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

1) It's SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2022. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2) R.I.P. Betty White, gone on New Year's Eve. She missed 100 by 18 days. 3) R.I.P., John Madden. A football legend in so many ways. Had a chance to interview him once many years ago and he could not have been more generous or giving of his time. 4) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 5) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, NFL Week 16 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: SPECIAL EPISODE WITH BELOVED HUMORIST DAVE BARRY OUT NOW!: Our 49th episode of 2021 and 91st overall is out now -- and it's must-hear special. A new pod drops Mondays at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 91 we've done so far HERE, free. In our latest episode: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist Dave Barry (pictured) joins us for a lengthy conversation ranging from the inanity of his 2021 Holiday Gift Guide to a serious talk about some of the personal tragedy he's lived through and how that has influenced his humor. Also in the new episode: My Dolphins Christmas song, Fins' winning streak, Greg's Lobos update and more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET). We're taking the holiday week off -- no new episode out this week -- so it's the perfect time to catch up on our latest episode or back catalog!

NFL WEEK 17 PICKS: DOLPHINS-TITANS, 2 BIG UPSETS, ALL THE REST: Our second-half heater resumed in Week 16 as went a big 12-4 overall and a solid 10-6 against the spread. Nailed Titans’ upset of Niners and Colts’ miniupset of Cards, and also had Lions-with-points covering at Atlanta. Had some bad luck related to the fact our picks are locked in on Thursdays. That has hurt us some related to Covid protocols and also injuries, such as Lamar Jackson still with a shot to play when we picked last week. Anyhow, no excuses. With two weeks to go our overall season total has risen and our number against the Evil Betting Line is now above what it was a year ago. Time to finish strong! This week we call two more outright upsets. For those, our Game of the Week, our pick for Dolphins-Titans and all the rest, visit NFL Week 17 Gems.

A BASEBALL HALL OF FAME VOTER (ME) EXPLAINS HIS 2022 BALLOT: The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, is a quaint place lost in time. It’s a village with an estimated 1,750 people actually living there. It is a Norman Rockwell painting. You aren’t sure what decade you’re in. The Hall’s address is Main Street, although that might have gone without saying. Getting into the Hall of Fame is rather a quaint process, too. As if the Internet did not yet exist. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America mails the latest ballot every December to the 440 voting members — I am honored to be one — and they are due back by December 31. You fill out the paper ballot by hand. Old school, a self-addressed, stamped return envelope is included. For 53 cents (pre-paid), my ballot is mailed to an address in Bayside, New York, an upscale neighborhood in Queens, where a BBWAA official will count them by hand. Results will be announced January 25 and the 2022 induction held July 24. But who gets into sports’ most famous Hall of Fame and why — that is not simple, or quaint. Used to be, before steroids, when a voter had the luxury of just crunching stats, but all that changed with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and their great influence over said stats. I reveal and discuss my 2022 ballot in my latest column. This is the final year for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens' eligibility and the first for Alex Rodriguez (pictured), so the vote will be under particular scrutiny. For my full column, visit: Revealing And Discussing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot.

Column off Georgia's Orange Bowl rout of Michigan: Georgia Wins 88th Orange Bowl. The Bad News? 'Bama Is Next.

Column off Dolphins' Monday night win: Hey, America, After 7th Straight Win, Do Miami Dolphins Have Your Attention Yet? 

Most recent other columns: Duuuuuke Lifts Fins to 6th Straight Win, .500 / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude

(*) OUR PICKS: BIG WEEK AS STRONG FINISH CONTINUES: Our recent hot streak resumed in Week 16 as went a big 12-4 overall and a solid 10-6 against the spread. Nailed Titans' upset of Niners  and Colts' miniupset of Cards, and also had Lions-with-points covering at Atlanta. Had some bad luck with timing of Covid stuff (our picks are in on Thursdays), but still did well overall.

(*) GREG'S LOBOS: A WIN SENDS US ONTO THE CHAMPIOSNHIP GAME!: After a first-round playoff bye the Lobos won big in the semifinal game last week, 139-121, over my nephew Joe, led by 40 points from Joe Burrow, a last-minute sub for injured Lamar Jackson. We are now in the championship game of PFPI Fantasy, our 10-team friends 'n family league. My opponent? Eldest son Christopher. He's going for his third league title and me my first. Go Dad!

(*) HERALD NFL QB RANKINGS: BURROW SOARS TO SEASON-BEST WEEK: Cincinnati's Joe Burrow wins Week 16 with a season-best 71.25-point game and Tampa's Tom Brady grows his overall lead in the Miami Herald's updated rankings. Details and the latest Top 25: NFL Week 16 QB Rankings.

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 27. Hoping my fellow Christmas celebrants had a wonderful and prudently safe long holiday weekend! 2) Not on Le Batard Show this past week; was feeling a bit under the weather. Check out last Tuesday's (December 14) show podcasts for my new Dolphins Christmas song. 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): NFL Week 16 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, Week 15 results for picks/Lobos/QB ranking.

Note to readers: I'm burning a bunch of unused vacation days throughout December so have been having fewer columns out lately. But am still producing occasional columns and regular staples such as the weekly NFL picks, the podcast and this blog.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: SPECIAL EPISODE WITH BELOVED HUMORIST DAVE BARRY OUT NOW!: Our 49th episode of 2021 and 91st overall is out now -- and it's a must-hear special one. A new pod drops Mondays at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 91 we've done so far HERE, free. In our latest episode: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist Dave Barry joins us for a lengthy conversation ranging from the inanity of his 2021 Holiday Gift Guide to a serious talk about some of the personal tragedy he's lived thorugh and how that has influenced his humor. Also in the new episode: My Dolphins Christmas song, the Fins' 6th win in a row,The new ho-ho-Hot Button Top Greg's Lobos gird for fantasy playoffs and much more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET). We're taking the holiday week off -- no new episode out today/Monday -- so it's the perfect time to catch up on our latest episode or back catalog.

Our most recent columns: Duuuuuke Lifts Fins to 6th Straight Win, .500 / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude

NFL WEEK 16 PICKS: DOLPHINS-SAINTS AND ALL THE REST -- AND A 3-0 START SO FAR!: Our hot streak cooled a bit last week at 10-6 overall and 7-9 against the spread, including an end to our remarkable six-game wining streak on outright Upset of the Week bull's-eyes. This week we call three more outright upsets, and nailed the first Thursday night to get our week off to a big start. We had @Titans (+3 1/2) beating 49ers, 23-20. And Titans won, 20-17. We're 3-0 overall though Saturdays games. For all of our latest picks including Dolphins-Jets, visit NFL Week 16 Gems.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 26-27): 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:

This is a "half-off-for-the holidays" special edition of the Hot Buttom Top 10: 

1. DOLPHINS: Surging Fins seek 7th straight win Monday night: Monday night stage finds Miami showing off a six-game winning streak in New Orleans, where two resilient 7-7 teams are fighting to stay in NFL playoff chase. Dolphins are slight road favorites because Saints may be down to third-string QB Ian Book in his pro debut because of Covid issues.

2. HURRICANES: Covid outbreak forces Sun Bowl withdrawal: Miami's Sun Bowl game vs. Washington State in El Paso this coming Friday was turned upside Sunday when the Canes withdrew due to a recent Covid outbreak, which previously had postponed the team's arrival until the day before the game. The Sun Bowl is now looking for a new playing partner for Washington State. 

3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: 4 days 'til Orange Bowl CFP semifinal!: Bowl season math: 16 games in (including Gators' loss to UCF on Wednesday), four games canceled (Hawaii Bowl) and 24 still to come -- including the ones that actually matter. College Football Playoff semifinals are this coming Friday with No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 1 Alabama in Cotton Bowl and then No. 3 Georgia vs. No.2 Michigan in Orange Bowl at Hard Rock. Crimson Tide (big) and Bulldogs are betting picks.

4. HEAT: Butler back as depleted Miami finding ways to win; Spoelstra honored: Miami is 21-13 after three wins in a row with Sunday's vs. Orlando despite the injury absences. Bam Adebayo is sidelined into January. Jimmy Butler returned Sunday, rusty, after missing 16 games including eight in a row and 12 of the previous 13. Now Kyle Lowry is in Covid protocols and out. Off the court, coach Erik Spoelstra was named an assistant coach for the 2022-24 USA men's national team.

5. PANTHERS: Cats, on pause, set to resume Wednesday; NHL out of Olympics: NHL has delayed 64games through Christmas break and is set to resume play Tuesday, with Florida (18-7-4 after three straight losses) and four games postponed set to return Wednesday night at vs. the N.Y. Rangers. Meantime, the NHL said it will not break for or participate in 2022 Winter Olympics hockey in Beijing, citing "the profound disruption to the NHL's regular-season schedule caused by Covid."

Missing the HB10 cut: Canes men's basketball is 9-3/1-0 ACC and close to garnering AP Top 25 interest. Guys are back in play Wednesday vs. N.C. State ..... UM women hoops is 7-3/0-0 ACCand off until January 2. Miami's ACC loss loss to Duke for Covid reasons, first ruled a forfeit, was later deemed a postponed game ..... Canada's men's national soccer team, in preparation for the final stage of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has scheduled a friendly vs. Guatemala on January 22 at Inter Miami's stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Canada sits atop the CONCACAF table in looking to make its World Cup since 1987. They'll will face Honduras, the U.S. and El Salvador in the final round of qualifying ..... Love Bengals QB Joe Burrow explaining his team staying clear of Covid issues by crediting Cincinnati being dull and bereft of tempting nightlife ..... Unvaccinated Bills WR Cole Beasley blames "the rules" for being back on the Covid list and unavailable to his team, his selfishness and delusion a truly staggering thing to behold ..... Ex-Heaters Tim Hardaway and Shawn Marion are back another try at the Basketball Hall of Fame ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is off this coming week (no new episode Monday), a perfect time to catch up on your listening! ..... Update: Countdown now 1,646 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 13. R.I.P., Michael Nesmith. 2) Make me feel better. Tell me you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet. 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): Canes land grand prize in Cristobal, NFL Week 14 picks, Frank Gore on boxing, Week 13 NFL results for picks/Lobos/QB rankinsg, Greg Cote Show podcast.

Note to readers: I've burning a bunch of unused vacation days in December so am having fewer columns out lately. But am still producing occasional columns and regular staples such as the weekly NFL picks, the podcast and this blog.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: DOLPHIN MACK HOLLINS ON NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 48th episode of 2021 and landmark 90th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 90 we've done HERE, free. In our latest episode: Mack Daddy! Mack the Knife! Miami Dolphins receiver Mack Hollins joins us and delights with his splendid unusualness. Quick hints: Sings Sinatra. Owns an 11-foot boa. Owns no car. Fun dude. Also in the new episode: Important discussion about ear wax; Greg apologizes to a dearly departed Monkee; Friday afternoon driving songs; Goodbye Manny Diaz; an ominous Lobos update and more! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts were off this past week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL Week 14 picks: Still alive for our 6th straight (!) Upset of the Week bull's-eye: NFL Week 14 Gems.

Our most recent columns: Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 12-13): 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. HURRICANES: Early faculty-blowback against Cristobal's mega-deal: Ink was barely dry on Mario Cristobal's new $80 million deal to be UM's new head coach -- not to mention Dan Radakovich's big new contract to be athletic director -- when faculty on campus began loudly complaining about the athletic spending in the context of cutbacks elsewhere. Worse, Cristobal has been in charge nearly a full week now and the Canes still have yet to win a single football game!

2. PANTHERS: Cats welcome back Barkov, stay atop East despite loss: Florida is 18-5-4, still atop the East and had won four of past five games before Sunday's loss at tough Colorado. And Aleksander Barkov is back from injury and on the ice. Despite the unexpected coaching-change turmoil, hopes for this season remain so high they should be illegal.

3. HEAT: Miami wins second straight despite missing stars: Miami has shed a 1-4 slump and is 16-11 after two straight wins, including Saturday's over Chicago depiste star Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both missing with injuries. Adebayo underwent surgery on his right thumb is is not expected to return before mid-January.

4. OLYMPICS: U.S. to have diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games: President Biden said U.S. will not send a diplomatic delegation to Beijing Winter Games in two months to protest China's human rights violations such as abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang and crackdown in Hong Kong. The U.K., Australia nd Canada also will not end diplomats. U.S. athletes still will compete.

5. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FIU hires coach, Diaz lands on his feet: FIU hired former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre as its sixth head football coach, replacing the let-go Butch Davis. Penn State hired deposed UM coach Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator, giving him a Power 5 landing spot. Also, Florida State promoted another ex-Canes coach, Randy Shannon, to the same role.

6. GOLF: Tiger Wood makes his comeback this week, sort of: Tiger Woods will compte ealongside son Charlie beginning next Saturday in the PNC Championship, just 10 months after his February car crash that left his right leg mangled and Woods doubting he'd ever play golf again. Low-stakes, fun event -- but great to see Tiger back nonethless.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Oh my God, bowl season has begun!:  We are nine bowl games in and 35 yet to go in the 44-game glut called bowl sesaon, culminating with the CFP national championship game January 10 in Indianapolis. Only state FBS teams bowling are the Canes December 31 vs. Washingotn State in the Sun Bowl, and Florida-UCF Dec. 23 in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa. That's one of seven bowls within the state -- led by the December 31 Georgia-Michigan CFP national semifinal in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock.

8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: 'Bama QB Young wins Heisman Trophy: Alabama quarterback Bryce Youg  won the Heismna Trophy in a landslide Saturday, he Tide's sixth winner and second in a row. Lemme guess. It's kn his contract. Nick Saban get another raise.

9. DOLPHINS: Hot Fins carry 5-game win streak into bye: Some say the late bye week is needed for well-deserved rest. Others say it's ill-time and could derail Miami's momentum. Greg Cote says he's just happy for a damned weekend off.

10. SOCCER: New York City wins MLS Cup: New York City beat the Portland Timbers 4-2 in penalties after a 1-1 match Saturday to win its fiurst Major League Soccer championship in Portland, denying home fans a repeat fo their 2015 title. NYC coach Ronny Deila kept a promise by (please, God, no) stripping down to his underwear doing pushups on the field.

Missing the HB10 cut: Gymnast Simone Biles is Time's 2021 Athlete of the Year, for "rasing the volume" on mental health awareness. Good choice ..... U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe was left unprotected and is available to be taken in this week's NWSL expansion draft on Thursday ..... Six days until the Jake Paul fight in Tampa that includes the pro boxing debut of former Canes and NFL star Frank Gore on the undercard ..... Reigning women's basketball Player of the Year Paige Bueckers of UConn may be out longer than expected as she considers surgery on her injured left knee ..... Strong starts for Canes basketball. Men are 7-3, 1-0 in ACC. Women are 6-3, with ACC opener December 19 vs. No. 19 Duke ..... Jeff Bezos‘ rocket company, Blue Origin, launched another private flight, this one including former NFL star Michael Strahan aboard ..... MLB lockout continues, and nobody will give a flying crap until the start of the regular season is threatened ..... NBA trade window opens on Wednesday ..... Hey, Urban Meyer. Missin' the college campus yet? ..... R.I.P., Al Unser Sr., four-time Indy 500 winner, gone at 82, and former Broncos star Demaryius Thomas, unexpectedly at 33 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,660 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 6. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 13 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, NFL Week 12 results for picks/Lobos/QB rank & more.

Note to readers: I'm burning a bunch of unused vacation days in December so will have fewer columns out over the next few weeks. But will still be producing regular non-column staples such as the weekly NFL picks, the podcast and this blog.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW AND IT'S A QUIRK FEST!: Our 47th episode of 2021 and 89th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 89 we've done HERE, free. In our latest episode: Quirk Fest! Listeners called into our show hotline to admit their strangest quirks, and we play the best. And Greg, Chris and Yeti's wives reveal their husbands' weirdest habits. Also, Greg on the Canes/Mario Cristobal drama, surging Dolphins and damned Nick Saban. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts were off this past week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

Tua, Fins surge to 5th straight win. Newest column: Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon.

Out most recent other columns: Fins, Tua Win Again. And If 5-7 Can Be Impressive -- This is / At 7-5, Here Is Manny Diaz's Slim Path To Survival / and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

OUR NFL WEEK 13 PICKS: DOLPHINS-GIANTS, 3 UPSETS, ALL THE REST: In a tough season overall I've been on a bit of a heater lately, including a four-game win streak on Upset of the Week picks. Will it continue? Time for our NFL Week 13 picks for Dolphins-Giants, our Patriots-Bills Game of the Week, our Upset of the Week -- three upsets in all -- and all of the rest. Got off to an uneven start Thursday. Correctly had Dallas winninig, but erred in thinking Saints would cover plus-4 1/2. For all of our latest picks, visit NFL Week 13 Gems.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 5-6): 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. HURRICANES: UM swings for fence, land Oregon's Cristobal: Miami was hotly pursuing Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich and Oregon football coach Mario Cristobal to fill those openings with the Canes -- and reportedly optimistic and very close to landing both. Radakovich worked at UM early in his career and Cristobal played for the Canes. Monday, Cristobal signed with The U. In lesser news, UM is headed to the Sun Bowl vs. Washington State after a 7-5 season under lame-duck Manny Diaz. And QB Tyler Van Dyke was named ACC rookie of the year.

2. DOLPHINS: Fins, hot Tua bag 5th straight win in defeat of Giants: Was I alone in being a bit nervous about this one? Miami's defense and Tua Tagovailoa had been pretty great in four straight wins. (Letdown due?) NYG has won three of past five with big uptick on defense. Well Miami did it again, with a 20-9 home win for a fifth in a row. [My column from game linked above].

3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama crushes No.1 Georgia to top Championship Saturday: The College Football Playoff's top four pairings are 1-Alabama vs. 4-Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl and 2-Michigan vs. 3-Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, the winners meeting January 10 in the national championship game in Indianapolis. 

4. HEAT: Bam injury, NBA penalty, losing = Tough week for Miami: Bam Adebayo could be sidelined at least a month by a thumb injury incurred the same week the NBA penalized Miami a future second-round pick (a slap on the wrist) for tampering related to the Kyle Lowry signing. "While we disagree, we accept the League's decision," said a Heat statement. Meantime Miami is 14-10 after five losses in past eight games entreing a Monday visit by Memphis.

5. PANTHERS: Cats stay hot sans injured d Barkov: Florida is 17-4-3, on a three-game win streak and still atop the NHL East after Saturday's 4-3 home shootout win over St. Louis. Meanwhile star Aleksander Barkov is week-to-week with a knee injury but will not require surgery.

6. MLB: Baseball imposes first player lockout in 27 years: MLB’s collective bargaining agreement with players expired at midnight Wednesday, With no extension in place, MLB instituted the ninth work stoppage in its history and the first since the 1994-95 players strike that caused cancellation of the World Series. The lockout also meant an immediate halt to free agency and all player movement.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Major coaching moves rock landscape: Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to LSU and Lincoln Riley from Okalhoma to Southern Cal lee a wave of major coaching changes in college footoabll, incluind the Florida Gators moving from Dan Mullen to Billy Napier. Will Miami landing Oregon's Mario Cristobal be next?

8. MARLINS: Fish busy with medium deals, but no whale yet: Before the klockout froze free agency Miami was active with the acquisition of 3B Joey Wendle, catcher Jacob Stallings and OF Avisail Garcia. No big-splash whale like Nick Castellanos yet, though. Deals has lowered Miami's Wordl Series aodds from 80-to-1 to 66-1, still fourth in the NL East.

9. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men top Clemson in ACC opener: UM men are 6-3 after consecutive nice wins at Penn State in the BigTen/ACC Challenge and then Saturday at home in the ACC opener over Clemson, 80-75. Miami's women are 5-3, after three straight losses (two to highly ranked Indiana and Maryland) were ended by a Sunday home win over Tualne.

10. SOCCER: It's Portland-New York City in MLS Cup: Portland beat Salt Lake 2-nil Saturday in the West semifinal to reach next Saturday's MLS Cup championship match vs. New York City, which Sunday beat Philadelphia 2-1 in the East semifinal. NYC stunned New England, which dominated the MLS regualar season. 

Missing the HB10 cut: Pro Football Hall of Fame's 25 semifinalists for 2022 induction include former Dolphin Zach Thomas back for another try, and ex-Canes Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester ..... Former Canes and NFL running back Frank Gore makes his pro boxing debut December 18 in Tampa on the undercard of the Jake Paul-Tommy Fury bout ..... The WTA suspended all tournaments in China over concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a doubles champion who accused a former Chinese government official of sexual assault ..... Tiger Woods spoke and revealed he's at peace, post-accident, with never being as good as he once was. Hmm. Is that, like, a big revelation? ..... And LeBron James' nightmare season chugs on ..... NBA trade window opens December 15 ..... Former Canes LB Dan Morgan (1997-2000) is one of 13 2021 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,667 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30. Farewell, long Thanksgiving Weekend! 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): 50 years of gratitude: Our Thanksgiving column, NFL Week 12 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, NFL Week 11 results for picks/Lobos/QB rankings & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: JOY, AGONY OF CHRISTMAS TREE SHOPPING. NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 46th episode of 2021 and 88th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 88 we've done HERE, free. In our newest episode: Greg on the horros of Christmas tree shopping and his nieghbors' one-upsmanship on getting their lights up first. Also, real trees vs. fake. Also in the new ep: Surging Dolphins and Jaylen's waddle; the case for another year for Manny Diaz; Dancing Swords; sitting to pee; seasonal depression among chickens; the return of Mount Gregmore; and an ominous Lobos update. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts were off this past week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

Our NFL Week 12 picks: Lousy start on our Thanksgiving Day picks. Went 1-2 overall (got Buffalo's win) and 1-2 against the spread (got Detroit's cover). But we've bounced back since! For all of this week's picks, visit NFL Week 12 Gems.

Out most recent columns:

Dolphins stay hot, beat Carolina: Fins, Tua Win Again. And If 5-7 Can Be Impressive -- This is.

Canes rout Duke to end regular season: At 7-5, Here Is Manny Diaz's Slim Path To Survival.

Thankgiving column: 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 28-29): 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, Tua rout Caroina for 4th straight win: Miami's win streak is at four games and the season record 5-7 after Sunday's 33-10 home rout of Carolina. Tua, great. Defense, dominant. Special teams, huge. Everything clicked. What the hell is going on here!?  

2. HURRICANES: UM routs Duke, ends 7-5. Now Diaz waits: Big loss: The news offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is leaving to become SMU head coach. Big win: 47-10 at Duke Saturday to end the regular season 7-5. Now Manny Diaz hits recruiting trail then prepares for bowl game -- not yet knowing he'll be back, or fired.

3. PANTHERS: Cats denied home-wins record in loss to Kraken: Florida aimed for an NHL-record 12th straight home win to start its season Saturday but fell flat vs. the Seattle Kraken -- and former goalie Chris Driedger -- in a 4-1 loss. Florida still is 14-4-3 and atop the East entering a Tuesday home date vs. Washington.

4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP shakeup due as Ohio State falls, 'Bama barely escapes: No. 5 Michigan is poised to replace No. 2 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff 's top-four ranking afger Saturday's 42-27 win. And will No. 3 Alabama fall after barely escaping in four OTs at unranked Auburn? The new top four: Georgia, Michigan, Cincy, 'Bama.   

5. HEAT: Big win in Chicago as Miami holds onto 2nd in East: MVP case: Miami is 13-7 and tie for second in East after last night's 107-104 win in Chicago. Next: Will the evil Jokic Brothers be in town as Miami hosts Denver on Monday? And will sidelined Markieff Morris even be ready to play for the Heat?

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators beat FSU; Butch Davis era ends at FIU: Gators edged FSU to go 6-6 and limp into bowl eligibilty, while FIU's 37-17 loss to Southern Miss ended a 1-11 season and the Butch Davis era. Elsewhere in the state FBS/non-UM division: FAU fell short of a bowl in a loss to Middle Tennessee, and UCF edged South Florida.

7. MARLINS: Still waiting for that free-agency wallet to unhinge: They extended pitcher Sandy Alacantara long-term (smart), but no big splash yet in free agency for the Miami Marlins, who need big bats and should be making a run at, say, Nick Castellanos. Meantime rival Mets signed ex-Marlin Starling Marte for $78M over four years. Maybe (Miami should-a kept him?)

8. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men fall to Alabama in first big test: UM men are 4-3 men after losing their first big test, a rout-loss Sunday at No. 10 Alabama in the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista. Hurricanes women are 4-2 after a 53-51 loss to No. 4 Indiana. Katie Meier's squad will try to shock thre world this Thursday at No. 2 Maryland.

9. GOLF: Kopeka routs rival in the latest 'The Match': The match between bitter rivals Brooks Kopeka and Bryson DeChambeau wasn't close. Koepka won 4-and-3 Friday in the 12-hole charity match in Las Vegas. Koepka, four-time major winner, had four birdies to DeChambeau's none. "Not going to lie, I just wanted to spank you," said Koepka.

10. SOCCER: Three of four MLS conference finalists set: The MLS playoffs' conference finals foursome is three-fourths set. It''ll be Portland vs. Salt Lake in the West final Dec. 4. One day later, Philadelphia waits in the East final to play the winner of Tuesday's New England-New York City match.

Missing the HB10 cut: Is it just me, or is LeBron James sort of out of control? ..... Alexander Zverez defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the ATP Finals in tennis ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,674 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22. Happy Thanksgiving Week! I'll be in with the Le Batard Show on Tuesday ... with a special surprise. 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): NFL Week 11 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest columns, NFL Week 10 results for picks/Lobos/QB rank & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 45th episode of 2021 and 87th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 87 we've done HERE, free. In our newest episode: Meet orange-bearded Marc Angelo, the Miam Dolphins' nominee for 2021 NFL Fan of the Year. And Greg, Chris and Yeti share their picks for worst Thanksgiving foods -- the ones that should be kicked off the table. Plus, Chris' empty bags vs. Greg's umbrella misuse; Chris rips Scottie Pippen, Dolphins keep rollin', Lobos update and Quirk Line for you to call in. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts are off this week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL WEEK 11 PICKS: DOLPHINS-JETS, GAME OF THE WEEK, 3 BIG UPSETS AND ALL THE REST: NFL Week 11 is upon us and we started off with a double win Thursday night (NFL Week 11 Thursday Gem) because we had Patriots winning and covering a 7-point spread and they did both, beating Falcons, 25-0. Hope that's a harbinger for a big week! The rest of our picks include Dolphins at Jets, our Game of the Week, three big upsets and all the rest. Find all of our latest picks here: NFL Week 11 Gems.

Column from Sunday's Dolphins win: They're Alive! Dolphins, Tua Beat Jets For 3rd Straight As Revival Continues.

Column from Saturday night's Hurricanes win: Diaz Smiles Through Rain & Pain As Canes Win,  Reach Bowl Game He May Not Be Around To Coach.

Our most recent other columns: Hurricanes, Too Beholden to Past and UM Family, Need to Go Outside for new AD Hire / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / and How Miami Dolphins Are Poised to Transform Their 1-7 Start Into Playoff Contention and Miracles Happen: Huge Defense, Tua Off Bench Help Fins Stun Baltimore

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 21-22): 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: Tua excels as hot Fins win at Jets for 3rd straight: Tua Tagovailoa is past his finger injury, started Sunday and was great, including two TD passes, in 24-17 Miami win at rval Jets. Dolphins are now 4-7 with three straight wins, and three straight winnable home games ahead. (Playoffs? Playoffs!?)

2. HURRICANES: UM wins, earns bowl trip on bittersweet night for Diaz: Miami led throughout in a 38-26 win over Virginia Tech last night in a rain-soaked home finale at Hard Rock (see my column link below). Canes at 6-5 are now bowl-eligible entering next week's finale at Duke. But will Manny Diaz be around to coach in the bowl game? Questionable to doubtful as UM ssearches for the new athletic director who'll likely choose his replacement.

3. HEAT: Four-game win streak ends but Butler is making MVP case: Miami is 11-6 after last night's narrow loss at Washington but Jimmy Butler continues making his case for league MVP, already leading the team in scoring eight times. Past week's highlights included Dwyae Wade's first return to home arean this season. Heat is back in play Tuesday in Detroit.

4. PANTHERS: Cats are hot again, maintain East lead: Florida is 13-2-3 and still atop the NHL East after last night's home win over Minnesota. That's three wins in a row after a four-game skid that found plenty of Cats fans pouncing way to soon on interim coach Andrew Brunette. Panthers are back at it Wednesday vs. Philly.

5. MARLINS: Fish extend Alcantara with $55 million deal: Miami Marlins locked up ace pitcher Sandy Alcantara with a $55 mllion extension announced Monday. Also, club made four additions to club’s 2022 Major League coaching staff, notably Marcus Thames as hitting coach and Al Pedrique as third base and infield coach. Marlins also had a piece of MLB awards week, as pitcher Trevor Rogers finished second in NL rookie of year voting.

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators lose again, Butch falls in FIU home finale: Florida Gators are a bowl-shy 5-6 after Saturday's 24-23 loss to Missouir that furthers imperils coach Dan Mullen. And FIU is 1-10 after a 49-7 home loss to North Texas in Butch Davis' final home game; he won;t return next season. Elsewhere in state FBS play (non-UM division): FSU beat Boston College 26-23, FAU got clobbered by Western Kentucky, UCF routed UConn and South Florida fell hard to Tulane.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Loss by No. 3 Oregon shakes up CFP final four: No. 3 Oregon's crushing 38-7 loss at No. 23 Utah Saturday will shake up the College Football Playoff and likely see Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State welcoming in interloper Cincinnati to the select four in the next CFP rankings. Does it also make Mario Cristobal likelier to leave the Ducks for, say ... Miami? Other Top 25 losses were by No. 7 Michigan State, 10-Wake Forest and 21-Arkansas.

8. UM BASKETBALL: Good starts but big tests await for Canes men, women: UM men are 3-1 after Sunday's win over Florida A&M, and play three more before their ACC opener. Canes women are 4-0 and next play Thanskgiving Day vs. Washington State. First major tests for UM women are next Saturday vs. No. 4-Indiana and December 2 at 3-Maryland.

9. MLB: Ohtani the talk of baseball's Awards Week: MLB handed out hardware for ML and AL MVP, Cy Young, manager and rookie of the year this past week, and at the top was the unanimous AL MVP vote for the Angels' Shohei Ohtani. He is legitimately the sports' greatest two-way hitter/pitcher since one Babe Ruth circa 1915-18.

10. OLYMPICS: U.S. mulling diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games: President Joe Biden thi week said the United States is considering a diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing over China's human rights abuses. That would keep American dignitaries -- but not athletes -- from attending the Games.

Missing the HB10 cut: The USMNT's 1-1 draw with Jamaica leaves the American men in good shape in World Cup qualifying. There's a pause now, with the next U.S. qualifier, vs. El Salvador, not until January 27 ..... MLS playoffs (Inter Miami is on the couch watching) are almost down to the final eight and the conference semifinals, with New England Revolution the clear title pick based on season form ..... Antonio Brown is accused of obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. Or did that go without saying? ..... The new biopic King Richard is out, about Richard Williams and tennis daughters Serena and Venus, starring Will Smith in the title role ..... The new Tom Brady docuseries is called Man In The Arena, because all of the good titles were already taken. (Quick note: Brady plays in stadiums, not arenas) ..... Garbiñe Muguruza won the WTA Finals in tennis. Alexander Zverez and Daniil Medvedev go for the ATP Finals crown Sunday .....  The Washington Spirit won the NWSL title with a 2-1 extra time victory over the Chicago Red Stars ..... The Cleveland Indians' name-change to Cleveland Guardians is now official. Insulting nickname to a just plain bad one. Upgrade? ..... The rapper Ludacris is narrating MLB's offcial Braves World Series film out December 14 ..... Homestead-Miami Speedway is hosting a "Magic Of Lights" drive-through holiday display through January 1. Good idea. But it'd be even more magical if they weren't charging $20 and up per car ..... NFL Pro Bowl tickets are now on sale and Pro Bowl voting is underway, and nobody cares ..... R.I.P., Sam Huff ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,681 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14. 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, Dolphins end skid in win over Texans, Is Manny Diaz saving himself after 3rd straight win?, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS MONDAY!: Our 44th episode of 2021 and 86th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 85 we've done HERE, free. In our most recent episode: Hear Greg's live on-stage routine and more from Le Batard Show's mini-Mas Miami fan event. Also: Toy Hall of Fame inductees, Yeti live report from Braves' championship parade, how to pronounce "Tuesday," an homage to Villa Rose (R.I.P.), Big Bird gets the vaccine, NFL's wild weekend, Greg's Lobos update, stern message from the National Respect The Pumpkin Foundation & more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

My column off Saturday's UM loss at FSU: Just Another Cursed, Heartbreak Finish for Diaz And Hurricanes

Column off Thursday's Dolphins upset win: Miracles Happen: Huge Defense, Tua Off Bench Help Fins Stun Baltimore

Our other most recent columns: Oh Brother! Heat-Nuggets' Family Feud Spices Season / Fins End 7-Game Skid -- But Only Because Texans Were Even Worse / Is Manny Diaz Saving Himself? Coach, Comeback Canes Win 3rd Straight. Also: Dolphins' Watson Lust Ruined Season, Damaged Tua. And That Starts With Owner Ross / Buffalo's Late Classlessness Aside, Miami Out Of Answers In 7th Straight Loss / U-Turn: UM Season, Diaz Future Looking Up With 2nd Straight Big Win / and Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal.

NFL Week 10 picks: Week 10 began with Dolphins hosting Ravens Thursday night and winning, 22-10. That result blindsided me; didn't think the Fins had it in 'em. Hope the rest of my week goes better! Here are our picks for our Game of the Week and Upset of the Week along with an additional upset and all the rest: NFL Week 10 Gems.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 14-15): 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: Stunner! Miami shocks Ravens with big defense, Tua off bench: Awesome defense and a late lift from Tua Tagovailoa in relief were plenty as the Dolphins stunned Baltimore, 22-10, Thursday night. Lest we forget, play of the game honors to 330-pound guard Robert Hunt for his TD that didn't count ... except as fabulous! The second straight win puts Fins 3-7 and with schedule softening, starting with the Jets next Sunday. Late miracle-rally to playoff contention, anyone?

2. HURRICANES: UM trails, leads, blows it in wild loss at FSU: An early 14-0 hole. A late 28-20 lead. An eventual 31-28 last-second. Ho hum, just another hear-attack finish for Canes and their fans -- the seventh game decided by four points or fewer. Miami now 5-5, 3-3 in ACC, out of the Coastal race and still not bowl-eligible with two games left.

3. HEAT: Miami cools off but wins in Utah: Heat started 6-1 but was 7-5 before Saturday's 111-105 win in Utah fueled by Duncan Robinson's six 3's, despite Jimmy Butler missing second straight game with ankle injury. Miami ends its wesern roadie Monday at Oklahoma City. Meantime NBA's probe into possible pre-free agency tampering by Miami in the Kyle Lowry signing is  nearly complete. (League also is investigating Chicago's Lonzo Ball deal).

4. FIU: Longtime AD Garcia steps down, Butch Davis headed out, too: Veteran FIU athletics boss Pete Garcia stepped down after 15 years, not a huge surprise and good news to many on campus. Now comes word that the school already is advertising to replace football coach Butch Davis after this season. Davis is 1-9 this season and 1-16 since shocking the Hurricanes late in 2019. 

5. SOCCER: U.S. scores huge win over Mexico in WC qualifying: The U.S. men's national team won its third straight over rival Mexico, 2-0, in a World Cup qualifier in Cincinnati. The Americans next CONCACAF-region qualifier is Tuesday vs. Jamaica. U.S. men sit pretty to reach next year's World Cup in Qatar.  

6. PANTHERS: Hot Cats cool with fourth straight loss: Florida's 10-2-3 record still shines, but it's four losses in a row now, the past two in added time including 3-2 in OT Saturday in Tampa. Team was 7-0-0 when coach Joel Quenneville stepped down. Panthers begin four-game homestand Tuesday vs. New York Islanders. 

7. MLB: Looming lockout, free agency on the plate: The CBA is expiring and a possible lockout looming as baseball enters free agency. The question in South Florida: Will the Marlins break recent tradition and be big spenders for the bat(s) they need to augment solid pitching? They say yes. Let's see. They swung a minor deal for reliever Louis Head, but offene is the need.

8. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men, women await early big tests: UM men are 1-1 after Saturday's 95-89 home loss to UCF, while Canes women are 3-0 after beating Stetson Sunday. The men play six games before ACC play begins. The women's first big tests are November 27 vs. No. 8-Indiana and December 2 at 4-Maryland.

9. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators win, but rather embarassingly: Florida limped to 5-5 with 70-52 win over Samford. How do you give up 52 to Samford!? Tough week for state FBS teams (non-UM division), with losses by FIU, FAU, UCF and South Florida.

10. INTER MIAMI: MLS playoffs start (sans Miiami) this week: The 14-team Major League Soccer playoffs begin this coming Friday. Inter Miami ended its second season a disappointing 12-5-17 (that's 12 wins in 34 matches), and well out of the playoff hunt.

Missing the HB10 cut: Tennis' ATP and WTA Finals are going on. Woemn finish up this Wednesday and the men next Sunday ..... Rams signed Odell Beckham Jr. ..... Jon Gruden is suing the NFL saying he was forced out as Raiders coach. Dear Jon: WHo wrote those hateful emails? The NFL? Or you? ..... Six more Top 25 football teams lost, but none higher than No. 8 Oklahoma ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,688 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 9 picks, Dolphins owner Ross to blame for season-ruining Watson chase, Week 8 results for picks/Lobos/QB rankings, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE LIVE FROM LE BATARD SHOW FAN EVENT OUT NOW!: Our 43rd episode of 2021 and 85th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 85 we've done HERE, free. In our most recent episode: Greg's live on-stage routine (pictured) and more from Le Batard Show's mini-Mas Miami fan event this weekend. Also: Latest Toy Hall of Fame inductees, Yeti live report from Braves' championship parade, how to pronounce "Tuesday," an homage to Villa Rose (R.I.P.), Big Bird gets the vaccine, NFL's wild weekend and the Tua worry, Greg's Lobos update, stern message from the National Respect The Pumpkin Foundation & more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

No Tua, but Dolphins win a game! My column: Fins End 7-Game Skid -- But Only Because Texans Were Even Worse.

Canes survive Georgia Tech, 33-30. My column: Is Manny Diaz Saving Himself? Coach, Comeback Canes Win 3rd Straight.

Most recent other columns: Dolphins' Watson Lust Ruined Season, Damaged Tua. And That Starts With Owner Ross / Buffalo's Late Classlessness Aside, Miami Out Of Answers In 7th Straight Loss / U-Turn: UM Season, Diaz Future Looking Up With 2nd Straight Big Win / and Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 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. This week's HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: No Tua, 5 turnevers, burs, but Miami somehow ends 7-game skid: Deshaun Watson wasn't playing today for Houston. Or for Miami. Neither was Tua Tagovailoa, sidelined with a fractured finger. But Dolphins beat Houston Texans 17-9 in a battle of 1-7 teams -- despite five turnovers. Miami's key to success: Play somebody even worse.

2. HURRICANES: UM survives Georgia Tech, 33-30, for 3rd straight win: After consecutive wins over ranked North Carolina State and Pitt, Canes were big favoites hosting a down Gergia Tech on Saturday, and survived 33-30 to go 5-4 on the year. UM visits rival Florida State next Saturday then closes with Virginia Tech and Duke. Will it take running the table (including a bowl win) to save Manny Diaz?

3. HEAT: Miami wins 'Dwayne Wade Bowl' over Utah: Miami followed a Celtics home loss with Saturday's big 118-115 home win over Utah led by Tyler Herro's 29. Dwyane Wade, of course, is the retired Heat icon who now owns a small share of the Jazz. Heat set out Monday in Denver on a five-game West Coast roadie.

4. PANTHERS: Cats hand Carolina first loss: Mighty test on Saturday as 9-0-1 Panthers hosted 9-0-0 Carolina, with Florida skating off with a 5-2 home win. Cats are now 3-0-1 since coach Joel Quenneville abruptly resigned over his role in 2010 Blackhawks assault coverup. Florida begins a four-game road trop Monday at N.Y. Rangers.

5. NFL: Aaron Rodgers' big lie on vaccine costs Packers: Green Bay's superstar quarterback will not play this weekend for the 7-1 Packers because he tested positive for COVID after lying about his vaccination status. Cue State Farm jingle: "Unlike a good neighbor, Aaron wasn't there for his teammates."

6. UM BASKETBALL: College hoops begin for Canes, rest of country: Tuesday is opening day around America in college basketball. In Miami, the Hurricanes men and women -- neither ranked, both looking to tebound from off years -- host soft openings vs. Canisius and Jackson State, respectively. 

7. MLB: Atlanta celebrates World Series champions: City of Atlanta held a championship parade and festivities on Friday to celebrate the Braves' first World Series title since 1995. And isn't it just the Marlins luck: The best team in baseball (well, ostensibly) now resides in the NL East. 

8. INTER MIAMI: Team Beckham ends disappointing season with win: Inter Miami ended Year 2 12-5-17 and out of the MLS playoffs (that's 12 wins in 34 matches), but on the upbeat with a 1-0 win Sunday on Blaise Matuidi's goal at New England, which has best record in league. Playoffs start November 19.

9. NASCAR: Larson ends season of redemption with NASCAR crown: Kyle Larson spent much of last year suspended for a racial slur. Sunday he was crowned champion of this season at Phoenix, defeating fellow final-four Championship Four finalists Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Michigan State loss to shake up CFP rankings Eight more Top 25 teams lost on Saturday -- including No. 3 Michgan State, whch of course will shake up the College Football Playoff top four. Look for the new inside four to be Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and likely Ohio State moving up and in.

Missing the HB10 cut: Reeling Florida Gators now 4-5 after Saturday's 40-17 loss to South Carolina topped state FBS results (non-UM division). Elsewhere, FSU lost to No. 19 N.C. State, UCF edged Tulane, South Florida fell to Houston, FAU lost to Marshall and FIU fell to 1-8 in a loss to Old Dominion ..... Favorite Knicks Go won the 38th Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday in Del Mar, Calif. ..... The New York City marathon returns live Sunday after being held viritually last year because of the COVID pandemic ..... UEFA Champions League is off until November 23 with only four of 32 clubs a perfect 4-0-0: Liverpool, Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Muncih and Juventus ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,695 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1. Hope y'all had a happy and safe Halloween. Now welcome November! 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): Panthers' Quenneville resigns amid scandal, NFL Week 8 picks, Fins sabotaging Tua over Watson infatuation, 10 ways Tua is world's unluckiest man, Week 7 results for picks/Lobos/QB rankings, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE WITH GARY "THE BAG" ROSENFELD OUT NOW!: Our 42nd episode of 2021 and 84th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 84 we've done HERE, free. In our latest episode: Greg has a live on-air pod reunion with childhood neighbor Gary "The Bag" Rosenfeld. Also: Toilet talk, PETA vs. the bullpen, Tomahawk Chop, sad demise of Joel Quenneville, Princess Belle, Lobos midseason update and more! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL WEEK 8 PICKS: DOLPHINS-BILLS, GAME OF WEEK, UPSETS AND ALL THE REST: We pivot to NFL Week 8 and our picks for Dolphins-Bills, our Game of the Week and Upset of the Week along with an additional upset and all the rest. Got off to a mixed start Thursday night. Lost the pick outright with Arizona losing but nailed it against the spread because we had Green Bay covering. For all of our latest picks: NFL Week 8 Gems.

Our latest columns:

Dolphins: Buffalo's Late Classlessness Aside, Miami Out Of Answers In 7th Straight Loss

Hurricanes: U-Turn: UM Season, Diaz Future Looking Up With 2nd Straight Big Win

Panthers: Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal

Also: Dolphins Sabotaging Tua Season Over Misguided Infatuation With Watson / As Dolphins' Dysfunction Surrounds Him, 10 Ways Tua Is The Unluckiest Man On Earth / Tua Shuts Off Noise, Throws 4 TDs, But It Still Isn't Enough / Canes, Embattled Diaz Show The Fight Left In Them /State of the Art: Heat, Miami's Best-Run Franchise, Sails In Opener / and 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 1): 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. This week's HB10:

1. PANTHERS: Quenneville out as nightmare scandal interrupts dream season: Florida's NHL-best and franchise-best 7-0-0 start took a back seat this week as coach Joel Quenneville was engulfed by and resigned in shame because of what happened with the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks when Quennveille coached there. He was implicated in covering up the sexual assault of player Kyle Beach, then 20, who came forward this week. Cats are now 8-0-1 after Saturday's 3-2 OT loss in Boston, and are off until Thursday.

2. DOLPHINS: Promising start, typical finish in 7th straight loss: Miami tried to end its six-game losing streak as two-touchdown underdogs in Buffalo Sunday and came away as 26-11 losers. The defense show up, but the offense struggled including Tua Tagovailoa in his third start since returning from a rib injury. Still looming: A report out of Houston that the Texans and Fins contiunue in talks over a trade for embattled Deshaun Watson. However ESPN reports Houston will keep Watson beyond Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

3. HURRICANES: They're alive! Canes, Diaz  bag 2nd straight big win: UM was a 9-point underdog at No. 17 Pittsburgh Saturday but prevailed 38-34, led by a huge day from young QB Tyler Van Duke leading a second straight win over a rabked opponent. Resurgent Canes are now level at 4-4 on the season and 2-2 in the ACC after win put Coastal Division title back in play. UM next hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday.

4. HEAT: Butler-led Miami stays hot early: Miami has begun the season 5-1 with signature early wins over East powers Milwaukee and Brooklyn after Saturday's rout-win in Memphis fueled by 21 3's, one shy of team record. As key addition Kye Lowry makes his presence felt, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and super-sub Tyler Herro are carrying the scoring load, and Heat also boasts NBA's No. 2-ranked defense out the gate. Miami is back at it Tuesday in Dallas.

5. MLB: Astros cut Braves' lead, force a Game 6 in World Series: Houston overcame a fast 4-0 hole and won 9-5 Sunday to force a World Series Game 6. The Atlanta Braves still lead the series 3-2, but Games 6 and (if neccessary) 7 both are in Houston starting Tuesday. Braves trying to hangon for their first Wirld Series title since 1995.

6. INTER MIAMI: Loss eliminates Herons from MLS playoff race: Inter Miami is 11-5-17 with Saturday's 3-1 loss to New York City in Miami's home finale -- the defeat eliminating David Beckhams' club from the MLS playoff chase. Miami ends the regular season next Sunday at New England.

7. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators pounded by No. 1 Georgia in Jax: No. 1 Georgia routed the Florida Gators 34-7 Saturday in the renewal of their neutral-site rivalry in the erstwhile 'World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party' in Jacksonville. Also on the Week 9 state FBS slate, non-UM division: FIU was shut out at Marshall, FAU edged UTEP, Florida State fell at Clemson, UCF routed Temple, and South Florida fell at East Carolina.

8. MARLINS: Fish keep popular Rojas with two year extension: Miami signed popular shortstop Miguel Rojas, 32, to a two-year contract extension through the 2023 season. He batted .265 with nine homers, 30 doubles and 48 RBIs this past season. Rojas is the longest-serving current Marlin, with the next two seasons his eighth and ninth in Miami.

9. NASCAR: The Championship Four field is set!: Kyle Larson was already in. Sunday, he got company as reigning champion Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. will join him in the Championship Four finale next Sunday in Phoenix -- winner-take-all for the NASCAR season crown. Alex Bowman's race win yesterady at Martinsville eliminated Champ Four contenders Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Another bloody Saturday in Top 25: Three Week 9 national Top 25 matchups, two with possible College Football Playoff bearing: No. 5 Ohio State handled 20-Penn State and 6-Michigan fell at 8-Michigan State. The other was 10-Ole Miss falling at 18-Auburn. There were nine losses by Top 25 teams: The three mentioned, plus No. 9 Iowa, 12-Kentucky, 17-Pitt, 19-SMU, 21-San Diego State and 22-Iowa State.

Missing the HB10 cut: Greg Norman is taking on the PGA Tour. He will be COO and commissioner of a new golf league set to begin in 2022, backed by Saudi money and hoping to lure top players with lucrative guaranteed deals and rich purses ..... Nine days 'til college basketball! Tuesday, November 9, begins the 2021-22 college basketball season in Miami and nationally. Hurricanes open that day at home vs. Jackson State (women) and Canisius (men) in a day/night doubleheader. Neither UM team is ranked in preseason polls ..... The NAACP is urging a boycott of Texas over the state's restrictive voting and women's rights laws. It sent an open letter to five players' unions urging that their athletes not to sign with teams in Texas ..... UEFA Champions League play resumes Tuesday with eight matches ...... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,702 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 18. Was back in with Le Batard Show this past week. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts. 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): Florida Panthers win season opener, NFL Week 6 picks, Week 5 results for Picks/Lobos/QB rankings, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 40th episode of 2021 and 82nd overall is out Monday! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 82 we've done HERE, free. In our newest episode: Front row at a Monkees concert, Panthers talk with Roy Bellamy, golf with Chris and Uncle Dick, Old Heidelberg, sad Dolphins and Canes, corn mazes and hayrides, Hard Knocks/Greg's Lobos (heads rolling), on a boat with Izzy Gutierrez and Jessica Smetana and more. Our most action-packed episode yet! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

Heartbreaker, the sequel: Fins lose in London. My column: Are Dolphins the worst team in the NFL? YOu could  make the argument after Sunday's 23-20 loss to winless Jacksonville in London: Tua Looks Good In Return, But Dolphins Lose 5th Straight.

Heartbreaker: Canes lose at North Carolina. My column: Could UM pull off a road upset with a backup QB? Almost. Came down to final six seconds before Miami fell, 45-42, as the heat on Manny Diaz grows: Canes, Trying to Save A Season And Maybe A Coach's Job, Fall Short in Chapel Hill.

Florida Panthers win crazy season opener: 'Its' Time to Hunt': Florida Panthers' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start.

Other most recent columns: Loss In Tampa Has Dolphins Season In Free Fall As Embarrassments Pile Up / Why It's Too Soon, And Dumb, To Quit On Tua As Dolphins Answer / Year Of Reckoning, And Impatience, For Slow-Starting Dolphins & Canes / With Ghosts Of Glory Days Watching, Dolphins Showed Inept Effort in Third Straight Loss / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Unlucky, But Heat on Manny Diaz Rises With Home Loss In ACC Opener / 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 / Tua's Rib Injury In Keeping With Weird, Rocky Start to Dolphins Career / Hope And Hype Are Sky-High. Time For Florida Panthers To Finally Deliver.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 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. This week's HB10:

1. HEAT: It's Opening Week for new-look, Lowry-infused team!: Miami's encouraging 5-1 preseason ended Friday with another big offensive show from Tyler Herro. Let the real games begin! Jimmy Butlerr, Bam Adebayo and noted addition Kyle Lowry get it started with the season and home openr Thursday night vs. defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

2. DOLPHINS: Tua plays well in return, but Fins fall to Jags in London: The free fall (1-5 after five straight losses) continued Sunday in a 23-20 loss to previously winless Jacksonville in north London. Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa returned after three games out injured and played well but for one awful interception, throwing for 329 yards and two TDs.

3. HURRICANES: King done, Diaz in trouble as UM falls at UNC: The job security under coach Manny Diaz trembles and quakes that much more after Saturday's 45-42 road loss to North Carolina dropped Canes to 2-4 and 0-2 in the ACC. Freshman Tyler Van Dyke made his first start at quarterback with D'Eriq King lost for the season after shoulder surgery, and threw three interceptions incluing a batted-ball pick in the closing seconds that cost Miami a shot at a short tying field goal.

4. PANTHERS: High-hope Cats jump out to 2-0 start: Cats won a wild season and home opener, 5-4 in OT over Pittsburgh Thursday, on two goals by Aaron Ekblad and a pair including the game winner from Carter Verhaeghe, then scored a 5-1 home win Saturday over the N.Y. Islanders on Sam Bennett's hat trick. Florida is back at it Tuesday at rival in Tampa.

5. MLB: Braves lead Dodgers, ALCS tied: Red Sox and Astros are tied 1-1 in the home run-fueled AL Championship Series, with Game 3 Monday in Boston. Braves are up 2-0 over favored Dodgers in the NLCS, with Game 3 Tuesday in L.A. 

6. NFL: Email scandal sacks Raiders coach Jon Gruden: Star coach Jon Gruden resigned abruptly and in shame from the Las Vegas Raiders when it was reveaed he had sent internal emails that were racist, misogynistic and homophobic. And the fallout may be just beginning.

7. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators lose again: No. 20 Florida Gators faced a challenge Saturday as 11-point favorites at LSU and lost 49-42, while unranked UCF (a decent 3-2) was on the road trying and failing badly to derail upstart and unbeaten No. 3 Cincinnati, 56-21. Elsewhere on the FBS state schedule, non-UM division: South Florida fell to Tulsa, 32-31. FSU, FIU and FAU all were off.

8. INTER MIAMI: Miserable Herons drops sixth straight match: Fading Miami is 9-5-15 after a sixth straight loss, Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Columbus. David Beckham's disappointing team is now nine points off MLS playoff pace with five matches left starting Wednesday vs. Toronto.

9. MARLINS: Team's Fall Development Camp wraps up this week: The Marlins' three-week Fall Development Camp, for prospects mostly at the rookie league and Single A level, ends this coming Friday. The camp has included 27 players (non-pitchers), 11 of them teenagers. Notables include No. 1 prospect Khalil Watson, Victor Mesa and Griffin Conine (Jeff's kid).  

10. WNBA: Chicago Sky wins first title: Chicago Sky on Sunday completed a 3-1 series win over the Phoenix Mercury in the 25th WNBA Finals. Mercury had won three league championships, the last in 2014. Sky won their first.

Missing the HB10 cut: Seven Top 25 teams lost this week, including No. 2 Iowa. The new CFP top four figures to be Georgia, Cincinnati, Oklahoma and Alabama ..... Dwyane Wade's eldest son, Zaire, 19, is signing a G League contract and expected to join Utah's developmental affiliate in Salt Lake City. Dad purchased an ownership stake in the Jazz earlier this year ..... The Washington Football Team will retire the No. 21 jersey of slain former Hurricane Sean Taylor on Sunday, only the third such honor the franchise has given, after Sammy Baugh and Bobby Mitchell ..... U.S. men's soccer earned a needed 2-1 win over Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying, which continues through March. Next: Big one vs. rival Mexico on November 12 ..... UEFA Champions League play resumes Tuesday with eight matches ..... Portland Thorns and OL Reign lead the push as scandal-beleaguered NWSL nears its playoffs ..... Four races left in NASCAR playoffs starting Sunday at Texas. Can anyone stop this season's seven-time race winner Kyle Larson? ..... Meantime NASCAR team owner Tony Stewart is getting into NHRA drag racing in 2022 with fulltime entries in both Top Fuel and Funny Car ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,716 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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