GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND
1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. Twenty years ago today, the world changed, and an attacked America stood strong. NEVER FORGET! 2) Join me on Twitter,Instagramand Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, latest Greg Cote Show podcast, links to newest columns & more.
GREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: TIME TO CATCH UP ON OUR WHOLE CATALOG!: Our 34th episode of 2021 and 76th overall is out now! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. You can find all 76 we've done HERE, for free. In our most recent episode: Join the Cote family and friends and hear all the fun banter during the PFPI Fantasy Draft featuring Greg's Lobos, and emceed by Greg, followed by a Paella Party. You'll feel like you're there! Also: Greg discusses the Dolphins, and we debut a new song about Greg's Lobos. No new episode this week because we were on vacation. Perfect time to catch up with our whole catalog. Watch for a new episode out September 13! Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. (Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Monday 5-6 p.m. ET on Channel 145).
NFL Week 1 picks: The Upset Bird and I are back for (hard to believe) our 31st season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald. It's debut week! Visit NFL Week 1 Gems for our pick for Dolphins-Patriots, our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. We peg three big upsets out the gate. Is a Fins win one of them? Got off to a mixed start last week, had Patriots beating Dallas and covering 8 points. They won but failed to cover.
THE BURDEN ON TUA AS DOLPHINS OPEN AT PATRIOTS? LIFT A TEAM, A FRANCHISE, A CITY. NOW: With the Miami Dolphins’ season opener at New England on Sunday we begin to step into an AFC East we haven’t seen since 1985. No current Dolphins player was alive then. Coach Brian Flores was a 4-year-old toddling around Brooklyn. This year, for the first time since then, four starting quarterbacks in one division are under the age of 26 to open a season, with the Fins’ Tua Tagovailoa at 23 and Pats rookie Mac Jones also 23, along with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen at 25 and New York Jets rookie Zach Wilson at 22. Last time four starting QBs were under 26 in any NFL division in Week 1 was the AFC East in ‘85. Then it was some 23-year-old guy named Dan Marino in Miami, along with the Pats’ Tony Eason at 25, Jets’ Ken O’Brien at 24 and Colts’ Art Schlichter at 25. (Some divisions including Miami’s were five teams then, before realignment. The Bills’ starter that year, Vince Ferragamo, was 31). This is notable now in a way it wasn’t then because, now, passing rules the NFL. The quarterback is king. And as if we required more evidence, Tom Brady and Dak Prescott on Thursday night combined to complete 74 of 108 passes for 782 yards and seven touchdowns. The running backs were hood ornaments, largely unnecessary. My point in all of this? For Miami to become a power in its division and ultimately a championship contender, Tagovailoa must prove good enough to be as good or better than Allen, Jones and Wilson. Six of 17 games each season (35 percent) will be head-to-head against his instant rivals. And it could be thus for the next 10-plus years. Tagovailoa must prove that, on the franchise-steering night of April 23, 2020, the Dolphins made the right choice in drafting him fifth overall — one spot ahead of the Chargers selecting Justin Herbert. The proving starts late Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And the proof must come in 2021, and it must be unequivocal. For our full latest column, visit: Tua's Burden as Dolphins Open at Pats? Lift a Team, a Franchise and a City. Now.
WE'RE BACK FROM OUR WONDERFUL BUT SPECTACULARLY ILL-TIMED VACATION: I say ill-timed because I missed the Canes-Alabama season opener in Atlanta. Then again (caught a bit of the game and saw the final score), what did I really miss except the usual not-there-yet agony? Missed that to spend five recent days funning at various Disney parks in Orlando with my wife, son Christopher, his wife and 3 1/2-year-old daughter, and son Michael and his girlfriend. The seven of us all stayed at the Animal Kingdom hotel, where giraffes, zebra and myriad other animals roamed in our backyard. It was terrific fun. Seeing the joy in my granddaughter's face throughout was the best of it. Although the "Pandora: The World Of Avatar" ride was a close second. It was awesome! So was Space Mountain, but in the terrifying category. Here is the phenomenon of Disney: It's really expensive. It's really, really hot. On a typical day you wait about three hours in lines for about 25 minutes of actual rides. And you love it! We did, anyway. My wife and I hadn't been in about 20 years, and it was fun to go back. Also happy to be home now and back to work. I'll be at the Dolphins' season opener in New England on Sunday.
PODCAST AND LE BATARD SHOW UPDATES: Because of vacation we did not have a new Greg Cote Show podcast out Monday as usual this week. We'll be back with a new one on September 13. Meantime here is the entire 76-pod catalog so you can listen to our most recent episode, any you may have missed, or relive old favorites. I also expect to be back on the Le Batard Show September 14 in my regular Tuesday slot.
Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards ranked the blog's author a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Greg is also a regular on the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.
1) It's THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19. Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Laughingstock Dolphins worst team ever?, NFL Week 2 Pix 'n Fantasy results, my weekend in New York City & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings: There's a new overall No. 1 for the season. Who it is should surprise nobody. Visit Herald Week 2 NFL QB Rankings.
NEW! OUR NFL WEEK 3 PICKS ARE IN!: Off our record-setting 2018 season we're back for our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald, and here are our Week 3 selections. Will the Dolphins cover that gargantuan 21 1/2-point line at Dallas Sunday or get blown out yet again? Find out that, our Game of the Week, our upset picks and all the rest by visiting Week 3 Gems now. Our picks appear online Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print. Visit Week 3 Thursday Gem for tonight's Titans-Jaguars pick). We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the point spread. It's been tougher so far in '19, but, early days!
QBS KEEP FALLING, AND NFL'S SHAMEFUL BLACKBALLING OF COLIN KAEPERNICK ENTERS YEAR 3. NEW COLUMN: The NFL has never tried harder to baby its precious quarterbacks with legislated protection. Even the sack itself is now penalized unless it is sort of paradoxically gentle, with the defender not permitted to land with his full weight upon the poor QB, the wide-eyed fawn trying to survive the mean jungle. Yet we have just set out on what already is a calamitous season for the most fragile, important position. Andrew Luck abruptly retires from the collective weight of too many injuries. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger is injured Sunday and out for the season. New Orleans’ Drew Brees is hurt the same day and out at least six weeks. Would-be Jacksonville savior Nick Foles is injured in the season opener and done until at least November. Aging Eli Manning is benched by the Giants. The Jets’ Sam Darnold (in the most Jets thing ever) is lost indefinitely with mononucleosis. Now Carolina’s Cam Newton seems injured. Again. The increasing reality is that teams need two quality quarterbacks, not just one. And yet Colin Kaepernick cannot find a job. Darnold’s replacement, Trevor Siemian, also gets injured and is lost for the year, so the Jets are down to third-stringer Luke Falk. The Miami Dolphins can’t decide who’s the least bad between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen. The Eagles backup is the relentlessly recycled Josh McCown. The Jaguars are now starting somebody named "Gardner Minshew." And, still, Kaepernick can’t get a job. This the intro to my latest column. This story is a continuing shame more relevant than ever this early season, and the NFL should not be let off the hook. For the full column, visit Turning Its Back on Kaepernick Enters Year 3 As NFL's Ongoing Shame.
1) It's MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16. R.I.P. Ric Ocasek, 75. His group The Cars were very big in my life when I was in my 20s and always held a place in my memory and heart. 2) Check out our 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 2 picks, yes Dolphins are tanking and yes they should & more. 4) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our NFL Week 2 picks: Will the Miami Dolphins lose by less than the epic 18 1/2-point betting line on Sunday? What is our Game of the Week. Who are our upset winners? Find out that and more by visiting Week 2 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3: 83.0%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 83.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 63-0 UM home victory over Bethune-Cookman putting the Hurricanes' season record at 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the weekly verdict, which is announced here the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday.
2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.
Next poll: Sept. 21 following game vs. Central Michigan.
G3: BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT HURRICANES: NAME YOUR SCORE: I know in the NFL very occasionally you see a crazy score like, say, 59-10. (Sorry, Dolphins). But generally speaking you don't get many silly-sized routs in the pros like you see too much in the college game, when major schools play small schools that have no shot. It is why I prefer the NFL. Which brings us to the Miami Hurricanes hosting Bethune-Cookman Saturday at 4 in UM's home opener at Hard Rock. Miami has played B-C four times this decade (most recently in 2017), and the Canes have won all four by a combined 169-37. Could have been worse. That involved a bunch of clear the bench and foot off the gas pedal. This could be more of a classic, thorough butt-whippin' because, at 0-2 for the first time since 1978, Manny Diaz and Miami are frustrated and eager to take it out on ... anybody. I'd be shocked if the final score was remotely close. If B-C had even half of Miami's score. So you're up, B-C Wildcats. The designated punching bag and stress relief for the Canes' early-season frustration. So I'll say it now, Wildcats. I'm sorry for your loss. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 61-0.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 24.6%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 24.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday afternoon's 43-0 Dolphins home loss to New England putting Miami's season record at 0-2. (That's an uptick. Tanking crowd weighing in). In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous weekly gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game’s performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the official results. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.
2019 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.
G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.
Next poll: Sept. 22 following game at Dallas.
G2: NEW ENGLAND AT DOLPHINS: LET US PRAY: Miami is one of eight home underdogs in NFL Week 2, and oh what a dog! Combo of last week’s humiliating 59-10 opening loss to Baltimore and New England being New England has left Dolphins getting 18 1/2 points Sunday at 1. Perspective: That’s biggest NFL spread since 2007, and one of only three times in past 30 years a road team has been favored by this much. Interesting subplots: Brian Flores coaching against his former team, and Antonio Brown’s debut (maybe) for Pats. Oh, and will ornery Bill Belichick want to run it up for the way Miami stunningly beat his team here last season on that late 69-yard miracle lateral-fest? Would it shock for Fins to lose by 30-plus? Nope. But Miami is on a 5-1 run at home vs. Tom Brady, and I’m hunching that whatever pride wasn’t beaten out of the Dolphins last week will be marshaled for a credible performance that beats not the Patriots (don't be silly), but at least the point spread. Cote's pick: Patriots, 34-17. (Click Week 2 Gems for all our latest NFL picks).
ELEVEN EX-CANES, FINS ON 2020 HALL BALLOT: WE HANDICAP THEIR CHANCES: Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its 122 contenders for 2020 induction into Canton, a list that includes six former Dolphins and five ex-Canes. The mass will be pared to 25 semifinalists in November and then 15 finalists in January, who'll be voted on for induction during Super Bowl Week in Miami. None of the 11 locals is a good bet to get to Canton, but here's how we see them stacking up in terms of at least making the cut to 25: Best chance: Edgerrin James (pictured), because the former UM running back was a finalist in 2019. Decent chance: Ex-Fins LB Zach Thomas deserves Canton (as I've soapboxed many times), longtime stalwart Dolphins LT Richmond Webb has a case, and ex-Canes WR Reggie Wayne has pretty stout career numbers. A tiny shot, maybe?: Dolphins CB Troy Vincent, TE Keith Jackson and punter Reggie Roby, and Canes RB Clinton Portis and TE Jeremy Shockey. Nah, sorry: Punters Jeff Feagles and Matt Turk.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. DOLPHINS: Tankier and tankier as Fins crushed again: Miami was an 18 1/2 point underdog. On the bright side, the Dolphins could lose by double that point spread and still come closer than they did in last week's 59-10 loss. That's what I wrote. And it happened. Patriots, 43-0. Can Miami just concede the final 14 games? Please?
2. HURRICANES: Thank you, Bethune-Cookman. The Canes needed that: Honestly, I wrote that headline Thursday afternoon. But if the Canes do anything but win comfortably Saturday, just go ahead and cancel the rest of UM's season. They won 63-0. That'll suffice.
3. BASKETBALL: Team USA gags in awful FIBA World Cup performance: Stunner! Team USA was beaten by France and will play for seventh place Saturday in the FIBA Wold Cup in China -- worst finish ever by an American team that included NBA players. Why? Of 35 players originally selected for the U.S. player pool, only four were in China.
4. INTER MIAMI: Messi-to-Miami rumors heating up?: Soccer rumors that bloom and disseminate from Europe and and South America can be notoriously unreliable. Still, there seems to be traction to the notion Barcelona star Lionel Messi could be considering a late-career move to MLS with the new Miami team. Yes, please. Yes. Please!
5. HORSE RACING: Scandal engulfs Triple Crown winner Justify: New York Times reported that 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify failed a drug test one month before the '18 Kentucky Derby, and that the California Horse Racing Board decided to dismiss the case after the colt went on to win the Triple Crown. Shame, shame. Giant asterisk for the record book please.
6. BASEBALL: Going, going ... MLB sets all-time home run record: Baseball broke its all-time home run record with two weeks to spare when the 6,106th was hit this week. Oh, but the ball isn't joined. No way!
7. PANTHERS: Cats, full of hope, open NHL training camp: The non-superstitious Florida Panthers and new coach Joel Quenneville open training camp on Friday the 13th, working toward the first of eight preseason games this Monday at Nashville. Playoffs or bust, Cats. Excuses all gone.
8. MARLINS: Fish hurtling toward most-losses mark as season wanes: Miami's club-record 108 losses set in 1998 is in play as Marlins play out the string. Currently in midst of a West Coast swing, Miami's final homestand in Sept. 20-22 before ending (mercifully) with seven straight on road.
9. HEAT: Miami announces training camp dates: The new Jimmy Butler-led Heat announced they'd hold preseason training camp Oct. 1-5 at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, after media day Sept. 30. The first of five Heat preseason games is scheduled Oct. 8 vs. San Antonio.
10. SERENA WILLIAMS: She parties after U.S. Open finals loss: Serena rented out a New York Mexican restaurant and partied with friends 'til the wee hours after losing the U.S. Open final to again be denied a record-tying 24th major. Why do I have the feeling I want her to get that record more than she does?
Missing the HB10 cut: Antonio Brown, just on general principle ..... Sentences I Never Imagined Writing, one in a series: "LeBron James denied trademark application for phrase 'Taco Tuesday' ..... Hated to see Christian Yelich lost injured for rest of season, and in Miami no less ..... Chess World Cup underway in Russia, in case watching paint dry has proved too exciting for you ..... World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships have begun in Azerbaijan. That's like regular gymnastics, only more ridiculous ..... Update: Countdown now 2,471 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. It's the perfect time to check out my 'Fins At 50' book at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins trade Tunsil in blockbuster deal, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 15.7%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 15.7 percent overall satisfaction -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night's 28-25 loss at North Carolina in Miami's ACC opener, putting UM's season record at 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The CSM is your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. You may vote here in the blog, elsewhere online, and also at Twitter.com/gregcote (where the approval was 18%). Online/blog voting determine the weekly verdict, which is announced here the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9:30 a.m. today/Monday.
2019 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
Next poll: Sept. 14 following game vs. Bethune-Cookman.
G2: HURRICANES @ NORTH CAROLINA: PRESSURE ON CANES TO SEAL ROAD WIN IN ACC OPENER: It's one thing to fall narrowly to a top-10 Florida in a a neutral-site opener. It would be quite another to be a road favorite at North Carolina in your ACC opener and lose again. Losing to the Gators stung, but losing this one would make it feel like a season of high hopes had gone completely off the rails two games in. That is why more pressure is on Miami now than there was in the ballyhooed opener. That makes tonight/Saturday at 8 in Chapel Hill as close to a must-win as you could want in early September, especially for coach Manny Diaz and quarterback Jarren Williams. The Canes in general must look sharper, readier, after slopping through 14 penalties for 118 yards against UF and allowing 10 sacks. The betting line opened with Miami favored by 6 points but dove to 3 1/2 before settling back up at 5, the movement indicative of a betting public still unsure what to make of the Canes. UM crushed UNC 47-10 last year in the midst of a 2-9 Tar Heels season. This won't be as easy, with ESPN's Football Power Index putting Miami's win-likelihood at a modest 63.1 percent. I like UM tonight without much reservation. Coming off a bye after the early Aug. 24 opener, The U should ride defensive domination to a comfy if not quite rout-y win. Interesting side note: Mack Brown begins his second coaching stint with the Heels. He's best known as the Texas head coach in 1998-2013, where one of his proteges was defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz worked under Brown three seasons before being abruptly fired in '13. That checks one more box for why Diaz wants this win like a big dog wants that meaty bone. Diaz is pictured left using index fingers to signal the won-lost record Miami absolutely must have coming out of this game. Cote's pick: Hurricanes 27, North Carolina 16.
IT'S UPSET BIRD WEEK IN AMERICA! OUR NFL WEEK 1 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season, we begin our 29th year of NFL picks in the Miami Herald by today revealing our 2019 Week 1 selections for Dolphins-Ravens, Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. Could Miami actually be among my three big upset picks? To find out please visit Week 1 Gems. Our picks appear Thursday afternoons every week, and Fridays in print. (Our Thursday Night Football pick appears Wednesdays online and Thursdays in print. Visit Week 1 Thursday Gem for last night's Packers-Bears pick, a misfire by us, alas). We are inexplicably coming off our best season ever, with a .705 winning percentage overall last year and .582 against the point spread. Pictured: Our "How the Darts Landed" picks logo, and a charcoal rendering of the Upset Bird, the mysterious, never-photographed Corvus corax who serves as our prognosticatory sidekick and seer on all upset picks.
FANTASY VOTES ARE IN AND YOU LOVED MY TEAM MOST! (NO, SERIOUSLY): Had our PFPI Fantasy friends 'n family league draft earlier this week, a 10-team PPR league that had a snake draft. The exact order was shown in a blind poll, and we invited you to vote which team you would most like to have based on each team's first five picks. Almost 800 votes had been cast when we closed it off this morning. Your results, with each team's first pick shown:
Team 1: Saquon Barkley -- 25.91%. That's my team! Thanks for the support. Hope y'all are right!
Team 7: DeAndre Hopkins -- 16.84%. That's Michael, my youngest son.
Team 3: Alvin Kamara -- 13.73%. That's Brandon, a friend.
Team 4: Ezekiel Elliott -- 9.46%. That's Alex, a friend. (This vote total spiked after Zeke finally signed).
Team 2: Christian McCaffrey -- 8.94%. That's Joe, a nephew.
Team 9: David Johnson -- 6.61%. That's Earleen, my wife. Tied with below.
Team 10: Patrick Mahomes -- 6.61%. That's Dick, my brother. Tied with above.
Team 5: Tyreek Hill -- 5.05%. That's Christopher, my oldest son, from the Le Batard Show. Ouch.
Team 8: Travis Kelce -- 4.66%. That's Christie, my daughter-in-law, Chris' wife.
Team 6: Le'Veon Bell -- 2.20%. That's Cori, Christie's sister. Sorry, Cori. Exceed expectations!
Le Batard Show draft: We had our Le Batard Show "League of Lobos" draft last evening and it was a clusterf---, to be honest. There are too many teams (18), too many fraud-teams were auto-drafting, and inexplicably the draft order changed minutes before the draft, with me dropping from the 11th pick to the 16th. I got Patrick Mahomes 16th and Mike Evans after that, but this season could be a struggle. We'll have weekly updates on-air and in this space, so stay tuned. #WeAreTheLobos
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22. Happy 1st birthday to my granddaughter, Gracelin! We love you so much! 2) Football is nearing its crescendo and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Revealing/explaining my Baseball Hall of Fame vote, Herald NFL QB rankings, Pix 'n Fantasy results, Two Beatles and a Stone video & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
NFL WEEK 16 PICKS: DOLPHINS-JAGUARS, GAME OF WEEK, UPSETS AND THE REST: Our rollicking, parade-worthy season of NFL picks continues into Week 16 as we carry a .694 winning percentage overall and a fat .590 against the point spread. We were a stout 11-5 both overall and vs. the betting line last week. We banked yet another Upset of the Week with Steelers beating Patriots ("Aawwk!"), nailed a second outright upset with Titans winning at Giants, and had a pair of 'dogs-with-points in Redskins and Eagles. We move on to the last two regular-season weeks and Week 16 delivers three big upsets. See what they are and whether Jaguars at Dolphins is among them. Also check out our Game of the Week and all the rest. Visit Week 16 Gems for all of our latest selections.
BAHAMAS BOWL: FIU 35, TOLEDO 32: PANTHERS GET RECORD 9TH WIN: FIU beats Toledo 35-32 in the Bahamas Bowl on Saturday to finish 9-4, a school record for seasons wins. Congrats, Butch Davis. FIU was a 7-point underdog but I called the upset (and the exact margin); see below ..... Original post: FIU is 8-5 and after a school-record ninth season win in today's 12:30 matinee Bahamas Bowl in Nassau vs. 7-5 Toledo on ESPN. It's a surprise (to me) that Butch Davis' ButchCats are big 7-point underdogs in the C-USA vs. MAC matchup, on a line that opened at 4.5 and rose with money against FIU. The biggest certainty might be the "over" on 66 1/2 points, because these are two high-scoring offenses and two susceptible defenses. Buckle up. Toledo averages 41.4 points with a ground game that averages 224 yards, vs. an FIU run-D giving up 198 run yards per. Uh oh. But FIU averages 34.6 points and its air game should have a big day against a shaky Toledo pass-D. The punters may not see the field. My pick: Upset! FIU, 41-38.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1. Happy new month, all! Ready, set ... spend! 2) Former President George H.W. Bush passed away at 94 very early this morning. His politics and mine were not the same but I always respected his integrity. 3) Football is raging and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes' Gerald Willis/All-America campaign, Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and your vote, Herald NFL QB rankings, Pix 'n Fantasy results, college State of the State rank & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
NFL WEEK 13 PICKS: DOLPHINS-BILLS, GAME OF WEEK, UPSETS AND THE REST: Our pinch-me season continues (despite Thursday night!). We rose to a robust .690 winning percentage overall for the season and a rollicking .582 against the spread with last week’s 11-4 mark outright and 10-5 vs. the Evil Betting Line. We bull’s-eyed yet another Upset of The Week with Bills beating Jaguars (“Aawwk!”), and had three more ‘dogs-with-points in Dolphins, Giants and Seahawks. But enough bragging. It's all about this week now. Thanksgiving is past. Bye weeks are done. That means the stretch run to the playoffs is upon is. All 16 games in Week 13 have some bearing on playoff aspiration, although some matchups -- like Dolphins-Bills -- are must-win-and-pray for teams hanging on the periphery. Will Miami get the must-win it needs? Visit Week 13 Gems for our latest picks, and Thursday Gem for the separate pick on last night's Saints-Cowboys game. It was a total misfire thinking the Dallas D would dominate Drew Brees in a low-scoring game. Nevertheless, sally forth!
On UM's Gerald Willis All-America campaign: Hurricanes defensive tackle Gerald Willis III got snubbed by the All-ACC first team, but Miami nonetheless has chosen Willis to push for All-America honors. He'd be the first Canes DT so honored since Warren Sapp in 1994, and I'm on board. To read my latest column, visit Why A Canes Defender Snubbed by ACC Deserves All-America Honors. And here is the UM's hype video for Willis' candidacy.
BIG SIX CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES RANKED BY NATIONAL INTEREST: The Canes, Gators and Noles are sitting this one out, but Conference Championship Weekend goes on. Our ranking of the Power 5 conference title games plus UCF in the AAC:
1. No. 1 Alabama (13-0) beats No. 4 Georgia (11-2), 35-281 for SEC Championship: 'Bama was a 13 1/2-point pick but needed an epic rally led by backup QB Jalen Hurts and aided by a very dubious and failed late fake-punt call by Georgia.
2. No. 2 Clemson (13-0) beats No. 24 Pitt (7-6), 42-10 for ACC Championship: Clemson favored by 27 1/2 and it was the mismatch we all expected. If Pitt was league's second-best team, how sad for the ACC.
3. No. 5 Oklahoma (12-1) beats No. 14 Texas (9-4), 39-27 for Big 12 Championship, TX: Oklahoma the pick by 8 and covered, but will it be enough for the coveted CFP top four.
4. No. 6 Ohio State (12-1) beats No. 21 Northwestern (8-5), 45-24 for Big Ten Championship: OSU favored by 14 and won easily, but will Urban Meyer now leapfrog Sooners to make CFP?
5. No. 9 UCF (12-0) beats Memphis (8-5), 56-41 for AAC Championship: UCF a mere 3-point fave but needed huge home rally behind backup QB thanks to injury to star McKenzie Milton.
6. No. 11 Washington (10-3) beats No. 17 Utah (9-4), 10-3 for Pac-12 Championship: Washington was a 5-point favorite Friday night, and nobody outside of these two fan bases cared.
POLL RESULT: RIVERA, BONDS GET IN ON YOUR BASEBALL HALL VOTE: We asked, "Who most deserves 2019 induction into Baseball Hall of Fame?," with the 13 of our curated finalists on the ballot and you getting five votes. The five-vote poll means the maximum total for any one player would be 20 percent if every voter cast all five votes. Therefore in our poll it would take a 15 percent vote to equate to the Hall's 75 percent minimum. (Are you getting all of this?) By that standard only Mariano Rivera and Barry Bonds got Cooperstown-level grades from you. Here are your top five overall from more than 3,500 votes cast, with the percentages indicating the share of ballots that included that player's name:
Competitive: Edgar Martinez 36.00% and Curt Schilling 30.45%. Far back: Fred McGriff 20.05%, Mike Mussina 19.65%, Todd Helton 16.65%, Larry Walker 16.65%, Andy Pettitte 15.50% and Omar Vizquel 15.40%.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. Football's back and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): D.Wade emotional on farewell season, Herald Week 3 NFL QB rankings, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy results, Cote's State of the State rankings, latest Back In My Day video & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Our columns from this week:
HURRICANES: A coach, still looking for his magic man: It wasn't Brad Kaaya. Evidently isn't Malik Rosier. Is it N'Kosi Perry? Finding a great quarterback remains Mark Richt's elusive Holy Grail. That column: Finding Great QB Defines Canes' Season.
DOLPHINS: Defining moment in modern club history is at hand: Unbeaten Fins can stake claim to a power shift in AFC East but to do so must do Sunday what hasn't been done: Beat Tom Brady in Foxborough. That column: For Fins, Moment Of Truth Is Here.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G5: 98.7%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a season-high 98.7 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Thursday night's 47-10 home victory vs. North Carolina putting No. 16 UM's season record at 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. The CSM is your invitation after every Canes football game -- no matter the result or opponent -- to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that will be around 10 a.m. today/Saturday. (The CSM also takes place on my Twitter site @gregcote. The vote there was 70%).
2018 CSM game-by game results
G1: 9.2% following 33-17 loss to LSU.
G2: 73.8% following 77-0 victory vs. Savannah State.
G3: 76.7% following 49-24 victory at Toledo.
G4: 84.0% following 31-17 victory vs. FIU.
G5: 98.7% following 47-10 victory vs. North Carolina.
Next poll: Oct. 6 following game vs. FSU.
G5: NO. 16 HURRICANES 47, NORTH CAROLINA 10: PERRY AT QB, BUT HARDLY NEEDED:Canes have the national stage to themselves Thursday night at 8 vs. North Carolina before ESPN cameras at The Rock. It's an ACC Coastal Division game -- UM's conference opener -- so, as much as the season-opening loss to LSU hurt, losing this one would hurt Miami more tangibly in terms of eventually getting back to the ACC Championship Game. With UM an 18-point favorite over the weaker-than-usual Tar Heels, such a loss isn't seen as likely. The U's quarterback situation will be squarely in the spotlight tonight, after N'Kosi Perry replaced Malik Rosier early in last week's win over FIU and played well. Who is Miami's starter from here? Perry? Rosier? Some of both? Whomever has the hot hand? Richt declined to say on Wednesday. Surely we'll know more after tonight. (UNC's QB situation also is up in the air, pun intended, with a likelihood Nathan Elliott and Chazz Surratt both might play). For Miami, dynamic big-play receiver/returner Jeff Thomas should be good to go after dehydration issues last week, but safety Jaquan Johnson and WR Ahmonn Richards are battling knee concerns. Richards' draft stock slips by the day as he continues to display proneness to injury. My pick: Hurricanes, 34-16.
OTHER STATE COLLBALL: There are seven FBS-level college teams in Florida. With Thursday night's Miami game above, here's chronological Week 5 schedule for the rest (all Saturday):
No. 13 UCF (4-0) beats Pittsburgh (2-3), 45-14: Knights rolled big to make a run at top 10.
FSU (3-2) beats Louisville (2-3), 28-24: Seminoles (UM's next foe) rallied to get a little mo' going for Willie Taggert.
Florida (4-1) beats No. 23 Mississippi State (3-2), 13-6: Huge defensive road upset should get Gators ranked.
Middle Tennessee (2-2) beats FAU (2-3), 25-24: Bad last-second loss for Owls continues rough sophomore year for Lane Kiffin.
FIU (3-2) beats Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-4), 55-9: A no-worries home win for Butch Davis' Panthers.
Off this week: South Florida (4-0).
Week 5 national Top 25 matchups (5): No. 12 West Virginia beats No. 25 Texas Tech, 42-34; 4-Ohio State beats 9-Penn State, 27-26; 8-Notre Dame beats 7-Stanford, 38-17; 11-Washington beats 20-BYU, 35-7; and 19-Oregon beats 24-Cal, 42-24.
UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA!: DOLPHINS-PATRIOTS AND ALL THE REST OF OUR NFL WEEK 4 PICKS: The Dolphins are going into dreaded Foxboro on Sunday and beating Tom Brady, who is 14-0 starting at home vs. Miami. It will be a watershed road win that signals a power shift in the AFC East. Well, at least that's what I think! I say why at the top of my latest NFL predictions. They include my Game of the Week, Upset of the Week ("Aaawwwk!") and all of the rest. Our 28th season of Friday NFL picks (online Thursdays) is off to a solid start. We are a stout 30-16-2 overall and more importantly a strong 27-20-1 against the spread entering Week 4. Now let's keep it going! Dive into Week 4 Gems for all of my latest picks. (Included within is a separate link to Thursday night's Vikings-Rams pick, or find it directly here. Pictured at right, our "How the Darts Landed" shield, the bull's-eye representing the height of giddy optimism.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. Football's back! That makes this the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Herald NFL Week 2 QB Rankings, Pix 'n Fantasy results, Cote's State of the State, Marlins Man, the real FitzMagic & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Personal update: As many know from following me on Twitter, I had recent thoracic surgery to remove a tumor from my chest and am in recovery mode. I'm on pain meds and on rest and no-drive orders this week. That's why I've cut back on a bunch of stuff such as a temporary reduction in Herald workload, no LeBatard Show and so forth. Thanks for the understanding. Hope to be back at it starting Monday.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: 84.0%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a season-best 84.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 31-17 home victory over FIU putting No. 21 UM's season record at 3-1. The CSM is your invitation after every Canes football game -- no matter the result or opponent -- to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 8 a.m. today/Monday. (The CSM also takes place on my Twitter site @gregcote. The vote there showed 51% overall approval).
2018 CSM game-by game results
G1: 9.2% following 33-17 loss to LSU.
G2: 73.8% following 77-0 victory vs. Savannah State.
G3: 76.7% following 49-24 victory at Toledo.
G4: 84.0% following 31-17 victory vs. FIU.
Next poll: Sept. 27 following game vs. North Carolina.
G4: NO. 21 HURRICANES (3-1) BEAT FIU (2-2), 31-17: Final: Miami, 31-17. Synopsis: On the day UM honored its 1983 championship team, the men who set the template, Miami may have found its next quarterback. N'Kosi Perry was pretty great Saturday in the 31-17 rout of FIU, replacing Malik Rosier with the game scoreless and taking impressive charge (17-25, 224 yards, 3 TDs), one interception his only blemish. I say rout because the final score does not reflect the lopsidedness. Miami never trailed and was never in jeopardy. But! This was FIU for Perry, a game where the idea of losing was no real concern. This coming Thursday night in prime time vs. North Carolina -- the season's ACC opener -- will tell more about The U's QB situation than Saturday did. The Tar Heels are not great, but, unlike FIU, they are a team UM's size. A fair fight. A challenge. Who starts that game at QB for Miami -- and how he performs -- will shape Mark Richt's ultimate decision more than what we just saw ..... 3Q: Miami, 31-0. Synopsis: An even bigger mismatch than imagined, but the story of the game is N'Kosi Perry replacing Malik Rosier and QB and lighting it up, although his third-quarter interception was a youthful mistake ..... Half: Miami, 24-0. Synopsis: Score doesn't show it even show UM's utter dominance. FIU has no shot, cannot move the ball (13 total net yards) on this Canes defense. N'Kosi Perry is 12-for-13 for 170 yards, two TD passes and all four scoring drives in relief of Malik Rosier. Mark Richt has himself a decision to make moving forward. Or, maybe it's already made? .....1Q: Miami, 7-0. Synopsis: N'Kosi Perry in at QB for Malik Rosier is the news. Perry looks sharp. Travis Homer 35-yard TD for the score. Earlier 78-yard Jeff Thomas punt-return TD negated by penalty. FIU offense doing nothing. Miami in charge ..... I'll be semi-live blogging here throughout today's game, with up-to-the-minute scoring updates plus quick thoughts after every quarter ..... Original post: Here we go today/Saturday at 3:30 at Hard Rock, in front of ESPN2 cameras, the Hurricanes coming off a solid win at Toledo that failed to move them up in the polls, and crosstown neighbor FIU having hung 63 points on UMass and (as always) looking for respect. Emotion frames the matchup, of course, because so many players on either team grew up friends in Miami, and mostly because of what happened when they met 12 years ago, in the 2006 season. BRAAAWWWLLL!!! Both benches emptied, a melee ensued, eight Panthers and five Canes were ejected, and 31 players from both teams were later suspended. Both coaches (Larry Coker, Don Strock) would lose their jobs after that season. The Backyard Brawl obviously was not the sole reason, but it was a shared embarrassment that helped shelve the natural rivalry as a regular series. UM won the brawlgame 35-0. The schools met the next season without incident, Miami winning 23-9. Today is the schools' first meeting since, the first in 11 years and only the third ever. Nobody anticipates an ugly reprise of '06. Said UM coach Mark Richt: "There will be guys getting their blood pumping. But I don't really anticipate anything foolish. I've not mentioned one thing [about the '06 brawl]to our guys." Second-year FIU coach Butch Davis, formerly with UM, of course, recruited the players who would win the 2001 national championship (Miami's most recent), but has a long way to go to hoist FIU onto a competitive par with UM. As we'll likely see Saturday. My pick: Hurricanes, 41-20.
OTHER STATE COLLBALL: There are seven FBS-level college teams in Florida. With Saturday's Miami-FIU game previewed above, here's chronological Week 4 schedule for the rest:
No. 16 UCF (3-0) beats FAU (2-2), 56-36: Teams got the national ESPN spotlight Friday night with Knights coming off an unexpected bye after Hurricane Florence erased last week's game at North Carolina. UCF, a 2-TD fave, used big second half to crush Lane Kiffin's Owls.
FSU (2-2) beats Northern Illinois (1-3), 37-19: Most recent years this would have been a walkover for Seminoles, but now-struggling FSU was a rather modest 9 1/2-point home favorite as new coach Willie Taggert bought an ounce of patience.
Florida (3-1) beats Tennessee (2-2), 47-21: Gators seem to be finding their groove, and this was impressive road win in a big SEC matchup.
South Florida (4-0) beats East Carolina (1-2), 20-13: A win is a win, but this one likely won't be enough vault Bulls up into the Top 25.
Week 4 national Top 25 matchups (2): No. 1 Alabama beats No. 22 Texas A&M, 45-23; and and 7-Stanford beats 20-Oregon, 38-31 in OT.
UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA!: DOLPHINS-RAIDERS AND ALL THE REST OF OUR NFL WEEK 3 PICKS: The Dolphins are going to defend The Rock and beat the Raiders here Sunday to forge a 3-0 start for only the fourth time since 1998. I explain why at the top of my latest NFL predictions. They include my Game of the Week, Upset of the Week ("Aaawwwk!") and all of the rest. Our 28th season of Friday NFL picks (online Thursdays) is off to a solid start. We were a stout 20-10-1 overall and more importantly a strong 19-12-1 against the spread entering Week 3. Now let's keep it going! Dive into Week 3 Gems for all of my latest picks. (Included within is a separate link to Thursday night's Jets-Browns pick, or find it directly at Week 3 Thursday Gem. Got off to another win-win start to our new week, only one point off a rare Exacto on the final score. Thank you, Baker Mayfield!) Pictured at right, our "How the Darts Landed" shield, the bull's-eye representing the height of giddy optimism.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, JANUARY 13. Click on Amazon or Barnes & Noble to check out Fins At 50, our Dolphins book. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Looking beyond Ryan Tannehill poll, give the devil (Nick Saban) his due & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Panthers column: And Barkov shall lead them: Call him Sasha. Call him Barky. Call Aleksander Barkov the future, the best hope for leading the Panthers back to relevance in the NHL and in South Florida. Click on And Barkov Shall Lead Them for my latest column.
Other columns from this week: On bizarre reemergence of Tonya Harding, and on Dolphins and Tannehill: Click No Way to Escape Her Shame for my latest column, on efforts, 24 years later, to rebrand Tonya Harding as a sympathetic victim. And click Are the Fins Feeling Bold? for my earlier column on Dolphins moving beyond Ryan Tannehill.
UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA! OUR NFL DIVISIONAL-ROUND PLAYOFF PICKS: We're down to eight teams now, with two weekend doubleheaders bringing us to the AFC and NFC Championship Game matchups -- the Final Four, King Sport style. I though the two AFC games were pretty simple, clear-cut picks. The two NFC games I wrestled with. and from the rasslin' emerged one major upset. Click Divisional-Round Gems for all our second-round pick as the Super Bowl Tournament continues.
THE LIST: DOLPHINS ALL-TIME FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICKS, RANKED TOP TO BOTTOM BASED ON MOST CAREER GAMES PLAYED FOR MIAMI: Games played for Miami including regular season and playoffs by the 48 first-round draft picks in franchise history. The Top 20, then the rest:
Year Player, School Pick Games
1983 QB Dan Marino, Pittsburgh 27 260
1990 OT Richmond Webb, Texas A&M 9 177
1967 QB Bob Griese, Purdue 4 173
1994 DT Tim Bowens, Mississippi 20 167
1982 OG Roy Foster, Southern Cal 24 144
1976 DE Kim Bokamper, San Jose State 19 140
1979 OT Jon Giesler, Michigan 24 138
1993 WR O.J. McDuffie, Penn State 25 126
2004 OT Vernon Carey, Miami 19 122
1969 DE Bill Stanfill, Georgia 11 120
1980 CB Don McNeal, Alabama 21 120
1977 LB A.J. Duhe, LSU 13 119
1968 RB Larry Csonka, Syracuse 8 118
1989 S Louis Oliver, Florida 25 110
1976 LB Larry Gordon, Arizona State 17 107
2011 C Mike Pouncey, Florida 15 93 [ACTIVE]
1968 OT Doug Crusan, Indiana 27 90
1996 DT Daryl Gardener, Baylor 20 89
2005 RB Ronnie Brown, Auburn 5 77
2012 QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 8 77 [ACTIVE]
The rest:
21st through 30th -- 1984 LB Jackie Shipp, Oklahoma 76; 2008 OT Jake Long, Michigan 75; 1985 RB Lorenzo Hampton, Florida 72; 2006 CB Jason Allen, Tennessee 72; 1992 DE Marco Coleman, Georgia 68; 2010 DT Jared Odrick, Penn State 65; 1992 CB Troy Vincent, Wisconsin 62; 2007 WR Ted Ginn, Ohio State 49; 2014 OT Ja'Wuan James, Tennessee 48 [ACTIVE]; 1988 DE Eric Kumerow, Ohio State 44.
31st through 40th -- 2009 CB Vontae Davis, Illinois 44; 2015 WR DeVante Parker, Louisville 44 [ACTIVE]; 1989 RB Sammie Smith, Florida State 43; 1974 DT Don Reese, Jackson State 42; 2001 CB Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin 41; 1966 QB Rick Norton, Kentucky 31; 1987 DE John Bosa, Boston College 31; 2016 OT Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi 30 [ACTIVE]; 1975 OT Darryl Carlton, Tampa 28; 1991 WR Randal Hill, Miami 28.
41st through 48th -- 2013 DE Dion Jordan, Oregon 26; 1995 OT Billy Milner, Houston 21; 1998 RB John Avery, Mississippi 19; 2017 DE Charles Harris, Missouri 16 [ACTIVE]; 1981 RB David Overstreet, Oklahoma 15; 1997 WR Yatil Green, Miami 8; 1966 RB Jim Grabowski, Illinois 0; 1972 DT Mike Kadish, Notre Dame 0.
POLL RESULT: CLEAR MAJORITY THINK DOLPHINS SHOULD THINK BEYOND TANNEHILL: We asked, "Is this the right offseason and draft for the Dolphins to think beyond Ryan Tannehill?" Your verdict: Yes. If Miami's future at QB is in this draft, go get him, 77.42 percent; No. Tannehill is good enough. Address other needs, 16.67%; Undecided. Like the Dolphins, I'm really not sure, 5.91%.
ALABAMA'S RECENT RUN IN PERSPECTIVE: Nick Saban just own Alabama's fifth national championship since he took over Crimson Tide football 11 seasons ago, in 2007. In that same time span the most championships by one of the Big Four pro teams is three, by the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins and MLB's San Francisco Giants. Althought two of the 11 teams with two titles since '07 -- the NFL's New England Patriots and NBA's Golden State Warriors -- have a big shot at a third title in seasons ongoing.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29. Need a late gift for the Dolfans in your life? Click on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and check out my historical book, Fins At 50. 2) Sorry we haven't had as many general sports columns lately. Been burning a slew of leftover vacation time this month. 3) Watch for our season-ending college State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) results following all of the bowl games involving state FBS teams. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): My baseball Hall of Fame ballot, my first grandchild, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy results, Herald NFL QB rankings & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
Hurricanes back in OB game, where UM first got America's attention 34 years ago: Click Where The Swagger Was Born for my latest column, on Miami's first Orange Bowl game appearance in 14 years.
Thank you, Orange Bowl Committee: At today's OB coaches luncheon at the Hilton Downtown Miami I was honored to receive the 2017 Edwin Pope Orange Bowl Media Award. Honored because I respect the Orange Bowl Committee's good works, and especially because the award is named for my friend, longtime colleague and mentor who passed away last January. Thanks to all. Click HERE for the story the Herald was king enough to write.
UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA! NFL WEEK 17 PICKS: DOLPHINS END ROTTEN SEASON IN SPOILER ROLE. ON MIAMI-BUFFALO AND THE REST: Nine of NFL's 12 playoff teams have been claimed, with six teams alive for the final three spots entering Sunday's regular season finales. Alas, the Dolphins are not among them, relegated to a spoiler role, trying to deny visiting Buffalo its first playoff berth since 1999. Will Miami do it to end a disappointing season on the upbeat? Click Week 17 Gems for my full Dolphins-Bills predix capsule, my Game of the Week (Panthers-Falcons), Upset of the Week (49ers-Rams: "Aawwk!") and the rest.
ANNUAL YEAR-IN-REVIEW POLLS COMING: Soon, in the blog and also online, we'll invite you to vote for what was the biggest national sports story of 2017, and then separately for the biggest Miami/South Florida sports story of the year. Watch for the National poll starting Tuesday Jan. 2 and the Miami poll starting Friday Jan. 5.
