GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND
1) It's MONDAY, MAY 30. A Memorial Day Weekend salute and gratitude to all of those in our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. On a day off full of food, laughter and perhaps a beverage or three, take a moment to remember what this holiday is about. 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): Butler and Heat force Game 7, Panthers swept out of playoffs, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 24th episode of 2022 and 115th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 115 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: Greg and Chris are with you live from the Heat arena with reaction to last night's season-ending Game 7 loss. Also: Greg shares a health update including a recent scare that involved paramedics; Uncle Dick drops by for a disasterous pop-culture quiz; the Father-Son Cote Olympics continues with a tennis match; and Greg shares his thoughts on the Texas school shooting tragedy. Hit up GCS2224 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking Shop. New items!
MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:
NEW! Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Home Loss NEW!
Legacy Building: Butler Rising Fast Among Heat All-Time Greats
Jimmy Butler Just Saved Heat Season, Gave Us Greatest Gift In Sports: A Game 7
No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End
Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time
Previous Heat/Panthers playoff columns: Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same? / As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now / Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa / Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up / Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports
Hilltop: The most recent five non-playoff columns: Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 29-30): 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, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:
1. HEAT: Miami season ends on home floor in Game 7 loss; it's Boston on to Golden State: Jimmy Butler's 35 points (after 47 in Game 6) were not enough as Miami fell at home in Game 7 to Boston 100-96 Sunday night. So Heat fall one win and maybe one shot -- Butler's miss on a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11.4 seconds left -- of the NBA Finals. That'll be Boston vs. Golden State, with Game 1 Thursday night in San Fran.
2. PANTHERS: Cats' magical season ends too soon in brutal sweep: The season was magical. Record-setting. The way it ended was a brutal disappointment. Florida lost four straight to rival Tampa Bay and were swept from the NHL playoffs in the second round, the Panthers' league-leading offense solved by the Lightning and made to disappear. Cats fans were dreaming Stanley Cup, not out in May. Next big watch: Will interim coach Andrew Brunette be back?
3. NHL PLAYOFFS (Non-Panthers): Three advance, await Rangers-Canes Game 7: New York Rangers beat Carolina Hurricanes Saturday to force a Game 7 Monday in North Carolina, the winner facing well-rested Tampa Bay in the East finals. Out West, Colorado Avalache will meet Edmongton Oilers, with Game 1 commencing the next round Tuesday in Colorado.
4. TENNIS: Djokovic, Nadal meet in French Open quarterfinals: The sport's clay-court Grand Slam, second major of the year, is underway through June 5 at Roland Garros in Paris. No. 1 seeds Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek remain in it. Early casualties included Naomi Osaka and reigning champ Barbora Krejcikova, but Coco Gauff, 18, of Delray Beach advanced on Sunday to the quarterfinals. Old rovals Djokovic and Rafael Nadal meet for the 59th time in the quarterfinals Tuesday night.
5. DOLPHINS: Fins' full-squad minicamp finally on deck: All eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill as usual when the Dolphins' full squad assembles under the aegis of new coach Mike McDaniel for a mandatory two-day minicamp this Wednesday and Thursday. It will be the last major offseason event prior to the start of full preseasom training camp in late July.
6. MARLINS: Alcantara to the rescue. Then it's back to losing: Sandy Alcantara whiffed 14 in a Saturday gem to beat Atlanta and end a three-game skid for Fish were back to losing Sunday and are now 19-26. Miami's eight-game road trip moves now from Atlanta to Colorado. Fourteeen of 26 Fish losses have been by one run, underscoring what a difference it would have made had the team spent more in the offseason to bolster the offense.
7. INTER MIAMI: Herons out in U.S. Open Cup, but climbing in MLS: Inter Miami is out in the U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 with its loss at MLS rival Orlando City Wednedsday night, 4-2 on penalty kicks after a scoreless regulation and a 1-1 standoff in extra time. Quarterfinal matches are June 21-29. In league play, the Herons are now 5-3-6 and (barely) on playoff pace after Saturday's 2-1 home win over Portland. Up next, Inter Miami is off unitl a June 19 match in Atlanta.
8. CANES BASEBALL: UM bombs in ACCs, but host NCAA regional: No. 9 Miami, after a 39-16 regular season, got embarrassed in the ACC Tournament, going 0-2 by a combined 25-9 score in losses to North Carolina State and Wake Forest. (North Carolina beat N.C. State in Sunday's ACC title game in Charlotte). Still UM was awarded a No 6 national seed and regional-host status on Monday as the NCAA Tournament's 64-team field and regional pairings were announced. UM beginning Friday will host a regional with Arizona, Ole Miss and Canisus. College World Series betting odds have Tennessee and Oregon State out front. Miami is tied for ninth.
9. SOCCER: Real Madrid upsets Liverpool, wins Champs League: Betting favorite Liverpool fell 1-0 to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League finale Saturday in Paris, where the game was moved after the invasion of Ukraine cost Russia host honors. Vinicius Jr. netted the only goal as Madrid claimed its record 14th Champions League title.
10. HURRICANES: UM football welcomes back Highsmith: Miami Hurricanes hired former UM star Alonzo Highsmith as general manager of football operations. Highsmith, a 1980s Canes champion, was a longtime NFL excutive, most recently a scouting exec for Seahawks. He'd been passed over by the Manny Diaz regime when UM named Ed Reed "chief of staff" in 2020.
Missing the HB10 cut: Indianapolis 500 roared Sunday, with Sweden's Marcus Ericsson taking the checkered flag and the milk bottle ..... Expect plenty of hokey banter, bad golf and the pretense of camaraderie when NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen tee it up in the latest "The Match" event on TNT this Wednedsday ..... Hallelujah: The Las Vegas Raiders have Colin Kaepernick a tryout ..... Ecuador will play a World Cup tuneup match vs. Cape Verde June 11 at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale ..... Doggone it: Michael Vick, 41, now says he will not unretire to join the startup Fan Controlled Football league ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,492 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****
ARCHIVES
Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson
Select other recent columns: Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden / Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / 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 / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / 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. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me
Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors 2021 writing awards again ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in '22 voting 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).
Comments