newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Titans-Colts could end up determining AFC South champ

Home team in CAPS Titans ( +4 ) over COLTS : In one ...

Familiarity will not be an issue for either opponent in this week’s Big Game, which pits the Titans against the Colts on Sunday.
The two AFC South rivals, tied atop the division with 7-3 records, played each other on Nov. 12 in Nashville, where the Colts won, 34-17.
That makes Sunday’s game in Indianapolis at least close to a must-win for the Titans if they have hopes of winning the division. Because a sweep of the season series by the Colts would give Indianapolis essentially a two-game lead on Tennessee with five remaining games.
The AFC playoff chase is a crowded one. The Titans and Colts are two of nine teams with at least six wins, and seven teams are either 6-4 or 7-3.
The Titans, who have lost three of their past four game after a 5-0 start, enter the game coming off a stout 30-24 overtime win in Baltimore. The Colts are coming off a stirring, 34-31 home win over the Packers and have won four of their past five games.
The Colts, averaging 27.6 points per game, are scoring nearly as much as the Titans (27.9 points per game).
“We have to try and get some more stops, limit long drives, get off the field,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said during the week. “[We have] to try to be able to run the ball, try and be able to establish the line of scrimmage, be better on special teams, play more complementary football, try and find ways to turn the football over, and make sure that we’re taking care of it.”
Defensively, the Colts rank second in the league in total defense, yielding just 298.1 yards per game. The Titans are ranked 25th (388.9 yards allowed per game). The Colts are allowing just 20.8 points per game, fifth-best in the NFL, and the Titans are ranked 18th with 25.9 points allowed per game.
One of the keys to the Colts’ success has been their rookie kicker, Rodrigo Blankenship, who was signed as an undrafted free agent. He has made 23 of 26 field goal attempts, including the game-winner last week.
The Titans come into the game with some momentum, too, though, having rallied to erase an 11-point deficit in their win last week.
The engine that drives the Tennessee offense is running back Derrick Henry, who scored the game-winning touchdown on a 29-yard run in overtime — the cherry on top of a 133-yard rushing performance that put him back in the NFL rushing lead with 1,079 rushing yards.
Henry, too, became the first player in NFL history to rush for two OT touchdowns in a single season — the first coming Oct. 18 versus Houston.
“Derrick is extremely tough,” Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “He is a competitor. He runs hard. He takes a pounding each and every game and continues to keep fighting through it.”
Tannehill, too, continues to excel, completing 22 of 31 for 259 yards with touchdown passes to tight end Jonnu Smith and receiver A.J. Brown last week. The OT drive was Tannehill’s eighth game-winning drive since arriving at Tennessee in 2019, tying the Bills’ Josh Allen for the league lead in that span.
The Titans, who haven’t won a division title since 2008, have their best record through 10 games since they were 10-0 in ’08.
The Colts currently hold the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoff picture. But the Titans, with a win Sunday, can seize control of the tiebreaker with a 3-1 division record versus the Colts’ 1-2.
A loss to the Titans not only would drop the Colts to 7-4 overall but also would make them 3-4 in the AFC, which is a key wild-card tiebreaker. Buffalo (5-2), Cleveland (4-3), Las Vegas (4-3), Baltimore (4-4) and Miami (3-3) currently own that tiebreaker over the Colts.
Suffice it to say this is a massive swing game for both teams.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Mets, Steve Cohen biding their time: ‘Lots of irons in the fire’

According to the legend , this was before the 1934 baseball ...

It was early December a year ago when the free-agent market burst into action, with the likes of Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Zack Wheeler agreeing to nine-figure deals shortly after Mike Moustakas went to the Reds for four years and $64 million.
The Mets were hardly players in that market. They let Wheeler go to the Phillies without making an offer, and were content to bring in Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha and Dellin Betances in hopes of bounce-back seasons.
Soon, the impact of having Steve Cohen running things in Queens should be evident.
“I’d expect more movement throughout the league in the coming weeks,’’ one player agent said. “It’s been as quiet as we thought it would be and once the non-tendered guys hit the market this week, we’ll have a better read on what’s available and you’d think that’s when it will start to pick up and the Mets will be in the mix more than they have in the past.”
Signs continue to point in that direction.
On Saturday, Cohen replied on Twitter to a fan inquiring about the offseason that there was “nothing to report yet. Lots of irons in the fire.”
Cohen made a big splash when he took over the Mets earlier this month. This past week in an interview with SNY, Cohen admitted finding a president of baseball operations proved more difficult than he had anticipated.
“I’m a little surprised we haven’t been able to find people for the front office,” Cohen said. “I thought it would be a little bit easier than it has been. Baseball is kind of funny where you have to ask for permission and we are not getting a lot of permission, whatever the reasons are.’’
The Mets continue to search for a general manager to serve under team president Sandy Alderson, who was Cohen’s first hire.
The hedge fund maven Cohen has also followed through on his vow not to immediately pour money into the free-agent market.
That hasn’t hurt the Mets much yet, although they had figured to be contenders for Charlie Morton, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Braves.
And with teams throughout the league hurt by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mets should have plenty of opportunities to strike in free agency, with George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, DJ LeMahieu and Trevor Bauer all on the market and ideally suited to fill roles in Queens.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t have any competition.
While the Phillies laid off 80 employees last week — reducing their front office workforce by 20 percent according to The Philadelphia Inquirer — other teams may continue to spend.
Angels owner Arte Moreno said earlier in the month that his team’s payroll is “not going down” under new general manager Perry Minasian, who replaced Billy Eppler, the former assistant GM with the Yankees.
And Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch his team doesn’t “have a hard-and-fast budget. It’s fluid.”
But as the agent noted, Cohen has made no secret of being a longtime Mets fan and he’s about to have a chance to remake the organization.
“This is a unique situation and we’re about to find out how he handles it with Alderson,’’ the agent said. “We don’t know much about what they’re going to do, but they won’t be quiet.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Cyberattack shuts down Baltimore schools for two days

Schools in Baltimore will shut down for two days this week — and a ransomware attack , not the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ The Baltimore County Public Schools tweeted Saturday that there will be no classes Monday and @ @ @ @ @ breach .
“ This provides much-needed time for our staff to continue working to set @ @ @ @ @ to communicate next steps regarding devices , ” BCPS said of the two-day hiatus .
@ @ @ @ @ remote learning program , its website , and its email and grading systems all fell @ @ @ @ @ , WBAL-TV reported .
The district ’ s information technology department first identified the attack @ @ @ @ @ early Wednesday .
Elena Lomicky , a kindergarten teacher , knew something was wrong when @ @ @ @ @ told staff not to log into their computers .
“ There was a little panic @ @ @ @ @ tech-savvy at all , ” the Villa Cresta Elementary School teacher told WBAL .
“ @ @ @ @ @ BCPS is working with the Baltimore County Police Department in the criminal investigation .

Schools in Baltimore will shut down for two days this week — and a ransomware attack, not the coronavirus, is to blame.
The Baltimore County Public Schools tweeted Saturday that there will be no classes Monday and Tuesday due to the computer breach.
“This provides much-needed time for our staff to continue working to set up the instructional platform and to communicate next steps regarding devices,” BCPS said of the two-day hiatus.
The school district’s remote learning program, its website, and its email and grading systems all fell under cyber attack last week, WBAL-TV reported.
The district’s information technology department first identified the attack on Tuesday and notified staff early Wednesday.
Elena Lomicky, a kindergarten teacher, knew something was wrong when her school’s principal told staff not to log into their computers.
“There was a little panic because I’m not tech-savvy at all,” the Villa Cresta Elementary School teacher told WBAL. “It was alarming.”
The BCPS is working with the Baltimore County Police Department in the criminal investigation.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Driver slams into Washington Square Park’s landmark arch, injuring cop

Pat Mahomes was on the sidelines the night Tom Brady ...

A driver slammed into the famed arch at Washington Square Park early Sunday — injuring an NYPD officer who was parked under the landmark, law enforcement sources said.
Both the officer and the driver suffered non-life-threatening head injuries in the dramatic crash, sources said. The officer’s back and neck were also hurt, sources said.
The driver was left unharmed enough to stumble from his wreck, blood dripping from his nose, and shout “Suck my d—” at a New York Post photographer.
But while the driver’s Nissan Maxima was totaled, the officer’s vehicle — a subcompact “Smart Car” — was relatively unscathed. And the Nineteenth Century marble arch was undamaged.
The crash happened on the north end of the Greenwich Village park just before 2 a.m.
The driver, who was barrelling down Fifth Avenue, failed to turn his Maxima onto Washington Square North, according to law enforcement sources and witnesses.
Instead, he plowed straight through a row of metal barricades and into the parked Smart car of the officer tasked with guarding the arch, the sources said.
“We heard a loud screeching,” witness Maurice Russo, 24, told The Post.
Previous 1 of 10 Next Advertisement The scene where a driver struck a police car that was guarding the Washington Square Park Arch. Christopher Sadowski Christopher Sadowski Advertisement Christopher Sadowski Christopher Sadowski Christopher Sadowski Advertisement Christopher Sadowski Christopher Sadowski Advertisement
“I saw the car go full speed, very fast, right into where that cop car was. I saw the impact,” said Russo, who lives nearby.
“The car was going at highway speed,” he estimated.
“I saw one of the officers rightfully pull out his gun … He just said, ‘Stay on the ground! Stay on the ground!’ to the guy who was driving the car that crashed,” Russo said.
The injured officer remained in the Smart car until EMS arrived, he said.
“The cop was taken out on a stretcher — he had a neck brace on,” Russo said of the injured officer.
The driver was taken into custody. A police source said the man was drunk. Charges were ending early Sunday.
Additional reporting by Laura Italiano


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--David Prowse, the man behind Darth Vader, dead at 85

David Prowse , the former body-builder who played Darth Vadar in the original Star Wars trilogy , is dead at the age of 85 .
The English-born actor died early Sunday , according to his management company , Bowington Management .
Prowse was best know for his physical portrayal of the villain voiced by James Earl Jones .
But he played other iconic roles , including Frankenstein ’ s monster and the bodyguard Julian in “ A Clockwork Orange “ .
“ May the force be with him , always , ” said his agent , Thomas Bowington .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for myself , and all who knew Dave and worked with him , he was a hero in our lives.
” Prowse said in a 2016 interview that George Lucas had offered him a choice of portraying Chewbacca or Darth Vader .
“ There ’ s a character called Chewbacca , which is like a huge teddy bear , or alternatively , there ’ s the main villain in the piece , ” he said the director told him .
Lucas later banned Prowse from Star Wars events after wrongly accusing him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Return of the Jedi “ .
“ Nobody will ever forget Darth Vader , ” Prowse said in a 2017 interview .
“ And it is a great honor for me to have played the ultimate screen villain of all time.
” It is unknown if his death was linked to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .

David Prowse, the former body-builder who played Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, is dead at the age of 85.
The English-born actor died early Sunday, according to his management company, Bowington Management.
“May the force be with him, always,” said his agent, Thomas Bowington.
“Though famous for playing many monsters – for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives.”
The agency did not reveal the cause of death, but Prowse was being treated for prostate cancer as recently as 2018, CNN reported. Prowse had also announced in 2014 that he suffered from dementia, according to the Washington Post.
Prowse was best known for his physical portrayal of the villain, who was voiced by James Earl Jones.
But he played other iconic roles, including Frankenstein’s monster and the bodyguard Julian in “A Clockwork Orange”.
Prowse said in a 2016 interview that George Lucas had offered him a choice of portraying Chewbacca or Darth Vader.
“There’s a character called Chewbacca, which is like a huge teddy bear, or alternatively, there’s the main villain in the piece,” he said the director told him.
“Well, there’s no choice, is there?” Prowse quipped.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Dave Prowse as Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back 20th Century Fox David Prowse, left, and Alec Guinness in Star Wars. 20th Century Fox Advertisement Mark Hamill, left, and David Prowse in Return of the Jedi. 20th Century Fox Actor David Prowse attends the "I Am Your Father'" photocall at the Verdi cinema in Madrid, 2015. Getty Images Advertisement
Lucas later banned Prowse from Star Wars events after wrongly accusing him of leaking Vader’s fate in “Return of the Jedi”.
“Nobody will ever forget Darth Vader,” Prowse said in a 2017 interview.
“And it is a great honor for me to have played the ultimate screen villain of all time.”
It is unknown if his death was linked to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and his husband test positive for COVID-19

Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis and his husband have tested positive for the coronavirus and are in quarantine .
They are “ asymptomatic , feeling well , and will continue to isolate in their home , ” Polis tweeted Saturday night .
“ This evening , Governor Polis and First Gentleman [ Marlon ] Reis learned that they have tested positive for COVID-19 , ” an official statement from the governor ’ s office said .
“ Marlon and I are feeling well so far , and are in good spirits .
No person or family is immune to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I urge every Coloradan to practice caution , limit public interaction , wear a mask in public , stay six feet from others , and wash your hands regularly , ” Polis said .
He ’ ll continue to run the state while working remotely .
Polis had tweeted on his personal account on Thursday that he was sharing Thanksgiving with his husband and their daughter , Cora after learning Wednesday that he been exposed to someone who had the virus .
The coronavirus is “ surging ” in Colorado , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every 41 people is currently contagious , the Denver Post reported .
The governors of Nevada , Virginia and Missouri have tested positive for the virus .

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and his husband have tested positive for the coronavirus and are in quarantine.
They are “asymptomatic, feeling well, and will continue to isolate in their home,” Polis tweeted Saturday night.
“This evening, Governor Polis and First Gentleman [Marlon] Reis learned that they have tested positive for COVID-19,” an official statement from the governor’s office said.
“Marlon and I are feeling well so far, and are in good spirits. No person or family is immune to this virus,” the statement continued.
“I urge every Coloradan to practice caution, limit public interaction, wear a mask in public, stay six feet from others, and wash your hands regularly,” Polis said.
He’ll continue to run the state while working remotely.
Polis had tweeted on his personal account on Thursday that he was sharing Thanksgiving with his husband and their daughter, Cora after learning Wednesday that he been exposed to someone who had the virus.
The coronavirus is “surging” in Colorado, with the state estimating that one out of every 41 people is currently contagious, the Denver Post reported.
The governors of Nevada, Virginia and Missouri have tested positive for the virus.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Giants set up for playoff run — if they can avoid bye-week trap

The Quarterback of the Future is an endangered species .
As ...

The Giants are set up for this stretch run.
They are as healthy as they have been all season, with reinforcements arriving on defense. Their second-year quarterback is showing signs of getting it. They are on a two-game winning streak and sat back on Thanksgiving Day and got the result (Washington over the Cowboys) that benefits them in the wacky NFC East race.
Up next, Sunday in Cincinnati, is a game with the Bengals — non-contenders who just lost their star rookie quarterback to a devastating injury with franchise-wide repercussions.
It seemingly is all coming up Giants. They can move into first place, for at least one day, if they beat the Bengals. To accomplish this less-than-Herculean mission, all the Giants have to do is make sure they remember to bring their A game with them coming off their bye week — a task surprisingly more difficult than it should be.
“I think you can make too much of it sometimes,’’ coach Joe Judge said. “To me, it’s all based on how you handle the game week. The bye is very important. It’s really important for getting physically refreshed, mentally refreshed. It’s also big for self-scout and getting a jump start on some of the opponents coming up. We did everything we were capable of doing last week to help the team.
“I’d say the biggest thing for me when you get into the game week of not kind of walking into it. You have to get back into working that routine, that’s very important to me. That being said, you can kind of slice it through the league, it’s probably close to 50-50 across the board in terms of teams coming out of bye weeks.’’
In their past two games, the Giants beat teams coming off their bye, as rest and getting healthier did not add up to results for Washington or the Eagles. In a sport in which the weekly grind is often metronome-like in its repeated consistency, an in-season respite is not always a panacea.
“I think the biggest mistake is people think when you’re coming out of a bye, you’re automatically fresher and faster and all that kind of stuff,’’ Judge said. “I think that’s a myth. You have to come out and all that matters is how you play on that Sunday. You have to wake up and you have to knock off those cobwebs because the one thing is, these guys will have four solid days off without being around us as coaches or hearing our voices. Four days, this season, is like four months. It just is.’’
The Giants are so much more alive than any 3-7 team has a right to be. Washington (4-7) leads the NFC East pack, but the Giants own any tie-breaker based on their season sweep. If they win, they will be atop the division — until at least Monday night, when the Eagles (3-6-1) face the Seahawks.
“When the stakes are high, I think it brings the best out of everybody, it brings the truth out of everybody,’’ veteran safety Logan Ryan said. “In order to get to meaningful games in November, you’ve got to play some games in September and October. We had to go through that, we had to take our bumps and bruises and lick our wounds, and you have to learn something from that.’’
What the Giants need to show they know, right now, is how to come out of their bye with the rust already shaken off.
“Everyone has a bye week at some point,’’ Judge said. “We don’t write anything off just saying that something is going to be an excuse. We have to use it to our advantage. It’s up to us to come to play with the right mentality.’’


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--California man confronts out-of-towner putting up swastika stickers

Not in his city .
A vandal posting swastika stickers throughout a California neighborhood was caught on video by a man who confronted him for his racism .
Noah Mohan , 21 , was walking his dog in Fairfax Tuesday when he saw a man posting stickers that featured a large black swastika and the phrase , “ We are everywhere.
” “ What ’ s up with those stickers , bro ?
” Mohan asks the man in the video , which was posted to Instagram .
“ Let me see your stickers .
Why you putting up them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — dressed in a leather jacket , jeans , a black face mask and sunglasses — replies that he believes in that “ ideology.
” Mohan follows the vandal , who police describe as a 19-year-old man from Livermore , and begins ripping off the stickers , the video shows .
“ Let me see your face , bro , ” Mohan says .
“ If you stand by that ideology then stand by that s–t , bro .
Don ’ t be putting up Nazi stickers in Fairfax .
Not in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10-minute video has since gone viral and has had more than 107,000 views as of Saturday .
Toward the end of the video , Mohan manages to flag down a police officer and begins telling him that the man had been posting the swastika stickers around the town .
“ Personally , I will not let that s–t slide in my town and I hope you guys feel the same way , ” Mohan wrote on Instagram .
“ Racism is alive and growing in Marin county and we need to call it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we want this to be a safe and peaceful place for people of all skin color , religion , etc.
” Mohan , who is half Jewish and an amateur boxer , says he doesn ’ t see himself as a hero but as someone who was trying to do the right thing .
“ If I had hit him , I would be the one in jail in cuffs , ” he told ABC7 Los Angeles .
“ It ’ s just right and wrong .
I am not a hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fairfax police have not released the man ’ s identity .
Cops detained him but was later released .
The case was being referred to the Marin County District Attorney for possible hate crime and vandalism charges , according to ABC7 .

Not in his city.
A vandal posting swastika stickers throughout a California neighborhood was caught on video by a man who confronted him for his racism.
Noah Mohan, 21, was walking his dog in Fairfax Tuesday when he saw a man posting stickers that featured a large black swastika and the phrase, “We are everywhere.”
“What’s up with those stickers, bro?” Mohan asks the man in the video, which was posted to Instagram.
“Let me see your stickers. Why you putting up them Nazi stickers, dude?
The man — dressed in a leather jacket, jeans, a black face mask and sunglasses — replies that he believes in that “ideology.”
Mohan follows the vandal, who police describe as a 19-year-old man from Livermore, and begins ripping off the stickers, the video shows.
“Let me see your face, bro,” Mohan says.
“If you stand by that ideology then stand by that s–t, bro. Don’t be putting up Nazi stickers in Fairfax. Not in my f—–g city, bro!”
The 10-minute video has since gone viral and has had more than 107,000 views as of Saturday.
Toward the end of the video, Mohan manages to flag down a police officer and begins telling him that the man had been posting the swastika stickers around the town.
“Personally, I will not let that s–t slide in my town and I hope you guys feel the same way,” Mohan wrote on Instagram.
“Racism is alive and growing in Marin county and we need to call it out and condemn it at all costs if we want this to be a safe and peaceful place for people of all skin color, religion, etc.”
Mohan, who is half Jewish and an amateur boxer, says he doesn’t see himself as a hero but as someone who was trying to do the right thing.
“If I had hit him, I would be the one in jail in cuffs,” he told ABC7 Los Angeles. “It’s just right and wrong. I am not a hero. Just doing what is right.”
Fairfax police have not released the man’s identity. Cops detained him but was later released.
The case was being referred to the Marin County District Attorney for possible hate crime and vandalism charges, according to ABC7.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Patrick Mahomes-Tom Brady’s latest duel: Young GOAT vs. old GOAT

Tom Brady agrees with Bruce Arians ’ criticism in that the ...

Pat Mahomes was on the sidelines the night Tom Brady welcomed his son Patrick to Foxborough, Mass.
That was the night of Oct. 14, 2018, when Patrick Mahomes and his undefeated Chiefs were first interested in changing the balance of power in the AFC, if not the NFL.
“I was there the first meeting they had, and Tom came out and tried to intimidate him,” Pat Mahomes told Serby Says. “He intimidated me, I was sitting on the sideline there watching in the pregame.
“Patrick always comes over and gives me a hug. Brady came out, he’s looking right at him staring him down, letting him know that it was his house. And that you don’t know what you’re about to be into.”
Brady did more than stare at young Mahomes.
“He just came out and looked at him and screamed a few words that we can’t put in this interview,” Pat Mahomes said.
“I was like, ‘God, this guy’s 41 years old and he still had that kind of intensity.’ I thought it was very impressive.”
What did his son think?
“He didn’t say anything,” Pat Mahomes said. “Patrick doesn’t care, he’s always even-keeled, nothing seems to bother him, he just goes out and plays the game.”
But Patrick, for whatever reason, wasn’t playing his game in the first half.
“But Patrick was able to finally stabilize himself at the halftime and started playing his game,” Pat Mahomes said.
Indeed, his son was intercepted twice in the first half before throwing four touchdown passes in the second half. A 75-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hall tied the game with 3:03 remaining. Brady then proceeded to engineer a seven-play, 65-yard field goal drive for the 43-40 win as time expired.
“The greatest thing about that whole thing was after the game was over he sprinted over, he gave Patrick a handshake and a hug,” Pat Mahomes said.
“I asked him what he said to him, he said, ‘I’ve had tough losses before, you’re gonna be the future of the NFL and just keep on doing what you’re doing.’ ”
In the 2019 AFC Championship game, the GOAT was forced to reach deep down into his reservoir of greatness to overcome Patrick Mahomes’ magic, 37-31 in overtime on his way to his sixth Super Bowl crown. Afterward, Patrick Mahomes explained it this way to Jimmy Kimmel:
“When I was kind of in the locker room — I was about to walk out, actually — he got the security to let him in, and he just kind of said, ‘Man, you had a heckuva season.’ … He just said, ‘Man, you have to keep grinding.’ He said he loved the way that I played. It was awesome for him to do that.”
When they clash on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, Mahomes will be the defending Super Bowl champion, and Brady will be the 43-year-old GOAT, now with the Buccaneers, who from time to time — most recently on Monday night against the Rams — has looked the way a 43-year-old quarterback should be expected to look.
Think about what we have seen this season from Brady:
He lost track of the downs against the Bears.
He threw an illegal forward pass against the Rams.
He is 0-19 on deep passes in his past four games.
Patrick Mahomes is just 25, and even with Andy Reid by his side, the odds are prohibitive that he will win as many as the four Super Bowls that Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana did, much less Brady’s six. But if anyone can, it is him.
“For me it’s about coming in day in and day out and trying to better myself and find a way to win championships here in Kansas City,” Mahomes said Monday on his KCSP Sports Radio show, “and hopefully I can win a lot of ’em, and try to catch the amount of titles and championship games that he’s been in.”
In the meantime, if Brady is the GOAT, Patrick Mahomes is the GOTT … Greatest of This Time.
It is not terribly surprising to his father.
Pat Mahomes was a Mets relief pitcher in 1999 and 2000, and though he wasn’t on the World Series roster for the Subway Series, he got to bring 5-year-old Patrick to Shea Stadium to shag fly balls in center field.
“I actually had the clubhouse manager make him a uniform and I would take him out and the coaches were like, ‘You got to stay out there with him the whole time,’ this and that,” Pat said. “I was like, ‘Well, if he gets hit by a ball, he won’t do it again.’ And [pitcher] Mike Hampton would sit out there with him when I wasn’t out there and he actually caught his first fly ball off a big leaguer off of Robin Ventura, and it’s a memory that I was so glad that I was able to be a part of, and he will never forget it to this day.”
Pat was never far away.
“I was right beside him. I’d play a game with him, he always loved playing games, 100 points if he caught a fly ball, 50 points if he caught it off one hop, and 25 points if it hopped more than one time,” Pat said.
The following season, Pat Mahomes was with the Texas Rangers, and his son got to observe the relentless work ethic of Alex Rodriguez.
“When he caught that ball off Robin Ventura’s bat when he was 5, I said, ‘This kid’s a little different. He’s a little different,’ ” Pat said. “Five-year-olds don’t catch balls off big-leaguers bats. I knew that he had a chance, and I just wanted to make sure that he didn’t make some of the same mistakes I made when I was going through it at a young age.”
Pat Mahomes was a 6-foot-1, 175-pound drop-back quarterback in Texas and drew offers from Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor and SMU.
“I was All-State and everything, but I had a big problem with football — my problem was I didn’t like to get hit,” Pat said. “I was sliding way back then before they had the quarterback rules.”
He was drafted in the sixth round in 1988 by the Twins. He made his MLB debut in 1992. He enjoyed an 11-year MLB career.
“I tried to be like an assassin,” Pat said. “I just wanted to go at guys. Two things can happen: Either the guy’s gonna get you or you’re gonna get him, but I just wanted to make sure I threw the ball over the plate and give a chance for players to make plays.”
Pat, who turned 50 in August, thought his son would follow him into baseball. Road trips would feature sleepless nights, the father pitching a plastic baseball to a boy swinging a plastic bat. Years later, the Diamondbacks pursued Patrick as an outfielder.
“I always thought he’d be a baseball player,” Pat said. “When he was 17 or 18, draft day came and he decided to turn down an offer which would have made him a lot of money and he said, ‘Dad, I love football, I want to try it out, I think I’ll be pretty good at it.’ And that’s when we switched and went to football, but I always knew he was gonna be a professional athlete.”
Patrick could throw a 96 mph fastball, but there was something about playing quarterback at Whitehouse (Texas) High School.
“He threw a touchdown when he was in high school left-handed,” Pat said. “He was getting sacked and he threw it left-handed, and he threw it to his best friend Ryan Cheatham, he threw him a touchdown left-handed. I asked him after the game I said, ‘What made you even try that?’ and he goes, ‘Dad, I’m just trying to make a play.’ ”
The boy’s been making them ever since. Can you imagine how much fun it is for his parents, who separated when he was six, to watch?
“I’ve said it ever since he was 6, 7 years old,” Pat said, “he doesn’t care about the stats, he doesn’t care about the fame and the popularity, all he cares about is winning ballgames, and it doesn’t matter how it’s done.”
Patrick said during his radio spot that he would love to play at Brady’s age.
“That would be a hell of an accomplishment,” Pat said. “I know Patrick loves to play, no matter what sport it is, but he grinds every day, and I’m glad that he’s my son and he’s learned the right way and he goes about it the right way.”
Patrick may be the 10-year, $450 million man, but he displays such joie de vivre with a football in his hands and a game to win that everyone gets the sense that he would play the game for nothing. The GOAT versus the future GOAT on Sunday?
“He’s got a long way to go,” Pat Mahomes said. “He’s off to a great start, he’s doing things that he needs to do, but to get in that conversation, you gotta have longevity and consistent productivity.
“Like I said, he’s off to a great start. We’ll see how it finishes.”
Most likely, with one of them — maybe even both of them — winning another championship.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--NFL Week 12 predictions: Quick turnaround makes Titans pick vs. Colts

The San Francisco 49ers and other teams may need to ...

Home team in CAPS
Titans (+4) over COLTS: In one of those infernal quick-revenge situations you’re compelled to evaluate in this league, the Titans take the next step after their bad Thursday night loss to division rival Indianapolis just two weeks back. The Colts boast a meaningful defensive advantage, but will that be enough?
JETS (+7) over Dolphins: Since it appears Gang Green QB Sam Darnold is expected to return to command for this divisional test, pronounced lean is in force with Jets. Miami has been more effective when taken lightly than when expected to push foes around with their confounding defense. With Tua Tagovailoa downgraded to doubtful for the Dolphins at QB, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick returns to starter’s role for visitors.
Giants (-5) over BENGALS: Now that Joe Burrow’s knee has taken the worst of it, Cincinnati turns to Brandon Allen under center. This is very good news for Big Blue, who are now well positioned to earn the best of the NFC Least as the Cowboys fail to live up to their material, as is their custom.
FALCONS (+3) over Raiders: Figures to be close — even given a measure of regression out of the visitors after their narrow miss of a sweep over the world champs. Not looking at a world championship defense from either side, but would look to support a home ’dog bearing viable stay-in-the-hunt value here.
PATRIOTS (+2.5) over Cardinals: Arizona QB Kyler Murray acknowledges issues with his throwing shoulder, but practiced on a limited basis Thursday and expects he’ll play — as does coach Kliff Kingsbury. Trust in New England’s home-dog record.
JAGUARS (+6.5) over Browns: Cleveland’s defensive strength has been markedly diminished by recent COVID-19 issues. Myles Garrett’s absence remains a chronic Cleveland condition. The Jags’ defense is only horrendous — it has allowed fewer than 24 points just once since a Week 1 home win over the Colts.
VIKINGS (-4.5) over Panthers: Teddy Bridgewater is expected to be under center for the underdog — though key Carolina RB Christian McCaffrey remains sidelined. While we remain unsold regarding any potential deep Vikings postseason run, leaning Purple Gang.
Chargers (+6) over BILLS: With splendid Justin Herbert — as dynamic a rookie quarterback as we’ve seen this season — the Bolts have demonstrated a sustained ability to hang with just about anybody. The Bills have demonstrated their worth, but the weather doesn’t harbor any overt threats.
BRONCOS (+6) over Saints: With Drew Lock under center for Denver, not looking to go wild here — but the visitors have been known to get frisky on this kind of road assignment, placing too much emphasis on their offense.
RAMS (-6.5) over 49ers: The Rams have won their most recent pair, holding the Seahawks safe with a prime defensive effort in California and following that up with a nifty road upset of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. This is hardly a cinch, but the Rams are tangibly superior — especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Chiefs (-3.5) over BUCCANEERS: Difficult number — but TB12 has been blitzed for the season by the Saints — and the defending champions resemble New Orleans. The Bucs have nowhere near the defense to be able to count on stifling Patrick Mahomes and friends in critical late-game situations.
PACKERS (-8.5) over Bears: We typically look critically at any balefully obvious plotlines — but in this case, considering the oldest rivalry in the league, we’re not bucking the sustained Green Bay straw boss posture, versus the offensively limited ground game deployed by Chicago, as QB Mitch Trubisky returns to the Bears’ helm.
Monday
Seahawks (-5) over EAGLES: Seattle is battling for a good playoff berth, at 7-3 — despite only managing to generate a 31-point offense/defense scoring advantage this season. That’s what can happen when you cough up 287 points to enemy forces. Philadelphia is now healthier than it was a couple of weeks ago, but the difference in firepower between these two is considerable — and very possibly fatal, even with the Seahawks on the road.
Last Week: 4-9.
Season: 70-75-6


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Jets could pick up first win vs. Tua Tagovailoa-less Dolphins

Is this the week the Jets finally get a win ?
At 0-10 , the Jets feel like the Washington Generals facing the Harlem Globetrotters each week , but they have not given up hope on getting a win .
Sunday at MetLife Stadium , they face the Dolphins ( 6-4 ) , a team with playoff hopes , but quarterback questions .
Rookie Tua Tagovailoa has started the past four games for the Dolphins and has gone 3-1 , but he injured his left thumb in practice this week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday ’ s game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be back under center against the Jets .
The Jets will get starting quarterback Sam Darnold back after a two-game absence .
Darnold will get to play with the Jets ’ top three wide receivers — Jamison Crowder , Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims — all in the lineup together for the first time .
For Darnold , this could be a six-game audition to convince the Jets to stick with him in 2021 or for a team interested in trading for him this offseason .
“ For myself I just have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game at a time and kind of let the narrative kind of write itself , ” Darnold said .
“ I ’ m just going to go out there and do my job to the best of my ability .
I ’ m going to go out and try to get a win this Sunday.
” Though many Jets fans are hoping the team finishes 0-16 to land the No .
1 pick and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence , the players and coaches are still hoping to break through and get that first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the goal , ” Crowder said .
“ That ’ s been the goal all season but for whatever reason we just can ’ t put it together .
It definitely sucks to be 0-10 but each week is an opportunity to go out there and win a ballgame.
” The Jets have lost their past two games by a combined nine points , playing much more competitively than they did earlier in the season .
There is nothing left to play for this season but pride and avoiding 0-16 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their skill players healthy , the Jets can get a glimpse of what might have been .
“ I think these guys all just want to kind of see what maybe it could have been from the beginning of year , ” coach Adam Gase said .
“ Getting a lot of these young guys in there and seeing what kind of chemistry you have .
I mean obviously the more we practice together the more we ’ re playing games together , the better it is for those guys .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re getting improvement , and Sunday is the biggest test .
”

Is this the week the Jets finally get a win?
At 0-10, the Jets feel like the Washington Generals facing the Harlem Globetrotters each week, but they have not given up hope on getting a win. Sunday at MetLife Stadium, they face the Dolphins (6-4), a team with playoff hopes, but quarterback questions.
Rookie Tua Tagovailoa has started the past four games for the Dolphins and has gone 3-1, but he injured his left thumb in practice this week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game. That means old friend Ryan Fitzpatrick will be back under center against the Jets.
The Jets will get starting quarterback Sam Darnold back after a two-game absence. Darnold will get to play with the Jets’ top three wide receivers — Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims — all in the lineup together for the first time.
For Darnold, this could be a six-game audition to convince the Jets to stick with him in 2021 or for a team interested in trading for him this offseason.
“For myself I just have to go out there and play one game at a time and kind of let the narrative kind of write itself,” Darnold said. “I’m just going to go out there and do my job to the best of my ability. I’m going to go out and try to get a win this Sunday.”
Though many Jets fans are hoping the team finishes 0-16 to land the No. 1 pick and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, the players and coaches are still hoping to break through and get that first win of the season.
“That’s the goal,” Crowder said. “That’s been the goal all season but for whatever reason we just can’t put it together. It definitely sucks to be 0-10 but each week is an opportunity to go out there and win a ballgame.”
The Jets have lost their past two games by a combined nine points, playing much more competitively than they did earlier in the season. There is nothing left to play for this season but pride and avoiding 0-16.
With Darnold in the lineup and all of their skill players healthy, the Jets can get a glimpse of what might have been.
“I think these guys all just want to kind of see what maybe it could have been from the beginning of year,” coach Adam Gase said. “Getting a lot of these young guys in there and seeing what kind of chemistry you have. I mean obviously the more we practice together the more we’re playing games together, the better it is for those guys. I just think every day, we’re getting improvement, and Sunday is the biggest test.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Andrew Lloyd Webber hopeful for Broadway as possible COVID-19 vaccine looms

The King of Broadway has decreed that he is “ optimistic ” about the return of live theatre to New @ @ @ @ @ Webber stopped by CNBC ’ s “ Closing Bell ” on Friday to share his @ @ @ @ @ return to New York stages that have been closed down since March .
“ Well @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been fighting to get theaters reopened and indeed all forms of indoor @ @ @ @ @ and down , not only just Britain but all over America , ” said the @ @ @ @ @ year was the recipient of one of the earliest coronavirus vaccines .
Webber noted that @ @ @ @ @ The Phantom of the Opera , ” has resumed shows in South Korea after the @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It clearly does depend a great deal on the vaccine but there have @ @ @ @ @ , a load of measures that have been applied in say Korea , and in @ @ @ @ @ which have mitigated the effects of the virus enormously , ” said Webber .

The King of Broadway has decreed that he is “optimistic” about the return of live theatre to New York
Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber stopped by CNBC’s “Closing Bell” on Friday to share his sentiment that shows will indeed return to New York stages that have been closed down since March.
“Well, as you probably know I’ve been fighting to get theaters reopened and indeed all forms of indoor and music spaces, up and down, not only just Britain but all over America,” said the composer, who earlier this year was the recipient of one of the earliest coronavirus vaccines.
Webber noted that his worldwide phenomenon, “The Phantom of the Opera,” has resumed shows in South Korea after the cast quarantined for 15 days.
“It clearly does depend a great deal on the vaccine but there have been a number of measures, a load of measures that have been applied in say Korea, and in Japan, for example, which have mitigated the effects of the virus enormously,” said Webber.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Mets trying to be ‘more aggressive’ in MLB free agency

George Springer visited his alma mater , UConn , last week and ...

As the Mets look to remake the organization, it sounds like they are more likely to take advantage of Steve Cohen’s billions rather than sacrificing young assets, according to new team president Sandy Alderson.
“There are only two currencies in baseball, players and money,” Alderson said Sunday on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio.
“Now, especially in the upper levels of our system, we don’t have the players,’’ Alderson said. “We have some money. So we’re going to balance those two things. We expect to be active in the free-agent market as opposed to the trade market. We don’t want to give up our young guys.”
Alderson reiterated a reluctance to move any “really good prospects,” which is no surprise after the previous regime was criticized for trading Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn as part of a package with Seattle in exchange for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz.
If that proves to be the case, a move for Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor figures to be off the table, as would potential trades for a third baseman such as the Cubs’ Kris Bryant or the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado.
But it would mean the Mets would be players for at least one or more of the top free agents on the market.
And with Trevor Bauer, George Springer, J.T. Realmuto and DJ LeMahieu all available, the Mets could be players for one or all of those free agents.
“We’re not waiting for the market to develop,” Alderson said. “We’re trying to be a little more aggressive. But at the same time, it takes two to engage. I do think some segments of the market are going to move more quickly.”
That’s already started with some starting pitchers signing one-year deals, notably Drew Smyly and Charlie Morton with the Braves, as well as Robbie Ray with the Blue Jays. Marcus Stroman also accepted the Mets’ qualifying offer of $18.9 million, as did Kevin Gausman to stick with the Giants.
Besides that, though, few have signed and markets have yet to be set for players at other positions.
“We’re interested in talking to a number of players,” Alderson said. “We’ve got a number of holes to fill. We’ve got some depth that we need to create. There are a lot of different ways that we can approach this. But we’re hopeful that we can be active players. That’s our intent.”
But the market has yet to set itself after the economic fallout of the COVID pandemic that has some teams crying poverty.
According to Alderson, it will take some time for baseball to recover.
“The industry’s economy is not going to turn around in 2021,” Alderson said. “It’s going to take a couple of years for it to resolve itself.”
That’s where the Mets could pounce, since Cohen didn’t suffer the losses other current owners did due to the pandemic.
“We have some flexibility this year,’’ Alderson said. “I don’t think we’ll be financially disadvantaged, but lots of teams will still be competitive for players. But by the same token, we’re working hard at it. I expect the team to be a little different today than going into spring training.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Brandon Jacobs salty about being omitted from Giants all-time photo

Brandon Jacobs feels he was slighted by the Giants .
The former Big Blue running back , who holds the franchise ’ s record for rushing touchdowns with 60 , was left out of a graphic on the Giants ’ official Instagram account celebrating the team ’ s 700th regular-season win on Sunday .
The Giants beat the Bengals 19-17 in Cincinnati to move into first place in the NFC East at 4-7 .
User @ gcofone23 brought Jacobs ’ attention to the photo by tagging him and writing , “ Where ’ s the goat ?
” Jacobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giants , responded to the inquiry .
“ I don ’ t ever get any love lol , ” wrote Jacobs , who played eight seasons with the Giants after he was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2005 .
“ You wouldn ’ t even know I was there if I didn ’ t rep. ” Included in the photo are running backs Tiki Barber ( the Giants ’ all-time rushing leader ) and Saquon Barkley , who has played 31 games for the franchise over three seasons because of injury @

Brandon Jacobs feels he was slighted by the Giants.
The former Big Blue running back, who holds the franchise’s record for rushing touchdowns with 60, was left out of a graphic on the Giants’ official Instagram account celebrating the team’s 700th regular-season win on Sunday. The Giants beat the Bengals 19-17 in Cincinnati to move into first place in the NFC East at 4-7.
User @gcofone23 brought Jacobs’ attention to the photo by tagging him and writing, “Where’s the goat ?” Jacobs, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, responded to the inquiry.
“I don’t ever get any love lol,” wrote Jacobs, who played eight seasons with the Giants after he was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2005. “You wouldn’t even know I was there if I didn’t rep.”
Jacobs’ handle on Instagram is @nyg.td.record27.
Included in the photo are running backs Tiki Barber (the Giants’ all-time rushing leader) and Saquon Barkley, who has played 31 games for the franchise over three seasons because of injury.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Boater found desperately clinging to hull of capsized ship off Florida coast

A 62-year-old man was discovered desperately clinging to the hull of his capsized boat in the waters off the Florida coast on Sunday — about 24 hours after he was reported lost at sea , officials said .
The crew onboard the container ship Angeles spotted Stuart Bee at around 11 a.m. , some 86 miles off of Cape Canaveral , holding onto his 32-foot vessel , the US Coast Guard said .
The agency had been searching for signs of the boater since he was reported missing on Saturday morning .
Bee had left Cape Marina Friday , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried since he had not returned the next day and typically didn ’ t stay out at sea overnight .
Photos released by the Coast Guard showed Bee swimming away from his sinking ship and toward an orange life ring .
Another image showed the soaking-wet boater climbing aboard the container ship .
Capt .
Mark Vlaun , the commanding officer of the Coast Guard ’ s Jacksonville sector , thanked everyone involved in the rescue mission .
“ Saving lives at sea is our highest calling , ” Vlaun said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredible outcome that demonstrates the bond among all mariners and our community .
”

A 62-year-old man was discovered desperately clinging to the hull of his capsized boat in the waters off the Florida coast on Sunday — about 24 hours after he was reported lost at sea, officials said.
The crew onboard the container ship Angeles spotted Stuart Bee around 11 a.m., some 86 miles off Cape Canaveral, holding onto his 32-foot vessel, the US Coast Guard said.
The agency had been searching for signs of the boater since he was reported missing Saturday morning.
Bee had left Cape Marina on Friday, but the person who reported him missing grew worried since he had not returned the next day and typically didn’t stay out at sea overnight.
Photos released by the Coast Guard showed Bee swimming away from his sinking ship and toward an orange life ring. Another image showed the soaking-wet boater climbing aboard the container ship.
His condition wasn’t immediately known.
Capt. Mark Vlaun, commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s Jacksonville sector, thanked everyone involved in the rescue mission.
“Saving lives at sea is our highest calling,” Vlaun said in a statement. “This is a truly incredible outcome that demonstrates the bond among all mariners and our community.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Trump wishes Biden a speedy recovery from fractured foot

President Trump on Sunday night wished a speedy recovery to President-elect Joe Biden , who fractured his foot while playing @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
“ Get well soon !
” Trump tweeted , along with a video @ @ @ @ @ office in Delaware earlier in the day .
Biden ’ s doctors said Sunday night @ @ @ @ @ wear a walking boot for several weeks as a result of the injury sustained on @ @ @ @ @ reportedly slipped while playing with his German Shepherd , Major .
Initial X-rays showed “ @ @ @ @ @ but a CT scan later Sunday revealed “ hairline ( small ) fractures of President-elect @ @ @ @ @ intermediate cuneiform bones , which are in the mid-foot , ” according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ ’ Connor .
“ It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Connor said .

President Trump on Sunday night wished a speedy recovery to President-elect Joe Biden, who fractured his foot while playing with his dog over the weekend.
“Get well soon!” Trump tweeted, along with a video of Biden leaving an orthopedic office in Delaware earlier in the day.
Biden’s doctors said Sunday night the president-elect will need to wear a walking boot for several weeks as a result of the injury sustained on Saturday.
The 78-year-old Democrat reportedly slipped while playing with his German shepherd, Major.
Initial X-rays showed “no obvious fracture,” but a CT scan later Sunday revealed “hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden’s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot,” according to a statement from his doctor Kevin O’Connor.
“It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks,” O’Connor said.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Adam Gase’s Jets play-calling denial doesn’t make any sense

Adam Gase insisted that nothing changed on Sunday , that he still wasn ’ t calling the plays .
But it certainly seemed different than the last four games when offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was the one calling plays , and the Jets ’ head coach even contradicted himself at one point in his postgame press conference on Zoom .
Loggains didn ’ t even have a play sheet on the sideline and when Gase was called on it , he admitted to calling the plays on third down .
“ He tells me [ the plays ] .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not hard , ” Gase said after the Jets fell to 0-11 , dropping a one-sided 20-3 contest to the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium .
“ We go through it the drive before .
‘ Hey , these are the three plays.
’ I do the third downs.
” Yet , at the beginning of the press conference , Gase said : “ I didn ’ t take over , we ’ ve done the same thing the last four games.
” When told that in the third quarter , Loggains was seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a drive , Gase had to be reminded what part of the game that was .
“ When we got down , I was trying to do some of the two-minute stuff , ” he said .
Before the game , ESPN ’ s Chris Mortensen reported that Gase would take back play-calling duties with starting quarterback Sam Darnold back after missing the last two games due to a shoulder injury .
Whether he called every play , or it was Gase and Loggains working in tandem , it had a poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ score a touchdown for the second time this year against the Dolphins .
When Gase initially gave up his play-calling duties , he did so to try to jump-start the offense and see if others calling plays might help .
The Jets did score 55 points the previous two weeks with Joe Flacco under center , but with Darnold back , and Gase appearing to at least be partially involved in what plays were run , the league ’ s lowest-scoring offense reverted back to its anemic ways .

Adam Gase insisted that nothing changed on Sunday, that he still wasn’t calling the plays.
But it certainly seemed different than the last four games when offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was the one calling plays, and the Jets’ head coach even contradicted himself at one point in his postgame press conference on Zoom.
Loggains didn’t even have a play sheet on the sideline and when Gase was called on it, he admitted to calling the plays on third down.
“He tells me [the plays]. It’s not hard. This is not hard,” Gase said after the Jets fell to 0-11, dropping a one-sided 20-3 contest to the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. “We go through it the drive before. ‘Hey, these are the three plays.’ I do the third downs.”
Yet, at the beginning of the press conference, Gase said: “I didn’t take over, we’ve done the same thing the last four games.”
When told that in the third quarter, Loggains was seen talking to offensive line coach Frank Pollack during a drive, Gase had to be reminded what part of the game that was.
“When we got down, I was trying to do some of the two-minute stuff,” he said.
Before the game, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Gase would take back play-calling duties with starting quarterback Sam Darnold back after missing the last two games due to a shoulder injury. Whether he called every play, or it was Gase and Loggains working in tandem, it had a poor result, as the Jets failed to score a touchdown for the second time this year against the Dolphins.
When Gase initially gave up his play-calling duties, he did so to try to jump-start the offense and see if others calling plays might help. The Jets did score 55 points the previous two weeks with Joe Flacco under center, but with Darnold back, and Gase appearing to at least be partially involved in what plays were run, the league’s lowest-scoring offense reverted back to its anemic ways.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Mother of slain Florida teen shot at his burial

The mother of a Florida teenager who was shot and killed by a sheriff ’ s deputy this month was wounded at his burial service Saturday .
Quasheda Pierce , 39 , was hit when a shot rang out at Riverview Memorial Gardens in Cocoa , where 18-year-old Sincere Pierce was being laid to rest just over two weeks after he and another teen were shot dead by a Brevard County Sheriff ’ s deputy .
Police said the wounded woman and a 16-year-old boy were both struck when a gun the teen was carrying at the burial “ experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them , WOFL-TV reported Sunday .
The bullet went through the armed teen ’ s leg and then through Quasheda Pierce ’ s leg , the outlet said .
The wounds were not considered life-threatening , authorities said .
Cops said the boy , who was not identified , was not cooperating with investigators .
The shooting sent dozens of mourners scrambling for their cars just as Sincere ’ s casket was being lowered into his grave , Florida Today said .
His mother was placed into a minivan and taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sincere and 16-year-old Angelo Crooms were both killed when two Brevard County Sheriff ’ s deputies — Jafet Santiago-Miranda and Carson Hendren — attempted to question them during a traffic stop on Nov. 13 .
The deputies attempted to pull over the car the two teens were in when they began to drive away despite repeated commands from Santiago-Miranda to “ stop the vehicle , ” bodycam footage of the incident shows .
The deputy then fires multiple shots into the car , killing the teens .
Both of the deputies have since @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The mother of a Florida teenager who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy this month was wounded at his burial service Saturday.
Quasheda Pierce, 39, was hit when a shot rang out at Riverview Memorial Gardens in Cocoa, where 18-year-old Sincere Pierce was being laid to rest just over two weeks after he and another teen were shot dead by a Brevard County sheriff’s deputy.
Police said the wounded woman and a 16-year-old boy were both struck when a gun the teen was carrying at the burial “experienced an accidental discharge” and struck both of them, WOFL-TV reported Sunday.
The bullet went through the armed teen’s leg and then through Quasheda Pierce’s leg, the outlet said.
The wounds were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.
Cops said the boy, who was not identified, was not cooperating with investigators.
The shooting sent dozens of mourners scrambling for their cars just as Sincere’s casket was being lowered into his grave, Florida Today said.
His mother was placed into a minivan and taken to a local hospital before police arrived.
Sincere and 16-year-old Angelo Crooms were both killed when two Brevard County sheriff’s deputies — Jafet Santiago-Miranda and Carson Hendren — attempted to question them during a traffic stop Nov. 13.
The deputies attempted to pull over the car the two teens were in when they began to drive away despite repeated commands from Santiago-Miranda to “stop the vehicle,” bodycam footage of the incident shows.
The deputy then fired multiple shots into the car, killing the teens.
Both of the deputies have since been placed on paid administrative leave.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Niko Lalos’ Giants debut only got better after LeBron James shoutout

Lore has it that Bill Parcells answered his telephone one ...

Niko Lalos’ day started with a Twitter name-drop from LeBron James and somehow only got better from there.
A few hours after King James sent his legion of 48 million followers scrambling to research the name, the Giants rookie defensive lineman made a diving interception and helped force another turnover in a 19-17 road win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lalos was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday for an unforgettable NFL debut.
“First career [game], interception, shout-out from LeBron — I don’t think it gets better than that,” teammate Logan Ryan said. “He’s part of the early-risers crew. I think he was elevated today because we needed him, I think he was elevated because of his work ethic every day. I’m happy he was rewarded. It’s a great story.”
Lalos and James are products (13 years apart) of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio — about 230 miles away from the site of Sunday’s game. When their alma mater tweeted about Lalos on Sunday morning, James retweeted, “Good luck out there Niko!” and a string of emojis.
Given a shot because the Giants were shorthanded on special teams — tight end Kaden Smith is on the COVID-19/reserve list — Lalos made the most of his limited defensive snaps, too.
Lalos hustled to the second level of the defense to catch a tipped pass by fellow rookie Darnay Holmes. He tucked his arms to avoid the ball hitting the turf in a way that would make Sterling Shepard proud.
And Lalos held up Bengals tight end Drew Sample, allowing Ryan to be the textbook second-tackler in and force and recover a fumble. The two second-half takeaways led to a crucial six points.
“To be honest, we’re not surprised he was around the ball,” coach Joe Judge said. “We see that every day in practice. Practice execution becomes game reality. He showed up for us today.”
The Giants signed Lalos, 23, as an undrafted rookie in April and re-signed him to the practice squad after he missed the final cut in September. He wasn’t a starter until his junior year at Dartmouth and wasn’t First-Team All-Ivy until his senior year.
The upward climb has continued with the Giants.
“From the beginning, he’s just shown constant improvement every day,” Judge said. “We talk to our guys all the time about how it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing. He’s taken a lot of reps for us on the practice squad and worked hard on special teams. When we talked this week about who we liked in certain roles, his name came up. The coaches felt confident.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Two Utah men charged in killing of man whose body was found in desert

Two Utah men were reportedly charged in the killing of a man whose body was found dumped in the desert @ @ @ @ @ Troy Pexton , 56 , and 41-year-old Scott Blackett were charged in connection to the @ @ @ @ @ , authorities announced Saturday , according to Fox 13 .
Caussey ’ s body was @ @ @ @ @ the west Juab County desert on Friday .
The trio had reportedly been drinking and @ @ @ @ @ when Pexton allegedly shot Caussey amid a fight between the victim and Blackett , according @ @ @ @ @ the outlet .
The two suspects then dumped Caussey and returned to Nephi , where @ @ @ @ @ .
Blackett told police he was seated in the back of the truck when Caussey @ @ @ @ @ him to suffer a concussion and lose consciousness , a probable cause statement said .
@ @ @ @ @ of murder , obstructing justice and abuse or desecration of a body .
Blackett was @ @ @ @ @ of a body .

Two Utah men were reportedly charged in the killing of a man whose body was found dumped in the desert, a report said.
Troy Pexton, 56, and 41-year-old Scott Blackett were charged in connection to the death of 50-year-old Michael Caussey, authorities announced Saturday, according to Fox 13.
Caussey’s body was found near a highway in the west Juab County desert on Friday.
The trio had reportedly been drinking and riding in a truck together when Pexton allegedly shot Caussey amid a fight between the victim and Blackett, according to arrest documents obtained by the outlet.
The two suspects then dumped Caussey and returned to Nephi, where they live, police said.
Blackett told police he was seated in the back of the truck when Caussey started beating him, causing him to suffer a concussion and lose consciousness, a probable cause statement said.
Pexton was charged with suspicion of murder, obstructing justice and abuse or desecration of a body.
Blackett was charged with abuse or desecration of a body.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Yankees’ verdict on Gary Sanchez will tell us everything

It is impossible to locate a voice inside of baseball ...

What the Yankees do before 8 p.m. on Wednesday will reveal how they viewed a 60-game season from an individual standpoint and the impact of the financial hit they took by playing games without selling one ticket.
Like all teams, the Yankees have to tender arbitration-eligible players contracts by Wednesday evening. If a player is tendered he is a signed player. If not tendered, he is a free agent.
And the premier name in that situation is catcher Gary Sanchez, who turns 28 on Wednesday, a two-time All-Star who hit 34 home runs and drove in 77 runs during the 2019 season before producing a dreadful 2020 season in which he batted an unfathomable .147 (23-for-156) and struck out a whopping 64 times in 49 games and started just two of the seven Yankees playoff games.
The buzz in the scouting industry is teams shouldn’t put too much stock in a two-month regular season when it comes to individual performances, good or bad.
If the Yankees use that glass half-full approach, then they likely tender Sanchez a contract and prepare to give him a raise from the $5 million he made in the pandemic-impacted 2020 season.
Should the Yankees not tender Sanchez a contract, it will be an indication they don’t believe he is worth that type of money coming off the year he had and an indication that the club is making an effort to get under the $210 million luxury-tax threshold for 2021. It is believed the Yankees took a financial hit upward of $220 million last season. After the season Hal Steinbrenner said the Yankees lost more money than any other team.
One factor that favors Sanchez returning is that if he doesn’t, the Yankees have to find a catcher to pair with Kyle Higashioka and that would likely come from the free-agent pool that isn’t deep after J.T. Realmuto, who will be beyond the Yankees’ reach financially.
The next-best free agent catcher is likely 30-year-old James McCann, who hit .289 with seven homers, drove in 15 runs and posted a .896 OPS in 31 games for the White Sox this past season for which he was paid $5.4 million.
Sanchez’s dramatic drop-off at the plate in 2020 after he hit 34 homers, drove in 77 runs and posted an .841 OPS in 106 games in 2019 was seen by some as a struggle with the defensive changes introduced to him.
Some believe he was a victim of information overload and backed that up by mentioning how many times Sanchez looked at the information on the wristband he wore on his left arm. And he never appeared comfortable with the new catching stance introduced by instructor Tanner Swanson, which had Sanchez kicking out a leg in order to turn borderline low pitches into strikes via pitch framing.
Should Sanchez return he will likely not be working with staff ace Gerrit Cole. Higashioka caught Cole in his two postseason starts and three other October games. Manager Aaron Boone started Higashioka in Cole’s final four regular-season starts.
During the regular season, Cole posted a 1.00 ERA and held hitters to a .147 (14-for-95) in four games throwing to Higashioka compared to a 3.91 ERA in eight games working with Sanchez. Hitters batted .224 (39-for-174) and had a .776 OPS against Cole with Sanchez catching.
Do the Yankees put Sanchez’s awful season in the “It was 2020 baseball” and move forward with him? Or is shedding that estimated $6 million part of a plan to get under the luxury-tax threshold?
The verdict arrives Wednesday.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--This feels like the end of Sam Darnold

This feels like the end of Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold with weapons looked an awful lot like Sam ...

And to think: There actually were some Jets fans who were concerned about this game, worried that the Jets might actually defeat the Dolphins and ruin the run of perfection they’ve had going this season.
Sam Darnold was returning to the lineup after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury and there was promise. Because this was the first time all season he had all three of his top receivers — Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims — on the field with him in a game.
No worries.
The Jets lost again, 20-3 to Miami at MetLife Stadium, and the potential (likely?) winless season marches on — 0-11 and counting.
Here’s the worst of it: The Jets offense looked more anemic with Darnold playing than it had the previous two games with veteran backup Joe Flacco filling in for him.
Darnold and his coach Adam Gase are out of excuses.
The central theme to the defense of Darnold all of this season has been the fact that he’d never had his offensive weapons together on the field with him at the same time.
Well, Darnold had all of them together on Sunday and he responded by missing them too often with errant throws and by tossing two killer interceptions, the first of which was an amateur-hour force into coverage in Miami territory with the Jets still in the game.
“Two decisions that I made, the two picks … those suck,’’ a downtrodden Darnold said after the game. “I’ve got to be better. I didn’t play well enough to win a ballgame today.’’
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this lament from Darnold after a game before.
Darnold, 16 of 27 for 197 yards and the two interceptions, was badly outplayed by former Jets veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 24 of 39 for 257 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins (7-4) did everything in their power to keep the inferior Jets in the game. And the Jets did everything in their power to say, “Thanks, but no thanks. You take it. You need it more than we do.’’
The Jets, down 13-3, had a chip-shot 29-yard field-goal attempt by Sergio Castillo sail wide right on the final play of the first half.
Then, on the Jets’ first possession of the second half, Darnold, flushed from the pocket to his right on a third-and-8 from the Miami 32, forced that pass across his body to Crowder and put the ball between the “4’’ and the “0’’ of Miami cornerback Nik Needham’s jersey.
So, there went — at worst — six points on those possessions, points that could have cut the Miami lead to 13-9 at the time.
Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams forced a Matt Breida fumble that was recovered by Harvey Langi at the Miami 45-yard line with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter.
The offense responded by going three plays and a punt from the Miami 44.
Jets linebacker Jordan Jenkins forced a Patrick Laird fumble that was recovered by Neville Hewitt on the Dolphins’ next possession, giving the offense the ball on the Miami 26-yard line with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter with the Jets still trailing by 10.
The offense responded by going four-and-out, with Frank Gore stoned for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 from the Dolphins 17.
Two turnovers in Miami territory led to zero points. Inexcusable.
Those three failed offensive possessions, all of which were in Miami territory, beginning with the Needham pick, were on Darnold.
Bill Parcells, for as long as he coached, always said that a quarterback is judged by two things: How many games his team wins and how often he gets his team into the end zone.
Well, the Jets are winless and they failed to get into the end zone Sunday despite spending what felt like all afternoon on the Miami side of the 50-yard line.
That’s on Darnold.
No more excuses.
Gase is going to be fired. When is merely a matter of time. Whether Jets CEO Christopher Johnson follows suit with what the Lions did this weekend, firing Matt Patricia, and makes the change now or whether he waits until after this miserable season is complete to do it is somewhat irrelevant.
For Darnold, Sunday was damning. He delivered no evidence whatsoever that he’s the franchise quarterback the Jets drafted him to be three years ago, that he should be the centerpiece of the solution once a new head coach is hired.
“I’m super confident in Adam and the way he coaches,’’ Darnold said when asked about his dead-man-walking head coach. “Us players have got to be better. And me personally, I’ve got to play better.’’
It’s been too late for Gase for weeks. Now, it feels like it’s too late for Darnold, too.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--UK gets 2M more doses of COVID-19 vaccine as roll-out could be ‘days away’

The UK has secured 2 million more doses of the Moderna ’ s promising coronavirus vaccine as the country prepares for the launch of its COVID-19 inoculation program , health officials announced Sunday .
The country ’ s Department of Health has now ordered 7 million doses of the Moderna vaccine , which the company has said proved to be about 95 percent effective in clinical trials .
Moderna ’ s vaccine is expected to be referred soon to the UK ’ s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency , to see if it is safe and effective .
British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mail on Sunday that the country ’ s vaccine roll-out could be “ just days away.
” Hospitals in England have been alerted they could receive the first doses of yet-to-be-approved Pfizer ’ s vaccine as early as Dec. 7 , according to the Guardian and Financial Times .
Health care workers and nursing home residents will be first in line to be vaccinated , the UK government has said , followed by elderly people over the age of 80 .
Johnson said officials hope to vaccinate “ the vast majority of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Easter.
” Overall , the UK government has agreed to purchase over 350 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from seven different producers — pending their approval .
Globally , the UK has suffered the fifth most COVID-19 related deaths — with over 58,000 .

The UK has secured 2 million more doses of the Moderna’s promising coronavirus vaccine as the country prepares for the launch of its COVID-19 inoculation program, health officials announced Sunday.
The country’s Department of Health has now ordered 7 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which the company has said proved to be about 95 percent effective in clinical trials.
Moderna’s vaccine is expected to be referred soon to the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to see if it is safe and effective.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in the Mail on Sunday that the country’s vaccine roll-out could be “just days away.”
Hospitals in England have been alerted they could receive the first doses of yet-to-be-approved Pfizer’s vaccine as early as Dec. 7, according to the Guardian and Financial Times.
Health care workers and nursing home residents will be first in line to be vaccinated, the UK government has said, followed by elderly people over the age of 80.
Johnson said officials hope to vaccinate “the vast majority of the people who need the most protection by Easter.”
Overall, the UK government has agreed to purchase over 350 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from seven different producers — pending their approval.
Globally, the UK has suffered the fifth most COVID-19 related deaths — with over 58,000.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Not all are hailing latest NYC taxi bailout plan

A new plan to bail out New York City ’ s debt-ridden taxi drivers is getting support from top city and state officials — but critics say the numbers don ’ t add up , and claim that it threatens to wreck the market that finances yellow cabs for good .
Under a proposal unveiled this month by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance , a group that represents drivers , the city would attempt to reduce the value and debt on taxi medallions — the pricey permits issued by the city that are required to operate cabs — at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a backstop , responsible for all the accounts that might still default .
Introduced by the group ’ s executive director , Bhairavi Desai , the plan would push cabbies ’ monthly payments below $ 800 over 20 years with an interest rate of 4 percent .
That ’ s well below the payments of $ 3,000 and $ 4,000 a month that slammed some cabbies after the medallion market briefly soared above $ 1 million in 2013 .
The radical refinancing — which comes as cabbies face as much as another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the help of a COVID-19 vaccine — has grabbed the eye of a few prominent city officials .
“ The Taxi Workers Alliance ’ s breakthrough proposal offers a responsible and necessary approach to relieve crushing debt for drivers and mitigate costs for taxpayers , ” New York City Comptroller and 2021 mayoral candidate Scott Stringer , said in a statement to The Post .
“ We should embrace this plan and get to work now because we have a fiscal and moral obligation to make this right.
” New York Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed an $ 810 million suit against the city , alleging that the artificial inflation of medallion values between 2004 and 2017 amounted to fraud — has likewise gotten behind the new bailout proposal , saying on Nov. 18 she would drop her suit if the city adopted Desai ’ s plan .
Medallions lately have changed hands well below the $ 200,000 mark , helping spur widespread bankruptcies and at least nine suicides .
“ I believe it is essential that we move forward on this relief package immediately to mitigate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Industry analysts , however , say the plan — which would slash cabbies ’ collective debt to $ 75 million , down from $ 500 million in a bailout proposed by city officials just weeks before the pandemic hit in March — ignores a key part of any deal to bail out medallion owners : namely , the private lenders who hold their debt .
The biggest player in that market is Greenwich , Conn.-based Marblegate Asset Management , which owns more than 4,000 medallions and leases , the largest collection ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up 3,000 medallions at an average value thought to be $ 110,000 .
The fund has denied the accuracy of that figure , but has declined to elaborate .
“ Desai should recognize that there ’ s a bigger player in this , and that player is Marblegate , ” warned medallion owner Sergio Cabrera .
“ Why would Marblegate , with all the leverage , sign on for this plan when they already paid that ?
The numbers have to work for everybody.
” Marblegate declined to comment for this article , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting in good faith throughout the pandemic , providing $ 70 million in relief so far to medallion owners unable to make a profit in the pandemic .
“ They ’ ve been twisting an arm here or there but it ’ s a light twist , ” Cabrera said of Marblegate .
Some experts agree that Marblegate ’ s interests can ’ t be ignored by the city , even as business remains down more than 80 percent from pre-pandemic levels .
“ To just pick a number is absolutely ludicrous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consulting at Eagle Alpha and author of a March report on the current state of taxi medallions .
“ If they move forward and create this so-called windfall by revaluing the medallions , they will destroy this market.
” According to Barr , lowering the value of medallions to $ 125,000 would severely undervalue them as assets going forward .
That , in turn , could scare investors away from the sector and curb access to capital .
On top of increased defaults , existing and prospective medallion owners could find it impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreclosed medallions back from the city .
“ Who ’ s going to lend capital for people to purchase medallions ?
Nobody , ” Barr said .
Meanwhile , a third taxi bailout plan , called the Medallion Asset Relief Program , was introduced in May by Bronx City Councilman and Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres .
Under the so-called MARP plan , which has the support of 20 councilmembers , the city would work with lenders and other private sector players to re-peg the value of medallions at $ 250,000 .
That valuation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners with a chance to build equity in their loans at a valuation that lenders like Marblegate might accept .
Monthly payments would amount to around $ 1,100 .
Torres and Marblegate both declined to comment on Desai ’ s proposal gaining steam .
In earlier conversations with The Post , Torres voiced concerns about Desai ’ s plan and its inability to create a lasting impact for the yellow cab industry .
He has publicly mulled getting federal funding for MARP when he gets to Congress in early 2021 .

A new plan to bail out New York City’s debt-ridden taxi drivers is getting support from top city and state officials — but critics say the numbers don’t add up, and claim that it threatens to wreck the market that finances yellow cabs for good.
Under a proposal unveiled this month by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a group that represents drivers, the city would attempt to reduce the value and debt on taxi medallions — the pricey permits issued by the city that are required to operate cabs — at $125,000. The city would act as a backstop, responsible for all the accounts that might still default.
Introduced by the group’s executive director, Bhairavi Desai, the plan would push cabbies’ monthly payments below $800 over 20 years with an interest rate of 4 percent. That’s well below the payments of $3,000 and $4,000 a month that slammed some cabbies after the medallion market briefly soared above $1 million in 2013.
The radical refinancing — which comes as cabbies face as much as another year before the city returns to normal with the help of a COVID-19 vaccine — has grabbed the eye of a few prominent city officials.
“The Taxi Workers Alliance’s breakthrough proposal offers a responsible and necessary approach to relieve crushing debt for drivers and mitigate costs for taxpayers,” New York City Comptroller and 2021 mayoral candidate Scott Stringer, said in a statement to The Post. “We should embrace this plan and get to work now because we have a fiscal and moral obligation to make this right.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James — who in February filed an $810 million suit against the city, alleging that the artificial inflation of medallion values between 2004 and 2017 amounted to fraud — has likewise gotten behind the new bailout proposal, saying on Nov. 18 she would drop her suit if the city adopted Desai’s plan.
Medallions lately have changed hands well below the $200,000 mark, helping spur widespread bankruptcies and at least nine suicides.
“I believe it is essential that we move forward on this relief package immediately to mitigate the harm already done,” James said.
Industry analysts, however, say the plan — which would slash cabbies’ collective debt to $75 million, down from $500 million in a bailout proposed by city officials just weeks before the pandemic hit in March — ignores a key part of any deal to bail out medallion owners: namely, the private lenders who hold their debt.
The biggest player in that market is Greenwich, Conn.-based Marblegate Asset Management, which owns more than 4,000 medallions and leases, the largest collection ever. Earlier this year, Marblegate picked up 3,000 medallions at an average value thought to be $110,000. The fund has denied the accuracy of that figure, but has declined to elaborate.
“Desai should recognize that there’s a bigger player in this, and that player is Marblegate,” warned medallion owner Sergio Cabrera. “Why would Marblegate, with all the leverage, sign on for this plan when they already paid that? The numbers have to work for everybody.”
Marblegate declined to comment for this article, but it has previously said it is acting in good faith throughout the pandemic, providing $70 million in relief so far to medallion owners unable to make a profit in the pandemic.
“They’ve been twisting an arm here or there but it’s a light twist,” Cabrera said of Marblegate.
Some experts agree that Marblegate’s interests can’t be ignored by the city, even as business remains down more than 80 percent from pre-pandemic levels.
“To just pick a number is absolutely ludicrous,” said Dean Barr, head of consulting at Eagle Alpha and author of a March report on the current state of taxi medallions. “If they move forward and create this so-called windfall by revaluing the medallions, they will destroy this market.”
According to Barr, lowering the value of medallions to $125,000 would severely undervalue them as assets going forward. That, in turn, could scare investors away from the sector and curb access to capital. On top of increased defaults, existing and prospective medallion owners could find it impossible to borrow money in order to buy foreclosed medallions back from the city.
“Who’s going to lend capital for people to purchase medallions? Nobody,” Barr said.
Meanwhile, a third taxi bailout plan, called the Medallion Asset Relief Program, was introduced in May by Bronx City Councilman and Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres. Under the so-called MARP plan, which has the support of 20 councilmembers, the city would work with lenders and other private sector players to re-peg the value of medallions at $250,000.
That valuation, MARP proponents suggest, would provide medallion owners with a chance to build equity in their loans at a valuation that lenders like Marblegate might accept. Monthly payments would amount to around $1,100.
Torres and Marblegate both declined to comment on Desai’s proposal gaining steam. In earlier conversations with The Post, Torres voiced concerns about Desai’s plan and its inability to create a lasting impact for the yellow cab industry. He has publicly mulled getting federal funding for MARP when he gets to Congress in early 2021.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--The Giants’ reality is absolutely ridiculous

The climb , more slow jog up an incline than a ...

Lore has it that Bill Parcells answered his telephone one day in the wake of his first season as the Giants head coach early in 1984. He had gone 3-12-1 and had looked overmatched at times. He was not yet a wise football man; nobody ever sought him out for any kind of deep football thoughts.
The caller had news: George Young, Parcells’ boss, was quietly gauging the interest of Howard Schnellenberger, with whom Young had worked in Baltimore, and who had just led the Miami Hurricanes to a national title with a stirring upset of undefeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The caller expected Parcells to make a case for himself. He did not.
“What can I say?” Parcells said. “You are what your record says you are.”
That was where it started. That is the quote that will come in the third or fourth paragraph of Parcells’ obituary. One day, it should find a safe home inside “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.” It has been poached, bogarted, borrowed and stolen by a thousand coaches since, usually as a cudgel against laments of hard luck and bad bounces. And it is intellectual property, at least in part, of the New York Football Giants.
“You are what your record says you are.”
Only, it’s a funny thing. The Giants are doing everything in their power to disprove that magnificent football proverb. They are 4-7 after holding on by their fingertips and their whitened knuckles Sunday, beating the Burrowless Bengals 19-17 in what was, speaking truthfully, one of the ugliest football games you’re ever going to see.
By any measure, by any standard, by any definition, in any context, a record of 4-7 isn’t supposed to be good enough to translate to “first place.” Think of a 40-70 baseball team. Think of a 20-35 basketball or hockey team. Or don’t: Just think of every 4-7 football team you’ve ever seen before. First place? Could you even say that with a straight face?
And yet the Giants spent the final eight hours of Sunday sitting in first place in the NFC East, technically tied with the Washington Football Team but owner of a two-game sweep over the WFT this year. They will spend at least the first 23 hours of Monday in first place, too, until the Eagles try to pull off a highly implausible upset of the Seattle Seahawks in Philadelphia.
Four-and-seven. First place. Ridiculous. RIDONKULOUS.
And absolutely true. Absolutely real.
“We’re starting to believe we can win each and every game,” said safety Logan Ryan, who has done enough winning in his career in Foxborough and Nashville that he qualifies as an expert on a team with few other similar résumés.
“It’s really a testament to how we approach every day,” said tight end Evan Engram. “We’re playing as a team, playing together, getting better every week.”
“I’m proud of the way we did some things,” coach Joe Judge said.
They did enough things to ward off what would have been a troubling buzzkill of a loss. They got just enough from Colt McCoy when he was summoned to replace Daniel Jones, felled by a barking leg.
They got a critical interception from Niko Lalos, pride of both the Dartmouth Big Green and the St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Irish, which earned him a pregame shout-out on social media from another alumnus of that Akron high school, guy with the Twitter handle of @KingJames.
They made sure to maximize this three-game soft underbelly of their season, dispatching of the WFT, Eagles and Bengals — combined record: 9-21-2 — which allows them their present perch, however long it lasts, however perilous its far-ranging possibilities may be with a fou- game stretch of Seattle/Arizona/Cleveland/Baltimore — combined record: 27-15 — upcoming.
“We’ve got five more games to worry about,” Judge said, and they do. No. 5 is the season finale, at home, two days after New Year’s, against the Cowboys, who were left for dead after being trucked by Washington on Thanksgiving. Of course, everyone in the NFC East has been given that diagnosis this year, sometimes on multiple occasions.
It was only about 15 minutes ago that the Giants were 1-7. As giddy as things seem now, there are exactly six points that separate them from being 1-10. For 100 years, those kinds of things have mattered in the NFL. Just not this year. Just not this time.
Just not in 2020, where your record is a liar, where 4-7 equals first place. Hard to believe. Harder still to wait for whatever’s next.


newyorkpost--2020-11-29--Big Ten may have spoiled Ohio State’s College Football Playoff bid

This should put an end to the narrative that Trevor ...

There was always this possibility. There was always a chance the Big Ten’s decision to begin its season in late October would come back to bite the powerhouse conference.
COVID-19 doesn’t care about the College Football Playoff. It doesn’t care about fairness.
As the regular season winds down, there is a distinct chance the Big Ten will be left out of the playoff. Ohio State, clearly by the eye test, is one of the four best teams in the country. It recently defeated Indiana, the second-best team in the Big Ten. It is loaded with pro prospects. With a full schedule, quarterback Justin Fields has a legit shot at the Heisman Trophy. But it has only played four games due to the virus and now if one of its final two games — against Michigan State and Michigan — are unable to be played, the Buckeyes would be ineligible for the conference championship game unless the average number of games played throughout the Big Ten falls below six, which is extremely unlikely.
Ohio State had to call off Saturday’s game against Illinois due to a rash of positive tests, which included coach Ryan Day, and the team has paused football activities. Next Saturday against the Spartans is very much in doubt.
Previously undefeated Northwestern, which could’ve been an alternative for the playoff committee in place of Ohio State, played its way out of consideration by losing to mediocre-at-best Michigan State on Saturday. It’s hard to envision Indiana, which was ranked 12th in the committee’s first top 25 on Tuesday, getting in with its loss to Ohio State and really no other notable victories.
The committee cannot include the Buckeyes with any less than seven games, when the other teams they are competing against will have played 10 games, the eye test be damned. There is no minimum threshold of games a team has to play to be considered, but it is common sense. Six games, or possibly even five, is just not enough.
This isn’t meant to criticize the Big Ten’s decision to initially hold off on playing. The league was being safe. It was listening to its medical experts. But when it decided to do a 180 and jam in eight games in eight weeks, there was always a chance it could find itself in this predicament.
Look, maybe Ohio State can play next Saturday. It’s possible the Buckeyes could get through this outbreak within its football program. Day said he would need one true practice to feel comfortable to return to the field. But if the Buckeyes can’t, if the Big Ten winds out without a representative, don’t blame the committee. The conference’s decision to start late — prudent and safe as it may have been — will be the reason.
Look on the bright side
Despite all the cancellations, rising seemingly every week, the limited or absent crowds, Saturday provided an example of why this season has been worth it. It’s why sports are still so important, even amid a pandemic that has brought so much grief and despair. There will be asterisks, but there will also be history we can look back on fondly.
Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a power-conference game when she kicked off for Vanderbilt to open the second half of its 41-0 drubbing at the hands of Missouri. Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson equaled the FBS record for touchdowns in a game with eight in a blowout of Kent State and ran for 409 yards.
Fuller hopefully is remembered for starting something meaningful, as a trailblazer for other women to follow her path. Patterson shone a bright light on the talent that exists in the lower levels of Division I college football. These were headlines for all the right reasons, something about this season we can look back on fondly.
Red redemption
The biggest Rutgers fans couldn’t have imagined this. Not from this roster. Not considering the limitations the offseason entailed. But in six Big Ten games, Greg Schiano has led the Scarlet Knights to two wins — two more league victories than they produced the previous two seasons. They have been blown out once. They really should have a third win. Schiano was recruiting well before this season, mostly based on his track record. Now he has tangible results to show recruits, coaches and their families. The future really is bright in Piscataway.
Top 10
1. Alabama (8-0) (Last week: 1)
The Crimson Tide’s playoff drought will end at one year. Even with a loss in the SEC title game to Florida, Nick Saban’s team is going to get selected. It passed its final regular-season test in impressive fashion on Saturday by overwhelming outclassed Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
2. Notre Dame (9-0) (3)
Consider this the latest example of why the Irish are a legit title contender: They held North Carolina’s 12th-ranked scoring offense to just 17 points in a Black Friday victory.
3. Clemson (8-1) (4)
Three weeks after it last took the field, in that double overtime loss to Notre Dame, Clemson thrashed Pittsburgh, 52-17. The Tigers could roll out of bed and beat anyone in this conference other than the Irish by three touchdowns.
4. Ohio State (4-0) (2)
The Buckeyes should send Michigan State a gift basket. The Spartans’ upset of Northwestern makes it unlikely any Big Ten team could make the playoff over Ohio State if Ryan Day’s team is ineligible for the conference title game due to having not played enough games.
5. Florida (7-1) (5)
That’s five straight wins for the Gators, all by at least 16 points. That streak should continue through the end of the regular season, against Tennessee and LSU.
6. Cincinnati (8-0) (6)
Saturday’s COVID-19 postponement of the Bearcats’ game against Temple hurts. They need every opportunity to impress the committee. Two chances, a trip to No. 25 Tulsa and the AAC title game, remain.
7. Texas A&M (6-1) (7)
There is a path, albeit unlikely, for the Aggies to reach the playoff. Ranked fifth in the first College Football Playoff top 25, they at least have a puncher’s chance if they can win out.
8. Indiana (5-1) (8)
This is what a legit program does. Its best player, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., was injured and ineffective, and it didn’t matter. The defense came up huge in a commanding victory over Maryland.
9. BYU (9-0) (10)
The College Football Playoff committee sent BYU a message by ranking it 14th: Add a big game, play somebody. Otherwise, your undefeated record won’t mean much.
10. Iowa State (7-2) (NR)
A win over West Virginia locks up Iowa State’s first Big 12 crown in program history. Coach Matt Campbell, who has guided the Cyclones to four straight winning seasons, is going to be a hot name for open jobs in both college and the NFL yet again.
Dropped out: Oregon (3-1)
Heisman Watch
(predicted finish)
QB Kyle Trask, Florida
This has shades of Joe Burrow, a quality player exploding his senior year as arguably the best player in the country, having already thrown 34 touchdown passes, just three interceptions and completing 71.4 percent of his passes.
QB Mac Jones, Alabama
Jones’ Iron Bowl numbers in two games: 44-for-65, 637 yards and nine touchdown passes. Remember, he showed this potential last year against Auburn.
QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Rust? What rust? In his first game in nearly five weeks, Lawrence was brilliant, throwing for 403 yards and two touchdowns in a blowout of Pittsburgh.
QB Zach Wilson, BYU
Wilson should have been paying attention to Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson’s eight-touchdown performance on Saturday. He needs that kind of attention-grabbing effort in his finale in two weeks.
QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
As I wrote weeks ago, COVID-19 would determine the Heisman Trophy winner. Unfortunately for Fields, it’s basically taken him out of the race.