Greg Cote's Hot Button Top 10: Amazin' Marlins, Messi hurt, sex toys on court & more
1. MARLINS: Smokin'-hot Fish go for sweep of Yankees, .500 today: Marlins atop the HB10? A first. But earned. Miami is 54-55, with four straight wins and 24-10 since June 22, after a wild 13-12 home comeback over the Yankees and then Saturday's 2-0 on Eury Perez's gem. Fish go for the sweep of NYY and can reach .500 today. As important, the Fish won this year's trade deadline with restraint. A year ago Miami led the majors in deadline deals as Peter Bendix went crazy in a prospects get. This time only two trades: OF Jesús Sánchez to Houston for starter Ryan Gusto and two prospects, and C Nick Fortes to Tampa Bay for outfielder Matthew Etzel. Gusto is a nice add, but the best deals were the ones not done: Keeping starters Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera despite a market for both. The statement: Marlins are all-in in chase for wild card playoff spot.
2. INTER MIAMI: Despite win, Messi injury clouds hopes of Leagues Cup advance: Inter Miami added midfielder Rodrigo de Paul as a de factor bodyguard for Lionel Messi, but that did not prevent Messi from incurring a thigh injury Saturday and leaving early in a win on penalty kicks over Nexaca in a Leagues Cup match in Fort Lauderdale. The injury is not believed serious but could jeopardize Messi 's availability Wednesday at home vs. Pumas in another Leagues Cup game. Miami is 2-0 in the MLS vs. Mexico tournament but even at 3-0 may be at risk of not advancing due to goal-differential.
3. HEAT: Bad week redefined: Theft scandal, Rozier still on roster: Miami reportedly declined a trade to get Marcus Smart from Washington in exchange for Terry Rozier. Extremely upset were Heat fans, many of whom would gladly trade Rozier for a used pair of Keds. Also this past week: The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office began an investigation of merchandise theft of items including game-worn jerseys stolen from the Heat's uniform equipment room. The scandal was first reported by Amin Elhassan on the Dan LeBatard Show. (Apparently Amin found out before Pablo Torre did.)
4. HURRICANES: Practice on, UM second in ACC poll as mega-opener nears: A healthy QB Carson Beck led the way as the Canes under fourth-year coach Mario Cristobal opened practice for the high-hopes season kicking off at home vs. Notre Dame August 31. The annual ACC media poll found Clemson picked as the favorite to repeat atop the conference, with Miami edging SMU for second and Georgia Tech and Louisville rounding out the top five. SMU and L'ville are on UM's schedule.
5. DOLPHINS: It's opening week for Miami preseason: Dolphins first of three exhibition games is next Sunday at Chicago, followed by a trip to Detroit then a home date with Jacksonville prior to the regular season opener September 7 at Indianapolis -- a near pick-'em game with Colts a (very) early 1-point favorite. Fins theme this preseason based on the depth chart: Anybody wanna play cornerback? Show of hands, please?
6. MLB: Speedway Classic will set record today (but not really): Baseball's exhilarating trade-deadline moves left adjusted World Series odds favoring three NL teams with Dodgers at 14-5, Phillies at 17-2 and Mets at 19-2. MLB has spotlight again with Braves-Reds in the Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn. today in the first MLB game at a NASCAR track (after Saturday's rain postponement). With mofre than 85,000 tickets sold, it'll break the regular-season mark of 84,587 set at a Yankees game in Cleveland in 1954. But the most to ever watch any MLB game will remain 115,300 for a spring training game between the Dodgers and Red Sox at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2008.
7. POLITICS: Trump finds odd way to revive physical fitness: Donald Trump is bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test for children, a fixture in public schools for decades. Make your own jokes about Trump as the face of fitness. I'd rather note the oddity of a president under a Jeffrey Epstein cloud having Lawrence Taylor among guests at the White House announcement. Taylor's past, of course, includes cocaine, tax evasion and a guilty plea to the statutory rape of a 16-year-old. Are Trump's advisers all on vacation? Turns out the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition includes Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, whose surname Trump mispronounced as 'Tag-o-valley-a.'
8. NFL: Shannon Sharpe mess clouds Hall of Fame weekend: Chargers beat Lions 34-7 Thursday in earliest NFL preseason opener in 25 years to kick off what should-a been a feelgood weekend in Canton. But Shannon Sharpe's firing by ESPN following his paying big to settle a sexual-assault lawsuit hung over everything like a thundering cloud as his brother Sterling was one of four men inducted along with Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Antonio Gates. PS, a weak class, too. Gates merited Canton; the other three were dubious picks at best. (Better next year, as Class of '26 first-time eligibles include Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald.)
9. WNBA: Dumb Fans Alert! Arrest over sex-toy launch: A spectator who ought to be publicly named and shamed was arrested for throwing a sex toy onto thr court during a Golden State game in Atlanta. Since then, another sex toy was thrown onto the court during Golden State's game in Chicago. Said Sky center Elizabeth Williams: 'It's super disrespectful. I don't really get the point of it. It's really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.'
10. NASCAR: As Wallace ends drought, a nod to Wendell Scott: Bubba Wallace's third career win in the NASCAR Cup Series ended a 100-race winless drought for the second Black driver to win a race in the sport's main series. It invites a nod of respect for Wendell Scott, please? Scott in 1963 in Jacksonville became the first Black driver to win on NASCAR's main stage, despite racism at the time that saw him receive death threats, be poisoned once and often wrecked intentionally. He never received the trophy for the one race he won, his family finally was given it in 2021 -- 31 years after his death.
THE LIST: MIAMI TEAMS' MOUNT RUSHMORES: The top-four career leaders for the Dolphins, Panthers, Heat and Marlins based on WAR (wins over replacement) or that sport's equivalent, combining players' longevity and accomplishent with club:
Dolphins--Dan Marino 216, Jason Taylor 146, Zach Thomas 141, Bob Griese 138.
Panthers--Roberto Luongo, 124, Aleksander Barkov 86, Aaron Ekblad 70, Jonathan Huberdeau 65.
Heat--Dwyane Wade 116.1, LeBron James 65.3, Alonzo Mourning, 64.9, Bam Adebayo 57.6
Marlins--Giancarlo Stanton 35.8, Hanley Ramirez, 26.9, Josh Johnson 25.7, Luis Castillo 22.5
Other select most recent stuff from me: This one goal for Dolphins and another for Hurricanes will define success or failure in 2025 // Previous HB10 // Poll Dance: Dolphins or Canes win more games? // 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 & 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:
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