1) It's TUESDAY, APRIL 21. Hang in, stay apart and eventually we rise together! 2) Our Greg Cote Show podcast is now separately on Twitter and Instagram! Follow the show on both platforms at TheGregCoteShow. 3) Find our latest Back In My Day from the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio HERE. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins GM Grier's pre-draft Zoom, why Tua and coronavirus make this weirdest draft ever, Greg Cote Show podcast & more. 5) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote and Instagram.

It's Radio Zoom-Room Tuesday!: I'm back remotely on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz today from 10 to 1 on ESPN Radio. Also listen for the local-only hour linked from the show social media accounts. 

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: EPISODE 8 OUT NOW: Our new(ish) Miami Herald podcast, "The Greg Cote Show With Greg Cote," debuted in early March and Episode 8 is out Monday morning! You can find a new Greg Cote Show out every Monday on Apple, Spotify or wherever you do your podding, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all eight episodes we've done so far right here. Please listen, subscribe, rate and review! Our podcast is a variety show, sports and non-sports, 3-0-5 and national, fun and (when necessary) serious. In Episode 8 we take a deep dive into Dolphins and NFL Draft with ESPN Fins reporter Cameron Wolfe, and, in Stugotz 2.0, he talks Grateful Dead and shares something you didn't know about Dan Le Batard. Check it out now HERE!

Our annual Mock Draft is almost here!: Look for our 29th annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft online beginning late Tuesday, and in Thursday's print editions.

Our most recent columns: Dolphins' Grier Says He Has An Idea On Top Pick. He'd Better Be Right and Coronavirus, Tua Make This Dolphins' Weirdest, Most Interesting Draft Ever.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (APRIL 19-20): 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 (non)sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Only four days 'til Miami selects [fill in the blank]: The NFL Draft begins Thursday night with the Fins holding the fifth, 18th and 26th picks in the first round -- but will it be Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or a surprise to Miami at No. 5? In this case "surprise" is defined as, "What!? They didn't take a quarterback first!? You've got to be @#$%ing kidding me!" Tua, by the way, is reported to have scored a very low 13 on the Wonderlic intelligence test given all draft prospects. No worry. He's being hired to throw a football, not to explain the quantum physics of how atoms work. 

2. NFL: Draft is on as scheduled ... but hardly as usual: Joe Burrow expected to go No. 1 overall to Cincy hasn't changed and the dates are the same. But nothing else is. The seven-round draft is Thursday through Saturday, but commissioner Roger Goodell will be reading picks from his home in New York, teams will be making them from their own cities, and players will be spread across the country in their living rooms -- all of it televised via videos. Welcome to the Bizarro World, Pandemic Edition NFL Draft.

3. CORONAVIRUS: The updated South Florida Games-Lost Tracker: The SFGLT updates you each week on how many local pro sports games have been lost to the coronavirus shutdown. Through today/Sunday -- 58 games lost: Marlins 22, Heat 18, Panthers 13, Inter Miami 5. Marlins have missed first 22 games of regular season. Heat has missed last 17 games of season and would already have hosted first-round playoff game Sunday night, based on NBA standings when season stopped. Panthers missed last 13 season games but would not have made playoffs based on NHL standings at time of stoppage. Inter Miami, after playing first two games of season, has missed last five.

4. ANTHONY FAUCI: Virus expert maps out return of sports: Hugely trusted Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's leading infectious diseases expert and the face of the U.S. coronavirus fight, says this on the foreseeable resumption of sports: "Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play. Have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out." In other words, it'll be awhile before you're going to games again, Joe Fan.

5. ESPN: Much-touted Jordan docu-series begins Sunday: NBA fans are swooning in anticipation of the 10-part "The Last Dance" series, documenting Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season. I'm not all that excited, but since I get a Disney/ESPN check every week, I think it's going to be greeaat!

6. VON MILLER: Broncos star tested positive for virus: Denver Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming perhaps the most prominent active sports star to do so.

7. NBA: Ouch. Withheld pay is near: Commissioner Adam Silver said there still is no timetable for a resumption of the season, while the NBA begins reducing player paychecks by 25 percent on May 15. Fellas, let me check my wallet. If things get tight, just ask, OK? In other league news, Utah's Mike Conley won that ridiculous HORSE tournament that I'm proud to say I watched for a grand total of, like, 10 seconds. And the NBA is now selling (of course!) team-logo face coverings. 

8. HURRICANES: Mompremier taken in WNBA Draft: Miami's 6-4 power forward Beatrice Mompremier went in the second round, 20th overall to the Los Anegles Sparks -- lower than expected because of a January foot injury that cost her half of her senior season.

9. NASCAR: Rising star Larson fired for racial slur: Chip Ganassi Racing fired budding star Kyle Larson and sponsors dropped him left and right after he was heard using the n-word during a live-streamed virtual race. Unannounced but surely planned: An I'm-truly-sorry tour and an eventual second chance. Meanwhile, NASCAR still hopes to resume no-fans racing in May. 

10. GOLF: PGA Tour plots summer return: The PGA Tour is planning a mid-June return with no fans, assuring the look and ambiance of it will have all the excitement of a Tuesday practice round. Meantime, GolfTV reported exclusively that the gum Tiger Woods chews on a golf course is orange-flavored Trident. Run to the store and start hoarding!

Missing the HB10 cut: Our 29th annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft is coming. Watch for it online Tuesday. OH, and the Greg Cote Show podcast, new Episode 8, is out Monday morning! Please listen, subscribe, rate, review and stay home ..... MLB's Arizona Plan, with all 30 teams playing sans fans in Phoenix, remains the top likelihood. So bizarre ..... Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry has reopened city beaches, generating a wide range of reaction dominated by, "Jesus, what an idiot!" ..... Please remember to watch your hands often, practice social distancing and keep booing the sign-stealing Astros ..... Update: Countdown now 2,261 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup. Hopefully we're all done with quarantine by then.

FEATURED MOST RECENT OTHER COLUMNS:

Amid a Pandemic, to Florida, Pro Wrestling is 'Essential'.

A Pie Chart of QB Possibilities For Dolphins.

Baseball's Bizarre Restart Plan Would Be Unfair to Players. 

NFL Draft Will Offer Blunt Verdict on Canes' Talent.

Other featured recent columns: NFL Draft, Tiger 'n Phil Not A Good Look Right Now / Ultimate All-Time South Florida Major Sports Trivia Challenge / Sports Should Stop Pretending It Will Resume Anytime Soon As Coronovirus Rages / How a Longtime Herald Sport Writer Came to Own a Top Contender in Saturday's No-Fans Florida Derby / In Midst Of Pandemic, A Horse Race / Time for NBA, NHL to Shut it Down, End Seasons / Backlash Over NBA Coronavirus Testing Mirrors Growing Anxiety, the New National Mood / Le Batard Show Deals with Coronavirus-Related Upheaval / Dolphins' Most Important Rebuilding Is Yet to Come / Brady Leaving Patriots for Tampa. Will Belichick Be Proved Right In Letting Him Go? / Desperate Fans Turn to NFL After Reality Of First Weekend With No Games / Miami Sports Now Utterly Engulfed By Coronavirus Threat -- But Precaution Is Justified / It's Dominate Or Bust For Dolphins GM Grier Over Next 6 Weeks.

Select additional recent columns: Repentant Cheater A-Rod Slams Astros With Lesson On How to Handle Their Own Scandal / Inter Miami Is Market's Sleeping Giant As Home Opener Nears / Beckham, Inter Miami Survive To Finally Reach Opening Week / Jeter Arrives At Camp, Calls Marlins 'Layered With Talent' / Dwyane Wade, His Transgender Daughter And A Lesson In Love / Pressure On Marlins for Big Improvement Now -- and It's About Time / It's Time For Anonymous Lone Voter Who Denied Jeter To Step Forward / Heat And Gloriously Impatient Riley Win In Trade For Iguodala / Return Of Ed Reed, Even If Mostly Symbolic, Leads Surge By Canes Football / Poor Dolphins Finally Getting Rid Of Brady Only to Have Mahomes Take His Place / Our two-part series: How One Man Long Forgotten Changed Everything For the Miami Dolphins and How Shula Made Dolphins Perfect and Made Miami Matter, And the Coach Today at 90 / Kobe's Death Sends Sports World Reeling, But Immortality Is His / Jimmy Johnson's Biggest Triumph? Knowing When To Quit -- And Why / and Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team

* * * * *

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular co-host on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz on ESPN Radio. Finding Greg Cote:  Twitter.  Instagram.  Facebook.  Columns.  Podcast.  Podcast on Twitter.  Podcast on Instagram.  LeBatard Show.  Fins At 50.  Songs: Letting Go and The Ballad Of 1440.

1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 16. My latest Back In My Day video (Flavored Coffee!) premiered this past week on the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio. Watch the video here: pic.twitter.com/jEeboy2jSR. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Coronavirus threat engulfs Miami sports, onus on Dolphins GM Grier to own next 6 weeks, Ozzy's Ordinary Man video & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST EPISODE 3 OUT NOW!: Our new Miami Herald podcast, "The Greg Cote Show With Greg Cote," premiered this month and is out with Episode 3 on Monday morning! You can find 'The Greg Cote Show' on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you do your podding. Or find it directly right here. Please listen and subscribe! Subscribing is totally free and so important to what we're doing in this new project. Our podcast is a variety show, sports and non-sports, 3-0-5 and national, fun and (when absolutely necessary) serious. Watch for Episode 3 on Monday!

Coronavirus threat engulfs Miami sports; onus on Dolphins GM Gier: Our two latest columns: Miami Sports Now Utterly Engulfed By Coronavirus Threat -- But Precaution Is Justified (no paywall!) and It's Dominate Or Bust For Dolphins GM Grier Over Next 6 Weeks. Other most recent columns: Repentant Cheater A-Rod Slams Astros With Lesson On How to Handle Their Own Scandal / Inter Miami Is Market's Sleeping Giant As Home Opener Nears and As NFL Free Agency & Draft Near, All You Need To Know About Dolphins' QB Situation. Also: Beckham, Inter Miami Survive To Finally Reach Opening Week / Jeter Arrives At Camp, Calls Marlins 'Layered With Talent' / Dwyane Wade, His Transgender Daughter And A Lesson In Love / Why Marlins Aren't Pursuing Puig All About Change In Ownership and Pressure On Marlins for Big Improvement Now -- and It's About Time.

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

1. CORONAVIRUS: The week that took our games away: The coronavirus/COVID-19 was declared an international pandemic and its impact on sports, globally and in the U.S., has been dramatic. No more NBA, NHL or Major League Soccer games for the foreseeable future, and MLB spring training is aborted, with the start of season delayed at least two weeks. In Miami, beyond the Heat, Panthers, Inter Miami and Marlins affected, Miami Open tennis and the NASCAR race in Homestead were canceled, and the Florida Derby will be run with no spectators. Sports can afford to shut down temporarily. Sports couldn't afford not to. 

2. HEAT: Miami clings to fourth in East as hiatus begins: The Heat's record is frozen at 41-24 until the NBA resumes play following this extended coronavirus-caused timeout.

3. INTER MIAMI: MLS hiatus postpones first home opener: It was to have been Saturday. It will still happen ... someday.  

4. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: No March Madness, no brackets for you: The NCAA Tournaments, men and women, were canceled after initially intending to play, but with no fans present.

5. NFL: Free agency begins Monday for Dolphins, new CBS approved: Football free agency is about all that's left of sports as leagues and major events cancel due to the coronavirus. And Miami, with more than $90 million to spend and a slew of needs, figures as a major player in the coming weeks. Also, players have approved the new collective bargaining agreement, meaning a 17-game regular season is coming as soon as 2021.

6. PANTHERS: Cats' playoff hunting as season pauses: Florida's record of 35-34 after two straight wins is frozen by the coronavirus-caused suspension of play, with Cats three points off playoff pace.

7. MARLINS: Pool gone, but Fish continue spring splash: Miami's encouraging spring ends with a 12-6-1 record as MLB aborts the rest of exhibition play, and delays the start of the regular season at least two weeks. But will the eventual Opening Day include fans?

8. SOCCER: U.S. women win SheBelieves Cup: The World Cup champion USWNT defeated Japan 3-1 to emphatically win the SheBleieves Cup, which snuck in before the coronavirus bans. The team continues to show it merits equal pay with the U.S. men ... if not better pay.

9. CANES HOOPS: UM men, women end mediocre seasons badly: Even if there was a Selection Sunday today and an NCAA Tournament following, neither UM team would have made it. The Miami women's team, once 9-3 and ranked, ended a .500 season with a disappointing one-and-done performance in the ACC Tournament, losing its opener to lower-seeded Clemson. Canes men ended one game under .500, also with an opening ouster in the conference tourney.

10. TENNIS/AUTO RACING: Miami Open, Homestead race wiped out: The Miami Open's second year at Hard Rock Stadium was to begin its two-week run on March 23. Won't happen. See ya next year. The scheduled March 22 NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway won't happen, either. They're saying "postponed," not canceled, but no makeup date has been revealed.  

Missing the HB10 cut: Shameless Plug Alert: Episode 3 of the Greg Cote Show podcast is out Monday morning! ..... UM ceased spring sports due to the coronavirus threat, notably including spring football and baseball ..... The XFL also suspended play. But will anyone notice? ..... Keep booing the Astros, please. Even when they're not playing ..... Update: Countdown now 2,296 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

1) It's TUESDAY, MARCH 10. Happy International Women's day! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Premiere Week for new Greg Cote podcast. repentant cheater A-Rod blasts Astros, Inter Miami poised to quake sports landscape & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

It's Radio Tuesday: Back in-studio today on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz. Airs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. nationally on ESPN Radio and local affiliates including 560 in Miami, and on ESPNews. Also look for a local-only hour linked from show's social media platforms.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST EPISODE 2 NOW OUT!: Our new Miami Herald podcast, "The Greg Cote Show With Greg Cote," premiered last Monday and is out with Episode 2 today. You can find it by searching 'Greg Cote Show' on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you do your podding. Or find it directly right here. Please listen and subscribe! Subscribing is totally free and so important to what we're doing in this new project. Our podcast is a variety show, sports and non-sports, 3-0-5 and national, fun and (when absolutely necessary) serious. Check out Episode 2 now!

WITH MONEY AND PICKS GALORE, PRESSURE ON DOLPHINS GM GRIER TO WIN NEXT 6 WEEKS. NEW COLUMN: For the Miami Dolphins the next six weeks will shape a forlorn franchise’s immediate and long-term future. But the coming free agency period and NFL Draft will not be about any one player as much as it will be an overall referendum on general manager Chris Grier, the man out front in roster decisions. (He is pictured with coach Brian Flores). This begins Grier's fifth season as GM and third with say over personnel, and he begins the biggest month-plus of his professional life. It will dramatically and quickly turn the Dolphins competitive, or be a seismic disappointment. The question: Are Grier and his braintrust including owner Stephen Ross and coach Brian Flores -- up to the challenge. Miami has hit the lottery in terms of available spending money and draft picks. That means Grier and Co. have every opportunity and no excuse to fail. For our full latest column, please visit It's Dominate Or Bust For Dolphins GM Grier Over Next 6 Weeks.

Our most recent columns: Repentant Cheater A-Rod Slams Astros With Lesson On How to Handle Their Own Scandal / Inter Miami Is Market's Sleeping Giant As Home Opener Nears and As NFL Free Agency & Draft Near, All You Need To Know About Dolphins' QB Situation. Also: Beckham, Inter Miami Survive To Finally Reach Opening Week / Jeter Arrives At Camp, Calls Marlins 'Layered With Talent' / Dwyane Wade, His Transgender Daughter And A Lesson In Love / Why Marlins Aren't Pursuing Puig All About Change In Ownership and Pressure On Marlins for Big Improvement Now -- and It's About Time.

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

1. INTER MIAMI: New team falls again; home opener in 6 days: lAfterlosing 1-0 at Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami dropped a tough-luck 2-1 verdict Saturday at D.C. United. Now comes the long-awaited maiden home opener, Saturday March 14 vs. David Beckham's old L.A. Galaxy squad, in the new stadium on the hallowed ground of the old Lockhart in Fort Lauderdale.

2. HEAT: Win over Bucks defines Miami's upside: Miami is 41-23 and fourth in the East and had won four straight -- including an exhilarating 105-89 win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the mighty Milwaukee Bucks -- before falling Friday at New Orleans. Heat rebounded to win at Washington Sunday, but it was that Bucks win that raised the bar on their playoff potential. 

3. PANTHERS: Cats finally end home skid as Luongo honored: The Cats retired Roberto Luongo's No. 1 jersey in a ceremony Saturday for the retired goaltender, then whipped Montreal 4-1 to end a record eight-game home losing streak. Before Saturday Florida had been in a 4-12 slump since February 4. Panthers are back on the edge of playoff pace entering Monday's test at St. Louis.

4. CANES HOOPS: UM women gag in ACCs; can the men do better?: The Miami women's team, once 9-3 and ranked, ended a .500 season with a disappointing one-and-done performance in the ACC Tournament, losing its opener to lower-seeded Clemson. An NCAA Tournament bid should not be expected. The Canes men, also .500 after Saturday's win over Syracuse, will need a big showing in the ACCs this week for any prayer of an NCAA invite.

5. DOLPHINS: QB Fitzpatrick endorses new CBA: NFL players have until this Thursday to vote on the league's new collective bargaining agreement that would increase regular season games by one, to 17, and Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick became one of the most prominent players to say he was on board. The vote requires a simple majority to pass. The onset of free agency soon follows. Will Miami be a spender?

6. MARLINS: Pool gone, but Fish continue spring splash: Miami is 10-5-1 this spring after Sunday's loss to St. Louis in Jupiter. Meantime the team announced the Clevelander nightclub and swimming pool beyond the left field wall won't be back at Marlins Park for the 2020 season. "Oh darn!" I said facetiously.

7. NBA: Curry makes long-awaited return for Warriors: Steph Curry returned from a four-month injury absence to score 23 for the Warriors Thursday night, albeit way, way too late to rescue or save Golden State's lost season.

8. SOCCER: U.S. women beat England, then Spain: The World Cup champion USWNT is back in action in the SheBleieves Cup, opening with a 2-0 dispatch of England in Orlando, and then on Sunday beating Spain 1-nil in a tougher test in Harrison, N.J.        

9. TENNIS: Miami Open and stellar field getting close: The Miami Open's second year at Hard Rock Stadium begins its two-week run on March 23, with a terrific field including 18 players who have won a combined 80 Grand Slam titles. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams lead the way.  

10. HURRICANES: Spring football practice takes a break: UM is four practices into spring work and now the team is off all this coming week, returning to the field next Sunday. The idea of practicing in March has always struck us as a waste of time and money and something college football should consider eliminating, although coach Manny Diaz might vigorously disagree.

Missing the HB10 cut: Shameless plug: Episode 2 of the new Greg Cote podcast drops this Monday ..... ESPN wants to sign Peyton Manning and trade with NBC Sports for Al Michaels to form a Monday Night Football super-booth. You go, Mickey Mouse! ..... Spike Lee, how about you enter Madison Square Garden like a normal human being and quit whining when you don't get pampered with preferential treatment ..... Countdown 14 days until the race that debuts Homestead's new earlier spot on the NASCAR calendar ..... Keep booing the Astros, please ..... Is the XFL still playing games? ..... Honda Classic is moving a few weeks later on the golf calendar to try to get a stronger field. It couldn't hurt ..... Update: Countdown now 2,303 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17. We're back from a week's vacation. Details here below the new Hot Button Top 10. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, links to latest columns & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our most recent columns:

(*) It's Time For Anonymous Lone Voter Who Denied Jeter To Step Forward.

(*) Heat And Gloriously Impatient Riley Win In Trade For Iguodala.

(*) Return Of Ed Reed, Even If Mostly Symbolic, Leads Surge By Canes Football.

(*) Poor Dolphins Finally Getting Rid Of Brady Only to Have Mahomes Take His Place.

(*) Two-part series: How One Man Long Forgotten Changed Everything For the Miami Dolphins; 2) How Shula Made Dolphins Perfect and Made Miami Matter, And the Coach Today at 90.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 16-17): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. DWYANE WADE: It's "L3GACY Celebration" Week in Miami: A jersey retirement ceremony isn't enough. Uh uh. Not big enough. Not for this guy. So the Heat will celebrate Dwyane Wade's career with three nights of arena events: "The Flashback" career retrospective (for season-ticket holders only) this coming Friday night; jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of Saturday night's game vs. Cleveland; and the premiere of a new documentary about Wade next Sunday.

2. MARLINS: Spring is sprung as Year 3 of Jeter Era gets underway: The Marlins' first full-squad workout of spring training in Jupiter is this Wednesday (pitchers and catchers already have reported) and Miami's Grapefruit League exhibition schedule commences next Saturday February 22. It's Year 3 of the Derek Jeter Era. Noticeable improvement, por favor?

3. NBA: All-Star Game, tribute to Kobe go off in Chicago: It was Team LeBron edging Team Giannis 157-155 in Chicago last night in the 69th NBA All-Star Game, with the recent death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash hanging over the proceedings, which will included tributes to Bryant. Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will lead hall of fame inductees in the 2020 eligibility list just announced.

4. NASCAR: Daytona 500 postponed until Monday: Jimmie Johnson's farewell season and an appearance by Donald Trump were notable on Sunday as NASCAR opened its season with its most famous race. Alas, inclement weather postponed the D500 until today. Homestead will rev up again soon enough, this year hosting the sixth race on March 22 after years hosting the finale.

5. HEAT: Bam, Jimmy lead Miami all-stars at break: Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler repped the Heat in last night's NBA All-Star Game, after Adebayo won Saturday's Skills Challenge and Derrick Jones Jr. won the dunk contest. Miami is 35-19 and fourth in the East at the break, but only 4-6  since January 24 and looking to start the second half strong when games resume this Thursday in Atlanta. 

6. MLB: Astros cheating mess getting worse and worse: Houston staged a universally scorned apology press conference that really wasn't, only making matters worse in its scandal over sign-stealing that tarnishes its 2017 World Series title. What a mess clouding the start of spring training. Damned baseball can't ever seem to get out of its own way.  

7. PANTHERS: Slumping Cats trying to regain footing in NHL playoff chase: Once-hot Panthers have cooled in February (only 2-7 this month), and are now four points off NHL playoff pace in the East after Saturday's loss to Edmonton. Now it's five straight away on a West Coast road trip.

8. UM BASEBALL: Canes open season with sweep, await visit by Gators: UM, No. 7-ranked by USA Today, awaits a home series vs. No. 10 Florida next weekend after a Wednesday game vs. Kent State. Miami opened its season with a three-game series with Rutgers, completing a sweep on Sunday. 

9. INTER MIAMI: Getting close now. So, so close...: Inter Miami's inaugural Major League Soccer season begins March 1 in Los Angeles, with the historic first home game in Fort Lauderdale on March 14 at the old Lockhart site. Let the countdown begin!

10. CANES HOOPS: Average UM teams need a strong finish, and a prayer: Miami men are 13-12 after Saturday's win at Wake Forest and the Canes women are also 13-12 after beatng Clemson Sunday, both with five games left in the regular season. Each needs a strong finish and some sort of splash in the ACC Tournament for any prayer of an NCAA Tournament bid. Doesn't help that neither has beaten a Top 25 team.

Missing the HB10 cut: The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly are prepared to offer Tom Brady a two-year, $60 million free agent contract. Which sounds like a rumor planted by Tom Brady's agent ..... Has the XFL folded yet? ..... Getting close: UM spring football practice begins February 29. The NFL Scouting Combine commences February 27 ..... Update: Countdown now 2,317 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

MAN WHO DISLIKES BOTH DISCO MUSIC AND DANCING GOES ON 'DISCO CRUISE': That would be me. I love a wide spectrum of music, but disco may be my least favorite of any type. The genre lends itself to dancing -- which I don't particularly enjoy, either. Yet there I was on a five-day 'Disco Cruise' this past week from Miami to Key West and Nassau aboard the Celebrity Infinity. Went with my wife and another couple because the women thought it would be fun ... and it was, primarily (for me, at least) because a premium drink package and a casino meant I was free to partake of as much or as little of the actual disco music as I wished. In fairness I must say most of the performers were quite good, albeit entirely as nostalgia acts churning out 40-year-old songs. And of course in the case of the Jacksons, the Miracles, the Commodores, the Blue Notes and others, the acts typically were missing the one person who made them most famous (that would be Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Harold Melvin, chronologically). Many acts were one-hit wonders, such as The Trammps (Disco Inferno) and Sister Sledge (We Are Family). There were tribute bands for Earth Wind & Fire (so so) and Abba (really good). The headline act, KC & the Sunshine band, was a disappointment for me, although, in fairness, based on crowd reaction, I think my opinion was clearly in the minority. Frontman Harry Casey did his best, but at age 69 and by his own  admission really overweight, the spins and dance moves were excruciating to watch and the show was overly choreographed and almost Broadway-like in bombast and overproduction. KC poked fun at his own weight gain, joking the band maybe should be call "KFC" and the Sunshine Band. Still, give the Miami-born entertainer credit for a long and enduring career -- one given a new kind of life by these disco cruises. 

Other select recent columns: Chiefs, Mahomes And A Former Dolphin Win Super Bowl 54 -- And So Does Miami and Kobe's Death Sends Sports World Reeling, But Immortality Is His. Also: How The NFL, Even Amid Safety Concerns, Bounced Back And Is Healthier Than Ever / How Miami Went From Forgotten to Back On Top As 'Super Bowl City' / Jimmy Johnson's Biggest Triumph? Knowing When To Quit -- And Why / Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team / On Miami's Home Field, Gators Remind Canes How to Win Major Bowl Game and We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football.

1) It's MONDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10-15. We're off on vacation all this coming week. See ya'll next weekend! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Time for 'The Lone Voter' to step forward, Heat and Riley win on Iguodala, Ed Reed return part of Canes surge, Dolphins have a new roadblock, latest Back In My Day video & more. 2) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our most recent columns:

(*) It's Time For Anonymous Lone Voter Who Denied Jeter To Step Forward.

(*) Heat And Gloriously Impatient Riley Win In Trade For Iguodala.

(*) Return Of Ed Reed, Even If Mostly Symbolic, Leads Surge By Canes Football.

(*) Poor Dolphins Finally Getting Rid Of Brady Only to Have Mahomes Take His Place.

(*) Two-part series: How One Man Long Forgotten Changed Everything For the Miami Dolphins; 2) How Shula Made Dolphins Perfect and Made Miami Matter, And the Coach Today at 90.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 9-15): 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. This week's HB10:

1. HEAT: Slumping Miami in win-now mode with big Iguodala trade: Heat and Memphis beat the NBA trade deadline with a six-player deal that, at its core, sends Justise Winslow to the Grizzlies and brings elite wing defender Andre Iguodala to Miami. Smart move by the Heat with playoff run in mind. Heat is 34-18 and fourth in East after losing three straight and five of past eight, with two left before all-star break.

2. PANTHERS: Uh oh. Cats stumble, fall of NHL playoff pace: The once-hot Panthers have lost three in a row and four of past five to tumble to 29-25 and off playoff pace. Florida needs to regain its mojo starting Monday in Philadelphia to stay afloat in a brutally tough, packed Eastern Conference. 

3. RUNNING: More than 20K hit streets in Miami Marathon: Sunday's Miami Marathon and Half-Marathon drew more than 20,000 runners to the streets of Miami and Miami Beach. It's a glorious annual event except for people who drive cars and whose weekend plans are disrupted by hordes of exercise-obsessed fanatics in a sporting event of interest only to participants.

4. HURRICANES: Revamped UM sets spring football start: Coach Manny Diaz introduced new chief of staff Ed Reed, new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and new QB D'Eriq King in a National Signing Day press conference to wrap up recruiting. New-look Canes will hit the field to open spring practice on February 29, happily leaving last year's 6-7 nightmare behind.

5. MARLINS: FanFest ushers in arrival of spring: FanFest was Saturday at Marlins Park, signaling the arrival of spring. Pitchers and catchers have their first workout of spring training on February 14 and the full squad begins February 19. Here comes Year 3 of the Derek Jeter Rebuild, ready or not.

6. BASEBALL: Red Sox Nation up in arms over Mookie trade: Boston completed a blockbuster three-team trade that sent RF Mookie Betts and P David Price to the Dodgers, with the Red Sox getting CF Alex Verdugo and a pitching prospects whose medical condition held up the deal. To Red Sox Nation, feels like a salary dump and a surrender flag waving.

7. KOBE BRYANT: All-star tribute, public memorial upcoming: The helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others continues to reverberate. Next Sunday's NBA All-Star Game in Chicago will include tributes to Bryant, and a public memorial has been set for February 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

8. SOCCER: U.S. women qualify for Olympics: The U.S. women's national team whupped Mexico 4-0 to qualify for the coming Olympics. Had the reigning World Cup champions not qualified for the Olympics -- now that would-a been news! U.S. has made every Olympics since the first for women's soccer in 1996, and has won four gold medals.

9. UM BASEBALL: Season on deck for No. 3-ranked Canes: Season of high hopes began with Saturday's FanFest and alumni game. Real play for coach Gino DiMare's ACC-favorite team opens at home starting February 14 with a three-game series vs Rutgers.

10. CANES HOOPS: Larranaga's men's team sort of stinks. Sorry: The terribly slumping Canes men are no 11-2, 3-10 in the ACC and 0-6 against Top 25 teams. UM women are a bit better at 12-10 and 4-7, but also 0-6 vs ranked teams. Not much local excitement building for March Madness, alas.

Missing the HB10 cut: The XFL debuted, and this is where I can't even muster enough fake interest to pretend I care ..... Bobby Knight attended his first Indiana basketball game in 20 years. Did he throw a folding metal chair just for old times' sake? ..... Jon Jones won UFC 247. Wake me when he  moves up to the heavyweight class ..... Countdown 21 days until Inter Miami's inaugural game as a Major League Soccer expansion team. Newbies play two on road before opening at home on March 14 ..... NFL Scouting Combine begins February 27 in Indy. NFL Network will extend coverage into prime time for the first time, prompting analysts to ask, "Why!?" ..... Update: Countdown now 2,324 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

Other select recent columns: Chiefs, Mahomes And A Former Dolphin Win Super Bowl 54 -- And So Does Miami and Kobe's Death Sends Sports World Reeling, But Immortality Is His. Also: How The NFL, Even Amid Safety Concerns, Bounced Back And Is Healthier Than Ever / How Miami Went From Forgotten to Back On Top As 'Super Bowl City' / Jimmy Johnson's Biggest Triumph? Knowing When To Quit -- And Why / Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team / On Miami's Home Field, Gators Remind Canes How to Win Major Bowl Game and We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football.

1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 6. A heartfelt happy 90th birthday to the great Dolphins icon Don Shula (pictured in earlier days), who hit the milestone Saturday. Here's to many more! 2) Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. It's the perfect (late) holiday gift for all the Dolfans in your life. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Wild Card Weekend picks, Wade retires (Miami) and Woods' Masters (national) voted biggest sports stories of 2019 in year-end polls, Gators win Orange Bowl & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our return to Le Batard Show: For those who've asked I'll be back on ESPN Radio tomorrow/Tuesday.

Final Herald NFL QB rankings: This was our 22nd year of NFL quarterback rankings. Visit Herald 2019 Final NFL QB Rankings.

WILD CARD WEEKEND! ROAD TEAMS TAKE THREE OF FOUR: Update: Ouch. We were 0-4 straight-up and 0-4 against the spread on our WCW picks. That's a first. May it be a last, please? Original post: Off our record-setting 2018 season we've had a solid 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald. Finished the regular season with a .663 winning percentage overall and .518 against the spread. Now all that matters are the 11 postseason games ahead culminating with the backyard Miami Super Bowl on February 2. For all four of our Wild Card Weekend picks -- including a pair of upsets! -- visit the motherlode of prognostication I like to call NFL Wild Card Weekend Gems.

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

1. NFL: Texans, Titans, Vikings, Seahawks advance in playoffs: The king is dead! The king is dead! The reigning champion Patriots and Tom Brady are dethroned. Tennessee and Ryan Tannehill ousted them Saturday while Houston rallied to edge Buffalo. Sunday, Vikings upset Saints and Seahawks handled Eagles on Wild Card Weekend. Away teams won three of four. The road to Miami, indeed.

2. HURRICANES: Miami hiresg SMU hotshot as new offensive coordinator: UM has hired SMU offensive coordinator/QBs coach Rhett Lashlee, 36, for the same job here. Lashlee ran an exciting spread offense that was top 10 in the nation in points and yards this season. Canes fans are excited. Warning: (They were excited about Dan Enos, too, once).

3. HEAT: Miami tops Portland in Whiteside's return: Miami sits pretty in third place in the East at 26-10, with Justise Winslow, who has missed 26 games, finally close to returning from his back injury. Team beat Portland -- and Hassan Whiteside -- Sunday evening, with Whiteside mostly booed throughout the night.

4. UM HOOPS: No. 2 Duke schools Canes men: UM men fell to 9-4 with Saturday's 95-62 home loss to Duke and next plays at No. 7 Louisville Tuesday. Meanwhile No. 23 Canes women gell to 9-5 after Sunday's home loss to Florida State, and now face another top-10 foe in Louisville.

5. PANTHERS: Cats win at Pittsburgh: Florida is 22-20 after Sunday's 4-1 win at Pittsburgh that lifted the Cats to a tie for the final playoff spot at midseason. Team has won seven of past 10 and now plays four straight at home.

6. DOLPHINS: Tagovailoa decision expected Monday: Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, recovering from a hip injury, has said he will announce Monday whether he'll entre the NFL Draft or return to the Crimson Tide. Many NFL teams -- the Dolphins perhaps highest among them -- will see their draft plans shaped by that decision.

7. DAVID STERN: R.I.P. to commissioner who made NBA what it is: Stern died this week at 77 and is being remembered as the longtime commissioner who made the NBA an international brand it is. He's high on a very short of of greatest commissioner in the history of sports.

8. DALLAS COWBOYS: Jerry Jones finally pulls the trigger: The underperforming Cowboys finally fired coach Jason Garrett. Prominent among the possible replacements being interviewed: Mike McCarthy and Marvin Lewis. Good to see that Jerry Jones believes in recycling.

9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Seven days 'til LSU-Clemson title game: Two 14-0 teams ready for the College Football playoff championship in New Orleans, with LSU a 5 1/2-point favorite and the over/under inching up toward 70. Will either remember to pack a defense for the trip?

10. INTER MIAMI: Coach in place, players next, season soon: With a coach hired in Diego Alonso but players still to come, Inter Miami's inaugural Major League Soccer season is getting more and more real. And close. Countdown to season opener: 54 days.

Missing the HB10 cut: We appear to be inching closer to war with Iran. Have a nice Sunday, everybody! ..... Great to see Dolphins great Zach Thomas make the list of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now get him to Canyon, voters! ..... Florida beats Virginia in the Orange Bowl. Miamians still can't believe they had to watch Florida beat Virginia in the Orange Bowl ..... Update: Countdown now 2,359 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

SIFTING THROUGH THE LOSING, WE ANNOUNCE THE MIAMI DOLPHINS' 2010-19 ALL-DECADE TEAM!: In another few days you will have broken a social faux pas but for now you can still wish people a Happy New Year without them looking at you funny. There are rules for these things. For example, when introducing your new head coach in early January, you probably don’t want to begin the news conference by wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving, as Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder did this week. That got me thinking the window is closing to name the Miami Dolphins’ All-Decade Team for 2010 to 2019, so let’s get to it. First I will pause a second for all of your snide comments and thoughts, like, a team that went 69-91 in the decade, made one playoff and won zero playoff games — did they have any good players? Well, a few, yes. So let’s bid auld lang syne to the past decade by remembering the Dolphins who were the least bad, relatively speaking. Pictured is the most obvious choice for the team: Cameron Wake. Here is our Dolphins’ All-Decade Team, after which we will name the players of the decade from the Dolphins, Heat, Panthers and Marlins. To see our team and get our full latest column, please visit Announcing Miami Dolphins' 2010-19 All-Decade Team.

Other most recent columns: On Miami's Home Field, Gators Remind Canes How to Win Major Bowl Game and We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football.

THE LIST: SUPER BOWL RECORDS OF 2019 PLAYOFF TEAMS: Ranked by most victories:

Team                      SB W-L            Last in SB, last won

Patriots                   6-5, .545        2018 / 2018

49ers                      5-1, .833         2012 / 1995

Packers                   4-1, .800        2010 / 2010

Ravens                    2-0, 1.000       2012 / 2012

Saints                     1-0, 1.000       2009 / 2009

Chiefs                     1-1, .500        1969 / 1969

Eagles                     1-2, .333        2017 / 2017

Seahawks                1-2, .333        2014 / 2013

Titans                     0-1, .000        1999 / Never won

Bills                        0-4, .000        1993 / Never won

Vikings                    0-4, .000        1976 / Never won

Texans                    0-0, .000        Never appeared

Select recent other columns: Why Minor Bowl, Small Opponent Should Be Of Major Importance to Miami Hurricanes / Fitzpatrick Gives Dolphins Luxury Of Options In 2020 Draft / Beating Canes Was Huge For FIU, But Even Bigger For Butch Davis / FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes / Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me! / Off Bad End to Down Season, Miami Hurricanes Should Decline Bowl Invite / Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal / Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye. [Note: This link to our APSE-honored work will appear here through the weekend and be gone starting Monday].

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

Twitter @gregcote

1) It's TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31. Hope y'all enjoyed a wonderful long holiday weekend! Scroll to previous blogpost for season-ending result of Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. (Warning: It's ugly). 2) Personal note: I'm burning a bunch of leftover vacation time this month, in case you wondered why I haven't been in the Herald much lately. Bonus points if you noticed! 3) Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. It's the perfect holiday gift for all the Dolfans in your life. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes lose bowl game to Louisiana Tech with CSM poll, NFL Week 17 picks, Pix 'n Fantasy Week 16 results, updated Herald NFL QB rankings & more. 5) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

G16: DOLPHINS 27, AT NEW ENGLAND 24: MIAMI PUTS A BOW ON A LOST SEASON: Original post: It’s all division games, all on Sunday, as NFL’s 2019 regular season crescendos with Week 17 determining the final two of 12 playoff spots. Stakes are minimal in Dolphins’ finale, of course, but there are some, at least. The 12-3 Patriots must win (or hope for an unlikely Chiefs loss) to secure the No. 2 AFC seed and a first-round playoff bye. Can 4-11 Miami and expatriate/ex-Patriot Brian Flores play spoiler vs. nemesis Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at a cold and cloudy Foxborough? Um, well, no. Sorry. Fins haven’t won at New England in 11 years, and Patriots have won 22 of past 23 at home overall. Pats won 43-0 in September -- back when we thought Miami might be historically bad, maybe 0-16 bound. Competitiveness and even credibility ensued, but for Fins today, as 16-point underdogs, the Pats’ end zone will still feel miles away against a majorly great defense. Pictured left: Two really old quarterbacks. Cote’s pick: NE 31-13. Visit NFL Week 17 Gems for all of our latest picks. And watch for the latest and season-finale Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, here and elsewhere online, right after today's game ends.

DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G16/SEASON FINAL: 88.9%: Results are certified in the latest -- and season-finale -- Miami Herald Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, this in the wake of Sunday's 27-24 upset win at New England putting Miami's final 2019 season record at 5-11. That's a season high and the second-best final rating in the poll's 12-year history. The DSM is a continuous gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your own overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Because this was the final poll, I suggested added emphasis be given to the season as a whole. Online voting determines the final result, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Tuesday. Final poll analysis below.

2019 DSM game-by-game results

G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.

G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.

G3: 27.5% following 31-6 loss at Dallas.

G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.

G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.

G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.

G7: 28.8% following 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.

G8: 76.4% following 26-18 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.

G9: 70.9% following 16-12 victory at Indianapolis.

G10: 44.5% following 37-20 loss vs. Buffalo.

G11: 44.9% following 41-24 loss at Cleveland.

G12: 80.5% following 37-31 victory vs. Philadelphia.

G13: 77.4% following 22-21 loss at N.Y. Jets.

G14: 53.9% following 36-20 loss at N.Y. Giants.

G15: 54.4% following 38-35 OT victory vs. Cincinnati.

G16/Season final: 88.9%: following 27-24 victory at New England.

Final poll analysis: A nearly 90 percent thumb's-up from Dolfans after a 5-11 season? It doesn't make much sense. But I've called this The Weirdest Season all year, so maybe it does make sense. I think most fans think Miami got the best of both worlds: a high draft pick (fifth overall) and an NFL-leading bevy of 13 picks total, and the optimism borne of a strong second half to the season capped by the stunning upset at nemesis New England. 

Yearly DSM Results: 2019--88.9% (following 5-11 season); 2018--6.9% (7-9); 2017--7.7% (6-10); 2016--76.2% (10-6/playoff loss); 2015--18.1% (6-10); 2014--2.7% (8-8); 2013--4.2% (8-8); 2012--29.8% (7-9); 2011--34.9% (6-10); 2010--3.8% (7-9); 2009--31.2% (7-9); 2008--96.9% (11-5/playoff loss).

Our most recent columns: We Are The Champions: How South Florida Came to Own the State in High School Football / Why Minor Bowl, Small Opponent Should Be Of Major Importance to Miami Hurricanes and Fitzpatrick Gives Dolphins Luxury Of Options In 2020 Draft. Also: Beating Canes Was Huge For FIU, But Even Bigger For Butch Davis / FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes / Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me!

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 29-30): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. HURRICANES: Enos out as embarrassing bowl loss ends miserable year: The Canes limped to the end of a really disappointing 6-7 season with an embarrassing 14-0 loss to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl -- a new low in a year full of those. The good news: Offensive coordinator Dan Enos, maestro of the mess, was immediately fired.

2. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: It's LSU vs. Clemson for championship: No. 1 LSU crushed No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 3 Clemson survived No. 2 Ohio State in Saturdays' College Football Playoff semifinals to set up a Jan. 13 championship game. That means two full weeks to savor Nick Saban not being in it.

3. ORANGE BOWL: Florida, Virginia go at it Monday night: The No. 9 Gators (10-2) are a big two-touchdown favorite over the No. 24 Cavaliers (9-4) at Hard Rock Stadium. The hometown Hurricanes might have been in this OB had they not monumentally choked in the last two games of the season.

4. DOLPHINS: Miami ends sacrificial season with win in New England: Dolphins sacrificed the 2019 season for the future by trading talent for draft picks, with lots of losing part of the exchange. Today, the misery ended happily in Foxborough with a 27-24 upset win. And now the countdown begins: 116 days until the April 23-25 NFL Draft.

5. HEAT: Hot Heat keep sizzling along: Miami is now 24-8, and 15-1 at home, after last night's OT escape vs. Philadelphia and entering a Monday date at Washington. No more scrambling for an eighth seed. Thinking top four. Eastern finals, even?

6. INTER MIAMI: Finally! MLS team to welcome new coach Monday: Uruguayan Diego Alonso, 44, recently coach of Mexico's CF Monterrey until his firing September 30, will be introduced Monday as new coach of MLS expansion team Inter Miami. he new coach of Inter Miami. There had been speculation about bigger-name coaches. Is Alonso up to the task? 

7. NFL: Five teams alive for last two playoffs spots: The Super Bowl tournament leading to Miami has 10 of 12 invites sewn up. Today, the Eagles (likely) or Cowboys will claim the final NFC spot, and the Titans (likely), Steelers or Raiders will by the last AFC team in. (Wonder of the Dolphins will ever be in this conversation again?)

8. PANTHERS: Cats (narrowly) back on playoff pace: Florida is 19-18 after last night's 5-4 home ice win over Detroit. Cats are presently on playoff pace by a one-point margin as they host Montreal today then set out on a four-game roadie.

9. UM HOOPS: Now it gets serious for Canes men, women: No. 24-ranked and 8-3 Canes women open ACC play vs. Wake Forest today and have top-10s Florida State and Louisville upcoming. The Miami men, also 8-3 but unranked, visit Clemson Tuesday and host No. 4 Duke and and travel to No. 3 Louisville in the next week.

10. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Gonzaga sixth men's No. 1 to lose: Michigan State. Kentucky. Duke. Louisville. Kansas. Now Gonzaga. That's six No. 1-ranked teams to lose. The record for most different No 1-ranked schools in a season is seven set in 1982-83. Ohio State could be next in the top spot. Uh oh.

Missing the HB10 cut: An early Happy New Year to all! .....We're miserable! The Florida Panthers are No. 5 and the Miami Dolphins No. 7 in ESPN's latest annual Fan Misery Index. The Marlins are 28th among the 123 Big Four league teams. Only the Heat fare well, at 116th. Sacramento Kings are the dubious No. 1 and of the course the damned Patriots are last, meaning first ..... Dallas and Nashville will meet outdoors on New Year's Day in the NHL Winter Classic in the Cotton Bowl ..... Free agency has hit World Team Tennis, for those of you who had forgotten World team Tennis still existed ..... Update: Countdown now 2,366 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

Additional select recent columns: Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick / Off Bad End to Down Season, Miami Hurricanes Should Decline Bowl Invite / Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run / The Best Will Race For Title At Homestead. But Here Is What NASCAR Is Missing And Needs / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / The Player Who Started the Glory Days in  for Canes Football / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal / Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

Twitter @gregcote

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 9. Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. It's the perfect holiday gift for the Dolfans in your life. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 14 picks & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our most recent columns: Fitzpatrick Gives Dolphins Luxury Of Options In 2020 Draft and Off Bad End to Down Season, Miami Hurricanes Should Decline Bowl Invite.

G13: N.Y. STINKIN' JETS 22, DOLPHINS 21: MIAMI LIVES, DIES BY FIELD GOAL: Miami settled for a team-record seven field goals and lost when Jets kicked one of their own on final play -- after a controversial reversal on a pass-interference call against the Fins ..... Original post: This is first time this season that Miami has not been a double-digit underdog on the road. (Hey, sometimes progress comes in small packages!) A couple of things make this a very tough pick between the 3-9 Fins and 4-8 Jets. First, the Jets are wildly erratic under Adam Gase. They can be credible; they'd won three in a row. Then last week they get blown out by the winless Bengals. Which NYJ will show up? Second, there are sharply conflicting trends here. For example, the Dolphins have won six of the past seven in this rivalry (including 26-18 in Week 9) and eight of the past 11 trips to NYJ. But Miami also has lost 11 of its past 12 road games overall. The Fins catch break by the likely injury absence of top Planes safety Jamal Adams, with RB Le'Veon Bell also iffy to play. But does that mean inconsistent Ryan Fitzpatrick and the inconsistent Fins can produce the same performance on the road as the one that stunned Philly at home last week? The Jets’ superior defense and Miami’s poor offensive line and lack of running game tilt this pick. The point spread (five points) is fat, though. I mean these are the Stinkin’ Jets. Cote’s pick: NYJ 23-20. See Week 14 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks. And watch for the latest  Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, here and elsewhere online, right after today's game ends.

DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G13: VOTE NOW!: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 77.4 percent approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 22-21 loss at the New York Jets putting Miami's season record at 3-10. In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your own overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the final result, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday.

2019 DSM game-by-game results

G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.

G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.

G3: 27.5% following 31-6 loss at Dallas.

G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.

G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.

G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.

G7: 28.8% following 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.

G8: 76.4% following 26-18 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.

G9: 70.9% following 16-12 victory at Indianapolis.

G10: 44.5% following 37-20 loss vs. Buffalo.

G11: 44.9% following 41-24 loss at Cleveland.

G12: 80.5% following 37-31 victory vs. Philadelphia.

G13: 77.4% following 22-21 loss at N.Y. Jets.

Next poll: Dec. 15 following game at N.Y. Giants.

Most recent other work: Beating Canes Was Huge For FIU, But Even Bigger For Butch Davis / FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes / Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me! / and Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 8-9): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature -- back after taking last week off -- 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. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Championship Weekend sets playoff's final four: On Saturday No. 1 Ohio State won the Big Ten, No. 2 LSU won the SEC and No. 3 Clemson won the ACC, nailing down three-fourths of the College Football Playoff. Only question was who would be fourth? Answer: Oklahoma. The semifinals: LSU-Oklahoma and Ohio State-Clemson. No Alabama or Nick Saban. Ain't it great!?

2. DOLPHINS: Fins lose heartbreaker at Stinkin' Jets: Miami lost when a controversial pass-interference reversal went against the Fins and gave NYJ an easy winning field goal on the final play. Brian Flores was livid. But when you settle for a team-record seven field goals, should you complain too loudly that you lost?

3. HEAT: Miami stays hot, readies for LeBron visit: The Heat are sailing along at 17-6 -- including a perfect 10-0 at home -- after Sunday's home win over Chicago. Erik Spoelstar would tell you his team mustn't look ahead. But that doesn't mean we can't. Here on Friday night: the NBA-leading Los Angeles Lakers led by Anthony Davis and some guy named LeBron James.

4. HURRICANES: Miami to Independence Bowl, other destinations: Sunday was bowl invitations day nationwide in college football, and the Canes are headed to play Louisiana tech Dec. 26 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. Also notable: Florida-Virginia in Orange Bowl Dec. 30; FSU-Arizona State in Sun Bowl Dec. 31; UCF-Marshall in Gasparilla Dec. 23; FIU-Arkansas State in Camellia Dec. 21; and FAU-SMU in Boca Raton Bowl Dec. 21.

5. MARLINS: Fish add offensive pop with two (fairly) big gets: Ahead of the Dec. 8-12 baseball winter meetings the Marlins acquired versatile infielder Jonathan Villar from Baltimore for a minor-league pitcher and signed former Tampa Bay first baseman Jesus Aguilar off waivers. Villar, 28, had a career year in 2019, with 24 homers, 40 stolen bases, a .279 bat and 4.0 WAR. Aguilar fell of last year but was an all-star in '18 with 35 homers and 108 RBIs. Good moves, Fish.

6. INTER MIAMI: Team signs top goalkeeper, close on coach hire: MLS expansion team Inter Miami, its inaugural season just a few months away, signed goalkeeper Luis Robles, who is 35 but coming off a stellar season with 14 shutouts for the league's New York Red Bulls. Next major step: a coach. Finally, please? Patrick Vieira of French cub Nice is the latest big rumor.

7. PANTHERS: OK, are we worried about Bobrovsky yet?: The Panthers are 15-14 after winning two straight and are seventh in the conference -- the far edge of playoff pace. That despite being one of NHL's top-10 scoring teams. So what's the problem? Defense, especially new, high-priced goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, of the career-worst saves percentage and goals-against average. Pick it up, Bob!

8. LANE KIFFIN: FAU coach headed back to SEC with Ole Miss: Three seasons in Boca Raton with the Owls were enough, apparently, to convince a Power 5 conference team to let Lane Kiffin back in. Saturday Kiffin coached FAU to a win in the Conference USA championship game, then changed hats and headed to Ole Miss in a return to the SEC. He's colorful, great on Twitter. Pretty good coach, too.

9. LIONEL MESSI: Barcelona star wins sixth Ballon d'Or: Barca god Lionel Messi won a record sixth Ballon d'Or as international men's futbol player of the year -- and immediately volunteered that he is aware of his age (32) and sees retirement coming. Hopefully by "retirement," he means a few years' swan song in MLS with Inter Miami? 

10. CANES BASKETBALL: UM women face tumble from rankings: Katier Meier's No. 21-ranked squad figures to drop from the Top 25 after falling to 5-3 with a home loss to No. 14 Indiana, making UM 0-3 vs. ranked teams. Canes men also  are 5-3.

Missing the HB10 cut: Former Canes coach Al Golden accuses UM of libel and negligence in a lawsuit against the university set for trial early next year, Palm Beach radio station WMEN reported. Allegations he is owed money from his 2015 buyout is the crux of the matter. Golden hopes his verdict in court exceeds his results on the field while at UM ..... Knicks firing David Fizdale = shameless scapegoating ..... OK, Houston and James Harden got screwed out of a dunk. Get over it, already! ..... Congrats on the second kid, Erik Spoelstra ..... It's 75 days until Homestead hosts another NASCAR race ..... Update: Countdown now 2,387 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

Select other recent columns: Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run / The Best Will Race For Title At Homestead. But Here Is What NASCAR Is Missing And Needs / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / The Player Who Started the Glory Days in  for Canes Football / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Le Batard On Return To Air, Latest Event / Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal / Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

Twitter @gregcote

1) It's MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25. Scroll to previous blogpost for results of latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. They're ugly. 2) Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes lose in stunning upset to FIU, with CSM postgame poll & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.

Our UM-FIU column from Marlins Park: Visit FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes.

Our NFL Week 12 picks for Dolphins-Browns and all the rest: Dolphins at Browns, our Game of the Week and our Upset of the Week (which could be one and the same), and all the rest. Please visit the motherlode of prognostication that I like to call NFL Week 12 Gems.

Also from me this week: Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me! / and Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick.

G11: @CLEVELAND 41, DOLPHINS 24: OPTIMISM WAS A RISK FOR MIAMI FANS SUNDAY: Original post: Odell Beckham Jr. and former Dolphin Jarvis Landry both are battling injuries for Cleveland but you know they’ll play. A dead receiver would rise in his coffin for the chance to face a Miami pass defense allowing the third-highest opponent passer rating in the NFL. Then again, how much will Baker Mayfield have to throw with Nick Chubb kicking up dirt against the league’s 31st-ranked run defense? Have you gotten the idea yet that I don’t love this matchup for Miami? The 4-6 Earthtones are a big 11-point home favorite over the 2-8 Fins and I get why. Beyond the big challenge for Miami defense, Ryan Fitzpatrick is iffy with right shoulder and forearm injuries, so Josh Rosen is on call. Uh oh. Either guy will have no run support. The good news? Browns DE Myles Garrett is suspended so he won’t be swinging his helmet at anybody’s head. Tempted to fancy the Fins with an 11-point head start. The thing is, Miami is 1-10 in its past 11 roadies, and I envision a rout more than I do anything winnable late. Cote's pick: Cleveland, 30-13. See Week 12 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.

DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G11: 44.9%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 44.9 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 41-24 loss at Cleveland putting  Miami’s season record at 2-9. In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the final result, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday.

2019 DSM game-by-game results

G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.

G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.

G3: 27.5% following 31-6 loss at Dallas.

G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.

G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.

G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.

G7: 28.8% following 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.

G8: 76.4% following 26-18 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.

G9: 70.9% following 16-12 victory at Indianapolis.

G10: 44.5% following 37-20 loss vs. Buffalo.

G11: 44.9% following 41-24 loss at Cleveland.

Next poll: Dec. 1 following game vs. Philadelphia.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 24-25): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. HURRICANES: FIU deals UM stunning loss at Marlins Park: It was as triumphant and historic a victory for Butch Davis and FIU as it was a stunning, epic-low defeat for Manny Diaz and the Hurricanes. For a day, the King of Miami college football was not is the five-time national champions. It was FIU.

2. HEAT: Hot Miami gets cooled in Philly: Heat is still 11-4 (and 6-0 at home) even after Saturday night's loss at Philadelphia, entering Monday's home game with Charlotte. Strong start for Miami, but 76ers reminded us it's early to start thinking "Kings of the East."

3. DOLPHINS: Early hole buries Miami at Cleveland Sunday: One team has a worse record than Miami, two have the same record, Tua is injured -- what the hell is going on! The season of calculated tanking risks running off the rails as Miami falls in Cleveland 41-24, crushed by an early 28-0 hole.

4. PANTHERS: Florida still looking solid in playoff race: Panthers are 12-12 after two straight losses but still solid in early playoff chase. Cats are second-highest scoring team in NHL. Time for the defense to catch up. 

5. INTER MIAMI: Miami thinks defense in MLS expansion draft: Inter Miami top-drafted left back Ben Sweat, 28, in the MLS expansion draft, while the other four picks were a right back, two midfielders and a goalkeeper -- the draft emphasis clearly leaning defense. Next mission for Inter Miami: Um, a coach, please? 

6. UM BASKETBALL: Unbeaten Canes women await first real test: Katie Meier's squad is 4-0 and ranked No. 16 but await their first Litmus test this week (Friday the 29th) in hosting No. 7 Oregon State. Meanwhile the unranked UM men are 4-2 after splitting two games in the Charleston (S.C.) Classic. 

7. MARLINS: Fish bolster scouting staff: With spring training only three months away (!), the Miami Marlins announced seven new hires to their professional, amateur and international scouting staffs, the seven bringing a combined 58 years of experience in professional baseball. That's good. Even better? How about you sign a couple of guys who can hit 30 homers!?

8. NASCAR: Homestead already planning for spring race: Kyle Busch fans are still celebrating last week's season-ending championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and already the track is transitioning from the final race to its new spot on the NASCAR calendar starting in 2020. Countdown to March 22: 88 days.

9. SOCCER: Annual conference draws throngs to Miami: The annual SoccerEx business and networking conference drew 1,800 to Aventura, where speakers included MLS commissioner Don Garber and Inter Miami principle owner Jorge Mas. Just one more indication that Miami is or is becoming a futbol hotbed. 

10. LEBRON JAMES: Another NBA milestone: LeBron became the first player in NBA history to have a triple-double against all 30 teams. That requires two thins: 1) Being really good, and 2) Switching teams a fair amount.

Missing the HB10 cut: And still nobody has signed Colin Kaepernick. Or did that go without saying by now? ..... Host Spain beat Canada to win tennis' Davis Cup, and not even Davis cared ..... Dolphins cut Mark Walton after he allegedly punched a pregnant girlfriend. Not a good sign when your run-ins with the law begin to outnumber your career touchdowns ..... Former Orlando Magic executive Pat Williams trying to trying to interest MLB in an "Orlando Dreamers" expansion team. Somebody tell Pat the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins ranked 29th and 30th in attendance last year. And that there are only 30 teams ..... Former Vikings kicker Fred Cox, who later invented the Nerf football, died at 80. Cannot confirm Fred will be buried in a foam casket ..... Charles Barkley threatened a female reporter. Social media then uncovered past racist tweets by the reporter. Rinse, repeat ..... Jimmie Johnson says 2020 will be his final season in NASCAR. At 44 and coming off his worst year, the news feels a year late ..... The 107th CFL Grey Cup is Sunday, with the WInnipeg Blue Bombers facing the Hamiton Tiger-Cats in Calgary. The MVP is expected to be someone you've never heard of ..... Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he is retiring. Again. Floyd now has more retirements than boxing victories ..... Update: Countdown now 2,401 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

Select other recent columns: Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run / The Best Will Race For Title At Homestead. But Here Is What NASCAR Is Missing And Needs / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / The Player Who Started the Glory Days in  for Canes Football / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Le Batard On Return To Air, Latest Event / Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal / Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.

APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.

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Twitter @gregcote