This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 9:19 AM.<\/p>\n
GREG COTE\u2019S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MARCH 1): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: NFL Combine and Dolphins \u2018 low hopes, Panthers\u2019 desperate playoff chase, World Baseball Classic on deck, Heat trying to escape play-in, Team Messi seeks first \u201826 MLS win and more. After one week off, welcome back to the 140th edition of HB10, bringing you what\u2019s on our minds from a Miami lens and accentuating stuff that\u2019s big, weird, damnable, funny or worth needling as sports week past pivots to the week ahead:<\/p>\n
1. DOLPHINS: NFL Combine week finds Fins graded No. 1 … and epic-low: As pre-Draft NFL Combine goes on in Indianapolis annually drawing way too much attention, the Dolphins scored disparate results. The good news: For a third straight year Miami ranked No. 1 in NFLPA\u2019s annual report card grading teams on off-field stuff from ownership to facilities to treatment of families. Bad news? We see how steep the climb is facing new Fins coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan with a full rebuild underway, per BetOnline.ag. Miami has only an 8 percent chance to make 2026 playoffs, second-worst in league ahead of only Arizona\u2019s 6%. Rest of AFC East: Bills 78% (tied with Ravens for first), Patriots 67% and Jets 11%.<\/p>\n
2. PANTHERS: Cats\u2019 7 Olympic medal winners reunite to chase playoffs: Two-time defending NHL champion Florida is 30-29 and eight points off playoff pace with 23 games left — a steep climb with diminishing margin for error … or losses. Panthers entered the Olympic break on a 1-5 skid and are 1-1 in the restart, with Friday\u2019s 3-2 loss to Buffalo following a 5-1 win over Toronto that included a gold-medal celebration of Team USA and Matthew Tkachuk. Cats are back on ice today\/Sunday at New York IsIanders.<\/p>\n
3. BASEBALL: Miami-based World Baseball Classic takes the field: Saving us from droning spring training, the sixth international World Baseball Classic (since the first in 2006) — begins this week with Miami again the primary hub and host city and nine Marlins players in it. Marlins Park will host 10 pool-play games March 6-11, quarterfinals March 13-14, semifinals March 15-16, and the championship game March 17. Betting favorites in the 20-team field are one-time champ U.S. at -115, three-time winner and defending champ Japan at +330, and one-time winner Dominican Republic, sure to be a local fan favorite.<\/p>\n
4. INTER MIAMI: Team Messi seeks 1st \u201826 MLS win; White House visit on deck?: Reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami hopes to leave behind a 3-0 season-opening loss at Los Angeles tonight\/Sunday at rival Orlando City. (Miami won a rescheduled Thursday friendly in Puerto Rico over Independiente del Valle, 2-1, with Lionel Messi scoring … and being tackled by an exuberant fan but unhurt.) Herons opens MLS play with five straight roadies before the home christening of new Miami Freedom Park on April 4. Meantime Inter Miami was invited to White House to celebrate team\u2019s \u201825 MLS Cup and is expected to attend March 5 during a visit to Washington to play D.C. United.<\/p>\n
5. HEAT: Bam\u2019s 24, Kel\u2019el\u2019s boards lift Miami over Houston: Heat is 32-29 after Saturday\u2019s 115-105 home win over Houston ended a two-game skid, led by Bam Adebayo\u2019s 24 points and Kel\u2019el Ware\u2019s 15 rebounds off the bench. Miami remains in play-in jail but is only two games off top-six playoff pace with 21 games left in the regular season. Heat is next back on the wood with a Tuesday\/Thursday doubleheader vs. the sub-sad Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n
6. OLYMPICS: On U.S. medal count, hockey\u2019s political fallout: Norway won the medal count for a fourth straight Winter Games, but Team USA finished second with 12 golds and 33 total on a late push that surpassed host Italy. Americans won gold in both men\u2019s and women\u2019s hockey, but not without subsequent political controversy over the men roaring laughter on a call with Donald Trump as the president joked he now had to invite the women to the White House or be impeached. Social media criticized the pro-Trump swooning and boys-club vibe and U.S. women\u2019s captain Hilary Knight called it \u201ca distasteful joke.\u201d<\/p>\n
7. MARLINS: Springing toward another season of modest expectations: Miami is 3-5 thus far in the spring Grapefruit League, with nine Marlins due to scatter to compete in the World Baseball Classic this week through March 17. Miami\u2019s MLB regular season uncorks at home on March 27, with expectations for the low-spending team modest as usual. Per DraftKings, the Fish rank 25th of 30 clubs in win-World Series odds (250-1), win-league odds (100-1) and wins over\/under (72.5), and 26th in win-division odds (40-1).<\/p>\n
8. CANES HOOPS: UM men headed for NCAAs; women now with a shot: Hurricanes men\u2019s basketball under first-year coach Jai Lucas is 23-6 (12-4 ACC) after Saturday\u2019s win over Boston College and with two games left in regular season prior to the conference tournament starting March 10 in Charlotte. Canes guys are presently projected a No. 8 NCAA Tournament seed in ESPN\u2019s Bracketology. UM women have won four straight and are 16-12 (8-9 ACC) entering today\u2019s regular-season finale at Georgia Tech. Strong showing in ACC tourney starting Wednesday in Duluth, Ga. may yet earn longshot Canes a bid to NCAAs.<\/p>\n
9. WNBA: Are players now wavering over potential strike?: The WNBA\u2019s 30th anniversary season is to begin May 8, but fast-approaching is a March 10 deadline to avert a players\u2019 strike. The schedule start date relies on a new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) being agreed to by the deadline. The most recent players\u2019 association meeting over labor talks became \u201ctense,\u201d reported Front Office Sports, regarding a possible strike largely over revenue sharing. Players authorized a potential strike in a near-unanimous vote in December, but some have since changed their mind. Tick-tock. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n
10. SOCCER: Champions League sets round-of-16 knockout bracket: The map to the 2026 UEFA Champions League final — the sport\u2019s biggest trophy after the World Cup — is set for Europe\u2019s top clubs. Marquee matchups include Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, and reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea — which beat PSG in last summer\u2019s FIFA Club World Cup final. Round of 16 matches begin March 10-11; the finale is May 30 in Budapest.<\/p>\n
THE LIST: STANLEY CUP CHAMPS THAT MISSED PLAYOFFS THE NEXT SEASON: The Florida Panthers — eight points off playoff pace with 23 games left — are at risk of becoming only the fifth team in 47 years to miss the NHL playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup the previous season. The teams in that unfortunate club:<\/p>\n
Season that reigning champions missed playoffs<\/p>\n
1995-96 New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n
2006-07 Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n
2014-15 Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n
2019-20 St. Louis Blues.<\/p>\n
Note: List is since 1979-80 season, when NHL went to 16-team playoff format used today.<\/p>\n
Other select most recent stuff from me: L.A. gave him a statue, but Heat\u2019s Pat Riley has meant as much to Miami<\/a> \/\/ 46 years later and on top of world, USA hockey owns Canada\u2019s sport<\/a> \/\/ Podcast: A day at the races<\/a> \/\/ 4 reasons why Dolphins and Malik Willis a perfect fit<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins\u2019 major rebuild is on — and it\u2019s about damned time<\/a> \/\/ NBA All-Star Weekend got needed bounce with U.S. vs. World<\/a> \/\/ Previous HB10<\/a> \/\/ Poll Dance: Interest in Winter Olympics<\/a> \/\/ No NFL, now what? South Florida Fans\u2019 No-Football Survival Guide<\/a> \/\/ On Bad Bunny, TV ads and what this Super Bowl can teach the Dolphins<\/a> \/\/ No Giannis (yet), but Heat it\u2019s a dream deferred, not dead<\/a> \/\/ Heat needs jolt & Riley needs last great whale. Giannis is the answer<\/a> \/\/ Belichick\u2019s stunning Hall snub is a shame on sanctimonious voters<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins\u2019 new coach, GM take on 25 years of franchise torpor and a QB mess<\/a> \/\/ Canes title-game loss does not erase success of watershed season<\/a> \/\/ Flailing, failing Dolphins in latest reboot with McDaniel firing<\/a> \/\/ Rams\u2019 Stafford wins 1st season title in Herald\u2019s 28th NFL QB rankings<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins enter offseason with no answers at QB after loss at Patriots<\/a> \/\/ Canes\u2019 \u2018violent, relentless\u2019 defeat of Ohio State is Miami\u2019s biggest win in 23 years<\/a> \/\/ Step aside, other cities: Why 2026 in sports belongs to Miami<\/a> \/\/ Stugotz signs major iHeart Media deal, but says not done with LeBatard Show<\/a> \/\/ Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup, crown 50 years of SoFla soccer<\/a> \/\/ How Browns fan\u2019s tragedy gave Bernie Kosar new life<\/a> \/\/ How Miami project — and forgiveness — helped Marc Buoniconti turn tragedy to triumph<\/a> \/\/ Barkov lost for season a mortal blow to Panthers\u2019 3-peat bid<\/a> \/\/ 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich<\/a> \/\/ And my latest podcast:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 9:19 AM.<\/p>\n
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