Greg Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Canes rising, Dolphins test, Messi’s change, Caitlin’s big snub & more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 24): 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 83rd edition of your Sunday sports-potpourri notes column, the HB10:
▪ Note to readers: Hope y’all had a great Thanksgiving! Hot Button Top 10 is taking the long holiday weekend off. See you next Sunday, December 8, with a brand new HB10!!
1. HURRICANES: ‘Our goals are intact’ as Miami crushes Wake Forest: “Our goals are intact,” as coach Mario Cristobal put it after his Canes dispatched Wake Forest 42-14 in Saturday’s home finale. Three fourth-quarter TDs turned what was a too-close game into a rout. No. 8 Hurricanes are now 10-1 and should bump up a couple of spots in the new College Football Playoff rankings. Miami will clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game by winning at Syracuse next week -- with a first-round bye in the CFP still possible. Goals intact.
2. DOLPHINS: Crazy week: Patriots, then frozen turkey in Green Bay: Miami is solid home favorite Sunday vs. New England to win third straight game and get to 5-6 -- playoff contention in parity-addled NFL. But then it’s a quick trip to Green Bay for a Thanksgiving night game with temps in 20s and snow expected. Oy. Last time Fins played in such conditions (playoffs last January 13 in Kansas City), things didn’t go so well. But already looking forward to the sight of the obligatory Packers fan shirtless and daring hypothermia to invade his boozed-up body. (Quick aside: Zero chance ex-Giant Daniel Jones ends up the backup QB here with that onerous contract. But he might after clearing waivers if agreed to a huge pay cut.)
3. INTER MIAMI: Was Messi a factor in head coach departure and new hire?: Tata Martino’s departure as Inter Miami head coach for “personal reasons” was abrupt and unexpected. Now reports are the MLS club will hire Argentina U-20 youth team manager and Olympic coach Javier Mascherano to replace him. Was Lionel Messi a big factor in both moves? I’d bet yes, although Martino says he made his decision prior to IM’s shocking first-round playoff exit, and the departure appears amicable. Still, Messi reportedly was unhappy with Martino settling for so many ties last season (though Miami’s eight was a pretty typical number). The new hire, Mascherano, is Messi’s friend and former Argentina teammate.
4. PANTHERS: Champion Florida has stumbled into a bonafide slump: Panthers fell to 12-9 with Saturday’s 7-4 home loss to Colorado -- Florida’s third straight loss and fifth in six games. Champs have allowed six-plus goals three times in the skid and have fallen behind Toronto in the NHL East. Cats continue on home ice Monday vs. Washington and Thanksgiving Even with a big one vs. the Maple Leafs.
5. MLB: Ohtani and Judge’s MVP feat last happened in 1955: Dodger Shohei Ohtani winning his third league MVP award this week and Yankee Aaron Judge his second , both unanimously, marked the first time since 1955 that the two MVPs had both won before -- since Yogi Berra and Roy Campanella both won their third 69 years earlier. The sport’s other biggest awards-season trophy, the Cy Young, also had a notable result as Braves’ Chris Sale and Tigers’ Tarik Skubal became only the third set of southpaws to win the same year, after Barry Zito/Randy Johnson in 2002, and Sparky Lyle/Steve Carlton in 1977.
6. WNBA: Caitlin Clark nix on Unrivaled league a huge loss for Miami: WNBA rookie of the year and instant superstar Caitlin Clark reportedly has said no to playing in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled offseason league despite ardent wooing. The big losers: The league itself, broadcast partners TNT, truTV and Max -- and women’s hoops fans in South Florida. The 3-on-3 league made up of 36 WNBA stars on six teams will play its inaugural two-month season entirely in Miami beginning January 17 through March 18.
7. HEAT: Ouch. Miami’s Big 3 core ranked 19th best of 30: ESPN rates each team’s Big 3 players and Heat are slotted 19th of 30, and with the seventh oldest core age (29.1). Tyler Herro is off to a great start averaging 24.2 points and Bam Adebayo gets high marks, but demerits come with Jimmy Butler’s age, injury history and uncertain contract status beyond this season. Miami is 6-7 entering Sunday’s visit by Dallas. By the way, Heat should be maybe a tad embarrassed that the Lakers are swooping in with a Pat Riley statue trumping Miami’s ‘Pat Riley Court’ on the career honors scale.
8. MARLINS: Fish introduce new manager, baseball-ops shakeup: Miami intro’d former Dodgers coach Clayton McCullough as its new manager and also announced changes at the top of baseball-ops, naming Joe Migliaccio as Director of Hitting, Bill Hezel as Director of Pitching and Maxx Garrett as Director of Catching. Still woefully vacant: The position of Director of Spending Enough Money On Player Payroll To Compete In The NL East.
9. VOLLEYBALL: And another women’s pro league is born!: Out of thin air materializes League One Volleyball (LOVB), a women’s professional league whose inaugural season starts January 8 with teams in Houston, Atlanta, Austin, Salt Lake City, Omaha and Madison Wisc. League will feature current and former Olympians from the U.S. and elsewhere along with former college stars. LOVB financial backers include Olympic skiier Lindsey Vonn, WNBA great Candace Parker and NBA stars Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum. Most essential: League has a deal with ESPN for both linear and streaming coverage.
10. DAWGS/CANES: Miami women’s hoops to blame for Georgia football woes?: Georgia football is a relatively mortal 8-2 and 10th in the CFP rankings, with many Bulldogs fans blaming QB Carson Beck and his 12 interceptions. Are the Miami Hurricanes somehow to blame? UM guard and assists leader Hanna Cavinder (of the 930,000 Instagram followers) and Beck have been dating since July. Hmm. Have we been unduly distracted, Carson?
THE LIST: BASEBALL’S MULTIPLE MVP WINNERS: Shohei Ohtani won his third league MVP award this week and Aaron Judge his second, both unanimously. Judge became the 20th two-time winner. There have been 12 winners of three or more MVPs. These are the five most recent triple-MVPs:
Player, Span of MVP wins
Shohei Ohtani, 2021-24
Mike Trout, 2014-19
Albert Pujols, 2005-09
Alex Rodriguez, 2003-07
Barry Bonds, 1990-2004
Note: Bonds won a record seven MVPs and the next-most is three. Others with three after A-Rod: Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio and Jimmie Foxx. League MVPs have been awarded since 1931.
Other most recent stuff from me: Miami crushes Wake Forest but are Canes really that good? Answer for now: 10-1 // NFL Week 12 picks // Herald Week 11 NFL QB Rankings // It’s mountaintop to hinterlands for Miami Marlins’ new manager // Miami Dolphins whip Raiders 34-19 with season-high points // Previous HB10 // Poll Dance: Tyson or Paul? // Tyson-Paul is ridiculous, a freak show. But we’ll watch // Messi, Inter Miami out in MLS playoffs’ first round a stunning disappointment // Unbeaten no more: Miracle comebacks run out as No. 4 Hurricanes fall at Georgia Tech // Cam Ward having Hurricanes’ best QB season ever, deserves Heisman // ‘Who is that guy?’ Dwyane Wade deserves immortality of statue -- iffy likeness or not // Pete Rose wasn’t perfect, but MLB’s endless lack of mercy followed him to grave // 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 // And my latest podcast:
This story was originally published November 24, 2024 at 9:16 AM.
