HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JANUARY 1-2): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature -- back this week after Christmas Sunday off last week -- is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Fins suffer 5th straight loss; playoffs now on thin ice: Miami sunk to 8-8 with a fifth straight loss Sunday, 23-21 at New England, losing their grip and control over whether they make the playoffs. Miami now must win at home next Sunday over the Jets and have the Patriots lose at Buffalo. No word yet who'll be at QB for the Fins next week, with Tua (concussion) and Teddy Bridgewater (finger injury) both iffy.

2. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: It's Georgia-TCU for CFP title after semifinal thrillers: A College Football Playoff semifinal doubleheader on New Year's Eve Saturday determined the championship-game matchup -- and it was 2-for-2 on epic thrillers totaling 179 points scored. No. 3 TCU never trailed in upsetting No. 2 Michigan, 51-45. Then No.1 Georgia rallied from 11 down in the fourth quarter to beat No. 4 Ohio State 42-41 when the Buckeyes badly missed a 50-yard winning field as time expired. The semifinal winners will meet for the national championship on January 9 in Inglewood, California -- Georgia a huge early 13-point favorite.

3. HEAT: Hero Herro lifts Miami back over.500: Reaching and staying over .500 has been a struggle, but has Miami finally caught a little bit of a tailwind? The Heat is 19-18 and on a 7-3 run after Saturday's 126-123 win in Utah on Tyler Herro's buzzer-beating 3. Heat's five-game road trip continues with an L.A. double at Clippers Monday and Lakers Wednesday.   

4. HURRICANES: Cristobal bounces back with big signing-day haul: Coach Mario Cristobal suffered a 5-7 first season at UM but began to make amends with an early National Signing Day that left Miami with a No. 3 national ranking by ESPN, trailing only Alabama and Georgia. The Canes' haul was led by five-star offensive tackles Samson Okunlola and Francis Mauigoa. A third five-star commit, cornerback Cormani McClain, failed to sign as expected that day, but McClain wore Canes gear and flashed the 'U' on Thursday durind media events for the Under Armour Next All-American game in Orlando.

5. SOCCER: Pele', 'king of the beautiful game,' dies at 82: A towering, near-mythical icon of his sport akin to Babe Ruth in American baseball, the Brazilian soccer great Pele' died this week after battling colon cancer. He is the only man to lead a nation to three World Cup wins and helped grow the sport in the U.S. by playing for the NASL's New York Cosmos late in an epic career.

6. ORANGE BOWL: Tennessee owns Clemson in a snoozer OB: The No. 6 Tennessee Vols from the SEC handled the No. 7 Clemson Tigers from the ACC, 31-14, Friday night in a less than scintillating 89th Orange Bowl game.

7. MARLINS: Segura? Fish do something. Finally. But not much: After a stunningly inactive offseason the Marlins signed veteran middle infielder Jean Segura from the Phillies to a two-year, $17 million deal. It is the first free agent move of any note this offseason for the Fish, after a 69-93 season. Segura, 33 in March, is alright but likely a few years past his best days. This move hardly counters seeing the NL East rival Braves, Phils and Mets spend aggressively to get better.

8. PANTHERS: Slumping Cats now six games under .500: Florida is 16-22 (16-18-4) and has lost eight of its past 10 games after Sunday's loss to the Rangers on top of Friday's shutout loss vs. Carolina. Panthers are back on home ice Tuesday vs. Arizona.

9. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men sizzling toward top 10; Larranaga a Hall nominee: The No. 14-ranked Hurricanes men (school's highest ranking since rising to No. 6 in December 2017) are 13-1 (4-0 ACC) including a big win over No. 6 Virginia after Friday's win at Notre Dame. Jim Larranaga, newly named a first-time nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and team are back at it this Wednesday at Georgia Tech. UM's women, after a 4-0 start, are 8-6 (1-2 ACC) after Sunday's needed conference win at Pitt.

10. INTER MIAMI: Still a bystander as saga of Messi's future plays out: Reports out of Europe are that Barcelona is continuing an ambitious pursuit to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou even amid unconfirmed reports that the newly minted World Cup champion has agreed to a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain. Where does that leave Inter Miami and its ferocious interest in bringing Messi to MLS? Waiting and hoping, as usual.

HB10 cut: NFL's Pro Bowl all-star game has devolved into a flag football game to be coached February 5 by Peyton and Eli Manning. Still, to be selected is sort of a big deal, and Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, OT Terron Armstead and S Xavien Howard made it. Hill was no-brainer-deserving; Armstead and Howard were closer to habit picks. Miami alternates are QB Tua Tagovailoa, FB Alec Ingold, WR Jaylen Waddle, DE Christian Wilkins, OLB Bradley Chubb, S Jevon Holland and TE Mike Gesicki ..... Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and champion Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky were named Associated Press male and female athlete of the year ..... Marlins FanFest has been set for Saturday February 11 at the ballpark so that fans might celebrate a stagnant offseason by Miami while other teams aggressively spent big ..... Hurricanes baseball is No. 8 in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll. Coach Gino DiMare's fifth season opens vs. Penn State on February 17 ..... R.I.P., Franco Harris, Steelers great gone too soon at 72 ..... Four Panthers prospects were named to rosters for hockey's IIHF World Junior Championship underway through this coming week in Nova Scotia ..... Kelly Clarkson named host of NFL Honors awards show ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast dropped an unscheduled "emergency" episode on Saturday. We'll be back with a regular new episode on January 9 ..... Update: Countdown now 1,254 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

NFL WEEK 12 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: Ouch. A bloodbath against the spread -- We were an OK 10-6 overall but a lousy 5-10-1 against the spread, with the Eagles' 7-point win the pish for the tie. We were on a nice run ATS to get up over .500 fo the year but that came crashing down. Hit our Upset of the Week with Panthers beating Broncos ("Aawwk!") and had Lions with the points on Thanksgiving, but too little else went wenr right. Rebound time!

Greg's Lobos: Oh yeah! Champ 'Bos take over first place! -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos are 8-4 with a tiebreaker edge for first place based on total points scored after a 144-121 win led by Tee Higgins' 25 points, Lamar Jackson's 22 and Nick Chubb's 20. We are angling for the No. 1 seed and a repeat title with two weeks left in the regular season of our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league. This week we face the other 8-4 team -- my brother.

NFL QB Rankings: Lawrence wins close week, Mahomes maintains overall lead -- Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence edged L.A.'s Justin Herbert by less than a one point to win the Week 12 title while Chief Patrick Mahomes holds onto his overall lead in the Miami Herald NFL Quarterback Rankings. Miami's Tua Tagovailao slips one spot to No. 9. For the full latest Top 25 and more, visit NFL Week 12 QB Rankings.

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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

Select other recent columns: Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / 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? / 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 / 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 / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / 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 / 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 / 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 / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors 2021 writing awards again ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in '22 voting in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.

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

NFL WEEK 11 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: A solid all-round week -- We were a solid 10-4 straight-up last week and an above-ground 7-6-1 against the point spread. Missed two exact scores by a single point. Right idea but tough luck on our Upset of the Week as Colts led Eagles the whole game before losing 17-16. Hit another outright upset with Raders winning at Broncos, and scored a pair of other dog-with-points wins in covers by the Colts and Chargers. The ATS tie was the push on Falcons' 3-point win. Tough season is picking up; momentum felt.

Greg's Lobos: Another wins keeps a share of first place -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos are 7-4 and in a four-ay knot for first place with two straight wins after last week's 113-82 win. Got 25 from Jacoby Brissett and 24 from tee Higgins. Brissett was a big score as a late free-agent QB add on account of byes. With three weeks left in the regular season we have a 99 percent layoff shot and chance to repeat in our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league.

NFL QB Rankings: Dalton narrowly wins week, Mahomes maintains overall lead -- Nee Orleans' Andy Dalton edges Dallas' Dak Prescott by less than a point to take the Week 11 title while Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes maintains a comfortable overall lead in the Miami Herald NFL Quarterback Rankings. Miami's Tua Tagovailao slips three spots to No. 8 because of his bye week -- still a lofty perch for someone who has missed most of three games injured. For the full latest Top 25 and more, visit NFL Week 11 QB Rankings.

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

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: Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / 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? / 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 / 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 / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / 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 / 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 / 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 / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors 2021 writing awards again ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in '22 voting in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.

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

It's SATURDAY, JULY 9. Was back in-studio with Le Batard Show on Thursday (not Tuesday) this week. Check out that day's show podcasts. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot button Top 10, Nobody wins and everybody lsees as NFL weighs Deshaun Watson punishment, An appreciation of Heat's Pat Riley, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE, HOLIDAY SPECIAL, OUT NOW!: Our 29th episode of 2022 and 120th 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 120 we've done so far HERE, free. In the newest episode: It's a star-spangled Fourth of July holiday party on Fort Lauderdale Beach and you are invited! Also, a new Mount Gregmore, and the latest event in our Father-Son Olympics -- cornhole -- is the closest and most exciting yet. Hit up GCS2229 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! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? NEW!

NEW! Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again NEW! 

Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment

The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley

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

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist 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 / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk

Dear America:

I love you.  I do not always like you.

There have been times, distant and present, when I hated what I was seeing in and of my country.

That began for me as far back as when the term Watergate was coined for the skullduggery of a sitting president, at a time when protests over the Vietnam war enflamed the nation. Many saw the protesters as anti-American. “Love It Or Leave It,” the bumper stickers of the day read. No. Love it or change it. Love it or make it better.

America was founded on ideals lofty, ideals still unfulfilled 246 years later. Equality. Liberty and justice for all. We are still reaching for that. (Aren’t we?)

I say to the country I love, keep reaching, please. Keep searching. Be better.

Today I hate so much of what I see and feel of my country.

I am troubled by a political divide that is the deepest in my lifetime.  A present day when we cannot always agree even on what is the truth.  I hate a gun culture so unyielding to protect even assault weapons that the ongoing mass killing of innocents does not seem too high a price to pay.  I am shamed by a Supreme Court that would betray women and the will of the people.  I cringe that snapshots of the storming of the U.S. Capitol and the march of domestic terrorist groups convey to the rest of the world that this is who we have become. It isn’t. (Is it?)

If it is, we have given up on democracy. We have given up on ourselves.

I stand for the national anthem because I am standing for that founding ideal so worth protecting.  It is an intensely personal choice and, because it is, I also respect those who in good conscience do not, because in their freedom to express their anger or disillusionment they need an outlet.  We all say or pray or plead or demand of our country, “Be better,” in our own way.

There was much talk on social media in the wake of the dismantling of Roe v. Wade that America does not feel worth celebrating this Fourth of July. I get that.  It is not the first Fourth of July I have had such thoughts.

But I will celebrate this holiday, and this country, even with everything about it that saddens and disappoints me.  I will hang on to those founding ideals, and the desperate hope that we have not quit fighting to reach them, and never will.

At some point on this holiday I will see my smiling 4-year-old granddaughter, blissfully oblivious to all the wrong around her in America, and hope she grows up in a nation that quits fighting with itself but never quits fighting for its ideals.

I do not always like you, America.  But for all time and to the bone, I love you.  And is it with that love and a patriotic heart that I beseech you, and all of us: Be better.

Greg Cote, July 4, 2022

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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: Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because 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 / 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, MAY 9. Hope all you Moms had a lovely and happy Mother's Day! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Panthers and Heat both fall hard in Game 3s, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 21st episode of 2022 and 112th 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 112 we've done HERE, free. The new episode includes Event 4 of the Father-Son Cote Olympics: Darts! Can Dad finally win a doggone event? Also, Le Batard Show's Jessica Semtana drops by with an eclusive F1 Miami Grand Prix report; Greg launches into an epic Gripefest; and update on our new website/merch store & more. Hit up GCS2221 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! Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's NEW!

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

Hilltop: The most recent five after that: 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 / 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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MAY 8-9): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. HEAT: Miami falls again; series tied 2-2. Where have the 3's gone?: After 14- and 16-point home wins the Heat has fallen hard in Philly including Sunday night's 116-108 loss evening the series at 2-2 as it heads back to Miami for Game 5 Tuesday night. Even Jimmy Butler's 40 points were not enough as James Harden and Joel Embiid combined for 55 and Heat shot 7-for-35 on 3's.

2. PANTHERS: Ouch. Cats' 6-1 loss digs 2-1 hole entering tonight: A home split in Sunrise was followed by Saturday's ugly 6-1 Panthers loss in Washington for a 2-1 Capitals lead in the first round series. Florida must find way to win Game 4 in D.C. tonight/Monday or it will return home needing three straight wins to survive the first round as a No. 1 seed.

3. MOTORSPORTS: Verstappen big winner in Sunday's inaugural Miami Grand Prix: Sunday's maiden Miami Grand Prix blasted around Hard Rock Stadium Sunday in the fifth race of Formula One's championship series. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari had the points lead but Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated the day and won the event. Fan favorite Lewis Hamilton finished sixth. The course's vista on Turns 6, 7 and 8 was the stuff of photoshopped internet fun, with 10 yachts on the inside surrounded by solid "vinyl water."

4. MARLINS: Sunday loss leaves Fish on 1-7 skid: Joe Dunand, nephew of Alex Rodriguez, homered and doubled in his big-league debut Saturday as the Marlins won in San Diego, 8-0. Sunday, not so good: Blown save in a 3-2 loss -- the seventh in past eight games for the now 13-15 and third place Marlins. Seven-game road trip continues with three in Arizona.

5. SOCCER: It's Real Madrid vs. Liverpool in Champions League final: Liverpool in the May 28 UEFA Champions League final did not surprise. But Real Madrid did after a stunning semifinal comeback ousted Manchester City. "We have a score to settle," tweeted Liverpool star Mo Saleh. The teams last met in the 2018 UCL championship, when Salah left in tears after being injured in a tackle during Real Madrid's 3-1 win. Madrid have won 13 European Cups, most ever; Liverpool's six tie for third most. Finale will be in Paris, moved from Russia after the Ukraine invasion.

6. INTER MIAMI: Hot spell done. Team back to losing: Inter Miami is 2-1-6 after Saturday's 1-nil loss at Charlotte, the team's first match since the big win in the Miami Freedom Park stadium vote. On deck: Herons host South Georgia in a U.S. Open Cup match Tuesday, then return to MLS play at D.C. United May 14. 

7. DOLPHINS: Miami sets rookie minicamp, offseason dates: The Dolphins' four recent draft picks led by Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall and the team's undrafted free agents will gather for a rookie minicamp this coming Friday through Sunday. The team's mandatory full-squad minicamp is schedule June 1-2. Other offseason workdays are setfor May 16-17, 19, 23-24 and 26, and June 6-7 and 9-10.

8. HORSE RACING: 80-1 longshot stuns at Kentucky Derby: The 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs opened thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown season on Saturday -- but not as planned. An 80-1 lonsghot,  Rich Strike, bolted up the rail to win, with 4-1 favorite Epicenter and Zandon beaten at the finish. "I about fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire,'' said winning trainer Eric Reed. "I about passed out.'' Rich Strike paid $163.60. Only Donerail in 1913 had a higher payout of $184.90.

9. BOXING: A rarity: Canelo Alvarez loses a fight: Dmitry Bivol scored a unanimous decision over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas Saturday in one of the biggest boxing upsets in recent memory. It was the first loss for Alvarez rsince 2013, at age 23, to Floyd Mayweather.

10. WNBA: Griner shadows Opening Weekend for 26th season: WNBA's 26th season tipped off Friday with the Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun and defending champ Chicago Sky the betting favorites of the 12 teams. League will honor Phoenix Mercury star Britney Griner, arrested and held in Russia (where she played in offssesaon) since February 17, with a 'BG42' decal on every home court. The U.S. is now classifying Griner's arrest as a "wrongful detention" and negotiating her release. About time. 

Missing the HB10 cut: There are 12 playoff series going on in hockey (eight) and basketball (four) including of course the Heat and Panthers -- and six of the 12 are tied 2-2. Colorado Avalanche up 3-0 can be next to to advance tonight ..... Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani this week became the first pitcher to both start a game at Fenway Park and also bat in the top four of the order since Babe Ruth did so September 20, 1919 ..... Spotlight-addict Antonio Brown in the headlines for trashing Colin Kaepernick. What an odd fight to pick ..... Diego Maradona's 'Hand Of God' jersey worn in the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction for a record $9.28 million. Previous record for a game-worn jersey was $5.64 million for a 1928-30 Babe Ruth jersey ..... No. 6-ranked Canes baseball is 35-12 after a weekend home sweep of North Dakota State ..... Matt Kenseth, 2003 Cup Series champ, was voted into the 2023 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the first ballot ..... Good for Ryan Tannehill, acknowledging he'd been in a "dark place" and sought therapy after last season's Titans playoff loss ..... Florida high schools had 22 of the 247 players taken in the NFL Draft this year. Six Miami-Dade or Broward schools had one player each: American Heritage, Booker T. Washington, Central, Dillard, Flanagan and St. Thomas Aquinas ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,513 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 / 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 / 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 SATURDAY, MAY 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): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! DID GREG REALLY KICK A 50-YARD FIELD GOAL? MEET THE EYE-WITNESS: Our 20th episode of 2022 and 111th 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 111 we've done HERE, free. The most recent episode includes an eye-witness to Greg's long-held claim of having made a 50-yard field goal, and Phil Taylor on whether Greg actually beat him in a footrace. Also: Father-Son Cote Olympics continues with free-throw shooting, Greg explains his lifelong love of Elton John, and Greg's Mock Draft vs. Mel Kiper's. Hit up GCS2220 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 wesbite 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! No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole NEW!

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

Hilltop: The most recent five after that: Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports / 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 / Oladipo Crowns His Long Road Back, Lifts Heat Into Second Round

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ARCHIVES

Select other recent columns: Butler, Heat Culture Arise as Miami Seizes 3-1 Series Lead / History Says Heat Still In Charge, But Blown Game 3 Lead Gives Atlanta Life / 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 / 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 SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2022. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2) R.I.P. Betty White, gone on New Year's Eve. She missed 100 by 18 days. 3) R.I.P., John Madden. A football legend in so many ways. Had a chance to interview him once many years ago and he could not have been more generous or giving of his time. 4) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 5) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, NFL Week 16 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 27. Hoping my fellow Christmas celebrants had a wonderful and prudently safe long holiday weekend! 2) Not on Le Batard Show this past week; was feeling a bit under the weather. Check out last Tuesday's (December 14) show podcasts for my new Dolphins Christmas song. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 16 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, Week 15 results for picks/Lobos/QB ranking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) It's SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25. Merry Christmas! 2) Not on Le Batard Show this week; feeling a bit under the weather. Check out last Tuesday's (December 14) show podcasts for my new Dolphins Christmas song. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins win 6th in a row, Hot Button Top 10, NFL Week 15 picks, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Week 14 results for picks/Lobos/QB ranking.

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

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: SPECIAL NEW EPISODE WITH BELOVED HUMORIST DAVE BARRY OUT NOW!: Our 49th episode of 2021 and 91st overall is out now -- and it's a must-hear special one. A new pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 91 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest episode: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist Dave Barry joins us for a lengthy conversation ranging from the inanity of his 2021 Holiday Gift Guide to a serious talk about some of the personal tragedy he's lived thorugh and how that has informed his humor. Also in the new episode: My Dolphins Christmas song, the Fins' 6th win in a row, Greg's Lobos gird for fantasy playoffs and much more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

Dolphins-Jets column: Off Sunday's 31-24 Miami win: Duuuuuke Lifts Fins to 6th Straight Win, .500.

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

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

(*) OUR PICKS: HOT STREAK COOLS WITH A BIT OF A SO-SO WEEK: Our recent hot streak cooled a bit in Week 15 as went an OK 10-6 overall but a rough 7-9 against the spread (including 0-4 ATS on the Monday and Tuesday doubleheaders). That included an end to our fabulous six-game winning streak on Upset of the Week bull's-eye when Pats failed to win at favored Colts. Bright side: Nailed one other outright (mini) upset with Steelers over Titans, and had a quartet of 'dogs-with-points in covers by Lions, Jets. Texans and Ravens.

(*) GREG'S LOBOS: OFF PLAYOFF BYE, 'BOS AWAIT SEMIFINAL MATCHUP: Lobod enjoyed a first-round playoff bye after a 9-5 seaeson record earned the No. 2 playoff. That was important, giving QB Lamar Jackson time to -- I hope -- get healthy. Our semifinal opponent in PFPI Fantasy, our 10-team friends 'n family league, is my nephew Joe, a tough draw. Though he finished 8-6, Joe's team outscored me by an average of 19 points a game this season and handily won our lone head-to-head meeting. I need you, Luck. You with me?

(*) HERALD NFL QB RANKINGS: CHIEFS' MAHOMES WINS WEEK, STAFFORD NARROWS BRADY LEAD: Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes wins Week 16 and the Rams' Matthew Stafford cuts into Tom Brady's season lead in the Miami Herald's updated rankings. Details and the latest Top 25: NFL Week 15 QB Rankings.

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