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Breaking news! Hurricanes CAN beat No. 1 Alabama. Here's why, how. New column; plus 2 (!) columns on Dolphins battling through ill-timed Watson rumors; also, Latest Greg Cote Show podcast: Inside PFPI Fantasy Draft with Greg's Lobos & more

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND

1) It's THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. Farewell, Augie. Welcome back, Sep! 2) Was back in on the Le Batard Show this week. Check me out on the show's Tuesday podcasts. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on TwitterInstagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

Lobos CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE -- GREG'S LOBOS AND PFPI FANTASY DRAFT -- OUT NOW!: Our 34th episode of 2021 and 76th overall is out now! 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 76 we've done HERE, for free. In our newest episode: Join the Cote family and friends and hear all the fun (and snarky) banter during the PFPI Fantasy Draft featuring Greg's Lobos, and emceed by Greg, followed by a Paella Party. You'll feel like you were there! Also: Greg discusses the return of Deshaun Watson-to-Dolphins rumors, and we debut a new song revealing Greg's Lobos being featured on HBO's Hard Knocks. 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 on Channel 145).

HURRICANES CAN SHOCK WORLD AND BEAT NO. 1 ALABAMA. NO, REALLY. HERE'S WHY AND HOW: The Miami Hurricanes have a legitimate shot to shock the college football world Saturday and turn Nick Saban all grumpy by upsetting mighty Alabama in the season opener in Atlanta. There, I said it. Even weirder, I mean it. No. 1 and reigning national champion Bama is a 19 1/2-point favorite over No. 14 UM with good reason. Yes. Alabama has won relentlessly since Saban took over in 2008. Miami has struggled to regain stature since winning its last national title in 1991. A lot has to go just right for the Canes to beat a No. 1 -ranked opponent for the first time since Florida State in 2000. But there is a path. A map. Miami is one of the most experienced teams in the sport, returning 19 starters including quarterback D’Eriq King, who is older at 24 than most NFL rookies, has been playing college football since 2016, is healthy again and could be a Heisman contender. By contrast, this is a young, less experienced Tide team, especially on offense. The Saban recruiting pipeline always replaces talent with talent, but it is hard to imagine there won’t be a falloff or learning curve in an offense that is replacing coordinator Steve Sarkisian, QB Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris, receivers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, and three starting offensive linemen. Five of those seven departed players were NFL first-round draft picks in April. And Alabama’s least experience at any position is at the most important one. For our full latest column, visit Here's Why And How the Hurricanes Can Shock the World And Beat No. 1 Alabama.
 

Tua TagovailoaBELICHICK MUST BE SMILING AS DOLPHINS DEAL WITH RUMORS AND TUA WITH DOUBT: What a stinking mess for the Miami Dolphins — and especially Tua Tagovailoa — to be dealing with on the doorstep of the NFL regular season. The season is supposed to launch with the second-year quarterback feeling super confident and feeling the full faith of his coaches and team. Instead he is being chased not by opposing edge rushers but by Deshaun Watson rumors that have risen anew with very curious timing, indeed. Who might want this story suddenly in headlines again to his own advantage. Bill Belichick, perhaps? Hmmm. So, out of nowhere, on Saturday, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports “reports” the Dolphins are now front-runners to trade for Watson. (“Reports” in quotes because no source s named). “Hey, Chuck. Bill. In the mood for a scooop?” Then Tuesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk “reports” it is Dolphins owner Stephen Ross who “really wants” Florio. “Hey, Mikey. Bill. Not coming from me, but you won’t believe what I heard today...” Hey, I’m not saying Belichick did it. Only that he has to be smiling right now as Miami coach Brian Flores Flores puts out brushfires of the capital-D distraction variety and Tagovailoa keeps being given reasons to sort of wonder how committed to him his team really is. For our full recent column: Belichick Must Be Smiling As Dolphins Deal With Rumors And Tua With Doubt.

TuawatsonDOLPHINS' FAITH IN TUA WILL BE A LIE IF THEY SELL THEIR SOUL, PAY BIG FOR WATSON: The people running the Miami Dolphins, in private conversations, have been making one of the biggest decisions in the franchise’s 56-year history — and maybe the most controversial. It will be seismic, future-defining and controversial, no matter what they decide. It will be that if they make the megatrade for quarterback Deshaun Watson ... or if they don't. Either decision will polarize like politics as Dolfans in probably equal numbers stand ready to celebrate the trade or thank God it wasn’t made. It is a trade that is both can’t-win and can’t-lose for Miami. It might instantly elevate the Dolphins to Super Bowl contenders, or at least put them in the conversation. And it might be a soul-selling deal that offends many people and feels morally suspect — as well as cost the team three first-round and two second-round future draft picks. I would not want to be making this decision. It’s hard enough just to write a damned column about it! A strong opinion is desirable and equivocation the enemy in this column-writing game, but sometimes, in sports as in real life, one can see both sides because both have validity. The gray in the middle very often is greater than the bookends of black and white. I would not make this trade and do not believe the Dolphins should. For our full recent column, visit Dolphins' Faith In Tua Will Be A Lie If They Sell Soul, Spend Big For Watson
 

Our other most recent columns: 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 / and Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated. Also: An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / Dolphins' 'Big Picture' Begins To Emerge With Unveiling Of Year 2 Tua / Unraveled: The Story Behind Who Aubrey Huff Became / and What Lionel Messi's Sudden, Stunning Move Means For Inter Miami.

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ARCHIVES

Bobby  Bowden tribute column: College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden

Hall of Fame quartet: Columns on the four men with strong South Florida ties enshrined last week in Canton: 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.

Additional recent 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 / and Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History.

Select other columns: 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: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

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