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

Canes' Easy Win At Georgia Tech A Late Lift On Down Year For Cristobal, UM

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / 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. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 20-21): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. SOCCER: Qatar World Cup begins, U.S. plays Monday: The men's World Cup begins Sunday with corruptly awarded, human-rights abusing host Qatar vs. Ecuador in the lone match. U.S. debuts Monday in a Group B match vs. Wales. Usual suspects as top five betting favorites: Brazil +400, Argentina +550, France +650, and England and Spain tied at +750. In Group B, after England, odds to win it all are U.S. +10000, Wales +12500 and Iran +50000. Americans' group-stage games after Monday are November 25 vs. England and November 29 vs Iran. No pretense at impartiality from us on this: "Let's gooooo States!"

2. HURRICANES: UM spanked 40-10 in measuring-stick game at Clemson: Miami ran half as many offensive plays and managed a paltry 98 net yards in total offense Saturday in a 40-10 domination by No. 9-ranked host and ACC rival Clemson. UM at 5-6 ends its regular season next Saturday vs. Pittsburgh needing a victory to be bowl-eligible. Canes have lost past four games to Tigers by a combined 178-30.

3. MARLINS: Alcantara wins Cy Young; Carr dies, Conine back: Lots of Fish news for a November. Ace Sandy Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award by unanimous vote, the first Marlin to win that honor. Expansion-era Marlins star Chuck Carr succumbed to cancer at 55. Another early franchise star, Jeff Conine, "Mr. Marlin," is back with the organizaton as a special assistant to principle owner Bruce Sherman. And club promoted Caroline O'Connor to president of business operations -- making Marlins first major U.S. sports franchise to have women serving simultaneously as president and general manager.

4. CANES BASKETBALL: UM finally lose after Larranaga gets No. 700th win: Miami's men were 4-0 after a 74-64 victory over Providence Saturday -- the 700th win of coach Jim Larrnaga's career coming against his alma mater. Game was in first round of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tip-Off Tournament in Connecticut, where UM faces Maryland Sunday and lost 88-70.  Hurricanes women also are 4-1 after a first loss Sunday, 98-83 at DePaul. 

5. DOLPHINS: Tua, Fins flying high into the bye: Miami is 7-3 after 10 games for first time since 2001 entering its bye week, and will be a big home favorite next week vs. Houston before the schedule toughens. Meantime quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has enter NFL MVP chatter as a top-five candidate. "Pinch me," say Dolfans. "Is this actually happening?"

6. HEAT: Injury-wracked squad still hasn't topped .500: Miami is 7-10 after a third straight loss Sunday in Cleveland in midst of four-game road trip. Heat is injury-wracked with missing starters and has yet to be over the .500 mark this NBA season entering entering Monday night's game at Minnesota. 

7. PANTHERS: Sputtering Cats fall below .500: Florida is 9-10 (9-8-2) and has yet to piece together more than two wins in a row in this still-young NHL season after Sunday's loss at Columbus -- Florida's third straight defeat. Cats host Boston Wednesday.

8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): FSU wins, Florida and UCF lose: No. 19 Florida State crushed Louisiana 49-17 Saturday while Florida lost 31-24 at former punching bag Vanderbilt and No. 20 UCF lost at home to Navy, 17-14. IN other state FBS games (non-UM), FIU lost its shot at bowl-eligibility with a 40-6 at UTEP, FAU fell 49-21 at Middle Tennessee, and South Florida sank to 1-10 with a loss at Tulsa. 

9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Michigan, TCU escape but seven ranked teams fall: No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU survived close wins Saturday while eight other Top 25 teams lost: No. 5-Tennessee, 10-Utah, 13-North Carolina, 14-Ole Miss, 16-UCLA, 20-UCF, 22-Oklahoma State and 24-N.C. State.

10. NBA: Kyrie returns from suspension, plays Sunday: Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving played Sunday in a win over Memphis, scoring 14 points in 26 minutes, in his first game back after a suspension that totaled eight games. Irving was disciplined by the club for social-media support of an Anti-Semitic book and film and for doubling down amid the firestorm of backlash before at last apologizing.

Missing the HB10 cut: Yankees' Aaron Judge and Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt won MVP awards and Astros' Justin Verlander joined Alcanatara (see above) as unanimous Cy Young winners in the biggest of MLBs' 2022 postseason awards. ..... Colombia beat Paraguay 2-nil Saturday night in a friendly at Inter Miami Stadium in Lauderdale. Sam stadium on January 14 will host a friendly between top South American club teams River Plate and Millonarios ..... Thank God! The pickleball war has ended! Major League Pickleball and VIBE Pickleball League are merging ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,296 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

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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Canes' Easy Win At Georgia Tech A Late Lift On Down Year For Cristobal, UM NEW!

NEW! Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender NEW!

NEW! Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate NEW! 

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: 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. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 13-14): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Tua, high-flying Fins host Cleveland: Miami is 6-3 and on a three-game winning streak as small home favorites over the Browns here Sunday. Fins offense is lately uncorked with Tua Tagovailoa, the NFL's top-ranked passer, and lethal weapons Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Call this one the Chubb Bowl as new Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb makes his home debut and faces the league's second-leading rusher in the Browns' Nick Chubb, his cousin.

2. HURRICANES: Canes' down year gets lift with win, but UM loses QB recruit: Miami got level at 5-5 and kept bowl hopes alive with Saturday's 35-14 win at Georgia Tech. Freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown started for ailing Tyler Van Dyke and led the way with three scoring passes. Regular season ends with games at Clemson and vs. Pitt and UM must win one to earn a bowl invite. Meanwhile, in direct fallout from a disappointing season, top 2023 QB recruit Jaden Rashada announced he is backing out of his commitment to Miami and picking the Florida Gators instead.

3. PANTHERS: Cats fail to win a third straight;  Luongo enters Hall of Fame: Florida is 8-7 (8-6-1) with Saturday's 4-2 loss vs. Edmonton, failing to secure the season's first three-game winning streak. Cats are back on ice Tuesday vs. Washington as five-game homestand continues. Longtime Cats goaltender Robert Luongo enters the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday night in Toronto as one of five in the 2022 class. He played parts of 11 seasons for Florida (2000-06, 2013-19) and becomes first Panthers HOF'er to play more than half of his NHL games (573 of 1,044) for the club. Pavel Bure, with 223, is the Cat in the Hall with the next-most games played for Florida.

4. SOCCER: Miami's Yedlin makes U.S. roster for World Cup: Star winger Christian Pulisic of Chelsea heads the 26-man U.S. World Cup roster named by coach Gregg Berhalter, a squad also including Inter Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin. The men's World Cup, unfortunately being held in Qatar, begins next Sunday, with Brazil the betting favorite and the U.S. judged mid-pack among the 32 nations. The U.S missed the 2018 World Cup and will field the youngest team (on average) in Qatar. The Americans' three group-stage matches are next Monday November 21 vs. Wales, November 25 vs. England and Nov. 29 vs. Iran.

5. HEAT: Miami loses arena name but may be heating up on court: Miami is 6-7 after Saturday's 132-115 win over visiting Charlotte, a Heat season high for points led by Max Strus' 31. Heat have now won two straight and try for a season-best three in a row to reach .500 for the first time Monday vs. Phoenix back at Bankrupt Arena. The Heat's home, renamed as FTX Arena last year after the crypto-currency company bought naming rights, will be renamed after FTX declared bankruptcy. 

6. SOCCER: USWNT slump continues in Fort Lauderdale: The world No. 1 U.S. Women's National Team fell 2-1 to No. 3 Germany despite Megan Rapinoe's goal Thursday night before a near-sellout crowd of 16,917 at Inter Miami Stadium in Lauderdale. It was a third straight loss for the USWNT, its longest skid since 1993, and first loss on U.S. soil since 2017, after 71 straight home wins. U.S. still will be among favorites in the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

7. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): FAU routs FIU in Shula Bowl: FAU obliterated host FIU 52-7 in the annual meeting of South Florida's Conference USA rivals in the Shula Bowl. In other state FSB games (non-UM): No. 23 Florida State routed Syracuse 38-3; Florida got bowl-eligible with a 38-6 win over South Carolina; No. 22 UCF won at 17-Tulane, 38-31; and SMU routed awful South Florida, 41--23.

8. MARLINS: It's Decision Week for Sandy and Cy Young: It's MLB Awards Week and Wednesday is Cy Young Day, with Miami's Sandy Alcantara one of three finalists for the NL honor -- which a Marlins pitcher has never won. The workhorse ace threw six complete games, most by any pitcher since 2016 and more than any other team had in 2022. Alcantara went 14-9 for a bad team with a 2.28 ERA in an MLB-high 228 2/3 innings. He pitched seven-plus innings in 13 consecutive starts, longest such streak by anybody since 2014.

9. NBA: Kyrie still suspended, but resolution nearing: Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, suspended over his Anti-Semitism mess, has met with team, league and union officials and there is optimism for a resolution soon. The fifth of his minimum five-game suspension was Saturday vs. the L.A. Clippers, but it is thought to be unlikely he will play during the Nets' four-game road trip ending Thursday in Portland.

10. CANES BASKETBALL: UM men, women off to 2-0 starts: UM men are 2-0 after Friday night's home win over UNC-Greensboro. The guys are back on the wood Tuesday vs. Florida A&M. The Canes women are 2-0 entering today's/Sunday's home game vs Boston University, after which coach Katie Meier returns from a three-game suspension over an NCAA inquiry into unspecified "enforcement issues."

Missing the HB10 cut: Seven teams in the College Football Playoff Top 25 lost Saturday, but only No. 6 Oregon lost from the Top 10. No. 6 Alabama beat 11-Ole Miss 30-24 in the Game of the Week ..... A lawsuit against the NFL, the Washington Commanders, Daniel Snyder and Roger Goodell was filed by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine alleging they colluded to deceive residents and fans about an NFL probe into  the team's toxic workplace culture and claims of sexual misconduct ..... Inter Miami rewarded Phil Neville for his MLS playoff season by extending the coach's contract into 2023 ..... World Series champion Astros were given a parade in downtown Houston that drew a crowd estimated at at least 1 million ..... A parade honoring Los Angeles FC's MLS championship drew an estimated 5,000 fans ..... Colombia and Paraguay play a soccer friendly next Saturday at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, one day before the World Cup starts in Qatar. Because nothing whets the appetite for the World Cup like watching two teams not good enough to have qualified ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,303 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

Select other recent columns: 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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender NEW!

NEW! Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate NEW! 

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: 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. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

NFL WEEK 9 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: The rally continues! -- We niftied a very solid 10-3 mark overall last week and an even 5-5-3 against the spread -- with wins by the Chargers, Vikings and Bucs all pushing on 3-point lines for the ties. Nailed two outright upsets with Jaguars beating Raiders and Seahawks beating Cardinals. Had a push with Washington on our Upset of the Week, and had Titans with the points to cover at Kansas City. Tough season, but let's keep the rally going!

Greg's Lobos: Due a slip, and slip we did -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos had won two straight but fell last week 133-109 to rival/son Chris. Got 25 From Tua but needed  a Monday night miracle from Lamar Jackson that never happened. We're 5-4 and and still playoff-solid in our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league with five weeks left in the regular season.

NFL QB Rankings: Mahomes wins week, Tua blasts back into Top 10 -- Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes wins Week 9 and is poised to regain the overall No.1 spot this coming week, while Miami's Tua Tagovailao soars to the No. 9 spot despite missing most of three games injured. For the full Top 25 and more in the Miami Herald Quarterback Rankings, visit NFL Week 9 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: 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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 9 picks, Dolphins' Bradley Chubb trade, UM-FSU preview, new Greg Cote Show podcast with Mina Kimes, NFL Week 8 results, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW WITH JIMMY JOHNSON!: Our 47th episode of 2022 and 138th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 138 we've done so far HERE. Our new episode out now is a must-listen/can't miss with legendary coach Jimmy Johnson (pictured) as he talks about his upcoming new memoir, "Swagger," and his career and life on and off the field. Great stuff if I do say so myself! Also in the new episode: Greg and Chris shares though on Canes-Florida State and Dolphins-Bears; An update on the Tony Kornheiser bet on whether he’ll agree to come on our show; Greg with an out-of-left-field appreciation of a groundbreaking 1963 song by Lesley Gore; Yeti shares what could be way too much information about his new vasectomy; Should you know who Tommie Smith is?; An argument over Friendsgiving; Dad joke of the week; Trying to explain and justify the phrase, “Do what now?” and more. Hit up GCS2247 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

NFL WEEK 9 PICKS: DOLPHINS-BEARS, GAME OF WEEK, 3 UPSETS ALL THE REST: Had a third straight winning week against the point spread last week. Can we keep it going? Visit NFL Week 9 Gems for to find all of our latest picks for Dolphins-Bears, our (controversial) Game of the Week, three more big upsets and all the rest. Got off to a mixed start. Had Eagles (-14) both winning and covering at Houston. Birds won but narrowly missed the cover, 29-17. Find that separate predix capsule at NFL Week 9 Thursday Gem.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting NEW! 

NEW! Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal NEW!

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: 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. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 6-7): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature -- back after a week's hiatus due to Typepad being down -- 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. HURRICANES: Ouch! No-Show Canes, Cristobal embarrassed 45-3 by FSU: Prime time. National TV audience. Sold-out Hard Rock Stadium. And Hurricanes get embarrassed by rival Florida State 45-3, slipping to 4-5 and putting bowl hopes in peril. It was UM's worst home loss in 67-year history of the rivalry. Despite Mario Cristobal's first-year woes the Canes landed a major recruit in cornerback Cormani McClain, No. 4 overall in the 2023 ESPN 300 -- UM's top-rated recruiting score since ESPN began ranking players in 2009.

2. DOLPHINS: Fins wins shootout at Bears after going all in on Chubb trade: Dolphins are 6-3 and stay on playoff pace with Sunday's 35-32 win at Chicago that saw Tua Tagovailoa continue his stellar season with 302 passing yards an d three TDs. Meanwhile Miami went all-in at the NFL trade deadline by acquiring outside linebacker Bradley Chubb from Denver for a first-round 2023 pick and getting running back Jeff Wilson from San Fran.

3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP rocked with upheaval as 1, 4 and 6 all lose: The College Football Playoff picture was rocked Saturday as nine Top 25 teams fell -- including No. 1 Tennessee (to No. 3 Georgia), No. 4 Clemson (to unranked Notre Dame) and No. 6 Alabama (by 1-point to No. 10 LSU). The CFP's new chosen-four is likely to be Georgia and Ohio State in some order, Michigan and either TCU, Oregon or perhaps LSU.

4. HEAT: Jimmy-less Miami falls to 4-6: Miami is 4-6 after Friday night's 101-99 loss at Indiana despite Tyler Herro's 29 points. Jimmy Butler missed a second straight game with a hip injury. Heat has yet to reach .500 this young NBA season. They'd strung together a needed little two-game streak with home wins over Golden State (!) and Sacramento before falling Friday, and now have four at home starting tonight/Monday vs. Portland.

5. MLB: Astros win World Series the right way this time: Houston won Saturday to oust Philadelphia 4 games to 2 and claim its second World Series championship and first since the cheating-tainted one in 2017. The Astros entered the Series as the betting favorites at -170 and followed through. The Phillies' most recent of two crowns came in 2008.

6. MARLINS: Fish name Cards' Schumaker as new manager: St. Louis Cardinals bench coach Skip Schumaker is the Marlins new manager, arriving at 42 as the third-youngest in the bigs. Don Mattingly's replacement never has held the job before but was a two-time World Serie winner as a player with the Cards. In other Marlins news, club opened its new Dominican Academy, cornerstone of a commitment to international player development. And the three NL Cy Young finalists, to be announced Monday, surely will include Sandy Alcantara.

7. NBA: Is Nets' Kyrie Irving incapable of not doing stupid things?: Brooklyn's star guard Kyrie Irving, borrowing a page from Kanye West's Guide to Being Extremely Unlikable, promoted an anti-Semitic film and book on his social media accounts, drawing condemnation from his team, Jewish groups and others. Irving initially doubled down but finally apologized -- after the Nets suspended him "at least five games."

8. PANTHERS: Cats get needed win, and Ekblad back soon: Injured defenseman Aaron Ekblad could be back by next weekend and the Cats need him. Florida is only 7-6 after a 2-0 start with Sunday's 5-3 win at Anaheim. New star Matthew Tkachuk has lived up to billing early on, leading the team with 17 points including 12 assists.

9. CANES BASKETBALL: Opening Week for Miami, but Meier suspended: College hoops opens nationally and in Miami on Monday, with North Carolina's men and South Carolina's women atop the preseason polls. Miami's men, unranked despite reaching the NCAA Elite Eight last season, open at home Monday night vs. Lafayette, after UM women christen season that afternoon vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore. Miami's Isaiah Wong made preseason All-ACC first team and the Jerry West Award watch list for nations' top shooting guard. Canes women will play first three games with coach Katie Meier related to an NCAA probe into an "enforcement matter."

10. MLS: Los Angeles FC wins first league title: Top-seeded LAFC defeated the Philadelphia Union on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw Saturday to win the 27th MLS Cup championship match. It was a heartbreak for Philly, which overcome two deficits and led late before falling. Both finalists were seeking their first league crown.  

Missing the HB10 cut: The now 5-4 Florida Gators won 41-24 at Texas A&M to continue Jimbo Fisher's agony. In other non UM state FBS games, FIU fell hard 52-14 at North Texas; No. 25 UCF won 35-28 at Memphis; and South Florida lost 54-28 at Temple. FAU was off ..... NASCAR's Championship 4 run for season title was Sunday in Phoenix, with 2018 winner Joey Logano taking his second season crown ..... U.S. Women's National Team makes its first visit to Fort Lauderdale in 22 years this coming Thursday night with a friendly vs. Germany at Inter Miami Stadium. U.S. and Germany are No.1 and No. 3 in the current Women's FIFA World Ranking and last faced each other in 2018 ..... JImmie Johnson's NASCAR retirement and dalliance into IndyCar racing is over. The seven-time NASCAR champ is returning in 2023 as part-owner of Petty GMS. He'll run in about five Cup races including the Daytona 500 ..... Dustin Johnson LIV Golf's blood-money champ as Saudi-funded tour ends its inaugural season at Doral ..... Speculation is now confirmed: Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are divorcing ..... The 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar is only two weeks away, with Brazil predictably the betting favorite at +400 ahead of France and Argentina, and Team USA is mid-pack 16th among the 32 clubs ..... Monster Jam (trucks with foolishly big tires) evidently is still a thing. It''s coming to Marlins Park January 28-29 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,316 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

Select other recent columns: Tua Can't Return Soon Enough As Dolphins Fall To Vikings For 3rd Straight Loss / Sorry, Canes, But 20-14 Win At Va-Tech Doesn't Impress Any More Than 3-3 Does / 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

1) It's SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. Be the change! Visit Change.org/MountGregmore and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tua propels Dolphins to big comeback wins, new Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS MONDAY!: Our 41st episode of 2022 and 132nd overall is out Monday morning! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 131 we've done so far HERE. In our most recent episode: Greg and Chris discuss the Dolphins miracle comeback win fueled by Tua Tagovailoa's six TD passes. Plus a touch of Canes, and a new "Hard Knocks: Greg's Lobos" featuring the world premiere of the new Lobos anthem. Also in the new ep: Greg and Chris discuss the father-son dynamic of the show; Bizarre facts about the Wizard Of Oz; The strangest way to accidentally cut yourself; David Beckham and the Queen; Chris and Yeti play sound to make fun of the funny ways Greg jumps in and contributes on the Le Batard Show when he has nothing to say; a new Dad joke of the week and more. Hit up GCS2240 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

NFL Week 3 picks: We're off and running in our 32nd season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, and you'd visit NFL Week 3 Gems to find all of our latest picks for Dolphins-Bills, our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. We have five (!) big upsets this week ... is Miami one? Opened the week with a mixed result Thursday night. Had Cleveland winning but not covering 4 1/2; the Browns won and covered.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee NEW!

NEW! Everyone Loves Tua & Dolphins Now. But Can Bandwagon Survive Buffalo? NEW! 

Tua's Career-Redefining Six TDs Lead Dolphins' Miracle Comeback

Hurricanes Let Another Chance For a Big-Stage, Signature Win Slip Away

Texas A&M The Win Canes Need To Give Cristobal Era Liftoff, Make America Notice

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Fins' McDaniel, UM's Cristobal On Honeymoons, But Those Don't Last / Dolphins Handle Rival Patriots 20-17 In Impressive Season Opener / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper

Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on latest podcast episode are among stuff not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 25-26): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Fins host Bills today in biggest game in how long?: A couple of 2-0 AFC East rivals play for the division lead today at Hard Rock in the biggest game of NFL Week 3 -- Buffalo the Super Bowl betting favorite, Miami coming off that exhilarating miracle comeback at Baltimore fueled by Tua Tagovailoa's six TD passes. Bills are missing three injured starters in their secondary but still are favored. How good are the Dolphins? Let's find out.

2. HURRICANES: UM embarrassed, QB benched in home loss to Middle Tennessee: Miami plummeted in the polls from No. 13 to 25th after last week's loss at Texas A&M and will fall completely out of sight now with Saturday's embarrassing 44-34 home loss to Middle Tennessee. QB Tyler Van Dyke got benched for Jake Garcia, the pass defense gave up TDs of 71, 69 and 98 yards, and Mario Cristobal's honeymoon ended with a thud. Canes are off next week then host North Carolina October 8.

3 SOCCER: Messi does not disappoint in friendly in Miami: Argentina looks ready for the World Cup in Qatar later this fall. So does Lionel Messi. The 35-year-old captain played all 90 minutes and scored twice, delighting a sold-out Hard Rock crowd in a 3-0 tuneup friendly over Honduras. Messi's pass to Papu Gomez led to the opening goal by Lautaro Martinez. Messi himself later scored on a penalty and an artful chip over the Honduran goalkeeper. It was Argentina's 34th straight match win.

4. HEAT: Miami Media Day tips off preseason, Bahamas training camp: Heat's annual Media Day at the downtown arena on Monday precedes the Tuesday-through-Saturday training camp in the Bahamas. First of five preseason games is October 4 vs. Minnesota. Barring a last-minute move the Heat has a quiet, stand-pat offseason that has surprised and disappointed some fans.

5. NBA: Off-court scandals rock Celtics, Suns as camps open: As NBA season nears the Boston Celtics suspended coach Ime Udoka for the entire coming season over a rules-breaking affair with a club employee, throwing his future beyond this season in serious doubt. That's on the heel of the suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver over racist and misogynist remarks and workplace culture. Sarver now sells he will sell the club.

6. TENNIS: Federer says goodbye with doubles loss: First Serena Williams, now Roger Federer. The retiring Swiss great bid farewell to the  game with a doubles loss in the Laver Cup tournament in London, alongside chosen partner and longtime friendly rival Rafael Nadal. Both were emotional as fans chanted Federer's name. Said Nadal: "An important part of my life is leaving too."

7. MARLINS: Sandy wins again, bolsters Cy Young claim: Miami is 63-89 with a six-game homestand ending today vs. Washington. NL Cy Young frontrunner Sandy Alcantara struck out 11 in a dominant 4-1 win Saturday to improve to 14-8. Fish are on road for six starting Tuesday at Mets, then close the season with three at home.

8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Florida falls, FIU crushed 73-0: No. 20 Florida fell 38-33 at No. 11 Tennessee and FSU should enter polls at 4-0 after 44-14 rout of Boston College. Closer to home it got ugly as FIU lost 73-0 at Western Kentucky and FAU fell 28-26 at Purdue. In other state FBS games (non-UM), UCF handled Georgia Tech and South Florida lost big at Lousiville.

9. SOCCER: Loss leaves shaky USMNT one friendly before World Cup: U.S. men's national team did not threaten and fell 2-0 to Japan in a tuneup for the World Cup, without star Christian Pulisic, the Chelsea forward, who was nursing a minor injury. Team USA faces Saudi Arabia Tuesday in Spain in its final tuneup match. That will be coach Gregg Berhalter final chance to assess before he must submit his 26-man World Cup roster on November 13.

10. MLB: Historic home run show by Judge, Pujols light up sport: Get us rewrite on baseball's history book as Yankee Aaron Judge -- cashing a Triple Crown -- became only the sixth player to achieve a 60-home run season while retiring Cardinal Albert Pujols became only the fourth man to reach 700 career homers. The power show has made up for a dull playoff race with all of the postseason tickets all but claimed.

Missing the HB10 cut: Florida Panthers open six-game NHL preseason on Monday with a pair of games at Nashville. Cats have a new star, Matthew Tkachuk (acquired in the blockbuster Jonathan Huberdeau trade) and a new coach, Paul Maurice, since finishing an otherwise stellar 2021-22 season with a second-round sweep by Tampa Bay ..... Playoff-chasing Inter Miami returns to play this Friday at Toronto. Herons are tied for seventh and last MLS East playoff spot with three games left ..... No. 5 Clemson escaped Wake Forest with a 51-45 OT win but 6-Oklahoma and 10-Arkansas were top-10 losers in college football ..... Two-time Olympic champion Eluid Kipchoge of Kenya broke his own world record in the marathon at 2:01:09 ..... U.S. leads Presidents Cup golf in Charlotte comfortably over the International side entering Sunday's final round ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,358 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. Be the change! Visit Change.org/MountGregmore and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, NFL Week 1 picks, 2022 NFL Team Rankings, Why Hill/Waddle will be Fins' best WR duo since Clayton/Duper, Greg Cote Show podcast, The List (Heat-iest Heaters in the Hall), Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 40th episode of 2022 and 131st overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 131 we've done so far HERE. In our newest episode: Greg and Chris discuss the Dolphins miracle comeback win fueled by Tua Tagovailoa's six TD passes. Plus a touch of Canes, and a new "Hard Knocks: Greg's Lobos" featuring the world premiere of the new Lobos anthem. Also in the new ep: Greg and Chris discuss the father-son dynamic of the show; Bizarre facts about the Wizard Of Oz; The strangest way to accidentally cut yourself; David Beckham and the Queen; Chris and Yeti play sound to make fun of the funny ways Greg jumps in and contributes on the Le Batard Show when he has nothing to say; a new Dad joke of the week and more. Hit up GCS2240 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Tua's Career-Redefining Six TDs Lead Dolphins' Miracle Comeback NEW!

NEW! Hurricanes Let Another Chance For a Big-Stage, Signature Win Slip Away NEW! 

Texas A&M The Win Canes Need To Give Cristobal Era Liftoff, Make America Notice

Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map

Fins' McDaniel, UM's Cristobal On Honeymoons, But Those Don't Last

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Dolphins Handle Rival Patriots 20-17 In Impressive Season Opener / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Dupe / Canes Rout Bethune 70-13 In Opener, But We Don't Know Real UM Yet / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era

Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on latest podcast episode are among stuff not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 18-19): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Tua's six TDs (!) power miracle Fins comeback!: How ya like Tua now huh!? Think he might have a future as Miami's QB? Tagovailoa threw six scoring passes Sunday -- four to Tyreek Hill and jaylen waddle -- to power Miami's 42-28 rally-win at Baltimore for a 2-0 start to the Mike McDaniel era. Dolphins had lost four straight trips to BAL, the last two by a combined 78-6.

2. HURRICANES: UM lets chance for another big-stage, signature win slip away: The two wins over smaller opponents told us nothing. This did: Saturday night's 17-9 loss by the No. 13 Canes at No. 24 Texas A&M. Miami is now 5-9 in its past 14 games against  against ranked opponents. 

3. SOCCER: Messi in Miami for friendly this week. (Can we kidnap him?): Lionel Messi is part of the Argentina travel squad for a friendly World Cup tuneup match vs. Honduras this Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium. A sellout is expected. Speculation that Messi could end his career playing for Inter Miami in MLS have percolated for a good while.

4. INTER MIAMI: Herons' huge win marred by racist incident: Inter Miami bossman David Beckham reportedly waited in line 13 hours to pass by the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II and pay respects. On the pitch, his team is 12-6-13 and now tied for the seventh and last MLS East playoff spot with three regular-season matches after Sunday's 3-2 home win over D.C. United. The m atch was marred by a racist term said to a Miami player, MLS is investigating. Herons are off until October 5.

5. TENNIS: Roger Federer announces retirement: Roger Federer will retire from pro tennis at age 41 after an epic career in which he won 20 Grand Slam titles (third all-time) and ended five seasons ranked No. 1 in the world. A series of knee operations have beset his late career. Federer's 20 major titles are third only longtime rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Rafa's final event will be as part of ream Europe in Laver Cup September 23-25 in London.

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): No. 18 Florida, FSU both win: No. 18 Gators protected their poll standing but not impressively, edging South Florida, 31-28, while Florida State is now 3-0 and thinking polls after a 35-31 win over Louisville. Elsewhere in non-UM land, UCF whomped FAU, 40-14. FIU was off.

7. NBA: Suns owner, fined, suspended. But is it enough?: NBA fined Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver the maximum $10 million and suspended him for one year after a league investigation found he used the N-word amid instances of inappropriate and sexual comments toward employees. Many including Le Bron James are calling for harsher punishment including his selling the team.

8. HEAT: Miami sets preseason training camp in Bahamas: The Heat will hold their five-day 2022 preseason training camp at Baha Mar in the Bahamas from Tuesday through Saturday September 27-October 1. The team will depart following Media Day on Monday, September 26 at the arena. Preseason games commence October 4.

9. MARLINS: Sandy's gem-win  bolsters Cy chances as sad Fish play out string: Miami is 60-87 after Sunday's complete-game gem by Sandy Alcantara avoided a sweep at Washington. Fish open a homestand Monday vs. the Cubs. Alcantara bolstered his already strong chance to win NL Cy Young award. Before Sunday he'd lost twice since last winning August 27.

10. PANTHERS: Cats announce training camp details: After participating in the four day Prospects Showcase hosted by Carolina, Florida will open preseason training camp this Thursday leading into the first exhibition game on September 26. Cats enjoyed their best regular season last year but it ended in great disappointment with a second round playoff sweep vs. Tampa Bay.

Missing the HB10 cut: : Las Vegas Aces won WNBA Finals Sunday, a franchise first, by winning a Game 4 at Connecticut ..... No bloodbath in national college football this week, although the teams ranked 11-12-13 (Michigan State, BYU and Miami) all lost ..... With five of six division races runaways, MLB late-season drama focuses on two home run chases: Will Aaron Judge reach 60 homers for season (he has 59) and will Albert Pujols reach 700 for his career (he has 698)? ..... As golf's Presidents Cup starts Monday, Phil Mickelson said LIV Golf is "here to stay" and called upon the PGA Tour to work with the Saudi-backed series for good of the sport ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,365 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, AUGUST 15. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Butch Davis on his retirement and career, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: LE BATARD SHOW, PING-PONG, NEW BOOK ON '72 DOLPHINS: Our 35th episode of 2022 and 126th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 126 we've done so far HERE. In our newest: Greg explains his frustration with his role on Le Batard Show, the Father-Son Olympics resumes with ping-pong, and Greg chats with special guests Marhsall Jon Fisher, author of "Seventeen and Oh," the new '72 Dolphins book pictured. Hit up GCS2235 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

Be the change!: Visit Change.org/MountGregmore today and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. It's free!

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! No Doubt Now: Deshaun Watson Knows He'll Be Pariah In Stadiums Across NFL NEW!

NEW! Who Dolphins Are Was Hidden In Opening Win. 5 Questions That Still Need Answers NEW! 

Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back

Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami?

Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban / 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 / Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist Affront / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition)

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 14-15): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Miami wins fake-game opener as most starters sit: Miami Dolphins opened their 57th preseason and first under coach Mike McDaniel Saturday night at Tampa Bay and won 26-24 because a last-second Bucs field goal try bonked off the right u[pright. Can't get any read, though, because Miami stars like Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill did not play and Tampa also sat its top players. Third-string rookie QB Skylar Thompson played the whole for the Fins, and well. Tom Brady, whom the Dolphins recently were penalized for tampering in trying to lure despite his being under contract with Tampa, is on leave for personal reasons and did not play. Too bad. A QB of his youth and inexperience sure could use the reps. Fins play fake-game two (of three) next Saturday vs. Las Vegas.

2. HURRICANES: UM ranked 16th, 17th as season nears: Miami continues to grind through its first fall camp under coach Mario Cristobal, and high hopes were validaed with a No. 17 national ranking in the first major preseason poll out, the AFCA coaches' poll. But that was only fourth among ACC teams, after Clemson (4), N.C. State (13) and Pitt (16). UM is 16th in the first AP poll, one spot ahead of Pitt. QB Tyler Van Dyke is tied for fourth-best Heisman Trophy odds, albeit as a 25-1 longshot. Canes open Sept. 3 with a soft-serve scoop vs. Bethune-Cookman,

3. TENNIS: Serena farewell builds drama for U.S. Open: Anticipation and emotion for the upcoming U.S. Open starting August 29 grew when all-time great Serena Williams announced she would be stepping away from tennis and turning attention to family and business interests after the New York major. She noted If she were man she could continue playing, but, at 40, with injury ossues and with her last major win 5 1/2 years ago, it is time.

4. NFL: Goodell wants hammer on Watson, who finally expresses remorse: NFL commish Roger Goodell has appealed the lenient six-game suspension of Browns QB Deshaun Watson and seeks 1-year-plus and a huge fine. An independdent arbiter will rule. Meantime Watson, for the first time, publicly apologized to the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions in an interview Friday, saying, "I want to say that I'm truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted." He went 1-for-5 in the Browns' exhibtiion opener and was booed heavily in Jacksonville.

5. INTER MIAMI: Pozuelo leads win and Herons now on playoff pace: Inter Miami is 9-6-10 and tied for sixth in the hunt for one of seven MLS East playoff spots after Saturday night's 3-2 home win over New York City fueled by two goals from recently acquired Alejandro Pozuelo. There are nine games left in the regular season of Year 3 for the Herons, the next this coming Saturday vs. Toronto.

6. MARLINS: Fish fading fast in another lost season: The fading Fish are 50-65, have lost four straight and are on a 3-13 skid in midst of a seven-game homestand vs. Braves and Padres. On Tuesday, Jake Paul will throw out the first pitch and nobody is sure why. ESPN's new post-trade deadline farm system ranking has Miami No. 12. Highlights: RHP Eury Perez continues a great prospect, RF J.J. Bleday has played well, and SS Jordan Groshans, a top Blue Jays prospect, arrived by trade. Lowlights: RHP Max Meyer needs Tommy John surgery, RHP Sixto Sanchez has been (very) slow returning from shoulder problems, and SS Kahlil Watson has struggled.

7. HEAT: Durant ultimatum, Heat in 'Summer Forecast': Miami remains out of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes (for now) by refusing to include Bam Adebayo in a trade. Durant's ultimatum to Brooklyn -- he goes unless the coach and GM do -- was met with a "no" by Nets owner, all but assuring a trade will happen, with Boston and Philly emerging as possibilities. Meantime ESPN's Summer Forecast pegs Heat fourth in the East, with Bam second pick for DPOY and Erik Spoelstra third for top coach.

8. NBA: Russell gets permanent leaguewide honor: The NBA is honoring the legacy of Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell by retiring his No. 6 jersey for all 30 teams, a first in league history. Russell, who won 11 championships, passed away last week at 88. Seven Heat players have worn No. 6, the last LeBron James in 2011-14.

9. SOCCER: Messi snubbed as long streak ends: Futbol god Lionel Messi was left off the 30-man list of Ballon d'Or nominees for the first time since 2005 as contenders were announced. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is considered a favorite; Cristiano Ronaldo also is on the list. Messi has won the world player of the year honor seven times but scored only 11 goals in his debut  season with Paris Saint-Germain. Three USWNT players made the 20-person list of women's finalists: Veteran Alex Morgan and newcomers Catarina Macario and Trinity Rodman.

10. PANTHERS: Cats complete coaching staff: Florida Panthers announced three new assistants, Myles Fee, Jamie Kompon and Sylvain Lefebvre, have joined the staff of new coach Paul Maurice, hired June 23. Two other assistants, Tuomo Ruutu and Robb Tallas were retained. Five Panthers prospects are competing in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) world junior championships that began this week and end next Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta.

Missing the HB10 cut: The PGA Tour won its court case to exclude LIV Golf defectors from its FedEx Cup playoffs. First of three playoff events was won Sunday by Will Zalatoris in Memphis ..... The Kobe Bryant crash-photos trial continues. Shame on the cops and investigators who distributed the gruesome pictures ..... La Liga, the premier Spanish league of Barcelona and Real Madrid and a bunch of other teams not them, kicked off this weekend ..... Cubs and Reds played in Field of Dreams II near the iconic Iowa cornfield from the 1989 movie, and that hologram of Harry Caray singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" will forever haunt my dreams ..... One week after the blockbuster trade for Juan Soto, the Padres lose Cheatin' Fernando Tatis Jr. to an 80-game suspension for PEDs ..... Romanian swimmer David Popovici, 17, became youngest to break world record in men's 100-meter freestyle with a time of 46.96 at the European championships in Rome ..... Boxer Tyson Fury has retired again after being unretired ror about four minutes ..... In the latest cleansing of the once dirty name of gambling, Disney may partner with a sportsbook to integrate betting with its broadcasts ..... ESPN and the Big Ten have split up. No word yet who gets custody of the kids ..... Joint bids to host a World Cup are all the rage. With the U.S., Canada and Mexico sharing the 2026 WC, plays to host in 2030 include joint bids by Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, and by Portugal and Spain ..... Regional play is underway building to the Little League World Series ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,400 days even (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

THE LIST: MARLINS' WINNINGEST LEFTHANDERS: Saturday was National Lefthanders Day. In its honor, the winningest LHPs (lefthanded pitchers) in Marlins history, with the top guy, the D-Train, pictured:

Rk   Pitcher                   Wins   Season

1     Dontrelle Willis         68    2004-07

2     Scott Olsen               31    2005-08

3     Al Leiter                   30    1996-97, '05

4     Chris Hammond         29    1993-98

5     Mike Dunn                 26    2011-16 

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

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: 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 / Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More Interesting / How Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / 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 / 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 / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / 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 / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 SATURDAY, JULY 16. Happy to be back in with Le Batard Show earlier this week. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: HEAVY LE BATARD DOSE IN NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 30th episode of 2022 and 121st 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 121 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: It's our special Diggin’ Into Summer Edition: Chris, Stugotz and Mike Ryan join us from Lake Tahoe to mock Greg for not being invited; ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez stops by with a review of our Fourth of July beach bash; and Greg reveals a testy email exchange with Dan Le Batard escalating Dan’s claim that Greg hasn’t been sufficiently hating on the late broadcaster Hank Goldberg. Also: 'Creature From The Black Lagoon,' a new TV recommendation, and cataracts. Hit up GCS2230 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! Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic NEW!

NEW! Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too NEW!

Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant

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

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

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: 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 / 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

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

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: 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 / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / 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 / 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 / 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  / 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 / 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 SUNDAY/MONDAY, JULY 3-4. Happy Fourth of July weekend, my fellow Americans. Make it a safe one. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Nobody wins and everybody lsees as NFL weighs Deshaun Watson punishment, An appreciation of Heat's Pat Riley, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE, JULY 4 HOLIDAY SPECIAL, DROPS MONDAY!: Our 29th episode of 2022 and 120th overall is out Monday! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 119 we've done so far HERE, free. In the most recent episode: Laughs with Chris and Roy Bellamy and a  bag of gummies in a Denver hotel room. And a serious discussion of the Supreme Court undoing Roe v. Wade. Also on the menu: Greg on the Golf War and how the PGA Tour let it happen; Major Father-Son Olympics update; Charlie the puppy and a glass of wine; Most unnecessary hotel luxuries; Do you love a good variable?; Way too much discussion of ropes and knots; and the question for Ice Cube that Greg was not able to ask on the Le Batard Show. Hit up GCS2228 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! 

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

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

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 

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: 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 / 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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JULY 3-4): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. HEAT: Durant, Mitchell talk swirls as free agency begins: NBA summer league play is underway for Heat's developmental team, but it isn't what's on the minds of Miami fans. That would be free agency -- especially after superstar Kevin Durant opted out of Brooklyn and named Heat and Suns as his two preferred trade destinations. He is thought to be leaning Phoenix, saying he'd want to join Miami only if Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry all were here. So would Nets accept a deal with Tyler Herro the biggest name? Hmm. There also is talk Utah all-star Donovan Mitchell could be a Heat trade target if Durant goes elsewhere. Almost forgot: P.J. Tucker left to sign with Philly.   

2. NBA: Durant, Gobert lead sizzling start to free agency: Kevin Durant opting out of Brooklyn and hitting the open trade market (see above) was the big headline as free agency begins, but Utah trading star center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota for a windfall also makes the marquee. Jazz get five players and three first-round picks. Most superstars are staying put, though, with mega re-signings by Zion Williamson, Devin Booker, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns and Bradley Beal among others. Big questions left: Will Kyrie Irving also want out of Brookyn now that Durant has? Will James Harden re-sign with Philly? 

3. MARLINS: Fish are hot(ish), Jazz an all-star finalist, Denbo out: Marlins are 36-40 and have won three straight and seven of past 10 entering Sunday and Moday games at Washington. Fish return home for a pair Tuesday and Wednesday vs. the Angels. Meanwhile 2B Jazz Chisholm is only Marlins finalist to be an all-star starter, although Sandy Alcantara is a lock to be named an NL pitcher. Pitchers and reserves for both squads and complete All-Star rosters will be announced July 10. Meanwhile the Marlins unshockingly fired VP of scouting Gary Denbo, who'd been the first major hire of Derek Jeter, who left the club as president/part owner in February.

4. TENNIS: No. 1 Swiatek, Serena out as Wimbledon reaches midpoint: Serena Williams losing in the first round in London was no great shock. She's 40 and was playing her first match in a year. But this was a shock: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek losing in the third round to unseeded Alize Cornet after 37 straight match wins and six straight titles. Women's crown is now wide open while Novak Djokovic seemds trophy-bound on the men's side.

5. NFL: Watson punishment hearings reach no verdict yet: Three days of NFL deliberation over whether or how long to suspended Browns QB Deshaun Watsob over Massagegate reached no announced conclusion. Sue Robinson, a retired federal judge, is the league's chief disciplinary officer. Many believe the ruling due later this summer will be at least a one-year duspension, but ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi reported sources tell him Watson will see the field for at least part of this coming season.

6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: USC, UCLA latest conference defectors: The upheaval across college football continues. Last year it was Oklahoma and Texas defecting to th SEC. Now it's Southern Cal and UCLA going to the Big Ten. Will the ACC be the next Power 5 conference to see jarring movement? Top-brand schools like Clemson, Miami, Florida State and North Carolina seem ripe to explore a way to leave if the ACC doesn't find a way to jack up revenue to member schools. 

7. PANTHERS: Cats take big injury hit with Duclair: Being swept out of second round by Tampa Bay hurt. So does this. Panthers winger Anthony Duclair had surgery to repair his left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the first half of next season, the team announced. Duclair, who injured his Achilles in offseason training, is coming off his best NHL season with career highs for both goals (31) and assists (27).

8. INTER MIAMI: Playoff-chasing Herons at Dallas Monday: Hot(ish) Inter Miami is 6-3-7 and within three points of MLS playoff pace at the midseason point entering Monday night's holiday match at Dallas. Miami host an international friendly vs. Barcelona on July 19.

9. DOLPHINS: Football nears as Fins set training camp dates: NFL training camps are on the horizon and in Miami that's a July 19 reporting date for rookies and July 26 for veterans. Eight pracrices will be open to fans on July 30 and August 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 24 and 25. The last two are joint practices with the Eagles. The three preseason games are August 13 at Tampa and home on August 20 vs. Las Vegas and August 27 vs. Philly.

10. OLYMPICS: U.S men qualify for first time siince 2008: The U.S. qualified for its first Olympic men's soccer tournament since 2008 with a 3-0 win over Honduras Friday night that earned the Americans one of 16 spots in the 2024 Olympic tournament in France. Olympic men's soccer is limited to players under 23, with each nation allowed three over-age exceptions. U.S. had failed in the previous three straight Olympic qualifying cycles.

Missing the HB10 cut: USFL championship game is today between the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars, the ifrst time in almost 40 years a spring league has lasted a full season to crown a champ ..... The WNBA All-Star Game is July 10. A moment for Brittney Griner should begin it ..... In an escalation of the Golf War, the European Tour has levied $120,00 fines for its players competing in Saudi-backed LIV Golf events and banned them from next week's Scottish Open. However, LIV'ers will be allowed in the major British Open starting July 14 ..... David Highhill in the new NFL vice president/general manager of sports betting, the league's first position overseeing its business interest in the legal sports betting industry ..... Denver threw an Avalanche championship parade to celebrate the Stanley Cup win ..... Warriors Finals MVP Steph Curry will host the ESPYs July 20 ..... The Tour de France is underway, if anybody outside of France and not directly in the race still cares ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,442 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: '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 27. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat draft Jovik (not Jokic), Panthers' odd coaching change, 20 settled cases don't exonerate Deshaun Watson, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ARCHIVES

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

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

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