1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 28. Hope y'all had enjoyed the long Christmas Weekend! 2) Hot Button Top 10 had Sunday off. See you back here next Sunday. 3) The Greg Cote Show podcast is now separately on Twitter and Instagram. Join us on both! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins handle Patriots, Hot Button Top 10, Greg Cote Show podcast Episode 41 & more. 5) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.
The 'Greg Cote Tuesdays' era ends on ESPN: Today was our final day cohosting on the Le Batard Show under the ESPN umbrella. Thank you all so much for the outpouring. The show's next and final day on ESPN will be Monday January 4. The show will continue as a pirate ship on January 5 until it finds a new home. Nothing is official, but I hope my role on the show might continue. Stay tuned.
Miami Heat a Disrespected Returning Finalist, and Opening Loss Won't Help: My column off Wednesday night's season-opening Heat loss to the Magic in Orlando: Heat Are Getting No Respect, But Didn't Earn Much In Opener.
G15: DOLPHINS 26 @RAIDERS 25: MIAMI GREATLY INCREASES PLAYOFFS CHANCES WITH MIRACLE RALLY!: The Christmas Weekend miracle in one word: FitzMagic ..... Original post: I of little faith picked Dolphins to lose to New England last week and took a big L. Well, I’m nervous for Miami again in this prime-time end to NFL Week 16’s Saturday tripleheader (8:15 p.m., NFL Network). High stakes for sure. Miami hangs onto seventh and last AFC playoff ticket and can ill afford a loss here. Vegas, with more time to prepare after playing last Thursday, needs a win and a miracle. A wrench in this pick: QB Derek Carr (groin) is cleared to play, but there has been some thought Jon Gruden may surprise and go with Marcus Mariota, who offers more of a dual-threat with the run. Either way, Raiders’ offense will struggle vs. Fins D. And Vegas’ defense should be little match for a Dolphins attack that hopes to have back RB Myles Gaskin as well as top receivers DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki and Jakeem Grant. That could make it a big-numbers night for rookie Tua Tagovailoa. So why am I nervous for Miami? A) Vegas is home and Gruden is as desperate to win as a man can be. And B) Following the Dolphins closely the past 20 years has made me mistrust the idea of good things happening. Still, there are two comparatively productive offenses in this game but only one quality defense — one great defense vs. one awful one, actually. That’s enough to steer any pick with some confidence. My pick: Dolphins (-3), 30-20. For all of our latest picks: NFL Week 16 Gems. Our column as rookie QB navigates his most telling month: For Dolphins' Tua, Now Is When We Begin to See If Greatness Is In His Reach.
THE KING IS DEAD! DOLPHINS VICTORY SUNDAY ENDS DYNASTY FOR BELICHICK, PATRIOTS: The king is dead. There when it happened Sunday, causing it, the Miami Dolphins — the once downtrodden-now-rising franchise that had suffered so long under the ruler’s iron hand. Miami’s 22-12 home victory against the New England Patriots advanced the new-era Fins, now 9-5, closer to an NFL playoff ticket and continued the fresh bloom on the blossoming era of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It did more than that, though. It ended Bill Belichick’s Patriots dynasty. The loss eliminated the now 6-8 Pats from postseason contention, ending a run of 11 consecutive playoff appearances for Belichick, and a run of Super Bowl championship-gilded excellence going back ever further. Tom Brady left Belichick during the offseason. The greatest epoch in football history left the old coach Sunday, becoming a thing of memory, of history. Of used to be. The postgame handshake might as well have been a symbolic passing of a baton as Belichick met his protege, Brian Flores, who in his second season here, ahead of schedule, has transformed the Dolphins with a winning culture and should be NFL Coach of the Year. For our complete column off Sunday's Miami win, visit The King Is Dead! Dolphins Win Signals End of Era For Belichick, Pats.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: WEEK 15 RESULTS: NFL Pix--Mixed, but another tough hit ATS: Week 15 was another tough one as the late-season sledding turns rocky. We were an OK 10-6 overall but (ouch) only 4-9-3, as the Colts, Cardinals and Chiefs wins all pushed. Missed two other games by 1 and 2 points against the spread. We did bull's-eye another Upset of the Week with Cowboys beating 49res ("Aawwk!"), and Washington covering over Seattle, but not much else went right. Nothing to do now but shake it off and finish strong! This is our 30th season of picks in the Herald and we thank you for following along! Greg's Lobos: A win, but no joy: Lobos improved to 6-9 with a playoff win, 108-99, thanks to 28 point from Marvin Jones and 25 from Aaron Jones. But it's the consolation playoffs, so no celebrating here.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: WHAT'S AHEAD AFTER HOLIDAY WEEK OFF: Our Miami Herald podcast debuted in March and our latest Episode 41 is out now! A new pod drops every Monday morning on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, Megaphone -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. We're taking this holiday week off but you can find all 41 we've done so far RIGHT HERE for free. It's a great week to catch on up on what you've missed so please listen, subscribe, rate and review. In the latest Ep41 we welcome in a renowned animal psychologist who talks about how to raise happy dogs and cats in an informative, fun conversation. Also, Greg and Chris discuss the Dolphins, Canes and Heat. And the Mount Gregmore Name Game reaches its end with the X's, Y's and Z's. (But will it be the end of Mount Gregmore? Listen to find out!) Hear all of that and more in the latest podcast -- and stay tuned for a special new year-end episode dropping December 28! Appreciate you all listening each and every week and check out our latest Ep41 now.
-- * -- * -- * -- * -- * -- * -- * -- * -- * --
THE ARCHIVES:
Select other recent columns: For Dolphins' Tua, Now Is When We Begin to See If Greatness Is In His Reach / Le Batard Leaving ESPN, But Assures Fans They'll Hear From Him Again Soon / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Stop the Silly Noise And Speculation. Give Dolphins' Tua Time And a Fair Chance / Fans of ESPN's Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz Should Prepare For Another Change / Turner, With COVID, Joining Dodgers Celebration A Sadly Fitting End to Season / and Heat, Marlins, Canes -- now Tua. Miserable 2020 Suddenly Great Time To Be Miami Fan.
Heat NBA Finals last column: Game 6--LeBron Reigns, But Credit Heat For Unexpected Run to Finals.
Marlins postseason run last column: NLDS Game 3--Marlins Season Was A Miracle But Way It Ended Is Lesson On Work Still Ahead.
Select other 2020 columns: Boycott Of NBA Playoffs Shows Nation That Injustice Is Bigger Than Sports Right Now / Having Fans at Dolphins, Canes Games A Bad Idea And Big Risk / As Panthers Move on From Tallon, Who's Next Miami Team Executive on Hot Seat? / 'Perfect Storm For Virus Transmission': Why Football Is Struggling to Lift Off / Marlins Delaying Home Opener For COVID Outbreak a Scary Lesson For All Sports / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. They Boy Was Me / It Took George Floyd To Finally Wake Up White America / Goodell's NFL Response to Floyd Killing Is Hypocrisy At Its Most Ironic / and George Floyd Is Why Kaepernick & Sports Must Continue Fight For Social Justice
Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz on ESPN Radio. Finding Greg: Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Columns. Podcast. Podcast on Twitter. Podcast on Instagram. LeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio) and The Ballad Of 1440 (video).
Comments