newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Kyrie Irving doubles down on Nets needs with ‘stay the f–k out’ stance

PHILADELPHIA — The Nets have steadfastly insisted they aren ’ t conceding ...

Kyrie Irving said what he said and he meant it.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since Wednesday’s loss in Philadelphia — where Irving caused a stir by saying the Nets have a “glaring” need for additional talent in order to become championship contenders — the star point guard doubled down on his controversial comments following practice on Friday.
“I’m going to continue to push, I’m going to continue to demand greatness out of myself and demand greatness out of my teammates and we go from there,” Irving said. “If it’s harsh as a leader or too much for anybody, if you’re not in our locker room, stay the f–k out. It’s as simple as that.”
However, Irving was well aware that his remarks were psychoanalyzed and raised several questions regarding his leadership on the team. So Irving made a point to reach out to Nets general manager Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, as well as his teammates, to ensure that everyone knew what he meant.
He even admitted that he could’ve gone about it in a different way.
“Probably after the Philly game, I could’ve reworded,” Irving said. “Said a few names so it didn’t feel like no one was getting underneath the bus, like I was not leaving anyone out. I get it. I get it. That is the position I’m in. I talked to the guys and made sure that this doesn’t divide our locker room and happen to have an emotional response.”
Irving’s evaluative comments came after the Nets’ ninth loss in their last 12 games. It was just the third game Irving played in since going down with a shoulder impingement in mid-November. It was a bold assessment from someone who had returned Sunday after not playing in nearly two months.
When The Post asked if his calling for roster improvements meant that he didn’t think the group he was playing with now could become a championship team, Irving said it was just about the current state of the organization.
“I think where we are right now in terms of what we expected — who signed here and how we signed everybody — there was a sense of we knew who was going to be on the team and we were going to have to wait a certain amount of time in order to get at a level,” Irving said. “With [Kevin Durant] out, now we have injuries going down, I go down for 26 games, [DeAndre Jordan] is now out, [Garrett Temple] is trying to get back, that is just the reality of where we are.
“In order to compete at the top of the Eastern Conference, let alone in the whole NBA, you know you need to have a great starting five that has great continuity and a great bench in order to compete in the playoffs. That is what it comes down to. That is basketball 101.”
According to Irving, the most important thing is that his teammates have faith in themselves and that he continues to instill confidence in the team as a whole. But he said he can’t do anything about what’s put out there into the media, except for try and be a “pillar” in the locker room.
“It’s not like I’m like an a–hole yelling at everybody in their locker all the time,” Irving said. “You hear all these stories. At the end of the day, my name was given to me by my grandfather, I’m very grateful. But it’s in a lot of people’s mouths all the time. It is what it is.
“I earned that respect in terms of how great I am as a player and there are still more goals I want to accomplish in this league and I can’t do it without improving an organization and winning a championship and that’s what it comes down to.”
The Nets have gone 1-2 since Irving returned to the lineup. Saturday’s game in Brooklyn against the Bucks, who lead the league with a 37-6 record, marks the halfway point of the Nets’ regular season. But with the Nets (18-22) sitting in the middle of the Eastern Conference, Irving’s assessment of needing more isn’t so farfetched.
“I do respect his opinion,” Atkinson said of Irving. “I will say that. We do talk about things internally. We talk about everything. So is that part of the conversation, sure sometimes it’s part of the conversation. I know the communication lines are open between me and him, me and Sean. We have great communication so we’ll continue to do that.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Two more New Yorkers die of vaping-related illnesses

The Bronx teenager who became the first person in New ...

ALBANY — Two more women have died of vaping-related illnesses in New York, bringing the state’s death toll to four, health officials confirmed Friday.
One of the women was New York City woman in her 20s, while the other hailed from upstate’s Ontario County and was in her 50s.
The state Health Department refused to provide further details — including the day of their deaths and which borough the city resident lived in — citing patient privacy concerns.
Officials said the investigation into both deaths is ongoing.
New York recorded the state’s first vaping death in October.
All told, the state Department of Health is probing 236 reported cases of vaping-linked illness amid growing national concerns about the safety of the products.
“These deaths are tragic — and they are also preventable. We know smoking and nicotine are dangerous, and it’s becoming tragically clearer by the day that vaping is too,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
“State DOH and its Wadsworth Center Laboratory are doing groundbreaking work getting to the bottom of this unacceptable situation and we will continue using every tool at our disposal until these illnesses and deaths stop,” he added. “In the meantime, our message on vaping remains unchanged: if you don’t know what you’re smoking, don’t smoke it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tallied 2,668 hospital visits between all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands — including 60 deaths in 27 states since Jan. 14.
New York has unsuccessfully tried to bar flavored e-cigarettes under an emergency ban, arguing the fruity, fun flavors are meant to get children and teens hooked on the products.
A recent ruling from an Albany state supreme court judge gave vaping proponents a win by temporarily stalling the emergency order.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the state Senate passed a slew of bills to crack down on e-cig usage, which the state Assembly is expected to approve.


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Cody Simpson shares nude photo of girlfriend Miley Cyrus bathing

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Cody Simpson and Miley Cyrus @ @ @ @ @ as the “ Golden Thing ” singer recently shared a photo of his Southern girlfriend @ @ @ @ @ soap suds to cover herself .
Simpson , 23 , uploaded the photo to Instagram @ @ @ @ @ the “ Wrecking Ball ” songstress , 27 , sitting in a tub with a @ @ @ @ @ .
Soon after , Simpson shared a video of the two cuddling in bed while @ @ @ @ @ filters .
Cody has denied reports that he flirted with — and even kissed — @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Little Sister lounge right before Christmas , telling Page Six that the accusations @ @ @ @ @ In fact , the pair spent the holidays together in Cyrus ’ native Tennessee , @ @ @ @ @ “ It was a great Christmas out in Nashville .
”

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Cody Simpson and Miley Cyrus are still going strong, as the “Golden Thing” singer recently shared a photo of his Southern girlfriend bathing, using nothing but soap suds to cover herself.
Simpson, 23, uploaded the photo to Instagram early Friday morning, showing the “Wrecking Ball” songstress, 27, sitting in a tub with a huge smile on her face.
Soon after, Simpson shared a video of the two cuddling in bed while playing around with different Instagram filters.
Cody has denied reports that he flirted with — and even kissed — another woman at New York’s Little Sister lounge right before Christmas, telling Page Six that the accusations were simply “stupid.”
In fact, the pair spent the holidays together in Cyrus’ native Tennessee, with Simpson telling us, “It was a great Christmas out in Nashville.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Avalanche wipes out resort near Lake Tahoe, at least 1 skier dead

A wild avalanche struck a ski resort near Lake Tahoe in California Friday , killing at least one skier and @ @ @ @ @ to a report .
Rescue teams were dispatched after the dramatic snow slide hit the @ @ @ @ @ around 10 a.m. , according to a tweet from the Placer County Sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ are no other victims .
The incident occurred near a ski run dubbed “ Subway @ @ @ @ @ remained open after the avalanche while areas around the ski run were shuttered , the @ @ @ @ @ , according to weather.com .
“ Avalanche mitigation work had been performed in the area @ @ @ @ @ and riders for the day , ” Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ the avalanche is unknown at this time pending additional investigation.
” The resort was pummeled @ @ @ @ @ of snow during the 24 hours before the avalanche , according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan @ @

A wild avalanche struck a ski resort near Lake Tahoe in California Friday, killing at least one skier and injuring another person, according to a report.
Rescue teams were dispatched after the dramatic snow slide hit the Alpine Meadows ski area at around 10 a.m., according to a tweet from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Officials believe there are no other victims.
The incident occurred near a ski run dubbed “Subway,” and the resort remained open after the avalanche while areas around the ski run were shuttered, the sheriff’s office said, according to weather.com.
“Avalanche mitigation work had been performed in the area prior to opening to skiers and riders for the day,” Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows said in a statement. “The cause of the avalanche is unknown at this time pending additional investigation.”
The resort was pummeled by more than a foot of snow during the 24 hours before the avalanche, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Rob Lowe tries again with Fox spinoff ‘9-1-1 Lone Star’

Television executives rarely say no to a spinoff .
The latest , “ FBI : Most Wanted , ” seemed like the right choice for CBS .
The ratings are good .
If any new series posts decent numbers these days , it seems like a miracle .
It will be interesting to see if viewers will embrace “ 9-1-1 : Lone Star , ” the first spawn of Fox ’ s Monday-night hit show “ 9-1-1.
” That series , created by Ryan Murphy , uses its LA location to great effect , having already staged an earthquake in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a firetruck downtown and created a tsunami at the beach in Santa Monica with help from a first-rate special effects team .
A gung-ho cast led by Angela Bassett and Peter Krause rappels off cliffs overlooking the Pacific and wades through waist-high water to save the imperiled guest stars week after week .
The thrills come from seeing if the company can pull off these complicated , sometimes crazy , stunts .
“ Lone Star , ” starring Rob Lowe , has more modest ambitions and delivers far less exciting results .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ college town doesn ’ t naturally lend itself to the disasters that allowed “ 9-1-1 ” to walk a fine line between outrageous and urgent .
The writers come up with only one emergency that ’ s worthy of the brand , but it ’ s not until Episode 2 .
A pissed-off delivery man for a catering company laces the lunch he drops off at an office work meeting with liquid mercury , causing the people who ’ ve eaten the sandwiches to have fits that send them hurtling to their deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Other than that , the “ emergencies ” are things like asthma attacks , gas explosions in a two-story apartment house .
Two stories ?
Or a racist lady who calls 911 when her Latino neighbors barbeque a steak underground ( barbacoa ) , causing smoke to rise from the dirt outside her house .
She fakes a heart attack in hopes of receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from Lowe .
C ’ mon , Ryan Murphy .
“ 9-1-1 ” got its freak on early with stunts such as babies stuck in pipes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its owner .
You can do better .
Lowe stars as Owen Strand , a veteran New York City firefighter whose experience on 9/11 makes him both a hero and a victim .
After a firehouse explosion kills nearly an entire team of Austin first responders , Strand is hired to go down there to rebuild .
Much of Sunday night ’ s premiere — the show moves to its regular Monday-night timeslot the next day — is devoted to Strand putting together his team .
As is the case in a Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checked .
There are a female Muslim firefighter , a male gay cop and even a trans firefighter .
Voila !
The most interesting supporting character is Judd Ryder , well played by Jim Parrack .
The lone survivor of the firehouse explosion , he is battling PTSD and only gets his job back if he agrees to go to therapy .
Ryder would rather ride horses in the Texas countryside than get to the root of his problems — and his struggles and temper tantrums feel real .
Lowe , on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the end of a work shift , Strand comes out of the shower in his fluffy white towel to hold a skin-care clinic , advising his employees to never use soap , preferring an exfoliant instead .
With his bronzed physique and chiseled chin , Lowe looks like he ’ s doing an infomercial , not playing a character .
When Strand balks at the prospect of giving up his complicated hair-care regiment for medical reasons , he says , “ I ’ ve got to get over myself.
” It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero suspense .
Liv Tyler co-stars with Lowe as Michelle Blake , a breathy , bossy paramedic from the Peggy Lipton school of acting .
Old Steph has her own complex backstory of a missing sister that seems like filler .
Producers are obviously hoping for some sparks to fly between her and Lowe but the bemused look in her eye whenever he shows up tells me love is a long way off for these two .
Perhaps because he spends more time in front of the mirror .

Television executives rarely say no to a spinoff. The latest, “FBI: Most Wanted,” seemed like the right choice for CBS. The ratings are good. If any new series posts decent numbers these days, it seems like a miracle.
It will be interesting to see if viewers will embrace “9-1-1: Lone Star,” the first spawn of Fox’s Monday-night hit show “9-1-1.” That series, created by Ryan Murphy, uses its LA location to great effect, having already staged an earthquake in the middle of the city, blown up a firetruck downtown and created a tsunami at the beach in Santa Monica with help from a first-rate special effects team. A gung-ho cast led by Angela Bassett and Peter Krause rappels off cliffs overlooking the Pacific and wades through waist-high water to save the imperiled guest stars week after week. The thrills come from seeing if the company can pull off these complicated, sometimes crazy, stunts.
“Lone Star,” starring Rob Lowe, has more modest ambitions and delivers far less exciting results. First question: Why Austin? The college town doesn’t naturally lend itself to the disasters that allowed “9-1-1” to walk a fine line between outrageous and urgent. The writers come up with only one emergency that’s worthy of the brand, but it’s not until Episode 2. A pissed-off delivery man for a catering company laces the lunch he drops off at an office work meeting with liquid mercury, causing the people who’ve eaten the sandwiches to have fits that send them hurtling to their deaths in the office building atrium. Cool!
Other than that, the “emergencies” are things like asthma attacks, gas explosions in a two-story apartment house. Two stories? Or a racist lady who calls 911 when her Latino neighbors barbeque a steak underground (barbacoa), causing smoke to rise from the dirt outside her house. She fakes a heart attack in hopes of receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from Lowe. C’mon, Ryan Murphy. “9-1-1” got its freak on early with stunts such as babies stuck in pipes and a python that wrapped itself around its owner. You can do better.
Lowe stars as Owen Strand, a veteran New York City firefighter whose experience on 9/11 makes him both a hero and a victim. After a firehouse explosion kills nearly an entire team of Austin first responders, Strand is hired to go down there to rebuild. Much of Sunday night’s premiere — the show moves to its regular Monday-night timeslot the next day — is devoted to Strand putting together his team. As is the case in a Murphy show, all identity politics boxes are checked. There are a female Muslim firefighter, a male gay cop and even a trans firefighter. Voila! The most interesting supporting character is Judd Ryder, well played by Jim Parrack. The lone survivor of the firehouse explosion, he is battling PTSD and only gets his job back if he agrees to go to therapy. Ryder would rather ride horses in the Texas countryside than get to the root of his problems — and his struggles and temper tantrums feel real.
Lowe, on the other hand, is another matter. At the end of a work shift, Strand comes out of the shower in his fluffy white towel to hold a skin-care clinic, advising his employees to never use soap, preferring an exfoliant instead. With his bronzed physique and chiseled chin, Lowe looks like he’s doing an infomercial, not playing a character. When Strand balks at the prospect of giving up his complicated hair-care regiment for medical reasons, he says, “I’ve got to get over myself.” It’s a nice tongue-in-cheek moment that packs zero suspense.
Liv Tyler co-stars with Lowe as Michelle Blake, a breathy, bossy paramedic from the Peggy Lipton school of acting. Old Steph has her own complex backstory of a missing sister that seems like filler. Producers are obviously hoping for some sparks to fly between her and Lowe but the bemused look in her eye whenever he shows up tells me love is a long way off for these two. Perhaps because he spends more time in front of the mirror.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Donna Mills reflects on ‘Knots Landing’ 40 years later, sexual harassment in Hollywood

This Saturday night , the power trio of “ Knots Landing ” — Michele Lee , Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills — will be appearing at the Hollywood Museum to celebrate the show ’ s 40th anniversary and unveil a new lobby tribute with costumes worn by the series ’ stars .
Mills , 79 , can hardly believe it ’ s been four decades since she graced the small screen as vixenish villainess Abby Cunningham , telling Page Six that it feels it “ was maybe ten years ago !
” The blond beauty — who got her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fixture on ’ 70s shows , with appearances on “ Six Million Dollar Man , ” “ The Love Boat , ” “ Fantasy Island ” and “ CHiPs ” — became an instant star when she snagged the role of scheming Abby Cunningham in the “ Dallas ” spinoff .
The Chicago native says that before she was cast on the nighttime soap , she suffered through many instances of sexual harassment .
“ Everything from a casting session in New York where you would walk in and you hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ script and it ’ s the bed scene , ” she explained .
“ And you ’ re like , ‘ Whoa , wait a minute.
’ There were lots of those things.
” Mills says it was never stated out loud in the industry that if you slept with someone , you got the role — but it was implied .
“ You tried to get out the door before they got you , ” she says .
“ And in those days you didn ’ t tell anybody , you just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of whatever situation you got out of , because I was never going to sleep with anybody for any role .
“ I always believed you never got a role by sleeping with somebody .
That was a falsehood .
They would say that and then it would never happen .
So I just figured that was not the way to go .
But back then you just chalked it up to experience and you moved on.
” Mills , who says she heard about Harvey Weinstein ’ s alleged behavior years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembers fleeing late legendary cartoonist Al Capp ’ s office when she says he tried to sleep with her .
“ I was one of the girls that went up there thinking it was a casting session and then it wasn ’ t , ” the “ Play Misty For Me ” star says .
“ I remember running out of that apartment , running down the street sobbing , mad at myself because I had gone there .
He was famous for it , I didn ’ t know that at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Goldie Hawn and Grace Kelly both made the same claims against the “ Lil ’ Abner ” creator ) .
The never-married star ( “ I was too independent ) admits that aging is more difficult for a woman whose looks were celebrated .
“ There are certain things that happen to your skin that you just can ’ t help , ” she confesses .
“ I stay thin , I stay fit , all the things but there are just certain things you can ’ t overcome and yeah sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , s–t.
’ “ Because I look at clips from ‘ Knots ’ or old pictures or whatever and I didn ’ t think of it at the time but [ now ] I go , ‘ Wow , I really was pretty good-looking , ’ and I didn ’ t think that at the time .
There was always something wrong that I didn ’ t like .
Now I look back and I go , ‘ Damn !
I really looked good.
’ I wished I still looked it .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept but you have to .
”

This Saturday night, the power trio of “Knots Landing” — Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills — will be appearing at the Hollywood Museum to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary and unveil a new lobby tribute with costumes worn by the series’ stars.
Mills, 79, can hardly believe it’s been four decades since she graced the small screen as vixenish villainess Abby Cunningham, telling Page Six that it feels it “was maybe ten years ago!”
The blond beauty — who got her start in soaps and then became a fixture on ’70s shows, with appearances on “Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island” and “CHiPs” — became an instant star when she snagged the role of scheming Abby Cunningham in the “Dallas” spinoff.
The Chicago native says that before she was cast on the nighttime soap, she suffered through many instances of sexual harassment.
“Everything from a casting session in New York where you would walk in and you hadn’t seen the script and you open the script and it’s the bed scene,” she explained. “And you’re like, ‘Whoa, wait a minute.’ There were lots of those things.”
Mills says it was never stated out loud in the industry that if you slept with someone, you got the role — but it was implied.
“You tried to get out the door before they got you,” she says. “And in those days you didn’t tell anybody, you just didn’t. You just got out of whatever situation you got out of, because I was never going to sleep with anybody for any role.
“I always believed you never got a role by sleeping with somebody. That was a falsehood. They would say that and then it would never happen. So I just figured that was not the way to go. But back then you just chalked it up to experience and you moved on.”
Mills, who says she heard about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged behavior years ago and steered clear of him, remembers fleeing late legendary cartoonist Al Capp’s office when she says he tried to sleep with her.
“I was one of the girls that went up there thinking it was a casting session and then it wasn’t,” the “Play Misty For Me” star says. “I remember running out of that apartment, running down the street sobbing, mad at myself because I had gone there. He was famous for it, I didn’t know that at the time. I found out afterwards.”
(Goldie Hawn and Grace Kelly both made the same claims against the “Lil’ Abner” creator).
The never-married star (“I was too independent) admits that aging is more difficult for a woman whose looks were celebrated.
“There are certain things that happen to your skin that you just can’t help,” she confesses. “I stay thin, I stay fit, all the things but there are just certain things you can’t overcome and yeah sometimes it’s like, ‘Ah, s–t.’
“Because I look at clips from ‘Knots’ or old pictures or whatever and I didn’t think of it at the time but [now] I go, ‘Wow, I really was pretty good-looking,’ and I didn’t think that at the time. There was always something wrong that I didn’t like. Now I look back and I go, ‘Damn! I really looked good.’ I wished I still looked it. But it goes. It’s hard to accept but you have to.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Pride night had special meaning for Knicks’ Reggie Bullock

RJ Barrett couldn ’ t recall the last time he missed a ...

Reggie Bullock is itching to get back in the Knicks’ lineup Saturday against the 76ers, but basketball wasn’t the only reason the veteran swingman was saddened about missing the team’s loss to the Suns on Thursday night.
The Knicks held Pride Night at the Garden, and Bullock — who sat out with a neck issue — has been a leading NBA activist for the LGBTQ community since Mia Henderson, his transgender sister, was killed in 2014. Another sister, Keiosha Moore, was shot to death in October in Baltimore.
“It was definitely tough to have to sit out, but obviously it’s a night that means something. It means so much to my family and to me,” Bullock said Friday. “It was a great night. I saw all the groups that were there, they brought some kids out, we made some T-shirts. It was a great night overall.
“All I wish is that my sister was there and to be able to see the night’s that’s been going on in the league. I know she’s proud of me, looking down on me. That’s all I can really do is continue voicing my opinion and standing up and bringing awareness to it and just keep living within her name.”
Bullock spoke to LGBTQ youth last week at the Hetrick-Martin Institute in the East Village, and he helped design T-shirts that members of various participating organizations wore at Thursday’s game.
“Going to talk to Hetrick-Martin, and I’m gonna go talk to different organizations within the LGBTQ community, I definitely feel like every time I bring up her name, bring up her story, I get chills,” Bullock said of his sister Mia. “I feel her presence and I know she’s living within me. I just have to continue doing my part, keep using my platform and just keep pushing.”
Bullock added that sitting out Thursday’s game was “just precautionary” after he had missed the first 10 weeks of the season following spinal fusion surgery in July.
“Having a neck injury like I had, for sure, definitely keep maintenance, get massages, heat, everything that I need to do strength-wise, shoulders, massages, everything I need to do,” Bullock said. “The medical staff here is doing a great job of watching how much I do in practice and watching how much stuff I get done to my neck and be able to have me ready for the game, but I feel great and I should be there [Saturday].”


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Why this is a golden opportunity for Mets’ Brodie Van Wagenen

As the Mets conduct their second managerial search this offseason , ...

Listen to me now and believe me later: Despite the Mets’ remarkable penchant for chaos, their suddenly available managing job is a desirable one.
Hence the pressure intensifies on Brodie Van Wagenen to get this one right.
Van Wagenen whiffed on his first managerial hire, Carlos Beltran, when the legendary former player got wiped out in the Astros’ sign-stealing tsunami, so now it’s take two for the beleaguered general manager as he prepares for his second season. He should feel heartened by the reality that he can pick from a crop that includes a gaggle of accomplished managers (The Post’s Mike Puma reports Dusty Baker’s candidacy has gained steam, though there hadn’t been any contact as of Friday afternoon), other teams’ coaches, broadcasters — ESPN’s Eduardo Perez fared strongly with Van Wagenen and company a few months back — and whatever other creative options come to mind in addition to current members of the Mets’ coaching staff.
Even if you rank the Mets’ opening as less intriguing than the vacancies that just emerged in Houston and Boston, it would rank a strong third. Most who miss out on the Astros’ and Red Sox’s managing gigs would gladly accept the Mets’ spot.
Why? Because their roster clearly has talent. And because you need only to look at Terry Collins’ second career as a broadcaster to appreciate how many doors can open for you if you achieve enough for a New York team.
That hasn’t really changed since last October, when the Mets probably could have hired Joe Girardi to succeed Mickey Callaway. That they passed on Girardi, instead letting him go to the neighboring Phillies, might haunt Van Wagenen sooner rather than later. But that’s not important right now.
What has altered is the canvas. When the Mets ditched Callaway with a year to go on his contract, they were one of eight teams looking for a new manager. They’re one of only three this time, all of them looking to win in 2020.
To be fair, the Mets stand as the only club of the trio not to have won a World Series since 2017. As the group that didn’t ask Beltran about his involvement in the ’17 Astros’ scheme until it was too late. As the team that employs as an adviser Jessica Mendoza, who used her other job of ESPN baseball commentator to rip into whistleblower Mike Fiers for courageously calling out his misbehaving former teammates in Houston. Yeesh. What a terrible look for the Mets, who amplified this embarrassment with Van Wagenen’s ridiculous explanation that “Jessica was speaking as an ESPN analyst, not as a spokesperson for the Mets.” Good grief. Where can the rest of us get jobs where we’re not held accountable for our words at all times?
Of course, Van Wagenen landed his current job thanks in no small part to the number of more traditional front-office people, among them the Pirates’ Ben Cherington, the Indians’ Mike Chernoff and the Twins’ Thad Levine, who passed on an interview to head the Mets’ baseball operations after the 2018 season. Concerns lingered about the franchise’s win-now direction and ownership’s heavy involvement, among other issues.
The difference here? Baseball ops has turned into such a monolith that someone can make considerable impact even without being the boss. In the dugout, though, a wide gap exists between manager and bench coach. The 30 managing jobs are cherished.
There will be some nos. David Wright, for instance, enjoys his Southern California life as a very part-time adviser. Yet most of the candidates whose names are out there would jump at a Mets offer.
If Van Wagenen doesn’t hold all of the cards here, with the Astros and Red Sox also shopping for skippers, the Mets’ GM holds enough of them, thanks to the roster he has helped build and the stage he has assumed, despite his many missteps. He’ll have no one else to blame if he can’t play this hand successfully.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Daniel Jones’ new Giants mentor even left Dan Marino impressed

Joe Judge has hooked his first really big fish as ...

Even Dan Marino listened as Jerry Schuplinski talked for an hour.
One day during the Dolphins’ minicamp last spring, quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen, offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea, head coach Brian Flores and a Hall of Famer just passing by all tuned in to the assistant quarterbacks coach as he installed a practice plan.
“Jerry was the only one who spoke,” recalled Greg Debeljak, Case Western Reserve University’s head coach and a face in the crowded meeting. “He can really take charge of a room and teach. There was film and X’s and O’s, and every once in a while Jerry would look back to Marino: ‘What do you think, Dan?’ He would go, ‘Looks great, coach!’ ”
Schuplinski is the new Giants quarterbacks coach, handed the franchise’s greatest asset to develop. The Giants slow-walked the search to land Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator but acted fast to hire Schuplinski, who will be one of the primary coaches entrusted to elevate Daniel Jones from promising rookie to elite NFL quarterback.
So, who is he?
“I got to see it from two different sides,” the 14-year veteran Fitzpatrick told The Post. “He had to talk to me, treat me and coach me a different way than maybe he had to treat young guys like Josh Rosen and Jake Rudock in our room. His ability to know who he was teaching and the way that guy learned — and adapt based on who he was talking with — is one of his huge strengths.”
First-time head coach Joe Judge wants great “teachers” above all else on his Giants staff.
Apparently, Judge means it literally: Schuplinski was a math teacher, coach and athletic director at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio, from 2002-06. The 38-year-old Judge — who quit teaching kindergarten after three days — and Schuplinski worked together for six seasons (2013-18) with the Patriots.
“He is an intelligent guy who was very well-liked,” said Tony SanFilippo, Trinity’s athletic director and the private school’s wrestling coach during Schuplinski’s tenure. “Meticulous and detail-oriented. When he came here, he was honest with our administration. He had high aspirations.”
Schuplinski, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caseiro — a future NFL general manager — played together at John Carroll University in the mid-1990s. Debeljak was the wide receivers coach then and later gave the undersized fullback Schuplinski two of his early breaks in coaching.
While McDaniels drew up Tom Brady’s game plans, Schuplinski’s Patriots résumé wasn’t truly on display until this season. Colts starter Jacoby Brissett and 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo credit Schuplinski for easing the learning curve when they were young Brady backups.
“It worked well with me because he sees the game as a quarterback,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s not just understanding what we do at wide receiver, tight end or offensive line. He understands conceptually everything that’s going on, which sounds simple but there aren’t a lot of coaches who see it that way.
“He does a great job of slowing things down and explaining on each play the pre-snap keys, what’s happening post-snap. We have to process so much information at the line of scrimmage that finding ways to simplify it and little cheats to speed up the way you are thinking about things, he does a nice job of teaching it that way.”
Schuplinski’s first coaching job was an unpaid graduate assistant position at his alma mater. He spent five years as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Case Western Reserve before McDaniels swooped in.
“His goal when he left here for the Patriots was to absorb as much as he could — and that’s what he did,” Debeljak said. “That’s when he got his education in quarterbacks.”
Schuplinski joined the Dolphins in 2019 and stepped in to lead the quarterbacks for Jim Caldwell when the former NFL head coach took a health-related leave of absence. Flores, another former Patriots assistant, did not block Schuplinski’s move to the Giants, which he could have done under NFL rules.
“More so than being a football-lifer, he is an educator,” Fitzpatrick said. “For me, as a veteran guy who has had a ton of quarterback coaches, he understands the game really well so we were able to talk about it at a pretty high level. It’s a tough loss for the Dolphins, but I think it’s a great move for New York.”
For more on the Giants, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Rangers’ specialty teams starting to get it done

David Quinn looked directly at a few members of the ...

It was one of the Rangers’ better penalty kills of the season, and it showed how their man-down group is starting to come together.
After Tony DeAngelo took a frustrating interference penalty early in the third period of the 3-2 win over the Islanders on Thursday, the Blueshirts put together a rather inspired kill. It was two full groups: Mika Zibanejad-Ryan Strome starting up front, with Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba on the back end. When it went to Brett Howden and Jesper Fast along with Marc Staal and Ryan Lindgren, Fast blocked a shot followed by two blocks from Lindgren.
When DeAngelo got out of the box, he started an odd-man rush that he finished himself to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
“Immense,” is how coach David Quinn described it. “Lindgren and Fast, and Mika and Strome, Staalsy, Brady and Howden — those guys really did a great job.”
The Rangers’ penalty kill went 5-for-5 Thursday and has been 19-of-21 since the debacle in Edmonton on New Year’s Eve, when they allowed three power-play goals. For the season, the kill is ranked 19th in the league at 79.3 percent.
The power play is also coming on, scoring twice against the Islanders, and is now 8-for-23 (34.8 percent) in the past seven games and 10-for-29 (34.5 percent) in the past 10. The Rangers are ranked 11th in the league at 21 percent and are 17-5-2 when registering at least one power-play goal in a game this season.
After getting Friday off, the Rangers will return to practice Saturday, when it should become clearer whom the starting goalie will be for Sunday night’s Garden match against the Blue Jackets.
It seems possible Igor Shesterkin will get back in after not having played since Jan. 9, when he recorded his second straight win to start his NHL career. Henrik Lundqvist has played just once, Jan. 11 in St. Louis, since Shesterkin was called up on Jan. 6. Alex Georgiev has received both of the past two starts., adding to his terrific numbers against the Islanders (4-1 with a 1.40 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage).
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Aaron Rodgers carries 15-year grudge into Packers-49ers clash

SANTA CLARA , Calif. — Much of the football world — ...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — What if?
What if Jeff Tedford, the California head football coach in 2002, had not watched tape that year of a tight end named Garrett Cross, who was playing at Butte College, a junior college in Oroville, Calif.?
That’s when Tedford unwittingly discovered Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback he saw on that tape throwing four touchdowns to the tight end he was recruiting.
“Who’s this guy throwing to the tight end that we’re looking at?’’ Tedford asked Craig Rigsbee, the Butte head coach at the time. “We like your tight end, but we really like your quarterback.’’
The next day, Tedford visited a Butte practice, watched Rodgers practice for 15 minutes and offered him a scholarship to play at Cal.
“I’m no quarterback guru, but early in that first season he was there, I remember thinking, ‘Man, I’ve never seen anyone throw the ball like that,’ ’’ Justin Wilcox, the current Cal head coach, who was Tedford’s linebackers coach when Rodgers played there, told The Post. “I played with Akili Smith and Joey Harrington, both first-round draft picks, and I remember watching Aaron throw the ball and thinking, ‘Whoa, that looks different.’ ’’
After two years at Cal (2003 and 2004), Rodgers — who grew up a 49ers fanatic (he wore a Joe Montana T-shirt under his pads for every game he played for the Golden Bears) — was drafted by the Packers.
You know the rest.
Fast forward 15 years, and Rodgers is coming home to the Bay Area to try to beat his former favorite team and earn a berth into his second Super Bowl when the Packers and 49ers play in the NFC Championship game Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“The irony is so thick you can cut with a knife,’’ Rigsbee told The Post Friday.
What if?
“The coaches went down there and fell in love with what they saw, and nothing’s changed since then,’’ said Burl Toler III, who was one of Rodgers’ receivers as a player and now is Cal’s receivers coach. “Being a coach now and doing the recruiting, I can only appreciate it even more that they were able to recognize the talent.’’
Rodgers’ path to Cal — and subsequently the NFL — actually began with a phone call from former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer’s stepfather, Frank Lynch, to Andrew McGraw, who was Cal’s recruiting coordinator at the time and now is the school’s assistant athletic director.
“He called me and said, ‘I’ve got a family friend who’s a good tight end that you should check out,’ ’’ McGraw recalled. “He sent me a tape [of Cross] and I showed it to coach Tedford.’’
Tedford watched the tape of the tight end and found a program-changing quarterback who had no scholarship offers.
“If we don’t get that tip to go up and see [Cross] …’’ McGraw said.
What if?
“It’s a crazy to think that a quarterback like Aaron would take the JC route,’’ Toler said. “But he was just a guy that was overlooked and under the radar and had something to prove every single year. Fifteen years later, he’s only gotten better.’’
And, Toler said, Rodgers’ relentless inner drive and edge, which has become legend in Green Bay, hasn’t waned.
If you don’t think Rodgers, selected 23 spots behind Alex Smith, whom the 49ers selected first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, wouldn’t derive at least a smidgen of added delight in knocking off his former favorite team to get to the Super Bowl, you don’t know Rodgers very well.
“He’s had a chip on his shoulder for not getting drafted as high as he deserved,’’ Toler said.
There’s been a palpable vibe around the Bay Area for the past week that the 49ers are poised to roll over the Packers. You hear it on sports talk radio and from conversations at bars and around water coolers.
The 49ers, after all, dusted Green Bay 37-8 in a November meeting in which Rodgers threw for just 104 yards on 33 attempts. Any assumptions the 49ers will do the same to Rodgers on Sunday, however, are laughable to those — like Wilcox, Toler, McGraw and Rigsbee — who’ve known him since his college days.
Rodgers, as he did the day he threw those four TD passes to that Butte tight end who was being scouted by Cal, can kill you with a flick of his wrist.
“How many people in the history of football can throw the ball like he can?’’ Wilcox asked. “Then you add the competitiveness, the intellect, the football instinct and that’s why he’s in the conversation as the best to ever play the position.’’
Could he have imagined what Rodgers has become during his years from juco to Cal?
“I’m not sure anybody sat there in the moment and said, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to win an MVP and win a Super Bowl and have a Hall of Fame career,’ ’’ Wilcox said. “If they say that, I’m not sure they’re telling you the truth.’’
Here’s a truth about Rodgers: He’s not likely to leave any “what if?’’ questions on the field Sunday.
And because of that, he represents a great danger to the team that overlooked him 15 years ago.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--St. John’s hoping its two stars can get on track vs. Seton Hall

Back in October , LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Heron were viewed as givens for St. John ’ s .
The question marks surrounded the inexperienced supporting cast .
Nearly a third of the way through the Big East season , those questions have shifted .
Role players like Marcellus Earlington , Greg Williams Jr. and Rasheem Dunn have performed well , while Figueroa and Heron haven ’ t quite held up their end of the bargain .
“ I think sometimes you feel you got to be those guys , as opposed to just being who you are , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said as his team prepared to play host to Seton Hall at noon on Saturday at the Garden .
The game will be televised on Fox .
Figueroa and Heron , the program ’ s lone returning starters , were second-team All-Big East preseason selections .
They both performed reasonably well during the successful non-conference portion of the schedule .
But Heron suffered a sprained ankle that cost him three games and has yet to find his form since returning , averaging just 9.2 points on 32 percent shooting in four conference games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points , but shooting just 36 percent from the field , well down from what he shot a year ago ( 51 percent ) .
In Wednesday ’ s loss to Providence , he made just 4-of-17 attempts , including 2-of-12 from 3-point range , as the Red Storm lost for the fourth time in five Big East games .
“ I was settling so much , ” he said .
Anderson and Figueroa had a one-on-one sit-down , during which the first-year coach said he emphasized the need for his star junior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does best , slashing and creating , rather than hoisting up long jumpers .
“ Be on attack mode , definitely , ” was the message , Figueroa said .
“ You ’ re open , shoot the ball .
But don ’ t settle and bail the defense out .
Keep the pressure on the defense .
Always be in attack mode.
” There ’ s no secret St. John ’ s ( 12-6 , 1-4 ) needs Figueroa and Heron to play better , particularly against No .
18 Seton Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are by far the Red Storm ’ s most talented offensive players .
But Anderson wants them to understand forcing up shots isn ’ t the answer .
Their teammates have proven to be capable .
“ They ’ re going to be the big targets , ” Anderson said .
“ They were probably third and fourth and fifth option last year .
Now they are the options .
So how do you take your game to another level ?
” How do you make the adjustments ?
So that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s still early in the year , ” he added .
“ You ’ ll see those guys come through.
” Forward Ian Steere , a 6-foot-9 transfer from North Carolina State who has appeared in just three games spanning 11 minutes since becoming eligible in late December , will see some action Saturday , Anderson said .
Seton Hall is one of the country ’ s bigger teams .
“ Just want to see the effort , maximum effort , ” the coach said .
“ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effort guy .
You give me a second , third , fourth effort , then you have a chance .
A sense of urgency .
He ’ ll get an opportunity to play and see if he can bring it.
” St. John ’ s will play host to four-star junior guard Jordan Riley of Brentwood ( L.I . )
High School for the game against Seton Hall , according to a source .

Back in October, LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Heron were viewed as givens for St. John’s. The question marks surrounded the inexperienced supporting cast.
Nearly a third of the way through the Big East season, those questions have shifted. Role players like Marcellus Earlington, Greg Williams Jr. and Rasheem Dunn have performed well, while Figueroa and Heron haven’t quite held up their end of the bargain.
“I think sometimes you feel you got to be those guys, as opposed to just being who you are,” St. John’s coach Mike Anderson said as his team prepared to play host to Seton Hall at noon on Saturday at the Garden. The game will be televised on Fox.
Figueroa and Heron, the program’s lone returning starters, were second-team All-Big East preseason selections. They both performed reasonably well during the successful non-conference portion of the schedule. But Heron suffered a sprained ankle that cost him three games and has yet to find his form since returning, averaging just 9.2 points on 32 percent shooting in four conference games. Figueroa is averaging a team-high 14.6 points, but shooting just 36 percent from the field, well down from what he shot a year ago (51 percent). In Wednesday’s loss to Providence, he made just 4-of-17 attempts, including 2-of-12 from 3-point range, as the Red Storm lost for the fourth time in five Big East games.
“I was settling so much,” he said.
Anderson and Figueroa had a one-on-one sit-down, during which the first-year coach said he emphasized the need for his star junior wing to get back to what he does best, slashing and creating, rather than hoisting up long jumpers.
“Be on attack mode, definitely,” was the message, Figueroa said. “You’re open, shoot the ball. But don’t settle and bail the defense out. Keep the pressure on the defense. Always be in attack mode.”
There’s no secret St. John’s (12-6, 1-4) needs Figueroa and Heron to play better, particularly against No. 18 Seton Hall, which has won seven straight games. They are by far the Red Storm’s most talented offensive players. But Anderson wants them to understand forcing up shots isn’t the answer. Their teammates have proven to be capable.
“They’re going to be the big targets,” Anderson said. “They were probably third and fourth and fifth option last year. Now they are the options. So how do you take your game to another level?” How do you make the adjustments? So that to me is the biggest key.
“It’s still early in the year,” he added. “You’ll see those guys come through.”
Forward Ian Steere, a 6-foot-9 transfer from North Carolina State who has appeared in just three games spanning 11 minutes since becoming eligible in late December, will see some action Saturday, Anderson said. Seton Hall is one of the country’s bigger teams.
“Just want to see the effort, maximum effort,” the coach said. “That’s the biggest key. I’m an effort guy. You give me a second, third, fourth effort, then you have a chance. A sense of urgency. He’ll get an opportunity to play and see if he can bring it.”
St. John’s will play host to four-star junior guard Jordan Riley of Brentwood (L.I.) High School for the game against Seton Hall, according to a source.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--See it: Bronx man viciously beats and threatens girlfriend with knife

A Bronx man viciously beat his girlfriend and threatened her with a kitchen knife at his workplace in Orange County this week , according to video obtained by a local news outlet — but he was inexplicably released with only a summons and an order of protection .
The suspect , Jay Vazquez-Paulino , burst into the Superior Package Company in Harriman on Tuesday and immediately started punching his girlfriend , the video obtained by Mid-Hudson News shows .
Another worker splits them up , the video shows , and Vazquez-Paulino then steps outside , pulls a 12-inch knife out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up his jacket sleeve .
He then walked back in the building and hurled a cellphone at the victim and began beating her again , the report said .
About 10 minutes later , Vazquez-Paulino kicked the woman , then left the building .
As he was leaving , he pulled the knife out of his sleeve and tossed it on the roof of the building , the video shows .
He was charged with menacing , criminal possession of a weapon and attempted assault and harassment — but let go with just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report .

A Bronx man viciously beat his girlfriend and threatened her with a kitchen knife at his workplace in Orange County this week, according to video obtained by a local news outlet — but he was inexplicably released with only a summons and an order of protection.
The suspect, Jay Vazquez-Paulino, burst into the Superior Package Company in Harriman on Tuesday and immediately started punching his girlfriend, the video obtained by Mid-Hudson News shows.
Another worker splits them up, the video shows, and Vazquez-Paulino then steps outside, pulls a 12-inch knife out of his backpack and slides it up his jacket sleeve.
He then walked back in the building and hurled a cellphone at the victim and began beating her again, the report said.
About 10 minutes later, Vazquez-Paulino kicked the woman, then left the building. As he was leaving, he pulled the knife out of his sleeve and tossed it on the roof of the building, the video shows.
He was charged with menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and attempted assault and harassment — but let go with just a desk appearance ticket, according to the report.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--UFC 246: Raquel Pennington seeking payback vs. Holly Holm

Conor McGregor has made a fortune because the loudest bark ...

LAS VEGAS — When Holly Holm won a split decision over Raquel Pennington at UFC 184 in February 2015, it dropped Pennington’s record to 5-5 and put her long-term career in the UFC in doubt. But Pennington has won five of her seven bouts since then and looks to avenge her loss to Holm on Saturday night in a bantamweight fight at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena.
The Holm-Pennington rematch is part of the main card, headlined by Conor McGregor facing Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, and offered on ESPN Plus PPV. Pennington said she has numerous times wondered why she didn’t get the decision in her first bout with Holm.
“It’s not just because I wanted to win,” Pennington said. “Being an athlete and a professional and looking at it, I feel like I won it. But that happens when it goes to the judges. It can be frustrating.”
Pennington went on to fight for the UFC women’s bantamweight title, losing to champion Amanda Nunes in 2018. Holm won the UFC bantamweight championship in a stunning upset of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015, but lost the title in her first defense and has lost two attempts at a featherweight title, as well as her chance to regain the bantamweight belt from Nunes.
“This is my first rematch with somebody I’ve already been in there with,” Holm said. “I’ve had a lot of fights that could have gone either way. Sadly, all those went the other way. But that’s my fault that I didn’t make it clearer or do a better job. I’ve had enough of that. I don’t want it to be that close.”
It’s believed the winner of Saturday’s fight will be line for a rematch against Nunes.
“It’s a huge opportunity with [Holm] being a former champion and me having fought for a world title,” Pennington said. “I feel like once I go out there and get my hand raised, it’s going to give me the opportunity to fight for a title again.”
Also on the PPV main card, Aleksei Oleinik, the No. 12-ranked heavyweight, faces prospect Maurice Greene; and Anthony Pettis, ranked as the No. 11 lightweight, challenges lightweight contender Carlos Diego Ferreira. Alexa Grasso missed weight by 5.5 pounds, and her fight at strawweight with Claudia Gadelha is off.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--World’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar dies in Nepal at 27

He may have been the world ’ s shortest man but he led a tall life — traveling to dozens of countries and making appearances on international television .
Khagendra Thapa Magar , who stood at 2 feet and 2.41 inches tall , died Friday at 27 after recent battles with asthma and pneumonia , according to his family .
“ He has been in and out of the hospital because of pneumonia , ” his brother , Mahesh Thapa Magar , told Agence France-Presse .
“ But this time his heart was also affected.
” Magar , the son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was beloved in his country and even appointed as a Nepalese Goodwill Ambassador for Tourism .
He enjoyed playing guitar and riding motorbikes , and once met the world ’ s shortest woman .
“ We ’ re terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us , ” said GWR Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday in a statement .
“ His bright smile was so infectious that he melted the hearts of anyone who met him.
” Glenday , who met Khagendra on a visit to Italy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor ” to know him .
“ As many people of short stature experience , life can be challenging , ” Glenday said .
“ Khagendra certainly didn ’ t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life.
” The record awarding company measured Magar as the world ’ s shortest man with the ability to walk , standing only 2.75 inches taller than Junrey Balawing , who is immobile .
Magar , from Nepal , first received the title on his 18th birthday — snatching the record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the title when Chandra Bahadur Dangi , also from Nepal , was discovered and measured at 1 foot and 9.5 inches , AFP reported .
But he gained it back upon Dangi ’ s 2015 death .
With Magar ’ s death , the record for shortest living mobile man is once again held by Hernandez , GWR reported .

He may have been the world’s shortest man but he led a tall life — traveling to dozens of countries and making appearances on international television.
Khagendra Thapa Magar, who stood at 2 feet and 2.41 inches tall, died Friday at 27 after recent battles with asthma and pneumonia, according to his family.
“He has been in and out of the hospital because of pneumonia,” his brother, Mahesh Thapa Magar, told Agence France-Presse. “But this time his heart was also affected.”
Magar, the son of a fruit seller in Nepal, was beloved in his country and even appointed as a Nepalese Goodwill Ambassador for Tourism.
He enjoyed playing guitar and riding motorbikes, and once met the world’s shortest woman.
“We’re terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us,” said GWR Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday in a statement. “His bright smile was so infectious that he melted the hearts of anyone who met him.”
Glenday, who met Khagendra on a visit to Italy in 2010, said it was “an honor” to know him.
“As many people of short stature experience, life can be challenging,” Glenday said. “Khagendra certainly didn’t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life.”
The record awarding company measured Magar as the world’s shortest man with the ability to walk, standing only 2.75 inches taller than Junrey Balawing, who is immobile.
Magar, from Nepal, first received the title on his 18th birthday — snatching the record from Colombian Edward Hernandez.
Magar eventually lost the title when Chandra Bahadur Dangi, also from Nepal, was discovered and measured at 1 foot and 9.5 inches, AFP reported. But he gained it back upon Dangi’s 2015 death.
With Magar’s death, the record for shortest living mobile man is once again held by Hernandez, GWR reported.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Lawsuit: City, MTA are no help in $20M Gowanus Canal powerhouse cleanup

Two philanthropies working to convert the old powerhouse on Brooklyn ’ s infamously polluted Gowanus Canal into an art center say they ’ ve spent $ 20 million cleaning the site of toxins — and claim in a lawsuit that the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority , which contaminated the site , haven ’ t chipped in a penny .
BRT Powerhouse LLP and Gemini Arts Interactive plan to build a 170,000 square-foot arts hub at 322 Third Avenue , a site that served as a coal-operated electrical station to power Brooklyn ’ s train lines until 1972 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But before the new facility can be built , the toxins the city and the MTA left behind must be cleaned up — and Powerhouse says it has dropped the eye-popping , eight-figure sum to do so while the city and the MTA haven ’ t chipped in a “ single dollar of the cost.
” The site is heavily contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBS , and some 2,500 tons of soil have had to be removed , the suit says .
“ Powerhouse is the ‘ someone else ’ now cleaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left to languish in complete disregard of the environment , human health , and the citizens of New York , ” the suit charges .
The city and the MTA did not immediately respond to requests for comment .

Two philanthropies working to convert the old powerhouse on Brooklyn’s infamously polluted Gowanus Canal into an art center say they’ve spent $20 million cleaning the site of toxins — and claim in a lawsuit that the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which contaminated the site, haven’t chipped in a penny.
BRT Powerhouse LLP and Gemini Arts Interactive plan to build a 170,000 square-foot arts hub at 322 Third Avenue, a site that served as a coal-operated electrical station to power Brooklyn’s train lines until 1972. The site also housed a coal yard.
But before the new facility can be built, the toxins the city and the MTA left behind must be cleaned up — and Powerhouse says it has dropped the eye-popping, eight-figure sum to do so while the city and the MTA haven’t chipped in a “single dollar of the cost.”
The site is heavily contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBS, and some 2,500 tons of soil have had to be removed, the suit says.
“Powerhouse is the ‘someone else’ now cleaning up the mess the city created and left to languish in complete disregard of the environment, human health, and the citizens of New York,” the suit charges.
The city and the MTA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--One quarterback remaining stands above rest in NFL playoffs

The list of receivers selected to represent the NFC at ...

Patrick Mahomes took a backseat to Lamar Jackson’s magic carpet ride through the regular season.
On conference championship Sunday, however, Jackson will be watching while Mahomes will be the marquee attraction, the one we watch hoping to see something we have never seen before from a quarterback, chasing his first Super Bowl championship as Chiefs coach Andy Reid chases his first as well.
Mahomes versus Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the AFC Championship game followed by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers versus Jimmy Garoppolo in the NFC Championship.
ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky ranks the Final Four quarterbacks this way:
1. Mahomes; 2. Rodgers; 3. Tannehill; 4. Garoppolo.
Orlovsky breaks down each of them for The Post:
1. Mahomes
“Mahomes is our modern-day Dan Marino right now just talent-wise. He’s the most talented guy I’ve ever seen at the position. And he had married talent with brain. He’s one of those players where you can be in the right play call as a coach and you can have all 11 guys on your defense execute that right play call perfectly — and it doesn’t matter. Because he can make throws that you should not be able to make. He can see things you shouldn’t be able to see and just makes plays that you shouldn’t be able to make.”
If you’re a defensive coordinator, how do you approach Patrick Mahomes?
“The big thing is they do such a good job with Travis Kelce of telling him the coverage before the snap, when they move Kelce out by himself, they know exactly how you’re planning on playing Kelce that game, and so you’re telling me before the ball’s ever snapped if it’s gonna be zone or man more often than not especially in passing downs. So you’ve got a big advantage in that regard, so you’ve gotta be willing to play some unstructured things, strictly off the hope that you get him to hesitate for a second or two post-snap to try to figure out what their coverage is, and then, maybe your rush can get home. I think like every other quarterback that is great, you gotta get home, and you gotta hope that you can hit him.”
2. Rodgers
“I marvel at guys who can play at the level he’s able to play, and stay focused the way he’s focused mentally, engaged the way he’s able to and still have that drive and desire to go play and play well and conquer more things. I think Aaron’s smarter than he used to be and he’s always bright — Aaron and I came up together, we had the same agent, we were drafted in the same division, so we played each other a ton. Appreciated the fact that he wanted to be the smartest person in the room, and I think that’s even grown, in and out of football.
“Not the same player he was 10 years ago. Nor is anybody. But still so situationally fear-provoking.”
Why is coach Matt LaFleur a good match for him?
“Matt doesn’t put up with any baloney. Matt will stand up for the things that he believes in and how he wants to coach. Matt does not play games, and he is a very detailed coach, and very aggressive-thinking coach, very smart when it comes to the game-planning and attacking defenses. But he, in the same breath that I said Aaron wants to be the smartest person in the room, guys who are like that — and I’ve been around Peyton [Manning] was like this — they can be overbearing. … And you better be willing to stand up against it, and be confrontational in a healthy way; that’s Matt.”
Do you see signs of physical decline?
“Aaron was always the type of guy that he’d make the throws that no one else can make, and even when he was not being fundamentally sound or sharpshooting sound, he could make incredibly accurate throws. I would say that for a guy who’s never been the technician, that has shown up at times this year with a lack of technique that he has always not played with maybe impacted his play. But that is something that I’ve said all season can be worked on. If that is a little bit more consistent, you’re gonna see three or more plays get made by Aaron.”
Is he the most accurate?
“Probably. When things are married up and working together, yes.”
3. Tannehill
“He’s a much more player in himself and who he is throwing to. The willingness to put the ball in harm’s way, be aggressive with the football, is totally different than it was in Miami. You’re seeing him marry the system well with his athleticism. But the big thing is he has started to believe that he’s a good player. He’s also stayed healthy, and he’s got a much better football team around him and he’s much better coached. I don’t think that they’re a run-first football team like everybody else. But the big thing for Tannehill is the mindset of confidence.”
4. Garoppolo
“Jimmy G’s made really impressive plays in really big-time moments this year. It seems like every time the moment has presented itself this season, Jimmy G has stepped up. He’s in a great system. He has arguably the best playcaller [head coach Kyle Shanahan] in the NFL, certainly in the conversation as one of the handfuls. He can play in chaos with his really good sudden pocket movement.
“The only caveat for Jimmy Garoppolo is he will throw some picks. He will be aggressive with the football and throw interceptions. You just hope he doesn’t have one of those games where those picks come back to bite him.”
How would you break him down physically?
“He’s got a super-compact motion, which helps him play within that chaos … good arm, not great arm, but certainly a good arm … has been taught well … very good feet, plays with a great base … very balanced, and so that allows him to play at a pretty efficient pace.”
How is Shanahan unique as a playcaller?
“His first thing is, ‘Can this play start in disaster?’ If it can start in disaster, whether their guys aren’t good enough or whether it plays to the defense’s strength, he doesn’t call it. … [He knows how] you help quarterbacks see the field, with the play-action pass, with the moving of the pocket, with cutting the field in half and getting simplified reads. He creates space better than any coach in the NFL. Although every coach has the same amount of space every single snap, he creates the space with pre-snap motion, post-snap movement, better than any coach in the NFL. And then when he creates that space, he does a very good job of teaching you, what you’re seeing within that space and how to go attack it.”
Which quarterback is the riskiest to blitz?
“Mahomes for sure. You can’t play them in man coverage, you just can’t.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Fantasy football: Take a shot on these four players this weekend

Tevin Coleman took the fantasy world by surprise in the ...

Key NFL championship weekend picks you should consider for FanDuel and DraftKings contests:
Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers, at 49ers (FanDuel $8,000/DraftKings $6,100)
Sure, he has the toughest matchup, but he also is the most accomplished of all the QBs remaining, and he is projected to be the least-owned among them this weekend.
Derrick Henry RB, Titans, at Chiefs (FD $9,800/DK $8,700)
Yes, we know he is likely to be the most heavily owned player on this short slate. Indeed, we understand that the game flow, if the Titans fall behind, could neutralize him. But he also is the one player whose workload is most guaranteed and he is on an historic run — three straight games with 180-plus rushing yards. Also note, over his previous eight games he averaged 159.1 rushing yards and 6.27 per carry, and had 11 TDs. Fade him at your own risk.
Demarcus Robinson WR, Chiefs, vs. Titans (FD $4,700/DK $3,300)
You always need a deep dive or two on short slates — to diversify from the masses and for budget reasons. Robinson got 58 percent of offensive snaps last week and is projected to be less than 10 percent owned.
Anthony Firkser TE, Titans, at Chiefs (FD $5,000/DK $2,500)
There is hope WR Adam Humphries returns, but reports seem to suggest he wouldn’t be close to 100 percent. That puts the Titans’ fringe guys — like Firkser or Tajae Sharpe ($4,700/$3,100) — on the radar, in a game in which Tennessee likely will have to pass more frequently than it has in recent weeks.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Lawsuits against former Brooklyn prosecutor who wiretapped cop, colleague settled

A disgraced former Brooklyn prosecutor who did time in federal prison for running illegal wiretaps to spy on a love interest at the NYPD and a colleague has settled lawsuits that her two targets filed against her .
Tara Lenich , who used to supervise the violent criminal enterprises bureau at the Brooklyn District Attorney ’ s Office , tearfully pleaded guilty in 2017 to illegally tapping the phones of fellow prosecutor Stephanie Rosenfeld and of Lenich ’ s reputed love interest , NYPD cop Jarrett Lemieux .
Lenich was sentenced to one year and one day in prison — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-prosecutor with lawsuits .
Both Lemieux and Rosenfeld claimed in their suits , which also name the city as a defendant , that they were entitled to damages for breaches of privacy .
Rosenfeld said in her lawsuit that the water-cooler talk at the Brooklyn DA ’ s office about her role in the Lenich case , and months of “ humiliating looks and behind-the-back comments , ” drove her to resign from the office after a 12-year stint .
As for their allegations against the city , they say Lenich ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and that Lenich was able to use vulnerabilities in the Brooklyn DA ’ s oversight of wiretaps to tap her target ’ s phones by cutting and pasting judges ’ signatures on phone company orders .
According to papers filed on Friday , Lenich has agreed to pay an undisclosed monetary sum to Rosenfeld — and to also provide a sworn statement about wiretap management problems she observed at the Brooklyn DA .
“ The fabricated orders contained the names of fictitious detectives who were purportedly involved with the “ investigation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wiretap , ” Lenich admits in court papers .
Lenich ’ s settlement with Rosenfeld still needs the approval of Brooklyn federal court Judge Nicholas Garaufis .
Lawyers for Lenich and Rosenfeld declined to comment , and a lawyer for Lemieux did not respond to a request for comment .
The city , which is still on the hook for Rosenfeld ’ s suit , has filed papers opposing the settlement .
The city ’ s Law Department also did not respond to a request for comment .

A disgraced former Brooklyn prosecutor who did time in federal prison for running illegal wiretaps to spy on a love interest at the NYPD and a colleague has settled lawsuits that her two targets filed against her.
Tara Lenich, who used to supervise the violent criminal enterprises bureau at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, tearfully pleaded guilty in 2017 to illegally tapping the phones of fellow prosecutor Stephanie Rosenfeld and of Lenich’s reputed love interest, NYPD cop Jarrett Lemieux.
Lenich was sentenced to one year and one day in prison — then Rosenfeld and Lemieux hit the nosy ex-prosecutor with lawsuits.
Both Lemieux and Rosenfeld claimed in their suits, which also name the city as a defendant, that they were entitled to damages for breaches of privacy.
Rosenfeld said in her lawsuit that the water-cooler talk at the Brooklyn DA’s office about her role in the Lenich case, and months of “humiliating looks and behind-the-back comments,” drove her to resign from the office after a 12-year stint.
As for their allegations against the city, they say Lenich’s bosses didn’t properly supervise Lenich — and that Lenich was able to use vulnerabilities in the Brooklyn DA’s oversight of wiretaps to tap her target’s phones by cutting and pasting judges’ signatures on phone company orders.
According to papers filed on Friday, Lenich has agreed to pay an undisclosed monetary sum to Rosenfeld — and to also provide a sworn statement about wiretap management problems she observed at the Brooklyn DA.
“The fabricated orders contained the names of fictitious detectives who were purportedly involved with the “investigation” and who were purportedly authorized to monitor the wiretap,” Lenich admits in court papers.
Lenich’s settlement with Rosenfeld still needs the approval of Brooklyn federal court Judge Nicholas Garaufis.
Lawyers for Lenich and Rosenfeld declined to comment, and a lawyer for Lemieux did not respond to a request for comment.
The city, which is still on the hook for Rosenfeld’s suit, has filed papers opposing the settlement. The city’s Law Department also did not respond to a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--New Jeffrey Epstein accuser says he molested her at 13, told her to wear children’s underwear

A woman claiming she was Jeffrey Epstein ’ s “ first-known victim ” says she was sexually abused by the now-dead pedophile — who called himself her “ Godfather ” — when she was 13 years old .
Jane Doe met Epstein and his friend , Ghislaine Maxwell , in the summer of 1994 at Michigan ’ s Interlochen Arts Camp , where she was in voice training , according to newly filed court papers suing Epstein ’ s estate and Maxwell .
The duo quickly took her under their wing , taking her to movies and on shopping trips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the while grooming her for abuse , the Manhattan federal court suit says .
Epstein “ started to slowly display his pedophilic ways when shopping with Doe and Maxwell .
Instead of letting Doe pick out clothes she wanted to wear , Epstein insisted that she pick out and wear little children ’ s cotton underwear , ” the suit says .
She was first allegedly abused in a pool house that same year when Epstein pulled her onto her his lap and began masturbating — claiming this was what “ professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court papers claim .
The financier would regularly sexually assault her and force her to perform sex acts in Palm Beach , New York City and his New Mexico ranch , always traveling to the locations on his private plane dubbed the “ Lolita Express.
” At 16 , Epstein put Doe up in one of his apartments in New York City — near his own townhouse , where he would allegedly rape her the next year .
“ In 1997 , while at Epstein ’ s townhouse on 9 East 71st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Epstein asked 17-year-old Doe if she had a boyfriend .
Doe replied that she did not , ” the lawsuit reads .
“ Epstein responded that when she did have a boyfriend she would want the sex to be ‘ good ’ and that she should ‘ get it over with already , ’ meaning lose her virginity.
” “ Despite Doe ’ s resistance , Epstein then pushed Doe down onto her stomach and raped her .
From that point forward for several years in New York , Epstein raped Doe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim , noting Maxwell was often present when the abuse took place .
The court papers also claim Epstein introduced her to President Trump when she was 14 years old , allegedly elbowing Trump and saying , “ This is a good one , right ?
” “ Trump smiled and nodded in agreement , ” the suit states .
A spokesperson for the president did not immediately return a request for comment .
Doe is suing Epstein ’ s estate , alleging sexual assault , sexual battery , false imprisonment and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen filed by other women claiming they were trafficked and abused by the multi-millionaire .
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August while awaiting trial for sex trafficking .
His death was officially ruled a suicide by hanging .
Lawyers for Maxwell and Epstein ’ s estate did not immediately return emails .

A woman claiming she was Jeffrey Epstein’s “first-known victim” says she was sexually abused by the now-dead pedophile — who called himself her “Godfather” — when she was 13 years old.
Jane Doe met Epstein and his friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, in the summer of 1994 at Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Camp, where she was in voice training, according to newly filed court papers suing Epstein’s estate and Maxwell.
The duo quickly took her under their wing, taking her to movies and on shopping trips in her home state of Florida and all the while grooming her for abuse, the Manhattan federal court suit says.
Epstein “started to slowly display his pedophilic ways when shopping with Doe and Maxwell. Instead of letting Doe pick out clothes she wanted to wear, Epstein insisted that she pick out and wear little children’s cotton underwear,” the suit says.
She was first allegedly abused in a pool house that same year when Epstein pulled her onto her his lap and began masturbating — claiming this was what “professionals” did.
The attacks escalated, the court papers claim. The financier would regularly sexually assault her and force her to perform sex acts in Palm Beach, New York City and his New Mexico ranch, always traveling to the locations on his private plane dubbed the “Lolita Express.”
At 16, Epstein put Doe up in one of his apartments in New York City — near his own townhouse, where he would allegedly rape her the next year.
“In 1997, while at Epstein’s townhouse on 9 East 71st Street in the City of New York, Epstein asked 17-year-old Doe if she had a boyfriend. Doe replied that she did not,” the lawsuit reads. “Epstein responded that when she did have a boyfriend she would want the sex to be ‘good’ and that she should ‘get it over with already,’ meaning lose her virginity.”
“Despite Doe’s resistance, Epstein then pushed Doe down onto her stomach and raped her. From that point forward for several years in New York, Epstein raped Doe on multiple occasions,” the papers claim, noting Maxwell was often present when the abuse took place.
The court papers also claim Epstein introduced her to President Trump when she was 14 years old, allegedly elbowing Trump and saying, “This is a good one, right?”
“Trump smiled and nodded in agreement,” the suit states.
A spokesperson for the president did not immediately return a request for comment.
Doe is suing Epstein’s estate, alleging sexual assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment and other charges. Her complaint joins over a dozen filed by other women claiming they were trafficked and abused by the multi-millionaire.
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. His death was officially ruled a suicide by hanging.
Lawyers for Maxwell and Epstein’s estate did not immediately return emails.


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Rangers look like ‘different’ team with deadline decisions looming

This wasn ’ t so much about the offensive zone , defensive zone ...

David Quinn looked directly at a few members of the media who have followed his Rangers all season, and the coach succinctly made his point.
“You guys have watched — we do look different, right?” he said. “We do look different.”
This was immediately after Quinn’s club beat the Islanders for a second straight time, a 3-2 victory at the Coliseum on Thursday that came by way of a last-minute power-play goal from Chris Kreider. But it was more than just that goal that secured the win. The Blueshirts played doggedly from corner to corner and matched the Islanders’ physical intensity.
It gave the Rangers their fourth win in the past five games, and Quinn still goes back to the first intermission of the game on Jan. 2 in Calgary to find the moment when they made a conscious effort to dedicate themselves to playing better defense — even if they lost that game and the following one, at Vancouver.
But grinding away is just what Quinn wants this team to do, and just what the Rangers need to do if they want to keep their postseason dream alive. There is another big one in the standings coming when the Blue Jackets roll into the Garden on Sunday, with Columbus currently holding the second wild-card spot, six points up on the Rangers. And after that, the third installment of the midseason miniseries with the Islanders comes back to Broadway on Tuesday night, with Barry Trotz’s team needing some traction after going 6-6-2 in their previous 14.
But if the Rangers want to make a point to the front office before the Feb. 24 trade deadline, then it’s really more about them continuing to play the way they have over the past two weeks.
“I think as the season has gone on, we’ve started to do a lot of the little things that give us opportunities to win games and be in games,” Kreider said. “We’ve had a stretch here where we’ve definitely done a better job of that. There is still a long way to go and a lot of things to improve on.”
Earlier in the season, the way the Islanders play could have easily frustrated the Rangers. By clogging up the neutral zone, there is little space to gain speed and be creative. The Islanders force opponents to play simply and then try to outwork them — which isn’t easy to do.
But rather than get upset and try to force offense with all of their dynamic skill up front, the Rangers took what was there — they chipped it in, chased it down and worked their tails off.
“We obviously love picking up speed and making plays through the neutral zone, but they muddied it up,” Kreider said. “We started to have success when we were able to get pucks behind them and spend some time in their zone.”
Quinn seemed to be most satisfied with the way the club responded after a first period when he thought they were “curious” about what the atmosphere was going to be like and allowed goalie Alex Georgiev to be peppered with 22 shots, with only one getting by him. But, according to Quinn, “once that period ended and we dusted ourselves off, we got back to doing what we’ve been doing — and you saw what happened.”
Even though the playoffs are the stated goal, there is still a lot that can happen between now and the end of the regular season. The organization has to figure out how it wants to approach the trade deadline, with an untenable three-goalie situation and Kreider as arguably the most attractive rental on the market.
But for now, hope remains alive because of performances like Thursday’s — the type of effort that has defined these new-look Rangers, at least for the past few weeks.
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Titans’ Logan Ryan on playing for Joe Judge, free agency, Tyreek Hill rebuttal

We have seen teams like these Titans before , teams that ...

Titans cornerback Logan Ryan, a Voorhees, N.J., native and former Rutgers star, huddles with Steve Serby before Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Chiefs.
Q: You’ve had a career year. What are your thoughts on your upcoming free agency?
A: Excited. I’m part of a player rep here, and players have fought for free agency, and it’s a strength that a player could use. Who wouldn’t want to go back to their job and ask for more money if deserving? Not enough players get a chance to go through it, get to free agency, and I view it as an exciting time and not a stressful one.
Q: The Giants may be looking for a slot corner. What are your thoughts on the Giants?
A: I mean, I know New Jersey well, obviously. I’ve lived there before, and I love the great state of New Jersey, so there’s a lot of good food there.
Q: So the Giants would appeal to you as a possible destination?
A: I mean, I’m trying to focus on the Kansas City Chiefs here, but I’ve lived in New Jersey before, and like I said, there’s great food there like Nashville. I’ll be close to my mom and dad, but right now, man, I’m a Tennessee Titan, and I’m excited to be one.
Q: You played with the Patriots from 2013-16, when Joe Judge was an assistant coach. What can you tell me about him?
A: I love special teams coaches as head coaches ’cause they know their roster well; they coach every single player. I’m excited for Joe Judge. I’m excited for his opportunity. I would say that he’s a players’ coach, he knows his players well, and he’s gonna be very demanding of them as well. He was my assistant special teams coach when I came in, so he coached me as an assistant coach, and he worked his way up.
Q: What is your gut feeling on what Tom Brady will do?
A: I think he’ll keep playing, and … I don’t think it’s with the Patriots. That’s my gut.
Q: Do you think the Patriots’ dynasty is over?
A: I gotta see who’s gonna be there next year. I’d never put my money against Bill Belichick, though.
Q: Your thoughts on Greg Schiano taking over at Rutgers again?
A: A strong leader. Think he’s the right man for the job. I think he’ll bring Rutgers back where they need to be.
Q: What makes him the right man for the job?
A: He’s the hardest worker in New Jersey (chuckle). He’s gonna stay up all night, recruit every kid possible, and he’s gonna coach ’em as hard as he can. Schiano’s gonna put a stamp on it and have it be his way, and for most of the time, it’s the right way to do things.
Q: What is scary about Patrick Mahomes?
A: He’s well-rounded. I think he’s a complete quarterback that’s cerebral, he’s smart and he can make all the throws, obviously. So I just think his lack of weaknesses are his strength.
Q: Tyreek Hill said, “Nobody in the NFL can guard any of us.” What are your thoughts on that?
A: Last time we lined it up, we won, so I guess we’ll see. I guess last time they were coverable and this time they’re not, so we’ll line it up and I think it’ll be a good matchup to tune in.
Q: What makes Travis Kelce so tough?
A: He’s smart, savvy and unorthodox. And he’s one of the best route-runners in the NFL.
Q: Favorite single Super Bowl memory?
A: Oh, man … has to be the 28-3 comeback [against the Falcons].
Q: What about the Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception to seal the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seahawks?
A: (Chuckle) I mean, it’s close! I was on the sideline for that one, and the Butler interception was great, but the 28-3 comeback, I was on the field for that more, so personally that one, but I mean, the Butler interception, that’s a close second.
Q: Describe Mike Vrabel for me and how he’s similar or different from Bill Belichick.
A: He’s more sarcastic. … They’re both sarcastic. He’ll put the pads on and go out there and show the rep; he’ll do the rep. He’ll reference his playing career when Belichick didn’t have an NFL playing career.
Q: Derrick Henry?
A: Beast … untackleable — is that a word?
Q: What makes him “untackleable?”
A: (Chuckle) His size, speed and his mentality. His mentality is he’s not gonna be tackled, and I think his mentality is showing through right now.
Q: What has impressed you most about Ryan Tannehill?
A: His leadership and his composure, and I think he’s done a good job of demanding, taking control and taking ownership, I would say.
Q: Defensive coordinator Dean Pees?
A: He understands his personnel. He knows his players well, and he builds game plans and defenses to his players’ strengths and not their weaknesses.
Q: What do you like best about your team, and why does it believe?
A: That it didn’t come easy for us, you know? I don’t think we were favored in one game this year probably, and we didn’t have some storybook season that lined up perfectly. It’s completely rewriting a story and kinda ending a lot of people’s chapters unexpectedly. I just think this team had to fight and scratch and claw for every single ounce of respect.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: Relentless. Just play hard as I can. I do a lot of different roles and asked to do a lot of different things — to lead the defense and to be versatile and really not to play perfect but to play hard.
Q: What drives you?
A: My family drives me to provide and to be a great example for my kids and my wife and to make everyone who raised me and helped me get here to make ’em proud.
Q: One wide receiver in NFL history to try to cover?
A: Jerry Rice, just ’cause he’s the GOAT.
Q: You can pick the brain of one cornerback in NFL history?
A: Asante Samuel. When you’re a guy that gets 10 interceptions then come back and get 10 interceptions the next year, that’s not easy to do. … I played with (Darrelle) Revis and (Aqib) Talib, so …
Q: Athletes in other sports you admire?
A: Allen Iverson, Ken Griffey Jr.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: My dad.
Q: Why?
A: He was always there to have a catch with me; he was always there from the beginning. He’s just a great time model and kinda got me and my brother to college, and he’s done everything that I’d want to be as a father.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Bruce Lee, Jimi Hendrix, Obama. I met him once at the White House, I shook his hand, and he seemed like a great human being, a great guy that I’d love to talk more with.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “The Dark Knight.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Michael B. Jordan.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Meryl Streep.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Jamie Foxx.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Chicken cheesesteak.
Q: How has fatherhood changed you?
A: I’m not first anymore, man. I have to do it for more than just me. It put me in my place in life to know that it’s a lot bigger than me now.
Q: What does boxing do for you?
A: I think boxing’s more mental than physical. It puts you in a place of you’re gonna do a lot of pain and suffering, and workouts are really hard, and it’s just you out there and you gotta push yourself and your will. You learn a lot about yourself when you spend four hours punching a bag. I just think it’s what you’re willing to endure.
Q: Why do dogs mean so much to you?
A: My wife worked in animal rescue. I always grew up with pets, and if I was gonna have a cause, it’s gonna be something that was real and legit to me and not just something I link my name to. And I saw what rescue animals have done to my family, really completed my family, and I just want to give that feeling to other people.
Q: What message would you have for Titans fans?
A: We’re here, and we deserve to be here, and everything that everyone’s getting excited about, we’re happy you’re on our side, and we’re gonna keep it rolling.
Q: What’s the confidence level?
A: We’re gonna go into a hostile environment, we’re not afraid, and whoever has the most points at the end’s gonna win.
Q: Do you feel like there’s pressure on the Chiefs in this game?
A: People think we’re not supposed to be here, so yeah, there’s no pressure on us.


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--DeAndre Jordan injury forcing Nets to get ‘creative’

Kyrie Irving said what he said and he meant it ... .

DeAndre Jordan will not need surgery for his dislocated middle finger and is expected to be reevaluated next week.
Jordan did not return following the first half of Wednesday’s 117-106 loss at Philadelphia after having his finger reset on the sidelines. The big man previously suffered a right knee contusion in the loss to the Raptors on Jan. 4.
Coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned his confidence in several players to step up in Jordan’s absence, citing Jarrett Allen and rookie Nicolas Claxton.
“We’ll see it by committee,” Atkinson said following practice Friday. “Nic will play and he’ll get a shot at it. It’s good he had some great Long Island minutes and understands the system. You saw we played Wilson [Chandler] at the five, could see [Rodions Kurucs] at the five. I think we have to be creative.”
Jordan, who signed with the Nets this offseason, and Allen have traded off a handful of starts this season — with Jordan coming off the bench more often than Allen. But Atkinson has considered the two skilled centers to be a big advantage for the Nets, making any prolonged absence for Jordan not ideal.
Averaging 21 minutes a game this season, Jordan is putting up around eight points a game and pulling down 9.7 rebounds.
One of the toughest parts of this season for Atkinson has been steering his team away from looking ahead to Kevin Durant’s eventual return.
“We’re trying to avoid that,” Atkinson said. “I don’t want any of that rhetoric. I don’t want it even slightly into our mindset. Let’s compete, because we’re competing at our fullest abilities this year. We’re locked in. I just think that’s the mindset you have to have. As a young person, you could maybe relax a little bit or think of that, but we’ve really tried to avoid that type of mindset.”
The fourth-year Nets coach believes that developing a culture will take time. But because Kyrie Irving missed nearly two months, that has been difficult to accomplish.
“I do believe I know the core values of our culture and what we’ve established since [general manager] Sean [Marks] and I came here and believe in it greatly. You need more reps, more days together, more team dinners together, more tough losses, more good wins. I think we’re still building those relationship, building that identity with this new group.”
Garrett Temple (right knee contusion) is tentatively expected to be back in the rotation for Saturday’s matchup with the 76ers in Brooklyn


newyorkpost--2020-01-17--Ex-con hedgie Boaz Manor charged in $30M bitcoin fraud scheme

A convicted hedge-fund swindler assumed a fake name and donned a disguise to lure investors into a $ 30 million bitcoin fraud in New York that spanned two years , the feds alleged on Friday .
Boaz Manor — a 46-year-old entrepreneur who got a four-year prison sentence in Canada in 2010 after misappropriating more than $ 100 million from his hedge fund — was accused of the elaborate scheme in explosive charges Friday by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission .
Released early from prison in 2012 , Manor got a lifetime ban from the securities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he appeared to be laying the groundwork for a comeback — by posing as somebody else .
According to the SEC ’ s complaint , Manor darkened his blond hair and grew a beard .
After trying on aliases like “ Jay Mills ” and “ Jay Belzberg , ” Manor appears to have settled on the name “ Shaun MacDonald.
” By 2017 , MacDonald had become a player on the frothy New York crypto scene , according to an exclusive December 2018 report from bitcoin news site The Block Crypto , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On one hand , MacDonald tried to keep a low profile , calling himself an adviser at two companies he had actually founded , according to the report .
At the same time , however , MacDonald was raising eyebrows with his boasts as he began to promote his new cryptocurrency venture , CG Blockchain , according to the report .
Among other things , MacDonald bragged that he had entered into talks to buy SkyBridge Capital , the fund founded by former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci , the report said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Jersey attorney Eileen Pardo as an associate to begin marketing his “ Blockchain Terminal ” — a bitcoin-based version of the Bloomberg Terminal , the pricey , subscription-based information service that ’ s ubiquitous on trading floors .
Manor remains at large and Pardo was arrested Friday , according to Newark federal prosecutors .
Both have been charged with conspiracy , wire fraud and securities fraud .
According to the feds , they never registered the securities they were selling to investors — even as they fibbed about the capabilities of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were paying nearly $ 1 million a year for it .
CG Blockchain ’ s employees , meanwhile , had grown suspicious of the increasingly outsize role of “ adviser ” Shaun MacDonald , whose alleged photo was first published by The Block Crypto , showing what appears to be a bearded , reddish-haired Manor seated at a desk .
In late 2018 , CG Blockchain staffers connected the dots after coming across old photos of Manor .
“ I Googled Boaz Manor and I said ‘ Holy s–t.
’ Not for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but him , ” a hedge fund manager who knew MacDonald told The Block Crypto .
Shortly after the explosive report was published , Manor — having shaved and let his blond locks return — recorded a YouTube interview denying the allegations and pointing the finger at a competitor .
Manor — whose hedge fund Portus Alternative Asset Management had managed $ 800 million before it shuttered — also denied pretending not to be Boaz Manor and said he had been honest with anyone who asked .
“ If anyone needs to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he tells the interviewer , “ I disclose it .
”

A convicted hedge-fund swindler assumed a fake name and donned a disguise to lure investors into a $30 million cryptocurrency fraud in New York that spanned two years, the feds alleged on Friday.
Boaz Manor — a 46-year-old entrepreneur who got a four-year prison sentence in Canada in 2010 after misappropriating more than $100 million from his hedge fund — was accused of the elaborate scheme in explosive charges Friday by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Released early from prison in 2012, Manor got a lifetime ban from the securities industry. Nevertheless, around 2015, he appeared to be laying the groundwork for a comeback — by posing as somebody else.
According to the SEC’s complaint, Manor darkened his blond hair and grew a beard. After trying on aliases like “Jay Mills” and “Jay Belzberg,” Manor appears to have settled on the name “Shaun MacDonald.”
By 2017, MacDonald had become a player on the frothy New York crypto scene, according to an exclusive December 2018 report from cryptocurrency news site The Block Crypto, which first exposed the bizarre scheme.
On one hand, MacDonald tried to keep a low profile, calling himself an adviser at two companies he had actually founded, according to the report. At the same time, however, MacDonald was raising eyebrows with his boasts as he began to promote his new cryptocurrency venture, CG Blockchain, according to the report.
Among other things, MacDonald bragged that he had entered into talks to buy SkyBridge Capital, the fund founded by former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, the report said.
Court papers say MacDonald then enlisted New Jersey attorney Eileen Pardo as an associate to begin marketing his “Blockchain Terminal” — a cryptocurrency-based version of the Bloomberg Terminal, the pricey, subscription-based information service that’s ubiquitous on trading floors.
Manor remains at large and Pardo was arrested Friday, according to Newark federal prosecutors. Both have been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud. According to the feds, they never registered the securities they were selling to investors — even as they fibbed about the capabilities of their product and falsely claimed 20 hedge funds were paying nearly $1 million a year for it.
CG Blockchain’s employees, meanwhile, had grown suspicious of the increasingly outsize role of “adviser” Shaun MacDonald, whose alleged photo was first published by The Block Crypto, showing what appears to be a bearded, reddish-haired Manor seated at a desk. In late 2018, CG Blockchain staffers connected the dots after coming across old photos of Manor.
“I Googled Boaz Manor and I said ‘Holy s–t.’ Not for a second did I think it was anyone but him,” a hedge fund manager who knew MacDonald told The Block Crypto.
Shortly after the explosive report was published, Manor — having shaved and let his blond locks return — recorded a YouTube interview denying the allegations and pointing the finger at a competitor.
Manor — whose hedge fund Portus Alternative Asset Management had managed $800 million before it shuttered — also denied pretending not to be Boaz Manor and said he had been honest with anyone who asked.
“If anyone needs to know that my given name is Boaz Manor,” he tells the interviewer, “I disclose it.”