Greg Cote’s hot button topics: Heat woes, NFL playoffs, Cats, Fish make list
HEAT
Woe is the Heat as road trip winds up: Miami had lost three games in a row and four of five entering the weekend, Goran Dragic was hurt, Dwyane Wade said the Heat had “inner dilemmas” and Chris Bosh called the team’s mentality “really bad.” Otherwise, “Happy new year!”
NFL
Playoffs pare from eight to four by Sunday: All four Divisional-round home teams were favored this weekend after all four home teams were underdogs in last week’s wild-card round, a first. The only betting certainty is that whatever team I predict to cover the spread won’t.
PANTHERS
Cats streak ends at 12 as return home nears: Team’s club-record win streak ended with thud in two consecutive losses including 6-0 spanking at Calgary heading into Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay and then a return home Monday against Edmonton. Still in first, though, so down off the ledge.
MARLINS
Team signs pitchers, extends Gordon as spring nears: With spring training a month away, Fish signed solid starter Wei-Yin Chen, veteran pitcher Edwin Jackson and locked up 2B Dee Gordon with long-term deal. Still weird, isn’t it? When the Marlins do something right?
DOLPHINS
Gase hires a defensive coordinator, fills in staff: New coach Adam Gase continued assembling his staff by hiring defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who’d been the Bengals’ DB’s coach. Joseph has never been a coordinator. But then, Gase has never been a head coach. So it’s perfect!
Read an updated, expanded Hot Button Top 10 every Sunday in Greg’s Random Evidence blog.
This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 11:57 PM.