Greg Cote's Hot Button Top 10: Panthers celebrate, Messi rises, NBA Game 7 & more

GREG COTE'S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JUNE 22): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Our Sunday Hot Button Top 10 notes column brings you what's on our minds, locally and nationally but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that's big, weird, damnable, funny or otherwise worth needling as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. Welcome to the 108th edition of your HB10:
1. PANTHERS: Lord Stanley sunning on the beach; Bennett says he's staying: Rain is expected but the Florida Panthers again are celebrating a championship with particular South Florida style -- with a day the beach. So they'll be back on stage on the sands off the Atlantic Ocean for a second straight year today, after a parade down A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Thutsday night at Miami nightclub E11even, pending free agent and Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett told a cheering crowd, 'I ain't [bleepin'] leaving!' Fourth straight great season, third straight Stanley Cup Final, second straight championship. That's a dynasty, or close enough for a toast.
2. INTER MIAMI: Messi leads rise in FIFA Club World Cup with win over Porto: Lionel Messi cashed a trademark left-footed free kick into the upper right corner Thursday to lead a 2-1 victory over Portugal's Porto FC in Atlanta -- a needed three points after an opening 0-0 draw with Egypt's Al Ahly. Messi's 50 goal for Inter Miami in 63 matches across all competitions made Herons the first MLS club to beat a top-tier European opponent in an official competition. Miami faces Brazil's Palmeiras in a final group-stage match Monday and will advance to the round of 16 with a win or a draw, or even with a loss if Porto and Al Ahly tie.
3. NBA: Indiana roars back big, forces Sunday Finals Game 7 in OKC: Pacers led by as many as 31 Thursday night in a 108-91 rout of Thunder that forces a Finals Game 7 -- the NBA's first since 2016 and only the fifth this century -- Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Indy had nobody top 20 points but was ferocious on D, holding Thunder to 8-for-30 on 3's. But the Thunder is 18-2 this season and playoffs following a loss. The nontraditional small-market Finals has been a low ratings draw so far but expectation is Game 7 will lift the average to respectability. [Quick aside: Indiana's playoffs T-shirt slogan -- Yes 'cers -- is pretty awful.]
4. HURRICANES: Miami being sued for tampering to get football transfer: University of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit alleging Miami Hurricanes football broke the law by tampering with a Badgers player -- a groundbreaking legal shot at enforcing the financial contract between player and school. The suit refers to 'Student Athlete A' but reports are it involves the offseason transfer of freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas, who renolled at UM in January after saying Wisconsin refused to add his name in the transfer portal. Suit claims a Miami staff member and a prominent alumnus met with Lucas and his family and offered him money to transfer.
5. SOCCER: U.S. men calm doubts, sail into Gold Cup knockout quarters: The USMNT and coach Mauricio Pochettino were under fire with five straight losses in the runup to the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, but advanced to the quarterfinals Thursday with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia that followed a 5-0 spank of Trinidad & Tobago. [The Saudis were neither from North or Central America or the Caribbean when last I checked a map but are guests of CONCACAF.] The Americans face Haiti in a meaningless group-stage match Sunday before awaiting their yet-unknown quarters foe.
6. POLITICS: U.S. immigration crackdown seeping into sports: We have seen it during games in the FIFA Club World Cup including at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, with a presence by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) there lloking for undocumented immigrants. Now, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security set up outside Dodger Stadium this week, sparking outrage on social media and more protests against immigration enforcement in L.A. The Dodgers say they denied the feds access to the stadium's parking lot.
7. DOLPHINS: Ready or not, football's near as Fins set camp dates: Players will report July 22 for start of full preseason training camp, with the first of 10 open-to-the-public practices on July 26. Miami will have joint practices with their three preseason foes prior to those games Aug. 10 at Chicago, Aug. 16 at Detroit and home Aug. 23 vs. Jacksonville, with Fins' NFL regular season opening Sept. 7 in Indianapolis. Off an 8-9 season, '25 ushers in a year of possible win-or-out pressure on coach Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier, and the latest chance for QB Tua Tagovailoa to try to stay healthy.
8. COLLEGE BASEBALL: It's LSU-Coastal Carolina in CWS in Omaha: LSU won 1-0 Saturday behind Kade Anderson's gem to open the best-of-3 men's College World Series championship series in Omaha. Coastal Carolina had prior won 26 straight games. Game 2 is today/Sunday and Game 3, if needed, is Monday. LSU is playing for its second national championship in three years. Careful casting Coastal Carolina as a Cinderella. The Chanticleers were national champs in 2016. (Google the word 'chanticleer.' I did, and was more confused than ever.)
9. MARLINS: Shutout loss dampens Miami's warm(ish) streak: Marlins are a dispiriting 30-45 on the season but had won six of previous 10 games before Saturday's 7-0 home loss to Atlanta, whom they face again today. Can Fish leap Washington and escape the NL East cellar? You take the bright spots where you find them ... like manager Clayton McCullough being named by the Dodgers' Dave Roberts to his coaching staff for the upcoming All-Star Game.
10. NFL: Time to wonder ... does football even need cheerleaders?: In the second season of the Netflix series, 'America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,' it is revealed the women will be getting a 400 percent rise, after a previous hike to $400 per game. For me, cheerleading, like beauty pageants, is a rather antiquated throwback. Almost quaint. It leads one to wonder if NFL teams benefit from cheerleader squads. I have never met a sports fans who was not adept at cheering and needed leading in that category. Almost a quarter of teams, seven of 32, presently do not have cheerleaders. Trend?
THE LIST: South Florida's major sports champions: A timeline of the 14 times South Florida has celebrated a championship in the traditional Big 4 American pro leagues and major college football:
Year Team How title was won
1972 Miami Dolphins d. Washington, 14-7, in Super Bowl
1973 Miami Dolphins d. Minnesota, 24-7, in Super Bowl
1983 Miami Hurricanes d. Nebraska, 31-30, in Orange Bowl
1987 Miami Hurricanes d. Oklahoma, 20-14, in Orange Bowl
1989 Miami Hurricanes d. Alabama, 33-25, in Sugar Bowl
1991 Miami Hurricanes d. Nebraska, 22-0, in Orange Bowl
1997 Florida Marlins d. Cleveland, 4-3, in World Series
2001 Miami Hurricanes d. Nebraska, 37-24, in Rose Bowl
2003 Florida Marlins d. N.Y. Yankees, 4-2, in World Series
2006 Miami Heat d. Dallas, 4-2, in NBA Finals
2012 Miami Heat d. Oklahoma City, 4-1, in NBA Finals
2013 Miami Heat d. San Antonio, 4-3, in NBA Finals
2024 Florida Panthers d. Edmonton, 4-3, in Stanley Cup Final
2025 Florida Panthers d. Edmonton, 4-2, in Stanley Cup Final
Other select most recent stuff from me: Champions! Panthers crush Edmonton, McDavid, make history with 2nd straight Stanley Cup // Poll Dance: Panthers playoff MVP // Panthers one win from repeat Stanley Cup as Marchand shines again for 3-2 series lead // Panthers blow lead, command of Final as Edmonton's 5-4 OT win ties series // Panthers crush Edmonton 6-1 for 2-1 Final lead. Is McDavid's dream slipping? // Previous HB 10 // Hated to hero: Marchand's Panthers goal in second OT beats Edmonton 5-4, ties Stanley Cup Final // Road magic fails Panthers in 4-3 OT loss to open Stanley Cup Final rematch // Stanley Cup preview: On Connor 'McOverrated,' dream Cup rematch, Panthers as face of changed NHL // Florida Panthers oust Carolina in five, reach 3rd straight Stanley Cup Final // Major news on future of Dan Le Batard Show, Meadowlark Media, DraftKings // Game 7 magic as Panthers rout Toronto 6-2, reach 3rd straight East finals // Panthers' 4-1 ouster of Tampa declares intent, and ability, to repeat as champs // Giannis? Durant? Embarrassed Heat need major help after 55-point loss and playoff sweep // Miami Dolphins should be fed up with Tyreek Hill, but team is too desperate to trade him // To owner Bruce Sherman of low-hope Marlins: Spend more on payroll, or sell team // Dolphins' 18-month decline, quiet offseason heap pressure on Tua, coach, GM in '25 // 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 // Unprofessional Jimmy Butler quit on Heat, ruined his legacy in Miami // And my latest podcast:

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