Tony Mangia On Assignment in Africa Until Nov. 29

A message to readers of The Other Paper:

I will be in Kenya for the next few weeks hoping to see some real lions and, depending on availability of a computer and sports subject relevance, I will be posting only periodically while I am gone.  Please keep checking to see if anything new is posted on The Other Paper.  I will return to regular postings on Dec. 1.

Hopefully by then, St. John's will be 7-0 and ready to beat UK, the Giants will be 9-2, the Yankees will have a real #2 pitcher signed and Kim Kardashian has found true love.  As for the NBA lockout...whatever.

Thanks for your support & Happy Thanksgiving-- Tony Mangia

Blake Griffin is Odds-On Favorite to be Kim Kardashian's Next Suitor

It's barely been a week since Kim Kardashian filed for divorce, but bookmakers are already placing odds on who will be the reality star's next date.

Several off-shore gambling houses have opened up wagering on who will be Kardashian's next suitor and it looks like an eclectic mix of athletes and entertainers are at the top of the odds board, according to the New York Daily News.

Blake Griffin has been installed as a 5-1 favorite to be the successor to Kris Humphries as the next man to have his life exploited by the Kardashian clan.

Why not?  Griffin has a lot of the qualifications the shamelessly, self-promoting Kardashian seems to admire.  He's highly visible, bi-racial and plays a professional sport.

Caution to all wagerers, the NBA players are still locked out— so Griffin might have too much time on his hands— and we know how that turned out with Humphries and KK the last time.

The over/under for how long a Blakarshian/Kardashifinn (?) relationship would last is the same as the probable length of the NBA season and her last marriage—72 days.

Kanye West has been installed as a distant second at 8-1, while former flame, NFL running back Reggie Bush is being touted, along with actor Ryan Reynolds, as 10-1 odds.

Save your money on longshots Usher (12-1) and Derek Jeter (14-1), but tuck a little away for dark horses George Clooney and Justin Timberlake.

Angry Cleveland Browns Fan Yells At Stadium

A frustrated Cleveland Browns fan named Mike stood outside Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday night and let the deserted structure know exactly how he felt about it.

The ranting fan stood outside the stadium after a 30-12 loss to the Houston Texans and called the defenseless building a "factory of sadness." 

The man's pain is shared by every season ticket holder from D.C. to St. Louis to Seattle.

The weird thing is the Browns played in Houston, so this guy was so angry, he went to the stadium just to scold it.

The fan—wearing a # 64 Ryan Pontbriand jersey—sarcastically tells the silent building, "Thank god we built you" and complains that all he gets back from it is "10 miserable games a year... and one sh--- Kenny Chesney concert."

Hey Mike, don't be hatin' the house—hate the family inside.

SEE ENTIRE RANT VIDEO

Tom Brady Went From Elite QB To An Irate One

If Eli Manning finally proved to the world he should be considered an "elite" quarterback—in the class of Tom Brady—with his late-game heroics on Sunday, it was was the New York Giants defense which may have turned the New England Patriots QB into an irate one.

The Giants D was all over the All-everything QB during Sunday's 24-20 win but Brady's frustration reached an early boil when one of his passes was tipped into Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka's  hands in the second quarter.

Brady vented his frustration after the drive-killing INT by heading to the bench, slamming a cup of Gatorade to the ground and getting a power drink spritz.  It looked like the cold sprinkle even caught the pissed off signal-caller off guard.

It wasn't only the Giants coverage that made Brady's afternoon miserable all day.  The pass rush was all over him—resulting in two sacks, three knockdowns and over a dozen hurries.  Something the New England glamor boy isn't used to—especially in his home stadium.

The Patriots lost at home for the first time in 20 games.

While Brady wasn't terrible, it Manning who looked more elite after rallying the Giants on a game-winning 80-yard, eight play drive with 15 seconds left in the game.  It was moments after Brady had given New England their own last minute 20-17 lead with 1:36 to go.

The way things are going for the Patriots right now, Brady may be seeing more Gatorade sprinkles than showers.

Eli Manning Outduels Elite Brady; Giants Beat Patriots, 24-20

Eli Manning may have finally justified using the word "elite" when describing his game after he marched the New York Giants 80 yards on eight plays in the waning seconds to defeat the New England Patriots, 24-20, in Foxboro today.

This was the first meeting between the two teams since 2007—when Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl victory.  Even after that momentous victory, the Giants quarterback is still having a hard time trying to convince fans he should be mentioned in the same breath as Tom Brady.

In that game, the Giants broke the hearts of Patriots fans and New England's shot at a perfect 19-0 season.  Today, the Giants broke their hearts again along with the Pats 20-game home win streak.

More importantly, Manning proved he could do it again.

Manning—who compared himself to the "elite" Brady in an interview this year— has been criticized for the remark all season.  Today, he might have put the Eli-bashers to rest.

The Giants trailed, 17-20, after Brady pulled another patented last minute drive out of his own hat and hit TE Ron Gronkowski just over the end zone line with 1:36 remaining in the game.

After the kick-off, the Giants (6-2) started at their own twenty before Manning began driving the Giants to the winning touchdown.  The team was helped by a 20-yard pass interference call on Patriots safety Sergio Brown on the one-yard line two plays before Manning hit TE Jake Ballard with a toss in the left corner of the end zone with :15 remaining on the clock.

The game was a sloppily-played defensive match throughout the first half.  The score was 0-0 at half time and the Giants missed tackles and dropped passes.  In the fourth quarter, Brady came alive and the G-Men looked tired and beaten.

The Giants quarterback came up big when it counted.

Manning finished the game with 250 yards on 20-of-39 passing and two TDs and one INT.  He might have had better stats if his receivers and backs didn't drop half-a-dozen throws and his favorite target, Hakeem Nicks, wasn't sidelined.  But in crunch time, Manning was superb or more appropiately—elite.  Manning threw both of his TD passes in the final 3:03 of the game.

Brandon Jacobs was the workhorse out of the backfield and finished the game with 72 yards on 18 carries and a 10-yard TD.  While he wasn't spectacular, the 260 pound Jacobs—who complained earlier about his lack of playing time— was serviceable in the absence of starter Ahmad Bradshaw.

Manning, meanwhile, proved he is becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league.  He may not have the arm of Aaron Rodgers or the precision of Brady, but he manages to win.

Today's game was the first in a brutal row of teams on the Giants schedule.  Manning will have to prove himself against six of the best teams in the NFL over the next eight weeks if he wants to keep in elite company.

Giants Limp Into Game Against Patriots; No Surgery For Bradshaw

It didn't take long for the New York Giants to turn their practice facility back into a M*A*S*H unit after fielding a full roster for the first time last week. The only good news out of Giants camp today is the news that Ahmad Bradshaw won't need surgery on his broken foot.

The running back is still listed as "doubtful" for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. 

Joining Bradshaw on the doubtful list are DE Jason Pierre-Paul (concussion), wide-out Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) and center David Baas (knee).

Tom Coughlin updated the condition of Bradshaw's right foot after Friday's practice.

"The doctors felt that it wouldn't be necessary for him to have surgery right now," the head coach said.

He said that Bradshaw might try to play through the injury but it was unlikely the team would take a chance.  Bradshaw played the last eight games of the 2009 season with the same symptoms.

Coughlin said Pierre-Paul would be a game time decision after showing signs of concussed head— the result of getting sandwiched between two helmets during Thursday's practice.

"I didn't think anything of it, and then all of a sudden he was off to the side, didn't feel so good so they shut him right down," said Coughlin.  "He had a headache, so we put him through all the tests for a possible concussion.  We'll see how that goes."

Losing Pierre-Paul would be a huge loss for the Giants pass rush.  He leads the team— and is fifth in the NFL— with 8 1/2 sacks.  His presence was being counted on against the Patriots sniper Tom Brady.

Pierre-Paul and Baas didn't work out at all on Friday.  If Baas can't play expect Kevin Boothe to make his second start of the season.

While those four players probably won't see any action this Sunday, expect four other gimpy players to hit the field.

LB Michael Boley (knee), receiver Mario Manningham (illness), DE Justin Tuck (groin/neck) and Osi Umenyiora (knee) are all listed as probable.

Gymnast Does "Kobe" Over Speeding Cars

Remember when Kobe Bryant's jump over an Aston-Martin sports car for a Nike ad—that he later confessed was fake—was all the rage?  Well, gymnast Aaron Evans has become an expert at flipping over moving vehicles and now holds the world-record by leaping over three cars in-a-row.

While Kobe's jump was admittedly "Hollywood," the 22 year-old Evans nail-biting stunts are void of any special effects.  He actually hops over the car, not beside it.

Evans does his dangerous flips over cars traveling at speeds of up to 30 mph on slippery oil-spotted parking lots.  He turns asphalt roads into a trampolines and could easily dunk a basketball on a 12-foot high rim.

The talented gymnast and acrobat said he was inspired to perform the stunt more from watching Bruce Lee movies than the Los Angeles Lakers star's video.

Kobe's ad was fun, but whatever shoes Evans is selling— I'm buying.

Rex Ryan to Play Patriots Fan in Adam Sandler Movie

Rex Ryan will be coming to a big screen near you—a really big screen.  The outspoken New York Jets head coach will be playing—of all things—a New England Patriots fan in Adam Sandler's upcoming film "I Hate You, Dad."

Ryan as a Patriots fan?  Talk about casting against type.

The news was revealed in a podcast by Sandler on the NFL Network yesterday.

Ryan's detractors probably think that even Cinescope is too small for the head coach's ego but Ryan will play a Boston lawyer in the movie which was filmed in Massachusetts last summer.

This isn't the first foray into acting for the brash Jets coach who turns almost every one of his press conferences into a showcase.

Ryan did appear in an episode of "CSI: New York" earlier this year with GM Mike Tannenbaum but—despite any rumors—he did not audition for a part in the recent remake of "Footloose."

Sandler—a die-hard Jets fan—described Ryan's role in the interview.

"He's my lawyer," Sandler told Rich Eisen.  "My character... is kind of a dirtbag guy and he's in trouble.  Rex is an inexpensive lawyer in town. He takes care of me.  He's also a mammoth Patriots fan in the movie."

Don't expect any scenes with Bill Belichick though.

"We wrote it in the script," said Sandler.  "He was great enough to be loose and funny about it.  He talks about Tom Brady.  He talks about Coach Belichick.  He's really cool."

Ryan—whom no one would call a shrinking violet—was more than happy to take on the role according to the actor.

""I saw him in the hotel in the morning going to the set," said Sandler.  "I saw coach running lines with two nice girls that work for the Jets.  Just seeing the coach in the lobby doing his lines and memorizing them, closing his eyes.  Then he put on a suit.  Kind of a goofy suit.  And he did great... he did nail it."

Giants Bradshaw Could Need Foot Surgery

The New York Giants already know they will head into Sunday's game against the New England Patriots without Ahmad Bradshaw—one of their most dangerous offensive weapons.  Now, the Giants are also in danger of losing their most valuable running back for the remainder of the season.

Bradshaw injured his foot last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and, according to the the New York Daily News, is mulling season-ending surgery.

The Giants haven't provided full details about Bradshaw's injury but said the 5th-year veteran—who has had foot and ankle problems before— is thinking about having corrective surgery.

Both Bradshaw and Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks missed practice today.  Nicks is nursing a hamstring injury and looks doubtful for this Sunday's game.

At first glance, the Giants will use backup Brandon Jacobs as their primary running back.  Jacobs has  been ineffective so far this season and has grumbled about his lack of playing time over the past few weeks.  Last week, against the Dolphins, the 260-pound Jacobs totaled 10 yards on four carries.

Beyond that, the Giants can got to D.J. Ware (45 yards on 14 carries this season) and rookie Da'Rel Scott— who hasn't had a carry since the preseason ended but, in the last exhibition game against the same Patriots team, ran for 114 yards and a TD while returning a punt for another TD.  Expect to see a lot of Ware on passing downs.

The Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said Bradshaw was still "sore and swollen" on Wednesday.

The Newark Star-Ledger reported that unnamed sources said Bradshaw has a fractured foot but are unsure if he just aggravated an old injury.  The running back already had a screw inserted into the foot for an old fracture and tests on Thursday will determine whether or not there is a new break.

Bradshaw, meanwhile, told the source that he might be sidelined for only two weeks, however doubtful that looks.

Bradshaw's loss is huge blow to the Giants rushing offense.  He accounts for 60% of the carries—on a team that only has 440 total yards on the ground this season—and the team faces a brutal nine game schedule to close out the regular season.

Jacobs just returned from a knee injury himself after missing two games.  He has run 42 times for 126 yards this season and looks like a shell of the bruising back he once was.

The free-agent-to-be Jacobs had been yapping about his lack of playing time until this week when he vowed to turn his season around.

 Let's see if he can back it up.

Soccer Player Honors Son's Memory with a Goal and a Message

English soccer player Billy Sharp lifted his jersey after he scored a goal on Tuesday night to reveal a t-shirt that read "That's For You Son."  It was meant to honor the memory of his son Luey, who died Saturday night, two days after he was born.

Sharp called it the most important goal of his life and even the opposing team and their fans applauded the score.

The broken-hearted Sharp—who was not expected to play—took the field after being named Captain of the Doncaster Rovers and scored the emotional goal against Middlesbrough in the 14th minute.

"Dedicated to my brave boy Luey Jacob Sharp.  I love u son sleep tight.  That's for you son,"  Sharp said on Twitter after the match.

Referees could have given Sharp a yellow-card for displaying a message on a t-shirt, but declined to penalize him.

"My goal had to be something special tonight for my boy," said Sharp.  "I'm so proud of him and his mum."

Both teams and all the fans honored Sharp with cheers before the match.

"This is a minute's applause to celebrate the short life of Billy and Jade's son Luey Jacob Sharp," said the announcer before the match began.

Sharp said later that all the tributes left him in tears.

LeBron Challenges Durant To Flag Football Game

After seeing Kevin Durant tossing around the pigskin in a flag football game on YouTube, LeBron James tweeted to the Oklahoma City Thunder forward that he would like to face him on a flag football field in his Ohio hometown with his own team.

According to HLN, James—who's been saying he would like to try out as an NFL tight end and had been working out with a high school team—tweeted the challenge to his friend Durant on Monday saying that he'd "like to invite him to Akron" for a game wearing the Velcro ribbons around their waists.

To which Durant responded," I'm ready.  I've got my team ready to go."

Durant was videotaped playing flag football with a group of Oklahoma State frat boys on Halloween night after he went on Twitter and asked if anyone was doing anything good that night—specifically (and oddly) flag football.

Durant ended up in a game with a group of fraternity players and about 500 fans got wind of it, showed up and plastered it all over YouTube.  The Miami Heat star was one of the thousands who saw Durant tower over the other players and make three interceptions.  That got the competitive wheels in motion.

NBA players are getting bored waiting for the lock out to end but, if the NBA's star players start playing physical sports like this for fun, the owners might budge a little to save their million dollar investments.  This game could be war.

Durant or James didn't specify who would be on their "teams," but that frat squad may end up being the luckiest flag football team in history.

Fan Sucker-Punches Soccer Player Then Gets Beaten Up By Team

A Romanian soccer player was sucker punched by a fan who ran on to the field in the middle of play and was then taken to task by his teammates.  After the reportedly dope-upped fan punched the pro-footballer on the side of his face, the player's teammates swarmed the man— dressed in black—then kicked and pummelled him on the field in front of thousands of people in the stands.

The player suffered a broken cheekbone and the cheap-shot lunatic was arrested and put in jail after the soccer team was finished doing kicking drills on his head.

Things weren't over yet.

Officials had to call the game off—with Steaua leading Petrolul, 2-0— after fans in the stands started setting off fireworks and rumbling with each other.  One of the goalies was hit by some of the explosives.

What was this guy thinking?  Add this episode to the long line of stupid soccer stunts.

Chris Paul Appears on "Family Feud" and Gets Buzzed

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul—and four members of his family— appeared on the game show "Family Feud" Tuesday and the audience found out the four-time All-Star doesn't like smelling bad.

One of the survey's questions asked by host Steve Harvey was, "What is it a man might not want a woman he's hitting on to know he's wearing?" The NBA star's answer, "Musk...you stink."  Sound the X buzzer.

Bad answer.  Bad answer.

Paul and family members C.J., Robin, Charles and Rhonda—who were playing for charity— lost to the O'Hara family—a group of women which included a pro-football player and a cop.

Harvey called Paul the "nicest point guard playing ball today" and was glad to have him on the show, "in the flesh."

While Paul's team didn't get many right answers, the survey says New York Knick fans are hoping his next family includes Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.