January 23, 2008
Rincon gets minor league deal
APLeft-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon today agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.Rincon spent last season in the minors with the San Francisco Giants, appearing in...
Kovalchuk suspended
Atlanta forward Ilya Kovalchuk was suspended for one game without pay by the NHL for a hit from behind on Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival, keeping the Thrashers star out of...
Osi ready for Light, Spags to stay
BY PAUL SCHWARTZOsi Umenyiora, meet Matt Light, again.The two will knock heads in Super Bowl XLII and, judging from the way Umenyiora is talking, it won't be a cordial reunion.Light...
Scene
Zora Ginsberg, who works for boutique Lucy's Tiger Den, wears a striped menswear shirt by Rag & Bone and a 3.1 Philip Lim cardigan, carries a Foley + Corina bag,...
ESPN Roasts 'Inappropriate' Co-host
ESPN says Dana Jacobson, co-host of the network's "First Take" program, is being disciplined for remarks made at a celebrity roast for ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.Her...
Report: Mets 'have shot' at Johan
SI.com reports today that the Mets "may actually be the favorite" to land Johan Santana from the Twins, and quotes Omar Minaya as saying, "We have a shot."
Report: Mets lead Santana race
SI.com reports today that the Mets "may actually be the favorite" to land Johan Santana from the Twins, and quotes Omar Minaya as saying, "We have a shot."
Recap: American Idol, Episode 3
The Post's Melissa Jane Kronfeld (M.J.) and David K. Li blog American Idol, Season 7.San Diego was by far the best hour of "America Idol" this season.For the most part,...
JACK NICHOLSON: I WARNED HEATH
Jack Nicholson said he "warned" Heath Ledger before the star died. Nicholson portrayed the Joker in the 1989 movie "Batman" -- a role Ledger took on in the upcoming Batman...
Falcons pass on Spagnuolo
APThe Falcons have zeroed in on Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as the team’s next coach, a person familiar with the search said today.Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also was...
Falcons pass on Spagnuolo
APThe Falcons have offered their head coaching job to Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith, a person familiar with the search said today.Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also was rumored to...
Clemens welcome with Astros
The Houston Chronicle reports that Roger Clemens would be welcome at the Astros' minicamp at Minute Maid Park next week."Roger very much appreciates the Astros standing by him," agent Randy...
Clemens welcome with Astros
The Houston Chronicle reports that Roger Clemens would be welcome at the Astros' minicamp at Minute Maid Park next week."Roger very much appreciates the Astros standing by him," agent Randy...
Ledger Appreciated
For those of you who didn't care for my on-the-spot response to the death of Heath Ledger yesterday, Kyle Smith has a proper appreciation. The red-headed devil had a busy...
Pssst, download "Undertow" on XBLA right now
Just a friendly reminder.
Don Kaplan's 'Moment Of Truth'
The Post's Don Kaplan went under the gun - or should we say lie detector - to test the new controversial quiz show, "The Moment of Truth."The Fox show puts...
Starr Report
"Brothers & Sisters" co-stars Dave Annable and Emily VanCamp (R) were there, nuzzling at Belvedere Bar, while NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman was at Hyde Lounge (Village at the Yard),...
"Mass Effect":::gasp:::nudity!
Day late, dollar short? Enh, whatever. Yesterday, this clip with a crazy lady (Cooper Lawrence) and a sane person (Spike TV's Geoff Keighley) talking about the (untrue) full digital nudity...
BUSTA RHYMES CUTS DEAL TO AVOID JAIL
Rapper Busta Rhymes cut a deal with prosecutors today that keeps him out of jail for two misdemeanor assault charges. Prosecutors wanted Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, to...
Brown and Isiah deserved each other
By MARC BERMANYou should check out the puff piece on Larry Brown in Philadelphia Magazine. Only a couple of graphs were spent on the Knicks as we reported today. Brown,...
NENAD MAY BE NEEDED ADDITION
SACRAMENTO - If it gets much worse, and watching these guys you know that somehow it can, the Nets must do something on the trade front. Ideally, they want to...
POWER SURGE
PHILADELPHIA - Emphatically, if temporarily, the Devils reclaimed the Atlantic Division lead with explosions that rippled their record book. The Devils scored seven for the first time in nearly two...
HILL & BILL & BURKLE
Barack Obama missed a golden oppor tunity during the Democratic debate the other night. Hillary Clinton archly accused him of having represented a Chicago slumlord while practicing law - and...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
BROOKLYN An argument over a football bet landed a Fort Greene man behind bars and his girlfriend in the hospital, authorities said yesterday. Lucius McDaniel, 57, was arguing with his...
'BLOOD'Y OSCARS
Two of Hollywood's darkest dramas - "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" - shined yesterday by scoring eight Oscar nominations apiece, as labor strife threatened to...
EDGY HUNK OF H'WOOD
He was named after Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights," and the intense, brooding Heath Ledger seemed to take the Emily Bronte character to heart. His fellow Aussie actor and mentor, Mel...
CUBA-TRIP PROBE OK'D
City schools investigators have the authority to investigate a public school's controversial field trips to Cuba, a Manhattan judge ruled. In a decision made public yesterday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice...
TOM LOVES N.Y.!
Playmaker Tom Brady is living like a playboy, high-rolling with stunning gal pal Gisele Bundchen at the city's hottest clubs, restaurants and stores instead of resting at his home in...
VILLAGE HOSP PLAN BLASTED
Plans to build a new St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village's historic district have come under fire from preservationists who have offered an alternate plan with smaller towers that spares...
FIERY SLAP AT PRANKSTERS
Two city firefighters charged with setting their Midtown firehouse door ablaze in an idiotic revenge prank are hoping to stay out of jail on felony arson charges - but a...
ONETIME IDYLLIC DAD IN UPSCALE BROOKLYN
They were the perfect, quintessential Brooklyn couple: beautiful, well-off, artistic and choosing to raise their first child on a tony, tree-lined street in one of the borough's new hippest neighborhoods....
SPORTS SHORTS
GOLF: Mickelson back on coursePhil Mickelson is ready to make his debut on the 2008 PGA Tour at this week's Buick Invitational in San Diego after spending the last three...
STORM BRACE FOR PITT STOP
Though the Big East Conference has gotten bigger over the years, the changing world of recruiting continues to make the league an intimate affair. When St. John's hosts Pittsburgh tonight...
PURE OBSCENITY
IF conditions on the streets and sidewalks around Ground Zero re flect the state of things inside the hole, we're in for a miserable result when the site is finally...
'08 RACE: SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT
NEVADA'S caucuses turned a simmering sub text of the Democratic '08 contest into a dominant narrative. South Carolina winnowed out a Republican candidate (whether Mike Huckabee knows it or not)....
DEAD 'BERNIE' TOO MUCH TO BEAR FOR PAL
JAMES O'HARE was in no mood to push his dead buddy through the street. Not again. Just before yesterday's funeral of a guy known in Hell's Kitchen as "Fox"- but...
DEM RIVALS' FIGHTIN' WORDS
SALINAS, Calif. - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama kept up their angry war of words yesterday, as Clinton charged that Obama was spoiling for a fight, and Obama accused...
NIXZMARY'S GIFT
She called him the world's greatest dad. And he repaid her with fists and a belt, say prosecutors. Brooklyn jurors hearing the murder case against the stepfather of murdered 7-year-old...
'HS SEX ROMP' SHOCK
A Rockland County hockey mom had steamy sex romps with two of her son's classmates - on the same weekend - and engaged in boozy, drug-fueled bashes with five more...
'PIPE BOMB' ROOMMATE UNDER FIRE
Columbia University distanced itself from an associate professor yesterday after the nationally known AIDS researcher was grilled by the NYPD and the FBI about a bomb factory his roommate allegedly...
SLICING HALF OF APPLE PIE
ALBANY - Gov. Spitzer yesterday reneged on his promise to fully restore $328 million in municipal aid to the city, proposing in his 2008-09 budget proposal that the city get...
SPITZ TAKES A TAXING U-TURN
ALBANY - Despite his pledge not to raise taxes, Gov. Spitzer yesterday proposed a record $124.3 billion budget that relies heavily on new taxes and fees targeting everyone from drivers...
SNITCH 'N' TELL ON 'SEX' OFFICER
A female informant turned the tables on a crooked cop, dropping a dime on the detective after he crossed the line and had sex with her, officials said yesterday. Officer...
FAST-FOOD JOINTS GET CALORIE TAG
The city Board of Health yesterday approved a new version of a law requiring fast-food outlets to display calorie counts. The law passed last year, which was challenged in court...
STAR'S TRAGIC DEATH IN SOHO
Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger was found naked and dead at the foot of his bed in his SoHo apartment yesterday after he apparently overdosed on anti-anxiety pills. The 28-year-old star's...
THEY WON'T STAND PAT
ELEVEN days from the Perfect Patriots and Super Bowl XLII, the Giants are anything but underdogs in their own minds and hearts. They remember how they played Tom Brady and...
X MARKS THEIR SHOT
TO A man now, the Giants believe they can pull off the perfect upset, believe they are the perfect team to end the Patriots' perfect season, and here's X reasons...
REESE'S PIECES ARE A-OK
JERRY Reese one year ago certainly noted the significance of the timing of his official appointment as general manager of the Giants, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He became...
ARCHIE 'NEVER ENVISIONED' BACK-TO-BACK SUPER SONS
Peyton Manning a year ago. Now Eli Manning, the one with the "quiet fire," a week from Sunday. "We'll be nervous for him, but very excited," proud papa Archie Manning...
ELI WON'T RUN FOR COVER
If the Giants believe in jinxes, they could be in trouble come Super Bowl Sunday. Sports Illustrated has put suddenly Super QB Eli Manning on the cover of its upcoming...
BRODEUR, SUTTER TO SKIP ALL-STARS
PHILADELPHIA - Devils coach Brent Sutter and fan-voted starter Martin Brodeur officially bailed out on Sunday's All-Star Game yesterday, and so the Atlantic Division leaders' representative will be five-goal rookie...
BAD BLOOD COULD SPILL TO BEANTOWN
Circle the date - Feb. 13 at the new Boston Garden. Knicks vs. Celtics. Quentin Richardson vs. Paul Pierce. Isiah Thomas vs. Eddie House. Richardson never got his wish, as...
SALITA'S HOPING FOR OSCAR NIGHT
While WBA junior welterweight champ Gavin Rees seems to want no part of Dmitriy "Star of David" Salita, it appears that Oscar De La Hoya might. A report over the...
STEROID PROBERS SUBPOENA CHUCK
Chuck Knoblauch might not want to answer his door for a few days. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenaed the former Yankee second baseman yesterday after he failed...
SPARE SOME CHANGE? '08 CAMPAIGN BLATHER
"Change to What, Exactly?" is one of the best articles that I've read during the current presidential campaign season (Adam Brodsky, PostOpinion, Jan. 14). Thank you. Antonio Diaz Miami, Fla.****...
THE COUNCIL'S CLEMENTE CLAPTRAP
True to its tradition of sticking its nose where it doesn't belong, the City Council wants to honor baseball great Roberto Clemente by instructing Major League Baseball on how to...
ELIOT'S TREADMILL FOR TAXPAYERS
Gov. Spitzer announced a new standard for Albany budgeteering yesterday. Bad enough that the $124.3 billion plan is heedless of the turbulence in the financial markets and that it proposes...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
How many lives does it take for a kitten to survive a 1,300-mile trip stuffed in a suitcase? At most eight, as 10-month-old tabby Gracie Mae survived the accidental journey...
RUDY'S FLA. FLOOD DRIVE
CORAL GABLES, FLA. - Rudy Giuliani is fishing for a tidal wave of Florida votes - by claiming he's more interested in tackling the hurricane-related insurance crisis here than John...
MAC $CORES IN NY
Sen. John McCain hit sagging rival Rudy Giuliani's turf last night, picking up campaign cash and an endorsement from ex-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. D'Amato called McCain a man of "principle and...
SCHOOLKIDS LEFT STRANDED
Parents at a Brooklyn high school were the last to know that a bus bringing their kids back from a getaway in Chicago had broken down - stranding their kids...
A NEEDED THRASHING
After last night's 4-0 victory over the Thrashers at the Garden, the Rangers only have two fewer wins this month than the Knicks. In other words, let's not start planning...
ERNIE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ELI
Not once. Not after a terrible four-interception flop against the Vikings or a dismal 35-incompletion outing against the Redskins or a five-fumble, two interception performance in Buffalo did Ernie Accorsi...
SECURITY THUGS WENT SIC-O ON ME
IF the Knick defense played with the same brute force as Garden security, the franchise wouldn't be the shame of the city. The Knicks and Celtics played a chippy one...
MARBURY OK AFTER SURGERY
As expected, Stephon Marbury underwent yesterday what the Knicks called "successful"' surgery on bones spurs in his ankle, leaving his Knicks career in doubt. The Knicks said Marbury is "out...
HAPPY ENDY: CHAVEZ RE-UPS WITH METS
Endy Chavez avoided arbitration and signed a two-year, $3.85 million contract yesterday with the Mets. If the Mets do trade prospects Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez in a deal for...
SAFETY MATT
The following are words from Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel late this summer following a preseason game with the Giants, against whom he started and helped lead New England to...
DOC FRIEDEN'S FOOD VOODOO
THE city Health Department yesterday passed new regulations forcing some res taurants to post calorie content for all the food on the menu board. Though the department claims the rules...
BAD NEWS BEAR
THE next American presi dent will likely face an in creasingly frosty relation ship with an increasingly mighty Mother Russia. With the liberal-democratic experiment plainly over, today's Russia is authoritarian...
LOTTERY
NEW YORK Midday Nos. Tue.: 712; Lucky Sum: 10 / Midday Win-4 Tue.: 9350; Lucky Sum: 17 / Evening Nos. Tue.: 264; Lucky Sum: 12; Evening Win-4 Tue.: 2090; Lucky...
HE STOOD OUT FROM THE START
IN the spring of 1999, at the height of the WB-network sensibility that was flooding multiplexes with date comedies for high-school girls, no one was expecting much from "10 Things...
$20M FOR BUBBA
Bill Clinton is poised to take in a $20 million windfall when he severs his ties to billionaire Ron Burkle's Yucaipa investment firm - shielding his wife's campaign from potential...
BROKE GALLERY'S RARE-BOOK SALE
The world-renowned - and now bankrupt - Salander-O'Reilly Gallery is turning its famed art library into a pricey bookstore. The debt-ridden gallery's chief-restructuring officer, Joe Sarachek, said officials have been...
PREZ-HYPING BLOOMY AIDE IN SCHEDULING 'COVER-UP'
Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey - who's laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run by Mayor Bloomberg - released 18 months of his private schedules yesterday containing more than 600...
HISTORIC CHURCH UP FOR DEMOLITION
The New York Archdiocese is moving to demolish a shuttered, 99-year-old Lithuanian church in lower Manhattan church, outraging parish supporters who have appealed to the Vatican to have it reopened....
ONLY 5,550 TIX FOR TRUE BLUE FANS
Just half of the Giants' tickets allotment will be available for fans, the team said yesterday. That means just 5,550 coveted ducats will be placed in the lottery for season-ticket...
SENIOR CENTERS: ALL WILL BE 'WELL'
The city's senior centers, whose basic function has been providing lunches to the elderly for 40 years, will soon be transformed into spa-like "wellness centers" with an array of services...
IT'S A GARDEN OF ... 'SPIES' & GOONS
Former Knick coach Larry Brown finally struck back at the franchise, complaining about "spies throughout the arena" watching his movements and the cold shoulder he received in his final doomed...
NO STOP IN 'EM
SACRAMENTO - In their three previous games, the Nets surrendered 111, 120 and 116 points. So there had to be some consolation in holding the Kings to 97. Oh, wait....
HIS TYNES TO SHINE
THE NEWS kept getting worse for Larry Blakeney, who was supposed to go onstage in a few minutes at the Opryland Hotel and address nearly a thousand football coaches on...
GIANTS FACE AN 'OFFICIAL' REMATCH IN SUPE AS WELL
The officials for Super Bowl XLII were chosen based on merit, as those receiving the highest rankings at each position receive the honor of working a Super Bowl. That means...
APPLE TURNOVER
Ho-ho home run Christmas quarter numbers for tech giant Apple Inc. got a decidedly jolly-free reception from Wall Street yesterday amid sky-high expectations and new fears over consumers' appetite for...
OFF-MARKET TRANSACTION
A family-owned portfolio quietly traded on Jan. 10 for more than $300 million to a fund controlled by RREEF Alternative Investments, the global alternative investment management business run by Deutsche...
METRO NEWSPAPERS SEND 2 PUBLISHERS PACKING
METRO'S freebie daily newspaper empire continues to unravel with the sudden exit of publishers for both the Boston and New York City editions. Daniel Magnus, Metro New York publisher for...
SCALLOPS ATTACK!
HERE'S a plea to every restaurant that sends out a sea scallop "compliments of the chef": Ask the people first. It's bad enough that many scallops are flavorless and watery....
RINGO STORMS OFF REGIS IN DISPUTE OVER SONG
RINGO Starr bolted from his scheduled appearance on yesterday's "Live with Regis & Kelly" - after refusing to shorten a song he planned to perform on the show. Starr, 67,...
BUSH ON STIMULUS: JUST DO IT QUICKLY
WASHINGTON - President Bush and Democrats in Congress choked down their usual partisan rancor yesterday and huddled at the White House to map out an economic stimulus package. "Everybody wants...
MARKETS HAVE BIG BEN CUTTING INTEREST RATES
It's not over yet. The Fed's sudden and dramatic 0.75 percent rate cut yesterday morning is just the first step in what most traders and investors see as a prolonged...
FLEX FACTOR
THERE may soon be a day when we see a celebrity try to pull a car with his teeth. Michael Davies, the producer of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire,"...
GOOGLE, PUBLICIS TEAM UP
Google and French ad giant Publicis Groupe are new best friends - but don't expect any hook-ups. In a somewhat odd announcement yesterday, the two companies said they were working...
BUYING OPPORTUNITY
Shares of retailers bounced on the Federal Reserve's surprise rate cut, but it's not clear that they've yet hit a bottom. Retail stocks have been among the hardest hit on...
THRILLS AND PILLS
HAROLD L. "Doc" Humes was an icon of the counter culture, even though in his prime he looked more like a CPA. But looks can be deceiving, as we discover...
TO TELL THE 'TRUTH'
CRINGE-inducing televi sion takes a big jump tonight when Fox debuts the controversial new quiz show "The Moment of Truth." The show, an international sensation that began in 2006 on...
DEMS DEBATE SETS A RECORD
TELEVISED political debates continue to draw record-breaking audiences - in what's shaping up as the most unpredictable presidential race in recent memory. Monday's Democratic debate in South Carolina, which turned...
PLACING BLAME'S NOT JUST THE TICKET
IT'S official: Mel Brooks has a few bolts loose. The poor reviews and poisonous industry word-of- mouth for "Young Frankenstein" clearly have rattled the old shtickmeister. How else to explain...
GLOBAL WARMING SUSPECTS, CAN YOU FIND THE GUILTY PARTY?
Our series, "GlobalWarming," continues. HERE'S an explanation of a few key components related to global warming. GREENHOUSE EFFECT: The natural warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to a blanket of...
ONE GIANT GIFT
With two weeks to go before the Super Bowl, New York's television and radio stations are already emerging as the big winners. Whether the underdog Giants prevail over the undefeated...
FROM THE BRINK
A bloodied Wall Street climbed up off the mat yesterday - with an assist from a surprise interest-rate cut - bouncing back from a stark early-morning plunge. A day after...
PRINCELY SUM NETS 'HAMLET'
PARK CITY, Utah - After several days of drought, the Sundance Film Festival yesterday recorded its first major sale, with Focus Features buying "Hamlet 2" in the wee hours after...
3-D SHOW RATTLES & HUMS
THERE'S confident, there's cocky, and then there's Bono. Reimagining the concert film with "U2 3D," he and his Irish mates conjure up a blizzard of sound and vision that sets...
NOMINEES DEAD-ON
'DARK films for dark times" appears to be Oscar's mantra this year. How dark, you ask? Four of the five Best Picture nominees are about violent death engineered by powerful...
STARR REPORT
Workin' it (or not) You read about celebrities partying, in columns like this one, and you wonder: do these people ever work? I guess the writers' strike has created lots...
FRESH AIR
IT'S been 23 years, and everyone still wants to be like Mike. The new limited-release, Carolina-blue, Tinker Hatfield-designed Air Jordan XX3's are out this Friday. And in typical Jordan Brand...
Inspiration or Illusion?
Ok, so now what?All season long the Rangers have thrown in games like the one they played tonight. They took advantage of a sluggish Thrashers team and whopped them 4-0,...
O.M.G.
Jersey boys Christian Cabello, 29, Marko, 25 Mike Higuera, 20 all crossed the river and pulled up seats outside Footlocker in Herald Square today to wait for the Air Jordan...
BRITNEY'S PAPARAZZO BOYFRIEND'S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE
Paparazzo Adnan Ghalib's wife apparently had enough of him spending time with Britney Spears. Azlynn Elizabeth Berry has filed papers to end the couple's five-year marriage. She cited "irreconcilable differences."