October 7, 2006

Knicks' Grunwald still feeling his way

By MARC BERMANCHARLESTON – On the last day of training camp at the College of Charleston, the beat writers finally got to talk to Glen Grunwald, the former Raptors GM...

RANDOM THOUGHTS

By KEVIN KERNANLOS ANGELES -- Waiting for the first pitch of the Mets game here in sunny Southern California, here are some random thoughts while watching the middle innings of...

THE GOOG TUBE ; YOUTUBE IN $1.6B SALE TALKS WITH GOOGLE

Now that his online video site is in talks to be acquired by Internet giant Google, YouTube founder Chad Hurley has 1.6 billion reasons to say, "I'm Feeling Lucky." The...

COUNT VORNADO AMONG STUYTOWN BIDDERS

The field of surviving bidders for Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village won't be announced until Monday, but one very well-financed, politically connected team has been given the green light for the...

'JERRY'IN 'TOONON CW

WATCHING a cat get smashed in the face with a frying pan hasn't looked this good since the 1940s. "Tom & Jerry Tales," a new edition of the classic cat-and-mouse...

THE END IS NEAR - FLAVOR LINGERS LONG AFTER THE 'LOVE' FADES

I can't believe I missed all the fun of "Flavor of Love 2." Somehow, between Aug. 6 (when the show's new season began) and yesterday (when I watched a preview...

ROSELLA'S CLOTHES CALL; SOLD CAR TO LOOK GOOD FOR 'BACHELOR' BUT WAS BOOTED

ROSELLA Fratto, one of the first girls tossed off of this season's "The Bachelor," isn't bitter - even though she sold her car to buy clothes for the show. "Was...

RUN- N.Y.C. - BREAK OUT THE KANGOL AND ADIDAS FOR HIP HOP HONORS WEEK

ee HIP-HOP Page 24 PULSE WHEN Run-D.M.C. hooked up with Aerosmith for 1986's "Walk This Way," they took hip-hop to the masses, paving the way for the (then) underground genre...

MULTI CULTURE

SOMETIMES, you really can have it all - a Brazilian bikini wax, a snack and some shopping. Or how about a massage, a mani and a martini? Check out the...

PIRROS IN ETHICS WOE OVER ATT'Y RENT

ALBANY - Al Pirro received rent from a top defense lawyer who at the time had dealings with his wife, then-Westchester District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, newly released disclosure forms show....

BIG 'FAT' $UIT; LAWYER: CRUEL PARTNERS TORMENTED ME

A Manhattan lawyer says he was taunted by colleagues at his former firm because he was too nice. When Steven Behar "fraternized with the legal assistants and the other staff"...

KNIFER 'ARMED' & DANGEROUS

A New Jersey Chuck E. Cheese's has to fork over $15,000 after a jury found that it should have figured an employee could be violent because he had a tattoo...

BUBBA SNACK ATTACK

Once a sucker for fat-drenched burgers and deep-fried goodies, a trim former President Bill Clinton has expanded his crusade against junk food and childhood obesity to the snacks sold in...

BUSH IN BID TO SAVE DENNIS THE MENACED; JOINS GOP BRASS BACKING SPEAKER

WASHINGTON - Republican heavyweights circled the wagons around House Speaker Dennis Hastert yesterday, seeking to stop this week's political bloodletting over the congressional-page cybersex scandal. After Hastert (R-Ill.) said he...

PRAYER & 'MIRACLE' FOR GIRL - ONCE-HOPELESS SHOOT VICTIM NOW ON MEND

GEORGETOWN, Pa. - As the Amish buried the last of five victims in the schoolhouse rampage, a glimmer of hope emerged yesterday as a survivor who had been taken off...

JUDGE RIPS INSURER ON 9/11 PAY 'BREAK'

A federal judge rapped Prudential Insurance for denying disability benefits to a woman whose right forearm was fractured in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack - and ordered her paid...

N.J. SEX-ED TEACH 'BEDDED' BOY, 13; 300G BAIL FOR MARRIED MOM

One of the jobs that 32-year-old Amy Burke held at a New Jersey middle school was sex-ed teacher - but she apparently took that job a little too literally with...

SLAIN RUDY AIDE'S PLEA

Naked in his Greenwich Village bed, with the hands of his hired lover turned killer tightening around his neck, former Rudy Giuliani mayoral aide Martin Barreto begged for his life,...

WOMAN SET FATAL FIRE TO AVENGE EVICTED GAL PALS: DA

A Queens woman knew innocent victims would be trapped inside when she deliberately lit a July 18 fire, then coldly watched it destroy five houses - and kill two people,...

ALLIE BOY'S EX-LAWYER GRILLED

The former lawyer for acting Colombo boss Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico was grilled by prosecutors yesterday about a meeting he had with his old client that took place the same...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

MANHATTAN *** Police are asking for the public's assistance in identifying a Bible-carrying thief who robbed a bank in the Financial District, police sources said yesterday. The bearded suspect (above)...

FREE SCREECH AT COLUMBIA; BLOOMBERG BLASTS ROSTRUM RUFFIANS

Mayor Bloomberg took the unusual step yesterday of criticizing the president of Columbia University for not doing enough to foster free speech on the Ivy League campus. His harshly worded...

KARR LESSON NOT LEARNED

You'd think he'd have learned a lesson, but one-time JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr would like to teach again. A day after a California judge dismissed five-year-old child-pornography...

B'KLYN MAN MEETS DEATH IN MONSTER'S LINE OF FIRE

A hardworking Brooklyn truck mechanic was shot and killed yesterday when he unwittingly got mixed up in a robbery Julio "Jay" Torres, 41, who was married with three children, was...

LOVE AT 1ST $IGHT; GEEZER MY BEAU: GAL

The bottle-blonde accused of sweetly swindling an 85-year-old Queens man out of his $800,000 life savings claims she was in a loving relationship with the gentleman 66 years her senior....

RAPPER IN HOSP AFTER SMASH

The rapper Cassidy was in a hospital yesterday after suffering a fractured skull in a Jersey City car crash. The hip-hop star was riding to a recording studio in Yonkers...

8,600 CITY MANAGERS GETTING BIG PAY BOOST

Top city commissioners will soon be making close to $190,000 under raises granted yesterday by Mayor Bloomberg to 8,600 managers. The raises - 2 percent retroactive to Aug. 1 and...

2 LOUIMA COPS SUE

Two ex-cops involved in the Abner Louima torture case have filed suit to get back their old jobs and hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay. Thomas Bruder and...

DNA 'MIRACLE' CLUE SPRINGS MAN WRONGLY JAILED FOR '83 HORROR RAPE

DNA evidence obtained from a 23-year-old pair of sweatpants set a wrongly convicted rape suspect free yesterday after more than two decades in prison. Scott Fappiano was a Brooklyn street...

NASA'S FAVORITE MARTIAN PIX

NASA yesterday released stunning close-ups of a vast Martian crater taken by a robotic rover and an orbiting spacecraft that are exploring the surface of the Red Planet. Scientists said...

BUSH-LEAGUE MOVIE GETS SHOT DOWN

WASHINGTON - Major cinema chains are refusing to carry the inflammatory independent film that depicts the assassination of President Bush. The controversial flick, "Death of a President," has been rejected...

SOHO HOTEL DEATH LEAP

A California man plunged 11 stories to his death yesterday from a SoHo hotel where he was staying, authorities said. William Claudio, 34, of Glendale, is believed to have jumped...

LINEUP SWITCH A BUST

YANKEE NOTES DETROIT - Joe Torre's late decision to use Bernie Williams as the DH, shift Jason Giambi to first base and bench Gary Sheffield didn't pay off. Torre made...

TIGERS KEEPING EVEN KEEL

DETROIT - A colleague here in Motown leaned over in the top of the ninth inning and said, "Can you imagine the Yankees waiting 19 years for a playoff game?"...

RAPPER CRACKS SKULL IN SMASH

The rapper Cassidy was in a hospital yesterday after suffering a fractured skull in a Jersey City car crash, according to published reports. The hip-hop star - whose album Split...

CHEWS SNACKS WISELY

Once a sucker for fatdrenched burgers and deep-fried goodies, a trim former President Bill Clinton has expanded his crusade against junk food and childhood obesity to the snacks sold in...

CLICKS AWAY FOR CHARITY

Raising money for your favorite cause is just a click away on the Internet - and won't cost you a cent. GoodSearch.com, is a new search engine geared to the...

FINAL PLEA OF SLAIN RUDY AIDE

Naked in his Greenwich Village bed, with the hands of his hired-lover- turnedkiller tightening around his neck, former Rudy Giuliani mayoral aide Martin Barreto begged for his life, according to...

BUSH-LEAGUE FLICK IS SHOT DOWN BY THEATERS

WASHINGTON - Major cinema chains are refusing to carry the inflammatory, award-winning independent film that depicts the assassination of President Bush. The controversial flick, "Death of a President," has been...

TIME FOR JARET TO WRIGHT SHIP

Nine years - and two shoulder surgeries - later, Jaret Wright is still looking for another postseason victory. The Yankees can't afford to wait any longer. Wright, tabbed to start...

YANKS' LOSS IS UN-KENNY; TEAM ON BRINK AFTER ROGERS' GEM; JOE FUMES

GAME 3Tigers 6Yankees 0 DETROIT - Across nine innings, Joe Torre watched his Men Without Bats get dominated by Kenny Rogers. So, in the aftermath of the Yankees' embarrassing 6-0...

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE; MISTER ROGERS WELCOMES YANKS TO HIS 'HOOD

DETROIT - Welcome to Kenny Rogers' neighborhood. It is a long way from the Bronx and the House of Bedlam known as Yankee Stadium. A man like Rogers can come...

BIG UNIT CAN'T MATCH GAMBLER

DETROIT - All the Yankees have a back problem now - namely, their backs are up against a brick wall in a dark alley in Motown. Just as many Yankees...

BERNARDINI GOES FOR THE GOLD CUP

Pick 6 plungers chasing the $456,860 carryover at Belmont Park got a reprieve yesterday when the Pick 6 was postponed due to technical difficulties. The final five races (6-10) of...

C'MON, IT'S NOT ALL A-ROD'S FAULT

DETROIT - Alex Rodriguez was not a distraction to his fellow Yankees in ALDS Game 2, as was so widely interpreted. He was the greatest thing to happen to so...

ANSWER THE BEL; CARLOS SEEKS FIRST HIT IN NLDS

MET NOTES LOS ANGELES - Carlos Beltran's postseason isn't going as magnificently as his last one did. Through two games of the NLDS, Beltran has had a mediocre start in...

PHONE SNAFU NIXES PICK 6

With a three-day Pick 6 carryover of close to 457G up for grabs - the biggest since a 526G carryover Oct. 1, 2005 - there was a major snafu for...

MAR OF THE SAME ; STEPHON: BROWN DEALT FOR FRANCIS TO FORCE ME OUT

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Stephon Marbury dropped another bomb on Larry Brown yesterday, saying he believes the former Knicks coach pushed for the Steve Francis trade as a way to phase...

SIXTH-MAN HOUSE FINDS HOME WITH NETS

To Eddie House and the Nets, it was a no-brainer. House is a shooter. He was looking for a good team. The Nets, a good team, needed a shooter. Sometimes,...

YANKS' LOSS IS UN-KENNY ; ROGERS' GEM PUSHES BOMBERS TO BRINK

DETROIT - The lineup card Joe Torre sent to the Tigers at 4:30 yesterday afternoon was the exact same one the Yankees used in ALDS Games 1 and 2, with...

THE WAY IT OUGHTA BE

LOS ANGELES - Now you understand why Omar Minaya wanted to build an athletic team. Every time you talk to the Mets GM, he is preaching: "We want athletes." Now...

MADDUX GIVES DODGERS SHOT IN ARM

LOS ANGELES - With the Dodgers facing possible elimination in tonight's NLDS Game 3, they'll send Greg Maddux to the mound. How ironic that the four-time Cy Young winner might...

'88 NLCS 'AWFUL' FOR AMAZIN'S

LOS ANGELES - Ron Darling swears he does not remember one pitch. Mention the 1988 National League Championship Series and his face goes blank. "I honestly have no memories of...

BOMBERS FACE 3RD 'AMIGO'

DETROIT - The Yankees already have met two of the "Three Amigos." Justin Verlander, the 21-year-old flame thrower, showed uncanny poise and maturity in his first postseason start Thursday. When...

L.A. CAN'T DODGE THE INJURY BUG

LOS ANGELES - The Mets have lost Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez; now the Dodgers' injuries are mounting. Nomar Garciparra is out of the lineup with a torn quad, and...

STEVE GETS BACK ON TRACH THIS YEAR

LOS ANGELES - A little more than a year ago, Steve Trachsel's future with the Mets was in doubt. The pitcher returned from back surgery, threw a two-hitter in his...

RAISING 'CANE; DEVILS GAIN REVENGE ON CUP CHAMPS

Devils 4Hurricanes 0 RALEIGH, N.C. - This was opening with a vengeance. Gaining all the solace they could from their first game of the year, the Devils last night buried...

OFFENSE IS NOT ALL A-ROD'S FAULT

DETROIT - Blame Alex Rodriguez if you want. It is easy and in vogue, and he did have yet another hitless postseason game. But that is too simple an explanation...

NO SHEFF LEAVES A BAD TASTE

Joe Torre went with the numbers, and he either backed it up with his gut or his heart. It didn't work. Torre saw what Bernie Williams had done against Kenny...

PAPER TIGERS - YANKS' EXPENSIVE SHIP NEEDS TO BE WRIGHT-ED

A $200 million-plus Yankees payroll is swirling down the drain again, and the stopper has to be Jaret Wright. What two days ago was deemed one of the best lineups...

ROGERS' GEM PUSHES BOMBERS TO BRINK

GAME 3 TIGERS 6 YANKEES 0 DETROIT - Twice in his first two Octobers as a Yankee, Randy Johnson has been asked to deliver seriesturning performances. On each occasion he...

SHEFF'S TOLD - GARY IRKED BY BENCHING FOR GAME 3

DETROIT - The lineup card Joe Torre sent to the Tigers at 4:30 yesterday afternoon was the exact same one the Yankees used in ALDS Games 1 and 2, with...

DAMON'S KNEE SORE

YANKEE NOTES DETROIT - Joe Torre admitted Johnny Damon's left knee was sore, but beyond that the Yankees manager wasn't interested in investigating the matter further. Asked if Damon's knee...

GIAMBI GETS CALL AT FIRST

DETROIT - When Joe Torre saw Jason Giambi at Comerica Park yesterday afternoon, he immediately asked him, "Did you bring your first baseman's mitt?" "Yeah, skip, what do you want...

COMFORT ZONE - JOE GIVES BERNIE START VS. ROGERS

DETROIT - Strictly baseball business, said Joe Torre. The fact that Bernie Williams is living, breathing Yankees history was secondary to his history against Kenny Rogers. Williams came into last...

CLOSING TIME- AS WILLIE KNOWS WELL, TOP TEAMS GO FOR JUGULAR

LOS ANGELES - The Mets have had themselves a hell of a week so far. They've played loose, they've played with confidence, they've established with vengeance that they are a...

CLOSING TIME- AS WILLIE KNOWS WELL, THE BEST TEAMS GO FOR JUGULAR

LOS ANGELES - The Mets have had themselves a hell of a week so far. They've played loose, they've played with confidence, they've established with vengeance that they are a...

MAGIC MARCUS - FORMER YANKEE STARS FOR TIGERS

The memory will live forever in Marcus Thames' heart and soul. A small-town kid from the South, he had bumped around the minor leagues for the better part of five...

ZUMAYA TURNING UP THE HEAT OUT OF BULLPEN

DETROIT - Joel Zumaya's story sounds very much like those of the thousands of Mexican boxers who literally try to fight their way out of the hard streets of cities...

SWEEP TOOTH - METS HUNGER TO FINISH OFF L.A. IN THREE

LOS ANGELES - In the Mets' first postseason and in their most recent postseason, they also did it. This is the third time that the Mets are up 2-0 in...

MAINE SET TO PITCH ON SHORT REST

MET NOTES LOS ANGELES - If there is an NLDS Game 4 tomorrow, John Maine said he believes he can handle it on short rest. Willie Randolph said Thursday that...

IRON MAINE - STARTER SET TO PITCH ON SHORT REST

LOS ANGELES - If there is an NLDS Game 4 tomorrow, John Maine said he believes he can handle it on short rest. Willie Randolph said Thursday that Maine was...

ON TRACH FOR FIRST PLAYOFF START

LOS ANGELES - Steve Trachsel has pitched for 13 years, but tonight he'll get his first taste of postseason baseball. The 35-year-old pitched the one-game playoff for the Cubs in...

SECONDARY JINTS' PRIMARY CONCERN

How is it that receivers have run so unencumbered, so free and easy against the Giants that it actually looks as if the defensive approach is to avoid all contact...

JET OL IN RUSH TO GAIN GROUND

They are blocking for Kevan Barlow, Cedric Houston and Derrick Blaylock these days, not Curtis Martin. Still, when Brandon Moore and the rest of the Jets offensive line studies the...

QUIET CAPTAIN - DEVS' ELIAS TO EMULATE STEVENS

RALEIGH, N.C. - The new Devils captain has a rules lieutenant. When Patrik Elias needs to argue a point with refs, he'll seek advice. "I'll just talk to Johnny [Madden],"...

WOLFE AT THE HEISMAN DOOR

ONE of the most popular sentiments in college football over the last decade has been the narrowing gap between BCS and non-BCS schools. Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio), Brian Urlacher...

PIGSKIN PROFIT

LENN ROBBINS PICKS TODAY'S GAMES STANFORD at NOTRE DAME 2:30 p.m. Ch.4 Line: ND by 311/2. Angle: The Irish (4-1) found their offensive groove against Purdue and there's no reason...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A German lawyer is angling for more business by pursuing government compensation claims for people who believe they've been abducted by aliens. "There is quite obviously demand for legal advice...

Week 5 Lineup help

Trying to separate yourself from the pack? Keep pace with your league leaders? Climb back into contention?Here’s some guys who could help you this week: Start’emJoseph Addai (RB) Colts, vs....