GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND
1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21. Happy Thanksgiving Week, all! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 11 picks, Why Jimmy Johnson had to quit football to get his life back, R.I.P. Chuckie Carr, Dolphins season taking on magical feel, NFL Week 10 results (Herald picks/Lobos/QB rank), Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! PROFESSOR TOENAIL!: Our 49th episode of 2022 and 140th overall is out now. New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 140 we've done so far HERE. Our new welcomes special guest David Covington, "Professor Toenail," a college biology instructor who turns toenails into edible snacks. And we celebrate the start of World Cup soccer with a goal-call challenge. Also in the newest show: Planning an interactive audio for Greg’s future grave site; Fun facts about the Lamborghini, the only transcontinental city in the world, and the fastest roller-coaster on Earth; Greg’s “Baaaaay” is trending!; Dad joke of the week; Jumpin’ Charlie returns from boot camp a new canine; and a big holiday sale at the GCS merch store! Hit up GCS2249 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.
NFL WEEK 11 PICKS: COWBOYS-VIKINGS, JETS-PATS, 3 UPSETS AND ALL THE REST: Went 9-5 against the point spread last week, now let's keep it going! It was our fifth straight even or better mark ATS. Dolphins one of four bye teams this week, but visit NFL Week 11 Gems to find all of our latest picks for Game of the Week, three upsets including one big one, and all the rest. Got off to a bad start Thursday night. Thought Green Bay (-3) would win at home and cover the small number, but Tennessee had its way. Find that separate predix capsule here.
MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:
NEW! Canes' 40-0 Loss At Clemson Harsh Measuring-Stick Result For Cristbal NEW!
NEW! Jimmy Johnson Had To Give Up Football To Get His Life Back NEW!
R.I.P. Chuck Carr: Remembering Marlins' Speedy First Star
Dolphins At 7-3: It's Beginning To Feel A Little Bit Magical Around Here
Canes' Easy Win At Georgia Tech A Late Lift On Down Year For Cristobal, UM
Hilltop: The five columns before that: Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 20-21): 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. The latest HB10:
1. SOCCER: Qatar World Cup begins, U.S. plays Monday: The men's World Cup begins Sunday with corruptly awarded, human-rights abusing host Qatar vs. Ecuador in the lone match. U.S. debuts Monday in a Group B match vs. Wales. Usual suspects as top five betting favorites: Brazil +400, Argentina +550, France +650, and England and Spain tied at +750. In Group B, after England, odds to win it all are U.S. +10000, Wales +12500 and Iran +50000. Americans' group-stage games after Monday are November 25 vs. England and November 29 vs Iran. No pretense at impartiality from us on this: "Let's gooooo States!"
2. HURRICANES: UM spanked 40-10 in measuring-stick game at Clemson: Miami ran half as many offensive plays and managed a paltry 98 net yards in total offense Saturday in a 40-10 domination by No. 9-ranked host and ACC rival Clemson. UM at 5-6 ends its regular season next Saturday vs. Pittsburgh needing a victory to be bowl-eligible. Canes have lost past four games to Tigers by a combined 178-30.
3. MARLINS: Alcantara wins Cy Young; Carr dies, Conine back: Lots of Fish news for a November. Ace Sandy Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award by unanimous vote, the first Marlin to win that honor. Expansion-era Marlins star Chuck Carr succumbed to cancer at 55. Another early franchise star, Jeff Conine, "Mr. Marlin," is back with the organizaton as a special assistant to principle owner Bruce Sherman. And club promoted Caroline O'Connor to president of business operations -- making Marlins first major U.S. sports franchise to have women serving simultaneously as president and general manager.
4. CANES BASKETBALL: UM finally lose after Larranaga gets No. 700th win: Miami's men were 4-0 after a 74-64 victory over Providence Saturday -- the 700th win of coach Jim Larrnaga's career coming against his alma mater. Game was in first round of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tip-Off Tournament in Connecticut, where UM faces Maryland Sunday and lost 88-70. Hurricanes women also are 4-1 after a first loss Sunday, 98-83 at DePaul.
5. DOLPHINS: Tua, Fins flying high into the bye: Miami is 7-3 after 10 games for first time since 2001 entering its bye week, and will be a big home favorite next week vs. Houston before the schedule toughens. Meantime quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has enter NFL MVP chatter as a top-five candidate. "Pinch me," say Dolfans. "Is this actually happening?"
6. HEAT: Injury-wracked squad still hasn't topped .500: Miami is 7-10 after a third straight loss Sunday in Cleveland in midst of four-game road trip. Heat is injury-wracked with missing starters and has yet to be over the .500 mark this NBA season entering entering Monday night's game at Minnesota.
7. PANTHERS: Sputtering Cats fall below .500: Florida is 9-10 (9-8-2) and has yet to piece together more than two wins in a row in this still-young NHL season after Sunday's loss at Columbus -- Florida's third straight defeat. Cats host Boston Wednesday.
8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): FSU wins, Florida and UCF lose: No. 19 Florida State crushed Louisiana 49-17 Saturday while Florida lost 31-24 at former punching bag Vanderbilt and No. 20 UCF lost at home to Navy, 17-14. IN other state FBS games (non-UM), FIU lost its shot at bowl-eligibility with a 40-6 at UTEP, FAU fell 49-21 at Middle Tennessee, and South Florida sank to 1-10 with a loss at Tulsa.
9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Michigan, TCU escape but seven ranked teams fall: No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU survived close wins Saturday while eight other Top 25 teams lost: No. 5-Tennessee, 10-Utah, 13-North Carolina, 14-Ole Miss, 16-UCLA, 20-UCF, 22-Oklahoma State and 24-N.C. State.
10. NBA: Kyrie returns from suspension, plays Sunday: Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving played Sunday in a win over Memphis, scoring 14 points in 26 minutes, in his first game back after a suspension that totaled eight games. Irving was disciplined by the club for social-media support of an Anti-Semitic book and film and for doubling down amid the firestorm of backlash before at last apologizing.
Missing the HB10 cut: Yankees' Aaron Judge and Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt won MVP awards and Astros' Justin Verlander joined Alcanatara (see above) as unanimous Cy Young winners in the biggest of MLBs' 2022 postseason awards. ..... Colombia beat Paraguay 2-nil Saturday night in a friendly at Inter Miami Stadium in Lauderdale. Sam stadium on January 14 will host a friendly between top South American club teams River Plate and Millonarios ..... Thank God! The pickleball war has ended! Major League Pickleball and VIBE Pickleball League are merging ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,296 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.
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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: Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 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 / 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 / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True / 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 / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / 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 / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / 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 / 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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