach Brian Flores facing his former team, about how bad the rebuilding Dolphins are after losing their opener to Baltimore 59-10 and about this season’s impact on the 2020 draft. But the emotional heft of Dolphins-Patriots is in the broader view. The only way for Miami to protect Don Shula’s all-time NFL career wins record and legacy will be to see this arduous rebuild flourish and finally end the Patriots’ reign. Not Sunday. But someday. And soon. The Dolphins must find their long-elusive quarterback and start to win again, at the Patriots' expense. That is all that can stop Belichick, who at this pace could surpass Shula's hallowed mark as soon as 2023. I explore all of this in my recent column. To read it, please visit It's Up to Today's Dolphins to Defend Shula's Legacy. (Shula and Belichick are pictured circa 1992-93, as Shula zeroed in on the all-time wins record and a few years before Belichick would take over the Patriots and begin his methodical march toward The Don's record).
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 1:NFL picks--Rough start. After a record-setting season last year, we opened Week 1 at 8-7-1 overall and 6-10 against the spread. Early days. LeBatard Show fantasy--Ouch. Greg's Lobos led entering Monday night behind Patrick Mahomes' 33 points but fell to Stugotz, 114-88. Friends n' family fantasy--Better. Lobos coasted to 128-83 rout led by Deshaun Watson's 30.
OH MY! THE RARITY OF CANES, FINS' EARLY STRUGGLES: The Hurricanes have begun the football season 0-2 and the Dolphins 0-1. So what, you say? It's actually a pretty big deal historically. Or a pretty rare deal, at least. The last time it happened was 1978, which was the last time the Canes started 0-2 and the Dolphins also lost their opener that season. And it happened only one other time, in 1975. So that's two instances of 0-2 UM/0-1 Dolphins in the 54 seasons since the Dolphins were born. An anomaly, but one I found notable. (Pictured: Canes coach Lou Saban, in 1978. Click on image to see larger version).
1) It's MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes lose at North Carolina with CSM postgame poll, our NFL Week 1 predictions, your verdict on my fantasy team & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
My column from Dolphins' 59-10 opening loss: It was not as brutal as the score suggests. It was more so. Welcome to the weirdest season, where being really, really bad can be really, really good. For my column from the stadium, visit The Dolphins aren't awful. They're worse than that.
Canes postgame poll results final: Voting in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll has ended with the approval rating plummeting as expected following the 28-25 loss at North Carolina. Scroll to previous blogpost for details.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G1: 18.3%: Results are certified to open the 12th season of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 18.3 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon’s 59-10 loss to the visiting Baltimore Ravens in the Fins’ season opener. It was the most points ever allowed in a Dolphins home game, the low but perhaps better than expected DSM likely owing to the Tank for Tua wing of the fandom. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today. Online voting determines official results, although you may also vote on Twitter @gregcote, where the vote was 57% approval.
2019 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.
Next poll: Sept. 15 following game vs. New England.
G1: BALTIMORE 59, @DOLPHINS 10: ONLY THING WORSE THAN FINS' PERFORMANCE? MY PICK!: Original post: "AAAWWWK!" shrieks the Upset Bird, ushering in the 2019 season with a big-bang pick. "Tanking schmanking. Aawwk!" OK, here’s the thing. Repeat after me: "The Miami Dolphins will not be as bad as you think." I am about the only media-ite saying this — locally or nationally. The view is kind of scary from way up here out on the limb, but that’s all right. Imagine being the Dolphins right now. You spend the whole offseason and preseason hearing and reading about how lousy you are. About tanking and no talent and eve-of-season trades that diminished that talent even further in the name of rebuilding and draft capital. Well, there are two ways to respond: 1) With dejection, dissension and self defeat. Or 2) The way I see Miami responding today/Sunday, which is to show that this maligned, mocked, written-off team is very capable of winning five to seven games in a parity-soaked league. So, yeah, give me the home-’dog upset on a hunch here. Dolphins were 6-2 at home last season and have the anger and intangible edge here. More tangibly, Baltimore had some key free agency losses on defense, and Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kenyan Drake — even behind a mishmash O-line — could have opportunities. Also think Miami’s defensive line depth and secondary will come through Sunday against the big challenge of dual-threat Lamar Jackson. Yes, this pick is a big swing that could miss badly, but, like the Black Eyed Peas in 2009, I gotta feeling. "Fergie! Dolphins limited ownership partner! Thataway to tie it all together," notes a grinning, nodding Upset Bird. "Tank schmank. AAWWK!" Cote's pick: Dolphins 23, Baltimore 20.
[Click on Week 1 Gems for all of our NFL Kickoff Weekend predictions].
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:
1. DOLPHINS: Ready or not (not!), Miami falls hard in season opener: The media and betting consensus is that the Dolphins will be worst-in-the league bad this season. Tanking is assumed after a fire sale of veterans in exchange for future draft picks. Some have even floated 0-16 as a possibility. I alone, it seems, thought otherwise. Saw Miami as a five-to-seven win team and even predicted the Fins would upset the Ravens in Sunday's opener here. Um, Ravens won 59-10. Only thing worse than the Dolphins' performance was my pick. And even that's a close call.
2. HURRICANES: Ouch! UM 0-2 after blowing late lead at North Carolina: This head coaching thing ain't so easy, huh Manny Diaz? Canes are 0-2 for the first time since 1978 after last night's 28-25 loss at Chapel Hill. The U trailed much of the game, led late, then blew it, although QB Jarren Williams was great. Pretty bad when your season feels derailed two games in.
3. TENNIS: Serena falls short again, Nadal wins thriller to close U.S. Open: Serena Williams tried again for a record-tying 24th career major win Saturday but stunningly fell to barely known Canadian Bianca Andreescu, 19. (Begins to make you wonder if she'll ever get the record...) Old stalwart Rafael Nadal won the men's crown Sunday in a five-set thriller over Russian Daniil Medvedev.
4. NFL: Antonio Brown drama takes wild turn as season kicks off: First Sunday of NFL's 100th season kicks off today, and the lead story? The Oakland Raiders managing to botch the Antonio Brown situation to such a colossal degree they release the Pro Bowl receiver and he signs with ... of course ... the New England Bleepin' Patriots! If only I were kidding.
5. BASKETBALL: Team USA turns back the Greek Freak: Team USA is now 4-0 and onto the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup in China after Saturday beating Greece and its NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo 69-53 in their toughest test yet, led by Kemba Walker's 15 points. Coach Gregg Popovich's guys have not always looked great thus far, but expectations of another U.S. world title seem increasingly justified. Yanks play Brazil today.
6. SOCCER: Huge Miami crow for Brazil-Colombia: Brazil and Neymar drew a sellout of 65,232 to Hard Rock Stadium Friday night for a 2-2 draw with Colombia in a national teams friendly. Will the Dolphins draw as many to Sunday's season opener? Let's see, shall we?
7. MARLINS: Yelich visit on deck as Fish play out the string: Stinkin' Fish are 51-91 in midst of a 7-game homestand. Christian Yelich and the Brewers are here for four starting Monday -- yet another sad reminder of all the stars Miami once had -- then Marlins play 13 of last 16 on road to end season. Meantime Marlins' Brian Moran in his MLB debut struck out his brother Thursday, first time ever a pitcher in his debut K'd his own bro.
8. PANTHERS: Cats and hockey are back on the radar: Infused with an accomplished new coach in Joel Quenneville and a top-tier goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida's now-or-bust season unfurls this week. Cats host rookie camp Tuesday and Wednesday, media day Thursday, then full training camp beginning (superstitious people look away) Friday the 13th. Is this finally the Panthers' year? (Have we asked that before?)
9. HEAT: Arisons donate to Hurricane Dorian relief: Micky Arison's Carnival cruise ships make millions bringing tourists to the Bahamas, so it was only fitting the Heat's owner donated $1 million and use of one of his ships to hurricane relief for that devastated area. Micky's other passion, the Heat, opens preseason training camp soon. In other news, Pat Riley was partying with retiree Dwayne Wade on a yacht in St. Tropez, dancing while dressed like Aladdin. Or, did that go without saying?
10.DWYANE WADE: Ex-Heat star will work out with LeBron: Retiree Dwyane Wade, says he'll be on the court with LeBron and the Lakers working out often before games this season. Wade, who is now lives in suburban Los Angeles, said he plans to work out with his former teammate before games, both at the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo and at Staples. "I just want to stay around it and be as involved as I can," says D-Wade. Hmm. Comeback with Lakers a matter of time?
Missing the HB10 cut: The Ironman 70.3 World Championships were held Saturday in France. I'd planned to compete, but decided at the last minute to wait in a long line for one of those Popeye's chicken sandwiches instead ..... The Chess World Cup begins Monday in Russia. Chess is the game/sport for folks not smart enough to play checkers ..... Update: Countdown now 2,478 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins trade Tunsil in blockbuster deal, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 15.7%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 15.7 percent overall satisfaction -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night's 28-25 loss at North Carolina in Miami's ACC opener, putting UM's season record at 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. You may vote here in the blog, elsewhere online, and also at Twitter.com/gregcote (where the approval was 18%). Online/blog voting determine the weekly verdict, which is announced here the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9:30 a.m. today/Monday.
2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
Next poll: Sept. 14 following game vs. Bethune-Cookman.
G2: HURRICANES @ NORTH CAROLINA: PRESSURE ON CANES TO SEAL ROAD WIN IN ACC OPENER: It's one thing to fall narrowly to a top-10 Florida in a a neutral-site opener. It would be quite another to be a road favorite at North Carolina in your ACC opener and lose again. Losing to the Gators stung, but losing this one would make it feel like a season of high hopes had gone completely off the rails two games in. That is why more pressure is on Miami now than there was in the ballyhooed opener. That makes tonight/Saturday at 8 in Chapel Hill as close to a must-win as you could want in early September, especially for coach Manny Diaz and quarterback Jarren Williams. The Canes in general must look sharper, readier, after slopping through 14 penalties for 118 yards against UF and allowing 10 sacks. The betting line opened with Miami favored by 6 points but dove to 3 1/2 before settling back up at 5, the movement indicative of a betting public still unsure what to make of the Canes. UM crushed UNC 47-10 last year in the midst of a 2-9 Tar Heels season. This won't be as easy, with ESPN's Football Power Index putting Miami's win-likelihood at a modest 63.1 percent. I like UM tonight without much reservation. Coming off a bye after the early Aug. 24 opener, The U should ride defensive domination to a comfy if not quite rout-y win. Interesting side note: Mack Brown begins his second coaching stint with the Heels. He's best known as the Texas head coach in 1998-2013, where one of his proteges was defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz worked under Brown three seasons before being abruptly fired in '13. That checks one more box for why Diaz wants this win like a big dog wants that meaty bone. Diaz is pictured left using index fingers to signal the won-lost record Miami absolutely must have coming out of this game. Cote's pick: Hurricanes 27, North Carolina 16.
IT'S UPSET BIRD WEEK IN AMERICA! OUR NFL WEEK 1 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season, we begin our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald by today revealing our 2019 Week 1 selections for Dolphins-Ravens, Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. Could Miami actually be among my three big upset picks? To find out please visit Week 1 Gems. Our picks appear Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print. Visit Week 1 Thursday Gem for last night's Packers-Bears pick, a misfire by us, alas). We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the point spread. Pictured: Our "How the Darts Landed" picks logo, and a charcoal rendering of the Upset Bird, the mysterious, never-photographed Corvus corax who serves as our prognosticatory sidekick and seer on all upset picks.
FANTASY VOTES ARE IN AND YOU LOVED MY TEAM MOST! (NO, SERIOUSLY): Had our PFPI Fantasy friends 'n family league draft earlier this week, a 10-team PPR league that had a snake draft. The exact order was shown in a blind poll, and we invited you to vote which team you would most like to have based on each team's first five picks. Almost 800 votes had been cast when we closed it off this morning. Your results, with each team's first pick shown:
Team 1: Saquon Barkley -- 25.91%. That's my team! Thanks for the support. Hope y'all are right!
Team 7: DeAndre Hopkins -- 16.84%. That's Michael, my youngest son.
Team 3: Alvin Kamara -- 13.73%. That's Brandon, a friend.
Team 4: Ezekiel Elliott -- 9.46%. That's Alex, a friend. (This vote total spiked after Zeke finally signed).
Team 2: Christian McCaffrey -- 8.94%. That's Joe, a nephew.
Team 9: David Johnson -- 6.61%. That's Earleen, my wife. Tied with below.
Team 10: Patrick Mahomes -- 6.61%. That's Dick, my brother. Tied with above.
Team 5: Tyreek Hill -- 5.05%. That's Christopher, my oldest son, from the Le Batard Show. Ouch.
Team 8: Travis Kelce -- 4.66%. That's Christie, my daughter-in-law, Chris' wife.
Team 6: Le'Veon Bell -- 2.20%. That's Cori, Christie's sister. Sorry, Cori. Exceed expectations!
Le Batard Show draft: We had our Le Batard Show "League of Lobos" draft last evening and it was a clusterf---, to be honest. There are too many teams (18), too many fraud-teams were auto-drafting, and inexplicably the draft order changed minutes before the draft, with me dropping from the 11th pick to the 16th. I got Patrick Mahomes 16th and Mike Evans after that, but this season could be a struggle. We'll have weekly updates on-air and in this space, so stay tuned. #WeAreTheLobos
1) It's WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4. It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins trade Tunsil in blockbuster deal, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
"Aaawwwk!" NFL picks return this week!: Our 29th season of NFL predictions returns this week. A Miami Herald fixture since 1991, our picks appear in print every Friday and online Thursday afternoons. Our Thursday night pick appears that day in print and online today/Wednesday. We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the betting line. Can we slay the evil point spread again this season? Come along for the ride and find out starting this week!
The Tunsil trade column: Losing Laremy Tunsil really hurts, but getting two first-round pick and second was too much to turn down. Please visit Trading Tunsil Hurts,But Dolphins Won This Deal.
BLIND POLL: RATE MY FANTASY TEAM BASED ON FIRST 5 PICKS: On Sunday we held our PFPI Fantasy (friends and family league) draft, a 10-team PPR league that had a snake draft. The exact order is shown below; i.e., Saquon Barkley was the No. 1 overall pick. Vote which team you would most like to have based on each team's first five picks. After a couple of days of voting I'll tell you you how you ranked my team among the 10 and give you the results in order. Ready? Vote now!
