GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, JULY 6. Hope y'all had a Happy Fourth of July, my fellow Americans! Don't always like my president. Always love my country. 2) Always football season around here, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, at Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat get Jimmy Butler, Megan Rapinoe owns World Cup, Hot Button Top 10, Raconteurs video & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY MY FELLOW AMERICANS: The country we love can be great, but only if we make it better:
SORRY, LEBRON. NO LAST LAUGH. KAWHI REPORTEDLY HEADED TO CLIPPERS: Update: Sorry, LeBron. ESPN reporting Kawhi Leonard headed to Clippers. Original post: With the ball on his palm, in basketball IQ, in business dealings, in shaping his own brand, we should agree LeBron James is brilliant in in lots of ways. We have learned something new this summer, though. We have learned how astute James is at recognizing how the man in the mirror has changed. He is 34 now, relegated to third-team All-NBA last season. He is no longer the consensus best player in the league — not when age is factored. More significantly, he now seems content with not even being the best player on his team. This summer has been about James admitting he needs help. It has been about him orchestrating the end of his career, and making it easier for him to age gracefully, not desperately. It has been about him trying to make sure that epic career goes out on top — brilliant again, if he can pull it off. LeBron haters were reveling last season as the Lakers went 37-45 and missed the playoffs in his first season in L.A. What had he gotten himself into? Well, with Anthony Davis now beside him and Kawhi Leonard maybe joining him, too, LeBron is poised to have the ultimate last laugh. We explore more deeply in our newest column. To read, please visit Kawhi to Lakers Would Mean More Rings, Last Laugh For LeBron.
"LET'S GOOOOO STATES!" U.S. BEATS ENGLAND, REACHES WORLD CUP FINAL!: It took a winning goal by birthday girl Alex Morgan (pictured) yesterday to beat England 2-1 in France and vault the Americans into Sunday's Women's World Cup final. Also took two huge second half occurrences -- a review call that (properly) negated an England goal, and a U.S. goalkeeper save on a Brits penalty kick. Megan Rapinoe sat out with a hamstring injury. No problem, evidently. For my column off the game, please visit U.S. Women Reach World Cup Final -- Not With Arrogance, But Excellence. The United States national team has now rolled through this soccer World Cup with a 6-0 record, 24-3 goals differential, and having never trailed and been tied only twice once. In short the USWNT has shown why it is the reigning world champion and No. 1-ranked team as it guns for its fourth World Cup trophy. England has never won but had a best-ever third place finish four years ago. The Americans advance to play the finale vs. the winner of today's other semifinal: Netherlands-Sweden.
MORGAN SCORES WINNER, SIPS TEA: Alex Morgan's winning goal for U.S. Tuesday, followed by her sipping-tea celebration that conveys American arrogance to others which is why I love it. No, she is not pretending to take a puff from a joint! She is pretending to sip tea with pinky raised. Jolly good! Cheerio!
BIG SPLASH BY OLDIES RILEY, TALLON: I get to call Heat president Pat Riley and Panthers general manager Dale Tallon old because I'm old. And both veteran team builders were pouring like good wine this week as their teams stepped hard and well into NBA and NHL free agency. Riley, entering the summer seemingly capped-out and hands-tied, managed to get four-time all-star Jimmy Butler, keep Goran Dragic and unload Hassan Whiteside, all positives, and to do it gave up (player-wise) only Josh Richardson, whose rise stalled last season. (Read Bold Moves To Get Jimmy Butler Make Heat -- And Pat Riley -- Relevant Again). And Tallon made a bunch of smaller moves and one big one, landing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, two-time Vezina Trophy winner, the best available in free agency and Florida's top target. (Read Why Florida Panthers Are Poised To (Finally) Be The Next Big Thing. Good work by both men.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, JULY 1. Radio today in addition to Tuesday. Le Batard Show. ESPN Radio. Tune in now! 2) Welcome July, month of independence! See ya next year, June bug. 3) Always football season around here, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, at Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): U.S. women roll into World Cup semifinals, Roberto Luongo retires, Udonis Haslem takes flamethrower to critics, Willie Nelson's "Immigrant Eyes" video & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
MEGAN RAPINOE OWNS THE WORLD CUP, AND IT'S GLORIOUS! NEW COLUMN: Megan Rapinoe is not afraid of a fight. Not afraid of expectations, any opponent, criticism, controversy or the president of the United States. It is her World Cup now. She is the most important athlete on the planet at the moment, a woman in full power, on a mission, carrying her team, taking on the world. And it is a rather awesome thing to see. Rapinoe has scored all four U.S. goals in the knockout stage of this World Cup to lead America into Tuesday's semifinal vs. England. But she has been just as noteworthy off the field, standing up for equal rights, social justice and equal pay. She is outspokenly anti-Trump, polarizing for that, but unabashedly unapologetic it. She is on a mission, a woman in full power, and she will not shut up. For myy latest column, please visit: It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated through Monday, 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. SOCCER: U.S. women blast into World Cup semifinals: U.S. faces England Tuesday in the Women's World Cup semifinals, after eliminating host France 2-1 in the quarters -- the American side once again led by Megan Rapinoe. It's Netherlands vs. Sweden in the other semifinal on Wednesday. America's fourth World Cup title and second straight is close enough to taste now. On my count: "Let's gooooo States!"
2. HEAT: Miami, Jimmy Butler agree to terms: A lot going on! Heat are getting Jimmy Butler in a three-way sign-and-trade that sends Josh Richardson to Philly and sees Hassan Whiteside go to Portland. Meantime, Heat No. 1 draft pick Tyler Herro out of Kentucky and Georgetown's undrafted Trey Mourning -- Alonzo's son -- headline Miami's 12-man NBA Summer League roster. Games start July 5 in Las Vegas, after a three-game tournament in Sacramento starting Monday. Heat's five-game preseason schedule opens Oct. 8 at home vs. Spurs. In other team news, Udonis Haslem, on Instagram, took a flamethrower to critics who say he should retire. He may yet, but doesn't want you telling him what to do.
3. PANTHERS: Luongo retires; Cats sign Bobrovsky: Busy time for the Cats, led by Luongo -- third-winningest goaltender in NHL history -- announcing he's calling it quits after 19 seasons including 11 in two stints with Florida. Decision not a shock, but still seismic news. Farewell, Lu. The Panthers wrapped up their four-day developmental camp for young guys including No. 1 draft pick Spencer Knight, and Monday signed their top free-agent target, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
4. NBA: 'Special K's' free agency begins Sunday: Gentlemen, start your spending! NBA's wheelin' and dealin' all started Sunday and call it the "Special K's" free agency, with Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant (reportedly to Brooklyn) and Kyrie Irving (also Nets-bound) the three biggest available prizes, and Kemba Walker (headed to Celtics), Klay Thompson (staying put) and Kristaps Porzingis (to Mavericks) perhaps next. Should be an exciting offseason -- even in Miami, presuming the Jimmy Butler thing goes through.
5. SOCCER: U.S. men in Gold Cup semifinals, Copa America to semis: A couple of nice men's little sideshows to the Women's World Cup. The oft-maligned U.S. men's national team beat Curacao 1-0 Sunday night to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, after sailing through group play at 3-0 by a combined 11-0 score. And the Copa America is down to the semifinals, highlighted by a Brazil-Argentina heavyweight match Tuesday. Viva futbol!
6. MARLINS: Alcantara selected for ASG as Fish head on road: Marlins fell to Phils in Sunday's matinee to wrap a six-game homestand, now it's six straight on the road heading into the All-Star Break. Miami's best bet to be picked as an All-Star reserve? No clear frontrunner. I liked Brian Anderson -- but it was young pitcher Sandy Alcantara getting the nod today.
7. HORSES: Gulfstream's Summer Of Speed tops summer schedule: Gulfstream's 14-race Summit of Speed was led by the $250,000 Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes, won Saturday by favorite Stormy Embrace for the second straight year, earning an automatic entry into November's Breeders’ Cup Grade 1 Filly & Mare Turf Stakes. Saturday's card marked Gulfstream's biggest race day of the summer meet.
8. TENNIS: Upsets begin fortnight at Wimbledon: The sport's third of four Grand Slam majors began Monday in London and runs two weeks. Defending men's champ Novak Djokovic is men's betting favorite ahead of usual suspects Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Women's pick is Ashleigh Barty ahead of Serena Williams, with 2018 winner Angelique Kerber only the fifth pick. Serena needs one more major win to tie Margaret Court's record of 24 favorite, but can she? She's 37 and last won a major in early 2017, now fighting much younger opponents but also time. Two big women's upsets Monday: Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams both ousted.
9. INTER MIAMI: MLS expansion team after U.S. men's star: While they're trying to build stadium(s), the 2020 Major League Soccer arrival is also trying to build a roster. Latest speculation: David Beckham's team is after U.S. national team rising star Tyler Boyd, a 24-year-old winger currently leading the American's Gold Cup charge. Inter Miami has his "discovery rights," which are, well, like first dibs.
10. DOLPHINS: Fins set training camp dates: New head coach Brian Flores will lead Miami through 11 practices starting July 25 through Aug. 6, prior to the first preseason game Aug. 8. All practices will be at the Davie/Nova Southeastern HQ except for an Aug. 3 scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium. Bring your sunscreen. But at least you won't be wearing 40 pounds of equipment.
Missing the HB10 cut: Yankees swept Red Sox in London. Teams totaled 50 runs in two games, giving Brits the mistaken impression baseball is an exciting sport ..... Baseball named its 16 All-Star Game starters, excluding the two pitchers. The Democrats have more presidential candidates than baseball has starters ..... Bob Ley retired from ESPN this week after 40 years. He was kind enough to have us on Outside The Lines several times. Terrific guy ..... Some sentences are so absurd they need no elaboration. So: Breakdancing is headed to the 2024 Olympics ..... A Kansas City radio station fired host Kevin Kietzman for saying Chiefs coach Andy Reid "fix" either his players or his family. Reid has lost one son to a drug overdose and has another son who has had addiction problems. Ouch ..... Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo was named NBA MVP, deserved it and gave an emotional acceptance speech, after which the classless Rockets embarrassed themselves with tweets saying James Harden shoulda won ..... Australia banging in the Cricket World Cup. Updates as warranted ..... The Tour de France starts in six days. It was more fun when everybody was getting suspended for doping ..... Vanderbilt wins College World Series ..... O.J. Simpson: "I did it!" No, not that. He just meant he's on Twitter now ..... Answer: The U.S. championships in taekwondo and fencing are both going on. Question: What are two sports nobody except participants and their families will watch? ..... Somebody check on LaVar Ball to make sure he's OK. Been almost a week since he's said anything stupid ..... Update: Countdown now 2,548 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
THE RACONTEURS HAVE RETURNED TO SAVE ROCK 'N ROLL: Jack White, Brendan Benson and The Raconteurs are back with their first new album in 10 years, Help Us Stranger, and here is the (almost) title track, "Help Me Stranger":
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, JUNE 29. Always football season around here, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, at Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, our (Tyler) Herro sandwich of columns & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
U.S. RIDES RAPINOE INTO WORLD CUP SEMIFINALS!: U.S. beats host France 2-1 behind two more goals by Megan Rapinoe to reah Woemns' World Cup semifinals vs. England. Original post: A few thoughts on the U.S. women reaching the quarterfinals of the World Cup and next facing host France on Friday, after beating Spain 2-1 Monday in the round of 16. 1) Tired of hearing how the second U.S. penalty kick was a "soft call." American Rose Lavelle did not trip over her own feet in the box, nor the wind blow her over. She was tripped. It may have been inadvertent and the opponent's foot barely made contact, but barely counts. It was a PK call that survived VAR review. Move on. 2) The U.S. survived as much as beat Spain, and that same effort/performance on Friday will not be good enough to beat France. It's also a shame that group pairings were such that the U.S. and France -- the two World Cup favorite -- would meet in the quarters and not later. Friday's game will feel like the championship match. 3) To beat France the Americans will need better individual play, especially from star Alex Morgan (pictured being fouled vs. Spain Thursday) and from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and her defense. Morgan was unusually quiet and seemed bothered by Spain's close marking, fouling and aggression. And the defensive lapse that caused Spain's goal (Naeher's dumb short rollout to a defender closely marked and pickpocketed) was not the only mistake that led to Spanish chances. The U.S. is the best team in this tournament, but Thursday reminded the Americans are not unbeatable.
PANTHERS ALL-TIME GREAT LUONGO RETIRES. NEW COLUMN: Farewell, Roberto Luongo. A big piece of Florida Panthers history has faded to past tense. The man who guarded the Cats' goal for more than twice as many games as anybody else said goodbye to hockey Wednesday afternoon, retiring at age 40 after 19 NHL seasons. With typical good humor Luongo announced his decision on Twitter by saying, "I’ve decided to take my talents to a South Beach retirement home." Cats fans in turn say goodbye to one of the most popular players in franchise history, an 11-season Panther from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2014 through this past season. He was the league’s active leader in games played and games won in goal, and made five all-star teams. All-time, Luongo is second in games played in goal, second in saves and third in wins. He is, in our view, a certain future Hall of Famer, and he’ll certainly get the ceremonial night he deserves from the club this coming season. Luongo, his wife Gina and their two kids live in Parkland, where he did all he could to help that community heal after the Stoneman Douglas tragedy. Look for Luongo to continue to have a role with the club in some capacity -- but off ice. "This is one of the toughest decisions I’ve faced in my life and it took me a long time to make it,” Luongo wrote in an open letter on NHL.com and the Panthers’ website. “After thinking about it a lot over the past two months and listening to my body, I made up my mind. It just feels like the right time for me to step away from the game." He said his kids Gianni and Gabriella cried when he told them. "We cried together," he said. The retirement was not unexpected given his age and declining production. Plus, the Panthers just drafted a goalie in the first round and are targeting another, Sergei Bobrovsky, in coming free agency. Still, though expected. Luongo's retirement hits heavy. An era ends. For my latest column, please visit An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires.
UDONIS HASLEM TAKES A FLAMETHROWER TO THOSE WHO WANT HIM GONE: Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem can be fierce presence on the court but off it has always kept a low profile. Not this week! U.D. broke character Monday on Instagram with an angry rebuke for those critics and Heat fans who think it's time he retired, at 39, so Miami can use the roster spot on a younger guy who'd contribute more. A few thoughts. 1) He might retire, and doesn't need your help in deciding. If anything, in a life and career fueled by doubters, the more volume that he should retire, perhaps the less likely he is to do so. 2) Nobody who's the 14th or 15th man on any NBA roster is going to play or contribute much. 3) Haslem's contribution to the Heat cannot be measure in minutes or points or games played alone. His value as a lockerroom presence and mentor is palpable, only more so with Dwyane Wade retired. Haslem embodies Heat culture. He should be showed the respect to retire on his terms, at his time. Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra are giving him that. So should all Heat fans. I explore all of this and more in standing with Haslem in my recent column. To read it, kindly visit Heat's Haslem Doesn't Need Us Telling Him Whether To Retire.
WILLIE NELSON'S "IMMIGRANT SONG": The times we are living in have given rise to a new era of protest songs. Recently I mentioned Taylor Swift's bouncy pro-LGBTQ, anti-hate anthem "You Need to Calm Down." Here now is Willie Nelson's impassioned bid that we remember the ideals that helped found our nation. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses," is what we remember from school, of Emma Lazarus' The New Colossus poem. But my favorite part of that Statue Of Liberty inscription, "A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name is Mother of Exiles." Make this about politics if you must. For me, it is about heart,
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, JUNE 22. Excited about the inaugural Miami Beach Pop Festival Nov. 8-10 on the sands of South Beach -- especially The Raconteurs, who are second-line on the bill but should be co-headliners. 2) Here's the new Back In My Day that premiered this week on the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio/ESPNews: BIMD: Band-Aids! 3) Always football season, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, here: Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, Father's Day, Taylor Swift anti-hate video & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
DRIP AND SWAG, SPARK AND SPLASH AS HEAT INTRODUCE HERRO: Tyler Herro’s personality can be loud. That we know already. Will his NBA game be just as loud? Half of the fun is in the finding out. Meantime let’s appreciate the personality while fans hope the skills back it up. We need it. The down Miami Heat franchise needs it. South Florida sports needs it. He boasted on draft night Thursday that he had “the most drip in the room” -- as a million older white folks like myself probably said, “What’d he just say? The most what!?” The most drip as in street slang for the most swagger. The most drip as in the floral purple jacket he wore to his entree into the NBA. The most drip as in the rope of gold chain around his neck, and the fat, blingy watch on his left wrist. His game backs it up. "He checks every single box," said Pat Riley on Friday as he introduced Herro. To read my newest column, please visit Drip Or Swag, Herro Brings It, And Heat Need It.
WHY HEAT, RILEY NEED TO HIT BIG WITH HERRO AS NO. 1 DRAFT PICK: The pressure isn't on Kentucky guard Tyler Herro to be great as much as it's on Heat president Pat Riley to have been spot-on in seeing greatness in the kid. Riley ended a draft slump by getting Bam Adebayo, Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson in the previous two drafts. Now he needs to keep the run going with last night's bounty: Herro (pictured), whom most mock drafts pegged going a bit lower than 13th overall, and Stanford forward KZ Okpala, whom the Heat traded up to select in the second round. If either or both can become starters or at least promising rotation contributors -- if both show promise -- Miami's roster will look a lot better a year from now to available 2020 free agents when the Heat next has big money to spend. I explore all of this in my column on the pick. To read, visit Heat, Riley Need To Have Hit Big With Herro.
THE LIST: HIGHEST HEAT DRAFT PICKS IN RILEY ERA: The Miami Heat's five highest NBA Draft selections of the Pat Riley era:
No. Year Player, Pos., School Draft grade
2 2008 Michael Beasley, F, Kansas State D: 12.3 points over 4 seasons here. OK, but not for 2nd overall
5 2003 Dwyane Wade, G, Marquette A+: Is an explanation really necessary?
10 2002 Caron Butler, F/G, UConn B: Only 2 years here, but key player in trade that brought Shaq
10 2015 Justise Winslow, G/F, Duke C: Grade still incomplete, but climbing. Coming off best season
13 2019 Tyler Herro, G, Kentucky ???: The fun is in the finding out
PANTHERS GO GOALIE IN NHL DRAFT: Florida Panthers Friday night selected America goaltender Spencer Knight, 18, with the 13th overall pick in the NHL Draft. Best goalie in the draft at a position of urgent need = smart pick. ESPN's scouting report: "The things that makes Knight (pictured) exceptional among his goaltending peers is elite hockey sense, tremendous athleticism balanced with controlled play, great footwork and size and elite puck-moving abilities. I don't put huge value on a goalie's puckhandling skills, but Knight's are so good it's hard not to mention. Knight has really grown a lot in his confidence and poise in the net. There's such little flash in Knight's game, and that's a good thing. He's just always in the right spot because he tracks and anticipates as well as any goalie prospect I've seen in the past few years." Cats still will pursue veteran all-star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in coming free agency. It all spells the likely end of the line for longtime Panther Roberto Luongo, a franchise great but now 40.
HEAT'S FALL FROM CENTER OF PARADE TO SPECTATORS: To quote the top of my own new column in what may or may not be a fit of narcissism: "We were the parade, once. Now we’re on the curb, watching. The NBA is somebody else’s party now. Miami has gone from epicenter to spectator. Basketball summers in South Florida were nearly as exciting as the seasons because Pat Riley and the Heat could be expected to be 'in the room' with top free agents. Now here we are, water all around us and not a whale in sight. Being out of the playoffs is bad enough. Being out of the mix might be worse." Tonight is the NBA Draft, then comes free agency -- basketball's big summer -- but the Heat (selecting 13th overall tonight) figures to be pretty quiet. I explore how and why in my recent column. To read, kindly visit Heat Can Only Watch As Seismic Talent Shift Quakes NBA. Pictured: Been a minute since Riley was happy enough to dance over the fortunes of his franchise.
O.J. SIMPSON IS ON TWITTER. UH OH: Disgraced former Bills star escapes on two murder charges, later serves nine years for armed robbery, is paroled, spends a couple of quiet years under the radar in Vegas and -- now -- reemerges on social media with a Twitter account @TheRealOJ32. "I got a little gettin' even to do," he says in his first video. Wants to "set the record straight," he says in another. What he really wants, obviously, to to remake his image into the good guy who did his time and now wants back into the mainstream. (A smiling O.J. is pictured outside his home in Las Vegas in a recent Los Angeles Times photo that accompanied an AP story headlined, '25 years after murders, O.J. says 'Life is fine'). Simpson isn't the first shamed celebrity to see social media as a means of making over his persona and hoping people will allow him a reboot. The thing is, that is entirely up to us, the public, not up to him. Friendly tweets aren't unlikely to change the minds of the millions who will always think he got away with murder. I explore all of this in my recent column. To read, please visit O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him. Below, a Twitter response to an O.J. tweet that is, frankly, what Simpson had to know he was getting into by opening himself up to social media:
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's MONDAY, JUNE 17. Hope your Father's Day was as happy as mine! Thanks, family. 2) Always football season, so always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life, here: Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Can Riley unload Whiteside/Dragic contracts?, Panthers poised to be Next Big Thing, U.S. women's soccer deserves praise not criticism, Kevin Durant's legacy, O.J. Simpson's happiness, latest Back In My Day, The List (Game 7s) & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. NBA: Lakers get Davis in blockbuster trade: LeBron James has help now. L.A. acquired Anthony Davis from New Orleans on Saturday in exchange for three young players including Lonzo Ball plus three first-round draft pick's including the Lakers' No. 4 overall in this Thursday's draft. World's Most Annoying Dad LaVar Ball swooped in to complain L.A. had just made the worst trade it ever had. So, if it made LaVar upset, then I love the trade!
2. SOCCER: U.S. women win second straight, advance in World Cup: After a 13-0 opening rout of Thailand that saw the United States accused by some of running up the score or celebrating too much -- oh bleepin' boo hoo! -- the reigning-champ Americans were back with Game 2 of group play vs. Chile Sunday and a comfortable 3-0 win that could have been double that. U.S. is now assured of advancing to the knockout stage. On my count: "U-S-A! U-S-A!" (Sorry, all my Chilean readers. Quizas la proxima vez.
3. HEAT: Miami picks No. 13 in this week's NBA Draft: The two-round NBA Draft is this Thursday night, with 13th overall Miami's lone selection, after Zion Williamson surely goes No. 1 overall to New Orleans. No consensus on Heat's thinking; latest ESPN mock had them taking Kentucky 6-8 forward P.J. Washington. The intrigue beyond Heat's pick and Zion: Possible draft-day trades ahead of pending free agency. Anthony Davis already has changed jerseys. Will possible Heat target Mike Conley be next?
4. NBA: Oh Canada! Toronto wins first NBA title: NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors topped reigning champ Golden State in six games for Toronto's first-ever championship. Sorry Canada, but slap an asterisk on the crown, eh? Warriors were missing Kevin Durant first to a calf injury and then to a ruptured Achilles for all but 15 minutes of the Finals, and were missing Klay Thompson to a torn ACL for much of Thursday's deciding game. The Warriors didn't lose. The semi-Warriors did.
5. GOLF: Woodland (not Woods) wins the U.S. Open: American Gary Woodland held a shaky one-shot lead over more pedigreed Englishman Justin Rose entering Sunday's final round but wound up winning by three strokes over star Brooks Koepka in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Woodland's 13-under was good for his first career major, while Tiger Woods tied for 21st at 2-under.
6. PANTHERS: Cats await this week's draft, then free agency: The Panthers, with GM Dale Tallon and new coach Joel Quenneville at the helm, have the 13th overall pick and nine selections in all in the NHL Draft this coming Friday and Saturday. Cats would take gladly take a defenseman like Sweden's Philip Broberg, thank you. Stakes are even higher in free agency commencing July 1, with high-aiming Florida's reported targets including all-star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky of Columbus.
7. NHL: St. Louis wins Game 7, first-ever Stanley Cup: St. Louis and NHL Final MVP Alex Pietrangelo upset host Boston 4-1 in Game 7 Wednesday to win the Blues' first NHL crown in 51 seasons, overcoming the Bruins' early 2-1 series. Nobody sober saw it coming before the season, or when St. Louis had the league's worst record on January 3 before an epic rally. Miracle On Ice 2.0?
8. HURRICANES: UM football scoring big in recruiting: Canes have risen to a No. 5 national ranking in ESPN's 2020 college football recruiting charts, led by this past week's big get: premier offensive tackle Jalen Rivers from Orange Park, whose other finalists were Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Florida State. Running back Don Chaney Jr. leads a group of nine other ESPN top 300 recruits. Meanwhile, RB Frank Gore Jr. is headed to Boca and joining Lane Kiffin at FAU.
9. MARLINS: Fish wrap up homestand, head on road: After being 10-31 at the season's quarter mark Miami went on a 13-5 run -- two weeks of magic (relatively speaking). But it's been 2-8 since after Sunday loss to Pittsburgh wrapped up a losing homestand, with a seven-game road next. Thud! That's the Marlins coming back to earth.
10. BOXING: Fury crushes Schwarz in Vegas: Andy Ruiz Jr. beat Anthony Joshua in a stunning upset earlier in June. It wouldn't happen again Saturday night in Vegas as heavily favored 6-9 British giant Tyson Fury (astoundingly his real name) easily handled unheralded German Tom Schwarz. Fury, by the way, seems like pretty decent guy, other than being a raging homophobe and unapologetic mysogynist.
Missing the HB10 cut: Happy Father's Day my fellow padres! ..... Beloved former Red Sox star David Ortiz was shot in the Dominican Republic in an apparent assassination attempt, requiring five hours of emergency surgery, but thankfully Papi is expected to make a full recovery ..... First it was Barcelona's star striker Luis Suarez. Now, reports are that Argentine forward Mauro Icardi, who plays for Italy's Inter Milan, is being shopped and that David Beckham is interested in him for his MLS expansion team Inter Miami. Points for now: Becks is aiming high ..... NHL Awards Show is Wednesday in Vegas, with only one Panther, Aleksander Barkov, a finalist in any of the 11 categories. He's up for the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player, which has to be the most un-hockey-like award in hockey ..... The 24 Hours of Le Mans ends today, the college baseball World Series is underway, so is the Cricket World Cup, and I'm planning to watch not a single minute of any of them ..... O.J. Simpson is on Twitter now. Uh oh ..... Update: Countdown now 2,562 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
TAYLOR SWIFT'S NEW ANTI-HATE ANTHEM: Taking aim at hate, especially that which spews on social media:
1) It's SATURDAY, JUNE 1. Happy new month, all! Farewell, May. See you next year. 2) Find the new Back In My Day video (Food Trucks!) just below here. 3) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, Miami sports sucks yeah but has company, Memorial Day tribute video & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
THESE ARE THE MARLINS. AN ENCOURAGING HALF-MONTH IS A START: Though Miami lost 3-1 to the Giants Thursday at Marlins Park (I was there) and 5-2 in San Diego Friday to open a road trip, the Fish were a neat 9-5 the past two weeks to end May, a notable upturn after ending the first quarter of the season a dreadful, record-threatening 10-31. Around here, right now, in the midst of a franchise reboot, you take an encouraging half month. You take any reason to try on optimism and hope it fits. For my column, from the ballyard, kindly visit For Marlins, An Encouraging Two Weeks Is Progress. P.s., as a kid who grew up a Carl Yastrzemski fan, it was nice to personally witness grandson Mike Yastrzemski, the Giants rookie, collect his first major-league RBI yesterday. Yaz 2.0 is 28 and played parts of seven minor-0league seasons. Kid didn't coast on his name; he paid those proverbial dues.
HOW BASKETBALL BECAME AMERICA'S MOST INTERESTING SPORT: The mess enveloping LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors vs. Raptors/Steph Curry vs. Kawhi Leonard NBA Finals and when Kevin Durant will return. The Zion Williamson draft. Free agency and where Durant, Leonard, Anthony Davis (by trade) and other stars will end up. For all its drama, the NBA has become the most interesting league and sport in America. Or so I make the case in my latest column. To read it, please visit Drama Kings: How NBA Became America's Most Interesting Sport. An added element of interest in these Finals that start tonight is a Canadian team playing for the title for the first time. Ordinarily, much of America outside of Oakland might be predisposed to root for the underdog and against the dynasty. But in this case that means rooting for Canada over the American team. Does it matter? Maybe it's only during the Olympics and World Cup that we think about such things. In any case we present our NBA Finals "Head vs. Heart" polls -- the will and want polls. The first is which team you predict will win -- who you'd bet your money on. The second is who you want to win -- who you''ll be rooting for. Vote now in both!
THE COMPLICATED LEGACY OF BILL BUCKNER: It is wrong, in remembering Bill Buckner, to not appreciate a well above average 22-year MLB career. He was an all-star. Won a batting title. Had a .289 career average. But it also is wrong that a story about that man and career upon his death might not emphasize the one thing for which he is most (unfortunately) remembered -- that infamous 1986 World Series error. I dive into Buckner's complicated legacy in my recent column, from the perspective of a lifelong Red Sox fan who once despised him but outgrew that misplaced passion. To read, please Buckner Legacy One Of Notoriety And Forgiveness.
THE FUTURE: MIAMI SPORTS' TOP 15 ATHLETES 25 AND YOUNGER: What’s next? Who’s next? What is the path forward from losing for the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins and Panthers — and who will find it? We last did one of these best-25-and-younger lists in 2013 and I’m surprised to say only one player from that top 10 remains in town. Hopefully our Big Four teams will do a better job hanging onto our expanded list of young talent. In forming the ranking we combined current quality with potential, how essential the player is in his team’s plans, and how good we imagine they’ll be in, say, three years. To read our recent column and see the Top 15 U-25 list, please visit Ranking Dolphins, Heat, Marlins & Panthers' Best Young Players.
NEW 'BACK IN MY DAY': FOOD TRUCKS!: Food truck owners, don't take this personally...
THREE POWERHOUSE WOMEN VOCALISTS = ONE GREAT SONG: Sheryl Crow. Bonnie Raitt. Mavis Staples. Three of my favorites, together on one song. What could go wrong? Nothing. For me, this song chugs like a locomotive in no hurry. Love the lyrics, the mix of vocals, everything. Hope you might, too. This is a vocals-only vid, but no worry. Close your eyes and let these voices and Bonnie's sublime slide guitar carry you away.
1) It's MONDAY, MAY 27. It is Memorial Day in America. Please hesitate to wish someone a "happy" Memorial Day, bearing in mind it is a day to remember and honor our servicemen and women who lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces. Below is a video honoring those soldiers. 2) It's always football season, so it's always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): The new Sports Fan Misery Index, genuflecting to Warriors' greatness, getting to know Tyler Gaffalione, new Raconteurs video & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Latest column: Miami sports suck right now. But oh do we have company!: Dolphins: No championship in 45 years. Panthers: Last won hockey playoff series 22 seasons ago. Marlins: Haven’t made postseason in 13 years or had winning record in 10. (Even the reliable Heat missed the playoffs). So how bad do we have it in South Florida pro sports? I did the research and was stunned to find, for example, that the Fins' 45-year title drought doesn't even make the Top 20 for such futility. If misery loves company, this your column, Miami, as we present the new Sports Fan Misery Index encompassing the 123 franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. To read, please visit Take Heart, South Florida. We're Bad, But Hardly Alone.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, 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. NBA: Finally, a Finals! It's Golden State vs. Toronto!?: Golden State's long wait to know its NBA Finals opponent is over after sweeping Portland. And that opponent, unexpectedly, is Toronto, which rallied from 15 down at home Saturday night to oust top-seeded Milwaukee and reach its first Finals. Meaning we now must all accept the dreadful hashtag #WeTheNorth. All hail, Kawhi Leonard! For now. King Warriors and Steph Curry are heavy favorites in Finals that start Thursday. Defending champ Golden State playing with extra rest is like Warren Buffett getting a raise.
2. NHL: Boston-St. Louis Finals begins Monday: The Boston Bruins are favored to continue that city's recent across-sports dominance vs. the underdog St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals beginning Monday. The Blues were last in the Finals in 1970, and, as we know in Miami, anything that happened even before the Dolphins' first Super Bowl win is officially ancient history.
3. MARLINS: Signs of life for the Fish, sort of: Miami won a season-best six games in a row before dropping the first three games of a four-game set at Washington. Marlins are at Nationals again today before returning home vs. San Francisco. For Miami, odds of finishing worse than the '62 Mets are now suddenly and seriously in jeopardy.
4. TENNIS: Nadal, Halep favorites in French Open: The French Open began in Paris Sunday with Rafael Nadal favored to win his 12th men's crown in the event and Simona Halep the betting pick to repeat her women's title. An odd sight: Serena Williams only the fifth favorite among women. Then again it's a major she has won "only" three times, and not since '15.
5. AUTO RACING: Pagenaud wins Indy 500 roars at the Brickyard: The 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 happened Sunday with defending champion Will Power (still love that name) the betting favorite, but ti was Frenchman Simon Pagenaud who lifted the milk bottle. It's the only day on the American motorsports calendar when IndyCar reigns and NASCAR must curtsy.
6. INTER MIAMI: OK, so now they're building three stadiums!?: The David Beckham/Jorge Mas team set to debut in Major League Soccer next year is building a new Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to play the first two seasons while their permanent Miami Freedom Park home is built. Now they've secured land in Overtown for a potential stadium as well -- perhaps a fallback if the Melreese site falls through? This team better be a beautiful baby, because the pregnancy has shall we say not been smooth.
7. UM BASEBALL: Canes disappoint in ACCs, await NCAA fate: Splitting two games in the ACC Tournament, and blowing a five-run lead in the second, wasn't what coach Gino DiMare had in mind for his 16th-ranked Canes. Now Miami awaits its postseason destination in the NCAA Division 1 Selection Show on Monday. Of course UM will get in. The question: Will Miami host a regional?
8. DOLPHINS: Six workdays left before training camp: Miami has remaining OTA practice days May 28-29 and 31 and then a mandatory minicamp June 4-6. Then it's off for a few weeks before the start of full training camp in late July. All of it leading to what is expected to be a dreadful season!
9. SOCCER: Ticket snafu shadows start of Women's World Cup: The quadrennial event kicks off June 7 in France (two of the 24 teams have been training in SoFla), with the defending champion United States playing its first match June 11. But before any of that there's outrage from fans over ticketing. Say you bought four tickets to Game X. Well, they might not be together! I mean, seriously?
10. SOCCER: Liverpool favored in Champions League final: An all-England Champions League final this coming Saturday In Madrid finds Liverpool a solid betting pick over Tottenham. Some of that is Liverpool seeking its sixth European crown and Tottenham its first. More of it is Liverpool with nine wins vs. only one loss (with four draws) in past 14 league matches vs. the Hotspur.
Missing the HB10 cut: Gabreille Union said on late-night TV that Dwyane Wade was surprised to learn a carton of milk didn't cost $20. Welcome to The Real World Of Rich-Guy Retirement, D-Wade! ..... Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard left to be head coach at his alma mater, Michigan ..... Congrats to the Canes' Estela Perez-Somarriba for winning just the second individual national title in women’s tennis in UM history ..... A Bills player is wearing O.J. Simpson's No. 32 for first time since 1976. Begging the question: Why?!? ..... All-NBA teams came out and LeBron James, for the first time, was relegated to third team. Oh the indignity! ..... A 19-year-old top baseball prospect skipped the MLB Draft to sign with Japan. Dear MLB: Pay your draftees more or see a trend ..... It's Finland vs. Canada Sunday in an expected gold medal game in the IIHF men's ice hockey world championships in Slovakia. Four Florida Panthers represented their country and one is skating for gold: Juho Lammikko of Team Finland ..... WNBA's 23rd season is underway. I'll check back in around the Finals ..... Former NFL star Chris Long admitted he regularly smoked marijuana and got away with it. Roger Goodell is looking into retroactive punishment for retirees ..... Several female squash competitors were outraged after they were given sex toys after a tournament in Spain. We're going to leave it at that and move on! ..... Update: Countdown now 2,583 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.
IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY AND OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS: I post this same video every year on Memorial Day. "50,000 Names" is a George Jones song released in 2001. It is specifically about the names carved on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial but, more broadly, it is a tribute to all who have given their lives in service in the U.S. Armed Forces. To anyone reading who has lost a loved one, we remember yours and all of our fallen heroes today.
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 25. It's always football season, so it's always the right time to check out our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, why Rosen should start over Fitzpatrick, Le Batard Show in New York & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
NEWEST COLUMN: DOLPHINS, MARLINS AND PANTHERS LOSING IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Dolphins haven’t won a championship in 45 years, Panthers last won a hockey playoff series 22 seasons ago and Marlins haven’t made the postseason in 13 years or had a winning record in 10. (Even the reliable Heat missed the playoffs). So how bad do we have it in South Florida pro sports? I did the research and was stunned to find, for example, the the Fins' 45-year title drought doesn't even make the Top 20 for such futility. If misery loves company this your column, Miami, as we present the update Sports Fan Misery Index encompassing the 123 franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. To read our latest column, please visit Take Heart, South Florida. Were Bad, But Hardly Alone.
HEAT, REST OF NBA CAN ONLY GENUFLECT AT WARRIORS' EPIC GREATNESS: Golden State is in a fifth straight NBA Finals, the longest NBA streak since the Boston Celtics made a crazy 10 in a row in 1957-66. Unless you know something I don't, the Warriors are steaming toward a fourth championship in that span. After sweeping Portland in the West finals, it defies logic to imagine GS will now lose in the Finals to a Milwaukee team struggling to survive Toronto in the East. The Warriors are so good they win with Kevin Durant out injured. Steph Curry (pictured) is so good he has scored 33, 36, 37, 36 and 37 points in his last 4 1/2 games. Some say Durant is the best player in the NBA. I say he isn't even the best player on his own team. The Warriors and Curry are climbing the charts in terms of greatest teams and players ever. I explore all of this in my latest column, and also discuss the tough spot teams like the Miami Heat are in as they struggle to regain relevance in the deep shadow of a modern NBA dynasty. To read, please visit Riley, Heat, Everyone Else Chasing Warriors' Epic Greatness.
FROM DAVIE AND GULFSTREAM PARK, THE FEEL-GOOD STORY HORSE RACING NEEDS: You may have noticed. I break from the Dolphins/Heat/ball sports rut whenever I can, as much as I can get away with, to write about different stuff. So the jockey who won the Preakness on Saturday (pictured) happens to be a young man who grew up in the town of Davie, with Gulfstream his home track. Now, at 24, he already has won more than 1,000 career races and $42 million in purse money. I think this third-generation jockey's story is worth telling, and knowing. Hope you might agree. To read it, please visit Meet Tyler Gaffalione: Local Jockey Who Made It (Really) Big.
THE RETURN OF THE RACONTEURS: After two albums (remember the songs "Steady As She Goes" and of course the sports staple "Seven Nation Army"?) and then a 10-year hiatus, The Raconteurs are back, led by Jack White and co-fronted by Brendan Benson (far right below), who is the son of one of my best friends. Can't wait to see them in a live show again. Below is "Help Me Stranger," the latest video offered from their forthcoming new album:
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, MAY 11. It's always football season, so it's always the right time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
NEW COLUMN: A LOT IS GOING RIGHT WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS: I write (very) optimistically about the Dolphins in my latest column, as the team goes through this weekend's rookie minicamp. An impressive new head coach in Brian Flores. Building-block defensive pieces led by Xavien Howard, Minkah Fitzpatrick and rookie Christian Wilkins (pictured). The Josh Rosen trade and the possibility of grand prize Tua Tagovailoa in next year's draft. A premier left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. The 12 draft picks expected next year, and almost $100 million to spend. And more. Miami hasn't been an especially relevant team for some 20 years. Now, I sense this long under-the-radar franchise finally is turning a corner. To read that column, please visit All The Ways Dolphins Are Finally Headed Right.
DOLPHINS WIN SUPER BOWL! (WELL, ONCE IN 10,000 SIMULATIONS): ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) for the 2019 projects the Miami Dolphins for 5.6 wins, second-lowest to Arizona's 5.5 (which is why the Cardinals are given a 16 percent likelihood of securing the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2020 to Miami's 14%). The Dolphins are given a 5 percent shot at making the playoffs, a 2% likelihood of winning the AFC East, and a less than 1% chance to win the Super Bowl. But! Of 10,000 computerized simulation run by ESPN on the season, exactly one had Miami winning it all in the Super Bowl it will host. Writes ESPN today: "To build our projections, we simulated the 2019 season 10,000 times. And exactly once -- simulation No. 5,130 -- the Dolphins went on to win the Super Bowl. How did they do it? A Miami miracle of astronomic proportions. Brian Flores' team made a late run, winning four consecutive games from Weeks 13-16 before dropping a Week 17 contest in Foxborough against Flores' old team. No matter: At 10-6, a feisty Dolphins team led by either Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick (FPI isn't clear) sneaked into the playoffs as No. 6 seed. On the road, Miami dismantled the AFC South champion Texans before a rematch against the division-rival Patriots. And this time, it pulled off the upset. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' defense were then no match for Rosen and/or Fitzpatrick in the AFC Championship Game. And miraculously, Flores' team finished it off with a victory over the Eagles two weeks later. And so it's possible, Dolphins fans. It's spring, and thankfully, due to simulation 5,130, all 32 teams officially have hope." OK, "Su-per Bowl!" chant on my cue. Ready?
'DEMOLITION CEREMONY' STARTS CLOCK ON INTER MIAMI"S FRANTIC RACE TO THE FINISH: It was more ceremony than demolition at Inter Miami's media event today outside the dilapidated shell of the old Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. All they did Wednesday was a glorified photo op during which they began to demolish a small ticket building (pictured). It is hard to envision the site going from this to a brand new Lockhart Stadium essentially in nine months -- by the March start of the 2020 inaugural season for Miami's new Major League Soccer team. But owner Jorge Mas swore assurances it would happen for the stadium Inter will call home at least the first two seasons, until its Miami Freedom Park site is completed where Melreese golf called home. So in effect the Mas/Beckham group is planning and building two stadiums at once, some 35 miles apart. And, ceremonially at least, the the frantic race against time began Wednesday. I was at today's event. For my column, please visit Inter Miami's Demolition Ceremony Begins Frantic Race To The Finish.
THE SHAME AND THE STAIN ON THE KENTUCKY DERBY: The annual horse race at Churchill Downs, kickoff to Triple Crown season, may be America's most hallowed sporting event. The Masters in golf -- an event with 60 years' less tradition -- is the only other event guaranteed to be conveyed with strings and tinkling pianos in TV coverage. That's why mess of a controversy engulfing this year's Derby is so big. It is a spray-paint of graffiti on tradition. Maximum Security won the race. The stewards took it away and made Country House the official, if illegitimate, winner. The sports asterisk, heretofore best used when Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record, is now needed in thoroughbred racing. To read my latest column please visit Maximum Security's Disqualification Is Kentucky Derby's Ultimate Stain.
RETIREE WADE STRUTS HIS FASHION AT MET GALA: Retired Heat star Dwyane Wade (still not used to saying that) and actress-wife Gabrielle Union rocked the 2019 Met Gala over the weekend -- the "Super Bowl of Fashion" fundraiser in New York, where celebs paid $30,000 per person just to get in the door to be papparazzi'd for a good cause. The Miami power couple are wearing outfits by Dundas, and looking sort of like a royal couple from the Game Of Thrones. (Has D-Wade just made the hoodie elegant?) Other A-list athletes there included Tom Brady, Serena Williams, A-Rod, Odell Beckham Jr., Colin Kaepernick, Saquon Barkley and Lewis Hamilton. Serena, from Palm Beach, is pictured going all canary in an Atelier Versace gown with matching Nike sneakers, to the degree sneakers and a Versace gown might ever be called "matching."
THE LIST: AMERICA'S OLDEST SPORTS INSTITUTIONS: Another reason this year's Kentucky Derby controversy is such a big deal is its history. A comparative look at when each of these major American sporting events was first held:
Event Year
Kentucky Derby 1875
Stanley Cup 1893
World Series 1903
Indianapolis 500 1911
The Masters 1934
NBA Finals 1947
Super Bowl 1966-*
U.S Open tennis 1968-**
Notes: *-Season of first Super Bowl; game played January '67. **-Open era. (Sorry, Canada, but the U.S. has won every Stanley Cup since 1994, so it's an American event...).
THE NEW BACK IN MY DAY: WALLETS!: The latest BIMD that premiered today/Tuesday on the Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. One of my better ones based on the reaction in the room and what I'm seeing on social media. Hope you enjoy...
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, APRIL 20. It's 420 Day, when the cannabis culture celebrates its favorite hobby. Hmm. Based on folks I know who smoke weed, I believe every day is 420 Day. 2) Visit Hotel Robots! for the latest Back In My Day video that premiered on Tuesday's Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. 3) Football is never done, and so it's always the perfect time to buy our 'Fins At 50' book for the Dolfans in your life. Learn more or buy on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tiger's unexpected day of triumph, your shocking verdict on Miami's G.O.A.T, Ryan Fitzpatrick at Augusta & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
DOLPHINS DRAFTING 13TH: TWO TIMES LUCKY, ONE HORRIFIC TRAGEDY: The Miami Dolphins were lucky to draft tackle Laremey Tunsil and lucky to draft linebacker/end A.J. Duhe. The drafting of running back David Overstreet in between ended in tragedy. Across a 40-year span, all those three had in common was that they all were selected No. 13 overall by Miami in the NFL Draft. With the Dolphin set to pick 13th again next week, we look back in our newest column at the three very disparate circumstances of the franchise's experience selecting at that spot. To read, visit Dolphins at 13: Twice Lucky, One Horrific Tragedy. Duhe, Tunsil and Overstreet are pictured left to right.
MIAMI LANDING TAGOVAILOA SEEMS LIKELIER AND LIKELIER: A tough 2019 schedule (see below), very low season expectations (win over/under of 5) and the way next week's draft seems to be shaking out -- all are reasons why Dolfans should be increasingly optimistic about the Dolphins landing dream QB Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 draft. We explore deeply in our newest column, online now and in Friday's print editions. To read, visit Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa.
THE 'FORLORN FOUR.' LEAN TIMES FOR DOLPHINS, HEAT, MARLINS, PANTHERS: The Dolphins are re-tooling with a new coach, have Ryan Fitzpatrick & His Fabulous Beard at quarterback, are projected for an NFL-low five wins, and are crossing fingers to strike draft gold. The Heat missed the playoffs, have one or two sort-of stars, one or two could-be stars, but no real stars now that Dwyane Wade has retired. The Marlins were 4-15 when last I winced to check and are in the midst of a complete reboot in Year 2 of Derek Jeter. The Panthers, with Aleksander Barkov-led talent and a proven new coach, might have the best immediate prospects, which only means the Next Great Hope for any of our Big Four pro teams is resting with the franchise that last won a playoff series in 1996. This is my new column. Please visit Oh To Be Hated Again! Lean Times For Miami Sports to read.
DOLPHINS 2019 SCHEDULE: ONLY ONE PRIME-TIME BOW: NFL schedules out last night show Miami's only prime-stage game will be Monday Oct. 28 at Steelers, right after the bye week. Other notes: Five of first seven at home, but six of last nine on road. I have a deeper analysis and how the schedule affects hopes of drafting Tua Tagovailoa in 2020 in my newest column. To read, visit Everything Aligning for Dolphins to Land Tagovailoa.
LE BATARD TAKES HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD: Hey New Yorkers! (And others with money enough to travel!) May 18, Gramercy Theatre, New York City. Be there to catch a first-of-its kind live-on-stage version of the Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz, including the Shipping Container, yours truly, and special and surprise guests. Visit Le Batard Takes Miami To Manhattan for my story on Dan's rather bold brand-building move. Tickets ($50) include the show and a post-show meet-and-greet with Le Batard and the whole crew. Tickets go on sale today/Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT right HERE. Act fast. Theatre only seats 500. (Actually 499 for some odd reason). Pictured is a promo for the show. Click on the image to see it larger. I don't know why they have me lounging casually on the roof of a speeding taxi. Looks dangerous. Also, possibly illegal. [UPDATE: Wow. This thing sold out in 2 minutes on Thursday!]
I LOVE MAVIS (AND THIS NEW SONG): Staple Singers icon Mavis Staples, about to turn 80 and still going strong, has a new album out May 10 called We Get By. Here is a song from it called "Anytime." Love the track. Bass line slays, funk sweats, vocals are great. Enjoy.
