Nets officially belong to Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Nets new logo was officially unveiled at an event today when merchandise for the former-New Jersey resident went on sale at a Modell's store, across Flatbush Avenue from the Barclays Center, the team's new home.

Now that the Nets' 35 year tenure in Jersey is over and Gov. Chris Christie gave the team a kick-in-the-butt as a parting gift, the team can get down to calling itself the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets P.A. announcer kicked off the event by saying, "Helloooo Brooklyn!" before the team showed off the new logo and black-and-white team colors.  The minimalist  logo— contained in a sheild— features the word "Nets" arched over the image of a basketball emblazoned with a "B" in black typeface.

"We're thrilled to introduce the brand identity," Nets CEO Brett Yormark said.  "It truly is Brooklyn."

Last week a picture of the logo was leaked to the public by an IT employee but now fans can actually go out and buy a hat or shirt with the logo printed on it.

Brook Lopez, the Nets center who will be a free-agent this summer, wore a black suit to represent the team's primary colors.  He helped show off the new merchandise.  Head coach Avery Johnson was on hand but there was no sign of Deron Williams.

Even though the logo was unveiled today, the team said it won't introduce its new uniforms until the fall.

Wonder if they'll make one in a size XXXXL and send it to Christie.  Oops, too soon?

Carmelo to Lin: Take your time coming back

The New York Knicks were totally demolished, humiliated, undressed (pick a word) 100-67 in their playoff opening loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday.  The sight of Iman Shumpert being carried off the court with a torn left ACL only added injury to the insult but Carmelo Anthony still doesn't think it's time for Jeremy Lin to rush back and fill the gap.

In fact, the Knicks forward is advising the point guard to not come back at all against the Heat.

"No," Anthony said.  "We don't want him to rush it.  I've seen situations like that before.  That's something we do not want."

The horrible Game 1 injury to the rookie Shumpert may inspire Lin to attempt a hasty return, but considering that he hasn't played since March 24, it's likely that Lin could really effective.

Even when healthy, the Heat ate Lin up in their last meeting on Feb. 23 when he went 1-for-11 with eight turnovers.

Lin has been progressing from left knee surgery and has not ruled out returning for Game 4 on Sunday.

"I don't really want to make a promise because I just don't know how it's going to feel," Lin said on Sunday.  "If I felt good today, that would be more of a possibility, but I didn't feel that great today."

"I don't want to make myself vulnerable to something even worse,"  he added.

Meanwhile, Anthony knows he will be shouldering the burden of the Knicks offense but will not let the pressure get to him.

"Pressure?  I try not to play with pressure," he said.  "I go out there, I play ball."

It might be a little easier with healthy Lin at his side.

Brian Cashman joins Bleacher Creatures in disguise

When Brian Cashman's eight-year-old son Teddy wants to sit in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium and participate in the famous role call before the game starts— the New York Yankees general manager can make it happen.  Even if the older Cashman has to wear a disguise.

Cashman has rappelled down skyscrapers and filed charges against a stalker but venturing into the den of the Bleacher Creatures might be his most dangerous stunt yet.

Wearing fake spiked hair, a blue visor and sunglasses, Cashman and his son were in the bleachers at the beginning of the Yankees 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.  They were able to watch the traditional player intro without any commotion.

Cashman, according to ESPN, was spotted by a popular Bleacher Creature called Bald Vinny before the game.  The Yankees fan then asked the GM if he wanted to come up to the bleachers for the first time and Cashman accepted the offer.  The GM wanted his son "to experience a big part of Yankees tradition now."

Even one inning in the Yankee Stadium bleachers is a memorable experience for anyone and, for Cashman and his son, this was no exception.

"He is officially a Bleacher Creature, he can tell his friends," Cashman said.  "It's a big part of Yankee Stadium tradition."

After hanging with the commoners, Cashman and Teddy could just go watch the game from his boring office— which overlooks the whole stadium.

I just want to know why Cashman just happened to be carrying around a wig anyway.

Peyton Manning cheers on old pal Todd Helton's Grand Slam

Peyton Manning attended Sunday's Colorado Rockies-New York Mets game as a guest of his old teammate at the University of Tennessee  Todd Helton and got a chance to see his friend hit a pinch hit grand slam.

The Denver Broncos new quarterback jumped up from his seat, pointed his finger in the air and high-fived a guy siting next to him as Helton's blast tied the game at 4-4 in the 8th inning.

Manning and Helton were both quarterbacks at UT in the 90's and now get a chance to play in the Mile High City in their respective sports.

Helton's blast eventually lost some its lustre, after New York's Ike Davis singled in David Wright from third in the 11th inning for a 6-5 Mets victory in front of 37,000 fans at Coors Field.

Manning played shortstop in high school.

Derek Jeter spotted with mystery woman

It looks like Derek Jeter might have found a new flame to go with his new swing.

The New York Yankees shortstop was joined by an attractive new female friend during a night out with the boys Thursday at a Manhattan restaurant reports Page Six of The New York Post.

Jeter was seen having dinner at STK Midtown with a male buddy at about 8 p.m. but then left through the back door before shortly returning afterward to the same spot with a few others— including the mystery woman— for after-dinner drinks.

Observers said the woman fits the profile of of Jeter's past flames— tall and attractive with long, wavy hair.  She was seen joining in on the table's  conversation.

Would Derek Jeter's date look like anything less?

It isn't immediately clear if the woman is more than just a friend to the Yankee captain but the single Jeter seems to be moving on from his break-up with Minka Kelly.  Jeter split with his long-time girlfriend in February after months of speculation regarding their here-and-there appearances together. They dated for three years. Recently, Kelly has been seen being squired about Hollywood with Wilmer Valderrama (Fez from "That 70's Show").

This is the first woman Jeter has been publicly seen with since the formal breakup with the actress.

The single life seems to be agreeing with Jeter— at least at the plate.  The 37-year old is having  a fine start this season.  Through 20 games, he is batting .386 with a .590 slugging percentage and four home runs.

Mariano Rivera hints at retirement

Mariano Rivera— the greatest closer in major league history— had no comments about the sorry state of the New York Yankees starting rotation or the return of Andy Pettitte but sounded like he was getting ready to call it a career after this season.

Rivera was at the Manhattan restaurant Siro's on Thursday night to pose for photos and promote his April/May Gotham magazine cover.

While he was coy about his future, Rivera told actor Richard Gere— who interviewed the closer for Gotham— and asked him if he would retire after this year: "I don't know.  But I'll tell you . . . it's been a great journey, but I do miss my kids a lot.  It's hard seeing your kids, then you're separated for a few weeks, but at the same time you have your. . .  love for the game, that drive that's always there.  New York has been a blessing for me and my family.  But it's a decision to be made, and hopefully we made the best for everyone."

Rivera is in the final year of a two-year contract and has not made any public announcements about retiring but, from the sound of it, "Enter Sandman" may not be on the Yankee Stadium playlist next season.

LeBron does his best soccer flop in Heat win over Knicks

The New York Knicks were called for 21 fouls in the first half of a 100-67 demolition at the hands of the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday.

The most absurd call had to be the flagrant foul called on the Knicks' Tyson Chandler against LeBron James.  Everyone knew the game would be physical but LeBron really sells this flop better an Italian soccer player.

At halftime with a 23 point Heat advantage, James told a TV reporter, "Tyson got me pretty good.  Got a little whiplash in my neck but I'm OK.  I mean it's playoff basketball."

The refs originally called it a flagrant-2 against Chandler— which would have meant an automatic ejection— but downgraded it to a flagrant-1 after review.

It wouldn't have mattered.

The Heat ran off a 32-2 stretch at one point to put the game totally out of reach after the Knicks Carmelo Anthony missed his first seven shots.  Talk about flopping.

To add injury to insult— literally— a couple of Knicks players carted Iman Shumpert off the court after the point guard collapsed and grabbed his knee while dribbling the ball up court in the third quarter.  Shumpert went down on the same spot where the Chandler-James collision took place.

That wasn't a flop.

Giants new LB Keith Rivers picks up woman in ER

Manhattan's Roosevelt Hospital was the site of another sports star sighting yesterday.  After Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young finished detoxing  before his Friday morning arrest for assault,  New York Giants newest linebacker Keith Rivers was spotted carrying a sick female friend out of the mid-town hospital after a night of clubbing with Reggie Bush.

The New York Post reported that after sober-looking Rivers arrived at the hospital at 9:30 a.m. yesterday, he gave his name to security, walked inside and left with the woman.

Roosevelt is the same hospital where a "highly intoxicated" Young was treated early Friday morning after he went on his anti-Semitic rage and pushed some guy outside the Hilton hotel.

That same morning, at about 10:30 a.m., Rivers— who told reporters Young was not the reason he was there— was seen leaving the hospital with an attractive brunette in her mid-20's.  She was wearing high heels and a short skirt which looked like the the same clothes she was wearing the night before.

The unidentified young woman appeared haggard and her make-up smeared after a rough night.  Rivers protectively put his arm around her and walked here down the street said The Post.

When asked if he had seen Young in the ER, Rivers replied, "I am dealing with my own problems."  Then he and the woman jumped into a cab and sped away.

It seems like they all speed away.

A few hours earlier Rivers and a group of his friends had met up with Bush at celebrity hangout Lavo.  Both guys played football together at USC.

Bush and Rivers— who did not appear to be drinking— hung out at the club until 3 a.m. at tables near Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.  Luck was reportedly celebrating being the No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Welcome to New York City Keith and watch out for Kardashians.

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu victim of cruel NFL Draft prank

With the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft winding down on Thursday night, Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu got the phone call every prospective NFL player waits for— that he was the 27th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sitting with family and friends, a rush of unexpected excitement swept through the living room of his New Jersey home as he envisioned being on the receiving end of Andy Dalton's passes after he got the call.  Up until then, Sanu was considered a second or third round pick at best.

When Sanu's agent,  Mike McCartney, got the good news from Sanu, he was a little surprised but it all seemed "normal" as he put it. So he went to Twitter and proudly tweeted, "SANU to Bengals!"

"Everybody's going nuts in his home.  He's like, I can't hear you, Mike, I'll call you soon," McCartney recalled about the moments after the call.  "His brother calls me and he's euphoric and going nuts.  We're all kind of high-fiving over the phone.  And I said, 'They're about to show it on ESPN. I'll call you later.'"

For a few moments more, the celebration continued then quickly turned to confusion.

After Sanu's agent had tweeted the big news and Sanu and his supporters waited for the big announcement on the TV screen, Cincinnati selected Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler.

Sanu had been pranked-called on the biggest night of his young football career. The first round would end later, without Sanu's name being called.

When McCartney heard the Bengals' pick on ESPN, he hoped Sanu had misheard which team had called him and called Sanu's brother to check it out.  When there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line, he feared the worst.

In all of the excitement to answer the phone, Sanu hadn't even noticed the northern New Jersey 908 area code on his phone.

Sanu quickly shook off the mean trick like an old pro.

"It'll be all right.  It's meant to be that I''ll be with another team," McCartney recalls Sanu saying to him after the letdown.  "If it happens tonight great, if not, it'll happen (Friday)."

Sanu, nor his family or friends have expressed any anger to the young man who played the prank.  In fact, Sanu didn't even call the number back, his agent did.

"It was some kid from Rutgers who said his friend got his phone and played a practical joke.  He was apologetic," McCartney said.  "He said  he doesn't work for the athletic department and wouldn't tell me how he got Mohamed's number, wouldn't tell me his name."

McCartney— the son of former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney— kept his emotions in check.

"I just said to the kid, 'Do you understand how much pain you just caused?  And it's not just him, it's his family.  Do you understand what you did?'" McCartney said.  "At that point, there was nothing more I could do."

On Friday morning, Sanu tweeted, "Thank God for giving me another day and another opportunity to chase my dream.  #thankfuland blessed."

Maybe tonight, some team will be smart enough to draft this kid.  Just check the area code Mohamed.

Tigers Delmon Young busted in Manhattan hotel brawl

Detroit Tigers big-hitting Delmon Young was arrested early this morning after he allegedly assaulted a man in front of a mid-town Manhattan hotel reports The New York Post.

Police were called to the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue around 2:40 a.m., after Young— whose team is in the city to play the New York Yankees starting tonight— pushed the unidentified man to the ground, sources told The Post.

The powerful Young was "highly intoxicated," according to the sources, and had to be taken to a hospital to detox before being moved to a police precinct.

The victim was treated at the scene for scratches.

Young, who has had problems with his temper in the past, was charged with assault in the third degree and is in custody while awaiting arraignment.

While playing for the Triple-A Durham Bulls in the minor leagues, Young once threw a bat at an umpire.

The outfielder was drafted in 2003 and played for the Tampa Bay Rays before going to the Minnesota Twins in 2008.  He was traded to the Tigers last August.

In last season's ALDS, Young hit a home-run off Yankees hurler CC Sabathia in his first playoff at-bat.

Young has struggled so far this season, hitting .242, with 1 home run and 5 RBIs.

The Tigers are in town to face the Yankees in the Bronx for a three-game series.

Mariano Rivera says Yankees need Pettitte back

The signing of Andy Pettitte— after a year of retirement — by the New York Yankees at the end of spring training was met with skepticism by most fans and a little bit sentimentality by the rest.  Now,  it looks like Brian Cashman's latest out-of-the-box pitching acquisition since Bartolo Colon might be the spark the starting rotation needs.

Remember how the surgically repaired, over-weight Colon supplemented the Yankees' rotation early last season— after missing two seasons— when the pitchers struggled?  He was the early favorite for Comeback Player of the Year until he slowed down in the stretch.  But it was enough to help carry the team into the playoffs.

With Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia throwing beach balls to opponents, Michael Pineda out for the season and CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda looking a little tentative, all eyes are now on Pettitte and no one knows it more than his old friend Mariano Rivera.

"I know how he's doing," said Rivera.  "I'm keeping an eye on him."

The closer is still reluctant to push Pettitte's comeback ahead of schedule.

"We definitely need him back," Rivera said of the 40-year old Pettitte.  "But we need him at 100 percent."

Pettitte is still working out the kinks and gave up three earned runs in five innings Wednesday for Double-A Trenton in his second start.  If all goes according to plan, Pettitte will be back with Rivera in the majors by mid-May as the No. 3 starter.

"He'll change the dynamic of the whole rotation," said centerfielder Curtis Granderson.  "We all know what a difference  he can make."

Rivera made it clear he isn't knocking the current state of the rotation and knows it's too early to throw in the towel.

"I'm not concerned at all," said Rivera.  "We have a lot of games left.  I'm happy it's happening now than later."

If any one knows when Pettitte will be ready, it'll be Pettitte himself.

Devils win Game 7 in double-overtime classic

The New Jersey Devils won Game 7 of their first-round Eastern Conference match-up against the Florida Panthers— on a goal by Adam Henrique in 3:37 of the second overtime period— after blowing 2-0 lead.

The two teams went into the first OT tied, 2-2 and basically played dump-and-shoot hockey after regulation was over.

It was the Devils first playoff series win since 2007 propels the exhausted team into the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers— ending five years of playoff frustration.

The 3-2 win also put a sweet finish on a tough seven game series against a solid Panthers team who made  the Devils fight for every goal to win the final two games and move on.

Martin Brodeur had 43 saves and was magnificent in the first OT period.  It was his 103rd playoff victory in what might be his last playoff run.

The game had an unusually late starting time of 8:30 pm Thursday, even though the game was played in South Florida, because of another Game 7 playoff game between the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators in the same time zone in New York.

By the time Henrique's game winner went by Panthers goalie Jose Theodore, it was 12:15 am on Friday morning.

RG3 shows off "Go Catch Your Dream" socks at Draft

It was no big secret that quarterback Robert Griffin III would be going to the Washington Redskins as the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft but it looks like RG3 is already wearing part of their uniform.

The Heisman Trophy winner is known as a man who loves his socks and tonight on the stage at Radio City Music Hall, Griffin showed off a nifty pair of hose with the phrase "Go Catch Your Dream" embroidered over striped Redskins colors— burgundy and gold.

Griffin attributed the words to Art Briles— his former head coach at Baylor— who not only said "Go Chase Your Dreams" but finish the job and "catch them."

It looks like RG3 is on his way to doing both.

Isiah Thomas dines with Knicks coach Woodson

New York Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson was spotted having dinner with Isiah Thomas Tuesday night just hours after Glen Grunwald got promoted as the permanent executive VP/GM sources told The New York Post.

Woodson, Grunwald and Thomas were seen dining at Serafina, a popular Westchester County Italian restaurant.

Before anyone gets the idea there was more than a pot of Puttanesca being stirred up, realize the three men played together on the University of Indiana basketball team and have been friends since then.

Thomas was recently fired as head coach at Florida International and is job hunting.  He has lobbied hard with Knicks owner James Dolan to get reinstated in the organization in some capacity.

Maybe that smell was just the garlic simmering.

According to the Post, Woodson and Thomas were there with their wives and could be seen enjoying the meal and some wine.  Thomas has a home in nearby Purchase and has been residing there since getting the heave-ho in Florida.

While Woodson and Thomas go back a long time, there was speculation that Thomas might have some insight into the Miami Heat because he worked in Miami for three years at FIU— as ridiculous as that logic sounds.

"I'm not commenting on that," Woodson said of the dinner. "I'm entitled to eat with whomever I want to eat with."

The Post reported Dolan keeps a friendship with Thomas but is not inclined to hire him back in an official  capacity.  Thomas, Grunwald and Woodson met for dinner in late January before a Heat game with other Knicks staffers— but before old Thomas was canned.

After that dinner, Woodson told The Post, "You're talking about 30 years of friendships there.  Isiah had an off day from his team.  We had to go get dinner.  It was nice."

What the fans are talking about are 40 years without a championship here.

White Sox players used flowers to enhance performance

A new study revealed that the smell of jasmine can actually increase the batting averages of baseball players.  A University of Chicago experiment put jasmine— it's not only a stripper's working name— on the wristbands of some Chicago White Sox players and found out the major leaguers with plain wristbands were outperformed by the ones wearing the scent.

Imagine, the first legal, all-natural alternative to steroids and it's a pretty white flower.

The day has finally come when you can have performance enhancers delivered by FTD.

The new study led by Dr. Alan Hirsch at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago found the the smell can make ballplayers better.

"Across the board, the presence of the jasmine smell improved their batting performances," said Hirsch of the  science-backed experiment conducted last fall at U.S. Cellular Field in which a collection of six White Sox players hit better when the wristbands they wore were saturated with jasmine.  In independent assessments by the volunteer players, their batting practice pitchers and their coaches , the hitters were judged on the mechanics of their swings, including bat speed, trajectory, the flight of the ball and the bat swing zone."

"Compared to the non-odor trials, jasmine significantly improved all batting parameters," said Hirsch.

The neurologist/psychiatrist goes on with some more scientific mumbo-jumbo but the basic premise is the smell of jasmine improves your game and he has scientific proof.

The good doctor said the smell of jasmine "puts players in a positive, happy mood" and "makes them less nervous."

He also added that bad smells like pig farms tend to make people more aggressive.  Hear that Metta World Peace?

It sounds like jasmine can help a team from stinking up the joint in more ways than one.  Maybe the Cubs should replace the outfield ivy with the flowers.

Hirsch has also studied the effect of different scents on men's and women's sexual arousal.  Men seem to go for a combination of lavender and pumpkin pie while women get turned on by the blend of Good & Plenty candy (they still make that?) and cucumbers according to his tests.

Hirsch also claims the fragrance of jasmine helped pro-bowlers as well.  Expect a to see a run on jasmine at florists around ballparks and bowling alleys.

Dr. Hirsch will present his findings Thursday to the Association of Chemoreception Sciences.  I bet the after-party is a blast.

SNL's Seth Meyers: We'll go 'easy' on Eli

Seth Meyers says "Saturday Night Live" will go "easy" on Eli Manning when the New York Giants quarterback hosts the show on May 5.

The veteran cast member admitted the show's strategy to The New York Post at the Time Magazine 100 event at Lincoln Center, "We tend to be very easy on our hosts.  No, he's not known for his comedic timing, but he did something with us for the Super Bowl.  The great thing about Eli is we haven't had a New York athlete host since Derek Jeter [in 2001], and the room becomes a little more excited when someone like that hosts."

Jeter was a popular guest and might be best known for how good he looked in a wig and dress.

Eli's brother Peyton also appeared on the show and the former-Colts quarterback's comedy timing is considered the high water mark for athletes who have hosted.

It's a tough act to follow but Eli has been doing it his whole career.

Meyers, who is a big sports fan, put to rest rumors he was leaving the show ("I never leave before an election") and said he was happy to meet Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin at the Time event.

As long as Meyers and his fellow cast members don't morph into the Philadelphia Eagles defense, "Easy Eli" should have no problems calling an audible on the live show.

I wonder how he'll look in a dress.

A-Rod says George Clooney is his new hero

Alex Rodriquez is finally opening up about his relationship with ex-girlfriend Cameron Diaz.  Using the actress' initials as a term of endearment, A-Rod tells "The Insider' host Kevin Frazier— in the show airing Thursday night: "I don't like talking about my relationships, but I will tell you about CD: She's probably one of the greatest human beings I've ever met, and an amazing light," reports Page Six of The New York Post.

When asked about another swing at marriage, the divorced Yankee slugger didn't sound as enthusiastic.

"I'm not sure," said Rodriguez.  "I think my new hero is George Clooney."

Not Ken Griffey Jr. — whom A-Rod just passed on the career home-run list— or Cal Ripkin, but the eternal bachelor whose current girlfriend Stacy Keibler is close friends with Rodriguez's latest love Torrie Wilson.  The two statuesque blonds are former WCW and WWE wrestlers.

"He's my new role model." he says of Clooney.  "I think he's done it right."

Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes booed at Knicks game

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes were booed loudly at Madison Square Garden during Wednesday night's Knicks-Clippers game.

While the two players attempt to patch up any differences they had last season— by being seen in public together— it sounds like New York fans aren't enthralled with either one.

Sanchez and Holmes sat together courtside and were roundly booed after they were shown on the Garden's JumboTron screen during the first quarter.  Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie also sat next to his teammates but was introduced separately.

It looked like Sanchez and Holmes were not bothered by the boos.

The two players are putting on their happy faces and palling around in an attempt to mend their relationship after it developed a rift during the 2011 season.

Holmes publicly criticized the Jets offense and put Sanchez on the spot—which prompted the quarterback to call a team meeting which Holmes didn't attend.

Sanchez vowed to repair the damaged relationship this offseason and Holmes has seemed willing to work with the fourth-year signal caller.

Holmes show of support must mean a lot to Sanchez after his receiver's public displays of disrespect towards him in the past.  But Sanchez might have to suck it up with the addition of Tim Tebow as the Jets backup quarterback.

Head coach Rex Ryan has made it clear that Sanchez is his starter but— from the sound of it— the fans might prefer the new guy.

At least Tebow had some cheers mixed in with the boos at a Yankees' game he attended last week at Yankee Stadium.

Robert Griffin III: Giants pass rush doesn't scare me

Robert Griffin III has been the talk of New York this week as he makes his way around town before Thursday night's 2012 NFL Draft, but the future quarterback of the Washington Redskins might have picked his own words a little better last night.

The projected No. 2 pick says the prospect of facing the New York Giants ferocious pass rush of Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora does not scare him.

"I'm not going to play with fear," Griffin III said.  "I'm a talented guy and  I respect talent.  I respect Pierre-Paul, I respect Tuck, Umenyiora all of those guys, but I am not going to go out and play as if I'm scared they are going to sack me."

RG3, the headline player posed with former-NFL great Barry Sanders at EA sport's NCAA Football '13 Draft Party at Lavo nightclub on Tuesday.  He said he isn't going to change the way he approached the game in college.

"That's the one thing I've never done as a player," he said.  "Never play with fear, always play fearless but respect your opponent.  Those guys are so great, so use your strength against them."

The Heisman Trophy winner believes he can lead his team to victory without scoring a lot of points.

"From what I heard, you score 21 points in the league and you win 70 percent of your games," said the QB.  "I come from the Big 12, where if you score 56 points you might win a couple so I look forward to only having to score only 21 points and win, it's a great feeling."

The naivety of youth.  Hate to break this to you RG3, first, you have to score 21 points.

Griffin III attributes the evolution of quarterbacks— from pure drop-back passers to modern NFL signal callers who can play inside and outside the pocket— to some past and present Giants pass rushers.

"First and foremost, you have to blame guys like Mike Strahan, Reggie White, Justin Tuck for making quarterbacks more mobile," he said.  "The game always evolves, because defensive linemen are so mobile now, quarterbacks have to be able to move a little bit.  They don't have to be world-class speed guys but they have to be able to move."

It looks like RG3 is ready to work with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan and be embraced by the playoff-starved Hogs fans.

"The way I look at it, it shows that not only is a team aligned with its fan base, but also the team believes in you," Griffin III said.  "I love that, I wanted a team to fall in love with me and I can't be mad about that."

"It's not a knock on the Colts, but they never had a moment like that, it was always back and forth.  Washington made a decision and said, 'look, we want this guy,' I'm humbled by that."

Don't expect the same love from the Giants.

Whale found dead on beach had swallowed golf ball

A 37-foot long gray whale found dead on a beach in Washington state's Puget Sound had a golf ball in its stomach, but scientists don't know what killed the large mammal.

A stomach examination of the sub adult male showed he had been feeding on shrimp but also had other debris like pieces of wood and rope, algae, plastic, the golf ball and some flat spongy material.  The garbage was minimal and not the cause of death— which remains under investigation with tissue tests said Brian Gorman of the NOAA Fisheries.  There were no signs of trauma on the exterior of the big guy.

The carcass was spotted Sunday on the west side of Camano Island and towed to a more secure location at the Whidbey Island Naval Station, about 50 miles north of Seattle for the necropsy by biologists and volunteers.

The skeleton of the whale will be cleaned and sent to the Smithsonian Institution.  "We don't get these that often that are the right size and in good shape," said Gorman.

He noted that there was less debris in the whale's stomach than in a whale that was found dead off the coast of Seattle in April 2010.  Its stomach contained plastic bags and a pair of sweat pants.

Gray whales can pick up debris because of the way they feed— scooping up sediment from the sea bottom and filtering it through baleen.  They feed mostly on ghost shrimp but will scoop up any trash that is on the seas floor as well, then swallow it.

This poor fellow was probably migrating north to the Bering Sea off Alaska from Baja California, Mexico for the summer.

It was funny when Kramer was hitting golf balls in that episode of "Seinfeld" but not so humorous when it could possibly kill one of these gentle giants in real life.

Jeremy Lin blows assist to Cardinal Dolan

New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin failed to complete an assist while sitting with Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the Time 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center ( LIN-coln Center?) on Tuesday night.

"I asked Jeremy to pass me a piece of bread and it's still floating around here somewhere," joked his Holiness (Ho-LIN-ess?)

Dolan's promotion from archbishop to cardinal got him a spot alongside Lin on the 2012 TIME 100, plus seating next to other influential movers and shakers like Hillary Clinton and Louis CK.

Tim Tebow made the list, but what's up with including Pippa Middleton?

Hey, any party with Louis CK and a sports-loving cardinal has to be fun.

The dinner was a celebration for TIME's 100 Most Influential people in the World.

Lin— who is the first Chinese-American NBA player— earned a place on the list because of his remarkable season before knee surgery put him out of action.

"I feel like it's a blessing from God," said the religious point guard, who vowed to complete the bread pass to Dolan before the dinner ended reported the New York Daily News.

"I'll work on getting it to him," he joked.

Lin knows it's one thing to muff a pass to Carmelo Anthony but not getting it to one of New York's ecumenical leaders is another.

Eli Manning: I'm No. 3 quarterback in my own city

It takes a lot more than winning a Super Bowl to be No. 1 in New York and— if you believe Eli Manning— it doesn't even make you No. 2.

The two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP was never comfortable in the spotlight but seemed to get used to it over the past few years.  Now, it seems the once camera-shy quarterback of the New York Giants is feeling left out while all of the talk in the city is about his New York Jets counterparts Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.

Manning has noticed all of the focus this offseason surrounding the other two quarterbacks and had something to say about his inferiority complex.

"[The] New York Giants just won a championship," Manning said to Fox News Channel over the weekend, "yet I'm still the third most talked about quarterback in my own city."

Manning got a good laugh  from the audience at Ole Miss when he delivered that line during a panel discussion hosted by Shepard Smith.  His grin let the audience know he was only joking.  Manning is— after all— getting ready to host "Saturday Night Live" on May 5.

Let's start calling him Shecky.

Manning claims he is more than happy to let the Jets players get all the attention if the Giants keep piling up championships.

"I'll continue to enjoy this," he said.  "And when we get our rings, I'll continue to celebrate our championship season."

The normally low-key Eli will get a chance to follow in the footsteps of his brother Peyton with his own comedy stylings on SNL.  He will become the 10th NFL player to host the show and the fifth quarterback to do it. 

For now, just enjoy Eli's comedy tour.  Next stop after SNL, Tiffany's— to pick up their Super Bowl rings— then on to the White House to be honored by President Obama.

Conan O'Brien parodies no-show Metta World Peace during monologue

Metta World Peace cancelled an appearance on the Conan O'Brien Show Tuesday night, so the late night host did what any self-respecting comedian would do when someone throws your production into complete chaos— and they can't retaliate— make fun of the guilty party.

In his monologue, O'Brien announced that World Peace wouldn't be on the show as announced because he's "in a lot of trouble."

The Los Angeles Lakers forward was suspended for his flagrant elbow to the head of Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden Sunday night and suspended for seven games.

The usually ubiquitous World Peace is probably just keeping a low profile.

O'Brien joked about the basketball player's rough hit, "It's not hockey.  You're not allowed to do that" and added, "He missed a a chance to be on my show... that's a career ender."

The the comedian then went on to show a video clip of a similar elbowing incident he had with his co-host Andy Richter while doing a previous monologue.



The last minute cancellation forced Conan's people to scramble and fill in the guest spot.  World Peace was replaced by actor Simon Helberg who plays nerd Howard Wolowitz on "The Big Bang Theory."

No chance of getting a shot in the head from that guy.

Panthers president blames Devils fans for rat problem

The rats are back on the South Florida ice during the New Jersey Devils- Florida Panthers Eastern Conference first-round playoff series and the the NHL isn't happy.

Despite repeated pleas from the public-address announcer and plenty of notices on their arena's massive center-ice scoreboard— saying anyone caught throwing a rat during the game would be ejected, plus risk the team getting a two-minute penalty for delay of game— a lot of fans do not heed the warning.  Dozens get thrown into the rink after every Florida goal.

Now, Michael Yormack— the Panthers team president— is blaming Devils fans for causing the disruptions.

Today, Yormack tweeted about the visiting snowbirds sabotaging the game:

"Panthers will not sell rats at pantherland.  This is a result of visiting fans throwing rats on the ice during the game."

If that is true, it looks like there must be thousands of Devils fans filling the Panthers home ice— because there about that many plastic rodents covering the ice after a game.  And that's funny because most times the Devils can barely fill their own home arena back in Jersey.



Yormack's wild assertion that Devils fans are trying to cause penalties with "Rat Tricks" was challenged and ridiculed by the team's followers on Twitter.

One user tweeted back: "@PanthersYormack is making an ass of himself and the organization."

To which Yormack tweeted back: "you have 70 followers.  No one cares what you think."

Others called Yormack an "utter moron" and worse.

The "old-time hockey" series between these teams has been relatively tame compared to other violent first-round match-ups and the biggest controversy so far is a bunch of rubber rats.

It's actually pretty funny that these days, an NHL executive will take to Twitter to defend his organization and get into it with rival fans by tweeting insults back and forth.

The Devils travel back down to Florida for a do-or-die Game 7 on Thursday.

Sounds like the real rat problem is in the Panthers front office.

RG3 immortalized in bust made out of BBQ chicken

Yesterday, Robert Griffin III called himself the "face of a franchise"and today he is just that.  Only this face is made out of chicken.

The former Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 2 pick in Thursday's 2012 NFL Draft unveiled a "life-size" bust of himself made out of bread and BBQ chicken at his introduction as Subway sandwich shops newest spokesperson.

More than 300 pieces of chicken were used to create the artistic representation of the football star— with a head the size of a defensive tackle— which the quarterback happily posed with at a mid-town Manhattan Subway shop.

It looked eerily more like the late pop singer Michael Jackson than the former-Baylor QB.

RG3 is making the rounds in New York while he prepares to be selected by the Washington Redskins at Thursday night's draft at Radio City Music Hall.

The sculpture was made by artist James Victor, stands about three feet tall and is made almost entirely out of chicken with shoulder pads of bread.

The Redskins are probably hoping there's not a trace of baloney or any other kind of "bust" in their real life pick.

Tyson Chandler on London Olympics: I'd represent

The loss of big men Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge for the London Olympics after surgeries have created a huge hole in the middle of the USA basketball team but not if Tyson Chandler can help it.

The New York Knicks center is ready to put his own red, white and blue Superman get-up and fly to the rescue after the Knicks playoff run is through.

After the injuries to the two centers and Andrew Bynum saying he wasn't interested in joining the squad, Chandler may now even get to start for the U.S. Olympic team.

Chandler, who was not selected for the 2008 Olympic gold-medal team but was a member of  Team USA in the 2010 World Championships says he wants in. He was already named one of the 20 finalists for 2012 in London in January.

"I'm definitely ready to represent my country," Chandler told The New York Post.  "I'm very excited.  Just  to be able to be considered for the USA team is a blessing and something I'm very proud of.  I committed myself when I joined in 2007.  I still feel that way."

Although Chandler didn't play at this year's 2012 All-Star game, he's had a remarkable season and is a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.  His 'D' on the court is outstanding.  In the three games he's missed, the Knicks allowed an average of 116.3 points— far above their average in the Mike Woodson Era.

Teen's soccer ball lost in tsunami washes up in Alaska

A teenage boy, who thought he lost everything in last year's devastating tsunami, just found out that his one-prized possession— a soccer ball survived after it floated over 3,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean all the way to Alaska.

Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the ball with the 16-year old's name inscribed on it is one of the first pieces of debris from the March 11, 2011 tsunami to start washing up on North American shores.

A man found the ball while beachcombing on an Alaskan island, and his wife, who is Japanese, spoke with the ball's owner, Misaki Murakami, by phone over the weekend.

No, the ball's name is not Wilson.

David and Yumi Baxter said they would send the ball back to the young man.  Murakami, from the town of Rikuzentakata, said he was surprised and thankful for the return of something so meaningful.

Mariano Rivera to pitch new Yankees fragrance

The New York Yankees are releasing a new fragrance inspired by "baseball's most legendary franchise" and have signed Mariano Rivera and Curtis Granderson as "brand ambassadors" for the cologne.

All-time Major League saves leader Rivera and two-time All-star Granderson will be making public appearances to promote "New York Yankees" for men and "New York Yankees" for women which went on sale this month.

They should have called it Chanel No. 42.

Don't expect the smells of Grandy's high socks or Mo's bat-burning cutter either.

The aroma of "New York Yankees" will smell like "fresh wood tones and earthy patchouli," according to the manufacturer — the Cloudbreak Group.

The women's version is described as "a juicy blend of fruit notes" mixed with water lily and sandalwood.

Out-of-control drag racer crashes into cameraman

A cameraman escaped serious injury after an air born, out-of-control drag racing car careened into the helpless man behind a video-cam.  The lucky videographer avoided the flying debris by hopping over the divider wall onto the track and was not injured.

The unbelievable wreck happened during a qualifying run at a track in Bristol, Tenn..

With only seconds to move, the quick thinking cameraman got away with his life got some spectacular footage of the crash to boot.

Lizzy Musi, the 21-year-old woman behind the wheel of the racing car, simply said she lost control after— amazingly— walking away from the mangled pile of metal.

The dragsters in this class of racing can hit speeds of over 170 mph in less than three seconds.

Good thing the cameraman's reflexes were even faster than that.

Mariano Rivera quietly shows love to a fan during Yankees comeback victory

There was one bright spot for a stunned fan in the stands who watched the New York Yankees improbable 15-9 comeback win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday.

Fox Sports showed a little-known look into the realm of Mariano Rivera's life inside the bullpen when the camera caught  baseball's all-time saves leader signing a baseball and having it sent to a fan during some down time for the big-time closer.

The moment captured one of the reasons Rivera is one of the most popular players in Yankees history and one of the classiest player in professional sports.

The Yankees scored 15 unanswered runs— after trailing 9-0— in an unfathomable win over their rivals. There were a lot of glum faces and frustrated Red Sox fans in the stadium when Rivera pulled out his pen and put his John Hancock on the cowhide.

Rivera's simple gesture of signing a baseball to pass the time in the ninth inning and having the autographed ball sent to the stands shows why he is one of the good guys in sports.

Maybe Rivera didn't know it— he was on the bullpen bench— but there weren't too many Sawx fans waiting for the memento. 

DJs tormenting Kris Humphries with Kanye West song

He may be 10th in the league in double-doubles, but the only number that only seems to follow Kris Humphries around is 72— the number of days his marriage to Kim Kardashian lasted.

Now— while going through a nasty divorce— DJs in every nightclub where Humphries shows up taunt the New Jersey Nets forward by playing Kanye West's song "Way Too Cold" which describes the  rapper's love for Kim K and declares, "Lucky I ain't have Jay[-Z] drop him [Humphries] from the team."

West released the song a couple of weeks ago under the name "Theraflu" after he started dating Humphries ex-wife.  The line refers to Nets minority owner Jay-Z if you didn't know.

The hardworking and under-rated Humphries puts up with a lot of hostile crowds— who boo him at every game and even on his own home court— but, after spending which must have seemed like an interminable amount of days as Mr. K with the mind-numbing Kardashian clan, the jeers probably sound a lot better than their air-headed chatter or  Kanye's song.

Humphries was spotted with friends at a booth next to Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday— after the Knicks beat the Nets— at a Manhattan club when some DJ named "Theory" played West's track.  Humphries ignored it and stayed late anyway.

Tim Tebow moving into Eli Manning's 'hood

Tim Tebow is now officially a Jersey Guy.  The New York Jets "backup" quarterback has just leased an apartment in Hoboken, N.J.— just a wobbly pass from Eli Manning's condo.

The city which spawned Frank Sinatra, was the backdrop for the classic film "On the Waterfront" and and hosted the first known baseball game has now become Holy-boken.

Tebow—who previously had his eyes set on a swank place in the same exclusive New Jersey golf-course community where Jets quarterback Mark " I coulda been a contender" Sanchez resides— has opted for the hipster enclave of Jersey— just a PATH train ride from Manhattan and two blocks from the Giants two-time Super Bowl MVP.

Tebow has signed a lease to rent the two-bedroom apartment at 2 Constitution Court— a 13-story luxury condo overlooking the Manhattan skyline, according to The New York Post.

Manning and his family have called Hoboken home since he purchased a $2.2 million condo in the luxurious Hudson Tea Building on the Hudson River waterfront a few years ago.

The "modest" units in Tebow's building can run about $10,000 a month and it's only a ten minute car ride to same home field the rival quarterbacks share— MetLife Stadium.

Maybe the two neighbors can get together and toss the ball at Hoboken High then head over to Maxwell's for a beer to check out the newest indie band before the season kicks in.

For some reason I'm smelling a Saturday Night Live guest spot with Eli too.

Red Sox legends blow world-record toast at Fenway celebration

Kevin Millar and Pedro Martinez might have been two of the Boston Red Sox heroes who helped break The Curse of the Bambino, but their wacky, uncoordinated attempt to lead the fans— at the sold out 100th anniversary of Fenway Park— in breaking the record for the world's largest toast was an epic fail.

The Red Sox tried to set a new mark for most people in one spot participating in a toast but Millar and Martinez seemed to go off script, leaving a lot fans at the celebration looking around without taking a sip from their glasses.

There have been drunken wedding toasts that looked smoother.

The organization had placed cups of grapefruit juice under each seat in lieu of champagne and— as the P.A. announcer asked fans to pickup each cup or "toast with the beverage of your choice"—  the "toastmasters" took over.

"We're still making history one last time," yelled Millar.  "It's one last time to Cowboy Up!"  Martinez chimed in with a "Vamanos" while fans awkwardly stared at each other or took pictures.

Millar then yelled, "Drink!" took a chug from the bottle he was holding and said it again, "Drink! Let's Go."

What ever happened to "Please raise your glasses?"

Up until the toast, the celebration was perfect. All the way from the sunny Boston skies down to the Boston Pops Orchestra and the dozens of Red Sox players— past and present— being introduced to the crowd.  Even the New York Yankees players— who have seen their fair share of great players and celebrations at Yankee Stadium— watched with reverence in their replica Highlanders uniforms.

The old record for a toast— according to the P.A. announcer was 27,000— so maybe the Sox did manage to get enough raised glasses, but it sure didn't look like it.

Jose Canseco joins minor-league team and says 'see you at Fenway'

Jose Canseco's seemingly never-ending Kenny Powers-like journey to keep his professional baseball career alive just added another episode.  The Bash Brother— and self-proclaimed 'Godfather of Steroids'— signed a one-year contract with the Worcester (Mass.) Tornadoes of the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball on Friday.

The last time we heard from Canseco was last month, after he failed a drug test when he tried out for the Quintana Roo Tigers of the Mexican League after stints as boxer and MMA fighter.  He told the New York Daily News he receives testosterone treatment since he cannot produce testosterone naturally due to all of his years of steroid use.

It seems like the 47-year old slugger has played in every league in every country and just won't go away.

In fact, Canseco tweeted that he will be at Fenway Park on Friday for the landmark's 100th anniversary celebration.

"OK haters and army of immortals," he said via Twitter.  "The cat's out of the bag.  I'm here for the red sox 100th anniversary.  Glad to be back at fenway."

Canseco played for both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees— who will be playing Friday afternoon to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first game played at Fenway.

Mark Sanchez says he's 'thrilled to work with' Tebow

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez put on his best happy face last night and said all the right things about his new backup— Tim Tebow.

Speaking at a paid appearance in White Plains, N.Y.— where he signed autographs and had a Q & A with fans— Sanchez put a nice spin on the quarterback controversy and said he had spent the past few days getting to know his new teammate as the Jets begin their offseason program.

"He's been as advertised, as good of a guy, if not better, than anybody said," said Sanchez.  "So, he's been a great addition so far.  I'm thrilled to work with him."

After the Jets traded for Tebow last month, there was speculation that Tebow would be used to push the underachieving Sanchez or even take over the starting job.  Head coach Rex Ryan has said Sanchez will remain the team's starter.

Starter or not, it sounds like some of Tebow's rigorous training habits are already rubbing off on the incumbent QB.

"From a competitor standpoint, he's great," said Sanchez, a third-year pro.  "He's what you want in an offseason program — working hard, competing with the guy in the weight room.  This is a big, strong guy, so it's good for me.  That's been one of my goals in the offseason— putting on a little more muscle mass.  I've been taking a beating during the season.  It's been a good transition and Tim's been great."

Sanchez also has a new offensive coordinator to contend with and poked some fun at Tony Sparano's gruff style of coaching.

"Coach Sparano is tough," said Sanchez.  "He sounds like Joe Pesci sometimes when he's installing plays.  He'll say, 'You got it?  You got it?  I'm not speaking for my health.  You got it?'  It's 'Yes sir' [from] the entire room."

Sanchez was at the Westchester Mall to meet the fans and his handlers told a New York Post reporter that he was not allowed to give any interviews.

Derek Jeter's $18M Manhattan bachelor pad on the market

Here's the closest most people will ever get to seeing the inside of Derek Jeter's swinging East Side Manhattan bachelor pad— unless you're a window washer or a single lady.

It's a peak at a never-before-seen look inside the New York Yankees shortstop's incredible 88th-floor penthouse atop Trump World Tower at UN Plaza next to the East River according to The New York Post.

The 5,425-square foot apartment with sweeping 360-degree views of Manhattan and beyond has four bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, fireplace and 5 1/2 baths.  That's just 3 1/2 less bathrooms than his 30,000 square-foot waterfront mansion in Tampa, Fla.

The dining room has enough seating for the whole Yankees starting lineup plus a couple pitchers from the bullpen.

The entryway has a diamond-shaped wood floor inlay featuring the No. 2 Jeter wears on the back of his pinstriped jersey.

When you're not gawking at spectacular views of the New York City skyline outside the 16-foot high walls, you can play pool or poker in the game area or tickle the ivories on a black baby grand piano.  There's even an old school bar tabletop Pac-Man game for the less sophisticated.

The apartment has gone back on the market for a discounted $17.95 million, down from the $20 million price tag two years ago.

The Yankees Captain is looking for something smaller after splitting with actress girlfriend Minka Kelly,  the Post said.

"He is downsizing to a Manhattan pied-a-terre apartment," said his broker, Carrie Chiang, of the Corcoran Group.

I'm not sure what a pied-a-terre is, but I'm sure it won't be a five-story walk-up with alley views.

Imagine the lucky ladies who even get a free limo ride and swag bag filled with autographed stuff after visiting the ultimate bachelor pad.

Charles Barkley says 'Knicks still stink'

Charles Barkley always seems happy to bash the New York Knicks and was at it once again on Thursday.  Speaking to WFAN in New York, the opinionated TNT analyst— who was critical of former-coach Mike D'Antoni's system— has not changed his opinion of the team— even with the winning ways of new coach Mike Woodson.

The Knicks have won six of their last eight games but that didn't keep Barkley's mouth shut.

"The Knicks still stink, dude," Barkley told the radio show hosts.  "They're not going anywhere [in the playoffs], they're gonna be one-and-done."

The Knicks are 33-29 and have clinched a playoff spot.  The rejuvenated team currently has the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and are three games behind the slumping Orlando Magic— who lost Dwight Howard for the rest of the season— for the No. 6 slot.

The Knicks would play the No. 2 seed Miami Heat if the playoffs started today.

"I don't dislike the Knicks," Barkley said.  "But they just don't have a good team.  I told you, they're the No. 7 seed.  You guys act like they're the No. 1 or 2 seed."

Texter gets hit in face by ball at Nets game

A guy was sitting in the front row at Newark's Prudential Center— watching the New Jersey Nets host the New York Knicks while texting someone and without paying attention to the game— when an outlet pass from  Knicks center Tyson Chandler sailed by Steve Novak and bopped the guy in the face.

While the woman sitting next to the texter had the awareness to shield her face, this guy was so into his texting he didn't even see the play unfold from his front row seat and went back to texting after the ball bounced off his head.

The pissed off man's text probably went something like this: "Sitting courtside next to the Nets bench.  Chillin'. Watching Carmelo Anthony light up the Pru... ouch! WTF!... Oh...  just got hit in the face by Tyson Chandler's pass. Awesome."

If the texter was a Nets fan, his night was already pretty bad. The evening started out with the hometown Nets getting booed while their cross-river rivals, the Knicks, got rousing cheers during the introductions.

Anthony finished the night with 33 points in 34 minutes— 21 of them coming in the first quarter— and the Nets ended up on the short end of a 104-95 loss.

Unleashed Manimal shows the "POP & GO" to Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin usually has his way with most players when it comes jamming down at least a couple spectacular dunks in every game, but Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried was ready for the Los Angeles Clippers' human showcase reel and "The Manimal" even tweeted about it before the game.

"I'm up I'm up I'm up & ready to "POP & GO" 

#leggo #Grind Hard #UnleashTheManimal"

In the second quarter, Faried chased Blake down and swatted away what looked like another addition to the 2012 Blake Griffin highlight reel.

It was only a matter of time before Griffin got revenge and, in the fourth quarter, he got a bit of redemption by slamming the ball over the outstretched arms of The Manimal and through the rim.

For the time being though, Faried must have felt good.

The Clippers went on to defeat the the Nuggets, 104-98, in Denver.

Brooklyn Decker admits Gisele Bundchen is her #1 crush

Brooklyn Decker's beauty may make men stop dead in their tracks, but this model-turned-actress (aren't they all) who will be appearing in the upcoming big screen adaption of the board game "Battleship" says she could be considered "slightly crazy."

Decker strips down to her undies in the May issue of GQ magazine and reveals she has sides of her personality that not many people know.

Besides relating to the Kristen Wiig character's inner soul in "Bridesmaids," the 25-year old Decker tells the magazine she also has a big crush on Brazilian super model Gisele Bundchen— the wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

"I have a a top-five list, and Gisele is is my number one.  She can do no wrong in my eyes," the wife of pro-tennis star Andy Roddick gushes to GQ.  "Well, everyone has a top-five list of their biggest crushes, you know?  Usually, it's guys on my list , but Gisele is just so perfect in every way."

Patriots fans may disagree with the 'She can do no wrong' part (isn't there some jinx or something?) but I'm sure they'll leave Brooklyn to her fantasies.

Decker added she's embarrassed to admit a similar crush on singer Dave Matthews.  Isn't that the "Ants Marching" guy?

Anyway, the first question Gisele would probably ask Brooklyn is: 'Can you throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time?'

Yankees will wear different uniforms for first time at Fenway celebration

The New York Yankees have agreed with the Boston Red Sox to wear different uniforms for the first time ever at the 100th-year anniversary of Fenway Park on Friday.

According to the team, it will be the first time the Yankees have ever worn a different road uniform.

Instead of "NEW YORK" emblazoned across the front of the shirt, only the familiar "NY" logo will appear.

It's not like Boston fans won't know what team it is and they will be booed just the same.

The solid gray uniform with matching hat will be the first road uniform that doesn't spell out "NEW YORK" on the front and the gray cap matches the same one worn 100 years ago at the landmark stadium.

The Red Sox will wear solid white caps

In keeping with tradition, the Yankees players' names will still not be on the back.

The Sox lead the Yankees, 460-457, in games played at Fenway.

2012 NFL schedule makes Giants' title defense a prime-time series

If the New York Giants are going to prove that last season's Super Bowl Championship wasn't a fluke, it looks like the NFL is going to make them do it the hard way— with another brutal regular season schedule.

It also looks like the NFL wants fans watch it play out on prime-time television.

The defending champions were well aware that— as winners of Super Bowl XLVI— they would be featured on a lot of night games against top-tier teams.  Sticking to a proven format, the 2012 schedule maker didn't disappoint the viewing public and has the Giants playing three of them in the first four weeks.

They all won't be your typical 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday games on the Giants' schedule in 2012.  They will be playing night games on a Wednesday— the NFL opener (Sept. 5) against the Dallas Cowboys— on a Thursday (Sept. 20 at Carolina), Sunday (Sept. 30 at Philadelphia and later in the season against the Packers) and on Monday night  (Dec. 13 vs. the Redskins).

That's a longer prime-time run than either "Hellcats" or "S#*! My Dad Says" could boast.  And no, neither of those shows had anything to do with the Jets or Rex Ryan.

Besides the nighttime match-ups, the Giants play six games down the stretch against four 2011 playoff teams— including the Packers and Saints— and two divisional games against the Eagles and Redskins.

Did A-Rod throw Cameron Diaz a love curveball?

Cameron Diaz shows a lot of skin in May's "In-Style" magazine's interview with the star.  But in truth, the ex-flame of New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez sounds like she is showing just as much emotional hurt lying underneath it.

"When I was going through a bit of a heartbreak a little while ago, I said to a friend, 'Wow, this really hurts!'" the film star tells the magazine, without mentioning the Yankee third baseman by name.  

"And he said to me, 'That just shows you what your capacity for loving is.'"

Well now Diaz is giving the heartbreaker something to regret after she was photographed wearing a slinky green gown with her left leg breaking through a slit so long Angelina Jolie would blush.

While Diaz tends to healing her broken heart, A-Rod has been spending his time with former-wrestler Torrie Wilson.

Something tells me Diaz won't be a free agent too much longer after the article comes out.

LeBron gives gear to Beyonce's nephew after dumping 37 on Nets

After hearing New Jersey Nets fans serenade him with chants of 'Let's Go Heat' and 'MVP'— while he single-handedly scored the final 17 points giving the Miami Heat a 101-98 victory— LeBron James took off his shoes, autographed them and handed them to 7-year old standing courtside after Monday night's game.

It wasn't bad enough that the chants for James were on the Nets' home court at the Prudential Center but that lucky kid was singer Beyonce's nephew.  The entertainer is also the wife of rapper and Nets minority owner Jay-Z.

It starting to look like Jay-Z and the Nets can't wait to cross the Brooklyn Bridge soon enough and James' gifts are a nice parting gift.




Little Daniel Julez Smith was the lucky recipient of James' shoes along with a head band, shooting sleeve and wrist band.

James scored 37 points last night giving the Heat a sweep of the lame duck Nets this season.  That makes 10 straight losses to the Heat for the Nets.

The next time the Heat come up here to play, it will be against a team called the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center across the Hudson and East Rivers.

Delonte West gives Gordon Hayward a "Wet Willie"

In what has to one of the most unusual fouls in NBA history, oddball Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West gave Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward a "Wet Willie" during last night's game.

It happened during the second quarter of the game when West walked over to his opponent and stuck his finger in Hayward's ear.

Jazz announcers jumped all over the act.

"The low of lows in sportsmanship," one said.  "I've never seen that in professional sports— a finger in the ear," said the other.




West was just called for a blocking foul on Hayward before he walked over and touched him.  It's hard to see where West's finger was before the incident.  He received a technical for the childish offense but was not ejected.

Maybe a "purple nurple" would justify getting thrown out.

Either way, Hayward had the last laugh after the Jazz beat the Mavs, 123-121, in three overtimes.

LeBron scores Miami's final 17 points for win as Nets fans chant 'Let's Go Heat'

LeBron James scored the Miami Heat's final 17 points giving his team a 101-98 victory over the New Jersey Nets as the entire arena serenaded the forward with chats of 'Let's Go Heat' and 'MVP.'

Only problem was . . . the game was being played on the Nets home court.

While James had his way with the Nets down the stretch, the home town crowd at Prudential Center cheered for an opposing player— even thought the Nets had led almost the entire game Monday night.

"It was amazing, honestly. I give a lot of thanks to all the Heat fans that we have, and all the Nets fans that rooted as well," said James.  "Like I said at one point last year, I never thought I would hear 'Let's Go Heat' on someone else's floor.  So I am happy to be a part of it."

If it was going to happen LeBron, you had to know it would be in Jersey.



Nets forward Kris Humphries (29 pts.) wasn't as enamored about the love shown to an arch-villain on his home court.

"Yeah, I'm surprised.  Where were those fans earlier?" said Humphries.  "If you're a Heat fan, you should have been screaming the whole game even when we got them down."

James finished the game with 37 points while his teammate Dwayne Wade sat on the bench with an injury.

To add insult to embarassment— after the game James took off his shoes, autographed them and handed them to 7-year old Daniel Julez Smith— the nephew of singer Beyonce Knowles and her husband Nets minority owner Jay-Z.

Nets star Deron Williams— who can only dream of hearing  'MVP' chants at the Pru— could only watch and listen from the pine as he nursed a sore calf.

The Nets— who have lost their last 10 games to the Heat— actually led up until the very end— even with a starting lineup which included two rookies and two players acquired on 10-day contracts.

James shouldn't expect the adulation in Newark to continue— literally and figuratively.  The next time these two teams meet up here, it will against the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclays Center.

Trent Richardson takes cancer survivor to high school prom

Alabama running back Trent Richardson donned a white tux, rented a limo and made a 17-year old girl's dream come true by taking her to her senior prom.  This was no ordinary date since Courtney Alvis is a cancer survivor and had never met the player before Saturday's date.

Alvis' uncle took a chance that Alabama's biggest sports star would even consider escorting his niece to the Hueytown (Ala) high school prom, but Richardson came through in white and pink colors.

Richardson— who did not attend his own prom— said going to the dance with Alvis was a no-brainer since his mother was a cancer survivor herself.

"I did it out of my heart," said the 20-year old Richardson.  "I am lucky to be here with Courtney."


Alvis— who began chemotherapy a year ago and is now undergoing maintenance— was concerned about her appearance and prepared to stay home on the big night before her uncle took charge and contacted the university.

It should be a pretty busy time for the couple.  Alvis has graduation coming up and Richardson is expected to be the first running back selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.