April 5, 2014
From replay to education, NCAA can’t get it right
Sure hope to be awake for the end of tomorrow’s NCAA final — first shot to see a game determined by a replay monitor review, even if it’s is made...
Conservative media is unintentionally protecting Obama
When it comes to Obama-era scandals, the American Right’s predominant emotion is frustration — a frustration that causes hypertension levels usually seen only in Cubs fans and the unfortunates hired...
Rangers fall to Sens, playoff berth on hold
Like it’s been all season, nothing comes easy for the Rangers. So why would it be any different on Saturday night, when they got their first crack at wrapping up...
Devils topple Hurricanes, point out of playoff spot
RALEIGH, N.C. — Dainus Zubrus scored two goals and the suddenly surging Devils beat the Hurricanes 3-1 on Saturday night. Travis Zajac scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in...
Kevin Garnett makes triumphant return in easy Nets victory
PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Garnett had been away from the Nets for so long that some teammates, and even coach Jason Kidd, joked with him prior to Saturday night’s game against...
Sunday night television is getting geeky
Nerds everywhere have emerged from their winter hiding places now that “Game of Thrones” is back — and it appears that the rest of TV wants to make your Sunday...
This week's must-read books
Sleep Donation by Karen Russell (Atavist Books) A new work from Russell (“Swamplandia!”) is alway welcome, even if we have to settle for a novella. Russell delivers a future America in...
In my library: Scott Z. Burns
Scott Z. Burns has been writing screenplays for a while now, some of which have become Matt Damon films. And hes, he has a favorite story; "When we were shooting...
Kelly ‘praying for miracle’ in cancer battle
Jim Kelly said he was starting radiation treatment Monday for his rare form of oral cancer and was "praying for a miracle'' while attending Friday's Knicks-Wizards game. Sitting courtside with...
It’s not about Gwyneth — it’s the struggle of being a working mom
Last week, I wrote an open letter to Gwyneth Paltrow about some condescending comments she had made in an interview with E!, where she said moms with the “routine” of...
Rob Lowe: A former bad boy's guide to the good life
Rob Lowe should thank his God every day that TMZ didn’t exist back in 1985. Even what little has trickled out about the actor’s wild exploits from that pre-Internet era...
Later, Gators! UConn stops Florida to reach final
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kevin Ollie insisted Connecticut was a complete team, repeating the point over and over as the Shabazz Napier questions kept on coming Friday, one after another, reporters...
Farewell tour not Brodeur’s style
Martin Brodeur sure could have made it easier for all of us if he had just chosen to go out the way Derek Jeter is — by choosing retirement before...
Islanders fall to Capitals in shootout
The Islanders have been playing spoilers to some teams with playoff aspirations, but Saturday wasn’t one of those days. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in regulation and had the only goal in...
Yankees flop in the clutch
TORONTO — The Dead Bat Society went international Saturday. Less than 24 hours after scoring seven runs the Yankees were blanked 4-0 by R.A. Dickey and three Blue Jays relievers....
Feeling ‘great,’ Niese set for season debut
Jon Niese is ready to make his season debut Sunday. The Mets left-hander missed time this spring with left elbow and shoulder issues. Niese pitched in a minor league game...
Andrew F. Smith: My food New York
You can thank the Erie Canal for the cronut, the Reuben sandwich and pretty much every other NYC culinary innovation. The canal opened in 1821 and brought grain, which made...
Why did Christie bother launching Bridgegate investigation?
If the 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes were returned and asked to assess the state of our TV news and political commentary, he might conclude with a variation of his...
Melo shoulders pain as Heat await Knicks
The Knicks are coming off a stinging defeat, one that jarred their playoff hopes, and they head into the belly of the beast, Miami, on Sunday. The Heat, somewhat ornery...
Muslim bus driver's civil rights case going to trial -- after her death
The family of a Muslim bus driver who battled the MTA for years for the right to wear a head scarf at work won a major legal victory — a...
Author argues kids today aren't spoiled—he's wrong
Are today’s young people spoiled, over-praised, mollycoddled? Do we punish our kids less and less while praising them more and more? Do they therefore grow up to be spineless, soft...
When Long Island locals spied on British soldiers
AMC’s new suspense drama “Turn” is about the close-knit band of patriotic spies dubbed the Culper Ring, who effectively changed the course of the Revolutionary War. But ideally, for these...
Will 'Joe' be Nicholas Cage's 'McConaissance'?
A career in Hollywood is always an up-and-down proposition. One day you’re winning the Oscar, the next you’re starring in a straight-to-video flick. Nicolas Cage is one of those actors...
Woody: Amar’e was open for layup
There was so little time for J.R. Smith to react. He got the ball with less than three seconds and flung. But Smith admitted if he had a do-over on...
25 years later, memories still fresh of foul call that robbed Pirates of possible title
Twenty-five years later, the sound of the official’s whistle piercing the vast air space inside the Seattle Kingdome still reverberates in the ears of Seton Hall players and coaches. Twenty-five...
Colin Firth talks Mr.Darcy and his latest 'eye-opening' project
There’s something undeniably thrilling about getting on the phone with Mr. Darcy. Er, Mark Darcy. Colin Firth! For the record, the 53-year-old British actor says he really doesn’t mind the...
America rejoice! Being fat may actually make you healthier
With swimsuit season right around the corner, a new science-based anti-diet book offers the most enabling advice we’ve heard this year: Those thunder thighs you hate so much might be...
Serby unveils first projection of upcoming NFL Draft
The first Serby Mock Draft is certain to leave Giants fans — not to mention Eli Manning — delirious, and Jets draftniks ... well, there never is any way of...
‘Throne' of blood: Daenerys and Daario prepare for battle
Weddings are so much more than joyous celebrations of love in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” In some cases, such as last season’s bloody Red Wedding, they’re an easy way to...
High cost of Citi visits helping to keep Mets fans away
In recent seasons, as the Mets’ payroll plummeted like the 1929 stock market, club officials turned to Major League Baseball’s most disenfranchised teams for inspiration. After all, if the Rays...
Tiger's absence lets others capture Augusta's attention
The spin doctors who make their living off the sport will tell us the absence of Tiger Woods from the 2014 Masters won’t be catastrophic for the golf’s first major...
Davis leads Mets to victory with pinch-hit grand slam
Ike Davis offered up his response to Mets management Saturday, and it was a loud one. Davis belted a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to...
Scott’s Masters win is celebration for himself, Norman & nation
You might remember the 2013 Masters most by the uncharacteristic reaction from the winner. Adam Scott lost himself in euphoric celebration — first on the 18th green at Augusta National,...
Nets rewind: Hotshots at home
Here are three thoughts on the Nets’ 116-104 victory over the Pistons in Brooklyn Friday night: 1. The biggest reason the Nets have been able to win 15 straight home...
Punchless Yankees blanked by Dickey, Blue Jays
TORONTO — Confusion smothered the Yankees’ clubhouse late Saturday afternoon regarding the latest replay scenario. Across the hall in the umpire’s room, confusion didn’t make it under the door. Though...
Don't Miss: Season 3 premiere of HBO's 'Veep'
"Parenthood" (Thursday, 10 p.m., NBC) Crosby (Dax Shepard) finds himself in a tough housing situation and reaches out to Joel (Sam Jaeger) for help. Julia (Erika Christensen) musters up the...
Afghans defy Taliban threat to vote in droves
KABUL, Afghanistan — Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats and rain Saturday, underscoring their enormous expectations from an election that comes as the country's wobbly government prepares to face down...
Hamstring sends Yanks 1B Teixeira to DL
TORONTO — Mark Teixeira’s barking right hamstring won’t undergo tests until Monday, but the Yankees put the switch-hitting first baseman on the 15-day disabled list Saturday. “Unfortunately, it’s very frustrating....
Only pilot to foil mid-air hijacking reveals how he beat terrorists
Forty-four years ago, Uri Bar-Lev became the only pilot to ever foil a midair hijacking – when he stopped a plot by terrorists to take over an El Al plane...
How not to be hated by New Yorkers -- stay out of the way
The idiot hugging the subway pole. The gaggle of friends walking shoulder-to-shoulder down the street. The self-absorbed texter who continues pecking away at the top of the subway stairs. These,...
Say cheers at these 5 new NYC breweries
Gun Hill Brewing Co. 3227 Laconia Ave., The Bronx, 718-881-0010 Gun Hill is the first to establish a physical microbrewery in the northernmost borough. Since opening in March, the space...
Ship looking for missing plane detects 'pulse' signal
PERTH, Australia — Malaysia vowed Saturday that it would not give up on trying to find the missing jetliner and announced details of a multinational investigation team to solve the...
Couple injured in Boston bombing tie knot in dream wedding
A couple who grew closer after surviving the Boston Marathon bombing last April married at a dazzling dream wedding Friday. Rebekah Gregory and Pete DiMartino — who suffered heartbreaking injuries...
‘River Monsters’ uncovers tale of deadly Amazon fish attack
It wasn’t Professor Plum in the conservatory with the candlestick. So who — or, more accurately, what — killed as many as 300 people in Brazil’s Amazon River in 1981?...
Hondo reeling and rocking
Hondo bounced into the black (for real this time) Friday night when the Yankees rolled past the Jays to put the earnings at a solid 15 conines. Apologies for Thursday’s...
Pressure is on Pineda in Yanks debut
The ocean of money, insane hype and unreasonable expectations fell on Masahiro Tanaka’s head. While Friday night’s starter against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre is being counted on to...
Wilbekin sticks with Gators, earns another shot at UConn
ARLINGTON, Texas — Scottie Wilbekin was in the trainer’s room getting treatment on his sprained right ankle when Shabazz Napier beat Florida at the buzzer on Dec. 2. There was...
Mets pen not perfect, but just good enough
The Mets’ bullpen may not have been lights-out Friday night — it allowed two runs in three innings — but it was at least an improvement, and finally good enough...
Too late for many uninsured to sign up for ObamaCare
WASHINGTON — Americans thinking about buying health insurance on their own later this year, or maybe switching to a different insurer, are probably out of luck. The policies are going...
Smith can’t bail out Knicks as last-second heave falls short
To J.R. Smith, it doesn’t matter if he is 12-of-12, zero-for-a-billion or if somebody else is shooting lights out. Smith is a shooter and regardless, he would like the last...
Woodson shouldn't have turned to Carmelo at end
The common practice is you go to your superstar when the game is on the line. That’s just the way it is in the NBA. Check out who gets paid...
Challenge helps Yanks
Manager Joe Girardi challenging a call at first base in the third inning led to the Yankees scoring two runs and taking the lead in Friday night’s game, an eventual...
Mejia is the wild card among Mets' young arms
Lucas Duda, the quiet Met, provided the exclamation points with two home runs, but Jenrry Mejia made quite a statement in his start against the Reds Friday night at a...
Tanaka shows why he's worth every penny
TORONTO — He is the man who broke the plan. The right arm that caused Hal Steinbrenner to give up his quest to keep the 2014 Yankees’ payroll under $189...
Troubled Lamar Odom had sit-down with Jackson
For a second time, Phil Jackson met with a former Laker at halftime during a game as Knicks president. This time, it was a sit-down with Lamar Odom during Wednesday’s...
Black women worried about Army hair regulations
WASHINGTON — New Army regulations meant to help standardize and professionalize soldiers' appearance are now coming under criticism by some black military women, who say changes in the hair requirement...
Mom gets 20 years in breast feeding overdose
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — A judge sentenced a South Carolina woman to 20 years in prison Friday for killing her 6-week-old daughter with what prosecutors say was an overdose of morphine...
Daily Blotter
Manhattan ■ An Australian tourist who brought a blonde back to his room at a posh Chelsea hotel with the hopes of a ménage à trois got royally screwed when...
Bus crashes onto sidewalk, injuring 5
An MTA bus jumped a curb and plowed into a crowded upper Manhattan sidewalk on Friday — injuring five people, including a man who need to have skull fragments removed...
Charter schools in demand despite City Hall disdain
Mayor de Blasio may have issues with Eva Moskowitz’s charter schools, but parents don’t. New data show that the parents of 426 kids in Central Harlem — one out of...
Ex-Brooklyn borough president to promote NYC
Brooklyn’s most boisterous backer is getting bigger bucks to boost the other boroughs. Former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz got tapped Friday as vice president for “borough promotion and engagement”...
Bratton to survey police, public about reactions to NYPD
Top cop Bill Bratton said Friday he wants to get feedback on the NYPD’s job performance from both street cops and members of the public. The commissioner said the first...
Schenectady tops Bronx as worst place in NY for asthma: study
ALBANY — Schenectady has edged out The Bronx as the asthma capital of the state among Medicaid recipients. A report issued Friday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found that 131.3...
Columbia student first to conquer South African cliff
A brave Columbia University student became the first person ever to climb a nearly impossible rock in South Africa — a death-defying feat in which she clung to a cliff...