GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND
1) It's MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. Was back in with Le Batard Show last week. Check out last Tuesday's show podcasts for way too much of me. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 3 picks, Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 years later, Tua's latest woe fitting of rocky start to career, Time for Panthers it finally live up to hype, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: PET PEEVES, HARD KNOCKS INSIDE GREG'S LOBOS IN NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 37th episode of 2021 and 79th overall is out Monday! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 79 we've done HERE, for free. In our new Greg and Chris discuss and rank their pet peeves, and we bring your episode 2 of Hard Knocks' inside look at the Grrg's Lobos fantasy team. Also, Dolphins, Canes and the football weekend. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).
NFL Week 3 picks: Enjoyed big 12-4 mark straight-up in NFL Week 2, with second straight solid 9-7 vs. the spread including second straight bull's-eye on Upset of the Week call. Now we turn to Week 3 and our picks for Dolphins-Raiders, Bucs-Rams and all the rest. Check out NFL Week 3 Gems.
Jose Fernandez, Tua injury, Panthers' hype: Our week's column troika: Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / Tua's Rib Injury In Keeping With Weird, Rocky Start to QB's Dolphins Career / and Hope And Hype Are Sky-High. Time For Florida Panthers To Finally Deliver. Also: Dolphins' Shutout Loss in Home Opener a New Low For Flores Era / Miami Hurricanes Aren't Very Good -- And Keep Proving It / and The Big Question About Canes, Fins After Ugly Home Losses.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 26-27): 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: Tua out at least 3 games as Miami falls at Vegas: Tua Tagovailoa was put on IR and will miss at least the next three games as the Dolphins on Sunday tried to wash away stench of last week's 35-0 home loss to Buffalo with rebound effort in Las Vegas vs. 2-0 Raiders, with Jacoby Brissett starting. Miami lost 31-28 in overtime. Tua (ribs) also will miss the Indianapolis and Tampa Bay games and is eligible to return vs. Jacksonville in London In week 6. Meantime Fins prepare to honor life of Don Shula in stadium event next Saturday.
2. HURRICANES: UM rolls past tiny foe. But will QB King miss ACC opener?: The hurting Canes got to 2-2 by routing tiny Central Connecticut State 69-0 as they better have Saturday, with QB D'Eriq King out injured and young 'uns Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia filling in. But will King's shoulder be OK for this Thursday night's ACC opener vs. visiting Virginia? Concern and doubts about that.
3. JOSE FERNANDEZ: Remembering Marlins ace, 5 years after tragedy: It was five years ago Sunday, September 26, 2016, that South Florida awoke to the horrific news that Miami Marlins ace pitcher Jose Fernandez, only 24, had died hours earlier in a tragic boating accident off Miami Beach that also killed two friends. We remember. R.I.P.
4. INTER MIAMI: Playoff-chasing Herons pick bad time to go cold: Inter Miami had been on a run in which they lost only one of 10 matches. That was before consecutive ill-timed 4-0 and 5-1 home defeats slammed the brakes on momentum. Inter Miami, now 9-5-11, is back in play Wednesday at Atlanta United, with seven matches left to make up a three-point deficit in the MLS playoff chase.
5. MARLINS: Fish contunue season-long slump: Five straight losses have Miami 64-91 and trying to stay out of the NL East cellar in midst of a seven-game road trip (the year's last) vs. the Rays and Mets, to be followed by a season-ending three-game home series with Phillies October 1-3. Meanwhile the BBWAA Miami chapter named it Marlins award winners: Co-MVPs--Sandy Alcantara and Jesus Aguilar; Rookie of the Year--Trevor Rogers; Charlie Hough Good Guy Award--Jazz Chisholm; and Conine Award for Heart & Professionalism--Miguel Rojas.
6. GOLF: U.S. dominates in winning Ryder Cup: The Ryder Cup, the biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and United States, wraps up its 44th edition on Sunday in Wisconsin -- the U.S. team in command. Europe was defending champion and had won nine of the past 12 events since 1995, but the Americans won big, 19-9, with home-course advantage, putting it away with Sunday's 12 singles matches at Whistling Straits.
7. HEAT: Miami training camp gets underway this week: The Heat with new addition Kyle Lowry open training camp on Tuesday, after media day today/Monday. Miami finished third as East favorite in an ESPN experts poll, after Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Heat open preseason October 4 vs. Atlanta.
8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators roll over Vols at Swamp: No. 11 Florida whipped visiting Tennessee 38-14 atop Saturday's FBS state schedule, non-UM division. Other games: FIU lost at Central Michigan, Florida State fell to 0-4 vs. Louisville, FAU got strafed by Air Force and South Florida fell at No. 15 BYU. (UCF was off).
9. PANTHERS: Training camp, preseason underway for Cats: Training camp begins this week with a 47-man roster opening an NHL season of high expectations for Florida. Three practice days segued to a split-squad doubleheader scrimmage and two wins over Nashville here Sunday. Five-game preseason schedule begins Wednesday on road and Friday back home, both vs. Dallas.
10. HALLS OF FAME: Plenty of locals among '22 football nominees: The newly announced 122 modern-era nominees for 2022 induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame will narrow to 15 finalists. For now, 11 former Dolphins or Hurricanes are among nominees, listed in our estimation of Hall-likelihood. Ex-Fins are Zach Thomas, Wes Welker, Richmond Webb, Troy Vincent, Reggie Roby and Matt Turk. Ex-Canes are Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork and Jeff Feagles.
Missing the HB10 cut: ACC announced recipients of its inaugural UNITE Awards, created to honor those who've impacted racial and social justice. Miami Hurricanes honorees are Ray Bellamy (1967 football) and Will Allen ('67 basketball), and Kim Sands (1974 basketball and tennis) -- each the first UM black athlete in their sport ..... It's Phoenix-Seattle and Chicago-Minnesota in second round of WNBA playoffs Sunday, with winners advancing to to semfinals vs. Connecticut and Las Vegas, respectively ..... Red Sox and Yankees out front in tight AL wild card chase as MLB season winds down ..... The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix announced its inaugural event would be held May 6-8, 2022 ..... Bill Foran, the Heat's strength and conditioning coach, has retired after 33 years with the club ..... A meager two Top 25 matchups in FBS college football Saturday: No. 12-Notre Dame won 41-13 at 10-Wisconsin, and 16-Arkansas surprised 7-Texas A&M. Six Top 25 tems lost including both Clemson and North Carolina in the ACC ..... Fourth of 10 NASCAR playoff races happens Sunday in Las Vegas ..... NFL announced that beginning this season its Wild-Card Weekend would conclude with a Monday night playoff game, in league's continuing effort to own the entire calendar ..... The Panthers' home rink in Sunrise, formerly BB&T Center, is now FLA Live Arena (ugh) until permanent naming rights are sold ..... Bronny James, 16, son of LeBron, is coming to Miami. Not to play for UM, alas, but to participate in an October 9-10 showcase event at Florida Memorial University ..... Miami has most NFL players (19), based on where they went to high-school, edging Houston by one ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,737 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup. (Hard Rock Stadium and FIFA staged a media tour this week, further indication Miami expects to be among host venues).
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ARCHIVES
Other most recent columns: Xavien Howard Deserved the Money and Respect He Wanted -- This Was Why / Canes' Offense Dangling Like a Cat And Needing Help / Tua's Burden as Dolphins Open at Pats? Lift a Team, a Franchise and a City. Now / Chasing Giants & Ghosts: Miami Hurricanes' 20-year search for return to glory / Miami Herald's 2021 NFL Team Rankings: You Won't Believe Where Dolphins are / Canes Can Shock the World and Beat Alabama. Here's How [Update: Oops!] / Belichick Must Be Smiling As Dolphins Deal With Rumors And Tua With Doubt / Fins' Faith In Tua Will Be A Lie If They Sell Soul, Spend Big For Watson / There Is Only One Way an ACC/Big Ten/Pac-12 Alliance Can Out-SEC the SEC / Time to Finally Start Believing in Tua, Flores and Miami Dolphins / Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / Dolphins' 'Big Picture' Begins To Emerge With Unveiling Of Year 2ua / Unraveled: The Story Behind Who Aubrey Huff Became / and What Lionel Messi's Sudden, Stunning Move Means For Inter Miami
Bobby Bowden tribute column: College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden. Hall of Fame quartet: Biggest Victory Of Hall Of Famer Jimmy Johnson's Life Was Getting His Son Back / Hurricanes' Edgerrin James / Dillard High's Isaac Bruce / and Coral Springs High's Steve Hutchinson.
Select other columns: Xavien Howard Right To Feel Disrespected, And Dolphins Need To Fix This Mess / Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Top 10 NFL Storylines Entering Training Camp (Where's Tua?) / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / It's Selfish, Me-First Athletes Who Are Refusing the COVID Vaccine / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Tokyo Olympics Should Be Delayed Again But It's Too Late. Why? Money / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Time For Sports To Quit Hiding, Stand Up And Lead The Pro-Vaccine Fight / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Exhibition Losses Give Team USA Wakeup Call It Needs Headed to Olympics / Better 2 Years Late Than Never, Panthers Get 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Here's What Else Must Go Right (Besides Tua) For Dolphins To Continue Momentum / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / As Teams Like Miami Pray For Right QB, Packers' Disrespect Of Rodgers Is Galling / Messi-to-Miami Is Shot of Hope David Beckham's Troubled Soccer Club Needs / Miami Heat, With No Answers, Put Out of Misery In Game 4 Loss To Milwaukee / Another Early Panthers Playoff Exit Ends An Encouraging Season Too Soon / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / The Curious, Complicated Drama Of Naomi Osaka's French Open Withdrawal / Hall of Fame Snubbed Chris Bosh Last year. Time To Make it Right / Aging Ex-Dolphins Reflect On Own Mortality One Year After Shula's Death / Aaron Rodgers' Packers Drama Involves Miami (Of Course). But Here's Why It Won't Happen / Grade-A Draft Feeds Momentum For Team-On-the-Rise Dolphins / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / What Would Jackie Robinson Think About Race In America Today? / It Won't Fix the World, But Matsuyama's Masters Win Lifts Japan In Time Of Anti-Asian Hate / Even After Playoffs In '20, Marlins Still 'Bottom Feeders' Fighting For Respect / Special Opening Day as Marlins Welcome Back Fans, Feeling Of Hope / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Beckham Keeps Name-Dropping Messi, Ronaldo For Inter Miami. Can He Deliver? / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL Teams? / Phil Reflects on 25-Year Rivalry/Friendship With Tiger As Honda Classic Tees Off / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Heat Should Parts Ways With Meyers Leonard Over Anti-Semitic Slur / Beckham's Resolve Tested By Tumult As Inter Miami Nears 2nd MLS Season / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Quit Lecturing LeBron On Activism And His Own Conscience / Michael Jordan, Pitbull Signal Needed New Era as NASCAR Returns to Homestead / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Loss at Aussie Open Leaves Serena's Legacy Firm Yet Still Unfinished / Inter Miami's Beckham Risks Stepping Into Massive, Avoidable Mess / Put Brady In Sports' All-Time Pantheon. But He Has Company / Final Herald NFL 2020 QB Rankings / 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 / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / and What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me.
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.
Finding Greg: Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Columns. Podcast. Podcast on Twitter. Podcast on Instagram. LeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).
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