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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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

1) It's SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26. I'm humbled to have been named a national top-10 sports columnist in the Division A (major outlets) category once again by the Associted Press Sports Editors. Big honor. Thanks, readers! 2) Programming note: Was back on with Le Batard Show this week. Check out Wednesday's show podcasts, including a new Back In My Day. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, Dolphins' offseason map to improvement, new Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW 100TH EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 9th episode of 2022 and 1andmark 100th overall is out now! A new pod hits every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 100 we've done so far HERE, free. In our most recent episode, we throw a party for our 100th ep, recap the annual PFPI Gala, discuss recent big Le Batard Show news and more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

MLB PLAYERS ARE ON RIGHT SIDE IN LABOR DISPUTE, BUT BASEBALL HAS FAR BIGGER PROBLEM TO FIX: Major League Baseball slogs, regrettably, avoidably, toward the eighth season in its history to suffer a reduced schedule and shortened season. The first in 1918-19 and the most recent before now in 2020 had pretty good excuses: A world war and a global pandemic. Every one in between, including this one, were rooted in money and played out at the intersection of avarice and intractability. So this should be opening weekend for spring training. Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, training camp of the Marlins 90 minutes north of Miami, should be lively, anticipation in the air. Instead the place is quiet but for the exchange of rancor between MLB executives and players union reps (including the Marlins’ Miguel Rojas) meeting there and failing to solve this. Stalemate. Nobody wins. Fans lose. Baseball loses. Plainly, players are on the right side here — the workers, not the baseball barons who pay them. But here’s the thing, and it’s quite remarkable: This acrimonious lockout that is turning off fans and almost certainly will truncate the season — it isn’t even MLB’s biggest problem. For our full latest column: Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix.

MICKELSON'S SUPPORT OF SAUDI  GOLF LEAGUE SADLY MIRRORS SPORTS' BLIND EYE TO HUMAN RIGHTS: Phil Mickelson did it. He did it with a perfect precision to equal the finest golf shot he ever sculpted. With one comment, he pretty much explained why the sports world is clueless on how to deal with the real-world matter of human rights. He was speaking of the Saudi Arabian government’s aim to start the Super Golf League, a huge-money new professional tour to rival the PGA Tour. The comments, public this week, are from a forthcoming book by Alan Shipnuck, “Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar.” “They’re scary motherf------ to get involved with,” Mickelson said, of the Saudi government. “We know they killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider [their new league]? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. The Saudi money has finally given us that leverage.” So there it is: Mickelson, with legacy-damaging clarity, speaking for sports at large in the unseemly exchange of principle for pay. Most other golfers have rebuked the Saudi effort and pledge allegiance to the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy called Mickelson’s comments “naive, selfish, egotistical and ignorant. Just very surprising and disappointing. Sad.” Mickelson has caused a firestorm not only because he’s the enormously popular “Lefty,” one of the game’s all-time greats, but because athletes as individuals rarely are willing to put their name on being OK with human rights abuses so long as the money is right. Normally that is left to sports’ governing bodies and to television networks to play that sordid game with such aplomb — to follow the money with blinders on for everything else. For our full recent column: Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights.

MOUNT RUSHMORE ON STEROIDS: THE TOP 15 FIGURES (NON-ATH:ETES) IN MIAMI SPORTS HISTORY: Presidents Day on Monday, the national holiday for White House occupants through history, got us thinking about the leaders of distinction across the decades in Miami and South Florida major team sports. Franchise owners, team executives and coaches — we’re talking everyone but players themselves. Who have been the most important, influential figures we’ve had, not counting athletes, all sports and all time? There was a passing-of-the-baton quality to the timelines of the two men highest on our list, as Pat Riley was introduced in Miami by the Heat in September 1995, just a couple of months before Don Shula retired from the Dolphins. I fancy myself something of a Miami sports historian, so I think I have a strong top 15 here. Then again, Presidents Day can’t seem to decide if there’s an apostrophe in there, so nothing is certain. (I would fight you on my first two, though). For the full column including the list of top 15 non-athletes in Miami team sports history: Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History.

Other latest columns: Who Dolphins, With Windfall To Spend, Should Target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast. Also: An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / The Lesson For Dolphins in Rams-Bengals Super Bowl Result / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21. Programming note: Will be back on with Le Batard on Wednesday this week, not Tuesday. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Le Batard The Musical?, 5 lessons Dolphins can take from Super Bowl, Greg Cote Show podcast, new NASL doc with Greg among those interviewed.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW 100TH EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 9th episode of 2022 and 1andmark 100th overall is out now! A new pod hits every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 100 we've done so far HERE, free. In our most recent episode, we throw a party for our 100th ep, recap the annual PFPI Gala, discuss recent big Le Batard Show news and more. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

Newest column: Who Dolphins, With Windfall Top Spend, Should target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast. Other most recent columns: An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / The Lesson For Dolphins in Rams-Bengals Super Bowl Result / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 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. OLYMPICS: U.S. fifth in medals at Winter Games: The Winter Olympics in Beijing wrap up today with the Closing Ceremines. Team USA finished fifth in totals medals with 25, including eight golds. Many disappointments, including neither hockey team winning gold and Maekala Shiffrin fizzle on the slopes, but highs, too, including Elana Meyers Taylor becoming the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history, with five medals.

2. HEAT: Miami tied atop East at break for Sunday's absurd All-Star Game: Miami is 38-21 and tied with Chicago atop the Eastern Conference at the break. All-Star Game on Sunday in Cleveland saw a 163-160 defesve struggle, with Team LeBron topping Team Durant. Lone Heat rep Jimmy Butler hda a quiet two points in nine minutes. Miami returns to action this Friday at the New York Knicks.

3. PANTHERS: Cats stay hot, raise their road game: Florida remains atop the NHL East at 35-10-5 after Sunday's 5-2 win at Chicago. Florida has been nearly unbeaten at home and fallible away but has picked up its road game lately, winning seven of past nine away. Cats open five-game homestand Tuesday vs. Nashville.

4. INTER MIAMI: Big week as team opens MLS Year 3: David Beckham's team has disappointed its first two seasons but hopes are high for Year 3 opening at home in Fort Lauderdale this coming Saturday vs. Chicago Fire. But first: A key commission vote Wednesday on the team's propsoed new Miami stadium complex near the airprort.

5. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men, women chasing NCAAs: March Madness nears and the Canes men sit 19-8 (11-5 ACC) after Saturday's home stumble against Virginia. Team should qualify for NCAAs but Saturday hurt. Surging UM women are at 16-10 (9-7), with NCAA hopes enchanced by Sunday's upset win at No. 16 Georgia Tech.

6. DOLPHINS: McDaniel completes (mostly) new coaching staff: New Fins coach Mike McDaniel completed a 27-man coaching staff with 19 new faces and eight holdovers, including defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. Notable additions include offensive coordinator Frank Smith, former Dolphins star cornerbacks Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, and Wes Welker. Elsewhere, fired Dolphins coach Brian Flores got hired by the Steelers as senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. 

7. HURRICANES: Schedule set for Cristobal's first spring practice: University of Miami set its 15-day spring football schedule, which will begin March 7 and end with the spring game on April 16. The first spring game under new coach Mario Cristobal will be held at Inter Miami's stadium in Fort Lauderdale because of construction at the Hard Rock Stadium site.

8. NASCAR: Vroom! Daytons 500 launches season with surprise: The Daytona 500, first major race of the new NASCAR seasons, ran on Sunday with Kyle Larson beginning defense of his 2021 season championship but little-known Austin Cindric, 23, taking the checkered flag. It was second straight D500 surprise, after last year's race was won by 66-1 longshot Michael McDowell.

9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Playoff stays as is at least through '25: Months of debate about expansion amounted to zero as College Football Playoff said it will remain at four teams through end of its 12-year contract expiring after 2025 season. Staying at four teams for four more years will cost the 10 FBS conferences (and Notre Dame) an estimated $450 million in potential revenue.

10. MLB: Labor dispute now officially delays spring training: The MLB lockout, nearing three months old and a continuing stalemate, will delay the start of spring traoning games at least until March 5. Most teams including the Miami Marlins had been set to open February 26.

Missing the HB10 cut: Canes baseball swept Towson State in its four-game season-opening home series ..... So, apparently, the folks running Hard Rock Stadium and the Dolphins built the garage and pit area at the new Formula One racetrack on top of a sewer main, meaning it would block access to pipes for any needed repairs and raise the possibility of noxious gases seeping through manholes into the building. Oh, and they did it despite being warned of the hazards ..... USWNT opened the SheBelieves Cup tournament with a 0-0 draw vs. Czech Republic and plays New Zealand on Sunday in L.A. U.S. is using a young roster including rising star Trinity Rodman (Dennis' kid) ..... Los Angeles held a Super Bowl victory parade for the Rams. Highlight: Brief diversion from nightmare that is the Lakers season ..... The reborn eight-team USFL holds its first draft this Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of its spring startup. First pick belongs to coach Jeff Fisher and the Michigan Mustaches. Over/under on the USFL announcing it will fold is summer '23 ..... Manu Ginobili and former Heat star Tim Hardaway are among 11 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ..... Awful week for PR guys. Former Angels communications director Eric Kay was found him guilty of distributing fentanyl and causing the death of former pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019. And it was reported the Cowboys in 2015 paid $2.4 million to settle a cheerleaders' claim that former club executive Rich Dalrymple filmed them changing ..... The NFL, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and likely future owner Bruce Beal all have lawyered up to fight the allegations in the Brian Flores lawsuit ..... Marlins place seven players (four of them pitchers) in ESPN's 2022 ranking of MLB's top 100 prospects, though none higher than righty pitcher Max Meyer at No. 33 ..... Marlins Park on Tuesday night hosts Ye: Donda 2 Experience Performance, a Kanye West concert. Be interesting to see what Marlins Park looks like with a big crowd ..... A Maine woman recognized as the Patriots' oldest fan, Myrtle Milledge, died at 106. She rooted for the Pats since 1960, Tom Brady's rookie season ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,590 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14. Happy Valentine's Day, sweethearts! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Zach Thomas on missing Hall again, Dolphins introduce Mike McDaniel, Super Bowl predictions, Smirk Week, Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 8th episode of 2022 and 99th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 99 we've done so far HERE, free. In our new episode, we continue The Greg Cote Show Non-Sport Olympics, but with a live audience, and talk Super Bowl, Brian Flores suit, and new Dolphins coach Mke McDaniel. Also in the the latest ep: Drake (!) makes brief appearance; Greg’s business lunch with LeBron James; Greg brags about leaving big tip; Would you rather lick toad or toe?; Chris can’t believe Flores turned down lunch with Tom Brady; and Farding (not farting; farding). And, on a serious note, Greg's tribute to a dear friend who recently died unexpectedly. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

OUR BENGALS-RAMS SUPER BOWL PICK: We nailed it! (Sort of). We called the Rams' win. But had them covering 3 1/2 points, so missed that by a point. For our full predix capsule, who'll win and why: Super Bowl Gem.

Flurry of recent Dolphins-related columns: Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win. Also: Dolphins New Coach McDaniel Must Win, Heal Broken Franchise / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / and Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True.

Super Bowl With a Smirk quintet: SMIRK V ($1 million party ticket). SMIRK IV (Hip-hop halftime). SMIRK III (Last members of been-to-every-game club). SMIRK II (Joe Nickname, SB commercials). SMIRK I (City wars: L.A. glitz vs. Dull Cincy).

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 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. NFL: Rams reign on Super Bowl Sunday!: L.A. Rams are champs after beating Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the last minute. A so-so game was redeemed by the exciting finish. Halftime show tried valiantly but could not leave up ot the enormous expectations. Commercials disappointed except for a few. And I have the Super Bowl flu. God Bless America! 

2. DOLPHINS: Miami officially introduces new coach Mike McDaniel: The guy replacing fired Brian Flores met the media for first time. Owner Stpehen Ross and GM Chris Grier took no questions (unfortunately but predictably), but first question to McDaniel was about the Flores-lawuit allegations againast Ross. McDaniel said it raised "no red flags" for him. Points to the new guy for blinders-on against the controversy and making it football-only. His new staff in progress notably added Wes Welker as receivers coach.

3. OLYMPICS: Chen, Kim leading Team USA gold rush: Team USA has climbed to third place in the medal count at the Winter Olympics in Bejing, with 16 total including seven golds into Monday's action. Nathan Chen in figure skating singles, Chloe Kim in snowboarding halfpipe and most recently Erin Jackson in 500m speedskating lead the gold rush. Elsewhere, Kamila Valieva's controversy, Mikaela Shiffrin's disappointment and Shaun White's farewell have made headlines.

4. HEAT: Miami quiet at deadline, but not on court with 5th W: Heat did nothing big before NBA trade deadline, but why should they? Miami is 37-20 and in first place in the East on the court after a fifth straight win Saturday, tyig a season-long streak. Miami is back on the floor Tuesday as Dallas visits.  

5. NBA: Harden-Simmons tops deadline deals: The Brooklyn-Philly trade-deadline blockbuster essentially sends James Harden to 76ers and Ben Simmons and two first-round picks to Nets as boht try to improve their disappointing standing in the East. Other deadlines moves of note: Kristaps Porzingis to Wizards, Serge Ibaka to Bucks and old Heat favorite Goran Dragic to Spurs.

6. HALLS OF FAME: Canton shuts out Zach Thomas, Canes trio: Pro Football Hall of Fame let in a slew in its 2022 class -- Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, Art McNally and Dick Vermeil -- but Canton forgot all about Miami. No (again) to Dolphins great Zach Thomas. And no to the hopeful ex-Canes trio of Devin Hester, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.

7. HURRICANES: 5-Star QB, Ruiz's dream keep momentum going: Canes football momentum since the Mario Cristobal hire is palpbale. The latest: The hiring of Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator now has UM a serious contender for 2023 five-star quarterback Dante Moore. Meanwhile John Ruiz, the Miami billionaire lawyer and mega-donor, now includes Tropical Park as the latest possibility for a new Canes football stadium.  

8. PANTHERS: Cats finally return to ice this week: Florida is atop the East at 32-10-5 but will there be rust when Panthers to to the ice this Wednesday at Carolina? Between the NHL All-Star break and a mandatory one-week midseason bye, this will be the Cats' first game since February 1, a 15-day break.

9. AWARDS: MVP Aaron Rodgers top NFL Honors show: Three thoughts from the NFL Honors show: 1) What exactly is that hairstyle of MVP Aaron Rodgers' called?; 2) What's with the NFL's concerted but failed effort to covince us the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for community service is its biggest prize?; and 3) Christian Wilkins' 310-pound worm celebration made the night. But, when did we start calling a celebration a "celly"?

10. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men making case for NCAA invite: As March Madness nears, Canes men are 17-7 (10-4 ACC) and considered on inside edge of an NCAA Tournament invite after Saturday's 76=72 comeback win at Wake Forest. Jim Larranaga's guys are back at it Wednesday at Louisville with seven games left in regular season. UM women are 13-10/6-7 after Sunday's home win over nemesis Florida State, kindling hope for a late rally into contention for the NCAAs.

Missing the HB10 cut: No. 25-ranked Canes baseball opens its season with a home series vs. Towson State starting this coming Friday ..... The MLB lockout continues, now more than 70 days in and with the late-February start of spring training games in peril. Commissioner Rob Manfred said a delay of Opening Day would be a "disastrous outcome" ..... The SheBelieves Cup in women's soccer kicks off this Thursday in California. The USWNT faces Iceland on February 23 in Texas ..... NASCAR's first major event of the new season, the Daytona 500, is next Sunday ..... A Pele' rookie card from 1958 sold for $1.33 million, the first soccer card to top $1M ..... Twin countdown for Inter Miami: Stadium vote on February 23, opening of team's MLS Year 3 on February 26 ..... The HBCU Legacy Bowl next Saturday concludes the run of college all-star showcase games ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,597 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

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

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

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 7th episode of 2022 and 98th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 98 we've done so far HERE, free. In our most recent episode, we continue The Greg Cote Show Non-Sport Olympics, but with a live audience, and talk Super Bowl, Brian Flores suit, and new Dolphins coach Mke McDaniel. Also in the the new episode: Drake (!): makes brief appearance on our podcast; Greg’s business lunch with LeBron James over Lobos Tequila; Greg brags about leaving a big tip; Would you rather lick a toad or a toe?; Chris can’t believe Brian Flores turned down lunch with Tom Brady; and Farding (not farting; farding. Get your mind out of the gutter). And, on a serious note, Greg's tribute to a dear friend who recently died unexpectedly. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

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

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

Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 31. Farewell January, out with a chill. See ya next year! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Defending Antonio Brown, Final Rejection of Bonds/Clemens a Shame, Mahomes-Allen show Dolphins how far they have to go, Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NON-SPORTS OLYMPICS, NFL, BRADY, LE BATARD. NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 6th episode of 2022 and 97th overall is out now. A new pod is delivered every Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 97 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest episode, we introduce The Greg Cote Show Non-Sports Olympics, and offer a hotline for you to call and leave a message offering your own categories. And Greg disrespects a beloved Winter Olympics sport. Also in the new episode: Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit, the Mount Gregmore of Silliest Winter Olympics Sports, and Greg's escalation of his beef with Buzzkill Billy Corben is interupted by a phone call from Dan Le Batard. The latest episode wraps up in the Le Batard Show studio studios as we talk Super Bowl matchup and Tom Brady's (reported) retirement. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

THE G.O.A.T. OUT OF NOWHERE: FROM 199TH DRAFTED TO HISTORY, A SALUTE TO TOM BRADY: Football and American sports have had forever to be ready for this day, a decade, anyway. The day arrived on Saturday. We still weren’t ready. A 44-year-old man retired, crazy-old for an NFL quarterback or for any player. And yet it felt too soon. We still weren’t ready to say goodbye to Tom Brady. “End of an era” is one of those terms we apply too casually. So is the G.O.A.T. appellation — Greatest Of All Time. Here there is no question they apply as if each was coined just for this man as we fathom suddenly putting the past tense on a career both epic and itself an epoch. In the NFL, his career has been the biggest and best ever, and no debate, please, no “among the” hedge. Beyond football, bring in Michael Jordan and whomever you wish, across all sports and all time. But have no doubt: Tom Brady’s spot on Mount Rushmore is reserved. The news broke in an afternoon report by ESPN, which delivered it as unequivocal fact, not speculation. Not “expected to” retire, but a done deal. It is thought Brady will wait until after the Super Bowl to himself make the news official. (Meantime ESPN is praying he won’t change his mind after Saturday’s World War III ‘BREAKING NEWS’ headline.) On Saturday, Tom Brady Sr. told KRON-TV in San Francisco that his son (“Tommy”) had not yet made a decision. Brady’s agent Don Yee did not confirm or deny the report but said an announcement from his client would be forthcoming. Brady’s own company, TB12, initially tweeted out the retirement news then deleted it. NFL Network confirmed ESPN’s report. But reports later Saturday indicated a decision had not yet been made. From my perspective, it sounds like Brady’s camp is not thrilled to be scooped by ESPN on their own announcement. Assuming the veracity of report — that Brady has played his last game — there is hardly a way for hyperbole here even if that were the intent. For our full latest caolumn, visit The G.O.A.T. We Never Saw Coming: From 199th Drafted To History, A Salute To Tom Brady.

Newest other columns from this past week: Like Him Or Don't, Antonio Brown Not Always To Blame -- And Wasn't In Bucs Divorce / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemsn A Shame on Voters, Baseball / and Mahomes-Allen Air Show A Reminder How Much Better Dolphins And Tua Need To Be.

Select other most recent columns: Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom /Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JANUARY 30-31): 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. NFL:It's a Bengals-Rams Super Bowl!: Bengals upset Chiefs 27-24 Sunday for the AFC crown and then Rams topped 49ers 20-17 for the NFC title to set up a Cincinnati-Los Angeles Super Bowl on February 13 in the Rams' home stadium. That factors into L.A. as an early 3 1/2-point favorite. Rams were in the SB as recently as it in 2018 but have bot win since 1999 (as the St. Louis Rams). Cincy was last in SB in 1988 and has never won. Cinderella + Cincinnati = Cinderatti! (Patent pending). 

2. NFL: Tom Brady retires after 22 season, 7 Super Bowl rings: xxxESPN reported it Saturday. Others confirmed it. Brady's own company, TB12, seemed to before deleting gthe tweet. Now his camp is saying "no decision yet." Bank it, though. The G.O.A.T. will make it official after the NFL playoffs end. Most TDs, most passing yards, most Super Bowls. Any questions?

3. DOLPHINS: Ouch! Fins lost top coach-candidate Daboll to Giants: Miami has been very deliberate in its head coach search. Problem is, wirh eight other openings, available gjuys are being snatched up. Example: Fins losing top candidate Brian Daboll, the Bills offensive coordinator, to the Giants -- a big loss. Top guys left appear to be OC's Kellen Moore of the Cowboys and Mike McDaniel of the 49ers.

4. OLYMPICS: Host's human-rights record, COVID loom as Beijing Games Winter Games begin: The Olympic Winter Games begin this Friday in Beijing, China and run 17 days through February 20. The U.S. has a diplomatic boycott but its athetes will compete. Norway is predicted to lead the medals table followed by the ROC (Russia) and Germany. After that comes Team USA pegged for seven gold medals, 22 overall.

5. TENNIS: Electric championship finish redeems Australian Open: Year's first tennis major was minus plenty of starpower, but the two winners crowned were movie-script perfect: Rafael Nadal rallying from two sets down to Daniil Medvedev for his record-setting 21st career Grand Slam title, breaking the tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. After Ashleigh Barty became the first Aussie woman to win in Melbourne since Yvonne Goolagong in 1978. 

6. INTER MIAMI: Date set for vote on Miami Freedom Park plan: Nothing moves fast in 3-0-5 politics, but a February 23 date has been set for Miami-Dade to vote whether to go ahead with or scrap plans for MLS team Inter Miam's proposed 73-acre commercial and professional sports complex featuring a new soccer stadium. Three days after the vote, Inter Miami opens its third season at what it hopes is its temporary home in Fort Lauderdale.

7. HURRICANES: Cristobal hoping for big NSD finish to recruiting: National Siging Day in college football is this Wednesday, though not the splash it used to be since there is now early signing day in December. UM's first class under mew coach Mario Cristobal is ranked 49th nationally by ESPN and ninth in the ACC led by TE Jaleel Skinner and CB Khamauri Rogers but should climb with new signings this week.

8. MLB: Ortiz gets Hall call, but end of line for Bonds, Clemens: Red Sox icon David "Big Papi" Ortiz was the lone former player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemsn falling short in their 10th and final year pf eligibility, and Alex Rodriguez way short in his first year on the ballot. The reminder from voting BBWAA baseball wrters: Steroids and Cooperstown do not mix. 

9. HEAT: Miami sets out on road trip awaiting All-Star nods: Heat is 32-18 and atop the East even after Saturday's 124-120 triple-OT home loss to Toronto -- despite Jimmy Butler's 37 points. NBA All-Star Game reserves to be announced Thursday, with Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all in the mix. Miami sets out on a five-game roadie starting Monday in Boston.

10. PANTHERS: Cats sailing, but challenge to be better on road looms: Florida is 31-9-5 and atop the NHL East after Saturday's 5-4 home win over San Jose, but Panthers will be road-tested much of the rest of the way. Cats are a surreal 23-3 at home but only 8-6-5 away, and play 22 of their last 37 games on the road including the next five straight starting Monday at Columbus.

Missing the HB10 cut: USMNT faces Canada today/Sunday in a top-of-the-table showdown in the middle of three winter CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches in seven days. U.S. began the stretch with a 1-0 win over El Salvador the table. Five matches for remain in WC qualifying ..... Canes men's basketball (16-5) continues atop the ACC at 8-2 entering a Wednesday visit by Notre Dame. UM women are 11-7/4-4 and host No. 5 Louisville Tuesday ..... LeBron James and Kevin Durant again were named captains for this year's NBA All-Star Game February 20 in Cleveland. All-Star reserves, selected by coaches in both conferences, will be unveiled Thursday ..... Though the MLB lockout continues, threatening the start of spring training, the Marlins' Minor League Development Camp is this Tuesday through Friday up in Jupiter. The organization’s top prospects will be in attendance, incuding pitchers Eury Perez, Max Meyer and Dax Fulton ..... Saturday's NFLPA Collegiate Bowl began the spate of postseason showcase games. Upcoming: East-West Shrine Bowl this Thursday, Reese's Senior Bowl next Saturday and HBCU Legacy Bowl February 19 ..... The Pro Bowl is next Sunday. Get ready to not watch ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,611 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 24. Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Time is right for MLB to resinstate Pete Rose, NFL Divisional Round picks, New Greg Cote Show podcast.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NFL! ROBOT UMPIRE! NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 5th episode of 2022 and 96th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 96 we've done so far HERE, free. In our brand new episode, Chris and Greg exalt over the NFL's most exciting playoff weekend ever, and have an exclusive 1-on-1 chat with a Robot Umpire. Also in the new ep: Bomb dog retires;  M&Ms scandal; Greg apologizes to Newlywed Mark for referring to a part of his wedding as a 'nightmare' on Le Batard Show; Yeti reports live from a hospital bed. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL Divisional Round playoff picks: OOF!: They were four great games. Except for me. We went 0-4 overall and 0-4 against the spread in the Divisional Round -- a near impossibility and an unfortunate first for us. The sad truth: NFL Divisional Playoff Gems. Previous: NFL Wild-Card Playoff Gems.

Time for MLB, in bed with gambling, to end hypocrisy and reinstate Pete Rose. New column: Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose.

Other select recent columns: 'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consquences, as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / and Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner. Also: Dolphins Win, Finish 9-8, Now Must Commit To Build Around Tua / Why Saban 'What-If' Still Haunts Miami 15 Years later / No Playoffs And No Idea Yet On Tua Worst Possible Way For Dolphins To End Season / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must and 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JANUARY 23-24): 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. NFL: It's Chiefs-Bengals, Rams-49ers in final four: It hadn't happened since 2010 but it happened Saturday: Both No. 1 seeds losing in the NFL Divisional Round playoff. Green Bay fell to visiting San Francisco Saturday night after Tennessee was beaten by upstart Cincinnati. Sunday, reigning champion Tampa Bay fell at home to the L.A. Rams Kansas City held off Buffalo. That's four great games three upsets and a final four few expected.

2. HEAT: LeBron shines in return, but Miami wins: Miami is 30-17 and back atop the East, with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler finally both healthy at once, after Sunday's 113-107 home win over the L.A. Lakers. Old friend LeBron James dropped 33 in his return as Miami opened a four-game homestand. 

3. PANTHERS: Cats fall in Seattle but still in East lead: Florida is 28-9-5 at the midpoint of the NHL regular season -- and 10-2-1 since a four-game COVID postponement in December -- even after Sunday's surpring 5-2 loss in Seattle to the expansion Kraken. Cats and Tampa Bay are fighting for East lead in a rivalry that seems destined for a renewal in the playoffs.

4. CANES BASKETBALL: Miami men fall to nemesis FSU again: The Miami men -- after an upset win over No. 2 Duke and a 28-point win over North Carolina -- were 14-4, an ACC-leading 6-1 in conference and just outside the Top 25 entering Saturday's home game vs. nemesis Florida State, only to fall to its nemesis rival, 61-60, and cede the ACC lead. Canes women, off first road win at FSU in eight years, are 10-7/3-4 after Sunday's loss at Boston College.

5. DOLPHINS: Fins casting wide net in ongoing coach search: Who isn't Miami interviewing to replace the unexpectedly fired Brian Flores? Seven men already have been grilled, with more ahead. The lean seems to be toward an offensive coach with a track record. Keep an eye on four OC's: Brian Daboll (Bills), Mike McDaniel (49ers), Nathaniel Hackett (Packers) and Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs) -- all among the final eight teams playing this weekend.

6. MLB: 'Big Papi' to head 2022 Hall of Fame class: With the big reveal set for live TV Tuesday night, David (Big Papi) Ortiz is the only certain '22 inductee to Cooperstown based on early voting results made public. Steroids-tainted Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens both seem likely to finally make it but are not sure things. Tainted A-Rod is being punished in his first year of eligibility and didn't come close.  

7. TENNIS: Depleted Australian Open reaches midpoint: Defending women's champion Naomi Osaka was ousted in the third round, reigning men's champ Novak Djokovic was banned over his no-vax stance, and fan favorites Roger Federer and Serena Williams aren't in Melbourne for health reasons. Marquee wattage is dimmed, but the year's frst tennis major goes on, with Ash Barty and Rafael Nadal leading the march into the quarterfinals. 

8. OLYMPICS: Countdown 11 days 'til Beijing Winter Games: Host China is infamous for its human rights violations and COVID remains a health cloud, but let the Games begin! Winter Games are February 4-20. The U.S. announced a diplomatic boycott, but American athletes will compete, led by champion slalom skiier Mikaela Shiffrin.

9. HURRICANES: Cristobal absorbs first loss as UM coach: Canes fans have been in parade-mode euphoric since Mario Cristobal got hired as football coach 17 days ago and it's been all smooth sailing ... until this week's hiccup. Miami targeted Arkansas' Kendal Briles as its next offensive coordinator, but he turned 'em down to remain with Razorbacks.

10. NASCAR: 'Junior' makes the Hall of Fame: Dale Earnhardt Jr., never a main-series season champion but 15 times voted most popular driver, has joined his father in the Hall of Fame. Junior topped the marquee among three inductees into NASCAR's 12th Hall of Fame class. "When I stumbled, you guys were right there ready to lift me back up,'' Earnhardt said to his fans.

Missing the HB10 cut: Inter Miami opened training camp for MLS Year 3. Season begins February 26 ..... NCAA voted to streamline itself and reduce the responsibility of the association at the national level. Layman's terms: The NCAA is weakening, with power ceded to confereces and schools in a turbulently changing landsacpe for ollege sports ..... The Tampa Bay Rays' controversial plan to split their home schedule with Montreal was rejected by MLB, ending team's 2 1/2-year plan for a "sister city" schedule. Meantime, how must half-wanted Tampa fans feel? ..... The NFL's Pro Bowl is February 6, so mark it on your calendars to not watch ..... And the MLB lockout drones and drags on ..... R.I.P. to entertainers Sidney Poitier, Meat Loaf and Louie Anderson ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,618 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 13. R.I.P., Michael Nesmith. 2) Make me feel better. Tell me you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes land grand prize in Cristobal, NFL Week 14 picks, Frank Gore on boxing, Week 13 NFL results for picks/Lobos/QB rankinsg, Greg Cote Show podcast.

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

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: DOLPHIN MACK HOLLINS ON NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 48th episode of 2021 and landmark 90th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 90 we've done HERE, free. In our latest episode: Mack Daddy! Mack the Knife! Miami Dolphins receiver Mack Hollins joins us and delights with his splendid unusualness. Quick hints: Sings Sinatra. Owns an 11-foot boa. Owns no car. Fun dude. Also in the new episode: Important discussion about ear wax; Greg apologizes to a dearly departed Monkee; Friday afternoon driving songs; Goodbye Manny Diaz; an ominous Lobos update and more! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts were off this past week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL Week 14 picks: Still alive for our 6th straight (!) Upset of the Week bull's-eye: NFL Week 14 Gems.

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

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 12-13): 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. HURRICANES: Early faculty-blowback against Cristobal's mega-deal: Ink was barely dry on Mario Cristobal's new $80 million deal to be UM's new head coach -- not to mention Dan Radakovich's big new contract to be athletic director -- when faculty on campus began loudly complaining about the athletic spending in the context of cutbacks elsewhere. Worse, Cristobal has been in charge nearly a full week now and the Canes still have yet to win a single football game!

2. PANTHERS: Cats welcome back Barkov, stay atop East despite loss: Florida is 18-5-4, still atop the East and had won four of past five games before Sunday's loss at tough Colorado. And Aleksander Barkov is back from injury and on the ice. Despite the unexpected coaching-change turmoil, hopes for this season remain so high they should be illegal.

3. HEAT: Miami wins second straight despite missing stars: Miami has shed a 1-4 slump and is 16-11 after two straight wins, including Saturday's over Chicago depiste star Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both missing with injuries. Adebayo underwent surgery on his right thumb is is not expected to return before mid-January.

4. OLYMPICS: U.S. to have diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games: President Biden said U.S. will not send a diplomatic delegation to Beijing Winter Games in two months to protest China's human rights violations such as abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang and crackdown in Hong Kong. The U.K., Australia nd Canada also will not end diplomats. U.S. athletes still will compete.

5. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FIU hires coach, Diaz lands on his feet: FIU hired former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre as its sixth head football coach, replacing the let-go Butch Davis. Penn State hired deposed UM coach Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator, giving him a Power 5 landing spot. Also, Florida State promoted another ex-Canes coach, Randy Shannon, to the same role.

6. GOLF: Tiger Wood makes his comeback this week, sort of: Tiger Woods will compte ealongside son Charlie beginning next Saturday in the PNC Championship, just 10 months after his February car crash that left his right leg mangled and Woods doubting he'd ever play golf again. Low-stakes, fun event -- but great to see Tiger back nonethless.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Oh my God, bowl season has begun!:  We are nine bowl games in and 35 yet to go in the 44-game glut called bowl sesaon, culminating with the CFP national championship game January 10 in Indianapolis. Only state FBS teams bowling are the Canes December 31 vs. Washingotn State in the Sun Bowl, and Florida-UCF Dec. 23 in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa. That's one of seven bowls within the state -- led by the December 31 Georgia-Michigan CFP national semifinal in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock.

8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: 'Bama QB Young wins Heisman Trophy: Alabama quarterback Bryce Youg  won the Heismna Trophy in a landslide Saturday, he Tide's sixth winner and second in a row. Lemme guess. It's kn his contract. Nick Saban get another raise.

9. DOLPHINS: Hot Fins carry 5-game win streak into bye: Some say the late bye week is needed for well-deserved rest. Others say it's ill-time and could derail Miami's momentum. Greg Cote says he's just happy for a damned weekend off.

10. SOCCER: New York City wins MLS Cup: New York City beat the Portland Timbers 4-2 in penalties after a 1-1 match Saturday to win its fiurst Major League Soccer championship in Portland, denying home fans a repeat fo their 2015 title. NYC coach Ronny Deila kept a promise by (please, God, no) stripping down to his underwear doing pushups on the field.

Missing the HB10 cut: Gymnast Simone Biles is Time's 2021 Athlete of the Year, for "rasing the volume" on mental health awareness. Good choice ..... U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe was left unprotected and is available to be taken in this week's NWSL expansion draft on Thursday ..... Six days until the Jake Paul fight in Tampa that includes the pro boxing debut of former Canes and NFL star Frank Gore on the undercard ..... Reigning women's basketball Player of the Year Paige Bueckers of UConn may be out longer than expected as she considers surgery on her injured left knee ..... Strong starts for Canes basketball. Men are 7-3, 1-0 in ACC. Women are 6-3, with ACC opener December 19 vs. No. 19 Duke ..... Jeff Bezos‘ rocket company, Blue Origin, launched another private flight, this one including former NFL star Michael Strahan aboard ..... MLB lockout continues, and nobody will give a flying crap until the start of the regular season is threatened ..... NBA trade window opens on Wednesday ..... Hey, Urban Meyer. Missin' the college campus yet? ..... R.I.P., Al Unser Sr., four-time Indy 500 winner, gone at 82, and former Broncos star Demaryius Thomas, unexpectedly at 33 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,660 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22. Happy Thanksgiving Week! I'll be in with the Le Batard Show on Tuesday ... with a special surprise. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 11 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest columns, NFL Week 10 results for picks/Lobos/QB rank & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 45th episode of 2021 and 87th overall is out now! New pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 87 we've done HERE, free. In our newest episode: Meet orange-bearded Marc Angelo, the Miam Dolphins' nominee for 2021 NFL Fan of the Year. And Greg, Chris and Yeti share their picks for worst Thanksgiving foods -- the ones that should be kicked off the table. Plus, Chris' empty bags vs. Greg's umbrella misuse; Chris rips Scottie Pippen, Dolphins keep rollin', Lobos update and Quirk Line for you to call in. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Most podcasts are off this week for the holiday. NOT US!!! Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET).

NFL WEEK 11 PICKS: DOLPHINS-JETS, GAME OF THE WEEK, 3 BIG UPSETS AND ALL THE REST: NFL Week 11 is upon us and we started off with a double win Thursday night (NFL Week 11 Thursday Gem) because we had Patriots winning and covering a 7-point spread and they did both, beating Falcons, 25-0. Hope that's a harbinger for a big week! The rest of our picks include Dolphins at Jets, our Game of the Week, three big upsets and all the rest. Find all of our latest picks here: NFL Week 11 Gems.

Column from Sunday's Dolphins win: They're Alive! Dolphins, Tua Beat Jets For 3rd Straight As Revival Continues.

Column from Saturday night's Hurricanes win: Diaz Smiles Through Rain & Pain As Canes Win,  Reach Bowl Game He May Not Be Around To Coach.

Our most recent other columns: Hurricanes, Too Beholden to Past and UM Family, Need to Go Outside for new AD Hire / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / and How Miami Dolphins Are Poised to Transform Their 1-7 Start Into Playoff Contention and Miracles Happen: Huge Defense, Tua Off Bench Help Fins Stun Baltimore

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 21-22): 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 excels as hot Fins win at Jets for 3rd straight: Tua Tagovailoa is past his finger injury, started Sunday and was great, including two TD passes, in 24-17 Miami win at rval Jets. Dolphins are now 4-7 with three straight wins, and three straight winnable home games ahead. (Playoffs? Playoffs!?)

2. HURRICANES: UM wins, earns bowl trip on bittersweet night for Diaz: Miami led throughout in a 38-26 win over Virginia Tech last night in a rain-soaked home finale at Hard Rock (see my column link below). Canes at 6-5 are now bowl-eligible entering next week's finale at Duke. But will Manny Diaz be around to coach in the bowl game? Questionable to doubtful as UM ssearches for the new athletic director who'll likely choose his replacement.

3. HEAT: Four-game win streak ends but Butler is making MVP case: Miami is 11-6 after last night's narrow loss at Washington but Jimmy Butler continues making his case for league MVP, already leading the team in scoring eight times. Past week's highlights included Dwyae Wade's first return to home arean this season. Heat is back in play Tuesday in Detroit.

4. PANTHERS: Cats are hot again, maintain East lead: Florida is 13-2-3 and still atop the NHL East after last night's home win over Minnesota. That's three wins in a row after a four-game skid that found plenty of Cats fans pouncing way to soon on interim coach Andrew Brunette. Panthers are back at it Wednesday vs. Philly.

5. MARLINS: Fish extend Alcantara with $55 million deal: Miami Marlins locked up ace pitcher Sandy Alcantara with a $55 mllion extension announced Monday. Also, club made four additions to club’s 2022 Major League coaching staff, notably Marcus Thames as hitting coach and Al Pedrique as third base and infield coach. Marlins also had a piece of MLB awards week, as pitcher Trevor Rogers finished second in NL rookie of year voting.

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators lose again, Butch falls in FIU home finale: Florida Gators are a bowl-shy 5-6 after Saturday's 24-23 loss to Missouir that furthers imperils coach Dan Mullen. And FIU is 1-10 after a 49-7 home loss to North Texas in Butch Davis' final home game; he won;t return next season. Elsewhere in state FBS play (non-UM division): FSU beat Boston College 26-23, FAU got clobbered by Western Kentucky, UCF routed UConn and South Florida fell hard to Tulane.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Loss by No. 3 Oregon shakes up CFP final four: No. 3 Oregon's crushing 38-7 loss at No. 23 Utah Saturday will shake up the College Football Playoff and likely see Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State welcoming in interloper Cincinnati to the select four in the next CFP rankings. Does it also make Mario Cristobal likelier to leave the Ducks for, say ... Miami? Other Top 25 losses were by No. 7 Michigan State, 10-Wake Forest and 21-Arkansas.

8. UM BASKETBALL: Good starts but big tests await for Canes men, women: UM men are 3-1 after Sunday's win over Florida A&M, and play three more before their ACC opener. Canes women are 4-0 and next play Thanskgiving Day vs. Washington State. First major tests for UM women are next Saturday vs. No. 4-Indiana and December 2 at 3-Maryland.

9. MLB: Ohtani the talk of baseball's Awards Week: MLB handed out hardware for ML and AL MVP, Cy Young, manager and rookie of the year this past week, and at the top was the unanimous AL MVP vote for the Angels' Shohei Ohtani. He is legitimately the sports' greatest two-way hitter/pitcher since one Babe Ruth circa 1915-18.

10. OLYMPICS: U.S. mulling diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games: President Joe Biden thi week said the United States is considering a diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing over China's human rights abuses. That would keep American dignitaries -- but not athletes -- from attending the Games.

Missing the HB10 cut: The USMNT's 1-1 draw with Jamaica leaves the American men in good shape in World Cup qualifying. There's a pause now, with the next U.S. qualifier, vs. El Salvador, not until January 27 ..... MLS playoffs (Inter Miami is on the couch watching) are almost down to the final eight and the conference semifinals, with New England Revolution the clear title pick based on season form ..... Antonio Brown is accused of obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. Or did that go without saying? ..... The new biopic King Richard is out, about Richard Williams and tennis daughters Serena and Venus, starring Will Smith in the title role ..... The new Tom Brady docuseries is called Man In The Arena, because all of the good titles were already taken. (Quick note: Brady plays in stadiums, not arenas) ..... Garbiñe Muguruza won the WTA Finals in tennis. Alexander Zverez and Daniil Medvedev go for the ATP Finals crown Sunday .....  The Washington Spirit won the NWSL title with a 2-1 extra time victory over the Chicago Red Stars ..... The Cleveland Indians' name-change to Cleveland Guardians is now official. Insulting nickname to a just plain bad one. Upgrade? ..... The rapper Ludacris is narrating MLB's offcial Braves World Series film out December 14 ..... Homestead-Miami Speedway is hosting a "Magic Of Lights" drive-through holiday display through January 1. Good idea. But it'd be even more magical if they weren't charging $20 and up per car ..... NFL Pro Bowl tickets are now on sale and Pro Bowl voting is underway, and nobody cares ..... R.I.P., Sam Huff ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,681 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's FRIDAY-TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3-7. We're off on a (rather spectacularly ill-timed) holiday for a few days. Back early next week. 2) Was back on the Le Batard Show this past Tuesday. Check out that day's show podcasts. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): The Hurricanes' best shot at beating Alabama, 2 columns on Dolphins' hell week fighting Watson rumors, Latest Greg Cote Show podcast & more.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: GREG'S LOBOS AND PFPI FANTASY DRAFT OUT NOW: Our 34th episode of 2021 and 76th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 76 we've done HERE, for free. In our most recent episode: Join the Cote family and friends and hear all the fun banter during the PFPI Fantasy Draft featuring Greg's Lobos, and emceed by Greg, followed by pool time and a Paella Party. You'll feel like you were there! Also: Greg discusses the resurfaced Deshaun Watson-to-Dolphins rumors, and we debut a new song revealing Greg's Lobos on HBO's Hard Knocks. No new episode this coming week because we're on vacation. Perfect time to catch up with our whole catalog. Watch for a new episode September 13! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET on Channel 145).

Featured recent columns: Canes-Bama, Dolphins drama & more

• Hurricanes: Canes Can Shock the World and Beat Alabama. Here's How
• Dolphins: Belichick Must Be Smiling As Dolphins Deal With Rumors And Tua With Doubt / and Fins' Faith In Tua Will Be A Lie If They Sell Soul, Spend Big For Watson
• Also: There Is Only One Way an ACC/Big Ten/Pac-12 Alliance Can Out-SEC the SEC / Time to Finally Start Believing in Tua, Flores and Miami Dolphins / Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / Dolphins' 'Big Picture' Begins To Emerge With Unveiling Of Year 2ua / Unraveled: The Story Behind Who Aubrey Huff Became / and What Lionel Messi's Sudden, Stunning Move Means For Inter Miami

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 3-7): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive (usually) Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. HURRICANES: Canes clobbered by Bama in season opener: The No. 14-ranked Canes were 19 1/2-point underdogs to reigning national champion and No. 1 Alabama Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta -- and the odds were underlined in the Crimson Tide's 44-13 rout. Bryce Young thoroughly outplayed D'Eriq King  in the QB battle and it was men against boys on defense. So is The U "back'?" Next question, please.

2. DOLPHINS: Fins prepare for Pats, Mac Jones in opener as Watson rumors ebb: Miami prepares to visit AFC East rival New England in its September 12 NFL season opener. And it'll be Tua Tagovailoa vs. Mac Jones in a duel of ex-Alabama quarterbacks as the Pats cut Cam Newton and the Fins' reported interest in Deshaun Watson has borne nothing but ill-timed rumors as fruit.

3. HEAT: Bosh gets his due with Hall of Fame induction: Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 -- including former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh -- is honored next Saturday (the 11th) in Springfield, Mass. Pat Riley and Ray Allen will present Bosh. Other notable inductees include Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, Bill Russell (as a coach), Chris Webber, Rick Adelman, Jay Wright, Yolanda Griffth and Lauren Jackson.

4. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators, Noles, FIU debut; Orange Blossom Classic returns: In sequence: Thursday--FIU routed Long Island University 48-10; UCF rallied past Boise State 36-31; and South Florida got embarrassed at N.C. State 45-0. Saturday--FAU lost predictably at No. 13 Florida 35-14. Tonight/Sunday--No. 9 Notre Dame at Florida State. Non-FBS-level but also notable Sunday: Deion Sanders' Jackson State vs. FAMU at Hard Rock in a welcome renewal of famed Orange Blossom Classic for HBCU teams, last played in 1978.

5. COLLEGE FOOTBALL (NON-STATE): Week 1 begins in full with Clemson-Georgia atop marquee: FBS-level college football had a soft opening with "Week 0" last week but began in full Saturday. Besides UM-Alabama, biggest Week 1 matchup nationally was No. 5 Georgia at No. 3 Clemson on Saturday -- and the Bulldogs were upset winners in a 10-3 defensive gem.

6. INTER MIAMI: Hot Herons rally into MLS playoff chase: Inter Mia is 7-9-5 but on a 5-1-3 hot streak after a 1-0 win at Cincinnati Saturday night. The Herons' run of late -- one loss in past nine matches -- has drawn them within four points of playoff pace with 11 matches left. Meanwhile David Beckham signed his son Romeo, 19, to the club's Fort Lauderdale minor league team.

7. MARLINS: Fish escape NL East cellar!: Miami is 57-80 but a warm 6-4 lately and (for now) out of the NL East cellar. Miami continues a six-game homestand with three games vs. the Mets starting Tuesday.

8. GOLF: Cantlay wins FedEx Cup playoffs: The Tour Championship in Atlanta Sunday crowned the winner of the PGA Tour's three-event FedEx Cup playoffs -- and it was Patrick Cantlay protecting his lead to win the $15 million prize. Jon Rahm was runnerup as the PGA Tour completed its season.

9. OLYMPICS: Paralympic Games wrapping up in Tokyo: The 16th Paralympic Summer Games end today/Sunday in Tokyo, and the U.S. team finished fourth in overall medals and third in golds, with China easily atop both categories. U.S. is the all-time Paralympic medals leader but last led in gold and overall medals in 1996.

10. TENNIS: U.S. Open reaches its midpoint: The year's final tennis major is on in flash-flood-bothered New York and scheduled to end next Sunday, with notable stars including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams not playing due to injuries. No. 1 seed and betting favorite Novak Djokovic remains alive, But women's faves Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka both are eliminated.

Missing the HB10 cut: U.S. men's national soccer team played El Salvador to a 0-0 draw Thursday night in its first World Cup qualifying match -- but without star Christian Pulisic, who is recovering from a positive COVID test despite (he says) being vaccinated ..... ESPN gets duped by nationally televising a high school football game involving a fake team, "Bishop Sycamore." That's B.S. High, for short. Hilarious! ..... The course for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix debuting in 2022 will be called the Miami International Autodrome. So there ..... Canada beat the U.S., the five-time defending champion, 3-2 in overtime to win gold in the women's hockey world championship ..... The Mets made Francisco Lindor and Javer Baez pretend to be sorry for giving thumbs-down gestures to fans after getting booed recently ..... Beginning to think creepy Trevor Bauer may never pitch again, and pretty damned happy about that ..... Honduran club Olimpia and Mexican club Pachuca meet Sunday in a soccer friendly at Inter Miami's stadium in Fort Lauderdale ..... Florida Panthers' developmental camp begins this Friday September 10 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is out with a new episode Monday at 7 a.m. ET ..... Update: Countdown now 1,758 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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