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

1) It's MONDAY, AUGUST 9. I was back on the Le Batard Show last week with a new Back In My Day. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hall of Fame columns on Jimmy Johnson, Edgerrin James, Isaac Bruce and Steve Hutchinson, Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: LAUGHTER, EMOTION IN NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 31st episode of 2021 and 73rd overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 73 we've done so far HERE, for free. In our latest episode: It's (un)official. This episode sets a GCS record for most laughter, much of it from a new 'Greg Doesn't Know Movies' segment hosted by Greg's younger son, Michael. We also have a decal giveaway update that evolves into an emotional, at-times poignant discussion of the father/son dynamic of our show. (Is Chris too mean to his father?) Also in the new ep: Why most people hate good dancers. Lionel Messi to PSG. And the search for a man named Greg Lobo. 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 on Channel 145).

OUR BOWDEN TRIBUTE COLUMN: College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden. 

The Hall of Fame quartet: Our columns on the four men with strong South Florida ties who were enshrined Saturday in Canton: Biggest Victory Of Hall Of Famer Jimmy Johnson's Life Was Getting His Son Back / Hurricanes' Edgerrin James / Dillard High's Isaac Bruce to Canton column / and Coral Springs High's Steve Hutchinson.

Our most recent other columns: Xavien Howard Right To Feel Disrespected, And Dolphins Need To Fix This Mess / Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / and Top 10 NFL Storylines Entering Training Camp (Where's Tua?).

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 8-9): 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: Miami signs Lowry, extends Butler: No whale splash. Plenty of big action, though -- led by signing Kyle Lowry in free agency (sign-and-trade) and locking up Jimmy Butler through 2025-26 with a four-year, $184 million extension. Lowry may have been the biggest FA to change teams -- although the NBA reportedly is now investigating possible tampering violations involving the sign-and-trade deals for both Lowry-to-Mami and Lonzo Ball-to-Chicago, so stay tuned. The Heat also notably added P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, and kept Duncan Robinson and Victor Oladipo. Key losses: Bye-bye Goran Dragic. Also Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala and Trevor Ariza. Meantime Heat prospects are 2-0 in Summer League as games move to Las Vegas beginning tonight vs. Denver.

2. SOCCER: Messi splits with Barcelona, agrees with PSG: In news that stunned the international soccer world, Barcelona announced that Lionel Messi would leave the club after the five-year extension they'd agreed upon did not meet La Liga financial requirements. Messi, 34, wasn't a free agent long, reportedly agreeing to a two-year deal (and third-year option) with French club power Paris-Saint Germain. Messi is widely expected to end his playing days in MLS after his European career -- with Inter Miami a likely destination.

3. OLYMPICS: Disappointments, yes, but U.S. soared in Tokyo as Summer Games end: There were letdowns, yes, notably Simone Biles' withdrawals in gymnastics, U.S. women's soccer settling for bronze and U.S. men's track flaming out in 4x100 meter relay. But as the Olympics ended with today's Closing Ceremony, the good -- and the gold -- outweighed the bad for the America contingent. That included swimmer Caleb Dressel leading all athletes with five golds, Katie Ledecky adding four total medals, Kevin Durant leading U.S. basketball to gold, and Allyson Felix becoming the most decorated Olympian in U.S. track history. Team USA comfortably won the overall medal title with 113, and edged China 39-38 for most gold medals.

4. BOBBY BOWDEN: Florida State legend passes away at 91: At home, surrounded by family including his wife of 72 years, Bobby Bowden died Sunday morning at 91. FSU's two-time national champion football coach had survived last year but recently was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He always said that after retirement there was only one big event left in life. He wasn't lying.

5. DOLPHINS: Fins, Xavien reach agreement; (pre) season opens in five days: Miami is winding down training camp, with the first of three exhibition games in six days, August 14 at Chicago. Meantime the Xavien Howard holdout/trade request got solved Sunday morning with an agreement. Not a surprise. Coach Brian Flores had said flatly the Fins "don't want to" trade Howard and I'd written: "(It says here) a compromise and reworked contract to keep Howard may be in the offing." 

6. HURRICANES: UM fall football camp underway: Coach Manny Diaz conducted the Canes' third fall practice Sunday night, and attention has riveted to quarterback D'Eriq King as he comes back from a serious right ACL knee injury sustained in last season's Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State. King has not been held back and has looked sharp. Canes open season with their toughest test (by far): Reigning national champion Alabama on September 4 in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.

7. HALL OF FAME: Peyton, J.J., Edge lead weekend in Canton: Saturday's delayed Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement of the Class of 2020 was notable for four men with strong SoFla ties: Former Canes and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, ex-UM running back Edgerrin James, Fort Lauderdale-born receiver Isaac Bruce and former Coral Springs High guard Steve Hutchinson. The Class of '21 led by Peyton Manning and Calvin Johnson went in Sunday.

8. MARLINS: Lost season drags on, but Luzardo wins debut: Fish are 47-65 (8-15 since the break) after a third loss in a row Sunday in a lost season now in the midst of a six-game road trip. What's ahead? 1) Can they at least escape the NL East cellar? And 2) awaiting the call-ups of young prospects including those recently obtained at the trade deadline such as lefty starter Jesus Luzardo, who won his Marlins debut earlier this week.

9. INTER MIAMI: Finally! Team stays hot(ish) with home win over Nashville: Since ending an eight-match winless streak Inter Miami has now gone tie-win-tie-win with Sunday night's 2-1 home win over fellow 2020 MLS expansion team Nashville. Inter Miami is now 4-4-8 and out of the Eastern Conference cellar as it remains hopeful Messi will end his career in Miami, although it can't be yet known how Messi leaving Barcelona might impact that. Next match: Next Saturday at New York City. 

10. NBA: Stars staying put the story of free agency: Stars led by Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Julian Randle all res-signed to stay with their current teams as NBA free agency got rolling. Notable stars changing teams included Kyle Lowry to Miami, Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan to Chicago, Carmelo Anthony to Lakers and Kemba Walker to New York.

Missing the HB10 cut: There is little worse in sports than NFL exhibition games, and a reminder pored forth in Pittsburgh's 16-3 yawner over Dallas in a Hall of Fame Game bereft of star players. Full preseason Week 1 is this week with 16 scrub-filled games spread across Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday ..... Weekend headline: 'Florida COVID update: Record-breaking 23,903 new cases, more people than ever in hospital.' Um, could someone please wake Gov. DeSantis and tell him? ..... xxxxx ..... Monster Jam wraps up Sunday in Sunrise, for those of you who inexplicably are fans of big trucks with giant tires ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is out with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,786 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

Other recent columns: Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / It's Selfish, Me-First Athletes Who Are Refusing the COVID Vaccine / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Peril vs. Possibility: Should the Heat Gamble and Try to Fix Ben Simmons? / Tokyo Olympics Should Be Delayed Again But It's Too Late. Why? Money / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Time For Sports To Quit Hiding, Stand Up And Lead The Pro-Vaccine Fight / and Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History.

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

1) It's SATURDAY, AUGUST 7. I was back on the Le Batard Show this week with a new Back In My Day. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

Jimmy Johnson X 2: Podcast and column: You'll want to listen and read as we feature the only man to be head coach the Hurricanes and Dolphins on the week of his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of fame on Saturday. You'll hear plenty in the podcast that isn't in the column, including Jimmy's appraisal of today's Canes and Fins. And you'll read lots in the column that isn't in the podcast -- including Jimmy on the struggles of one of his sons, and an interview with Chad Johnson, the son whose triumph over some 20 years of alcoholism helped repair a family and make this the happiest time of Jimmy's life.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE WITH JIMMY JOHNSON OUT NOW!: Our 30th episode of 2021 and 72nd overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 72 we've done so far HERE, for free. In our newest episode: The great former coach Jimmy Johnson, on the week of his enshrinement into the Pro Footballl Hall of Fame, joins us for a fun, candid and at times poignant reflection on his passions: Football, family, fishing and Fox. We also ask J.J. for an appraisal of Manny Diaz and the Canes and Brian Flores and the Dolphins. Also in the new ep: Greg, Chris and Yeti discuss the small details of any marriage or relationship. Also: Simone BIles, MLB trade deadline and NBA free agency and the Heat. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow! (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM, too, every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET on Channel 145).

HALL OF FAMER JIMMY JOHNSON KNOWS BIGGEST VICTORY OF HIS LIFE HAPPENED IN HIS OWN FAMILY: He is up in the dark at 4:30 most mornings. By sunrise he is aboard his 39-foot SeaVee, “Three Rings,” named for his national championship with the Miami Hurricanes and two Super Bowl wins with the Dallas Cowboys. Jimmy Johnson is usually alone. “If I’m out there by myself there’s no pressure to catch any fish,” he says, smiling. “If I entertain people I feel kind of obligated to catch a big fish for ‘em.” He fires up the diesel engines and heads maybe 25 miles offshore as the sun is chasing the dark away. Before long he will have five active lines out in search of mahi (“What they call dolphin down here”), tuna, maybe amberjack or wahoo — “Whatever gets on the hook,” he says. Jimmy’s fishing bona fides are for real. He has caught and released five huge blue marlin in the 300-pound range, some after near two-hour struggles. He hosts the annual J.J.’s Championship Fishing Week that has included Michael Jordan among anglers. His house includes a separate room full of offshore-grade rods and reels and plastic boxes full of lures and hand-tied rigs. He cleans and vacuum-seals his own fish. (Doesn’t cook ‘em, though. His wife Rhonda handles that).But Johnson’s passion for fishing isn’t just about what he catches. He is out there fishing for more than that. “It’s peaceful out there,” he says. “It’s relaxation.” It gives a man time to think. He just turned 78. It can be an age that invites reflection. Johnson reaches the pinnacle of his professional life this coming weekend: the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2020, delayed to this summer by the pandemic, is on Saturday. More important, this feels to Johnson like the best his life has been, period, above and beyond sports or the fame he achieved in football or for the past 20 years as a studio analyst on “FOX NFL Sunday.” “I used to say the most fun time of my life was was those five years at the University if Miami. It was that way for a long time,” he says. “Winning back-to-back Super Bowls was rewarding as well. But, really, the greatest time of my life is now. The most fun time of my life has been right now.” It wasn’t football that got him to this place. It wasn’t fishing, or Fox TV. It was family. Johnson in reflection knows it was at great cost he achieved all he did in football. A divorce. Missing so much of his two sons growing up. Being far away, in headsets on sidelines, as his parents aged and passed away. Even the most successful people can feel tinges of guilt or regret. For our full latest column, visit Biggest Victory Of Hall Of Famer Jimmy Johnson's Life Was Getting His Son Back. Pictured: Jimmy out fishing with his son Chad.

Our Hurricanes' Edgerrin James to Canton column.

Our most recent other columns: Xavien Howard Right To Feel Disrespected, And Dolphins Need To Fix This Mess / Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / and Top 10 NFL Storylines Entering Training Camp (Where's Tua?).

Other recent columns: Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / It's Selfish, Me-First Athletes Who Are Refusing the COVID Vaccine / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Peril vs. Possibility: Should the Heat Gamble and Try to Fix Ben Simmons? / Tokyo Olympics Should Be Delayed Again But It's Too Late. Why? Money / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Time For Sports To Quit Hiding, Stand Up And Lead The Pro-Vaccine Fight / and Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History.

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 17. The Greg Cote Show podcast is now separately on Twitter and Instagram. Join us on both! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hoops Hall of Fame will get it right on Chris Bosh this time, Panthers look like best in franchise history but it's time to prove it, newest Greg Cote Show podcast with ESPN's Israel Gutierrez, latest column links & more. 3) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 19th episode of 2021 and 61st overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 61 we've done so far HERE for free. Our latest episode features Superfans @JuJuGotti (pictured) & @YetiBlanc_ on cult of @LeBatardShow worship; and identical-twin teenage whiz-kid authors try to explain sports analytics to Greg & @ChrisCoteDKings. Also: Local sports!! A frantic Joe Biden phone message. New Nellie's Diner ad. And a Mount Gregmore music quiz. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow! (Our pod now simulcasts on Sirius XM, too, every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET on Channel 145).

Column from arena on Panthers' Game 1 loss: Chasing Respect, Florida Panthers' 5-4 Home Loss A Crushing Start to Playoffs.

Other most recent columns: Hall of Fame Snubbed Chris Bosh Last year. Time To Make it Right. Also: This Looks Like Best Florida Panthers Team Ever. But The Proving Starts Now; Aging Ex-Dolphins Reflect On Own Mortality One Year After Shula's Death; Aaron Rodgers' Packers Drama Involves Miami (Of Course). But Here's Why It Won't Happen; and Grade-A Draft Feeds Momentum For Team-On-the-Rise Dolphins.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 16-17): 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: Cats drop Game 1 thriller as road to Stanley Cup begins!: Puck dropped Saturday on NHL playoffs and Florida Panthers opened Sunday night with a 5-4 home loss to Tampa Bay in Game 1 of what figures as a contentious first-round series between bitter state rivals. Panthers took five of eight games from Lightning in regular season and carried a six-game win streak into playoffs including 5-1 and 4-0 wins over Tampa -- yet Cats are series betting underdogs and the reigning league champs showed why last night.

2. HEAT: Miami ends regular season Sunday, awaits Bucks in first round: Miami ended 40-32 and sixth to draw third seed Milwaukee in first round. Can Heat eliminate Bucks from playoffs as they did in the bubble last year? Tall taks. And they'd like draw Brooklyn in second round. Uh oh. Thursday's home finale marked an eventful if brief season debut for beloved Udonis Haslem: Three minutes, one ejection. Playoffs -- United In Black is Miami's theme -- are to start next Saturday following the play-in tournament Tuesday through Friday.

3. HALL OF FAME: Big weekend as Kobe is inducted, Bosh is elected: An emotional Saturday saw Kobe Bryant, presented posthumously by his widow and Michael Jordan, lead the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class in a delayed-by-COVID induction ceremony, along with notables Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The 2021 class announced Sunday included former Heat star Chris Bosh as expected among 16 new entrants. No Tim Hardaway, though.

4. DOLPHINS: NFL schedule out, Fins wrap up rookie minicamp: Miami's three-day rookie minicamp for newly signed top pick Jaylen Waddle and all the rest ended Sunday. Up next for offseason work: Voluntary (but not really) OTA workdays May 24-26. Meanwhile NFL schedules came out, with Miami opening September 12 at New England, then at home September 19 vs. Buffalo. Notable: Fins in London October 17 vs. Jacksonville, and in prime time November 11 (Thursday, vs. Baltimore) and December 27 (Monday, at New Orleans).

5. MARLINS: Lopez, Duvall deliver needed win: Fish are 18-22 after beating Dodgers 3-2 Sunday on Pablo Lopez's strong start and Adam Duvall's three-run homer. Miami is now 3-4 on a 10-game road trip that continues in Philadelphia Tuesday. 

6. INTER MIAMI: Locals beat Cincinnati to pull even on season: Team Beckham won 3-2 at FC Cincinnati, fueled by two goals from Gonzalo Higuain to pull even at 2-2-2 for the young MLS season. MLSPA figures out last week showed Miami with biggest payroll at $17.8 million and Higuain third among all players at $5.79M. (They got their  money's worth Sunday). Next up: At Chicago on Saturday. 

7. HORSE RACING: Rombauer wins Preakness Stakes: Rombauer won the 146th Preakness at Pimlico on Saturday, beating runnerup Midnight Bourbon. The third-place finisher was the Kentucky Derby winner, Cheatin' Medina Spirit.

8. GOLF: PGA Championship is this week: The second of four golf majors, the PGA Championship, is this Thursday through Sunday in South Carolina. Rory McIlroy is betting favorite at 10-1, just ahead of Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, all 12-1.

9. WNBA: 25th anniversary season now underway: The Seattle Storm begins defense of its title as it's opening weekend for the women's league's silver season, with the 12 teams back in their home arenas for the 32-game regular season. The WNBA will break for a month (July 12-August 14) for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

10. SOCCER: Leicester City surprise win in FA Cup: The 140th FA Cup final Saturday found underdog Leicester City surprising Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to take the English football crown. Youri Tielmans' strike delivered Leicester's first-ever FA Cup win, after video replay disallowed a tying Chelsea goal in the 88th minute. On May 29 the UEFA Champions League final sees Chelsea again, but this time a betting underdog vs. Manchester City.

Missing the HB10 cut: Albert Pujols isn't going far, signs one-year deal with Dodgers after being cut by Angels ..... Bigger cloud over NFL offseason: Aaron Rodgers wanting divorce from Green Bay? Or Deshaun Watson legal mess in Houston? Close call ..... Canes baseball is 28-16 entering, the it's four games left in season before ACC Tournament. Miami was passed over as an NCAA regional host ..... Brouhaha in college women's golf! NCAA canceled women's golf regional in Baton Rouge over soggy course conditions even though coaches said it was playable. As a result the top six seeded teams advanced to nationals and others -- including Miami -- were denied their chance. UM coach Patti Rizzo? Angry ..... It's the South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. the underdog Sam Houston State Breakats on Sunday in the FCS championship game of second-tier college football, which played a spring season this year ..... Upcoming events: Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 are both May 30. French Open also starts that day ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is out with a new episode dropping Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,870 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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Select other recent columns: Talk Of U.S. Olympic Boycott A Reminder Sports, Politics Are Entwined -- And That's Good / How And Why the Miami Heat Landing Kawhi Leonard This Summer Could Happen / The Miami Dolphins' Six Can't-Lose Options For a Great No. 6 Pick in NFL Draft / Even After Playoffs In '20, Marlins Still 'Bottom Feeders' Fighting For Respect / Special Opening Day as Marlins Welcome Back Fans, Feeling Of Hope / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / No Lowry, But Stealing Oladipo, Keeping Herro a Win-Win For Heat, Riley / Beckham Keeps Name-Dropping Messi, Ronaldo For Inter Miami. Can He Deliver? / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL Teams? / No-Splash Free Agency Indicates Dolphins Going All In On Upcoming Draft -- And Tua / Phil Reflects on 25-Year Rivalry/Friendship With Tiger As Honda Classic Tees Off / Why Men's NCAA Tournament Has A Needed Fresh Feel As We Welcome Back March Madness / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Heat Should Parts Ways With Meyers Leonard Over Anti-Semitic Slur / Beckham's Resolve Tested By Tumult As Inter Miami Nears 2nd MLS Season / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Quit Lecturing LeBron On Activism And His Own Conscience / Michael Jordan, Pitbull Signal Needed New Era as NASCAR Returns to Homestead / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Loss at Aussie Open Leaves Serena's Legacy Firm Yet Still Unfinished / Marlins Stick With Youth As Rest Of NL East Spends Big / Inter Miami's Beckham Risks Stepping Into Massive, Avoidable Mess / Put Brady In Sports' All-Time Pantheon. But He Has Company / Final Herald NFL 2020 QB Rankings / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me.

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

1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 15. Happy birthday, Michael! My youngest son and Friday B-Day Boy is pictured on the left at a Marlins game with myself and his older brother Christopher. 2) I was back in-studio for my regular Tuesday spot on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz this week. Check out that day's show podcasts for way too much  of me. 3) The Greg Cote Show podcast is now separately on Twitter and Instagram. Join us on both! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast with ESPN's Israel Gutierrez, latest column links & more. 5) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE WITH ESPN'S IZZY GUTIERREZ OUT NOW!:  Our new 18th episode of 2021 and 60th overall is out now! A new pod drops Mondays at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 60 we've done HERE for free. Our latest episode features special guest Israel (Izzy) Gutierrez of ESPN (pictured) in a fun conversation about boats, sneakers, golf and Chris Cote's social skills. Oh, and hoops talk, too, including Chris Bosh's Hall of Fame chances and how the Heat are looking as the playoffs near. Also, an historic new Mount Gregmore. Bonus: Greg sings the song that was playing on the radio when he first kissed a girl. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow! (Our pod now simulcasts on Sirius XM, too, every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET on Channel 145).

BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME WRONGED CHRIS BOSH LAST YEAR. TIME TO GET IT RIGHT: It might be a stretch to apply the words underrated or even underappreciated to Chris Bosh’s basketball career. Only 35 players in NBA history have made the all-star team at least 11 times. Bosh is one. And yet, when a player achieves his greatest success on a Miami Heat team that includes neon superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, well, there is never a doubt who gets cast as the third of the Big 3. The idea that Bosh has never quite gotten his full due was underlined a year ago. He took a gut punch. One he didn’t expect. Not only was Bosh denied the distinction of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer last year in his first year of eligibility — he didn’t even make the list of finalists. It stunned those in the Heat organization. To not even be a finalist was a hard, blindside slap. An insult. “I’m not going to lie, man,” Bosh said then. “I’m disappointed that I didn’t even get considered.” The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, based in Springfield, Massachusetts, won’t make the same mistake twice when the 2021 Hall class is announced Sunday. Bet the farm on that. Then take out a loan and bet that money, too. Bosh getting in this time seems that certain. And is that deserved. This time, Bosh is one of 14 finalists including seven former NBA players, and only Boston great Paul Pierce is considered as likely to get in. For our full latest column, visit Hall of Fame Snubbed Chris Bosh Last year. Time To Make it Right.

BEST FLORIDA PANTHERS TEAM EVER? PROOF STARTS NOW, IN PLAYOFFS, VS. BIG BROTHER TAMPA BAY: The Florida Panthers team on the ice right now is the best in the 27 seasons since the NHL dared to put a hockey team in the tropics. It might not even be close. Now they must prove it in a best-of-7 playoff series vs. the defending champion and bitter rival Tampa Bay Lightning starting Sunday. A mountainous climb is where the proving starts. A brutal stage for what to expect was set last Saturday in the Panthers’ 5-1 win over Tampa, a fist-flying slugfest that saw 31 penalties totaling 154 minutes in the box, including 10 misconducts and four fighting majors. “Old-time hockey,” Florida coach Joel Quenneville called it. “I loved everything about it,” said goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Leading scorer Jonathan Huberdeau wore a bloody gash on the bridge of his nose as a badge after the game. “It was physical. We don’t mind that,” Huberdeau said. “We’re going to match that.” You see with the eye how good these Panthers are. If you need to quantify it, the Cats this regular season won nearly 70 percent (.694) of all the standings points available to them — best by a lot in franchise history. By comparison, the 1996 Panthers, the only iteration to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, won a .561 points share, only eighth-best in club history. That team was scrappy and fun and made even South Florida hockey agnostics fall in love for a minute as the rubber rats flew and a roster of overachievers played the role of Cinderella on skates. Midnight struck hard. As if to underline that the ‘96 Cats were a blue-collar bunch that didn’t seem cut out to be champions, they got swept 4-0 in the Finals by Colorado. No disrespect meant to that team, but the far-more-talented 2021 Panthers would overwhelm it in every way. Florida in '96 was a young franchise with fans just happy to be here. Not now. Twenty-five years after that franchise peak, today’s Cats must demonstrate they are the best in club history by the only measure that matters: Not only getting to the Finals but winning the Stanley Cup. And how exquisitely perfect that the Panthers must go through Tampa Bay to get there. For our full recent column, visit This Looks Like Best Florida Panthers Team Ever. But The Proving Starts Now.

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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 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. NFL: All Brady, all Bucs as Tampa dominates Super Bowl!: Kansas City and Aspiring G.O.A.T. Patrick Mahomes were 3-point favorites last night to repeat as NFL champs over Tampa Bay but got schooled by Old G.O.A.T. Tom Brady, 31-9, in Tampa. The Super Bowl took on an ugly shadow Thursday night when Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid -- head coach Andy Reid's son -- was implicated in an apparent alcohol-related car accident that hurt two children, one with reported life-threatening injuries.

2. DOLPHINS: Zach Thomas once again denied Hall of Fame: Eighth time on the ballot, second straight year as a finalist, but still no Canton for Zach. Boo on you, voters. Maybe next year. Brian Flores and Xavien Howard also were finalists but fell short for coach of year and top defensive player at Saturday night's NFL Honors awards show held virtually. Meanwhile, ESPN reported the Fins will go with co-offensive coordinators in Eric Studesville and George Godsey. Hmm. Sounds weird. But benefit of doubt to Flores.

3. Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning top awards night: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was named league MVP at the NFL Honors awards show Saturday night. The five modern-era inductees who were elected to the Hall of Fame were easy choices Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson along with Calvin Johnson, Alan Faneca and John Lynch. Lynch was the big surprise, and likely the pick who bumped Zach Thomas.

4. HEAT: Did Miami's rough season finally just turn a corner? Heat had lost seven of past eight and fallen to 7-14 before routing Washington 122-95 Friday night for team's biggest win in a month. Kendrick Nunn's 25 off the bench led the way as Wizards' Bradley Beal (rumored on the trade block with Heat perhaps interested) began 0-for-13. Miami followed that by beating the Knicks Saturday; Heat play NYK again Tuesday.

5. PANTHERS: Cats finally lose in regulation: Florida at 6-1-2 after Sunday's unexpected 4-1 home loss to Detroit. Cats had been the only NHL team to have not lost in regulation prior to Sunday. Panthers host Detroit again Tuesday then play three straight against rival Tampa Bay.

6. TENNIS: Djokovic, Barty top seeds in Australian Open: Novak Djokivic and Ashleigh Barty are top seeds as the tennis year's first major begins Monday in Melbourne. Meanwhile Serena finally, 39, tries yet again to win her elusive 24th major title to tie Margaret Court's all-time record. Serena last won a Grand Slam singles title in 2017 and withdrew from a tuneup event last week with a sore shoulder.

7. HURRICANES: Uneventful National Signing Day for UM: The Miami Hurricanes signed nobody Wednesday on National Signing Day, and that was no surprise, and just fine. Because UM had signed all 24 of its newest recruits in December's early signing period. ESPN ranks Manny Diaz's third and latest class 11th nationally, up from 30th in 2019 and 17th in 2020.

8. NASCAR: Daytona 500 kicks off new season next Sunday: Denny Hamlin and 2020 series champion Chase Elliott will be near co-favorites in seven days when the NASCAR season begins with its first, biggest and most prestigious race of the year.

9. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men lose heartbreaker: Canes men fell to 7-11 with Saturday's 80-76 OT loss at No. 16 Virginia Tech. UM is back in play Monday at North Carolina and needing close to a run-the-table finish for any shot at an invite to March Madness. The UM women are now 8-7 after beating Florida State Sunday for coach Katie Meier's 300th UM victory.

10. BOXING (SORT OF): And ... Jose Canseco embarrasses himself: The $20 pay-per-view gimmick-fight was over in just seconds Friday night as former baseball player Jose Canseco was punched to the canvas by a Pardon My Take podcast intern who had challenged him. A grimacing Jose then faked a shoulder injury to end the "fight."

Missing the HB10 cut: The latest strong indication that Drew Brees plans to retire: The Saints QB has agreed to reduce his 2021 salary from $25 million to the veterans minimum of $1.075 million to free up salary-cap space ..... LeBron James and growing number of other NBA stars are coming out against plans to hold an All-Star Game in March ..... MLS and its players have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, clearing the way for Inter Miami and other teams to open training camps on February 22 ..... The Marlins' Lewis Brinson (career .189) has spent his offseason working as a fashion model. Requirements: Pretty face, not high batting average. It's back to baseball work soon, as pitchers and catchers report for spring training on February 17 ..... Panthers former goalie and now special adviser Roberto Luongo has been named one of three assistant general managers for Canada's 2022 men's Olympic team ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast's new 48th episode (No. 6 of 2021) is out Monday! ..... Update: Countdown now 1,968 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup. 

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

WHY A BRADY-MAHOMES SUPER BOWL IS ULTIMATE TORTURE FOR MIAMI AND DOLPHINS FANS: There is a word for this newly minted Super Bowl matchup, from a Miami perspective. Torture. The matchup is Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, except, really, of course, it is Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. So there it is, shoved right in the face of Dolphins fans for the next two weeks: The one player most responsible for Miami not reaching the Super Bowl any time this century — Brady, the Old G.O.A.T. And the one player most likely to prevent Miami getting there any time in the foreseeable future — Mahomes, the Aspiring G.O.A.T. For our full recent, please visit Why A Brady-Mahomes Super Bowl Is Torture For Dolphins Fans.

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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30. Hope y'all are having a nice, safe, long holiday weekend! 2) Note to readers: Not been writing as much lately because I'm burning a bunch of unused vacation time before end of year. But the blog still chugs on! 3) The Greg Cote Show podcast is now separately on Twitter and Instagram. Join us on both! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 12 picks, CFB Week 13 for state FBS teams, Greg Cote Show podcast Episode 38 & more. 5) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.

G11: DOLPHINS 20, @N.Y. STINKIN' JETS 3: NO TUA, NO PROBLEM AS MIAMI REBOUNDS VS. WINLESS FOE: Original post: Let’s get this out of the way quickly because it has been discussed to death: Coach Brian Flores should not have benched Tua Tagovailoa last week. It reeked of panic. Flores should have conveyed faith and given his rookie starting QB a chance to win the game late — just as Tua had done at Arizona only two weeks earlier. OK. Moving on. No chance of another benching today because Tagovailoa is out with a thumb injury, meaning Ryan Fitzpatrick and his glorious Game of Thrones beard are back in the saddle. Last week’s loss in Denver was a useful wakeup slap for those who’d been fooled by five wins in a row into thinking the Dolphins were a fully arrived, full-fledged good team. They are getting there, but the work is in progress (just as Tua’s development is). Miami is not in a position to take any opponent lightly — no, not even the winless New York Jets up there Sunday at 1 p.m. (CBS). Don’t get me wrong. The Jets stink, and Adam Gase still having a job now ranks among the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. NYJ has scored the fewest points of any team, given up the second most and lost by an average of 15.3 points per game. Still, if Gase and the Planes could choose to get off the schneid versus any team, surely it would be against the division foe Gase once coached. Jets have lost their past two games by one score, and now get QB Sam Darnold back from injury Sunday. If Fins arrive in auto-pilot mode, they can lose. If they arrive having banked the lesson learned in Denver, it shouldn’t be close. My pick: Dolphins (-6 1/2), 31-13. For all of our latest King Sport picks, visit NFL Week 12 Gems.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 29-30): 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: Tua out, Fitz in as Miami wins big at rival N.Y. Stinkin' Jets: Fins needed that comfortable 20-3 win Sunday afternoon vs. winless Jets to restore fans' faith in a playoff run. Losing in Denver as road favorites was bad. Losing to Adam Gase and dysfunctional NYJ would have been far worse. Ryan Fitzpatrick start at QB for Miami as Tua Tagovailoa was out with a thumb injury.

2. HEAT: Team extends Adebayo as training camp nears: The Heat and rising star Bam Adebayo agreed to a five-year max contract extension with clauses that could take the total to $195 million -- richest in total value in franchise history, topping the $141 million deal given Jimmy Butler last offseason. Miami opens preseason training camp on Tuesday with individual workouts, with full team practices beginning the following week. Exhibition games are set December 14 and 18 vs. New Orleans and Toronto. Season opens Christmas Day.  

3. SOCCER: Argentine great Maradona passes away unexpectedly: Argentine soccer treasure Diego Maradona died of a heart attack at age 60, less than three weeks after his release from a hospital surgery to remove a brain clot. The "hand of God" works in mysterious ways. R.I.P. to an international futbol legend.

4. NFL: COVID continues to batter the season: Ravens-Steelers was moved from Thanksgiving Day to Tuesday after Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson tested positive for COVID. The situation in Denver may be worse. Every Broncos quarterback was out of Sunday’s game vs. New Orleans because one tested positive and the others had close contact with him, so Denver started Kendall Hinton, a wide receiver on the practice squad who was a high school QB and started two games there as a freshman at Wake Forest in 2015.

5. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Hurricanes, other state schools hit hard by virus: Miami learned its already postponed December 5 game with Wake Forest would be canceled and instead, that night, the No 9 Canes will play at Duke before closing the regular season with home games vs. No. 19 North Carolina Dec. 12 and Georgia Tech Dec. 19. This past weekend, Florida State's game with Virginia was postponed, the FIU- Louisiana Tech game was canceled and FAU-Middle Tennessee was postponed.

6. PRO FOOTBALL: Zach makes semifinalists, tries again for Canton: Pro Football Hall of Fame trimmed to 25 semifinalists its list of candidates for 2021 induction, a group headed by certain first-time-eligible inductee Peyton Manning. Among the survivors: Former Hurricanes WR Reggie Wayne and beloved Dolphins LB Zach Thomas.

7. UM BASKETBALL: Hurricanes men open season with win: Under the shadow of a pandemic, college basketball got underway this week. Jim Larranaga's Miami men opened their season Sunday on campus vs. North Florida with a 77-59 win. Katie Meier's UM women are 2-0 after beating Jacksonville 74-58 Wednesday and North Florida 81-39 Saturday, both at home. Neither Miami team is ranked.

8. SARAH FULLER: Vandy kicker makes SEC history: Vanderbilt soccer goalkeeper-turned-football placekicker Sarah Fuller on Saturday became the first female to play in a Power 5 conference football game. Fuller made history when she kicked off to begin the second half as the winless Commodores fell 41-0 at Missouri. 

9. GOLF: Mickelson, Barkley win 'The Match': Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley beat Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning 4 & 3 on Friday in Arizona in "The Match: Champions for Change,” a charity event to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Gee, what a shock that the team with the actual PGA Tour player would win. Highlight: Barkley debuted what looked very close to being actual golf swing.

10. BOXING: Tyson-Jones Jr. party like it's 1999: Once-great fighters Mike Tyson (age 54) and Roy Jones Jr. (51), both now two decades past their primes, went at it Saturday night and fought to a draw in an exhibition bout in Los Angeles. Call it A Fight for the (Old) Ages.

Missing the HB10 cut: Shoppers waited on line for hours for Black Friday sales, evidently unaware the Internet and online shopping was a thing ..... MLS playoffs are down to the final eight and expansion Nashville (unlike fellow newbie Inter Miami) is still alive. Conference semifinals are Kansas City-Minnesota and Dallas-Seattle in the West, and New England-Orlando and Columbus-Nashville in the East ..... U.S. Women's National Team dominated a very good Netherlands team, 2-0, in a soccer friendly in Holland Friday, the USWNT's first match since March ..... Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Barcelona are the only remaining teams perfect at 4-0 as the EUFA Champions League moves on in its group stage ..... It just occurs that the surname of Heat top draft pick Precious Achiuewa is pronounced like the sound of someone sneezing ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast's new Episode 39 drops Monday! ..... Update: Countdown now 2,038 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our Miami Herald podcast debuted in March and the new Episode 39 is out now! A new pod drops every Monday morning on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 39 we've done so far RIGHT HERE for free. Please listen, subscribe, rate and review. In new Ep39 we welcome in special guest Ray Hudson, the soccer voice, to discuss the passing of the great Maradona and also to review Inter Miami's first season. Also, Greg and Chris chat up the Dolphins' win in New York, Heat training camp opening, and turkey soup. Singing, too. And the new Mount Gregmore (V's) and more. Appreciate you listening each week and check out the new ep!

Some of our other most recent stuff: Herald NFL Week 11 QB Rankings / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / Top-10 But Underdogs, Disrespected Hurricanes Rally Past VT in Blacksburg / and In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives.

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THE ARCHIVES:

Select other recent columns: Stop the Silly Noise And Speculation. Give Dolphins' Tua Time And a Fair Chance / Fans of ESPN's Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz Should Prepare For Another Change / Dolphins Defense Makes It Easy For Tua In First NFL Start / Drama, Controversy, Torqued-Up Pressure: Welcome to Tua Week In Miami / Turner, With COVID, Joining Dodgers Celebration A Sadly Fitting End to Season  / Dolphins Turning to Tua Now Is Risky -- But Right Move/ and Heat, Marlins, Canes -- now Tua. Miserable 2020 Suddenly Great Time To Be Miami Fan.

Heat NBA Finals columns: Game 6--LeBron Reigns, But Credit Heat For Unexpected Run to Finals. Game 5--They're Alive! Butler, Heat Beat Lakers, Get to Game 6 In NBA FInals. Game 4--Lakers in 3-1 Command in NBA Finals, But Don't Write Off Heat Yet. Game 3--Jimmy Butler's 40 Gives Heat New Life in NBA Finals. Game 2--NBA Finals Slipping Away As Heat Lose Again. Game 1-- Riley Wants Heat to Beat LeBron So Bad, But Opening Loss a Reality Check.

Marlins postseason run columns: NLDS Game 3--Marlins Season Was A Miracle But Way It Ended Is Lesson On Work Still Ahead. Game 2--Marlins Fall Again, Join Heat On Brink Of Elimination. Game 1--Braves Homers, Bullpen Collapse Bury Marlins in NLDS Game 1. Columns from two wins over Cubs in wild-card round: Miracle Marlins Advance in NL Playoffs and Seventeen Years Out of Playoffs, Marlins Return in Style.

Select other 2020 columns: 'If I Die, I Die.' QB Cousins' Shamefully Cavalier Attitude On Pandemic / Boycott Of NBA Playoffs Shows Nation That Injustice Is Bigger Than Sports Right Now / Having Fans at Dolphins, Canes Games A Bad Idea And Big Risk / For Marlins, A Home Opener -- And First Place -- In Mid-August / As Panthers Move on From Tallon, Who's Next Miami Team Executive on Hot Seat? / 'Perfect Storm For Virus Transmission': Why Football Is Struggling to Lift Off / Marlins Delaying Home Opener For COVID Outbreak a Scary Lesson For All Sports / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. They Boy Was Me / It Took George Floyd To Finally Wake Up White America / Goodell's NFL Response to Floyd Killing Is Hypocrisy At Its Most Ironic / and George Floyd Is Why Kaepernick & Sports Must Continue Fight For Social Justice

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz on ESPN Radio. Finding Greg: Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Columns. Podcast. Podcast on Twitter. Podcast on Instagram. LeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio) and The Ballad Of 1440 (video).

1) It's SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8. In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Chiefs beat 49ers in Miami Super Bowl, Hot Button Top 10, nailed our SB pick, Part 2 of our '72 Dolphins series & more. 2) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

TO 'THE LONE VOTER' WHO DENIED JETER: STEP FORWARD OR  BE OUTED!: A brief chronology of the world’s 10 greatest mysteries: Is there intelligent alien life? (Infinity). What happened to the Ark of the Covenant? (587 B.C.). Where is Cleopatra’s tomb? (30 B.C.). Who was Jack the Ripper? (1888). Why is "abbreviation" such a long word? (Unknown). Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? (1963). Whatever happened to D.B. Cooper? (1971). Where is Jimmy Hoffa? (1975). Why ‘New Coke’? WHY?!?! (1985). And who didn’t vote for Derek Jeter? (2020). There you have it. Nine eternal mysteries that may never be fully solved — and one that still might be. "The Lone Voter" is still out there. But where? Someone knows who he (or she?) is. The unnamed anarchist is someone’s neighbor or friend, hiding in plain sight, ripe for outing. To read our full latest column, please visit It's Time For Anonymous Lone Voter  Who Denied Jeter To Step Forward.

IGUODALA TRADE A WIN FOR HEAT AND SIGN OF PAT RILEY"S GLORIOUS IMPATIENCE: When they called Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s name in honoring the NFL‘s all-time greatest 100 players and coaches before the Super Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, he held up two hands full of championship rings in a brazen showiness utterly earned. Miami Heat president Pat Riley has done the equivalent this week, though somewhat more subtly, with his maestro’s work ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The greats have a way of reminding us how they got that way, lest we forget. It can be the bling on the fingers. Or it can be a midseason trade you didn’t have to make — but one that looks like a master class in how to get more than you give. In a deal completed Thursday Miami got elite wing defender Andre Iguodala from Memphis along with starter-caliber small forward Jae Crowder and reserve Solomon Hill, with the Heat sending to the Grizzlies injury-prone Justise Winslow and two seldom-used spare parts in James Johnson and pouty, oft-suspended Dion Waiters. (Riley and Iguodala are pictured). Miami has a team option on the second year of Iguodala’s two-year, $30 million deal, meaning the Heat can part with him after this season and still have the salary-cap wherewithal to take aim at a major max-salary star in the bounteous free agency sweepstakes coming in the summer of 2021. That’s when the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokonmpo, will grand-marshal the parade of available talent. Riley turns 75 next month. He ain’t playin’. He doesn’t have all day to whip Miami back into championship contention and add another NBA ring to the eight he has won as a player, head coach or executive, including the Heat’s crowns in 2006, 2012 and 2013. To read our full column, please visit Heat And Gloriously Impatient Riley Win In Trade For Iguodala.

WHY RETURN OF ED REED, EVEN IF MOSTLY SYMBOLIC, IS HUGE BOOST FOR CANES FOOTBALL: You see a little gray in Ed Reed’s full-but-neatly-trimmed beard now. His age has doubled since he was last an active part of Miami Hurricanes football as a player from 1998 to 2001. His new title now? "Chief of Staff"? It sounds grandly inflated, like he will be in a suit overseeing board meetings. "I’m not hiring, I’m not firing. I’m coming here to help. I’m a piece of the puzzle," Reed, now 41, described his own role Wednesday in being officially introduced on campus. He will not be a coach on the field. He will not recruit except when prospects visit on campus. He will be more of an advisor/sounding board and right-hand man to coach Manny Diaz. "I’m [his] Doc Holliday," he said, of the Old West sidekick to Wyatt Earp. "I’ll be his huckleberry," Reed added, citing southern slang for "I’m your man." More than as a counsel to Diaz, though, Reed is on board to be this: An Example. Reed was hired to be a mentor to players, to show them the right way. "Stand up. Be accountable," he said. He was a consensus All-American safety at UM. He was a vital part of the school’s last of five national championships, in 2001. He is the imprimatur of all The U has developed in terms of family and culture. To read this full column, please visit Return Of Ed Reed, Even If Mostly Symbolic, Leads Surge By Canes Football.

BAD LUCK DOLPHINS: FINALLY GETTING RID OF NEMESIS BRADY, NOW MAHOMES TAKES HIS PLACE. NEW COLUMN: Miami hosts another Super Bowl, and Dolphins fans automatically tease themselves (or is it torture?) wondering when their team might be back in one. Dreaming is free, and folks keep insisting anything is possible, so have it. But understand this: the Dolphins seem no closer today to their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1984 season and first victory since the 1972-73 quiniela. They seem further away, in fact. The Dolphins have simply swapped one gigantic AFC roadblock for another. Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty fades. Patrick Mahomes and a Chiefs dynasty arises. The wattage of brightness for Kansas City’s long-term future under Mahomes, the generational quarterback, can hardly be overstated. Anything said about this young guy that seems like hyperbole probably isn’t. And this is who will now be blocking Miami’s path to playing in a Super Bowl for all of this decade and beyond. The pressure on the Dolphins regime to land a quarterback as good or to assemble a team to beat Mahomes has never been greater than it seems now as we witness the full coronation of Mahomes. This isn’t discounting the long, bright future of another Dolphins AFC roadblock, dual-threat Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. But Mahomes is the league’s new No. 1 QB and face of the NFL until somebody takes those things from him. To read our full column please visit Poor Dolphins Finally Getting Rid Of Brady Only to Have Mahomes Take His Place.

My column from the game: Chiefs, Mahomes And A Former Dolphin Win Super Bowl 54 -- And So Does Miami.

MY 2-PART SERIES ON HOW DOLPHINS CAME SO QUICKLY TO HAVE GREATEST TEAM OF ALL TIME: This was a Super Bowl Week thing but I'm proud of the series and it's timeless so I wanted to give you another chance to read it. The 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins were named the greatest team of all time as part of the NFL's 100th season celebration. How did it happen? In Part 1 told how a long-lost Dolphins executive pre-dating Don Shula, a man named Joe Thomas, was assembling a treasure trove of talent amid the wild dysfunction of the George Wilson-led expansion years. For that tale, visit How One Man Long Forgotten Changed Everything For the Miami Dolphins. Part 2 tells the story of how and why Shula's arrival changed everything, from the players themselves, and it takes a poignant look at Shula's life today at age 90. For that full column, visit How Shula Made Dolphins Perfect and Made Miami Matter, And the Coach Today at 90. This is a deep dive into how the Perfect Dolphins happened, with never-before-told stuff. I hope you enjoy.

THE NEW 'BACK IN MY DAY': READY, SET, HYPE!: We poke good-natured fun at the excess of sports in general, led by the Super Bowl. Debuted on yesterday's Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio and ESPNews:

Other select recent columns: Kobe's Death Sends Sports World Reeling, But Immortality Is His. Also: How The NFL, Even Amid Safety Concerns, Bounced Back And Is Healthier Than Ever / How Miami Went From Forgotten to Back On Top As 'Super Bowl City' / Jimmy Johnson's Biggest Triumph? Knowing When To Quit -- And Why / Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team / On Miami's Home Field, Gators Remind Canes How to Win Major Bowl Game and We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football.

1) It's FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22. Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall at home to Buffalo with DSM poll, Kyle Busch wins NASCAR crown at Homestead, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Tonight's Colts-Texans pick: Can Houston bounce back at home, on a short week, after its thorough spanking by Baltimore? Find out here: Week 12 Thursday Gem. 

New No. 1 in update Herald NFL QB rankings: A new guy sits atop our Top 20 chart, but it will be temporary, because he has a bye coming up this week and also because the men who sit second and third have both played one fewer game. To see it all, visit Herald Week 11 NFL QB Rankings.

DOLPHINS-BROWNS, TOP GAMES BIG UPSETS -- OUR NFL WEEK 12 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season we've had a solid first half-plus of our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald. Last week was peachy at 11-3 overall and OK at 7-7 against the spread. We hit on a mini-upset with Jets winning at Washington and had a pair of 'dogs-with-points in covers by Falcons and Cardinals. Now here are our Week 12 picks, including Dolphins at Browns, our Game of the Week and our Upset of the Week (which could be one and the same), and all the rest. Please visit the motherlode of prognostication that I like to call NFL Week 12 Gems. Tonight's separate Colts-Texans Thursday night pick is linked above; also find it here.

LE BATARD'S BIG REVEAL ON PAPI'S ABSENCE, FUTURE ON 'HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE': "Where’s Papi?" The mystery is finally solved. Fans of the Miami-based ESPN TV show Highly Questionable have wondered for the past two weeks why regular Gonzalo "Papi" Le Batard, father of main host Dan Le Batard, has not been on. The reason had been unexplained, and in the void of information concerns arose that it might be a health issue. Dan heard the question and fans’ concerns more than anyone, so he finally addressed them. "My father is in good health, he’s just been punching a clock for 50 years and doesn’t want to necessarily be working every day," Le Batard told listeners midway through Thursday’s radio show. "He had a pretty hard time telling me he didn’t want to be working every day. There was a palpable sadness when I sat down in the chair and [for the first time] he wasn’t next to me." Papi has for now at least retired from HQ as a regular fixture but may still appear occasionally "when he wants to," Dan said. For the full story, visit Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery. 

A BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER VOTER (ME) SOUNDS OFF: So I am proudly a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, and the 2020 ballot came out this week, and this happened Tuesday inside the ESPN studios on South Beach, where I was co-hosting the “Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.” During a commercial break, I volunteered how funny it would be if I was the only elector nationwide to not vote for Derek Jeter as a first-ballot inductee. It was discussed how the ensuing controversy would be such perfect fodder for the radio show — underlined by the idea it would be a Miami Herald writer (one raised as a Red Sox fan!) besmirching the otherwise pristine ballot of the Yankees icon who now happens to be part-owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins. For the full column, please visit If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me!

GROWING DRAFT UNCERTAINTY MEANS DOLPHINS SHOULD HEDGE BET. WHY NOT KAEPERNICK? NEW COLUMN: The phrase "hedging one’s bets" is gambling parlance that has broadened to more general use. It means doing something to offset a potential future loss. The Miami Dolphins have cause to do that right now. And the opportunity is in front of them, as obvious as a neon sign blinking in a dimly lit barroom. You may have heard the name: Colin Kaepernick. Bear with me for a second. I know the very utterance of those five syllables is an anathema to many of you. Those many evidently include 32 NFL teams, considering Kaepernick has effectively been blackballed from making a living into a third year now over the anthem-kneeling protest he started in 2016. (You know by now that the protest is over social injustice. Right? That it has zero to do with any disrespect of the flag or the military or any of that other stuff his haters put forth. You know it, and the NFL knows it, and yet illogically -- stunningly -- his ban continues). The whole idea of the weekend's group audition (Kaepernick is pictured arriving) was silly anyway, considering Kaepernick has been a free agent available to anyone for the past 2 1/2 seasons. Any team could have flown him in for a tryout, a physical, an interview — whatever. Nobody did. Will anybody now sign him after Saturday's dog-and-pony show? Who knows. But I know of at least one team that should. Nobody needs a quality quarterback more than the Dolphins. And two factors — Cincinnati being 0-10 to Miami’s 2-8, and Tua Tagovailao’s hip surgery Monday throwing his once-vaunted draft status into some doubt — means the Fins might not be in a position to get their first-choice QB in next April’s draft. They might still, yes, but signing Kaepernick would be hedging that bet in a big way. It would be a safety net for Miami. I have been on the Kaep-to-Miami bandwagon before, but Tagovailoa’s latest serious injury coupled with the Bengals’ ongoing master class in How Properly to Tank torque up the urgency and need. "I’ve been ready. I’m staying ready. And I’ll continue to be ready," Kaepernick said Saturday. "The ball’s in their court." To read my full latest column, visit Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick.

Our most recent other columns: Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run. Also: The Best Will Race For Title At Homestead. But Here Is What NASCAR Is Missing And Needs / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / The Player Who Started the Glory Days in  for Canes Football / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Le Batard On Return To Air, Latest Event / and Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal.

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY RESULTS: WEEK 11: SOLID, STILL ALIVE, SITTIN' PRETTY: NFL picks -- Solid. We were 11-3 overall and a scrambling 7-7 against the spread last week. Love the first and will abide the second. Missed our Upset of the Week but hit on a mini-upset (Jets over Skins) and a pair of 'dogs with points ..... LeBatard Show fantasy (18-team PPR) -- Still alive. Greg's Lobos improved to 6-5 with a 95.8 to 71.7 win over ESPN news producer Jonathan Whyley. Got 21.5 from Randall Cobb to help survive off games by Patrick Mahomes and Mike Evans. With two weeks left we sit one spot out of the 8-team playoffs (on a tiebreaker). Must sweep the last two, or win one and pray ..... Friends n' family fantasy (10-team PPR) -- Sittin' pretty. Lobos improved to 7-4 with a fortunate 105-104 win -- fortunate became my opponent had Melvin Gordon on Monday night, and Mel (thankfully) fell one point short. Got a nice 24 from Michael Gallup, a last-minute start. Won despite only 3 from Deshaun Watson. Have not hyte clinched but are looking really good for the 6-team playoffs. Go 'Bos!

Select other recent columns: Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

Twitter @gregcote

1) It's MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16. R.I.P. Ric Ocasek, 75. His group The Cars were very big in  my life when I was in my 20s and always held a place in my memory and heart. 2) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 2 picks, yes Dolphins are tanking and yes they should & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our NFL Week 2 picks: Will the Miami Dolphins lose by less than the epic 18 1/2-point betting line on Sunday? What is our Game of the Week. Who are our upset winners? Find out that and more by visiting Week 2 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.

Other most recent work: Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Also: It's Up to Today's Dolphins to Defend Shula's Legacy / Herald Week 1 QB Rankings / The Dolphins aren't awful. They're worse than that (game column from opening loss).

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3: 83.0%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 83.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 63-0 UM home victory over Bethune-Cookman putting the Hurricanes' season record at 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the weekly verdict, which is announced here the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday.

2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter

G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.

G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.

G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.

Next poll: Sept. 21 following game vs. Central Michigan.

G3: BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT HURRICANES: NAME YOUR SCORE: I know in the NFL very occasionally you see a crazy score like, say, 59-10. (Sorry, Dolphins). But generally speaking you don't get many silly-sized routs in the pros like you see too much in the college game, when major schools play small schools that have no shot. It is why I prefer the NFL. Which brings us to the Miami Hurricanes hosting Bethune-Cookman Saturday at 4 in UM's home opener at Hard Rock. Miami has played B-C four times this decade (most recently in 2017), and the Canes have won all four by a combined 169-37. Could have been worse. That involved a bunch of clear the bench and foot off the gas pedal. This could be more of a classic, thorough butt-whippin' because, at 0-2 for the first time since 1978, Manny Diaz and Miami are frustrated and eager to take it out on ... anybody. I'd be shocked if the final score was remotely close. If B-C had even half of Miami's score. So you're up, B-C Wildcats. The designated punching bag and stress relief for the Canes' early-season frustration. So I'll say it now, Wildcats. I'm sorry for your loss. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 61-0.

DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 24.6%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 24.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 43-0 Dolphins home loss to New England putting Miami's season record at 0-2. (That's an uptick. Tanking crowd weighing in). In its 12th season, 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. Online voting determines the official results. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.

2019 DSM game-by-game results

G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.

G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.

Next poll: Sept. 22 following game at Dallas.

G2: NEW ENGLAND AT DOLPHINS: LET US PRAY: Miami is one of eight home underdogs in NFL Week 2, and oh what a dog! Combo of last week’s humiliating 59-10 opening loss to Baltimore and New England being New England has left Dolphins getting 18 1/2 points Sunday at 1. Perspective: That’s biggest NFL spread since 2007, and one of only three times in past 30 years a road team has been favored by this much. Interesting subplots: Brian Flores coaching against his former team, and Antonio Brown’s debut (maybe) for Pats. Oh, and will ornery Bill Belichick want to run it up for the way Miami stunningly beat his team here last season on that late 69-yard miracle lateral-fest? Would it shock for Fins to lose by 30-plus? Nope. But Miami is on a 5-1 run at home vs. Tom Brady, and I’m hunching that whatever pride wasn’t beaten out of the Dolphins last week will be marshaled for a credible performance that beats not the Patriots (don't be silly), but at least the point spread. Cote's pick: Patriots, 34-17. (Click Week 2 Gems for all our latest NFL picks).

ELEVEN EX-CANES, FINS ON 2020 HALL BALLOT: WE HANDICAP THEIR CHANCES: Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its 122 contenders for 2020 induction into Canton, a list that includes six former Dolphins and five ex-Canes. The mass will be pared to 25 semifinalists in November and then 15 finalists in January, who'll be voted on for induction during Super Bowl Week in Miami. None of the 11 locals is a good bet to get to Canton, but here's how we see them stacking up in terms of at least making the cut to 25: Best chance: Edgerrin James (pictured), because the former UM running back was a finalist in 2019. Decent chance: Ex-Fins LB Zach Thomas deserves Canton (as I've soapboxed many times), longtime stalwart Dolphins LT Richmond Webb has a case, and ex-Canes WR Reggie Wayne has pretty stout career numbers. A tiny shot, maybe?: Dolphins CB Troy Vincent, TE Keith Jackson and punter Reggie Roby, and Canes RB Clinton Portis and TE Jeremy Shockey. Nah, sorry: Punters Jeff Feagles and Matt Turk. 

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, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Tankier and tankier as Fins crushed again: Miami was an 18 1/2 point underdog. On the bright side, the Dolphins could lose by double that point spread and still come closer than they did in last week's 59-10 loss. That's what I wrote. And it happened. Patriots, 43-0. Can Miami just concede the final 14 games? Please? 

2. HURRICANES: Thank you, Bethune-Cookman. The Canes needed that: Honestly, I wrote that headline Thursday afternoon. But if the Canes do anything but win comfortably Saturday, just go ahead and cancel the rest of UM's season. They won 63-0. That'll suffice. 

3. BASKETBALL: Team USA gags in awful FIBA World Cup performance: Stunner! Team USA was beaten by France and will play for seventh place Saturday in the FIBA Wold Cup in China -- worst finish ever by an American team that included NBA players. Why? Of 35 players originally selected for the U.S. player pool, only four were in China.

4. INTER MIAMI: Messi-to-Miami rumors heating up?: Soccer rumors that bloom and disseminate from Europe and and South America can be notoriously unreliable. Still, there seems to be traction to the notion Barcelona star Lionel Messi could be considering a late-career move to MLS with the new Miami team. Yes, please. Yes. Please!

5. HORSE RACING: Scandal engulfs Triple Crown winner Justify: New York Times reported that 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify failed a drug test one month before the '18 Kentucky Derby, and that the California Horse Racing Board decided to dismiss the case after the colt went on to win the Triple Crown. Shame, shame. Giant asterisk for the record book please.

6. BASEBALL: Going, going ... MLB sets all-time home run record: Baseball broke its all-time home run record with two weeks to spare when the 6,106th was hit this week. Oh, but the ball isn't joined. No way! 

7. PANTHERS: Cats, full of hope, open NHL training camp: The non-superstitious Florida Panthers and new coach Joel Quenneville open training camp on Friday the 13th, working toward the first of eight preseason games this Monday at Nashville. Playoffs or bust, Cats. Excuses all gone.

8. MARLINS: Fish hurtling toward most-losses mark as season wanes: Miami's club-record 108 losses set in 1998 is in play as Marlins play out the string. Currently in midst of a West Coast swing, Miami's final homestand in Sept. 20-22 before ending (mercifully) with seven straight on road.

9. HEAT: Miami announces training camp dates: The new Jimmy Butler-led Heat announced they'd hold preseason training camp Oct. 1-5 at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, after media day Sept. 30. The first of five Heat preseason games is scheduled Oct. 8 vs. San Antonio.

10. SERENA WILLIAMS: She parties after U.S. Open finals loss: Serena rented out a New York Mexican restaurant and partied with friends 'til the wee hours after losing the U.S. Open final to again be denied a record-tying 24th major. Why do I have the feeling I want her to get that record more than she does? 

Missing the HB10 cut: Antonio Brown, just on general principle ..... Sentences I Never Imagined Writing, one in a series: "LeBron James denied trademark application for phrase 'Taco Tuesday' ..... Hated to see Christian Yelich lost injured for rest of season, and in Miami no less ..... Chess World Cup underway in Russia, in case watching paint dry has proved too exciting for you ..... World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships have begun in Azerbaijan. That's like regular gymnastics, only more ridiculous ..... Update: Countdown now 2,471 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

Other select recent columns: Trading Tunsil Hurts, But Dolphins Won This Deal / Who's Super Bowl-Bound And Where Dolphins Land (NFL Team Rankings) / Diaz's Choice For Hurricanes QB Not Seen In More Than 50 Years / Luck Deserves Praise For Putting Health, Life Above Football / Hurricanes Have Only Themselves To Blame For Opening Loss / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / Le Batard Defies Trump, ESPN's No-Politics Policy / The 4 Ways Miami Heat Had A Winning Offseason / Wimbledon, Tiger, U.S. Women For Starters. Why 2019 Is Greatest Sports Year Ever / Queens of the World. U.S. Soccer Wins Again / Bold Moves To Get Jimmy Butler Make Heat -- And Pat Riley -- Relevant Again / New-look Panthers: Lots Of Hope, Zero Excuses Left / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / Heat's Haslem Doesn't Need Us Telling Him Whether To Retire / Drip Or Swag, Herro Brings It, And Heat Need It / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Ranking Dolphins, Heat, Marlins & Panthers' Best Young Players / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / For Marlins, An Encouraging Two Weeks Is Progress / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Case For Kaepernick's Comeback As A Dolphin / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50 / And, our Dwyane Wade Farewell Trilogy: The Last Star: Post-Wade, Miami Sports Is Bereft; Wade Fittingly Goes Out A Winner And 30-point Star; and Thank You, Dwyane Wade, Miami's G.O.A.T.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

Twitter @gregcote