GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 3. Happy new month, all! Ready, set ... spend! 2) Football is raging and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 13 picks, R.I.P. President Bush, ranking college conference title games, your Cooperstown verdict & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
New column: On the College Football Playoff final four: There was anger and wailing from at least three campuses, but here's why the CFP got it right Sunday with Oklahoma for the final spot. Visit Oklahoma, College Football Win the Day for my latest column. By the way, Miami Hurricanes headed to the Pinstripe Bowl in New York. So much for all the "experts" guessing Gator Bowl!
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G12: 15.6%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 15.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 21-17 victory vs. Buffalo putting Miami's season record at 6-6. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 7 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The approval there was 29%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
G6: 75.0% following 31-28 OT victory vs. Chicago.
G7: 8.9% following 32-21 loss vs. Detroit.
G8: 5.8% following 42-23 loss at Houston.
G9: 29.6% following 13-6 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.
G10: 5.8% following 31-12 loss at Green Bay.
G11: 4.1% following 27-24 loss at Indianapolis.
G12: 15.6% following 21-17 victory vs. Buffalo.
Next poll: Dec. 9 following game vs. New England.
G12: BUFFALO AT DOLPHINS: IT'S MUST-WIN, MUST-PRAY IN PLAYOFF HUNT: Postgame thoughts: Miami hangs on, survives last-minute Hail Mary throw, wins 21-7 to improved to 6-6 and stay alive in playoff chase. Tannehill's three TD passes and 1-3.7 rating win the day. Defense solid other than allowing Bills QB Allen to scramble for 135 yards. All Miami did was beat a bad team at home, and not easily. Still, the win was dearly needed, making it a good day ..... Halftime thoughts: Tannehill an efficient 10-for-15 for 96 yards and two TDs have Fins up 14-6 in must-win game to stay in playoff hunt. Perry with big special-teams takeaway on muffed Bills punt return. Defense has limited Buffs to 122 total net yards, though Fins have only 115 themselves. Bills are bad, Miami is doing what it should ..... Original post: Thanksgiving over and bye weeks done means the stretch run to the NFL playoffs has begun. With the Dolphins 5-6 and the Bills 4-7 let's not pretend this game is a major player in the hunt, but it is lurking on the periphery. Miami must run the table to be assured a postseason ticket, whereas winning four of the past five might be good enough. It must start today, at home as a 4-point favorite, against an inferior Buffalo. Drop this 1 p.m. game before CBS cameras and all realistic hope is gone for Miami. Forecast website fivethirtyeight.com puts Miami’s postseason likelihood entering NFL Week 13 at 5 percent, so this is must-win ... followed by must-pray. Bet line opened at Fins by 6 but sank fast in another reminder how little faith there is in Miami. Or maybe somebody (anybody?) is impressed that Buffs have won straight over teams that are a combined 6-16? Give Dolphins this much, at least. They guard the 3-0-5 pretty well. Fins are 4-1 at home and on a 6-2 roll in home division games. And Ryan Tannehill, in his second game back from injury, is on a 7-0 gallop in home starts. Miami figures to be without top target and catchman Danny Amendola (knee), but Fins should be able to run big on Williams’ soft ground D. On the other side, rookie QB Josh Allen has a paucity of weapons. I like Miami to cover but will be mindful of this trend: Buffalo has been outscored 141-9 in the first half of its past six losses, so it could be an ominous sign of Fins don’t jump out early. Buffs swept Miami last year. A dollop of payback arrives Sunday. My pick: Dolphins, 27-16.
Visit Week 13 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Oklahoma grabs fourth and final spot: No doubt unbeatens Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame would be 1-2-3 Sunday when the College Football Playoff handed out its four invitations (although there was mucho doubt for the Crimson Tide Saturday before that late rally past Georgia). The question was who would replace Georgia in the big four, which debate among Oklahoma, Ohio State and even Georgia and UCF. Whomever said the CFP would take the argument out of college football was thankfully wrong.
2. DOLPHINS: Tannehill lifts Miami past Buffalo in all but must-win: The Dolphins are now 6-6 after a 21-17 home win over the rival Bills Sunday. That was the easy part. Fins face Patriots and Vikings next.
3. HURRICANES: It's UM-Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl: Sunday came the Miami Hurricanes' consolation prize for a disappointing season. As bowl bids came out nationwide, most experts had pegged UM for the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, but the destination turned out to be the Pinstripe at Yankee Stadium vs. Wisconsin. A year ago these two met in the Orange Bowl. Now they're relegated after 7-5 seasons.
4. HEAT: Miami wins, tries to shake malaise: The Heat are now 9-13 at the NBA season's quarter mark after beating Utah behind Hassan Whiteside's 20/20 game Sunday. It's 5-8 at home. Keep that wakeup alarm sounding.
5. PANTHERS: Cats still looking for a spark: Florida continues in midst of an eight-game homestand in search of a spark as NHL season nears its one-third mark. Cats are 10-15 and off playoff pace. Another local wakeup call, please?
6. MARLINS: Realmuto speculation heating up: As the Dec. 9 start of the baseball winter meetings nears, speculation heats about who might be Miami's trade partner for all-star catcher J.T. Reamuto. The Yankees, Dodgers, Brewers and Astros are among the mentioned. You'd like to think Miami might spend big to keep Realmuto, then you remember, nah, these are the Marlins!
7. UM HOOPS: Canes men are falling apart!: Since starting 5-0 the UM men have lost three straight including Saturday's defeat against Yale. That's right. YALE! At least the Canes women are a bit better, 7-2 and ranked No. 21 one game into an eight-game homestand.
8. NFL: Chiefs abruptly cut star RB Hunt: Kareem Hunt led the NFL in rushing last season and is fifth this year and at 23 was a bright, rising star. Now he's unemployed and facing a league suspension after the video release of him committing battery against a female. File it away under Dumbass Athletes. Thick file, by the way.
9. SOCCER: MLS championship set: Atlanta United will host Portland Timbers this coming Saturday Dec. 8 in the MLS Cup championship match. Atlanta is in only its second season in the league. See, that's how fast you can go from nonexistent to really good, Miami.
10. HORSE RACING: Gulfstream winter meet underway: Gulfstream Park in Hallandale opened its winter session Saturday. It's where you can go to gamble, dine, shop and, time permitting, maybe even catch horse race!
Missing the HB10 cut: Thinking some more about last week's Phil-Tiger match, and it was still boring ..... Update: Countdown now 2,759 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26. Results are in on the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. Find them directly here. 2) Football is raging and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes-Pitt and CSM poll, Tannehill/Litmus test column, other state Collball, Elton-in-Sunrise concert review & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest column: Tannehill has 5 games left to earn his Miami future: Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill returned Sunday at Indianapolis from his latest injury and played well, but Miami's loss and subsequent 5-6 records leaves the Fins likely needing at least four wins in the final five games to make the playoffs. This is Tannehill's Litmus test. No excuses. He must stay healthy, and perform like the highly paid, top-10-drafted passer he is. This is my latest column. Visit Tannehill's Litmus Test Is Pass or Fail.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G11: 4.1%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a season-low 4.1 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 27-24 loss at Indianapolis putting Miami's season record at 5-6. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:45 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The approval there was 21%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
G6: 75.0% following 31-28 OT victory vs. Chicago.
G7: 8.9% following 32-21 loss vs. Detroit.
G8: 5.8% following 42-23 loss at Houston.
G9: 29.6% following 13-6 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.
G10: 5.8% following 31-12 loss at Green Bay.
G11: 4.1% following 27-24 loss at Indianapolis.
Next poll: Dec. 2 following game vs. Buffalo.
G11: INDIANAPOLIS 27, DOLPHINS 24: TANNEHILL GREAT IN COMEBACK, BUT IT ISN'T ENOUGH: Final thoughts: A heartbreaking loss on a 32-yard last-second FG drops Miami to 5-6 and sends playoff hopes tumbling further. Tannehill was really solid in his eturn from injury: 17-for-25, 204 yards, two TDS. But had a 24-14 fourth quarter lead it failed to protect. A competitive loss. But still a loss .....Halftime thoughts: Tannehill is sharp in his return: 11-for-15, 179 yards, two TDs, and the defense has three takeaways (including two picks of Luck) in an even game at the half. A winnable game both teams need to win. Tannehill's performance thus far is encouraging to say the least. But can Miami, without a great track record on the road, finish strong? ..... Original post: Ryan Tannehill’s much-awaited comeback after five games out comes in a 4:25 p.m./CBS matchup between two of five Fortune .500 teams (both 5-5) currently jockeying for the sixth and last AFC playoff ticket. (Second billing to No. 17’s return: Frank Gore facing the team he ran for before coming to Miami). The betting line skied to 10 before settling down to a sane 7 1/2 favoring the hot Colts. The fat bet-number pays homage to Indy’s four-game win streak during which Andrew Luck has looked better than ever — adding pressure on Tannehill to outduel the QB drafted No. 1 overall in 2012, the same year Tanny went eighth to the Fins. (The two are pictured left in February 2012 at the NFL pre-draft Scouting Combine). Miami has won six of its past eight trips to Indy, but there are other reasons to not like the Dolphins’ upset chances. Luck has not been sacked in five straight games, and Fins are 1-4 away this year and 1-9 in past 10 roadies. And Tannehill may need to top 30 points to hang with a Colts’ offense fifth in NFL in scoring. But won’t he be rusty? And is his shoulder fully healed? (Really?) For me, the home field, Luck playing great and Miami’s notorious tendency to wither on the road make this a clear pick. I do like Miami, coming off a bye, against the spread getting 7-plus points, but an outright upset seems a longshot. Tannehill coming back from (another) injury and his team on the unsteady road leave Miami with much to prove here. My pick: Indianapolis, 30-23.
Visit Week 12 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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: Tannehill returns but Fins collapse late in Indy: Ryan Tannehill came back Sunday from five games' absence and Miami led 24-14 in the fourth quarter but somehow lost 27-24. Now there is a mountain to climb. Miami at 5-6 must win four of its last five games and maybe all five to make the playoffs. The odds of that? I'm not sure numbers go that high.
2. HURRICANES: UM beats Pitt, awaits bowl invite: The Canes beat Pitt 24-3 with terrific defense Saturday to finish 7-5, and now await a mid-level bowl invitation. It was a tough week in which Mark Richt had a top QB cancel a visit and had star receiver Jeff Thomas quit the team. The program needed what Manny Diaz's defense delivered.
3. HEAT: Miami struggling as Wade returns: Dwyane Wade is back from an extended paternity leave after the surrogate-birth of a daughter but Heat is stumbling at 7-12 after Sunday's loss in Toronto -- despite Wade's 35 off the bench. Team is home now for four in a row. Spark needed. And if 35 from Wade ain't enough, that's a bad sign.
4. GOLF: Phil beats Tiger in 'The Match': Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods on the 22nd hole of their charity pay-per-view match-play event Friday in Arizona to take the $9 million pot. I think the course won. The play was not scintillating. Or, as analyst Charles Barkley said: "This is some crappy golf." Imagine that? You pair two guys in their 40s well past their primes and you're disappointed. Shocking!
5. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Michigan loss shakes up playoffs' top 4: Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame were 1-2-3 and all won Saturday. But No. 4 Michigan got clobbered by No. 10 Ohio State. No. 5 Georgia should now bump up into the coveted top four ... but might the Buckeyes make the big leap instead? Hmm.
6. UM HOOPS: Canes men fall in Wooden final: Miami's men reached the final of the Wooden Legacy Tournament in Fullerton, Cal., Sunday vs. Seton Hall, but fell 83-81 after beating Fresno State 78-76 in the semis. Team Larranaga is now 5-1, while he UM women are 6-1 and ranked no 24. Good start for Canes hoops all round.
7. PANTHERS: Cats continue struggling, lose Trocheck: Panthers lost star Vincent Trocheck to a bad ankle injury, and now are 8-13 after Saturday's 5-4 overtime home loss to Chicago. That was first of eight straight games at the Sunrise rink. Turn it on in this homestand, or the season's hopes could start skating away.
8. CANTON: Zach Thomas among 25 Hall finalists: Dolphins stalwart middle linebacker Zach Thomas finally made it to the round of 25 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Is Greg Cote taking credit because of this column urging Zach's induction? Sure, why not!
9. COOPERSTOWN: Baseball's 2019 Hall of Fame ballot is out: Baseball's 2019 hall ballot was sent to voters (including me) and Mariano Rivera may be the only you'd-bet-your-life lock. One of the first timers includes ex-Marlin Juan Pierre. He won't make it, but I don't rule out his getting the 5 percent minimum to remain on ballot.
10. MARLINS: J.T. Realmuto and the long goodbye: The Marlins are expected to trade away their all-star catcher for prospects sometime soon, because Miami is rebuikind g from the farm system up, and because prospects cost a lot less to keep than established players about to command huge contracts.
Missing the HB10 cut:Gulfstream Park's championship meet opens in six days, on Dec. 1. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your betting! ..... I trust y'all had a lovely long Thanksgiving Weekend including a hectic, stressful Black Friday? ..... Gators beat Noles but the big news in state Collball was UCF QB McKenzie Milton's awful knee injury. Knights will still get a major bowl invite, but now probably see their 24-game win streak end ..... Joey Logano won the NASCAR championship at Homestead last week despite winning only one regular-season race. Time to tinker with the playoff format again? ..... First leg of the MLS playoffs semifinals is today. Soon, Miami. Soon ..... Update: Countdown now 2,766 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12. Veterans Day is when we honor all of those who have served in our military. Thank you! 2) Find results of the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll in the previous blogpost or directly here. 3) Football is raging and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes lose fourth straight with CSM poll, other state Collball, your Dolphins-in-playoffs verdict & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G10: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 5.8 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 31-12 loss at Green Bay putting Miami's season record at 5-5. That ties for the season low. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:45 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The approval rating there was 25%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
G6: 75.0% following 31-28 OT victory vs. Chicago.
G7: 8.9% following 32-21 loss vs. Detroit.
G8: 5.8% following 42-23 loss at Houston.
G9: 29.6% following 13-6 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.
G10: 5.8% following 31-12 loss at Green Bay.
Next poll: Nov. 25 (after bye week) following game at Indianapolis.
G10: GREEN BAY 31, DOLPHINS 12: TEMPS in 20'S, PACKER POINTS IN 30'S. TOLD YA!: Final thoughts: Four field goals does not pass as decent offense in any world I know. Especially at Lambeau Field against Aaron Rodgers ..... 4Q: GB 31-12 as Pack add 38-yard FG. It's over, people ..... 3Q: GB 28-12 on Rodgers-Adam 25-yard scoring pass. This game feels over ... GB 21- 12 on Jones 12-yard TD run. Like I said, FGs will nit beat Rodgers in Green Bay ... MIA 12-14 on 40-yard FG ...Halftime thoughts: Rodgers less than 100 yards passing? Gore kicking ass? Good, encouraging signs for Miami. But field goals will not beat Rodgers at Lambeau. Book that ..... 2Q: MIA 9-14 on 47-yard FG. Fins competitive, but will settling for threes come back to haunt? ... MIA 6-14 on 25-yard FG after red-zone fizzle ...GB 14-3 on Jones 2-yards TD run set up by his 67-yard run ...1Q: Fins defense gouged for 67-yard run to arrange another Pack score as quarter ends ... MIA 3-7 on 37-yard FG after Pack fumble. A 3rd-and-8 sack forced the three ... Miami recovers fumble on punt return near midfield ... GB 7-0 on Rodgers-Adams 7-yard TD pass, capitalizing on Miami turnover ... Nice opening drive by Fins ruined by lost fumble. Shotgun snap to Osweiler looked fast and high, but catchable ..... Pregame: Patriots loss today means Miami can move within one game and re-energize whole season with win at Lambeau ... Starting OTs Laremy Tunsil and Ja'Wuan James both inactive today. Oh my. Good lukc, Osweiler! ..... Original post: Miami is a surprisingly not-terrible 5-4 and Green Bay is a surprisingly desperate 3-4-1 and yet the Packers are favored by a big 10 points in today's 4:25 p.m. Lambeau Field kickoff before CBS cameras. Why? Quotation of the week to Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who said it deadpan-perfect, when asked if his defense could carry the momentum of last week’s domination of the Jets into this Sunday’s game in Green Bay: "Aaron Rodgers is a little different than Sam Darnold," noted Gase. I might further note that Mr. Rodgers also is a little different than Brock Osweiler. And that temperatures diving into the 20s at Lambeau will be a little different for the Fins than the advantageous comfort of home humidity. I’m scrounging around for reasons to believe in a Miami upset, and finding the cupboard bare short of assuming least a couple of Dolphins takeaways. (Perhaps a pick by Reshad Jones, if he deigns to actually appear in the game rather than pouting on the sideline?) Reasons to not like the Dolphins today are easier to spot. Osweiler is gradually becoming Osweiler again; he has not thrown a touchdown pass for almost nine quarters. Miami is 1-3 away and the Gee Bees 3-0-1 at home. All four of Miami’s losses have been by double digits, and the Dolphins are on a 1-8 skid when kicking off as road underdogs. Miami’s best shot might be that Green Bay — after facing the Patriots last week and with roadies to Seattle/Minnesota on deck — might sort of not pay much attention to this game. Except the Pack’s scant margin of error in the playoff chase assures Rodgers and the Cheesers will be on high alert here, buoyed by the Frozen Tundra and the ghost of Vince Lombardi in a fedora. Bonus fact: GB’s offensive coordinator is Joe Philbin. How much do you figure he’d love to run up the score? The forecast for today in Green Bay: Temps in the 20s, Pack points in the 30s. My pick: Green Bay, 37-20.
Visit Week 10 Gemsfor all of our latest NFL picks.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. HURRICANES: It's four straight losses with UM's fall at Tech: With Saturday's 27-21 loss at Georgia Tech the Hurricanes are now 5-5, have lost four in a row, are not yet bowl-eligible and are 5-8 in the past 13 games. Let's all agree that the honeymoon is over for Mark Richt. Heck, at this rate, the divorce lawyers may be on call.
2. DOLPHINS: Miami fizzles on the frozen tundra: The Dolphins' defense handled the Jets in winning last week but Aaron Rodgers is different than Sam Darnold about as subtly as Green Bay temps in the 20s are to South Florida humidity. And so 31-12 Green Bay on Sunday has the Fins, once 3-0, now stalled at 5-5.
3. HEAT: Sputtering Heat brace for Sixers and Butler, then LeBron: Heat at 5-7 have lost two straight and five of seven as they prepare to host Philadelphia and newly acquired Jimmy Butler Monday night. Minnesota trading Butler into the East made Miami's playoff chase that much more problematic. Almost forgot: Lakers and LeBron here in seven days.
4. NASCAR: Championship Four is set for Homestead: Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick were joined by Kyle Busch and Martin Truex in the Championship Four for next Sunday's NASCAR title run at Homestead. The final two spots were filled in yesterday's penultimate race in Phoenix. Now the entire sport packs up and heads south of Miami.
5. SOCCER: Miami MLS wins stadium vote: The David Beckham group's embryonic Major League Soccer expansion franchise, Inter Miami, comfortably won voter approval on stadium plans for the Melreese site. Meanwhile the MLS playoffs continue with semifinals pitting Portland vs. Sporting KC and New York vs. Atlanta.
6. PANTHERS: Ice on fire! The Cats are heating up: Slow-starting Florida has now won four in a row to rise to 6-8 with Sunday's victory over Ottawa prior to a six-game road trip. Credit some of the rally to the return of goalie Roberto Luongo. They honored the late Bill Torrey, Panthers founding father, before Saturday's home win. All hail the Bowtie!
7. UM HOOPS: Canes men, women off and runnning: UM men routed Lehigh in their opener and will now beef up their record vs. a soft schedule until the serious games start in January, when we start paying attention for real. Meanwhile he 25th-ranked Canes women are 2-0 and continue relentlessly competitive under Katie Meier.
8. GATORS: UF protects ranking with big rally: No. 15 Florida scored the game's last 21 points Saturday to survive South Carolina in the Swamp, 35-31. UM and FSU have lost a combined seven games in a row, but The Gator (oh, and 9-0 UCF) are holding up the state.
9. FIU: ButchCats sail to 7-3 record: Well at least one Miami college football team is winning. As the Canes marinate in a four-game losing streak, FIU is 7-3 with Saturday's 45-7 rout of UTSA. Overlooked program continues to climb under Butch Davis.
10. DOG RACING: State bans greyhound racing: Florida citizens this week voted to ban dog racing in the state, meaning some 6,000 suddenly retired racing greyhound may need new homes. Breathing a well-earned sigh of relief: the mechanical rabbit!
Missing the HB10 cut: State of Florida's election recount is underway in several key races. Depending on your point of view, it's a noble effort to get it right or screwing your candidate who thought he'd won ..... Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan: the CFP top four, uninterrupted ..... Would somebody give Bryce Harper and Manny Machado a bunch of money already!? ..... I'd like to report that the Duke men's basketball team is, like, really good ..... Update: Countdown now 2,780 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 15. Football's here and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes at Virginia with CSM poll, rest of state Collball, your Heat/Butler trade verdict & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest CSM results in:Voting is complete in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll following Saturday's 16-13 loss at Virginia. Find it in the previous blogpost or directly here.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G6: 75.0%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 75.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 31-28 overtime home victory over Chicago putting Miami's season record 4-2. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 8 today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The vote there was 67% approval).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
G6: 75.0% following 31-28 OT victory vs. Chicago.
Next poll: Oct. 21 following game vs. Detroit.
G6: CHICAGO AT DOLPHINS: BOUNCEBACK BY FINS DOUBLY TRICKY WITH TANNEHILL OUT:Postgame thoughts: The Dolphins' 31-28 overtime home win over favored Chicago today had to be one of the better regular season shows in franchise history. Ryan Tannehill sat out inactive with a shoulder injury. Miami should have had no chance against a vaunted Bears defense. But the Fins, down 21-10 deep ino the third quarterback, kept fighting back, kept answering. There were heroes everywhere. Brock Osweiler passed for 380 yards and three TDs. Albert Wilson had 155 yards receiving and two scores. Frank Gore rushed for 101 yards. The depleted O-line erased Khalil Mack and gave up zero sacks. But it allwould have zeroed in on Kenyan Drake's goalline lost fumble in OT had Miami not won on a last second 47-yard field goal. What an exhilarating win for a Dolphins team that overcame consecutive bad losses and is now 4-2 on the year ..... Halftime thoughts: With QB Ryan Tannehill unexpectedly inactive with a shoulder injury, Brock Osweiler has done well: 12-for-19 for 114 yards and a 5-yard TD pass to Nick O'Leary. Only a later interception has smudged his day so far. Meanwhile two big defensive plays -- a Reshad Jones fourth-down stop and a Kiko Alonso goalline fumble -- have preserved the shutout. This would be a significant upset. But can Miami close the deal? ..... Original post: Miami coach Adam Gase has a brief history with the Bears, having served one year as their offensive coordinator in 2015, in between his time in Denver and his coming to the Dolphins. His relationship with Jay Cutler that year led to Cutler's ill-fated signing by the Dolphins last season. Alas, I don't see Gase getting much more from the Bears on Sunday. Chicago is 3-1 and coming off a bye as a 3-point favorite entering Sunday's 1 p.m. game here. Miami is 3-2 and coming off consecutive awful road losses. It's the right time for a home game for Miami. But the wrong opponent. Our NFL predictions get from conception to delivery in myriad ways. Here, the gut feeling out the gate was to go with Miami — one of seven home ‘dogs in Week 6 — in a pretty big upset. The gut is usually enough. I’m a bit superstitious about thinking one thing and then changing my mind. But I did on this. Yes, the Dolphins (2-0 at home) have a reasonable upset shot, although I’d feel better about that if I was sure left tackle Laremy Tunsil (concussion protocol) would play. I mean, Bears sackstar Khalil Mack will wreak havoc regardless, but the likelihood of a Ryan Tannehill nightmare spikes sharply without Tunsil. This game arrives as a rare treat; it is only these teams’ fifth meeting since 2002 realignment, and also carries the faint echo of the famous 1985 meeting at the Orange Bowl, when the Bears were 12-0 but Miami won 38-24 to protect the Perfect '72 Fins' place in history. Alas, this meeting finds Miami coming off two straight dispiriting losses in Foxborough and in Cincy while hot Chicago is percolating on both sides of the ball. That’s why the betting line opened dead-even but moved strongly as money poured onto the Bears. Tannehill must outperform (not to mention outscore) Mitch Trubisky, but that’s a bigger ask of Tanny versus a Bears defense I’d judge among the league’s top three. For a Dolphins squad trying to heal from consecutive road meltdowns, this home game is well-timed. If only this opponent were as well. My pick: Bears, 23-16.
Visit Week 6 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks. Explainer: There was some confusion on two of my picks this week. I had Vikings winning and covering Sunday vs. Cardinals. I had Texans beating Bills, but Bills covering.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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: Butler deal dead (for now) as season tips off in 2 days: Preseason? Done. Jimmy Butler trade? On life support. Regular season? Upon us. Miami's 31st NBA season tips off with road games Wednesday and Thursday at Orlando and Washington, and then the home opener on Saturday vs. Charlotte. The season will be about Dwyane Wade's "last dance" with Miami. It might have co-starred Jimmy Butler, but it appears that would-be trade has left the building.
2. DOLPHINS: Miami beats Bears in overtime thriller: Consecutive awful road losses -- 38-7 in Foxboro and then a blown 17-point lead in Cincinnati -- had the Dolphins hoping for some home healing Sunday vs. Chicago, and finding it in a 31-28 OT triumph. Ryan Tannehill sat out unexpectedly with a shoulder injury. Didn't matter. Brock Osweiler, the Wizard of Os, threw for 380 yards.
3. HURRICANES: UM loses at Virginia as benched Perry fails in first road start: Miami was No. 16 and 5-1 entering Charlottesville Saturday night but a mere 6 1/2-point favorite over the 3-2 Cavaliers in N'Kosi Perry's first career road start. We saw why. Perry stunk, Miami lost 16-13 and it appears Mark Richt is a man without a quarterback.
4. PANTHERS: Cats' launch 25th home season with losses: Florida fell down by two goals early only to fight for a 4-3 lead and then lose 5-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in Thursday night's home opener. Worse: Cats have played three games in the young season and are yet to win. Way too desperate way too soon is where this team finds itself.
5. MLB: NL, AL championship series underway: The Brewers and Dodgers are two games into their NLCS and tied 1-1 while the Red Sox pulled even with the Astros in their ALCS Game 2 Sunday night. Milwaukee, having never won a title in 50 seasons, is your Cinderella-designate of the final four. Amazing Christian Yelich had the season he did in those glass slippers.
6. MARLINS: Fish boot half of coaching staff after last-place finish: The Marlins fired four from their coaching staff including their pitching coach and popular longtime infield guru Perry Hill. Yeah, that'll solve it. It wasn't the massive payroll dump that caused the losing. It was coaching!
7. GATORS: Florida escapes Vanderbilt: The Gators trailed much of the game Saturday but a big second half carried UF, 37-27.
8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Upsets shake up CFP outlook: Georgia, West Virginia and Washington were among ranked upset losers Saturday, with Georgia's loss shaking up the College Football Playoff grid. The one constant: Alabama keeps winning
9. FIU: Rally, late stop lift Panthers: FIU beat Middle Tennessee State with an 11-point fourth quarter rally on then an end-zone interception in final minute. Nice win for the ButchCats.
10. MMA: Controversy throughout sport!: Scandal in the wake of the Conor McGrgeor fight and now controversy in Bellator, too. Or, did that go without saying?
Missing the HB10 cut: Update. Countdown now 2,808 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 8. Latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter results (they're sky-high) may be found in the previous blogpost. 2) Football's here and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes rally past FSU with CSM poll, other state Collball, your World Series rooting-interest verdict & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest column: From Canes' comeback win over FSU: From the stadium on Miami's 28-27 victory over the Seminoles, led by N'Kosi Perry's four touchdown passes: Kid QB Passes His Big Test. Also, voting continues all day in the latest Canesfan postgame poll. Find it in the blogpost directly below or get there directly here.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G5: 6.4%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a season-low 6.4 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 27-17 road loss at Cincinnati putting Miami's season record at 3-2. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The approval rating there was 20%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
G5: 6.4% following 27-17 loss at Cincinnati.
Next poll: Oct. 14 following game vs. Chicago.
G5: CINCINNATI 27, DOLPHINS 17: COMPLETE COLLAPSE AS MIAMI BLOWS 17-POINT LEAD!: Postgame thoughts at Bengals, 27-17: A tale of two Miamis. Saturday, the Hurricanes overcome a 20-7 halftime hole to beat FSU 28-27. Today, the Dolphins blow a 14-0 halftime lead, completely collapse and fall in Cincinnati 27-17. It was a Tannehill second-half meltdown, first with a 22-yard interception-return TD, then with a sack/fumble returned 19 yards for a score, and finally with another interception. Penalties hurt Miami again, too. As usual. So a season once 3-0 is now 3-2. And Dolfans are left to wonder which was worse: Getting blown out 38-7 in Foxboro. Or the 27 straight unanswered points given up today. Close call. No winning answer ..... Halftime thoughts at Dolphins, 14-0: A Kiko Alonso red-zone interception. A 22-yard Ryan Tannehill TD strike to Kenyan Drake. Vincent Taylor's block of a short field goal attempt. Jakeem Grant's late 70-yard punt=return score. Big plays are carrying the Dolphins so far in Cincinnati, a low-scoring upset in the making. Long way to go, but thus far a very impressive bounceback performance by Dolphins after last week's fiasco in Foxboro ..... Original post: Dolphins need a healing win after last week's 38-7 loss to the Patriots in the Fiasco at Foxboro, but finding that remedy Sunday in Cincinnati will be tough in this duel of 3-1 teams and unlikely division leaders. Miami hasn't been 4-1 through five games since 2003, and I do not see them getting there on the road vs. the Bengals. This marks only these teams' seventh meeting since 2000, with Cincy winning the most recent, 22-7, in 2016. Andy Dalton is 1-2 in his career vs. Miami with five interceptions, but the Bengals' uptempo offense is the best and most balanced it has been in years, and the ‘Gals add two key pieces here, getting top defender Vontaze Burfict back from suspension and also expecting to have starting running back Joe Mixon back from injury. In contrast, Miami could be missing as many as six starters to injuries. Yes, there are reasons Cincy is favored by 5 1/2 points. This in some ways might be a bigger defensive challenge for Miami then even the Patriots were last week. Dalton to A.J. Green will be a handful for Xavien Howard, and Mixon and Gio Bernard form one of NFL’s better running back tandems. (Speaking of running backs, look for Dolphins coach Adam Gase to remember that Kenyan Drake is pretty good and start feeding him the ball again. That was the focus of this column by me. Maybe Adam read it). Ball control to limit Cincy’s offensive forays might be Miami’s best upset shot. I do think the Dolphins are a fair bet to cover the point spread. Bengals could be in letdown mode after last week’s last-second 37-36 upset win in Atlanta. But the Fins lost a lot of trust capital with me in that utter collapse last week. Also, the Dolphins are only 1-6 in their past seven road games, making this a strong venue call. My pick: Bengals, 30-20.
Watch for latest DSM postgame poll, right here and also on my Twitter site, right after today's game ends.
Visit Week 5 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. HURRICANES: Perry, defense lead miracle-rally past FSU: Miami trailed 20-7 at home into the third quarter Saturday. Little was going right. But N'Kosi Perry's three second-half TD passes and a mighty defense rising up worked the Miracle On Marino Boulevard. For my game column centered on Perry: Kid QB Passes His Big Test.
2. DOLPHINS: Miami blows 17-point in monumental collapse in Cincinnati: At 3-0 Dolfans were chanting "Su-per Bowl!" After a 38-7 loss in New England it was "Here we go again." And then came Sunday's 27-17 loss in Cincy after Fins blew 17-0 lead. Until further notice: Same ol' Dolphins.
3. HEAT: Butler trade reportedly falls apart: Heat is 0-3 halfway through its six-game preseason schedule as the Oct. 17 regular season opens draws nearer. More importantly, the push to trade for Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler, so close, fell apart over the weekend, ESPN reported.
4. PANTHERS: Cats open 25th season with loss, Luongo injury: A 2-1 season-opening shootout loss at Tampa Bay and goalie Roberto Luongo helped off the ice in the second period with a knee injury made for what you'd call an inauspicious debut Saturday night. Luongo will be sidelined two to four weeks, missing Thursday's home opener.
5. MLB: Brewers first team to clinch division series: Brewers swept Rockies 3-0 while Dodgers are up 2-1 on Braves and can cinch today. In AL, Astros lead Indians 2-0 and can clinch today, while Red Sox and Yankees are tied 1-1 entering Game 3 today. Over/under on that one is what, 4 hours?
6. UFC: Nurmagomedov beats McGregor, brawl ensues: Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title in Las Vegas by submitting Conor McGregor in a chokehold, a highly anticipated and well-fought bout that devolved into a post-fight brawl. Admit it. Didn't you want both guys to lose?
7. GATORS: Florida drowns No. 5 LSU in the Swamp: No. 22 Florida impressively won a third straight SEC game Saturday with a big 27-19 win over favored and 5th-ranked LSU. The Gator defense will keep this team in every game and Dan Mullen is the mayor of Gainesville.
8. MARLINS: The sting of Yelich as Fish begin offseason: Off an NL-worst 63-98 record, the salary-cutting, rebuilding Marlins plan for 2019. But this hurts: Seeing Christian Yelich lead Milwaukee in the playoffs in a likely MVP season. So cheap to keep, Yelich was. (Shake my head...)
9. BRETT KAVANAUGH: Controversial judge confirmed to Supreme Court: Several women testifying about his past lechery and sexual misconduct were not enough to derail Kavanaugh's approval to the Highest Court. Remember when saying "Only in America" was a good thing?
10. CRISTIANO RONALDO: Soccer god face rap allegation: Ronaldo has resumed league play for Juventus despite the Portuguese superstar facing a rape allegation in the United States stemming from a 2009 accusation he has steadfastly denied. No matter how it shakes out, Ronaldo may have a future on the U.S. Supreme Court!
Missing the HB10 cut: Update. Countdown now 2,815 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. Happy new month, y'all. Welcome to autumn. Can't stop the holidays now. 2) Football's back and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes clobber North Carolina with CSM poll, Dolphins' Moment Of Truth, NFL Week 4 pix & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: 17.2%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a steep dip to 17.2 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 38-7 road loss at New England putting Miami's season record at 3-1. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 7 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM also takes place on our Twitter site @gregcote. The approval vote there was 32%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
G3: 96.2% following 28-20 victory vs. Oakland.
G4: 17.2% following 38-7 loss at New England.
Next Poll: Oct. 7 following game at Cincinnati.
G4: NEW ENGLAND 38, DOLPHINS 7: IT WAS A MOMENT OF TRUTH GAME, AND MIAMI WAS A NO-SHOW:Postgame thoughts: Everything stunk for Miami on Sunday. Ryan Tannehill was lousy (replaced late by Brock Osweiler). The running game couldn't run. The defense couldn't stop (or pressure) Tom Brady, or stop the Pats run. Miami kept killing itself with penalties, and got dominated in time of possession. It was a thorough humbling, an embarrassing comeuppance, for a Fins team that brought a 3-0 record to Foxboro with dreams of a power shift in the AFC East. The Dolphins came looking to make a statement and got steamrolled instead. Moving forward? A 3-1 mark is still a nice place to be. This can still be a playoff season. Sunday was a slap in the face, though. A needed one, perhaps? Original post: I wrote in this preview column that winning in Foxboro on Sunday would be a defining moment in recent Dolphins franchise history, and why. Now I'm here to tell you it's going to happen. I have drawn a deep swig of the Kool-Aid and gulped it down with gusto. Perhaps by mid-afternoon Sunday there will be signs I have drank poison, but, for now, it is pure ambrosia — the nectar of the gods! I believe the Dolphins will be the best team on this field starting at 1 p.m. I believe that the Patriots’ shortcomings (especially on defense) are real. And I believe the combination will see Miami finally beating Tom Brady in Foxboro. Yes, I get why most would think otherwise. I get all the disclaimers that have New England a 7-point favorite. Miami is 0-14 at Gillette in games Brady starts. The Fins have lost nine consecutive away games in this series (the last win over Matt Cassel) by an average f 18.4 points. The 1-2 Pats haven’t lost three in a row since 2002, and have won their last eight in a row at home. Yes, the Patriots, home and desperate, are a dangerous thing, and the Fins are 3-0 vs. a less-than-ferocious schedule. I get all that! But this I know, too: Ryan Tannehill has been in command and excellent, not just good. The Dolphins offense possesses a quick-strike, chunk-play element not seen in years. Adam Gase’s trick plays have been a delight. Ex-Pat Danny Amendola will be a strong fantasy play. And the big-playmaking defense has been a huge surprise. I’m not saying that when you say Miami, you’re talkin’ Super Bowl. But this is a playoff-contending team with all cylinders pumping, a Dolphins team catching Brady at just the right time for a damned change. My pick: Upset! Dolphins, 30-24.
Visit Week 4 Gems for all of out latest NFL predictions. And watch for latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, right here and also on my Twitter feed, right after Sunday's game ends.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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: The day Miami failed to rise to its Moment Of Truth: The Dolphins are now 0-15 against nemesis New England in Foxboro in games that Tom Brady starts, after Sunday's 38-7 shellacking. If this was Miami staking its claim to a power shift in the AFC East at long last, it failed spectacularly.
2. HURRICANES: UM routs North Carolina as QB audition continues: Canes dominated North Carolina 47-10 at home Thursday night as redshirt-freshman N'Kosi Perry made his first career start in place of Malik Rosier. With a visit by FSU on deck, Mark Richt has a decision to make. Or has he already made it?
3. HEAT: As Butler talk swirls, let the (preseason) games begin!: Miami opened its six-game preseason Sunday with a 104-100 loss in San Antonio today, the ceremonial start of Dwyane Wade's (and Udonis Haslem's) farewell season. Highlight: Hassan Whiteside 20 points and 13 boards on 8-for-10 shooting. Of more pressing urgency, Heat continue maneuvering to acquire four-time all star Jimmy Butler from Minnesota.
4. MLB: Finally! Baseball playoffs are on deck: Two NL tiebeakers for the division title take place today before the wild-card games go on Tuesday and Wednesday nights,followed by the NL and AL Division Series. Football's on and basketball's close, but let's give baseball a couple of weeks to grab us, shall we?
5. GOLF: Europe drubs Team USA in Ryder Cup: The best American players and the finest from Europe ended three days of competition Sunday on a course just outside Paris, with Europe in command and victorious. The U.S. roster? It consisted of, well, Tiger Woods & 17 Other Guys, none of them good enough.
6. MARLINS: Fish wrap up first year of Jeter era on Sunday: For Miami the long season ended Sunday at the Mets, the rebuilt Marlins team avoiding 100 losses, at least. Trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna took the toll you'd expect. Now it's up to Derek Jeter to deliver signs of progress.
7. PANTHERS: Cats end preseason, await opener: Florida Panthers wrapped up their seven-game preseason Saturday night and now prepare for Oct. 6 NHL season opener at Tampa Bay. Hopes are high. Nothing new. Let's see if Cats meert or exceed expectations. That would be new.
8. URBAN MEYER: Ohio State coach back with a bang: Meyer returned unrepentant from suspension to see his No. 4 Buckeyes win at No. 9 Penn State 27-26 in the maybe the college Game of the Year Saturday night, and everybody on the planet Earth outside of Columbus, O., was hoping Urban would get his a-- kicked.
9. GATORS: Florida should be poll-bound: Gators' big defensive road win at No. 23 Mississippi State, 13-6, should have Florida back in Top 25 in new polls.
10. FIU: Panthers roll up 55 points: FIU clobbered visiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 55-9, last night. Quick aside: FIU now has a better record than rival FAU. Just sayin'.
Missing the HB10 cut:David Beckham, president of new MLS team Inter Miami, is still fighting a speeding ticket he got in London last January for going 59 in a 40. Um, can we start a GoFundMe page to pay the fine? ..... Headlines I Never Thought I'd See (one in a series): 'GoPro Captures Seal Slapping Kayaker With Octopus' ..... HBO will no longer televise boxing after 45 years. Howard Cosell is spinning in his grave. Unless he was cremated ..... Update. Countdown now 2,822 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. Football's back meaning it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes win at Toledo with CSM poll and other state Collball, NFL Week 2 picks, Bachelor Dan gets engaged & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Personal news: As many know from Twitter and social media, I had my thoracic surgery to remove a tumor from my chest. It went well. I am grateful. But I'll be on pain medication and on rest and no-drive orders all this week. That is why I'm cutting back on a bunch of stuff such as Hot Button Top 10 skipping a week, and no LeBatard Show today. Thanks for the understanding.
Newest columns: On D.Wade's decision, Dolphins running game: Dwyane Wade (unsurprisingly) has decided on one more season with the Heat. I explored the delay in his decision, why it isn't bad and what Wade would do: Give Dwyane Time And He'll Make Right Call. And: Ryan Tannehill is better when he throws less, and running more leads to Dolphins success. Enter Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore. To read: Why Drake/Gore Will Work, And Why That's Crucial to Fins.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 93.4%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 93.4 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 20-12 victory at the New York Jets putting Miami's season record at 2-0. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The DSM vote on our Twitter feed @gregcote was 80%).
2018 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 86.8% following 27-20 victory vs. Tennessee.
G2: 93.4% following 20-12 victory at N.Y. Jets.
Next poll: Sept. 23 following game vs. Oakland.
G2: DOLPHINS (2-0) BEAT NEW YORK JETS (1-1), 20-12: WERE YOU READY FOR AN UPSET? WE CALLED IT!: Can I get an “Aaawwwk!”? This isn’t our Upset of the Week of record for NFL Week 2, but the Upset Bird nevertheless will be circling the Meadowlands vulture-like on Sunday afternoon, eyeing the Jets as carrion splayed roadside. I know NYJ rang up the Lions 48-17 last week and that Sam Darnold evidently is the greatest thing since whatever is greater than sliced bread. (Knowing all of Detroit’s offensive plays, supposedly, had to have helped). But I thought Miami’s win over Tennessee was just as impressive if not by margin. It was impressive for the grit to overcome two long lightning delays, and also for the unexpected big-play strikes. Ryan Tannehill has struggled vs. the Planes — 4-5 record, only 10-9 on TDs/picks, 72.0 rating — but he’s better than he has been and has superior offensive weapons to those of Darnold, especially if DeVante Parker plays as it seemed he likely would. Miami also presents to the rookie QB a defense much better than Detroit’s. The result? Upset! Will you join me Fireman Ed? On my count, please: “A-A-W-K — “Aawk!” My pick: Dolphins, 31-27. [Visit Week 2 Gems for all of our latest NFL predix].
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. Happy birthday to me! 2) Football's back and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes rout Savannah State with CSM poll, other state Week 2 Collball, NFL Week 1 predictions & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Dolphins make a 7-hour wait worthwhile: Four hours of lightning delays, seven hours total and the Dolphins beat Tennessee 27-20 in their season opener. My column from the stadium, on the game it seemed might never end: Somehow, Dolphins Make A 7-Hour Wait Worth It.
Our column from UM-Savannah State game: For the Hurricanes, more impressive than beating a really bad team 77-0 was Mark Richt playing all four QBs in an understanding he needs better play there -- from Malik Rosier or someone else. My column: Soft Stretch In Schedule Is About Improving At QB. Also, voting is now final in the Game 2 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. Click HERE for details.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G1: 86.8%: Results are certified in the 2018 season-debut of the 11th year of our blog's Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 86.8 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon-into-evening's twice-lightning delayed 27-20 season-opening home victory over Tennessee. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 7 a.m. today/Tuesday. (The approval rating on Twitter @gregcote was 71%).
G1: DOLPHINS 27, TENNESSEE 17: TWO LIGHTNING DELAYS LATER, MIAMI WINS SEASON OPENER: My column from the game: Somehow, Dolphins Make A 7-Hour Wait Worth It ..... Original post: One year ago, Miami’s season-opening home game was postponed by a hurricane. One year later, the only strong winds affecting this game are emanating from blowhard football media insisting how lousy the Dolphins will be. That Miami is a slight home underdog here on Sunday says much about the low outside expectations. Tennessee, after all, is a team the Fins’ own size, a middling bunch despite somehow getting into the playoffs last season (a mirage unlikely to be repeated under first-year coach Mike Vrabel). Mistake-prone Titans QB Marcus Mariota is in a new Rams-like offense, except notably without anything close to the Rams’ talent. This, plainly, is one of those teetering, winnable games Miami must win if it is to surprise the many skeptics and hang in as a playoff contender. I’m not claiming the Fins enjoy a home-field advantage that’s anything special — the cheapest aftermarket tickets for this game are priced second-lowest ($26) in the league in Week 1 -- but there will be some home bounce. More than that, I think Ryan Tannehill, beginning his comeback season for real, is better than Mariota. I think Kenyan Drake and a judiciously deployed Frank Gore could be a very interesting, successful running back tandem. And I believe the Dolphins in general are better than the doomsaying I have been hearing so much of the offseason. So, technically, if barely: Upset!My pick: Dolphins, 20-17.
[Visit Week 1 Gems for all of our NFL Kickoff Weekend predictions].
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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: Miami wins opener in (seriously) the longest game EVER: Miami beat Tennessee 27-20. It was a four-quarter game. It started at 1 p.m. It ended just past 7. There were two lightning delays totaling four hours. The Ming Dynasty didn't last as long as this game. "I'm ready to go home," sad coach Adam Gase afterward. Weren't we all!
2. HURRICANES: No amends for opening loss, but UM cruises at home: Well, 77-0 over Savannah State says more about the sorry state of the sad foe than about Miami, but it was an uplifting win after that massive buzzkill against LSU. Mark Richt trotted out all four QBs. Message to Malik Rosier: Be better.
3. TENNIS: Serena falls in controversial U.S. Open final: Serena Williams fell 6-2, 6-4 in the women's U.S. Open final to Japan's young Naomi Osaka, in a controversy-filled match that saw Serena call the chair umpire a thief and later accuse him of sexism. Among Serena's many strengths, losing gracefully has not always been one. Novak Djokovic beat Juan Martin Del Potro and elevated the decorum in the men's final.
4. HEAT: Haslem signs, but still waiting on D.Wade: With the start of training camp looming, Heat Lifer Udonis Haslem unsurprisingly agreed to re-up for a 16th season, signing a 1-year, $2.4 million deal. Only one of 20 roster sports remains open. What'll it be, No. 3? A farewell year? Or retirement? Says here Dwyane Wade will gift Miami with one more year. And should.
5. FIU: Panthers rally to win after two players shot, wounded: FIU rallied to win at Old Dominion 28-20 last night, two days after two Panthers players -- top RB Antonio Jones and OL Mershawn Miller -- were shot in a drive-by shooting in Opa-locka, a calamity for the families involved and also the last thing coach Butch Davis could possibly need. Jones' wounds are more serious but said to be non-life threatening.
6. SEMINOLES: FSU escapes colossal embarrassment: May we understate that Tallahassee isn't real sure about new coach Willie Taggert at the moment? After big loss in opener, FSU last night barely prevailed over lowly Samford 36-26, rallying to narrowly escape what would have been a monumental embarrassment.
7. SOCCER: Miami MLS team unveils name and shield: The full name is Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, but it's Inter Miami for short. Shield colors are black and (you heard right) pink, owing to the appearance of two flamingos on the crest. David Beckham's Miami Flamingos (?) open play in Major League Soccer in 2020.
8. MARLINS: Fish on long road trip as they play out string: Miami continues on its 10-game road trip. The only consolation and goals left in this fire sale rebuilding season is whether the Marlins can finish above .400 and not lose 100 games. Currently it's a .394 winning percentage and a loss pace of 98.2. On the bright side, young Sandy Alcantara has been terrific in two starts.
9. GATORS: Ouch. Florida falls in Swamp to Kentucky: The Gator was ranked No. 25 and a 14-point home favorite. So long, poll ranking! It was nice knowin' ya for a minute.
10. COLIN KAEPERNICK: Nike backs him in bold new ad campaign: Nike, a major business partner of the NFL's, makes blackballed Colin Kaepernick the centerpiece of its new ad campaign that debuted on Thursday Night Football. Trump hated it. Nike stock soared.
Missing the HB10 cut: It's NFL Kickoff Weekend and all I care about is that I gambled and drafted Le'Veon Bell and now I and millions of other fantasyheads are held hostage to his whim ..... Barcelona hopes to play a Spanish league match vs. Girona in January at Hard Rock. If they pack Lionel Messi for the trip, I'm watching ..... Lane Kiffin and FAU beat Air Force. When will Trump's Space Force have a football team? ..... The Seattle vs. Washington WNBA Finals are underway and I can name one player from each team (Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donna) which means my WNBA knowledge is likely greater than your's ..... Tiger Woods. There. Your latest Tiger update ..... Answer: "Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Jason Kidd led a field of 13 new inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame." Question: "What makes you say the Basketball Hall of Fame lets in too many people?" ..... Headlines I Never Thought I'd See (one in a series): 'Tigers Announcers in Physical Altercation After Disagreement Over Chair' ..... Kevin Garnett is suing an accountant for $77 million in lost month. Um, a little slow to notice there were you KG? ..... R.I.P., Burt Reynolds, 82, former FSU running back who, apparently, also was a successful actor ..... Update. Countdown now 2,843 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR! May it be a great one for you and everyone you love. Need one more gift for the Dolfans in your life? Click on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and check out my historical book, Fins At 50. 2) I was honored during Saturday's Orange Bowl game with the 2017 OB Edwin Pope Media Award. Click HERE for the story. 3) Watch for our season-ending college State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) results following all of the bowl games involving state FBS teams. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes lose Orange Bowl to Wisconsin with CSM poll, thank you OB Committee & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
My UM-Wisconsin Orange Bowl column, CSM vote in: Click HERE for my game column from stadium on Saturday night's 34-24 Canes loss to Wisconsin in 84th Orange Bowl. See previous blogpost for results in latest and season-finale Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll.
Season-ending DSM poll online, too: Click HERE to read our postgame thoughts and to vote online.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G16/SEASON FINAL: 7.7%: Results are certified in the latest and season-ending installment of the Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 7.7 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 22-16 Dolphins home loss vs. the Buffalo Bills putting Miami's final season record at 6-10. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism — all in the context of reasonable expectations. Because this was the final poll, I suggested you give added weight to the season as a whole. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 7 a.m. today/Tuesday.
2017 game-by-game DSM results
G1: 81.9% (following 19-17 victory at L.A. Chargers)
G2: 4.8% (following 20-6 loss at N.Y. Jets)
G3: 3.8% (following 20-0 loss vs. New Orleans in London)
G4: 9.9% (following 16-10 victory vs. Tennessee)
G5: 79.7% (following 20-17 victory at Atlanta)
G6: 86.1% (following 31-28 victory vs. N.Y. Jets)
G7: 6.1% (following 40-0 loss at Baltimore)
G8: 13.1% (following 27-24 loss vs. Oakland)
G9: .5% (following 45-21 loss at Carolina)
G10: 3.6% (following 30-20 loss vs. Tampa Bay)
G11: 7.7% (following 35-17 loss at New England)
G12: 56.4% (following 35-9 victory vs. Denver)
G13: 79.4% (following 27-20 victory vs. New England)
G14: 6.9% (following 24-16 loss at Buffalo)
G15: 5.7% (following 29-13 loss at Kansas City)
G16/season final: 7.7% (following 22-16 loss vs. Buffalo)
G16: BUFFALO AT DOLPHINS: MIAMI TRYING TO END A ROTTEN YEAR WITH A FORCED SMILE: Click HERE for our postgame thoughts ..... Original post: Nine of the 12 NFL playoff tickets have been punched entering this final all-Sunday weekend of the regular season, and six teams remain alive for the remaining three spots. Alas, the Dolphins are not among the halves, relegated instead to the dubious incentive of trying to avoid what would be only the franchise’s seventh 10-loss season since 1970. Another sad, better-than-nothing incentive: The 6-9 Fins playing spoiler in the 4:25 CBS game to 8-7 Buffalo’s (faint) hopes. To reach the playoffs for the first time since 1999 the Bills must beat Miami and either have the Ravens lose or have the Chargers and Titans both lose. Got that? How fitting the Dolphins would find themselves positioned as spoilers. The entire season has looked, felt and smelled spoiled. Rotten. It was back to mediocrity, as if the aberration of last year’s playoff season never even really happened. Give coach Adam Gase credit for not sugar-coating, as when he said Thursday, simply (and accurately): “Nobody has done anything great. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Sunday almost certainly will mark the farewell appearance for quarterback Jay Cutler, the pricey one-year rental who, like the entire team, had too few solid performances interspersed amid the prevailing erratic underperforming. Buffs beat Fins 24-16 only two weeks ago. With little cause but a hunch, I see Miami, a 2 1/2-point underdog, finishing strong with a home upset over a Bills squad that is only 2-5 away. So Miami continues the long Bison playoff drought, at least. Hey, it’s better than nothing … albeit barely. My pick: Dolphins, 23-17. [Click Week 17 Gems for all our season-ending NFL picks].
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. HURRICANES: UM ends year of progress with loss in hometown Orange Bowl game: Tenth-ranked Canes were home underdogs to No. 6 Wisconsin Saturday in the 84th Orange Bowl game and fell 34-24. Three straight losses ended UM's year, but a first 10-win season and first OB invite since 2003 made it a season of progress toward the destination: Back. (Click HERE for our column from the game).
2. COLLEGE PLAYOFF: Last four in CFP semifinals on Monday: It's No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl today and then No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar in College Football Playoff play-ins to reach the championship game. Oddly, both lower-seeded teams are slight betting favorites. College fans at least can agree on this: Everybody outside of Tuscaloosa hates Nick Saban.
3. DOLPHINS: For Fins, a season of regression mercifully expires: Miami hosted the Buffalo Bills Sunday to wrap up a disappointing, injury-wracked, no-playoffs season with a 22-16 defeat. The good news, Dolfans? It very likely was the last time in a Fins uniform for the $10 million rental with the bargain-bin results, Jay Cutler.
4. HEAT: Miami warms up, gets on playoff pace: It's still early, yeah, but Heat as of today are on playoff pace as the eighth East seed -- and only 1 1/2 games from being the fourth seed, which would mean home-court advantage in the first round. Hey, in the post-Big 3 era, you seize optimism when you can.
5. PANTHERS: Cats finally showing signs of life: The Florida Panthers, who'd struggled most of the season, have won a season-best five straight games entering a five-game road trip starting Tuesday. Previous long win streak had been two. Aberration? Or start of a happy new year?
6. MARLINS: Fire-sale Fish shopping Yelich, Realmuto: Miami reportedly is "listening" to offers for left fielder Christian Yelich and catcher J.T. Realmuto in new owner Derek Jeter's apparent continuing effort to do the impossible and make us all miss Jeffrey Loria.
7. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men win ACC opener: No. 15 Miami men improved to 12-1 with a 67-53 win at Pitt in their ACC opener. Meanwhile the 10-3 Canes women had won five straight entering Sunday's home day with Duke.
8. NFL: Black Sunday for coaches: As NFL regular season ends today, segueing to playoffs, a handful of head coaches likely are working their final games. Meanwhile reports are the Oakland Raiders are trying to lure Jon Gruden from the comfort of the broadcast booth with partial ownership. He's gone.
9. BASEBALL: Astros' Altuve named Athlete of Year: Associated Press named champion Astros star Jose Altuve its male athlete of year. The best news in that? Runnerup Tom Brady and third place LeBron James lost at something.
10. TENNIS: Serena makes her comeback, sort of: Serena Williams played her first match since her pregnancy and having a baby girl, losing in an exhibition. I mean, that had to be tough, holding a racket in one hand and a nursing baby in the other!
Missing the HB10 cut:Cris Cyborg beat Holly Holm to retain her title in UFC 219, challenging us to again take seriously an athlete who answer to "Cyborg" ..... Herald sports columnist Greg Cote (hey, wait, that's me!) won the 2017 Orange Bowl Edwin Pope Media Award. The previous sentence was completely gratuitous. But it is my damned blog, after all.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26. Hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas! Need a late gift for the Dolfans in your life? Not too late. Click on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and buy my historical book, Fins At 50. 2) Sorry we haven't had as many general sports columns lately. Burning a slew of leftover vacation time this month. 3) Watch for our season-ending college State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) results following all of the bowl games involving state FBS teams. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 16 picks, FIU loses bowl game, your Saddest Fans verdict & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
OUR ANNUAL MERRY CHRISTMAS VIDEO: This year I got together with four of my closest friends -- Derek Jeter, Mark Richt, Hassan Whiteside and Smokin' Jay Cutler -- to make my annual holiday video. Click HOHOHERE to watch. Enjoy!
FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM DOLPHINS' PLAYOFF-ELIMINATING LOSS AT KANSAS CITY: 1) Miami mathematically, scientifically, sociologically and philosophically was eliminated from NFL playoff contention, and it felt like a humane bullet ending the suffering of a writhing racehorse. The funny thing is, the Dolphins still would have been in contention entering the final week of the season had they won, because the Bills and Titans both lost Sunday. But you'd have to be a pie-eyed Dolfan wearing aqua and orange face paint to not see this was not a playoff-caliber Fins team or a season that deserved a postseason reward. 2) The Dolphins were their own worst enemy Sunday -- a persisting symptom of mediocre and bad teams. Miami had two turnovers to KC's none -- balls stripped from Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills after catches -- and had 11 penalties for 75 yards in addition to shoddy tackling. 3) Jay Cutler began very strong but petered out badly, starting out 11-for-15 on accuracy but going 8-for-23 after that. And Miami was a miserable 0-for-8 on third-down conversions, which is on either Cutler or the play-calling. There were sparks on offense, such as Jakeem Grant's four catches for 107 yards and a TD, but 13 points is 13 points. Not good enough. 4) The defense, despite having Ndamukong Suh, Came Wake and Reshad Jones, continues to be not consistent enough or good enough. Sunday Alex Smith threw for 304 yards, and Miami was overmatched by KC's weapons Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce. All over the field, the Dolphins do good things sporadically, but not with any reliability or regularity. 5) Always next year, right? OK, the Dolphins have given you a lump of coal for Christmas, now we are giving you a chance to vent, in the latest Dolphins postgame poll. Ready? Go!
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G15: 5.7%: Results are certified in the latest installment of the Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 5.7 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 29-13 Dolphins loss at the Kansas City Chiefs putting Miami's season record at 6-9 and eliminating the team from playoff contention. The DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Tuesday.
Click on DSM to read our postgame thoughts and vote in the DSM poll online.
2017 game-by-game DSM results
G1: 81.9% (following 19-17 victory at L.A. Chargers)
G2: 4.8% (following 20-6 loss at N.Y. Jets)
G3: 3.8% (following 20-0 loss vs. New Orleans in London)
G4: 9.9% (following 16-10 victory vs. Tennessee)
G5: 79.7% (following 20-17 victory at Atlanta)
G6: 86.1% (following 31-28 victory vs. N.Y. Jets)
G7: 6.1% (following 40-0 loss at Baltimore)
G8: 13.1% (following 27-24 loss vs. Oakland)
G9: 3.5% (following 45-21 loss at Carolina)
G10: 3.6% (following 30-20 loss vs. Tampa Bay)
G11: 7.7% (following 35-17 loss at New England)
G12: 56.4% (following 35-9 victory vs. Denver)
G13: 79.4% (following 27-20 victory vs. New England)
G14: 6.9% (following 24-16 loss at Buffalo)
G15: 5.7% (following 29-13 loss at Kansas City)
Next/season-final poll: Dec. 31 (following game vs. Buffalo)
G15: DOLPHINS AT KANSAS CITY: PLAYOFF HOPES HANGING ON BY A (FRAYING) THREAD ... AND SNAP: Final: Kansas City 29, Miami 13. See our postgame thoughts above .....4Q: KC 29-13: Butker 49-yard FG ..... KC 26-13: Butker 29-yard FG .....3Q: KC 23-13: Butker 21-yard FG .....Halftime thoughts: Credible performance thus far for Miami, down 20-13 at half, especially offensively. Jay Cutler has been pretty sharp (169 yards) and getting ball into Jakeem Grant's hands (3 catches, 101 yards) has provided a spark. Defensively, though, Miami having trouble containing KC's big weapons Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce. Bills and Titans each are tied at the half. Both must lose today, and Miami must win, or Fins will be eliminated from playoff hunt ..... 2Q: KC 20-17: Butker 32-yard FG ..... MIA 13-17: Grant 65-yard pass from Cutler ..... KC 17-6: Hunt 1-yard run ..... MIA 6-10: Parkey 28-yard FG ..... KC 10-3: Kelce 9-yard pass from Smith..... 1Q: MIA 3-3: Parkey 44-yard FG ..... KC 3-0: Butker 31-yard FG ..... Landry loses fumble after catch on opening drive. That's why losing teams are losing teams ..... Original post: ’Tis the season for the head to explode with NFL playoff scenarios, but it ain’t that difficult, folks. Three things must happen Sunday for Miami to remain alive in wild-card contention: The Dolphins (6-8) must win Sunday's 1 p.m. game, and the Titans and Bills both must lose. That’s it. (Yes, it would also benefit Miami if the Raiders and Chargers both lost, but that isn’t absolutely essential in Week 16). A problem for Fins’ chances and hope is that Kansas City (8-6) also needs this game. The Chiefs clinch a playoff spot with a win here (or an unlikely loss by Chargers), but a KC loss could create a very precarious spot, so the home team has much to play for here. A computer model I saw gave Miami a 3.1 percent likelihood of reaching the postseason so keep those hopes reigned in, Dolfans! Unfamiliarity is at play in this game. This is only these teams’ seventh meeting in the past 20 years, lending a shade of unpredictability to what might happen. But Miami has not been great traveling this season (2-5 away) and Chiefs have been stout at Arrowhead (5-2), and there are other reasons why K-City is a big 10 1/2-point favorite. One is that there is very little about the Dolphins to trust and rely on starting with erratic Jay Cutler. Another is that Alex Smith has a ton of dangerous weapons led by RB Kareem Hunt, WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce, and it would not surprise me to see the Dolphins defense overwhelmed. I hate to play Grinch. I really do. Wish I could leave an upset win under the tree with a bow on it. But I’m afraid a victory by Miami here feels decidedly less likely than a blowout loss. My pick: Chiefs, 34-16. [Click Week 16 Gems for all our latest NFL picks].
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 25): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. HURRICANES: Richt, UM hit jackpot in early signing period: Canes' Orange Bowl date with Wisconsin isn't for another week (Dec. 30), but UM was making news again welcoming a bounty of talent during NCAA's first-ever early recruiting period. Five-star commitments in RB Lorenzo Lingard and WR Mark Pope lead an offense-rich class that won the state and was ranked No. 7 nationally by ESPN.com. In the continuing search for signs and proof that The U is "back," this was the latest.
2. MARLINS: The circus and folly of Jeter's "town hall" meeting: It was perfect and necessary and it meant little. New Fish boss Derek Jeter came out of hiding to hear season-ticket holders vent about his trading away everybody they care about. It gave the appearance of openness and transparency without actually being either. Ridiculous highlight: "Marlins Man" (attention-seeking missile Laurence Leavy) asking Jeter, "Do you know who I am?" Then Jeter saying "nah" to an invite to ride in Leavy's "Marlinsmobile."
3. DOLPHINS: Playoff hopes expire in loss at Kansas City: The Dolphins were a dreary 6-8 but still faintly alive, needing several results to fall just right to sneak into the playoffs -- the first prerequisite a road win over the heavily favored favored Chiefs on Sunday. Did they have a chance? I'll answer that rhetorical with this one: Might you cash the winning Lotto ticket? Safety Reshad Jones was Miami's only Pro Bowl selection, and I suspected his defense would be overmatched against KC's varied offensive arsenal. I was right: 29-13.
4. HEAT: Unlikely victory at Boston triggers renewed hope: Heat has nudged up over .500 (at 17-16) and climbed to the edge of playoff pace, including an unlikely, hope-renewing 90-89 win against the mighty Celtics in Boston. Unlikely? Miami got a career-high 32 points from ex-Celtic Kelly Olynyk with the injury-decimated Heat barely having enough players to compete. I mean, how impressive was it to see 72-year-old Pat Riley ditch the Armani suit and slip on those '70s short-shorts for some quality minutes!
5. UM BASKETBALL: No. 6 Canes lose first, prepare for ACC schedule: Jim Larranaga's No. 6-ranked basketball Canes are 10-1 after upset loss to New Mexico State 63-54 Saturday night in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. The real games -- the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule -- begins Dec. 30 at Pitt. Even with the first loss, considering the season began with the cloud of UM's reported implication in that national FBI recruiting probe, the Canes have found the perfect diversion and distraction: Winning.
6. FAU / FIU: Opposite bowl results end winning seasons: Lane Kiffin's FAU Owls clobbered Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl to finish 11-3, while Butch Davis' FIU Panthers got clobbered by Temple 28-3 in the Gasparilla Bowl to end 8-5. Congrats to both for only the third bowl season in each's 14 years at the FBS level.
7. PANTHERS: Fire on ice! Cats win third in a row!: Florida has won three straight games for the first time all season but still is only 15-21 and seven point s off NHL playoff pace, and ranked 29th (of 31) in ESPN's NHL power rankings. Lots of young, rising talent paints the picture of an underachieving team, and three in a row needs to be a start, not an aberration.
8. SOCCER: And it's another in the 'El Clasico' series: Historic rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid faced off again Saturday in the latest El Clasico matchup, with Barca winners in a 3-0 rout. Yes, the rivalry's intensity preceded them and will go on without them, but, admit it: El Clasico will pale when its centerpiece is no longer Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo.
9. VINCE MCMAHON: WWE leader explores new football league: McMahon reportedly has invested $100 million into the startup of a "new XFL" football league to rival the NFL. (Wonder how long he'd been wrestling with the idea?) No date has yet been scheduled for the announcement the venture has been scrapped and will never happen.
10. BASKETBALL: Two ex-Heat among Hall of Fame candidates: Favorites for 2018 induction are thought to be Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Ray Allen. In addition to Allen, another former Heat player among contenders is Tim Hardaway. What, they're only letting guards in from now on?
Missing the HB10 cut:Darryl Strawberry revealed he used to have sex during games, between innings. Thank goodness for those last two words. I was picturing him doing it in right field ..... An Alabama radio station plays only songs Nick Saban likes. [Your punchline goes here] ..... LaVar Ball is forming a Big Baller league for high school grads. Um, I think there's already one of those. It's called "college basketball" ..... And in today's title match: An NBA player who had a tractor trailer drive into his swimming pool vs. a former NBA player who found burglars had stolen his toilet ..... Former Heat No. 1 pick Michael Beasley has resurrected his career as a valuable role player for the Knicks. Over/under on the love affair lasting? Five more weeks ..... David Beckham is now in line to have his Miami expansion team make its Major League Soccer debut in 2020, or seven years after the bid began. World Wars I and II didn't take as long ..... Jaguars fans are shipping garbage cans to Texans' Jadeveon Clowney after he called QB Blake Bortles "trash." I'm not sure what's more surprising: That Bortles is having a good season. Or that there are Jaguars fans ..... UFC 219 featured Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm. Now what were the odds a fighter would luck to have the surname Cyborg!? ..... NFL fined Seahawks $100,000 for ignoring concussion protocol to keep Russell Wilson in game. That's cheating! Who they think they are, the Patriots? ..... R.I.P., Dick Enberg, 82. If he doesn't make your sports-broadcasting Mount Rushmore, get a bigger mountain.
