1) It's THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31. Happy Halloween! Have fun, stay safe. Oh and see you next year, October. 2) Condolences on the passing of the great former University of Miami athletic director Sam Jankovich, who died yesterday at 84. I knew Sam very well in the 1980s. He was a good man and a good AD. 3) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes win at Pitt with CSM poll, Hot Button Top 10, NFL Week 8 picks & more. 5) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Tonight's 49ers-Cardinals pick: Astonishingly the Cards have won eight in a row in this season. Will an upset make it nine. Answer here: Week 9 Thursday Gem.
Herald Week 8 NFL QB rankings: We welcome back our Week 8 winner and crown a new season leader. Visit Herald Week 8 NFL QB Rankings.
EYES ON THE PRIZE! WHY DOLPHINS MUST REMAIN STEADFAST FOR TUA TAGOVAILOA. LATEST COLUMN:Eyes on the prize, Miami Dolphins. Stay strong. Focus. As the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose famously sang in 1972, "It’s too late to turn back now." We’ve been reading it and hearing it from South Florida media to the talking heads on this week’s Dolphins-Steelers Monday Night Football telecast. The what-if game on the 2020 NFL Draft has begun. The notion that whomever ends up with the overall No. 1 pick next spring — including the favorite, Miami — dare not pass on the draft’s hot new shiny object, Ohio State’ havoc-wreaking pass rusher Chase Young. As if on cue, ESPN draftnik Todd McShay this week elevated Young to No. 1, ahead of Tua Tagovailoa, in his latest updated draft rankings. Let us hope the suggestion the Fins should consider drafting Young ahead of a generational QB qualifies as a classic sports straw man — a false narrative floated purely for the sake of argument. Because, at least in the Dolphins’ case, it is an absurd supposition that Miami should or might bypass the franchise arm because, what, the trendy defensive end is a point higher on your draft board? The whole point of this season, of this exquisitely orchestrated tanking, is to wind up with Tua Tagovailoa (pictured), the generational QB from Alabama. For the full column, please visit Do Not Waver, Dolphins. It Must Be Tua!
Disgraced ref Tim Donaghy talks game-fixing: He was at the center of one of NBA's major scandals of the 2000s. A movie about it is out this week. We spoke with the villain himself. For our recent column, please visit Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal. For the movie's preview: Inside Game Trailer.
G7: @PITTSBURGH 27, DOLPHINS 14: ANOTHER TEASE, ANOTHER FADE, STILL WINLESS: [See latest DSM results below] Is Original post: Is the No. 1 victory of the season most important, Miami fans? Or is it the No. 1 overall draft pick? You can have both. It's just that getting the former hurts your chances of having the latter. The winless and allegedly tanking 0-6 Miami Dolphins take the Monday night stage seen quite literally as the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. I cannot recall any 2-4 team being this big a favorite (14 1/2 points), but that is a commentary not on the Steelers’ latent greatness, but on the subterranean regard for Miami. The Fins actually have been appreciably better lately. Competitive! But like all bad teams they have found ways to lose. In Buffalo last week Christian Wilkins gets himself ejected 33 seconds into the game, two huge turnovers steal a likely win, then afterward, in a punctuation of "undisciplined," Bobby McCain angrily confronts a 13-year-old Bills fan. Miami traveled north with a depleted secondary; meanwhile Minkah Fitzpatrick is a Steeler. Pittsburgh, off a bye week, gets QB Mason Rudolph back healthy and expects RB James Conner back, too. I still like Ryan Fitzpatrick and an improving Fins offense getting this many points. If Miami has zero turnovers (admittedly a large ask), this thing might even be interesting late. Cote’s pick: Pittsburgh, 27-16. Click NFL Week 8 Gems for all our latest picks -- we're a perfect 14-0 straight-up entering tonight. And watch for the new Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll right after tonight's game ends.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G7: 28.8%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 28.8 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Monday night’s 27-14 Dolphins loss at Pittsburgh putting Miami’s season record at 0-7. That's a huge drop, and the first time this season the total has been less than the game before. Is the cost of "Tanking For Tua" finally kicking in with fans? 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 8:30 a.m. today/Wednesday.
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.
G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.
G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.
G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.
G7: 28.8% following 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.
Next poll: Nov. 3 following game vs. N.Y. Jets.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 8: PERFECT! GREAT! MARVELOUS!:NFL picks -- Perfect! Literally. We were 15-0 straight-up, running the table on the week -- nearly unheard of. We were an OK 7-8 against the spread, including a bull's-eye on our Eagles over Bills Upset of the Week and another outright upset with Chargers over Bears. Also had Miami with points at Pittsburgh. Oh but that overall perfecto! Wheee! ..... LeBatard Show fantasy (18-team PPR) -- Great! Greg's Lobos improved to 4-4 with a 141.9 to 119 win over Allyson. We got a huge 42.8 points from Mike Evans and a surprising 36.2 from fill-in QB Daniel Jones. We're now tied for eighth place and thinking playoffs. ..... Friends n' family fantasy (10-team PPR) -- Marvelous! Lobos are now 5-3 with a fourth straight win, a nail-chewing 153-152 over my youngest son. (Sorry/not sorry, Michael!) We got 81 points -- 27 each -- from Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook and Deshaun Watson. We're now tied for third place and definitely thinking playoffs! Go 'Bos!
1) It's FRIDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25-27. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 8 picks, Heat Opening Night, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy Week 7 results & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
G8: HURRICANES 16, @PITT 12: I SAID ERRATIC MIAMI WOULD SURPRISE US SATURDAY. AND THEY DID!: [Click on CSM to vote in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll]. Original post: Do know what you'll see from Miami Saturday at noon? Which Hurricanes to expect? Liar! No you don't. I don't even think coach Manny Diaz does. This has been an unpredictable season that sees UM a disappointing 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC entering this road matinee against a Pitt squad that is 5- 2/2-1 off four straight wins. I do know this. The Canes for some reason have been a big letdown against softer teams they should handle, as with last week's OT home loss to a Georgia Tech team they were favored by 18 to beat -- but they tend to rise up vs. better teams, as in the win over ranked Virginia. So it is reasonable to expect a big showing Saturday by the Canes as 5-point underdogs in a backs-against-the-wall sort of scenario. The downer of a season thus far has Diaz embattled, at least with many fans, although he got the obligatory strong vote of confidence this week from AD Blake James. The home team has won the past three meetings in this conference rivalry, and UM is only 5-14 against the spread in its past 19 ACC games, but I am going to defy those odds. I love The U getting five points and like them to win outright. This assumes that UM finds one healthy QB in N'Kosi Perry or Jarren Williams, both nursing shoulder issues. Perry will start, Diaz said Friday. Canes hope both will be available. Not as sure about RB DeeJay Dallas (knee), but I still like a road rise-up by a desperate Miami. Cote's pick: Upset! Hurricanes, 27-20.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G8 61.0%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 61.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satifiedd votes -- in the wake of Saturday afternoon's 16-12 victory at Pitt putting the Hurricanes' season record at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC 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 final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was about 8:30 a.m. today/Monday.
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.
G5: 28.8% following 42-35 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G6: 82.0% following 17-9 victory vs. Virginia.
G7: 11.3% following 28-21 OT loss vs. Georgia Tech.
G8: 61.0% following 16-12 victory at Pitt.
Next poll: Nov. 2 following game at Florida State.
Other state FBS games (all Saturday): FIU lost at Middle Tennessee 50-17; FAU crushed Old Dominion 41-3; Florida State beat Syracuse 35-17; South Florida won at East Carolina 45-20; and UCF whipped Temple 63-21. No. 7 Florida was off.
DOLPHINS-STEELERS, GAME OF THE WEEK, UPSETS: OUR NFL WEEK 8 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a solid start to our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our latest selections. Will the winless Dolphins cover the huge point spread in Pittsburgh Monday night? Who won honors for Game of the Week? Can we start another Upset of the Week streak? Answers to all of that and more may be found in the motherlode of prognostication that is our NFL Week 8 Gems. We were a bit off last week (8-6 overall, 5-9 vs. the spread), but aim to rebound. Our week got off to a split start last night as Vikings beat Redskins, 19-9. Had the win, but misfired on them not covering a 16-point line. Rally time. Let's go!
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive weekend-into-Monday 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: Winless Fins on Monday night stage in Pittsburgh: The "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" is A) the nickname given the original cast of Saturday Night Live, circa 1975-78, or B) the football team facing the Steelers Monday night in Pittsburgh? The Dolphins on MNF? That's a little like Adam Sandler performing Hamlet.
2. HEAT: Winslow shines, Butler absent as Miami open season: New star Jimmy Butler missed the Heat's Wednesday season opener for "personal reasons" but Justise Winslow stepped up with 27 points to lead a 120-101 home win over Memphis. Miami is now 2-1 entering its next home game on Tuesday. Will you join us, Jimmy?
3. HURRICANES: Desperate Miami wins at Pitt: The staggering Canes were 3-4 (1-3 in the ACC) and a betting underdog entering Saturday's noon conference test at 5-2 Pitt -- but earned a 16-12 win. UM coach Manny Diaz had been under fire from some fans, but got a recent vote of confidence from AD Blake James. Uh oh.
4. MLB: Astros take charge of World Series: Underdog Washington was up 2 games to 0 before Houston stormed back to win three straight. Astros can win the championship with a win Tuesday or Wednesday, both at home. This was the first time Washington has hosted a WS game in 86 years. If I recall, it was chilly that night.
5. MOTORSPORTS: City nixes Formula One racing at Hard Rock: Formula One racing must be getting the idea Miami doesn't like it. In 2017 a proposed F1 race in downtown Miami failed to get green-lit. This week the city of Miami Gardens voted against allowing an annual race at Hard Rock Stadium and nearby streets. Too bad. Race isn't dead yet, though. Just stalled?
6. NBA: League tilts West (again) as season begins: As the NBA tries to leave its China mess behind with an actual season, prepare to stay up very late, East Coasters, to watch the best play, because the two top teams in the league might be Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers and LeBron James' L.A. Lakers. As if that city didn't have a big enough ego already?
7. PANTHERS: Overtime woes continues to plague Florida: Eleven games into the new NHL season the Cats are 5-6, four of the L's in overtime. Panthers can't win in extra time and new star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been so-so, yet Cats are close to .500. Good sign?
8. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men, women ready for tip off: Miami's men's team, 14-18 last season to end a five-year streak of reaching the postseason, plays an exhibition Wednesday before opening Nov. 5 at home vs. No. 5 Louisville. The Canes women, 25-9 and ranked No. 20 last year and with preseason ACC Player of the Year Beatrice Mompremier back, open Nov. 10.
9. SOCCER: MLS playoffs down to final four: The Major League Soccer playoffs -- will Inter Miami be in them in a year? -- are down to the semifinals: Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles FC and Toronto FC vs. Atlanta United. Only LAFC, which ousted Zlatan Imbrahimovic's L.A. Galaxy, have ever won a title.
10. NASCAR: Playoff field eight to four to Homestead: The advancing eight drivers will have three races to determine the final four heading to Homestead for the Nov. 17 season finale. The current frontrunneres: Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. Vrooom!
Missing the HB10 cut: The Coach Watch continues with MLS expansion team Inter Miami, which hopes to hire its first coach very soon. Club has been linked to former Real Madrid boss Santiago Solari ..... Tom Brady appeared in a Netflix film walking out of a massage parlor, but said it was not a spoofy jab at the travails of Pats owner Robert Kraft. Nobody believed him ..... MLB umpire Rob Drake threatened in a tweet to buy an assault rifle and join a civil war if Donald Trump is impeached. Drake immediately deleted the tweet and apologized for being an a--hole ..... MIchigan State is No. 1 and Florida No. 6 in the AP's men's college hoops preseason poll ..... Conor McGregor returns to UFC in January. Do we still give a s---? ..... Wishing Mark Richt a full recovery from his recent heart attack ..... Breeders' Cup is next weekend, a biggie in horse racing ..... The NFL fall meeting took place at Fort Lauderdale's Ritz Carlton hotel, because that league has more money than God ..... Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman yelled profane stuff at a female reporter in support of a player tied to domestic violence. Houston fired him for being an idiot ..... O.J. McDuffie, Roberto Luongo and Tamara James are newest inductees into the Broward Sports Hall of Fame. If I have to explain who they are, they probably shouldn't be in ..... Update: Countdown now 2,429 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
1) It's FRIDAY OCTOBER 25. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall in Buffalo with DSM poll, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
BUTLER DIDN'T SHOW BUT WINSLOW SURE DID AS HEAT OPEN SEASON: The Miami Heat’s 32nd regular season unwrapped itself strangely Wednesday night in the downtown bayside arena. It was the missing persons who made it weird. Miami icon Dwyane Wade: Retired, not beginning an NBA season for the first time since 2002, a franchise moving on from its most beloved figure. New star and big offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler: Absent, shockingly and mysteriously missing his own grand opening for "personal reasons." Dion Waiters: Suspended, not there because of conduct detrimental to the team, a sign affixed to the nameplate above his empty locker rather incongruously reading, ‘Absolute Respect.’ And James Johnson: Inactive on account of "Conditioning," a kinder way of saying the dude showed up out of shape. Wade we knew would be missing, of course. The other three? Those you sort of hoped might be available for the launch of your season as the Memphis Grizzlies visited. Didn’t matter, it turned out. The night began with Butler’s absence the theme. But it ended with the declaration of Justise Winslow’s full arrival in a 120-101 Heat victory seized on a 24-1 fourth quarter run. The continued ascension of Winslow (pictured), now in his fifth season but still only 23, is seen as a key to this season -- and he left little doubt Wednesday that he’s up to a co-starring role with Butler. Winslow was quite magnificent, with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and tenacious defense. He was, palpably, the team leader. He looked like a man introducing himself as a rising star. For my full column from the arena off a strange but ultimately uplifting Heat Opening Night, visit Heat's Opener Stars Butler As Missing Person, Winslow As Rising Star. For our earlier Heat column, visit Heat 'Tighten the Screws,' And Dion Waiters Is the Lesson, As New Season Begins.
DOLPHINS-STEELERS, GAME OF THE WEEK, UPSETS: OUR NFL WEEK 8 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a solid start to our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our latest selections. Will the winless Dolphins cover the huge point spread in Pittsburgh Monday night? Who won honors for Game of the Week? Can we start another Upset of the Week streak? Answers to all of that and more may be found in the motherlode of prognostication that is our NFL Week 8 Gems. We were a bit off last week (8-6 overall, 5-9 vs. the spread), but aim to rebound this time. Our week got off to a split start last night as Vikings beat Redskins, 19-9. Had the win, but misfired on them not covering a 16-point line. Rally time. Let's go!
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 7: TOUGH, HEARTBREAK, WIN!:NFL picks-- Tough. Our worst week yet in a solid season saw us manage 8-6 overall and (oy) 5-9 against the spread. Our Upset of the Week streak derailed badly with our Falcons over Rams misfire. We had Dolphins-with-points in Buffalo and Saints to cover at Chicago; otherwise, not much went right. Rally time! ..... LeBatard Show fantasy (18-team PPR) -- Heartbreak. Greg's Lobos fell to 3-4 in the worst way possible, 98.5 to 98, when Roy Bellamy's Jamison Crowder caught a very late, meaningless pass Monday night. We'd surged ahead behind Sony Michel's 22.4 points only to lose by an iota at the end. Now we must navigate the temporary loss of Patrick Mahomes. We're tied for ninth, midpack, but still thinking playoffs with six weeks left. 'Cause Lobos don't quit! ..... Friends n' family fantasy (10-team PPR) -- Win! Lobos are now 4-3 with a third straight win, a 122-106 victory over the league's previously last unbeaten team. The Vikings came through for me, with 28 from Dalvin Cook and 22 from Stefon Diggs. Had four others in the 14-16 points range. (Welcome back, Saquon). We're tied for fourth and thinking playoffs. Go 'Bos!
1) It's TUESDAY OCTOBER 22. See previous blogpost for results of latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. 2) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes fall to Georgia Tech with my column and CSM poll & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our Canes column on bad loss, Diaz's excuse: An awful home loss to 18-point underdog Georgia Tech, 28-21 in OT, dropped the Hurricanes to 3-4 Saturday, and coach Manny Diaz was suddenly talking about a "rebuild." No sale. Lousy excuse, Manny. For my column from the stadium, visit Diaz Playing 'Rebuild' Card As Weak as Canes' Effort in Loss to Ga-Tech. Also, voting continues online all day in the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll.
My NFL Week 7 picks:Will the winless Dolphins cover the enormous point spread in Buffalo? Who'll prevail in our Game of the Week? Can we keep our Upset of the Week streak alive? Answers to all of that and more in the gridiron motherlode that is our NFL Week 7 Gems.
G6: BUFFALO 31, DOLPHINS 21: STILL WINLESS, BUT ... GOOD TRY?: Vote in our Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. Original post: Cannot confirm but I hear the Dolphins didn't take a plane to Buffalo — they drove a tank. But, seriously: Winless tanking-suspect Miami switching from Josh Rosen back to Ryan Fitzpatrick is an indication that rookie coach Brian Flores is A) wishy-washy, or B) actually trying to win. (Maybe both?) Thing is, for Miami this year, trying to win and winning seem a world apart, and that's the case again today as 0-5 Fins visit 4-1 Buffs. Fitzbeardrick gives Miami a better shot today at 1, but it’s slight. Buffalo, off a bye, presents really strong defense to a Fins offense averaging fewer points per game (8.4) than any NFL team has averaged over a full season since 1977. The Beard will be under sack-attack all day. The upset hope — more likely the beating-point-spread hope — is that Miami’s D won’t be overwhelmed by a mediocre Buffs offense. Or that Bills QB Josh Allen (seven INTs, two lost fumbles) will charitably continue his proneness to turnovers. Dolphins have lost 17 of last 19 road games to teams with winning record, and that won’t change in Billsville. But I do lean to Miami covering a very big point spread for what should be a score-shy game. Cote’s pick: Buffalo, 23-10. Click NFL Week 7 Gems for all our latest picks. And watch for the new Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll right after today's game ends.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G6 55.2%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 55.2 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 31-21 loss at Buffalo putting Miami’s season record at 0-6. That's another season high in an odd year in which DSM voting reflects the sizable influence of "Tanking for Tua" voters among Dolfans who would otherwise likely be very disappointed overall. 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 will be around 8:30 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.
G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.
G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.
G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.
Next poll: Oct. 28 following game at Pittsburgh.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday 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. HEAT: It's Opening Week for Miami's regular season: The Heat's 32nd NBA season, d.b.a. Year 1 of the Jimmy Butler era, opens Wednesday night at home vs. Memphis. That's after an encouraging preseason in which Miami was 4-0 with a plus-75 points differential before closing with a loss vs. Houston Friday night. Can the Butler do it? Front a playoff team? The cloud: Dion Waiters suspended for the opener for, essentially, pouting and childish behavior.
2. HURRICANES: Ugh. UM embarrassed in home to Ga-Tech: Manny Diaz had an excuse. He said after Miami's 28-21 OT loss to 18-point underdog Georgia Tech that this was a"rebuild" season. Uh oh. No sale. Lousy excuse. This team can't put away bad opponents and should be better than 3-4. Period.
3. DOLPHINS: Fins tease but stay winless in Buffalo: Miami was the NFL's biggest underdog this week (although by now that may go without saying), but gave it a decent shot in a 31-21 loss Sunday. Fins are 0-6 now but led much of Sunday's game. Alas, in the NFL, you get no points for "good try."
4. MLB: It's Nationals vs. Astros, and I'm World Serious: World Series Game 1 is tonight/Tuesday after Nationals swept Cardinals 4-0 and Astros eliminated Yankees 4-2 on last night's walkoff homer by tiny Jose Altuve. The Astros won the World Series in 2017. Washington last cheered a World Series champion (then the Senators) in 1924. If you aren't living in downtown Houston or related to an Astro, you'd better be rooting for the Nats.
5. INJURIES: Loss of Mahomes, Zion rocks two leagues: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, reigning NFL MVP, and Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, NBA overall No. 1 draft pick, will miss several weeks with knee injuries. People immediately calling Zion the next Greg Oden: Chill, please.
6. NBA: LeBron drags himself into China mess: Lakers star LeBron James embroiled himself in NBA's China controversy by criticizing Rockets GM Daryl Morey, whose tweet in support of Hong Kong protests started this. James called Morey "misinformed." No. It's called "freedom of expression," LeBron.
7. PANTHERS: Cats back home after needed win: Panthers with a much-needed 3-2 shootout win in Nashville Saturday night are now 3-5 on the season with three OT losses. Cats are back home tonight/Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh looking to get on a run. Or a skate?
8. SOCCER: New-look MLS playoffs underway: The 14-team, three-week Major League Soccer playoffs got underway Saturday with a new single-elimination, win-or-done format. So the one-year countdown has begun to Inter Miami's first playoff game. Right, David Beckham?
9. INTER MIAMI: Getting close on coach, players: Miami's MLS expansion team set to begin play in 2020 plans to hire its first head coach by the end of October and begin adding players in November. This Thursday, Miami city commission takes (another!) vote related to team's Miami Freedom Park stadium plan. Games, please. Can't wait for spring!
10. NASCAR: Playoff field pares to eight: Sunday at Kansas, NASCAR's current 12-man playoff field pared to eight surviving drivers. The prize: A chance to win the season championship Nov,. 17 at Homestead in South Florida's final year hosting the grand finale.
Missing the HB10 cut: MLB is considering a plan that would eliminate 40 of its 160 minor-league teams. Fortunately, the Miami Marlins are thought to be safe ..... Update: Countdown now 2,436 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
1) It's SUNDAY OCTOBER 20. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 7 picks, LeBron forgets who he is in China mess, Dolphins tank-on, NFL Week 6 Pix 'n Fantasy results & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
My NFL Week 7 picks:Will the winless Dolphins cover the enormous point spread in Buffalo? Who'll prevail in our Game of the Week? Can we keep our Upset of the Week streak alive? Answers to all of that and more in the gridiron motherlode that is our NFL Week 7 Gems.
G7: GEORGIA TECH 28, HURRICANES 21 (OT): AWFUL HOME LOSS FOR CANES: My game column from stadium: Diaz Playing 'Rebuild' Card As Weak as Canes' Effort in Loss to Ga-Tech. Original post: We'll all be broiling for Saturday's noon start at Hard Rock as Miami (3-3 overall, 1-2 ACC) tries to build momentum off last week's nice home win over ranked Virginia. It better not should not be problem against a down Georgia Tech program that is 1-5 overall, 0-3 in the conference and an 18-point underdog here. This has the makings of a lopsided rout. I'd be surprised if it's still competitive in the second half. Tech is struggling under a new coach and its move to a pro-style offense. Gone are the days of that vaunted Yellow Jackets triple-option attack. Tech still runs the ball well, but run defense is UM's strength, and the Jackets have no passing game to speak of. Offensively the Hurricanes go with QB N'Kosi Perry (pictured) again as Jarren Williams continues to recover from a shoulder ailment -- but Miami figures to do most of its damage on the ground. Tech's run defense is abysmal, allowing 238 yards per game. DeeJay Dallas should be looking at this matchup like a big dog looks at a meaty bone. This game ends a rare five-game homestand for Miami. The schedule toughens from here, with four of the last five regular season games on the road starting next week at Pitt. So Canes seek a big win Saturday as a big sendoff. They should get it. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 38-10.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G7 11.3%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show an overall approval of 11.3 percent -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday afternoon's 28-21 overtime home loss to Georgia Tech putting the Hurricanes' season record at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in ACC conference play. That's the second-lowest number of the season. 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 about 6:30 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.
G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.
G4: 8.5% following 17-12 victory vs. Central Michigan.
G5: 28.8% following 42-35 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G6: 82.0% following 17-9 victory vs. Virginia.
G7: 11.3% following 28-21 OT loss vs. Georgia Tech.
Next poll: Oct. 26 following game at Pitt.
Other state FBS games: FAU lost at home Friday to Marshall, 36-31. Saturday: No. 9 Florida beat South Carolina 38-27; South Florida lost at Navy 35-3; UCF beat East Carolina 41-28; FIU beat UTEP 32-17; and Florida State lost at Wake Forest 22-20.
1) It's FRIDAY OCTOBER 18. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins lose to winless Washington with DSM poll, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
DOLPHINS-BILLS, GAME OF THE WEEK, UPSETS: OUR NFL WEEK 7 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a solid start to our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our latest selections. Will the winless Dolphins cover the enormous point spread in Buffalo? Who won the tough battle for Game of the Week? Can we keep our Upset of the Week streak alive? Answers to all of that and more may be found in the motherlode that is our NFL Week 7 Gems. Alas, got off to a bad start to our week last night, as we incorrectly had the Broncos upsetting the Chiefs in Denver. Um, the Chiefs won 30-6. This was our worst pick of the year. I make my picks by a mixture of research, methodology and gut feeling. In this case I felt KC was the better team poised to rebound from two straight losses -- but allowed me to talk me into the Broncos. Dumb. Against form. Tally ho!
LEBRON JAMES FORGETS WHO HE IS, FOLLOWS COMPANY LINE ON CHINA: LeBron James is the villain now, to many, for one comment this week that served to inflame rather than quell the fallout from the NBA’s China crisis. It isn’t especially fair, but this is the take-sides society we have become, where the moderate middle has disappeared and nuance gets bludgeoned by the immediacy of outrage that social media provides (and encourages). So LeBron is the sellout now, right? The faker who turned his back on social justice where money was involved? First, the easy answer: No. He isn’t. The I Promise School that James founded for at-risk kids in Akron, Ohio, is thriving. In Miami we remember when he wore that hoodie in support of Trayvon Martin. James spoke out against that white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has defended Colin Kaepernick against the misrepresentations. Worn “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts during warmups. Spoke out on stage at the 2016 ESPYs. At every turn, James — still the biggest star in the NBA at 34 even as "best player" is now arguable — has shown his heart is right. There is a world off the court that he cares to impact, and does. He is a model for athlete activism, for the use of platform and voice. It is only in this context of credibility earned that raised eyebrows this week when he said Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey "wasn’t informed" in writing the tweet that caused the firestorm. For our entire latest column, please visit LeBron Follows Company Line On China After Career Devoted to Social Justice.
NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT FOR TANKING-FOR-TUA DOLPHINS TO FIND THEIR HOLY GRAIL:Tua Tagovailoa by gradual degrees appears more and more in focus to Miami Dolphins fans. Nearer and nearer. More and more real. But he appears less like a quarterback in Alabama red than as a savior in a flowing robe, back-lit by a halo of sunlight. That sound ... are those angels singing? A dispatch from Tanking Central: This is like few seasons ever seen in sports and none ever experienced in South Florida: One team so strategically awful, with one player in mind — and no sacrifice too great to reach that Holy Grail. Perversely, the historically winless Dolphins in the midst of overtly Tanking For Tua might be the biggest story of this NFL season. It has become a national controversy. It has split a fan base with winning versus tanking the wedge. This franchise hasn’t made this much news for being this embarrassing since, well, OK, I would say since knucklehead Richie Incognito was bullying a teammate, except that the offensive line coach caught snorting white powder off his desk happened more recently. But this embarrassment is happening on the field. In the open. It’s being televised! To read my entire recent column, please visit No Sacrifice Too Great For Tanking-For-Tua Dolphins.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 6: WIN, WIN, WIN!:NFL picks-- Pretty great, actually. We deftly navigated an upset-laden week to go 10-4 overall and a terrific 11-3 (!) against the point spread. We nailed another Upset of the Week with 49ers over Rams ("Aawwk!"), bull's-eyed Cardinals' upset of Falcons and hit a third outright upset, though a mini-one (1-point line), with Saints winning at Jaguars. Also had a trio of 'dogs-with-points in Dolphins, Bengals and Steelers. We're having another big season. All abooaarrd! ..... LeBatard Show fantasy (16-team PPR) -- Yes! Greg's Lobos rose to even at 3-3 with an 85.4 to 63.4 spanking of Randy Scott. Got 24.8 from Patrick Mahomes (who's good even when he isn't great) and a nice 20.6 bounceback from Mike Evans. We're tied for sixth of 16 teams and thinking playoffs. ..... Friends n' family fantasy (10-team PPR) -- Yes again! Lobos are now 3-3 with a 139-133 win. Kept the faith in Stefon Diggs and got a 43-point reward. Also cashed 29 from Deshaun Watson. We're tied for fourth place and playoff-hunting. And we get Saquon Barkley back soon. Go 'Bos!
1) It's MONDAY OCTOBER 14. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NBA should end China ties with column, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy Week 5 results, why Dolphins-Redskins isn't must-lose for Miami & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
It's Radio Monday!: I'm co-hosting the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz today/Monday this week, not Tuesday. It airs 10-1 nationally on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. And catch the local hour (#LOUR) via links on show's social media platforms.
Column from Canes' big win over Virginia: For my column from the stadium on UM's 17-9 win over No. 20 Virginia Friday night, please visit Hurricanes Finally Get Quality Win -- And The Spark They Needed. And scroll to previous blogpost for buoyant result of latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll.
G5: WASHINGTON 17, DOLPHINS 16: WINLESS BOWL ANOTHER LOSER FOR MIAMI, BUT AT LEAST FINS SHOW FIGHT: [Please visit Another Dolphins Loss, But There was Fight And Heart This Time for my game column from stadium]. Original post: The 0-5 Skins visit the 0-4 Fins Sunday at 1, and something's gotta give. Mathematically there is a 0.3 percent chance of a tie game here. Save for that negligible possibility, somebody is going to win this Winless Bowl. Somebody is going to be the least-terrible. In this epic battle of Movable Object versus Stoppable Force, one team will outscore the other. Are you sitting? IT WILL BE MIAMI! THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN!THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN!! (And, no, the world will not end. It will not mean the death of Tanking For Tua. Just a lil’ respite. Long season, folks). Miami’s minus-137 is the worst NFL point differential through four games since 1940. Washington is so bad it fired its coach already. That the Redskins are favored by 3 1/2 points underlines the perception that Miami is far and away the NFL's worst team. Still, I don't think they will be today. Case Keenum will return from injury to QB the Skins on Sunday, but that team is a turnover machine no matter who pitches. Fins are coming off a bye and riding a five-game home win streak over this foe. That’s enough for me, Dolfans. Champagne or regrets ready, depending on your point of view. Cote's pick: Dolphins, 20-17. (Visit Week 6 Gems for all of our latest NFL selections).
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G5: 53.5%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 53.5 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 17-16 home loss vs. Washington putting Miami’s season record at 0-5. That's a season high as the Tanking for Tua crowd makes its voice heard. 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 9:30 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.
G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.
G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.
Next poll: Oct. 20 following game at Buffalo.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday 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: Skins edge Fins in epic Winless Bowl: Matchups in the NFL or, heck, in all of sports don't get much sadder than 0-5 Washington at 0-4 Miami, but, oddly, an exciting game ensued. Miami showed heart and fight, but no win i a 17-16 loss when a 2-point try failed with six seconds left. No small consolation: The Road to Tua just got clearer.
2. HURRICANES: Big win over Virginia lifts season hopes: UM still is only 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, but Friday night's 17-9 home win over No. 20 Virginia felt like it chased away a cloud and gave this season hope again. Now all the Canes have to do is run the table from here.
3. MLB: Final four as League Championship Seriess underway!: Nationals lead Cardinals 2 games to 0 and Yankees-Astros are tied 1-1 in the NL and AL 7-game championship series continuing today/Monday in Washington. Go Nats! End the drought!
4. PANTHERS: Cats having the slow start they didn't want: New-look Florida has now played five games and lost four in the young NHL season underway, failing so far to avoid the slow start that has plagued this franchise. Next: Monday at New Jersey. Snap lout of it, Cats!
5. HEAT: Encouraging start to preseason for Miami: Heat are 2-0 in preseason, led by 18 from Tyler Herro and 19 from Dion Waiters, both off the bench. It's three more exhibitions this week starting Monday vs. Atlanta before regular season opens Oct. 23. Meanwhile there was a roast for Dwyane Wade Saturday night . The man does not retire quietly.
6. GATORS: Florida misses big chance, falls to LSU: A week after beating top-10 Auburn, NO. 7 Florida fell Saturday at No. 5 LSU, 42-28. Big opportunity missed, because, with No. 3 Georgia losing earlier in the day, the Florida-LSU winner would position itself for a legit shot at making the College Football Playoff.
7. NBA: China mess shadows league as season nears: A tweet by the Rockets GM in support of Hong Kong protests enraged China and created a mess for the NBA as league was there for preseason events. Perhaps a good time for NBA to reconsider doing business with a country that blatantly violates human rights?
8. GYMNASTICS: Queen Simone does it again: American gymnast Simone Biles, 22, made history at the 2019 World Gymnastic Championships in Germany, winning a (male or female) record 24th medal at the competition and a fifth all-round world title. G.O.A.T in leotards.
9. SOCCER: Inter Miami wins coin flip for No. 1 MLS draft pick: Inter Miami out-flipped fellow expansion team Nashville to win the No. 1 pick in the Nov. 19 MLS Expansion Draft. First, though, INter Miami must win a key Oct. 24 city commission vote related to its Freedom Park stadium project. Games, please.
10. WNBA: Delle Donne leads Washington Mystics to title: Season MVP Elena Delle Donne overcame a herniated disk to score 21 as Washington beat Connecticut in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals for their first championship. It capped the league's 23rd season. I'm going to have to catch a game one of these days.
Missing the HB10 cut: No. 3 Georgia chokes in OT loss to South Carolina. Wonder if Dawgs fans will find away to blame Mark Richt? ..... Kenyan superstar runner Eliud Kipchoge broke the 2-hour marathon barrier in 1:59.40.2 Saturday, a once unfathomable feat. I once covered 26.2 miles even quicker, but didn't get credit because I was in a car ..... NASCAR playoffs continue today at Talladega for 12 remaining drivers. Gentlemen, start your sweating ..... The Philadelphia Flyers have a "rage room" in the arena where (for a price) fans can take out their frustrations and break things. Dolphins could use a few of those, no? ..... The XFL announced its first draft would be held Oct. 28, 2000, assuming the startup football league hasn't folded by then ..... Kansas basketball hired rapper Snoop Dogg for a preseason event on campus and seemed shocked that his performance was profane. Um, had they heard of Snoop Dogg before? ..... As they are now allowing women into soccer matches for the first time in 40 years, please join me in welcoming the government of Iran to the 21st Century! ..... Update: Countdown now 2,443 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
1) It's SATURDAY OCTOBER 12. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NBA should end China ties with column, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy Week 5 results, why Dolphins-Redskins isn't must-lose for Miami & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
G6: HURRICANES 17, NO. 20 VIRGINIA 9: DEFENSES RISES AS UM SAVES ITS SEASON: Please visit Hurricanes Finally Get Quality Win -- And The Spark They Neededfor my game column from the stadium. Original post: Canes are a depressing 2-3 (0-2 in ACC play) after last week's home loss to Virginia Tech -- against whom UM had been favored by 14 points coming off a bye week. Miami still is searching for its first quality win, considering the two W's have been a walkover rout of outmanned Bethune-Cookman and a 17-12 escape against Central Michigan. Tonight comes the latest chance for that elusive quality win as Miami hosts 4-1 (2-0 ACC) and 20th-ranked Virginia in an ACC Coastal game. A bit surprisingly, Miami is a 2 1/2-point betting favorite and given a 59.4 percent chance of winning via ESPN's Football Power Index. There seems to be a continuing overestimation of the Canes based on what we have seen through five games, especially lately. Anyway, two big changes this week for The U: 1) N'Kosi Perry starts tonight at quarterback for injured Jarren Williams. The dropoff (or perhaps improvement?) figures as slight. 2) Coach Manny Diaz declared he'll be more hands-on with a defense that has disappointed including that 42-point spree by Va-Tech. Diaz of course was defensive coordinator here the previous three seasons, and said this week, "Ultimately I am responsible for how we play on defense. There is a culture that was created here back in 2016 that, for some reason, we have not been able to recreate. It is not a coaching issue. It is not a scheme issue." The onus on Miami tonight is with the offense more than the D, by my view. Perry must mind his dubious accuracy and be careful with a very strong Cavaliers pass defense. And a bad, Achilles heel of a UM offensive line needs to give Perry time vs. a defense averaging 4 1/2 sacks per game. This is a lot to ask. I'm off the Canes bandwagon until they give me a reason to re-board. Cote's pick: Virginia, 23-17.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G6: 82.0%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 82.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Friday night's 17-9 home win vs. No. 20 Virginia putting the Hurricanes' season record at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ACC conference play. That narrowly misses being a season high. 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 at 9:30 a.m. today/Sunday.
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.
G5: 28.8% following 42-35 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G6: 82.0% following 17-9 victory vs. Virginia.
Next poll: Oct. 19 vs. Georgia Tech.
No. 5 LSU 42, No. 7 Gators 28:Original post: ESPN College GameDay may be at USC-Notre Dame, but this is the Game of the Week in college football -- the only top-10 matchup, with the winner allowed to think College Football Playoff. The 6-0 Gators earned cred in beating then-No. 7 Auburn last week, but 5-0 LSU is a big 13 1/2-point favorite in what figures as a high-scoring game Saturday at 8 p.m. Tough to not pick Tigers at home, but that bet-line really disses Florida. Cote's pick: LSU, 31-24.
Other state FBS games (all Saturday): FSU got clobbered by No. 2 Clemson 45-14; South Florida edged BYU 27-23; FAU beat Middle Tennessee 28-13; and FIU handled Charlotte 48-23. UCF is off.
DOLPHINS WIN! YAY! I MEAN OH NO! (WHAT?) OUR NFL WEEK 6 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a solid start to our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our latest selections. Spoiler alert: The Dolphins beat the Redskins in the battle of beatens, the Winless Bowl. Yes I said it. The Dolphins win a game! Followed inevitably of course by Dolfans debating whether that's a good thing or whether that puts the Tanking For Tua initiative at risk. See how on earth Miami will win, our Game of the Week call, our four big upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 6 Gems. Got off to a good start to our week last night, as we correctly had the Patriots not only beating the Giants but also covering the 16 1/2-point betting line. (Go here for that pick).
1) It's THURSDAY OCTOBER 10. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes fall to Virginia Tech with CSM poll and column, Gators top Auburn, NFL Week 5 picks, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our Thursday Giants-Patriots pick: You know who'll win. But will they cover? Answer: NFL Week 6 Thursday Gem.
Updated Miami Herald NFL Week 5 QB Rankings: Houston's Deshaun Watson wins the Week 5 title with an all-time top-10 point total to vault high in this week's Top 20. But does Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes hang onto the overall No. 1 spot? Find it all here: Miami Herald NFL Week 5 QB Rankings.
NBA, OTHERS WHO DEAL WITH CHINA MUST FACE THE HUMAN-RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted something the Chinese government didn’t like, and the NBA has spent much of the past week bending over backwards to express profound regret to all of its great friends in China who might have been offended. Why? Simple. NBA China alone is worth more than $4 billion. It is estimated more than 500 million Chinese regularly consume NBA content. This is American basketball’s richest global partnership, one developed over three decades. But it is an uneasy alliance, one with a dark side — one this controversy has laid bare. And that’s good. The NBA would tell you that, beyond being enriched by the business arrangement, its relationship with China helps build global bridges and bring the world closer. But the relationship also is this: It is a major, immensely popular U.S. sport lending credibility to China — to everything China stands for. Think of it this way: You know how the NFL loves playing games in London every year? Would they still be doing that if Great Britain was notoriously known for systemic human rights violations? But it’s OK for the NBA to do that? And then lamely allude to "political differences?" For my latest column, visit Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? [Image is via usatoday.com]
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 5:NFL picks -- Solid. We struggled at 8-7 overall but will happily take the 9-6 against the spread last week. We nailed our Upset of the Week halfway (ATS, not outright) when Pittsburgh covered. Also had underdog Bills and Raiders with the points. We're due a big week straight-up but sailing nicely vs. the Evil Betting Line. LeBatard Show fantasy (16-team PPR) -- Ouch. Greg's Lobos dropped to 2-3, falling to auto-drafting, fantasy-hating Dan LeBatard, 114.9 to 99.6. Oh the indignity! We got a big 28.3 points from Tyler Boyd and 21.3 from Sony Michel, but a subpar 20.5 from Patrick Mahomes, with too many others in single digits. The killer: Zero -- 0 -- from usually reliable Mike Evans. Time to rally, 'Bos! Friends n' family fantasy (10-team PPR) -- A record-setter! Lobos are now 2-3 after a 191-122 win, a season-high point total for the league. We got a huge 43 from Deshaun Watson, 28 from Allen Robinson and 26 from Dalvin Cook. And this: 36 from the Eagles D/ST! Cannot ever remember that from a defense! Tailwind. Plus I get Saquon Barkley back soon. Go 'Bos!
IT'S WINLESS WEEK IN MIAMI! BUT WHY DOLPHINS-REDSKINS ISN'T MUST-LOSE FOR FINS: It is an even 200 days until the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, or, as Miami Dolphins fans call it, "A reason to live." Excitement is building. In South Florida, what we are feeling is akin to playoff fever — except the exact opposite. Losses stack up before us like chips at a poker table. Now the Hunt For April ratchets up. It is Winless Week in Miami, the official kickoff of the Tua Tournament. Redskins at Dolphins on Sunday — the Battle of the Beatens — is the first of six direct matchups this season between what are currently the NFL’s four remaining winless teams. Washington just fired coach Jay Gruden, isn’t sure who its quarterback is, and is a fully engulfed dumpster fire at 0-5 — yet is an early 3 1/2-point road favorite over an 0-4 Miami team coming off a bye week. Which speaks not to any glimmer of light in the Skins tunnel, but to the abject black hole that is this Fins season. Picking a team to win a Redskins-Dolphins game is likely choosing whether to wear underwear made of sandpaper or burlap. Dolphins coach Brian Flores, asked on Monday how an opponent’s coaching change affects his preparation, replied: "We’re just going to go about our business as we normally do.." A cheer might have erupted had Dolfans been in the room. "Keep Doing What You’re Doing — Losing!" might as well be the official team slogan moving forward. And, yet, Dolfans may cheer guilt-free for a win Sunday, because the game is not must-lose for Miami. The why is in my recent column. To read it in full please visit Why Woeful Dolphins-Redskins Matchup Is Not Must-Lose For Miami.
1) It's MONDAY OCTOBER 7. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Will Panthers stop wasting the Barkov years?, 5 factors to make Heat contenders, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy Week 4 results, latest Back In My Day video (Fake Burgers!) & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
G5: VIRGINIA TECH 42, @HURRICANES 35: EPIC RALLY, BUT BAD LOSS FOR UM: My column from the game: No Quit In Canes, But Still Bad Loss In Down Year. ..... Original post: 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 -- then saw the whisper of momentum silenced in that unimpressive 17-12 escape against little Central Michigan, after the Canes had been a 29-point betting favorite. So it's a shaky 2-2 record UM brings into its full ACC schedule, after a bye week, starting at 3:30 today/Saturday vs. also 2-2 Virginia Tech at The Rock. Miami is a generous 14-point home favorite but, for me, must earn that respect. Quarterback Jarren Williams has been mostly really good but his offensive line is a wreck and converting third downs has been a real issue. For me this game turns on Miami's defense, which could wreak havoc against a Va-Tech squad prone to turnovers. The bling could be flyin' on the sideline. One wild card: Speculation out of Blacksburg that Hokies starting QB Ryan Willis may be replaced today by less experienced Hendon Hooker. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 24-13.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G5: 28.8%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 28.8 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 42-35 home loss vs. Virginia Tech putting the Hurricanes' season record at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in ACC 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 final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 11 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.
G4: 8.5% following 17-12 victory vs. Central Michigan.
G5: 28.8% following 42-35 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
Next poll: Oct. 11 following game vs. Virginia.
NO. 10 FLORIDA 24, No. 7 AUBURN 13: GATORS EARN THE RESPECT THEY'D LACKED:Original post: Florida stayed perfect and dropped one spot in the polls. Gators feeling unloved but with a big chance to get some here in the Swamp in a marquee SEC game that is these schools' first meeting since 2011. With both teams 5-0, Auburn is a 2 1/2-point road favorite and I get why. Tigers QB Bo Nix and his so-far-unstoppable ground game will be an enormous challenge for UF's strong defense. More than that, on the other side, inexperienced Gators passer Kyle Trask and a subpar offensive line and not much of a running game. Two stout defenses here, but only one scary offense. Cote's pick: Auburn 20-16.
Other state FBS games: No. 18-UCF likely falling from polls after 27-24 loss at Cincinnati Friday night. Saturday it was South Florida winning at at UConn 48-22, and FIU crushing UMass 44-0. FAU and Florida State were off.
DOLPHINS OFF, BUT THE LEAGUE CHUGS ON! OUR NFL WEEK 5 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season and a solid start to our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, here are our latest selections. Will the Dolphins manage to not lose o their bye week? Who takes our Packers-Cowboys Game of the Week? Agree with our Upset of the Week call? Find out about that and all the rest by visiting Week 5 Gems. Mixed start to our week last night. Seattle won a 30-29 thriller. We had Seahawks winning but had 'em covering a 2-point line, so we missed an ATS win by two points and a push by one. (Go here for that pick). No problem, though. Let's just go ahead and own Sunday!
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 5-6): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive weekend-into-Monday 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. HURRICANES: Ugh. UM 2-3 after home loss to Virginia Tech: Canes are now a disappointing 2-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play after Saturday's 42-35 home loss to Virginia Tech. UM was down 28-0 and didn't quit. Didn't win, either.
2. MLB: Playoffs! Final eight battling in division series: We're in the midst of the four best-of-five division series: The NL's Cardinals-Braves and Nationals-Dodgers, and the AL's Twins-Yankees and Rays-Astros. Betting odds say Astros/Dodgers/Yankees, in that order. I say anybody but Houston. They just won the Wold Series in 2017. Share, please!
3. PANTHERS: Opening Week for NHL, new-look Cats: Puck dropped on hockey season this week, with the Florida Panthers infused with a new star coach in Joel Quenneville and a new all-star goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky. Alas, Cats lost their opener in Tampa 5-2 but bounced back to win home opener against same team Saturday, 4-3, behind Mike Hoffman's hat trick.
4. HEAT: Let the games begin! OK, well, the fake games...: Post-Dwyane Wade, the Jimmy Butler-led Heat and coach Erik Spoelstra, of the four-year contract extension, wrap up a week-long training camp in West Palm. Miami opens its five-game preseason schedule Tuesday at home vs. San Antonio.
5. DOLPHINS: Miami will not lose in Week 5. Guaranteed!: The 0-4 Dolphins, outscored by 137 points, are off this week. This is where your snarky joke goes about Josh Rosen throwing an interception from his couch. Or the bye being a 14 1/2-point favorite.
6. GATORS: Florida wins top-10 battle in The Swamp: No. 10 Florida hosted No. 7 Auburn in Gainesville Saturday, with Gators a slight (2 1/2-point) home 'dog but winning 24-13. Florida fans said they are disrespected. This was their team's chance to change that. And they did.
7. NCAA: Will new California law shake up the business of college sports?: California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a bill that would let college athletes make money from endorsement deals for the first time. The new law does not take effect until 2023 -- meant to give the NCAA time to change its bylaws before then. Good luck with that.
8. NASCAR: Homestead race is officially looming: It's October. Playoffs underway. Close enough to mention that the NASCAR season finale is Nov. 17 - the last season championship race here before Homestead is demoted and becomes just another earlier-season race.
9. WNBA: Delle Donne injury messes with Finals: The Connecticut Sun and heavily favored Washington Mystics are tied 1-1 entering Game 3 of the WNBA Finals Sunday, but the back injury to league MVP Elena Delle Donne of the Mystics has tossed a monkey wrench into the thing. Sun's victory parade would need a giant asterisk.
10. E-SPORTS: Video gaming arena coming to Miami: A 12,000-square-foot e-sports arena is coming to the Wynwood area of Miami in 2020, it was announced by Millenial Gaming CEO Darren Cox. The arena is to seat 300, for those of you with nothing better to do than to watch other people play video games.
Missing the HB10 cut: Hurricanes men's basketball begins in a month, Nov. 5 vs. Louisville. Jim Larranaga's program is trying to rebound from a 14-18 season that saw a 5-13 struggle in the ACC ..... Katie Meier's UM women's program opens Nov. 10 after going 25-9 (12-4 ACC) last season ..... The Rock returns to WWE Smackdown. Yeah, because Dwayne Johnson doesn't have enough money ..... The shine is off UCF football. No. 18 Knights now 4-2 and likely falling from polls after Friday night's 27-24 loss at Cincinnati ..... Conor McGrgeor is being charged with assault for a punch thrown in a Dublin bar. Dunce! ..... Update: Countdown now 2,450 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
