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

1) It's SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. Be the change! Visit Change.org/MountGregmore and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tua propels Dolphins to big comeback wins, new Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS MONDAY!: Our 41st episode of 2022 and 132nd overall is out Monday morning! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 131 we've done so far HERE. In our most recent episode: Greg and Chris discuss the Dolphins miracle comeback win fueled by Tua Tagovailoa's six TD passes. Plus a touch of Canes, and a new "Hard Knocks: Greg's Lobos" featuring the world premiere of the new Lobos anthem. Also in the new ep: Greg and Chris discuss the father-son dynamic of the show; Bizarre facts about the Wizard Of Oz; The strangest way to accidentally cut yourself; David Beckham and the Queen; Chris and Yeti play sound to make fun of the funny ways Greg jumps in and contributes on the Le Batard Show when he has nothing to say; a new Dad joke of the week and more. Hit up GCS2240 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. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

NFL Week 3 picks: We're off and running in our 32nd season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, and you'd visit NFL Week 3 Gems to find all of our latest picks for Dolphins-Bills, our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. We have five (!) big upsets this week ... is Miami one? Opened the week with a mixed result Thursday night. Had Cleveland winning but not covering 4 1/2; the Browns won and covered.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee NEW!

NEW! Everyone Loves Tua & Dolphins Now. But Can Bandwagon Survive Buffalo? NEW! 

Tua's Career-Redefining Six TDs Lead Dolphins' Miracle Comeback

Hurricanes Let Another Chance For a Big-Stage, Signature Win Slip Away

Texas A&M The Win Canes Need To Give Cristobal Era Liftoff, Make America Notice

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Fins' McDaniel, UM's Cristobal On Honeymoons, But Those Don't Last / Dolphins Handle Rival Patriots 20-17 In Impressive Season Opener / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper

Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on latest podcast episode are among stuff not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 25-26): 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. DOLPHINS: Fins host Bills today in biggest game in how long?: A couple of 2-0 AFC East rivals play for the division lead today at Hard Rock in the biggest game of NFL Week 3 -- Buffalo the Super Bowl betting favorite, Miami coming off that exhilarating miracle comeback at Baltimore fueled by Tua Tagovailoa's six TD passes. Bills are missing three injured starters in their secondary but still are favored. How good are the Dolphins? Let's find out.

2. HURRICANES: UM embarrassed, QB benched in home loss to Middle Tennessee: Miami plummeted in the polls from No. 13 to 25th after last week's loss at Texas A&M and will fall completely out of sight now with Saturday's embarrassing 44-34 home loss to Middle Tennessee. QB Tyler Van Dyke got benched for Jake Garcia, the pass defense gave up TDs of 71, 69 and 98 yards, and Mario Cristobal's honeymoon ended with a thud. Canes are off next week then host North Carolina October 8.

3 SOCCER: Messi does not disappoint in friendly in Miami: Argentina looks ready for the World Cup in Qatar later this fall. So does Lionel Messi. The 35-year-old captain played all 90 minutes and scored twice, delighting a sold-out Hard Rock crowd in a 3-0 tuneup friendly over Honduras. Messi's pass to Papu Gomez led to the opening goal by Lautaro Martinez. Messi himself later scored on a penalty and an artful chip over the Honduran goalkeeper. It was Argentina's 34th straight match win.

4. HEAT: Miami Media Day tips off preseason, Bahamas training camp: Heat's annual Media Day at the downtown arena on Monday precedes the Tuesday-through-Saturday training camp in the Bahamas. First of five preseason games is October 4 vs. Minnesota. Barring a last-minute move the Heat has a quiet, stand-pat offseason that has surprised and disappointed some fans.

5. NBA: Off-court scandals rock Celtics, Suns as camps open: As NBA season nears the Boston Celtics suspended coach Ime Udoka for the entire coming season over a rules-breaking affair with a club employee, throwing his future beyond this season in serious doubt. That's on the heel of the suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver over racist and misogynist remarks and workplace culture. Sarver now sells he will sell the club.

6. TENNIS: Federer says goodbye with doubles loss: First Serena Williams, now Roger Federer. The retiring Swiss great bid farewell to the  game with a doubles loss in the Laver Cup tournament in London, alongside chosen partner and longtime friendly rival Rafael Nadal. Both were emotional as fans chanted Federer's name. Said Nadal: "An important part of my life is leaving too."

7. MARLINS: Sandy wins again, bolsters Cy Young claim: Miami is 63-89 with a six-game homestand ending today vs. Washington. NL Cy Young frontrunner Sandy Alcantara struck out 11 in a dominant 4-1 win Saturday to improve to 14-8. Fish are on road for six starting Tuesday at Mets, then close the season with three at home.

8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Florida falls, FIU crushed 73-0: No. 20 Florida fell 38-33 at No. 11 Tennessee and FSU should enter polls at 4-0 after 44-14 rout of Boston College. Closer to home it got ugly as FIU lost 73-0 at Western Kentucky and FAU fell 28-26 at Purdue. In other state FBS games (non-UM), UCF handled Georgia Tech and South Florida lost big at Lousiville.

9. SOCCER: Loss leaves shaky USMNT one friendly before World Cup: U.S. men's national team did not threaten and fell 2-0 to Japan in a tuneup for the World Cup, without star Christian Pulisic, the Chelsea forward, who was nursing a minor injury. Team USA faces Saudi Arabia Tuesday in Spain in its final tuneup match. That will be coach Gregg Berhalter final chance to assess before he must submit his 26-man World Cup roster on November 13.

10. MLB: Historic home run show by Judge, Pujols light up sport: Get us rewrite on baseball's history book as Yankee Aaron Judge -- cashing a Triple Crown -- became only the sixth player to achieve a 60-home run season while retiring Cardinal Albert Pujols became only the fourth man to reach 700 career homers. The power show has made up for a dull playoff race with all of the postseason tickets all but claimed.

Missing the HB10 cut: Florida Panthers open six-game NHL preseason on Monday with a pair of games at Nashville. Cats have a new star, Matthew Tkachuk (acquired in the blockbuster Jonathan Huberdeau trade) and a new coach, Paul Maurice, since finishing an otherwise stellar 2021-22 season with a second-round sweep by Tampa Bay ..... Playoff-chasing Inter Miami returns to play this Friday at Toronto. Herons are tied for seventh and last MLS East playoff spot with three games left ..... No. 5 Clemson escaped Wake Forest with a 51-45 OT win but 6-Oklahoma and 10-Arkansas were top-10 losers in college football ..... Two-time Olympic champion Eluid Kipchoge of Kenya broke his own world record in the marathon at 2:01:09 ..... U.S. leads Presidents Cup golf in Charlotte comfortably over the International side entering Sunday's final round ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,358 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. This is the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed almost 3,000. Never forget. 2) Be the change! Visit Change.org/MountGregmore and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 1 picks, 2022 NFL Team Rankings, Why Hill/Waddle will be Fins' best WR duo since Clayton/Duper, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS MONDAY!: Our 39th episode of 2022 and 130th overall is out Monday! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 129 we've done so far HERE. In our most recent episode: Anthony (10-Day Tony) from the Le Batard Show joins us for a fun chew on fantasy football, and Greg reveals an invention for a whole different kind of fantasy league. Also in the new ep: Season 2 premiere of HARD KNOCKS: GREG'S LOBOS, Farewell to Serena Williams, Are the Fins for real? and more. Hit up GCS2238 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. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

Our NFL Week 1 picks!: The Upset Bird and I are back for (hard to believe) our 32nd season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald -- and it's debut week! Visit NFL Week 1 Gems for our picks for Dolphins-Patriots, our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. We pick three big upsets out the gate. Got off to a bad start Thursday night and I mean baaad. Liked champion Rams as a home dog and sort of dismissed all the hype around the Bills. Well I (and the Rams) got schooled, 31-10. Ouch. But have the whole week left. Let's go!.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? NEW!

NEW! Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper NEW!

Canes Rout Bethune 70-13 In Opener, But We Don't Know Real UM Yet

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: As Optimism In Dolphins & Canes Spikes, Miami Flexes As A Football Town / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Tua's Preseason Debut Was Most Impressive 4 1/2 Hours Before It Began / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / No Doubt Now: Deshaun Watson Knows He'll Be Pariah In Stadiums Across NFL

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 11-12): 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. DOLPHINS: New-era, high-hope Fins open season  today vs. rival Pats: Miami opens its 57th season at home Sunday vs. AFC East rival New England, ushering in a new-look team led by new coach Mike McDaniel and new star recievr Tyreek Hill. Not new but improved (?): Third-year QB Tua Tagovailoa, expcted to reach a new level thanks to Hill, a revamped running game and a (theorteically) improved offensive line. Hope are high. Time for the Fins to justify them. 

2. HURRICANES: UM wins big again. Now the real season starts: UM's perfunctory 30-7 home rout of Southern Miss (with RB Frank Gore Jr.) on Saturday followed the 70-13 season-opening home rout of Bethune-Cookman to put the No. 15-ranked Hurricanes at 2-0 with expected big wins over smaller opponents. Now? Now the real season starts with this coming week's game at No. 6-but-not-for-long Texas A&M, which was stunned Saturday at home by Appalachian State. That will make A&M an even tougher first test for the Canes in six days in College Station.

3. TENNIS: Swiatek reigns, U.S. Open men's final today: No. 3-ranked Carlos Alcaraz faces No. 5 Casper Ruud on Sunday -- both after their first Grand Slam title -- in an unexpected men's final of a U.S. Open whose emotional centerpiece was the likely final singles appearance of retiring G.O.A.T. Serena Williams. Alacaraz won his semifinal over No. 22 Frances Tiafoe, who was trying to become the first event's first American man to win in almost 20 years. On Saturday, No. 1 seeded Iga Swiatek handled No. 5 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in straight sets for her third Grand Slam title and first U.S. Open crown.

4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama escapes, but upsets litter the Top 25: No. 1 Alabama escaped 20-18 at unranked Texas but seven upsets in the Top 25 sent the early season upside. The unexpected losers: No. 6 Texas A&M, UM's next opponent, to Appalachian State; No. 8 Notre Dame, 9-Baylor, 12-Florida 17-Pitt, 19-Wisconsin and 25-Houston.

5. SOCCER: Messi coming to Miami! (Well, for a friendly, at least): Argentina's national team -- with Lionel Messi in the traveling party -- will play a World Cup tuneup vs. Honduras in a friendly at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, with tickets selling fast. Speculation of Messi eventually signing with Inter Miami have floated for a good while. Meantime, at least we get him for a night.

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): No. 12 Florida beaten in Swamp; FIU falls: No. 20-Kentucky was an upset winner at overranked No. 12 Florida, 26-16, putting the Gators at 1-1. Elsewhere, FIU is 1-1 after being clobbered 41-12 at Texas State; 2-1 FAU pounded Southeast Louisiana 42-9; favored UCF lost at home to Louisville 20-14; and South Florida handled Howard 42-20. Florida State (2-0) was off this week.

7. HEAT: Hardaway becomes 6th to wear Miami uniform in Hall of Fame: Miami is nearing the opening of its training camp ahead of the start of the NBA preseason on October 4. But first, Heat welcomed former guard Tim Hardaway into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday. He joins Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton as former players enshrined. Also in: Current president Pat Riley, former executive Billy Cunningham and ex-assistant coach Bb McAdoo.

8. INTER MIAMI: Third-straight loss leaves Herons in scramble for playoffs: Inter Miami is 10-6-13 with three straight losses after Saturday's 3-1 loss at Chicago Fire left the Herons five points from the seventh and last MLS East playoff spot with five regular season matches left. The now-desperate Herons host Columbus Crew on Tuesday.

9. MARLINS: Only drama left in sad season: Can Sandy nail down the Cy Young?: Marlins are 57-81, winning two of three after a nine-game losing skid, entering Sunday's game vs. Mets as an eight-game homestand continues. Ace Sandy Alcantara is next on the mound Tuesday vs. Philly, still the NL Cy Young betting favorite despite his surrounding team and looking to nail down what would be a franchise-first Cy for the Fish.

10. MLB: Baseball passes major rules changes for '23: MLB, doing something right, voted to implement a pitch clock and ban defensive shifts to quicken pace of play and encourage action. The competition committee, consisting of six ownership-level reps, four players and one umpire, approved a pitch clock of 15 seconds with empty bases and 20 seconds with runners on, and a defensive alignment that must include two fielders on each side of second-base bag with both feet on the dirt. New rules also will limit pickoff moves and expand the size of bases.

Missing the HB10 cut: : The death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 led ghe English Premier League to suspend this weekend's soccer matches as a mark of respect, with several other sporting events across the U.K. also postponed. Tributes across the sports world have poured in for Britain's longest-serving monarch, who reigned 70 years ..... No suprise: Scottie Scheffler was an overwhelming winner of PGA Tour Player of the Year honors ..... Connecticut Sun are at Las Vegas Aces today/Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-5 WNBA Finals. Either would be a first-time champion. Vegas, led by league MVP A'ja Wilson, is the betting favorite ..... NASCAR star Kyle Busch reportedly is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing after 15 years to join join Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023 ..... Florida Panthers, ahead of training camp and September 26 start of preseason games, is sending 26 young players to the Carolina Hurricanes-hosted Prospect Showcase from September 16-19. The young Cats (Kittens?) will play three agmes against Carolina, Tampa Bay ad Nashville ..... The U.S. team is favored over the International team in golf's Presidents Cup starting September 19 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte ..... Canada defeated Team USA 2-1 in the IIHF women's ice hockey world championship final in Denmark ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,372 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

IT'S UPSET BIRD WEEK AND GREG'S LOBOS WEEK IN AMERICA!: Week 1 of NFL season means only one thing. Well, OK it means a lot of things, but two of them are the Upset Bird launching his 32nd (!) season of NFL predictions in the Miami Herald, and Greg's Lobos beginning defense of their league championship in PFPI Fantasy:

NFL picks -- A Herald tradition since 1991, our predictions appear online Thursday afternoons and in print Fridays every week starting this week. (Our pick for Thursday night games appear separately online Wednesday and in print Thursday). Each week we offer our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week (courtesy the Upset Bird: "Aawwk!"), a longer, more detailed predix capsule on the Dolphins game, as well as picks for all the other games. We also update you every week, and here in the blog each Tuesday, on how we're doing with our won-lost records both overall and against the point spread. We have fun but take our picks seriously. Longtime Upset Bird fans, welcome back! Newbies, glad to have you!

Greg's Lobos -- America's Most Famous and Popular Fantasy Football Team (AMFAPFFT) begins defense of its PFPI Fantasy crown this week in our 10-team friends' n' family PPR super-flex league. Had our draft the other day and our Big 5 to start the season are QB Lamar Jackson, RBs Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb, and WRs CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins. You like? We'll update you in this blog every Tuesday morning on how we did that week and how we're doing in the league. You ready to howl, Lobos Nation? You ready to get in the Loboat and row? Join us for the ride!

THE LIST: HEAT-IEST HEATERS IN HALL: Nine men with an affiliation to the Miami Heat are now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, including the latest, Tim Hardaway, inducted Saturday. Pat Riley (of course) is and Billy Cunningham was an executive and Bob McAdoo was an assistant coach. Of the six men who played for the Heat, who was the Heat-iest? We rank them based on percentage of career games played in a Miami uniform:

Player                        Pct.      Heat games/Total

Alonzo Mourning         70.77    593 of 838

Chris Bosh                  43.00    384 of 893

Tim Hardaway            42.33    367 of 867

Shaquille ONeal          16.98    205 of 1,207

Ray Allen                    11.69    152 of 1,300

Gary Payton                11.16    149 of 1,335

***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****

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: Who Dolphins Are Was Hidden In Opening Win. 5 Questions That Still Need Answers / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami? / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban / 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 / Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist Affront / 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 / Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More Interesting / How Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / 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 / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / 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? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / 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 / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, AUGUST 8. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes football needs Cristobal to be the homecoming king, Goodell keeping power why Watson may yet get harsher ban, Ross and Dolphins socked for tampering, R.I.P. Vin Scully, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW WITH PLAN TO RENAME MOUNT RUSHMORE: Our 34th episode of 2022 and 125th 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 125 we've done so far HERE, free. In our new episode: We introduce and discuss our new petition drive at change.org to change the name of Mount Rushmore to Mount Gregmore. Also: Bill Maher of HBO’s “Real Time” asking, “Have you ever seen a fat 90-year-old?”; Yeti explains how a music studio in Slovakia had a hand in producing “Pebble Drive,” his new song that debuted on our show last week; Chris takes us into the room as Season 2 of Battle Court Jai-Alai gets underway with a player draft; Golfing alone leads Greg to reveal a heretofore unknown insecurity; Greg considers filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service; Greg holds Chris solely to blame for the two of them not winning last week’s billion-dollar lottery; Gender reveal stunt gone awry; and Chris and friend Alex have a surprise night out planned with their fathers. (But does Chris let slip what the surprise is?). Hit up GCS2234 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! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami? NEW!

NEW! Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again New!

Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban

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

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist Affront / 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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 7-8): 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. DOLPHINS: Owner Ross guilty of tampering, Fins lose first-round pick: The NFL found the Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross guilty of tampering in 2019 to '21 in trying to lure quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton when both were under contract to other teams. The Fins must forfeit a 2023 first-round draft pick and a '24 third-rounder. In additon Ross was fined $1.5 million and vice chairman Bruce Beal was fined $500,000. Addressing the Brian Flores lawsuit, the league found that Ross expressed a priority for high draft position over winning but did not directly bribe Flores to lose. Miami will stage joint practces with the Buccaneers ahead of the first of three preseason games this coming Saturday in Tampa.

2. NFL: Goodell, league appealing Watson's wrist-slap 6-game suspension: The NFL said it will appeal the six-game suspension for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in favor of a harsher penalty for violating the league's personal conduct policy related to sexual misconduct in massage sessions. The Monday sentence by league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson has been roundly criticized as too lenient. Commissioner Roger Goodell will determine who will hear the appeal, himself or a designee. The league wanted an indefinite suspension of at least one full season, a fine and treatment.

3. HURRICANES: UM opens fall camp, season less than month away: The Canes began their first fall camp under new coach Mario Cristobal with a first practice Friday. A CanesFest fan event inside the indoor practice facility followed Saturday's practice. Preseason Top 25s are not out yet, but ESPN's first Football Power Index for 2022 has Miami No. 9 overall and second in the ACC to Clemson with a plus-14.5 rating. Miami opens its season at home September 3 with a softie vs. Bethune-Cookman. 

4. INTER MIAMI: Herons now on pace for final MLS playoff spot: Inter Miami is 8-6-10 after Satutday's 2-2 draw at Monttreal and its 30 standings are now tied for the seventh and last MLS East playoff spot. The league takes its all-star break this Wednesday night with the MLS stars -- including defender DeAndre Yedlin as Miami's lone rep -- taking on Mexico's Liga MX stars. The Herons return to league play with 10 games left in the regular season starting next Saturday at home vs. New York City.

5. MLB: Soto to Padres the whale-deal at the trade deadline: The San Diego Padres acquired 23-year-old megastar slugger Juan Soto from Washington for a bevy of top prospects in the biggest trade by far at the MLB trade deadline. Next biggest deal was the one not made, with Shohei Ohtani staying with the Angels, at least for now. Soto joins Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the S.D. lineup as Friars make a run at the Dodgers' dominance in the NL West.  

6. MARLINS: Sandy or bust. Let's quit pretending Fish are still in wild-card race: The good news: Ace Sandy Alcantara is now 10-4 after complete-game shutout of the Reds. The bad news? Most everything else. That gem ended a 1-5 homestand that left Miami so far back in the wild-card hunt it's time to stop using "Marlins" and "playoffs" in the same sentence. Miami has sliumped to 49-59 in the midst of a six-game road swing. Marlins' only trade-deadline move was a small one, dealing relievers Anthony Bass (team' holds leader) and Zach Pop to Toronto for infielder Jordan Groshans, a top-five Blue Jays minor-league prospect.

7. WNBA: Griner sentenced in Russia, but prisoner swap hoped for: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for bringing cannabis into the country. She'd been arrested February 17. Her guilty plea, verdict and sentence were considered necessary precursors to allow U.S.-Russia negotiations for a prisoner exchange to begin.

8. GOLF: PGA Tour defectors fire latest salvo in the Golf War: Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and nine other LIV Golf competitors (a.k.a. PGA Tour expatriates) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in federal court, claimng their suspensions are part of a “carefully orchestrated plan" to defeat the Saudi-backed breakaway tour. Meanwhile the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, from which LIV guys are excluded, begin August 19.

9. DEATHS: R.I.P., Vin Scully, broadcasting legend, diamond poet: Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Vin Scully, the Dodgers icon and diamond poet to generations, passed away at 96. It was the sports world's second farewell to an epic life within days, after NBA legend Bill Russell passed on at 88.

10. HEAT: Shh. Quiet, please. We don't want to wake the Heat's offseason: The exciting speculation about Miami's interest in going after major trades for whale Kevin Durant or mini-whale Donovan Mitchell seems long time ago and miles away as the Heat snore through a quiet offseason whose biggest headline thus far has been the loss of P.J. Tucker in free agency. Is Miami up to something? Anything? Stay tuned.

Missing the HB10 cut: Aaron Rodgers, much better at passing than at not saying things he shouldn't, admitted in an interview has had "psychedelic experiences" with mushrooms and the mind-bending ayahuasca plant. Will be interesting to see if the Packers are NFL do anything beyond shaking their collective head ..... Hate to be harsh, but it was a B-list crowd entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Tony Boselli, Cliff Branch, Art McNally, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Dick Vermeil and Bryant Young enter as evidence the Hall admits too many .... Las Vegas beat Jacksonville 27-11 to kick off the NFL preseason in the Hall of Fame Game, in what was believed to be the worst matchup and most boring result in the history of human activity ..... Arsenal shut out Crystal Palace 2-nil to kick off the 2022-23 English Premier League season. A cloud over it: Cristiano Ronaldo's apparent desire to extract himself from Manchester United ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,407 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: Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More Interesting / How Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / 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 / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / 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? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / 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 / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

It's MONDAY, JULY 18. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): LeBron's ironic entree into Brittney Griner detention, Heat's pursuit of Mitchell has dramatic twists, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! SHOENERAL!: Our 31st episode of 2022 and 122nd 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 122 we've done so far HERE, free. In the newest episode: There's a shoeneral as we lay to rest our beloved deck shoes, and you are invited. Also, world's best/worst Dad jokes, unhealthiest restaurant chains and sleepiest songs. Plus Tiger Woods' future, extortionist Google reviewers nd more. Hit up GCS2231 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! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports NEW!

Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic

Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too

Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant

Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry?0

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / 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 / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JULY 17-18): 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. MLB: Baseball's up with Home Run Derby, All-Star Game!: Saturday's Futures Game and Celebrity Softball were the apps and Sunday's MLB Draft a side dish, now come the twin main courses: Monday's Home Run Derby and Tuesday's 92nd All-Star Game. The eight-man HRD sees Kyle Pete Alonso favored. The main ASG features 30 first-time all-stars among the 66 picks, and ceremonial honorees Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols at the opposite end. Marlins reps are pitcher Sandy Alcantara (second ASG) and 2B Jazz Chisholm and DH Garrett Cooper (both first timers).

2. GOLF: Cameron Smith rallies to win British Open: Tiger Woods badly missed the cut. Start there because The Open Championship (a.k.a. British Open) sagged with the news. Still plenty of drama left though as the 150th edition wrapped up Sunday at St. Andrews, birthplace of golf, with fan favorite Rory McIlroy blwoing a four-stroke lead and lesser known Cameron Smith hoisting the Claret Jug.

3. HEAT: Still a quiet offseason (so far) for Miami: heat. The Heat finished a nondescript 3-5 overall in Summer League play and lost P.J. Tucket to Philly in free agency. Nothing more notable yet. The club continues with an interest in trades for available whale Kevin Durant and mini-whale Donovan Mitchell, but will they be willing to make a costly winning offer in what could be at least a three-team deal? Doubts about that remain.

4. MARLINS: Cooper third Fish in ASG; Meyer routed in debut: Miami is 43-48 with three straight losses entrein the All-Star break after a 2-5. That included a 10-0 loss to Philly spoiling the MLB debut of touted Miami pitching prospect Max Meyer. Also: Sunday's MLB Draft found Miami selecting sixth overall and taking LSU rightfielder Jacob Berry. Sandy Alcantara, Jazz Chisholm and DH Garrett Cooper, added as an injury replacement, will rep Miami in the Midsummer Classic. Miami enters the break 7 1/2 games off pace to make playoffs as an NL wild card.

5. INTER MIAMI: Win closes in on playoff pace as Pozuelo debuts: Inter Miami is 7-4-9 and only one point off MLS playoff pace after Saturday's 3-2 home win over Charlotte on Emerson Rodriguez's 93rd-minute goal. Alejandro Pozuelo, 2020 league MVP acquired by cash trade, made his debut of the Herons. Inter Miami hosts Barcelona Wednesday night in a much anticipated home friendly -- Barca no loneger with Messi, of course, but still a top-tier international brand. Herons returns to MLS pitch next Saturday at New York City FC.

6. DOLPHINS: Football is here (sort of) as Fins rookies report Tuesday: NFL training camps are getting underway and, in Miami, it begins with rookies reporting this Tuesday led by top draft pick (third rounder) Channing Tindall, the Georgia linebacker. Veterans report a week later, the following Tuesday, when the full camp unfurls under rookie head coach Mike McDaniel, with all eyes on third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and new star receiver Tyreek Hill.

7. HURRICANES: Cristobal, Van Dyke lead UM to ACC Football Kickoff: The ACC, beacon of stability amid college football's tumult, holds its annual preseason Football Kickoff (a.k.a. Media Days) this Wednesday and Thursday in Charlotte. The 14 schools each send their head coach and three players. Miami's Mario Cristobal christens his first season leading his alma mater, alongside quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, tight end Will Mallory and defensive end Jahfari Harvey.

8. SOCCER: Women's Euros reaches quarterfinals: The end of group play on Monday will set the stage for the four quarterfinal matches in te 2022 UEFA women's Europeans championships. Two quarters already are set: Host England vs. Spain on Wednesday and Germany vs. Austria on Thursday. France also has advanced but awaits its opponent. Still alive: 

9. SOCCER: U.S. women reach CONCACAF finale: The USWNT eased past Costa Rica 3-0 to earn a place fothe Americans in the CONCACAF women's champio ship match on Monday vs. rival Canada. U.S. national team is reigning World Cup champ and naturally  a favorite in this regional tournament of North and Central America and Caribbean nations.

10. HALLS OF FAME: Big Papi fronts newest Cooperstown inductees: Baseball's Class of '22 Hall of Fame induction is next Sunday, July 24, led by Red Sox icon David "Big Papi" Ortiz, the only entrant via writers' votes. Older inductees tabbed by the Era Committee are Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Ji Kaat, Minnie Minoso Tony Oliva and Buck O'Neil.

Missing the HB10 cut: Ten selfishingly unvaccinated Kansas City Royals were unable to accompany the team to Toronto ..... The seven-part ESPN Derek Jeter docuseries The Captain preimeres Monday ..... The Hall of Fame shortstop and New York Yankees legend discussed his baseball future, among other topics, during an interview with ESPN's Hannah Storm ahead of the July 18 premiere of the seven-part ESPN docuseries "The Captain."..... LeBron James stepped in dogshit whle talking about Brittney Griner being detained in Russia ..... Florida Panthers wrapped up their five-day youth developmental camp involving 36 prospects from the past five NHL drafts ..... Jim Thorpe won an Olympic gold medal despite being dead 69 years. Thrope's 1912 medals had been syripped over amateurism violaton but were restored this week ..... Current and former Dolphins Jason McCourty and Richie "Bullygate" Incognito retired after long NFL careers ..... Juan Soto rejects $440 million offer from  Nationals. Dude. You're hitting .250 ..... Answer: Charles Barkley says he would with LIV Golf if asked about a role in the Saudi-back breakaway league. Question: Like, people who dislike Charles Barkley needed another reason!? ..... The NFL is pushing flag football as an Olympic sport. The IOC will rule in Decemer if the sport debuts in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles ..... Steph Curry will host The ESPYS on Wednesday night. Poor guy is finally getting some attention! ..... British soccer powers Arsenal and Chelsea meet this coming Saturday in Orlando to culminate a week of Florida Cup Series matches ..... The illustriously named but minor World Games end Sunday/today in Birmingham, Alabama ..... Tour de France ends July 24 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,428 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: 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / 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? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / 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 / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

It's MONDAY, JULY 11. Last-minute switch: I'll be back in-studio with Le Batard Show tomorrow/Tuesday this week, not today. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dear America (an open letter to all of us), AK-47 coffee at Cowboys games, Marlins' ace-on-fire Alcantara does it again, Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS NOW!: Our 30th episode of 2022 and 121st 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 121 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: It's our special Diggin’ Into Summer Edition: Chris, Stugotz and Mike Ryan (pictured) join us from Lake Tahoe to mock Greg for not being invited; ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez stops by with a review of our Fourth of July beach bash; and Greg reveals a testy email exchange with Dan Le Batard escalating Dan’s claim that Greg hasn’t been sufficiently hating on the late broadcaster Hank Goldberg. Also: 'Creature From The Black Lagoon,' a new TV recommendation, and cataracts. Hit up GCS2230 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! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry?

Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again

Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment

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

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JULY 10-11): 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. MARLINS: Jazz, Sandy named All-Stars as break nears: Second baseman Jazz Chisholm was named the NL starter in becoming the first-ever Bahamas-born player to earn an All-Star selection. He is just the sixth Marlin to win a fan vote, after Hanley Ramirez (three times) and Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna, Gary Sheffield and Giancarlo Stanton. The 23 pitchers and reserves named Sunday included (of course) ace Sandy Alcantara. Marlins are 41-43 entering a seven-game homestand before All-Star break, with wild-card playoff hopes teetering ahead of August 2 trade deadline. 

2. HEAT: Durant talk cools as Miami seems ready to stand pat: The trade market for Kevin Durant does not seem as ready to give as Brooklyn would like, with Phoenix seen as the fronturnner for a deal. Heat seem to have decided to not go all-in and instead run it back with the squad that came close to reaching the NBA Finals last season. Club has re-signed Caleb Martin and Victor Oladipo among others. Heat is 1-0 in main Summer League play in Vegas after starting 1-2 in Oakland. Highlight thi=us far: A 25-point game from top rookie Nikola Jovic. Miami's youth squad is back at it Tuesday vs. Atlanta.

3. INTER MIAMI: Herons swing major trade for ex-MLS MVP Pozuelo: Inter Miami scored one of the biggest deals in its three-year history in acquiring 2020 MLS MVP Alejandro Pozuelo from Toronto in a cash trade. The Spanish attacking midfielder, 30, scored 26 goals with 31 assists in 88 starts for Toronto and "is a game-changer in this league," said Miami coach Phil Neville. xxxxx Herons are 6-4-8 and four points off playoff pace after Saturday night's 1-0 loss in Orlando City on an own-goal in extra time. Miami is back in action Wednesday when it hosts Philaldephia. Looming: The July 19 home friendly vs. Barcelona. Visa issues have not yet allowed Pozuelo's debut.

4. TENNIS: Djokovic, Rybakina reign as Wimbledon ends: Unlikeable men's final at Wimbleon today as notorious anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic was favored and indeed beat oft-fined and temperamental hothead Nick Kyrgios. Was Djoker's seventh W title and fourth straight. On Saturday, Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur in the first women's Wimbledon title match since 1962 between two players making their debuts in a major final. Rybakina is the player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title, though controversially. She was born in Moscow but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, so was allowed to play despite the All England Club barring players from Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.

5. BASEBALL: Miami named main host of '23 World Baseball Classic: The World Baseball Classic returns in March 2023 with its fifth iteration. The last, won by the U.S., was in 2017. Japan, Taiwan, Phoenix and Miami will host pool play, with Marlins park hosting Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Israel and a fifth country to be named. Miami also will host the semifinals as well as the March 21, 2023 championship game.

6. PANTHERS: It's a low-watt NHL Draft as Cats stress youth: Florida had seven picks but none before the third round in the NHL Draft held in Montreal. Panthers sent their 2022 No. 1 pick to Buffalo last summer for Sam Reinhart and sent two second-round picks to Calgary for Sam Bennett. (Cats also will be without their 2023 and '24 No. 1 picks via trades for Ben Chiarot and Claude Giroux, respectively). This year's overall No. 1 NHL pick was Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky to Montreal. FLA's top pick in third round (93rd overall) was Portland (WHL) defenseman Marek Alscher. FLA also went D with its second pick, then targeted LW, LW, G, C and RW. The theme: Youth. All seven picks are 18.

7. GOLF: McIlroy the fave as British Open starts this Thursday: The year's final golf major tees off Thursday with the 150th Open Championship (i.e. British Open) at St. Andrews. Rory McIlroy is betting favorite followed by Jon Rahm, then Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas. Tiger Woods is listed in the field but is a 40-1 longshot. Also allowed in the field despite being barred from PGA Tour events: LIV Golf defectors such as Dustin Johnson.

8. POLITICS: Griner guilty plea believed to be strategic: As the WNBA plays its All-Star Game today without her, star Brittney Griner, detained in Russia more than four months, pleaded guilty to possessing a small amount of cannabis oil and faces up to 10 years in prison. However, experts believe the plea was a necessary step toward a hoped-or eventual prisoner swap between Russia and the U.S.

9. SOCCER: U.S. qualifies for Women's World Cup (well no duh!): The retooling, more youthful but still mighty U.S. women's national team earned a spot in the 2023 World Cup in a 5-0 rout of Jamaice. The U.S. has qualified for all eight previous WWCs, winning four including the past two in a row. Next summer's competition is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

10. DOLPHINS: Clayton, Kooch back in chase for Canton: As Dolphins prepare for training camp with rookies reporting July 19 and veterans July 26, a pair of ex-Fins are back in the mix for Pro Football Hall of Fame selection. Hall announced 54 semifinalists in the seniors/coaches/contributors category and among older players, former WR Mark Clayton and former OG Bob Kuechenberg both made it. Next hurdle: Making the cut from 54 to 24 on July 27.

Missing the HB10 cut: Will the last college football team to leave its conference please turn out the light? ..... Four-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne from Bradenton committed to Miami, lifting Canes 2023 class into top 10 at ninth, according to 247sports.com. Chose UM over Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State and Oregon ..... The 2022 World Games, the 11th edition of an international competition for sports or events not in the Olympics, are underway through next Sunday in Birmingham, Ala. There are 108 nations involved, with 54 events across 30 sports. Big time for Birmingham, as the city's Stallions just won inaugural USFL championship game -- its victory parade delayed by the World Games ..... MLB Draft is next Sunday, with Marlins picking sixth overall. Expected first-rounders include CF Elijah Green, a Miami Hurricanes commit, and LHP Brandon Barriera from American Hertage High ..... Group play is underway in soccer's Women's European Championship being hosted by England ..... COVID is not done wth sports yet. Due to China's ongoing battle with the pandemic, PGA Tour cancelled an October tournament in Shanghei, and LPGA also canceled an upcoming event there ..... Longtime WWE boss Vince McMahon paid $12 million to four women to hush up coercive sexual relationships, says an expose' by the Wall Street Journal ..... Another ceiling shattered as Raiders made Las Vegas attorney Sandra Douglass Morgan as new team president, the first Black woman in that role in NFL history ..... Baker Mayfield is now a Carolina Panther via trade and will face Sam Darnold in an epic training camp QB battle of draft-bust flops ..... Aaron Rodgers got his first tattoo. Let us please never speak of this ever again ..... The American Century Championship, the annual celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, ends today ..... In a surprise, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and France football legend Michel Platini both were acquitted of corruption charges by a Swiss court ..... A BetOnline.ag Twitter analysis determined which baseball fans complain the most about umpires, and St. Louis fans dubiously "won" wth an 6.89 percent complaint rate. Cleveland fans were last at 0.71%. Miami fans were in upper third at 5.26% ..... Upcoming: The 92nd MLB All-Star Game July 19 in L.A., with full rosters announced today/Sunday. The ESPYS on July 20, the sports awards show existing solely so ESPN can promote itself. British soccer powers Arsenal and Chelsea meeting July 23 in Orlando to culminate a week of Florida Cup Series matches. And Class of '22 Baseball Hall of Fame induction July 24. Also, Tour de France ends July 24 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,435 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: Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / 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? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / 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 / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 2. Thank you for your service, April. See ya next year. Welcome back, May! 2) Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's album, which includes song by me. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Cote nails Dolphins' Tindall pick at 102nd, my Mock Draft results vs. Kiper, Inter Miami's sky-high aim for new stadium, new Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! DID GREG REALLY KICK A 50-YARD FIELD GOAL? MEET THE EYE-WITNESS: Our 20th episode of 2022 and 111th 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 111 we've done HERE, free. The most recent episode includes an eye-witness to Greg's long-held claim of having made a 50-yard field goal, and Phil Taylor on whether Greg actually beat him in a footrace. Also: Father-Son Cote Olympics continues with free-throw shooting, Greg explains his lifelong love of Elton John, and Greg's Mock Draft vs. Mel Kiper's. Hit up GCS2220 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 wesbite 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

Nailed it! Cote bull's-eyes Dolphin's Tindall pick at 102nd overall!: Hard enough to guess right on first round. To nail Miami's top pick at 102nd overall late in third round is, well, unheard of. But I did it. Proof is here: 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft. My overall first round Mock Draft results vs. ESPN mocklord Mel Kiper Jr.: Zagactos (aka exactos), right player to right team: Tied 6-6. Tiebreaker: Right player to right team in exact order: Cote 6, Kiper 5. Winner: By a nose at the wire ... Me! See ya next year, Junior.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins NEW!

‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver?

31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft

Oladipo Crowns His Long Road Back, Lifts Heat Into Second Round 

Butler, Heat Culture Arise as Miami Seizes 3-1 Series Lead

Hilltop: The most recent five after that: History Says Heat Still In Charge, But Blown Game 3 Lead Gives Atlanta Life / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener / 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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 1-2): 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: 76ers' Embiid out a huge break for Miami entering Game 1 Monday: Game 1 of Heat-76ers second round series is Monday night in Miami, with No. 1 East seed Heat the favorite even before the news Philly MVP-candidate center Joel Embiid will be out "indefinitely" with a right orbital fracture and mild concussion sustained in first round vs. Toronto. Embiid already was playing with a sprained thumb. Are we ready for 30 shots per game from James Harden? 

2. PANTHERS: Cats open Stanley Cup hunt at home vs. Capitals Tuesday: Florida hosts Game 1 of its first round NHL playoff series vs. Washington and goal monster Alex Ovechkin on Tuesday night. Panthers finished with best record (58-18-6), most goals scored and best goals differential yet are second betting favorite to win it all, just behind Colorado. Why? Track record. Since reaching Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, Cats have made the playoffs only six times and never gone beyond the first round. Different now? Seems so. But we'll see.

3. INTER MIAMI: Freedom Park 'yes' vote is Team Beckham's biggest win yet: Inter Miami scored the biggest win in its three-year MLS history this week. It was 4-1. That was the Miami city commission vote (finally) green-lighting Miami Freedom Park, set for a March 2025 opening. On the pitch, Herons are 3-1-5 after Saturday's 2-0 loss at New England ended a three-game win streak. Lads are back at it next Saturday in Charlotte.

4. DOLPHINS: Georgia LB Tindall is Miami's top pick in quiet draft: Miami had an NFL-low four picks and none until the 102nd overall, making Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall their first selection. Then again, Fins spent their top picks to get star WR Tyreek Hill from Chiefs, so if you wanted to call Hill Miami's No. 1 pick in this NFL Draft, I wouldn't argue much. No first round pick usually is a good sign for Miami. The nine previous times, eight winning seasons, six playoff berths and the '72 Perfect Season followed.

5. MARLINS: Shh. Overshadowed, but Fish win streak finally ends: Heat and Panthers in playoffs and NFL Draft have hogged the recent spotlight, but Marlins quietly won seven straight before losing Sunday and are 12-9 and second in NL East. This was Miami's longest win streak since 2016. As expected, pitching (seventh of 30 in team ERA) has made up for an offense 22nd in run production. Miami hosts Arizona for three games starting tonight. 

6. NBA: Title odds for final eight teams as 2nd round begins: NBA playoffs' second round begins with a pair of games Sunday, and Golden State (+300) and Phoenix (+325) are betting favorites to win it all among the final eight, followed by Boston (+375), Miami (+500) and reigning champion Milwaukee (+700). Longshots are Memphis (+1300), Dallas (+2000) and, because of the Embiid injury, Philadelphia (+2500).

7. MOTORSPORTS: Countdown 6 days 'til inaugural Miami Grand Prix: The first Miami Grand Prix of Formula One racing will run one week from today/Sunday in and around Hard Rock Stadium. Max Verstappen is a narrow betting favorire over Charles Leclerc to win. (Yes, Lewis Hamilton is in the event, too, for those who can only name one F1 driver).

8. RUNNING: Miami Corporate Run disrupts, angers thousands of concert goers: The Miami Corporate Run on Thursday evening halted and disrupted downtown traffic in rush hour Thursday evening. The gridlock in favor of a footrace caused thousands of music fans to be late for an Elton John concert they'd paid hundreds to see at the Heat arena. As if it didn't go without saying: Motorists and event-goers should not be diverted as second-class citizens so runners can clog roadways meant for motorists. Insane.

9. CANES BASKETBALL: Wong pivots over NIL threat to leave: Hurricanes guard and second-leading scorer on an Elite Eight team, Isaiah Wong, said he would not enter the transfer portal, less than 24 hours after his agent said he would transfer if his name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation was not. Wong now says he will keep his name in the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility and leaving open the option to return to Miami. NIL figured to get ugly. It did.

10. MLB: Record domestic violence suspension for L.A.'s Bauer: Baseball announced a 324-game suspension for Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, the equivalent of two full seasons -- and easily the most severe punishment handed out under the sport's domestic violence policy. Bauer quickly announced he would be appealing. Ironically, it seems very little about Bauer is appealing.

Missing the HB10 cut: Hurricanes football kept alive (barely) its now-48-year streak of players taken in the NFL Draft when defensive lineman Jonathan Ford was selected in the seventh round by Green Bay on Saturday. UM has had at least one player picked in every NFL Draft since 1975 -- fourth-longest streak in the nation ..... Mark Emmert has stepped down as NCAA president. What a thankless job that has become! ..... Liverpool (up two) and Manchester City (plus one) take advantages into this week's second-leg semifinal matches in the UEFA Champions League ..... Canes baseball is No. 3-ranked but not for long at 31-12 after four straight losses .....  Tennis great Boris Becker was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for illegally transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt ..... Shame on Miami Lakes for "moving on" from the Shula name ..... xxxxx ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,520 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: 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

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

1) It's MONDAY, APRIL 25. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's album -- which includes a song by me and reached No.1 on iTunes chart! 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): Heat blow Game 3 lead in Atlanta, David Samson (!) joins fight against soccer stadium, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW WITH START OF FATHER-SON OLYMPICS!: Our 19th episode of 2022 and 110th 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 110 we've done HERE, free. The new episode includes the start of our Father-Son Olympics as get verdicts at the pool table and on the golf course. (Go Greg go!) Also some Heat talk after last  night's Game 4 win gave Miami is big 3-1 series lead. Hit up GCS2219 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).

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 earned APSE distinction: 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! Butler, Heat Culture Arise as Miami Seizes 3-1 Series Lead NEW!

History Says Heat Still In Charge, But Blown Game 3 Lead Gives Atlanta Life

Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium

Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener

Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now

Hilltop: The most recent five after that: 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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (APRIL 24-25): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature -- back after a week's hiatus -- 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 reasserts itself with Butler-led Game 4 win: Jimmy Butler poured in 36 points as Heat smashed Hawks in Atlanta 110-86 Sunday  night for a commanding 3-1 series lead entering Game 5 back in the 3-0-5 Tuesday night. Kyle Lowry sat out with a hamstring injury but Butler and intensified defense were plenty.

2. PANTHERS: Cats see 13-game win streak finally end: Florida already had clinched the Eastern conference's No. 1 playoff seed and won a surreal 13 games in a row before Sunday's 8-4 home loss to Tamp Bay, tied for the most goals Florida had allowed in a game all season. Cats have three games left in regular season, all away, starting Tuesday in Boston. With NHL Stanley Cup playoffs beginning May 2, Florida is presently on line to face Washington in the first round. 

3. NFL: It's Draft Week, but low-watt -- especially for Dolphins: The three-day NFL Draft starting on Thursday attracts lower interest nationally than usual, including in Miami, where, because of trades such as acquiring Tyreek Hill, the Fins have no selection until late in the third round. It's the first draft since 2002 in which MIA has no first- or second-round pick. Also, no former Hurricanes are coveted, with S Bubba Bolden and WR Charleston Rambo both pegged for around the sixth round. Absence of franchise QBs also hurts this draft, with none pegged a certain first rounder.

4. MARLINS: Fish win Braves series, climb to second in division: Miami is 7-8 and now second in NL East after Sunday's 5-4 win in Atlanta made it two out of three vs. the rival Braves. Miami has had 25 hits in the past two wins. Marlins' six-game road trip continues with three at Washington starting Tuesday.

5. INTER MIAMI: Herons stay hot on pitch. But will they win crucial stadium vote?: Miami is 3-1-4 in MLS play but has won its past thtree straight matches with Sunday's 2-1 home matinee win over Atlanta. (Inter Miami also fit in a 1-nil win over lower-tier Miami FC in U.S. Open Cup play). Overriding it all, though: This Thursday's city of Miami commission vote whether to green-light Miami Freedom Park and the new-stadium initiative.  

6. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men score major transfer in K-State's Pack: Elite Eight bump? Former Kansas State point guard Nije Pack, seen as the No. 1 available player in the transfer portal, committed to Miami and Jim Larranaga. Said Pack: "The way Coach L allows players to play with freedom and get up and down the floor with an NBA-style offense, I feel like I can thrive in his program."

7. MIGUEL CABRERA: Star of worst trade in Marlins history gets 3,000th hit: Detroit's Miguel Cabrera cashed his 3,000th hit Saturday, becoming that club's 33rd member and only the seventh with both 3K hits and 500-plus homers. I n his first five seassons in Miami Miggy got 842 of those hits, or 28 percent. Trading Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis after the 2007 season was epic-awful, with none of the six players gotten in return remotely justifying the deal.

8. AUTO RACING: Upcoming Miami Grand Prix gets legal green flag: Miami's May 8 Formula 1 race is on. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alan Fine this week ruled against a lawsuit to stop the race brought by Miami Gardens residents who feared hearing loss over the noise. Dear residents: The race lasts a few hours. Shut your windows. Try earplugs. Go to the beach.

9. BOXING: Fury dominates before throng in London: Tyson Fury retained his WBC heavyweight title with a sixth-round TKO of Dillian Whyte on Saturday before 94,000-plus boxinf fans at Wembley Stadium. Fury, 33, has lately been vowing to retire? Anybody believe him? Anybody at all?

10. SOCCER: UEFA Champions League semifinals on deck: It's two Spanish clubs and two English in the Champions League final four. Manchster City faces Real Madrid on Tuesday and Liverpool faces upstart Villarreal Wednesday in first-leg semifinals matches. Villarrea is the only stunner after ousting Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

Missing the HB10 cut: No team has yet advanced in the NBA playoffs' first round, but five teams (including Heat) are one win away ..... NFL said it will play three games on Christmas Day this season ..... Wimbledon has banned players from Russian and Belarus from competing this year over the ongoing invasion of Ukraine ..... No. 5-ranked Canes baseball is 31-9 after Sunday's home loss to Pitt ..... Fan Controlled Football season is underway, and nobody cares ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,527 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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Select other recent columns: 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 / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot / 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

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

1) It's FRIDAY, APRIL 15-TUESDAY APRIL 19. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's album -- which includes a song by me and reached No.1 on iTunes chart! 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): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

Note to readers: Cruisin'!: After the Marlins game Thursday night we left on a five-day family cruise vacation through Tuesday. It has been booked for many months and is not ideally timed, as it turns out, because I'll miss the Heat's first two playoff games. I trust there will be plenty more in what could be a long run. I could have bowed out of the cruise, but made the executive decision that disapponting my boss was less problematic for me than making my wife super angry. (I hope married guys out there can relate). Hot Button Top 10 also will take Sunday off. However, while away, we'll still be sending a new podcast -- Cruiseship Edition -- that drops on Monday morning!  

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: TIM KURKJIAN, STRAT-O-MATIC INVENTOR OUT NOW; NEW EPISODE DROPS MNDAY!!: Our 17th episode of 2022 and 108th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 108 we've done HERE, free. In the new episode: It's Welcome Back, Baseball as we have on ESPN MLB expert Tim Kurkjiam and Hal Richman, legendary inventor of the Strat-O-Matic baseball board game. Kurkjian tells us teams that will surprise, talks Marlins, and opines on changes in the game. Richman describes how he thought of Strat-O-Matic as an 11-year-old and launched a brand important to millions of fans -- including me. Hit up GCS2217 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. Our pod also simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). Remember, the new epsiode -- Cruiseship Edition -- is out Monday morning the 18th!

Thank you readers: I'm 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 us APSE distinction: 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! Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener NEW! 

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

Hilltop: The most recent five after that: 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 (Was) America 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

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Other recent columns: Peacocks? Coach K? Hurricanes, The 'Football School' In Elite Eight, Deserve Love Too / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins  /  Hurricanes Storming Sweet 16 Shades of George Mason '06 for Larranaga / 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 / The Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears  / 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 / The Lesson For Dolphins in Rams-Bengals Super Bowl Result / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / The G.O.A.T. We Never Saw Coming: From 199th Drafted To History, A Salute To Tom Brady / Like Him Or Don't, Antonio Brown Not Always To Blame -- And Wasn't In Bucs Divorce / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Mahomes-Allen Air Show A Reminder How Much Better Dolphins And Tua Need To Be / 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

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

1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 14. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's latest venture -- which includes a song by me and reached No.1 on iTunes chart! 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): The moment Riley anointed Spoelstra to lead Heat, Brittney Griner stuck in Russia started with low WNBA pay, The resurgence of Canes basketball, Le Batard musical reaches No. 1, latest Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 12th episode of 2022 and 103rd overall is out now! A new pod drops each Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 103 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest pod, we welcome two special guests: JT Daly, production mastermind of the new Le Batard Show musical, and Joey -- the Babe Ruth of American jai-alai. (They are pictured). Hit up GCS2212 for the full story on the new ep. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). And watch for our weekly YouTube previews of latest episode HERE.

A PERSONAL NOTE, AND THANKS: I am honored to once again be named by Associated Press Sports Editors as a national Top 10 columnist in the major-outlet category for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won us the APSE distinction: 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, too? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Miami Dolphins sabotaging Tua, season with misguided interest in Watson

Heat, Brittney Griner, Canes: Our newest, basketball intensive columns from past week:

The Moment Spoelstra Joined Miami Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach

Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia Because Of Low WNBA Pay -- And NBA Failing To Help

Larranaga, Meier Enjoy Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears

Other most recent columns:  Le Batard Show Anoints Chris Cote To Save Jai-Alai /Tom Brady. Miami Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen and Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart, Ended In Divorce

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MARCH 13-14): 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. NFL: He's baaack! Brady coming back after six week's 'retirement': G.O.A.T. QB Tom Brady, 44, now says he will play another season with the Tampa bay Buccaneers.

2. COLLEGE BASKETBALL/CANES: Selection Sunday sets bracket for Canes, Madness: Brackets ready? Selection Sunday set the fields for the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments -- a.k.a., March Madness. Miami's 80-76 loss to Duke Friday night in men's ACC semifinals would not hurt its NCAA standing, and the UM women's 3-0 run before an ACC final loss certainly would not. Miami men are a No. 10 seed and open vs. No. 7 USC in the Midwest region. On women's side, Canes are a No. 8 seed and open vs. No. 9 Souht Florida in the Greensboro region. Madness tips off Tuesday and runs through April 4.

3. MLB/MARLINS: Play ball! Lockout settled, spring games on deck: Baseball's 99-day lockout (finally) ended with a new CBA agreement, and a full 162-game season preserved. Teams report this weekend for a few days' practice before spring play starts. Marlins' first spring game is this coming Friday, with regular season Opening Day on April 8 at the Giants. Meantime free agency has begun again. Tim to open up the wallet for big bats, Marlins. Kris Bryant? Nick Castellanos? Yes, please!

4. PANTHERS: Cats' 5=game streak ends in L.A.: Florida is 40-13-6 after a loss in L.A. Sunday night ended a five-game win streak, but Florida still is up four points over Tampa Bay in the NHL Atlantic, with the league's highest scoring team (by a lot) and Sergei Bobrovsky in a groove at the net. Florida's five-game streak was its best since opening the season 8-0.

5. HEAT: Miami loses but still out front in East: Miami is 45-24 but still 2 1/2 games up in the East after Saturday night's 113-104 home loss to Minnesota despite Tyler Herro's 30 points. Jimmy Butler sat out with a sore toe. Markieff Morris (six points, 17 minutes) played his first game in four months since suffering a whiplash injury in a November 8 one-rounder with Denver's Nikola Jokic. Heat continues its seven-game homestand Tuesday vs. Detroit. 

6. NFL/DOLPHINS: Major QB news as free agency frenzy underway: Aaron Rodgers re-ups with Green Bay. Seattle trades Russell Wilson to Denver. Interest in Deshaun Watson revives as grand jury declines to criminally charge him. (Oh, and Indy trades Carson Wentz to Washington). NFL free agency has begun! Watson still faces 22 civil suits over alleged impropiety during massage sessions, but the lifting of the criminal cloud is huge. Maximbet.com has Tampa Bay (3-1) and Pittsburgh (4-1) most likely to sign Watson. (Don't sleep on Carolina). Dolphins, with money to spend, should be active in FA. Guard Laken Tomlinson is someone to keep an eye on.  

7. INTER MIAMI: Still winless through 3 games; stadium vote delayed: Inter Miami is now 0-2-1 (two losses, one tie) to open Year 3 in MLS after Saturday's 2-nil home loss to LAFC, with only one goal scored in three games. Herons return to the pitch next Saturday at Cincinnati. Meantime city of Miami delayed yet again a final vote whether to green-light the new Miami Freedom Park initative. Vote was to be this past week but is now set for April 7.

8. TENNIS: Miami Open one week away; Djokovic withdraws: The Miami Open at Hard Rock begins next week, March 21, with a strong field -- but one weakened by the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic. He cannot travel to the U.S. because he remains steadfastly unvaccinated against COVID. Djokovic is a 20-time Grand Slam winner and No. 2 in the wpr;d but continues his quixotic stance against the vaccine for no apparent reason.  #smh  Good riddance.

9. WNBA: Griner remains detained in Russia amid invasion of Ukraine: Phoenix Mercury WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia after her arrest on likely concocted drug charges -- now seen as a retaliation pawn as the U.S. and much of the rest of the world levies economic sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, English Premier League disqualified Roman Abramovich as a director at Chelsea when the club's assets were frozen after the UK imposed sanctions on Abramovich, one of seven Russian oligarchs targeted in the eake of the invasion.

10. GOLF: Tiger inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame: In a foregone conclusion, Tiger Woods officially was inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame this week, introduced by daughter Sam, 14. Woods was elected March 2020 for induction in '21, but the ceremony was delayed by COVID. Woods, 46, conrinues his recovery from serious leg injuries suffered in a car wreck 13 months ago.

Missing the HB10 cut: Did I mention the Le Batard Show musical was No. 1 on the national iTunes chart? Yeah that was a thing ..... Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid have claimed the first four spots in the UEFA Champions League final eight, with the other four teams to be decided by matches this Tuesday and Wedneday. (Real ousted Messi and Paris-Saint Germain). The quarterfinal draw will be held Friday. Championship match is set May 28 in Paris, moved from Russia becase of its invasion of Ukraine ..... The Spurs' Gregg Popovich won his 1,336th game to surpass Don Nelson for all-time NBA coaching wins ..... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and longtime GF Brittany Matthews got hitched in a lavish Hawaii wedding ..... Broadcaster Joe Buck is leaving Fox Sports for ESPN to become the voice of Monday Night Football ..... Four-time major tennis champion Naomi Osaka was heckled by a spectator during a second-round loss at Indian Wells ..... Weather has ravaged The Players Championship, which likely won't finish until Monday (or even Tuesday) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida ..... LeBron (Ain't Done Yet) James dropped 50 on the Wizards. But can the Lakers scramble to even make the playoffs? ..... Canes baseball, out of the Top 25, is 10-4 entering today's rubber game of a three-game home series vs. Boston College ..... Hurricanes spring football practice, three workdays in, is off until resuming March 22 ..... Canes rewarded men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga with a two-year contract extension ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,569 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 7. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's latest venture. Includes our original 'Back In My Day' song. I'm back in with Le Batard Show on Tuesday. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tom Brady a Dolphins part owner, Why Jeter-Marlins marriage fell apart, Personal note and thanks, Le Batard Show musical drops, NFL's mosy disliked people, new Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 11th episode of 2022 and 102nd overall is out noe! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 102 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest pod, we are joined by Gary Pomerantz, author of "Wilt, 1962: The Night Of 100 Points & The Dawn Of A New Era.'' He shares rich details of that epic game, shares the truth about that infamous 20,000 women claim and more. Also in the new ep: Greg’s wife has been out of town for a week, and he shares something that might or might not make him a bad husband; the bizarre reason Greg never walks around his house naked even he’s when the only person there; Yeti Blanc, our resident musician, leads an impassioned analysis of the Le Batard Show’s newly released musical; debut of new podcast sponsor Lobos Mints; and Greg messes up while making fun of dumb people on “Wheel Of Fortune.” Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). And watch for the debut of our weekly YouTube previews of the new episode HERE.

A PERSONAL NOTE, AND THANKS: I am very honored to once again be named by Associated Press Sports Editors as a national Top 10 columnist in the major-outlet category for 2021 in '22 judging. The Miami Herald also was named a Top 10 daily section, and Top 10 in special projects for ours on the 5-year annniversary of the Jose Fernandez tragedy, a project that also included myself. Some of you asked, so: These are the four nominated columns (earliest to most recent) that won us the APSE distinction: 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, too? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Miami Dolphins sabotaging Tua, season with misguided interest in Watson

MARCH GLADNESS: HURRICANES BASKETBALL, COACHES LARRANAGA AND MEIER ENJOYING RESURGENCE: It is a season of resurgence and redemption for Miami Hurricanes basketball, women and men. Not everyone is paying attention. Associated Press Top 25 voters, for instance. The UM women reached the ACC Championship Game for the first time ever Sunday. The team is 20-12 despite almost half of their games (14) being against nationally ranked opponents. The Canes men, preparing for its ACC tournament opener Thursday in Brooklyn, is 22-9 and has the best road record (10-2) of any Power 5 conference team. Here is where the two teams are ranked in the latest Top 25s: Nowhere. That includes zero mention even in the “others receiving votes” category. This is the 60th season for UM men’s hoops and the 50th for the women’s program, and only the fifth time both have had a 20-win season and made the NCAA Tournament the same year. (The official invite to March Madness won’t come until Selection Sunday, but both are seen as certain to get in, each pegged a No. 10 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology projection). It can be a long climb to respect. For our full latest column, visit Larranaga, Meier Enjoying Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears.

Our most recent other columns:  Le Batard Show Anoints Chris Cote To Save Jai-Alai /Tom Brady. Miami Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen and Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart, Ended In Divorce 

Other most recent columns: 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 / Who Dolphins, With Windfall To Spend, Should Target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MARCH 6-7): 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. CANES BASKETBALL: UM women fall in ACC title game: Jim Larranaga's UM men and Katie Meier's Canes women both figure to hear good news next week on Selection Sunday in comeback seasons leading to the NCAA Tournement. The UM women are now 20-12 and 11-9 in the conference after Sunday's championship game loss in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro followed a 3-0 run. UM men ended regular season 22-9 (14-6 ACC) with Saturday's 75-72 win at Syracuse, and now prepare for this week's ACC tourney in Brooklyn, their first game Thursday. 

2. MLB: Don't Play Ball! Jeter-less Marlins wait as lockout cancels games, delays season: The Marlins and CEO Derek Jeter parted ways last Monday, and one day later MLB commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two weeks of the regular season when a deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement passed without resolution. And the stalemate continues. Miami is now scheduled to begin spring training March 18 and the now 156-game season April 8 -- but a further delay and more canceled games looms large.

3. INTER MIAMI: Team loses big, now new-stadium vote looms: Herons began MLS Year 3 with a 0-0 draw at home in Fort Lauderdale and on Sunday got clobbered 5-1 at Austin in Game 2. More important, this Wednesday will be the city of Miami's delayed vote on whether to finally green-light the proposed Miami Freedom Park stadium near the airport. Inter Miami wanted to win Sunday but is vitally desperate to win Wednesday.

4. HEAT: Heat stay hot, grow lead as long home stretch begins: Miami is 43-22, on an 11-2 run and now atop the East by 3 games after Saturday's 99-82 home win over second place Philly fueled by 21 each from Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler. Miami will be home for 10 of the next 11 games starting tonight/Monday vs. Houston, which could mark the return of Victor Oladipo from a long injury absence.

5. PANTHERS: Florida now 1 point back in Atlantic race: Florida is 37-13-5 but now one point back in the tight NHL Atantic even after Saturday' nights 6-2 home domination of Detroit after a rough February that saw the Panthers a mortal 3-4. Cats are back on ice Monday in Buffalo.

6. HURRICANES: Bittersweet day for Cristobal as spring football kicks off: UM launched the first of 15 spring practice workdays on Monday as the Mario Cristobal era got its tangible start with former Dolphins great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor joining the staff in an off-field capacity. Cristobal left right after practce to attend his mother's funeral.

7. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: 94-81 loss Coach K's home farewell, Champ Week top sport: The men's regular season is over and conference championships will be decided this week prior to Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. But first: The emotional pull Saturday as Mike Krzyzewski of No. 4-ranked Duke -- retiring this season after 42 years and five national titles -- worked his final home game at Cameron Indoor, a thunderous farewell despite a 94-81 loss. Tickets were going for at least $3,450 for the historic event.

8. NFL: Scouting combine, trade rumors talk of league: The four-day NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up Sunday in Indianapolis -- the last major talent parade before the NFL Draft April 28-30 in Las Vegas. Meantime the offseason percolates with rumors about the destination of Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Ruussell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Amari Cooper, DK Metcalf and others.

9. WNBA: Phoenix star Griner detained in Russia: Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was detained by Russian authorities for allegedly trying to leave the country with the drug hashish hidden in vape pens. In somewhat related news, the Haas Formula One team has terminated Russian driver Nikita Mazepin's contract over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Formula One had previously  canceled the Russiam Grand Prix.

10. TENNIS: Miami Open rallies with strong field as tourney nears: After a down entry list last year due mostly to COVID, Miami Open tennis will boast 73 of the top 75 ranked players on both the ATP and WTA tours when play begins March 21 at Hard Rock Stadium. Notable exceptions: Fan favorite Serena Williams continues out with a mending hamstring, and Novak Djokovic likely will not be allowed to enter the U.S. due to his non-vax status. There also is speculation Rafael Nadal may withdraw due to a foot injury.

Missing the HB10 cut: Colby Covington dominated Jorge Masvidal in a unanimous decision in the UFC 272 main event Saturday night in Vegas ..... The NFL suspended Calvin Ridley for the entire 2022 season after determing the Falcons WR bet on NFL games in '21 ..... No. 22 Canes baseball is 8-3 after dropping two of three at home to nemesis Florida ..... UEFA Champions League round-of-16 play resumes this Tuesday ..... Jackson Mahomes says, "The media is destroying my life." Dear Patrick's Lil' Bro: You invite attention on Tik-Tok, by dancing on Sean Taylor's field logo and by your entitled behavior. Your 'celebrity' is weird and unearned but somehow you crave it. Quit being so dramatic ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,576 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: An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / The Lesson For Dolphins in Rams-Bengals Super Bowl Result / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / The G.O.A.T. We Never Saw Coming: From 199th Drafted To History, A Salute To Tom Brady / Like Him Or Don't, Antonio Brown Not Always To Blame -- And Wasn't In Bucs Divorce / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Mahomes-Allen Air Show A Reminder How Much Better Dolphins And Tua Need To Be / 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 and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.