Greg Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Huge week for U.S. soccer, Dolphins, Heat, Caitlin & more in latest HB10
[Greg Cote’s Poll Dance, the Sunday survey, is off again today but will be back with a new question next week.]
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (AUGUST 18): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Our Sunday Hot Button Top 10 notes column brings you what’s on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or otherwise worth needling as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. Welcome to the 70th edition of your Sunday sports-potpourri notes column, the HB10:
1. SOCCER: Pochettino to U.S. men, American women back at No. 1: Highly regarded soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino, most recently of England’s Chelsea, reportedly will be the next U.S. men’s national team coach in the runup to the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Like the choice despite his lack of national team experience. Maybe he can unlock the mystery over why the U.S. men have never enjoyed the success of the American women, who just won Olympic gold to vault from fifth back up to No. 1 in the FIFA World Ranking for the first time in a year.
2. DOLPHINS: Tua sharp (briefly) as Fins win another fake game: Miami won a 13-6 snoozefest with the Washington Commanders last night at Hard Rock with starters again mostly sitting. Tua Tagovailoa was a sharp 5-for-5 in brief action including a 13-yard TD strike to River Cracraft. Miami had opened the preseason with a 20-13 win over Atlanta and mercifully concludes exhibition play next week at Tampa Bay. There is little worse than NFL preseason football, with the possible exception of American Ninja Warrior.
3. HEAT: Quiet Miami offseason, downturn in buzz reflected in NBA schedule: Miami’s time seen as an exciting, national-draw team seems officially over for now. NBA’s newly released 2024-25 schedule finds Miami with only seven nationally televised games, ranking only 18th in the league and seventh in the East. Out front on national TV will be the L.A. Lakers witrh 27 appearances, the champion Boston Celtics with 26, and Golden State and the New York Knicks with 24. Miami was out in the first round of the playoffs last year and has not tangibly improved in a quiet offseason.
4. MARLINS: Sad Fish follow roster fire sale with front office purge: Say this much for Peter Bendix, Miami’s new president of baseball ops. He ain’t playin’. He traded most of the team’s remaining prominent players including Jazz Chisholm for prospects in the latest roster rebuild (and cost-cutting). Now he’s taken a flame-thrower to the administrative staff by firing two assistant GMs, four field coordinators and the international scouting director among many other holdovers from the Derek Jeter/Kim Ng era. Fish are on pace to lose 102 games under an owner who refuses to spend competitively amid the latest re-start toward a future that never arrives.
5. SOCCER: Man City, Arsenal the faves as Premier League opens play: England’s Premier League -- with a strengthening foothold of popularity in America -- is underway in its 2024-25 season,, with four-time defending champion Manchester City debuting Sunday vs. Chelsea. Man City is a +150 betting favorite for a five-peat, but Arsenal is on its heel at +165. Reflecting interest in the U.S., NBC and Peacock, fresh off their rave reviews and terrific ratings for the Paris Olympics, will broadcast many Premier League matches in the States.
6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FSU’s weird distinction as Week 1 kicks off (sort of...): Four games -- including No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland -- kick off the the college football season this coming Saturday August 24, even though most teams including Miami (at Florida) give Week 1 its main launch the following Saturday the 31st. FSU also plays the last game of opening week om Monday night September 2 vs. Boston College. That means the Seminoles, although nine days apart, technically have the strange distinction of playing twice in Week 1.
7. WNBA: And Caitlin Clark season ... is ... back!: Off for its Olympics break, the WNBA resumed its regular season with rested star Caitlin Clark, surprisingly not selected for the U.S. roster that won gold in Paris, scoring 29 in an Indiana win. That Clark has led the league’s spiking popularity is quantifiable. Last season zero games drew 1 million viewers including in the Finals. This year 16 games have already topped 1M -- 14 of them including the 10 most-watched involving Clark. And Indiana Fever merchandise sales are up more than 1,600 percent over last year.
8. INTER MIAMI: No Messi means no repeat in Leagues Cup tournament: With his ankle injury still shelving Lionel Messi, Inter Miami lost 3-2 at Columbus in the round of 16, denying Miami a chance to repeat the tournament win led by Messi a year ago. Six MLS clubs and two from Mexico’s Liga MX advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals, three decided on PKs. It’ll be an all-MLS semifinals on Wednesday with Philadelphia at Columbus and Colorado at LAFC. Miami resumes its league schedule August 24 vs. Cincinnati and hopes Messi will be available by then to lead the stretch run to the MLS Cup.
9. COLLEGES: Is Miami Hurricanes/John Ruiz divorce coming?: Miami lawyer John Ruiz is U-Miami athletics’ biggest sugar daddy in the dubious Name, Image & Likeness era born to invite shadiness. He owns LifeWallet, an insurance claims company, but the wallet has grown thin. It projected $963 million in net revenue last year but instead had total revenue of $7.7 million with net loss of some $210 million. Ruiz told investors there is “serious doubt” the company will go on as it is probed by the DOJ and Securities & Exchange Commission. Ruiz has donated $10 million-plus to UM athletes, his involvement with women’s basketball drawing NCAA sanctions. Question for The U: This is who you want to be associated with?
10. MLB: Mets sink the already-silly ceremonial first pitch to a new low: New York Mets drew backlash for inviting Haliey Welch, the “Hawk Tuah” girl, to throw out a ceremonial first pitch this week. She of course is in the midst of her 15 minutes of dubious fame over a viral video in June in which she used the phrase to describe a sex act. It happened to be Camp Day at that game, the stadium filled with 11-year-olds. Son: “Dad, who is that on the mound? Is she famous?” Dad: “Well, um ... hey, want some ice cream!?”
Other most recent stuff from me: Mario Cristobal’s rebuild of Miami Hurricanes has been ‘massive.’ Now it’s time to win big // Messi at 37 has missed more than half of Inter Miami games. Cherish him while you can // Previous HB10 // U.S. women are back! Soccer team announces return to power with Olympic gold // Pitbull alliance with underdog FIU escalates a turf war with Miami Hurricanes // Tyreek Hill must make Dolphins champions to fulfill his greatness, legacy // Poll Dance: Favorite Olympic Sport // Paris Olympics is one for the ages as golden oldies Biles, Ledecky, James lead U. S. charge // Book it! Miami Hurricanes will vie for ACC title, make playoff in huge return to power // Jazz trade continues Miami Marlins’ losing cycle of talent-for-prospects cost cutting // Dolphins paying Tua like he’s elite with new $212 million extension. Now it’s on him to win like it // The stand-pat Miami Heat must keep up as aggressive NBA East improves all around it // Rain soaks Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup celebration ... and it was glorious // Blasphemy! Vindication? How ‘McDavid overrated’ took on life of its own in Stanley Cup Final // Willie Mays, 1931-2024: A fond and personal tribute to top-tier baseball legend // And my latest podcast:
This story was originally published August 18, 2024 at 9:25 AM.
