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

It's MONDAY, JUNE 27. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat draft Jovik (not Jokic), Panthers' odd coaching change, 20 settled cases don't exonerate Deshaun Watson, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW. FROM DENVER TO ROE V. WADE: Our 28th episode of 2022 and 119th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 119 we've done so far HERE, free. In the newest episode: Laughs with Chris and Roy Bellamy and a  bag of gummies in a Denver hotel room. And a serious discussion of the Supreme Court undoing Roe v. Wade. Also on the menu: Greg on the Golf War and how the PGA Tour let it happen; Major Father-Son Olympics update as Greg signs executive order eliminating one event and replacing it with another; Charlie the puppy and a glass of wine; Most unnecessary hotel luxuries; Do you love a good variable?; Way too much discussion of ropes and knots; and The question for Ice Cube that Greg was not able to ask on the Le Batard Show. Hit up GCS2228 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! 

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite NEW!

Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalists For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses

20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse 

Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can

'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Becuase It Feels Like Goodbye / 'Free' speech? Ignorance Cost Del Rio $100,000. But He's Lucky To Still Have A Job / Why Browns' Watson Faces, Deserves Lengthy Suspension From NFL

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JUNE 26-27): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. PANTHERS: Cats swap coach-of-year finalist for guy No. 1 in career losses: Florida followed its best-ever season and first playoff advance since 1996 by swapping out coach of the year finalist Andrew Brunette for Paul Maurice. Hmm. Why hmm? Not keeping Brunette is dubious enough. But they replace him with a guy No. 1 for most career coaching losses, a guy with zero Stanley Cups in 24 seasons. On bright side, Jonathan Huberdeau made second team All-NHL; Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov also had notable support. So'd Anton Lundell in all-rookie vote.

2. HEAT: Miami drafts Jovic; free agency, Kyrie rumors, summer league next: Heat's only pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft was 27th overall in first round and team selected 6-10 Serbian forward Nikola Jovic -- not to be confused with two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Capsule analysis: Can be dynamic on offensive end, needs wok on D. He'll wear uni No. 5. Free agency unfurls this coming Thursday, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting Miami is among six teams Kyrie Irving would ask Brooklyn to consider in a possible sign-and-trade. Also just ahead: Summer league play. Heat youngsters will play two games July 2-3 in San Francisco and then five in main summer league in Vegas starting July 9.

3. NHL: Colorado unseats Tampa Bay for Stanley Cup: Colorado Avalanche beat Lightning 2-1 Sunday in Tampa to win their first Stanley Cup since 2001 and prevent the NHL's first three-peat since 1983. Avs defenseman Cale Makar, who also finished postseason third overall in scoring with eight goals and 29 points in 20 games, was named playoff MVP. 

4. NBA: A surprise atop the NBA: Auburn's 6-10 Jabari smith was expected to go No. 1 overall to Orlando in THursday's NBA Draft but slipped to third -- with Duke's Paolo Banchero ging first instead. Detroit acquired veteran guard Kemba Walker from New York in a three-team draft night trade.

5. NFL: 20 cases settle, but Watson far from exonerated: Twenty of 24 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by Browns QB Deshaun Watson during massage sessions settled, the women accepting hush money. But that proves nothing of his innocence, and the remaining suits seem unlikely to go away before trial. Serious NFL punishment also may be ahead, with disciplinary hearings beginning Tuesday amid speculation of at least a 1-year suspension. 

6. MARLINS: Fish avoid sweep by Mets on rookies home run: The Marlins are 33-38 after rookie Nick Fortes' solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning carried Marlins past New York Mets to avoid a three-game series sweep. Miami still languishes in fourth place in NL East. Fish now hit the road for seven in a row.

7. HURRICANES: UM Football 'Legends Camp' tradition continues under Cristobal: Miami's top-talent summer camp, 'Legends Camp,' used to be called Paradise Camp when Mark Richt created it in 2016. Different name under Mario Cristobal, but same idea: A football camp that doubles as a masterful recruiting tool, with only top-end talent invited. The seventh edition of the camp happened Saturday on campus.

8. TENNIS: Djokovic, Swiatek seen way out front as Wimbledon begins: The strawberries 'n cream of tennis majors, Wimbledon, gets going Monday in London. Novak Djokovic is a big men's favorite in part because world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev was erased when the event banned players from Russia (he is) and Belarus over the Ukraine invasion. Super-hot Iga Swiatek is an even bigger women's betting pick. Serena Williams, 40 and playing for first time in a year, is tied for fifth favorite but a longshot at +1600.

9. INTER MIAMI: Vassilev lifts Herons in MLS as Barca friendly nears: Two late goals by Indiana Vassilev meant a 2-1 Inter Miami home win over Minnesota Saturday night. Miami is now 6-3-7 overall and within two points of MLS playoff pace. Up nect, Miami visits Dallas July 4. Meantime the already sold-out July 19 home friendly vs. Barcelona draws near.

10. TITLE IX: Happy birthday, ground-breaking law empowering women in sports!: Fifty years ago Title IX was enacted as a U.S. federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in school and university athletic programs. Enjoy it before the Supreme Court rescinds this, too.

Missing the HB10 cut: The Dolphins' full preseason training camp convenes in three weeks when rookies report July 19. Full-team work begins when veterans report July 26 ..... NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Congress he has no authority to remove cretin Daniel Snyder as Washington Commanders owner. That takes a 75 percent vote of owners. Nothing stopp Rog from suggesting it publicly, though ..... Ole Miss beat Oklahoma in Game 1 of the best-of-3 men's College World Series and can win it all today. After Sooners won women's CWS, Oklahoma is tryng to be first school to win both titles the same year ..... Give the USFL credit. The spring football league returned from the dead and survived its first year back, playing a full 10-game schedule. Saturday in Canton, Ohio the Philadelphia Stars and Birmingham Stallions won semifinal playoff games and will meet July 3 for the championship ..... Gronk retired again. And his time he means it. Probably. Goofy but great, tight end Rob Gronkowski has retired after a Tom Brady-fueled career that (likely) will see him in Canton. Gronk goes out 10th among TEs in career catches (621) but fifth in yards (9,286) and third in TDs (92). In the playoffs he's second in catches (98) and first in yards (1,389) and TDs (15) ..... While you weren't watching, crazy-good Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a 13-strikeout game right after an 8-RBI game, both career highs ..... Golf civil war update: PGA Tour defectors to LIV Golf will be allowed to play in the 150th Open Championship (a.k.a the British Open) at St. Andrews next month ..... Warriors and Dub Nation threw a championship parade to celebrate Golden State's NBA title ..... Unsurprisingly the NFL is asking in federal court to move Brian Flores' class-action lawsuit against the league and three teams including Miami to arbitration. That way whatever dirty laundry there is airs in private ..... Blueblood kid-QB Arch Manning, the No. 1 2023 recruit, picked the Texas Longhorns, where he could pocket more NIL income asa freshman than Grandpa Archie made as an NFL rookie ..... Ice Cube's Big3 basketball league is underway with its fifth season ..... R.I.P. Tony "The Goose" Siragusa, gone too soon at 55 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,46 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

Heat/Panthers playoff run columns: Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / Legacy Building: Butler Rising Fast Among Heat All-Time Greats / Jimmy Butler Just Saved Heat Season, Gave Us Greatest Gift In Sports: A Game 7 / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time / Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same? / As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now / Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa / Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up / Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Select other recent columns: Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / 'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

It's MONDAY, JUNE 20. Hope y'all had a lovely Father's Day and Juneteenth! 2) Happy 80th birthday today to Beach Boys founding member, creative force and enigmatic genius, the great Brian Wilson (pictured). 3) Join me on Twitter, INstgram, Facebook and Tik-Tok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Steph Curry grows his legacy, Miami named '26 World Cup host city, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: FATHER'S DAY STORIES AND GREG'S A NEW DAD! NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 27th episode of 2022 and 118th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 118 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: A Father's Day special! Listeners stop by with their Dad stories, Greg talks about his own father and Yeti shares his last phone message from his Dad. Also on the menu: Whatever happened to the Father-Son Cote Olympics?, A new Yeti song to the tune of “Dancing In The Moonlight,” about catching your parents making love, Reflections on Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday including Greg’s favorite post-Beatles Macca song, A dive into the viral video of beloved Tom Hanks going ballistic, and Greg shares a sad sight from his recent holiday in St. Augustine. Hit up GCS2227 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! 

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports NEW!

Curry's th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Get To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk

Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie

Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Becuase It Feels Like Goodbye

'Free' speech? Ignorance Cost Del Rio $100,000. But He's Lucky To Still Have A Job

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Why Browns' Watson Faces, Deserves Lengthy Suspension From NFL / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JUNE 19-20): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature, back after a one-week holiday, is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. SOCCER: Miami among host cities named for 2026 World Cup: The announcement was no surprise and the reward is four years away -- but it still was big news as FIFA announced Miami among host cities for the men's 2026 World Cup to be played across North America. Matches will be played in 11 U.S. cities, three in Mexico and two in Canada. Miami was not a host for the 199 U.S. World Cup, so this will be a first for South Florida.

2. GOLF: Fitzpatrick wins U.S. Open amid sport's civil war: Little known Matt Fitzpatrick of England won the U.S. Open on Sunday in Massachusetts. The event was the first battlefield in golf's new civil war. Phil Mickelson, who missed the cut, is among 17 players who have been indefinitely suspended by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan for playing in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series rival event in London last week. The Open, indepedent of the Tour, did not ban those players.

3. NBA: Curry carries Warriors past Boston for title: Golden State won three straight games including Thursday's clinching Game 6, 103-90, to best Boston in the NBA Finals. Steph Curry scored 34 in the clincher and unanimously won Finals MVP for the first time to lead the Warriors' fourth championship in eight seasons.

4. NHL PLAYOFFS: Colorado blasts Tamoa Bay. up 2-0 in Final: Colorado is up 2-0 after a 4-3 OT win and then Saturday night's 7-0 blowout back in Denver. Games 3 and 4 of Stanley Cup finals are Monday/tonight and Wednesday in Tampa Bay. The now desperate Lightning are after a third straight NHL championship while Avalanche seek their first since 2001.

5. HEAT: MIami preps for NBA Draft, free agency: Fresh off a successful season that ended in the Eastern finals, the Heat dives into the offseason with the NBA Draft this Thursday and free agency estimated to start June 30. Miami holds a late first round pick (27th overall) and ESPN's mock guess for the Heat is Arizona guard Dalen Terry. Team forfeited its second round pick when when the NBA ruled Miami began its pursuit of Kyle Lowry ahead of the allowed date.

6. MARLINS: Slump-buster Alcantara does it again!: The Marlins were 28-35 off three straight losses -- and 16-27 since a 12-8 start -- before Saturday's 6-2 win at the Mets led by ace Sandy Alcantara, who improved to 7-2 with a 1.72 ERA. Fish are at NYM again today to conclude a 10-game road trip. Miami is back Tuesday to open a six-game homestand vs. the Rockies and Mets.

7. PANTHERS: Cats reportedly after Brunette's replacement as free agency looms: Why hasn't Florida lifted the "interim" tag off coach Andrew Brunette afgter its deepest postseason run since 1996? Becuse it's searching for his replacemment, apparently. Hockey insider Frank Seravalli of @DailyFaceoff reports the Panthers are interviewing a number of possible hires, notably including two-time coch of the year Barry Trotz, Rick Tocchet and ex-Cats coach (2008-11) Pete DeBoer. Meanwhile the NHL has not yet decided whether to reinstate Joel Quenneville, whom Brunette replaced. Florida will want it coach flux settled before free agency starts July13. 

8. INTER MIAMI: Herons' hot(ish) runs ends in shutout loss: In its first MLS match since May 28, Inter Miami risked a four-game unbeaten streak (two wins, two draws) on Sunday at Atanta United but came away with a 2-nil loss. The Herons are now 5-3-7 overall and two points off playoff pace in the Eastern Conference as the regular season nears its midpoint.

9. TENNIS: Wimbledon on deck with Serena a wild-card entrant: Wimbledon starts a week from Monday June 27 in London with Serena Williams a surprise entrant on a wild-card invitation. It's a comeback as Serena, 40, has not played sinve leaving last year's Wimbledon injured. The All England Club is banning players from Russia and Belarus over the Ukraine invasion, meaning world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will not compete.'

10. HURRICANES: NCAA at UM to interview Ruiz over NIL's: The NCAA visited the Miami campus for information on the Canes' use of the new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) that allows athletes to be compensated. Miami attorney and mega-UM booster John Ruiz was interviewed for more than an hour but was cordial, not accusatory. No investigation of UM or accusation of wrongdoing has been announced.

Missing the HB10 cut: Oklahoma is first team to advance to final four in the College World Series ..... Oklahoma women won their College World Series. Or did that go without saying? ..... Russia extended the hostage-holding of WNBA star Brittney Griner masquerading as a legal detention as negotiations for her release continue ..... Five ex-Canes made the 2023 College Footbal Hall of Fame ballot -- strong candidates all. Ray Lewis should be an automatic. Others are Ken Dorsey, Bryant McKinnie and coaches Larry Coker and Mark Rcht ..... WWE wrestling CEO Vince McMahon stepped aside amid allegations he gareed to pay hush money to a former employee over an affair ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,471 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

Heat/Panthers playoff run columns: Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / Legacy Building: Butler Rising Fast Among Heat All-Time Greats / Jimmy Butler Just Saved Heat Season, Gave Us Greatest Gift In Sports: A Game 7 / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time / Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same? / As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now / Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa / Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up / Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Select other recent columns: ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / 'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, JUNE 6. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Sports and real life in the age of mass shootings, The List (Butler's postseason in Heat history), Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 25th episode of 2022 and 116th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 116 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: The Father-Son Cote Olympipcs brings you Event 7, Shopping, live from grocery store aisles as Greg and Chris race the clock to find 10 specific items. Also: Greg explains the Sioux vs. Sioux faux pas, a '90s song challenge, the triumphant return of Mount Gregmore and ... Hurricane Betsy? Hit up GCS2225 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking Shop. New items! 

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In The Age Of Mass Shootings NEW!

Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Home Loss

Legacy Building: Butler Rising Fast Among Heat All-Time Greats

Jimmy Butler Just Saved Heat Season, Gave Us Greatest Gift In Sports: A Game 7

No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JUNE 5-6): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. NBA: Warriors roar back, rout Celtics to even Finals: Warriors needed an answer Sunday night. They got one. After Boston rallied to win Game 1 handily, Golden State answered with a convincing 117-88 Game 2 win to level the NBA Finals behind Steph Curry's 29 and despite an off night from Klay Thompson. Series swings to Boston for Game 3 Wednesday night.

2. TENNIS: Swiatek tops Gauff in French Open; Nadal routs Ruud: World No.1 Iga Swiatek handled Coco Gauff, 6-1, 6-3 to win the women's French Open title Saturday in Paris. Gauff, 18, is from Delray Beach and was in her first Grand Slam final. Sunday, Rafael Nadal routed Casper Ruud in straight sets to win the men's final. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo caught heat and apologized for saying men's matches had more "appeal."

3. NHL PLAYOFFS: Avalanche, Rangers out front in conference finals: In the Eastern Conference final the New York Rangers are up 2-1 on the same Tampa Bay Lightning that swept Florida, after Tampa's clucth win Sunday. Game 4 is Tuesday. Out West, Colorado on Saturday made it a colossal 3-0 lead over Edmonton, with brooms out for Game 4 Monday in Oilersville. A team from Canada has not won the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993.

4. MARLINS: Fish back to losing: The Marlins are 22-30 -- 10-22 since a 12-8 start -- after Sunday's 5-1 home loss to San Fran. Miami's seven-game homestand continues vs. Washington on Tuesday. Fourteen of Miami's losses have been by one run. Sandy Alcantara 's next start is scheduled Thursday. He has Cy Young-convo numbers at 6-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 71 strikouets, the wins, ERA and K's all top-three in the NL.

5. DOLPHINS: Tua defends arm strength as Fins wrap minicamp: You know Miami's two-day mandatory minicamp was uneventful when biggest news from it might have been quarterback Tua Tagovailoa defending his arm strength by pointing out a couple of deep completions to Tyreek Hill. Dolphins have four more OTA practice days this week -- Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday -- before taking off until start of full preseason training camp in late July.

6. CANES BASEBALL: Ugh. UM season ends on brutal Sunday in Gables Regional: UM won its Gables Regional opener with an 11-6 rally past Canisius on Saturday in a game twice delayed by stormy weather and rain. Sunday wasn't so kind. The Canes lost 2-1 to Ole Miss and 3-2 to Arizona to see their season end in disappointment. Miami was the No. 6 national seed with dreans of the College World Series but fizzing badly in a home Regional.

7. SOCCER: Next U.S. men's matches in buildup to World Cup: The USMNT played an international friendly vs. Uruguay Sunday in Kansas City, Kansas, a 0-0 draw in preparation for the CONCACAF Nations League tournament. Those matches are this coming Friday June 10 vs. Granada in Austin, Texas and June 14 at El Salvador. The late-year 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins with group stage play starting November 21. The U.S. is in Group B with England, Iran and Wales, which won a playoff match Sunday over sentimental favorite Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the midst of the invasion by Russia, thanked the national team for its win over Scotland in a playoff semifinal.

8. PANTHERS: Brunette misses out on coach honor. But will he keep job?: Florida Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette was a finalist for NHL coach of the year but missed out as Calgary's Darryl Sutter won. Brunette coached the Cats in 75 games in the regular season after Joel Quenneville was forced out over revelations about a decade-old scandal in Chicago and led Florida to NHL's best record. But, curiously, club still has not announced whether or not he will lose the interim tag and be retained.

9. GOLF: Brady, Rodgers win 'The Match': It was one for the ages. The old ages. Old quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers beat young QBs Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen this week in Las Vegas in 'The Match,' a 12-hole golf exhibition for charity. Rodgers' putt on the final hole was the difference in the 1-up win. The event raised money equating to 10.3 million meals donated to Feeding America.

10. NFL: Gore, Fitzpatrick bid farewell with retirements: Two men who meant a lot to Miami, Frank Gore and Ryan Fitzpatrick, retired this week after long NFL careers. Gore, a former Miami Hurricane and a Dolphin in 2018, signed a 1-day contract to retire a 49er, third in all-time rushing yards and Canton-bound. Fitzpatrick, a Dolphin in 2019-20, has a place in the Hall of Quite Good, ending with 34,990 passing yards, 223 touchdowns and one fabulous beard.

Missing the HB10 cut: Minjee Lee won the U.S. Women's Open in golf in North Carolina ..... A Canes men's basketball program coming off its first NCAA Elite 8 appearance got a boost this week with the news UM guard Isaiah Wong will return for the 2022-23 season as a fourth-year junior. Wong, UM's second leading scorer at 15.3 points last season, had entered his name in the NBA Draft but withdrew when it became apparent he would go undrafted ..... NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league may change format of its All-NBA teams to make them positionless ..... Thirteen PGA Tour players including Dustin Johnson are entered in next week's first LIV Golf Invitational Series event in London, and face penalties from the tour including possible suspension if they compete in the Saudi-backed league ..... The Special Olympics reversed its COVID vaccine mandate for upcoming competitions in Orlando after awful Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened a $27.5 million fine ..... At some point while you were sleeping the past week, LeBron James became a billionaire, the first active NBA player to do so ..... Serena and Venus Williams are not on the entry list for Wimbledon, which starts June 27. Either could still seek a wild-card invitation ..... The NFL, Cowboys and Texans donated $800,000 to aid families of victims in the Uvalde school masscare  ..... Inter Miami, 5-3-6 and at the far edge of MLS playoff pace, is off until a June 19 visit to Atlanta ..... Ecuador will play a World Cup tuneup vs. Cape Verde next Saturday June 11 in Fort Lauderdale. Inter Miami's leading goal scorer, Leonardo Campana, is on Ecuador's WC roster ..... No MLB players slapped each other this week ..... Harini Logan, 14, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in an historic spell-off after several rounds left two spellers tied ..... A Twitter analysis by betonline.ag has named the most hated players in MLB. They are, in order, Manny Machado, José Altuve and Bryce Harper. Congrats, guys! ..... The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame ballot will be released on Monday ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,485 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

Other Heat/Panthers playoff columns: Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time / Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same? / As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now / Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa / Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up / Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Select other recent columns: Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 30. A Memorial Day Weekend salute and gratitude to all of those in our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. On a day off full of food, laughter and perhaps a beverage or three, take a moment to remember what this holiday is about. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Butler and Heat force Game 7, Panthers swept out of playoffs, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 24th episode of 2022 and 115th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 115 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: Greg and Chris are with you live from the Heat arena with reaction to last  night's season-ending Game 7 loss. Also: Greg shares a health update including a recent scare that involved paramedics; Uncle Dick drops by for a disasterous pop-culture quiz; the Father-Son Cote Olympics continues with a tennis match; and Greg shares his thoughts on the Texas school shooting tragedy. Hit up GCS2224 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking Shop. New items! 

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Home Loss NEW!

Legacy Building: Butler Rising Fast Among Heat All-Time Greats

Jimmy Butler Just Saved Heat Season, Gave Us Greatest Gift In Sports: A Game 7

No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End

Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time

Previous Heat/Panthers playoff columns: Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same? / As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now / Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa / Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up / Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Hilltop: The most recent five non-playoff columns: Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 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, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. HEAT: Miami season ends on home floor in Game 7 loss; it's Boston on to Golden State: Jimmy Butler's 35 points (after 47 in Game 6) were not enough as Miami fell at home in Game 7 to Boston 100-96 Sunday night. So Heat fall one win and maybe one shot -- Butler's miss on a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11.4 seconds left -- of the NBA Finals. That'll be Boston vs. Golden State, with Game 1 Thursday night in San Fran.

2. PANTHERS: Cats' magical season ends too soon in brutal sweep: The season was magical. Record-setting. The way it ended was a brutal disappointment. Florida lost four straight to rival Tampa Bay and were swept from the NHL playoffs in the second round, the Panthers' league-leading offense solved by the Lightning and made to disappear. Cats fans were dreaming Stanley Cup, not out in May. Next big watch: Will interim coach Andrew Brunette be  back?

3. NHL PLAYOFFS (Non-Panthers): Three advance, await Rangers-Canes Game 7: New York Rangers beat Carolina Hurricanes Saturday to force a Game 7 Monday in North Carolina, the winner facing well-rested Tampa Bay in the East finals. Out West, Colorado Avalache will meet Edmongton Oilers, with Game 1 commencing the next round Tuesday in Colorado.

4. TENNIS: Djokovic, Nadal meet in French Open quarterfinals: The sport's clay-court Grand Slam, second major of the year, is underway through June 5 at Roland Garros in Paris. No. 1 seeds Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek remain in it. Early casualties included Naomi Osaka and reigning champ Barbora Krejcikova, but Coco Gauff, 18, of Delray Beach advanced on Sunday to the quarterfinals. Old rovals Djokovic and Rafael Nadal meet for the 59th time in the quarterfinals Tuesday night.

5. DOLPHINS: Fins' full-squad minicamp finally on deck: All eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill as usual when the Dolphins' full squad assembles under the aegis of new coach Mike McDaniel for a mandatory two-day minicamp this Wednesday and Thursday. It will be the last major offseason event prior to the start of full preseasom training camp in late July.

6. MARLINS: Alcantara to the rescue. Then it's back to losing: Sandy Alcantara whiffed 14 in a Saturday gem to beat Atlanta and end a three-game skid for Fish were back to losing Sunday and are now 19-26. Miami's eight-game road trip moves now from Atlanta to Colorado. Fourteeen of 26 Fish losses have been by one run, underscoring what a difference it would have made had the team spent more in the offseason to bolster the offense.

7. INTER MIAMI: Herons out in U.S. Open Cup, but climbing in MLS: Inter Miami is out in the U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 with its loss at MLS rival Orlando City Wednedsday night, 4-2 on penalty kicks after a scoreless regulation and a 1-1 standoff in extra time. Quarterfinal matches are June 21-29. In league play, the Herons are now 5-3-6 and (barely) on playoff pace after Saturday's 2-1 home win over Portland. Up next, Inter Miami is off unitl a June 19 match in Atlanta.

8. CANES BASEBALL: UM bombs in ACCs, but host NCAA regional: No. 9 Miami, after a 39-16 regular season, got embarrassed in the ACC Tournament, going 0-2 by a combined 25-9 score in losses to North Carolina State and Wake Forest. (North Carolina beat N.C. State in Sunday's ACC title game in Charlotte). Still UM was awarded a No 6 national seed and regional-host status on Monday as the NCAA Tournament's 64-team field and regional pairings were announced. UM beginning Friday will host a regional with Arizona, Ole Miss and Canisus. College World Series betting odds have Tennessee and Oregon State out front. Miami is tied for ninth.

9. SOCCER: Real Madrid upsets Liverpool, wins Champs League: Betting favorite Liverpool fell 1-0 to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League finale Saturday in Paris, where the game was moved after the invasion of Ukraine cost Russia host honors. Vinicius Jr. netted the only goal as Madrid claimed its record 14th Champions League title.

10. HURRICANES: UM football welcomes back Highsmith: Miami Hurricanes hired former UM star Alonzo Highsmith as general manager of football operations. Highsmith, a 1980s Canes champion, was a longtime NFL excutive, most recently a scouting exec for Seahawks. He'd been passed over by the Manny Diaz regime when UM named Ed Reed "chief of staff" in 2020.

Missing the HB10 cut: Indianapolis 500 roared Sunday, with Sweden's Marcus Ericsson taking the checkered flag and the milk bottle ..... Expect plenty of hokey banter, bad golf and the pretense of camaraderie when NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen tee it up in the latest "The Match" event on TNT this Wednedsday ..... Hallelujah: The Las Vegas Raiders have Colin Kaepernick a tryout ..... Ecuador will play a World Cup tuneup match vs. Cape Verde June 11 at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale ..... Doggone it: Michael Vick, 41, now says he will not unretire to join the startup Fan Controlled Football league ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,492 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

ARCHIVES

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

Select other recent columns: Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 23. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Game 2 losses have Heat and Panthers in playoff peril, latest Messi-to-Miami speculation, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 23rd episode of 2022 and 114th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever else you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 114 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: Back after nine months, the return of the popular segment, 'Greg Doesn't Know Movies,' in which Chris and younger son Michael try to stump Greg on the simplest of movie questions. Also: the show crew take the Hanger Reflex challenge; Greg reveals a dark secret about Opie from the Andy Griffith Show; Yeti performan an original song for Chris in honor of his birthday; the history of Greg's three fan-boy Twitter accounts; and a heartwarming story about the neighbor who listned to porn loudly. Hit up GCS 2223 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has an all-encompassing website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com! There's new new merch in the merch store (click Shop) and free shipping this week only! 

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Panthers' Magical Season Looking Out of Answers, Almost Out Of Time NEW!

Bam! Heat Take Back Control OF Series. Can Panthers Do The Same?

As Heat, Panthers Title Hopes Slip, These 4 Players Must Step up Now

Panthers Suffering Crushing Loss, In 2-0 Hole Heading To Tampa

Panthers Drop Game 1 At Home To Tampa. Time For Huberdeau, Barkov To Step Up

Previous Heat/Panthers playoff columns: Heat-Celtics, Panthers-Lightning: 3 Keys, Who'll Win & Why in Both Series / Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 / Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals / Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead / Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead / Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2 / Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Hilltop: The most recent five non-playoff columns: Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 22-23): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. HEAT: Bam to the rescue as Miami wins, takes 2-1 lead: Bam Adebayo poured in 31 points Saturday noght to lead Miami to a 109-103 win in Boston and a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals. That followed a split in Miami, the Heat winning Game 1 big then losing Game 2 bigger. Jimmy Butler sat out the second half with knee inflammataion, an injury now shadowing the series entering Game 4 back in Boston Monday/tonight.

2. PANTHERS: Big trouble! Cats down 3-0 face elimination in Tampa: Florida's first time advancing in the playffs since 1996 has hit a serious roadblock. Andrew Brunette was named an NHL coach of the year finalist. He'd trade it for a win. The home losses were 4-1 and, far worse, 2-1 when Cats gave up a goal with 3.8 seconds to go in regulation. Then came Sunday's 5-1 loss in Tampa for a 3-0 hole. Now it's on to Tampa for Games 4 tonight. A sweep is in the offing. Let's see if a massive, redeeming comeback might be, too.

3. NBA PLAYOFFS (Non-Heat): Golden State in command in West: Steph Curry dropped 32 Friday night and 31 Sunday as Golden State rolled to a 3-0 series lead over Dallas in the Western Conference finals. Mavs getting 40s from Luka Doncic but it isn't enough. Series back in desperate Dallas for Game 4 Tuesday night with Warriors thinking sweep.

4. GOLF: Thomas wins PGA Championship in playoffs after rookie blows it: PGA Tour rookie Mito Pereira held a 3-shot lead entering the final round of the 104th PGA Championship on Sunday and needing only to par the 18th for a major win. He didn't, freeing Justin Thomas to beat Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff -- the first in a major since 2017. Tiger Woods withdrew after a 79 Saturday, feeling pain in his surgically repaired leg, the first time Woods has withdrawn from a major championship as a professional. Reigning champion Phil Mickelson did not compete.

5. NHL PLAYOFFS (Non-Panthers): Carolina, Colorado, Edmonton hold 2-1 leads: Carlina leads the Rangers 2-1 as series satsy in New York for Games 4 Tuesday, the winner to face the Panthers-Lightning survivor in the Eastern finals. Out West, Colorado is up 2-1 on St. Louis with Game 4 Monday. And Edmonton leads Calgary 2-1 with Game 4 Tuesday. The winner will give Canada, inventor of hockey, a chance for its first Stanley Cup since Montreal won in 1993.  

6. INTER MIAMI: Herons get needed win, prep for U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 as Messi rumors resurface: Inter Miami plays at MLS rival Orlando FC Wednesday night in a round-of-16 match in the U.S. Open Cup. Unsurprisingly 13 of 16 remaining clubs in the all-comers tournament are from MLS, country's top-tier league. In MLS play the Herons are 3-3-7 after Sunday's needed 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls. Herons host Portland this coming Saturday. Meanwhile, on the Lionel Messi watch, a report said he'll join Inter Miami in 2023 in a deal that gives him 35 percent of club's shares in MLS -- a deal both Inter Miami and Messi's reps call "premature speculation." (Which isn't exactly a flat denial).

7. SOCCER: Barcelona set 2 U.S. friendlies including Inter Miami in Ju1y: Barcelona will face Inter Miami in a July 19 friendly in Fort Lauderdale, then visit the MLS New York Red Bulls for another on July 30. The five-time UEFA Champions League winner and 26-time LaLiga champ last played in South Florida in 2019. Negotiations are ongoing for Barca, Real Madrid and Juventus to play U.S. dates in a breakaway European Super League later this summer.

8. MARLINS: Alcantara lifts Fish to needed win: The up and down Marlins lost a third straight game Saturday but bounced back  Sunday to beat Atlanta behind Sandy Alcantara and are now 18-22 and just one game out of second in the NL East. Miami now heads out on an eight-game road trip starting Tuesday in Tampa.

9. TENNIS: Lopsided men's draw as French Open begins: The sport's clay-court Grand Slam, second major of the year, is underway through June 5 at Roland Garros in Paris. Men's co-betting favorites Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz along with Rafael Nadal all were placed in the same half of the men's bracket. Djokovic, defending champion, could meet 13-time French champion Nadal in the quarterfinals. Iga Swiatek is a huge favorite on the women's side, with early casualties there including Naomi Osaka and reigning champ Barbora Krejcikova.

10. CANES BASEBALL: UM ends season, heads to ACCs: No. 9 Miami won two of three at home over No. 14 Notre Dame this weekend to end the regular season 39-16 overall and 20-10 in the conference. The ACC Tournament is this week in Charlotte, with the third-seeded Canes' first game Wednesday night vs. 10th-seeded North Carolina State. The NCAA Tournament's 64-team field and regional pairings will be announced May 30.

Missing the HB10 cut: Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher at war! Alabama coach Saban accused Texas A&M coach Fisher of "buying" its top-ranked signing class via NIL (name, image, ikeness) deals. Fisher shot back in a fiery rebuttal and denial, calling Saban's comments "despicable." The overarching story: NIL money has become an under-regulated mess in a tumultous time for college football ..... Early Voting held off betting favorite Epicenter to win The Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico, second leg of the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby upset winner Rich Strike didn't run, a major bummer and so bad for thoroughbred racing ..... FIFA on June 16 will announce 2026 World Cup host stadiums for the event being held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Book it: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will be one. I  guarantee it! ..... European soccer shocker: Kylian Mbappe snubs Real Madrid, says he will remain at Paris Saint-Germain ..... Dolphins offseason work continues with OTA practice days woriking toward a mandatory full-squad minicamp set for June 1-2 ..... Orlando Magic won the NBA Lottery for the June 23 draft, the club's first overall No. 1 since taking Dwight Howard in 2004 ..... ESPN researched the investments of 40 principal NBA team owners and found that together they have more than $10 billion tied up in China. On the eve of the current NBA playoffs, quietly, league games returned to state-run TV in China after a near-three-year ban ..... Betting favorite Liverpool faces Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League finale next Saturday May 28 in Paris ..... Michael Vick, fleeting NFL QB phenom turned notorious dogfighter, is coming out of retirement to join startup league Fan Controlled Football. Gawd! ..... NFL spring meetings in Atlanata Monday and Tuesday will feature the league's ongoing effort to promote increased coach and executive diversity with its inaugural 'Coach and Front Office Accelerator' initiative ..... Alex Rodriguez is a new investor and board member in mixed martial arts' Professional Fighters League ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,499 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Select other recent columns: Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 16. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat and Panthers playoff runs, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 22nd episode of 2022 and 113th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever else you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 113 we've done HERE, free. In the latest episode: Chris delves into Le Batard Show’s beef with Associated Press Miami sports writer Tim Reynolds, and Greg takes sides; Greg and Chris discuss and celebrate the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers’ simultaneous playoff runs; Round 5 of the Father-Son Cote Olympics (bowling!); Chris' parenting milestones and more. Hit up GCS2222 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has an all-encompassing website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com!

Thank you!: Was honored to have again been named by Associated Press Sports Editors as national Top 10 columnist for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Dolphins sabotaging Tua with interest in Watson

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Wow! Panthers Close Out Caps in 6 for 1st playoff advance since '96 NEW!

NEW! Butler And Defense Rise Again As Heat Eliminate 76ers, Reach Eastern Finals NEW! 

Verhaeghe Lifts Miracle Cats to Comeback Win, 3-2 Lead

Massive Defense, Return of 3's Lift Heat to Game 5 Win, 3-2 Lead

Panthers' Miracle Finish Sends Caps Series Back Home Tied 2-2

Previous Heat/Panthers playoff columns: Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's / No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole / Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1 / Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps / Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over / Uh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports

Hilltop: The most recent five non-playoff columns: Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 15-16): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. HEAT: Miami wins Game 6, gets rival Celtics in Eastern finals: Jimmy Butler's 32 points lifted Miami Thursday to a 99-90 Game 6 win in Philly and an advance to the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years with Butler at the helm. Heat now will fce rival Boston (a Game 7 winner over Milwaukee) in ECF Game 1 Tuesday night in the 3-0-5. 

2. PANTHERS: Cats to face rival Lightning in 1st playoff advance since '96!: Carter Verhaeghe made it three straight game-winning goals in three straight wins for the Comebacks Cats Friday night in the 4-3 Game 6 win in Washington that eliminated the Capitals for the Panthers' first playoff advance past the first round since 1996. Florida will face rival Tampa Bay next after the Lightning's 2-1 Game 7 win in Toronto. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Sunrise.

3. DOLPHINS: Fins still adding talent; season schedule opens tough: Offseason? What offseason? Dolphins wrapped up three-day rookie minicamp Sunday after adding veteran free agent running back Sony Michel and then vegteran pass rsher Melvin Ingram. Team's mandatory full-squad minicamp is set for June 1-2. Meanwhile NFL schedule release Thursday night finds Miami with a tough first four games: Home opener September 11 vs. Patriots, then at Ravens, vs. Bills and at Bengals. Cincy game and Steelers here October 23 are the two prime time games.

4. NBA: Two Sunday Game 7s set conference finals: In the West, it's Dallas (not Phoenix) facing Golden State in a finals Game 1 Wednesday night. In the East, Miami drew Boston when Celtics won a G7 over reigning champ Milwaukee. That Game 1 is Tuesday night in Miami.

5. NHL: Two Sunday Game 7s set final eight: Florida vs. Tampa Bay and Colorado vs. St. Louis were set in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs' final eight. Joining them: New York's Game 7 win sent the Rangers advancing to face Carolina, and Calgary's G7 win sets an all-Canada Matchup with Edmonton. Second-round Game 1s begin Tuesday and Wednesday.

6. MARLINS: Up-and-down Fish seek consistency as homestand continues: Marlins on Sunday wrapped up a three-day celebration of the 25th anniversary of the club's 1997 World Series champs in midst of a nine-game homestand. Back to reality: Current Marlins lost Sunday and are 3-11 since a seven-game win streak and 15-19 overall, down to fourth in the NL East. Fish host Nationals starting tonight then Braves.

7. INTER MIAMI: Herons settle for draw with D.C. United: Inter Miami is 3-0 in U.S Open Cup play entering round of 16 play May 24-25, but in the MLS the Herons are only 2-2-6 after Saturday night's 2-2 home tie with D.C United after Miami blew a 2-0 lead. Next up in league play: Wednesday at Philadelphia Union.

8. GOLF: PGA Championship this week with Tiger in field: The year's second major is this Thursday through next Sunday at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, with Tiger Woods among the final field of entrants. Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are out front of the betting favorites going in.

9. GOLF: PGA Tour escalates war with Saudi-backed breakout tour: London next month starting June 9 will host the inaugural tournament of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, a new startup circuit backed by Saudi Arabian riches and with Greg Norman as its face. The eight-event series is boasting $255 million in total payouts, with five events in the U.S. and three abroad. The PGA tour has drawn a hard line, threatening suspensions or even lifetime bans of players who compete in the new circuit if its events conflict with Tour events.

10. CANES BASEBALL: Miami loses series at rival FSU as ACC tourney nears: No. 6-ranked Canes baseball is 37-14 after dropping two of three at rival Florida State. Miami now has only four games left in regular season prior to the ACC Tournament and then NCAA regionals.

Missing the HB10 cut: The WNBA star Brittney Griner is being detained an additional month in Russia as the U.S. negotiates her release ..... The U.S. will host the Rugby World Cup in 2031 (men) and in 2033 (women). World Rugby, the governing body, hopes the sport will become as big here as it is elsewhere ..... Liverpool wins FA Cup Saturday in a 6-5 penalty shootout over Chelsea. Liverpool faces Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League finale May 28 in Paris ..... And the shot at another Triple Crown horse is done as Derby winner Rich Strike won't run in The Preakness ..... Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic wins 1,000th career match to reach final of Italian Open in tuneup for French Open ..... A Cleveland Guardians COVID outbreak caused postponement of a game vs. the White Sox. It was first game ppd'd by COVID this season. The virus postponed nine games last year and 45 in schedule-shortened 2020 ..... Oklahoma landed a quarterback transfer with the greatest name in sports history: General Booty ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,506 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Select other recent columns: Oladipo Crowns His Long Road Back, Lifts Heat Into Second Round / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / The Lawsuit, 2 Months Later: Why Flores Has Already Won, And Dolphins Are Still Nervous / NCAA Final Four: Why America Was Rooting Against The Perfect Ending / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / Dolphins' Moves Help Tua, But Isn't About Surrounding Cast. It's On him / Why Do We Love March Madness This Much? First, Look In The Mirror / Brady's Comeback Not About Another Ring. It's About Holding Onto Who He Is / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Chris Cote To Save Sport Of Jai-Alai / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

1) It's MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Flores/Dolphins scandal: Top 10 all-time Dolphins scandals and where this ranks, plus Ross should be done as owner if allegations prove true; also, new Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 7th episode of 2022 and 98th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 98 we've done so far HERE, free. In our most recent episode, we continue The Greg Cote Show Non-Sport Olympics, but with a live audience, and talk Super Bowl, Brian Flores suit, and new Dolphins coach Mke McDaniel. Also in the the new episode: Drake (!): makes brief appearance on our podcast; Greg’s business lunch with LeBron James over Lobos Tequila; Greg brags about leaving a big tip; Would you rather lick a toad or a toe?; Chris can’t believe Brian Flores turned down lunch with Tom Brady; and Farding (not farting; farding. Get your mind out of the gutter). And, on a serious note, Greg's tribute to a dear friend who recently died unexpectedly. 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).

BOMBSHELL WEEK FOR DOLPHINS: FLORES' NFL SUIT TARGETS ROSS, MIAMI HIRES McDANIEL AS NEW COACH:

NEW: Dolphins New Coach McDaniel Must Win, Heal Broken Franchise

Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals

Ross Should Be Done As Dolphins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True

Select other most recent columns: The G.O.A.T. We Never Saw Coming: From 199th Drafted To History, A Salute To Tom Brady / Like Him Or Don't, Antonio Brown Not Always To Blame -- And Wasn't In Bucs Divorce / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Mahomes-Allen Air Show A Reminder How Much Better Dolphins And Tua Need To Be / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom /Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 6-7): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Flores lawsuit implicates Ross, Fins hire McDaniel as new coach: Miami on Sunday evening hired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the frontrunner, as new head coach. But it's the man he's replacing making the biggest headlines. Fired coach Brian Flores is taking on the NFL over racist hiring practices in an explosive lawsuit that also accuses Dolphins owner of Stephen Ross of attempting to bribe Flores to intentionally lose games in 2019. [My three related columns are feature-linked above].

2. NFL: Super Bowl Week opens shadowed by lawsuit and Brady: The Bengals-Rams Super Bowl in Los Angeles is next Sunday, but is forced to share the NFL marquee with the recent retirement of icon Tom Brady and now with Brian Flores' lawsuit over racist hiring practices in the league. The NFL initially called the suit "without merit," but in a Saturday memo to teams commissoner Roger Goodell pivoted and called results of the NFL's coaching diversity efforts "unacceptable."

3. HEAT: Butler named All-Star reserve as Miami jockeys for East lead: Jimmy Butler was named an East reserve for the February 20 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, the only Miami player selected (though some thought Tyler Herrro had a shot). Miami is 34-20 and tied for first in the East entering tonight's/Monday's game at Washington.  

4. HURRICANES: Cristobal lands big OC in Gattis from Michigan: The Canes recruiting class was ranked 19th nationally by ESPN -- third in the ACC after North Carolina and Clemson -- after this week's second (and lesser) of two national signing days. Bigger news: UM and Mario Cristobal on Sunday hired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis away from Michigan, where he won 2021 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. He joins new defensive chief Kevin Steele to give the Canes a formidable coordinator duo.

5. OLYMPICS: U.S. women's hockey team early darling of Beijing Games:  Snowboarder Julia Marino won silver -- the first U.S. medal of the Winter Olympics -- but the dominating 3-0 start for U.S. women's hockey suggest a shot at gold as the Games continue despite calls for boycotts over China's human righst record. Team USA entered Monday 10th in the medals table with three silvers. 

6. PANTHERS: NHL confirms Cats will host 2023 All-Star Weekend: What was first reported my own scoop in the Herald last summer was confirmed this week by NHL: Panthers will host the '23 All-Star Game next February 4 and Skills Challenge the day before. Florida last hosted event in 2003. Cats were supposed to host in 2021 but COVID canceled game. Florida again was supposed to host this year's ASG held on Saturday (and including FLA's Jonathan Huberdeau) but it went to Vegas instead. East-leading Cats do not teturn to action until February 16.

7. SOCCER: U.S. men's soccer wins in World Cup qualifier: U.S. is in 2-1 in qualifying games fot the 2022 Qatar World Cup after this week's 3-0 rout of Honduras, played in sub-zero conditions in St. Paul, Minnesota. Team's next qualifier is March 24 vs. rival Mexico.

8. SOCCER: Rapinoe, Morgan left off USWNT roster: U.S. women's national soccer team coach Vlatko Andonovski named a squad that mixes youth and experience for this month's SheBelieves Cup, leaving out big names like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan in favor of up-and-comers. The 23-player squad will compete in the USWNT's first games of 2022 in facing Czech Republic, New Zealand and Iceland in the SheBelieves Cup February February 17-23 in California and Texas.

9. UM BASKETBALL: Men slump, women face big stretch: As March Madness looms nearer, Hurricanes men are 16-7 and 8-4 in ACC but have lost two straigt entering a Wednesday game vs. Georgia Tech. Miami's women are 12-9/5-6 and in a big three-game stretch that began Sunday with a crushing 85-38 loss at No. 24 North Carolina. Continues Thursday at 20-Notre Dame, then next Sunday vs. rival Florida State.

10. INTER MIAMI: Stadium vote, season opener near: February 23 is the date set for Miami-Dade to vote whether to go ahead with or scrap plans for MLS team Inter Miam's proposed 73-acre commercial and professional sports complex featuring a new soccer stadium. The club's third season opens February 26.

Missing the HB10 cut: James Harden for Ben Simmons? It's been the big NBA trade rumor ahead of league's Thursday's deal deadline ..... The 2022 Miami Marathon and Half Marathon was back this weekend for its 20th edition on the streets of downtown Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove. COVID canceled the event last year, to the delight of motorists inconvenienced by the annual event causing myrad road closings for hours ..... NFL Pro Bowl is today in Las Vegas, and, if you're like most of America, you can't wait to not watch! ..... The MLB lockout impasse worsened as talks stalled, and the MLBPA rejected owners' proposal to involve a federal mediator. For the first time a delay to the start of spring training seems very likely, also suggesting a delay to the regular season. The Marlins spring opener is scheduled February 26 ..... Canes baseball is ranked No. 25 in preseason poll as it prepares to open season February 18 vs. Towson State ..... NASCAR opens its 2022 season Sunday with Joey Logano winning the Clash at the Coliseum in L.A., a warmup of sorts before the main schedule opens with the February 20 Daytona 500 ..... Trade rumors involve Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker as NFL Tuesday trade deadline looms ..... The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins are now the Washington Commanders, explaining, "All of the good nicknames were already taken" ..... Frank Gonzalez, a partner at the accounting firm BDO USA, LLP, was named the 84th president of the Orange Bowl Committee ..... Life Is Good dominated likely 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go to win the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park ..... The spate of college football postseason showcase games continued with Saturday's Senior Bowl. Still to come: the HBCU Legacy Bowl February 19 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,604 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's THURSDAY, JANUARY 20. I was back in with Le Batard Show yesterday. Check out the show's Wednesday podcasts, especially the Local Hour. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, State of Miami Sports as we grade all the teams, Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: GREATEST TV SITCOM CHARACTERS! NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 4th episode of 2022 and landmark 95th overall is out now. A new pod drops every Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all we've done so far HERE, free. In our latest episode, Greg, Chris, younger son Michael and guest Alex Benson from the Shut The Funk Up podcast argue, debate and give their verdicts on the greatest all-time TV sitcome characters. Spoiler alert: Greg wins. Hear why. Also in the new episode: Ranking best friends; Panthers are best hockey team on Earth; Bills' perfect game; and Greg's live report from a wedding on Amelia Island. 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).

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT MIDSEASON: THE TEAM THAT WOULD  OT BE DERAILED: It was minus-5 degrees outside but not as cold as it had been when we spoke Wednesday, Bill Zito on the phone from Edmonton. Even for a hockey man raised in Wisconsin winters, western Canada in January is its own kind of freezing. Zito is the general manager in charge of the best hockey team on the planet, or at least the one that leads the NHL in goal scoring and sits atop ESPN’s power rankings. It is a Florida Panthers team that believes it can win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 28 seasons. Ask Zito if he knew going in that his team might be this good. There is a long pause. “As a manager I loathe to answer the question honestly,” he says. “It’s like asking a supermodel, ‘Do you think you’re attractive.’ “ When he does get around to that honest answer: ”Yes.” For our full latest column: 'There Was A Pall On Us.' The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed.

DJOKOVIC OUT OF AUSSIE OPEN OVER NO-VACCINE? SERVES HIM RIGHT: The year’s first tennis major, the Australian Open, is underway in Melbourne. The world’s best tennis player, defending champion Novak Djokovic, isn’t in it. He very much wanted to be. He’s healthy. But they kicked him out against his will. Deported him, in fact. Good riddance. Enjoy your stay in the 19th Century, Novak, when science and medicine were not yet reliable things. Enjoy the pointless crusade of yours and others like you, a crusade one might call Quixotic. It qualifies as that for the impracticality, though clearly not for the idealism, or for any shred of nobility. For our full column: No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consquences, as Djokovic Was Reminded.

Our most recent other columns: The State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Also: Dolphins Win, Finish 9-8, Now Must Commit To Build Around Tua / Why Saban 'What-If' Still Haunts Miami 15 Years later/No Playoffs And No Idea Yet On Tua Worst Possible Way For Dolphins To End Season / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

(*) OUR PICKS: DECENT START TO PLAYOFFS: We went 4-2 straight-up and 3-3 against the spread on Wild-Card Weekend to begin our playoff run. Two of our wins were near Exactos. Bengals won 26-19; we had it 27-20. And Bucs won 31-15; we had 31-13. But we misfired badly on picking an upset by Cardinals, and did not see the Cowboys loss coming. Onward, upward! Watch for our Divisional Round picks online Thrsday afternooon and in print Friday.

(*) GREG'S LOBOS: STILL CELEBRATIN' OUR CHAMPIONSHIP!: Happened two weeks ago but it bears repeating: Greg's Lobos are PFPI Fantasy champions for the first time in the league's 13-year history!

(*) HERALD NFL QB RANKINGS: BUCS' BRADY WEARS CROWN: Tampa's Tom Brady won Week 18 to seal a runaway 2021 season championship to end our 24th year of rankings in the Herald. Miami's Tua Tagovailoa finished No. 22. In case you missed it: NFL Week18/Season Final QB Rankings.

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

1) It's MONDAY, JULY 5. Hope y'all had a Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! And made it a safe one. 2) Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast on Twitter and Instagram. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): 'NIL' means new era in college sports, Greedy NBA gets the asterisk champ it deserves, Panthers to host 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend, Time for sports to tell Cole Beasley he's wrong, Greg Cote Show podcast & more. 4) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our new 26th episode of 2021 and 68th 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 68 we've done so far HERE, for free. In our new episode Greg and Chris go solo -- no guests. Well, OK, Dan Le Batard makes a brief but memorable appearance if that counts. The guys discuss this week's golfing trip to Lake Tahoe, where Greg and Chris will be in a fivesome with Stugotz, former pro tennis player Mardy Fish and Earth, Wind & Fire lead singer Philip Bailey. Also we discuss college sports' new Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) rule and the proposed expansion to a 12-team College Football Playoff. And there's a new Mount Gregmore! 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).

Our most recent columns: 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Injury-Wrecked Playoffs, Asterisk Champion: Why Greedy NBA Is Getting What It Deserves / Better 2 Years Late Than Never, Panthers Get 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend / 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. Also: Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Here's What Else Must Go Right (Besides Tua) For Dolphins To Continue Momentum / Rumors, Speculation and the Truth on Spoelstra, Lillard and Heat / and Wanted: A 'Next Big Thing' In Men's Tennis, Golf.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JULY 4-5): 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:

Overriding everything, prayers and sympathy to the victims and families affected by the Surfside condominium collapse that has killed at least 24 and left more than 120 unaccounted for. 

1. HURRICANES: King, UM lead way as game-changing 'NIL Rule' kicks in: Name. Image. Likeness. (NIL). It joined the lexicon of college sports this past week as athletes became eligible to barter themselves for financial profit. Canes QB D'Eriq King quickly struck a deal with College Hunks Hauling Junk movers, a Tampa car dealership and The Wharf Miami restaurant/bar. Also, UM launched 'Ignite,’ an initiative to help athletes grow their brand and make money off their NIL.

2. NBA: It's a Bucks-Suns NBA Finals: An NBA postseason steered by injuries has left us a Milwaukee-Phoenix Finals that few outside of those fandoms can be all that thrilled about. Suns eliminated the Kawhi-less Clippers, then Bucks got past a Hawks squad with Trae Young hobbled. Milwaukee seeks its first title since 1971 and Phoenix its first ever starting with Game 1 Tuesday.

3. HEAT: Spoelstra to coach USA Select Team this week: Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was named head coach of the USA Select Team that will help prepare the main U.S. men's national team (which includes the Heat's Bam Adebayo) for the Tokyo Olympics beginning in three weeks. The training camp will be this Tuesday through Friday in Las Vegas. The 14 Select Team members, mostly young NBA players, include Miami's Tyler Herro.

4. MARLINS: Big homestand on deck closes first half: After completing a road swing with a loss in Atlanta Sunday, Marlins finish the first half of the schedule heading into the All-Star break with a seven-game homestand. It starts Monday with four against the red-hot Dodgers, then three vs. the rival Braves. Miami has disappointed so far at 35-47, good for the NL East cellar. Meanwhile the Fish swung a minor deal, acquiring INF Joe Panik and RHP Andrew McInvale from Toronto for OF Corey Dickerson and RHP Adam Cimber.

5. PANTHERS: Florida to host 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend: Cats were supposed to host in '21 but the pandemic canceled the event. The '22 weekend went to Vegas. Better two years late than never, the Panthers will host the league's '23 All-Star Game and surrounding hoopla. Meanwhile, Florida added Tuomo Ruutu to the coaching staff as an assistant. He'd been in player development with the Rangers.

6. SOCCER: Euro '20 reaches semifinals! Finally England's time?: Italy vs. Spain on Tuesday. England vs. Denmark on Wednesday. Winners for the UEFA championship of Europe next Sunday at Wembley Stadium. Spain has won two Euro title and Italy and Denmark one each, while England is still seeking it first. Finally time foe the nation of the throne to be crowned at home?

7. NHL: Lightning embarrassing Canadians in Final: Tampa Bay is up 3-0 on Montreal and by a combine 14-5 score in a lopsided Stanley Cup Final. Canadians try to save face and stay alive and avoid being swept in Game 4 Monday/tonight at home. Canada is trying to claim its first Stanley Cup since Montreal won it in 1993, but needs a miracle on ice.

8. INTER MIAMI: Miserable skid continues for Team Beckham: Inter Miami is 2-2-7 with five straight losses after Saturday's 1-0 fall at Montreal. The second-year squad is now next-to-last in the MLS standings as David Beckham and coach Phil Neville search for missing answers. Miami doesn't play again until July 17.

9. TENNIS: Wimbledon at midpoint finds top seeds still alive: No.1s Ash Barty and Novak Djokovic won Monday to lead a full slate of fourth-round matches to kick off the final week of Wimbledon in London. Results will bring us  to the quarterfinals starting Tuesday. Though depleted of some starpower by injuries and key withdrawals, at least the top seeds survive to front the 16 men and 16 women still contending for major hardware.

10. SOCCER: Copa America semifinals, title match this week: It'll be host Brazil vs. Peru on Monday and Lionel Messi's Argentina vs. Colombia Tuesday in a stout Copa America semifinal round, the winners advancing to next Saturday's championship match in Rio de Janeiro. Copa America is tantamount to the South American championship. It would be Messi's first trophy in a major senior tournament.

Missing the HB10 cut: Sha’Carri Richardson should be running in Tokyo ..... Joey Chestnut seeks his 14th mustard belt today in the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest --- the most vile, stomach-turning event televised ..... Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers are betting picks over Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in The Match IV on Tuesday in Montana ..... The CONCACAF Gold Cup, the main soccer tournament for region of North and Central America and Caribbean -- dominated by Mexico and the U.S. -- begins next Saturday July 10 and runs through August 1. U.S. is not fielding its A-team; no Christian Pulisic, for example. Americans will be in Group B (and play in Kansas City) with Canada, Martinique and a team to be determined in a prelim round running in Fort Lauderdale through Tuesday among Barbados, Bermuda, Haiti and St. Vincent and the Grenadines ..... NFL fined Jaguars $200,000 and Sneaky Urban Meyer 100K for violating OTA practice restrictions. Cowboys and 49ers were fined lesser amounts ..... Vladimir Guerrero and Fernando Tatis were leading vote-getters in each league for the July 13 MLB All-Star Game in Denver ..... MLB Draft begins next Sunday July 11 ..... Tour de France update: The loony woman with the sign got arrested. Updates as needed ..... NFL has had a gay player (Carl Nassib) for more than a week now and league is still operating. Everything is OK! ..... Mark Richt revealed he has Parkinson's. Our best wishes are with him ..... Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt to win the men's College World Series ..... Latest Dolphins Challenge Cancer event raised a record $6.3 million, club announced, bringing 11-year total $45.5M ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is out with a new episode dropping Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,821 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, JUNE 28. I was back on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz this past Tuesday, though briefly because I didn't feel well. Check out that day's show podcasts . 2) Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast on Twitter and Instagram. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Bosh X Bosh with new podcast and column, Why Carl Nassib is sports' most significant 'first' since Jackie Robinson in 1947, Greg Cote Show podcast & more. 4) Join me on Twitter and Instagram.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 25th episode of 2021 and 67th 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 67 we've done so far HERE, for free. In our latest episode Greg and veteran TV reporter Ari Odzer of WTVJ-NBC6 discuss the Surfside tragedy, and Ari shares stories from victims' families. And ESPN's Izzy Gutierrez stops by the pod to discuss the significance of the Raiders' Carl Nassib becoming he NFL's first openly gay active player. Iz also talks NBA playoffs, and scoffs at a Ben Smmons-to-Miami rumor that Chris tries to float. 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).

Our most recent columns: Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Here's What Else Must Go Right (Besides Tua) For Dolphins To Continue Momentum / Rumors, Speculation and the Truth on Spoelstra, Lillard and Heat / and Wanted: A 'Next Big Thing' In Men's Tennis, Golf.