Success in South Florida
October 16, 2020
The state of Florida is known for putting out amazing athletes, and that success has translated to the professional level. Although 2020 has been a questionable year for the rest of the world, it has been a great year for professional sports in South Florida.
With 60-1 to 110-1 odds, the Miami Heat were still able to make it to the NBA finals to face the Lakers. In the first round of the playoffs the Heat swept the Pacers 4-0, then beat the number one NBA team 4-1, and finally defeated the Celtics 4-2 in the conference finals. The Heat entered the playoffs ranked fifth in the east and were always the underdog. Jimmy Butler who is the leader of the Heat led the team in points, assists, and steals. Radliff Jeantinor, a junior at PPCHS, said, “Butler’s underdog mentality helped him grow as a player.” Young stars Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson have all played like all-stars and have helped the Heat get where they are. Pair the young stars with veterans Goran Dragic and Andre Iguadola and the Heat have found themselves a lethal group of players.
Entering the finals the Heat had high hopes until injuries swept through the team. Star point guard Goran Dragic suffered a torn plantar fascia in his left foot and is not likely to return for the rest of the series. Starting center Bam Adebayo also suffered an injury in game one which sidelined him for two games. Jimmy Butler also faced an injury but it was not too serious and he managed to play through it.
After 13 straight years of missing the playoffs, the Miami Marlins have finally qualified for the postseason. Before this year the Marlins have struggled to have a season over .500 and were thought to be one of the worst MLB teams. In the Marlins history they have only gone to the playoffs twice in 1997 and 2003. They are also the only team in MLB history to never lose a playoff series because of the two times they went to the playoffs the Marlins won the world series.
The number seven ranked team in college football, the Miami Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the nation. Led by Houston transfer D’eriq King at quarterback who has led the Canes to average 43 points a game. Sophomore Owen Galvin said, “He is one of the best quarterbacks in the country because of his arm and dual-threat ability.” In 2017 the Canes were ranked number two in the nation but lost four straight games, lost their head coach and slid back to mediocrity. Now with new head coach Manny Diaz the Canes test their undefeated record against the best team in the nation. Last game the Canes dominated their biggest rival the Florida State Seminoles 52-10.
