Greg Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Dolphins open, Canes, Gators, U.S. Open and more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 7): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Dolphins open at Indy as NFL kicks off. Plus Hurricanes win in rout, NBA’s Kawhi Leonard mess, Lionel Messi, Caitlin Clark, U.S. Open finals, NASCAR playoffs and more. Welcome to the 117th edition of HB10, bringing you what’s on our minds from a Miami lens and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or worth needling as the sports week past pivots to the week ahead:
1. DOLPHINS: Sunday opener at Colts instant litmus test for Miami: The Fins open their 60th season Sunday in Indianapolis in a game between two teams from which little is expected. Neither is seen as a playoff team by most estimations -- but the Week 1 winner will give its fans hope it might surprise the doubters. Miami is a 1 1/2-point underdog on the road, meaning it’s all but a toss-up game. Will Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy all season? Can the Fins survive questions at cornerback? Must Miami make the playoffs for coach Mike McDaniel to keep his job? Let the answering begin!
2. HURRICANES: Ho hum. No. 5 Canes rout Bethune-Cookman: There was zero doubt Miami -- No. 5-ranked after beating Notre Dame in the opener -- would handle Bethune-Cookman Saturday night at Hard Rock. The level of rout was the only question. Answer: 45-3. UM is now 13-0 all-time as a No. 5, and in seven previous games vs. B-C had won them all by an average score of 50-8. Canes have three more games in a row vs. state opponents: Home against South Florida and No. 13 Florida, and then the ACC opener at No. 14 Florida State. USF beating Florida Saturday certainly got UM’s attention.
3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: No. 13 Gators fall, FIU gets spanked: After an opening week filled with marquee Top 25 matchups, Week 2 was a breather. The only Top 25 matchup was a secondary one (18-Oklahoma beating 15-Michigan) -- but No. 13 Florida falling 18-16 to South Florida will shake. Also of note in-state, 14-FSU routed East Texas A&M 77-3, FIU lost at 2-Penn State bya respectful 34-0, and FAU bopped Fllrida A&M 56-14.
4. NFL: Spitting ejection, upset in Brazil & Week 1 is underway!: Bad omen when your season starts with a spitting ejection in first minute of first game? Eagles overcame DT Jalen Carter’s lapse to edge Cowboys 24-20 Thursday, then Justin Herbert and Chargers finally beat nemesis Chiefs 27-21, in Sao Paulo on Friday. Main slate kicks off today with Ravens at Bills in prime-time atop the Opening Week marquee.
5. NBA: How will NBA handle Pablo/Ballmer/Kawhi mess?: The Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast reported well that the L.A. Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard in part by funneling him $28 million for a made-up marketing job to circumvent the salary cap. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer denies any wrongdoing. The NBA reportedly is investigating. How big a story is this? It seems big to us, and that punishment should be coming. But the NBA’s probe -- and specifically whether Ballmer and his team are majorly discplined -- will say how history will judge and weigh the report.
6. TENNIS: Sabalenka repeats in U.S. Open; Sinner-Alcaraz for men’s crown today: Top-seed and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka won the women’s U.S. Open again Saturday in a 6-3, 7-6 dispatch of No. 8 Amanda Anisimova. The New Jersey-born Anisimova made it the fifth straight women’s Grand Slam final with an American in it. Reigning men’s champ Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz renew their rivalry in the men’s final today.
7. INTER MIAMI: Messi’s tears and a tardy apology: Lionel Messi fought tears pregame before scoring twice as Argentina beat Venezula 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier -- likely his final national-team match on home soil. Thursday, Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez finally apologized for spitting on a Seattle staffer after Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Sounders in the Leagues Cup final. That led the club (also tardily) to “condemn the altercations” in a postgame brawl that included Sergio Busquets punching an opponent. MLS discipline may yet come. Meantime Miami is off until resuming league play with huge games Sept. 13 at hot Charlotte and Sept. 16 vs., yes ... Seattle.
8. WNBA: Clark ruled out casts pall as playoffs near: Indiana Fever star and league-growth catalyst Caitlin Clark out for the rest of season with a groin injury casts a pall as playoffs near. Clark did not miss a game her entire college career or as an WNBA rookie but has played only 13 games this season, and none since July 15. Six teams including best-record Minnesota, reigning champ New York and expansion Golden State have clinched playoff tickets. Indiana, Seattle and L.A. vie for the last two spots.
9. NASCAR: Chasing Chase as first playoff cuts near: NASCAR’s round-of-16 playoffs began last week with Chase Briscoe winning at Darlington to take the overall standings lead. Today’s race is in Madison, Ill. and then next week’s at Bristol. Tenn. will pare the field from 16 to 12. Top four right now are Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick. The four playoff drivers at most risk of elimination are Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano.
10. MARLINS: The inevitabe fade of the Fish continues: The Marlins are 65-77 after a fifth straight loss. Miami continues a season-long 10-game homestand (off to an 0-2 start) today vs. Phillies then welcomes in Washington and Detroit. Since this season’s halcyon days -- a weekend home sweep of the Yankees that got Miami even at 55-55 -- the Fish have flopped at 10-22 .
THE LIST: DOLPHINS OPENING-DAY STARTING QBS: Sixteen different QBs have started on Opening Day in the club’s 60 seasons. The list is in order of most Week 1 starts:
No. Player (Years)
16 Dan Marino (1984-99)
12 Bob Griese (1968-77, ‘79-80)
6 Ryan Tannehill (2012-16, ‘18)
5 Jay Fiedler (2000-04)
5 Tua Tagovailoa (2021-25)
3 David Woodley (1981-83)
Note: 2 each--Chad Pennington (2008-09), Chad Henne (2010-11) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2019-20). 1 each--Dick Wood (1966), John Stofa (1967), Don Strock (1978), Gus Frerotte (2005), Daunte Culpepper (2006), Trent Green (2007) and Jay Cutler (2017).
Other select most recent stuff from me: NFL Week 1 picks // Cowboys-Eagles Thursday pick // Poll Dance: Will Tua play every game? // Miami upsets Notre Dame. Do Hurricanes have your attention yet, America? // Previous HB10 // Old ghosts, new glory in play as Miami Hurricanes host Notre Dame in opener // Super Bowl to Dolphins to dregs: My annual NFL Team Rankings! // Dolphins will surprise doubters -- if Tua finally proves he’s the star they need him to be // Cristobal has ‘insatiable’ drive for new Hurricanes glory days, and he’s getting close // Like it or not, UFC & Dana White’s world domination tour just grew // Asked & answered: Solving 8 biggest questions in Miami sports today // Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still chasing glory -- and attention // This one goal for Dolphins and another for Hurricanes will define success or failure in 2025 // Why Miami staunchly remains a Football Town even as Dolphins and Canes disappoint // Strobe lights? Trajekt Arc? How Marlins’ trust in youth, player-development is paying off // Jalen Ramsey, now Asante Samuel drama = Dolphins mess at cornerback // Heat getting 3-point ace Powell a pickpocket-win for Riley // Champion Panthers keep revving this summer while Heat stays quiet // Dolphins’ gamble on Waller after Ramsey &;amp;amp;amp; Smith for Fitzpatrick was net loss // Inter Miami falls to PSG but won big to reach Club World Cup final 16 // Panthers celebrate as 1 of 4 South Florida sports dynasties -- with no end near // Major news on future of Dan Le Batard Show, Meadowlark Media, DraftKings // A tribute to Miami sports legend Jimmy Johnson as he retires from Fox TV // 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is the life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich // And my latest podcast:
