Friday, March 30, 2012

Santa Anita Results

FIRST-6 fur; $23,000; clm($16,000); 4YO

1

So Temptd (Gomz)

3.20

2.20

2.10

4

A Natural (Talamo)

2.80

2.60

2

Roulette It Roll (Krigger)

3.60

* $1 Exacta (1-4) $3.30 * $1 Trifecta (1-4-2) $11.80

Winner picked by Vic C

SECOND-6 fur; $56,000; mdn; 4up(f)

6

Endless Fncy (Grc)

3.00

2.60

2.10

1

With a Miracle (Krigger)

10.00

4.40

4

Sister Esperanza (Talamo)

2.60

Scr: Lottawampum.

* Daily Double (1-6) $6.00 * $1 Exacta (6-1) $21.40 * $1 Superfecta (6-1-4-2) $93.70 * $1 Trifecta (6-1-4) $40.30

THIRD-1m(T); $26,000; clm($25,000); 3up(f)

7

Ann Yu'r Up (Tlm)

4.00

3.00

2.80

1

Warren's Lover (Krigger)

8.80

4.60

6

Huntngton Harbour (Delgdllo)

3.20

Scr: Fluxx.

* $1 Pick 3 (1-6-7) 3 Correct $6.60 * Daily Double (6-7) $6.00 * $1 Exacta (7-1) $20.70 * $1 Superfecta (7-1-6-5) $376.40 * $1 Trifecta (7-1-6) $81.00

Winner picked by Vic C

FOURTH-1 mile; $16,000; clm($12,500); 3up

1

Bll Gllnty (Mldond)

5.00

2.60

2.20

5

Warren's Hopeful (Smth)

2.80

2.60

3

Sempre Esperanza (ValdvaJr.)

2.80

* $1 Pick 3 (6-7-1) 3 Correct $10.70 * Daily Double (7-1) $13.00 * $1 Exacta (1-5) $7.10 * $1 Superfecta (1-5-3-2) $38.00 * $1 Trifecta (1-5-3) $18.50

Double picked by Dasilva

FIFTH-6 1/2 fur(T); $56,000; mdn; 3YO

7

Nihilist (Rosario)

7.40

4.60

3.20

9

Swingaway (Garcia)

5.00

3.20

5

Sydney's Darling (Talamo)

3.40

* $0.5 Pick 5 (1-5/6-7/8-1-7) 5 Correct $42.40 * $0.5 Pick 4 (5/6-7/8-1-7) 4 Correct $20.00 * $1 Pick 3 (7-1-7) 3 Correct $23.90 * $1 Trifecta (7-9-5) $53.20 * $1 Superfecta (7-9-5-3) $106.20 * Daily Double (1-7) $19.60 * $1 Exacta (7-9) $17.00

SIXTH-5 1/2 fur; $23,000; clm($30,0); 3YO(f)

1

Flshy Re (Qunonz)

12.60

7.60

4.40

8

Secret Genius (Vergara)

22.80

9.20

9

Arinyes Love (Krigger)

4.00

* $1 Pick 3 (1-7-1) 3 Correct $68.90 * Daily Double (7-1) $52.40 * $1 Exacta (1-8) $112.50 * $1 Superfecta (1-8-9-6) $3,311.60 * $1 Trifecta (1-8-9) $695.70

SEVENTH- 1m; $60,000; alw; 4up

4

Holldy Rod (Gomz)

3.60

2.60

2.40

2

Fire With Fire (Rosario)

5.20

4.80

7

Barney Rebel (Flores)

6.60

* $1 Pick 3 (7-1-4) 3 Correct $45.30 * Daily Double (1-4) $30.20 * $1 Exacta (4-2) $8.50 * $1 Superfecta (4-2-7-6) $412.40 * $1 Trifecta (4-2-7) $99.80
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Thursday, March 29, 2012

MF Global 'assured' JP Morgan overdrafts would be covered, JP Morgan's attorney says

MF Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman and CEO Jon S. Corzine was in direct contact with JP Morgan Chase & Co. officials about a large transfer of customer funds to the bank shortly before the securities firm collapsed, according to prepared testimony from a JP Morgan lawyer for a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

The testimony by Diane Genova, deputy general counsel for JP Morgan, provides additional details about a transfer of $175 million in MF Global customer funds to a JP Morgan account on Oct. 28. That move is the subject of scrutiny as investigators hunt for clues about how MF Global firm lost about $1.6 billion in customer funds.

Genova's testimony, which hadn't been publicly released as of Wednesday morning, is expected take place late Wednesday. The hearing, scheduled to begin at 2:00pm ET, will be the House subcommittee's third hearing on MF Global.

Genova told the subcommittee in her prepared testimony that JP Morgan discovered on Oct. 28 overdrafts in foreign-exchange clearing accounts managed by MF Global's UK affiliates. Corzine and other officials at MF Global were notified about the overdrafts, she added.

MF Global assured JP Morgan the overdrafts would be covered, according to Genova's testimony.

The overdraft threatened JP Morgan's ability to help fund an auction of about $4.9 billion in government and corporate debt, Genova is expected to tell lawmakers at Wednesday's hearing. Without that funding, MF Global's finances would have been in severe jeopardy.

"Thus, when this was raised with Mr. Corzine on Friday morning, he readily agreed that it was important for MF Global to cover the overdrafts, and he assured J.P. Morgan executives that MF Global had ample funds to cover the overdrafts," Genova wrote in her prepared remarks.

By 11:00am ET that Friday, MF Global had transferred enough funds to cover the overdraft in the UK.

But JP Morgan noticed that the transfer was tied to shifting $200 million from a customer-segregated account to an MF Global account in the US. In response, the New York bank determined that due to "the financial stress facing MF Global ... it would be prudent and appropriate to ask MF Global to confirm that these transfers had been made in compliance" with Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules governing customer accounts, according to Genova's testimony.

To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal

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Business briefs

Jobs bill OK

The House passed a bill aimed at boosting jobs by easing an array of business regulations. The bill also would quadruple to 2,000 the number of shareholders closely held companies can have before they open their books to the SEC.

EMI probe

California Attorney General Kamala Harris is probing the planned purchase of EMI Group by Vivendi’s Universal Music and an investor group led by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, two people familiar with the inquiry told Bloomberg News.

BATS board

The BATS Global Markets board voted its unanimous support for CEO Joe Ratterman. In addition, the company will split the CEO and chairman roles.

Wells’ ills

Wells Fargo must face a group lawsuit by institutional investors that claim the bank marketed a risky securities-lending program as safe, a Minnesota judge ruled.

Mack is back

KKR & Co., named former Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack as a senior adviser.

Reuters

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Red Bulls' Agudelo has knee surgery

Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo had surgery yesterday to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Riley Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery, with Agudelo expected to miss up to six weeks.

Agudelo was hurt during the U.S. Under-23 National Team’s 6-0 rout of Cuba last Thursday in Olympic qualifying. The 19-year-old forward made one start this year for the Red Bulls – the 2-1 loss at FC Dallas on March 11 – and his injury leaves just two healthy experienced strikers on the roster.

Luke Rodgers is still in the UK, with Homeland Security yet to approve his appeal for a P-1 visa. Thierry Henry and newcomer Kenny Rodgers each had a brace in Sunday’s home-opening 4-1 rout of Colorado, the former adding an assist and being named MLS Player of the Week.

The Red Bulls host expansion Montreal Saturday (4 p.m., MSG).

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Website Starts Selling Potter E-Books

It didn't take a Hogwarts magician to know this day would eventually come.

The bookstore feature of J.K. Rowling's Pottermore website went live Tuesday, enabling English-language readers to buy the digital editions of all seven Harry Potter novels—and the audiobook editions—from anywhere in the world. Editions in French, Italian, German and Spanish will be the next wave.

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From left, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe are shown in a scene from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." The Harry Potter books are now available in digital editions on author J.K. Rowling's website.

The digital books are accessible on dedicated e-readers, tablets, personal computers and mobile phones. The first three Harry Potter titles are priced at $7.99 each, while the remaining four titles, which are longer in length, cost $9.99 each. Enhanced editions that may have video and other features will eventually follow. The bookstore's website is shop.pottermore.com.

Ms. Rowling's books have sold an estimated 450 million physical copies and been translated into more than 70 languages. But because the author retained the digital rights to her works when she signed her publishing contracts, e-book editions weren't yet available.

Last June, Ms. Rowling announced that she was launching Pottermore as a site for Harry Potter fans to gather online, find new material—and eventually buy her e-books. The retail side of the site initially was planned to launch last October, but it took Pottermore longer than expected to ensure the site could handle the expected volume of orders. In November, a veteran digital publishing executive, Charlie Redmayne, was brought in to get the site on track. The content side of the site, which is still in beta-testing, is expected to go live in early April.

By selling the e-books on her own site, Ms. Rowling will keep most of the revenue, rather than sharing much of it with her publishers as is usually the case. Several major retailers will have the opportunity to participate. Mr. Redmayne said that Harry Potter fans will be able to buy the digital books via links on bookstores operated by Sony Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc. and Google Inc. In those cases, the digital editions will be downloaded directly to the Sony Reader, Kindle, the Nook and Google Play from the Pottermore site. The retailers will get a cut of the sales.

Pottermore hasn't struck a similar deal with Apple Inc., said Mr. Redmayne, which means that its books won't appear within Apple's iBookstore. Apple device owners will be able to access the books through other retailer apps. An Apple spokesperson declined comment.

Mr. Redmayne said that there won't be a large marketing campaign to kick off the new Pottermore bookstore because he expects demand for the titles will be significant. He declined to give sales projections. Mr. Redmayne added that the market will include kids ages eight to 11 who haven't yet tried the books, as well as teens and older readers.

Ms. Rowling's digital titles are going on sale just at a time when another series initially aimed at young readers, Suzanne Collins's the "Hunger Games" trilogy, is dominating e-book sales. The movie version of "The Hunger Games," the first book in the trilogy, took in $155 million over the weekend in North America.

E-book sales grew 117% to $970 million in 2011 compared with 2010, according to the Association of American Publishers' monthly net sales reports which reflect data from 77 publishers.

Write to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at jeffrey.trachtenberg@wsj.com

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Monday, March 26, 2012

Bay leaves Mets loss with bruised right forearm

VIERA, Fla. — Jason Bay left after getting hit with a Stephen Strasburg fastball, prospect Matt Harvery got roughed up and the Mets lost to the Nationals, 12-0 on Sunday.

Ian Desmond, Jayson Werth and Roger Bernadina hit first-inning home runs off Harvey to back Strasburg, and stop an 11-game winless streak.

Desmond homered leading off, Werth hit a two-run drive and Bernadina had a solo homer in a five-run first. Washington had gone 0-10-1 since defeating St. Louis 8-4 in March 12.

Bernadina had three hits and four RBIs, Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa each had three hits and three runs for Washington, which had 17 hits. The first four batters in the Nationals’ batting order combined to go 10 for 22.

Strasburg allowed five hits in five innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Bay bruised his right forearm when hit by a Strasburg fastball in the third.

Harvey, the seventh overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, gave up five runs and seven hits in one inning.

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Stoudemire’s back stiffens up in blowout of Pistons

Amar’e Stoudemire’s back woes have returned, and Jeremy Lin is now banged up too — a pair of alarming injuries to a pair of critical Knicks players.

Stoudemire suffered what the Knicks called a “sore lower back” in last night’s 101-79 rout over the Pistons at the Garden and spent the fourth quarter in the trainer’s room. Lin developed left knee soreness and did not play after coming out with 4:47 to go in the third quarter.

Stoudemire’s injury is more serious. Interim coach Mike Woodson said Lin is OK and could have gone back into last night’s game but did not because the win was in hand. Stoudemire’s is a more worrisome issue.

BOUNCE BACK: Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire bends over after colliding with a Pistons player in the third quarter. He would leave the game with back stiffness and not return.

Paul J. Bereswill

BOUNCE BACK: Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire bends over after colliding with a Pistons player in the third quarter. He would leave the game with back stiffness and not return.

DOUBLE YOUR FUN: Center Tyson Chandler, shooting last night in the Knicks’ 101-79 win over the Pistons, posted a double-double (15 points, 17 rebounds) for the first time since March 12 against the Bulls.

Neil Miller

DOUBLE YOUR FUN: Center Tyson Chandler, shooting last night in the Knicks’ 101-79 win over the Pistons, posted a double-double (15 points, 17 rebounds) for the first time since March 12 against the Bulls.

“I am concerned about Amar’e,” Woodson said. “We’ll evaluate it, see how he feels [today].”

Stoudemire pulled a back muscle during last season’s playoff series against the Celtics, and the power forward needed the entire offseason to rehab it. He has now re-emerged after a rough first half of the season, but last night did not play after departing with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

Stoudemire said he certainly could have gone back in the game had it been necessary. He insisted his back injury was nothing to fear and declared he should be ready for tomorrow’s game against the Bucks with serious playoff implications.

“I don’t think there’s a reason why I wouldn’t play [tomorrow],” he said. “It just got a little tight, that’s all. We just took precautionary measures.”

Stoudemire said his back was already “much better,” and insisted it is not the same experience from last year against Boston.

“It’s not really a pain,” he said. “It’s just muscle tightness. It’s really just a matter of massaging it out. There’s nothing to be worried about.”

As for Lin, he said the knee soreness had developed from “over-use,” but said, “It’s good to go.”

“The second half it was a little worse than the first, but the guys didn’t feel like there was any need to push it. But I’ll be good for Monday,” Lin said. “Doc said it’ll be gone soon. Just have to stay on top of it and keep doing different exercises and getting in there to do rehab.”

Stoudemire and Lin are two of the Knicks’ four most important players, and there are no perfect replacements — especially since backups for both players are ailing too. Baron Davis is a solid backup point guard, but he is dealing with hamstring and back woes. Forward Jared Jeffries has an inflamed right knee and is out for approximately two weeks, with rookie Josh Harrellson replacing him in the rotation.

The Knicks can little afford to rest Stoudemire and Lin as long as they are clinging to a playoff spot. The Knicks are 1 1/2 games up on the Bucks for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

“We’ve got to win games,” Woodson said.

Stoudemire was terrific in his 24 minutes last night, powering his way to 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. He has looked a lot better in the last week, but now his status is unclear.

Lin posted 13 points but also seven turnovers in 23 minutes.

The Knicks as a whole played far better than in Friday’s 96-79 loss to the Raptors, the first loss of Woodson’s Knicks tenure (6-1).

Tyson Chandler dominated inside with 15 points and a season-high-tying 17 rebounds, while struggling Carmelo Anthony provided encouragement in the third quarter, shooting 4-for-5 in the period after a 1-for-7 first half. He finished with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting.

mark.hale@nypost.com

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Saturday, March 24, 2012

Facing Ohio State latest test for Syracuse

BOSTON — Even the most diehard Syracuse fans probably have forgotten the drama and trauma the Orange had to overcome in that magical March NCAA tournament run of 2003.

Billy Edelin, one of Jim Boeheim’s prize recruits, served a 12-game NCAA suspension for playing with a church team the year before he enrolled at Syracuse.

When Edelin gained his eligibility, Carmelo Anthony already had stamped the 2003 squad as his own and Gerry McNamara, the Scranton sharpshooter, was entrenched at the point.

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“It took two or three games for us to adjust and get over the hump,’’ said McNamara, now an assistant coach on Boeheim’s staff. “We had to learn to trust each other.’’

McNamara suffered a gashed forehead in a clash of heads with Oklahoma State’s Victor Williams in a Sweet 16 game. The Cowboys opened a 17-point lead before Syracuse rallied for a 68-56 victory.

If Syracuse beats Ohio State tonight in TD Garden in the East Region final, the sad saga of former assistant Bernie Fine, the loss of center Fab Melo because of academic issues and the report of recreational drug use by players on previous Orange squads become more like footnotes.

“This one game can be what the season is remembered for,’’ swingman James Southerland of Queens told The Post. “This is the only thing that matters.’’

Ohio State (30-7), the No. 2 seed in the East, have no intention of allowing No. 1 seed Syracuse (34-2) to write a wonderful ending. They, too, have had to overcome to get to the Elite 8.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta recalled a December practice in which he told his squad they were the worst practice players he had ever coached.

“They can tell you —”‘ it was probably mid”‘-December — I said, ‘Fellows, right now, you’re a Round of 32 team,’ ’’ Matta said.

The Buckeyes got better on defense. Forward Deshaun Thomas found his role. The Buckeyes are three-point favorites tonight, which is fine with the Orange.

“This team, more than any other I’ve been around, has really embraced that ‘Us Against the World’ mentality,’’ McNamara said. “They had to, because for the first time we became the villains to a lot of people.’’

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N.C. State seeking upset of Kansas

ST. LOUIS — Don’t try and tell North Carolina State it’s playing with house money in this year’s NCAA tournament — 11th-seed be damned. The Wolfpack are in their first Sweet 16 in seven years, but they say their goals are far bigger and their aim far loftier: New Orleans and the Final Four.

“People are going to talk. I think we are a Cinderella team, [because] nobody expected us to be here,” said sophomore point guard Lorenzo Brown, who has led N.C. State into tonight’s Midwest Region semifinal against Kansas (10:18; TBS). “If we just keep believing in ourselves we’re going to make it to at least the Final Four.’’

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But the Wolfpack face a big test in second-seeded Kansas.

Even in what was to be a rebuilding year, the Jayhawks (29-7) have Big 12 Player of the Year Thomas Robinson and were expected to be here.

Hoboken-bred senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor agreed with that assessment.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” he said. “It’s what we do.”

But for North Carolina State (24-12), this marks a stunning nine-win improvement under first-year coach Mark Gottfried. But it won’t be satisfied until it’s at least a 10-win jump, for its best mark since 1983, its NCAA title-winning team under the late Jim Valvano.

“If you put your mindset in that frame of mind where we’re playing with house money, we’re not really supposed to be here, I just don’t know that you value it as much,’’ Gottfried said. “Our team feels like we’ve earned the right to be here just like anybody else, and we certainly feel like we belong.

“The previous staff did a nice job, recruited some good players. But we seemed very disorganized, didn’t have great direction. Our accountability was down. We just needed to tighten everything up.’’

The Wolfpack has done that, buying into Gottfried’s triangle-influenced offense with Brown averaging 14.6 points and 8.2 assists in postseason play while classmate C.J. Leslie has poured in 18.2 points on 59.7-percent shooting over his last 10.

Taylor recognized the challenge of facing a 6-foot-5 point guard in Brown, and said Leslie and Richard Howell matched Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Baylor’s Perry Jones as the most athletic frontcourt player Kansas has faced. The Jayhawks are led by Robinson, the only Big 12 player to average a double-double (17.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg).

“Those guys can catch the ball 15 feet away, catch sweep and go, and just drive our bigs,” Taylor said. “It’ll be about team defense. I don’t see how they’re underdogs. They’re a good team and they showed they can win big games. We’ve definitely got to be ready.”

“I don’t think there’s really any upsets this time of year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Once you get to this weekend, all the teams are good.

“We tell our guys, it’s not hard to have a good attitude and a great outlook if everything’s going perfect. The key is when it doesn’t go perfect, how are you going to respond?’’

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

NFL suspends Saints coach for season over bounties

The NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season Wednesday and fined the team $500,000 as punishment for operating a bounty program in which defensive players received cash bonuses for injuring opponents.

In the most severe set of penalties ever leveled by the NFL against one of its teams, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis also received an eight-game suspension, while former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is now with the Rams, will be suspended indefinitely.

The Saints will also be forced to surrender a second round draft pick in 2012 and 2013.

“A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

“When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game.“

Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt was also hit with a six-game ban for his participation in the program.

Payton’s suspension without pay will begin April 1, while Williams’ ban goes into effect immediately. The 48-year-old Payton, who has coached the Saints since 2006 and guided the team to victory in Super Bowl XLIV, was set to make about $7 million next season.

Quarterback Drew Brees, who has become one of the NFL’s most prolific passers under Payton’s tutelage, was shocked by the news.

“I am speechless,” Brees wrote on Twitter. “Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment.“

The coaches can choose to appeal the suspensions, but it is unclear whether any will do so.

The NFL announced March 2 that an investigation had uncovered the existence of the bounty payments, which are explicitly banned under league rules.

The NFL said Williams offered the bounties from 2009 to 2011, including a $1,500 cash bonus for hits that knocked opposing players out of the game.

The league said Payton knew about the existence of the bounty program and failed to stop it despite the NFL making inquiries about the matter.

Instead of stopping the program, the NFL said Payton told his assistant coaches to “make sure our ducks are in a row” and falsely deny the bounties were being offered.

In an interview with the NFL Network, Goodell explained that the Saints’ attempt to cover up the bounty payments were an even worse offense than setting up the system in the first place.

“Clearly, we were lied to,” Goodell said. “We investigated this back in 2010, we were told it was not happening, it continued for another two years until we got credible evidence late in the 2011 season and we were able to identify significant information that verified from multiple sources that this was going on for a three-year period.“

Goodell said he does not think the penalties are too harsh, adding that the continued risk to players called for a “very significant and clear message.“

The league said it found bounties were placed specifically on quarterbacks Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton in the past few years.

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is accused of offering $10,000 to the teammate that could knock Favre out of the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings in 2010.

Goodell said punishment against individual players for participating in the bounty program is still being reviewed with the NFL Players Association and will be addressed at a later date.

The sanctions against the Saints surpass the penalties leveled by the NFL against the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick for the 2007 “Spygate” scandal.

Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping the signals of Jets coaches, while the team was docked a 2008 first-round draft pick and fined an additional $250,000. No members of the organization received a suspension.

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Peyton, Broncos agree to five-year, $96 million deal

Denver — Peyton Manning stood next to John Elway, holding up a bright orange jersey with the No. 18 on it.

Yes, that could take some getting used to.

And now if Manning’s surgically repaired neck cooperates, these two quarterbacks — one in the Hall of Fame, the other headed there one day — think they might be taking a similar photo together, only next time they’ll be holding a Super Bowl trophy.

Manning was introduced as the new quarterback of the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, the four-time MVP taking the spot once held by Elway, who as Broncos vice president engineered the deal to bring the NFL’s most sought-after free agent to town.

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It’s a deal that could also mark the end of Tim Tebow’s days in Denver — a bold move, for sure, but one Elway was more than willing to take.

“Plan B?” he said. “I don’t have a Plan B. We’re going with Plan A.”

After his photo op with Elway and owner Pat Bowlen, Manning answered many of the questions that have been bouncing around since March 7, when his old team, the Indianapolis Colts, released the quarterback and set in motion one of the most frenetic free-agent pursuits in history.

On the neck injury that kept him off the field through 2011: “I’m not where I want to be. I want to be where I was before I was injured. There’s a lot of work to do to get where we want to be from a health standpoint.”

On his potential role in being the man who could bring about the end of Tebow’s popular stay in Denver: “I know what kind of player Tim Tebow is, what kind of person he is, what an awesome year it was. If Tim Tebow is here next year, I’m going to be the best teammate I can be to him. He and I are going to help this team win games. If other opportunities present themselves to him, I’m going to wish him the best.”

On Elway’s role in leading him to choose Denver over other suitors, the most serious of which were the Titans and 49ers: “I’m seeing him as the leader of a franchise. I really liked what he had to say. Everyone knows what kind of competitor he is as a player. I can tell he’s just as competitive in this new role. That got me excited.”

And so, the deal was sealed.

Manning has a five-year, $96 million contract and plans to retire in Denver. His familiar No. 18 was actually retired — a tribute to Denver’s first quarterback, Frank Tripucka, who was more than happy to let Manning bring it out of mothballs. The Broncos, meanwhile, have some protection in the way the contract was formulated. There’s no signing bonus. Manning will get $18 million guaranteed for next season, but must pass a physical before each season, starting in 2013, to get paid.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Wrist surgery for UNC guard Marshall

The father of North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall said yesterday his son is recovering from surgery on his broken right wrist and it’s unclear if he’ll return for the NCAA Tournament regional games in St. Louis.

Dennis Marshall said the procedure done in Chapel Hill, N.C., to insert a screw into his son’s wrist lasted about 35 minutes. He said when Kendall plays again would be based on “what would be best for Kendall in the long term” and that he didn’t know whether the sophomore would be ready to play in the round of 16 against Ohio on Friday.

“I don’t know ... how he’ll feel four days from now,” Dennis Marshall said. “We just don’t know.

“Is it impossible he plays this weekend? No, it’s not. Is it likely he plays next weekend? It definitely is. It’s something we just don’t know.”

The school also said Marshall’s status was unclear for Friday’s game in an update. The Tar Heels (31-5) are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional.

COMPLETE NCAA COVERAGE

TOURNAMENT BRACKET

VIDEO: COACH, PLAYER REACTIONS

The left-handed point guard fractured the scaphoid bone — located near the thumb — when he was fouled driving to the basket during the second half of Sunday’s win against Creighton at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Marshall popped right up, then came out of the media timeout and hit 1 of 2 free throws. He left briefly, then returned again and played about seven minutes before leaving the game late with the victory secured.

Marshall has been the Tar Heels’ most irreplaceable player, leading the fast-paced offense with his see-everything court vision and perfect pitch-ahead passes in transition.

The Tar Heels lost No. 2 ballhandler Dexter Strickland to a season-ending knee injury in January. If Marshall can’t go, the job would fall to freshman Stilman White and versatile senior Justin Watts.

Dennis Marshall, Kendall Marshall, NCAA Tournament, Tar Heels, Kendall

Nypost.com

Monday, March 19, 2012

Yonkers Graded Entries

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Flowmaster (10th)

FIRST: mile; pace; $8,500; cl($12500)

5 Lodi Governor

(JBartlett)

6-3-3

5-1

3 Allmyrowdyfrends

(GBrnnn)

5-2-4

8-1

6 Cam Van Bussel

(CManzi)

1-7-2

8-5

1 BigSlickZTam

(MMacDonald)

3-3-2

8-1

2 Wicked N Rude

(SSmith)

6-2-3

10-1

4 Classic Ambition

(DDube)

5-1-3

6-1

7 SnackerBacker

(JPantleano)

8-8-5

20-1

8 Pick A Trail

(LStalbaum)

7-5-3

10-1

SECOND: mile; pace; $8,500; cl($12500)

5 Lord Burghley

(CManzi)

1-2-2

8-5

7 JeremiahTrotter

(JPantlean)

4-1-1

5-1

3 Larissa

(JBartlett)

3-6-4

4-1

1 Bank On Rosie

(JStratton)

4-6-7

10-1

2 Windsun Bellagio

(AWieder)

3-2-5

20-1

4 Buckeye Man

(GBrennan)

4-4-7

8-1

6 Sunset Gentelman

(BHollnd)

6-7-5

10-1

8 Nans Prayer

(LStalbaum)

4-4-1

12-1

THIRD: mile; pace; $12,500; PETTICOAT

7 Southwind Trini

(CManzi)

1-3-2

9-5

2 Look Annie Hall

(GBrennan)

1-1-5

8-5

6 RocknrollPrncess

(MMcDnld)

2-4-4

6-1

1 Vy Hanover

(JStratton)

3-1-3

4-1

3 So Wanted

(EAbbatiello)

4-7-8

15-1

4 Cape Marj

(LStalbaum)

2-4-2

8-1

5 Fashion Gal

(JBartlett)

2-7-7

20-1

FOURTH: mile; pace; $12,500;PETTICOAT

3 Angelo's Dream

(LStalbaum)

1-1-1

9-5

2 Fashion Majorette

(JBartlett)

1-4-1

3-1

7 Dawg's Buddy

(SSmith)

2-6-2

6-1

1 Kitty's Pro Girl

(JStratton)

7-3-3

8-1

4 Susan'sDesire

(MMacDnald)

4-1-1

5-1

5 Joltzee

(CManzi)

6-5-6

40-1

6 GivemybestHnver

(GBrennn)

4-6-8

8-1

FIFTH: mile; pace; $12,500; PETTICOAT

1 CanYourVnGogh

(MMcDnld)

2-2-1

5-1

3 MandolinHanover

(GBrennn)

2-1-6

3-1

5 StonebridgeDmsel

(JBrtlett)

2-7-4

9-5

2 Force Of Fire

(JPantaleano)

5-4-5

12-1

4 All These Things

(PBerry)

4-5-7

8-1

6 Sweet Time

(JStratton)

6-4-2

10-1

7 Lexus Artist

(TGale)

7-5-6

20-1

SIXTH: mile; pace; $12,500; PETTICOAT

1 Dragon's Jojo

(GBrennan)

3-2-1

4-5

4 Wizzard Queen

(LStalbaum)

3-2-6

6-1

3 Check My Pulse

(BHolland)

3-3-4

8-1

2 TemptationQueen

(JStrtton)

3-5-2

8-1

5 Cyst To Sister

(CManzi)

5-1-6

12-1

6 Party Dream

(JPantaleano)

5-7-7

20-1

7 Nelly Hanover

(MMacDnald)

4-6-4

10-1

SEVENTH: mile; pace; $12,500; PETTICOAT

3 Kimmie Cam

(JBartlett)

3-6-5

4-1

5 Not Thinking

(CManzi)

8-2-4

8-5

7 Fella's Ella

(JPantaleano)

1-5-1

6-1

1 I Got Skills

(DDube)

5-6-5

12-1

2 MedolandSantorin

(GBrnnn)

6-8-2

10-1

4 Mj's Last Dance

(JStratton)

6-5-3

8-1

6 SeafoodCinderell

(MMcDnld)

5-4-5

20-1

EIGHTH: mile; pace; $12,500; PETTICOAT

2 Crazybotddrmmer

(BSmpsn)

1-5-8

8-5

3 Sir Jillian Z Tam

(PLachance)

4-2-2

4-1

1 Ruth E Lou

(DDube)

7-1-1

3-1

4 No Faultz

(GBrennan)

5-6-5

15-1

5 Party Hangover

(JBartlett)

1-4-1

15-1

6 Chop Chop Suey

(JStratton)

7-3-5

10-1

7 SouthwindLavanda

(SBchrd)

6-5-4

20-1

NINTH: mile; pace; $14,000; cond

5 Open Water

(DDube)

4-2-6

3-1

4 Orr Hanover

(GBrennan)

7-5-4

4-1

1 Onthewngsfnngl

(MMcDnld)

7-7-5

5-1

2 Goddess's Justin

(CManzi)

1-2-8

6-1

3 Shotgun A

(SVallee)

6-7-2

5-1

6 Dragon King

(JBartlett)

1-4-6

8-1

7 Brickyard Brewer

(RBaynes)

8-1-8

8-1

TENTH: mile; pace; $14,000; cond

2 Flowmaster

(JBartlett)

2-1-6

8-5

7 NathnFeelsgood

(MMcDnld)

2-1-1

3-1

6 Winordietrying

(LStalbaum)

4-3-7

5-1

1 La Grande Terreur

(CManzi)

6-4-3

12-1

3 Cosmicpedia

(GBrennan)

3-2-8

6-1

4 Bombay Away

(SCaruso)

3-6-2

8-1

5 Colossal

(JStratton)

7-5-4

10-1

ELEVENTH: mile; pace; $11,000; cl($15000)

4 Lightning Ridge N

(DDube)

1-8-6

3-1

3 Fritzie Rocket

(JStratton)

1-1-6

8-5

1 Multiple Choice

(LStalbaum)

5-3-5

4-1

2 Move On

(CManzi)

6-5-6

8-1

5 Big Bambu

(JBartlett)

8-1-8

15-1

6 Honeys Dragon

(EGoodell)

4-5-3

12-1

7 Lonesome Cruiser

(BHollnd)

5-2-1

20-1

8 WinbakPrince

(MMacDnald)

4-8-8

20-1

TWELFTH: mile; pace; $14,000; cond

3 Cigar Hall

(EGoodell)

2-7-3

7-5

1 Mr Coolie

(MMacDonald)

8-3-2

8-5

2 Loadedupntruckin

(GBrennn)

3-2-8

5-1

4 ClooneyDrummond

(JStrttn)

2-8-2

10-1

5 Space Walk

(CManzi)

4-3-8

8-1

6 Manchine

(JBartlett)

5-6-3

15-1

7 Sansome Hanover

(DDube)

6-5-1

10-1

8 AllamericanDaddy

(JPantlen)

7-4-7

20-1

pace, mile, Cam Van Bussel

Nypost.com

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Healthy Jose a contrast to forlorn former team

headshotKevin Kernan
Follow Kevin on Twitter

JUPITER, Fla. — Jose Reyes was supposed to be the injured one. Four hours before Reyes played against the Mets as a Marlin for the first time yesterday, the Miami shortstop was asking for a medical update on his friend David Wright.

“How did David get hurt?’’ Reyes asked. After he got the details, the Miami shortstop was told that his Mets replacement Ruben Tejada was out with a slight groin pull. Reyes shook his head and said, “No way.’’

Reyes is gone, but injuries keep happening to the Mets. Reyes then made this prediction, telling the Post, “I think this year I am going to play a full season. I’ve prepared myself to do that. Right now there is nothing to worry about and all my focus is on the field.’’

AP

Jose Reyes

Reyes got one at-bat in the Marlins 3-1 win over the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium, grounding back to pitcher R.A. Dickey. Rains came and Reyes was out of the game in the third. You can’t be too careful with your $106 million shortstop. He seems convinced everything is going to come up gold now that he has the gold.

The Marlins are spending money. The Madoff Mets are not.

“I’m very happy here,’’ Reyes said. “This team wants to win.’’

The Mets are just trying to hold onto the life preserver.

With this latest batch of injury news his old team is facing, Reyes noted, “I always say nobody ever wants to get hurt. Injuries just happen, especially for the kind of game that I play. I play the game hard,

and with my speed, everything I do, I do quick. Injuries are going to happen sometime.

“It’s like when you pull a hamstring when you’re just running to first base, you don’t want to pull the hamstring, that thing could happen to anybody,’’ Reyes said. “How many players in the big leagues don’t pull a hamstring?’’

Reyes has brought energy to the Marlins, who are moving into their new spectacular art-filled Miami park.

“It’s big like Citi Field. There will be a lot of triples,’’ Reyes said with a smile. He is the just latest piece of expensive art owner Jeffrey Loria has collected.

His addition has energized the team and brightened the Marlins’ world in many ways. Just read to what outfielder Logan Morrison said of Reyes: “When I’m tired, I just look at him,’’ said Morrison, whose locker sits two doors down from Reyes. “He’s like a cup of coffee for the eyes.’’

This new Marlin is fully caffeinated and fully healthy.

“I always have a lot of energy since I was a little kid,’’ Reyes said with a laugh. “It’s not something I do one day and two days, I am this way every day.’’

Reyes’ wife likes his hair short, so he is keeping it, although he has dyed the tops brown. What’s his favorite thing about being a Marlin?

“Everything,’’ Reyes said. “The way the players are, the way the coaches are, everybody has the right attitude, starting from the manager.’’ Reyes then offered this about manager Ozzie Guillen: “He has a lot of energy, bro. I don’t know if he has as much as me, but he’s there.’’

He admitted he misses the New York fans “because they supported me there when I had a lot of ups and downs,’’ but added, “I have to get used to it, I’m no longer there.’’

He’s looking forward to when the Marlins come to New York April 24-26. “It’s going to be crazy,’’ he said.

Reyes will be renting a home in Miami this season. He will continue to live in New York for at least one more offseason. He has taken over the Marlins’ clubhouse and has spent a lot of time with his new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, taking him on in “MLB 2K12” nearly every day. When they play, Reyes is the Red Sox, Ramirez is the Phillies.

“We have a very good relationship. We’re very happy to be on the same team,’’ Reyes said.

They’re happy and healthy right now.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com

Jose Reyes, the Mets, Miami, Miami, Miami, Marlins, Marlins

Nypost.com

Friday, March 16, 2012

Consumer prices increase 0.4 percent in February, less than forecast, due mainly to surging cost of gas

WASHINGTON -- US consumer prices increased 0.4 percent in February, owing mainly to the surging cost of gas, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The core consumer price index (CPI), which strips out volatile food and energy costs, rose a smaller 0.1 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch forecast a 0.5 percent increase in the overall CPI, with a 0.2 percent rise in the core CPI rate.

The report showed that energy costs rose at the fastest pace in nearly a year, rising 3.2 percent, as gasoline prices rose six percent, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

Consumer prices were up an unadjusted 2.9 percent over the past 12 months, unchanged from January. The core rate has increased 2.2 percent over the past 12 months, down from 2.3 percent in January.

The government also reported that inflation-adjusted hourly wages, on average, fell 0.3 percent in February as higher prices outstripped a 0.1 percent gain in earnings.

US stock futures extended gains in reaction to the report.

To read more, go to MarketWatch

MarketWatch ebook download, core CPI, CPI, energy costs, Labor Department, US consumer prices

Nypost.com

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Love conquers all

headshotPeter Vecsey

HOOP DU JOUR

When Kevin Love was in high school, numerous people tended to devalue his accomplishments, probably because he complied with gravity and didn’t quite qualify as a gymnast or a contortionist.

His father, Stan, a 5-year peripheral player for the Bullets, Lakers and ABA Spurs in the early ’70s, always would say, “You can take your guy if you have it figured out, and I will take Kevin ... and let’s see where we are at the end of the day.”

That incandescent day has dawned … on the industrial strength of a staggering aptitude, acumen, ferocity and fervor, characteristics only the greats feature.

Love is all that, with payback. Years of being underestimated by talent scouts, his coaches and opponents provoked him to play with a manhole cover on his shoulder, and guaranteed perennial progress.

Not since Bob Pettit, Bob McAdoo and Elgin Baylor, unconscionably always overlooked by the un-conscientious, has a forward erected the kind of flamboyant figures Love is amassing.

Baylor averaged 34.8 points and 19.8 rebounds for the 1960-61 season, 38.3 and 18.8 the next, and 34 and 14.3 before irreparably damaging his knee 48 games into 1962-63. He “plunged” to 26 and 12 the subsequent seven.

Love averaged 20.2 points and a NBA-leading 15.2 rebounds for the Timberwolves last season, his third in the league. His current numbers are 25.8 and 13.8, a superior standard overlapped during a recent four-day, three-victory stretch — 110 points and 43 rebounds, before back spasms sidelined him for Friday’s 105-102 loss to the Lakers.

That statistical outburst, coinciding with the 21-21 Wolves’ promising playoff pursuit — ostensibly devastated by Ricky Rubio’s season-ending torn left ACL — propelled Love into MVP conversation previously concentrated on Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.

Except for Kevin McHale, how many other NBA executives believed Love deserved to be drafted as high as No. 5? Or truly felt he owned a limitless upside?

Pat Riley certainly didn’t sense this tsunami coming. In the spring of 2008, the Heat field general worked out Love in West Los Angeles, imploring him to keep the private session on the down low.

Admittedly blown away by what he saw, Padre Riles told Love, “I’m going to figure out a way to draft you.”

The 19-year-old replied, “That’s easy, Mr. Riley, you have the second pick in the draft.”

Instead, the knowing nod went to Michael Beasley, whose juvenile behavior, hopscotch of six high schools, delinquent defense, outlandish auto expenditures and reputation as a joker, a smoker and a midnight toker was well-known and hard-earned.

Next >

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Lakers, Kevin Love, Elgin Baylor, ABA Spurs, Bob Pettit, Kevin McHale, Kevin Durant, Bob McAdoo, NBA, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Bullets

Nypost.com

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Jets’ leadership has a lot at stake in Manning pursuit

Jets coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum spent yesterday evaluating a possible addition to their team.

No, the Jets decision-makers were not watching Peyton Manning throw or run. They were in South Carolina for Clemson’s pro day. The Jets are now waiting to see what Manning wants, like the other 11 teams that have reportedly expressed interest in the free-agent quarterback.

After reaching out to Manning’s camp Wednesday, the Jets need to find out how interested Manning is in coming to New York. If he is interested, the Jets are expected to begin a full-on courtship.

UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG

The decision to pursue Manning could be a risky one for Ryan and Tannenbaum. Signing Manning will raise expectations among the fan base and put the pressure on the team that anything but a Super Bowl victory is a failure.

If Manning ends up injured or ineffective, there might be new decision makers in place next year for the Jets.

“If you bring in a Peyton Manning and it doesn’t go well, there is a price to pay,” said former Ravens head coach Brian Billick, now an analyst for the NFL Network. “It would make sense to do this and the fan base would love it, but if it doesn’t go well it’s not going to be Peyton’s fault. He’s walking into the Hall of Fame either way. There is a risk that comes with it.”

The Jets don’t have to look far to understand this point. No one was talking about Eric Mangini’s job security as the Jets’ coach entering the 2008 season. Then, the team traded for Brett Favre, expectations rose and Mangini lost his job when the bottom fell out at the end of the year.

Ryan’s job security has not been in question during his three years as Jets coach after two trips to the AFC Championship Game. But if Manning came in and was a disaster, owner Woody Johnson would be looking for someone to answer for it.

Tannenbaum faced criticism after last season when he put together a bad mix in the locker room, shipping out respected leaders and failing to account for chemistry as he signed free agents.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer ultimately paid for the failures of 2011. He parted ways with the Jets, in what was called a “mutual” decision — but it is clear the Jets did not want him back. Schottenheimer had long been the target of fans and media members. With him gone, the next obvious target will be current quarterback Mark Sanchez. If the Jets dump him, the bull’s-eye will move to Tannenbaum and Ryan.

By signing Manning, the duo would also be acknowledging that drafting Sanchez with the fifth pick in 2009 was a mistake. They married themselves to Sanchez in their first draft together. By filing for divorce, Tannenbaum and Ryan would be admitting they chose to build the team around the wrong guy.

Billick is one of many people who believe the Jets could do harm to Sanchez even by considering Manning.

“You could certainly dance around it like everybody is and say ‘Look, this is a once in a generation player,’ ” Billick said. “That’s asking a lot of a player. Can you imagine going and telling your wife, ‘Look, it’s Angelina Jolie. Are you going to hold that against me? You should understand.’ I’ve got a feeling she’s not going to be really understanding. So, I think you’re asking a lot of a player to step aside like that. You either support this guy and believe in him or you don’t.”

brian.costello@nypost.com

Peyton Manning, Manning, Mike Tannenbaum, the Jets, Jets coach Rex Ryan, Signing Manning, coach Brian Billick, Jets

Nypost.com

Friday, March 9, 2012

Knicks’ 3-point ace Novak getting notice from opponents

MILWAUKEE — Not only is Jeremy Lin seeing tougher coverages, Knicks forward Steve Novak said he never got more attention than Wednesday in San Antonio against his former club.

Novak, the 3-point ace who got cut by San Antonio in December by mutual agreement, got off just two 3-point attempts and scored four points in the Knicks’ 118-105 loss to the Spurs.

“They stayed on the perimeter the entire time,’’ said Novak, who is third in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.8. “It’s definitely a different look I’ve seen all year.

“It was a different look, and we have to take advantage of when they take one thing away. Be able to punish them another way, in the middle.’’

Novak returns to his hometown tonight where he starred at Marquette, which played its games at Bradley Center. Novak grew up in the Milwaukee suburbs as a big Packers fan.

Rodgers tweeted congratulations to Novak after the Cavaliers game last week. After hitting a big 3-pointer, Novak mimics Rodgers’ commercial in which he pretends he’s locking on a heavyweight belt.

Novak’s grandparents used to live two blocks from Lambeau Field, where he parked cars on their property for $5 a car.

Novak’s parents, including his father Mike, who coached him at Brown Deer High, only will attend the second half of tonight’s game.

The Novaks first will attend his sister’s Maggie’s high-school playoff game.

“It’s how they’ve always done it,’’ Novak said. “At younger ages, they don’t miss anything. I’m glad. They’re good parents.’’

marc.berman@nypost.com

Steve Novak, Knicks, San Antonio, Jeremy Lin

Nypost.com

Carnival swings to first-quarter loss of $139 million, taking hit from Costa Concordia accident

MIAMI -- Cruise ship operator Carnival reported Friday that it swung to a first-quarter net loss of $139 million, or 18 cents a share, and cut its fiscal outlook due to the Costa Concordia accident off the Italian coast earlier this year.

The loss compared to a profit of $152 million, or 19 cents a share in the same period a year ago. Revenue rose to $3.6 billion from $3.4 billion in the prior year, largely due to increased ship capacity and higher ticket prices.

"First quarter 2012 results reflect Costa Concordia incident expenses of $29 million, including a $10 million insurance deductible related to third party personal injury liabilities," the company said in a press release.

Carnival also recorded an insurance recoverable of $515 million, which offset the write-off on the Costa Concordia value, as the ship "has been deemed to be a constructive total loss."

The cruise line's subsidiary, Costa Crociere, said Friday that it has received six bids to remove the Concordia wreck, adding that it will select a company by early next month. The company said the removal could take up to 12 months.

In another blow to the firm's troubled Costa unit, Carnival said it incurred a $34 million impairment charge related to the Costa Allegra. The Allegra was disabled a few weeks back for three straight days in the middle of the Indian Ocean after a fire on board.

Carnival also issued a new earnings forecast that fell below many analysts' estimates due to the Costa impact, which appeared to dent future bookings.

"The company's expectations for 2012 will be affected by the direct and indirect financial consequences of the Costa Concordia incident," Carnival said.

The company now sees 2012 adjusted earnings per share of $1.40 to $1.70, down from a previously lowered estimate of $2.04 to $2.37 a share. Analysts were expecting $1.85 a share, according to MarketWatch.

Carnival also noted that fuel prices increased 30 percent during the quarter.

Shares in the company ticked up 0.8 percent in early New York trade.

Costa Concordia, Carnival, Costa Crociere, company, Costa Allegra, Concordia

Nypost.com

Yankees get strength from motivational speaker

TAMPA -- Donnie Moore is a Northern California educational and motivational speaker who also runs baseball-chapel gatherings in Oakland.

Yesterday, Moore was brought into the Yankees clubhouse to address the players and left them with mouths open.

In addition to preaching a vision is needed before success reached, Moore put on several displays of mental and physical strength.

“He rolled a frying pan like a burrito,’’ manager Joe Girardi said.

Moore also broke a bat with his hands and ripped a phone book and a can in half.

“That guy was amazing. To see that guy roll that frying pan was pretty exciting,’’ Robinson Cano said. “And to rip a can in half, rip the phone book, it was unbelievable. It shows you can control, with your mind, what you can do. Everybody was looking at each other like, ‘Are you serious?’ It helps hearing that kind of positive message, especially in baseball because you are going to struggle. That is a guy who has something special.’’

***

Hall of Famer Yogi Berra arrived in camp Wednesday. Berra, 87 in May, didn’t put on uniform No. 8 for the game.

“I felt like camp started today; Yogi’s here,’’ Girardi said. “It kind of puts a smile on everyone’s face.’’

A year ago, Rafael Soriano didn’t want to pitch against AL East teams in spring training. Wednesday, he strolled into Steinbrenner Field and informed the Yankees’ staff he wanted an inning against the Rays.

“He said he was ready and we put him on the list. For whatever reason he wanted to get out there,’’ Girardi said of the right-handed reliever who worked a scoreless inning in the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Rays. He allowed a hit, a walk and fanned two.

***

Mariano Rivera will throw batting practice for the second time Thursday and appears to be on schedule to make his exhibition season debut this weekend.

“Sunday, in a game,’’ he said Wednesday.

That means Rivera will face the Phillies Sunday at Steinbrenner Field.

***

Joba Chamberlain will throw strictly fastballs off a bullpen mound Friday and then throw breaking balls on flat ground Sunday.

***

After working out with Derek Jeter during the winter at the Yankees’ minor league complex, minor league shortstop Cito Culver was spotted wearing Jeter’s No. 2 at the minor league facility this week.

***

Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova are the highest-profile Yankees the club has agreed with on one-year contracts.

Pineda, who is expected to be in Girardi’s rotation, will receive $528,475. Nova, who will likely join Pineda as a starter, gets $527,200.

Eduardo Nunez and reliever Corey Wade will make $523,800 and $508,925, respectively.

Joe Girardi, Donnie Moore, Yogi Berra, Robinson Cano, the Yankees clubhouse, Rafael Soriano, Cito Culver

Nypost.com

Thursday, March 8, 2012

You can rebound with UConn

There's no need to panic. I lost on the first day of the Big East Tournament last year, too.

Connecticut (pick ’em) over West Virginia: Riding the Huskies has worked pretty well in the past, so let’s see how long they can carry us again. UConn has won two straight for the first time in nearly two months, since the return of coach Jim Calhoun, and had a 64-57 home win over the Mountaineers in their only meeting this season. Kevin Jones presents a big challenge, but he is no Kemba Walker. His singular impact will not be enough to produce a win over the deeper Huskies, looking to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Georgetown (-2) over Pittsburgh: The Panthers showed no reason to jump on their bandwagon. In their past eight games, Pitt’s only two wins came against St. John’s. The Red Storm barely shot over 33 percent and still had several opportunities to climb back in yesterday’s game. Georgetown, with a superior defense and the ability to play more than six players, won’t miss its chance when it comes.

LIU Brooklyn (+1) over Robert Morris: The Blackbirds will become the first local team to receive their ticket to the Big Dance by winning their second straight Northeast Conference championship, in a rematch of last year’s title game. The crowd was overwhelming in last year’s battle and will be again, as LIU’s 26 straight home wins is the second-longest streak in the nation. Despite a road loss at the Colonials on Jan. 26, the Blackbirds’ fast-paced attack won’t be able to be held down again.

Record: 1-2

howard.kussoy@nypost.com

Kemba Walker, Huskies, Kevin Jones, Jim Calhoun, Big East Tournament, West Virginia, the Mountaineers, The Red Storm, UConn, Robert Morris

Nypost.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A Dynasty Without the Hereafter?

New York

In the jigsaw puzzle of China's rulers and ethnic groups, the 12th-century Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115-1234) is one of the least known, particularly outside China. Sweeping down from the steppes of Manchuria, these "people of the forest" carved out a kingdom that has in many history books been upstaged by the Northern Song (960-1127), who preceded them, and the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368), who defeated them. A small but rich show at the China Institute Gallery, "Theater, Life, and the After Life," aims to correct that with a selection of 80 pieces culled from 11 tombs excavated in southern Shanxi—an area some 500 miles southwest of Beijing.

Theater, Life,

And the Afterlife: Tomb Décor of the Jin Dynasty From Shanxi

China Institute

Through June 17

On loan from the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, almost all are reliefs on brick slabs in a variety of sizes and styles, chosen to illustrate the range of popular motifs. As a result, the exhibition unfolds across the gallery's two rooms like a 3-D catalog of funerary décor, complete with demonstration tomb.

We see reliefs of musicians blowing into flutes or beating drums, dancers caught midstride, and a wonderful series of scenes plucked from folk performances in which actors used horses and other props made of bamboo and paper. On a more sober note, there are vignettes from Confucian stories of filial piety, depictions of Taoist deities known as the Eight Immortals, and a motif in tomb art that became popular under the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220): a set of double doors with one slightly ajar revealing a woman who stands half-in, half-out. Although there is some argument about just what this signifies, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that the woman symbolizes the threshold between life and death.

[CHINAINST] Shanxi Museum

Figure of a musician playing a waist drum, from the Jin dyansty.

Though the labeling does not explain how the works are made, some reliefs appear to be molded, others incised, then painted by applying pigment directly onto the clay or on a base coat of lime or other material. Some are therefore more labor-intensive than others, just as the workmanship in some is of higher quality. The Eight Immortals, for example, are almost crude compared with some of the musicians or with a scene from daily life showing a muscular horse pulling on its tether. It seems safe to assume that the Immortals might have hailed from a less expensive workshop, a reminder that one's choice of tomb décor was as much a function of one's pocketbook as an expression of one's preferences.

By Chinese standards, Jin tombs were modest. Almost all of the 100 or so tombs unearthed to date are single chambers, often small, always made of brick. On the outside, they are plain; inside, the wall decorations emulate architectural features of Shanxi houses and display the deceased's choice of motifs. We see this in a tomb excavated in 2009 and reassembled in the gallery where, ingeniously, director Willow Weilan Hai Chang repositioned the south wall to allow visitors inside the space. It is about 48 square feet, enough for a funerary bed and a few household objects (removed for the show) with little room to spare.

The far wall features carved doors, this time tightly shut and flanked by deeply carved reliefs of a man and woman. These stand-ins for the tomb's occupants look on without expression, hands clasped. Opposite them, four other figures look back. They sport hats and clothes that identify them as the principal characters in a popular form of Jin theater: the leading man; the foil or straight man, here wearing an orange robe with white polka dots; the jester; and the court official. Along the side walls, bricks are carved to resemble lattice windows, beneath which peonies bloom in pots, auspicious lions prance and guardians who look like miniature Sumo wrestlers keep watch.

What comes through loud and clear is that the Jin adopted Chinese beliefs and customs and that they loved their entertainment. But at least one scholar finds it puzzling that, for all this emphasis on theater, the actors never seem to be enacting a particular play. The effigies of actors placed in the tomb appear stiff and generic. Did the deceased avoid one set script because they wanted the actors to vary their repertoire throughout eternity?

"Maybe," says Nancy S. Steinhardt, a professor of East Asian art at the University of Pennsylvania and contributor to the show's catalog. "Or," she speculates, "maybe they don't really believe there is an afterlife," in which case they include actors as a nod to their love of theater, not because they believe they will need entertaining. This would also explain the scaled-down tombs and the lack, so far, of any sign that the Jin tried to preserve corpses. There are no jade suits, no embalming, no wire-metal encasements as are found at other times and places. This is a theory Ms. Steinhardt is still testing. If it pans out, then Jin tombs could point to a significant shift in thinking in 12th-century China and provide one more reason to pay attention to this little-known dynasty.

Ms. Lawrence is a writer in Brooklyn, N.Y.

A version of this article appeared Mar. 7, 2012, on page D7 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: A Dynasty Without the Hereafter?.

Jurchen Jin dynasty, Jin Dynasty, China, China, the China Institute Gallery, Theater, Shanxi, Yuan dynasty, tombs, tombs, tomb

Online.wsj.com

Monday, March 5, 2012

POST GAMES TO WATCH: March 5-March 11

The Post’s high school staff looks ahead to the most intriguing matchups in boys basketball and girls basketball for the week of March 5 through March 11.

BOYS BASKETBALL

St. Raymond vs. Cardinal Hayes, CHSAA Class AA semifinals (Wednesday, 6 p.m. @ St. John’s University)

Here we go again. There is no love lost in this burgeoning rivalry. Hayes coach Joe Lods didn’t have anything incendiary to say about St. Raymond after his team defeated Bishop Loughlin in the quarterfinals Sunday. But the Ravens still remember what he said about them before the last time they played, a St. Ray’s win, and they also remember falling in the semis two seasons in a row.

Holy Cross vs. Mount St. Michael, CHSAA Class AA semifinals (Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. @ St. John’s University)

In the preseason, who would have predicted these two teams meeting in the semifinals? Holy Cross was supposed to be a nice team this year, but the Knights have been flatout excellent from the very start. Mount St. Michael was an unknown coming off an ‘A’ title and all the Mountaineers did Sunday was stun two-time defending champion Christ the King in the semifinals.

Boys & Girls vs. Lincoln, PSAL Class AA semifinals (Saturday, 5:30 p.m. @ St. John’s University)

The rivalry needs no introduction. It’s Coney Island against Bed Stuy, Isaiah Whitehead against Leroy (Truck) Fludd, Ruth Lovelace against Dwayne (Tiny) Morton, the two-time defending champion Kangaroos against the powerhouse Railsplitters, winners of the four previous city titles. Boys High won the last two matchups – Lincoln won the first one – but Whitehead missed the most recent one and suffered an ankle injury late in the third quarter of the middle one. He’ll be back for the fourth, and by far most important, encounter at St. John’s University as the two rivals meet for the fifth time in the last six postseasons.

Thomas Jefferson vs. Wings Academy, PSAL Class AA semifinals (Saturday, 7:15 p.m. @ St. John’s University)

Whoever prevails, there will be a massive celebration at St. John’s on Saturday night. Neither program has been to Madison Square Garden for the PSAL Class AA finals, other than as spectators. Jefferson last won it all in 1954 while Wings has never take home a crown at the highest classification. Both teams are familiar with the semifinals. Wings has been there each of the last three years while the Orange Wave have gotten to the final four times in coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard’s eight seasons. Both teams will be desperate to get the monkey off their backs.

Next >

1

2

St. John’s University, CHSAA Class AA semifinals, St. Raymond, Cardinal Hayes, Mount St. Michael, PSAL Class AA semifinals, Isaiah Whitehead, PSAL Class AA, Bishop Loughlin

Nypost.com

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Davis says Knicks will win championship this season

headshotSteve Serby

Baron Davis looks across the practice gym and then up, at the championship banners that hang in the Knicks’ facility in Greenburgh. I ask him if he realizes that the franchise has not won a championship since ... and he doesn’t let me finish the sentence.

“Since 1972-73,” Davis says. “I come in here every day and I look at that.”

And when you look at it, what do you think?

“I see a banner ... right in the middle between those two,” he says.

To the left of the 1972-73 championship banner sits the 1969-70 championship banner.

And the banner in the middle says?

Neil Miller

Baron Davis

“2011-12 New York Knicks,” Davis says.

This isn’t about what the Knicks are now, a .500 team at 18-18. It is about what Davis believes the Knicks can become. A giant leap of faith when you consider the year-and-a-half headstart advantage the Heat have over these Knicks.

“The Heat have an advantage. The Bulls have an advantage. The Orlando Magic have an advantage. ... But I am optimistic, and I believe in what we have here in New York City,” Davis says. “And I believe in what we have here for the New York Knicks. ... We’re gonna get better.

“We can do it. We can do it.

“And I think that we’ll come out of nowhere, and we’ll do it.”

With the help of a growing bond between team and town.

“I think the Knicks fans are our X-factor,” Davis says. “For me, coming to the Garden before, it was like, ‘Oh, we’re about to come in here, we’re about to kick the Knicks’ [butts], and the fans are gonna be on our side eventually by the end of the day ’cause they’re gonna boo ’em. So imagine if the fans booed the other team, and put pressure on the other team.

“With their energy and their cheering, even if we’re down and playing bad — just like [Wednesday] night [against the Cavaliers] — we weren’t having the best game, but usually we get down 15, the boobirds come out. And the fans stayed with us and stayed with us because now, when they believe in us, we believe, we have more confidence in ourselves. And when they get loud, that just helps us play with more and more energy. ...

“I think as deep as this team is, and with the energy of New York, and the crowd — this crowd can take us all the way.”

In a perfect Knicks world, Baronsanity teamed with Linsanity will mean double trouble.

“All the clutter is behind us,” Davis says. “All the mockery of ... if we are talented but not capable. ... I think we’re behind the whole [Carmelo Anthony]-Jeremy Lin thing. We’re behind the Coach D’Antoni-getting-fired thing. I think the Linsanity stuff is behind us. ... And I think all of that brought us together at different stages, and this team is continuing to build and continuing to be together.

“Before I got here, there was talk about a championship, but there was really no ... no adversity to go through. And I think that we’ve been through a lot of adversity now. We’re gonna still have our bumps and bruises, but this team is continuing to bond together and support each other and love each other, and that’s what it’s gonna take to win a championship.”

It’s a pipe dream if Amar’e Stoudemire doesn’t regain his explosiveness ... if Mike D’Antoni can’t teach chemistry ... if there is more Melo drama. ... Lots of ifs.

Add the team playing tough enough defense to the list of ifs.

“We will,” Davis says. “We have the talent to get so much better defensively, and we’re working at it. It takes teams to be together three, four years, to develop that camaraderie and that defensive wherewithal and that defensive trust, and here we are trying to mash that into two months.”

How much better will this team be come playoff time?

“We’ll be so much better,” Davis says. “Melo will be so much better. Amar’e will get his legs back and be so much better. Jeremy Lin will settle into learning how to manage the team when he’s out there. I’ll be so much better, I’ll be more athletic. J.R. Smith will be more acclimated. [Iman] Shumpert will have more confidence. [Steve] Novak’s confidence is growing.”

Davis went on about Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries and Landry Fields and Josh Harrellson, too.

Davis, the team D.J., has yet to do his thing at a Manhattan club.

“I probably will,” he says. “Once we win the championship.”

steve.serby

@nypost.com

Steve SerbyBaron Davis, Knicks, championship banners, championship, championship, championship banner, New York

Nypost.com

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Yonkers Results

FIRST-mile; pace; $8,500; claim

3

AbleYankee(JStrtton)

19.20

6.40

4.80

4

Lady Yachtsman (JBartlett)

6.40

4.90

2

Peteantnart (J Pantaleano)

7.30

* Exacta (3-4) $108.50 * Triple (3-4-2) $812.00

SECOND-mile; trot; $12,000; claim

6

GnssRoylOk(GBrnnn)

3.20

2.70

2.70

8

Perfect Scam (L Stalbaum)

13.40

6.50

1

Aprilshowers (C Manzi)

4.10

* Exacta (6-8) $58.50 * Triple (6-8-1) $204.50 * Daily double (3/6) $47.40
Winner picked by Smith

THIRD-mile; pace; $8,500; claim

1

OrGrlsChncN(SSmth)

12.20

5.20

2.80

5

Little MissHenry(JStratton)

7.90

4.90

4

Skyway Hanover (L Stalbaum)

2.30

* Exacta (1-5) $107.50 * Triple (1-5-4) $294.00 * Superfecta (1-5-4-2) $633.00

FOURTH-mile; pace; $11,000; cond

3

MkeABundleN(CMnz)

5.20

2.60

2.20

7

DontDragonstyle(GBrennn)

4.20

3.50

2

Gabrielles Girl (E Goodell)

2.50

* Exacta (3-7) $32.40 * Triple (3-7-2) $97.50 * Pick 3 (6/1/3) $69.00

FIFTH-mile; trot; $14,000; cond

3

FoxVlleyIld(LStlbum)

3.50

2.70

2.90

1

Orphan Victor (G Brennan)

6.90

5.40

6

For You Almostfree (C Manzi)

5.60

* Exacta (3-1) $40.00 * Triple (3-1-6) $227.50 * Superfecta (3-1-6-2) $1,118.00

SIXTH-mile; pace; $12,000; claim

3

MxedMeda(EGoodell)

3.20

2.40

2.10

6

Jolly Lester (L Stalbaum)

3.80

2.70

8

Cam's Yankee Pride (G Brennan)

2.50

* Exacta (3-6) $14.00 * Triple (3-6-8) $55.50 * Pick 4 (1/3/3/3) $323.00Scr: Swingingwithashark.

SEVENTH-mile; trot; $14,000; cond

4

Braggart(MMcDonld)

4.00

2.70

2.60

7

NewHmpshreBoy(GBrnnn)

3.60

3.00

2

Justanotherspur (S Bouchard)

5.10

* Exacta (4-7) $16.20 * Triple (4-7-2) $121.50 * Pick 3 (3/3/4) $47.00

EIGHTH-mile; pace; $14,000; claim

5

Sntbythngls(GBrnnn)

3.00

2.50

2.10

7

Missmaximus (E Goodell)

7.40

4.80

1

Four Starz Roe (L Stalbaum)

3.10

* Exacta (5-7) $14.80 * Triple (5-7-1) $67.50Scr: Jasperthat A.
Winner picked by Smith

NINTH-mile; pace; $14,000; claim

2

Excel Nine (C Manzi)

25.60

9.90

6.00

7

Colby Jate (E Goodell)

7.90

7.00

6

Cyclone Cully N (M MacDonald)

3.80

* Exacta (2-7) $214.50 * Triple (2-7-6) $1,043.00

TENTH-mile; trot; $14,500; claim

7

TwnBCavar(GBrennn)

3.70

3.50

2.70

1

CarbonFootprint(BHolland)

7.50

4.80

2

Ima Spur (J Gregory)

4.30

* Exacta (7-1) $35.40 * Triple (7-1-2) $248.00 * Superfecta (7-1-2-3) $1,016.00 * Pick 3 (5/2/7) $498.00 * Pick 4 (4/5,6/2/7) $2,216.00
Winner picked by Smith

ELEVENTH-mile; pace; $14,000; cond

6

AgOfConsnt(EGoodll)

10.00

4.50

2.90

3

Sir JillianZTam(PLachance)

2.90

2.20

8

Media Darling (L Stalbaum)

8.90

* Exacta (6-3) $28.40 * Triple (6-3-8) $791.00 * Superfecta (6-3-8-5) $5,427.00 * Late double (7/6) $34.60

Total Handle-$884,387.

L Stalbaum, L Stalbaum, C Manzi, C Manzi, E Goodell, E Goodell, pace, G Brennan

Nypost.com

Harvard connection told Obama about Lin

President Obama said he knew about something that, for a time, no one in the NBA did: the brilliance of Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

In a podcast yesterday with ESPN.com affiliate Grantland, the Harvard Law School alum told host Bill Simmons he sat on his Lin knowledge for a while.

“I knew about Jeremy Lin before you did or everybody else did because Arne Duncan, my Secretary of Education, was captain of the Harvard team,” the President said. “And so way back when, Arne and I were playing [basketball] and he said, ‘I’m telling you we’ve got this terrific guard named Jeremy Lin at Harvard.’

“Then one of my best friends, his son is a freshman at Harvard, and so when he went on a recruiting trip to Harvard he saw Lin in action. So I’ve been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while.”

Simmons asked the President, who said he has NBA League Pass on his iPad and sometimes watches games while reading his briefings, if he was taking credit for Linsanity.

“I can’t take credit for it,” Obama said. “I’m just saying I was there early. ... What’s interesting is the fact that somehow folks were missing it in practice. ... Because you’ve got to assume that during scrimmages he was running the pick-and-roll pretty well.

“And it is a terrific story. He seems like a wonderful young man. And, look, it elevates this great sport all round the world. It can’t hurt ratings for basketball in China.”

Jeremy Lin, President Obama, Arne Duncan, Bill Simmons, Harvard Law School, Harvard, NBA

Nypost.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

NYSAISAA boys basketball roundup: Trevor Day tops Portledge, moves on to face Packer in quarters

Elijah Frater had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Will Kronberger had 13 points and 12 rebounds as Trevor Day School topped Portledge (L.I.), 62-40, in a NYSAISAA Class C play-in game on Wednesday.

Isaiah Frankel added 10 points, Peter Atkin had eight points and Clio Markman had eight points and five assists for Trevor Day (16-9), which meets ACIS champion Packer Collegiate, the second seed, in the quarterfinals Thursday at 5 p.m.

Staten Island Academy 76, York Prep 72 OT: James Morisano scored 22 points, Michael Langford had 16 points, Rohit Uday added 15 and Matthew Smarsch had 13 for SIA (18-7), which takes on No. 1 Rye Country Day School in the NYSAISAA Class C quarterfinals Thursday at 7 p.m. Shane Richards hit seven 3-pointers and scored 46 points for York Prep in defeat.

zbraziller@nypost.com

Trevor Day School, Trevor Day, Peter Atkin, Will Kronberger, Rye Country Day School, Clio Markman, York Prep, James Morisano, Elijah Frater, Matthew Smarsch, Packer Collegiate, Michael Langford, Rohit Uday, Island Academy, Portledge, ACIS

Nypost.com

Just sold!

Manhattan

HARLEM $930,000

1485 Fifth Ave.

Three-bedroom, two-bath condo, 1,436 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows, washer/dryer and central AC; building features doorman, valet parking, gym, heated pool and lounge with kitchen. Common charges $700, taxes $15. Asking price $939,000, on market eight weeks. Brokers: Robert Elzon, Warburg Realty Partnership and Michael Davis, Halstead Property

MIDTOWN EAST $1,740,000

255 E. 49th St.

Three-bedroom, three-bath condo, 1,600 square feet, with windowed kitchen with Sub-Zero and Viking appliances, Miele washer/dryer, bamboo floors, central AC and wraparound balcony; building features doorman and courtyard. Common charges $1,564, taxes $1,497. Asking price $1,850,000, on market 27 weeks. Brokers: Ron Lense, Prudential Douglas Elliman and Daniella Schlisser, The Corcoran Group

Brooklyn

SHEEPSHEAD BAY $267,500

2570 E. 17th St.

One-bedroom, one-bath condo, 600 square feet, with stainless-steel kitchen appliances and terrace; building features elevator, laundry and storage. Common charges $310, taxes $100. Asking price $299,000, on market 36 weeks. Broker: Jeff Surowka, Abacus Properties

Queens

FOREST HILLS $999,000

101-01 Ascan Ave.

Four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath, two-family brick townhouse, 2,187 square feet, with two-bedroom, one-bath unit with renovated kitchen over two-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath duplex with dining room, renovated kitchen and Jacuzzi bath; home features basement with laundry. Taxes $6,137. Asking price $1,125,000, on market eight weeks. Broker: Terrace Sotheby’s International Realty

kitchen appliances, Warburg Realty Partnership, central AC, square feet, Asking price, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Robert Elzon, windowed kitchen, Michael Davis, Jacuzzi bath, Daniella Schlisser, Corcoran GroupBrooklynSHEEPSHEAD BAY, Jeff Surowka

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