It is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17. I'm back in the Friday Page Dungeon today trying to survive this week's NFL picks. If you hear screaming call 9-1-1. 2) Yesterday was "National Boss Day," a contrivance to which underlings everywhere might mutter, "Isn't every day?" My Boss is pictured. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, LeBron revealed, happy anniversary Steve Bartman, exhilaration and disgust, SOPY rankings & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).

Canes-North Carolina: Watch for a new, separate blogpost on tonight's Miami Hurricanes-North Carolina game around late afternoon today.

Heat seen as NBA victories leader: Predicatbly, new betting over/unders from Bovada for NBA regular-season victories have Heat on top at 61.5. Followers are Clippers 57, Bulls 56.5, Spurs 55.5 and Rockets/Pacers both 54.5. Caboose is 76ers at 17.

ARE THESE DOLPHINS A PLAYOFF TEAM?: I know. It's a bit early for this. But Miami has so seldom been in the NFL playoff picture the past dozen or so years that just being in the conversation is worth chewing on, even pre-Halloween. Besides, the bye week is a pause that invites reflection. The Dolphins at 3-2 entering Sunday's game here vs. Buffalo would hold the sixth and final AFC playoff spot (the second wild-card) if the postseason started now. But five teams are 3-3 and three others have two wins, so the competition down the stretch will be fierce. Betting odds right now (Bovada) are that Miami will not make the playoffs. What do you think? I remind Dolfans who are voting (probably the majority) that this isn't asking what you hope happens but rather what your gut honestly feels will happen. Pull the lever with mind not heart, if you are able. Vote and say why, and check back often to monitor evolving results.

DOCTOR SLEEP: Just finished reading Stephen King's latest, Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining. (Not a prequel, as I'd caresslessly called it originally). I'll offer no plot hint except this: I'll never again pass a Winnebago on the Interstate without a glance at the driver. This book is far from my favorite of his, but I flew through the 500-plus pages fast and would recommend it. Then again I'm one of King's Constant Readers. He suffers critically from his popularity, but I'm proud to call him my favorite novelist (not counting Pete Dexter, who, opposite of King's prolificness, doesn't write nearly enough to suit me).

MULTI-TASKING IN MOVIE THEATERS: Movie theaters -- dying like newspapers and hand-written letters -- need life breathed into them, but the idea that has caught my eye seems counterintuitive to say the least. A San Francisco venture capitalist named Hunter Walk suggests designated rooms or seating sections that allow (and thus tacitly encourage) texting, Tweeting and web-surfing during the film. At least two chains, Regal and IMAX, think it might be a good idea. Hmm. Remember when you went to the movies to escape the sort of reality embodied by cell phones? Dear Fellow Human: If you cannot leave your smartphone alone for 103 minutes, you may have Attention Deficit Disorder. Seriously.

STICK-FIGURE FAMILIES: We've all seen the stick-figure-family decals on the rear windows of cars and (most often, it seems) SUVs. They in turn have spawned response decals such as the one pictured -- and some more crude than this. It's in the same vein as the bumper sticker that reads, "My Kid Can Beat Up Your Honor Student." Response decals are not new. Remember when 'Baby On Board' begat 'Mother-in-Law In Trunk'? But the new wave reflected in the one pictured seem a bit coarse; no, mean-spirited. What's next? A bumper sticker that reads, "You Love Your Schnauzer? I'd Love to Eat Your Schnauzer with Fava Beans."  Or how about a reponse to those R.I.P. in-memorium stickers that reads, "I Don't Give a Crap That Your Loved One Died." C'mon, people! We turn a dark corner as a society when being mean is such a point of pride that we have it on a rolling billboard. Be nice!

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Me on SportsCenter: Further proof TV is not just for the telegenic: I'll be on ESPN's SportsCenter talking Heat today at 6 p.m.

1) It is WEDNESDAY, MAY 29. LeBron James on the cover (right) of the new Sports Illustrated. Timing would have been better had he heroically led a win last night. Guess SI couldn't arrange it. 2) Thanks to Le Batard for the chaotic, awkward radio appearance(s) yesterday. Always fun! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat Game 3 win, Heat how-concerned poll, Dolphins win projection, Marlins Sad-O-Meter. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote and now on Instagram at upsetbird.

Click on Big 3 Must Be Even Bigger for my column from Indianapolis on last night's Game 4 Heat loss.

Sweepin' Spurs await East winner: Impressive San Antonio completed a four-game sweep of Memphis last night in the Western Conference finals and awaits the Heat-Pacers winner. No matter how/when this East series ends, the NBA Finals will start June 6 in Miami. That means San Antonio, last in the Finals in 2007, will have 10 days' rest. (On the other hand, it means the elderly Spurs will be 10 days older).

G4: PACERS 99, HEAT 92: MIAMI SHOOTS 39%, IS DOMINATED ON BOARDS: It wasn't that LeBron James fouled out with 56 seconds left on a very questionable call. That's convenient as excuses go, but I'd sooner look to 39 percent shooting and a 49-30 rebounding differential favoring the home Pacers Tuesday. The Big 3 was not big. LeBron was below his averages for points, rebounds and assists and had little of the low-post presence and force he'd had the prvious game. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were far worse, a combined 6-for-21 shooting. I still like Miami's chances in this Eastern Conference finals now tied 2-2, with two of the next three at home and because the Big 3 have earned the faith to expect a rebound performance Thursday. It just got interesting, though. ..... Original post: Indiana coach Frank Vogel coined an interesting phrase, referring to the Heat's "big fourth." He says Miami is most dangerous, almost unstoppable when, in addition to the Big 3, someone else arises offensively like Udonis Haslem did in Game 3. Or like Birdman Andersen has throughout this postseason. Or like Ray Allen or Shane Battier on a night when the 3's are dropping. Then, it isn't just LeBron. Who will tonight's Big Fourth be? Miami is the first team in NBA history to win five straight playoff road games by 10-or-more points. A win tonight by any margin will mean the series is effectively over. The Heat know it. A 3-1 lead with two games left in Miami would give Indy all but zero chance. "We have an opportunity to control the series," coach Erik Spoelstra admitted Monday. Now let's see if they can.

DESTINATION: SHRIMP COCKTAIL: My mouth waters as I type that I'll swing by St. Elmo's on the walk to the arena today for their world-famous shrimp cocktail with fiery sauce. You talk about a pregame meal! Was disappointed to find the place closed yesterday for Memorial Day. Today, I shall not be denied! [Postscript: Had the 'tail. Sublime!].

LEBRON A QB? NO PROB, SAYS LEBRON: Former NFL quarterback and broadcaster Joe Theismann, bored pimping for a men's bladder-control product, made media rounds this week suggesting LeBron James could be an NFL QB. LeBron, never lacking confidnece and a two-year receiver in high school, took the qauestion seriously when asked Monday. "I have the ability," he said. "I can see and read plays. I know defenses and things if that nature. So I would have been pretty good." Best things about that last sentence? The past-tense.

SAD-O-METER: MARLINS NOW OFFICIALLY ON RECORD LOSS PACE: We have this new blog feature we update as long as Marlins' winning percentage is under .300 -- as long as the New York Mets' infamous 1962 record of 40-120 (.250) is within dubious reach. Well, seven straight losses now have S-O-M exploding on record pace. Updated Sad-O-Meter: Current record, 13-39 (.250). Season projection, 40.5 wins, 121.5 losses.

Click back. Will be updating/adding to this latest blogpost...

[1) It is Wednesday, March 21. Live Chat Wednesday, our weekly Q&A, returns for another round today 1-2 p.m. Click HERE to join us live then or to post questions now. 2) Hope Yeremiah Bell re-signs. A good safety and a better guy. 3) Thanks to Bonnie Gross for having us speak to her FAU multimedia journalism class. Enjoyed it. 4) Lady Gaga says here she won't do any more press interviews for a long time. The group, People Who Believe Her, would not fill a Kia. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote].

OCCUPY DAVIE?: About 35 protestors (pictured) gathered across the street from Dolphins' HQ in Davie yesterday to protest the club's direction under owner Stephen Ross and GM Jeff Ireland. Sign of the Day "FIRELAND!"

Click on Leading the League in Rejection for my latest column, on the Dolphins' offseason woes.

DOLPHINS SIGN QB DAVID GARRARD: Whirlwind times for the Dolphins. Last night they signed QB David Garrard (pictured right), the ex-Jaguar. Would think that effectively eliminates the hopes to get Alex Smith, just as Peyton Manning choosing Denver will likely make available Tim Tebow (pictured left). The 49ers not landing Manning likely means they will now re-sign Smith,  erasing yet another option from the Dolphins. Will the last person to reject the Dolphins please turn out the light? This planned major quarterback upgrade is not coming easily for the Dolphins. It may not come at all. The winner in all this? Maybe Matt Moore, who is looking more and more like he'll keep his starting job. Doubt Garrard is better. And neither is Tebow. With no Smith, I think Miami should and will end up sticking with Moore for another year and move to draft and develop Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill. Then again, the way the Dolphins' luck is running, somebody else will draft Tannehill first and Moore will bust his ankle jet-skiing. Oh, and Chad Henne will make the Pro Bowl for Jacksonville. Do not think Tebow will be pursued. Isn't good enough. He would be a splash signing in terms of headlines and buzz, but don't count on it. Ross and Ireland need help, though. Should they pursue a trade for Tebow assuming the asking price is fair? Vote now and say why. Interesting, evolving results. Check back often to monitor... 

Flynn on Seattle over Miami: Matt Flynn on Seattle radio topday, about choosing the Seahawks over Dolphins despite his familiarty with Joe Philbin: "I felt it’s a program that’s really on the rise, doing the right thing, is being led by the right type of people." A veiled shot at Ireland et al?

Manning, Tebow bettling lines: Nobody puts up lines quicker than Bovada. They have Peyton Manning over/unders for Broncos as 4,000 passing yards and 28.5 TD passes. Tim Tebow's destination is Jaguars at 3-2, Broncos and Dolphins both 7-4, Patriots 7-1 and Browns 12-1. Revised Super Bowl odds have Packers 13-2, Patriots 15-2, Saints 10-1, and Texans and Broncos both 12-1 -- Denver up from 50-1 last month. Miami is 40-1 (mid-pack tie for 17th), from 35-1 last month.

HEAT'S COUNTDOWN TO OKLAHOMA CITY: Revenge upon Orlando completed with Miami's 13th straight home win, check. Impressive late rally to beat Phoenix last night for 14th straight home win, check. Now Heat fans' next red circle on the calendar should be this coming Sunday's visit to Oklahoma City in the teams' first meeting of the season -- and a likely or at least very possible NBA Finals preview. Meantime, with the regular season two-thirds finished, time to start paying attention to conference standings and likely playoff pairings. Miami, as it stands, would draw creaking Boston in the first round.

IT'S GOOD BEING OZZIE GUILLEN: Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen posted on his website a picture of the shack he's living in up in Jupiter during spring training, and we pass it along for your edification.

MADNESS UPDATE / NATIONAL: REST TIME FOR THE SWEET 16: No. 11 seed North Carolina State would be Cinderella in the men's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 if not for 13th seed Ohio, and I wonder if a few Miami Hurricanes fans have thought, "That should be us." N.C. State was the last ACC invite, bumping UM. Anyway, the Madness breathes and rests for a few days before Sweet 16 games start Thursday. UPSET WATCH: Through 48 games so far, the biggest upsets by seed have been by 15s Lehigh and Norfolk, by 13 Ohio and by 12s Virginia Commonwealth and South Florida. In all there have been 13 upsets in 48 games, or 27.1 percent. MY BRACKET: I'm alive with 10 of the 16 survivors. Could be worse, I guess. My bracket-killers have been Missouri and Florida State; I had both reaching the Final Four. Too much faith in the ex-Canes coaches, Frank Haith and Leonard Hamilton.

Updated Madness betting lines: From Bovada, Kentucky is a clear national-championship fave at 11-5, followed by Ohio State 5-1, Michigan State and North Carolina both 13-2, and Kansas 8-1. Glass slipper fits Ohio at 100-1. 

MADNESS UPDATE / MIAMI: CANES WOMEN, MEN BOTH ELIMINATED: Tough night for The U in hoops last night. UM women were upset in round two of the NCAAs by Gonzaga on their home court in Spokane, after routing Idaho State in their tourney opener. Canes were again without suspended star Riquna Williams. Kudos to Katie Meier (pictured) for a righteous decision many coaches would not have had the nerve to make. The Miami men, trying to make the best of the NIT, hosted Minnesota but lost after beating Valparaiso in their opener.

ICE ON FIRE AS PANTHERS STAY HOT: Overshadowed by the Heat, the Dolphins' QB calamity and nationally by March Madness, the Florida Panthers last night won a fifth straight games, the club's best streak in four years to maintain a five-point division lead with 10 games left. Cats have lost as many games (36) as they've won and been outscored by 16 goals, but first is first is first. Especially for a club that last made the playoffs in 2000 and last won a playoff series in halcyon 1997.

BETHENNY FRANKEL UPDATE: Reality cougar Bethenny Frankel appeared on TV the other day, dropped for a pushup and flashed her nearly bare bottom. Click here if you don't believe it. I couldn't say it if it weren't true. This is a blog!

FOR RED SOX FANS: Most of the sports books I am sent sit unread. An exception is Fenway: A Fascinating First Century (Sports Illustrated Books, $32.95), which I'd recommend as a must-have for Boston Red Sox fans and which would also nicely grace the coffee table of anyone enamored of baseball history. Well, not counting Yankees fans. They should probably skip it.

THE LIST: HOME STADIUMS AND ARENAS: With Opening Day in 16 days, Marlins Park will become only the sixth different South Florida facility to be home to one of our Big Four pro teams. The stadiums and arenas...

DOLPHINS: Orange Bowl (1966-86); Dolphins stadium (1987-present).

HEAT: Miami Arena (1988-99); Downtown bayside arena (2000-present).

MARLINS: Dolphins stadium (1993-2011); Marlins Park (beginning 2012).

PANTHERS: Miami Arena (1993-97); Sunrise arena (1998-present).

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1) It is Sunday, March 4, two days after the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's historic 100-point game in 1962. 2) Click on March Marvelousness for my latest column, on South Florida's busiest, most varied sports month. 3) You may still vote in our Dolphins-RG3-QB poll in post directly below this new one. 4) Read about a 21-year-old woman who eats sponges and bars of soap here. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote.

MARLINS TAKING OVER AMERICA! More than 40,000 at FanFest in the new ballpark Saturday. That's impressive. The Miami Marlins could only be bigger, hotter and more in the news now if they signed LeBron James to play first base. The latest evidence: The Petey & Lomo Show, a web-based reality show hosted by sbnation.com starring Marlins outfielders Logan Morrison and Bryan Peterson. The premiere epsiode is titled "The Dirty V's," in which our fun lovin', crazy bachelor heroes form a two-man biker gang on Vespa motorscooters. Click The Dirty V's to watch the episode. I did. It's harmless, fun stuff crammed into a fast four minutes, although I was left to hope the guys don't quit their day jobs just yet in hellbent pursuit of a future in cinema. The Petey & LoMo Show debuts the same week manager Ozzie Guillen and new shortstop Jose Reyes adorn the cover of Sports Illustrated under the banner, "Marlinsanity." New colors, new name, new logo, new ballpark. Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buerhle, Heath Bell, Mike Stanton and ... wait. Sorry. Almost forgot. Mike is going by Giancarlo Stanton now. And of course all of the characters under the big top will be featured as the Marlins star this summer in Showtime's reality series, The Franchise. Is this going to be a fun ride or what? Now all they have to do is live up to the rampaging hype and win. A lot.

BLACK FRIDAY FOR HEAT, UM WOMEN, CANES BASEBALL: Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Heat see nine-game winning streak end in Utah. Hurricanes women stunned by Wake Forest in opener of ACC basketball tournament. And UM baseball loses to top-ranked Florida for ninth time in a row. Get here, Sunday. Special note on the Heat loss: LeBron James had a great game but passed on taking the final shot, instead dishing to Udonis Haslem, who missed. Get off LeBron's back, critics. If U sinks that shot, James is a selfless hero. Because U missed it, what, he's a choker? No. Dwyane Wade's two late fouls and missed free throw cost Miami this game in the final minute, not James not taking the last shot.

WELCOME BACK, LEBRON AND DWYANE: Stayed up 'til 1:30 this morning watching the Heat win at Portland, 107-93, in first game back after all-star break. Glad I did. What a show by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combing for 71 points as team cruised to ninth straight even without Chris Bosh, who was away because his grandmother had died. LeBron scored 38 with 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals, and D-Wade added 33 points and 10 assists. Pretty awesome combo platter. Afterward (see right) LeBron happily photobombed Wade's postgame TV interview.

GOTCHA! NFL NABS SAINTS FOR BOUNTY: The past three years the New Orleans Saints have had an illegal bounty program in which defensive players were paid for hits that injured opponents. I cannot overemphasize how serious I think the NFL will take this. I believe the forthcoming penalties and sanctions will be severe, including major fines and significant forfeited draft picks. Watch and see.

GOLDEN, CANES DISCUSS SPRING PRACTICE: Canes open spring practice Saturday. The big news is the surgery that will shelve QB Stephen Morris this spring. Click here to hear coach Al Golden and some of his players discuss the coming weeks of offseason prepartion.

STUDY PROJECTS MARLINS DEFENSE WORST IN MLB: The annual Fielding Bible meticulously studies and ranks every team based on a formula for Defensive Runs Saved, and has the Marlins a dead-last 30th place for 2012 with minus-30 runs. (Tampa Bay is first with plus-42). The Marlins also were last in 2011 with five starters -- C John Buck, SS Hanley Ramirez, 3B Greg Dobbs, LF Logan Morrison and CF Chris Coghlan -- all ranked among the worst at their position.

FORK TIME FOR CANES MEN'S BASKETBALL: No more pretending, OK? UM's loss to North Carolina State knocked the Hurricanes' chances of an NCAA Tournament invitation from slim to rice-paper thin. The Canes in Jim Larranaga's first season have been what teams that end up in the NIT tend to be: Capable of flashes of brilliance, but not with any consistency.

ULTIMATE TAZER BALL: Friends Leif Kellenberger, Erik Wunsch and Eric Prumm have invented a sport called Ultimate Tazer Ball. It has elements of rugby and soccer and involves a large medicine ball. Oh, and players all carry stun guns and are allowed to taze the person carrying the ball. I only wish I were making this up. Click here to be dumbfounded by the tale, or visit their website to see an utterly ridiculous idea given the imprimatur of legitimacy by slick packaging. As for the three friends who dreamed this up, you might call them entrepreneurs or you might call them daring. I think I might call them idiots.

HARDHAT DORK FACTOR: Nobody looks dorkier wearing a construction hardhat than someone wearing one for the first time, like a millionaire or CEO at a groundbreaking ceremony, a president of the United States, or a sports columnist. Come to think of it everybody looks dorky in a hardhat, and that certainly includes me, with the proof submitted at right. Recently went on a guided tour of the new Marlins Park (for a future column) and had to wear it. The hat I could at least understand. The fluorescent yellow vest, not so much.

TIGER TERSE AND TESTY: Click here to watch and hear Tiger Woods being annoyed by a line of questioning Wednesday at the Honda Classic up in Palm Beach.

THE MAGIC OF ROYALTY: Have you ever noticed that the Queen of England performing the simplest of tasks such as exiting a car takes on the gravitus of a great endeavor and momentous occasion? Yeah me too!

DEAR GREG...: "Your blog's OK but would be better if occasionally you would show Jennifer Lopez posing for a magazine cover wearing a rather obscenely bulging protective cup like boxers wear under their trunks. Thank you." Dear Reader: C'mon. J-Lo would never pose in such attire. (Click on image to enlarge for full effect).

THE LIST: MONKEES GREATEST HITS: In honor of Davy Jones on his recent passing, The Monkees' top 10 biggest songs based on Billboard Hot 100 chart peak:

Peak   Song (Year)

1   Last Train To Clarksville (1966)

1   I'm A Believer (1966)

1   Daydream Believer (1967)

2   A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (1967)

3   Valleri (1967)

3   Pleasant Valley Sunday (1967)

11   Words (1967)

19   D.W. Washburn (1967)

20   Stepping Stone (1966)

20   That Was Then, This Is Now (1984)

Note: I'm A Believer and A Little Bit Me, A little Bit You were written by Neil Diamond. 

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[1) You can still vote in our what-team-are-you-supporting-in-NFL-playoffs poll in post just below this. 3) Hurricanes women fall 12th to 13th in latest AP basketball poll. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote]

Update: Indefinitive quasi-"reports" continue to suggest Jeff Fisher is now leaning toward the Dolphins over the Rams. No official word. Stay tuned. Meantime, strike Mike Mularkey from Miami's list of head-coach candidates. He has been hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

WHOM DO YOU HOPE IS THE NEXT DOLPHINS' COACH?: Obviously the team's No. 1 choice is Jeff Fisher, and even thought he reportedly is leaning to St. Louis until the moment he says "It's the Rams," I would not discount Miami' chances. (Pictured at right, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross' coach-squiring helicopter under attack by the St. Louis Rams). Fisher would get my vote to be next coach since I am finally convinced any hope of Bill Cowher/Jon Gruden is dead in the water. Now have your say. Tell the Dolphins how much you too want Fisher -- or don't. This poll includes the six men who have or will be interviewed by the club for the job as of now, plus one wild-card of my choosing (Les Miles), based solely on speculation and rumor. Also there is a "somebody else" category. Take a dip in our poll and say why you back the person you do.

Joe Philbin's son found dead: Click here for a serious and tragic story about the son of Dolphins coaching candidate Joe Philbin, the Packers offensive coordinator. He had been reported, his body later pulled from a river. Foul play is not suspected in the death of the 21-year-old, leading one to suspect an accident or suicide. The son had been convicted in 2009 of sexual assault.

ALABAMA QUIETS THE COMPLAINERS: Nick Saban's Tide rolled mightily over LSU last night, 21-0. Field goals + that defense = national championship. These were the two best teams in the country (sorry, Oklahoma State), and the victor would deserve the title. A narrow 'Bama win (after Tigers beat Tide 9-6 during the season) might have left debate, but this was conclusive. I had picked Alabama to win 24-20; did not imagine a rout. One post-mortem quibble: Alabama got 55 of 60 votes in the final Associated Press poll. I can almost see the four votes for Oklahoma State; it's like supporting Ralph Nader. You know you are hopeless but you get to pretend you are standing for something. But can someone please explain the one vote for LSU? After last night? That voter should be identified and stripped of his voting rights. Seriously. [See related 'List' below].

"WE'RE NO. 7! WE'RE...": Tom Lemming of CBS Sports issues his Top 25 college football recruiting classes of 2012 and Miami Hurricanes check in 7th. Top five: Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Ohio State. FSU 10th.

WELCOME BACK, 'SHAMELESS': Pleased to watch the season premier of Showtime's Shameless last night. Any other fans out there? For me it joins an echelon with Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Family Guy as the best stuff on TV. William H. Macy as the alcoholic, deliciously derelict family patriarch Frank (pictured) is brilliant.

ON TIM TEBOW, HIS ACOLYTES: I wrote that Tim Tebow was a "fraud QB" and that he'd be dominated by Pittsburgh's defense yesterday. Um, I was wrong -- or at least certainly on the latter point. He threw for 3:16 oops sorry I meant 316 yards and Denver won in OT. So the Legend of Tebow is resuscitated! It is the reaction since that has amused me. My e-mail box is stuffed with delighted, crowing, told-ya-so messages from His (benefit of doubt on the capitalization) fans. And some of the words contained, I must say, are rather un-Christian! Anyway, I deserve it. I underestimated Tebow. Based on the reaction, I'm pretty sure that's a sin.

UPDATED SUPER BOWL ODDS: With the field down to eight, from our friends at Bovada: Packers 9-5, Patriots 11-4, Saints 7-2, Ravens 7-1, 49ers and Giants both 14-1, Texans 28-1 and Broncos 40-1. Exact- matchup favorites are Pack-Pats at 2-1, Saints-Pats 9-4, Pack-Ravens 5-1 and Saints-Ravens 8-1.

LARKIN IN COOPERSTOWN: [Barry Larkin is the father of Miami Hurricanes freshman basketball guard Shane Larkin. Click here for the tale]. Career-long Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin (1986-2004) was voted into the Hall of Fame Monday on his third try. (Guess he was especially good in retirement this past year). Larkin was the only one voted in, and an expected if somewhat marginal choice. To me, he's in the Hall of Very Good, a solid (.295 career average) guy who never led the league in any statistical category for a season, though he did win the NL MVP in '95 and gained a solid 86.4 percent of the votes. All-star career? Yeah. Cooperstown? Well, congratulations in any case. Voters held their ground, though, on the two guys smudged by steroids era, with Mark McGwire at a mere 19.5% of the votes and Rafael Palmeiro at 12.6%.

TUNA IN CAN(TON)?: Bill Parcells is among 17 who made the latest cut for consideration for the next wave of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, along with former Hurricanes standout Cortez Kennedy and briefly-a-Dolphin Cris Carter. I'd call Tuna's chances pretty good, unless voting is confined to Miami.

11/22/63: Am presently immersed in Stephen King's latest novel, 11/22/63, about a man who time-travels in an effort to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. As a Constant Reader of King's I am amazed by how prolific he is without diminished quality. The man sh--s best-sellers. He can take a premise that every fiber in your being knows is ridiculous (time travel? c'mon!), sell it, give you no choice but to buy it, and make you glad you did.

THE LIST: ALABAMA/LSU NATIONAL CHMPIONSHIPS: Alabama (7) and Louisiana State (3) have combined for 10 national football titles, based on BCS championships since the 1998 season and final Associated Press polls prior. Championship seasons by the two schools:

Season   Champion   Coach

1958   LSU   Paul Dietzel

1961   Alabama   Bear Bryant

1964   Alabama   Bear Bryant

1965   Alabama   Bear Bryant

1978   Alabama   Bear Bryant

1979   Alabama   Bear Bryant

1992   Alabama   Gene Stallings

2003   LSU   Nick Saban

2007   LSU   Les Miles

2009   Alabama   Nick Saban

2011   Alabama   Nick Saban

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[Note: Separate Heat-Mavericks/NBA Finals post will debut in blog beginning Tuesday. Join us at Twitter.com/gregcote. Live music. Open bar. No cover].

THE NFL LOCKOUT POLL: I have resisted blogging much about the NFL lockout because frankly the topic bores me and I always figured it would end well before now. But with the ponderous thing in its 78th day, and no end in sight, it is getting serious. The league is close to the point where early exhibition games would be canceled. So -- before we get back to the more joyous occasion of the Heat in the upcoming NBA Finals -- let's take a minute for a temperature read on how fans feel about the lockout and which side y'all blame. I tend to blame both sides equally but, made to get off the fence, probably lean blaming owners more. You? Vote now and say why you think the way you do.

HEAT FAVORED OVER MAVERICKS AS EXPECTED: Bodog has set Miami as the NBA Finals betting favorite at minus-180 to Dallas' plus-160. It lists the most likely results as Heat winning 4-3 in games at 11-4, and Heat winning 4-2 at 13-4. Bodog had Miami its preseason favorite at 17/10 and Dallas as seventh favorite at 20-1. In between were Lakers, Celtics, Magic, Thunder and Bulls. Favorites for Finals MVP are LeBron James 5-4, Dirk Nowitzki 2-1, Dwyane Wade 7-2 and Chris Bosh 11-2. Conclusion: Most people in general will be rooting for Dallas -- or should I say against LeBron and Miami. But most people's money apparently will be rooting for Miami.   

(EX) PANTHERS IN STANLEY CUP FINALS!: It's Vancouver vs. Boston, with the Canucks led by goalkeeper Roberto Luongo and the Bruins in the Finals on a dramatic late goal last night by Nathan Horton. If only the Panthers were as good as the ex-Panthers.

RECOMMENDED BOOK: Just finished Tina Fey's Bossypants, a fun, quick read for anybody who thinks she's great, which I do. Self-deprecation is easy art in her hands. Representative humor, from the back jacket: "Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird aroud her."

WAVE-RUNNER SHOOTING: Young man trying to steal wave-runner shot dead by resident of victimized home. Thief turns out to have been deaf. Justifiable shooting or murder? Read news story here. A tragedy all around but, to me, the question and answer both must start with the truism that the deceased put himself in that situation by trying to steal from someone else. I won't presume to pontificate in advance of more information or any charges but I will say this: My benefit of doubt in a situation like this is rarely if ever with the criminal who dealt the hand in his own demise.

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: A middle-aged, dark-haired women I'll call the Whole Foods Thief stood in front of me in line today around 12:30 at the Plantation store, and accidentally-on-purpose left two small items in her cart. I know it because she carefully placed her bagged groceries over the items she got for free. I said nothing. Now I wish I had. Next time, I would ..... Damian Marley, son of Bob and half-brother of ex-Hurricanes linebacker Rohan, has joined a supergroup fronted by Boss Stone Mick Jagger and Dave (Eurythmics) Stewart (pictured). Group calling itself Super Heavy. Reggae-influenced fusion. Looking forward to hearing it ..... Luther "Luke" Campbell finished a fairly solid fourth of 11 in the the Miami-Dade mayoral election. I'm not sure if that speaks well of Campbell or ill of the state of voter frustration with local politics. 

Click back. Be adding more stuff to this latest blogpost throughout the weekend...

[Hi. I'm Greg Cote, the only person on Earth, evidently, who really doesn't give a flying crap about the Fab Five. Click on Twitter to join us there, and on Chat to post questions any time for our Wednesday 1-2 p.m. live online chats.]

OC DOLPHIN WINS 6TH ANNUAL MARCH MADNESS HAIKU CHALLENGE!: Congratulations to long time blog-community leader OC Dolphin for recording his first career victory in our sixth annual March Madness Haiku Challenge. He slayed the field with this simple, neat, gently political winning entry:

"The world is crumbling

Barack's ratings are tumbling

Still has time for picks"

OC, email me at [email protected] and when I match the IP address to your winning entry we'll figure out a prize to send you. Also, if you email me a photo of yourself I'll post it here. Find all our 2011 entries in the blogpost directly below this one. And thanks to all who played along! (Liked a couple of r.duke's haikus, especially the one referencing Precious, but, um, this is a family blog. Sort of).

Previous March Madness Haiku Challenge champions:

2010--I am Kazaam with: "There is no Cinderella / Only step-mothers / Somewhere, Wofford weeps." 2009--r.duke with: "Basketball baby! / Vitale gets priapism / this time every year." 2008--Tococane with: "The Padawan Haith / Will Do Battle With Darth Barnes / The Force Will Prevail." 2007 (tie)--Bruce with: "Slighted Syracuse / Sadness Surrounds Snow City / Orange Turned to blue" and David Tucker with: "The Five Gator Boys / Only Forty Minutes Left / History Awaits." 2006--Kurt from Boca with: "Stay Home and Watch Games / Or Check Scores from the Office / Forget Champ by June."

MARCH MADNESS HAIKU CHALLENGE: ENTER NOW! This is the official entry point for our blog's sixth annual March Madness Haiku Challenge, a contest that endures despite a typically tepid response rooted in most Americans' general innate fear of Japanese short-form poetry. Meaning your odds aren't bad should you dare to delve. This year, you may enter as a way of honoring Japan and its tsunami victims, because nothing says "I sympathize" quite like a haiku referencing Dick Vitale. Contest rules? Simple:

1. Haikus must at least tangentially be about the NCAA Tournament (men's and/or women's) and must be in haiku form, or precisely 17 syllables. Classic 5-7-5 metrical phrasing is preferred but not required, and rhyme-or-no-rhyme is your choice, but only entries of 17 syllables will be considered.

2. Enter as many times as you like in the Comments section here, but only ONE entry per comment, please! Haikus must be entered as a comment in this blogpost to be considered. In the case of similar haikus, favored status goes to first posted.

There will be a prize to be announced for the best, most original or inventive haiku. Not sure what yet. One year it was a 264-page Official NCAA Men's Final Four Records Book.

Tip: Haikus specific to this season and this tournament preferred. Bonus tip: "Krzyzewski" is three syllables. Now. Ready ... set ... haiku!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!: Hey here's our latest holiday video just for you! This one is Heat-themed. That's me in the middle with the hat, then left to right, it's LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Pat O'Riley. Notice Pat is the only one not smiling. Uh Oh. Click HERE to enjoy the video.

WEALTHY NORMAN BRAMAN SPENDS $1 MILLION FOR SUCCESSFUL RECALL ELECTION TO EXACT REVENGE BECAUSE HE'S STILL SORE HE FAILED IN HIS PROTRACTED EFFORTS TO STOP THE NEW MARLINS STADIUM: Well, I guess that headline about says it all. (And in other political news, lucky Michelle Spence-Jones evidently has more lives than a cat).

HEAT KING-O-METER UPDATE: [Lousy Heat result vs Oklahoma City last night, but what a spin-dunk move by Dwyane Wade. Lordie!] New update on our unpopular King-o-Meter, tracking which of Heat's would-be Kings is having the better overall season. This is after 68 games, through last night's loss to OK City: LeBron James leading Dwyane Wade by 3,951.07 King points to 3,489.66 in our cumulative ranking factoring 10 statistical categories. However, Wade leads in games led, 35-33. (Regular updates whenever you see the crown symbol pictured).

ON YAZ, NFL LOCKOUT: Longtime or careful readers may know Carl Yastrzemski was a boyhood idol who still holds a place in my sentimental heart. Well, if Yaz matters to you too click on Lion In Winter for a wonderful new Dan Shaughnessy (Boston Globe) column on the man who gives few interviews. Also recommended: This column by Sally Jenkins (Washington Post), a particularly astute take on the NFL lockout.

CANES MEN WIN N.I.T. OPENER: The NIT means different things to different schools. For small or downtrodden programs it can mean celebration, a big step in the right direction. For major teams it can be, well, sort of a humbling consolation. Somewhere in between: the UM men coached by Frank Haith to a 19-14 mark. I'm never quite sure whether this is a small program that should be pleased by the NIT invite, or a big program that should be disappointed by anything but the NCAA Tournament. I do now that -- based on the many narrow losses this season, including in the quarterfinals of the ACC tourney -- Miami is not far from playing with the big boys. If only close counted. UM won its N.I.T opener over FAU. Which is fine. I just wish coaches in the "other" tournament (including Haith) would stop talking about the opportunity to play for a championship. The NCAAs decide the one that matters. 

DOLPHINS' OPEN LETTER TO FANS OVER LABOR STRIFE: Click here to read the "open letter" to fans from Mike Dee, the club's business-side CEO. The concept of the letter has been further devalued, not only by the say-nothingness contained, but by the idea something posted online now qualifies, apparently, as a letter. (By the way, I purposely have written/blogged little about the NFL work stoppage, because both sides are greedy, because the topic is boring, and because at this point the likelihood of any games being actually canceled is roughly equal to the probability of Charlie Sheen being named parent of the year).

PAGEANT SCREWS LOCAL CONTESTANT. WAIT LET ME REPHRASE THAT: Hollywood resident Caroline Schwitzky (sometimes called Carolina), pictured, a former Miss Weston, was denied entry into the Miss Florida beauty pageant because her titles -- not counting the Miss Weston crown she was made to relinquish in scandal -- also include Miss Exxxotica 2008. People are outraged on her behalf! OK, well, most people aren't. But Charlie Sheen is.

NEW DEFINITION OF "All-ROUND WOMAN": The above item reminds me that somebody just told me porn star Asia Carerra is a member of Mensa and once played piano at Carnegie Hall.

"DEAR GREG...": Your blog's OK, but would be better if occasionally you would show a picture from the recent Reid & Fiorentino (Heat broadcasters) golf tournament. And make it a photo in which four delighted men who look as if they've never seen a putt before prepare to burst into ecstatic cheers as O.J. McDuffie rolls one toward the cup. Thank you."

BOOK CLUB: Answer: I am currently half way through, and thoroughly enjoying, Peter Straub's "A Dark Matter." Question: Who gives a crap what book you're reading?

SPELLYNG BEA: An all-time great "Setrec" (correction) appeared in the March 10 Miami Herald. In it, the newspaper corrected having misspelled a key word in its coverage of The Miami Herald Spelling Bee. I couldn't make that up, because this is a blog.

THE LIST: MARCH MADNESS UPSETS: First-round results since the current format (basically) took effect in 1985:

Seed Pairings     Higher Seed's Record

#1 vs. #16   104-0 (100%)

#2 vs. #15   100-4 (96.2)

#3 vs. #14   88-16 (84.6)

#4 vs. #13   82-22 (78.9)

#5 vs. #12   69-35 (66.4)

#6 vs. #11   71-33 (68.3)

#7 vs. #10   62-42 (59.6)

#8 vs. #9   48-56 (46.2)

Click back. Adding more stuff to this latest blogpost later...

[Join us at Twitter.com/gregcote, where every ten-thousandth follower is automatically entered into a drawing for fabulous cash prizes!]

[Friday update: Click on Canes Confident, But Quietly for today's column by me on the Miami Hurricanes' and Jacory Harris' approach to this football season. It's different than a year ago, and for the better. By the way, the USA Today coaches' poll is out today -- the first major preseason poll released -- and it has Florida 3rd, UM 13th and FSU 20th. 'Bama and Ohio State 1-2 as expected.

[Thursday update: Chad Pennington: Somebody in the local media suggests the Dolphins trade Pennington to the Vikings for a second-round draft pick. Love the idea but for three minor matters: 1) Strong likelihood that Brett Favre won't retire probably makes whole thing moot. 2) No team in its right mind will give a 2R pick for a 34-year-old QB coming off injury and seen, at this point, as a hat-and-clipboard guy. 3) With Chad Henne still unproven (not to mention injury factor), Pennington is the perfect backup/insurance and more valuable in Miami than elsewhere. Questions?]  

A-ROD HITS 600TH. BUT IS HE A HERO OR CHEATER?: Yankee Alex Rodriguez, Miami-bred and a Canes baseball benefactor, today became the seventh man to hit 600 career home runs. But the achievement is at least somewhat tainted, considering he admitted (after being exposed by Sports Illustrated) to using performance-enhancing drugs for three years while a Texas Ranger. That in turn invites one to wonder if the PED use was confined to just those seasons. Opinions differ on A-Rod. Give us yours. Take a dip in our poll and also consider this: If you had a Hall of Fame vote, does A-Rod get in on the first ballot, eventually ... or never?

SOURCE: NBA TAKING OVER SECURITY FOR LEBRON @ CAVS: Reports say the Heat will play at Cleveland on Dec. 2 (the full schedule is out next week), and a source of mine in the league office tells me the NBA is very concerned about LeBron James' safety in an arena full of angry Cavaliers fans. The NBA in fact plans to oversee security operations for that game as it would during an NBA Finals. Am told the Heat also is considering plans to bring additional security personnel beyond what normally travels with the team.

HEAT's NEW 'SCARFACE' SHIRT: Love the Heat's newest line of T-shirts (see right) featuring the Big Three. The line at the bottom: "Say hello to my little friends." I think this will be a big seller in South Florida. In Cleveland, not so much.

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS: ON FAVRE AND SHAQ: Notable how the wavering futures of Brett Favre and Shaquille O'Neal should be of such sudden inetrest to Dolphins and Heat fans. The Dolphins' second game of the regular season is at Minnesota, so whether or not Favre is retired or playing will haver a huge impact on that result. And Shaq? Well, him signing Wednesday with the Celtics means the Heat's Oct. 26 season opener at Boston has one more layer of intrigue. (Like it needed one!) By the way, Boston adding Shaq means the Celtics are so old they are now being covered not by sportswriters but by archaelogists.

DOLPHIN INJURIES MOUNT: Training camp isn't a week old and Miami has lost three players for the season to injuries: Defenders Phillip Merling and rookie A.J. Edds, and now RB Kory Sheets. I can just imagine what Dolfans must be thinking: "Let's hope the next one isn't somebody important!"

'AMERICAN IDOL' TAPPING DOLPHINS' J-LO?: It says here that so many preferred stars have declined the chance that American Idol is now settling for has now asked Jennifer Lopez to be one of its new judges. I know J-Lo is not technically among the Dolphins' cadre of celebrity part-owners, but her husband Marc Anthony is, and as long as there exists the photo at right I'll continue to include her. Dammit. Upside: Maybe one of AI's theme nights will see all contestants singing the Dolphin Fight Song. Or is that a downside?

ALBERT HAYNESWORTH: Malcontent 350-pound Redskin Albert Haynesworth (pictured), who is to team chemistry what muriatic acid is to iced tea, failed a conditioning test that requires a player to run a 300-yard shuttle in less than 70 seconds, then (after a 3 1/2-minute break), run it again in less than 73 seconds. D.C.-area journalists have been scrambling to try it themselves in a (somewhat) clever and (not so) unique way to shame Fat Albert. I figured it's too hot in South Florida to try that. So I localized the story and, in an homage to the Marlins' Chris Coghlan, attempted to throw a shaving-cream pie in someone's face without injuring my knee. (Postscript: I did it, then ran 300 yards in 44 seconds escaping the enraged burly stranger I'd pied).

DOLPHINS BED-UP WITH LOTTERY: Florida Lottery announces a new Dolphin Scratch-Off game (pictured), where for a meager $5 investment you could win $100,000! I think it should be a Scratch-and-Sniff game, offering the fragrant scent of the inside of a helmet following a practice in 95-degree heat. I love how the NFL (wink, wink) officially detests gambling, even though betting on games, in Vegas and illegally, clearly drives interest and TV ratings. I also love how the NFL conveniently acts as if playing the lottery isn't really gambling in allowing its teams to partner up with state lotteries. Tell it to the middle-class-and-lower schmoes who can least afford to play the lottery but flock to it like crack addicts.

"HEY, AYATOLLAH, LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!": This I find interesting. Pink Floyd has green-lighted its classic anthem, "Another Brick in the Wall," to be rewritten as a protest song for the Iranian resistance nmovement. Click here for the resulting YouTube video. What's notable, to me, is that, in the Internet age, President Obama sternly admonishing Iran's government probably has less power to foment change than viral grass-roots stuff like this.

UNDER THE DOME: Just finished Stephen King's thousand-pages-plus opus, Under the Dome. I'm one of King's "constant readers" and love most of his stuff, but this one is especially good. No writer makes small towns and plain folks come to life more compellingly. Highly recommended.

THE DEATH OF BILL COSBY DEATH RUMOR: Heyheyhey Bill Cosby isn't happy about an Internet hoax saying he'd died. I think whomever started the hoax meant to say that Cosby is alive but that his career died around 1993, shortly after Claire Huxtable kicked him out of the house.

Click back. Adding more stuff to this post later tonight and into Thursday...