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

1) It's MONDAY, JANUARY 9. OK. Done. Over. No more "Happy new year" wishes. 2) Glad to be back on the Le Batard Show tomorrow for my regular Tuesday seat this week. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 18 picks, Damar Hamlin crisis brings NFL to halt, The Curse of the Miami Dolphins, NFL Week 17 results (Picks/Lobos/QB rank), Greg Cote Show emergency year-end episode, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: FIRST NEW EPISODE OF 2023 OUT NOW: 'THE VERDICT': Our 1st episode of 2023 and 147th overall is out now! New episodes drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 147 we've done so far HERE. Our new episode settles -- once and for all -- the show's Tony Kornheiser/toenail bet with a verdict from an all-star three-person jury consisting for Sarah Spain, Ron Magill and Tim Kurkjian. Did Greg or Chris win? Hint: It was not unanimous. Also in the new ep, the guys discuss the Dolphins making the playoffs (!), whether Greg went cheap with Seinfeld tickets, Chris in the King Mango Strut parade and more. Hit up GCS2301 for the full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats -- and there's a free-shipping promotion through this Thursday! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JANUARY 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. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Miami wins, gets help, ends six-year playoff drought: With third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson on call Sunday, the Dolphins had to beat the visiting New York Jets and have the Patriots lose at the Bills in a concurrent game. Done. Done. Playoffs! Miami is in the NFL postseason for the first time since 2016 and only third time in past 21 seasons. 

2. NFL: Chiefs, Eagles top seeds as 14-team playoff field set after week under grip of Damar Hamlin: Eighteen teams are out and 14 have  advanced to the NFL playoffs, the last three including Miami making it on the final weekend of the regular season. Week was dominated by the cardiac arrest suffered by Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday night in a crisis that first postponed and later canceled the Bills-Bengals game. Hamlin has since shown great progress and was talking via FaceTime with his teammates Friday night.

3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Can TCU shock the world (and the Dawgs)?: Can No. 3 TCU (13-1) shock the world (and the Dawgs) by beating heavily favored No. 1 Georgia (14-0) in Monday night's College Football Playoff championship game in Inglewood, California? Georgia, the defending champion, is a 12 1/2-point favorite to win its third national title. TCU is after its second crown and first since distant 1938.

HB10 cut: Desperate Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher hired disgraced Bobby Petrino to be his offensive coordinator ..... The Dodgers severed ties to Trevor Bauer, the starting pitcher and former Cy Young winner who was given an unprecedented suspension following allegations of sexual assault ..... University of Texas fired men's basketball coach Chris Beard less than a month after his December 12 arrest for domestic violence ..... NCAA is after Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh for several violations ..... Unlikeable, questionably talented self-promoter Jake Paul signed to compete in MMA with the Professional Fighters League ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast drops its first episode of the new year on 7 a.m. ET Monday, January 9 ..... Update: Countdown now 1,247 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Dolphins See Playoff Hopes In Peril With 3rd Straight Loss in Buffalo / Loss In L.A. Puts Pressure on Dolphins -- And Tua -- To Rise Up In Final Month / Griner Freed, But Others Still Held, And WNBA Responsibility Remains / Reality-Check for Dolphins, Tua In San Fran -- But Don't Quit On Miami / Le Batard On New Mas Miami, First DocuSeries -- And Next Big Move / Miami Needs To Seal Deal On Messi Or It'll Be Fans Who Should Feel Jilted / Dolphins Rout Texans, but How Good Are Fins, Really? We're About To See / Miami Hurricanes End No-Bowl Season 5-7 With Home Rout-Loss To Pitt / Thanksgiving 2022: In Sports As In Life, Little Feeds Spirit Like Gratitude / Jimmy Johnson Had To Give Up Football To Get His Life Back / R.I.P. Chuck Carr: Remembering Marlins' Speedy First Star / Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HB10 cut: NFL's Pro Bowl all-star game has devolved into a flag football game to be coached February 5 by Peyton and Eli Manning. Still, to be selected is sort of a big deal, and Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, OT Terron Armstead and S Xavien Howard made it. Hill was no-brainer-deserving; Armstead and Howard were closer to habit picks. Miami alternates are QB Tua Tagovailoa, FB Alec Ingold, WR Jaylen Waddle, DE Christian Wilkins, OLB Bradley Chubb, S Jevon Holland and TE Mike Gesicki ..... Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and champion Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky were named Associated Press male and female athlete of the year ..... Marlins FanFest has been set for Saturday February 11 at the ballpark so that fans might celebrate a stagnant offseason by Miami while other teams aggressively spent big ..... Hurricanes baseball is No. 8 in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll. Coach Gino DiMare's fifth season opens vs. Penn State on February 17 ..... R.I.P., Franco Harris, Steelers great gone too soon at 72 ..... Four Panthers prospects were named to rosters for hockey's IIHF World Junior Championship underway through this coming week in Nova Scotia ..... Kelly Clarkson named host of NFL Honors awards show ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast dropped an unscheduled "emergency" episode on Saturday. We'll be back with a regular new episode on January 9 ..... Update: Countdown now 1,254 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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

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

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

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

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

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing the HB10 cut: Yankees' Aaron Judge and Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt won MVP awards and Astros' Justin Verlander joined Alcanatara (see above) as unanimous Cy Young winners in the biggest of MLBs' 2022 postseason awards. ..... Colombia beat Paraguay 2-nil Saturday night in a friendly at Inter Miami Stadium in Lauderdale. Sam stadium on January 14 will host a friendly between top South American club teams River Plate and Millonarios ..... Thank God! The pickleball war has ended! Major League Pickleball and VIBE Pickleball League are merging ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,296 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

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

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

NFL WEEK 10 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: Bad straight-up, but great ATS -- The bad news first: It was a bloodbath Week 10 that found us 6-8 overall. But! We slayed the point spread, going 9-5 against the line. That included a bull's-eye on our Upset of the Week: Steelers over Saints. Also had four other dogs-with-points on covers by the Colts, Packers, Chargers and Commanders. Tough season, but let's keep the ATS rally going!

Greg's Lobos: Big win puts us in tie for first place -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos scored a big 173-140 win last week led by Cee Dee Lamb's 39 points and 23 apiece from Tua Tagovailoa and Dalvin Cook. The 'Bos are now 6-4 and tied for first place in our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league with four weeks left in the regular season.

NFL QB Rankings: Mahomes wins week (again), Tua vaults into top five -- Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes wins Week 10, his second straight weekly win and fourth of the season, to climb to No. 1 overall in the Miami Herald NFL Quarterback Rankings. Miami's Tua Tagovailao moves up four more spots to No. 5 despite missing most of three games injured. For the full Top 25 and more, visit NFL Week 10 QB Rankings.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

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

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

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

Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America

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

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up / Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There / Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing the HB10 cut: Seven teams in the College Football Playoff Top 25 lost Saturday, but only No. 6 Oregon lost from the Top 10. No. 6 Alabama beat 11-Ole Miss 30-24 in the Game of the Week ..... A lawsuit against the NFL, the Washington Commanders, Daniel Snyder and Roger Goodell was filed by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine alleging they colluded to deceive residents and fans about an NFL probe into  the team's toxic workplace culture and claims of sexual misconduct ..... Inter Miami rewarded Phil Neville for his MLS playoff season by extending the coach's contract into 2023 ..... World Series champion Astros were given a parade in downtown Houston that drew a crowd estimated at at least 1 million ..... A parade honoring Los Angeles FC's MLS championship drew an estimated 5,000 fans ..... Colombia and Paraguay play a soccer friendly next Saturday at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, one day before the World Cup starts in Qatar. Because nothing whets the appetite for the World Cup like watching two teams not good enough to have qualified ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,303 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

1) It's SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5. Sorry the blog was not updated for several days. Typepad, our host, had been down. But we're back! And Hot Button Top 10 will return with a new edition on Sunday. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 8 picks, Blood-money LIV Golf ends season at Doral, NFL Week 7 results, Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE WITH MINA KIMES (AND LENNY) OUT NOW!: Our 46th episode of 2022 and 137th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 137 we've done so far HERE. In our latest episode: ESPN star Mina Kimes (and, unexpectedly, her dog Lenny, pictured) join us for a chat on the NFL and on fun stuff, too. Also: Trick-or-treating with Trevor Lawrence, Greg speaks about his social-media firestorm over Jerry Lee Lewis' death and more. Hit up GCS2246 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? NEW! 

NEW! Miami-FSU Rivalry Week Leans On Nostalgia As 2 Programs Try To Get Back Up NEW!

Tua's Huge Day Leads Dolphins Over Lions in Detroit. But Warning Signs Are There

Not Pretty. OK, It Was Ugly. But Canes' OT Escape At Virginia Keep Bowl Hope Alive

Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Tua Can't Return Soon Enough As Dolphins Fall To Vikings For 3rd Straight Loss / Sorry, Canes, But 20-14 Win At Va-Tech Doesn't Impress Any More Than 3-3 Does.  Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

NFL WEEK 8 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: Streak against the spread lives! -- Been a tough season so far with our picks in the Herald and I'm not alone, but scratched out a 9-6 mark overall and went 8-7 against the spread. That was our third straight winning week ATS, with a 25-18 mark (.581) vs. the Evil Betting Line in that span. Bull's-eyed an outright upset with Broncos over Jaguars in London, and had another pair of dogs-plus-points on covers by Packers in Buffalo and Browns over Cincy. Let's keep it going on our recent uptick against the point spread!

Greg's Lobos: A 175-point rout for another win! -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos are rolling at 5-3 after a big 175-115 win. Got 29 points from Tua Tagovailoa, 26 from both Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb, and 21 from both Lamar Jackson and Nick Folk. When you get a double-double from your kicker -- you know you're golden. We now stand tied for second in our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league. Big game this week against another 5-3 team in Crown Me The Champ -- my son Chris.

NFL QB Rankings: Tua wins week, and there's another new No. 1 -- Miami's Tua Tagovailao wins his second weekly title of the season to take Week 8 honors and there's another change at No. 1 overall in the updated Miami Herald Quarterback Rankings. Full Top 25 and more at NFL Week 8 QB Rankings.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 24. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat lose season opener at home, NFL Week 7 picks, Greg Cote Show podcast, NFL Week 6 results, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 45th episode of 2022 and 136th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 136 we've done so far HERE. In our new episode: A new Le Batard Show “Mas Miami’ fan night is coming up December 10, and the GCS podcast reveals big plans for a major presence at the event; Greg shares the two new TV commercials out now that he loves; Greg is fascinated by a new forensic study on a Neanderthal family that lived 54,000 years ago and Chris and Yeti are palpably bored and dumbfounded by that fascination; and Chris and Greg report live from Sunday night’s Dolphins-Steelers game, and Greg shares an inside look at Saturday’s invitation-only gala honoring Miami’s 1972 Perfect Season team. Also in the new ep: Greg’s reveals a shocking and perhaps repulsive truth about himself; Greg rails against LIV Golf coming to Miami and a World Cup in Qatar; Calendar jumpers; Friends of Greg (FOG) update; A horrifying revelation about ants; and a new Dad joke of the week. Hit up GCS2245 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats -- with free shipping this week through Thursday! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

NFL WEEK 7 PICKS: DOLPHINS -STEELERS AND ALL THE REST: Went a solid 8-6 against the spread last week, started the new week strong Thursday night, now let's keep it going! You want rampant parity in a league overrun by .500 teams? Only one of 14 games this week is matchup of two teams both with a winning record. Visit NFL Week 7 Gems to find all of our latest picks for Dolphins-Steelers, our Game of the Week, a big upset, the return of Dak Prescott and all the rest.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Not Perfect, But Return Of Tua, Big Defense Lift Dolphins Past Steelers NEW!

NEW! Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke NEW!

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss

Tua Can't Return Soon Enough As Dolphins Fall To Vikings For 3rd Straight Loss

Sorry, Canes, But 20-14 Win At Va-Tech Doesn't Impress Any More Than 3-3 Does

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here. Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 23-24): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Tua, defense lead Miami past Steelers on special night!: What a night! Tua Tagovailoa made his long-awaited return from a concussion and led Fins to 16-10 win over Steelers Sunday night to end a 3-game losing streak an put Miami at 4-3. Big defense including two late interceptions sealed the win. Game also marked the club's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Perfect Season at the stadium Sunday on top of an invitation-only gala Saturday night at the Hard Rock Guitar Hotel.

2. HURRICANES: New low for Cristobal: 8 turnovers in 45-21 home loss to Duke: You thought the loss to Middle Tennessee State was bad? It was. This may have been worse. A 45-21 home conference loss to Duke Saturday thanks to eight (!) turnovers, most in a game by any Power 5 conference team since 2009. Canes now 3-4 and 1-2 in ACC as season goes off the rails. UM is at Virginia next week before hosting rival Florida State.

3. HEAT: Miami shakes off worst start since '07 with first win: Heat loss to Celtics Friday night gave Miami an 0-2 start for first time since 2007 -- and 0-2 at home for first time ever. That was after disappointing season-opening loss to Chicago plagued by poor defense. Heat finally won by beating Toronto Saturday to go 1-2 behind Jimmy Butler's 24 and more bench magic from Max Strus. Miami hosts Toronto again Monday/tonight before setting out on a three-game West road trip. 

4. MLB: It's an Astros-Phillies World Series!: The New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres are emphatically done! The AL and NL Championship Series ended Sunday with Philadelphia ousting the Padres 4 games to 1 and Houston sweeping the Yanks 4-0. Not sure Houston-Philadelphia is riveting TV, but we all hate the Astros, so that's something. Go Philly!

5. PANTHERS: Cats off to 4-2 start but lose Ekblad lost to injury: Panthers are 4-2 this young NHL season after Sunday's win over the Islanders. Cats are back at it Tuesday in Chicago but will be without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad until at least mid-November and likely longer with a groin injury. This would be the third straight season Ekblad had missed at least 20 regular season games due to injury. 

6. NASCAR: Larson back in headlines for right reason in Homestead win: NASCAR's eighth of 10 playoff races roared at Homestead-Miami Speedway today as Kyle Larson led 199 of 267 laps including the last one. The win came a week after the reigning Cup Series champion, eliminated earlier in this year's playoffs, was intentionally spun by Bubba Wallace, who got suspended for it. Joey Logano continues atop the playoff standings.

7. INTER MIAMI: Quick playoff exit ends successful season for Herons: A 3-0 playoff loss at New York City FC ended Inter Miami's Year 3 in MLS following an uplifting 14-6-14 regular season. The match marked the career finale for retiring star Gonzalo Higuain. Leaguwide, the conference finals will be set with results today. Out West, No. 1 seed Los Angeles awaits today's Austin-Dallas winner. In the East, No. 1 Philadelphia will face today's Montreal-NYC winner.

8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Huge upset win for FIU is an historic first!: This has never happened before. Of the seven state FBS football teams, FIU was the only one to win this week with Saturday's big 34-15 upset at Charlotte led by Grayson James' 306 passing yards. FU, now 3-4, stands alone because Miami, FAU and UCF all were upset losers, and Florida, Florida State and South Florida all had byes and did not play.

9. MARLINS: Fish narrow manager candidates, decision may be near: Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro have been the first candidates to be invited back by Miami for a second interview, for what that's worth. Plus for each: Espada might come as a World Series champ; Quatraro is used to small player payrolls. (I thought Bruce Bochy was worth a hard look; the Rangers hired him instead.) In other Fish news, shortstop Miguel Rojas is a Gold Glove finalist.   

10. CANES BASKETBALL: College hoops near as UM men, women unfurl: Jim Larranaga's Hurricanes men and Katie Meier's women's team, both coming off successful seasons, held their Media Day to tip-off the coming season. The men were 26-11 last year and reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time, but are unranked in the preseason poll (though just three spots outside of the Top 25). The UM women were 21-13 and reached the second round of the NCAAs but also are unranked. Both open the new season Nov. 7.

Missing the HB10 cut: U.S. Women’s National Team faces Germany at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on November 10 in a battle of the top two women's teams in the world ..... No. 5 Clemson rallied to beat 14-Syracuse 27-21 on Saturday and No. 10 Oregon crushed 9-UCLA 45-30 in the biggest of five Top 25 matchups. One other top-10 team besides UCLA lost: No. 7 LSU falling 45-20 to Ole Miss ..... Warning: The money grubbers of LIV Golf are coming! The startup tour of players pocketing blood money from Saudi Arabia comes to Doral next week ..... USWNT drew Netherlands, Vietnam and a fourth team to be determined in its group for the 2023 Women's World Cup. England is opposite bracket, setting up a possible U.S.-Brits title match ..... Bulletin: Cristiano Ronaldo continues to sully his name with his petulance at Manchester United ..... Former world No. 1 Simona Halap faces a four-year ban from tennis after failing a drug test during the U.S. Open ..... One day before the World Cup kicks off November 20 in Qatar, two teams that did not qualify, Colombia and Paraguay, will play a friendly at Inter Miami Stadium ..... The 49ers acquired star RB Christian McCaffrey from Carolina for multiple draft picks in a major NFL trade ..... The College Football Playoff said it still is undecided on when it will expand to 12 teams, but hopeful it will happen as soon as 2024 ..... Dan Wieden, the ad man who coined Nike's famous 'Just Do It' slogan, died at 77 ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,330 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improved to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

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

1) It's SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22. Glad to be back in with the Le Batard Show this past week. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts and videos -- including a new Back In My Day from me. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, Dolphins fall to Vikings for 3rd straight loss, Canes end skid with win at Virginia Tech, NFL Week 6 picks, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: LATEST EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 44th episode of 2022 and 135th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 135 we've done so far HERE. In our newest episode: Chris reports live from Pittsburgh after gloing to Bucs-Steelers game; Greg and Yeti chew over the Dolphins-Vikings game, MLB playoffs; Jumpin’ Charlie the World’s Largest Puppy eats Greg’s eyeglasses, forcing Greg to record newest podcast wearing emergency backup glasses that may or may not make him look like Harry Caray. Also, Charlie is sent away to boot camp; An in an in-show meeting. (Are we too naughty?); Greg turns on The House Of Dragons; Are we about done with Kanye West?; Tom Brady has finally made something of himself, buys pickleball team; Yeti recalls the time his life was threatened on the job; Dad joke of the week; and (!) a brand new Mount Gregmore! Hit up GCS2244 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

Canes-Duke column coming today: I'll be at Hard Rock for today's UM matinee vs. Duke. Watch for my column from the game online soon after it ends and in Sunday print.

NFL WEEK 7 PICKS: DOLPHINS -STEELERS AND ALL THE REST: Went a solid 8-6 against the spread last week, now let's keep it going! You want rampant parity in a league overrun by .500 teams? Only one of 14 games this week is matchup of two teams both with a winning record. Visit NFL Week 7 Gems to find all of our latest picks for Dolphins-Steelers, our Game of the Week, a big upset, the return of Dak Prescott and all the rest.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss NEW!

Tua Can't Return Soon Enough As Dolphins Fall To Vikings For 3rd Straight Loss

Sorry, Canes, But 20-14 Win At Va-Tech Doesn't Impress Any More Than 3-3 Does

Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection

QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance. Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on latest podcast episode are among stuff not included.

NFL WEEK 6 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: More tough sledding ... but better against the spread -- Thirty-two seasons of NFL picks in the Herald and I can rarely remember a tougher one. Wet only 7-7- overall last week with the onset of byes, but better against the spread at 8-6. Misfired on the Dolphins winning an upset, but did nail Patriots' upset win at Cleveland. Also had three other dogs with points on covers by Falcons, Giants and Broncos. Time to build on that ATS upswing and get on a roll!

Greg's Lobos: Sour loss but still stout in playoff hunt -- Defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos had won three straight but now have lost two in a row with last week's 106-100 defeat. Got 24 from second QB Trevor Laerence but not enough help. Needed 10 points from Courtland Sutton Monday night to win; got three. Ourselves to blame, though. Started a newly signed tight end who'd been unexpectedly ruled inactive just before game in a rare clerical lapse. Still, at 3-3 we are only one game off the lead, second in scoring and well on playoff pace.

NFL QB Rankings: Ryan takes week, Allen grows overall lead -- Indy's Matt Ryan busted out with season's second-best passing game for the Week 6 win to vault seven spots to No. 6 overall in the updated Miami Herald Quarterback Rankings. Buffalo's Josh Allen grew his overall lead and is No.1 for a fourth straight week. Full Top 25 and more at NFL Week 6 QB Rankings.

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

1) It's MONDAY, OCTOBER 17. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 6 picks, new Greg Cote Show podcast with Aaron Ekblad, 50 years later the Larry Csonka you never knew, NFL Week 5 results (Picks/Lobos/QB Rank), Mount Gregmore of columns.

GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 44th episode of 2022 and 135th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 135 we've done so far HERE. In our newest episode: Chris reports live from Pittsburgh after gloing to Bucs-Steelers game; Greg and Yeti chew over the Dolphins-Vikings game, MLB playoffs; Jumpin’ Charlie the World’s Largest Puppy eats Greg’s eyeglasses, forcing Greg to record newest podcast wearing emergency backup glasses that may or may not make him look like Harry Caray. Also, Charlie is sent away to boot camp; An in an in-show meeting. (Are we too naughty?); Greg turns on The House Of Dragons; Are we about done with Kanye West?; Tom Brady has finally made something of himself, buys pickleball team; Yeti recalls the time his life was threatened on the job; Dad joke of the week; and (!) a brand new Mount Gregmore! Hit up GCS2244 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

Our NFL Week 6 picks: Onset of byes trims schedule from 16 games to 14 but it's still biggest week of season thus far with two co-Games of the Week in Bills-Chiefs and Cowboys-Eagles. Vikings-Dolphins should be a goodie, too. Visit NFL Week 6 Gems to find all of our latest picks for those three and all the rest Two more big upsets in the mix this week; will Fins be one? Got off to an unfortunate start Thursday night. We had Chicago winning at home over Washington in a pick-'em game, but Bears lost 12-7 -- failing to score on four tries inside the Commanders 5 in the final minute. That exemplifies our unlucky season so far. Sigh.

Column from Dolphins-Vikings game coming: Look for it online soon after game ends and in Monday print.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Tua Can't Return Soon Enough As Dolphins Fall To Vikings For 3rd Straight Loss NEW!

NEW! Sorry, Canes, But 20-14 Win At Va-Tech Doesn't Impress Any More Than 3-3 Does NEW!

Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection

QB Calamity! 3rd-String Thompson Has Rough Baptism As Dolphins Fall At Jets

Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / NFLPA Firing Doctor For Concussion Eval May Mean Fins, Tua Are Victims Here / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason. Note: Mount Gregmore Of Columns includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on latest podcast episode are among stuff not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 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. The latest HB10:

1. DOLPHINS: Miami falls to Vikings for 3rd straight loss. (Hurry back, Tua!): Fins are 3-3 with three straight losses after Sunday's 24-16 home L vs. Minnesota. Rookie Skylar Thompson eft game with thumb injury after three series. Teddy Bridgewater entered, three a for a bunch of yards but was ineffective. Oh my lord does this team miss Tua Tagovailoa, set to return next Sunday night vs. Steelers. [My column from game above.]

2. HURRICANES: Canes end 3-game slide with 20-14 win at Va-Tech: The reeling Canes flew to Blacksburg trying to save their season Saturday at Virginia Tech in an all but must-win ACC game. UM entered 2-3 after three straight losses and 0-1 in the conference but an 8-point favorite over the 2-4/1-2 Hokies -- and UM won 20-14. Hurricanes led 17-0 at half and held on. [My column on game above]

3. HEAT: It's Opening Week for Jimmy, Bam and company:  A 4-1 preseason fades to irrelevance now as Miami's 35th NBA regular season opens at home Wednesday night vs. Chicago, with a four-game homestand against East rivals beginning the 82-game stretch. Miami had a quiet offseason, doing little to augment the core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, with Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin rounding out the new starting five. Was standing pat smart or a risk? We start to find out. 

4. PANTHERS: Cats, Tkachuk off to fast start as NHL season opens: Florida opened its 29th NHL season with a 3-1 win at the Islanders, giving Paul Maurice a W in his first game as coach, with new star Matthew Tkachuk scoring on a late empty netter. Cats made it 2-0 at Buffalo Saturday with a 3-2 win, and another goal and assist from Tkachuk. Florida is at Boston Monday before returning to the Sunrise rink for their home opener on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia.

5. INTER MIAMI: Higuain seeks to extend career as Herons open playoffs in New York: Miami after a 14-6-14 MLS regular season opens the playoffs at defending league champion New York City Monday night at Citi Field. Retiring star Gonzalo Higuain sparked Miami's run to postseason with 14 goals in last 16 matches. NYC is a much different team than the one that won the title. Miami is in better form lately and has a big shot to win. Meanwhile Miami's Drake Callender is a finalist for MLS goalkeeper of the year and Higuain for comeback player.

6. MLB: Phils-Padres in NLCS; Astros await NYY-CLE winner: The week began with baseball's final eight teams split into two best-of-5 AL and NL Division Series. Now only five are still alive. Philadelphia and San Diego advanced to an unexpected NL Championship Series, eliminating the favored Braves and Dodgers. Houston swept Seattle to reach the ALCS and awaits the Yankees-Guardians winner. Yanks stayed alive with win Sunday. Deciding Game 5 is tonight in the Bronx.

7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Vols deal Alabama first loss in huge week for sport: Eight Top 25 teams lost on Saturday, none bigger than No. 3 'Bama falling at No. 6 Tennessee, 52-49, in a battle of unbeatens. Vols had lost 15 in a row to Tide before this. Highest-ranked other teams to lose were No. 7 USC (to Utah), No. 8 Oklahoma State (to TCU) and No. 10 Penn State (to Michigan).

8. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): Gators, Seminoles suffer big home losses: LSU beat Florida in the Swamp, 45-45, and No. 4 Clemson edged FSU in Tally, 34-28. Gators and Noles both were 4-2 going in and poised to reenter polls with a win. In other state games (non-UM, FIU fell to 2-4, losing big to UTSA; FAU beat Rice; UCF crushed Temple and could be poll-bound at 5-1; and Tulane beat South Florida.

9. MARLINS: Cy to Sandy seems a lock, but manager hunt wide open: After the latest disappointing Fish season of 69-93, bright spot Sandy Alcantara remains a huge betting favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award. But odds on the next Marlins manager are tight. It's Joe Maddon at 4-1, Bruce Bochy 5-1, Miguel Cairo 6-1 and Joe Espada 7-1 heading the list. In other words, it's anybody's guess. Trust they'll pick someone experienced in working with really small payrolls?

10. NASCAR: Playoffs heading to Miami-Homestead Speedway: The seventh of 10 NASCAR playoff races was Sunday in Las Vegas, with Joey Logano winning and now atop the playoff standings. Circuit heads down to Miami-Homestead Speedway now for its eighth playoff race next Sunday.

Missing the HB10 cut: Co-Games of the Week in NFL as Bills beat Chiefs in reprise of last year's epic playoff game, and Eagles held off Cowboys stay unbeaten ..... LeBron James' son Bronny is one of five amateurs to be given Nike NIL deals. Bronny said thanks but couldn't be understood because of the silver spoon in his mouth ..... Yet another woman has socked Deshaun Watson with a lawsuit alleging massage room perversion ..... ESPN's Troy Aikman admitted he was "dumb" to say the NFL should "take the dresses off" and quit calling borderline roughing the passer penalties, a misogynistic aside straight outta 1958 ..... The PGA Tour is on the decline and LIV Golf is on the rise, said Phil Mickelson, the least impartial man on earth with the most vested interest possible and the biggest axe to grind ..... Can we all please take up a collection and pay Dan Snyder to disappear and never be heard from again? ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,337 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.