newyorkpost--2020-01-24--Knicks hire agency to boost their brand perception

While the Knicks search for help on the court , they are set for a makeover off of it — with a lofty endorsement in tow .
The Knicks are partnering with Steve Stoute and his brand agency , Translation , “ in an attempt to bolster its brand and strengthen its ties to the fan base , ” Bloomberg reported Thursday .
The news was welcomed by LeBron James , who worked with Stoute to produce the HBO documentary “ Student Athlete.
” “ Stoute ’ s been a friend a long time .
He does amazing work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautiful league is always more beautiful when the Knicks matter and the Garden is jumping .
I think it ’ s going to be great.
” The Knicks have been down in the dumps , on their way to a seventh straight losing season .
They have failed to attract top free agents and have had plenty of snafus off the court that have not helped their reputation , even as Madison Square Garden continues to see strong attendance .
But Stoute , a lifelong Knicks fan , believes his company — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL , AT & T , Anheuser-Busch and State Farm — can help turn the Knicks ’ brand around , even if the wins don ’ t come with it .
“ Winning cures a lot of problems .
Great marketing and exciting entertainment cure all problems , ” Stoute told Bloomberg .
“ The brand has to be strong regardless of the final score .
When people are hopeful that things are going to be better , and it brings excitement , all of a sudden that becomes the brand.
” For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest episode of the “ Big Apple Buckets ” podcast :

While the Knicks search for help on the court, they are set for a makeover off of it — with a lofty endorsement in tow.
The Knicks are partnering with Steve Stoute and his brand agency, Translation, “in an attempt to bolster its brand and strengthen its ties to the fan base,” Bloomberg reported Thursday.
The news was welcomed by LeBron James, who worked with Stoute to produce the HBO documentary “Student Athlete.”
“Stoute’s been a friend a long time. He does amazing work,” James told SNY. “Our beautiful league is always more beautiful when the Knicks matter and the Garden is jumping. I think it’s going to be great.”
The Knicks have been down in the dumps, on their way to a seventh straight losing season. They have failed to attract top free agents and have had plenty of snafus off the court that have not helped their reputation, even as Madison Square Garden continues to see strong attendance.
But Stoute, a lifelong Knicks fan, believes his company — which has worked with the Nets, the NFL, AT&T, Anheuser-Busch and State Farm — can help turn the Knicks’ brand around, even if the wins don’t come with it.
“Winning cures a lot of problems. Great marketing and exciting entertainment cure all problems,” Stoute told Bloomberg. “The brand has to be strong regardless of the final score. When people are hopeful that things are going to be better, and it brings excitement, all of a sudden that becomes the brand.”
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--ABC News plans special on Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Megxit

ABC News will air a primetime special , “ Royal Divide : Harry , Meghan , and the Crown , ” looking at the tumultuous “ Megxit ” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the royal family .
The one-hour program , hosted by correspondent Deborah Roberts , will air at 10 p.m .
ET on Wednesday Jan. 29 .
A two-minute trailer released Friday features numerous interview clips and voice-overs , including one that teases , “ Pick your villains .
Pick your heroes .
They ’ re all there.
” Earlier this month , 35-year-old Prince Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunning decision to relinquish their royal titles and flee the London royal family — and official duties — for a seemingly calmer life in Canada .
But the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex have only been met with more criticism and attention than ever before .
“ Maybe they just looked around at the rest of the royal family and just thought , ‘ That ’ s not what we want , ’ ” says one interview subject in the video as images flash by of the couple and royal family in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Royal watchers have been quick to zero in on numerous reasons for the royal retreat — from an alleged rift between Harry and his big brother , Prince William , to frustrations over constant press scrutiny , especially toward Markle .
The special reflects on the bubbling drama and the public ’ s obsession with the royal couple .
As one interviewee says , “ In our modern world , we put celebrities on pedestals and we take great pleasure in ripping them down.
” Another subject notes that Markle was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markle sparkle.
” But surviving in the “ goldfish bowl of royal life is not for everybody , and it clearly wasn ’ t for Meghan Markle , ” an insider says .
It left her “ stifled , ” another notes , because existence in and around Buckingham Palace is “ not all tiaras and ballgowns.
” An interviewee also suggests that Harry had star power himself that is important to the monarchy , saying , “ You take Prince Harry out of the royal family , you ’ re taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show will include interviews with the likes of Nacho Figueras , the dashing polo player and Harry ’ s close friend ; Alastair Bruce of Crionaich , the queen ’ s governor of Edinburgh Castle ; and American entrepreneur Julie Montagu , Viscountess Hinchingbrooke , who married Luke Montagu , the heir apparent of the Earl of Sandwich .

ABC News will air a primetime special, “Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan, and the Crown,” looking at the tumultuous “Megxit” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the royal family.
The one-hour program, hosted by correspondent Deborah Roberts, will air at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday Jan. 29. A two-minute trailer released Friday features numerous interview clips and voice-overs, including one that teases, “Pick your villains. Pick your heroes. They’re all there.”
Earlier this month, 35-year-old Prince Harry and his 38-year-old wife Meghan made the stunning decision to relinquish their royal titles and flee the London royal family — and official duties — for a seemingly calmer life in Canada. But the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex have only been met with more criticism and attention than ever before.
“Maybe they just looked around at the rest of the royal family and just thought, ‘That’s not what we want,’ ” says one interview subject in the video as images flash by of the couple and royal family in various stages of apparent happiness and heartache.
Royal watchers have been quick to zero in on numerous reasons for the royal retreat — from an alleged rift between Harry and his big brother, Prince William, to frustrations over constant press scrutiny, especially toward Markle.
The special reflects on the bubbling drama and the public’s obsession with the royal couple. As one interviewee says, “In our modern world, we put celebrities on pedestals and we take great pleasure in ripping them down.”
Another subject notes that Markle was a “star” and had “the Markle sparkle.” But surviving in the “goldfish bowl of royal life is not for everybody, and it clearly wasn’t for Meghan Markle,” an insider says. It left her “stifled,” another notes, because existence in and around Buckingham Palace is “not all tiaras and ballgowns.”
An interviewee also suggests that Harry had star power himself that is important to the monarchy, saying, “You take Prince Harry out of the royal family, you’re taking the jewel out of the crown.”
The show will include interviews with the likes of Nacho Figueras, the dashing polo player and Harry’s close friend; Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, ABC News royalty consultant and officer of arms to the Queen; and American entrepreneur Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, who married Luke Montagu, the heir apparent of the Earl of Sandwich.


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--NYPD cop Michael Valva abused son Thomas Valva for years before his death, mom claims

The autistic 8-year-old boy allegedly murdered by his NYPD cop ...

Alex Taylor, Tina Moore, Natalie Musumeci

The devastated mother of the innocent 8-year-old whose veteran NYPD cop father allegedly kept the child in an unheated garage overnight, causing him to freeze to death claimed that her children were abused at the hands of their dad for years and was ignored by those with the authority to help.
“There are so many people responsible for this tragedy,” Justyna Zubko-Valva, 36, told The Post Friday just hours after her ex-husband, Michael Valva, 40, and his fiancée, Angela Pollina, 42, were charged with murder in the death of little Thomas Valva.
Thomas, who has autism according to his mom, died of hypothermia on Jan. 17, officials said.
“The institutions that are supposed to protect the children protect the abusers,” said Zubko-Valva who claimed that she reported to law enforcement and child protective agencies and judges about the alleged abuse of her three young boys.
Zubko-Valva, who says she lost custody of her three children in 2017, said she “went everywhere” to report that her children were in danger.
The mom alleged “severe” abuse of the children that included “physical, emotional, and also sexual abuse.”
A range of officials “knew exactly that the children needed help. That they were being abused, and you know, brainwashed. That food was being withheld from them as a form of punishment.”
“They did absolutely nothing,” said Zubko-Valva, who also has a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old that were living with Valva and Pollina.
“Trust me, I wrote to everybody. I asked for help. I beg the judge to remove the children. Immediately I begged the CPS caseworker 10 days before my son’s death,” she said, adding, the caseworker then closed the report.
Zubko-Valva said during court proceedings over the years she told judges: “My children are gonna die from the sadistic and abusive care of Michael Valva and Angela Pollina. I told them everything.”
The helpless mother even detailed the alleged abuse on a Twitter account she created in January 2018 under the name “StandAgainstChildAbuse.”
A 2018 report from the East Moriches School District posted in a tweet details how Thomas and his older brother, Anthony, were being neglected by Valva and Pollina.
“Biggest concern is that Mr. Valva and his fiancée Angela do not understand the depth of Anthony and Thomas’s disabilities,” read the letter written by a school psychologist.
The letter went on to say that “both Anthony and Thomas come into school hungry and frequently say they did not eat breakfast because they did not ask for breakfast or got in trouble.”
“The boys were afraid to go to the nurse’s office for a while and they said it was because they were directed by Mr. Valva and Angela not to go to the nurse’s office. This occurred shortly after the school nurse became involved in a CPS case because Thomas has multiple bruises on his bottom from Dad,” the letter read.
Another school letter posted to the account states: “Anthony and Thomas have stated that they were not allowed to eat breakfast because they did not use their manners, say good morning to Angela or were doing nothing. They have come in crying because of this.”
“The boys come in hungry and most days state that they have not eaten breakfast,” says the letter, which noted that “both boys were coming in with visible dirt on their bodies for days in a row,” and that Anthony lost 11 pounds in nine months, while Thomas gained one pound in 20 months — despite both being growing boys.
The school district would not verify the letters, but Charles Russo, the Superintendent of Schools, expressed the school’s condolences in a statement.
“Thomas was a tender, loving boy who made tremendous gains during the short time he was a student in East Moriches,” Russo said, adding, “While the district legally cannot comment on any specific case, it aggressively reports to the proper authorities child abuse when it is suspected.”
Meanwhile, Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said Friday that Thomas “was subjected to freezing temperatures” in the “unheated garage” of Valva and Pollina’s Long Island home in Center Moriches “overnight” Jan. 16 into Jan. 17 when the temperatures outside were just 19 degrees.
A Suffolk County source said that the day before Valva got angry with Thomas and beat the boy.
As punishment, Thomas was ordered to stay in the garage, according to the source.
Thomas’ lifeless body was found in the garage the next day and the source says Valva put the boy’s body in a warm bath in order to raise his body temperature.
Valva reported to police that his son fell in the driveway.
Medics rushed the boy to Long Island Community Hospital and when he arrived there his body temperature was just 76 degrees, according to Hart.
Additional reporting by Anabel Sosa


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--Yummie bodysuits are 25% off for flash sale

Consider your search for the perfect shapewear over now that Yummie is launching a sale on its popular bodysuits .
@ @ @ @ @ an extra 25 % off a range of bodysuit styles with the code LOVEYOURBODY .
@ @ @ @ @ bodysuit or look elegant in a full-back suit .
And this strapless convertible thong-back bodysuit @ @ @ @ @ wardrobe staple .
We ’ ve pulled together all the best picks from the sale @ @ @ @ @ 25 .
Which means all you have to do is choose your fave and strut @ @ @ @ @ new shapewear .

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links.
Consider your search for the perfect shapewear over now that Yummie is launching a sale on its popular bodysuits.
The Vogue-approved brand is offering an extra 25% off a range of bodysuit styles with the code LOVEYOURBODY.
Rock a chic mock neck bodysuit or look elegant in a full-back suit.
And this strapless convertible thong-back bodysuit is sure to become a wardrobe staple.
We’ve pulled together all the best picks from the sale, which runs through January 26.
Which means all you have to do is choose your fave and strut your stuff in your comfy new shapewear.


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--Millennials say being a ‘plant parent’ is harder than they expected

Seven in 10 millennials consider themselves “ plant parents , ” according to new research .
While millennial demand for houseplants is high , the poll of 2,000 millennials ( aged 25-39 ) discovered 67 % say taking care of plants is more of a challenge than they bargained for .
Almost half don ’ t currently own plants because they don ’ t know how to take care of them — and 20 % would sooner sit through a root canal than take care of a plant because of the pressure .
With the great responsibility and benefits of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and , according to results , we could benefit from a crash course in the art of keeping plants alive .
The study , conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Article , examined the attitudes and behaviors of millennials toward plants and uncovered that 22 % are apprehensive about owning a plant because they ’ ve accidentally killed one in the past .
In fact , the average plant parent has killed seven plants they ’ ve brought into their home .
The most challenging part about taking care of plants was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sunlight needed .
But the challenges don ’ t end there — respondents were also clueless on how much water a plant needs , whether the plant should live inside or outside and the practice of pruning a plant .
Three in 10 respondents revealed one of hardest lessons that comes with being a good “ plant parent ” is how easy it can be to accidentally kill your plant .
This leads to a bit of anxiety , as three in five often worry about making sure their plants have enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they often worry about whether their plants have enough water .
“ Plants are an easy way to add color and life to any space , ” said Zoe Garred , director of product development at Article .
“ The survey revealed millennials ’ desire to incorporate plants into their home despite the apprehension and challenges associated with plant care.
” According to the survey results , half of respondents said they decided to add plants to their space because it complemented their overall aesthetic and decor , while a further 47 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home because it ’ s trendy .
And for 81 % of those studied , adding plants to their space has had a positive effect on their mental and physical health .
Many millennials are taking on plants to see if they ’ re responsible enough to take on a real pet .
Three in four respondents agree that plants are a test to see if you are responsible enough to get a pet .
Being a plant owner seems to be addicting : 41 % of survey respondents say they plan on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming year .
Interestingly , four in five polled say that taking care of their plants have led them to start taking better care of themselves .
“ We ’ ve seen a rising home decor trend of pairing bold tropical leaf plants with natural elements like dark wood and raw concrete , ” said Zoe Garred , director of product development at Article .
“ It doesn ’ t come as a surprise that the number one reason millennials own plants is because they complement their overall home decor aesthetic .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make any modern space more beautiful .
”

Seven in 10 millennials consider themselves “plant parents,” according to new research.
While millennial demand for houseplants is high, the poll of 2,000 millennials (aged 25-39) discovered 67% say taking care of plants is more of a challenge than they bargained for.
Almost half don’t currently own plants because they don’t know how to take care of them — and 20% would sooner sit through a root canal than take care of a plant because of the pressure.
With the great responsibility and benefits of having a plant, come great challenges — and, according to results, we could benefit from a crash course in the art of keeping plants alive.
The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Article, examined the attitudes and behaviors of millennials toward plants and uncovered that 22% are apprehensive about owning a plant because they’ve accidentally killed one in the past.
In fact, the average plant parent has killed seven plants they’ve brought into their home.
The most challenging part about taking care of plants was found to be knowing the proper amount of sunlight needed.
But the challenges don’t end there — respondents were also clueless on how much water a plant needs, whether the plant should live inside or outside and the practice of pruning a plant.
Three in 10 respondents revealed one of hardest lessons that comes with being a good “plant parent” is how easy it can be to accidentally kill your plant.
This leads to a bit of anxiety, as three in five often worry about making sure their plants have enough sunlight, while a further 56% say they often worry about whether their plants have enough water.
“Plants are an easy way to add color and life to any space,” said Zoe Garred, director of product development at Article.
“The survey revealed millennials’ desire to incorporate plants into their home despite the apprehension and challenges associated with plant care.”
According to the survey results, half of respondents said they decided to add plants to their space because it complemented their overall aesthetic and decor, while a further 47% said they incorporate greenery into their home because it’s trendy.
And for 81% of those studied, adding plants to their space has had a positive effect on their mental and physical health.
Many millennials are taking on plants to see if they’re responsible enough to take on a real pet. Three in four respondents agree that plants are a test to see if you are responsible enough to get a pet.
Being a plant owner seems to be addicting: 41% of survey respondents say they plan on adding to their plant collection in the coming year.
Interestingly, four in five polled say that taking care of their plants have led them to start taking better care of themselves.
“We’ve seen a rising home decor trend of pairing bold tropical leaf plants with natural elements like dark wood and raw concrete,” said Zoe Garred, director of product development at Article.
“It doesn’t come as a surprise that the number one reason millennials own plants is because they complement their overall home decor aesthetic. A touch of greenery is a simple way to make any modern space more beautiful.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--Cuomo administration won’t release City Hall’s Medicaid cost projections

Much of the state 's massive spending shortfall is linked to ...

ALBANY — The Cuomo administration is refusing to say how much money City Hall could lose for under its new proposal to stick municipalities with Medicaid’s dramatic cost increases, which have left the state with a $6 billion deficit.
Cuomo’s budget bill would require that City Hall and New York’s other 57 counties pick up the tab when cost increases for Medicaid — which provides healthcare for the poor — exceed three percent per year, beginning in 2022.
But the administration is refusing to release cost projections that show how much the Medicaid tab is expected to run, despite regularly providing those tallies for years.
It stopped publishing the “Regional Global Cap” reports in March 2019, just months before revealing that Medicaid blew a giant $4 billion hole in the budget.
That’s made it impossible for budget watchdogs to figure out how much City Hall might owe.
“There has definitely been a decrease in the transparency for these reports and there’s no reason for it. They’re paying the bills, they calculate these every month,” blasted Dave Freidfel of the Citizens Budget Commission, a fiscal watchdog group.
The Post filed a Freedom of Information Request for the records with Cuomo’s state Health Department and Division of Budget on Friday, after unsuccessfully seeking the information for nearly a week.
Cuomo’s proposal would add a giant new liability to New York City’s balance sheet.
If it had been the law in 2019, the City of New York would have been stuck with $646 million annual obligation — picking up more than half of the $1.1 billion Medicaid spending increase in the Big Apple between 2018 and 2019.
“We’ve just seen the dangers of keeping secrets about Medicaid spending,” said Bill Hammond, director of health policy at the fiscally conservative Empire Center of New York.
“That’s why we ended up with a 1.7 billion delayed payment that the legislature didn’t know about when they passed the last budget,” Hammond added, referencing an accounting trick Cuomo used last year to delay Medicaid payments by three days, moving the $1.7 billion on payments from the 2019 to 2020 budget.
The sleight of hand wasn’t discovered until months after.
“These reports were keeping everyone involved honest,” Hammond said. “If the outside world does not know what the real spending numbers are, and if the governor’s people are hiding the real spending numbers, then you end up with a crisis that we are having now.”
After days of inquiries, Cuomo officials told The Post that the spending reports for the 2020 budget year were still being compiled.
Meanwhile, Mayor de Blasio went on the radio Friday morning and assailed Cuomo’s plan, pointing out that cities and counties have very little control over how much Medicaid actually spends.
“Look counties only enrolled people. We don’t decide what the rules are. This is about human beings who need health care, it’s the state’s responsibility to ensure that people get health care, health care is a human right. The state has to fix it,” Hizzoner said.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Body-cam footage captures struggle in Bronx that led to fatal police-involved shooting

Body-cam footage of a police-involved shooting that left an unarmed man dead in October was released by the NYPD late Friday — and shows a hectic struggle between three cops and an SUV driver .
The video shows the moments that led up to Allan Feliz ’ s death and shows how a routine traffic stop turned into a life-and-death struggle between Feliz and the three officers involved .
On Oct. 17 , Officer Edward Barrett , Sergeant Johnathan Rivera and Officer Michelle Almanzar pulled over Feliz in his 2018 Volkswagen Atlas on Bainbridge Avenue near East 211th Street in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they believed the men inside weren ’ t wearing seatbelts , the video shows .
Barrett approaches the driver-side window and asks Feliz for his license and registration , while Almanzar stands behind him and Rivera waits on the passenger side .
“ What ’ s the problem ?
” Feliz is heard asking Barrett , who tells him he just wants to see his license .
Barrett then asks him where he was headed and what he was doing in the Bronx , the video shows .
Feliz explains he was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick up his daughter ” and had just left his girlfriend ’ s house .
Both Feliz and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts , but when Barrett ran the driver ’ s license , he noticed an open warrant and asked Feliz to step out of the vehicle .
“ Hey let me talk to you real quick , ” Barrett tells Feliz .
“ You ’ re not in trouble man but I just got ta talk to you.
” Barrett patted Feliz down and the 31-year-old went back to sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drive away , police claim .
Suddenly , a violent struggle ensues with Rivera deploying a taser from the passenger side window , causing Feliz to howl in pain .
Barrett then attempts to pull Feliz from the car .
That ’ s when Rivera enters the car from the passenger side with his gun in his hand , the video shows .
“ Yo if I have to end up f—king shooting you bro , ” Rivera yells as Feliz continues to scream .
“ Yo bro I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says while Barrett yells for Feliz to “ put it in park , put it in park.
” Meanwhile , Feliz ’ s terrified passenger is begging Rivera not to hurt him .
“ Please don ’ t shoot me , please don ’ t shoot me , ” the passenger begs as Rivera and Barrett continue to struggle with Feliz , hitting him with the taser and punching him , respectively .
At some point before Rivera fired the single shot that killed Feliz , Barrett ’ s body camera is knocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car .
Rivera ’ s body-cam also cut off before he fired his gun and police believe it was accidentally switched off during the tussle , the video states .
Almanzar ’ s camera is the only one that captures the shooting , but only the audio of the gunshot could be heard .
Towards the end of the cop ’ s footage , her and Barrett suddenly jump away from the vehicle .
“ Oh my god !
Sarg !
” she yells just before the single gunshot rings out .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car moving , video obtained by News 12 shows the car jerking forward and zooming backwards , causing Barrett and Almanzar to jump out of the way before Rivera opens fire .
The incident is currently under investigation by the New York State Attorney General , which investigates all police-involved shootings of unarmed people .
Feliz ’ s family are also planning a multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuit .
“ The NYPD force investigation division , along with the office of the New York State Attorney General , will continue to investigate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted and forensic tests are completed , ” police spokesman Sgt .
Carlos Nieves says in the video after the body-cam footage is finished .
“ After the investigation is complete , the facts of the case will be presented to the first deputy commissioner ’ s use of force review board where the evidence will be evaluated to determine if the use of force applied in this case , was justified and within department guidelines .
”

Body-cam footage of a police-involved shooting that left an unarmed man dead in October was released by the NYPD late Friday — and shows a hectic struggle between three cops and an SUV driver.
The video shows the moments that led up to Allan Feliz’s death and shows how a routine traffic stop turned into a life-and-death struggle between Feliz and the three officers involved.
On Oct. 17, Officer Edward Barrett, Sergeant Johnathan Rivera and Officer Michelle Almanzar pulled over Feliz in his 2018 Volkswagen Atlas on Bainbridge Avenue near East 211th Street in the Bronx at about 3 p.m. because they believed the men inside weren’t wearing seatbelts, the video shows.
Barrett approaches the driver-side window and asks Feliz for his license and registration, while Almanzar stands behind him and Rivera waits on the passenger side.
“What’s the problem?” Feliz is heard asking Barrett, who tells him he just wants to see his license.
Barrett then asks him where he was headed and what he was doing in the Bronx, the video shows. Feliz explains he was on the way to Washington Heights to “pick up his daughter” and had just left his girlfriend’s house.
Both Feliz and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts, but when Barrett ran the driver’s license, he noticed an open warrant and asked Feliz to step out of the vehicle.
“Hey let me talk to you real quick,” Barrett tells Feliz.
“You’re not in trouble man but I just gotta talk to you.”
Barrett patted Feliz down and the 31-year-old went back to sit inside the car — but suddenly starts to drive away, police claim.
Suddenly, a violent struggle ensues with Rivera deploying a taser from the passenger side window, causing Feliz to howl in pain. Barrett then attempts to pull Feliz from the car.
That’s when Rivera enters the car from the passenger side with his gun in his hand, the video shows.
“Yo if I have to end up f—king shooting you bro,” Rivera yells as Feliz continues to scream.
“Yo bro I’m going to fucking shoot you,” Rivera says while Barrett yells for Feliz to “put it in park, put it in park.”
Meanwhile, Feliz’s terrified passenger is begging Rivera not to hurt him.
“Please don’t shoot me, please don’t shoot me,” the passenger begs as Rivera and Barrett continue to struggle with Feliz, hitting him with the taser and punching him, respectively.
At some point before Rivera fired the single shot that killed Feliz, Barrett’s body camera is knocked to the ground and crushed by a car.
Rivera’s body-cam also cut off before he fired his gun and police believe it was accidentally switched off during the tussle, the video states.
Almanzar’s camera is the only one that captures the shooting, but only the audio of the gunshot could be heard.
Towards the end of the cop’s footage, her and Barrett suddenly jump away from the vehicle.
“Yo! Yo!” Almanzar screams.
“Oh my god! Sarg!” she yells just before the single gunshot rings out.
While the body-cam footage does not clearly show the car moving, video obtained by News 12 shows the car jerking forward and zooming backwards, causing Barrett and Almanzar to jump out of the way before Rivera opens fire.
The incident is currently under investigation by the New York State Attorney General, which investigates all police-involved shootings of unarmed people.
Feliz’s family are also planning a multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuit.
“The NYPD force investigation division, along with the office of the New York State Attorney General, will continue to investigate and analyze this incident as more interviews are conducted and forensic tests are completed,” police spokesman Sgt. Carlos Nieves says in the video after the body-cam footage is finished.
“After the investigation is complete, the facts of the case will be presented to the first deputy commissioner’s use of force review board where the evidence will be evaluated to determine if the use of force applied in this case, was justified and within department guidelines.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Pascal Siakam growth highlights everything Knicks are missing

The Knicks have swung and missed with two-thirds of the ...

It seems the Knicks have spent the past two decades chasing high-priced free agents or top draft picks trying to rebuild their franchise. Maybe they should spend as much time trying to find and develop a player like Pascal Siakam.
Siakam wasn’t highly thought of when he was drafted by the Raptors with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2016 draft. He was a raw talent from Cameroon who went to New Mexico State. He was the 2016 Player of the Year in the Western Athletic Conference, but left school after his sophomore year.
On Thursday, he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game in Chicago. On Friday, he scored 23 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in the final seconds, to help the defending world champions beat the Knicks, 118-112 at the Garden.
Siakam’s performance validated his selection to the All-Star Game, which adds to the accolades he has already earned during his relatively short career. The unheralded draft choice was the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season and an important part of Toronto’s NBA championship team. He also signed a four-year $130 million contract extension just before the season began.
“It’s a hell of a climb in a couple of years,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. “He went to work at his game. He put in some serious time and had a great inner drive.”
It also underscores the importance of player development, something the Knicks have neglected. Siakam showed potential, becoming the MVP of the D-League Finals in 2017. In 2017-2018, he came off the bench and averaged 7.3 points per game. Last year, he became a starter and jumped to 16.9 points per game and 19.0 during the playoffs. Now that NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard has gone to the Clippers, Siakam has upped his game this season, averaging 23.5 points.
Naturally, the Raptors were thrilled with his selection to the All-Star Game, and so was Siakam.
“It means everything,” he said. “I’m happy and blessed to be in that position. I feel like it’s only the beginning.”
Siakam makes you wonder why the Knicks can’t seem to develop a player like that, a draft pick who turns into something better than anyone expected. Fingers are crossed RJ Barrett, the No. 3-overall pick in last year’s draft, will be part of the rebuilding process, but the Knicks are still waiting on Frank Ntilikina (eighth overall in 2017) and Kevin Knox (ninth overall in 2018) to prove worthy of their draft positions, a process that doesn’t look promising.
There is plenty that makes Siakam special. At 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, he has length, agility and what Nurse calls his “bread and butter,” his energy. Though Siakam has become the primary focus of opposing teams’ scouting reports, Nurse said it won’t be long before Siakam has the same kind of big-play moments Leonard provided last year. He had a few Friday night against the Knicks, included a dunk just before his dagger 3-pointer put the Raptors ahead 115-109 with 22 seconds remaining.
“At those moments, I know I’m asked to be that person,” Siakam said. “I’m comfortable with doing that. I just have to continue to be myself and trust the work that I put in.”
While Siakam might be unique, his development is not by happenstance. Starting forward OG Anunoby was the 23rd pick in 2017, while starting guard Fred VanVleet went undrafted in 2016. Terence Davis II, who provides quality minutes off the Raptors’ bench, also was undrafted. That kind of development doesn’t happen by accident.
“It takes a lot of people,” Nurse said. “Not only the coaches, but off-the-court people as well. There’s a lot to it mentally, physically and adjusting-wise. We try to cover the whole person and the whole player.”
The Raptors’ climb to the NBA championship wasn’t all about Leonard. It included the development of key players who weren’t taken at the top of the draft.
It’s something the Knicks should learn from.
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Starling Marte doesn’t seem to be in the Mets’ plans

Jeff Wilpon recalled meeting his new manager late in 2006 , ...

Starling Marte’s name has been dangled throughout the offseason and has intrigued the Mets, but according to industry sources little traction, if any, has occurred in recent weeks with the Pirates — who are looking to trade the veteran outfielder.
On Friday, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mets weren’t actively pursuing an outfielder. The Pirates previously had been interested in Brandon Nimmo as part of a potential deal.
“At this point we feel very confident in the group we have,” Van Wagenen said. “We are excited about the guys we have invited to camp, we are excited about the returning players that we’ll have back on the roster and we think we have added some key pieces from the outside that will help us this year.
“We don’t want to disrupt what we have. We do have the chemistry. … We have a culture where people buy into one another and believe they can pick each other up. I don’t see a deal that is going to disrupt that environment and there is an opportunity to continue to improve our roster we’ll explore it, but our aggressiveness right now is focusing on getting ready for spring training with the players that we have.”
Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Jake Marisnick, J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith and potentially Yoenis Cespedes are part of the Mets’ outfield mix heading into camp. The wild card is Cespedes, who missed the past 1 ½ seasons after undergoing surgery on both heels and then sustaining multiple ankle fractures when he fell on his ranch in an attempt to elude a wild boar.
Luis Rojas said he chose uniform No. 19 because his birthday is Sept. 1 and in Spanish the date leads with the day, followed by the month. Rojas noted his father, Felipe Alou, wore No. 17 and his brother, Moises Alou, wore No. 18.
Van Wagenen indicated discussions have occurred about potential candidates to fill Rojas’ role as the quality control coach. Hensley Meulens (bench coach), Chili Davis (hitting coach), Jeremy Hefner (pitching coach), Gary DiSarcina (third base coach), Tony DeFrancesco (first base coach), Ricky Bones (bullpen coach), Jeremy Accardo (assistant pitching coach) and Tom Slater (assistant hitting coach) are already in place.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Eli Manning, Derek Jeter forever linked in New York sports lore

The struggling rookie quarterback ’ s phone rang and an icon was ...

We were twice reminded this week of our great good fortune as a sporting city. It comes at precisely the perfect time, too. Let’s be honest, we’ve spent some time lately feeling sorry for ourselves about a dearth of winning teams, about a championship drought that, as of Saturday morning, stretches to 2,911 days, about the way the Yankees were unfairly robbed of their chance to end that streak in 2017.
Sometimes, we need to look to our captains for guidance.
Tuesday, there was Derek Jeter, who was never forced to actually wear a “C” on his chest, but who carried the captaincy of the Yankees on his shoulders from the moment George Steinbrenner tagged him with the task, back on June 4, 2003. He was elected to the Hall of Fame this week, and in a rush all the Good Stuff came flooding back: the five world championships, the 3,465 hits, the .308/.374/.465 slash line accrued across 158 postseason games.
And this: “All I ever wanted was to play my whole career in New York, with the Yankees,” he said Wednesday. “And I did that.”
Friday, there was Eli Manning, whose freshly retired No. 10 blue jersey actually does designate his leadership capacity with a white “C.” He made his retirement official at the Giants’ training headquarters in East Rutherford, and in a rush all the Good Stuff came flooding back: the two Super Bowl championships, the 366 touchdown passes, the 210 consecutive starts, the 37 game-winning drives.
And this: “Wellington Mara always said, ‘Once a Giant, always a Giant,’ ” Manning said Friday. “For me, it’s ‘Only a Giant.’ ”
They really were a matched set, playing a combined 36 years for the two most storied and decorated franchises in our town. The Yankees won 22 championships before Jeter arrived in 1996, and they sure seem set up to win a few more over the next few years. The Giants won two Super Bowls and six NFL titles overall before Ernie Accorsi coaxed Eli out of the grip of the Chargers. It wasn’t as if either player brought his team to unprecedented success.
They just did so at a time in sports when winning is harder than ever, when there are more teams, more expectations, more distractions. In their own ways they were both old souls: the shortstop from Kalamazoo, Mich., who called his manager “Mr. Torre” even long after his 30th birthday, the quarterback from New Orleans who, we have lately learned, loved nothing more than to kick back on the team bus after hard-earned road wins and distribute cold cans of beer to his teammates.
“I know a lot of people wish I was more of a rah-rah guy,” Manning said. “But that wasn’t me.”
John Mara told a story about watching Eli’s first pro victory, a comeback against Dallas his rookie year, alongside his father, Wellington. It was the last time the two Maras ever attended a game together. As they left the field, father told son: “I think we found our guy.”
Similarly, Steinbrenner knew Jeter would be among the final bouquets he bequeathed Yankees fans. He was the one who made Jeter the team’s first captain since Don Mattingly. He did credit-card commercials with Jeter. Unlike Wellington Mara, Steinbrenner got to bask in all five titles that were added to the team’s trophy case before he passed in 2010.
“He’s a dream come true,” Steinbrenner said of Jeter in 1998.
They both were, truly, No. 2 and No. 10, delivering a gilded, golden age of sports to New York City in their times here. They were ours, and ours alone. That matters now, and it will matter even more in time.
Outside New York, there are many who argue Jeter’s missing Hall of Fame vote represents justice, because outside New York there are many who believe he was overrated. Similarly, outside New York, there are even more who use that word to define Manning, who are already scoffing at the notion he belongs in Canton, who believe his 117-117 regular-season record speaks more to whom he was as a quarterback than his two championship rings.
And you know what?
Let the folks in the flyover states have their say. What does it matter to us? We saw Jeter day after day, season after season, delivering right to the end, right to that walk-off hit against the Orioles in his last home game as a Yankee. We saw Manning on Sunday after Sunday, year after year, delivering right to the end, right to that final victory against the Dolphins in Week 15 this year, gathering afterward with his family in the MetLife Stadium tunnel — “My favorite place,” he called it Friday.
We know what we saw. We know what we had. We know what we bid goodbye to this week. As sports fans, we are so much better for having seen the whole of their careers. Sometimes, it’s good to remember the Good Stuff.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Raptors’ Fred VanVleet may be intriguing Knicks option in thin free agent class

While the Knicks search for help on the court , they ...

The Knicks have swung and missed with two-thirds of the big three that led Wichita State to a No. 1 seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament.
Could they round out the trifecta this summer and find the answer to their never-ending point guard problem while they’re at it?
Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet arrived at the Garden on Friday in the midst of a career season at an opportune time. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer at the age of 26, headlining a class at that position that also includes Jeff Teague, Jordan Clarkson and veteran Goran Dragic, but not much else behind them. It puts VanVleet in line for a big payday — certainly a major raise from the $9 million he is earning this season — though it remains to be seen who will dish out the money.
VanVleet, who had 16 points, nine assists and no turnovers in the Raptors’ 118-112 win over the Knicks on Friday, expressed hope earlier this season that “in a perfect world” he would stay with the Raptors after helping them win a championship last June. But the Knicks could have something to say about that if they choose to pursue VanVleet with their cap space — perhaps even more so if they are somehow able to lure Raptors president Masai Ujiri away from Toronto.
“I think Freddie really took a big step forward in the playoffs last year late,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said before facing the Knicks. “He had some humongous games, obviously finished it off with the Game 6 in the finals [against] Golden State, hitting all those shots in the fourth quarter. He came back on campus, so to speak, this year as almost a different person, just a much more confident guy. … He never was unconfident, but — you know what I mean? — he just had a different feel about him.
“So I just think that going through all that stuff, some ups and downs and working your way through it, working on a few little things here and there that he thought he needed to improve on and he did those in the summer, he came back and he’s reaping some of the benefits of that.”
VanVleet began his rise last season while averaging 11 points and 4.8 assists per game as a part-time starter. He started slowly in the playoffs, but saved his best for last, pouring in 22 points and playing pesky defense against the Warriors’ Stephen Curry in the Raptors’ Finals-clinching Game 6 win.
This season, VanVleet has started all 35 games in which he has appeared, including Friday. He came into the game averaging 18.5 points and 6.8 assists. He took over the point guard duties by himself early in the season as Kyle Lowry recovered from a thumb injury, but they play alongside each other when both are healthy.
Ujiri has had a front-row seat to VanVleet’s development from undrafted guard out of Wichita State — where he starred with former Knicks Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker — to key part of the franchise’s first championship. He is just one of many on the Raptors roster who have grown through their strong player-development program.
“I’ve been here. This is the team that gave me my chance, I think we understand that,” VanVleet said on the Toronto sports radio show “Tim and Sid” in October. “I’m not gonna speak too much on free agency this year just ’cause it’s a business and I have to do what’s best for me and my family.
“But, I mean, I’ve been on record about how I feel about this place. This organization knows how I feel about this place. So in a perfect world, we know what would happen.”
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Giants’ Eli Manning and Michael Strahan will have numbers retired

Of course the parting line was perfect , because Eli Manning ...

There are 11 numbers representing 12 Giants who have retired, never to be worn by another of the franchise’s players. Eli Manning’s No. 10 will be the 12th number to be retired in the 95-year history of the franchise.
“I wish all my decisions were that easy, to tell you the truth,’’ co-owner John Mara said.
For a team with such a long history, the Giants are quite selective at this. Hall of Famers get their numbers retired. No one has ever been assigned No. 92 since Michael Strahan last wore it in 2007, but the Giants have never announced that number has been retired. Strahan was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
“It’s retired,’’ Mara said.
Officially?
“Not yet,’’ Mara said. “We’ll do Michael’s announcement another day, but Eli’s will be retired.’’
For more on Eli’s retirement, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Damyeon Dotson’s play is Knicks silver lining to RJ Barrett injury

RJ Barrett ’ s sprained ankle has opened the door for Damyean Dotson and the Knicks guard is running through it .
Dotson continued his strong shooting off the bench and scored a season-high 21 points Friday night , though he didn ’ t get a shot in the final seven minutes as the Knicks lost to the Raptors 118-112 at the Garden .
The third-year pro shot 7-for-10 in 27 minutes , including 4-for-7 from 3-point range .
It came after shooting 11-for-21 , and 7-for-13 from 3 , in his two previous games combined , while backing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting lineup in Barrett ’ s absence .
“ When the guys are really playing well , they ’ re playing , ” interim coach Mike Miller said .
“ We find the minutes for the guys that need to be playing .
As they ’ re out they ’ re playing , Dot ’ s playing well , so he played the whole fourth quarter.
” Barrett missed his fourth straight game with a sprained ankle , watching from the bench with a walking boot on his right foot .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Saturday , Miller said .
While the Knicks search for help on the court , they are set for a makeover off of it — with a lofty endorsement in tow .
The Knicks are partnering with Steve Stoute and his brand agency , Translation , “ in an attempt to bolster its brand and strengthen its ties to the fan base , ” Bloomberg reported Thursday .
For more on the Knicks , listen to the latest episode of the “ Big Apple Buckets ” podcast :

RJ Barrett’s sprained ankle has opened the door for Damyean Dotson and the Knicks guard is running through it.
Dotson continued his strong shooting off the bench and scored a season-high 21 points Friday night, though he didn’t get a shot in the final seven minutes as the Knicks lost to the Raptors 118-112 at the Garden.
The third-year pro shot 7-for-10 in 27 minutes, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range. It came after shooting 11-for-21, and 7-for-13 from 3, in his two previous games combined, while backing up for Reggie Bullock — who entered the starting lineup in Barrett’s absence.
“When the guys are really playing well, they’re playing,” interim coach Mike Miller said. “We find the minutes for the guys that need to be playing. As they’re out they’re playing, Dot’s playing well, so he played the whole fourth quarter.”
Barrett missed his fourth straight game with a sprained ankle, watching from the bench with a walking boot on his right foot. He was set to be reevaluated either Friday night or Saturday, Miller said.
While the Knicks search for help on the court, they are set for a makeover off of it — with a lofty endorsement in tow.
The Knicks are partnering with Steve Stoute and his brand agency, Translation, “in an attempt to bolster its brand and strengthen its ties to the fan base,” Bloomberg reported Thursday.
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Schiff blasted for ‘head on pike’ reference in impeachment hearing

Republicans blasted Rep. Adam Schiff Friday after he mentioned a CBS News report that claimed an unnamed “ confidante ” of President Trump had warned senators that a vote in favor of impeachment would mean “ your head will be on a pike.
” Schiff made the comment in his closing remarks in Trump ’ s impeachment trial on the Senate floor Friday .
“ CBS News reported last night that a Trump confidant said that GOP senators were warned , vote against the president and your head will be on a pike , ” Schiff said .
That didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators .
Notable among them were swing-vote Republicans Susan Collins of Maine — who was overheard in the chamber responding , “ That ’ s not true !
” — and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , who later told reporters , “ That ’ s where [ Schiff ] lost me.
” “ That is completely totally false , and all of us were shaking our heads , like where did that story come from , and Adam Schiff just kept saying it , ” GOP Sen. James Lankford said after the testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upset on our side of it .
…That ’ s insulting and demeaning , ” he added .

Republicans blasted Rep. Adam Schiff Friday after he mentioned a CBS News report that claimed an unnamed “confidante” of President Trump had warned senators that a vote in favor of impeachment would mean “your head will be on a pike.”
Schiff made the comment in his closing remarks in Trump’s impeachment trial on the Senate floor Friday.
“CBS News reported last night that a Trump confidant said that GOP senators were warned, vote against the president and your head will be on a pike,” Schiff said.
That didn’t sit well with many GOP senators.
Notable among them were swing-vote Republicans Susan Collins of Maine — who was overheard in the chamber responding, “That’s not true!” — and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who later told reporters, “That’s where [Schiff] lost me.”
“That is completely totally false, and all of us were shaking our heads, like where did that story come from, and Adam Schiff just kept saying it,” GOP Sen. James Lankford said after the testimony.
“The whole room was visibly upset on our side of it. …That’s insulting and demeaning,” he added.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--John Mara: When my dad knew Eli Manning was the answer

Wellington Mara never saw Eli Manning win Super Bowls for his Giants .
The franchise patriarch passed away in October 2005 .
But there is a strong sense Wellington Mara knew what Manning was going to become , and that brings great solace and comfort to his oldest son , Giants co-owner John Mara .
The Giants traded for Manning early in the 2004 NFL Draft , and he did not start until the 10th game of his rookie season .
Manning lost his first six starts , some in desultory fashion , and finally gained his first victory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comeback and changing the fateful play from a pass to a run , as Tiki Barber scored and Manning and the Giants beat the Cowboys , 28-24 .
“ It was the last game my father ever saw [ in person ] , ’ ’ John Mara said Friday , pausing as he grew emotional , “ and I can remember walking to the locker room with him afterwards and him saying to me , ‘ I think we found our guy.
’ And how right he was.
’ ’ Wellington Mara said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the press box and were walking toward the home team locker room .
“ Obviously , it stayed with me for a long time , ’ ’ John Mara said .
Mara , during Manning ’ s retirement press conference Friday , thanked Ernie Accorsi , the former general manager , for “ the foresight , the patience and the guts to pull off that trade and help build our Super Bowl teams.
’ ’ The early results were not good , and the trade was not exactly considered a slam-dunk win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mara initially was not in favor of the deal .
There were anxious moments .
“ When Eli took over in ’ 04 we went on a losing streak there , the team was not playing well and we all had some doubts .
Had we made the right decision ?
’ ’ Mara said .
“ To see him take the ball at the end of the game against Dallas , take us down the field , which was what we were hoping for , … we were hoping this was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scores the touchdown at the end and you start to think , ‘ Maybe we did make the right decision after all.
’ ’ ’ For more on Eli ’ s retirement , listen to the latest episode of the “ Blue Rush ” podcast :

Wellington Mara never saw Eli Manning win Super Bowls for his Giants. The franchise patriarch passed away in October 2005.
But there is a strong sense Wellington Mara knew what Manning was going to become, and that brings great solace and comfort to his oldest son, Giants co-owner John Mara.
The Giants traded for Manning early in the 2004 NFL Draft, and he did not start until the 10th game of his rookie season. Manning lost his first six starts, some in desultory fashion, and finally gained his first victory in the season finale, directing a fourth-quarter comeback and changing the fateful play from a pass to a run, as Tiki Barber scored and Manning and the Giants beat the Cowboys, 28-24.
“It was the last game my father ever saw [in person],’’ John Mara said Friday, pausing as he grew emotional, “and I can remember walking to the locker room with him afterwards and him saying to me, ‘I think we found our guy.’ And how right he was.’’
Wellington Mara said those words as he and John descended from the press box and were walking toward the home team locker room.
“Obviously, it stayed with me for a long time,’’ John Mara said.
Mara, during Manning’s retirement press conference Friday, thanked Ernie Accorsi, the former general manager, for “the foresight, the patience and the guts to pull off that trade and help build our Super Bowl teams.’’
The early results were not good, and the trade was not exactly considered a slam-dunk win for the Giants. Plus, Wellington Mara initially was not in favor of the deal. There were anxious moments.
“When Eli took over in ’04 we went on a losing streak there, the team was not playing well and we all had some doubts. Had we made the right decision?’’ Mara said. “To see him take the ball at the end of the game against Dallas, take us down the field, which was what we were hoping for, … we were hoping this was the guy we drafted, and then Tiki scores the touchdown at the end and you start to think, ‘Maybe we did make the right decision after all.’ ’’
For more on Eli’s retirement, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Eli Manning’s true greatness through Tom Coughlin’s eyes

He came to us a 23-year-old boy, grew up in front of our eyes, and we were glad to have Son of Archie, Little Brother of Peyton.
We had no idea what he would mean to us 16 years later, no idea he would deliver two Super Bowl championships. We had no idea he would protect the NFL shield the way it was meant to be protected, no idea he would mean to the Giants what the late Frank Gifford meant once. We had no idea that on the day of his retirement, the field house outside 1925 Giants Drive would be packed with teammates and coaches and Giants employees whose lives he has touched in a way few can, or will, to honor Our Beloved Giant For Life.
“No Giant will ever wear No. 10 again,” John Mara said, and seconds later this Hall of Fame quarterback named Eli Manning hugged him and in a strong, unshakable voice revealed himself proudly as our football Sinatra.
“From the very first moment,” Manning said, “I did it my way.”
He is a 39-year-old man now, with a loving wife, Abby, and three young daughters and an 11-month-old son who felt like crawling rambunctiously by the front row of seats before his mother got up to scoop him off the ground. Charlie Manning, future Giants quarterback, no doubt.
Peyton Manning wasn’t there. Eli’s parents, Archie and Olivia, of course were there. So were Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Phil Simms, Plaxico Burress and David Tyree. Daniel Jones was standing in the back with his arms folded. And, of course, former GM Ernie Accorsi, the man who made Manning a Giant, was there. And of course Tom Coughlin was there.
Manning and Coughlin will be linked together forever in New York Football Giants history, the iron-fisted coach who roared into town as Tyrannical Tom before he became a kinder, gentler version, and the easy southern gentleman quarterback with a hidden fire that he helped raise from a pup.
“If there’s gonna be a big game,” Coughlin said, “I want him to be my quarterback, ’cause how he performs in the big ones is amazing to me. Always was.”
For 12 years, they bled Giants blue together. They were The Odd Couple, bonded by their commitment to excellence and insatiable hunger to be champions.
“I was proud and honored to be his coach,” Coughlin said.
The Coach fancied himself as a football General Patton, and His Quarterback never stopped wanting to be his sergeant at arms and loving every minute of it, every minute of being a New York Giant, of sharing the thrill of victory with his teammates, of standing in the tunnel waiting to hear the roar of the crowd, refusing to surrender to a shoulder injury once and a foot injury another time because he didn’t want to let his franchise and teammates and coaches down.
“You know he’ll be there,” Coughlin said.
Coughlin was Manning’s second father, and Manning was Coughlin’s third son. The Coach knows exactly why His Quarterback was Our Beloved Giant.
“To coach Tom Coughlin, thanks for teaching me the work ethic, the discipline and the value of team-above-all-else mentality,” Manning said.
“Because he’s sincere,” Coughlin said. “He is what he is. There’s a young man who is, I think, caring is a decent word. I think he is fun-loving. I think he was great in the locker room, sarcasm, et cetera. … I always watch the quarterback and how he is with the offensive line. … He was great with the offensive line — it was all give-and-take.”
Through the early turbulence, after Manning had been blitzed into oblivion as a rookie, The Coach always had His Quarterback’s back.
“Then he came in the office the following Monday, and, ‘Coach, I really know I can do this. I didn’t do very well yesterday,’ ” Coughlin recalled.
Then: the 2007 NFC Championship game in the frostbitten cold of Lambeau Field: “He goes out and throws spirals and it looked like it was 75 degrees,” Coughlin said. “That day spoke to mental toughness.”
The brutal 2011 NFC Championship in San Francisco: “That was the day most people in football recognized how tough he really was,” Coughlin said.
The Tyree catch in Super Bowl XLII, Manning-to-Mario Manningham in Super Bowl XLVI, sharing two Canyon of Heroes floats with His Quarterback.
“That’s jubilation,” Coughlin said.
Manning leaves his love affair with the Giants with no regrets, nor should he.
“Not many people get to have a day like today,” Archie said.
Our Beloved Giant deserves it.
“Wellington Mara always said, ‘Once a Giant, always a Giant,’ ” Manning said at the end of his speech. “For me, it’s ‘Only a Giant.’ Thank you so much.”
No. Thank you so much, Eli Manning.
For more on Eli’s retirement, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Islanders’ Mathew Barzal nearly the NHL’s fastest skater ever

ST. LOUIS — It is one of the most curious ...

ST. LOUIS — He was just .003 seconds away from being the fastest skater — ever.
But still, the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal won the fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star Skills competition on Friday, doing a lap in 13.175 seconds. He ended the three-year reign of Connor McDavid, who finished second with 13.215, and beat third-place Chris Kreider of the Rangers (13.509). Barzal just missed Dylan Larkin’s record pace of 13.172, set in 2016.
“I told Connor when we were out there, I don’t think I could have skated a better lap,” Barzal said. “I don’t know if I can do it again.”
No amount of begging from Nassau County executive Laura Curran is going to force the NHL to decide on where the Islanders will play — either for this postseason, or all of next season — before their new arena at Belmont Park is set to open for the 2021-22 campaign.
Curran sent NHL commissioner Gary Bettman a letter asking for the Islanders to play all their games at the Coliseum rather than Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Bettman said Friday that he sent her a letter back, explaining “it’s a little premature at this point to decide what we’re doing next season with the Islanders and where they’re going to play.”
The Islanders, currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division, played their first-round playoff series a year ago at the Coliseum before playing the second round at Barclays Center, where they would have kept playing if they had moved on. It seems that might be the case again this year, even though Bettman said, “we haven’t done that yet either.
“It’s not an easy issue because Nassau Coliseum is not a major league facility,” Bettman said. “If the Islanders were to have a deep playoff run … it could provide us with monumental challenges we couldn’t overcome. So we’re staying a little flexible.”
In the first “Elite Women’s 3-on-3” event, Canada beat the U.S., 2-1. The two 10-minute halves were about as entertaining as anything all night, with great goaltending from Ann-Renee Deseiens for Canada and Alex Rigsby Cavallini for the U.S.
Bettman said the league is in the process of setting up an anonymous whistle-blower hotline for ethics infractions. He also said there would be player and puck tracking in this year’s playoffs and at the beginning of next regular season.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Nets need struggling Caris LeVert to get back to top level

The Nets are under the impression that a complete , healthy ...

The Nets need more out of Caris LeVert.
In his first nine games since returning to the lineup following mid-November thumb surgery, LeVert has struggled to find his offensive groove, shooting just 36.8 percent while averaging 23.3 minutes per game.
“Still trying to find his rhythm,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of LeVert after practice on Friday. “Just still trying to find it. We need to get him up to his, in my mind, elite level. … We need him to get there. He will get there. I just think it’s a matter of time.”
LeVert is still managing to make an impact on the second unit, which has become a new role for the 25-year-old, as Spencer Dinwiddie edged him out of the shooting guard spot while he was injured. Wilson Chandler said it is like having a starter as part of the second rotation.
Atkinson mentioned how invaluable LeVert was because of his ability to handle the ball and make plays. However, the Nets coach knows just how much more potential the team has when LeVert is on the court.
“We want him back where he was the first 10 games of the season last year, the playoffs,” Atkinson said, alluding to LeVert’s 18.9 points per game through the first month of last season. “I know it’s in Caris.”
DeAndre Jordan (middle finger dislocation) and Nic Claxton (left shoulder contusion) are considered questionable for Saturday’s game at Detroit.
Both Jordan and Claxton practiced on Friday, with Claxton participating in contact drills.
As the Feb. 6 trade deadline inches closer, Atkinson couldn’t help but admit that the Nets are still trying to find a balance between being patient and thinking long term and remaining competitive.
“There’s no more sense of urgency or not urgency,” Atkinson said. “It’s business as usual. I think if we had won 10 in a row, it would be the same situation. We’d be looking to, always looking to improve.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Plaxico Burress: Giants’ Eli Manning a ‘first ballot’ Hall of Famer

“ There ’ s no doubt about it .
… He ’ ll walk in on the first ballot , ” Burress said during Manning ’ s retirement ceremony on Friday .
“ If he doesn ’ t , it ’ s a crime , it ’ s a shame .
He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer , no doubt.
” Burress ’ greatest Giants ’ and NFL moment was catching the winning , 13-yard TD pass from Manning with 35 seconds left that upset the perfect Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII .
It was set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch .
“ You know what ?
I had the best play in Super Bowl history — David Tyree would tell you differently , ” Burress said and smiled .
“ I have the football at home , which he thinks he owns .
He wants to come to my house and get it and put it on his mantel , but that ’ s not going to happen .
“ It ’ s great , man , for us to do it and to share that moment together , ” Burress said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s never going to go away .
A lot of people doubted him .
I think he silenced a lot of people with the way he went out and played during that season , and he just continues to get better and better.
” Burress raved about the way Manning could find a way .
“ Countless games ( offensive coordinator ) Kevin Gilbride would come to me on the sideline , he was , ‘ What was that ?
’ I was like , ‘ No .
10 told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burress said .
“ ‘ All right , cool .
Long as you guys are on the same page.
’ “ He would do things differently , and it worked , and you loved him for it.
” For more on Eli ’ s retirement , listen to the latest episode of the “ Blue Rush ” podcast :

Plaxico Burress expects a gold jacket in Canton for Eli Manning.
“There’s no doubt about it. … He’ll walk in on the first ballot,” Burress said during Manning’s retirement ceremony on Friday. “If he doesn’t, it’s a crime, it’s a shame. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, no doubt.”
Burress’ greatest Giants and NFL moment was catching the winning, 13-yard TD pass from Manning with 35 seconds left that upset the perfect Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. It was set up by David Tyree’s iconic helmet catch.
“You know what? I had the best play in Super Bowl history — David Tyree would tell you differently,” Burress said and smiled. “I have the football at home, which he thinks he owns. He wants to come to my house and get it and put it on his mantel, but that’s not going to happen.
“It’s great, man, for us to do it and to share that moment together,” Burress said of Manning. “It’s something that’s never going to go away. A lot of people doubted him. I think he silenced a lot of people with the way he went out and played during that season, and he just continues to get better and better.”
Burress raved about the way Manning could find a way.
“Countless games (offensive coordinator) Kevin Gilbride would come to me on the sideline, he was, ‘What was that?’ I was like, ‘No. 10 told me to run the out,’ ” Burress said.
“‘All right, cool. Long as you guys are on the same page.’
“He would do things differently, and it worked, and you loved him for it.”
For more on Eli’s retirement, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Omar Minaya: Luis Rojas has worked his way to this Mets moment

Real leadership from the bottom up. It’s about time, Mets.
Back in 2006, then-Mets GM Omar Minaya got a recommendation from director of international scouting Ismael Cruz to hire a young man to manage in the Dominican Summer League, Luis Rojas, son of Felipe Alou.
“I knew the father, of course, I knew the family,’’ Minaya told The Post Friday at the Citi Field ground-floor press conference for Rojas, the Mets’ 23rd manager — and yes, the franchise counts Carlos Beltran as No. 22.
“What I heard about him was that he was a very good young man that had potential,’’ Minaya recalled. “When I first got to meet him there was something about him that was special. There was leadership in a quiet comfortable way.
“I’m a big development guy, developing your players. I love to develop players, but my biggest passion is developing people. He is the first manager to start in the Dominican Summer League, I know of, to manage a major league club. People who know me know I helped develop people like [Braves GM] Alex Anthopoulos, [Brewers GM] David Stearns, [Miami president of baseball operations] Michael Hill. These are guys, along the way, I’ve been fortunate to hire them and develop.
“Luis has that special quality, he is just real. It’s a confidence. His connection to players is strong, and I am talking about all players, Anglo players, Latin players, everybody just attached themselves to this guy.’’
That’s why Brodie Van Wagenen told me the biggest push for Rojas to become manager came from the Mets’ players.
Over in the other corner, Rojas was saying he had heard from many of those players since getting the job Wednesday. He reeled off some names: Jeff McNeil, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz.
Rojas had the support of Robinson Cano, and that went a long way with Van Wagenen. Rojas’ immediate challenge is to get the most out of Cano and Yoenis Cespedes, two aging former stars.
Rojas, 38, is baseball-first and has the experience of managing eight years in the Mets’ minor league system and in Winter League.
Alou managed 1,636 games in the minors before he was given the chance to lead the Expos in 1992. He was 57. His son managed 1,032 games in the minors and is getting the reins of a major league team 19 years younger than his father was.
“Players are going to trust him, they are going to believe in him,’’ Minaya said. “He’s going to put everybody in the best position to succeed, which a good manager does.’’
Here is the key for Minaya and what should be encouraging to Mets fans.
“This is more of a traditional managing system,’’ Minaya explained. “I’m a big believer in bottom up. This guy is the definition of bottom up.
“You start at the minor leagues, and you work your way up and he started at the bottom, the first manager in our sport that I know of that started in the Dominican Summer League and became the manager of a major league club and to do it in a major market like the New York Mets, it’s a great victory for the New York Mets organization.’’
Only if Rojas produces great victories.
“I have full confidence in him,’’ Minaya said, pointing to the importance of the proving ground that is Winter Ball. “We tend to lose the value of Winter Ball. Tony La Russa and Tommy Lasorda managed in Winter Ball. That’s the model and that model is being lost. [Rojas] revives that model.’’
Old school combined with new school analytics.
Rojas does not lack confidence. He said multiple times Friday the Mets are going to win.
Sitting in the front row was Rojas’ mother, Elsa Brens.
“Luis was always a hard-working kid, very responsible, very serious, quiet,’’ she said.
Minaya chose one word to best describe Rojas.
“Authentic. Players love authenticity,’’ Minaya said. “Authenticity sometimes may be telling a player what he doesn’t want to hear, but if you are authentic and consistent, players will respect you and you are going to get the most out of players.’’
That is what managing is all about, whether you are in the Dominican Summer League, eight years in the minor leagues or coming out of nowhere to manage the Mets.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Feds believe Jeff Bezos’ girlfriend Lauren Sanchez gave racy texts to her brother

The raunchy text messages that went from Jeff Bezos ’ phone to the pages of the National Enquirer — and from there to media outlets around the world — came from the brother of the Amazon CEO ’ s girlfriend , federal sources confirmed Friday to the Wall Street Journal .
The text messages , which included a nude photo of Bezos and sexually suggestive photos of the girlfriend , Lauren Sanchez , had been given by Sanchez to her brother , who then leaked them to the Enquirer , sources familiar with a related federal probe told the Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then sold the photos and texts to the Enquirer , the sources said .
The brother has denied he sold his sister ’ s lewd texts to the Enquirer , but the Journal reported that federal prosecutors in Manhattan have evidence linking him to the sale .
The prosecutors are probing whether the Enquirer ’ s publisher , American Media , Inc. , tried to use the texts to blackmail Bezos , who owns the Washington Post .
In a post on Medium last February , the then-married billionaire accused National Enquirer publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop investigating the tabloid ’ s recent expose of his affair with Sanchez .
Prosecutors are also investigating if Bezos ’ phone was hacked , as the Amazon CEO has suggested .
The Guardian newspaper reported last week that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly “ hacked ” Bezo ’ s phone by sending him a malicious video file via the chat platform WhatsApp .

The raunchy text messages that went from Jeff Bezos’ phone to the pages of the National Enquirer — and from there to media outlets around the world — came from the brother of the Amazon CEO’s girlfriend, federal sources confirmed Friday to the Wall Street Journal.
The text messages, which included a nude photo of Bezos and sexually suggestive photos of the girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, had been given by Sanchez to her brother, who then leaked them to the Enquirer, sources familiar with a related federal probe told the Journal.
The brother, Michael Sanchez, then sold the photos and texts to the Enquirer, the sources said.
The brother has denied he sold his sister’s lewd texts to the Enquirer, but the Journal reported that federal prosecutors in Manhattan have evidence linking him to the sale.
The prosecutors are probing whether the Enquirer’s publisher, American Media, Inc., tried to use the texts to blackmail Bezos, who owns the Washington Post.
In a post on Medium last February, the then-married billionaire accused National Enquirer publisher David Pecker of trying to force him to stop investigating the tabloid’s recent expose of his affair with Sanchez.
Prosecutors are also investigating if Bezos’ phone was hacked, as the Amazon CEO has suggested.
The Guardian newspaper reported last week that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly “hacked” Bezo’s phone by sending him a malicious video file via the chat platform WhatsApp.


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Coronavirus outbreak: New York on high alert with over 1,200 infected worldwide

Shops in the Big Apple sold out of face masks ...

The deadly new coronavirus is continuing to spread across the globe, wreaking havoc in China, sickening a second person in the United States and leaving health officials on high alert in New York state.
Gov. Cuomo revealed Friday that three people were under observation in the state after potentially being exposed to the virus. The state Health Department at one point had as many as four cases under investigation, but one proved negative, Cuomo said.
Citing confidentiality, officials declined to say where in the state the three suspected cases were located.
No cases were so far being reported in New York City, where two international airports and a large Chinese immigrant population put residents at risk from an outbreak that began in Wuhan, China.
In other developments Friday:
The United States reported its second coronavirus patient, a Chicago woman in her 60s who was hospitalized and in isolation after returning from China. The first US patient, a man in his 30s who had also traveled to China, remained hospitalized north of Seattle. Earlier in the day, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 63 people across 22 states were being examined for possible coronavirus infection. Of those patients, 11, including a woman in New Jersey, have tested negative for the virus so far.
The coronavirus death toll rose to 41. Of these, 39 died in Wuhan, with the remainder dying elsewhere in China.
Most of those who have died after contracting the virus were age 60 or older, and some had pre-existing medical conditions.
Most of those who have died after contracting the virus were age 60 or older, and some had pre-existing medical conditions. The number infected worldwide rose to 1,287. The vast majority of the sick are in China.
France is reporting three people ill with the virus, its first appearance in Europe. One was a 48-year-old man who passed through Wuhan before traveling to France on Wednesday. He was hospitalized in Bordeaux. A second person was hospitalized in Paris.
The coronavirus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Nepal.
On Wall Street, stocks slumped amid fears of a worsening crisis.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 170 points and the S&P 500 posted its worst day in three months. Health care companies suffered losses, along with financial institutions, airlines and other tourism and travel-industry businesses.
Wuhan, the coronavirus epicenter and a city of 11 million people, remained on virtual lockdown.
Officials shut down all mass transportation in Wuhan, and hospitals grappled with a flood of patients and a lack of supplies. A clip from Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan and verified by Storyful showed staff and patients walking in corridors as bodies covered in sheets line the floors.
Another video on Twitter showed panicked patients flooding another Wuhan hospital. Officials in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, scrambled to build a 1,000-bed hospital by Monday, state media reported.
Images showed more than two dozen earth movers working across a dirt field to start construction of the hospital. In an effort to curb the crisis, China has extended its quarantine to 41 million people ahead of the Lunar New Year Saturday.
Elsewhere in China, major cities, including Hong Kong and Shanghai, faced a shortage of face masks as stores struggled to keep up with the demand.
Parts of the Great Wall of China and other tourist hot spots — including the Ming Tombs, Yinshan Pagoda Forest and the Bird’s Nest stadium, the main venue for the 2008 Olympics — have also been shuttered.
Shanghai Disneyland, which has a 100,000-person daily capacity and sold out during last year’s Lunar New Year holiday, will close on Saturday.
The latest confirmed US case was a woman who fell ill after returning home to Chicago on Jan. 13 from a trip to Wuhan that began in December.
She began showing symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath three or four days after returning. She was placed into isolation at a hospital and was in stable condition.
“This is a single travel-associated case — not a local health emergency,” Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Public Health, said at a press conference.
Arwady insisted the risk of infection for others was low.
“To our best knowledge, she has not had extended close contact with anyone outside her home since returning from China and prior to her admission into the health-care system,” she said.
Arwady wouldn’t divulge which airline the woman traveled on, reiterating, “This patient was not symptomatic when she was traveling, which lowers the risk.”
Health officials began screening people for the virus last week at JFK Airport, as well as San Francisco International and Los Angeles International airports. The three airports normally receive the highest number of travelers from Wuhan although travel between the Chinese city and the US has since been suspended.
This particular strain of coronavirus, called the novel coronavirus, is believed to spread via respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. There is currently no vaccine to combat the virus, which, in serious cases, can cause pneumonia and organ failure.
The deadly iteration of coronavirus likely originated from a food market in Wuhan that sold wildlife for human consumption.
Additional reporting by Yaron Steinbuch and Wire Services


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--What kept Eli Manning from bailing on his Giants ending

Peyton Manning looked to “ drop the mic ” on the debate ...

Eli Manning thought about leaving the Giants.
He asked ex-teammates and coaches who had gone elsewhere. He asked his father, Archie, and brother, Peyton — both former NFL quarterbacks who changed teams near the end of the line. He did all the due diligence after losing his starting job to Daniel Jones and staring ahead at free agency in March for the first time in a 16-year career.
And then he retired. In the end, a wish to wear only one uniform beat out the wish to keep playing at age 39.
“Peyton had a hard time leaving Indianapolis and he kind of had this thought, ‘I’m supposed to play for one team,’ ” Archie said. “It didn’t work out, and he was truly fortunate that he got to Denver and they had a lot of success. I think a lot of that played into Eli’s decision. The one-team thing and the Giants … we think he did the right thing.”
Eli spent a record 16 seasons with the Giants and still is confident in his ability to play, even though he won’t.
“It’s important for me to go out as a Giant,” Eli said. “It was the right thing to call it a career instead of trying to uproot my family and try somewhere else.”
Peyton missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury, was cut by the Colts to make room for No. 1 draft pick Andrew Luck and retired after returning from an awkward Broncos benching to win his second Super Bowl in 2015.
“I relied on Peyton a lot just because of the similarities … and trying to decide how it ended,” Manning said. “I talked to him a lot about when he changed franchises and how that affected him.”
Manning’s final eight seasons, since the Giants beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, resulted in one playoff game and a 48-67 record. If Peyton, Archie, Joe Montana, Brett Favre — and maybe Tom Brady — could leave their original homes, why not Eli?
“The guys who played here with the Giants who happened to leave and go other places all said the same thing: ‘It’s not the same other places. It’s different,’ ” Manning said. “A lot of people said, ‘Sit on it. Don’t rush it.’ I might have rushed it a little bit just because I knew it was the right thing to do. I know 100 percent I’m not going to regret this.”
The closest Eli ever came was when he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2004 by the Chargers. A few hours later, after Eli and Archie made it clear he did not want to go to San Diego, he was traded to the Giants.
“We don’t worry about Eli. He’s always found his way,” Archie said. “He’s a Jersey boy.”
For more on Eli’s retirement, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-25--Jordan Spieth and Jason Day trying to regain 2015 magic

LA JOLLA , Calif. — The round — specifically the first ...

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Remember 2015.
This is what both Jordan Spieth and Jason Day should be thinking right now as they try to navigate their respective ways from the wilderness in which they have found themselves for the past couple of years.
They should never forget what elevated them to the pinnacle of the golf world just shy of five years ago.
Spieth and Day won five times apiece that year, and both spent time as the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, finished one shot out of a playoff in the British Open, was runner-up at the PGA Championship and was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year.
Day won the PGA, led the U.S. Open through 54 holes despite collapsing on the course with vertigo in the second round and also finished a shot out of a playoff in the British. In the PGA, he staved off Spieth in a scintillating final-round duel at Whistling Straits. Four of Day’s wins that year came in a molten-hot six-tournament stretch.
That all seems like a long time ago for the two elite players, who were paired together for the first two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday and Friday at Torrey Pines.
But the past two days have represented baby-step progress for both players, who finished the second round at 4-under, six shots off the lead held by Ryan Palmer at 10-under.
Day, who was in danger of missing the cut after his 1-over opening round on the South Course, shot a 5-under 67 on Friday. Spieth actually played better on the more-difficult South Course on Thursday than he did Friday, posting a second consecutive 2-under round.
Day is currently ranked 44th in the world, and Spieth 45th. Pending the final results of this weekend on the Torrey Pines South Course, they face the possibility of falling outside the world top 50 for the first time since they initially joined the top 50 (Day in 2010 and Spieth in 2013).
“I didn’t realize I was that far down, to be honest,’’ Day said of his ranking. “[But] I’m not worried about the world ranking. I need to focus on just getting healthy and trying to be 100 percent confident in what I can actually do ability-wise. I know that all it takes is good play to get back [up] there pretty quick. You win a couple times on the West Coast, and you’re kind of near back to the top 10.’’
The two stars took different paths to their declines.
Day’s issues have included back problems, a change of caddies and the health of his mother, who had lung cancer.
“I need to take the excuses out of my life,” Day said. “And we have started to do that. I felt like I was alone on an island for a while, but the team aspect feels better again now. Maybe the biggest positive is it’s the first time in a long time the things I am doing rehab-wise feeling like I’m getting to the right spot. And the same with my swing.
“If I can focus on that and feel healthy … the confidence will come back. And then when I can practice more, I’m sure the results will come also, as those other issues won’t be in the back of my mind.”
Spieth has tinkered with his swing and, most importantly, lost his putting prowess, which was his greatest power. When he was at his best, it seemed as if Spieth made every significant putt he looked at.
In 2018, he ranked 123rd in strokes gained putting. In 2015, he was ninth, and in 2016, he was second. From 2015-18, Spieth ranked in the top 50 in strokes gained off the tee, but he fell to 176th last season.
“I still have some work, hopefully not very significant work, but I’m on the right track in my swing to get to where I feel I can be at that 2015 level again,’’ Spieth said. “I want it as bad or more than I did then. There is no complacency. And I believe the next run will be as fun as the first.”
Remembering how it was done in 2015 can’t hurt either player as they try to recapture the magic.


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--White Sox pitcher’s epic baseball duel with Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes has been here before .
He was on the ...

It will be different for Michael Kopech watching Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his childhood friend and rival, play in Super Bowl 2020.
And yet in one way, it won’t be.
“He’s a lot of fun to watch, I think I’d be crazy to say that he wasn’t,” Kopech, a White Sox pitcher, told The Post by phone. “I think anyone would agree with me that he’s a fun athlete to watch — and he is just that, an athlete. He’s well-rounded, he’s strong, he’s physical, got a cannon of an arm obviously. He’s an impressive specimen.”
Kopech and Mahomes grew up an hour-and-a-half from each other in Texas. Mahomes, a three-sport star, hails from Tyler, while Kopech is from Mount Pleasant. They were baseball competitors starting when they were 8 years old.
“East Texas sports are put on the pedestal for sure,” Kopech said, “and you remember 8-year-olds just standing out, being way better than 8-year-olds should be at baseball, and then you remember someone else standing out above all the other incredible 8-year-olds. And that was Patrick.”
Kopech was the opposing fireballing right-hander for Mount Pleasant High School when Mahomes, a senior at Whitehouse High, threw a seven-inning no-hitter and beat him 2-1.
“He was obviously always a big kid, and was always one of the guys that we really wanted to beat, just being a competitive kid all through my life as well,” Kopech said.
Mahomes struck out 16 that day, including Kopech three times. Kopech struck out 12, including Mahomes twice.
“It was just so electric that the two of us really brought out the best competitor in one another,” Kopech said. “I just remember how much I wanted to really beat him, along with the whole other team, ’cause there was kind of a back-and-forth rivalry there, at least on our end.
“Facing Patrick to me was just icing on the cake on our season if we beat them. We were by no means a high-caliber team, but we were a team that would compete to no end, and with them we went to hell and back it seemed like to really try to beat Patrick.”
Kopech could throw a 98-mph fastball. Mahomes was clocked at 93-95 mph.
“He had the tools to be a baseball star; he really was even then,” Kopech said, “and to see him in football pads now, it’s a little bit different.”
Mahomes also had a breaking ball.
“I believe it was a slider,” Kopech said, “but I’d be lying to you if I saw anything other than three fastballs [laugh].”
There were anywhere from 35 to 60 scouts in the stands.
“I do remember there being the most radar guns I’d ever seen in one game,” Kopech said.
Kopech was ejected in the seventh inning.
“I was trying to pick up for a teammate that didn’t have too much baseball awareness,” Kopech said, “and he slid into second base a little high, and he probably came intentional to the shortstop that he slid into, and they get into a little tussle out there and I was actually on deck. I go out there to kind of protect my teammate, I take off running, and one step over the foul line, and, ‘Get out of here!’ So I was the only one ejected. … They were the home team, and they were ahead, and Patrick shut us down that inning, so I didn’t have another chance to go back out there and pitch anyway.”
Kopech said he is proud of his old friend.
“It really warms my heart,” he said. “Seeing him have the success that he is having at the highest level whatever sport that may be is quite incredible.”
It serves as motivation for Kopech.
“Seeing him have success that he’s having, it really does motivate me to put that show on for my hometown just as much as he has,” Kopech said.
Kopech was the 33rd pick by the Red Sox in 2014 and traded two years later to the White Sox. He has pronounced himself ready for spring training following Tommy John surgery on Sept. 18, 2018.
“If you’ve ever been to East Texas, there’s not much there,” Kopech said. “It’s got three restaurants, a few stoplights, and then there’s sports. And most of the time the sport is football, but baseball is starting to become just as big out there.
“Seeing him kind of really be the face of the NFL right now for our area is everything.”
For more on the NFL playoffs, listen to the latest episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-24--‘Zola’ Sundance review: Strippers and laughs galore

PARK CITY , Utah — At long last , a movie based on Twitter .
Well , a movie based on an article based on Twitter .
OK , a movie based on an article based on Twitter , Reddit , Facebook and a partridge in a pear tree .
“ Zola , ” a nervy , very funny gem that premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival , cleverly traces its origins to social media .
In 2015 , a Twitter user called @ _zolarmoon recounted in 144 tweets an adrenaline-fueled , dangerous and spectacularly weird journey she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not-so-reputable acquaintance .
Her tale became a worldwide sensation .
“ You wan na hear a story about how me and this b—h fell out ?
, ” Zola ( Taylour Paige ) says to the camera at the beginning of the film — the first of many hilarious , dry asides .
“ It ’ s kinda long , but full of suspense.
” Zola is a black waitress and late-night pole dancer — a highly skilled one , at that .
For those of you who thought that “ Hustlers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theatrics , you shan ’ t be disappointed by the sensual athleticism here .
Also , being a movie about strippers and hookers , there ’ s ample nudity , mostly of the male variety .
Be warned .
At her Hooters-y eatery , Zola meets Stefani ( Riley Keough ) , a white fellow dancer who stridently speaks as if she was black .
You ’ d wince if you met her , but onscreen it ’ s a riot .
Although Stefani is irritating as a gnat , she has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they begin texting non-stop , day and night .
The texts start to feel like an uncredited character .
Co-written by director Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O ’ Harris ( “ Slave Play ” on Broadway ) , the film has a sharp mobile-device vocabulary .
Even in its soundscape — harps , xylophones , classical music , Migos ’ “ Hannah Montana ” — text tones and notifications are scattered throughout as casually as bird chirps or car honks .
In one texting thread , Stefani invites Zola to join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trip to Tampa , Florida , to dance at a strip club where they ’ re sure to make buckets of money .
The two have only just met , but Zola goes anyway .
From there , the movie oscillates between laughs and chills .
The boyfriend is Derrek ( Nicholas Braun ) , a demure and kinda stupid layabout who never fully explains what he does for work .
Braun ( Gregg from HBO ’ s “ Succession ” ) , who wields dumb naïveté like Gordon Ramsay wields a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instantly lovable .
The “ roommate , ” who has a resume full of major secrets , is played by Broadway ’ s Colman Domingo .
He flips his switch from dish to dirtbag like a pro .
Bravo is a gifted director I look forward to see more from .
A few films in recent years have captured the hardscrabble vibrancy of Florida — “ Moonlight , ” “ Queen & Slim , ” “ The Florida Project ” — but hers ’ is the first to do so with as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and O ’ Harris ’ brisk writing is gut-busting stuff .
In once scene when Lola is dancing , a nearly toothless man in a sweaty tank top says , “ You look like Whoopi Goldberg.
” It brought the house down .
But it ’ s the core duo that makes all the absurdity real , and absurdly fun .
Paige and Keough are a classic comedy duo — I think of Romy and Michelle — whose energies are so in-sync and old-school you wish they ’ d take Stefani and Zola @ @ @ @ @

PARK CITY, Utah — At long last, a movie based on Twitter. Well, a movie based on an article based on Twitter. OK, a movie based on an article based on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and a partridge in a pear tree.
“Zola,” a nervy, very funny gem that premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival, cleverly traces its origins to social media. In 2015, a Twitter user called @_zolarmoon recounted in 144 tweets an adrenaline-fueled, dangerous and spectacularly weird journey she’d been taken on by a new, not-so-reputable acquaintance. Her tale became a worldwide sensation.
“You wanna hear a story about how me and this b—h fell out?,” Zola (Taylour Paige) says to the camera at the beginning of the film — the first of many hilarious, dry asides. “It’s kinda long, but full of suspense.”
Zola is a black waitress and late-night pole dancer — a highly skilled one, at that. For those of you who thought that “Hustlers” didn’t have enough pole theatrics, you shan’t be disappointed by the sensual athleticism here. Also, being a movie about strippers and hookers, there’s ample nudity, mostly of the male variety. Be warned.
At her Hooters-y eatery, Zola meets Stefani (Riley Keough), a white fellow dancer who stridently speaks as if she was black. You’d wince if you met her, but onscreen it’s a riot.
Although Stefani is irritating as a gnat, she has a certain gravitational pull. Zola is charmed, and they begin texting non-stop, day and night.
The texts start to feel like an uncredited character. Co-written by director Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O’Harris (“Slave Play” on Broadway), the film has a sharp mobile-device vocabulary. Even in its soundscape — harps, xylophones, classical music, Migos’ “Hannah Montana” — text tones and notifications are scattered throughout as casually as bird chirps or car honks.
In one texting thread, Stefani invites Zola to join her, her boyfriend and roommate on a trip to Tampa, Florida, to dance at a strip club where they’re sure to make buckets of money. The two have only just met, but Zola goes anyway. From there, the movie oscillates between laughs and chills.
The boyfriend is Derrek (Nicholas Braun), a demure and kinda stupid layabout who never fully explains what he does for work. Braun (Gregg from HBO’s “Succession”), who wields dumb naïveté like Gordon Ramsay wields a chef’s knife, is perfection. Instantly lovable. The “roommate,” who has a resume full of major secrets, is played by Broadway’s Colman Domingo. He flips his switch from dish to dirtbag like a pro.
Bravo is a gifted director I look forward to seeing more from. A few films in recent years have captured the hardscrabble vibrancy of Florida — “Moonlight,” “Queen & Slim,” “The Florida Project” — but hers’ is the first to do so with as much comedy as artfulness. And her and O’Harris’ brisk writing is gut-busting stuff.
In once scene when Lola is dancing, a nearly toothless man in a sweaty tank top says, “You look like Whoopi Goldberg.” It brought the house down.
But it’s the core duo that makes all the absurdity real, and absurdly fun. Paige and Keough are a classic comedy duo — I think of Romy and Michelle — whose energies are so in-sync and old-school you wish they’d take Stefani and Zola on the Vaudeville circuit.