1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 2. Happy new month, aal! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Troika of Marlins-arrive spring columns, Dwyane Wade Weekend, my planking video & more. 2) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

It's Podcast Monday!: Our new Miami Herald podcast, "The Greg Cote Show With Greg Cote," premiered today with Episode 1. Find it at MiamiHerald.com, on Apple Podcasts and wherever else you do your podding. Remember to subscribe. It's free, and worth every penny.

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

1. INTER MIAMI: Six years later, finally Opening Day for new MLS team!: David Beckham's dream since February 2014 turns to reality at last today/Sunday as Inter Miami visit Los Angeles FC in its Major League Soccer debut. Miami plays following weekend at D.C. United before making home debut March 14 vs. L.A. Galaxy in its temporary new stadium at the old Lockhart site. Welcome, Inter Miami Lauderdale!

2. HEAT: Miami still seeking answers as Bucks visit: Miami was riding high at 24-8 on Dec. 28 as one of the NBA's big surprises. The Heat since is 14-14 and now hanging onto fourth place in the East, although after two straight wins put 'em 38-22. Heat host NBA-leading Milwaukee and the Greek Freak on Monday.

3. HURRICANES: Spring football practice underway: Coach Manny Diaz and crew gather and gear up this weekend for their first spring practice on Monday. (Spring football is a royal waste of money and student-athletes' time, but that's another story). After a 6-7 season that ended awfully, Diaz has a new offensive coordinator (Rhett Lashlee), a new starting QB (D'Eriq King) and new "chief of staff" (Ed Reed). Not new, but grown: The pressure on Diaz to win. Big.

4. DOLPHINS: NFL Scouting Combine wraps up Monday: The NFL's nine-day pre-draft cattle call of a talent show ends Monday in Indianapolis, where 32 teams including the Dolphins have analyzed and interviewed top prospects in the April draft. Notably absent: Alabama QB Tua Tagovailao, who expects to gain medical clearance from his hip injury on March 9 and showcase himself in individual workouts.

5. PANTHERS: Slumping Cats seek to claw back into playoff race: Florida is 5-11 since Feb. 1 after Saturday's home loss to Chicago, and has fallen five points off NHL playoff pace as it hosts Calgary today. Cats' growing desperation showed in trade-deadline deals, but losing Vincent Trocheck without adding much defensive help didn't make a lot of sense.

6. WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: Marlins Park lands starring role in 2021 WBC: It was announced Marlins Park would host group play, the quarterfinals and the 2021 championship round next March 21-23 in the fifth iteration of the 20-team international World Baseball Classic. That's nice. Even better? The Marlins hosting games in another World Series.

7. MARLINS: Wow! Fish begin spring training a perfect 6-0: Miami, beginning Year 3 of the Derek Jeter era, was MLB's last unbeaten team this spring at 6-0 before finally losing two in a row. Quick thought: Save some of that winning for April and beyond, Fish! 

8. GOLF: Honda Classic crowns champ in Palm Beach: The Honda Classic, South Florida's only PGA Tour event ever since the tour fled Doral, ends Sunday at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens with Tommy Fleetwood narrowly out front. However, since Tiger Woods isn't in it, we don't much care.

9. CANES HOOPS: UM teams wrap up disappointing regular seasons: Canes women once were 9-3 and ranked but are 14-14 (6-11 ACC) entering Sunday's regular season finale vs. Pitt. Miami men also started 9-3 but also 14-14 (6-12 conference) after Saturday's loss at Georgia Tech, with two games left in regular season. Both will need big showing in ACC Tournament to bolster extremely shaky postseason hopes. 

10. GREG COTE: Hey, that's me! I have a new podcast!: It's my Hot Button Top 10 so I get to include myself. Please check out my new Miami Herald podcast, which debuts this Monday. Podcasting will never be the same. It'll probably be just a little bit worse.

Missing the HB10 cut: Roger Federer ruled himself out of the upcoming French Open following knee surgery, while Maria Sharapova announced her retirement at 32. Maria's career epitaph: Yeah, But She Couldn't Beat Serena ..... Give Deontay Wilder the championship belt in excuse-making after blaming loss to Tyson Fury on weary legs from wearing that 45-pound costume into the ring ..... Sign of the times: Kobe Bryant's widow files wrongful death suit on the day of his L.A. memorial ..... Early season. Close games. Whatever. No excuses. You don't get swept at home by Florida, Canes baseball ..... Has the Dwyane Wade "L3Gacy Celebration" ended yet or are there yet more events? ..... Keep booing the Astros, please ..... Only three weeks until NASCAR's Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead. Hmm. Should a bunch of guys driving 180 mph in heavy traffic be sponsored by vodka? ..... Are XFL player paychecks bouncing yet? ..... NBCSN had a 40th anniversary special on the Miracle On Ice. The best tires ever made have not gotten as much mileage as Al Michaels has over that call ..... There was a Monster Jam thing for trucks with absurdly big tires at Marlins Park. Get your redneck on! ..... Great work by the Dolphins organization as always on its Dolphins Cancer Challenge fundraiser ..... Update: Countdown now 2,310 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

NO BRADY, NO DARKHORSE, NO SURPRISE. THE DOLPHINS' NEXT QB WILL BE 1 OF 2 GUYS: The overanalysis of the quarterback position found its new benchmark this week with the news likely overall No. 1 draft pick Joe Burrow has a 9-inch hand, which evidently was cause for great alarm if not not outright ridicule. Burrow gave the span from the outstretched tips of his pinkie and thumb the gravity it deserved on Twitter, writing, "Considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands. Please keep me in your thoughts." (In the spirit of transparency my own hand span turns out to be 8 7/8 inches, which I find sufficient for primary tasks such as traversing a laptop keyboard and gripping a Whopper). At the predraft NFL Scouting Combine going on in Indianapolis all sorts of measurements are being taken including those gauging intelligence. That’s the Wonderlic test, which grades you from a low of 10 to a high of 50. This score is seen as especially important at quarterback, where a Wonderlic number that looks like a shoe size sends up even more alarms than a 9-inch hand. This most fascinating offseason for the quarterback spot must be divided into two divisions: Junior Division, for college players and the April 23-25 draft. And Senior Division, for current NFL stars entering free agency, which officially begins March 18. The myopic view from Miami is that all that matters is whether the Dolphins, QB-desperate and drafting fifth overall, will land Tua Tagovailoa or have to settle for Justin Herbert. (They are pictured). The bigger story nationally is that Tom Brady, a pending free agent for the first time in his historic career, reportedly might actually leave New England and play elsewhere — which also is of particularly keen interest in Miami, of course. We dive into both divisions of the QB offseason, sift through all the speculation and determine who'll end up with Miami. For that full latest column, please visit As NFL Free Agency & Draft Near, All You Need To Know About Dolphins' QB Situation.

AFTER DELAYS, DISPLACEMENT AND DISAPPOINTMENT, STILL A TRIUMPH OF PERSEVERANCE FOR BECKHAM, INTER MIAMI: Came the word Inter Miami’s main sponsor might be Qatar Airways and the gut reaction was, "Of course, it would be." Nothing has been smooth or simple in this six-year odyssey — emphasis on odd — to finally realize Major League Soccer in South Florida, so why on earth would we expect this finishing touch, the name on the front of the jersey, to be benign and controversy-free? That would make too much sense. So instead, though no final deal is announced, there have been reports (and leaked photos) indicating David Beckham’s Inter Miami has negotiated a $234 million arrangement to proudly wear the name Qatar. Although "proudly" might not quite be the proper word considering the airline is state owned, and Qatar is a place where the government has severed ties with Israel and is considered hostile to Jews, and where one can be jailed for the crime of being in a same-sex relationship. Strange how money can sometimes make the human rights violations a bit easier to ignore. Works for the NBA doing business in China. Worked for the Miami Heat owner sending his Carnival cruise ships to Cuba. Now it appears OK with Inter Miami and Qatar. It figured though. For six years this has been a persevering, uphill climb for Beckham and associates, one wrought with missteps and misfortune. The games arrive as a a respite, a break. Inter Miami’s historic inaugural game is Sunday at Los Angeles FC. Miami plays the following Saturday at D.C. United, then has its first home game on March 14 at the new stadium at the old Lockhart Stadium site, vs. the L.A. Galaxy — Beckham’s old team and a league power. (Pictured right to left: Beckham, majority owner Jorge Mas and goalkeeper Luis Robles). For our full recent column, on Inter Miami's long journey to Opening Week, please visit Beckham, Inter Miami Survive To Finally Reach Opening Week.

Other most recent columns: Jeter Arrives At Camp, Calls Marlins 'Layered With Talent' / Dwyane Wade, His Transgender Daughter And A Lesson In Love / Why Marlins Aren't Pursuing Puig All About Change In Ownership and Pressure On Marlins for Big Improvement Now -- and It's About Time.

Other select recent columns: It's Time For Anonymous Lone Voter Who Denied Jeter To Step Forward / Heat And Gloriously Impatient Riley Win In Trade For Iguodala / Return Of Ed Reed, Even If Mostly Symbolic, Leads Surge By Canes Football / Poor Dolphins Finally Getting Rid Of Brady Only to Have Mahomes Take His Place / And our two-part series: How One Man Long Forgotten Changed Everything For the Miami Dolphins and How Shula Made Dolphins Perfect and Made Miami Matter, And the Coach Today at 90. Also: Chiefs, Mahomes And A Former Dolphin Win Super Bowl 54 -- And So Does Miami / Kobe's Death Sends Sports World Reeling, But Immortality Is His / How The NFL, Even Amid Safety Concerns, Bounced Back And Is Healthier Than Ever / How Miami Went From Forgotten to Back On Top As 'Super Bowl City' / Jimmy Johnson's Biggest Triumph? Knowing When To Quit -- And Why / Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team / On Miami's Home Field, Gators Remind Canes How to Win Major Bowl Game and We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football.

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

1) It is WEDNESDAY, MAY 6. Hope y'all had a happy Cinco de Mayo, fellow imbibers. 2) At left, Giants 1st-round draft pick and ex-Cane Ereck Flowers throws out first pitch at a Mets game. 3) Click on Random Evidence for our latest Sunday notes-column package. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Ndamukong Suh arm-wrestles Warren Buffett, Mel Kiper grades Dolphins, Mel Sr., Hot Button Top 10 & more. 5) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also on Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Average American child, before completing education, sees 40,000 murders on TV. Just sayin'.  

My latest column: I write about what a flop the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was and how the only loser was the fan who paid 100 bucks to watch. Click on Nobody Got Hurt But You to read in full.

Updated MLB beting odds: Via Bovada today, Dodgers now alone as World Series favorites at 6-1, with Cardinals 7-1 and Tigers 15-2. Marlins are 66-1, tied for 22nd. (Ouch). But Miami's Dee Gordon (4th at 6-1) and Giancarlo Stanton (tie 5th at 9-1) both are among NL MVP frontrunners, with D-Backs' Paul Goldschmidt the fave at 3-1.

WELLS REPORT ON DEFLATEGATE IMPLICATES PATRIOTS, BRADY: Click on 'Probable' Guilt Not Enough for my column on this, newly online and shipping to Thursday's inky pulp editions. Click HERE to access the entire 243-page report.The pertinent synopsis: "We have concluded that, in connection with the AFC Championship Game, it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules. In particular, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that Jim McNally (the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots) and John Jastremski (an equipment assistant for the Patriots) participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee. Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady (the quarterback for the Patriots) was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls." The report does not implicate others such as owner Robert Kraft or coach Bill Belichick. Next step: NFL decides what if any punishment will be in store for the Patriots. Update: Bovada and some other betting houses have removed NFL odds and bets on Patriots until it is determined if Brady will be suspended. I doubt he will be based on "probable" implication, but he may well be. 

A SONG, A HAT AND SENSITIVITY: I am not easily offended or as sensitive as a lot of people are -- maybe to a fault. That came up yesterday, on Cinco de Mayo, in a couple of ways. One was that I'd planned on wearing a Mexican-style sombrero in honor of the occasion, strictly for laughs, thinking nothing of it -- but was told by others that would be insensitive and has become politically incorrect. Then I happened upon old audio files from my "Singing Sportswriter" days on the radio and re-listened to a song called "God Bless Our Danica," a personal favorite. It's a fun though admittedly cheeky ode to Danica Patrick. The thing is, when I recorded it around five years ago I heard no objections, only laughs. Now? Now I wonder if it would be heard as sexist. I wonder if it has lapsed into "politically incorrect." Here is the audio of the song for you to decide:

Greg Cote - God Bless Our Danica

As for the sombrero, I saw it as harmless fun, as just a funny hat for a party occasion. I never considered that it could be viewed as belittling the Mexican culture. Maybe that's on me to have not considered that, or maybe people, in general, have just become too sensitive. I'm honestly not sure. I am curious what you think of the idea of wearing a sombrero, for fun, on Cinco de Mayo. OK or inappropriate? Take a dip in our poll and say why.

LOCAL LAW FIRM SUING PACQUIAO: Fort Lauderdale-based law firm Kelley/Uustal has filed the first class-action suit in Florida against boxer Manny Pacquiao, his promotor Top Rank and DirecTV, claiming perjury on Pacquiao's part for not revealing his right shoulder injury, which, had been revealed, might have canceled or postponed the fight.

WHAT DWYANE WADE DOES INSTEAD OF BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS: Heat star Dwyane Wade and actress/wife Gabrielle Union attended Monday night's high-end Met Gala, an annual fashion event and fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Anybody who's anybody was there, except you and I. The Heat's First Couple (sorry, Bosh) is pictured right, photo via Perez Hilton. Union rocked the Met red carpet in purple. Or is it burgundy? D-Wade had sort of the
French Foreign Legion look going, complete with red sash and military-like medals. Others at the Gala included Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, George Clooney, Common, Cher, Justin Bieber, Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Anne Hathaway and Madonna. Pictured left, Sarah Jessica Parker looking remarkably calm for a woman whose head is flames. Must have been weird for Dwyane and Gabby to be at an event where they were not (nearly) the biggest stars there. Meanwhile, basketball players still playing were otherwise occupied last night...

Bulls turn up heat on LeBron: When isn't the pressure on LeBron James? But sometimes it's more
palpable. Like now, after the Cavaliers went down 1-0 in the Eastern semifinals with a 99-92 home playoff loss to the Bulls entering Game 2 tonight. Did you love it, Heat fans? (Design at left making the rounds on Twitter reflects how the Bulls have become the adopted team of anti-LeBron Heat fans). Derrick Rose was good, Pau Gasol was better and Jimmy Butler stepped up for Chicago, while Cleveland, playing without Kevin Love and J.R. Smith, got 30 from Kyrie Irving but not enough from LeBron. He nearly had a triple-double (19 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists), but also was only 9-for-22 shooting and had six turnovers. "I wasn't that good tonight," said James. No, he wasn't. And he'll need to be better than good -- he'll need to be vintage, MVP-caliber great -- for Cavs to move on.

POST-DRAFT SUPER BOWL, ROOKIE ODDS: New post-draft odds via Bovada have Seahawks an 11-2 Super Bowl favorite followed by Packers 7-1, Patriots 15-2, Colts 8-1 and Cowboys 10-1. Dolphins are 40-1, tied for 17th. AFC East odds are Pats 1-2, Fins and Bills both 5-1, and Jets 9-1. Rookie of the year odds find Melvin Gordon at 13-2 atop a bunched marquee over Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota both 7-1, Amari Cooper 15-2 and Todd Gurley 8-1. Miami's DeVante Cooper is 11th at 16-1. Two ex-Canes show: Phillip Dorsett 14-1 and Duke Johnson 25-1.

Fins' Parker seen as 'impact' rookie: Mel Kiper Jr. names 10 "impact" rookies from the 2015 draft (five offense, five on D) and Dolphins' WR DeVante Parker is one. Kiper says, "Parker will get his because while Ryan Tannehill has other options in the passing game, such as Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills, Parker is easily the best big-play threat in the receiving corps. I could see him getting red zone looks as a jump-ball winner." Parker's target numbers? Here are Dolphins rookie single-season records in the major receiving categories: Catches--84, Landry, 2014; Yards--883, Chris Chambers, 2001; TDs--7, Chambers.

IN CELEBRATION OF DEE GORDON: So many free-agent or draft busts and disappointments around here. Dion Jordan, Michael Beasley, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Time to celebrate a newcomer success: Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon (pictured), currently leading all of MLB in hitting at .422 (46 hits in 109 at-bats). That's a staggering first month of play that gives Gordon a leg up on Miami's single-season record for batting average. The club's career top five:

Average    Player                    Year

.342         Hanley Ramirez      2009

.339         Miguel Cabrera       2006

.334         Luis Castillo           2000

,332         Hanley Ramirez      2007

.325         Juan Pierre             2004

Check back a lot because we constantly update and add to our latest blogposts...