Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Inter Miami’s grand opening, NCAA finals, Cats out, more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (APRIL 5): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Happy Easter, celebrants! Inter Miami’s grand opening, NCAA finals, Panthers eliminated, Heat in purgatory, Marlins face sweep, Master Week and more. Welcome back to the 143rdd 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 sports week past pivots to the week ahead:
1. INTER MIAMI: It’s a grand opening as Team Messi christens new Miami stadium: Wasn’t quite a perfect night. It rained. And Inter Miami needed late goal to salvage a 2-2- MLS draw with Austin FC, Lionel Messi with one goal, Luis Suarez with the second. Still it was a grand and long-awaited opening night at sold-out Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park, after six seasons playing in Fort Lauderdale. Finally, it was a dream fulfilled for David Beckham, who announced in 2014 his intention to put an MLS club in Miami. Now, at last, Inter Miami is in Miami. My column from last night’s home opener HERE.
2. COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MEN: UConn, Michigan reach NCAA men’s final: UConn is a six-time champion, last in 2024. Michigan’s lone title was in 1989 but Wolverines are favored to win a second when the schools meet Monday night in Indianapolis for the crown. In Saturday’s Final Four UConn handled Illinois 71-62 before Michigan impressively dominated Arizona, 91-73 -- tied for the biggest margin in a 1 vs. 1 NCAA tourney duel since seeding started in 1979. Wolverines also are first team in NCAA Tournament history to score 90-plus points in five straight games in a single year.
3. COLLEGE BASKETBALL-WOMEN: It’s South Carolina-UCLA final as UConn, Geno gag: From a women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four with only No. 1 seeds, South Carolina and UCLA advanced and will battle for the national championship today/Sunday in Phoenix. Gamecocks have won three national crowns, last in 2024, and are favored to win a fourth; the Bruins are after their first. South Carolina handily upset previously unbeaten UConn 62-48 Friday night after UCLA handled Texas 51-42. Coaches Dawn Staley of South Carolina and Geno Auriemma of UConn had a heated courtside exchange afterward as Auriemma, in character, complained about the officiating and proved an ungracious loser, but at least apologized a day later.
4. PANTHERS: Mercy killing: 9-4 loss officially eliminates champion Cats: Back-to-back Stanley Cup champ Florida won’t get a shot at a third in a row. Florida fell to 37-39 with Saturday’s 9-4 loss in Pittsburgh buried by a Pens six-pack in the second period. Cats had a mathematical though miniscule chance at a wild card spot before this; no more. Aftera season full of injuries Florida plays out the string now with another game today in Pittsburgh, three more on the road, then the final two at home.
5. HEAT: Miami wins but still trying to escape 10th place: Heat is 41-37 after Saturday’s 152-136 home rout of sub-awful Washington, led by Jaime Jacquez’s 32 points off the bench. But Miami remains stuck in play-in purgatory in 10th place, where finishing would require Miami to win consecutive road games just to make the playoffs proper. Heat hit road for next three games then end regular-season with two at home.
6. MARLINS: Fast start, now Fish try to avoid sweep at Yankees: Marlins enjoyed a 5-1 home start vs. two worst teams in baseball but now will try to avoid being swept at Yankee Stadium today. Fish, after 8-2 Friday loss, blew a 4-0 lead Saturday and fell to the Stripes 9-7. Meantime Miami scores five players in MLB.com’s newest Top 100 prospects list. OF Owen Caissie (No. 40) is already up with the big club and off to a good start. Lefty pitchers Thomas White (15) and Robby Snelling (37) are pegged for later-‘26 callups and perhaps C Joe Mack (60) as well. SS Avia Arquette (45) may be a year or two away. After today team is back home for a 4-pacl vs. Cincy starting Monday.
7. GOLF: Tiger-less Masters tees off in sport’s first ‘26 major: Five-time Masters champ Tiger Woods had hoped to play this week but plans changed after his recent DUI arrest and announcement he’s stepping away from golf to seek help for what appears to be an addiction to painkillers. The Masters, season’s first of four golf majors, tees off Thursday at Augusta anyway with Scottie Scheffler (ho hum) the betting favorite per DraftKings followed by Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. This will be the first Masters since 1994 with neither Tiger nor Phil Mickelson in the field.
8. ODDITIES: It’s a rare South Florida triple play on Tuesday: This is unusual if not quite rare, not an every-year occurrence when three of South Florida’s major teams play on the same day. But it happens this Tuesday when the Marlins host Cincinnati at 6:40, the Panthers play in Montreal at 7, and the Heat play in Toronto at 7:30. (Might-a been an exceptionally rare quadruple, but Inter Miami is not one of two MLS games being played that day.)
9. SOCCER: Baller League USA debuts in Miami: Baller League is a newly launched 10-team, 6-on-6 indoor soccer league based at Miami’s Tropical Park featuring some starpower in J Balvin, Ronaldinho, Usain Bolt and Odell Beckham Jr. as well as self-appointed influencers like Druski, iShowSpeed and KidSuper, the latter two of whom I wouldn’t know if they knocked on my door selling solar panels. Matches are designed mostly for digital consumption and stream live on Twitch, YouTube and elsewhere. The guess here is it’s a see-it-while-you-can fad, but best of luck. (I’ve been wrong before.)
10. CRIME: Do they offer cornhole in prison?: Headlines I never thought I’d see (one in a series): ‘Quadruple amputee cornhole champion charged with murder.’ A Maryland man who is a quad-amputee cornhole champ faces a murder rap for allegedly shooting a man in his vehicle. Dayton James Webber, 27, is accused of fatally shooting a front-seat passenger after an argument, his lawyer claiming self-defense. Webber was profiled by ESPN in 2023 and in ‘24 reached the American Cornhole League world championships. He has no hands but still is able to hold and aim a cornhole bag (and, allegedly, a gun).
THE LIST: CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORIES OF NCAA TITLE-GAME TEAMS: It’s South Carolina vs. UCLA in the NCAA Tournament women’s championship game today, and Illinois/UConn vs. Michigan/Arizona in the men’s final Monday. Here’s the championship-game history of college basketball’s last four teams standing:
MEN: Team Finals record Wins; Losses
UConn 6-0. Won in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, & 2024
Michigan 1-6. Won in 1989; Lost in 1965, 1976, 1992, 1993, 2013 & 2018
WOMEN: Team Finals record Wins; Losses
South Carolina 3-1. Won in 2017, 2022 & 2024; Lost in 2025
UCLA 0-0. First appearance in Final
Other select most recent stuff from me: It was a grand opening night -- finally -- for Inter Miami in Miami // U.S. team struggles, doubts grow as men’s World Cup nears // Poll Dance: What’s an ideal Final Four? // NFL’s Rooney Rule needs protecting in face of Florida’s dumb attack // Previous HB10 // Latest GCS podcast: Final Four reveal in Bracket Challenge // Sandy shines, Marlins win to launch latest season of budget-ball // Sister Jean gone. High Point out. Cinderella dead. But NCAA Tournament bigger than ever // Baseball, politics, emotion lift Venezuela past U.S. to WBC championship // Dolphins got good haul, but blame Curse of Tua for trading Waddle at all / Dolphins’ epic failure at drafting Hurricanes is poised to end // L.A. gave him a statue, but Heat’s Pat Riley has meant as much to Miami // 46 years later and on top of world, USA hockey owns Canada’s sport // 4 reasons why Dolphins and Malik Willis a perfect fit // Dolphins’ major rebuild is on -- and it’s about damned time // No Giannis (yet), but for Heat it’s a dream deferred, not dead // Belichick’s stunning Hall snub is a shame on sanctimonious voters // Dolphins’ new coach, GM take on 25 years of franchise torpor and a QB mess // Canes title-game loss does not erase success of watershed season // Rams’ Stafford wins 1st season title in Herald’s 28th NFL QB rankings // Canes’ ‘violent, relentless’ defeat of Ohio State is Miami’s biggest win in 23 years // Step aside, other cities: Why 2026 in sports belongs to Miami // Stugotz signs major iHeart Media deal, but says not done with LeBatard Show // Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup, crown 50 years of SoFla soccer // How Browns fan’s tragedy gave Bernie Kosar new life // Miami project -- and forgiveness -- helped Marc Buoniconti turn tragedy to triumph // Barkov lost for season a mortal blow to Panthers’ 3-peat bid // 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich // And my latest podcast:
