newyorkpost--2020-02-18--‘Year of the Rabbit’ completes Matt Berry’s TV hat trick

English actor/comedian Matt Berry adds a third current series to his American TV resume with “ Year of the Rabbit , ” premiering Wednesday ( 10:30 p.m. ) on IFC and already renewed for a second season .
The six-episode police comedy , set in 1887 Victorian-era London , features Berry as hard-drinking , mutton-chopped Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit , he of the missing eyebrow ( the dog chewed it off on Christmas Eve ) and dodgy heart — which inconveniently stops intermittently .
“ Hopefully there ’ s something for most people to like — whether they like whodunits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berry , 45 .
“ It ’ s the kind of kind of police-procedural crime you would ’ ve found on the streets of 1880s England .
People get beaten up , blackmailed , there are snipers.
” As the series opens , Rabbit is ( reluctantly ) paired with upper-crust neophyte Detective Sergeant Wilbur Straus ( Freddie Fox ) and Mabel Wisbech ( Susan Wokoma ) , the adopted daughter of Rabbit ’ s boss who ’ s intent on becoming England ’ s first female detective .
They eventually grow more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gory East End murders and being targeted by a secret organization ( its chief , Lydia , is played by “ Bodyguard ” and “ Line of Duty ” star Keeley Hawes ) .
“ Year of the Rabbit ” follows on the heels of “ Toast of London ” — Berry ’ s BAFTA-winning comedy also airing on IFC ( he plays vain London actor Steven Toast ) — and “ What We Do in the Shadows , ” back for Season 2 April 15 on FX .
The ensemble vampire comedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner Taika Waititi ( “ Jojo Rabbit ” ) , features Berry as English nobleman Laszlo Cravensworth , sharing a house in Staten Island with his fellow vampires ( and one wannabe blood-sucker ) .
“ [ Eli ] Rabbit is dialed back quite considerably from Steven Toast , ” says Berry .
“ His mind is quite ordered in that way and there ’ s not much hysterics there .
If you ’ re going to play comedy characters … they ’ ve got to be visible in some way .
Anybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re pushed into a corner or embarrassed then that ’ s when they become loud and all those sorts of things .
Berry says he based “ Year of the Rabbit , ” in part , on “ The Sweeney , ” a ’ 70s-era British cop drama starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman that focused on two members of the Metropolitan Police .
“ I wrote ‘ Year of the Rabbit ’ and came up with the idea and wanted to do something Victorian , ” he says .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Sweeney ’ but in Victorian times , sort of a prequel to the 1970s British cop shows.
” To get the show ’ s gritty feel , its outdoor street scenes were shot in Luton , located about 30 miles northwest of London .
“ It ’ s an old Victorian set of streets which are unaltered , ” Berry says .
“ You can point a camera in any direction and you won ’ t see anything modern.
” Berry , who ’ s also a musician ( he wrote the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ Toast of London ” ) , also wrote some music for “ Year of the Rabbit.
” “ It ’ s incredibly important to me , ” he says of the music .
“ Unfortunately on ‘ Rabbit ’ I couldn ’ t do more , since I was shooting ‘ What We Do in the Shadows ’ and couldn ’ t be in two places at once — but going forward I will have more time .
”

English actor/comedian Matt Berry adds a third current series to his American TV resume with “Year of the Rabbit,” premiering Wednesday (10:30 p.m.) on IFC and already renewed for a second season.
The six-episode police comedy, set in 1887 Victorian-era London, features Berry as hard-drinking, mutton-chopped Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit, he of the missing eyebrow (the dog chewed it off on Christmas Eve) and dodgy heart — which inconveniently stops intermittently.
“Hopefully there’s something for most people to like — whether they like whodunits or larger-than-life ridiculous characters,” says Berry, 45. “It’s the kind of kind of police-procedural crime you would’ve found on the streets of 1880s England. People get beaten up, blackmailed, there are snipers.”
As the series opens, Rabbit is (reluctantly) paired with upper-crust neophyte Detective Sergeant Wilbur Straus (Freddie Fox) and Mabel Wisbech (Susan Wokoma), the adopted daughter of Rabbit’s boss who’s intent on becoming England’s first female detective. They eventually grow more cohesive as a unit while investigating some gory East End murders and being targeted by a secret organization (its chief, Lydia, is played by “Bodyguard” and “Line of Duty” star Keeley Hawes).
“Year of the Rabbit” follows on the heels of “Toast of London” — Berry’s BAFTA-winning comedy also airing on IFC (he plays vain London actor Steven Toast) — and “What We Do in the Shadows,” back for Season 2 April 15 on FX. The ensemble vampire comedy, created by Jemaine Clement and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), features Berry as English nobleman Laszlo Cravensworth, sharing a house in Staten Island with his fellow vampires (and one wannabe blood-sucker).
“[Eli] Rabbit is dialed back quite considerably from Steven Toast,” says Berry. “His mind is quite ordered in that way and there’s not much hysterics there. If you’re going to play comedy characters … they’ve got to be visible in some way. Anybody who takes themselves very seriously, if they’re pushed into a corner or embarrassed then that’s when they become loud and all those sorts of things.
“That’s what I’m interested in.”
Berry says he based “Year of the Rabbit,” in part, on “The Sweeney,” a ’70s-era British cop drama starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman that focused on two members of the Metropolitan Police. “I wrote ‘Year of the Rabbit’ and came up with the idea and wanted to do something Victorian,” he says. “I wanted to do something like ‘The Sweeney’ but in Victorian times, sort of a prequel to the 1970s British cop shows.”
To get the show’s gritty feel, its outdoor street scenes were shot in Luton, located about 30 miles northwest of London. “It’s an old Victorian set of streets which are unaltered,” Berry says. “You can point a camera in any direction and you won’t see anything modern.”
Berry, who’s also a musician (he wrote the short musical interludes that pepper each episode of “Toast of London”), also wrote some music for “Year of the Rabbit.” “It’s incredibly important to me,” he says of the music. “Unfortunately on ‘Rabbit’ I couldn’t do more, since I was shooting ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and couldn’t be in two places at once — but going forward I will have more time.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Chirlane McCray launches city-funded ThriveNYC podcast

First lady Chirlane McCray , who is mulling a run for Brooklyn Borough President , has launched a mental health and wellness podcast in partnership with a Brooklyn-based arts nonprofit that received $ 1.2 million in city funds last year .
Her son , recent college graduate Dante de Blasio , was her first guest for the 30-minute show , “ Thrive with Chirlane McCray.
” The mother-son duo discuss the racist bullying McCray endured as a child that led to suicidal thoughts .
The monthly podcast is a companion piece to McCray ’ s embattled $ 1 billion mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady narrates advertisements for ThriveNYC during breaks in the show .
It ’ s not clear how much in city funds the show will use , but some critics said it was not money well spent .
“ This is an obscene use of taxpayer $ for blatant political purpose , ” tweeted Sal Albanese , a formal mayoral contender , in response to the news about the podcast .
City Hall did not return requests for comment on the criticism .
But McCray put out a statement saying the show is meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
“ In New York City , our work to end stigma has shown us just how important it is to meet people where they are and have these conversations , ” McCray said in a statement announcing the podcast .
It is produced in collaboration with BRIC , a Brooklyn cultural nonprofit that enjoyed seven-figure support from city taxpayers in 2019 , according to records .
McCray is a Manhattan resident .
“ We are thrilled to have First Lady Chirlane McCray join our active community of almost 3,000 producers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , BRIC has been empowering voices in our community to tackle important issues that impact them , including mental health , ” said BRIC President Kristina Newman-Scott .
As part of the collaboration BRIC provides a state-of-the-art recording studio and editing suite for McCray ’ s podcast .

First lady Chirlane McCray, who is mulling a run for Brooklyn Borough President, has launched a mental health and wellness podcast in partnership with a Brooklyn-based arts nonprofit that received $1.2 million in city funds last year.
Her son, recent college graduate Dante de Blasio, was her first guest for the 30-minute show, “Thrive with Chirlane McCray.”
The mother-son duo discuss the racist bullying McCray endured as a child that led to suicidal thoughts.
The monthly podcast is a companion piece to McCray’s embattled $1 billion mental health plan, ThriveNYC. The first lady narrates advertisements for ThriveNYC during breaks in the show.
It’s not clear how much in city funds the show will use, but some critics said it was not money well spent.
“This is an obscene use of taxpayer $ for blatant political purpose,” tweeted Sal Albanese, a formal mayoral contender, in response to the news about the podcast.
City Hall did not return requests for comment on the criticism. But McCray put out a statement saying the show is meant to help people deal with mental health issues.
“In New York City, our work to end stigma has shown us just how important it is to meet people where they are and have these conversations,” McCray said in a statement announcing the podcast.
It is produced in collaboration with BRIC, a Brooklyn cultural nonprofit that enjoyed seven-figure support from city taxpayers in 2019, according to records. McCray is a Manhattan resident.
“We are thrilled to have First Lady Chirlane McCray join our active community of almost 3,000 producers for Brooklyn Free Speech. For over 40 years, BRIC has been empowering voices in our community to tackle important issues that impact them, including mental health,” said BRIC President Kristina Newman-Scott.
As part of the collaboration BRIC provides a state-of-the-art recording studio and editing suite for McCray’s podcast.


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Coney Island boardwalk shop owner who fought to block condos facing eviction

The Astros locker room appears messier than those infamous trash ...

A popular Coney Island T-shirt peddler who helped save the neighborhood’s fabled boardwalk from luxury condos a decade ago was facing eviction Tuesday after refusing a massive rent hike — but vowed not to close her shop “without a fight.”
“It’s totally unfair, and we will be taking legal action,” said Dianna Carlin — whose coalition of sideshow “freaks,” burlesque queens and “mermaids” got the city to preserve the eccentric amusement district in 2009.
“This could get ugly, and it’s sad because we had worked so hard to retain the spirit of Coney Island,” added Carlin.
Carlin has been locked in a nasty rent dispute for months with Zamperla, the Italian thrill-ride maker that oversees prime city-owned boardwalk real estate, including the site of her Lola Star boutique.
Reps for both sides could not come to an agreement during a closed-door meeting at Brooklyn Borough Hall arranged by city officials.
Carlin said she offered to pay double her existing rent for the tiny seasonal shop where she’s sold handmade designer T-shirts on the boardwalk since 2001, but Zamperla want her to pay nearly quadruple more to keep Lola Star open.
Under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the city rezoned the area in 2009 and plunked down $95.6 million a year later to buy seven acres of prime beachfront land from mega-developer Joe Sitt, who had threatened to boot longtime businesses to pave the way for high-rise condos and a glitzy entertainment complex.
Bloomberg then turned control of Sitt’s land over to Zamperla — including Lola Star boutique — under a long-term contract.
Besides opening Luna Park and other amusements, Zamperla was allowed to set and collect rents for beloved businesses it inherited, which also included Ruby’s Bar & Grill.
The other businesses agreed to rent hikes much lower than Carlin’s after their leases expired last November. Carlin was given several extensions to work out a deal, but the last one expired Saturday, setting up Tuesday’s high-stakes Borough Hall meeting.
Alessandro Zamperla, whose company is seeking the rent hike, said he tried to negotiate in “good faith” and is “disappointed” a deal could not be reached with Carlin.
He also claimed the store owner’s counteroffer is still “below market value,” adding “this development … does not change our commitment to Coney Island, its unique spirit and the community.”
Messages left with the city’s Economic Development Corp. were not immediately returned.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Dog takes over soccer match with the cutest moves

This dog ’ s “ kicking it ” into high gear .
Watch as a loose pooch hilariously crashes a @ @ @ @ @ Turkey , and refuses to leave the pitch after grabbing hold of a ball .
@ @ @ @ @ the pup to the sidelines , one of the players eventually had to carry him @ @

This dog’s “kicking it” into high gear. Watch as a loose pooch hilariously crashes a soccer match in Istanbul, Turkey, and refuses to leave the pitch after grabbing hold of a ball. Despite several attempts to guide the pup to the sidelines, one of the players eventually had to carry him off.
Subscribe to our YouTube!


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Zoe Caldwell, four-time Tony winner, dead at 86

NEW YORK — Zoe Caldwell , a four-time Tony Award winner who brought humanity to larger-than-life characters , whether it be the dotty schoolteacher Miss Jean Brodie , an aging opera star Maria Callas or the betrayed , murderous Medea , has died .
She was 86 .
Her son Charlie Whitehead said Caldwell died peacefully Sunday at her home in Pound Ridge , New York .
Whitehead said her death was due to complications from Parkinson ’ s disease .
The Australian-born actress played in regional theaters around the English-speaking world before becoming the toast of Broadway in 1968 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
” Among her other characters were Cleopatra , Saint Joan , Mother Courage and authors Colette and Lillian Hellman .
As she matured , she accepted only roles that offer a particular challenge .
If she thought , “ Oh , I can do that , ” she didn ’ t want to do them , she said in 1986 .
Three of her four Tonys came in collaborations with her husband , Robert Whitehead , who was one of Broadway ’ s most prolific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his influence in her decision to do “ Medea , ” the ancient Greek drama of a woman who is betrayed by her lover and kills their children in revenge .
It won her a third Tony in 1982 .
“ Medea wasn ’ t a character I believed in until my Robert started to talk to me about her in human terms , ” she told The New York Times a few days after the Tony ceremony .
“ I suddenly understood how a creative force of nature can become destructive if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depurified — like the atom.
” Times critic Frank Rich cited the flashes of sensuality — which she said derived from the study of Greek painting and sculpture — and wit that she brought to the character .
“ When , at last , the crime is at hand , the actress fully dramatizes the struggle between her hunger for revenge and her love of her sons , ” Rich wrote .
“ Like the gods , we can understand , if not pardon , the primal impulse that drives her to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ Master Class , ” which debuted on Broadway in 1995 , was another joint effort with Whitehead .
It won Caldwell her fourth Tony and brought Whitehead , as producer , the Tony for best play .
She played Callas as the opera superstar critiques , cajoles and inspires a trio of budding singers taking part in the uniquely intense musical education session called a master class .
“ A performance is a struggle .
You have to win , ” she says as Callas .
Then-Associated Press drama critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said she gave “ the performance of her career.
” Already well-known to those who followed regional theater , she had made her Broadway debut in “ The Devils ” in late 1965 , temporarily replacing for Anne Bancroft , who injured her back .
Caldwell was quickly announced for a role as a society columnist in “ Slapstick Tragedy , ” Tennessee Williams ’ pair of one-act plays .
The production lasted less than a week on Broadway in February 1966 — but it brought Caldwell her first Tony , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years later for “ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
” The story of an eccentric Scottish schoolteacher with pro-fascist tendencies originated as a novel by Muriel Spark .
The role had already been successful for Vanessa Redgrave in London and would eventually win an Oscar for Maggie Smith .
The Washington Post , noting others had played the role , said that “ so masterfully exact is Miss Caldwell that watching her you will probably feel that hers is the only way ( to play it ) .
… Almost at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the actress has found a perfect mannerism.
” The New York Times said Caldwell “ flounces onto the stage like a sparrow with illusions of grandeur.
” She and producer Whitehead married later that year .
She told writer Rex Reed that far from pushing her into the Brodie role , Whitehead “ wasn ’ t keen on me for the part ” until the playwright , Jay Presson Allen , campaigned for her .
Caldwell added Broadway directing to her resume starting in 1977 with a comedy , “ An Almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 1991 , she directed Jason Robards and Judith Ivey in “ Park Your Car in Harvard Yard.
” She was last on Broadway in 2003 as the Mystery Guest Star in “ The Play What I Wrote.
” She also lent her voice to the “ Lilo & Stitch ” cartoons and appeared in the 2011 film “ Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.
” She spent much of her early career on the road .
After touring in a wide variety of plays in Australia , she came to England and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roles .
“ I was always afraid of growing comfortable , so I would jump from job to job , whatever I was offered , ” she told The Associated Press in 1986 .
“ I would go from Stratford-on-Avon to a small repertory company and back to London.
” She traveled to Canada for parts at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival .
In the United States , she did regional theater work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Goodman Theater in Chicago .
At that time , she said she didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was a heck of a long apprenticeship , but I would recommend it to any actress , ” she told The New York Times in 1968 .
Caldwell was born in 1933 in Melbourne , Australia , to a family struggling to make it through the Depression .
In her memoir , “ I Will Be Cleopatra , ” she wrote that she knew at an early age that her job would be “ keeping audiences awake and in their seats.
” “ I knew this because it was the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Despite the family ’ s tight budget , the Caldwells were regular theater-goers , she wrote , and “ I saw every singer , dancer , actor , or vaudevillian who came to Melbourne.
” She made her stage debut at age 9 in a Melbourne production of “ Peter Pan.
” Her husband died in 2002 at age 86 , shortly after he had received a special Tony Award for his nearly 60-year career .
Among his other honors were a best play Tony for “ A Man for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revival Tony for “ Death of a Salesman ” in 1984 .
She and Whitehead had two sons , Sam and Charlie .
In addition to her two sons , she is survived by two grandchildren .
“ I always knew I would be an actor .
I am an actor , ” she told the AP in 1986 .
“ But being a wife and a mother still seems to me to be some kind of extraordinary stuff .
”

NEW YORK — Zoe Caldwell, a four-time Tony Award winner who brought humanity to larger-than-life characters, whether it be the dotty schoolteacher Miss Jean Brodie, an aging opera star Maria Callas or the betrayed, murderous Medea, has died. She was 86.
Her son Charlie Whitehead said Caldwell died peacefully Sunday at her home in Pound Ridge, New York. Whitehead said her death was due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.
The Australian-born actress played in regional theaters around the English-speaking world before becoming the toast of Broadway in 1968, and winning her second Tony, for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”
Among her other characters were Cleopatra, Saint Joan, Mother Courage and authors Colette and Lillian Hellman. As she matured, she accepted only roles that offered a particular challenge. If she thought, “Oh, I can do that,” she didn’t want to do them, she said in 1986.
Three of her four Tonys came in collaborations with her husband, Robert Whitehead, who was one of Broadway’s most prolific producers of serious drama.
She cited his influence in her decision to do “Medea,” the ancient Greek drama of a woman who is betrayed by her lover and kills their children in revenge. It won her a third Tony in 1982.
“Medea wasn’t a character I believed in until my Robert started to talk to me about her in human terms,” she told the New York Times a few days after the Tony ceremony. “I suddenly understood how a creative force of nature can become destructive if it is mucked up, polluted, depurified — like the atom.”
Times critic Frank Rich cited the flashes of sensuality — which she said derived from the study of Greek painting and sculpture — and wit that she brought to the character.
“When, at last, the crime is at hand, the actress fully dramatizes the struggle between her hunger for revenge and her love of her sons,” Rich wrote. “Like the gods, we can understand, if not pardon, the primal impulse that drives her to the ultimate act of annihilation.”
Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” which debuted on Broadway in 1995, was another joint effort with Whitehead. It won Caldwell her fourth Tony and brought Whitehead, as producer, the Tony for best play.
She played Callas as the opera superstar critiques, cajoles and inspires a trio of budding singers taking part in the uniquely intense musical education session called a master class.
“A performance is a struggle. You have to win,” she says as Callas.
Then-Associated Press drama critic Michael Kuchwara called Caldwell “incandescent” and said she gave “the performance of her career.”
Already well-known to those who followed regional theater, she had made her Broadway debut in “The Devils” in late 1965, temporarily replacing Anne Bancroft, who injured her back.
Caldwell was quickly announced for a role as a society columnist in “Slapstick Tragedy,” Tennessee Williams’ pair of one-act plays. The production lasted less than a week on Broadway in February 1966 — but it brought Caldwell her first Tony, for best featured actress.
Broadway stardom arrived two years later for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” The story of an eccentric Scottish schoolteacher with pro-fascist tendencies originated as a novel by Muriel Spark. The role had already been successful for Vanessa Redgrave in London and would eventually win an Oscar for Maggie Smith.
The Washington Post, noting others had played the role, said that “so masterfully exact is Miss Caldwell that watching her you will probably feel that hers is the only way (to play it). … Almost at the instant we first see Miss Brodie, the actress has found a perfect mannerism.”
The New York Times said Caldwell “flounces onto the stage like a sparrow with illusions of grandeur.”
She and producer Whitehead married later that year. She told writer Rex Reed that far from pushing her into the Brodie role, Whitehead “wasn’t keen on me for the part” until the playwright, Jay Presson Allen, campaigned for her.
Caldwell added Broadway directing to her resume starting in 1977 with a comedy, “An Almost Perfect Person,” starring Colleen Dewhurst. In 1991, she directed Jason Robards and Judith Ivey in “Park Your Car in Harvard Yard.” She was last on Broadway in 2003 as the Mystery Guest Star in “The Play What I Wrote.” She also lent her voice to the “Lilo & Stitch” cartoons and appeared in the 2011 film “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”
She spent much of her early career on the road.
After touring in a wide variety of plays in Australia, she came to England and got to tackle a succession of Shakespearean roles.
“I was always afraid of growing comfortable, so I would jump from job to job, whatever I was offered,” she told the Associated Press in 1986. “I would go from Stratford-on-Avon to a small repertory company and back to London.”
She traveled to Canada for parts at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In the United States, she did regional theater work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Goodman Theater in Chicago.
At that time, she said, she didn’t turn down any job.
“It was a heck of a long apprenticeship, but I would recommend it to any actress,” she told the New York Times in 1968.
Caldwell was born in 1933 in Melbourne, Australia, to a family struggling to make it through the Depression. In her memoir, “I Will Be Cleopatra,” she wrote that she knew at an early age that her job would be “keeping audiences awake and in their seats.”
“I knew this because it was the only thing I could do,” she wrote. Despite the family’s tight budget, the Caldwells were regular theater-goers, she wrote, and “I saw every singer, dancer, actor, or vaudevillian who came to Melbourne.”
She made her stage debut at age 9 in a Melbourne production of “Peter Pan.”
Her husband died in 2002 at age 86, shortly after he had received a special Tony Award for his nearly 60-year career. Among his other honors were a best play Tony for “A Man for All Seasons” in 1962 and a best revival Tony for “Death of a Salesman” in 1984.
She and Whitehead had two sons, Sam and Charlie. In addition to her sons, she is survived by two grandchildren.
“I always knew I would be an actor. I am an actor,” she told the AP in 1986. “But being a wife and a mother still seems to me to be some kind of extraordinary stuff.”


Adele’s angry

`` I was raised better than that , ” Madden says .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
The singer flips photographers off after revealing details about her new album at a friend’s wedding.
From a fake name to the “butt hut,” Pete Davidson’s new standup shines a light on his life in rehab. And we’ll get into why Joe Gorga of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” has some homeowners flipping out.
Here’s a closer look at today’s stories:
Adele seen screaming at paparazzi after leaving friend’s wedding
Previous 1 of 21 Next Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement CRYSTAL PIX - ROBS / BACKGRID Advertisement
She’s raging in the deep.
Adele was photographed screaming at the paparazzi as she left a friend’s wedding celebration in London on Saturday night.
The “Someone Like You” singer was photographed getting into a car outside the Mason’s Arms pub, when she threw up her middle finger at the swarming shutterbugs. She also appeared to be shouting angrily at the photographers.
As she made her way to the car, she attempted to cover her face with a bouquet of flowers.
Earlier at the wedding celebration for her pal Laura Dockrill and Maccabees musician Hugo White, the 31-year-old artist was seen performing several of her hit songs and appeared to be in good spirits, according to videos posted to Twitter.
Her rep had no comment.
Pete Davidson jokes about rehab during late-night stand-up show
“SNL” star Pete Davidson seemed to confirm during a late-night stand-up show that he did, in fact, go to rehab recently.
In December, Davidson sparked speculation when he said on “Weekend Update” he was going on vacation — “the kind of vacation where, like, insurance pays for some of it, and they take your phone and shoelaces.”
He was reportedly splitting with model Kaia Gerber at the time.
During a midnight stand-up set at Carolines on Broadway Sunday, Davidson told the crowd he’d worked on some of the jokes while in rehab at the Sierra Tucson facility in Arizona.
Joe Gorga accused of faking ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures in house-flipping business
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star raised the eyebrows of some eagle-eyed Instagram users after he shared “before” and “after” photos of a house he claims to have renovated — including a Park Ridge, NJ, woman who says she owns the “after” house and that the “before” home is located at a different address in town.
Caley Svensson exclusively told Page Six on Monday that she found it “really strange” when a friend of hers tagged her in Gorga’s Instagram post and she saw her house advertised as something he’d flipped.
“It’s clearly our house,” she said. “I messaged [Gorga] on the post to please remove it, but he never responded. I DMed him, as well, and he never responded either.”
However, Gorga exclusively told Page Six that his 21-year-old social media manager “made a mistake.”
The reality star recognized that the before and after photos were not of the same house, but said he did work on the gray home featured in the “after” picture.
“I helped fund that project,” he said. “I’m a private lender. I did fund the deal.”
Catch up on all episodes of “We Hear” by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Electric Citi Bikes return after being pulled for safety issues

Citi Bike ’ s popular electric bikes will return Wednesday — 10 months after the company yanked them over safety issues .
“ A few hundred ” pedal-powered e-bikes will hit city streets Wednesday morning , after which there will be a “ gradual ” increase to “ thousands ” by some time this summer , said Citi Bike General Manager Laura Fox .
Lyft , which owns the bike-rental program , pulled the entire e-bike fleet last April after oversensitive front brakes sent some riders flying off their bikes .
The company insists new modifications to the bike ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The retrofit shifts the motor and brakes from the front wheel to the rear , and eliminates the bikes ’ gear systems , officials said .
The company said the rear-wheel motor shifts the center of gravity to underneath the rider , which provides more control .
“ The motor is under your seat where the weight is , ” Fox told The Post .
“ In the same way that you would have rear-wheel driver for a car , you get more traction.
” The new batteries are also 20 percent stronger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned on manually , officials said .
But the company has yet to come up with a way to charge the bikes at docking stations — meaning Citi Bike workers will still have to manually replace dying or dead batteries , temporarily taking those bikes out of service .
An e-bike trip will cost 10 cents per minute for Citi Bike subscribers , 5 cents per minute for “ reduced fare ” subscribers and 15 cents per minute for non-subscribers .
The juiced-up two-wheelers can go a maximum of 18 mph .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months they were out on the street , averaging three times the number of rides per bike per day than the company ’ s non-electric models , according to Lyft .

Citi Bike’s popular electric bikes will return Wednesday — 10 months after the company yanked them over safety issues.
“A few hundred” pedal-powered e-bikes will hit city streets Wednesday morning, after which there will be a “gradual” increase to “thousands” by sometime this summer, said Citi Bike general manager Laura Fox.
Lyft, which owns the bike rental program, pulled the entire e-bike fleet last April after oversensitive front brakes sent some riders flying off their bikes.
The company insists new modifications to the bike’s design have resolved that issue.
The retrofit shifts the motor and brakes from the front wheel to the rear, and eliminates the bikes’ gear systems, officials said.
The company said the rear-wheel motor shifts the center of gravity to underneath the rider, which provides more control.
“The motor is under your seat where the weight is,” Fox told The Post. “In the same way that you would have rear-wheel drive for a car, you get more traction.”
The new batteries are also 20 percent stronger and don’t need to be turned on manually, officials said.
But the company has yet to come up with a way to charge the bikes at docking stations — meaning Citi Bike workers will still have to manually replace dying or dead batteries, temporarily taking those bikes out of service.
An e-bike trip will cost 10 cents per minute for Citi Bike subscribers, 5 cents per minute for “reduced fare” subscribers and 15 cents per minute for non-subscribers.
The juiced-up two-wheelers can go a maximum of 18 mph.
The e-bikes were enormously popular in the few months they were out on the street, averaging three times the number of rides per bike per day than the company’s non-electric models, according to Lyft.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith rips Astros and Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo

Stephen A. Smith apparently thinks Chris “ Mad Dog ” Russo is going too easy on the Astros when it comes to the sign-stealing scandal .
“ This is the Mad Dog Russo I ’ m listening to , ” ESPN ’ s Smith ranted to Russo on Mad Dog Radio on Tuesday .
” ’ Cause it ain ’ t the Mad Dog Russo I ’ ve known for years .
I mean all of this stuff about going back to 2009 with A-Rod or Robinson Cano or this team isn ’ t wasn ’ t going to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dog Russo that I know and love ?
That I ’ ve known and loved for years .
That I worked on the same channel with , that was all about principle .
What happened to that guy ?
” Smith — who worked for Sirius XM and had a show on Mad Dog Radio a few years ago — said he thought Russo was getting too caught up in whether the Yankees or the Dodgers had the best case as the most aggrieved team and that the old Mad Dog would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cheating .
“ I ’ m not hearing that guy right now , ” Smith said .
“ I ’ m not hearing the Mad Dog Russo , that guy .
… It doesn ’ t matter if they would have won or would not have won .
It doesn ’ t matter if its the Dodgers or the Yankees or who would have won .
“ The fact of the matter is the rules of the games were circumvented .
These guys had a systemic policy .
Cheating , cheating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ re not champions , they ’ re frauds .
They don ’ t deserve their trophy.
” This came on the same day in which commissioner Rob Manfred had to apologize for saying the World Series trophy was just “ a piece of metal.
” after catching heat from the Dodgers ’ Justin Turner for the careless remark .
And the same day in which Yankees star Aaron Judge said he was “ sick to his stomach ” when he heard the Astros had cheated .
As for Smith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting too caught up in talking about how the Stanley Cup is the only piece of championship hardware that matters , instead of zeroing in on the fact the Astros cheated the game .
“ Mad Dog Russo talking about the only cup that matters is the Stanley Cup , or the only trophy that matters is the Stanley Cup , ” Smith said .
“ The Mad Dog Russo that I know , the Mad Dog Russo that I know and love ain ’ t about all that .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Where is that Mad Dog Russo at ?
I haven ’ t been hearing him the last hour I ’ ve been listening.
” Russo seemed more amused than upset when Smith concluded the first part of his rant .
“ You are something , ” Russo said .
“ How are you doing ?
Things good ?
Haven ’ t spoken to you in awhile ?
How you feel ?
” “ I ’ m feeling great , ” Smith said .
“ I just want to know where my boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is he ?
I haven ’ t heard him in the last hour.
” “ That ’ s fair .
That ’ s fair , ” Russo said .
“ So you think no matter what happened in that World Series .
Who cares ?
Bottom line , the Astros cheated and they should be punished forever and their championship should be vacated .
That ’ s how you feel ?
” “ Based on the sheer principle of what you did to win , you SHOULD NOT be recognized as a champion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League Baseball , Rob Manfred , you ’ ve granted them immunity , fine .
Let them keep their money .
You don ’ t want to suspend them for the season , or anything like that , fine .
“ But what you can do , without dishonoring your agreement with them , you could take that championship trophy from the Houston Astros facility , and you could demand that all the rings , the championship rings be returned , and you can make sure you can announce as Major League Baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Stephen A. Smith apparently thinks Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is going too easy on the Astros when it comes to the sign-stealing scandal.
“This is the Mad Dog Russo I’m listening to,” ESPN’s Smith ranted to Russo on Mad Dog Radio on Tuesday. “’Cause it ain’t the Mad Dog Russo I’ve known for years. I mean, all of this stuff about going back to 2009 with A-Rod and Robinson Cano or this team wasn’t going to win.
“What happened to the Mad Dog Russo that I know and love? That I’ve known and loved for years. That I worked on the same channel with, that was all about principle. What happened to that guy?”
Smith — who worked for SiriusXM and had a show on Mad Dog Radio a few years ago — said he thought Russo was getting too caught up in whether the Yankees or the Dodgers had the best case as the most aggrieved team and that the old Mad Dog would be laser-focused on calling out the Astros for their cheating.
“I’m not hearing that guy right now,” Smith said. “I’m not hearing the Mad Dog Russo, that guy. … It doesn’t matter if they would have won or would not have won. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Dodgers or the Yankees or who would have won.
“The fact of the matter is the rules of the games were circumvented. These guys had a systemic policy. Cheating, cheating the game of baseball. Because of that, they’re not champions, they’re frauds. They don’t deserve their trophy.”
This came on the same day commissioner Rob Manfred had to apologize for saying the World Series trophy was “a piece of metal” after catching heat from the Dodgers’ Justin Turner for the careless remark. And the same day Yankees star Aaron Judge said he was “sick to his stomach” when he heard the Astros had cheated.
Smith also said he thought Russo was getting too caught up in talking about how the Stanley Cup is the only piece of championship hardware that matters, instead of zeroing in on the fact the Astros cheated the game.
“Mad Dog Russo talking about the only cup that matters is the Stanley Cup or the only trophy that matters is the Stanley Cup,” Smith said. “The Mad Dog Russo that I know, the Mad Dog Russo that I know and love ain’t about all that. It’s about the fact they cheated. Period. Where is that Mad Dog Russo at? I haven’t been hearing him the last hour I’ve been listening.”
Russo seemed more amused than upset when Smith concluded the first part of his rant.
“You are something!” Russo said. “How are you doing? Things good? Haven’t spoken to you in a while. How you feel?”
“I’m feeling great,” Smith said. “I just want to know where my boy Mad Dog Russo is at? Where is he? I haven’t heard him in the last hour.”
“That’s fair. That’s fair,” Russo said. “So you think no matter what happened in that World Series, who cares? Bottom line, the Astros cheated and they should be punished forever and their championship should be vacated. That’s how you feel?”
Smith didn’t mince words in his response.
“Based on the sheer principle of what you did to win, you SHOULD NOT be recognized as a champion,” he said. “Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, you’ve granted them immunity, fine. Let them keep their money. You don’t want to suspend them for the season, or anything like that, fine.
“But what you can do, without dishonoring your agreement with them, you could take that championship trophy from the Houston Astros facility and you could demand that all the rings, the championship rings, be returned, and you can make sure you can announce as Major League Baseball 2017 there is no champion.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Tom Brady may have interested NFL teams come to him

Derrick Henry admitted Tom Brady is the GOAT , but he ...

Tom Brady is planning to ditch the typical free-agent recruitment dance, according to NBC Sports Boston, which could be a sign the six-time Super Bowl champion is drawing a lot of interest from other teams.
According to Tuesday’s report, Brady is considering setting up a single location to meet teams who are interested in the six-time Super Bowl champion.
Though official free agency is still a month away, Brady and his agent, Don Yee, are already hearing from teams that would be inclined to sign him, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The fact that Brady and his camp are considering this approach likely means multiple teams are interested in the veteran signal caller.
There are football and business reasons why Brady could have a long list of teams interested in him.
Though Brady will turn 43 on Aug. 3, he still is regarded by many as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Perhaps more importantly for those teams, any new squad that signs the legendary quarterback would be expected to make big profits off jersey and ticket sales.
Earlier, Brady had a message for the haters who think he should retire or that his legendary days are in the past.
The quarterback, who has played 20 seasons with the Patriots, posted a few clips from his workout with wife Gisele Bündchen on Instagram while sharing a few messages with critics.
“Go ahead and bet against me,” Brady posted to one Instagram story, showing off his TB12 “Gratitude & Determination 20” apparel.
“And you think you’ve seen the best of me,” he continued, adding, “I’m grateful for you doubting me and I’m determined to prove you wrong … again.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Mom drugged by attempted baby snatcher now sleeps with knife under pillow

The Washington state mom who was allegedly drugged by a woman posing as a photographer in a scheme to kidnap her baby daughter said Tuesday that she ’ s been sleeping with a knife under her pillow since the ordeal .
The mother , Elysia Miller , said at a press conference Tuesday that she ’ s terrified to let her children out of her sight and she keeps weapons by her side since suspect Juliette Parker allegedly drugged her with a cupcake at her home on Feb. 5 .
“ I carry a machete , a knife and pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car , ” Miller said , the Tacoma News Tribune reported .
Parker was arrested by police after her attempted kidnapping and held on $ 150,000 bail , according to the report .
But Miller still fears for her safety .
“ Just because she is behind bars doesn ’ t mean that I have peace of mind , ” she said at the news conference .
Miller , of the town of Spanaway , outside Tacoma , hired Parker , 38 , from a Facebook ad that said she offered free newborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Pierce County Sheriff ’ s Department .
Parker went to her house for three photo sessions with the mother and newborn , authorities said .
During her last visit , on Feb. 5 Parker brought her 16-year-old daughter , and offered the mom a cupcake , police said .
Miller ate it and grew drowsy and numb , then began to vomit , police said .
“ The victim told firefighters that she believed that she had been drugged , ” authorities said .
The mom managed to kick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noticed her keys were missing and called 911 .
Pierce County deputies arrested Parker and her daughter days later .
Parker , who also goes by ‘ Juliette Noel ’ and ‘ Juliette Gains , ’ targeted other women with girls younger than five weeks old in what authorities believe was an effort to steal a tot and raise the child as her own .

The Washington state mom who was allegedly drugged by a woman posing as a photographer in a scheme to kidnap her baby daughter said Tuesday that she’s been sleeping with a knife under her pillow since the ordeal.
The mother, Elysia Miller, said at a press conference Tuesday that she’s terrified to let her children out of her sight and she keeps weapons by her side since suspect Juliette Parker allegedly drugged her with a cupcake at her home on Feb. 5.
“I carry a machete, a knife and pepper spray in the house and in my car,” Miller said, the Tacoma News Tribune reported.
Parker was arrested by police after her attempted kidnapping and held on $150,000 bail, according to the report.
But Miller still fears for her safety.
“Just because she is behind bars doesn’t mean that I have peace of mind,” she said at the news conference.
Miller, of the town of Spanaway, outside Tacoma, hired Parker, 38, from a Facebook ad that said she offered free newborn photography in order to build her portfolio, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Parker went to her house for three photo sessions with the mother and newborn, authorities said.
During her last visit, on Feb. 5, Parker brought her 16-year-old daughter, and offered the mom a cupcake, police said.
Miller ate it and grew drowsy and numb, then began to vomit, police said.
“The victim told firefighters that she believed that she had been drugged,” authorities said.
The mom managed to kick Parker and her daughter out — but noticed her keys were missing and called 911.
Pierce County deputies arrested Parker and her daughter days later.
Parker, who also goes by “Juliette Noel” and “Juliette Gains,” targeted other women with girls younger than 5 weeks old in what authorities believe was an effort to steal a tot and raise the child as her own.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Tony Romo teases he’s decided on next broadcasting job

MIAMI — While ESPN is the stalking horse in the ...

Tony Romo says he has an idea of what his next broadcasting job will be, but he’s not ready to let it be known to the public.
Romo, whose contract with CBS is up, has quickly become one of the best NFL analysts in the business and can talk to other networks now. Nevertheless, CBS has the right of first refusal, which means it can match any offer Romo gets from another network.
“Right now, obviously we’re in that free agent kind of position, but in my brain, it’s one of those things where you talk to your wife, the people that know you at your core,” Romo said Tuesday on 97.1 The Eagle. “You just have to figure out what’s important, and try and make the best decision possible. I mean, obviously I’m trying to say it the right way here, but I do feel like there is no perfect answer. It’s just a matter of me going through it, and I’ve never been through this in the broadcasting world. It’s just something I’m basically learning.
“It reminds me a lot when I was in year two with the Dallas Cowboys,” added Romo, who was never a free agent while he was the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback. “I had no idea how to negotiate with Jerry Jones. It’s like, I just want to play. You don’t really know any better. I feel like this thing won’t be that. … All I want is like an obvious answer, right? You just want something to be very straight-forward.”
Because CBS has the right of refusal, many consider it a good chance that Romo will return and remain with Jim Nantz on the network’s No. 1 broadcast team in the fall.
“I think I’m already there a little bit, but we’ll see how it plays out, even though I think I already know, but I’m just not telling you guys,” Romo said, laughing.
Romo could command an eight-figure yearly offer, according to NBC Sports.
Last month, The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that though ESPN is expected to make a strong push for Romo, CBS is prepared to compete very aggressively to retain its new broadcasting star.
Romo also made news regarding his other passion — golf.
On Tuesday, Romo received a sponsor exemption into a Korn Ferry Tour event, the developmental tour of the PGA Tour, according to NBC Sports. Romo, who has received sponsor’s exemption into a few Tour events but never made the cut, will be playing in the Veritex Bank Championship on April 16-19 at Texas Rangers Golf Glub in Arlington, Texas.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to play at the Veritex Bank Championship against the future PGA TOUR stars,” Romo said in a statement. “Playing in the shadows of AT&T Stadium and having the tournament in my own backyard will be great. I have been working hard on my game and hope to make a little noise during the championship.”
Romo has never participated in an event on the Korn Ferry Tour, previously the Web.Com Tour.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--Wisconsin man charged after allegedly shooting kids who threw snowballs at his car

A Wisconsin man was arrested for allegedly shooting three kids after they threw several snowballs at his car last month @ @ @ @ @ .
William Carson , 24 , is accused of opening fire at a group of @ @ @ @ @ snowballs at passing vehicles in Milwaukee on Jan. 4 , FOX 6 News reported , @ @ @ @ @ When one of the frozen snowballs hit Carson ’ s car , he turned around @ @ @ @ @ shooting , the report said .
One child was shot in the thigh , a @ @ @ @ @ arm and the other kid ’ s jacked was grazed by a bullet , the @ @ @ @ @ after the shooting and was caught by police on Jan. 12 while driving under the @ @ @ @ @ gun from Carson ’ s car , which they determine is “ highly probable ” @ @ @ @ @ used in the Jan. 4 attack , the complaint says .
Carson was hit with @ @ @ @ @ reckless injury and use of a dangerous weapon .

A Wisconsin man was arrested for allegedly shooting three kids after they threw several snowballs at his car last month, a report said Tuesday.
William Carson, 24, is accused of opening fire at a group of seven children who were chucking snowballs at passing vehicles in Milwaukee on Jan. 4, FOX 6 News reported, citing a criminal complaint.
When one of the frozen snowballs hit Carson’s car, he turned around, got out and started shooting, the report said.
One child was shot in the thigh, a second was hit in the arm and another kid’s jacket was grazed by a bullet, the report said.
Carson fled after the shooting and was caught by police Jan. 12 while driving under the influence.
Cops recovered a gun from Carson’s car, which they determine is “highly probable” to be the same firearm used in the Jan. 4 attack, the complaint says.
Carson was hit with several charges, including first-degree reckless injury and use of a dangerous weapon.


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--DOJ denies reports that AG William Barr plans to resign over Trump tweets

Attorney General William Barr does not intend to step down from his post — despite reports that he has considered quitting over his frustration with President Trump ’ s tweets about Justice Department cases , the department said Tuesday .
Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said on Twitter that her boss had no plans to quit , calling reports to the contrary “ Beltway rumors.
” “ The Attorney General has no plans to resign , ” Kupec tweeted after reports by The Washington Post and the Associated Press said otherwise .
An administration official told AP that Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving his post over Trump ’ s social media posts — days after he said on TV that the president ’ s tweets make it “ impossible ” for him to do his job .
“ I think it ’ s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases , ” Barr said in the interview with ABC News last week .
The president had thanked Barr for overruling veteran prosecutors who recommended that Trump ’ s longtime pal Roger Stone serve between seven and nine years behind bars on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other charges .
Trump on Tuesday continued to publicly criticize the handling of the Roger Stone case , opining that Stone deserved a new trial .
“ Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and , in my opinion , should be thrown out , ” wrote Trump .
“ The whole deal was a total SCAM.
” Stone is expected to be sentenced Thursday on charges of obstruction of an official proceeding , making false statements and witness tampering for lying to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the @ @ @ @

Attorney General William Barr does not intend to step down from his post — despite reports that he has considered quitting over his frustration with President Trump’s tweets about Justice Department cases, the department said Tuesday.
Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said on Twitter that her boss had no plans to quit, calling reports to the contrary “Beltway rumors.”
“The Attorney General has no plans to resign,” Kupec tweeted after reports by the Washington Post and the Associated Press said otherwise.
An administration official told AP that Barr has told people he’s contemplating leaving his post over Trump’s social media posts — days after he said on TV that the president’s tweets make it “impossible” for him to do his job.
“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” Barr said in the interview with ABC News last week.
The president had thanked Barr for overruling veteran prosecutors who recommended that Trump’s longtime pal Roger Stone serve between seven and nine years behind bars on his conviction for lying to Congress and other charges.
Trump on Tuesday continued to publicly criticize the handling of the Stone case, opining that the Republican operative deserved a new trial.
“Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out,” wrote Trump. “The whole deal was a total SCAM.”
Stone is expected to be sentenced Thursday on charges of obstruction of an official proceeding, making false statements and witness tampering for lying to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-19--MLBPA: We fully cooperated with league on Astros’ probe

Rob Manfred offered aloud words that were already in his ...

The Major League Baseball Players Association said in a statement late Tuesday that they fully cooperated with the league regarding the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing investigation after commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB and the union had reached an agreement for player immunity to avoid a stalemate.
“Any suggestion that the Association failed to cooperate with the Commissioner’s investigation, obstructed the investigation, or otherwise took positions which led to a stalemate … is completely untrue,” executive director Tony Clark said in the statement. “We acted to protect the rights of our members, as is our obligation under the law.”
Earlier, commissioner Rob Manfred revealed to reporters in Scottsdale, Ariz., the process that the league used in handling the investigation. Manfred said he originally told the Players Association that the league wouldn’t rule out disciplining players, but said he got pushback from the union.
“The union indicated to us that would be a problem,” Manfred told reporters Tuesday. “We went back and suggested to them we would give them an initial list of people — players — that we would grant immunity to, preserving our ability to discipline other players. And the union came back and said that players would cooperate only if there was blanket immunity. Because we were at a bit of a stalemate, we knew we needed player witnesses, we agreed to that immunity agreement.”
Manfred also said the league wouldn’t have gotten as far in their investigation if they did not reach the agreement with the union.
“Let me be clear — we would not have gotten where we got in terms of understanding the facts, learning the facts, disclosing the facts, if we hadn’t reached that agreement,” he said. “So, I’m not being critical of anyone. But the fact of the matter is the union wanted an immunity agreement to protect their members. And that’s how we got there.”
This is an issue that potentially could divide members of the union as many players and stars such as Mike Trout and Aaron Judge have ripped the Astros for cheating.
“This is a pivotal time for our game, and these are critically important issues,” according to the union’s statement. “How the parties handle the next several weeks will significantly affect what our game looks like for the next several decades. The opportunity is now to forge a new path forward.”
Earlier, the commissioner also was forced to apologize for calling the World Series trophy a “piece of metal.”
“In an effort to make a rhetorical point I referred to the World Series trophy in a disrespectful way. … It was a mistake to say what I said,” Manfred said.


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Brick-throwing burglar swipes $18K in paintings from late NYC graffiti artist Phase 2

A new Michael Bloomberg campaign ad touts his ties with ...

An art-loving burglar swiped three pricey paintings from noted graffiti artist Phase 2 that were hanging in an Alphabet City fitness studio, police said.
Police Tuesday released surveillance video of the suspect, who allegedly plucked the works of art after hurling a brick through the storefront window of the A2Z in NYC studio on Avenue C near East Fifth Street on Jan. 15 at 3:40 a.m.
The canvases feature predominantly black-and-white graffiti on multicolored backgrounds and are valued at $18,000, police said.
Phase 2, born Michael Lawrence Marrow, was an influential late-1970s graffiti artist from the Bronx who pioneered bubble lettering — or “softies” — that helped graffiti evolve from simple line writing to the more complex and colorful hits that were plastered all across building walls and subway cars.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement One of the three stolen paintings DCPI DCPI Advertisement DCPI Advertisement
Marrow passed away in December from Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to The New York Times, prompting an outpouring of support from the hip hop and graffiti community.
“R.I.P. and Salute To One Of Our Pioneer Writers PHASE 2…” DJ Premier tweeted at the time. “Incredible Graffiti Artist and Pioneer Of The First HIP HOP FLYERS In NY along With Buddy Esquire… Your Legacy Will NEVER Be Forgotten!!!”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Bloomberg ad touting relationship with Obama ‘jarring,’ former White House aides say

A new Michael Bloomberg campaign ad touts his ties with former President Barack Obama — but several former Obama aides have downplayed how closely they worked together .
Bloomberg ’ s multi-million dollar , 30-second spot highlights his past work with Obama on issues like gun safety , education and youth jobs , according to The Wall Street Journal .
The ad also includes an audio clip from Obama referring to Bloomberg as someone who can “ bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions.
” But the two , “ certainly weren ’ t best buds , ” David Axelrod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the paper .
Axelrod said his former boss and Bloomberg had a “ working relationship , ” but not much beyond that .
The ad , Alexrod said , “ does speak to the power of Obama with Democrats .
Everyone wants to have an ad like this.
” Tommy Vietor , a former Obama spokesman , tweeted that Bloomberg ’ s ads are suggestive of an Obama endorsement , when in fact the former president has yet to throw his weight behind a Democratic candidate .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that suggest Obama has endorsed him , especially considering how … perfunctory his endorsement of Obama was back in 2012 , ” Vietor wrote .
Another Obama administration official told The Wall Street Journal that the ad exaggerates the personal relationship between Obama and Bloomberg .
Bloomberg did not endorse Obama in 2008 .
In 2012 , he waited until days before the election to endorse Obama in an editorial that was critical of the former president ’ s first term .
“ As president , he devoted little time and effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which doomed hope for any real progress on illegal guns , immigration , tax reform , job creation and deficit reduction , ” Bloomberg wrote .
“ And , rather than uniting the country around a message of shared sacrifice , he engaged in partisan attacks and has embraced a divisive populist agenda focused more on redistributing income than creating it .
”

A new Michael Bloomberg campaign ad touts his ties with former President Barack Obama — but several former Obama aides have downplayed how closely they worked together.
Bloomberg’s multi-million dollar, 30-second spot highlights his past work with Obama on issues like gun safety, education and youth jobs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The ad also includes an audio clip from Obama referring to Bloomberg as someone who can “bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions.”
But the two, “certainly weren’t best buds,” David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama, told the paper.
Axelrod said his former boss and Bloomberg had a “working relationship,” but not much beyond that.
The ad, Alexrod said, “does speak to the power of Obama with Democrats. Everyone wants to have an ad like this.”
Tommy Vietor, a former Obama spokesman, tweeted that Bloomberg’s ads are suggestive of an Obama endorsement, when in fact the former president has yet to throw his weight behind a Democratic candidate.
“It’s jarring to see all these Bloomberg ads that suggest Obama has endorsed him, especially considering how … perfunctory his endorsement of Obama was back in 2012,” Vietor wrote.
Another Obama administration official told The Wall Street Journal that the ad exaggerates the personal relationship between Obama and Bloomberg. Bloomberg did not endorse Obama in 2008.
In 2012, he waited until days before the election to endorse Obama in an editorial that was critical of the former president’s first term.
“As president, he devoted little time and effort to developing and sustaining a coalition of centrists, which doomed hope for any real progress on illegal guns, immigration, tax reform, job creation and deficit reduction,” Bloomberg wrote.
“And, rather than uniting the country around a message of shared sacrifice, he engaged in partisan attacks and has embraced a divisive populist agenda focused more on redistributing income than creating it.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Mets giving J.D. Davis chance to overcome third base woes

PORT ST. LUCIE — J.D .
Davis began last season playing third base , but the Mets aborted that plan early because of a combination of factors .
Significant among them was Davis appeared overmatched at the position .
Left field became his new home , and he survived but hardly thrived , allowing the Mets to keep a potent right-handed bat in the lineup .
Davis , who arrived in an unheralded trade with Houston before last season , appeared in 140 games and posted an .895 OPS while emerging as an important piece of the clubhouse fabric .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mets are giving Davis another shot at third base , at least on a part-time basis .
It ’ s a flexibility they may need given the fragility of their infield .
The plan , according to infield coach Gary DiSarcina , is for Davis to practice 50 percent of the time at third this spring — even if his playing time in Grapefruit League action , which begins Saturday , might skew differently .
DiSarcina traveled to Sacramento , Calif. , this offseason to work with Davis , imparting a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was previously at third , Davis was told to stand more upright .
“ Every coach had told me to try to stay low to the ground , so we basically flipped it to more of a tennis player being on the receiving end , ” Davis said Tuesday .
“ I ’ m a little more upright , and it ’ s helped me kind of do a small jump before the ball comes to home plate and that way my feet are more set on the ground , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of reading baseballs and reading tough hops , and it ’ s been working out perfect for me at least for that situation.
” Jeff McNeil is the Mets ’ primary third baseman , but he ’ s also a top option to play second when Robinson Cano needs a day off .
Last season Cano incurred three stints on the injured list and appeared in just 107 games .
Jed Lowrie , another veteran infielder , missed almost all of last season and arrived at camp as a huge question mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who could receive significant action at third base .
“ He needs reps in a game , and he ’ s going to fail , ” DiSarcina said .
“ His first couple of spring games he might make two or three errors because he is trying something new , trying to incorporate a new technique into his game , and he ’ s going to have some rough spots , and it ’ s up to us as an organization to kind of deal with that .
I just don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habits of getting too low.
” DiSarcina is also working to improve Davis ’ throwing .
Last season , Davis displayed a hitch at third base that led to inaccurate throws .
“ He would rush throws and try to show everybody how good of an arm he had .
… I am so proud of him since Sacramento he ’ s worked on his footwork and ability to get under control instead of constantly throwing on the run and trying to throw it as hard as he can , ” DiSarcina said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good enough .
It ’ s going to keep his arm in a better slot , his feet moving , he ’ s going to follow his throw and be headed toward his target .
Instead of fielding balls , running with it and throwing as hard as you can and losing accuracy .
We are trying to clean him up and he ’ s done a lot of work on his own.
” Davis ’ playing time in left field figures to hinge largely on Yoenis Cespedes ’ status .
The veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after missing the past 1 ½ seasons rehabbing from surgery on both heels and multiple ankle fractures sustained during an encounter with a wild boar on his ranch .
But at this point there are no guarantees Cespedes will be ready to start the season .
“ It ’ s the same situation as last year , where was I going to fit and everything , but it ’ s a good thing to have so much depth on the team , ” Davis said .
“ If anything goes south or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m back to whatever helps the team out , I guess .
There ’ s nothing much I can control .
”

PORT ST. LUCIE — J.D. Davis began last season playing third base, but the Mets aborted that plan early because of a combination of factors.
Significant among them was Davis appeared overmatched at the position. Left field became his new home, and he survived but hardly thrived, allowing the Mets to keep a potent right-handed bat in the lineup.
Davis, who arrived in an unheralded trade with Houston before last season, appeared in 140 games and posted an .895 OPS while emerging as an important piece of the clubhouse fabric.
Now, with spring training underway, the Mets are giving Davis another shot at third base, at least on a part-time basis. It’s a flexibility they may need given the fragility of their infield.
The plan, according to infield coach Gary DiSarcina, is for Davis to practice 50 percent of the time at third this spring — even if his playing time in Grapefruit League action, which begins Saturday, might skew differently.
DiSarcina traveled to Sacramento, Calif., this offseason to work with Davis, imparting a new approach. Instead of crouching, as he was previously at third, Davis was told to stand more upright.
“Every coach had told me to try to stay low to the ground, so we basically flipped it to more of a tennis player being on the receiving end,” Davis said Tuesday. “I’m a little more upright, and it’s helped me kind of do a small jump before the ball comes to home plate and that way my feet are more set on the ground, and that has helped me out with my reaction time of reading baseballs and reading tough hops, and it’s been working out perfect for me at least for that situation.”
Jeff McNeil is the Mets’ primary third baseman, but he’s also a top option to play second when Robinson Cano needs a day off. Last season Cano incurred three stints on the injured list and appeared in just 107 games. Jed Lowrie, another veteran infielder, missed almost all of last season and arrived at camp as a huge question mark physically.
That leaves Davis as somebody who could receive significant action at third base.
“He needs reps in a game, and he’s going to fail,” DiSarcina said. “His first couple of spring games he might make two or three errors because he is trying something new, trying to incorporate a new technique into his game, and he’s going to have some rough spots, and it’s up to us as an organization to kind of deal with that. I just don’t want him falling back on his old habits of getting too low.”
DiSarcina is also working to improve Davis’ throwing. Last season, Davis displayed a hitch at third base that led to inaccurate throws.
“He would rush throws and try to show everybody how good of an arm he had. … I am so proud of him since Sacramento he’s worked on his footwork and ability to get under control instead of constantly throwing on the run and trying to throw it as hard as he can,” DiSarcina said.
“Sixty percent for him is good enough. It’s going to keep his arm in a better slot, his feet moving, he’s going to follow his throw and be headed toward his target. Instead of fielding balls, running with it and throwing as hard as you can and losing accuracy. We are trying to clean him up and he’s done a lot of work on his own.”
Davis’ playing time in left field figures to hinge largely on Yoenis Cespedes’ status. The veteran outfielder has been participating in team workouts, after missing the past 1 ½ seasons rehabbing from surgery on both heels and multiple ankle fractures sustained during an encounter with a wild boar on his ranch. But at this point there are no guarantees Cespedes will be ready to start the season.
“It’s the same situation as last year, where was I going to fit and everything, but it’s a good thing to have so much depth on the team,” Davis said. “If anything goes south or Cespedes comes back or whatever then I’m back to whatever helps the team out, I guess. There’s nothing much I can control.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Rod Blagojevich says he’s a ‘Trumpocrat’ after being freed by president

Former Democratic Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich declared himself a “ Trumpocrat ” Tuesday night hours after the president commuted his federal prison sentence .
“ He ’ s got obviously a big fan in me , ” Blagojevich told reporters at Denver International Airport .
“ And if you ’ re asking me what my party affiliation is , I ’ m a Trumpocrat , ” according to NBC News .
Blagojevich was freed from a Colorado prison earlier Tuesday after serving eight years of a 14-year sentence stemming from his conviction on corruption charges .
He was convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for financial benefits , including trying to solicit campaign money in return for an appointment to former President Obama ’ s vacant Senate seat .
Walking through the airport as a free man Tuesday night , Blagojevich said , “ President Trump is the one who did this , and I ’ m … profoundly grateful , ” NBC News reported .
“ He didn ’ t have to do this .
He ’ s a Republican president ; I was a Democratic governor , ” Blagojevich said .
“ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him .
… In fact , they ’ ve been very unkind to him.
” Blagojevich , a one-time contestant on Trump ’ s former reality TV show , “ Celebrity Apprentice , ” said he learned a lot from his time in prison .
He called the criminal justice system “ broken , ” “ unfair ” and “ racist.
” Blagojevich added that he intends to hold a press conference on Wednesday .
Trump addressed reporters earlier Tuesday about his decision to free Blagojevich , calling his sentence “ ridiculous.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to go back home with his family after serving eight years in jail , ” Trump told reporters .
“ That was a tremendously powerful , ridiculous sentence , in my opinion , and in the opinion of many others .
”

Former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared himself a “Trumpocrat” Tuesday night hours after the president commuted his federal prison sentence.
“He’s got obviously a big fan in me,” Blagojevich told reporters at Denver International Airport. “And if you’re asking me what my party affiliation is, I’m a Trumpocrat,” he added, according to NBC News.
Blagojevich was freed from a Colorado prison earlier Tuesday after serving eight years of a 14-year sentence stemming from his conviction on corruption charges.
He was convicted in 2011 for dishing out political favors in exchange for financial benefits, including trying to solicit campaign money in return for an appointment to the US Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated when he won the presidency.
Walking through the airport as a free man Tuesday night, Blagojevich said, “President Trump is the one who did this, and I’m … profoundly grateful,” NBC News reported.
“He didn’t have to do this. He’s a Republican president; I was a Democratic governor,” Blagojevich said.
“My fellow Democrats have not been very kind to him. … In fact, they’ve been very unkind to him.”
Blagojevich, a one-time contestant on Trump’s former reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice,” said he learned a lot from his time in prison.
He called the criminal justice system “broken,” “unfair” and “racist.”
Blagojevich added that he intends to hold a press conference Wednesday.
Trump addressed reporters earlier Tuesday about his decision to free Blagojevich, calling his sentence “ridiculous.”
“So he’ll be able to go back home with his family after serving eight years in jail,” Trump told reporters. “That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Devils suffer their 12th straight loss to the Blues

ST. LOUIS — Ivan Barbashev scored twice and the St. Louis Blues snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night .
It was the Devils ’ 12th straight loss to the Blues .
It was the third multigoal game of Barbashev ’ s career and first this season .
Two of those games have come against the Devils .
“ So it ’ s been a tough stretch but today was a good game by everyone , ” Barbashev said .
“ The last couple games you know we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and today we got some goals from the offense , which is , it ’ s been awhile.
” Jaden Schwartz also scored and Jordan Binnington made 17 saves for his seventh career shutout and second this season as the defending Stanley Cup champions and Western Conference leaders won for the first time since Feb. 4 .
Louis Domingue made 36 saves for the Devils , who were shut out for the seventh time this season .
“ We didn ’ t defend hard enough , ” Devils center Kyle Palmieri said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t ending plays .
It ’ s a good team over there .
They ’ re going to take advantage of that and they did so and Louie stood on his head for us and we didn ’ t give him much support.
” The Blues outshot the Devils 13-6 in the first period , but Domingue came up with several big saves to keep the game scoreless , including a stop on David Perron ’ s one-timer early .
He also gloved an Alex Pietrangelo drive midway through the period .
Domingue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second period with two dynamic saves to rob Ryan O ’ Reilly and Carl Gunnarsson on St. Louis ’ power play .
Barbashev gave the Blues a 1-0 lead on their 20th shot of the game , finding a loose puck in the slot and scoring his first goal in 13 games at the 9:21 mark of the second .
“ We did a real good job with puck possession tonight , ” Blues coach Craig Berube said .
“ I thought hanging onto it .
I thought that the guys did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it over for the most part , just making smart hockey plays .
Puck support was excellent in all three zones .
You feel like that ’ s been building for the last couple of days.
” Binnington only faced 11 shots through the first two periods but came up big on Wayne Simmonds ’ chance with 4.8 seconds left in the second .
Barbashev gave the Blues a 2-0 lead 5:27 into the third period , finishing on a perfect feed from Sammy Blais .
Schwartz made it 3-0 with 5:15 left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career games against the Devils .
Binnington made several saves during a four-minute power play for New Jersey in the third and was helped when Pavel Zacha hit the post .
“ A win ’ s the priority , but you know , we ’ ll take the shutout , ” Binnington said .
“ It ’ s a good feeling for the team just knowing that we really locked it down.
” Devils defenseman Will Butcher left the game in the first period after blocking a shot .
“ He ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nasreddine said .
“ Right now I don ’ t really have an update but before I was told that nothing too serious , but we ’ ll get a better evaluation tomorrow.
” The Devils haven ’ t beaten the Blues since Jan. 21 , 2014 and they haven ’ t won at Enterprise Center since Dec. 30 , 2008 .
… Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen missed his eighth game since injuring his lower body on Feb. 1 .

ST. LOUIS — Ivan Barbashev scored twice and the St. Louis Blues snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. It was the Devils’ 12th straight loss to the Blues.
It was the third multigoal game of Barbashev’s career and first this season. Two of those games have come against the Devils.
“So it’s been a tough stretch but today was a good game by everyone,” Barbashev said. “The last couple games you know we’re like, we’re building, and today we got some goals from the offense, which is, it’s been awhile.”
Jaden Schwartz also scored and Jordan Binnington made 17 saves for his seventh career shutout and second this season as the defending Stanley Cup champions and Western Conference leaders won for the first time since Feb. 4.
Louis Domingue made 36 saves for the Devils, who were shut out for the seventh time this season.
“We didn’t defend hard enough,” Devils center Kyle Palmieri said. “I think we weren’t ending plays. It’s a good team over there. They’re going to take advantage of that and they did so and Louie stood on his head for us and we didn’t give him much support.”
The Blues outshot the Devils 13-6 in the first period, but Domingue came up with several big saves to keep the game scoreless, including a stop on David Perron’s one-timer early. He also gloved an Alex Pietrangelo drive midway through the period.
Domingue continued to frustrate the Blues early in the second period with two dynamic saves to rob Ryan O’Reilly and Carl Gunnarsson on St. Louis’ power play.
Barbashev gave the Blues a 1-0 lead on their 20th shot of the game, finding a loose puck in the slot and scoring his first goal in 13 games at the 9:21 mark of the second.
“We did a real good job with puck possession tonight,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I thought hanging onto it. I thought that the guys did a real good job of not turning it over for the most part, just making smart hockey plays. Puck support was excellent in all three zones. You feel like that’s been building for the last couple of days.”
Binnington only faced 11 shots through the first two periods but came up big on Wayne Simmonds’ chance with 4.8 seconds left in the second.
Barbashev gave the Blues a 2-0 lead 5:27 into the third period, finishing on a perfect feed from Sammy Blais.
Schwartz made it 3-0 with 5:15 left, scoring his fifth goal in 10 career games against the Devils.
Binnington made several saves during a four-minute power play for New Jersey in the third and was helped when Pavel Zacha hit the post.
“A win’s the priority, but you know, we’ll take the shutout,” Binnington said. “It’s a good feeling for the team just knowing that we really locked it down.”
Devils defenseman Will Butcher left the game in the first period after blocking a shot.
“He’ll be OK,” Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said. “Right now I don’t really have an update but before I was told that nothing too serious, but we’ll get a better evaluation tomorrow.”
The Devils haven’t beaten the Blues since Jan. 21, 2014 and they haven’t won at Enterprise Center since Dec. 30, 2008. … Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen missed his eighth game since injuring his lower body on Feb. 1.


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Neighbor accused of killing Faye Marie Swetlik slit his own throat, police say

The South Carolina man accused of abducting and killing his 6-year-old neighbor , Faye Marie Swetlik , later committed suicide , authorities said Tuesday .
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Coty Taylor , 30 , slit his own throat last Thursday — the day the girl ’ s body was discovered .
Taylor was found dead and covered in blood on his back porch shortly after the child ’ s remains turned up in a wooded area near her home .
She had been put there just hours earlier .
Investigators said Taylor abducted the first-grader on Feb. 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the three days between Swetlik ’ s kidnapping and her body being found , investigators spoke with Taylor , who let them search his home .
Nothing in his home suggested that the girl was ever there , Cayce Public Safety Director Byron Snellgrove said at a press conference .
“ He was cooperative and gave consent to agents to look through the house .
Those agents did not see anything that alerted them to believe he had knowledge or was in any way involved in Faye ’ s disappearance at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked if investigators knew where the child was during that time , Snellgrove said : “ we do not know at this time.
” Authorities didn ’ t reveal why Taylor , who did not have a criminal record , would have kidnapped and killed the girl .
DNA evidence from his home linked him to Swetlik , they said .
He didn ’ t know her or her family , Snellgrove said .

The South Carolina man accused of abducting and killing his 6-year-old neighbor, Faye Marie Swetlik, later committed suicide, authorities said Tuesday.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Coty Taylor, 30, slit his own throat last Thursday — the day the girl’s body was discovered.
Taylor was found dead and covered in blood on his back porch shortly after the child’s remains turned up in a wooded area near her home. She had been put there just hours earlier.
Investigators said Taylor abducted the first-grader on Feb. 10 and strangled her to death hours later.
In the three days between Swetlik’s kidnapping and her body being found, investigators spoke with Taylor, who let them search his home.
Nothing in his home suggested that the girl was ever there, Cayce Public Safety Director Byron Snellgrove said at a press conference.
“He was cooperative and gave consent to agents to look through the house. Those agents did not see anything that alerted them to believe he had knowledge or was in any way involved in Faye’s disappearance at that time,” Snellgrove told reporters.
Asked if investigators knew where the child was during that time, Snellgrove said: “we do not know at this time.”
Authorities didn’t reveal why Taylor, who did not have a criminal record, would have kidnapped and killed the girl. DNA evidence from his home linked him to Swetlik, they said.
He didn’t know her or her family, Snellgrove said.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren responds to ‘cold blooded’ Brad Marchand jab

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren said his face looks worse than it actually is .
The swirling shades of black , blue and purple that encircle his right eye with an eerie pop of green in the inside corner makes that hard to believe .
There ’ s a popped blood vessel in the eye as well and two separate lines of stitches , one high up on his right cheekbone and another across the bridge of his nose .
But that ’ s what happens when you play as hard as Lindgren , according to fellow defenseman Tony DeAngelo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hockey “ like it ’ s 1980 still.
” Lindgren , who has skated in 48 games with the Rangers this season , has earned the reputation among his teammates as being tough as nails .
It ’ s a trait he ’ s proven each and every game since he was called up from AHL Hartford on Oct. 28 after failing to survive the last round of roster cuts ahead of opening night .
In Sunday ’ s 3-1 loss to the Bruins , Lindgren proved it again , going toe-to-toe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the league : Brad Marchand .
In the first period , Marchand rabbit-punched Lindgren before holding his stick until Lindgren retaliated and was called for a penalty .
Lindgren then caught a high stick in the face from David Krejci , hence the stitches .
The wound even reopened , which Lindgren said he wasn ’ t aware of until the referee told him to leave the ice .
Later in the second period , Marchand cross-checked Lindgren to the ice from behind .
What transpired Sunday evening evidently stayed with Marchand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindgren “ is not going to be a player there that ’ s going to have a very long career.
” “ To me , it ’ s just hockey , ” Lindgren told The Post in response to Marchand ’ s comments following practice Tuesday .
“ He ’ s a competitive guy , I ’ m a competitive guy .
We ’ re competing against each other .
I like to just leave it out on the ice .
I ’ m not a guy who ’ s going to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he wants to do ?
Go ahead .
“ He is a good player and I like playing against top players .
I try to be physical on guys .
Obviously , he didn ’ t like it .
But that just means I ’ m doing my job.
” Coach David Quinn , who noted his familiarity with Marchand from workouts held at Boston University , expressed his disappointment in Marchand ’ s postgame comments after practice Tuesday .
“ Obviously , I know [ Marchand is ] an agitator and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does like to stir things up , ” Quinn said .
“ But just disappointed because you ’ re talking about a guy who ’ s got an awful lot of skill .
Marchand is one of the better players in the league and he was 21-years-old once and Lindgren has a lot of the characteristics that Marchand has .
Just disappointed more than anything.
” DeAngelo was the first Ranger to respond to Marchand ’ s comments , quote-tweeting the postgame interview and saying , “ Lindgren will be in the league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your cold blooded BS.
” Lindgren said that he later thanked DeAngelo for coming to his defense .
Lindgren , who was drafted 49th-overall in 2016 by , ironically , the Bruins , came to the Rangers as part of the trade that sent Rick Nash to Boston in February 2018 .
He played in just five NHL games last season but has since solidified his spot on the third defensive pairing with Adam Fox .
Lindgren has accumulated 10 points ( one goal , nine assists ) so far this season while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his physicality has been an invaluable trait to a young Rangers club that is still clawing for a spot in the postseason .
“ He plays the right way , he plays hard , you look at his face and [ know ] he ’ d do anything to help the team win , ” DeAngelo said of Lindgren .
“ We think he ’ s going to be a real good player for a long time , so that ’ s all I have to say about that .
”

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren said his face looks worse than it actually is.
The swirling shades of black, blue and purple that encircle his right eye with an eerie pop of green in the inside corner makes that hard to believe. There’s a popped blood vessel in the eye as well and two separate lines of stitches, one high up on his right cheekbone and another across the bridge of his nose.
But that’s what happens when you play as hard as Lindgren, according to fellow defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who said the 22-year-old approaches the game of hockey “like it’s 1980 still.”
Lindgren, who has skated in 48 games with the Rangers this season, has earned the reputation among his teammates as being tough as nails. It’s a trait he’s proven each and every game since he was called up from AHL Hartford on Oct. 28 after failing to survive the last round of roster cuts ahead of opening night.
In Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Bruins, Lindgren proved it again, going toe-to-toe with one of the most infamous agitators in the league: Brad Marchand. In the first period, Marchand rabbit-punched Lindgren before holding his stick until Lindgren retaliated and was called for a penalty.
Lindgren then caught a high stick in the face from David Krejci, hence the stitches. The wound even reopened, which Lindgren said he wasn’t aware of until the referee told him to leave the ice. Later in the second period, Marchand cross-checked Lindgren to the ice from behind.
What transpired Sunday evening evidently stayed with Marchand, who told reporters after the game Lindgren “is not going to be a player there that’s going to have a very long career.”
“To me, it’s just hockey,” Lindgren told The Post in response to Marchand’s comments following practice Tuesday. “He’s a competitive guy, I’m a competitive guy. We’re competing against each other. I like to just leave it out on the ice. I’m not a guy who’s going to talk about it after. That’s what he wants to do? Go ahead.
“He is a good player and I like playing against top players. I try to be physical on guys. Obviously, he didn’t like it. But that just means I’m doing my job.”
Coach David Quinn, who noted his familiarity with Marchand from workouts held at Boston University, expressed his disappointment in Marchand’s postgame comments after practice Tuesday.
“Obviously, I know [Marchand is] an agitator and he has a quick wit and he does like to stir things up,” Quinn said. “But just disappointed because you’re talking about a guy who’s got an awful lot of skill. Marchand is one of the better players in the league and he was 21-years-old once and Lindgren has a lot of the characteristics that Marchand has. Just disappointed more than anything.”
DeAngelo was the first Ranger to respond to Marchand’s comments, quote-tweeting the postgame interview and saying, “Lindgren will be in the league for a long time actually. Save your cold blooded BS.” Lindgren said that he later thanked DeAngelo for coming to his defense.
Lindgren, who was drafted 49th-overall in 2016 by, ironically, the Bruins, came to the Rangers as part of the trade that sent Rick Nash to Boston in February 2018. He played in just five NHL games last season but has since solidified his spot on the third defensive pairing with Adam Fox.
Lindgren has accumulated 10 points (one goal, nine assists) so far this season while averaging 16-18 minutes a game. But his physicality has been an invaluable trait to a young Rangers club that is still clawing for a spot in the postseason.
“He plays the right way, he plays hard, you look at his face and [know] he’d do anything to help the team win,” DeAngelo said of Lindgren. “We think he’s going to be a real good player for a long time, so that’s all I have to say about that.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Derrick Henry: I’ll take Ryan Tannehill over ‘GOAT’ Tom Brady

Hi , haters , Tom Brady sees you .
The Patriots quarterback — ...

Derrick Henry admitted Tom Brady is the GOAT, but he doesn’t want him to come to Tennessee.
The Titans star running back said he believes Ryan Tannehill, who helped lead the team to the AFC title game last season, can take them to the Super Bowl. Tannehill and Henry also led the Titans to a 20-13 victory over Brady and the New England Patriots in the wild-card round.
“I would think: Why isn’t Ryan Tannehill good enough?” Henry said on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast when asked about his reaction if the Titans looked into Brady.
“He still can play,” Henry said of the 42-year-old Brady. “Obviously, age doesn’t matter for him, he’s still playing at a high level, but my question would be: Why ain’t Ryan good enough, you know?
Henry, who led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards last season, did reiterate his Tannehill support wasn’t meant to be a knock at the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback.
“Tom Brady is the GOAT,” Henry said. “That is no question. At all. The best of all time. But then, at the same time, I mean, Ryan Tannehill is our quarterback, went to the AFC Championship. Why would we not want Ryan back? Just wanted to clear that up, Tom Brady is the GOAT.”
The 31-year-old Tannehill, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent this March, had a career rebirth in Tennessee last season, throwing for 2,742 yards and completing 70.3 percent of his passes. He also threw 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Henry, 26, is hitting free agency this offseason, which also could affect the route the Titans take regarding their quarterback decision.


newyorkpost--2020-02-18--Cavaliers part ways with John Beilein amid disastrous first season

The Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein parted ways Tuesday , just over midway through his first season as head coach , ESPN reported Tuesday .
Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was promoted to become the next head coach .
The Cavaliers return from the All-Star break for their first practice on Wednesday and their first game on Friday at Washington .
Beilein , 67 , joined the Cavaliers last offseason on a five-year deal , with four years and $ 18 million guaranteed before a team option in the fifth year .
But ESPN reported Sunday that Beilein was talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid a trying first season in the NBA .
Beilein had to apologize to the team in January over his word choice in a film session .
He reportedly called his players “ thugs ” during a meeting at the team hotel in Detroit .
Beilein said he had meant to say the team was “ no longer playing like a bunch of slugs , ” intending to compliment his squad for playing faster in recent games .
The Cavaliers are 14-40 , the worst record in the Eastern Conference and only ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in the NBA .
Before moving to the NBA this season , Beilein racked up 571 wins with four different colleges , most recently Michigan .
He finished 278-150 with two losses in the NCAA championship game in 12 seasons at Michigan before accepting the job with the Cavs .

The Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein parted ways Tuesday, just over midway through his first season as head coach, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was promoted to become the next head coach.
The Cavaliers return from the All-Star break for their first practice on Wednesday and their first game on Friday at Washington.
Beilein, 67, joined the Cavaliers last offseason on a five-year deal, with four years and $18 million guaranteed before a team option in the fifth year. But ESPN reported Sunday that Beilein was talking to the team about stepping down, amid a trying first season in the NBA.
Beilein had to apologize to the team in January over his word choice in a film session. He reportedly called his players “thugs” during a meeting at the team hotel in Detroit. Beilein said he had meant to say the team was “no longer playing like a bunch of slugs,” intending to compliment his squad for playing faster in recent games.
The Cavaliers are 14-40, the worst record in the Eastern Conference and only ahead of the Golden State Warriors (12-43) in the NBA.
Before moving to the NBA this season, Beilein racked up 571 wins with four different colleges, most recently Michigan. He finished 278-150 with two losses in the NCAA championship game in 12 seasons at Michigan before accepting the job with the Cavs.
— With Field Level Media


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Ohio superintendent arrested after student she had sex with showed video to friends

A pregnant Ohio school superintendent who admitted having sex with a 16-year-old student had been filmed getting intimate in her office — and was caught when he showed it off to friends , it has emerged .
Laura Amero , 35 , was last week sentenced to 10 years in prison , the maximum sentence allowed under state law , after she admitted to having sex with one student and trying to get intimate with another 16-year-old while she was their principal at Windham High School from 2015 to 2017 .
She revealed in court that she is pregnant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing her to delay incarceration until April , two weeks after the expected birth .
She will register as a sex offender once out .
Now recordings of her police interviews have revealed shocking new details — showing that she was caught out because at least some of her depraved acts were filmed in her office , according to Fox 8 News .
Amero was picked up after a concerned parent reported her to police in March last year , with officers asking her about an intimate video being passed around by students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard there was a video too .
And that he showed it to people on the basketball team , ” Amero told the officers in her interviews , Fox 8 said .
She initially claimed she was not the woman in the explicit video — before admitting it two days later and begging for help to make it “ go away , ” offering to resign , the report says of the interviews .
“ It was a weak moment , it was stupid , ” Amero told the officers .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not , ” Amero said , according to the tapes .
Faced with the damning evidence — which also included incriminating messages in texts and Snapchats with the boys — Amero finally admitted the sex assaults , the report said .
Amero — who was promoted to superintendent of the school ’ s district after the attacks — stepped down last June , two months after her arrest .
She tearfully apologized in court after pleading guilty in November .

A pregnant Ohio school superintendent who admitted having sex with a 16-year-old student had been filmed getting intimate in her office — and was caught when he showed it off to friends, it has emerged.
Laura Amero, 35, was last week sentenced to 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under state law, after she admitted to having sex with one student and trying to get intimate with another 16-year-old while she was their principal at Windham High School from 2015 to 2017.
She revealed in court that she is pregnant, due next month — with the judge allowing her to delay incarceration until April, two weeks after the expected birth. She will register as a sex offender once out.
Now recordings of her police interviews have revealed shocking new details — showing that she was found out because at least some of her depraved acts were filmed in her office, according to Fox 8 News.
Amero was picked up after a concerned parent reported her to police in March last year, with officers asking her about an intimate video being passed around by students at Windham High School.
“I heard there was a video too. And that he showed it to people on the basketball team,” Amero told the officers in her interviews, Fox 8 said.
She initially claimed she was not the woman in the explicit video — before admitting it two days later and begging for help to make it “go away,” offering to resign, the report says of the interviews.
“It was a weak moment, it was stupid,” Amero told the officers. “I’m not a predator, I’m not,” Amero said, according to the tapes.
Faced with the damning evidence — which also included incriminating messages in texts and Snapchats with the boys — Amero finally admitted the sex assaults, the report said.
Amero — who was promoted to superintendent of the school’s district after the attacks — stepped down last June, two months after her arrest. She tearfully apologized in court after pleading guilty in November.