MIAMI – The opening statements in the Miami-Dade County trial of a man accused of fatally shooting a 48-year-old father of three about five years ago were on Thursday.

The prosecution accused Kadel Piedrahita of the “calculated, rage-filled, unjustified killing” of Alex Palencia on Aug. 14, 2019, along The Rickenbacker Causeway.

Palencia had sold Piedrahita home insurance, and when it lapsed Piedrahita blamed him. The conflict spilled publicly on Facebook Live and along a road full of witnesses, police said.

“This case was captured on several different cameras,” Assistant State Attorney Conor Soper told jurors in court. “It was captured on cell phone cameras from witnesses. It was captured on GoPro cameras from the bicyclists… and part of it was even captured on the defendant’s own video.”

The defense claimed it was self-defense. Piedrahita was riding a motorcycle with the group of cyclists, known as the “Don Pan Riders.” Palencia and Piedrahita’s son were among the cyclists.

“He has one hand on the bike and one hand on the selfie stick recording on Facebook Live,” Assistant Public Defender Yanelis Zamora told jurors in court about Piedrahita.

Zamora said Palencia “put his hands” on Piedrahita causing him to lose his balance. Soper said Piedrahita kicked Palencia from his motorcycle. The two got into a scuffle.

“Two other cyclists, actually, jumped into the fight as well. At one point, it’s actually three against one. Mr. Piedrahita is hit in the head with something hard. He is getting punched in the face with fists multiple times,” Zamora said.

Soper said Piedrahita commanded his son to get him his gun.

“He takes out his gun to show force not to use force,” Zamora said adding Cesar Sosa, a cyclist, then handed Palencia a gun.

Witnesses said Pedrahita shot Palencia in the abdomen and threatened to shoot Sosa.

“He did the only thing that he was able to do to defend himself,” Zamora said.

Miami Detective Ariadna Rodriguez, who was the first witness, disagreed. Testimony resumes on Monday. Piedrahita is on trial for second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm.

When the Miami Dolphins released their first depth chart of the 2024 regular season, fans may have noticed a unique position on this year’s lineup.

Instead of being named starters at their respective positions, fullback Alec Ingold and tight end Jonnu Smith were listed at the “F” position. “X” and “Z” are commonly used to categorize wide receivers, while the “Y” is usually a tight end. Letters like “F” or “H” can sometimes be used to label hybrid positions and slot receivers.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel explained that the F can be used to label many roles.

“For us, F can be a third-down target, can be a core blocking tool, an asset, a guy you’re trying to get the ball to in space,” McDaniel said. “Maybe if you have some players that occupy a lot of space that defenses have to regard, F’s can take advantage of underneath space in defense.”

Ingold is listed as the first F player on the depth chart ahead of the regular season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium, with Smith second and second-year player Tanner Conner, a wide receiver in college who’s listed as a tight end on the roster, third.

McDaniel explained that the F would line up inside the X and Z receivers and could be positioned either to or away from the tight end (Y). The extra position allows the team to have a fifth eligible receiver who can also be used as a capable blocker.

Ingold earned his first Pro Bowl nod as a fullback last season, while Smith finished with career highs in receptions (50) and receiving yards (582) with the Atlanta Falcons last season.

Both players have showcased the ability to be effective in the passing game as receivers and blockers. Besides his improvement as a pass catcher, Smith was also trusted as a protector. He played the seventh-most pass-blocking snaps among all tight ends. Ingold normally makes an impact in the run game while opening up holes for Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, but he also could contribute as an extra pass blocker. 

“It’s not fair to categorize certain guys as just one thing. I think the strength of our offense is that we have a bunch of people that are cross training, because the idea is that everyone is moving in unison,” McDaniel said. “So to move together and to appropriately execute your job relative to your teammates, that multiplicity is endless.”

It should be noted that Ingold was listed as a fullback and Smith as a tight end (second behind Durham Smythe) on the depth chart throughout the preseason. The depth chart is produced for TV purposes and often isn’t to be taken at face value in terms of starting lineups because of different formation packages.

While working with abundant talent and versatility, McDaniel is attempting to effectively allocate his players in a way that accentuates their skill set. 

Ultimately, McDaniel closed out his explanation with a simplified and brief definition of the F position.  

“What is an F?” McDaniel began. “He’s not the Y, Z, or X. He’s a good football player who probably has some skills that the football team can benefit from.”

Tyler Epp, President of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, has made a surprising admission, reversing his stance on the value of adding a sprint race to the event.

Speaking in an interview with Motorsport.com, Epp conceded that his initial skepticism was unfounded. The Miami International Autodrome, which hosted its inaugural Grand Prix in 2022, was one of six circuits to include a sprint race this year. Epp’s change of heart comes after witnessing increased commercial success and positive fan feedback.

From the outset, Epp had doubts about the sprint race’s value proposition and its appeal to fans. He admitted:

“I was wrong about the sprint race, I was very concerned about the value proposition there, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“I will be clear in saying I wasn’t in the camp when we first did the deal but the feedback and the data we got showed that year over year our attendance was up on a Saturday, and they were there early for a sprint race.”

The sprint race itself saw Max Verstappen triumph in the 19-lap contest, with Lando Norris securing his maiden F1 win in the Grand Prix the following day. The success of this new format has compelled organizers to retain the sprint race in Miami for the 2025 season. Notably, Belgium will replace Austria as one of the six tracks using the shorter race format, showcasing the growing adoption of this exciting addition to the F1 calendar.

Epp’s initial concerns centered around the commercial viability and audience engagement of sprint races. However, data changed his perspective.

“When we look at gate scans and we look at data, they weren’t coming for qualifying, they were coming for the sprint race.

“I was wrong, it has been a really, really good thing for us. I understand it hasn’t been that way for every promoter, but we really have enjoyed and see real commercial value in hosting a sprint race, it has been fantastic for us.”

Epp also spoke about the importance of support races in the overall event. The debut of the F1 Academy in 2024 and the return of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America for its third consecutive year enhanced the weekend’s offerings.

“It does matter what goes on the track before Formula 1 does. In year one it was made very clear that nobody gets on the track before they did because they wanted to be the first on the new track,” he said.

“In year three support races were successful for us, putting Porsche on the track and F1 Academy on the track, was a real positive. Now, the racing lines aren’t always exactly the same but just laying rubber down did impact what the race teams were dealing with on track.

“From our perspective, we are very committed to two support series in some capacity, and we are expecting to have a similar line up next year.

“We learned a lot in years one and two, we take on challenges and mistakes and are honest about it, we try to attack them full throttle.

“Year two to year three was just about tweaks and in years four and five I think it is just as important we listen to our customers – we have put a big emphasis on that in the last 12 months.”