December 12, 2022

Latest Hot Button Top 10!: Fins lose at Chargers (with column), World Cup final four, Brittney Griner (w/ column), Grant Wahl, MLB spending spree; plus new Greg Cote Show podcast -- live from Mas Miami -- out now & more

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

1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 12. Thanks to the hundreds of fans we met Saturday night at the Le Batard Show's Mas Miami 5 event at Wynwood Marketplace. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 14 picks, Brittney Griner freed but story hasn't ended, Greg Cote Show podcast with Dan Le Batard, NFL Week 13 results (picks/Lobos/QB rank), Mount Gregmore of columns.

Coteshow Mas MiamiGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE -- LIVE FROM 'MAS MIAMI' -- OUT NOW!: Our 52nd episode of 2022 and 143rd overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 143 we've done so far HERE. The new episode is a "Live from Mas Miami Special!" We speak with members of the cast, fans and special guests. And why did Greg and Chris have a physical altercation just offstage as Yeti performed "Pebble Drive" live? Also in the new ep: Greg rails against Amazon.com advertising “last-minute stocking stuffers” too soon; Greg, Chris and Yeti discuss Elton John quitting Twitter and whether Elon Musk has made a moral dilemma of that platform; the guys discuss the World Cup final four and the tragic death of Grant Wahl; Rodney Dangerfield vs. Henny Youngman; Greg makes a trade involving Christmas; Dad joke of the week; a new ‘Three Facts, Jack’ segment and more. Hit up GCS2252 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats -- and there's a holiday sale going on! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

NFL WEEK 14 PICKS: TONIGHT'S PATS-CARDS GAME AND ALL THE REST: Went 10-4-1 outright and 8-7 against the spread last week. Now here come our picks for Dolphins-Chargers, Game of the Week two upsets and all the rest. f Deshaun Watson, three upsets and all the rest. Visit NFL Week 14 Gems for all our latest picks. We got off to a mixed start Thursday night. Had Vegas winning (wrong) but correctly had the Rams covering the line.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Loss In L.A. Puts Pressure on Dolphins -- And Tua -- To Rise Up In Final Month NEW!

NEW! Griner Freed, But Others Still Held, And WNBA Responsibility Remains NEW!

Reality-Check for Dolphins, Tua In San Fran -- But Don't Quit On Miami

Le Batard On New Mas Miami, First DocuSeries -- And Next Big Move

Miami Needs To Seal Deal On Messi Or It'll Be Fans Who Should Feel Jilted

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Dolphins Rout Texans, but How Good Are Fins, Really? We're About To See / Miami Hurricanes End No-Bowl Season 5-7 With Home Rout-Loss To Pitt  / Thanksgiving 2022: In Sports As In Life, Little Feeds Spirit Like Gratitude / Canes' 40-0 Loss At Clemson Harsh Measuring-Stick Result For Cristobal / Jimmy Johnson Had To Give Up Football To Get His Life Back. Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (DECEMBER 11-12): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

Hb1. SOCCER: Final four! It's Argentina-Croatia, France-Morocco in World Cup semis: On Friday, Croatia stunned mighty Brazil, tying it 1-1 in extra time and winning 4-2 on penalty kicks, and then Argentina also won in PKs over Netherlands, after also squandering a lead late. Saturday, Morocco upset Portugal, 1-nil -- becoming the first African nation to reach the men's semifinals -- then France beat England 2-1. In semifinals, Argentina-Croatia is Tuesday and France faces Morocco Wednesday.

2. DOLPHINS: Tua awful, Herbert shines as Miami falls at Chargers: Fins had their choice of Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert with the fifth pick in the 2020 draft and chose Tua. The Los Angeles Chargers, picking sixth, took Justin Herbert. That makes the two QBs rivals for life. They meet Sunday for the second time (Tua won in 2020) with Miami a narrow road favorite. Just say it didn't go well for Tus in a 23-17 loss. [Column above]

3. BRITTNEY GRINER: WNBA star freed after 10 months in Russian detention: The Phoenix Mercury star had been playing for a Russian club during the WNBA offseason when she tried to return home and was detained on drug charges last February. Thursday, she was freed and reunited with wife Cherelle in a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap. Other Americans remain detained, though, and the reason Griner and so many others play overseas -- low WNBA pay -- remains a problem. [Column above]

4. MLB: Judge stays with Yanks to lead spending spree; Marlins stay quiet: Aaron Judge re-signing with Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million deal headlined an eventful Winter Meetings that saw uniform changes for stars including Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Xander Boegarts and Trae Young. The Marlins have had a predictably quiet winter about from minor trades, Rule 5 Draft activity and parting ways with Brian Anderson. Updated World Series odds have Miami (ugh) tied for 22nd.  

5. HEAT: Loss to Spurs has Miami still struggling to top .500: Miami is 12-15 after Saturday's home loss to lowly San Antonio and now sets out on a four-game road trip starting Monday in Indiana. Heat started the season 0-2, reached .500 at 7-7 but have yet to have a winning record in an NBA regular season now one-third done. Team is past its injuries, with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in good form, but needs to go on a run to climb the standings.

6.  GRANT WAHL: Soccer journalist dies while covering World Cup: Respected independent soccer writer Grant Wahl, on assignment for CBS Sports, fell ill during Saturday's Netherlands-Argentina match and later died. He was 48. His brother said Grant was killed, encouraging conspiracy theories against Qatar across social media. Wahl, however, had complained of not feeling well and received medical help earlier in the World Cup.  

7. PANTHERS: Slumping Cats still struggling to get a run going: Florida is 13-16 (13-12-4) after Sunday's 5-2 home loss vs. Seattle, still in search of their first winning record since November 17. Matthew Tkachuk's 37 points and Carter Verhaeghe's 15 goals pace the team. Meantime the February 3-4 NHL All-Star Weekend being hosted by Florida is getting close. Sunrise last hosted the league’s midseason showcase in 2003. FLA is back at it Tuesday vs. Columbus.

8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: USC's Williams wins Heisman Trophy: Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in his first year with the Trojans. It was no surprise. Williams had earlier won Walter Camp Player of the Year award and the Maxwell Award given to the best all-around player in college football.

9. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Countdown 4 days 'til bowl season!: There are 43 bowl games culminating with the January 9 College Football Playoff national championship. The first bowls are this coming Friday. Three state FBS teams are bowling: Florida vs. Oregon December 17 (Las Vegas Bowl), UCF vs. Duke Dec28 (Military Bowl) and FSU vs. Oklahoma Dec29 (Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando). The latter is one of eight bowls in state of Florida. Locally, it's the Dec30 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock (Tennessee-Clemson) and the Dec20 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU (Liberty-Toledo).

10. CANES BASKETBALL: UM men Top 2-bound after beating N.C. State: The nearly ranked Miami men are 10-1 (2-0 ACC) after Saturday's 80-73 conference win over North Carolina State. They are now off until next Saturday vs. St. Francis before hosting No. 3 Virginia. The Canes women are 7-4 after Sunday's overtime home loss to Florida. Their ACC opener is December 21 at Florida State.

HB10 cut: The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz's fifth Mas Miami fan event packed Wynwood Marketplace with 2,000-plus Saturday night ..... Miami Hurricanes safety Kam Kinchens was named to the All-America first team by CBS Sports and The Athletic. He also was all-ACC first team ..... Marlins Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara unsurprisingly was named to the fourth annual All-MLB first team ..... Hurricanes baseball announced its 54-game regular season schedule would begin February 17 at home vs. Penn State ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,275 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: R.I.P. Chuck Carr: Remembering Marlins' Speedy First StarDolphins At 7-3: It's Beginning To Feel A Little Bit Magical Around Here / Canes' Easy Win At Georgia Tech A Late Lift On Down Year For Cristobal, UM / Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improve to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

December 10, 2022

NFL Week 14 picks: Dolphins-Chargers and all the rest, out now!; plus Brittney Griner freed but others still held, and WNBA responsibility remains. Column; also, latest Greg Cote Show podcast with guest Dan Le Batard, NFL Week 13 results & more

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

1) It's SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10. Happy to be back in-studio with Le Batard Show this past week -- a new Back In My Day in hand! Check's out Tuesday's show podcasts and videos. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast with Dan Le Batard, NFL Week 13 picks, Mount Gregmore of columns.

Coteshow DanmeGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: LATEST EPISODE WITH GUEST DAN LE BATARD!: Our 51st episode of 2022 and 142nd overall is out now. New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 142 we've done so far HERE. In our newest episode we are joined by old friend Dan Le Batard as we talk Mas Miami and Dolphins-49ers and Dan accuses Greg of ruining journalism. Also in the new episode: A dance recital with 4-year-olds; Greg and his wife spar at the U.S.-Netherlands match; 'Three Facts, Jack' and more. Hit up GCS2251 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. Now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit store by clicking 'Shop'. New items including Greg's Lobos T-shirts and hats -- and there's a holiday sale going on! Also check out our podcast's YouTube channel.

NFL WEEK 14 PICKS: DOLPHINS-CHARGERS, 2 UPSETS AND ALL THE REST: Went 10-4-1 outright and 8-7 against the spread last week. Now here come our picks for Dolphins-Chargers, Game of the Week two upsets and all the rest. f Deshaun Watson, three upsets and all the rest. Visit NFL Week 14 Gems for all our latest picks. We got off to a mixed start Thursday night. Had Vegas winning (wrong) but correctly had the Rams covering the line.

 MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

GrinerfreedNEW! Griner Freed, But Others Still Held, And WNBA Responsibility Remains NEW!

Reality-Check for Dolphins, Tua In San Fran -- But Don't Quit On Miami

Le Batard On New Mas Miami, First DocuSeries -- And Next Big Move

Miami Needs To Seal Deal On Messi Or It'll Be Fans Who Should Feel Jilted

Dolphins Rout Texans, but How Good Are Fins, Really? We're About To See

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Miami Hurricanes End No-Bowl Season 5-7 With Home Rout-Loss To Pitt  / Thanksgiving 2022: In Sports As In Life, Little Feeds Spirit Like Gratitude / Canes' 40-0 Loss At Clemson Harsh Measuring-Stick Result For Cristobal / Jimmy Johnson Had To Give Up Football To Get His Life Back / R.I.P. Chuck Carr: Remembering Marlins' Speedy First Star . Note: Mount Gregmore includes opinion columns only. NFL picks, QB rankings and stories on newest podcast are not included.

NFL WEEK 13 RESULTS: HERALD PICKS X GREG'S LOBOS X QB RANKINGS:

Herald Picks: Nice bounce-back week -- We went 10-4-1 overall and rebounded to 8-7 against the spread last week. For the year we're now within shouting distance of the Mendoza Line (.600) straight-up and right around .500 ATS as we fight to get and stay over both plateaus. 

LobosGreg's Lobos: Ouch. Big loss in next-to-last week -- The defending PFPI Fantasy champion Lobos are 8-5 after being crushed 176-98 last week by my older brother, with Cee Dee Lamb my only player to reach 20 points. For the year we're tied for second place (fourth after the tiebreaker) and have clinched one of six playoff spots entering the last week of the regular season of our 10-team family 'n friends fantasy league.

NFL QB Rankings: Hurts wins week, Mahomes sees overall lead narrow -- Philly's Jalen Hurts wins the Week 13 title while KC's Patrick Mahomes sees his overall lead shrink in the Miami Herald NFL Quarterback Rankings. Miami's Tua Tagovailao holds onto the No. 9 spot. For the full latest Top 25 and more, visit NFL Week 13 QB Rankings.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Dolphins At 7-3: It's Beginning To Feel A Little Bit Magical Around Here / Canes' Easy Win At Georgia Tech A Late Lift On Down Year For Cristobal, UM / Dare To Dream, Dolphins Fans. Why Miami Is a Legit Super Bowl Contender / Shula To Miami And 17-0 Should Not Have Happened. It Was Luck ... Or Fate / Kyrie Irving's Anti-Semitism Mess Bigger Than Him. It's Symptom Of What Ails America / Shootout Win In Chicago Shows Dolphins Are What They Haven't Been in Years: Exciting / Canes Are No-Shows in 45-3 Home Loss To FSU In Latest New Low For Cristobal / Has Dolphins' Trade For Chubb Sent Team's Super Bowl Shot 'To The Moon'? / Pawns Chasing Saudi Blood Money Come To Doral As LIV Golf Ends 1st Season / Epic New Low For Cristobal: 8 Turnovers in 45-21 Home Loss To Duke / Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat Disappoint In Season-Opening Home Loss / Csonka, ‘Heart’ Of Dolphins Glory Days, On Life Of Adventure — And Perfection / Canes Lose ACC Opener, Fall To 2-3 As Misery Continues For Mario Cristobal / Five Years In, Miami Marlins Rebuild Isn't Working. Here Is The Solution / Dolphins Fall In Cincy, But Tua Hospitalized Puts Result In Perspective / No. 1 Dolphins, Fans Bask in National Attention, Ditch 20 Years' Irrelevance / Gamble Of Inaction: 5 Answers Will Judge Heat's Quiet Offseason / What's Going On Here!? Dolphins Beat Rival Bills, Improve to 3-0 / Cristobal Honeymoon Ends With Thud As Canes Lose To Middle Tennessee / Zero To Perfect: How Glory Days Dolphins Put Miami on National Sports Map / Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? / Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper / UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era / Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

September 11, 2022

The new Hot Button Top 10: Dolphins-Pats Opening Day, UM wins, U.S. Open ends, upsets rock CFB; plus our NFL Week 1 picks, new Greg Cote Show podcast drops Monday & more

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

Sep111) It's SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. This is the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed almost 3,000. Never forget. 2) Be the change! Visit Change.org/MountGregmore and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. 3) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 1 picks, 2022 NFL Team Rankings, Why Hill/Waddle will be Fins' best WR duo since Clayton/Duper, new Greg Cote Show podcast, Mount Gregmore of columns.

CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE DROPS MONDAY!: Our 39th episode of 2022 and 130th overall is out Monday! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever you pod. Find all 129 we've done so far HERE. In our most recent episode: Anthony (10-Day Tony) from the Le Batard Show joins us for a fun chew on fantasy football, and Greg reveals an invention for a whole different kind of fantasy league. Also in the new ep: Season 2 premiere of HARD KNOCKS: GREG'S LOBOS, Farewell to Serena Williams, Are the Fins for real? and more. Hit up GCS2238 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

PicksOur NFL Week 1 picks!: The Upset Bird and I are back for (hard to believe) our 32nd season of NFL picks in the Miami Herald -- and it's debut week! Visit NFL Week 1 Gems for our picks for Dolphins-Patriots, our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week and all the rest. We pick three big upsets out the gate. Got off to a bad start Thursday night and I mean baaad. Liked champion Rams as a home dog and sort of dismissed all the hype around the Bills. Well I (and the Rams) got schooled, 31-10. Ouch. But have the whole week left. Let's go!.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

NEW! Our 2022 NFL Team Ranking. Wait. Miami Dolphins Are WHERE!? NEW!

NEW! Why Hill & Waddle Are Dolphins' Best WR Duo Since Clayton/Duper NEW!

Canes Rout Bethune 70-13 In Opener, But We Don't Know Real UM Yet

UM's Van Dyke Had Epic Year. Now His Encore Will Define Start Of Cristobal Era

Serena's Week At U.S. Open One For Ages As Tennis' Queen GOAT Defies Time

Hilltop: The five columns before that: As Optimism In Dolphins & Canes Spikes, Miami Flexes As A Football Town / Tribute: Community Was One Place Dolphins Won Big -- Because of Jason Jenkins / Tua's Preseason Debut Was Most Impressive 4 1/2 Hours Before It Began / Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension / No Doubt Now: Deshaun Watson Knows He'll Be Pariah In Stadiums Across NFL

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 11-12): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

Hb1. DOLPHINS: New-era, high-hope Fins open season  today vs. rival Pats: Miami opens its 57th season at home Sunday vs. AFC East rival New England, ushering in a new-look team led by new coach Mike McDaniel and new star recievr Tyreek Hill. Not new but improved (?): Third-year QB Tua Tagovailoa, expcted to reach a new level thanks to Hill, a revamped running game and a (theorteically) improved offensive line. Hope are high. Time for the Fins to justify them. 

2. HURRICANES: UM wins big again. Now the real season starts: UM's perfunctory 30-7 home rout of Southern Miss (with RB Frank Gore Jr.) on Saturday followed the 70-13 season-opening home rout of Bethune-Cookman to put the No. 15-ranked Hurricanes at 2-0 with expected big wins over smaller opponents. Now? Now the real season starts with this coming week's game at No. 6-but-not-for-long Texas A&M, which was stunned Saturday at home by Appalachian State. That will make A&M an even tougher first test for the Canes in six days in College Station.

3. TENNIS: Swiatek reigns, U.S. Open men's final today: No. 3-ranked Carlos Alcaraz faces No. 5 Casper Ruud on Sunday -- both after their first Grand Slam title -- in an unexpected men's final of a U.S. Open whose emotional centerpiece was the likely final singles appearance of retiring G.O.A.T. Serena Williams. Alacaraz won his semifinal over No. 22 Frances Tiafoe, who was trying to become the first event's first American man to win in almost 20 years. On Saturday, No. 1 seeded Iga Swiatek handled No. 5 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in straight sets for her third Grand Slam title and first U.S. Open crown.

4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama escapes, but upsets litter the Top 25: No. 1 Alabama escaped 20-18 at unranked Texas but seven upsets in the Top 25 sent the early season upside. The unexpected losers: No. 6 Texas A&M, UM's next opponent, to Appalachian State; No. 8 Notre Dame, 9-Baylor, 12-Florida 17-Pitt, 19-Wisconsin and 25-Houston.

5. SOCCER: Messi coming to Miami! (Well, for a friendly, at least): Argentina's national team -- with Lionel Messi in the traveling party -- will play a World Cup tuneup vs. Honduras in a friendly at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, with tickets selling fast. Speculation of Messi eventually signing with Inter Miami have floated for a good while. Meantime, at least we get him for a night.

6. STATE COLLEGES (NON-UM): No. 12 Florida beaten in Swamp; FIU falls: No. 20-Kentucky was an upset winner at overranked No. 12 Florida, 26-16, putting the Gators at 1-1. Elsewhere, FIU is 1-1 after being clobbered 41-12 at Texas State; 2-1 FAU pounded Southeast Louisiana 42-9; favored UCF lost at home to Louisville 20-14; and South Florida handled Howard 42-20. Florida State (2-0) was off this week.

7. HEAT: Hardaway becomes 6th to wear Miami uniform in Hall of Fame: Miami is nearing the opening of its training camp ahead of the start of the NBA preseason on October 4. But first, Heat welcomed former guard Tim Hardaway into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday. He joins Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton as former players enshrined. Also in: Current president Pat Riley, former executive Billy Cunningham and ex-assistant coach Bb McAdoo.

8. INTER MIAMI: Third-straight loss leaves Herons in scramble for playoffs: Inter Miami is 10-6-13 with three straight losses after Saturday's 3-1 loss at Chicago Fire left the Herons five points from the seventh and last MLS East playoff spot with five regular season matches left. The now-desperate Herons host Columbus Crew on Tuesday.

9. MARLINS: Only drama left in sad season: Can Sandy nail down the Cy Young?: Marlins are 57-81, winning two of three after a nine-game losing skid, entering Sunday's game vs. Mets as an eight-game homestand continues. Ace Sandy Alcantara is next on the mound Tuesday vs. Philly, still the NL Cy Young betting favorite despite his surrounding team and looking to nail down what would be a franchise-first Cy for the Fish.

10. MLB: Baseball passes major rules changes for '23: MLB, doing something right, voted to implement a pitch clock and ban defensive shifts to quicken pace of play and encourage action. The competition committee, consisting of six ownership-level reps, four players and one umpire, approved a pitch clock of 15 seconds with empty bases and 20 seconds with runners on, and a defensive alignment that must include two fielders on each side of second-base bag with both feet on the dirt. New rules also will limit pickoff moves and expand the size of bases.

Missing the HB10 cut: : The death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 led ghe English Premier League to suspend this weekend's soccer matches as a mark of respect, with several other sporting events across the U.K. also postponed. Tributes across the sports world have poured in for Britain's longest-serving monarch, who reigned 70 years ..... No suprise: Scottie Scheffler was an overwhelming winner of PGA Tour Player of the Year honors ..... Connecticut Sun are at Las Vegas Aces today/Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-5 WNBA Finals. Either would be a first-time champion. Vegas, led by league MVP A'ja Wilson, is the betting favorite ..... NASCAR star Kyle Busch reportedly is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing after 15 years to join join Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023 ..... Florida Panthers, ahead of training camp and September 26 start of preseason games, is sending 26 young players to the Carolina Hurricanes-hosted Prospect Showcase from September 16-19. The young Cats (Kittens?) will play three agmes against Carolina, Tampa Bay ad Nashville ..... The U.S. team is favored over the International team in golf's Presidents Cup starting September 19 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte ..... Canada defeated Team USA 2-1 in the IIHF women's ice hockey world championship final in Denmark ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,372 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

IT'S UPSET BIRD WEEK AND GREG'S LOBOS WEEK IN AMERICA!Week 1 of NFL season means only one thing. Well, OK it means a lot of things, but two of them are the Upset Bird launching his 32nd (!) season of NFL predictions in the Miami Herald, and Greg's Lobos beginning defense of their league championship in PFPI Fantasy:

NFL picks -- A Herald tradition since 1991, our predictions appear online Thursday afternoons and in print Fridays every week starting this week. (Our pick for Thursday night games appear separately online Wednesday and in print Thursday). Each week we offer our Game of the Week, Upset of the Week (courtesy the Upset Bird: "Aawwk!"), a longer, more detailed predix capsule on the Dolphins game, as well as picks for all the other games. We also update you every week, and here in the blog each Tuesday, on how we're doing with our won-lost records both overall and against the point spread. We have fun but take our picks seriously. Longtime Upset Bird fans, welcome back! Newbies, glad to have you!

GregslobosGreg's Lobos -- America's Most Famous and Popular Fantasy Football Team (AMFAPFFT) begins defense of its PFPI Fantasy crown this week in our 10-team friends' n' family PPR super-flex league. Had our draft the other day and our Big 5 to start the season are QB Lamar Jackson, RBs Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb, and WRs CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins. You like? We'll update you in this blog every Tuesday morning on how we did that week and how we're doing in the league. You ready to howl, Lobos Nation? You ready to get in the Loboat and row? Join us for the ride!

THE LIST: HEAT-IEST HEATERS IN HALL: Nine men with an affiliation to the Miami Heat are now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, including the latest, Tim Hardaway, inducted Saturday. Pat Riley (of course) is and Billy Cunningham was an executive and Bob McAdoo was an assistant coach. Of the six men who played for the Heat, who was the Heat-iest? We rank them based on percentage of career games played in a Miami uniform:

Player                        Pct.      Heat games/Total

Alonzo Mourning         70.77    593 of 838

Chris Bosh                  43.00    384 of 893

Tim Hardaway            42.33    367 of 867

Shaquille ONeal          16.98    205 of 1,207

Ray Allen                    11.69    152 of 1,300

Gary Payton                11.16    149 of 1,335

***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****

ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Who Dolphins Are Was Hidden In Opening Win. 5 Questions That Still Need Answers / Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back / Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami? / Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life / Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist Affront / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More Interesting / How Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

August 22, 2022

Latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated): Watson ban increased, U.D. re-ups, Dolphins fall, tragedy at FIU, Inter Miami surging, Sandy on the hill; plus New Dolphins column, new Greg Cote Show podcast out now & more

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

1) It's MONDAY, AUGUST 22. Happy birthday shoutout to the greatest person I know ... my wife! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Greg Cote Show podcast, Why Watson punishment will go well beyond his extended NFL suspension, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE WITH JESSICA SMETANA OUT NOW!Our 36th episode of 2022 and 127th overall is out now! New episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 127 we've done so far HERE. In our newest ep: Jessica Smetana from the Le Batard Show joins us to sing and dance (OK, no dancing) and provide us her all-time top five musicals -- which takes a shockingly unexpected dark turn. Also in the new ep: Greg pulls off surprise birthday party for his wife; Greg revisits the recent Charles Bricker stunt on the Le Batard Show, when Greg was duped into thinking he was speaking with an old journalism rival from the early ‘90s; the guys discuss Deshaun Watson’s increased NFL suspension; Dippity-Do talk; the USA Mullet Championships and much more. Hit up GCS2236 for full story on latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now our podcast has a website and merch store! Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

Be the change!: Visit Change.org/MountGregmore today and sign our petition to change the name of Mount Rushmore. It's free!

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

TuaNEW! Tua's Preseason Debut Was Most Impressive 4 1/2 Hours Before It Began NEW!

Watson Punishment Will Go Way Beyond HIs Extended NFL Suspension

No Doubt Now: Deshaun Watson Knows He'll Be Pariah In Stadiums Across NFL

Who Dolphins Are Was Hidden In Opening Win. 5 Questions That Still Need Answers

Butch Davis On Retiring, His 50-Year Career -- & Canes Twice Almost Bringing Him Back

Hilltop: The five columns before that: Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami?Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again / Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban / Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins / 11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 21-22): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

HButton1. NFL: Deshaun Watson suspension increased in settlement: Serial creep Deshaun Watson's punishment over his sexual assaults during massage sessions was increased from a six-game suspension and no fine to 11 games and a record %5 million fine in a settlement between the NFL and its players union. The shamed Cleveland Browsn quality will be eligible to make his season debut on December 4 at Houston, his former team.

2. DOLPHINS: Tua debuts in Miami's home preseason loss: Miami is 1-1 in the preseason after Saturday night's 15-13 home exhibition loss to Las Vegas. Tua Tagovailoa was sharp (6-for-8) in brief action in his preseason debut, although top wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle again sat out. Fins' fake-game finale is at home next Saturday vs. Philly. Real season opens Sept. 11 here vs. New England.

3. FIU: Linebacker Knox passes away suddenly. R.I.P.: The FIU football family is dealing with a tragedy as it prepares for its season. Linebacker Luke Knox, younger brother of Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, died at 22 late Wednesday night after being hospitalized. Cause of death still is unannounced but foul play is not suspected. Knox played four years at Mississippi before tranferring. The Panthers and first-year coach Mike MacIntyre open the season September 1 vs. Bryant.

4. INTER MIAMI: Surging Herons win, solidify playoff chances: Herons are level at 10-6-10 and now in fifth place in the fight for one of seven MLS East playoff spots after Saturday's 2-1 home win over Toronto. Inter Miami, in its third season, is back on the pitch next Saturday at New York Red Bulls with eight games left in the regular season.

5. HURRICANES: Countdown 13 days 'til UM season opener: The No. 16-ranked Canes (AP poll) are less than two weeks from their opener at home vs. Bethune-Cookman to launch the Mario Cristobal era. Red-circled games are September 17 at No. 6 Texas A&M and November 19 at No. 4 Clemson. Also notable: November 26 vs. No. 17 Pitt and November 5 vs. traditional rival Florida State.

6. MARLINS: Sandy (The Bright Spot) Alcantara back on hill today: The fading Fish are 52-68 after three straightt losses entering today's game at the Dodgers. Ace Sandy Alcantara, chasing the NL Cy Young award despite the stinky team around him, is back on the mound today/Sunday. Miami's six-game western roadie moves on to Oakland beginning Monday.

7. HEAT: Schedule out; should Miami feel insulted? And U.D. re-ups!: Heat’s 82-game regular season schedule for 2022-23 begins with four-game homsetand, a franchise first, starting October 19 vs. Chicago. Miami finished one win shy of reaching the NBA Finals last season, but was excluded from both the season-opening marquee doubleheader on October 18 and prestigious Christmas Day slate. Meantime (no big shock) Udonis Haslem announced he'd be back for 20th (!) Heat season.

8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP mulls taking over sport's governance: The 11 college presidents and chancellors who comprise the College Football Playoff's Board of Managers met and began to discuss the possibility of restructuring how college football is governed -- perhaps outside the NCAA under the auspices of the CFP itself. Stay tuned.

9. GOLF: Tiger rallies the troops on behalf of PGA Tour: Tiger Woods, still the soul of golf, met with top players last week to rally support for the PGA Tour and stem the tide of defections to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. The meeting took place at the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware, site of the second of three FedEx Cup playoff events, won by Patrick Cantlay.

10. WNBA: Fowles bows out as playoffs begin: In a season overshadowed by the continuing Russian detention of star Brittney Griner, the eight-team WNBA playoffs led by the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces got underway. The start of the postseason also marked the retirement of Miami-born-and-raised Sylvia Fowles, the greatest center in league history.

Missing the HB10 cut: Leon Edwards' stunning knockout of Kamaru Usman in Salt Lake City won the welterweight title in UFC 278 on Saturday night ..... Confirming what the Miami Herald first reported in January, the College Football Playoff announced Miami would host the 2025-season national championship game on January 5, 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium ..... Serena Williams' U.S. Open farewell begins a week from Monday ..... Lakers star LeBron James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with a player option for a third year in 2024-25. Sounds the like the plan is he'll take the third year if Lakers also sign Bronny for a father-son finale season for Dad ..... FIFA says the Qatar World Cup starting in Noevmeber has sold 2.45 of 3 million available tickets ..... Florida Panthers announced a six-game preseason schedule opening September 26 at Nashville. Training camp figures tp open two weeks earlier ..... Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko and Ken Riley as the three senior finalists for the Class of 2023. Those failing to make the cut included the late former Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg ..... The 75th Little League World Series of baseball is underway w\in Williamsport, Pa., with the U.S. and International finals on August 27 and the overall champion decided a day later ..... Widow Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against Los Angeles County and county sheriff Alex Villanueva over graphic crash-site photos of her late husband Kobe and daughter being shared is nearing an end. The January 2020 helicopter crash killed nine people ..... Fernando Tati Sr. called his Padres-star son's 80-game PEDs suspension based for baseball, blaming everybody except his son. C'mon, papi, get real ..... Upcoming: Florida A&M and Jackson State in college football's Orange Blossom Classic Spetember 4 at Hard Rock ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,393 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****

ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist Affront / Ranking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers / Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More Interesting / How Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

August 08, 2022

Why has Brady skated on role in Dolphins tampering and does he still hace future in Miami? New column; plus latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated), the destiny and duty of UM homecoming king Mario Cristobal, new Greg Cote Show podcast out now (!) & more

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

1) It's MONDAY, AUGUST 8. Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes football needs Cristobal to be the homecoming king, Goodell keeping power why Watson may yet get harsher ban, Ross and Dolphins socked for tampering, R.I.P. Vin Scully, Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW WITH PLAN TO RENAME MOUNT RUSHMORE: Our 34th episode of 2022 and 125th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 125 we've done so far HERE, free. MtgregmoreIn our new episode: We introduce and discuss our new petition drive at change.org to change the name of Mount Rushmore to Mount Gregmore. Also: Bill Maher of HBO’s “Real Time” asking, “Have you ever seen a fat 90-year-old?”; Yeti explains how a music studio in Slovakia had a hand in producing “Pebble Drive,” his new song that debuted on our show last week; Chris takes us into the room as Season 2 of Battle Court Jai-Alai gets underway with a player draft; Golfing alone leads Greg to reveal a heretofore unknown insecurity; Greg considers filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service; Greg holds Chris solely to blame for the two of them not winning last week’s billion-dollar lottery; Gender reveal stunt gone awry; and Chris and friend Alex have a surprise night out planned with their fathers. (But does Chris let slip what the surprise is?). Hit up GCS2234 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

Marioc BradyNEW! Why Has Brady Skated On Tampering Role & Does He Still Have Future In Miami? NEW!

NEW! Miami Raised Mario Cristobal. Payback? Come Home & Make Canes Football Matter Again New!

Goodell Kept The Power, After All. It's Why Watson Still Faces Much Harsher Ban

Ross NFL Cheating Scandal A New Low For Owner Who Embarrasses Dolphins

11 NBA Titles Not Where Bill Russell's Legacy Starts. Tribute To An  Epic Life

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Deshaun Watson's 6-game NFL Suspension A Slap-On-The-Wrist AffrontRanking South Florida's Top 20 Biggest Sports Stars (2022 Edition) / If Miami Marlins Trading For Juan Soto Sounds Laughable -- That's The Problem / Dolphins' Tua: The Disrespected Underdog QB About To Prove Everybody Wrong / How Matthew Tkachuk Brings Needed Swagger, Bravado To Panthers

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 7-8): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUTOur blog-exclusive Sunday-into-Monday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. The latest HB10:

HButton1. DOLPHINS: Owner Ross guilty of tampering, Fins lose first-round pick: The NFL found the Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross guilty of tampering in 2019 to '21 in trying to lure quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton when both were under contract to other teams. The Fins must forfeit a 2023 first-round draft pick and a '24 third-rounder. In additon Ross was fined $1.5 million and vice chairman Bruce Beal was fined $500,000. Addressing the Brian Flores lawsuit, the league found that Ross expressed a priority for high draft position over winning but did not directly bribe Flores to lose. Miami will stage joint practces with the Buccaneers ahead of the first of three preseason games this coming Saturday in Tampa.

2. NFL: Goodell, league appealing Watson's wrist-slap 6-game suspension: The NFL said it will appeal the six-game suspension for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in favor of a harsher penalty for violating the league's personal conduct policy related to sexual misconduct in massage sessions. The Monday sentence by league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson has been roundly criticized as too lenient. Commissioner Roger Goodell will determine who will hear the appeal, himself or a designee. The league wanted an indefinite suspension of at least one full season, a fine and treatment.

3. HURRICANES: UM opens fall camp, season less than month away: The Canes began their first fall camp under new coach Mario Cristobal with a first practice Friday. A CanesFest fan event inside the indoor practice facility followed Saturday's practice. Preseason Top 25s are not out yet, but ESPN's first Football Power Index for 2022 has Miami No. 9 overall and second in the ACC to Clemson with a plus-14.5 rating. Miami opens its season at home September 3 with a softie vs. Bethune-Cookman. 

4. INTER MIAMI: Herons now on pace for final MLS playoff spot: Inter Miami is 8-6-10 after Satutday's 2-2 draw at Monttreal and its 30 standings are now tied for the seventh and last MLS East playoff spot. The league takes its all-star break this Wednesday night with the MLS stars -- including defender DeAndre Yedlin as Miami's lone rep -- taking on Mexico's Liga MX stars. The Herons return to league play with 10 games left in the regular season starting next Saturday at home vs. New York City.

5. MLB: Soto to Padres the whale-deal at the trade deadline: The San Diego Padres acquired 23-year-old megastar slugger Juan Soto from Washington for a bevy of top prospects in the biggest trade by far at the MLB trade deadline. Next biggest deal was the one not made, with Shohei Ohtani staying with the Angels, at least for now. Soto joins Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the S.D. lineup as Friars make a run at the Dodgers' dominance in the NL West.  

6. MARLINS: Sandy or bust. Let's quit pretending Fish are still in wild-card race: The good news: Ace Sandy Alcantara is now 10-4 after complete-game shutout of the Reds. The bad news? Most everything else. That gem ended a 1-5 homestand that left Miami so far back in the wild-card hunt it's time to stop using "Marlins" and "playoffs" in the same sentence. Miami has sliumped to 49-59 in the midst of a six-game road swing. Marlins' only trade-deadline move was a small one, dealing relievers Anthony Bass (team' holds leader) and Zach Pop to Toronto for infielder Jordan Groshans, a top-five Blue Jays minor-league prospect.

7. WNBA: Griner sentenced in Russia, but prisoner swap hoped for: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for bringing cannabis into the country. She'd been arrested February 17. Her guilty plea, verdict and sentence were considered necessary precursors to allow U.S.-Russia negotiations for a prisoner exchange to begin.

8. GOLF: PGA Tour defectors fire latest salvo in the Golf War: Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and nine other LIV Golf competitors (a.k.a. PGA Tour expatriates) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in federal court, claimng their suspensions are part of a “carefully orchestrated plan" to defeat the Saudi-backed breakaway tour. Meanwhile the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, from which LIV guys are excluded, begin August 19.

9. DEATHS: R.I.P., Vin Scully, broadcasting legend, diamond poet: Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Vin Scully, the Dodgers icon and diamond poet to generations, passed away at 96. It was the sports world's second farewell to an epic life within days, after NBA legend Bill Russell passed on at 88.

10. HEAT: Shh. Quiet, please. We don't want to wake the Heat's offseason: The exciting speculation about Miami's interest in going after major trades for whale Kevin Durant or mini-whale Donovan Mitchell seems long time ago and miles away as the Heat snore through a quiet offseason whose biggest headline thus far has been the loss of P.J. Tucker in free agency. Is Miami up to something? Anything? Stay tuned.

Missing the HB10 cut: Aaron Rodgers, much better at passing than at not saying things he shouldn't, admitted in an interview has had "psychedelic experiences" with mushrooms and the mind-bending ayahuasca plant. Will be interesting to see if the Packers are NFL do anything beyond shaking their collective head ..... Hate to be harsh, but it was a B-list crowd entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Tony Boselli, Cliff Branch, Art McNally, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Dick Vermeil and Bryant Young enter as evidence the Hall admits too many .... Las Vegas beat Jacksonville 27-11 to kick off the NFL preseason in the Hall of Fame Game, in what was believed to be the worst matchup and most boring result in the history of human activity ..... Arsenal shut out Crystal Palace 2-nil to kick off the 2022-23 English Premier League season. A cloud over it: Cristiano Ronaldo's apparent desire to extract himself from Manchester United ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,407 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****

ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Barkley, Djokovic, Lia Thomas: Being Sports Fan Never Harder -- Or More InterestingHow Super Mario And The Cheetah were Sent To Save Football in Miami / How Messi-to-Miami Became the Biggest, Longest Tease In Sports / Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic / Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too / Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant / Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry? / Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again / Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The Opposite / Florida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse / Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can / 'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In Sports / Curry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever Talk / Heat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

July 16, 2022

Why LeBron (of all people) chiming in on Griner's Russian detention is ironic. New column; plus Heat luring Mitchell involves old friend D-Wade, old enemy Ainge; also, Heat-Durant, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns & more

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

It's SATURDAY, JULY 16. Happy to be back in with Le Batard Show earlier this week. Check out Tuesday's show podcasts. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hot Button Top 10, new Greg Cote Show podcast, updated Mount Gregmore of columns.

CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: HEAVY LE BATARD DOSE IN NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 30th episode of 2022 and 121st overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify -- wherever else you pod and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 121 we've done so far HERE, free. In the new episode: It's our special Diggin’ Into Summer Edition: Chris, Stugotz and Mike Ryan join us from Lake Tahoe to mock Greg for not being invited; ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez stops by with a review of our Fourth of July beach bash; and Greg reveals a testy email exchange with Dan Le Batard escalating Dan’s claim that Greg hasn’t been sufficiently hating on the late broadcaster Hank Goldberg. Also: 'Creature From The Black Lagoon,' a new TV recommendation, and cataracts. Hit up GCS2230 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review, follow, subscribe et cetera and so forth. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has a website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com and visit the merch store by clicking 'Shop'. New items! Also check out our podcast's new YouTube channel.

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

Dwade BgrinerNEW! Why LeBron (of All People) Chiming In On Griner's Russia Detention Is Ironic NEW!

NEW! Heat Luring Donovan Mitchell Involves Friend D-Wade, Arch-Enemy Ainge, Too NEW!

Why Miami Heat Should Re-Think, Go All-In For King-Whale Kevin Durant

Cup Of AK-47 Coffee At Cowboys Games? Nuthin' Wrong With That, Huh Jerry?

Cy Young Alert: Marlins' Ace-On-Fire Sandy Alcantara Does It Again

The Hilltop: The five columns before that: Nobody Wins, Everybody Loses, As NFL Weighs Deshaun Watson Punishment / The End Isn't Here, But It's Coming. Miami Sports Has Had Nobody Like Heat's Pat Riley / Title IX Empowered Women. The Supreme Court Has Done The OppositeFlorida Panthers Swap Coach Of Year Finalist For Guy No. 1 In Career Losses / 20 Cases Settled, But Deshaun Watson Won't Begin To Clear Name Without Remorse

***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- ***** ----- *****

ARCHIVES

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

Select other recent columns: Tua Will Handle Scrutiny & Pressure. Question Is If Rest of Miami Dolphins Can'Black Cloud' Over U.S. Open Amid Golf Civil War In Time Of Revolution In SportsCurry's 4th NBA Title, 1st Finals MVP Opens Path To Michael/LeBron Best-Ever TalkHeat Season Ends One Win (One Shot?) Short Of NBA Finals In Game 7 Loss / No Consolation, No Excuse: Panthers Swept From Playoffs In 2-0 Loss A Brutal End / Why'd World Cup pick Miami? Thank Dolphins Founder & Unlikely Soccer Visionary Joe Robbie / Serena Playing Wimbledon Still Matters, Maybe More Than Ever. Because It Feels Like Goodbye / Whatever Happened To Don King? Famed Boxing Promoter Back At 90 For Last Bow in Miami / Mickelson, Johnson et al Are Saudi Pawns Pocketing Blood Money / Dolphins Denied It, But Deshaun Watson Lawyer Reveals How Close Miami Was To A Deal / A Lesson In Sioux City: Sports And Real Life In Age Of Mass Shootings / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / Only In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim Ng Hire As GM / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

May 09, 2022

Latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated): Cats desperate to tie series tonight. Heat fall to 2-2 despite Jimmy's 40. Verstappen! See who's No.1 and what else ranks where; plus new Greg Cote Show podcast out now!, updated Mount Gregmore of columns & more

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

1) It's MONDAY, MAY 9. Hope all you Moms had a lovely and happy Mother's Day! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on TwitterInstagram and now TikTok, too. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Panthers and Heat both fall hard in Game 3s, Greg Cote Show podcast, latest in Mount Gregmore of columns.

Coteshow DartsGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 21st episode of 2022 and 112th overall is out now! A new episode drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify and wherever else you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 112 we've done HERE, free. The new episode includes Event 4 of the Father-Son Cote Olympics: Darts! Can Dad finally win a doggone event? Also, Le Batard Show's Jessica Semtana drops by with an eclusive F1 Miami Grand Prix report; Greg launches into an epic Gripefest; and update on our new website/merch store & more. Hit up GCS2221 for full story on the latest ep, and watch our weekly YouTube preview. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. We simulcast on Sirius XM, too, Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET. And now, brand new: Our podcast has an all-encompassing website and merch store: Check it out at TheGregCoteShow.com!

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

MOUNT GREGMORE OF COLUMNS: OUR LATEST FIVE:

Game4loss CatsloseNEW! Heat Falls Again, Series Now 2-2 Because Heat Has Forgotten How To Shoot 3's NEW!

No. 1 seed Panthers Risk Early Playoff Exit (Again) After 6-1 Loss, 2-1 Hole

Now The Playoffs Have Begun: Embiid Back As Heat Lead Cut To 2-1

Panthers Remind Why They're Fun & No. 1, Tie Series In 5-1 Rout Of Caps

Bench Lifts Heat to 2-0 Series Lead. Now History Says It's Over

Hilltop: The most recent five after thatUh oh. Panthers Collapse Late, Lose Game 1 at Home to Capitals / Herro, Bam lift Heat over 76ers in Game 1 To Launch Huge Week in SoFla Sports / Why Quiet Draft With No 1st-Round Pick Was Great News For Dolphins / ‘Centerpiece of futbol in world’: Dream is green-lit. Now can Inter Miami deliver? / 31st Annual Official Miami Herald NFL Mock Draft

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

HButton1. HEAT: Miami falls again; series tied 2-2. Where have the 3's gone?: After 14- and 16-point home wins the Heat has fallen hard in Philly including Sunday night's 116-108 loss evening the series at 2-2 as it heads back to Miami for Game 5 Tuesday night. Even Jimmy Butler's 40 points were not enough as James Harden and Joel Embiid combined for 55 and Heat shot 7-for-35 on 3's.

2. PANTHERS: Ouch. Cats' 6-1 loss digs 2-1 hole entering tonight: A home split in Sunrise was followed by Saturday's ugly 6-1 Panthers loss in Washington for a 2-1 Capitals lead in the first round series. Florida must find way to win Game 4 in D.C. tonight/Monday or it will return home needing three straight wins to survive the first round as a No. 1 seed.

3. MOTORSPORTS: Verstappen big winner in Sunday's inaugural Miami Grand Prix: Sunday's maiden Miami Grand Prix blasted around Hard Rock Stadium Sunday in the fifth race of Formula One's championship series. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari had the points lead but Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated the day and won the event. Fan favorite Lewis Hamilton finished sixth. The course's vista on Turns 6, 7 and 8 was the stuff of photoshopped internet fun, with 10 yachts on the inside surrounded by solid "vinyl water."

4. MARLINS: Sunday loss leaves Fish on 1-7 skid: Joe Dunand, nephew of Alex Rodriguez, homered and doubled in his big-league debut Saturday as the Marlins won in San Diego, 8-0. Sunday, not so good: Blown save in a 3-2 loss -- the seventh in past eight games for the now 13-15 and third place Marlins. Seven-game road trip continues with three in Arizona.

5. SOCCER: It's Real Madrid vs. Liverpool in Champions League final: Liverpool in the May 28 UEFA Champions League final did not surprise. But Real Madrid did after a stunning semifinal comeback ousted Manchester City. "We have a score to settle," tweeted Liverpool star Mo Saleh. The teams last met in the 2018 UCL championship, when Salah left in tears after being injured in a tackle during Real Madrid's 3-1 win. Madrid have won 13 European Cups, most ever; Liverpool's six tie for third most. Finale will be in Paris, moved from Russia after the Ukraine invasion.

6. INTER MIAMI: Hot spell done. Team back to losing: Inter Miami is 2-1-6 after Saturday's 1-nil loss at Charlotte, the team's first match since the big win in the Miami Freedom Park stadium vote. On deck: Herons host South Georgia in a U.S. Open Cup match Tuesday, then return to MLS play at D.C. United May 14. 

7. DOLPHINS: Miami sets rookie minicamp, offseason dates: The Dolphins' four recent draft picks led by Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall and the team's undrafted free agents will gather for a rookie minicamp this coming Friday through Sunday. The team's mandatory full-squad minicamp is schedule June 1-2. Other offseason workdays are setfor May 16-17, 19, 23-24 and 26, and June 6-7 and 9-10.

8. HORSE RACING: 80-1 longshot stuns at Kentucky Derby: The 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs opened thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown season on Saturday -- but not as planned. An 80-1 lonsghot,  Rich Strike, bolted up the rail to win, with 4-1 favorite Epicenter and Zandon beaten at the finish. "I about fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire,'' said winning trainer Eric Reed. "I about passed out.'' Rich Strike paid $163.60. Only Donerail in 1913 had a higher payout of $184.90.

9. BOXING: A rarity: Canelo Alvarez loses a fight: Dmitry Bivol scored a unanimous decision over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas Saturday in one of the biggest boxing upsets in recent memory. It was the first loss for Alvarez rsince 2013, at age 23, to Floyd Mayweather.

10. WNBA: Griner shadows Opening Weekend for 26th season: WNBA's 26th season tipped off Friday with the Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun and defending champ Chicago Sky the betting favorites of the 12 teams. League will honor Phoenix Mercury star Britney Griner, arrested and held in Russia (where she played in offssesaon) since February 17, with a 'BG42' decal on every home court. The U.S. is now classifying Griner's arrest as a "wrongful detention" and negotiating her release. About time. 

Missing the HB10 cut: There are 12 playoff series going on in hockey (eight) and basketball (four) including of course the Heat and Panthers -- and six of the 12 are tied 2-2. Colorado Avalanche up 3-0 can be next to to advance tonight ..... Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani this week became the first pitcher to both start a game at Fenway Park and also bat in the top four of the order since Babe Ruth did so September 20, 1919 ..... Spotlight-addict Antonio Brown in the headlines for trashing Colin Kaepernick. What an odd fight to pick ..... Diego Maradona's 'Hand Of God' jersey worn in the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction for a record $9.28 million. Previous record for a game-worn jersey was $5.64 million for a 1928-30 Babe Ruth jersey ..... No. 6-ranked Canes baseball is 35-12 after a weekend home sweep of North Dakota State ..... Matt Kenseth, 2003 Cup Series champ, was voted into the 2023 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the first ballot ..... Good for Ryan Tannehill, acknowledging he'd been in a "dark place" and sought therapy after last season's Titans playoff loss ..... Florida high schools had 22 of the 247 players taken in the NFL Draft this year. Six Miami-Dade or Broward schools had one player each: American Heritage, Booker T. Washington, Central, Dillard, Flanagan and St. Thomas Aquinas ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,513 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Select other recent columns: Oladipo Crowns His Long Road Back, Lifts Heat Into Second RoundOnly In Miami: Ex-Marlins Prez Samson Joins Fight vs. 'Boondoggle' Soccer Stadium / Marlins Declare 'Impatience," Delight Near-Sellout In Exciting Home Opener / Blowing Up Dolphins' Brady-Payton Plan Parting Shot Of Flores Lawsuit. For Now / Heat 'Wildly Disrespected' No. 1 Seed, But that's Fine By Miami As Playoffs Begin / Inter Miami Has Been Major Failure For David Beckham. Here's The BIg Fix / Rotation Set, Lineup Improved, Excuses Gone. Time For Marlins To Win / Could Have Died. Nearly Lost a Leg. Tiger Playing Masters Means He's Already Won / The Lawsuit, 2 Months Later: Why Flores Has Already Won, And Dolphins Are Still Nervous / NCAA Final Four: Why America Was Rooting Against The Perfect Ending / Marlins Owner Sherman Said He'd Spend. Payroll Says It Hasn't Been Enough / Crushing End Short Of Final Four, But Miami Hurricanes' NCAA Run Was Exhilarating Milestone / Tyreek Hill Trade, Terron Armstead Signing A Win-Now Power Play By Dolphins / Dolphins' Moves Help Tua, But Isn't About Surrounding Cast. It's On him / Why Do We Love March Madness This Much? First, Look In The Mirror / Brady's Comeback Not About Another Ring. It's About Holding Onto Who He Is / When Spoelstra Joined Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach / Why Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia / Chris Cote To Save Sport Of Jai-Alai / Brady A Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen / Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart / Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win / An Inside Preview Of Le Batard Show's Upcoming Musical. Yes, Musical / Ranking Flores/Ross Bombshell Among Biggest Dolphins Scandals / Ross Should Be Done As Fins Owner if Flores Allegations Are True  / Ortiz Makes Hall, But Final Denial Of Bonds, Clemens A Shame on Voters, Baseball / Time Is Right (But Running Out) For MLB to Reinstate Pete Rose /'There Was A Pall On Us': The Panthers Season That Would Not Be Derailed / No-Vaccine Is Your Right. But There Are Consequences as Djokovic Was Reminded / State Of Miami Sports: Every Major Team, Graded Top To Bottom / Dolphins Firing of Flores The Unjustified Travesty Of A Clown-Show Owner / Canes Land Grand Prize In Cristobal, So No Excuses Left. New Glory Days A Must / 50 Years At the Herald For Me -- And a Lifetime Of Gratitude / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me

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

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

March 14, 2022

Latest Hot button Top 10 (updated): Brady back, Brackets set, Baseball back, NFL free agency. Who's No. 1 and what else falls where?; plus our Riley/Spo column, new Greg Cote Show podcast out now! & more

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

1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 14. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's latest venture -- which includes a song by me and reached No.1 on iTunes chart! 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on TwitterInstagram and now TikTok, too! 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): The moment Riley anointed Spoelstra to lead Heat, Brittney Griner stuck in Russia started with low WNBA pay, The resurgence of Canes basketball, Le Batard musical reaches No. 1, latest Greg Cote Show podcast.

Coteshow Joey JtdalyGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 12th episode of 2022 and 103rd overall is out now! A new pod drops each Monday morning at 7 ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 103 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest pod, we welcome two special guests: JT Daly, production mastermind of the new Le Batard Show musical, and Joey -- the Babe Ruth of American jai-alai. (They are pictured). Hit up GCS2212 for the full story on the new ep. Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, review and follow. Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). And watch for our weekly YouTube previews of latest episode HERE.

A PERSONAL NOTE, AND THANKS: I am honored to once again be named by Associated Press Sports Editors as a national Top 10 columnist in the major-outlet category for 2021 in '22 judging. The four nominated columns that won us the APSE distinction: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy, too? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Miami Dolphins sabotaging Tua, season with misguided interest in Watson

Heat, Brittney Griner, Canes: Our newest, basketball intensive columns from past week:

The Moment Spoelstra Joined Miami Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach

Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia Because Of Low WNBA Pay -- And NBA Failing To Help

Larranaga, Meier Enjoy Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears

Other most recent columns:  Le Batard Show Anoints Chris Cote To Save Jai-Alai /Tom Brady. Miami Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen and Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart, Ended In Divorce

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

HButton

1. NFL: He's baaack! Brady coming back after six week's 'retirement': G.O.A.T. QB Tom Brady, 44, now says he will play another season with the Tampa bay Buccaneers.

2. COLLEGE BASKETBALL/CANES: Selection Sunday sets bracket for Canes, Madness: Brackets ready? Selection Sunday set the fields for the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments -- a.k.a., March Madness. Miami's 80-76 loss to Duke Friday night in men's ACC semifinals would not hurt its NCAA standing, and the UM women's 3-0 run before an ACC final loss certainly would not. Miami men are a No. 10 seed and open vs. No. 7 USC in the Midwest region. On women's side, Canes are a No. 8 seed and open vs. No. 9 Souht Florida in the Greensboro region. Madness tips off Tuesday and runs through April 4.

3. MLB/MARLINS: Play ball! Lockout settled, spring games on deck: Baseball's 99-day lockout (finally) ended with a new CBA agreement, and a full 162-game season preserved. Teams report this weekend for a few days' practice before spring play starts. Marlins' first spring game is this coming Friday, with regular season Opening Day on April 8 at the Giants. Meantime free agency has begun again. Tim to open up the wallet for big bats, Marlins. Kris Bryant? Nick Castellanos? Yes, please!

4. PANTHERS: Cats' 5=game streak ends in L.A.: Florida is 40-13-6 after a loss in L.A. Sunday night ended a five-game win streak, but Florida still is up four points over Tampa Bay in the NHL Atlantic, with the league's highest scoring team (by a lot) and Sergei Bobrovsky in a groove at the net. Florida's five-game streak was its best since opening the season 8-0.

5. HEAT: Miami loses but still out front in East: Miami is 45-24 but still 2 1/2 games up in the East after Saturday night's 113-104 home loss to Minnesota despite Tyler Herro's 30 points. Jimmy Butler sat out with a sore toe. Markieff Morris (six points, 17 minutes) played his first game in four months since suffering a whiplash injury in a November 8 one-rounder with Denver's Nikola Jokic. Heat continues its seven-game homestand Tuesday vs. Detroit. 

6. NFL/DOLPHINS: Major QB news as free agency frenzy underway: Aaron Rodgers re-ups with Green Bay. Seattle trades Russell Wilson to Denver. Interest in Deshaun Watson revives as grand jury declines to criminally charge him. (Oh, and Indy trades Carson Wentz to Washington). NFL free agency has begun! Watson still faces 22 civil suits over alleged impropiety during massage sessions, but the lifting of the criminal cloud is huge. Maximbet.com has Tampa Bay (3-1) and Pittsburgh (4-1) most likely to sign Watson. (Don't sleep on Carolina). Dolphins, with money to spend, should be active in FA. Guard Laken Tomlinson is someone to keep an eye on.  

7. INTER MIAMI: Still winless through 3 games; stadium vote delayed: Inter Miami is now 0-2-1 (two losses, one tie) to open Year 3 in MLS after Saturday's 2-nil home loss to LAFC, with only one goal scored in three games. Herons return to the pitch next Saturday at Cincinnati. Meantime city of Miami delayed yet again a final vote whether to green-light the new Miami Freedom Park initative. Vote was to be this past week but is now set for April 7.

8. TENNIS: Miami Open one week away; Djokovic withdraws: The Miami Open at Hard Rock begins next week, March 21, with a strong field -- but one weakened by the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic. He cannot travel to the U.S. because he remains steadfastly unvaccinated against COVID. Djokovic is a 20-time Grand Slam winner and No. 2 in the wpr;d but continues his quixotic stance against the vaccine for no apparent reason.  #smh  Good riddance.

9. WNBA: Griner remains detained in Russia amid invasion of Ukraine: Phoenix Mercury WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia after her arrest on likely concocted drug charges -- now seen as a retaliation pawn as the U.S. and much of the rest of the world levies economic sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, English Premier League disqualified Roman Abramovich as a director at Chelsea when the club's assets were frozen after the UK imposed sanctions on Abramovich, one of seven Russian oligarchs targeted in the eake of the invasion.

10. GOLF: Tiger inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame: In a foregone conclusion, Tiger Woods officially was inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame this week, introduced by daughter Sam, 14. Woods was elected March 2020 for induction in '21, but the ceremony was delayed by COVID. Woods, 46, conrinues his recovery from serious leg injuries suffered in a car wreck 13 months ago.

Missing the HB10 cut: Did I mention the Le Batard Show musical was No. 1 on the national iTunes chart? Yeah that was a thing ..... Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid have claimed the first four spots in the UEFA Champions League final eight, with the other four teams to be decided by matches this Tuesday and Wedneday. (Real ousted Messi and Paris-Saint Germain). The quarterfinal draw will be held Friday. Championship match is set May 28 in Paris, moved from Russia becase of its invasion of Ukraine ..... The Spurs' Gregg Popovich won his 1,336th game to surpass Don Nelson for all-time NBA coaching wins ..... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and longtime GF Brittany Matthews got hitched in a lavish Hawaii wedding ..... Broadcaster Joe Buck is leaving Fox Sports for ESPN to become the voice of Monday Night Football ..... Four-time major tennis champion Naomi Osaka was heckled by a spectator during a second-round loss at Indian Wells ..... Weather has ravaged The Players Championship, which likely won't finish until Monday (or even Tuesday) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida ..... LeBron (Ain't Done Yet) James dropped 50 on the Wizards. But can the Lakers scramble to even make the playoffs? ..... Canes baseball, out of the Top 25, is 10-4 entering today's rubber game of a three-game home series vs. Boston College ..... Hurricanes spring football practice, three workdays in, is off until resuming March 22 ..... Canes rewarded men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga with a two-year contract extension ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,569 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

Other most recent columns:Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Who Dolphins, With Windfall To Spend, Should Target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

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

Select other columnsDolphins Win, Finish 9-8, Now Must Commit To Build Around Tua / Why Saban 'What-If' Still Haunts Miami 15 Years later / No Playoffs And No Idea Yet On Tua Worst Possible Way For Dolphins To End Season / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot /  Hey, America, After 7th Straight Win, Do Miami Dolphins Have Your Attention Yet? / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / How Miami Dolphins Are Poised to Transform Their 1-7 Start Into Playoff Contention /  Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / As Dolphins' Dysfunction Surrounds Him, 10 Ways Tua Is The Unluckiest Man On Earth / State of the Art: Heat, Miami's Best-Run Franchise, Sails In Opener / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / Why It's Too Soon, And Dumb, To Quit On Tua As Dolphins Answer /  Hope And Hype Are Sky-High. Time For Florida Panthers To Finally Deliver / Miami Herald's 2021 NFL Team Rankings: You Won't Believe Where Dolphins are / Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL Teams? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Beckham's Resolve Tested By Tumult As Inter Miami Nears 2nd MLS Season / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me.

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards again this year 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.

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

March 12, 2022

The moment Pat Riley decided Erik Spoelstra would lead Miami Heat. My new column; plus Brittney Griner is lost in Russia because of low WNBA pay -- and NBA Failing To Help; also, latest Greg Cote Show podcast, Resurgence of Canes basketball & more

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

1) It's SATURDAY, MARCH 12. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's latest venture -- which includes a song by me and reached No.1 on iTunes chart! I was back in-studio Tuesday. Listen for that day's show podcasts including my latest 'Back In My Day.' 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on TwitterInstagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tom Brady a Dolphins part owner, Why Jeter-Marlins marriage fell apart, Personal note and thanks, Le Batard Show musical drops, NFL's mosy disliked people, new Greg Cote Show podcast.


Wilt100 CoteshowGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!:
 Our 11th episode of 2022 and 102nd overall is out noe! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 102 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest pod, we are joined by Gary Pomerantz, author of "Wilt, 1962: The Night Of 100 Points & The Dawn Of A New Era.'' He shares rich details of that epic game, shares the truth about that infamous 20,000 women claim and more. Also in the new ep: Greg’s wife has been out of town for a week, and he shares something that might or might not make him a bad husband; the bizarre reason Greg never walks around his house naked even he’s when the only person there; Yeti Blanc, our resident musician, leads an impassioned analysis of the Le Batard Show’s newly released musical; debut of new podcast sponsor Lobos Mints; and Greg messes up while making fun of dumb people on “Wheel Of Fortune.” Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). And watch for the debut of our weekly YouTube previews of the new episode HERE.

A PERSONAL NOTE, AND THANKS: I am very honored to once again be named by Associated Press Sports Editors as a national Top 10 columnist in the major-outlet category for 2021 in '22 judging. The Miami Herald also was named a Top 10 daily section, and Top 10 in special projects for ours on the 5-year annniversary of the Jose Fernandez tragedy, a project that also included myself. Some of you asked, so: These are the four nominated columns (earliest to most recent) that won us the APSE distinction: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy, too? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Miami Dolphins sabotaging Tua, season with misguided interest in Watson

Sporiley'SPEAK UP SO WE CAN HEAR YOU!' WHEN PAT RILEY DECIDED ERIK SPOELSTRA WOULD LEAD MIAMI HEATThere was this moment when in his mind Pat Riley baptized Erik Spoelstra as the next head coach of the Miami Heat. There was no ceremony to it. It was not an epiphany. But it was a test that would christen the young assistant coach as the heir who would succeed the legend. And succeed in every sense of the word. During the 2005-06 season, this was. Nobody knew the Heat would go on to win the franchise’s first NBA championship that summer. Just before an off-day practice at the arena there would be a film session in a side room, as usual. Spoelstra brought in the video of the previous game that he had produced, as usual, then stepped aside for Riley to go over it with the team. As usual. “You handle the video,” Riley suddenly told Spoelstra, with no prior notice. “What do you mean?” said Spo. “You go over every clip,” Riley recalls now what he told him. “Call out the players. ‘You didn’t get back on defense.’ ‘You didn’t take the charge.’ There he was in front of the team for the first time.” For our full latest column, visit The Moment Spoelstra Joined Miami Heat's 'Inner Circle' And Became Riley's Next Coach.

WHY IS BRITTNEY GRINER LOST IN RUSSIA? START WITH LOW WNBA PAY -- AND NBA FAILING TO HELPAmerican basketball star Brittney Griner, one of the most prominent players in the WNBA, finds herself detained in Russia on drug charges that may well have been concocted to make her the political pawn she has become. She has, in a way too real, become a prisoner of Bgrinerwar as Vladimir Putin and Russia continue their murderous, unprovoked march across Ukraine, a heinous assault drawing global condemnation and escalating outside economic sanctions. The Phoenix Mercury star faces 10 years in Russian prison. A member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee told CNN this week it is “going to be very difficult” to get her out. When this story broke I’m sure many of our first thoughts were: What on Earth was Griner doing in Russia? At any time but especially now? Blame the NBA for that. The too-hidden disgrace in the capture, detention and scary outlook for Griner is that the WNBA’s pay structure forces so many of is players — even the biggest stars — to play overseas during the offseason. in effect, to have second jobs. The Associated Press reported half of the league’s 144 players competed overseas in 2022. Griner has played for years for Russia’s UMMC Ekatrinburg team. She was the last of several players competing in Russia and Ukraine to attempt to leave last month as war broke out, but didn’t make it. The WNBA was founded by the NBA. Five of the 12 teams are owned by NBA owners. The league is owned equally by WNBA franchisees and the NBA. Yet the pay disparity is a disgrace. For our full recent column, visit Brittney Griner Is Lost In Russia Because Of Low WNBA Pay -- And NBA Failing To Help.

DestinyMARCH GLADNESS: HURRICANES BASKETBALL, COACHES LARRANAGA AND MEIER ENJOYING RESURGENCE: It is a season of resurgence and redemption for Miami Hurricanes basketball, women and men. Not everyone is paying attention. Associated Press Top 25 voters, for instance. The UM women reached the ACC Championship Game for the first time ever Sunday. The team is 20-12 despite almost half of their games (14) being against nationally ranked opponents. The Canes men, preparing for its ACC tournament opener Thursday in Brooklyn, is 22-9 and has the best road record (10-2) of any Power 5 conference team. Here is where the two teams are ranked in the latest Top 25s: Nowhere. That includes zero mention even in the “others receiving votes” category. This is the 60th season for UM men’s hoops and the 50th for the women’s program, and only the fifth time both have had a 20-win season and made the NCAA Tournament the same year. (The official invite to March Madness won’t come until Selection Sunday, but both are seen as certain to get in, each pegged a No. 10 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology projection). It can be a long climb to respect. For our full recent column, visit Larranaga, Meier Enjoying Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears.

Our most recent other columns:  Le Batard Show Anoints Chris Cote To Save Jai-Alai /Tom Brady. Miami Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen and Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart, Ended In Divorce 

Other most recent columns: Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Who Dolphins, With Windfall To Spend, Should Target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other columnsDolphins Win, Finish 9-8, Now Must Commit To Build Around Tua / Why Saban 'What-If' Still Haunts Miami 15 Years later / No Playoffs And No Idea Yet On Tua Worst Possible Way For Dolphins To End Season / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot /  Hey, America, After 7th Straight Win, Do Miami Dolphins Have Your Attention Yet? / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / How Miami Dolphins Are Poised to Transform Their 1-7 Start Into Playoff Contention /  Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / As Dolphins' Dysfunction Surrounds Him, 10 Ways Tua Is The Unluckiest Man On Earth / State of the Art: Heat, Miami's Best-Run Franchise, Sails In Opener / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / Why It's Too Soon, And Dumb, To Quit On Tua As Dolphins Answer /  Hope And Hype Are Sky-High. Time For Florida Panthers To Finally Deliver / Miami Herald's 2021 NFL Team Rankings: You Won't Believe Where Dolphins are / Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL Teams? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Beckham's Resolve Tested By Tumult As Inter Miami Nears 2nd MLS Season / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me.

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards again this year 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.

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).

March 07, 2022

The resurgence of Miami Hurricanes basketball, and of Larranaga and Meier, as March Madness nears. New column; plus Latest Hot Button Top 10 (updated), Le Batard's plan to save jai-alai, our Brady/Dolphins column, new Greg Cote Show podcast now & more

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

Biggame1) It's MONDAY, MARCH 7. Visit BIG GAME: THE MUSICAL for Le Batard Show's latest venture. Includes our original 'Back In My Day' song. I'm back in with Le Batard Show on Tuesday. 2) Join me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Greg Cote Show podcast separately on TwitterInstagram and now TikTok, too! 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Tom Brady a Dolphins part owner, Why Jeter-Marlins marriage fell apart, Personal note and thanks, Le Batard Show musical drops, NFL's mosy disliked people, new Greg Cote Show podcast.

Coteshow WiltGREG COTE SHOW PODCAST: NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!: Our 11th episode of 2022 and 102nd overall is out noe! A new pod drops every Monday at 7 a.m. ET on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, Megaphone, iHeart -- wherever you pod, and of course at MiamiHerald.com. Find all 102 we've done so far HERE, free. In our newest pod, we are joined by Gary Pomerantz, author of "Wilt, 1962: The Night Of 100 Points & The Dawn Of A New Era.'' He shares rich details of that epic game, shares the truth about that infamous 20,000 women claim and more. Also in the new ep: Greg’s wife has been out of town for a week, and he shares something that might or might not make him a bad husband; the bizarre reason Greg never walks around his house naked even he’s when the only person there; Yeti Blanc, our resident musician, leads an impassioned analysis of the Le Batard Show’s newly released musical; debut of new podcast sponsor Lobos Mints; and Greg messes up while making fun of dumb people on “Wheel Of Fortune.” Thanks as always for the support, pod family. Please listen, rate, review and follow. Our pod simulcasts on Sirius XM every Mondays 5-6 p.m. ET). And watch for the debut of our weekly YouTube previews of the new episode HERE.

ApseA PERSONAL NOTE, AND THANKS: I am very honored to once again be named by Associated Press Sports Editors as a national Top 10 columnist in the major-outlet category for 2021 in '22 judging. The Miami Herald also was named a Top 10 daily section, and Top 10 in special projects for ours on the 5-year annniversary of the Jose Fernandez tragedy, a project that also included myself. Some of you asked, so: These are the four nominated columns (earliest to most recent) that won us the APSE distinction: Inter Miami’s David Beckham and Qatar a budding, avoidable controversy / Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson knows biggest victory happened in own family / Scorned, but does he deserve empathy, too? Behind who Aubrey Huff became and Miami Dolphins sabotaging Tua, season with misguided interest in Watson

UmhoopsMARCH GLADNESS: HURRICANES BASKETBALL, COACHES LARRANAGA AND MEIER ENJOYING RESURGENCE: It is a season of resurgence and redemption for Miami Hurricanes basketball, women and men. Not everyone is paying attention. Associated Press Top 25 voters, for instance. The UM women reached the ACC Championship Game for the first time ever Sunday. The team is 20-12 despite almost half of their games (14) being against nationally ranked opponents. The Canes men, preparing for its ACC tournament opener Thursday in Brooklyn, is 22-9 and has the best road record (10-2) of any Power 5 conference team. Here is where the two teams are ranked in the latest Top 25s: Nowhere. That includes zero mention even in the “others receiving votes” category. This is the 60th season for UM men’s hoops and the 50th for the women’s program, and only the fifth time both have had a 20-win season and made the NCAA Tournament the same year. (The official invite to March Madness won’t come until Selection Sunday, but both are seen as certain to get in, each pegged a No. 10 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology projection). It can be a long climb to respect. For our full latest column, visit Larranaga, Meier Enjoying Resurgence Of Miami Hurricanes Basketball as March Madness Nears.

Our most recent other columns:  Le Batard Show Anoints Chris Cote To Save Jai-Alai /Tom Brady. Miami Dolphins Part Owner? Why It Could Happen and Why Derek Jeter-Marlins Marriage Fell Apart, Ended In Divorce 

Other most recent columns: Players Are On Right Side In Labor Dispute, But MLB Has Far Bigger Problem To Fix / Mickelson's Support Of Saudi Tour Mirrors Sports' Blind Eye to Human Rights / Top 15 Figures (Non-Athletes) In Miami Sports History / Who Dolphins, With Windfall To Spend, Should Target In Offseason To Fix Offense Fast / Hall of Fame Keeps Saying No, But Zach Thomas Keeps Feeling Gratitude / and McDaniel Overcame Much In Own Life, Now Must Overcome Dolphins' Turmoil And Win.

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

HButton1. CANES BASKETBALL: UM women fall in ACC title game: Jim Larranaga's UM men and Katie Meier's Canes women both figure to hear good news next week on Selection Sunday in comeback seasons leading to the NCAA Tournement. The UM women are now 20-12 and 11-9 in the conference after Sunday's championship game loss in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro followed a 3-0 run. UM men ended regular season 22-9 (14-6 ACC) with Saturday's 75-72 win at Syracuse, and now prepare for this week's ACC tourney in Brooklyn, their first game Thursday. 

2. MLB: Don't Play Ball! Jeter-less Marlins wait as lockout cancels games, delays season: The Marlins and CEO Derek Jeter parted ways last Monday, and one day later MLB commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two weeks of the regular season when a deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement passed without resolution. And the stalemate continues. Miami is now scheduled to begin spring training March 18 and the now 156-game season April 8 -- but a further delay and more canceled games looms large.

3. INTER MIAMI: Team loses big, now new-stadium vote looms: Herons began MLS Year 3 with a 0-0 draw at home in Fort Lauderdale and on Sunday got clobbered 5-1 at Austin in Game 2. More important, this Wednesday will be the city of Miami's delayed vote on whether to finally green-light the proposed Miami Freedom Park stadium near the airport. Inter Miami wanted to win Sunday but is vitally desperate to win Wednesday.

4. HEAT: Heat stay hot, grow lead as long home stretch begins: Miami is 43-22, on an 11-2 run and now atop the East by 3 games after Saturday's 99-82 home win over second place Philly fueled by 21 each from Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler. Miami will be home for 10 of the next 11 games starting tonight/Monday vs. Houston, which could mark the return of Victor Oladipo from a long injury absence.

5. PANTHERS: Florida now 1 point back in Atlantic race: Florida is 37-13-5 but now one point back in the tight NHL Atantic even after Saturday' nights 6-2 home domination of Detroit after a rough February that saw the Panthers a mortal 3-4. Cats are back on ice Monday in Buffalo.

6. HURRICANES: Bittersweet day for Cristobal as spring football kicks off: UM launched the first of 15 spring practice workdays on Monday as the Mario Cristobal era got its tangible start with former Dolphins great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor joining the staff in an off-field capacity. Cristobal left right after practce to attend his mother's funeral.

7. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: 94-81 loss Coach K's home farewell, Champ Week top sport: The men's regular season is over and conference championships will be decided this week prior to Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. But first: The emotional pull Saturday as Mike Krzyzewski of No. 4-ranked Duke -- retiring this season after 42 years and five national titles -- worked his final home game at Cameron Indoor, a thunderous farewell despite a 94-81 loss. Tickets were going for at least $3,450 for the historic event.

8. NFL: Scouting combine, trade rumors talk of league: The four-day NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up Sunday in Indianapolis -- the last major talent parade before the NFL Draft April 28-30 in Las Vegas. Meantime the offseason percolates with rumors about the destination of Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Ruussell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Amari Cooper, DK Metcalf and others.

9. WNBA: Phoenix star Griner detained in Russia: Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was detained by Russian authorities for allegedly trying to leave the country with the drug hashish hidden in vape pens. In somewhat related news, the Haas Formula One team has terminated Russian driver Nikita Mazepin's contract over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Formula One had previously  canceled the Russiam Grand Prix.

10. TENNIS: Miami Open rallies with strong field as tourney nears: After a down entry list last year due mostly to COVID, Miami Open tennis will boast 73 of the top 75 ranked players on both the ATP and WTA tours when play begins March 21 at Hard Rock Stadium. Notable exceptions: Fan favorite Serena Williams continues out with a mending hamstring, and Novak Djokovic likely will not be allowed to enter the U.S. due to his non-vax status. There also is speculation Rafael Nadal may withdraw due to a foot injury.

Missing the HB10 cut: Colby Covington dominated Jorge Masvidal in a unanimous decision in the UFC 272 main event Saturday night in Vegas ..... The NFL suspended Calvin Ridley for the entire 2022 season after determing the Falcons WR bet on NFL games in '21 ..... No. 22 Canes baseball is 8-3 after dropping two of three at home to nemesis Florida ..... UEFA Champions League round-of-16 play resumes this Tuesday ..... Jackson Mahomes says, "The media is destroying my life." Dear Patrick's Lil' Bro: You invite attention on Tik-Tok, by dancing on Sean Taylor's field logo and by your entitled behavior. Your 'celebrity' is weird and unearned but somehow you crave it. Quit being so dramatic ..... The Greg Cote Show podcast is back with a new episode out Monday at 7 a.m. ..... Update: Countdown now 1,576 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in soccer's 2026 World Cup.

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ARCHIVES

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

Select other columnsDolphins Win, Finish 9-8, Now Must Commit To Build Around Tua / Why Saban 'What-If' Still Haunts Miami 15 Years later / No Playoffs And No Idea Yet On Tua Worst Possible Way For Dolphins To End Season / Revealing My 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot /  Hey, America, After 7th Straight Win, Do Miami Dolphins Have Your Attention Yet? / UM Legend Frank Gore Talks NFL Future, Cristobal, Boxing As He Prepes For Ring Debut / Tua Keeps Showing Dolphins How Silly They Were To Doubt Him So Soon / UM And Blake James Parted Ways With Class -- Which Butch Davis Didn't Get From FIU / How Miami Dolphins Are Poised to Transform Their 1-7 Start Into Playoff Contention /  Quenneville Rightly Sacked as Panthers Coach Over 2010 Chicago Scandal / As Dolphins' Dysfunction Surrounds Him, 10 Ways Tua Is The Unluckiest Man On Earth / State of the Art: Heat, Miami's Best-Run Franchise, Sails In Opener / 'Time to Hunt': Cats' Hyped Season Off to Wild, Winning Start / Dolphins Fans, Ex-Players Gather For Emotional Farewell to Don Shula, Father of the Glory Days / If Sports Had A Spine, Kyrie Irving & Other Anti-Vaxxers Wouldn't Be Playing / Kyle Lowry Must Channel 'Doctor Of Greatness' If Heat Is To Chase NBA Title / Fairy Tale With Wrong Ending: Remembering Jose Fernandez 5 Years Later / Why It's Too Soon, And Dumb, To Quit On Tua As Dolphins Answer /  Hope And Hype Are Sky-High. Time For Florida Panthers To Finally Deliver / Miami Herald's 2021 NFL Team Rankings: You Won't Believe Where Dolphins are / Why Dolphins, Canes Should Be Taking Lead In Requiring Fans To Be COVID-Vaccinated / An Appreciation of Udonis Haslem As He Re-Ups For 19th Heat Season / College Football and FSU Lose a Treasure In Passing Of Bobby Bowden /  Biles' Withdrawal For Mental-Health Reasons Merits Empathy, Not Scorn / Where Dolphins Rank Among Teams With Longest Championship Droughts / Dolphins Owner Ross Unveils New $135 Million Training Site As Another Reason Team Must Win Now / Hot Seat Scale: Ranking Miami's Biggest Coaches By Most to Least Job Security / May Sha'Carri Richardson Be Last Victim Of Olympics' Archaic Marijuana Rules / 'I'm D'Eriq King For College Hunks Hauling Junk!' It's Strange New World in College Sports / Nassib Coming Out As Gay NFL Player A Milestone In Sports History / Fate Snatched Basketball From Chris Bosh. His new Book Is Part of His Journey Of Healing / Where's Tua? Ranking Our Top 15 South Florida Pro Athletes 25 And Younger / Pythons, Peppers, Pirate Flag Raised. Inside Le Batard's 24-Hour Triumph / Le Batard Bet On Himself And His Audience -- And Won Big / Justice For George Floyd Helps Heal Our Shaken Faith, But Fight For Equality Goes On / In History And In Hearts, Howard Schnellenberger Will Matter For All Time / Women Keep Accusing Deshaun Watson of Sexual Misconduct. But Will It Matter to NFL Teams? / Reality, Loss, Comeback: How Sports Has Been Guiding Light In America's Awful Past Year / Beckham's Resolve Tested By Tumult As Inter Miami Nears 2nd MLS Season / Time-Travelling To 1960s And Childhood, When The Baseball Card Was King / Doesn't Matter If Tiger Woods Never Wins Again. We Are Lucky He's Alive / Marlins Hit History-Making Home Run With Kim NG Hire As GM / In a Pandemic-Battered Season For FIU, Butch Davis' Love Of Coaching Survives / Don Shula, 1930-2020, R.I.P. / What Shula Meant to a Father & Son. The Boy Was Me.

Revisit this blog often because it updates regularly. The Associated Press Sports Editors writing awards again this year 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.

Finding Greg: TwitterInstagramFacebookColumnsPodcastPodcast on TwitterPodcast on InstagramLeBatard Show. Book: Fins At 50. Songs: Letting Go (audio only) and The Ballad Of 1440 (with video).