Greg Cote: Kill 3-point & dunk contests, new MLB rules, Tiger’s sad prank top new Hot Button Top 10

GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (FEBRUARY 19): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US LATELY: Our every-Sunday Hot Button Top 10 feature had been blog-only but with our blog recently retired it moved, re-imagined, to online-only. HB10 means what’s on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that’s major, offbeat, damnable, funny or worth needling as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. Or think of it as 10 one-inch mini columns! Welcome to the fifth edition of the new HB10:

1. NBA: Time for All-Star Weekend to retire 3-point and dunk contests: The three-point contest (this year featuring the Heat’s Tyler Herro) has become redundant. The NBA game is so 3-reliant now that, in effect, we see a 3-point contest every night, across the league. To see yet more 3’s attempted that don’t even count seems unnecessary. And the slam dunk contest? Not as is. No thank you. Superstars trying to one-up each other would be great. But Saturday night’s no-name dunkers, nope. If K.J. Martin, Mac McClung, Trey Murphy III and Jericho Sims were dunking in my backyard, I’d close the blinds. McClung, a G-Leaguer with two games of NBA experience, won and nobody cared. Upside: At least it was better than last year. If stars don’t care to participate, why should we watch?

2. MLB: Baseball takes steps to be less stultifyingly boring: Notable new rules changes will be seen as spring training unfurls. Topping them: Elimination of the defensive shift to goose offense -- sorry, shortstop, you may no longer play shallow left field -- and a first-ever pitch clock to speed up the pace. Also new: Bases will be three inches bigger for safety, a limit on how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber, and limits on position players pitching. Already looking forward to Angry Pitcher fuming when ball.-four is called because he threw one second late.

3. XFL: Spring football back despite no popular demand: This weekend kicks off the latest iteration of the XFL, as an eight-team pro spring football league playing an 10-game season through May 13. It has the usual array of NFL discards, with ABC and ESPN lending the imprimatur of legitimacy. It verifies that if it’s easy content and betting lines are involved, somebody will air it. Like spring football attempts past, the new XFL will last awhile then quietly fold, its passing unlamented.

4. NFL: Kevin Love to Heat has a shot. Does Lamar Jackson to Fins?: I’ve spent three years being pro-Tua. Still am. He proved this past season how good he can be when not concussed. But this impasse with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens -- if he comes available Miami should pursue him with vigor. Also in Miami, Heat is a frontrunner to land Kevin Love and he’s a perfect fit, as I also write in a column linked below.

5. GOLF: Sexist prank shadows Tiger’s return: It is four days shy of two years since the terrible auto wreck that nearly took his life, let alone his golf career. It’s seven months since his last official PGA Tour event. So all eyes were on Tiger Woods in this week’s Genesis Invitational in L.A. The field included world top-three Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, but you know who America wanted to see in a blood-red shirt in the final group today. Woods opened with a round of 69 punctuated by three straight birdies, but the talking point was him photographed handing a tampon to playing partner Justin Thomas after Tiger out-drove him. It’s a sexist, juvenile prank meaning, “You hit like a girl.” Demeaning and dumb, especially from the father of a 15-year-old female athlete! He apologized, but, c’mon, Tiger. You’re bigger and better than that.

6. NBA: Wade heads finalists in loaded ‘23 Hall of Fame class: The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame notoriously lets too many people in. If you have watched an NBA game, you’ve probably received votes. But the loaded class of 2023 finalists just announced includes three bet-your-life-on-it, first-ballot inductees -- Heat icon Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and coach Gregg Popovich -- and two other very likely first-ballot guys in Tony Parker and Pau Gasol. As an aside, so strange to see D-Wade repping the Utah Jazz during All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City as their part-owner. Should-a had a seat waiting at Miami’s ownership table if that was his desire.

7. PHILANTHROPY: Jordan sets record with Make-a-Wish donation: Six-time NBA champion and possible basketball G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan marked his 60th birthday with a $10 million donation to Make-A-Wish -- largest gift ever received from an individual in the organization’s 43-year history. Wow. Talk about generosity! OK, Michael, you are now officially forgiven for being as lousy at owning the Charlotte Hornets as you were great at playing for the Chicago Bulls.

8. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: It can’t be just be New Mexico State, right?: The school with the 2-16 record fired its first-year coach, Greg Heiar, and canceled the remainder of its season over hazing allegations involving players. Hazing is bullying, and it’s a juvenile, demeaning, dangerous initiation ritual that surely isn’t confined to Las Cruces and should have no place in colleges -- whether in sports or fraternities. Ban it entirely. And criminally charge it where it exists.

9. RELIGION: Hamlin apologizes after outcry over jacket. Jesus!: Easily offended religious conservatives were verklempt because recovering Bills safety Damar Hamlin wore to the Super Bowl a Takashi Murakami “Travis Jesus” jacket with non-traditional abstract depictions of Jesus. That reminds me. You know those “Jesus Gets Us’ ads that advise you to “love the ones you hate”? They were bought by a Christian foundation that also supports anti-LGBTQ rights causes.

10. ALPINE SKIING: It’s all downhill for Shiffrin, G.O.A.T. on skis: HB10 pays attention to downhill skiing for about five minutes once every four years, but American Mikaela Shiffrin demands a nod. She won world championship gold in Meribel, France, and her 85 World Cup wins recently surpassed Lindsey Vonn for the most by a female skier. Now she is one from tying Ingemar Stenmark’s 86 for the most overall. Whooosh!

Other stuff from me this past week: Heat looking for Love in buyout bargain bin / Lamar Jackson is too good for Dolphins not to pursue / Grading Super Bowl game, Rihanna halftime, TV ads / Dolphins’ Zach Thomas finally makes Hall of Fame / And my latest podcast: