Sarni's Scrolls: Hurricanes brought to their "knees'' with loss

By Jim Sarni

To kneel or not to kneel?

Hard Rock Stadium the past two weekends:

The Dolphins, leading the Broncos 70-20, took a knee, choosing not to run up the score.

The Miami Hurricanes, leading Georgia Tech 20-17, did not take a knee, choosing to run the ball... and fumbled.

The Canes embarrassingly ended up losing the game.

ACC Network analyst Tim Hasselbeck did not hesitate in throwing the flag for coaching malpractice at UM coach Mario Cristobal.

"One of the biggest coaching mistakes I've ever seen," Hasselbeck said. "Impossible to overstate."

"USA Today's" Dan Wolken put UM at the top of the Misery Index, his weekly measurement of which fan base is feeling the most angst about the state of their favorite program.

"It's as if Cristobal was sitting at a blackjack table, looking at 20 and deciding to hit anyway," Wolken wrote. "When you challenge Karma to that extent, you get what you deserve."

Joe Casale, prominent former sports agent and popular social media influencer, believes Mario and Miami will never overcome this mistake.

"Miami needs to fire him," Casale wrote."If they don't, they are just putting off the inevitable. His time at Miami is over... What a damn shame."

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Bedard Ready for Prime  Time

Connor Bedard is the next NHL superstar... and hockey fans won't have to wait long to see him.

The 18-year-old center and No. 1 draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks will be showcased on both ESPN's and TNT's opening night coverages this week.

ESPN, which opens the NHL schedule with a tripleheader on Tuesday, airs the Blackhawks at the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8.

TNT, which begins its coverage on Wednesday with a doubleheader, has the Blackhawks at the Boston Bruins at 7:30.

ESPN NHL reporter Emily Kaplan said:

"I live in Chicago. You don’t need to live in Chicago to be excited about Connor Bedard. The excitement is palpable around the league. Everywhere I go, everyone I talk to wants to talk about this guy. He’s just got that “it” factor. You know it when you see it. The only other two players that I can really unequivocally say have it in the league are Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby."

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Lost amid all the football and baseball... Simone Biles ended her brilliant week at the World Championships Sunday with gold medals on the beam and on the floor, further enhancing her status as the most decorated gymnast in history.

Next stop, hopefully: the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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The National Women’s Soccer League, which plans to expand from 12 to 16 teams, has become a hot TV property.

As its current deal with Paramount Global (CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, Paramount+) is expiring, the NWSL is being rewarded with a new four-year contract with multiple partners, ESPN, CBS, Amazon and Scripps. It would end in 2027.

The NWSL announced expansion in three markets: Boston, San Francisco and Utah, with a 16th franchise to be named.

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It took an entire round and six games to get a MLB playoff series in which both teams won a game (Twins-Astros)... NLDS Game 2s are today on TBS -- Phillies-Braves at 6; Diamondbacks-Dodgers at 9...

The NFL plays its third consecutive London game on Sunday: Ravens vs. Titans on NFL Network.... "Good Morning Football" will air from London all week...

Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum shattered the world marathon record Sunday in Chicago, becoming the first person to run under 2:01 (2:00.35)...

"Undisputed" host Skip Bayless says left-handed Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel is more talented than Dolphins' southpaw Tua Tagovailoa...

"Inside The NFL" panelist Jay Cutler went Instagram official with his new girlfriend fashion designer Samantha Robertson...

Booklist: "Naomi Osaka: Her Journey To Finding Her Power and Her Voice" by Ben Rothenberg...

D-III Gallaudet is debuting a new helmet for quarterbacks who are deaf or hard of hearing. It comes equipped with a screen that displays which play the coach has called...

China Open champion Iga Swiatek is the first player to win five or more titles in back-to-back seasons since Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016...

Kat Graham, my favorite actress from "The Vampire Diaries," is on the cover of "Vogue," the Latin America and Chile edition.

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QUOTES

* "Just to hit people wasn't good enough. He wanted to crush people." -- Longtime teammate Ed O'Bradovich on Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus, who passed away at 80 last week.

* "I want to make sure [defense] is where we hang our hats this year and that starts with me." -- Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.

* "That drive was longer than some celebrity marriages." -- CBSSN's Chris Lewis after Boston College drove 75 yards in 17 plays for a touchdown in 27-24 victory over Army on Saturday.

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Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watches a lot of television.