GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND
1) It's MONDAY, MAY 16. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat and Panthers playoff runs, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 22nd episode of 2022 and 113th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever else you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 113 we've done HERE, free. In the latest episode: Chris delves into Le Batard Show’s beef with Associated Press Miami sports writer Tim Reynolds, and Greg takes sides; Greg and Chris discuss and celebrate the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers’ simultaneous playoff runs; Round 5 of the Father-Son Cote Olympics (bowling!); Chris' parenting milestones and more. Hit up GCS2222 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has an all-encompassing website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com!
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
MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:
NEW! Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 NEW!
NEW! Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals NEW!
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
Previous Heat/Panthers playoff columns: 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 15-16): 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 wins Game 6, gets rival Celtics in Eastern finals: Jimmy Butler's 32 points lifted Miami Thursday to a 99-90 Game 6 win in Philly and an advance to the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years with Butler at the helm. Heat now will fce rival Boston (a Game 7 winner over Milwaukee) in ECF Game 1 Tuesday night in the 3-0-5.
2. PANTHERS: Cats to face rival Lightning in 1st playoff advance since '96!: Carter Verhaeghe made it three straight game-winning goals in three straight wins for the Comebacks Cats Friday night in the 4-3 Game 6 win in Washington that eliminated the Capitals for the Panthers' first playoff advance past the first round since 1996. Florida will face rival Tampa Bay next after the Lightning's 2-1 Game 7 win in Toronto. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Sunrise.
3. DOLPHINS: Fins still adding talent; season schedule opens tough: Offseason? What offseason? Dolphins wrapped up three-day rookie minicamp Sunday after adding veteran free agent running back Sony Michel and then vegteran pass rsher Melvin Ingram. Team's mandatory full-squad minicamp is set for June 1-2. Meanwhile NFL schedule release Thursday night finds Miami with a tough first four games: Home opener September 11 vs. Patriots, then at Ravens, vs. Bills and at Bengals. Cincy game and Steelers here October 23 are the two prime time games.
4. NBA: Two Sunday Game 7s set conference finals: In the West, it's Dallas (not Phoenix) facing Golden State in a finals Game 1 Wednesday night. In the East, Miami drew Boston when Celtics won a G7 over reigning champ Milwaukee. That Game 1 is Tuesday night in Miami.
5. NHL: Two Sunday Game 7s set final eight: Florida vs. Tampa Bay and Colorado vs. St. Louis were set in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs' final eight. Joining them: New York's Game 7 win sent the Rangers advancing to face Carolina, and Calgary's G7 win sets an all-Canada Matchup with Edmonton. Second-round Game 1s begin Tuesday and Wednesday.
6. MARLINS: Up-and-down Fish seek consistency as homestand continues: Marlins on Sunday wrapped up a three-day celebration of the 25th anniversary of the club's 1997 World Series champs in midst of a nine-game homestand. Back to reality: Current Marlins lost Sunday and are 3-11 since a seven-game win streak and 15-19 overall, down to fourth in the NL East. Fish host Nationals starting tonight then Braves.
7. INTER MIAMI: Herons settle for draw with D.C. United: Inter Miami is 3-0 in U.S Open Cup play entering round of 16 play May 24-25, but in the MLS the Herons are only 2-2-6 after Saturday night's 2-2 home tie with D.C United after Miami blew a 2-0 lead. Next up in league play: Wednesday at Philadelphia Union.
8. GOLF: PGA Championship this week with Tiger in field: The year's second major is this Thursday through next Sunday at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, with Tiger Woods among the final field of entrants. Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are out front of the betting favorites going in.
9. GOLF: PGA Tour escalates war with Saudi-backed breakout tour: London next month starting June 9 will host the inaugural tournament of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, a new startup circuit backed by Saudi Arabian riches and with Greg Norman as its face. The eight-event series is boasting $255 million in total payouts, with five events in the U.S. and three abroad. The PGA tour has drawn a hard line, threatening suspensions or even lifetime bans of players who compete in the new circuit if its events conflict with Tour events.
10. CANES BASEBALL: Miami loses series at rival FSU as ACC tourney nears: No. 6-ranked Canes baseball is 37-14 after dropping two of three at rival Florida State. Miami now has only four games left in regular season prior to the ACC Tournament and then NCAA regionals.
Missing the HB10 cut: The WNBA star Brittney Griner is being detained an additional month in Russia as the U.S. negotiates her release ..... The U.S. will host the Rugby World Cup in 2031 (men) and in 2033 (women). World Rugby, the governing body, hopes the sport will become as big here as it is elsewhere ..... Liverpool wins FA Cup Saturday in a 6-5 penalty shootout over Chelsea. Liverpool faces Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League finale May 28 in Paris ..... And the shot at another Triple Crown horse is done as Derby winner Rich Strike won't run in The Preakness ..... Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic wins 1,000th career match to reach final of Italian Open in tuneup for French Open ..... A Cleveland Guardians COVID outbreak caused postponement of a game vs. the White Sox. It was first game ppd'd by COVID this season. The virus postponed nine games last year and 45 in schedule-shortened 2020 ..... Oklahoma landed a quarterback transfer with the greatest name in sports history: General Booty ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,506 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
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ARCHIVES
Select other recent columns: Oladipo Crowns His Long Road Back, Lifts Heat Into Second Round / 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 / The Lawsuit, 2 Months Later: Why Flores Has Already Won, And Dolphins Are Still Nervous / NCAA Final Four: Why America Was Rooting Against The Perfect Ending / 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 / Dolphins' Moves Help Tua, But Isn't About Surrounding Cast. It's On him / Why Do We Love March Madness This Much? First, Look In The Mirror / Brady's Comeback Not About Another Ring. It's About Holding Onto Who He Is / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Chris Cote To Save Sport Of Jai-Alai / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / 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 Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / 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 / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / 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 / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / 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).
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