newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Yankees’ Aaron Boone OK with Aaron Judge not playing yet

TAMPA — Aaron Boone doesn ’ t have a date when Aaron Judge will play in an exhibition game and the slugger has yet to take a full batting practice , but the Yankees manager doesn ’ t sound like a worried man .
“ Judge hit again [ Saturday ] and threw out to 90 feet , ’ ’ Boone said of his right fielder , who hasn ’ t swung a bat against a batting practice hurler because of a right shoulder problem that surfaced before spring training started .
“ He is good , he is fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we build him up hitting because I think he was 40 or 50 swings off a tee .
He will graduate to soft toss .
We won ’ t rush anything but he is fine.
’ ’ Regulars DJ LeMahieu , Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela started in Saturday ’ s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field , and Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit will debut Sunday in Port Charlotte against the Rays , and Gary Sanchez , Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton will get their first taste of exhibition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
But Boone didn ’ t predict when Judge would surface .
“ I haven ’ t seen the progression we have for him .
I am sure we will take it conservative as far as getting him outside hitting and getting real at-bats , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ He is fine and even when we shut him down from hitting he has been doing his defensive work and running , but I am not exactly sure when he will debut yet.
’ ’ Asked if all his players were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss to the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field , Boone said , “ I think we did all right .
Try to get a few more runs [ Sunday ] .
’ ’

TAMPA — Aaron Boone doesn’t have a date when Aaron Judge will play in an exhibition game and the slugger has yet to take a full batting practice, but the Yankees manager doesn’t sound like a worried man.
“Judge hit again [Saturday] and threw out to 90 feet,’’ Boone said of his right fielder, who hasn’t swung a bat against a batting practice hurler because of a right shoulder problem that surfaced before spring training started. “He is good, he is fine. We will be conservative with how we build him up hitting because I think he was 40 or 50 swings off a tee. He will graduate to soft toss. We won’t rush anything but he is fine.’’
Regulars DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela started in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field, and Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit will debut Sunday in Port Charlotte against the Rays, and Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton will get their first taste of exhibition baseball Monday night against the Pirates at home. But Boone didn’t predict when Judge would surface.
“I haven’t seen the progression we have for him. I am sure we will take it conservative as far as getting him outside hitting and getting real at-bats,’’ Boone said. “He is fine and even when we shut him down from hitting he has been doing his defensive work and running, but I am not exactly sure when he will debut yet.’’
Asked if all his players were all right after Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field, Boone said, “I think we did all right. Try to get a few more runs [Sunday].’’


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Meghan Markle’s bestie registers ‘sussexglobalcharities.com’ website for pal

Meghan Markle ’ s best friend is helping set up the next iteration of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex @ @ @ @ @ Bestie Jessica Mulroney — a fashion stylist whose kids were pageboys and a flower girl @ @ @ @ @ Prince Harry ’ s wedding two years ago — registered the website sussexglobalcharities.com last Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ .
The website name gives a hint of how Meghan and Harry will get around @ @ @ @ @ decree that the couple cease calling themselves “ royal.
” The pair ’ s previous @ @ @ @ @ Royal .
”

Meghan Markle’s best friend is helping set up the next iteration of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable foundation.
Bestie Jessica Mulroney — a fashion stylist whose kids were pageboys and a flower girl at Markle’s and Prince Harry’s wedding two years ago — registered the website sussexglobalcharities.com last Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported.
The website name gives a hint of how Meghan and Harry will get around the Queen’s’ decree that the couple cease calling themselves “royal.”
The pair’s previous brand name was “Sussex Royal.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Tyson Fury appears to lick blood off Deontay Wilder’s neck

LAS VEGAS — Tyson Fury was carried into the ring ...

Did Tyson Fury lick Deontay Wilder’s blood? That appeared to be the case during his seventh-round TKO victory on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
In the sixth round, Fury bloodied Wilder’s ear and seemed to lick the blood off his shoulder in a bizarre scene.
If that wasn’t enough craziness, Fury tried to lead the crowd in a singalong of “American Pie” after the fight. Of course, he knew all the words.
Fury (30-1, 21 KO) — who dropped Deontay Wilder twice Saturday in this widely anticipated rematch — became the WBC heavyweight champion again. It was the first loss for Wilder, who is now 42-1-1 with 41 knockouts. Their first fight on Dec. 1, 2018, was a controversial draw, allowing Wilder to retain his crown.
“The king has returned to his throne,” proclaimed Fury, who fought to a draw with Wilder in their first fight.
The colorful boxer, known as the Gypsy King, also has performed in the WWE ring.
— with AP


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin racking up milestones at a rapid pace

Maybe it wasn ’ t the competitive imbalance in the KHL skewing Igor Shesterkin ’ s numbers after all .
Because the Rangers rookie Russian goalie won yet again , backstopping his team to a 3-2 win over the Sharks at the Garden on Saturday night .
The 44-save performance followed his 27-save win in Carolina on Friday night , giving the 24-year-old netminder nine wins in his first 10 NHL starts .
He is the first Rangers goalie to ever do that , and just the fourth goalie in history to do it .
His seven-game winning streak is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goaltender in Rangers history ( Jim Henry in 1941-42 ) , and it ’ s the fifth-longest goalie winning streak in Rangers history ( Mike Richter holds the record with 11 straight in 1996-97 ) .
Oh , and Shesterkin is the first goalie in NHL history have a .900 save percentage or better in all of his first 10 appearances since saves became a stat in 1955-56 , along with the first ever to have four 40-save games , and four 40-save wins , in his first 10 contests .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach David Quinn said .
Shesterkin said through an interpreter , “ I like when there ’ s a lot of shots , but it doesn ’ t matter how many shots there are , you always have to be prepared to help the team win.
” As for getting used to the grind and the travel , he said : “ It was a little tough to get acclimated after the flight , but I feel good.
” Veteran Henrik Lundqvist backed up after he had been a healthy scratch for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
( He also caught a puck on the bench , gave a shrug , and heard a quick “ Hen-rik !
Hen-rik !
” chant from the fans ) .
When Lundqvist found out he wasn ’ t playing against the Hurricanes , he put in a lot of work on Friday morning and suggested to coach David Quinn that Alexandar Georgiev be the backup .
Lundqvist has started just three games since Shesterkin was called up on Jan. 6 , beginning this three-goalie rotation .
Third-line center Filip Chytil was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game-time decision with an upper-body injury suffered late in the Carolina game .
Chytil got 14:49 of ice time , mostly between Philip Di Giuseppe and Kaapo Kakko .
Julien Gauthier stayed in the lineup for the third straight game since he was obtained in a trade with the Hurricanes on Tuesday .
The 22-year-old winger earned a penalty shot late in the second period , but a nice move to his backhand was stopped by goalie Aaron Dell .
… Brendan Smith was a scratch .

Maybe it wasn’t the competitive imbalance in the KHL skewing Igor Shesterkin’s numbers after all.
Because the Rangers rookie Russian goalie won yet again, backstopping his team to a 3-2 win over the Sharks at the Garden on Saturday night. The 44-save performance followed his 27-save win in Carolina on Friday night, giving the 24-year-old netminder nine wins in his first 10 NHL starts. He is the first Rangers goalie to ever do that, and just the fourth goalie in history to do it.
His seven-game winning streak is tied for the longest by a rookie goaltender in Rangers history (Jim Henry in 1941-42), and it’s the fifth-longest goalie winning streak in Rangers history (Mike Richter holds the record with 11 straight in 1996-97).
Oh, and Shesterkin is the first goalie in NHL history have a .900 save percentage or better in all of his first 10 appearances since saves became a stat in 1955-56, along with the first ever to have four 40-save games, and four 40-save wins, in his first 10 contests.
“I thought he was outstanding again,” coach David Quinn said.
Shesterkin said through an interpreter, “I like when there’s a lot of shots, but it doesn’t matter how many shots there are, you always have to be prepared to help the team win.” As for getting used to the grind and the travel, he said: “It was a little tough to get acclimated after the flight, but I feel good.”
Veteran Henrik Lundqvist backed up after he had been a healthy scratch for the first time in his career on Friday night. (He also caught a puck on the bench, gave a shrug, and heard a quick “Hen-rik! Hen-rik!” chant from the fans).
When Lundqvist found out he wasn’t playing against the Hurricanes, he put in a lot of work on Friday morning and suggested to coach David Quinn that Alexandar Georgiev be the backup. Lundqvist has started just three games since Shesterkin was called up on Jan. 6, beginning this three-goalie rotation.
Georgiev was a healthy scratch.
Third-line center Filip Chytil was able to play after he was a game-time decision with an upper-body injury suffered late in the Carolina game. Chytil got 14:49 of ice time, mostly between Philip Di Giuseppe and Kaapo Kakko.
Julien Gauthier stayed in the lineup for the third straight game since he was obtained in a trade with the Hurricanes on Tuesday. The 22-year-old winger earned a penalty shot late in the second period, but a nice move to his backhand was stopped by goalie Aaron Dell. … Brendan Smith was a scratch.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Nets’ Jarrett Allen not ‘tripping’ about sitting during 4th quarters

CHARLOTTE , N.C. — For the first time in six games , Jarrett Allen got some fourth-quarter minutes — and even that was fewer than two minutes in a blowout laugher .
But Nets coach Kenny Atkinson insisted he hasn ’ t lost faith in his starting center , and he isn ’ t worried about the 21-year-old ’ s confidence .
“ No .
It ’ s not the worst thing in the world , ” Atkinson said after the Nets ’ 115-86 win over the Hornets on Saturday night .
“ More than anything , I think he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like he ’ s playing bad , it ’ s more he understands DeAndre [ Jordan ] is supplying us with some things we need right now — experience and physicality are obviously the two big things .
“ But I ’ m a huge Jarrett Allen fan , so by no means is he out of the rotation .
You ’ ll see him playing big minutes going forward , big part of what we do .
He ’ ll be fine .
He ’ s so even-keeled , level-headed , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allen had 12 points and 11 rebounds , but logged just 1:56 in the fourth quarter Saturday .
And in the fourth quarters of the previous five games , he had zero minutes , zero impact , zeroes across .
Jordan , meanwhile , had piled up 45 minutes , 29 points , 24 rebounds and four blocks .
Every one of those stats are team-highs except the scoring , at which he was second .
But Allen said he isn ’ t worried over his role or vexed over his playing time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going to happen when you hit around the eight-minute mark , whether you ’ re going to go in or not , ” Allen told The Post .
“ But at that point , it ’ s like I don ’ t want to go in and mess up the chemistry that the team is having for us to win.
” “ If they ’ re vibing then go ahead and let them vibe let them let them go out and win it .
So I ’ m not tripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sideline Kyrie Irving for the rest of this season .
But he should be fine in time for next season — which starts in October — as long as there is no rotator cuff damage .
Asked about the possibility of rotator cuff damage , Nets general manager Sean Marks wouldn ’ t answer .
“ I ’ m not going to get into details now , because he ’ s still evaluating what his options may be over the next couple of days , ” Marks said .
“ But in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will be out for the remainder of the season.
” “ Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is pretty minimally-invasive in terms skin incisions .
But there ’ s a lot of variability in terms of what is done inside the shoulder .
…Most impingement issues tend to have good resolution with a less invasive approach like that , ” Dr. Stephen Hunt of Tri-County Orthopedics in Morristown , N.J. , told The Post .
“ There are other issues in terms of rotator cuff , things like that , that can add time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say certainly by six months from now I ’ d think in most situations people would be fairly recovered .
Obviously he ’ s a high-level athlete , that ’ s his shooting arm , so that may take a little longer .
It depends what they did at the time of the procedure .
”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the first time in six games, Jarrett Allen got some fourth-quarter minutes — and even that was fewer than two minutes in a blowout laugher.
But Nets coach Kenny Atkinson insisted he hasn’t lost faith in his starting center, and he isn’t worried about the 21-year-old’s confidence.
“No. It’s not the worst thing in the world,” Atkinson said after the Nets’ 115-86 win over the Hornets on Saturday night. “More than anything, I think he understands it. It’s not like he’s playing bad, it’s more he understands DeAndre [Jordan] is supplying us with some things we need right now — experience and physicality are obviously the two big things.
“But I’m a huge Jarrett Allen fan, so by no means is he out of the rotation. You’ll see him playing big minutes going forward, big part of what we do. He’ll be fine. He’s so even-keeled, level-headed, I don’t worry about him.”
Allen had 12 points and 11 rebounds, but logged just 1:56 in the fourth quarter Saturday. And in the fourth quarters of the previous five games, he had zero minutes, zero impact, zeroes across.
Jordan, meanwhile, had piled up 45 minutes, 29 points, 24 rebounds and four blocks. Every one of those stats are team-highs except the scoring, at which he was second.
But Allen said he isn’t worried over his role or vexed over his playing time.
“You get the feeling of what’s going to happen when you hit around the eight-minute mark, whether you’re going to go in or not,” Allen told The Post. “But at that point, it’s like I don’t want to go in and mess up the chemistry that the team is having for us to win.”
“If they’re vibing then go ahead and let them vibe let them let them go out and win it. So I’m not tripping over that.”
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery will sideline Kyrie Irving for the rest of this season. But he should be fine in time for next season — which starts in October — as long as there is no rotator cuff damage.
Asked about the possibility of rotator cuff damage, Nets general manager Sean Marks wouldn’t answer.
“I’m not going to get into details now, because he’s still evaluating what his options may be over the next couple of days,” Marks said. “But in terms of he is having surgery, and he will be out for the remainder of the season.”
“Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is pretty minimally-invasive in terms skin incisions. But there’s a lot of variability in terms of what is done inside the shoulder. …Most impingement issues tend to have good resolution with a less invasive approach like that,” Dr. Stephen Hunt of Tri-County Orthopedics in Morristown, N.J., told The Post.
“There are other issues in terms of rotator cuff, things like that, that can add time to recovery. … But I’d say certainly by six months from now I’d think in most situations people would be fairly recovered. Obviously he’s a high-level athlete, that’s his shooting arm, so that may take a little longer. It depends what they did at the time of the procedure.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Second person in four days killed by a Mardi Gras parade float in New Orleans

A man was fatally struck by a Mardi Gras parade float in New Orleans Saturday night , marking the second such death in four days during the celebration , according to local reports .
The man was hit by a float rolling in the popular Krewe of Endymion parade on Canal Street , Nola.com reported .
The tragedy brought an early end to the parade and has led to changes in float design for the remainder of Mardi Gras reveling , according to the city ’ s emergency preparedness agency , Nola Ready .
“ To be confronted with such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our Carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear , ” tweeted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell .
“ The City and the people of New Orleans will come together , we will grieve together , and we will persevere together.
” The tragedy occurred just three days after Geraldine Carmouche , 58 , was fatally run over at a different parade Wednesday night as she tried to cross between two floats that were hitched together and pulled by the same tractor , known as a “ tandem float.
” Officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered details on the collision .
Though witnesses told Nola.com that the man was similarly run over after becoming trapped between a tandem float .
“ I can ’ t wrap my head around witnessing this , ” tweeted Jonah Gilmore , a local reporter who was at the scene .
“ Like man , the screams , seeing CPR performed on his body and seeing them finally drape that sheet .
I never imagined I would witness something so horrific.
” Nola Ready said the city would be banning tandem floats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the remainder of Mardi Gras , which runs through Fat Tuesday on Feb. 25 .

A man was fatally struck by a Mardi Gras parade float in New Orleans Saturday night, marking the second such death in four days during the celebration, according to local reports.
The man was hit by a float rolling in the popular Krewe of Endymion parade on Canal Street, Nola.com reported. The tragedy brought an early end to the parade and has led to changes in float design for the remainder of Mardi Gras reveling, according to the city’s emergency preparedness agency, Nola Ready.
“To be confronted with such tragedy a second time at the height of our Carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear,” tweeted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “The City and the people of New Orleans will come together, we will grieve together, and we will persevere together.”
The tragedy occurred just three days after Geraldine Carmouche, 58, was fatally run over at a different parade Wednesday night as she tried to cross between two floats that were hitched together and pulled by the same tractor, known as a “tandem float.”
Officials have not identified the man killed Saturday or offered details on the collision. Though witnesses told Nola.com that the man was similarly run over after becoming trapped between a tandem float.
“I can’t wrap my head around witnessing this,” tweeted Jonah Gilmore, a local reporter who was at the scene. “Like man, the screams, seeing CPR performed on his body and seeing them finally drape that sheet. I never imagined I would witness something so horrific.”
Nola Ready said the city would be banning tandem floats, a common sight at the parades, for the remainder of Mardi Gras, which runs through Fat Tuesday on Feb. 25.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Tyson Fury beats Deontay Wilder in 7th-round TKO to win title

Did Tyson Fury lick Deontay Wilder ’ s blood ?
That appeared to ...

LAS VEGAS — Tyson Fury was carried into the ring on a chariot built into a golden throne. He left as the undisputed king of heavyweight boxing.
Fury captured the WBC heavyweight championship by dominating Deontay Wilder until referee Kenny Bayless stopped their pay-per-view bout in the seventh round Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
It really wasn’t much of a contest. The Englishman controlled the fight from the outset, dropping Wilder in the third and fifth rounds before finishing him at 1:39 of the seventh.
Wilder spent the entire night on wobbly legs and never had a chance to unleash his powerful right hand. As Fury landed the last of his 58 power punches, Wilder’s corner prompted Bayless to stop the fight.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) was brilliant. He established his jab early, hurt Wilder when he had the chance, and never let him recover. Fury first won the heavyweight title when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, but was stripped of the crown for substance abuse. He looked even better Saturday night.
“The king has returned,” Fury said before entertaining a sold-out crowd of mostly Fury fans by belting out a rendition of “American Pie.”
He also credited Wilder, who lost for the first time in his career.
“He came here and showed the heart of a champion,” Fury said. “He’s a warrior. He will be back and he’ll be champion again.”
Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) was making his 11th defense of the title he captured in 2015.
“Things like this happen,” Wilder said. “I wanted to go out on my shield. But it is what it is. I make no excuses. Even the greatest came back. That’s just part of it. I’ll come back stronger next time around.”
The packed crowd came to witness what had been hyped as the best heavyweight showdown in decades. It was to settle unfinished business from their first meeting on Dec. 1, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Wilder dropped Fury in the ninth and 12th rounds of that fight but had to settle for a split draw. Fury thought he had won enough rounds to win, and proclaimed himself in better condition for the rematch despite weighing almost 17 pounds heavier at 273 pounds.
Wilder, at 231, was also heavier than the first fight as both men sought to gain more muscle and power. Fury had vowed to be more aggressive in the rematch, predicting a second-round knockout. Wilder’s game plan was obvious: land the devastating right hand that almost finished Fury in the first fight.
Fury made a dramatic ring entrance, sitting on a golden throne that was carried by several women. Wilder entered second dressed like something out of a Star Wars movie. Once the theatrics were over, the real drama began.
Fury pressed the action in the first round, establishing his jab and forcing Wilder to fight off his back foot. Wilder made an effort to touch Fury’s body, but had trouble working around Fury’s long reach.
With his beefed up 6-foot-9 frame, Fury looked huge and used his size to muscle Wilder in the clinches. Fury landed a hard right hand to Wilder’s head early in the third round and another right hand midway through the round.
Those punches softened Wilder and when Fury unleashed a left-right combination, Wilder was on the canvas for the first time in their two fights.
Wilder’s legs looked weak and wobbly and in the fifth and he was on his back again from a right hand to the ribs from Fury. Wilder managed to get up, but it seemed just a matter of time. The champion had nothing left.
When Fury wasn’t punching him, the Englishman was leaning on him with all his weight adding more stress to Wilder’s unstable body. At one point, Fury licked the blood off Wilder’s neck in delight. By the sixth round, Fury was in full control, stalking his wounded prey. He pinned Wilder to the ropes and hammered him with right hands to the head and uppercuts.
Wilder stumbled out for the seventh round, looking as if he was ready to make his last stand. But Fury caught Wilder with a left hook and continued his offensive assault to the point where Wilder’s corner had to save their fighter.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Mark Cuban blasts NBA refs after controversial Mavericks’ loss

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban blasted the officials in a Twitter rant after the Dallas ’ 111-107 loss to the Hawks on Saturday night in Atlanta .
Cuban ’ s tirade began with a tweet after the Hawks ’ John Collins converted on a follow shot , which was credited after a goaltending call was overturned .
The basket sealed the game for the Hawks with 8.4 seconds remaining .
“ So they call a goaltend , ” Cuban wrote .
“ They literally blew the whistle that it was a goaltend .
There was a putback after the whistle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ count the basket ?
WTF is that ?
That ’ s NBA officiating .
Cuban — who , according to ESPN.com , has been fined more than $ 2 million for publicly bashing referees , wasn ’ t done questioning the call .
“ 1 of the refs told us it was an inadvertent whistle , so it was not goaltending , ” Cuban wrote in a follow-up tweet .
“ Doesn ’ t matter that people stopped .
They thought the whistle came after the putback .
So the basket counted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t a goaltend ?
” Crew chief Rodney Mott explained the call after the game .
“ The ball was blocked and reviewed , ” Mott told a pool reporter .
“ The ball hit the rim , so it was deemed an inadvertent whistle because it was ruled a good block .
By rule , it ’ s an inadvertent whistle .
It ’ s Rule 2 .
Because he ( Collins ) was in his shooting motion when my whistle blew , it ’ s deemed a continuation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuban didn ’ t limit his criticism to just this individual call , saying the league has a systemic problem when it comes to officials .
“ Refs have bad games , ” he tweeted .
“ Crews have bad games .
But this isn ’ t a single game issue .
This is the same s— that has been going on for 20 years .
Hire former refs who think they know how to hire , train and manage .
Realize 2 years later they can ’ t .
Repeat.
” As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to feel sorry for the Mavericks and their short-handed roster .
Dallas star point guard Luka Doncic was held out so he could rest his ankle , and so was former Knick Kristaps Porzingis , who was sidelined to rest his knee .
Doncic and Porzingis led Dallas to a 122-106 win over the Orlando Magic the night before .
“ I feel like I definitely took advantage of the mismatches I had tonight , ” said Collins , who scored 35 points and grabbed 17 rebounds .
“ As you guys know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , so I think I definitely took advantage of that and made the most of it.
” Tim Hardaway Jr. , another Knick , didn ’ t blame the loss on that one call .
“ We gave up over 30 points in the second quarter again and we let up in the fourth , ” said Hardaway , who scored 20 of his season-tying 33 points in the first half .
“ We were up double digits going into the fourth .
We let up .
It ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban blasted the officials in a Twitter rant after Dallas’ 111-107 loss to the Hawks on Saturday night in Atlanta.
Cuban’s tirade began with a tweet after the Hawks’ John Collins converted on a follow shot, which was credited after a goaltending call was overturned. The basket sealed the game for the Hawks with 8.4 seconds remaining.
“So they call a goaltend,” Cuban wrote. “They literally blew the whistle that it was a goaltend. There was a putback after the whistle. After review they said no goaltend but count the basket? WTF is that? That’s NBA officiating.”
Cuban, who according to ESPN has been fined more than $2 million for publicly bashing referees, wasn’t done questioning the call.
“1 of the refs told us it was an inadvertent whistle, so it was not goaltending,” Cuban wrote in a follow-up tweet. “Doesn’t matter that people stopped. They thought the whistle came after the putback. So the basket counted. So what where they reviewing if it wasn’t a goaltend?”
Crew chief Rodney Mott explained the call after the game.
“The ball was blocked and reviewed,” Mott told a pool reporter. “The ball hit the rim, so it was deemed an inadvertent whistle because it was ruled a good block. By rule, it’s an inadvertent whistle. It’s Rule 2. Because he (Collins) was in his shooting motion when my whistle blew, it’s deemed a continuation, so therefore, the basket counts.”
Cuban didn’t limit his criticism to this individual call, saying the league has a systemic problem when it comes to officials.
“Refs have bad games,” he tweeted. “Crews have bad games. But this isn’t a single game issue. This is the same s— that has been going on for 20 years. Hire former refs who think they know how to hire, train and manage. Realize 2 years later they can’t. Repeat.”
Collins was not about to feel sorry for the Mavericks and their short-handed roster. Dallas star point guard Luka Doncic was held out so he could rest his ankle and former Knick Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined to rest his knee. Doncic and Porzingis led Dallas to a 122-106 win over the Orlando Magic the night before.
“I feel like I definitely took advantage of the mismatches I had tonight,” said Collins, who scored 35 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. “As you guys know, I can crash the basket pretty well, so I think I definitely took advantage of that and made the most of it.”
Tim Hardaway Jr., another ex-Knick, didn’t blame the loss on that one call.
“We gave up over 30 points in the second quarter again and we let up in the fourth,” said Hardaway, who scored 20 of his season-tying 33 points in the first half. “We were up double digits going into the fourth. We let up. It’s hard to see, but it happened.”
— with AP


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Mayor-on-mayor malice — Bill de Blasio disses Pete Buttigieg in snarky tweet

Mayor de Blasio attacked Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg for placing third @ @ @ @ @ night , tweeting , “ try not to be so smug when you just got @ @ @ @ @ mayor-on-mayor swipe praised the “ true multi-racial coalition ” of caucuses winner Bernie Sanders , @ @ @ @ @ Dude , show some humility.
” But De Blasio , a Sanders supporter , quickly @ @ @ @ @ will , including from one Hoosier wag who tweeted back , “ The mayor from @ @ @ @ @ is still in the race .
How ’ s your campaign for president going ?
@

Mayor de Blasio attacked Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg for placing third in the Nevada caucuses Saturday night, tweeting, “try not to be so smug when you just got your ass kicked.”
The mayor-on-mayor swipe praised the “true multi-racial coalition” of caucuses winner Bernie Sanders, and chided Buttigieg, “Dude, show some humility.”
But De Blasio, a Sanders supporter, quickly caught flak for his ill will, including from one Hoosier wag who tweeted back, “The mayor from South Bend, Indiana, is still in the race. How’s your campaign for president going?”


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--Seven injured in multi-vehicle crash on Bronx River Parkway

A witness claims to have seen Prince Andrew grope Virginia ...

Seven people were hospitalized after a multi-vehicle pileup on the Bronx River Parkway Saturday afternoon, the FDNY said.
At least four vehicles collided on the Gun Hill Road exit ramp at around 2:30 p.m., with one car flipping over and onto a guard rail, an FDNY spokesman said.
Three people had serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, and four more suffered minor wounds. All were treated at Jacobi Medical Center.
The cause of the crash wasn’t clear.


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--Witness says he saw Prince Andrew grope Virginia Roberts on Jeffrey Epstein’s island

A witness claims to have seen Prince Andrew grope Virginia Roberts Giuffre ’ s butt on Jeffrey Epstein ’ s “ Pedophile Island , ” a report said Saturday .
Steve Scully , 70 , told The Sun that he saw the disgraced prince kissing and grabbing a young blonde woman wearing a bikini — someone he believes was Giuffre — by a pool on Epstein ’ s private island , Little St. James .
“ He was grabbing her ass and stuff like that .
They were kissing , ” Scully told The Sun .
“ He was grinding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who reportedly worked as Epstein ’ s internet and phone specialist , said that the woman “ wasn ’ t resisting.
” “ They were bumping and grinding and fooling around for five , six , seven minutes and they then laid back down on the lounge chairs and continued , ” Scully said .
But the new witness said he was shocked by how young the girl looked .
“ She stood like a kid would stand behind a parent , ” he said .
“ They walked off together and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the top prosecutor in the US Virgin Islands revealed to Vanity Fair that an employee had come forward as a witness .
“ An employee told me that he saw Prince Andrew on a balcony out at Little St. James groping girls right out in the open , ” Attorney General Denise George said .
In legal papers and in television interviews , Giuffre has repeatedly accused the Duke of York of having sex with her three times , including while she was underage .
He was removed from his royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview in which he denied bedding — or even knowing — Giuffre and defended his friendship with Epstein .
Andrew and Buckingham Palace have vehemently denied the accusations against him .
He went as far as to call her a “ very sick girl ” to a friend in 2011 after he was first linked to Epstein ’ s pedophile scandal .
In recent weeks , four Epstein accusers have written an open letter to Andrew — who has refused to speak to authorities — begging him to talk to the FBI about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is a distant relative of the royals , said Epstein ’ s gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell once told her that the pair had everyone videotaped , The Telegraph reported Friday .
“ I ’ ve seen the video rooms- EVERY SINGLE ROOM was being filmed .
I ’ ve even seen some of the pics- why are the feds taking so long with arrests , ” Roberts pleaded on Twitter Saturday .
“ Everyday I wake up hoping that someone has been held accountable and everyday I wake up disappointed .
# @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Boies , said she does not remember the specific incident described by Scully .
But Boies added that Scully is “ a very significant ” witness .

A witness claims to have seen Prince Andrew grope Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s butt on Jeffrey Epstein’s “Pedophile Island,” a report said Saturday.
Steve Scully, 70, told The Sun that he saw the disgraced prince kissing and grabbing a young blonde woman wearing a bikini — someone he believes was Giuffre — by a pool on Epstein’s private island, Little St. James.
“He was grabbing her ass and stuff like that. They were kissing,” Scully told The Sun. “He was grinding against her and groping her.”
Scully, who reportedly worked as Epstein’s internet and phone specialist, said that the woman “wasn’t resisting.”
“They were bumping and grinding and fooling around for five, six, seven minutes and they then laid back down on the lounge chairs and continued,” Scully said.
But the new witness said he was shocked by how young the girl looked.
“She stood like a kid would stand behind a parent,” he said.
“They walked off together and I went the other way.”
Last week, the top prosecutor in the US Virgin Islands revealed to Vanity Fair that an employee had come forward as a witness.
“An employee told me that he saw Prince Andrew on a balcony out at Little St. James groping girls right out in the open,” Attorney General Denise George said.
In legal papers and in television interviews, Giuffre has repeatedly accused the Duke of York of having sex with her three times, including while she was underage. He was removed from his royal duties in November after a disastrous BBC interview in which he denied bedding — or even knowing — Giuffre and defended his friendship with Epstein.
Andrew and Buckingham Palace have vehemently denied the accusations against him. He went as far as to call her a “very sick girl” to a friend in 2011 after he was first linked to Epstein’s pedophile scandal.
In recent weeks, four Epstein accusers have written an open letter to Andrew — who has refused to speak to authorities — begging him to talk to the FBI about the allegations.
Socialite Christina Oxenberg, who is a distant relative of the royals, said Epstein’s gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell once told her that the pair had everyone videotaped, The Telegraph reported Friday.
“I’ve seen the video rooms- EVERY SINGLE ROOM was being filmed. I’ve even seen some of the pics- why are the feds taking so long with arrests,” Roberts pleaded on Twitter Saturday. “Everyday I wake up hoping that someone has been held accountable and everyday I wake up disappointed. #DoSomethingAlready.”
Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, said she does not remember the specific incident described by Scully.
But Boies added that Scully is “a very significant” witness.


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--One factor Rangers can’t weigh when it comes to Chris Kreider

So the Rangers won again on Saturday , three straight and seven of the past eight in the aftermath of this 3-2 victory over the Sharks at the Garden that kept the team within four points of a playoff berth with 21 games to go in the season .
It ’ s all so seductive , isn ’ t it , with the trade deadline set for 3 p.m. on Monday — not only the 7-1 record over the past two weeks , but the 14-6 mark since Igor Shesterkin made his NHL debut on Jan. 7 .
The playoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that impossible now , does it ?
Even with this sudden era of good feeling washing over the franchise , ownership and management must keep their eye on the big prize and not on intermediate baubles such as an unexpected postseason berth .
The deadline still has to be about next year and the year after that and the two or three after that rather than about the next six weeks or the past two months .
This is no time for the discipline displayed over the past 24 months by the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which is to say that too much is on the line for the Blueshirts to keep Chris Kreider if the team is unable to reach agreement with the winger on a contract extension before the deadline .
As we reported Friday , the club ’ s preference is to keep No .
20 rather than deal the pending free agent as a rental for a package of futures .
Sources from around the league seem to believe that Kreider won ’ t be traded .
Still , though , neither does it necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an extension with Kreider than they were 48 hours ago , when the gulf was significant .
So it is unclear whether the parties will be able to bridge the divide in the next day .
If they can not reach an agreement — and this is a no-fault scenario , with both sides having alternatives — then as painful as it might be in the short run , general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson would have no other choice than to move the BC Kid .
Going 7-1 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The future as defined by management can not be this April , even if it appears as if the current personnel is well suited to take up the battle against the Islanders , Blue Jackets , Candy Canes , Puddy Tats and Maple Leafs for one of the East ’ s two wild cards .
This is not a time for short-circuiting the process , no matter how tempting .
This is the time to trust in the program and work diligently to get Kreider under a contract extension so that the Blueshirts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an improving defense and a lockdown tandem in nets fronted by Shesterkin , 9-1 in 10 NHL starts after Saturday ’ s 44-save performance in which his team was outshot 22-3 in the first period .
“ Poise between the pipes , ” Kreider said .
“ When you ’ ve got that , you can win a lot of games.
” The Rangers and their coaching staff have all but made the deadline irrelevant .
That stands in stark contrast to each of the past two years , when a pall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anticipated sell-offs .
A sell-off was anticipated this year , too , but you wouldn ’ t know it from watching this group .
“ We ’ ve known we ’ ve had this in us .
It ’ s just come down to things we can control like work ethic and attention to detail , ” Mika Zibanejad told The Post .
“ Winning solves everything .
We ’ re only thinking about the next shift , the next period , the next game .
“ We come to the rink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better .
We are not consumed by trade talk .
Everyone is aware of it , but we don ’ t control that .
What we control is our play .
Whatever happens , happens .
“ If there are trades , then we will deal with that and we ’ ll go out and play.
” Except it probably won ’ t be that simple if Kreider is ripped away , or if Jesper Fast , who scored twice against the Sharks and is also a pending free agent , is dealt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it won ’ t be easy at all for a Rangers team whose next match is Tuesday at the Coliseum against the Islanders .
Maybe 14-6 since Jan. 7 changes the landscape for Gorton and Davidson , but the Rangers should not be seduced the way the front office in 2015-16 by a mid-winter run that led to the regrettable rental acquisition of Eric Staal .
They can not keep Kreider for the next two months unless they are keeping him for the next six or seven years .
This can not @ @ @ @ @ @

So the Rangers won again on Saturday, three straight and seven of the past eight in the aftermath of this 3-2 victory over the Sharks at the Garden that kept the team within four points of a playoff berth with 21 games to go in the season.
It’s all so seductive, isn’t it, with the trade deadline set for 3 p.m. on Monday — not only the 7-1 record over the past two weeks, but the 14-6 mark since Igor Shesterkin made his NHL debut on Jan. 7.
The playoff dream just doesn’t seem all that impossible now, does it?
Even with this sudden era of good feeling washing over the franchise, ownership and management must keep their eye on the big prize and not on intermediate baubles such as an unexpected postseason berth.
The deadline still has to be about next year and the year after that and the two or three after that rather than about the next six weeks or the past two months. This is no time for the discipline displayed over the past 24 months by the front office to dissipate in excited optimism.
Which is to say that too much is on the line for the Blueshirts to keep Chris Kreider if the team is unable to reach agreement with the winger on a contract extension before the deadline. As we reported Friday, the club’s preference is to keep No. 20 rather than deal the pending free agent as a rental for a package of futures.
Sources from around the league seem to believe that Kreider won’t be traded. Still, though, neither does it necessarily seem as if the Rangers are closer on an extension with Kreider than they were 48 hours ago, when the gulf was significant. So it is unclear whether the parties will be able to bridge the divide in the next day.
If they cannot reach an agreement — and this is a no-fault scenario, with both sides having alternatives — then as painful as it might be in the short run, general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson would have no other choice than to move the BC Kid.
Going 7-1 or 14-6 cannot make people silly. The future as defined by management cannot be this April, even if it appears as if the current personnel is well suited to take up the battle against the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Candy Canes, Puddy Tats and Maple Leafs for one of the East’s two wild cards. This is not a time for short-circuiting the process, no matter how tempting.
This is the time to trust in the program and work diligently to get Kreider under a contract extension so that the Blueshirts can present a formidable top-six in front of an improving defense and a lockdown tandem in nets fronted by Shesterkin, 9-1 in 10 NHL starts after Saturday’s 44-save performance in which his team was outshot 22-3 in the first period.
“Poise between the pipes,” Kreider said. “When you’ve got that, you can win a lot of games.”
The Rangers and their coaching staff have all but made the deadline irrelevant. That stands in stark contrast to each of the past two years, when a pall settled over the club weeks in advance of anticipated sell-offs. A sell-off was anticipated this year, too, but you wouldn’t know it from watching this group.
“We’ve known we’ve had this in us. It’s just come down to things we can control like work ethic and attention to detail,” Mika Zibanejad told The Post. “Winning solves everything. We’re only thinking about the next shift, the next period, the next game.
“We come to the rink every day focused on how to get better. We are not consumed by trade talk. Everyone is aware of it, but we don’t control that. What we control is our play. Whatever happens, happens.
“If there are trades, then we will deal with that and we’ll go out and play.”
Except it probably won’t be that simple if Kreider is ripped away, or if Jesper Fast, who scored twice against the Sharks and is also a pending free agent, is dealt for a second- or third-rounder. Actually, it won’t be easy at all for a Rangers team whose next match is Tuesday at the Coliseum against the Islanders.
Maybe 14-6 since Jan. 7 changes the landscape for Gorton and Davidson, but the Rangers should not be seduced the way the front office was in 2015-16 by a mid-winter run that led to the regrettable rental acquisition of Eric Staal. They cannot keep Kreider for the next two months unless they are keeping him for the next six or seven years. This cannot be kicked down the road.
Sign or trade.
Remember the Tavares.


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--Firefighter whose FDNY brother died on 9/11 dies from related illness

A retired FDNY firefighter , whose older brother died when they both responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks , passed @ @ @ @ @ related to the tragedy , the FDNY said .
Daniel Foley , 46 , rushed @ @ @ @ @ with his firefighter brother , Thomas , 32 , on Sept. 11 , 2001 , @ @ @ @ @ Thomas died that day in the line of duty .
Daniel ’ s death was @ @ @ @ @ to the rescue efforts at Ground Zero , the department said .
More than 200 @ @ @ @ @ due to illnesses related to the toxic Ground Zero site .
Foley ’ s passing @ @ @ @ @ — Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) and .
Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) — held @ @ @ @ @ 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund , despite strong bipartisan support behind the measure The bill would @ @ @ @ @ 9/11 victims and their families .

A retired FDNY firefighter, whose older brother died when they both responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passed away Saturday from an illness related to the tragedy, the FDNY said.
Daniel Foley, 46, rushed to the World Trade Center with his firefighter brother, Thomas, 32, on Sept. 11, 2001, an FDNY spokesman said. Thomas died that day in the line of duty.
Daniel’s death was attributed to pancreatic cancer related to the rescue efforts at Ground Zero, the department said.
More than 200 FDNY firefighters have now died due to illnesses related to the toxic Ground Zero site.
Foley’s passing came after two Republican senators — Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — held up legislation to reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, despite strong bipartisan support behind the measure
The bill would permanently provide cash funds to 9/11 victims and their families.


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to undergo surgery to remove likely cancerous tumor

New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy will undergo surgery to remove a likely cancerous kidney tumor , he announced Saturday .
Murphy , 62 , told NJ Advance Media that the tumor was caught at an early stage and that doctors have “ complete confidence ” that they will be able to fully remove it from his left kidney without chemotherapy or radiation .
“ Friends – I ’ ve got a tumor on my left kidney and will undergo a partial nephrectomy in early March to remove it , ” Murphy tweeted Saturday night .
“ The prognosis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful to my doctors for detecting the tumor early.
” The tumor is 90 percent likely to be cancerous , but doctors won ’ t know for sure until after the surgery .
Murphy expects to be hospitalized for two or three days following the procedure , during which Lt. Gov .
Sheila Oliver will serve as acting governor .
The governor seized on the news to call out America ’ s health care system as a “ national emergency.
” “ If there ’ s anything my diagnosis reminds me of , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s that preventative services are lifesaving and we need to continue fighting for affordable health care for all.
” Gov .
Andrew Cuomo tweeted his support from across the Hudson .
“ My thoughts are with @ GovMurphy and his entire family as we wish him a full and speedy recovery , ” Cuomo said .
“ NY has your back , Governor .
”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will undergo surgery to remove a likely cancerous kidney tumor, he announced Saturday.
Murphy, 62, told NJ Advance Media that the tumor was caught at an early stage and that doctors have “complete confidence” that they will be able to fully remove it from his left kidney without chemotherapy or radiation.
“Friends – I’ve got a tumor on my left kidney and will undergo a partial nephrectomy in early March to remove it,” Murphy tweeted Saturday night. “The prognosis is very good and I’m profoundly grateful to my doctors for detecting the tumor early.”
The tumor is 90 percent likely to be cancerous, but doctors won’t know for sure until after the surgery.
Murphy expects to be hospitalized for two or three days following the procedure, during which Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver will serve as acting governor.
The governor seized on the news to call out America’s health care system as a “national emergency.”
“If there’s anything my diagnosis reminds me of,” he said, “it’s that preventative services are lifesaving and we need to continue fighting for affordable health care for all.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted his support from across the Hudson.
“My thoughts are with @GovMurphy and his entire family as we wish him a full and speedy recovery,” Cuomo said. “NY has your back, Governor.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--Immigrants fuel the New York economy, study shows

Immigrants love New York — they always have .
And they are having the greatest economic effect here , out of all the states , according to a new report .
The WalletHub study compared the economic impact of foreign-born populations on the 50 states and the District of Columbia .
It used 23 indicators to determine which states benefit the most — and least — from immigration .
New York was No .
1 because “ foreign-born population is almost 23 percent , second-highest in the country , and more than 12 percent of its households are made up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , adding , “ The percentage of income generated by immigrant households is over 25 percent , the highest in the nation.
” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez attributed New York ’ s immigrant bounty to a number of factors .
“ Some of the reasons immigrants have the highest economic impact in New York include the third-largest share of foreign-born workforce , over 27 percent , and the second-largest share of foreign-born business owners , over 25 percent , ” she said .
“ The state also has the second-largest share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 37 percent.
” In addition , New York has a large number of international students and enjoys the “ brain gain ” and innovation brought by immigrants .
Most experts , according to the study , view immigrants as a net plus .
Alan Hyde , a professor at the Rutgers University Law School , noted , “ They revitalize cities .
Their neighborhoods are low-crime .
They fill many important jobs .
Their taxes and Social Security contributions keep the systems afloat .
”

Immigrants love New York — they always have.
And they are having the greatest economic effect here, out of all the states, according to a new report.
The WalletHub study compared the economic impact of foreign-born populations on the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It used 23 indicators to determine which states benefit the most — and least — from immigration.
New York was No. 1 because “foreign-born population is almost 23 percent, second-highest in the country, and more than 12 percent of its households are made up of second-generation immigrants,” the report said, adding, “The percentage of income generated by immigrant households is over 25 percent, the highest in the nation.”
WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez attributed New York’s immigrant bounty to a number of factors.
“Some of the reasons immigrants have the highest economic impact in New York include the third-largest share of foreign-born workforce, over 27 percent, and the second-largest share of foreign-born business owners, over 25 percent,” she said. “The state also has the second-largest share of active physicians who are international medical graduates, 37 percent.”
In addition, New York has a large number of international students and enjoys the “brain gain” and innovation brought by immigrants.
Most experts, according to the study, view immigrants as a net plus.
Alan Hyde, a professor at the Rutgers University Law School, noted, “They revitalize cities. Their neighborhoods are low-crime. They fill many important jobs. Their taxes and Social Security contributions keep the systems afloat.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-22--Hurricanes turn to Zamboni driver as emergency goalie — and win

TORONTO — David Ayres was sitting in the stands with his wife at Scotiabank Arena when Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer went down with an injury .
The on-call emergency netminder in Toronto , Ayers left his seat and got half dressed into his gear on the off chance something might happen to Carolina ’ s second option , Petr Mrazek .
Midway through the second period , Ayres noticed his cell phone started to blow up .
What he didn ’ t realize was Mrazek had been hurt in a scary collision with Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing the 42-year-old Zamboni driver knew , he was walking down the tunnel and into the spotlight .
And not long after , he had an improbable first NHL win .
He is the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his regular-season debut .
Ayres allowed goals on the first two shots he faced before settling down and stopping the next eight in a suffocating defensive performance by his new teammates as Carolina picked up a stunning 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night .
“ I had a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get in there , ” Ayres said in front a throng of reporters .
“ I hadn ’ t seen the footage ( of Mrazek ’ s injury ) .
I was in the media room by myself and a guy came in and said , ‘ Get going .
Get ready.
’ “ It was wild , it was fun , ” said Ayres , who gets paid $ 500 and gets to keep his jersey .
Ayres , who had a kidney transplant 15 years ago and wasn ’ t sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has been a practice goalie with the Leafs and the club ’ s American Hockey League affiliate , the Toronto Marlies , for the last eight years .
The native of nearby Whitby , Ontario , faces shots from professional players on an almost-daily basis during the season , but never thought he ’ d be called into service in an NHL game .
“ These guys were awesome , ” Ayres said .
“ They said to me , ‘ Have fun with it , don ’ t worry about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your moment , have fun with it . '
” He did more than that , and was greeted with raucous cheers from the Hurricanes in their locker room after finishing a post-game TV interview .
“ I had no idea I was going to get a shower before I got in the shower , ” Ayres , the game ’ s first star , said with a grin .
“ I got one.
” Not long after the final buzzer , the Hurricanes were hawking T-shirts on Twitter sporting the stand-in goalie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s pretty special , ” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind ’ Amour said .
“ I told the guys after the game , ‘ Thank him because that just gave ( us ) an incredible memory . '
” Warren Foegele scored twice , Martin Necas had a goal and an assist , and Lucas Wallmark , Nino Niederreiter andTeuvo Teravainen provided the rest of the offense for Carolina .
“ He probably dreams of playing in the National Hockey League , ” Foegele said of Ayres .
“ What a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll never forget , and something we won ’ t either.
” Alexander Kerfoot , Pierre Engvall and John Tavares scored for Toronto , which beat the Hurricanes 8-6 at home on Dec. 23 .
Kasperi Kapanen and Tyson Barrie picked up two assists each for the Leafs .
Frederik Andersen made 41 saves .
Toronto was playing poorly before Mrazek went down with Carolina leading .
Things didn ’ t get much better , even though Tavares and Engvall scored on consecutive attempts to make it 4-3 through 40 minutes .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just stayed the same , ” said head coach Sheldon Keefe , whose players mustered just seven shots in the third .
“ When the goalie switch happened , I talked to the team and said , ‘ If we don ’ t change how we ’ re playing , they don ’ t even need a goalie .
There ’ re no chances , no shots , there ’ s nothing happening.
’ “ They didn ’ t need a goaltender the way the game was going.
” Reimer started for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left with a lower-body injury in the first after being bowled over in his crease .
He was replaced by Mrazek , who made 31 saves in Friday ’ s 5-2 home loss to the New York Rangers .
But Carolina ’ s second option went down after that thunderous encounter with Clifford as both players raced for the puck along the sideboards with 8:41 left in the second .
That forced Ayres , who ’ s been the emergency goalie in Toronto for about half the games this season and is available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remainder of game between clubs battling for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference .
“ You kind of think , ‘ Oh well how ’ s this gon na end up ? '
” Brind ’ Amour said .
“ That ’ s incredible .
That ’ s why you do this.
” After the bizarre second that saw Carolina score four times , give up two goals , lose Mrazek , and have Ayres pressed into action , the Hurricanes made it 5-3 just 53 seconds into the third after jumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tight .
Necas then made it 6-3 at 3:44 when he picked up a loose puck to finish off a chaotic sequence as boos rained down .
The jeers continued on a Leafs power play later in the period and got louder as the period wore on , with some fans chanting “ Let ’ s Go Raptors !
” as the final minutes ticked down .
“ We obviously didn ’ t handle the circumstances of the game very well , ” Leafs captain John Tavares said .
“ Might have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We seemed like the team that played last night and traveled.
” Carolina trailed 1-0 after the first , but tied it at 5:46 of the second when Wallmark scored off a scramble .
Niederrieter then blasted a one-timer on a power play at 9:43 before Foegele made it 3-1 at 10:49 .
Mrazek was out of the game 30 seconds later .
Teravainen made it 4-1 with Clifford in the box for charging at 13:17 , but Tavares scored on the first shot against Ayres , through the pads 19 seconds after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Toronto ’ s next shot at 15:10 to make it 4-3 .
The Leafs , who were coming of an encouraging 4-0 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday , then got a power play — fans screamed “ Shoot !
” almost every time a Toronto player had the puck anywhere near the opposition net — but the Hurricanes didn ’ t allow anything through .
Ayres made his first save late in the second on Auston Matthews as Carolina led 4-3 through a wild 40 minutes and shut things down in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ayres said of what he ’ ll remember most .
“ How great they were to me .
The crowd in Toronto was unreal .
Even though I was on the other team they were so receptive .
Every time I made a save I could hear them cheering for me .

TORONTO — David Ayres was sitting in the stands with his wife at Scotiabank Arena when Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer went down with an injury.
The on-call emergency netminder in Toronto, Ayers left his seat and got half dressed into his gear on the off chance something might happen to Carolina’s second option, Petr Mrazek.
Midway through the second period, Ayres noticed his cell phone started to blow up. What he didn’t realize was Mrazek had been hurt in a scary collision with Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford and was down on the ice.
Next thing the 42-year-old Zamboni driver knew, he was walking down the tunnel and into the spotlight.
And not long after, he had an improbable first NHL win. He is the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his regular-season debut.
Ayres allowed goals on the first two shots he faced before settling down and stopping the next eight in a suffocating defensive performance by his new teammates as Carolina picked up a stunning 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
“I had a couple of text messages that told me to get in there,” Ayres said in front a throng of reporters. “I hadn’t seen the footage (of Mrazek’s injury). I was in the media room by myself and a guy came in and said, ‘Get going. Get ready.’
“It was wild, it was fun,” said Ayres, who gets paid $500 and gets to keep his jersey.
Ayres, who had a kidney transplant 15 years ago and wasn’t sure if he would ever play hockey again, has been a practice goalie with the Leafs and the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, for the last eight years.
The native of nearby Whitby, Ontario, faces shots from professional players on an almost-daily basis during the season, but never thought he’d be called into service in an NHL game.
“These guys were awesome,” Ayres said. “They said to me, ‘Have fun with it, don’t worry about how many goals go in, this is your moment, have fun with it.'”
He did more than that, and was greeted with raucous cheers from the Hurricanes in their locker room after finishing a post-game TV interview.
“I had no idea I was going to get a shower before I got in the shower,” Ayres, the game’s first star, said with a grin. “I got one.”
Not long after the final buzzer, the Hurricanes were hawking T-shirts on Twitter sporting the stand-in goalie’s No. 90.
“It’s pretty special,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I told the guys after the game, ‘Thank him because that just gave (us) an incredible memory.'”
Warren Foegele scored twice, Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, and Lucas Wallmark, Nino Niederreiter andTeuvo Teravainen provided the rest of the offense for Carolina.
“He probably dreams of playing in the National Hockey League,” Foegele said of Ayres. “What a moment for him. Something he’ll never forget, and something we won’t either.”
Alexander Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall and John Tavares scored for Toronto, which beat the Hurricanes 8-6 at home on Dec. 23. Kasperi Kapanen and Tyson Barrie picked up two assists each for the Leafs. Frederik Andersen made 41 saves.
Toronto was playing poorly before Mrazek went down with Carolina leading. Things didn’t get much better, even though Tavares and Engvall scored on consecutive attempts to make it 4-3 through 40 minutes.
“The reality is that the game really just stayed the same,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe, whose players mustered just seven shots in the third. “When the goalie switch happened, I talked to the team and said, ‘If we don’t change how we’re playing, they don’t even need a goalie. There’re no chances, no shots, there’s nothing happening.’
“They didn’t need a goaltender the way the game was going.”
Reimer started for the Hurricanes against his former team, but left with a lower-body injury in the first after being bowled over in his crease. He was replaced by Mrazek, who made 31 saves in Friday’s 5-2 home loss to the New York Rangers. But Carolina’s second option went down after that thunderous encounter with Clifford as both players raced for the puck along the sideboards with 8:41 left in the second.
That forced Ayres, who’s been the emergency goalie in Toronto for about half the games this season and is available to either team, into action for the remainder of game between clubs battling for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
“You kind of think, ‘Oh well how’s this gonna end up?'” Brind’Amour said. “That’s incredible. That’s why you do this.”
After the bizarre second that saw Carolina score four times, give up two goals, lose Mrazek, and have Ayres pressed into action, the Hurricanes made it 5-3 just 53 seconds into the third after jumping on a turnover and beating Andersen in tight.
Necas then made it 6-3 at 3:44 when he picked up a loose puck to finish off a chaotic sequence as boos rained down.
The jeers continued on a Leafs power play later in the period and got louder as the period wore on, with some fans chanting “Let’s Go Raptors!” as the final minutes ticked down.
“We obviously didn’t handle the circumstances of the game very well,” Leafs captain John Tavares said. “Might have been our poorest night of execution.
“We seemed like the team that played last night and traveled.”
Carolina trailed 1-0 after the first, but tied it at 5:46 of the second when Wallmark scored off a scramble. Niederrieter then blasted a one-timer on a power play at 9:43 before Foegele made it 3-1 at 10:49.
Mrazek was out of the game 30 seconds later.
Teravainen made it 4-1 with Clifford in the box for charging at 13:17, but Tavares scored on the first shot against Ayres, through the pads 19 seconds after that.
Engvall buried a loose puck on Toronto’s next shot at 15:10 to make it 4-3.
The Leafs, who were coming of an encouraging 4-0 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday, then got a power play — fans screamed “Shoot!” almost every time a Toronto player had the puck anywhere near the opposition net — but the Hurricanes didn’t allow anything through.
Ayres made his first save late in the second on Auston Matthews as Carolina led 4-3 through a wild 40 minutes and shut things down in the third.
“These guys,” Ayres said of what he’ll remember most. “How great they were to me. The crowd in Toronto was unreal. Even though I was on the other team they were so receptive. Every time I made a save I could hear them cheering for me.
“Awesome.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Philipp Plein brings a show of excess to Milan Fashion Week 2020

It looks like Plan B for the Rangers , which means ...

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus near Milan compelled Giorgio Armani to cancel his Sunday presentation — but there was no stopping Philipp Plein, whose Saturday evening show pulled out all the stops.
A gilded fighter jet, boat, cars and even helicopters emblazoned with the Philipp Plein logo were stationed around the runway, lending the affair a military-meets-decadence air.
Following a performance by Tyga, actress Jada Pinkett Smith opened the collection. With that, the stage was set for a production featuring stars from varying platforms. Among the models walked famed German photographer Ellen von Unwerth, with camera in hand; Maye Musk, supermodel and mother to Elon Musk; internet personality and actor Cameron Dallas; and YouTube celeb Gigi Gorgeous.
The flashing lights and familiar faces took the focus from the fashion, but only for a moment. The clothing was everything one expects from Plein — a designer who has, quite literally, no limits. See: the evening’s theme of excess, as well as the name of both the show and his new fragrance. Animal print was in abundance as were rock-and-roll-ready motorcycle jackets. Body-hugging gowns and thigh-high patent-leather boots matched the golden vehicles.
Keeping with the theme of no limits, Plein honored the late basketball star Kobe Bryant — whose dedication to the game of basketball was indeed limitless — and his daughter Gianna. Models donned crystal-encrusted number-24 Lakers jerseys, and Plein announced he would make a donation to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Chris Kreider likely getting traded after Rangers contract impasse

So the Rangers won again on Saturday , three straight and ...

It looks like Plan B for the Rangers, which means that you should plan on watching the team without Chris Kreider on the roster following Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
Plan A, as we first reported on Friday, was to sign the pending free-agent winger to a contract extension. But according to sources with knowledge of the talks, management and Kreider’s party — and ultimately, the player — were unable to reach an agreement as of Sunday night.
Indeed, the divide on the contract term, with the Rangers offering six years and Kreider asking for the seven years he will almost certainly command on the open market July 1, remained an immovable obstacle neither side was able or willing to hurdle in order to make a deal. There was also a difference on the money, with the Blueshirts believed offering under $7 million per.
So barring a late change of heart by Kreider, who apparently is in his last day as a Ranger after nearly eight years as a member of the organization, the Blueshirts will spend Monday sifting through trade offers, not only for No. 20, but in a cascade effect, for fellow pending free-agent winger Jesper Fast and perhaps others on the varsity.
That represents Plan B. If management had been able to come to an agreement with Kreider, the Rangers were prepared to hold tight and make a run. But removing that top-six piece from the picture changes the dynamic. The Rangers won’t give Fast away, but they are likely to deal the four-time-running Players’ Player if they can get a second-rounder as part of the package in return.
The Blueshirts also might be prepared to listen if teams come calling on Brady Skjei or Marc Staal, the latter of course with a no-move clause he would have to waive. Staal has one year at $5.7 million remaining on his contract. Since returning to the lineup Dec. 6 following ankle surgery, Staal has been on the ice for 16 goals against in 456:40 of five-on-five hockey. Only nine defensemen in the NHL have played at least 450 minutes of five-on-five in that time frame and have been on for fewer goals against than the 33-year-old (Thanks naturalstattrick.com).
It is stunning that contenders in need of veteran depth on the blue line have not deluged general manager Jeff Gorton with calls on No. 18. Tampa Bay, anyone? Again, though, Staal would have to waive his no-trade and the Blueshirts would have to agree to assume up to 50 percent of his pay (a total of $4.2 million next year) and cap hit. It’s a lot for one morning.
The Rangers are expecting business on Kreider to pick up dramatically Monday morning, with most interested parties having hung back while New York management focused on a contract agreement. The Avalanche are interested and so are the Bruins, despite their acquisition of Ondrej Kase on Friday. St. Louis is believed a bidder. The Lightning may well check in. The Golden Knights are believed intrigued.
The Islanders might at some time have checked in, but there is essentially no chance the Rangers would send Kreider across the East River while the teams are engaged in a battle for a wild-card spot and set to meet on Tuesday at the Coliseum. Unless, of course, Lou Lamoriello would like to divest himself of Mat Barzal.
President John Davidson, GM Gorton and the Rangers made a choice here, just as did Kreider, and it’s probably not the one either would have chosen in an ideal world. Of course, though under no obligation whatsoever to do so, the B.C. Kid could change his mind and decide that less in New York is more. But barring that, the Rangers will go forward and make the best deal possible under the circumstances, hopefully able to wheedle a package that yields results more in line with the Rick Nash deal with Boston than the Ryan McDonagh-JT Miller deal with Tampa Bay. Hopefully the Rangers will deal here from a position of strength and refuse to allow interested parties to wall off their top-three, four or five prospects. Kreider has the ability to help deliver a Stanley Cup to his new team. That team should be forced to pay for that opportunity.
The Rangers would have gone forward with Kreider as part of the rebuild. This was not an automatic recycling of a veteran. This was not a choice to take a step back in order to attempt to take two or three steps forward two or three years down the line. Instead, the choice by management was not to go seven years on a contract and the choice by Kreider was not to accept six.
So here comes Plan B.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Yankees’ Miguel Andujar experiment entering crucial phase

TAMPA — Gerrit Cole is throwing .
Not a ball .
This ...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Miguel Andujar wore a white shirt bearing the Nike logo and slogan “Just Do It” in red print while he stood in front of a locker during Sunday’s Yankees-Rays game at Charlotte Sports Park.
That slogan fits what Andujar is facing this spring training — learning two new positions — after playing in just a dozen games last season following right shoulder surgery.
Thanks to a stellar 2019 at the plate, which was a surprise, and at third base, which wasn’t, Gio Urshela opened camp in the favorable position of having the starting third-base job his to lose.
With Andujar healed and memories of his terrific 2018 rookie season when he hit .297 with 27 homers, 92 RBIs, posted a .855 OPS and finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year race still fresh, the Yankees are attempting to find other positions for him to play.
Hence, he has been working at third, in the outfield and first base in the early days of camp to become more versatile, which would allow the Yankees to get his lethal bat in the lineup more often.
Andujar started at third Sunday and will play third Tuesday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. There is a good chance he will play the outfield later this week in Tampa.
“After that his next start could very well be at first base,” Boone said before Andujar hit a solo homer in a 9-7 loss to the Rays in his first game action since May 12.
So much of Andujar’s defensive shortcomings centered on his throwing in 2018, though his 15 errors were actually one less than Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado made that year. Arenado has won the NL Gold Glove at third in each of his eight big-league seasons. More of an issue was the balls Andujar didn’t get to because of his pre-pitch setup. The Yankees worked hard on that last spring training but never got to see whether it worked because Andujar’s season was kaput in May.
Andujar played five innings at third without an issue Sunday and reminded everyone his bat is easily his best tool as he hit an opposite-field homer to right in his third at-bat.
“I didn’t know [it was out]. I hit it and started running hard,” Andujar said of the home run, which was initially ruled a double.
Even if Andujar, who will turn 25 early next month, shows enough defensive ability in the outfield and first base, playing time at those positions will be limited. Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge will be backed up by Mike Tauchman in the outfield, where likely reserve infielder Tyler Wade can also play. Luke Voit will be the starting first baseman with Mike Ford and/or DJ LeMahieu in reserve. There will be DH at-bats for Andujar if Stanton regularly plays left.
“Everything we have been working on has been working out,” Andujar said of his outfield experience. “For me it is a new position. I haven’t played outfield since I was a little kid. We have great coaches here. What they have been helping me with has made a difference.”
Of course, there is a chance Andujar’s bat carries him past Urshela, a career .225 hitter before batting .314 with 21 homers, 74 RBIs and a .889 OPS last season. All of those numbers were career highs for the 28-year-old.
“It’s nice to see him out there. Obviously, it’s been a long road for him and he has worked really hard to get to this point,” Boone said of Andujar, who started a 5-4-3 double play in the third inning.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Harvey Weinstein verdict may be imminent as jury resumes deliberations Monday

The note suggesting a potential jury deadlock on the top ...

The jurors weighing Harvey Weinstein’s fate will head into their second week of deliberations Monday — and some legal experts are theorizing a verdict may be imminent.
A note sent to the Manhattan Supreme Court judge by the jurors Friday asked if they could be split on the two top charges while unanimous on the lesser counts, suggesting a verdict could be announced soon, a former Manhattan prosecutor told The Post on Sunday.
“It sounds to me, based upon the deadlock note and the fact they’ve indicated they’ve reached a verdict to some counts, I think we should be expecting a verdict on Monday,” said Michael Bachner, who now works as a defense lawyer.
“Either a partial verdict, where the jury says we can’t come to a conclusion on the undecided counts, or there’s going to be a full verdict. There will be a verdict on Monday based upon the notes,” the lawyer predicted.
The jury began deliberating the rape and sex-assault charges against the shamed former movie producer Tuesday after nearly three weeks of testimony, including from several of his accusers.
On its fourth day of deliberations, the panel asked Justice James Burke if it could be hung on two charges of predatory sexual assault — each of which carries a sentence of up to life behind bars — while unanimous on either a first- or third-degree rape charge and one count of criminal sexual act.
To find Weinstein guilty of either predatory sexual-assault charge, the jury would have to unanimously determine he raped former “The Sopranos” TV actress Annabella Sciorra and either forcibly performed oral sex on Miriam Haleyi or raped Jessica Mann.
Sciorra’s rape allegation happened too long ago to be considered for a separate charge, but it can be used — combined with either Haleyi or Mann’s allegation — to prove predatory sexual assault.
The fact that the jury’s hung on the more complex charges could mean it has already reached a guilty verdict on at least some of the lesser charges, some experts said.
“Assuming for a moment the jury’s note means they have reached a verdict as to some of the lesser charges. If that verdict was not guilty, there would be no reason to consider the testimony of Annabella Sciorra,” Bachner said.
“The only way you get to her testimony is if you find that either Mann or Haleyi was a conviction,” he reasoned.
But another prosecutor-turned-defense lawyer suggested trial-watchers may be reading too much into the note.
“Juries frequently send notes seeking guidance on the law, as they have done here,” said Mark Bederow.
“Nothing in the note states that they are deadlocked on any counts or have reached a verdict on any counts. It seeks guidance on whether that is even a possibility,” he said.
Bederow added that the note could mean the jury is weighing acquitting the former Hollywood titan on all counts.
If the jury finds Sciorra’s rape allegation credible but does not believe Mann or Haleyi, they’ll be forced to acquit him on the predatory sexual-assault charges, as well as the other counts, he said.
A rep for Weinstein said the note must be taken at face value.
“They asked a hypothetical, academic question that doesn’t indicate their ultimate decision one way or the other, and we are studying every possible option,” Juda Engelmayer said.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--The Yoenis Cespedes epiphany creating perfect Mets storm

PORT ST. LUCIE — New beginnings .
Jeff Wilpon was given ...

PORT ST. LUCIE — The number of the day is 12.
When Yoenis Cespedes was asked Sunday morning on a scale of one to 10 how motivated he was this season to come back from his strange injuries, Cespedes did not wait for the question to be translated.
He quickly answered in English: “12.’’
The best Cespedes is a motivated Cespedes.
Remember 2015 when he was traded to the Mets from the Tigers during a contract year? Cespedes was money for his 57 games after the deal as he produced 17 home runs, 44 RBIs, a .942 OPS and helped carry the Mets to the World Series.
That was a lot of injuries ago. That was before double-heel surgeries and his showdown with a wild boar. Cespedes, 34, is five years older now and has yet to run the bases in his rehab, but he says he will be back playing in games next month.
Perhaps the blessing in the wild boar incident is that Cespedes has once again realized the importance of baseball. His ability to punish a baseball made him a star and about $138 million over his career. Baseball allowed him to purchase all those fancy vehicles through the years.
Though Cespedes preferred to play the part of a rancher, baseball is his meal ticket. But every time a contract is about to expire, Cespedes hears a bell, a reminder again he is a baseball player.
Sometimes athletes get so wrapped up in their self-importance they forget what got them to The Show. For Cespedes, it is baseball, and you could see that in his eyes Sunday morning.
Baseball is again center stage.
Cespedes started camp with a media boycott. Last Monday, he said he was not talking, “not today, not tomorrow, not at all this year,’’ but that ended Sunday. You can be sure teammate Robinson Cano helped convince Cespedes to talk to the media — and the fans.
Move on, and that is what Cespedes did. He started off by saying he made a mistake.
“I’m not going to speak about the past,’’ Cespedes began through Mets translator Alan Suriel. “I committed an error and I paid the price for it. Today I will be talking about the present and the future.’’
He is making progress in the present and that is a good thing, but the future is in doubt. Cespedes must prove he can deal with the rigors of playing the outfield at his age. One cut the wrong way could set him back to the injured list.
Cespedes never really ran hard on the bases, and would sometimes pay for that mistake, too, suffering a leg injury because he was not going full speed and then, at the last minute, turning it up a notch and getting injured.
The bottom line is Cespedes must be much smarter. Avoid pitfalls he creates. Baseball is hard enough. Why put these obstacles in your way?
Cespedes talked a good game Sunday morning. He said the right things, that progress is being made.
Does he believe he will be ready for Opening Day?
“If I continue progressing the way that I am, yes.’’ Cespedes said. “I’m running in zig-zags right now. I am not running in angles as if I were running the bases. In terms of running, I am about 80 percent.’’
There probably is no way he will ready for Opening Day. But it is a goal.
“That is the most important part, to keep my legs healthy,’’ Cespedes said.
Here is a telling comment: When asked about his former agent and current GM Brodie Van Wagenen, Cespedes said, “It’s not the same relationship that it was when he was my agent. … Since the whole incident we haven’t spoken as much, but I think the relationship is still going to go well.’’
Cespedes has to get healthy and stay healthy to have a future in baseball. He is on the clock. Cespedes must perform to get paid. He’s only had 432 at-bats the last three seasons, producing 26 home runs.
He thinks he can hit 40 home runs this season. He’s past due.
The motivation factor is high, 12 is the number, as in 12, when the clock strikes midnight.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--‘Invasive’ dumped pet turtles wreak havoc on NYC ponds, wildlife expert says

An invasive species of abandoned pet turtles is wreaking havoc in city parks — pushing out native animals and potentially exposing visitors to Salmonella , according to experts .
The population of red-eared sliders is booming in Central Park and at Harlem ’ s Morningside Pond , where they ’ ve been snapping up grub and hogging turf from native turtles , said Allen Salzberg of the nonprofit New York Turtle and Tortoise Society .
“ They grow large and they ’ re taking food and [ sun ] basking space from native turtles , ” said Salzberg .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murky pond is crawling with the reptiles because they were dumped there by irresponsible pet owners , he said .
The animals hail from the Gulf of Mexico , and are the most popular turtle in the American pet trade .
“ People think , ‘ Oh , I don ’ t have to feel guilty , I ’ ll put them in the wild , ’ but unfortunately there ’ s no such thing as wild pond in Central Park , ” he said .
Unlike native snapping turtles , the animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can put park-goers who touch them at risk of illness , he said .
Visitors to the park on Sunday demanded that city officials help curb the space-hogging critters .
“ Someone should be controlling this , ” said Mark Zouiyen of the Upper East Side .
“ There ’ s an ecosystem here and you can ’ t disrupt it.
” Wayne Shelby , who was walking his two basset hounds in the park , added , “ It ’ s a strange thing .
It ’ s like the iguanas in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” More than 52 million red-eared sliders were legally exported from the United States between 1989 and 1997 , many of them to China , according to National Geographic , which first reported New York ’ s turtle invasion .
Many more are sold on the black market through street vendors and websites .
“ The solution is to catch the turtles and euthanize them — then wait to see if the native turtles come back , ” Salzberg said .

They’re one shell of a menace.
An invasive species of abandoned pet turtles is wreaking havoc in city parks — pushing out native animals and potentially exposing visitors to Salmonella, according to experts.
The population of red-eared sliders is booming in Central Park and at Harlem’s Morningside Pond, where they’ve been snapping up grub and hogging turf from native turtles, said Allen Salzberg of the nonprofit New York Turtle and Tortoise Society.
“They grow large and they’re taking food and [sun] basking space from native turtles,” said Salzberg. “They’re all over.”
The murky pond is crawling with the reptiles because they were dumped there by irresponsible pet owners, he said. The animals hail from the Gulf of Mexico, and are the most popular turtle in the American pet trade.
“People think, ‘Oh, I don’t have to feel guilty, I’ll put them in the wild,’ but unfortunately there’s no such thing as wild pond in Central Park,” he said.
Unlike native snapping turtles, the animals also “carry Salmonella,” which can put park-goers who touch them at risk of illness, he said.
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Visitors to the park on Sunday demanded that city officials help curb the space-hogging critters.
“Someone should be controlling this,” said Mark Zouiyen of the Upper East Side. “There’s an ecosystem here and you can’t disrupt it.”
Wayne Shelby, who was walking his two basset hounds in the park, added, “It’s a strange thing. It’s like the iguanas in Florida — they’ve taken over.”
More than 52 million red-eared sliders were legally exported from the United States between 1989 and 1997, many of them to China, according to National Geographic, which first reported New York’s turtle invasion.
Many more are sold on the black market through street vendors and websites.
“The solution is to catch the turtles and euthanize them — then wait to see if the native turtles come back,” Salzberg said.
The red-eared sliders, who now live in the wild in nearly every state, including Hawaii, got their name by the red markings on their head that resemble ears.
They are routinely ranked among the world’s hundred worst invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, according to National Geographic.
The Parks Department said people should “never release unwanted pets into any city park.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Mike Fiers applauded in first start since exposing Astros’ cheating

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. — Only the slog to come ...

MESA, Ariz. — Oakland Athletics fan K.C. Sandstrom was sitting down the right field line watching his team warm up while armed with a small dry-erase board, a marker and a statement written in all caps.
“MIKE FIERS FOR PRESIDENT”
It’s been a tumultuous few months for Fiers, the current A’s pitcher and former Houston player who helped expose the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that’s rocked Major League Baseball. But on a cool Sunday in Arizona, the 34-year-old received a largely warm reception during his first spring training appearance in Mesa.
“Oakland’s going to support us no matter what,” Fiers said after throwing two perfect innings against San Francisco. “They’ve always been there. It’s fun, it’s fun playing in front of these fans and with these guys. Just a great day of baseball.”
While Fiers is now widely known for his connection to the Astros’ sign-stealing, he’s also an accomplished pitcher. He’s thrown two no-hitters over nine seasons and is coming off his best year in the big leagues — he finished with a 15-4 record and 3.90 ERA in a career-high 184 2/3 innings in 2019.
He’s expected to have a prominent role on this year’s staff as well.
The right-hander had a good start to spring, retiring all six of the Giants he faced. When the Oakland lineup was announced before the game, he received loud cheers from the A’s side of the stadium. The Giants’ side was a little less enthusiastic, but certainly not hostile.
“Overall, a good day,” Fiers said. “I was able to throw strikes, I was able to put balls where I wanted to and threw all my pitches.”
Baseball’s biggest scandal in years began in November after Fiers detailed to The Athletic about how the Astros used electronics to illicitly steal signs from opposing catchers during their World Series-winning season in 2017. Fiers pitched three seasons for the Astros, including 2017.
The fallout — for the Astros, Fiers and the entire sport — has been even more intense than many anticipated.
An MLB investigation led to a season-long suspension for Houston’s general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch and both were fired by Astros owner Jim Crane. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltrán — who were both part of the Astros in 2017 — were also fired by their respective teams.
No players were disciplined, but the Astros have received a torrent of criticism from stars such as Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge, and fans all over.
Houston outfielder Josh Reddick said on Friday that he and other players have even received death threats in response to the scandal. Fiers said he’d also gotten them.
The Astros were met with a hostile reception during their spring training opener against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. Fiers avoided the same kind of response on Sunday in front of a friendly crowd.
Fiers’ role as the whistleblower in the Astros’ scandal has been met with both praise and criticism. Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Tuesday that the sport would “take every possible step to protect Mike Fiers wherever he’s playing, whether it’s in Houston or somewhere else” and added that “Mike did the industry a service.”
Others haven’t been as complimentary. Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said Fiers was “looking like a snitch” for disclosing the team’s cheating scandal only after he had left the team.
Fiers said everyone is entitled to their opinion and he wasn’t concerned.
“It’s all about going out there and playing baseball for everybody,” Fiers said. “Every team’s trying to get back out there, play the game we love and compete. The rest will take care of itself.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Testimony from ex-de Blasio security member reveals cops on edge around him

The mayor , who raised $ 1.4 million during his failed White ...

Sworn testimony by a former member of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s security detail has revealed that Rep. Jerrold Nadler is a nicer boss than Hizzoner, former Police Commissioner James O’Neill once called the head of the mayor’s NYPD detail an “a–hole,” and First Daughter Chiara de Blasio cut her security detail loose two years ago.
The testimony comes from a December 2019 deposition by retired Det. Keith Dietrich in a federal age-discrimination lawsuit he’s brought against the city. The federal court judge in charge of Dietrich’s case recently unsealed the transcript over the city’s objections.
Dietrich, 56, was reassigned from de Blasio’s detail in December 2018 to protect Nadler after the New York congressman became head of the Judiciary Committee.
“Nadler was very nice to us. You actually can talk to him. You can’t talk to the mayor,” Dietrich testified.
A 2017 email from retired detail member Sgt. Paul Briscoe that is included in the lawsuit suggests that cops were often on edge around the mayor.
“I’m happy to report no issues nor concerns. Eagle was in a good mood on my set…,” Briscoe wrote to other cops.
Before Dietrich left the mayor’s team he was demoted to sit in a back security gate at City Hall in uniform after a dust-up with his boss, Inspector Howard Redmond.
One day O’Neill arrived at City Hall and asked Dietrich why he was in uniform at the gate, instead of in plain clothes protecting the mayor.
Dietrich, who knew O’Neill from when they both worked narcotics, told the NYPD boss that Redmond didn’t like him. “He said, ‘Do you want to work for the a–hole, or do you want to go someplace else?’” Dietrich recalled O’Neill asking him.
In the deposition Dietrich also confirmed that de Blasio’s detail would drive the mayor’s son Dante, code name “Everlast,” to college at Yale in Connecticut.
“When he went to college, they cancelled his team. But when he came back to New York, they would pick him up, and they would have him during the time he was home, and they drop him back off in Connecticut,” Dietrich says in the deposition.
But, Dante’s older sister Chiara, now 25, shook off her detail about two years ago.
“The mayor’s daughter had up until, I believe, a year-and-a-half, two years ago, maybe. And she just – she didn’t want the detail anymore,” he said.
Dietrich also contradicted the mayor’s public statements that he has no say in how the NYPD protects him, in part to explain why the department has charged taxpayers $360,000 for guarding Hizzoner during his failed presidential run.
“De Blasio says he has nothing to do with the police department in regards to his detail. That is an outright lie. He has everything to do with it,” the retired detective testified.
“He says what he wants done with detail, how he wants it done. He does it through e-mail, he does it through e-mail through Howard Redmond, through personal phone calls with Howard Redmond, face to face with Howard Redmond, so he has a lot to do with it,” Dietrich said.
City Hall declined to comment specifically but said Dietrich has already made inaccurate statements.
“Consistent with long-standing practice, we will not comment on specifics of security for the mayor or his family nor will we address specific, unproven claims made in depositions by plaintiffs in a matter that should be adjudicated by a court. That said, it should be noted that from the outset in this civil case, there has been a pattern of statements and claims selectively provided to the media that have been factually inaccurate.“


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--California couple missing for 8 days found alive, police call it ‘a miracle’

Ana Braga , 24 , disappeared from her home in Los Angeles ...

A couple missing for over a week in Northern California were found alive on Saturday morning by rescuers who had given up hope of finding them alive.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference that Carol Kiparsky, 77, and Ian Irwin, 72, were found around 10 a.m. on Saturday in “very dense drainage [ditch] that was overgrown with foliage” near Tomales Bay, a narrow inlet about 30 miles north of San Francisco.
“This is a miracle,” Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brenton Schneider told reporters.
The couple, from Palo Alto, was last seen Valentine’s Day, at their Airbnb rented cottage near Inverness, a town at the foot of the bay. The couple never checked out the next day as planned and failed to show up for an appointment on Feb. 16, which sheriff’s officials said was highly out of character for them.
When housekeepers went to the cottage to clean up, they found the couple’s phones and wallets in addition to their vehicle parked outside the rental home.
“[They] left for a hike on Valentine’s, got lost at dark, and don’t know what happened,” Schneider told reporters on Saturday.
The couple, who were unprepared for a long hike, were wearing lightweight clothing and had no food as night temperatures fell into the 30s.
“The reason they were most likely alive was because they were drinking from a puddle that they found near where they were located,” Schneider said.
At some point, the couple may have fallen and Kiparsky attempted to find help alone. She tied parts of her scarf to branches in order to get back to her partner, Schneider said.
“They thought this was the end for them,” he told reporters.
Sheriff’s officials and a volunteer team had combed the woods and waters around Inverness for several days with the help of drones, dive teams and boats equipped with radar and sonar. On Thursday, they shifted the operation to a “recovery mission” when they received four independent alerts from cadaver dogs around Shell Beach, about 2 miles from the cottage, and felt they had exhausted all possible leads.
“We believe that our extensive search efforts with every resource that has been available to us would have located Carol and Ian if they were responsive or in an area accessible by foot on land,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
The area where officials were searching on Saturday was a new location and considered to be an implausible spot to find the missing couple.
“It doesn’t seem they would have made it much farther because of how dense the vegetation is,” Schneider said Saturday.
Quincy Webster and Rich Cassens, two Marin County search-and-rescue volunteers, were the ones to discover the missing couple, along with their 3-year-old search-and-rescue K-9 named Grute
“We were breaking through the bushes,” Webster said at a news conference. “It took a long time to move a short distance.”
As they approached, the two rescuers said they heard someone yelling “help” and then came across Irwin and Kiparsky, who said they were “very cold.”
“When they were found, they were very appreciative. Ian started singing when the helicopter arrived on scene,” Schneider said.
The couple was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia and were “doing OK,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities told KTVU that the couple was alert and talking. Schneider estimates that 400-500 people participated in the search-and-rescue operation over the past week.
Irwin is a leading Parkinson’s disease researcher. He was a chemist on the team that originally identified an agent responsible for the outbreak of Parkinsonism among heroin addicts in 1982, according to the newspaper.
Kiparsky is a prominent linguist and author of several books on language, including 1975’s “The Gooficon: A Repair Manual for English.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.