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Audit finds flaws in Broward school discipline reporting
An audit found a number of shortcomings in the way Broward schools has reported student discipline cases in recent years, raising questions about whether the district properly intervenes with troubled students.
Broward school administrators say they believe students in most cases are still getting the proper discipline, even if the incidents weren’t always properly recorded. However, the internal audit doesn’t list specific schools, so administrators were unable to say how they handled individual incidents.
District administrators say they have improved training and procedures.
“The Teaching and Learning Division recognizes the critical importance of ensuring student discipline is handled with fidelity and accuracy,” Deputy Superintendent Angela Fulton wrote in a Sept. 19 letter to Chief Auditor Dave Rhodes. “We have already begun addressing the concerns identified in the audit. Furthermore, we have identified instances of potential user error and areas requiring process improvement.”
The audit looked at 15 of 87 middle and high schools in the district. The schools reviewed had the highest and lowest percentage of student discipline issues, the audit said.
Among the issues identified:
- Schools routinely failed to complete written behavior contracts with students that were required by policy for certain types of fights and other disturbances. Most schools stated they utilized verbal forms of such contracts.
- Schools also failed to complete certain last chance contracts with students in half the cases reviewed, which would prevent students from being expelled if they repeat the behavior, auditors said.
- Schools didn’t document in attendance records whether students actually received suspensions or alternatives to suspensions in 10% of the cases sampled.
- School administrators failed to properly review more than 3,1000 discipline cases that were referred to them since 2017.
“If the disciplinary action was necessary, but the administrator either did not review the referral or did not process it to completion, there is a risk of a serious violation being unaddressed by the administration,” the audit said.
The audit did show improvement over time. During the first year of the review, 2017-18, administrators failed to review 13% of discipline referrals. That was down to 4% in 2022-23, the most recent year reviewed.
District spokesman John Sullivan said these findings don’t mean students who committed offenses received no discipline.
“It could have been an instance where there was a behavior that occurred, and there were two referrals for the same incident. One was processed and one was left open,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It could have been the teacher wrote a referral and the administrator also wrote a referral and we don’t want to double consequences for the same behavior, and the process to delete the duplicate referral was not followed.”
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But Sullivan said he can’t address specifically how individual incidents were handled because the audit doesn’t identify details of specific cases or even which schools are involved. He said he didn’t have the list of schools reviewed. Rhodes did not respond to questions from the Sun Sentinel about which schools were audited or why the names weren’t shared with school district staff.
In Fulton’s response to Rhodes, she wrote that the district is “nearing completion of a comprehensive Discipline Management and Documentation Manual” that should address several of the findings.
She said the manual “will provide clear written procedures, timelines, checklists, and required actions for school-based administrators to follow when processing disciplinary incidents.”
Sullivan said the district had made improvements “before we even knew the existence of the audit.”
For example, he said mandatory training on discipline reporting issues has been expanded from a half-day to two full days.
Narnike Pierre-Grant, a parent who leads the district’s Diversity Committee, said the district has added a position that is responsible for monitoring data and compliance. She said her committee will review the audit at its Nov. 7 meeting.
“I’m aware that the district has faced discrepancies in the past,” she said. “However, updated strategies and practices have been implemented by the district.”
The district’s handling and reporting of discipline has been a major issue since the massacre of 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland in 2018. Due to the district’s poor record-keeping, then-Superintendent Robert Runcie was unable to say whether gunman Nikolas Cruz had been assigned to a since disbanded diversion program known as Promise.
Runcie first insisted Cruz never took part, but district officials later determined that he had been assigned to the program, but the district had no records of whether he actually attended the program.
That same year, a series of South Florida Sun Sentinel investigations found major flaws in the way the district reports crime and discipline incidents to the state, making it impossible to know how safe schools were. Stoneman Douglas, for example, reported a number of cases of trespassing, battery, break-ins and robberies on police reports that were never reported on school data reports. Many other schools in Broward and statewide were also failing to report incidents, the investigation found.
The new audit looked at how well the district was doing at reporting this data and actually identified a different problem: overreporting. Under state rules, an incident is supposed to be counted once even if multiple people are involved. So a fight with four students would be reported as one incident. However, some administrators were counting that as four incidents.
Max Schachter, whose son Alex was killed at Stoneman Douglas, has been critical of how the district reported this data. His nonprofit, Safe Schools for Alex, created a school safety dashboard to help parents find this data.
“The accuracy of a school district’s safety data is a direct measure of their attitude toward safety and security,” he said. “Based on the most recent Student Discipline Process Audit, Broward Schools has improved most of their metrics. I have confidence Superintendent (Howard) Hepburn will continue focusing on this issue to make Broward Schools the safest in Florida.”
Today in History: October 29, Houston Texans take a knee
Today is Tuesday, Oct. 29, the 303rd day of 2024. There are 63 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Oct. 29, 2017, all but 10 members of the Houston Texans took a knee during the national anthem, reacting to a remark from team owner Bob McNair to other NFL owners that “we can’t have the inmates running the prison.”
Also on this date:In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh, the English courtier, military adventurer and poet, was executed in London for treason.
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In 1940, a blindfolded Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number — 158 — from a glass bowl in America’s first peacetime military draft.
In 1960, a chartered plane carrying the California Polytechnic State University football team crashed on takeoff from Toledo, Ohio, killing 22 of the 48 people on board.
In 1987, following the confirmation defeat of Robert H. Bork to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, President Ronald Reagan announced his next choice of Douglas H. Ginsburg, a nomination that fell apart over revelations of Ginsburg’s previous marijuana use.
In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, returned to space aboard the shuttle Discovery, retracing the trail he had blazed as the first American to orbit the Earth 36 years earlier.
In 2012, Superstorm Sandy slammed ashore in New Jersey and slowly marched inland, devastating coastal communities and causing widespread power outages; the storm and its aftermath were blamed for at least 182 deaths in the U.S.
In 2015, China announced plans to abolish its one-child policy, allowing all families to have two children for the first time in more than 35 years.
In 2018, a Boeing jet operated by the Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed in the Java Sea minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.
In 2022, more than 150 people were killed and dozens more injured in South Korea after being crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in Seoul.
Today’s Birthdays:- Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is 86.
- Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 77.
- Actor Kate Jackson is 76.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin is 71.
- Actor Dan Castellaneta (TV: “The Simpsons”) is 67.
- Actor Joely Fisher is 57.
- Actor Rufus Sewell is 57.
- Actor Winona Ryder is 53.
- Actor Tracee Ellis Ross is 52.
- Actor Gabrielle Union is 52.
- Olympic gold medal bobsledder Vonetta Flowers is 51.
- Actor Ben Foster is 44.
- Olympic gold medal swimmer Amanda Beard is 43.
Beef and brewski blowout (and R&B acts) at 5th annual Beer-B-Q bash
This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you don’t want a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy!
WHAT: Meaty meals, malt and music — what more could you want? And it can all be found at Lauderhill’s fifth annual Beer-B-Q on 38th Ave on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Expect food trucks, kiosks from city bars, craft beer stations and a barbecue contest, as well as live entertainment from R&B acts Jon B, Michel’le and Ronnie VOP. Dancehall singer Shenseea will be the headliner, and singer/actor/TV personality Ray J will host.
“We’re excited to have this level of talent perform at this year’s Beer-B-Q,” says Sean Henderson, executive director of the Lauderhill Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the city’s deputy finance director. “The response from the public has been momentous.”
WHEN: 6 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Nov. 2
WHERE: Commercial, Arts & Entertainment District, 1803 NW 38th Ave., Lauderhill
COST: General admission is free; VIP tickets are $75 and include two cocktails, premium stage viewing, one T-shirt (while supplies last)
INFORMATION: 954-730-3041; lauderhillcra-fl.gov/events
Authentic VisionsBeer-B-Q will include a barbecue contest in addition to food trucks, cocktail bars, craft beer stations and live music from R&B/dancehall acts. (Authentic Visions/Courtesy) Authentic VisionsAt this year’s Beer-B-Q, dancehall singer Shenseea will be the headliner and singer/actor/TV personality Ray J will host the live entertainment show, which will also include performances from Jon B, Michel’le and Ronnie VOP. (Authentic Visions/Courtesy)Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024
Here are the top stories for Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.
Seminole Tribe settles legal challenges to online sports gambling exclusivity in Florida
Nearly 32,000 acres of natural land could be permanently protected in Palm Beach County
Racist Trump rally rhetoric slammed by Florida’s Puerto Rican community
Technician who died in Dania Beach boat fire identified; OSHA investigating
Fort Lauderdale mayor draws 3 challengers in fierce battle for seat
Mayor, 4 commission district seats up for grabs in Pompano Beach
Travel Troubleshooter: All-inclusive hotel accidentally overcharges guest by $2,500
Miss Manners: The host told me nobody would eat the food I made
ASK IRA: Face facts, Dwyane Wade is fine with statue’s facial component, which is all that matters
Q: The Dwyane Wade statue . . .
A: Not putting a name or specific question to this, other than dozens have been sent this way regarding the facial component of the Dwyane Wade statue unveiled Sunday on the front steps of Kaseya Center. So here’s the deal: As long as Dwyane Wade is fine with it – which he says he is – then everyone else should accept that as the most significant sentiment. What is lost in the equation is that so many of these tribune statues are not so based on a straight-on, standstill pose. Take the Michael Jordan statue at the United Center – it’s all arms and legs. Is anyone first drawn to face? The Dirk Nowizki statue in Dallas actually has part of his face blocked by his step-back, fadeaway jumper, with his chin tucked in. This is just a different look, because Dwyane’s seminal moment was a standalone moment. Look, it’s sports, so feel free to have fun with it, as even Dwyane said Monday. This is not an in-memoriam statue. Dwyane is alive and very well. And smiling. So if you choose, feel free to smile, as well.
Related ArticlesQ: He was wearing El Heat in this moment. – Jon.
A. Yes, Dwyane Wade very much was wearing an alternate Noche Latina jersey on the night of his iconic “This is my house!” pose on March 9, 2009. So, yes, a subtle alteration to better capture the entirety of his Heat career and something closer to his iconic jersey. Many have pointed this out, as well. Then again, every time the Heat roll out a new City Edition, it might be fun to have that placed over his bronzed jersey in front of the building (Attn: Marketing Dept.).
Q: Really excited for Isaiah Stevens, Caleb Daniels, and even Warren Washington. Should be a fun G League season, but more importantly there is some depth that might make the Heat roster at a certain point. – Saucy.
A: This was in response to the Sioux Falls Skyforce releasing their G League camp roster Monday. And I do agree that Isaiah Stevens intrigued during summer league and continued to intrigue during the preseason. I’m also curious about the Skyforce bringing in Tony Snell, and wondering if he can shoot his way back to the NBA. As for Caleb Daniels, he seems close but perhaps not close enough. Warren Washington by contrast remains raw, in need of plenty of G League seasoning.
Lying politicians play voters for fools | Letters to the editor
Sunrise voters, and our political system, are victims of deceptive, unpunished campaign tactics with increasing frequency.
In the mail, we received two version of the same card purporting to be the official voter guide of the Broward Democratic Party. Then a new, more polished card titled “OFFICIAL Voter Guide for Democrats” appeared Oct. 25 at the Tamarac early voting site. Disclaimers in small type on each card show they were paid for by “Our Blue Democracy PAC” and “Our Blue Democracy Action PAC.”
As a member of the Broward Democratic Party’s Management Committee that created the official party voter guide, I know it did not express a preference for a mayoral candidate in Sunrise. I also know that it recommended removal of both Florida Supreme Court justices facing merit retention votes. I know what the official card looks like. I’ve distributed it since Oct. 21, when early voting began.
Broward Democratic Executive Committee (DEC)If you see a Democratic Party voter guide listing recommended candidates, it’s only real if it says “paid for by the Broward DEC” in small type. Anything else is a fake, designed to deceive voters.To find the lies, look for the disclaimer. If it doesn’t say “Paid for by the Broward DEC,” it is not from the party, no matter how polished it appears and no matter how many times the word “official” appears. You can go to browarddemocrats.org to see the official card.
If a card recommends voting “Yes” to retain state Supreme Court justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso, yet recommends a “Yes” vote on Amendment 4, you know the card is from someone who didn’t think things through very well.
They are telling you to retain justices who didn’t want Amendment 4 on the ballot in the first place!
Cheryl J. Levin, Esq., Sunrise
(Editor’s Note: The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board cited this “act of deception” in endorsing Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan for re-election. Ryan’s opponent, Mark Douglas, has not denounced the phony flyers promoting him).
Out of her depthI read the Sun Sentinel article by the Associated Press about former Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer’s talk to FIU law students, criticizing the public defenders who represented the Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz.
In the public defender’s office, we received information early on that might have allowed us to recuse her and get another judge to try the case (the information was unverified). But strategically, we wanted Scherer to try the case. We knew she was out of her depth and would give the defense what trial attorneys call “a free bite of the apple” at a sentencing hearing that would surely be reversed if the jury recommended a sentence of death.
The public defenders simply ran circles around her and did extraordinary work. The proof is in the pudding. Everyone believed a death sentence was a sure thing. Cruz got a life sentence because of superb legal work by Melisa McNeill and the other public defenders and Judge Scherer’s less-than-superb judicial work.
Scherer never should have presided over this case. She was simply out-lawyered. She should blame no one but herself for her unprofessional conduct.
Howard Finkelstein, Plantation
The writer is the former Broward County public defender.
For mayor of HollywoodI am very disappointed with your decision to recommend Catherine “Cat” Uden for mayor of Hollywood. She has no experience. She’s not a lawyer.
I have lived in Hollywood since 1966. Hollywood has been through many mayors. In my opinion, Josh Levy is on the top-5 mayors list. He has helped citizens and many businesses. Josh Levy has my vote.
Marcy Kobb, Hollywood
Takes one to know oneNow that most Republicans are voting for a convicted felon for president, the GOP should finally allow all ex-felons to vote.
James L. Wilson, Plantation
Submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com, or by filling out the form below. Letters should be less than 200 words and must be signed. Please include your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length.
[contact-form]Daily Horoscope for October 29, 2024
General Daily Insight for October 29, 2024
Slow down to maintain your footing. The sensitive Moon enters even-handed Libra at 12:30 am EDT, providing us with our only aspect of the day. Currently, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Chiron are all in retrograde, inviting us to pay attention to any lack of equilibrium. Taking classes that we missed in the past, going back to the drawing board with projects, reevaluating systems to see if they’re still functional, and reviewing our relationships can all benefit us. There’s no need to rush!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
You may be missing someone at the pace you’re going! Regardless of what kind of connections you’re seeking to make or strengthen, you can’t treat socialization like a game. While it can be difficult to make space for relationships when you’re trying to achieve other goals, the rewards of nourishing your network will set you up to receive future benefits in ways you couldn’t have expected. Pause and stop to smell the roses — you might meet someone else doing the same.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Speeding through life might be setting you up for a screeching halt. You may feel like you can handle everything that you’re loading onto your plate, but reality could hit like a truck when your exhausted mind and body force you to take any breaks you’ve been skipping. Grinding through life may seem like it’s convincingly achievable, but without providing the necessary rest for yourself, you’ll be knocked back before you know what’s happening. Find places to schedule meaningful rest in your daily life.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
A balance between hard work and creative fun is non-negotiable! You might have been focused too much on the serious side of life, forcing yourself to avoid anything that would provide you with entertainment or light-hearted distractions, and now you’re drained. On the other hand, you could have been leaning in the opposite direction, procrastinating your responsibilities in order to immerse yourself in more exciting or relaxing pastimes, leaving you more than a bit behind. There’s no time like the present to rebalance these scales.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Your heart is asking you to pay attention. You may have been ignoring your intuition lately, instead choosing to let others make decisions for you, or even trying to adhere to plans that no longer fit your life. While wanting to follow through with a preset, concrete plan is understandable, there could be changes that ought to be made in order to make sure that you remain on the ideal path. Don’t ignore what your inner voice is saying to you.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Think before you speak, no matter how easy it is to let your mouth start saying something before your brain catches up. Make an effort to wait a few seconds and think, is this necessary to say? Feelings — of your own or other people — could get hurt if you are too blunt today, so it’s wise to think about how you’re saying what you’re saying. You don’t have to sit in silence, just make an effort to speak with compassion and thoughtfulness.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Your spending habits may need a little revamping. You may be deeply invested in projects or events that you’re excited about, and your budget might have suffered for it. On the other hand, you could be missing out on opportunities because you’ve been too frugal, or you might be refusing to have fun until you have more money. Instead of letting insecurity continue to rule your thoughts, focus on what you have, and enjoy it. Being thankful might turn it all around.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
It’s time to think about what you want. You may have been operating off of a plan that others had set up for you, but you’re noticing the ways it doesn’t fit the person that you’re becoming. The next step is to figure out who you want to be and how to bring that person into reality. Releasing your past self can be daunting, but it’ll always be a part of you. Don’t let this opportunity for personal growth slip away!
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
You’re finding the inner peace that you need through spending time with yourself. Scorpios are known for naturally moving with intensity, wanting to experience life to the fullest — which isn’t a bad thing. Still, there are some things that you can’t experience without slowing down and letting yourself sit with life’s minor magic. Waking up to see the sunrise and meditating are both good ways to be alone with the miracles of sacred solitude. Let the stillness heal your soul.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Success calls for celebration! You may have reached a milestone, and there’s no need to rush toward the next thing. Take a breather to appreciate yourself, your hard work, and everyone who’s helped you to get here. It can be frustrating to work so hard only to feel pushed onto the subsequent task as soon as it’s over. When people are entirely unceremonious about your efforts, you might not feel rewarded for your hard work. Take time to express gratitude, even to yourself.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Your ambitions might be overshadowing what you actually love. Trying to climb the ladder of life with the weight of your goals hanging from you can be harsh and unforgiving, and you may even feel like you’re losing sight of your original ambitions as you chase whatever seems realistically possible. Instead of getting lost in the rat race, pull aside for a pit stop. There, you can reevaluate what you’re working toward. If you don’t identify with it, you’re allowed to withdraw and rebalance.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Getting away from the hustle and bustle can help you find the peace you need. Whether you book a flight to another country or simply go out of town for the day, it’s a good idea to get out of your comfort zone and get a change of scenery. You might realize what you’ve been missing when you start to see how other people have organized their lives around their souls. With renewed inspiration, you can go back and implement ideas of your own.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
It’s okay to release anything that’s throwing you off-kilter. Take a moment to consider the things you’re holding onto so tightly, whether they involve untouched clutter, relationships or friendships that have grown apart, or environments that no longer feel like home. Sometimes it feels easier to accept the familiar discomfort than to seek out something unknown, but you’ll never know what you can accomplish if you don’t let go of whatever’s holding you back. You can’t replace what’s still taking up space.
Winderman’s view: As Wade reflects on Butler’s role, Butler or bust remains a thing in Heat win
MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 106-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons:
– It has been an odd juxtaposition these past few days.
– If you didn’t know better, it’s almost as if Dwyane Wade has been sending subtle messages to Jimmy Butler.
– Sort of fit in, or fit out.
– There was more of the same Monday night, when Wade’s new arena-front sculpture again was celebrated.
– On the night he was honored for Sunday’s statue unveiling, Wade was asked pregame about Butler finding his way with this season’s Heat roster, saying Butler “needs to figure out this team this year and how he’s going to be the best version of Jimmy Butler for this team.”
– Wade said he appreciates Butler has moved into a different place in his career.
– “Roles change and you got to find that role and you got to find that comfort,” Wade continued. “So right now, we’re watching a team finding themselves and Jimmy has to find his role on this year’s team.”
– Wade added, “It’s not the same as the first year when he got here. The personnel is different. He’s different. He’s older, as well. Miles are adding up. But he’s smarter as a basketball player than he’s ever been.”
– And then there is the reality that followed.
– Butler is essential to any potential success for this team.
– A team that needs his offense-saving free throws.
– A team that needs his defensive peskiness.
– A team that simply can’t rely on the 3-point game.
– Not when the 3-pointers are being shot at this percentage.
– Butler might not fit in as Erik Spoelstra might prefer with the attempt to move to a different offense.
– But he still is the Heat’s best path to victory.
– For the third time in as many games, the Heat opened with a lineup of Butler, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier.
– Out for the Heat were Josh Christopher (G League), Keshad Johnson (inactive) and Kevin Love (personal reasons).
– Josh Richardson was available for the first time this season.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. again played as sixth man.
– Duncan Robinson followed.
– Then Thomas Bryant for eight deep.
– And Alec Burks as ninth man.
– But this time Spoelstra went 10 deep, with Haywood Highsmith back in the mix after being held out Saturday in Charlotte.
– Herro converted a 3-pointer for the 42nd consecutive game. His longest career streak is 53 consecutive such games.
– Herro scored in double figures for the 33rd consecutive game, five games shy of the longest such streak of his career.
– The game was the 900th regular-season appearance for the Pistons’ Tobias Harris.
– Adebayo entered averaging 20.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in his previous seven games against Detroit, and had a 20-point, 17-rebound double-double in the previous meeting, on March 17.
– Burks spent parts of the previous two seasons in Detroit, averaging 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.5 minutes across 94 games (eight starts).
– The Heat entered having won six in a row against the Pistons, the longest streak by either team since Miami won seven straight from Dec. 1, 2010 to April 8, 2012.
Not pretty, but Heat push past Pistons 106-98 for first home victory
MIAMI — Winning with style points will have to wait for the Miami Heat.
Monday was another example, with a 106-98 grind-it-out victory at Kaseya Center over a Detroit Pistons team that fell to 0-4.
Just as the Heat had to go to the wire in Saturday’s road victory over the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets, it took the final minutes to create ample distance to move to 2-1 and gain the first home victory of the season, after last week’s blowout loss to the visiting Orlando Magic.
“In this league we’ll take a win no matter who it’s against,” guard Tyler Herro said.
With Jimmy Butler stepping up with his attack game and Herro and Terry Rozier doing enough damage from distance, the Heat were able to do enough to offset the play of emerging Cade Cunningham and longtime Heat nemesis Tim Hardaway Jr.
Uneven.
But also enough.
“I’m thinking that was a game of beauty going down the stretch,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’ll sleep well tonight. Those guys will probably think about missed shots, but I’ll sleep well.”
Butler closed with 23 points, supported by 20 from Rozier and 19 from Herro. The Heat also got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.
Cunningham led the Pistons with 24 points, contained mostly by his foul trouble, with Hardaway, son of the iconic Heat guard adding 20.
Next up for the Heat is a Wednesday night game against the visiting New York Knicks.
“I think the most important thing is trying to find an identity,” Herro said of the Heat’s ongoing search for a true stride.
Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game against the Pistons:
1. Closing time: The Pistons led 30-28 at the end of the opening period, with the Heat up 64-53 at halftime and then Detroit taking a 79-78 lead into the fourth.
That is when Butler and Haywood Highsmith energized the Heat, combining for eight of the Heat’s first nine points of the final period to open an 87-79 lead.
Detroit then stormed back within 90-87, before 3-pointers by Herro and Rozier helped settle matters.
Butler said conditioning might have been the difference.
“I just think we’re in better shape,” he said.
Cunningham said he felt the Pistons gave it away.
“It was more us than anything — just not being strong with the ball, not holding guys off, making sure we get passes and outlets and stuff,” he said. “We were loose with the ball and had too many turnovers.”
2. Butler bully ball: Just as he did in Saturday’s victory over the Hornets, Butler bullied his way to the line as a means of keeping the Heat offense afloat.
While he did not match his 17 free throws in Charlotte, there were nine before Butler took his rest early in the fourth quarter, closing 9 of 11 from the line.
“I’m not going to get away from my game,” Butler said. “I’ve got to be on the attack.”
For a team that has spoken so often of wanting to run, Butler’s tempo continues as the most profitable pace.
“I can play any style of basketball,” he said.
Butler added seven assists, four rebounds and four steals.
3. 10 deep: After going nine deep in his primary rotation the first two games, Spoelstra this time was 10 deep by the midpoint of the second period.
After opening with Adebayo, Butler, Herro, Rozier and Nikola Jovic for the third time in as many games, Spoelstra subbed in, in order, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson, Thomas Bryant, Alec Burks and Highsmith.
Bryant continued to play as the backup center, with Kevin Love away from the team since the start of the season due to an undisclosed personal reason.
Burks had been held out of last week’s opener against the Orlando Magic, with Highsmith held out of Saturday night’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Although cleared to play for the first time this season from a heel issue, Josh Richardson remained out of the Heat mix.
Related Articles- Miami Heat | ASK IRA: Face facts, Dwyane Wade is fine with statue’s facial component, which is all that matters
- Miami Heat | Winderman’s view: As Wade reflects on Butler’s role, Butler or bust remains a thing in Heat win
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- Miami Heat | Subtle, meaningful details are everywhere on Dwyane Wade statue (and, yes, he responded to the critics)
- Miami Heat | ASK IRA: Is it about time that the Heat re-establish homecourt respect?
4. Early search: After scoring 21 total points in the first two games, Adebayo struggled early for his place in the Heat’s next pace/space offense, this time not taking his first shot until 7:40 remained in the second period.
To their credit, the Heat then got Adebayo going with a series of alley-oop feeds.
To his credit, Adebayo’s energy remained unrelenting on the defensive end, closing with three steals and three blocks.
“I thought Bam throughout the game was so physical on the glass,” Spoelstra said.
5. Steal or bust: The Heat’s best offensive burst came in the second period, when they turned six Pistons turnovers into 12 points in outscoring Detroit 36-23 in the period.
The problem for the Heat was without the defense initiating the offense, points remained at an ongoing premium.
That proved to be the case in the third period, when the Heat scored only 14 points.
When it comes to the Heat offense, it largely remains famine in the halfcourt, still required to be bailed out by Butler free throws.
The Heat closed with 21 points of 17 Pistons turnovers.
“There’s a certain activity level. There’s a certain awareness of being ahead of the play,” Spoelstra said after the Heat closed with 15 steals. “We have speed, quickness, guys that can make plays defensively. But you have to activate it.”
Aleksander Barkov scores in return from injury, Panthers beat Sabres
By JOHN WAWROW
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Florida captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist in his return after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, and the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Monday night.
Carter Verhaeghe scored the go-ahead goal with 3:16 left in the second period, and added an assist to extend his point streak to seven games.
Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart staked the Panthers to a 2-0 lead by scoring 55 seconds apart in the first period. Sam Bennett also scored, Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves and the Panthers are on a 6-1-1 run since a 1-2 start to the season.
Rasmus Dahlin and Jason Zucker scored in a span of 1:52 to tie the game at 2 midway through the second period. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 25 saves.
TakeawaysFlorida: The defending Stanley Cup champs looked and played like a different team than their last visit to Buffalo, a 5-2 loss on Oct. 12, when they were missing Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk (illness) and started backup goalie Spencer Knight.
Buffalo: It’s baby steps for the improving Sabres, who missed an opportunity to win four straight for the first time since a five-game run in January 2023.
Key momentVerhaeghe scored after being left alone in front where he converted a rebound off Tkachuk’s shot from the right circle.
Key stat5: Number of consecutive road wins for the Panthers, their longest streak since a franchise-record 11-0 run from Dec. 27 to Feb. 17 last season.
Up nextThe Panthers head immediately to Tampere, Finland, for a two-game set against the Dallas Stars on Friday and Saturday. The Sabres close a four-game homestand facing the New York Islanders on Friday night.
ASK IRA: Is it about time that the Heat re-establish homecourt respect?
Q: Ira, last season the reason the Heat were in the play-in was because they were a poor home team going 22-19. Hopefully Wednesday night wasn’t the start of more of the same. – Joel, Fort Lauderdale.
A: So, yes, Monday against the visiting Pistons therefore is must win. OK, perhaps that’s a bit much. But there has to be a greater sense of urgency at Kaseya Center. Perhaps it was the extended halftime in the opener for the Pat Riley ceremony that threw the Heat off. (To that end, the team has not requested extra time for Monday night’s halftime for the in-arena portion of Dwyane Wade’s statue commemoration.) But it was ugly at home last season and even uglier at home in the playoffs against the Celtics. The Heat face a brutal upcoming stretch of a Saturday game in Mexico City against the Wizards, a home game against the Kings, and then an immediate turnaround to nearly two full weeks on the road. That makes Monday significant, as well as Wednesday at home against the Knicks and then that home game against Sacramento.
Related ArticlesQ: Win the games you are supposed to win, play in the games you are supposed to play, and this shouldn’t be a problem for Jimmy Butler and the Heat. – Douglas.
A: With Saturday an indication that again will be the path of least resistance for the Heat, to win the games that are winnable, with the next step being to compete more against the elite, with Wednesday night against the Knicks to be a test in that regard. As for Jimmy Butler, I expect a desire to play in them all, in light of this potentially standing as a contract year. While that might not be fully realistic, it nonetheless futures to be the goal at the outset.
Q: Now that Dwyane Wade has his statue, who is next? – Alan.
A: I would not expect anyone for a while, especially considering the Heat opted to make the Pat Riley honor the naming of the court, rather than a statue of his own. Now that the bar has been set with what Dwyane Wade accomplished with the franchise, it is not as if there is another member of the Heat’s lineage with anything close to such a resume. Basically, the next Heat statue likely is a player who has yet to don a Heat uniform, with all due respect to the ongoing work of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Read constitutional amendments carefully | Letters to the editor
Voters will decide numerous amendments to the Florida Constitution, and I encourage everyone to vote “no” almost exclusively.
Feckless Florida politicians refuse to do their job and pass laws addressing controversial issues. Instead of investing political capital, and taking a stand on issues (legalizing marijuana, for example), they hide behind “the will of the people,” and inevitably there are unintended negative consequences. Then they grandstand and take credit afterward. If this is how it works, what do we need them for?
Constitutional amendments have a place in the structure of Florida government, and the people deserve a voice. So let’s make the Legislature do its job. They work for us. That’s why they are elected in the first place: to represent us.
When casting your ballot, read all of the amendments carefully. Ask yourself if it reads like a law that should be voted on and passed by lawmakers, or is it an end-run around the constitutional mandate for a balanced budget. If the answer is yes, vote no. Don’t let our spineless lawmakers trick you at the ballot box.
Mark Hoffman, Deerfield Beach
Respect the people’s willWill Republicans who govern Florida respect the will of the voters?
If their latest stunt of questioning the legitimacy of Amendment 4 is any indication, probably not.
Amendment 4 will pass by a wide margin, so Republicans will do what they always do when they lose. They will thwart the will of the voters, cheat, create a false narrative and claim victory for their cruel, radical, inhumane six-week abortion ban.
We must stop them from ignoring Florida voters. The best way to do that is vote for Democrats, up and down the ballot. With Democrats in charge of the White House and both houses of Congress, Roe v. Wade will be restored, as well as respect for the voters.
Linda Ribner, Lauderhill
Climate doomsayersAfter being bombarded over the past decade by climate-warming doomsayers, I decided to do a little Google research on the subject.
My scientific findings: Ice ages occur every 100,000 years and are part of the natural climate change cycle and humans play a minuscule role. They are driven by changes in Earth’s tilt and orbit around the Sun.
The last Ice Age ended 20,000 years ago. The next one is expected in about 30,000 years. Climate cycles run in 50,000 years of cooling and 50,000 of warming. I do not suggest rushing to your nearest North Face clothing outlet to avoid panic buying.
Jack Conill, Fort Lauderdale
Protect the playersAt age 90, having been one of Johnny Unitas’ halfbacks at the University of Louisville and a 43-year Dolphins season ticket holder, I admire all the efforts to protect today’s huge athletes in the violent game of football.
Kickoffs are totally different now, to protect players from injuries. Referees’ calls to protect quarterbacks are overwhelming sometimes.
If such care is so important to help athletes, why are so many of them allowed to wear uniform pants above the knees? In my day, we wore pads to protect our knees from injuries. I wonder if that will be addressed.
Ira Drescher, Hollywood
Today in History: October 28, FBI announces investigation into Hillary Clinton days before the 2016 election
Today is Monday, Oct. 28, the 302nd day of 2024. There are 64 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Oct. 28, 2016, the FBI dropped what amounted to a political bomb on the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton when it announced it was investigating whether emails on a device belonging to disgraced ex-congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of one of Clinton’s closest aides, Huma Abedin, might contain classified information.
Also on this date:In 1636, the General Court of Massachusetts passed a legislative act establishing Harvard College.
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In 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland.
In 1919, Congress enacted the Volstead Act, which provided for enforcement of Prohibition, over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto.
In 1922, fascism came to Italy as Benito Mussolini took control of the government.
In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicated the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.
In 1962, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the United States that he had ordered the dismantling of missile bases in Cuba; in return, the U.S. secretly agreed to remove nuclear missiles from U.S. installations in Turkey.
In 1991, what became known as “The Perfect Storm” began forming hundreds of miles east of Nova Scotia; lost at sea during the storm were the six crew members of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat from Gloucester, Massachusetts.
In 2001, the families of people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack gathered in New York for a memorial service filled with prayer and song.
In 2012, the San Francisco Giants won their second World Series title in three years, beating the Detroit Tigers to complete a four-game sweep.
In 2018, The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series in five games.
In 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company was rebranding itself as Meta, an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future, while keeping the same name for the social network itself.
In 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took control of Twitter for $44 billion after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty.
In 2022, Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home.
Today’s Birthdays:- Jazz singer Cleo Laine is 97.
- Actor Joan Plowright is 95.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens is 87.
- Actor Jane Alexander is 85.
- Actor Dennis Franz is 80.
- Actor-singer Telma Hopkins is 76.
- TV personality and Olympic gold medal decathlete Caitlyn Jenner is 75.
- Actor Annie Potts is 72.
- Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is 69.
- Actor Daphne Zuniga (ZOO’-nih-guh) is 62.
- Actor Lauren Holly is 61.
- Talk show host-comedian Sheryl Underwood is 61.
- Football Hall of Famer Steve Atwater is 58.
- Actor-comedian Andy Richter is 58.
- Actor Julia Roberts is 57.
- Actor Jeremy Davies is 56.
- Singer Ben Harper is 55.
- Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis is 52.
- Country singer Brad Paisley is 52.
- Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 50.
- Actor Gwendoline Christie is 46.
- Actor Matt Smith is 42.
- Actor Troian Bellisario is 39.
- Singer-songwriter Frank Ocean is 37.
- Tennis player Taylor Fritz is 27.
- Actor Nolan Gould is 26.
Daily Horoscope for October 28, 2024
General Daily Insight for October 28, 2024
Perspective isn’t easy to gain. The emotional Moon squares expansive Jupiter, blowing emotions out of proportion and making it hard to know how much is too much. When dynamic Mars trines creative Neptune at 8:31 pm EDT, we can think and act outside the box — as long as we’re careful not to overstep boundaries. When perfectionist Venus argues with critical Saturn, it can feel like our efforts just aren’t good enough, but this isn’t true. Sometimes it’s better to be kind than perfect.
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Added struggles could become difficult to balance. You might have already had a very full to-do list going into today, and any extra tasks or hindrances put on your list may feel like the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Working to keep everything running by coming up with creative solutions is admirable, but it might not be sustainable. Something will probably have to wait till tomorrow. After all, you’re only one person, and you can only get so much done in one day!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Insecurity can embolden risky behavior. You may feel as if someone is putting you down or leaving you behind, and this could tempt you to lash out at them or try to sabotage the connection in some way. While it could seem like a good idea in the moment, this is likely something that you would regret later. Is this connection really something that you’re willing to throw away over one dispute? Making an effort to work things out will probably be worth it.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
What’s left unsaid goes unheard. You might be feeling left out or like no one is listening to you, but it may be that you were expecting others to understand how you were feeling without actually expressing yourself to them. Maybe you’re struggling to communicate your feelings in the same way that you can communicate about everything else or disguising your real emotions with humor. Don’t force your loved ones to look below the surface — go ahead and spell it out.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
A lack of boundaries can entrap you in places you don’t want to be. You deserve better than people who’d enlist you to work for them with no repayment, especially if their demands are eating into time that you should devote to your hopes and dreams. There may be a side of you that wants to help and give anything you can, but some people will take and take until there’s nothing left. Learn to discern such freeloaders from the ones who really care.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Someone could trigger your insecurities. Active criticism, general complaints, or simple knowledge of a rival’s success — regardless of the specifics, jealousy probably is starting to creep into your mind. You might feel woefully underachieving or stuck in one place, but stay hopeful! As long as you’re putting in your best efforts, you can find more fulfillment in ignoring or even appreciating the achievements of others while trusting that your day is coming. It’s easier to be happy for someone who was happy for you.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
A hero of yours could let you down. You might have previously patterned yourself after them, whether they’re a family elder or a public figure, but you may be about to realize that you’re, thankfully, not much like them at all. Whether they were deceptive or just recently announced a decision that doesn’t align with your morals, you’ll know where to draw the line regarding their behavior. You can be grateful for their past inspiration, but you no longer have to follow their every lead.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Curiosity could currently get the better of you. You might be so curious to know more about something that you overlook certain boundaries, which may end up more painful than exciting. Be leery of the temptation to snoop through someone else’s information or to look up the answers to a test when you’re supposed to be studying, as what follows would likely be disappointing, not encouraging. Stick to the straight and narrow, and don’t look somewhere you’ve been asked not to.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Secrets will be tough to verify. You could learn factoids that are presented as hot gossip or find a leak of information that’s not supposed to come out for weeks. No matter how thrilling the chatter is in the moment, it might not provide you with the genuine truth. Instead of being excited over something you weren’t meant to know, realize that you might have to unlearn it later when it turns out to be overhyped or fake. Wait until you hear from the source.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Emotions are running high, especially if you’re trying to hide them. You might be trying to hold it together to get through a difficult shift or on behalf of someone else who’s with you, and it can be challenging to keep how you’re feeling inside. After you’re done trying to tough it out, make sure that you carve out time to soften up and share how you’re feeling with someone else, providing space for them to do the same. Venting is great catharsis.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
A lack of consistency could block your progress. You might have been falling behind on certain good habits or your workload, and the cascading consequences of letting something like that fall to the wayside probably aren’t going to be reasonably fixable in a single day. If you have been consistent, today should be a lot easier, but you could encounter obstacles in the form of competition or hidden enemies. Take this as a sign to get back on course if you need to!
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Making your own luck could require some clever maneuvering at the moment. You may have thought that you were doing everything that you needed to usher in abundance, but merely doing things by the book probably won’t be enough right now. You’ll have to use your innovative mind to find fresh, undiscovered ways to get ahead of the crowd, and others might not understand how you’re doing what you’re doing. Let them be confused by your methods and continue to set the trends.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
People that you care about might push your buttons today. You could struggle with your boundaries as they knowingly or unknowingly push them, and having to set them again more firmly could be uncomfortable. They may not understand where you’re coming from — while you can take the time to educate them, you shouldn’t have to. Your boundaries are yours, and if something is important to you, then your loved ones should be able to respect them. Put your foot down if you have to!
Hurricanes land Camdin Portis, son of UM great Clinton Portis
The Hurricanes added a UM legacy Sunday evening.
Cornerback Camdin Portis committed to Miami. But he’s not just a touted defensive back — he’s the son of Hurricanes great Clinton Portis.
The younger Portis is a standout player in his own right. The 2026 cornerback is rated a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is listed as the No. 25 cornerback and No. 291 player in his class.
Portis, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, had 18 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions in 2023. He also holds offers from Florida, Ohio State and Tennessee, among others.
His father, Clinton, played three seasons at UM and won the 2001 national title with the Hurricanes. He also spent nine seasons in the NFL.
Was this the easiest Hail Mary catch ever? | Video
The end of the Chicago Bears-Washington Commanders game had to be seen to be believed. Fourteen of the game’s 33 points were scored in the game’s final 25 seconds, capped off by this incredible throw by uber-rookie Jayden Daniels:
A;FK;JD;KJF;LAKEJFLKJVAL;KEJL;JF;EFJ;LFAKJ
JAYDEN DANIELS HAIL MARY! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
Chris Perkins: Dolphins face the ugly reality that their problems are deeper than Tua’s absence
MAIMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins’ worst fear, the nightmare scenario they never wanted to admit to or confront, became harsh reality in Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals — their problems go beyond quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s absence.
The Dolphins are now 9-8 in Tua’s past 17 starts.
Tua has 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in that span.
This team needs more than Tua to win games.
Realists always knew this was the case. I always knew this was the case. It’s been the case since coach Mike McDaniel took over in 2022.
These Dolphins (2-5) are somehow 0-2 after the bye, a time when most coaching staffs do self-scouting and figure out what ails their team and get it corrected.
This team isn’t detail-oriented.
Related Articles- Miami Dolphins | Dave Hyde: Sunday is what a quarter-century of Dolphins football feels like
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Cornerback Cam Smith said miscommunication led to the Cardinals’ passing game successes Sunday.
This team isn’t well-coached.
One player told me that the Cardinals made second-half adjustments. He told me that the Cardinals knew where to find the holes in the Dolphins’ zone defense.
This team thinks its past accomplishments (leading the league in offense, having a quarterback lead the league in passing yards and passer rating, getting contract extensions, being good on social media, having lively touchdown celebrations, etc …) qualifies them as a legit title contender.
And this team, for some insane reason, still thinks it can run its way to victories.
The Dolphins rushed for 150 yards Sunday and fell to 1-4 when rushing for more than 100 yards this season.
The Dolphins’ run game is there for balance, not for delivering victories. They don’t score enough touchdowns. I don’t want to hear about all the yards. I want to hear about all the touchdowns — and they don’t exist. I like the Dolphins’ run game as a contributing offensive factor, but not as the main offensive factor.
Dolphins Deep Dive: Is Miami’s season over? Perkins, Furones break down loss to Cardinals | VIDEO
Let me repeat this for the 100th time: this team wins on big plays from its passing game. When Tua can’t connect with wide receivers Tyreek Hill (six receptions, 72 yards Sunday) and Jaylen Waddle (four receptions, 45 yards) on big passing plays, the Dolphins will struggle to score, and most times they’ll lose.
This was the issue when Tua was playing before his most recent concussion.
The Dolphins knew it and they failed to confront it.
That’s unforgivable.
This team is finding out that it must be more precise in its preparations.
This team is finding out its must be more precise carrying out its game plan.
Those who choose to live in the world of make believe, where teams skip steps on their way to greatness and think that’s OK, are in a state of shock right now.
This is a team that has issues with its one-dimensional offense (they can’t score or win if they don’t connect on deep passes), issues with its bend-and-sometimes break defense (two Arizona receivers surpassed 100 yards Sunday) and has issues with coaching (McDaniel can’t harness some of the best talent in the league).
Tagovailoa contributed to the madness.
He had three fumbles, the last one hit him right in the hands on a shotgun snap. Tua blew it. He fumbled. He wet the bed.
The ball glanced off his hands and behind him. He had to bat the ball backward and it barely made it out of bounds for a safety before the Arizona defensive players could pounce on it for a touchdown.
Tua wasn’t alone.
I’ve told you many times before that this team’s top players haven’t come through in big games on a consistent basis.
On Sunday, Tua, Tyreek, Waddle and cornerback Jalen Ramsey all had their bad moments.
And being without defensive lineman Zach Sieler (orbital bone fracture), perhaps the team’s best big-game player, and slot cornerback Kader Kohou (neck) were huge defensive losses. Huge.
At one point the Dolphins will realize they’re a fundamentally flawed roster.
Until that time, however, the losses, mostly against good teams, will continue to mount and the Dolphins, I guess, will continue to misunderstand the reasons.
Show Caption1 of 28ExpandDave Hyde: Sunday is what a quarter-century of Dolphins football feels like
MIAMI GARDENS — When Arizona’s field goal was good, when Tua Tagovailoa’s return officially soured — when the Miami Dolphins lost another game they couldn’t lose — the clock read 4:05 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.
It struck midnight on the season. There’s no pretending anymore. It’s not even Halloween and all hope is gone.
This day wasn’t just what a quarter-century of disappointment looks like around this team. It should cause team owner Steve Ross to evaluate once again what is happening here.
Actually, the less said about Sunday’s loss, the better. The Dolphins led all day. They had a chance put the game away all day, too. Their offense then had a final chance to seal the win by grinding down the final minutes with the lead but went into cold storage after getting one first down against the 26th-ranked defense. One! That’s loser ball, folks.
The Dolphins defense then had a chance to win the game with Arizona starting at its 11-yard line and down two points. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray won it instead.
That happens regularly in today’s NFL, where even pretty-good quarterbacks can write a day’s ending. Murray overcame a holding penalty, threw his offense downfield, converted a razzle-dazzle, third-down run of 7 yards for a first down to all but place the winning, 33-yard field goal through the posts as the clock ended.
On the game.
One the season.
On this latest era?
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This was to be the breakout season that last year wasn’t. Remember? Coach Mike McDaniel held team meetings on the 24th minute of the hour to signify the 24 years without a playoff win that the natural target.
General manager Chris Grier was so certain this was a contending roster he chuckled at media for wondering about the offensive line, gave new contracts to keep everyone together (Tagovailoa, Jalen Ramsey, Jaylen Waddle …) and didn’t consider the backup quarterback situation a problem.
Now it’s all a problem. They’re 2-5. They’re playing the NFL’s easiest schedule (based on opponents win percentage). They’d have to go 9-1 from here to match last year’s record that got the last playoff berth. Tua talked about how a few years ago they turned around from 1-7.
“Anything’s possible,” he said.
Tell me about it. Anything has happened. Tua showed this is a functional offense with him (and let’s understand there had to be some rust after five weeks off). But it’s the mistakes that define this team — not the good plays. Penalties. Turnovers. Mental miscues. Over and over.
It’s reminiscent of Don Shula being asked once why he worried so much about little mistakes.
“What’s a little mistake?” he answered.
On Sunday, the penalties were cleaned up (two for 15 yards) but there were four fumbles — though three were recovered. The fourth was a shot-gun snap that ricocheted off Tua’s hands through the end zone for an Arizona safety. Two points. In a game Arizona won by one point.
“I’ve got to catch the ball, that’s it,” he said.
Dolphins Deep Dive: Is Miami’s season over? Perkins, Furones break down loss to Cardinals | VIDEO
The Dolphins looked like a functional NFL team with him. No doubt. But a winning team? A contending team? The kind of team you’d expect after six years spent putting it together under Grier — or nine, depending on how you look at it?
Tua, asked about watching Arizona drive down the field for the win, said he felt, “just helpless. We didn’t get another opportunity to go out there and give our team a chance to hopefully put some points on the board.”
But that’s just it. His offense did have the chance to win. It came on the possession before Arizona drove for the winning field goal. Tua got the ball with just under nine minutes at the 30-yard line after Arizona cut the lead to 27-25.
It punted back to Arizona with five minutes left.
Add it all up and it’s like we’re going back to the start, back to July when safety Jordan Poyer came to his first Dolphins camp after years in Buffalo.
“Playing against this team over the past few years, you get a sense of, ‘OK, if you get on top of this team, they might fold,’ ” he said. “What is that? What is it that happens in those moments where we get hit in the mouth? What happens in those moments?”
It happened again Sunday. Ross has decisions to make. Who to keep? What to do about Grier? McDaniel? There’s no big rush here. There’s a couple of months left in the NFL season to make a decision. It will feel like a couple of years the way this is going.
The Dolphins season is done, though, except for the bookkeeping. Do they finish 5-12? Or 7-10? It matters little in the big picture. The clock struck midnight Sunday on this year’s team. Hope left the season. It’s early with 10 games left, but not too early to say, “Check, please.”
Show Caption1 of 28Expand‘This is my house!’ now cast to posterity with Dwyane Wade statue unveiled in front of Heat arena
If there was any doubt, there can be none now: The Miami Heat’s arena is Dwyane Wade’s house.
Amid a Sunday celebration of the most iconic figure in the franchise’s 37 seasons, the Heat unveiled on the front steps of Kaseya Center a bronze statue of Wade in his iconic “This is my house!” pose.
Former Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade, upper left, reacts at his statue unveiling ceremony outside Kaseya Center, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)It was on March 9, 2009, while the facility still was known as AmericanAirlines Arena, that Wade, the team’s three-time championship guard, capped a 48-point performance with a steal followed by a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer at the end of double-overtime, immediately hopping on a courtside table opposite the Heat bench, pumping his hands against his chest and making it known the building was his.
“This is my house! This is my house!” he bellowed amid the raucous celebration after taking down his hometown Chicago Bulls, as Heat owner Micky Arison looked on from below, amid the frenzy.
Now that moment will endure for posterity alongside Biscayne Boulevard, strides from Northeast 7th Street that was named “Dwyane Wade Boulevard” in his honor in February 2021.
Our franchise’s greatest legacy, forever cemented pic.twitter.com/0wBDQ3Cz2C
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 27, 2024
Wade, 42, took a deep breath after the statue was unveiled before addressing the crowd, noting he had limited prepared comments.
“I wanted to feel this,” he said. “Life goes by so fast.”
He paused.
“Like that’s crazy,” he said with a smile of the 8-foot statue directly behind. “Who is that guy? This is out of body.”
He then attempted to sum up his Heat experience, saying, “I can’t write this script any better.”
While the actual pose for the statue was kept a closely guarded secret, there was little doubt that the moment of unbridled emotion against his hometown team would be the moment cast for the ages of the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
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Sunday, in an outdoor ceremony, Wade, Heat officials, former teammates and current Heat players basked in the moment, with the team also to honor Wade in another statue commemoration at halftime of Monday night’s game against the visiting Detroit Pistons, 21 years to the date of when Wade made his NBA debut with 18 points in a road loss to Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Since then, Wade paired with Shaquille O’Neal for the first of the franchise’s three titles, in 2006, and then with Big Three teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh for titles in 2012 and ’13.
Wade called Sunday his, “set-in-stone moment.”
To Heat center Bam Adebayo, it was an overdue ceremony.
“I feel like he should have had it as an active player,” Adebayo said.
Among Sunday’s speakers was former Heat captain and current Heat executive Udonis Haslem, who spoke of Wade’s unceasing confidence.
“I often tell him, ‘Don’t anybody ever tell you no?'” Haslem said to the assembled crowd, “and he said, ‘no.'”
Haslem added, “You continue to inspire … and today, you’re officially 305 for life.”
Wade, too, spoke of what became his second home, and for more than the Heat culture.
“You guys embraced me, Miami,” he said. “And I felt a home here right away.”
Four days after the Kaseya Center court was named in his honor, Heat President Pat Riley also addressed the crowd.
“As the greatest player ever in Miami Heat history, yes it is, it’s his day,” Riley said.
Riley was followed by Wade’s oldest child, Zaire Wade.
“For me, he’s a father first,” Zaire Wade said, as a tear dropped from his father’s left eye. “Love you pops.”
Sunday’s moment was another moment of graduation for the Heat into the NBA’s pantheon of franchises with histories rich enough to be cast in bronze.
Already in place in NBA cities are statues honoring Bill Russell, Red Auerbach, Larry Bird (Boston); O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles); Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston); Tim Duncan (San Antonio); Julius Erving, Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley (Philadelphia); Karl Malone, John Stockton (Utah); Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta); George Mikan (Minneapolis) and Reggie Miller (Indianapolis).
Wade already has his No. 3 in the rafters at Kaseya Center, with acknowledgment of his Hall of Fame presence attached. Wade also has a banner in the arena rafters for his gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Wade statue was sculpted by Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Fine Art Studio Rotblatt Amrany, the same pair who sculpted the Michael Jordan statue at Chicago’s United Center.
Wade said Heat Culture resonated and still resonates.
“Because of that belief,” he said. “I gave everything I had to the game,”
Now personified in bronze.
“One word that comes around a lot is legacy,” Wade said of a career of interviews. “I have words to sum up what legacy is … you want to believe one day you leave some footprint.
“I believe I gave you guys something set in stone to believe in. This is my house.”
Mishandled snap costs Dolphins vs. Cardinals; safety Jevon Holland hurt in loss
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins had it all going for them in the middle of the third quarter of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s first game back since missing four on injured reserve recovering from his latest concussion.
They held a 10-point lead, 20-10. They built that two-possession advantage with Tagovailoa throwing his first touchdown in that anticipated return. He had a moment where he drew big cheers from Dolphins fans because he slid at the end of a scramble. They just got another stop, so their offense got the ball back with a chance to add to the lead.
Then, they let the Arizona Cardinals back into the game in what snowballed into a 28-27 last-second loss Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium to sink Miami to 2-5.
Tagovailoa mishandled a snap from center Aaron Brewer. The football rolled toward the goal line, and as Tagovailoa rushed back, he found it best to bat the ball through the back of the end zone for a safety.
Two points were awarded to the Cardinals, who then used their ensuing possession to drive down the field and score a touchdown. They were right back in a game they eventually won.
“I got to catch the ball. That’s it,” Tagovailoa said.
The shotgun snap appeared to be on-target from center Aaron Brewer, and Tagovailoa was expecting it when it came. If anything, maybe it came out a little hot for the quarterback.
Coach Mike McDaniel split the blame.
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“(Brewer) would say he should have taken a little steam off of it, and Tua said he should have caught it,” McDaniel said.
Said Brewer: “Probably just a little too much heat for him. That’s really all it was. It hit him right in the middle of the hands.”
The safety was the only of four Dolphins fumbles that cost them. Tagovailoa was stripped on a sack on the opening drive, which was recovered by right tackle Austin Jackson. Later in that series, tight end Julian Hill had the ball punched out at the 1-yard line, but left guard Robert Jones was there to scoop it up. And on the Dolphins’ second drive, there was a fumbled under-center snap exchange between Tagovailoa and Brewer, which Tagovailoa pounced on.
Holland hurtDolphins safety Jevon Holland injured his left knee in the first half of Sunday’s game.
Holland exited in the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium and was ruled out at the start of the second half.
He was examined in the sideline injury tent, exited momentarily to test it and then went back into the tent for further evaluation. He then used the stationary bike on the sideline.
Marcus Maye entered for Holland to play safety alongside Jordan Poyer.
After the game, McDaniel indicated Holland may have avoided a serious injury, but he still needed to gather more information from follow-up tests scheduled Monday.
Holland had just returned from injury. He missed last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, sidelined with a hand fracture that caused him to exit the Oct. 6 game against the New England Patriots early.
Dolphins Deep Dive: Is Miami’s season over? Perkins, Furones break down loss to Cardinals | VIDEO
Hill activeDolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who entered Sunday questionable, played in Tagovailoa’s return to game action. He led the Dolphins with six receptions for 72 yards.
Hill’s availability was expected after McDaniel said Friday he was “very optimistic” Hill could play through the foot injury that popped up on the team’s injury report this past week.
The speedy wideout was first added to the injury report on Thursday and then missed Friday’s practice before facing the Cardinals.
After Hill was only targeted twice all last Sunday in Indianapolis, Tagovailoa found him twice on the opening drive against Arizona in the quarterback’s first game in 45 days. They later had a 31-yard connection, with Hill beating a cornerback in single coverage along the sideline.
Elsewhere on the roster, after cornerback Storm Duck was deemed doubtful with his ankle injury, he was ruled out before Sunday’s game.
Duck was inactive for a Dolphins secondary that’s also missing nickel cornerback Kader Kohou, who was deemed out Friday with a neck injury.
Miami’s cornerbacks called upon second-year player Cam Smith, who was activated off IR this past week after his preseason hamstring injury. The Dolphins also had Siran Neal and Ethan Bonner as options behind Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller.
Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler was inactive after he was ruled out Friday with an orbital bone fracture. Other Miami inactives were running back Jeff Wilson Jr., outside linebacker Mohamed Kamara, offensive lineman Andrew Meyer and tight end Tanner Conner.
Dolphins tight end Julian Hill suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter Sunday, but returned into the game.
The Cardinals had starters in cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and nose tackle Roy Lopez inactive. Others were cornerback Kei’Trel Clark, offensive lineman Christian Jones, tight end Travis Vokolek and wide receiver Xavier Weaver.
Former Dolphins defensive tackle Tim Bowens is honored Sunday during a half time ceremony in Miami Gardens. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Bowens honoredDolphins great Tim Bowens, a defensive tackle who played with the team from 1994 through 2004, was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime Sunday.
Bowens is the 28th member of the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor and the first one welcomed in 10 years.
Bowens totaled 407 tackles with 22 sacks as an interior defensive lineman. He forced nine fumbles, recovered five, had one interception and deflected 21 passes in his 11-year NFL career, played entirely with Miami. He was selected to two Pro Bowls (1998, 2002).
With other Ring of Honor members present Sunday, Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas did the pregame chant, hyping up the crowd ahead of kickoff against the Cardinals.
Bowens’ name and No. 95 is now affixed at Hard Rock Stadium, next to fellow great defensive lineman Manny Fernandez. Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel introduced Bowens at the halftime ceremony as his name was unveiled on the facing of the upper deck.
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