sábado, 28 de abril de 2012

LightSquared creditors have had their fill of Phil

It’s showtime for hedge fund honcho Phil Falcone.

The wealthy backer of LightSquared, the 4G wireless start-up, is staring at a 10 a.m. Monday morning deadline to step down from the company and greatly reduce his ownership stake or risk losing his entire $2.9 billion investment by having creditors force it into bankruptcy.

Creditors, including Carl Icahn, feel Falcone has become too toxic a presence atop LightSquared and that the company can succeed only if the 49-year-old chairman of Harbinger Capital Management makes himself scarce.

Falcone, earlier this year, rankled a Capitol Hill lawmaker with his actions and has been unable to smooth over a hostile relationship with several groups, including the Defense Dept., which are upset that LightSquared’s 4G network interferes with their GPS systems.

Creditors have deemed Falcone a “political lightning rod.”

Icahn and other owners of LightSquared’s $1.6 billion loan due 2014 set the April 30 deadline to decide whether to declare LightSquared in default for breaching loan covenants tied to its customer contracts.

In February, LightSquared’s primary regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, said it planned to pull the plug on the company’s ambitious roll-out scheme because of the GPS snafu.

Creditors also want to replace LightSquared’s board of directors and the previous management team, sources told The Post.

In addition, creditors also want Falcone, who owns 96 percent of the venture’s equity through his Harbinger hedge fund, to give up financial control of LightSquared, sources told The Post.

Under this scenario, Falcone would retain some kind of financial interest, but much reduced from his current stake, a person close to the negotiations told The Post.

“What stake he retains is subject to debate,” this person said.

A person close to Harbinger said the hedge fund has not yet seen an economic proposal from the creditors. Also, people close to Falcone say they doubt Icahn will get better results from DC.

Regardless, the deadline is fast approaching. If a deal is not struck before Monday morning, creditors could declare default and force a bankruptcy — assuming Falcone doesn’t get there first.

The hedge fund manager has threatened to place the company into voluntary bankruptcy to protect the troubled wireless venture from creditors seeking a “quick flip.”

Falcone, who has invested $2.9 billion in LightSquared, had been aiming to launch coast-to-coast 4G wireless service for as many as 260 million Americans.

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

Carl Icahn, LightSquared, Harbinger Capital Management, Falcone, hedge fund, ownership stake, Federal Communications Commission, creditors, 4G wireless

Nypost.com

Vic C.’s Calder Grade

FIRST-6 1/2 fur; $10,500; clm($12,500); 3YO

7-Johnny'sGalaxy

3-1

4-Malibu Wave

6-1

1-Hertzel

9-5

5-SweetsthernTw

8-1

2-DancingforLos

15-1

6-Sugar Ryan

6-1

3-Straightsccess

20-1

8-Old Puerto

5-1

SECOND-7 1/2 furT;$14,000; cl($16,0); 3up

1-Baltimore Saint

5-1

7-Pico Bolivar

5-2

2-Evenforever

8-1

8-Mr Nu Nu

12-1

3-I Can and IWill

15-1

9-Large Kaufy

3-1

4-Hey Brayden

20-1

10-Clawer

6-1

5-El Speedo

12-1

11-TiznowMytim

4-1

6-Sarava Star

12-1

THIRD-5 1/2 fur; $10,500; cl($12,50); 3YO

1-Bishop's Lodge

8-1

5-Ethan's Tune

4-1

2-Montesarchio

4-1

6-CalmExpressins

8-1

3-Strong Fire

20-1

7-JohntheBaptst

15-1

4-Reimburser

3-1

8-Radicchio

5-2

FOURTH-1mT; $17,000; cl($32,0); 3,4&5YO

6-Kings Over

4-1

8-CountryChmp

20-1

1-Call Me Mighty

8-1

9-Cortadito

8-1

2-Dark Rumor

5-1

10-Fast Stack

12-1

3-A. F. Hennessey

8-1

11-LeGrandRouge

3-1

4-Igotchanow

6-1

12-Tu Si Pazzo

12-1

5-Fortunate Bill

5-2

13-RoyalJokester

12-1

7-Franklinpark

20-1

14-Crown Polis

6-1

FIFTH-5 1/2 fur; $16,500; clm($25,000); 3up

3-StormCldsAhed

6-1

5-Ehecatl

4-1

1-Circle Valley

8-1

6-DistinctiveMve

3-1

2-Tormento

5-1

7-Riojano

2-1

4-Villere

15-1

SIXTH-7 1/2 fur(T); $28,000; alw; 3up

5-StormWarnings

3-1

6-MsterAchevee

6-1

1-TaleofaChampn

5-2

7-Carrots

4-1

2-RoyalDistinctn

20-1

8-CncrdeExpress

6-1

3-Keyhole

12-1

9-WestbondTrn

12-1

4-Albert

15-1

SEVENTH-6 fur; $20,000; alw; 3up(f)

3-Wyatt'sWomen

5-2

5-Bessie M

5-1

1-Flying Trip

4-1

6-Tikitocki

6-1

2-WildBoutTiffny

3-1

7-Si Senora

8-1

4-Hey Dirty Face

8-1

EIGHTH-6 1/2 fur; $16,000; clm($25,0); 3YO

5-It's a Sin

3-1

4-Starship Romeo

5-1

1-Bizarro

5-2

6-Bright Knight

12-1

2-Gospel It Tiz

8-1

7-Sun Time

6-1

3-Bishopsgate

20-1

8-Riverstar

4-1

NINTH-1 mile(T); $50,000; alw; 4up

5-BingoBangoBng

8-1

9-Nineinthenine

20-1

1-Fast Jak

12-1

10-ChiseledLght

20-1

2-Grand Reality

12-1

11-Mimito Boy

12-1

3-Clean Shot

12-1

12-Grand Cash

7-2

4-Hariolus

4-1

13-Nathan Ridge

6-1

6-J Isle

10-1

14-Homeboykris

4-1

7-No Inflation

6-1

15-Sir Charlie

15-1

8-MajestcExpress

6-1

16-Fair Whit

8-1

TENTH-1m&70yds; $10,500; cl($6,25); 3up

3-Roman Frolic

5-2

1-a-Total Reward

4-1

2-TordeCmprse

15-1

4-Mason'sMment

3-1

1-a-Inagotable

4-1

5-El Cobre

8-1

4-Ya Ya's Rules

5-1

6-Sir Sparky

10-1

5-Rockcastle

8-1

ELEVENTH-1 1/16 milesT; $100,000; 3YOf

Calder Oaks

12-Miss Montreal

7-2

7-Awesome Belle

6-1

1-Sinister Brew

10-1

8-CmmenceFrng

12-1

2-Frolic'sRevenge

5-1

9-CitizenAdvocte

8-1

3-BrwnEyedNne

12-1

10-Parranda

15-1

4-Fine Silver

20-1

11-Buleria

15-1

5-Ainsley

6-1

13-MsQuisqueya

4-1

6-GlamourNGlory

8-1

14-Ciguaraya

6-1

TWELFTH-1m70yd; $10,500; clm; 3,4&5

5-Lizard's Repent

5-2

4-Cut and Burn

8-1

1-Run Wilko Run

8-1

6-Why Phil

12-1

2-Almaak

8-5

7-King of Pop

20-1

3-UnbrdledReee

15-1

8-OurRedemption

4-1
Nypost.com

viernes, 27 de abril de 2012

Consumer sentiment up more than forecast in April: survey

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- US consumer sentiment rose in April to 76.4 from 76.2 in March, a final reading of a survey by the University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters revealed Friday.

Economists polled by MarketWatch expected a final reading of 75.7 in April -- matching a preliminary estimate for the month.

The sentiment gauge, which covers how consumers view their personal finances as well as business and buying conditions, averaged about 87 in the year before the most recent recession.

Economists watch sentiment data to get a feel for the direction of consumer spending. High gas prices and stock-market volatility have been weighing on consumers in recent months.

To read more, go to MarketWatch

MarketWatch, sentiment data online, consumer sentiment, reading, consumer spending

Nypost.com

Pitching Form

(Game time)

2012

'11 vs OPP

CAREER

LAST 3 STARTS

LINE

W-L

ERA

*REC

W-L

ERA

vs OPP

W-L

IP

ERA

*AHW

Tigers

Verlander (R)

6-7

2-1

1.72

3-1

0-0

4.50

4-3

2-1

23.1

2.31

8.5

Yankees

Nova (R)

(7:05pm)

3-0

3.79

3-0

0-0

3-0

19.0

3.79

12.8

Mets

Schwinden (R)

(8:40pm)

---

----

---

0.0

---

----

----

----

Rockies

Pomeranz (L)

7-8

0-1

6.75

0-2

0-0

0-1

9.1

6.75

15.4

Cubs

Maholm (L)

(7:05pm)

1-2

8.36

1-2

3-2

1-2

14.0

8.36

14.1

Phillies

Halladay (R)

11-13

3-1

1.50

3-1

1-1

2.45

1-4

2-1

22.0

2.05

10.2

D'Backs

Saunders (L)

(7:10pm)

1-1

1.29

1-2

1-1

6.75

1-1

1-1

21.0

1.29

9.0

Marlins

Zambrano (R)

11-13

0-1

2.84

0-3

3-2

0-1

19.0

2.84

8.5

Astros

Rodriguez (L)

(7:10pm)

1-2

1.42

1-3

0-2

4.74

7-9

1-2

19.0

1.89

8.5

Reds

Leake (R)

7-8

0-2

6.50

1-2

1-2

8.18

2-3

0-2

18.0

6.50

13.5

Pirates

Burnett (R)

(7:35pm)

1-0

0.00

1-0

5-9

1-0

7.0

0.00

6.4

Braves

Hanson (R)

8-9

2-2

3.38

2-2

0-0

4.50

0-1

2-1

19.0

3.79

10.4

Brewers

Gallardo (R)

(8:15pm)

1-1

3.65

2-2

1-3

5.70

1-8

1-0

21.0

1.71

9.4

Cardinals

Westbrook (R)

Even-6

2-1

1.31

2-1

1-3

4.13

1-3

2-1

20.2

1.31

9.1

Nationals

Detwiler (L)

(10:10pm)

2-0

0.56

2-1

0-0

0.00

0-0

2-0

16.0

0.56

8.4

Dodgers

Kershaw (L)

8 1/2-10

1-0

1.61

4-0

2-2

1-0

19.1

1.86

9.3

Padres

Luebke (L)

(10:15pm)

2-1

2.52

3-1

1-1

3.72

1-1

2-0

20.1

0.89

8.4

Giants

Hacker (R)

Even-6

---

----

---

0.0

---

----

----

----

Angels

Weaver (R)

7-8

3-0

2.43

3-1

1-1

3.46

5-2

2-0

21.2

3.32

7.9

Indians

Masterson (R)

(7:05pm)

0-2

6.65

1-3

0-0

1.29

2-0

0-2

13.2

9.88

21.1

Athletics

McCarthy (R)

(7:05pm)

0-3

3.38

1-4

1-0

6.00

1-1

0-2

20.0

4.05

14.4

Orioles

Arrieta (R)

6-7

1-1

4.01

2-2

0-1

0-1

17.2

5.60

11.7

Mariners

Beavan (R)

(7:07pm)

1-2

3.26

1-2

0-1

9.00

0-1

1-2

19.1

3.26

9.8

Blue Jays

Romero (L)

8 1/2-10

3-0

3.29

4-0

0-1

3.52

1-1

3-0

22.1

2.42

9.3

Rays

Shields (R)

(8:05pm)

3-0

2.76

4-0

2-0

0.53

5-2

3-0

24.1

1.11

7.4

Rangers

Harrison (L)

5 1/2-6 1/2

3-0

1.66

3-0

0-0

0.00

1-0

3-0

21.2

1.66

8.7

Red Sox

Bard (R)

Even-6

1-2

4.38

0-2

0-0

0.00

1-0

0-2

11.2

4.63

15.4

White Sox

Danks (L)

(8:10pm)

2-2

5.11

2-2

3-4

2-1

18.2

5.30

14.5

Royals

Teaford (L)

(8:10pm)

0-1

3.86

0-0

0-0

0.00

0-0

---

----

----

----

Twins

Pavano (R)

6-7

1-2

4.72

2-2

2-2

3.37

9-7

1-1

19.2

4.58

11.0

* REC: Won-lost record of pitcher's team in games he has started.

* AHW: Average total of hits and walks yielded per nine innings.
Nypost.com

jueves, 26 de abril de 2012

Rivera makes good on coach's hunch, driving in winning run for Telecom

Julio Rivera’s value to Telecommunications is in the field. Coach Ed D’Alessio uses the senior as a late-inning defensive replacement and often reinserts starting second baseman Jose Espinal if a big hit is needed.

That was the case Wednesday afternoon, but D’Alessio went against the book -- the Telecom baseball coach doesn’t overly rely on a binder. When the longtime head man saw Rivera toss his bat and helmet in frustration prior to pinch-hitting for him, D’Alessio reversed course and went with Rivera.

“I saw he wanted it bad,” the coach said.

Denis Gostev

Telecommunications celebrates its 3-2 win over James Madison in Wednesday.

Photos: Telecommunications-Madison

Denis Gostev

Telecommunication's A.J. Serrano went the distance for his fourth league win.

Photos: Telecommunications-Madison

The senior rewarded his coach, lining a sacrifice fly into right field to plate sophomore Anthony Nunez with the game-winning run as the Yellow Jackets topped rival Madison, 3-2, in PSAL Brooklyn A crossover action at Ben Vitale Park in Bensonhurst.

“I felt I could do it,” Rivera said. “It was nothing against Jose. I wanted the shot to win the game.”

Rivera’s drive made a winner out of sophomore A.J. Serrano. The impressive lefthander retired the final 12 hitters he faced, struck out six, walked two and scattered six hits, all over the first three innings. He picked off two runners and worked out of a first-and-third, one-out situation in the second for his fourth league win.

“He’s a money pitcher,” D’Alessio said. “He got stronger as he went along, his velocity picked up and his location improved.”

It was an impressive bounce-back victory for young Telecom, which nearly upset title contender Grand Street Campus on Tuesday. It took a 3-2 lead in the seventh before the Wolves rallied for the victory – just as Telecom did to Madison.

“That says a lot about their team,” Madison coach Vinny Caiazza said.

Nunez started the home seventh by lacing a Joe Cali fastball for a triple up the left-center field gap. Rivera followed with the sac fly, Nunez easily beating right fielder Jordan Wilson’s throw. Cali was the hard-luck loser, going six-plus innings, allowing five hits, three runs, walking three and striking out one. Matt Zalon drove in Madison’s two runs in the third with a double.

“It was a great game, somebody had to lose,” Caiazza said. “Both teams played really well, both pitchers settled down after the first three innings.”

Telecom (7-1, Brooklyn A West) has proven it belong among the PSAL’s best despite its youth. It has defeated defending CHSAA Class AA champion Xaverian and PSAL contenders Bryant and John Adams in non-league, nearly ousted Grand Street Campus and has topped rival Madison twice.

D’Alessio entered this week cautiously optimistic because of inexperience – his core is made up of juniors, sophomores and a few freshmen – and while his team was undefeated in league play, each victory was against a weak opponent in a lopsided manner.

“I think with this team we got some good potential,” D’Alessio said. “We needed qualify games because the competition is down in our division. These competitive games now they’ll know what they have to do on the highest level. We know we can hang in there with the top teams.”

While the Yellow Jackets may not be mentioned in the same breath as Grand Street, George Washington, Cardozo and Tottenville, they have proven they could be dangerous come late May, just like last year when they nearly upended Grand Street in the quarterfinals.

“We just need to keep playing hard, do what we’ve been doing and show we should get talked about also,” Rivera said.

zbraziller@nypost.com

Julio Rivera, James Madison, Yellow Jackets, Yellow Jackets, Telecommunications, Telecom, Telecom, Jose Espinal, A.J. Serrano, Anthony Nunez, PSAL, PSAL, Madison coach Vinny Caiazza

Nypost.com

miércoles, 25 de abril de 2012

Google Stores, Edits in the Cloud

Google Unveils Drive Service

Google Tests Direct Sales With Smartphone

Mossberg's Mailbox: Taking Dictation

I've been testing Google Drive, which launches today, and I like it. It subsumes the editing and file-creation features of Google Docs, and replaces Google Docs (though any documents you have stored there carry over). In my tests—on a Mac, a Lenovo PC, a new iPad and the latest Samsung Android tablet—Google Drive worked quickly and well, and most of its features operated as promised. At launch, it's available for Windows PCs, Macs and Android devices. The version for the iPhone and iPad is planned for release soon.

Google Drive, which can be found at drive.google.com, offers users 5 gigabytes of free storage, compared with 2 gigabytes free for the popular Dropbox, and equal to the free offering from another cloud storage and syncing service I like, SugarSync. That's enough for thousands of typical documents, photos and songs.

Prices for additional storage drastically undercut Dropbox and SugarSync. For instance, 100 GB on Google Drive costs $4.99 a month. By contrast, 100 GB costs $14.99 monthly on SugarSync and $19.99 on Dropbox. Google Drive will offer huge capacities, in tiers, all the way up to 16 terabytes. (A terabyte is roughly 1,000 gigabytes.) And if you buy extra storage for Google Drive, your Gmail quota rises to 25 GB.

Enlarge Image

0424ptech03jpg

Close

0424ptech03jpg

Google says users can search for certain famous images in photo files.

But one of Google's biggest rivals isn't standing still. Microsoft is expanding both the features and capacity of its little-known SkyDrive cloud storage service as well. That product started out as a free, fixed-capacity (25 gigabytes) online locker mostly for users of the stripped-down, cloud-based version of Microsoft Office, though it also has been available as an app for Windows Phone smartphones and for iPhones. It's giving away even more free storage than Google—7 GB, though that is a cut from what it used to offer free. It also is charging less than Google. For instance, you can add 100 gigabytes for $50 a year. And users of the old version get to keep their 25-gigabyte free allotment. I wasn't able to test this new version of SkyDrive for this column. It also is offering syncing apps for Windows and Mac.

The Digital Solution

In the Race to Beat iPhone, One Thin Android Weighs In

Google Drive is meant as an evolution of Google Docs. While you could previously upload a file to Google Docs using your Web browser, for Google Drive, the company is providing free apps for Mac and Windows that, like Dropbox, do this for you. They create special folders that sync with your cloud-based repository and with the Web version of the product. So, you can drag a file into these local folders on your computer and that file will be uploaded to your cloud account and will rapidly appear in the Web version of Google Drive, in the Google Drive folders on your other computers, and in the Google Drive apps on Android, iPhone and iPad devices. These local apps also sync any changes to the files you make.

One big difference between Dropbox and Google Drive is you can edit or create files in the latter, rather than merely storing or viewing them. This is because Google Drive includes the rudimentary word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and other apps that make up Google Docs.

But there is a catch. If your stored document is in a Microsoft Office format, you can only view it. To edit it, you have to click a command to convert the file to Google's own formats, or choose a setting that converts Microsoft Office files when uploaded. But this latter feature only works when uploading from the website.

Google's new cloud-based file storage and syncing business with Google Drive will compete with products like Dropbox. Walt Mossberg reviews the new service on digits. Photo: Google.

Google Drive also is missing some features of SugarSync I like. The latter doesn't require you to place files in a special folder; it syncs the folders you already use on your PC and Mac. Also, unlike SugarSync, Google Drive doesn't let you email files directly into your cloud locker.

Google Drive allows you to share files and folders, and collaborate with others. You can also email files as attachments. People with whom you share files can be allowed different rights: to view, comment, or edit them. You can also keep the files private.

Because Google has run into hot water over keeping users' information private, some people may be reluctant to trust their files to Google Drive. But the company insists that, while it does process and store your files, no human can see them and, at least today, the files aren't used to target advertising at users. The company notes no file can be placed in Google Drive unless the user wants it there.

Enlarge Image

PTECH

Close

PTECH

Google Drive lets users create and edit files as well as share them with others.

The service does a very good job of searching files, even finding words inside PDF or scanned documents. The company claims it can find images when you type in words describing them, like "bridge" or "mountain"—even if those words don't appear in the image's file name. But I found this mostly worked with photos of famous places or people Google has collected via its Google Goggles product. Google Drive failed to find images with generic file names on almost all of my own pictures, even when they included things like mountains or other common objects.

Google Drive did a good job in my tests with videos. It converts nearly every common video format into a format it can play, right inside its website. This process can take some time. While Google Drive can store music, it can't play it directly via its website.

Google's new service also works with third-party document creation and editing apps that are built to work with it. I used one, called Balsamiq Mockups, to create a quick wire-frame diagram.

I can recommend Google Drive to consumers looking for cloud-based storage, with the added bonus of integrated editing, at lower prices. But the new Microsoft SkyDrive also seems worth a try.

—Find all of Walt Mossberg's columns and videos at the All Things Digital website, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

A version of this article appeared April 25, 2012, on page D1 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Google Heads To the Cloud For Storage to Sync and Edit.

Google Docs, Google Docs, Google, Microsoft, cloud storage

Online.wsj.com

lunes, 23 de abril de 2012

Benetton cofounder to hand company over to son

ROME -- Benetton cofounder Luciano Benetton said Sunday that after 47 years, he was stepping aside for his son.

"The baton passes to my son Alessandro, who will become chairman," he told Italian newspaper the Corriere della Sera in an interview. "After a run that has lasted 47 years, I will resign Tuesday from my duties in the company founded with my brothers and sister."

Alessandro Benetton, 48, currently serves as vice chairman.

Since its establishment, the clothing group has grown to 6,000 stores in 120 countries and produces more than 150 million items for its three brands -- United Colors of Benetton, Sisley and Playlife -- each year.

Though Europe's economic woes and higher cotton prices hit the company's bottom line last year, Luciano Benetton expressed confidence in his son to keep the brands on track.

"The challenge is always the same: do, imagine, innovate. That's what an entrepreneur must always do," the 77-year-old said.

Luciano Benetton, Benetton, United Colors of Benetton, Corriere della Sera, Alessandro

Nypost.com

sábado, 21 de abril de 2012

Aqueduct Analysis

Post Time: 12:50 p.m.

All horses appear in post position order

1. 7 fur; $62,000; alw; 3up

DELUXE PACKAGE stretches out after coming off the pace to break maiden over this course. TWO SEVENTEEN cuts back in distance after closing to finish second while going two turns. BIG BLUE NATION fourth in stakes at Ocala when adding blinkers while going longer.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Police Chatter(L),122

A Solis

4-5-3

Serpe

6-1

2 Big Blue Nation(L),116

R Napravnik

4-4-3

Pletcher

5-2

3 Star Harbour(L),122

R Maragh

3-2-5

Mott

9-5

4 Two Seventeen(L),116

C Nakatani

2-2-1

Levine

3-1

5 Deluxe Package(L),124

M Luzzi

1-2-4

Rice

6-1

2. 1 1/16 miles(T); $55,000; mdn; 3up

MIKE AND ROB finished fourth at this distance over this course when making seasonal debut. ALARMED NDANGEROUS working steadily for first start since finishing second over this course and distance in December. WITHOUT REGARD makes turf debut after tiring in career debut in March.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

2 Mr Cowboy(M),113

S Camacho, Jr

9-x-x

Bond

15-1

3 Finn Again(L),124

A Garcia

6-x-x

Rice

5-2

1 a-Frisky Cat(L),118

J Espinoza

5-6-10

P Kelly

6-1

4 Knock Quietly(L),124

D Cohen

3-5-5

Schwartz

10-1

5 Alarmed Ndangerous(L),118

C Velasquez

2-2-6

Rice

7-2

6 Mike and Rob(L),118

E Castro

4-6-2

Weaver

6-1

7 Trainingforsuccess(L),118

I Ortiz, Jr

3-5-7

Friedman

12-1

8 Professor Chaos ,118

M Studart

8-9-x

Metivier

50-1

1A a-Imaspeedyguy(L),124

C Lopez

2-4-4

P Kelly

6-1

9 Without Regard(L),118

R Napravnik

5-x-x

Pletcher

4-1

10 Zivo(L),118

3-x-x

C Brown

6-5

3. 6 fur; $22,000; clm($10,000); 3up

TOKEN SACRIFICE drops to lowest claiming level of career and scratched yesterday to run in this spot. METAURUS returns to level of claim after finishing second in first start off the claim. MAXS FIRST tired to fourth in first start off the claim.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

2 Metaurus(L),117

S Camacho, Jr

2-4-1

Gullo

3-1

3 Hopeful Boy(L),115

W Garcia

3-3-4

Rodriguez

6-1

1 a-Passthepasta Plesa(L),122

C Velasquez

1-2-6

Galluscio

5-2

4 Keechi Bullet(L),122

R Silvera

2-5-3

J Imperio

8-1

5 Max's First(L),122

D Cohen

4-10-3

Parisella

8-1

6 Calgary Enforcer(L),122

C DeCarlo

8-6-10

Parker

30-1

7 Liberty St. Outlaw(L),122

J Guerrero

7-6-4

Chin

50-1

8 Raynick's Jet(L),122

I Ortiz, Jr

5-2-5

Quick

4-1

1A a-Token Sacrifice(L),122

C Velasquez

2-4-2

Galluscio

5-2

9 Missile Motor(L),122

M Studart

4-5-4

Chatterpaul

8-1

4. 1 mile; $75,000; 4up(f)
NORTHERN WILLY STAKES

GREAT GRACIE DANE drew the rail and returns to face state-breds after tiring in the mud at this distance. MISS VALENTINE comes in with a bullet work for first start since showing some closing ability in Grade 1 Gazelle. RISK A CHANCE has finished third in her last two starts.

Next >

1

2

3
Nypost.com

With Gaels in need of a win, Reyes tosses three-hitter against Xavier

The message from All Hallows head coach Ed Gutierrez to pitcher Jason Reyes was loud and clear.

“I told Jason, ‘We need to give you the ball and you need to put us on your back and go right at Xavier and give us a win,’” Gutierrez told his ace.

Reyes did just that on Friday, throwing a complete-game shutout while only giving up three hits, as the Gaels picked up a 3-0 victory against Xavier in CHSAA Bronx/Manhattan ‘AA’ baseball at MCU Park on Coney Island.

Reyes, despite getting into trouble in the fifth and sixth, didn’t give up a single run while striking out five and walking two. The two free passes came with one out in the fifth inning when Reyes walked Anthony Auletta and Robert Morrissey back-to-back before getting Brendan Ramusevic to hit into a fielder’s choice and Cody Mangano to fly out to end the inning.

Denis Gostev

All Hallows' Jason Reyes gave up just three hits in a complete-game shutout against Xavier.

Reyes got into trouble again the next inning when Xavier had runners on the corners with one out before opposing pitcher Jon Paul Ramirez hit a comebacker to Reyes who fired home to gun down Tito Ovalle. Reyes then struck out Nick Aguilera to once again elude danger.

“Today I knew I had to get the win for our team to bring up our confidence,” Reyes said. “I usually do better under pressure and I like when our team’s doing good, it makes me work harder.”

The win didn’t come easy for All Hallows (3-3), which has struggled so far this year, as Ramirez carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. The Gaels were sparked when Phoenix Deschamps, who usually bats leadoff but was placed in the seven-hole, decided to lay down a bunt with one out and beat out the throw for the Gaels first hit. Deschamps stole second and advanced to third on a wild pick-off throw by Ramirez. Deschamps then scored the Gaels first run on a safety squeeze by Mark Candelario.

“What’s ironic is that I’ve been trying to get him to do that from the leadoff spot all year,” Gutierrez said. “He didn’t do what I asked then all of a sudden I put him in the seven-hole and he’s doing leadoff.”

Added Deschamps: “As a leadoff man you’re supposed to get on base by any way possible and I really wasn’t doing that, but every day is a new day and you just gotta turn it around. I saw the third baseman playing me real deep so I just laid it down.”

Two batters later, Justin Soto hit a two-RBI single that scored Candelario and Stephen Alemais, who returned to the team after being suspended for violating team rules.

The bunt was a turning point for All Hallows which couldn’t solve Ramirez up to that point. Ramirez finished with 11 strikeouts over seven innings while giving up three earned runs on five hits. Ramirez’s performance was good enough to earn himself a No. 2 spot in the rotation for the Knights (3-3). St. John’s-bound Nick DiLeo is experiencing a dead-arm but played first base and went 1-for-3 on Friday.

“We found our number two at least,” head coach Rich Duffell said. “He did a fantastic job and he never panicked.”

Xavier will visit St. Peter’s on Monday while All Hallows will take on Regis Wednesday. The Gaels hope to continue to play a complete game.

“There are days you can hit and days you’re not gonna hit,” Gutierrez said. “But if you can play defense all the time and get good pitching and timely hitting, you’ll always be in the ball game.”

All Hallows, All Hallows, All Hallows, Jason Reyes, Gaels, Gaels, Ed Gutierrez, Xavier, Gutierrez, Gutierrez, fifth inning, Jon Paul Ramirez, Phoenix Deschamps, Reyes, Xavier.Reyes

Nypost.com

Real Madrid's Bid for World Domination

As Barcelona has risen to club-soccer supremacy over the last half-decade, it supposedly scored a victory for those who believe the purest way to win is to raise players through a club's youth teams, or at least recruit them from within the country.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

That philosophy has begun to take hold at a number of top clubs, as the cost of importing the world's best players has soared over $100 million.

But that message hasn't traveled 400 miles west to the Spanish capital, where, true to its roots, Real Madrid has stuck with an unapologetically imperialistic approach to dominating the game.

Of the 15 core players who receive the most playing time for Real Madrid, 11 are from foreign countries. Since the days of former dictator Francisco Franco, Real has tried harder than any other club to promote Spanish superiority through domination on the pitch; today, it is making its latest attempt with a lineup filled with players from regions where the Spanish empire once flourished.

There are Brazilians, Germans and Frenchmen. There are Argentines and a star striker and a coach from neighboring Portugal, calling to mind the era some 400 years ago, when the Spanish empire stretched through the Americas, into the East Indies and to parts of modern-day Italy, Germany and France.

Just one problem: Barcelona may still be better.

"Real Madrid is sitting at the top of the world with the biggest money pot, and they've never cared how enormously in debt the club goes to sign the best players," said Ray Hudson, the former player and manager who is now a commentator for GolTV. "But now in Barcelona they're running into the obstacle of perhaps the greatest team that's ever been assembled, and it isn't working."

"This is the sort of team that goes back to the glory days of Real Madrid in the 1950s, when they became the first club to base its team on stars from other countries," said Jimmy Burns, whose forthcoming book "La Roja" details the rise of Spanish soccer to the pinnacle of the sport.

[SP_MAIN2] Zuma Press

Jose Mourinho, Portugal

The idea, Burns explained, is to pay through the nose for foreign stars—Real paid around $130 million for Cristiano Ronaldo, for example—and let those players pay you back through merchandising, popularity and tournament victories. Real's Santiago Bernabeu stadium was one of the first grand soccer palaces when it opened in 1947. Through the 1950s it would be the home of the greatest team in Europe, winning the continental championship each year from 1956-60 under the leadership of Argentine Alfredo Di Stefano, who headed a cast of world all-stars.

"The problem is the strategy hasn't delivered as much as they might have hoped it would in recent years," said Burns.

This week, Real Madrid's current cast of mercenaries is getting its sternest test yet. The club faces archrival Barcelona on the road Saturday in a match that may determine supremacy in Spain's La Liga, which Barcelona has won the past three years. Real is atop the league table, four points clear of second-place Barcelona with five matches to go, but Barca won the first league meeting, 3-1, in Madrid in December.

Meanwhile, in Champions League, Europe's famed continental club competition, Real lost 2-1 Tuesday in the opening leg of its semifinal duel with Bayern Munich. Coach Jose Mourinho played down the loss, and suggested Spanish imperialism was alive and well. "It's not like we have to make a historical comeback," Mourinho said after the game. "What we have to do is very achievable."

Barcelona dropped the first leg of its semifinal with Chelsea 1-0 Wednesday, jeopardizing Spanish hopes of turning the Champions final into "El Clasico," the name given to matchups between Real and Barcelona.

Of course, none of the four teams still standing in Europe's foremost club tournament would have gotten this far without foreign talent. Such a feat is largely impossible in the world of professional soccer, where the best teams in the most successful leagues invariably use their riches to hog the best players. Barcelona and Bayern Munich have at least seven foreign players at their top of their roster, though some, like Barca's Lionel Messi, essentially grew up in their club's academy.

Chelsea flaunts 11 top foreigners, including Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech. But Chelsea's approach has little to do with the rebirth of British power. Rather, it is more closely tied to the psyche of its owner, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, and his fixation with winning the Champions League.

The long-held view of Real Madrid, conversely, is that domination in soccer speaks to a larger sense of national supremacy. Real is the world's most successful club by revenues, collecting €630 million (about $828 million) last year, $150 million more than England's top team, Manchester United. Executives from Real Madrid declined to comment for this story.

[SP REAL MADRID] Associated Press

Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina

For the most recent version of Real Madrid's Galacticos (Spanish for star spectacle), the final piece arrived in 2010, when the Portuguese coach Mourinho joined the club to try to secure the Champions League trophy he won in previous stints with Inter Milan and FC Porto. To hear people talk about Mourinho's strategy is to hear the sort of language associated with generals who have run roughshod over defenseless countries with a scorched-earth approach. To put it bluntly, Mourinho—known for defensive tactics that disrupt the flow of the opponent—doesn't try to win accolades for advancing the style of soccer.

"He's not worried about beauty," said Warren Barton, a former England international who is now a commentator for Fox Soccer. "He says look what I've won, and this is how we are going to do it again."

"Jose Mourinho is good at destroying soccer, not constructing soccer," said Jorge Ramos, a Uruguayan commentator for ESPN Deportes. "When they play good teams, they try to destroy them. They don't ever try to propose their own style. They have no style."

In Ramos's view, and that of millions of other devotees of the beautiful game, soccer isn't just about winning. It's also about advancing the game's aesthetic and producing players that can represent their club's home country on the national team.

Of course, Mourinho and Real Madrid don't particularly care much about those issues at the moment. They want to topple Barcelona, and Bayern, and then win the Champions League, no matter what it takes.

As Fernando Palomo, another ESPN Deportes commentator puts it: "Jose is the ideal coach for a group of fans who are just hungry for trophies. It's like driving down the highway and you're hungry for something to eat and all there is is fast food, so you eat it. He serves a fast-food style of football."

This year, that just might prevail, behind the overwhelming power of Ronaldo's 53 goals in all competitions this season.

But it's going to take more than the effort Real put forth against Bayern, where they lost the possession battle 54%-46% and earned six yellow cards. Barton said midfielder Xabi Alonso has to help control the ball, which would help Madrid's superior athletes flourish.

"They're the most athletic team in the world," Barton said. "They try to overpower you physically, where Barcelona is more patient. This team emulates what their manager is, and that's ruthless."
Online.wsj.com

Yankees' Hughes looks to rebound after two rough starts

The best thing that can be said about Phil Hughes is he’s healthy and throwing hard, but that’s not saying much. That’s because Hughes is off to another slow start for the Yankees, and his fastball is getting pounded all over the park.

With Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda returning in the coming weeks and David Phelps pitching himself into the picture, the question is how long is Hughes’ leash? At 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, he is hoping to bounce back in his third start tonight against the Twins.

“I have to pitch well, that’s the bottom line,” Hughes said before the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Twins Wednesday night at the Stadium. “That’s part of being a Yankee. If you’re not getting the job done they’ll bring in somebody else that does. It pushes me to be that much better and I enjoy that. There’s no doubt in my fastball this year. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you’re throwing 100. If you’re not getting outs, something has to change.

YANKEES BOX SCORE

“Whether it’s someone coming up or whether it’s Andy or Pineda getting healthy, I just have to pitch well, and we’ll see where it falls. But I have to do my job first.’’

Manager Joe Girardi said competition with Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia for the final spots in the rotation could put pressure on Hughes, but added that’s a good thing.

“They’re probably all going to think about it,’’ Girardi said. “But they all thought about it in spring training, and that worked out pretty well. Maybe it’s a good thing that people are getting closer and coming back. But I don’t want to make too much of two starts or one start.’’

Nevertheless, those starts are hard to ignore because they have been so poor. Hughes has coughed up 13 hits and eight earned runs in two starts, lasting just eight innings.

“He’s gotten in some longer counts and hasn’t been able to put hitters away. No. 2, he’s made some mistakes up,’’ Girardi said. “There’s a fine line when you pitch up there. If you don’t get high enough, a lot of times they’re going to be hit hard. So when he chooses to go up in the zone, he’s got to make sure he gets it there.’’

Catcher Russell Martin said it’s not just simply elevating higher, but keeping the other fastballs down and creating a bigger gap when he does choose to come up high.

“I’d rather see him keep the ball down earlier in the count, and when he needs to elevate have a big differential,” Martin said. “When you change their eye level, it becomes a more effective pitch. If he’s staying in the middle of the zone and then tries to go up a little higher it doesn’t have that same effect.

“It’s more of a location thing,” he added. “The velocity is there, everything’s there. If you keep your fastball down early, you can use your changeup. It makes your other pitches better.’’

Hughes hasn’t been able to finish off hitters with his heat, and he hasn’t gotten swings and misses on his cutter or curve because hitters are laying off his change and waiting for his fastball.

“I’m trying to be more aggressive, go back to what I really want to do as a pitcher, and that’s attack,’’ Hughes said. “When I get in jams I almost want to be a little too fine, not go to my fastball as much.’’

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Phil Hughes, Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte, Michael Pineda, David Phelps

Nypost.com

viernes, 20 de abril de 2012

Alibaba re$ults re-Orient Yahoo!

Alibaba is Yahoo!’s magic-carpet ride.

When Yahoo! released earnings this week, it also opened the books on its 40 percent stake in Alibaba Group, the fast-growing Chinese e-commerce giant run by Jack Ma.

For the first time last quarter, Yahoo!’s Asian assets, which include Yahoo! Japan, surpassed the firm’s core business in operating income: $172 million to $169 million, according to analyst Ken Sena of Evercore Partners.

The Asian investments are keeping Yahoo! afloat and boosting its bottom line, according to analysts who say the overseas assets are more valuable than the rest of the company. The Internet company is in talks to sell a portion of its Alibaba stake.

In comparison, Jordan Rohan, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus, said the Asian assets made up 60 percent of Yahoo!’s profit last quarter.

“Yahoo! is now receiving a much larger percentage of its total earnings per share from its non-consolidated holdings, mainly due to growth from Alibaba,” he said.

He pegs Alibaba Group’s valuation at $41 billion, up from $35 billion.

Alibaba Group, Asian investments, Jordan Rohan, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Japan

Nypost.com

jueves, 19 de abril de 2012

Coke set to become Spotify's global sponsor

Spotify is it! Coca-Cola is expected to announce today it is joining with the digital music service as a global sponsor.

Spotify boss Daniel Ek is expected to unveil a new Spotify iPad app at a press conference in New York today. Reps for Coke and Spotify were not immediately reachable.

Coca-Cola, Daniel Ek, digital music service, Spotify

Nypost.com

miércoles, 18 de abril de 2012

PSAL baseball roundup: Kaye blanks Bushwick as Midwood rolls

Daniel Kaye tossed six shutout innings, struck out six and allowed just three hits as Midwood blanked Bushwick Campus, 3-0, in Brooklyn A East baseball on Tuesday.

Joseph DiLeo doubled twice, Kaye had two hits, scored twice and added an RBI and Michael Scolavino had two hits and scored once for the Hornets (4-1), who remained just a game behind division leader Madison in the loss column.

Walton 4, Taft 0: Bruce Valentin struck out nine in a complete-game, two-hitter, Ronny Santana had three hit and an RBI and Larry Campusano and Greg Perdomo each scored once and drove in a run for Walton (3-2) in Bronx A East. Taft is 2-3.

Telecommunications 13, FDR 2: Austin Ruiz homered, scored three runs and drove in four, Josh Palacios scored twice and added two RBIs and Chris Lee struck out four in five innings for the win for Telecom (5-0) in Brooklyn A West. FDR is 2-3.

Monroe 11, Morris 3: Carlos Cortijo had two hits and four RBIs, Ramger Iglesias scored two runs and drove in two and Randy Perez had two hits and scored twice for Monroe (5-0) in Bronx A East. Morris is now 1-4.

New Utrecht 19, Lincoln 0: Anthony Devirgilio and Chris Vergara each had three RBIs and Andrew Nathan, Chris Hodgens and Joseph Castiglione both scored twice and drove in two runs for New Utrecht (5-1) in Brooklyn A West. Lincoln is 0-5.

Port Richmond 4, McKee/Staten Island Tech 2: Xavier Pena had two RBIs and Joe Boyle went the distance, allowing three hits and no earned runs, for Port Richmond (3-4) in Staten Island A. MSIT is also 3-4.

Petrides 16, Susan Wagner 0: Brian Ogno had three hits and five RBIs, Robert Kowalik and Derek Jentz each scored three runs and drove in two and Matt Kralik added three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored for Petrides (3-4) in Staten Island A. Wagner is 3-4 as well.

CLASS B

Queens HS of Teaching 17, Springfield Gardens 3: Andrew Starapolo homered, scored twice and had five RBIs, Jonathan Morales had three hits and scored four runs and Mark Singh had three hits, three RBIs and scored three times for QHST (4-0) in Queens B South. Springfield Gardens is 1-4.

Martin Van Buren 15, Far Rockaway 2: Edgar LeBron homered, scored twice and drove in five runs, Frank Diaz scored three runs and drove in three as well and Sean Naidu had two hits and four RBIs for Van Buren (5-1) in Queens B South. Far Rockaway is still winless at 0-6.

Robert F. Wagner Jr. 6, Hillcrest 5: Jake Raguso drove in two runs and scored once, Joseph Suarez doubled twice, scored a run and added an RBI and John Cudak struck out eight in 6-2/3 for Robert Wagner (2-3) in Queens B Central. Hillcrest is 0-5.

East Harlem Pride 13, Art & Design 1: Derick Estrella doubled twice, scored three runs and drove in three runs, Quincy Williams scored three runs and Moise Bruno struck out nine in five innings for East Harlem Pride (1-3) in Manhattan B North. Art & Design is 0-4.

Martin Luther King Jr. 10, Bread & Roses 1: Harold Volquez scored twice and drove in three runs, Ludwing Espinal had three hits, an RBI and scored once and Jose Delacruz had two hits and scored twice for MLK (5-0) in Manhattan B Central. Bread & Roses is 1-4.

Health Professions 12, East Side Community 2: Bryan Aguilera had two hits and three RBIs, Edward Alcantra added three hits and two RBIs and Eudi Delacruz had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for Health Professions (4-1) in Manhattan B South. East Side is 2-3.

OTHER SCORES

LaGuardia 6, Chelsea 3

Transit Tech 4, Arts & Business 0

zbraziller@nypost.com
Nypost.com

No fun and games for Mattel

Shares in Mattel sank 9.1 percent yesterday after the largest US toy maker by revenue said its first-quarter net income fell 53 percent, largely due to acquisition charges, while global sales slipped for its iconic Barbie and Hot Wheels products.

For the quarter ended March 31, profit fell to $7.8 million, or 2 cents a share, from $16.6 million, or 5 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The latest results include 4 cents a share of acquisition and integration costs related to the purchase of HIT Entertainment.

Globally, gross sales of Barbie were down 6 percent, while Hot Wheels’ sales were down 5 percent, and sales were roughly flat at Fisher-Price brands.

global sales, Hot Wheels, acquisition, Mattel, net income

Nypost.com

martes, 17 de abril de 2012

NYC boys lacrosse rankings

The rankings seem to be ever changing.

The topsy-turvy Ivy League has lead to weekly adjustments in this space and this week is no different. Dalton moves up to No. 3 fresh off a win over Riverdale and Poly Prep drops from No. 4 to No. 5 after watching No. 2 Fieldston pull away for a win. Tottenville got past new No. 10 Xaverian in a non-league contest. This week could bring more upheaval as Riverdale visits Fieldston.

Here are the new rankings:

1. Fordham Prep (1-3) (Last week: 1)

The Rams lone win this season came against Iona Prep, but outside a lopsided loss to nationally ranked St. Anthony’s they have been competitive against Long Island foes. Coach Len DeLucia’s club will only get better as Rob Grinnell continues his strong play.

Robert Cole

Grady Smith and Fieldston knocked off Poly Prep last week.

Next: No. 10 St. Joseph by the Sea (April 21, 7:30 p.m.)

2. Fieldston (3-1) (2)

The Eagles announced they are a team to be reckoned with again in the Ivy League with a 12-6 win over defending NYSAISAA champion Poly Prep. Tanner Morris, who scored four times, is the real deal, but saw his team slip up against Hackley.

Next: No. 4 Riverdale (April 18, 4:15 p.m.)

3. Dalton (2-1) (8)

Don’t look now, but here comes the Tigers. Behind five goals from Ben Vallimaresu, Dalton knocked off Riverdale 7-5. He found the back of the net four more times to lead his team past Trinity by the same score on Monday.

Next: No. 9 Horace Mann (April 18, 4:15 p.m.)

4. Riverdale (3-1) (3)

Riverdale rebounded nicely from its loss to Dalton. First it bested rival Horace Mann 12-5 as senior Tyler Deane-Krantz found the back of the net four times. He equaled the feet in a 15-0 victory against Collegiate.

Next: @ No. 2 Fieldston (April 18, 4:15 p.m.)

5. Poly Prep (2-2) (4)

The Blue Devils and faceoff specialist Jesse Bongiovi weren’t having too many nice days on the lacrosse field without injured starting goalie Dylan Moser. He returned to shutout Horace Mann to his team bounce back from a loss to Fieldston.

Next: @ Hackley (April 16, 4 p.m.)

6. Tottenville (5-0) (5)

Tottenville and Nicholas DeMeo turned a near defeat into a thrilling win over Xaverian. The sophomore fed Gino Agnese for the tying goal with six seconds left in regulation and scored the winner in overtime. The Pirates return to league play this week.

Next: @ Hunter College (April 18, 5 p.m.)

7. New Dorp (4-1) (7)

Sean Brackett scored five times and New Dorp came away with a convincing 12-1 win over Benjamin Cardozo. Kyle Hand added three goals as the Central Cougars moved into sole possession of second place in the PSAL Championship division.

Next: @ Christopher Columbus (April 18, 5 p.m.)

8. Monsignor Farrell (1-0) (9)

It was an interesting few days for the Lions. They routed Cardinal Hayes and beat Portledge 10-5, behind four assists from John Grillo. Farrell hit a bump in the road, falling to Ivy League power Poly Prep 13-4. It faces Spellman and Xaverian this week in league play this week.

Next: Cardinal Spellman (April 17, 4 p.m.)

9. St. Joseph by the Sea (0-2) (10)

St. Joseph by the Sea gets credit for putting together a challenging non-league schedule. They fell to East Meadow, St. Mary’s and by a goal to Hempstead last week. Will all those games pay off? We find out this week when the Vikings face Mount St. Michael and New Dorp.

Next: @ Mount St. Michael (April 17, 4:30 p.m.)

10. Xaverian (0-2) (NR)

The Clippers own a non-league win over Cardozo and came within a few minutes of knocking off PSAL favorite Tottenville for the second straight year before falling in overtime. Three-year starter in goal James Angelillo will be keeping his teams in a lot of games this season.

Next: @ Mount St. Michael (April 17, 4 p.m.)

New: Xaverian (0-2)

Dropped out: Horace Mann (0-4)

On the bubble: Cardozo (4-2), Horace Mann (0-4) and Mount St. Michael (1-2)

jstaszewski@nypost.com

Horace Mann, Horace Mann, Poly Prep, Riverdale, Fieldston, Xaverian, Xaverian, Tottenville, Tottenville, Tottenville, Ivy League, Fordham Prep, Iona Prep, Mount St. Michael, St. Joseph, St. Joseph, Dalton

Nypost.com

lunes, 16 de abril de 2012

Vets’ resumes lost in translation

A recent poll of employers suggests that military hiring is on the rise — but also that a gap persists when it comes to civilian employers’ ability to decode the jargon on military resumes and/or job-seeking veterans’ ability to communicate their skills and experience effectively.

More than three-quarters of human resources professionals in the poll — conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) — said a skills map that translates military job skills into civilian job skills would help “a lot” or “somewhat” as they review resumes and job applications.

The poll also found that human resources managers who were interested in hiring veterans were not always clear on how to connect with them. Only 13 percent of those polled said their organization is “very aware” of effective resources for finding veteran candidates, while 35 percent said their organization is “not at all aware.”

“Human resource managers are keen to hire military veterans but they don’t know how to find them and once they find them, they may not understand the military skills jargon on the resume,” said Mark Schmit, vice president of research at SHRM.

The good news: Sixty-four percent of those polled said they’d hired military veterans during the past 36 months, up from the 53 percent who said likewise in 2010.

Society for Human Resource Management, military veterans, SHRM, civilian employers, human resources, skills, military job skills, resumes

Nypost.com

Keeneland Analysis

Post Time: 1:05 p.m.

FIRST-7 fur; $34,000; clm($32,000); 4up

LOOKY HERE stalked pace and won over this course two back. CREDIT CRUNCH finished second as favorite going shorter. FANTASTIQUE cuts back in distance for return to dirt.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 Looky Here(LA),118

E Baird

9-1-5

5-1

2 Rigamaro(LA),118

SBrdg

4-5-5

10-1

3 SookieStckhsLA118

M Cruz

3-4-3

3-1

4 Fantastique(LA)118

JGrahm

8-2-6

9-2

5 Dilly'sDancer(L)118

RAlbrd

2-1-7

5-2

6 CreditCrunch(L)118

MMena

2-1-3

8-1

7 AlexandriaWLA118

G Saez

1-3-3

10-1

8 Cofachiqui(LA),118

JCstnn

6-5-5

10-1

SECOND-7 fur; $17,000; clm($10,000); 4up

BIG FLIRT fourth versus optional claimers going longer. FORT DEFIANCE made a middle move and tired at Oaklawn. LOU BRISSIE drops in class after being a beaten favorite.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 Wild Alex(L),118

MPedrz

3-1-6

20-1

2 SprklngSprngsLA18

JCstnn

3-2-8

15-1

3 EasytRmmbrLA118

ACnch

8-4-2

30-1

4 Kitchenman(LA)118

VLebrn

4-2-8

10-1

5 Proud Jared(L),118

G Saez

10-6-3

12-1

6 RiversLegacyLA118

BCreed

6-1-8

10-1

7 Big Flirt(LA),118

MStrgh

4-3-2

5-1

8 FortDefiance(LA118

RAlbrd

7-9-3

8-1

9 Lou Brissie(LA),118

JLeparx

6-1-3

9-5

10 Don Balcazio(L),111

LBthnc

7-5-4

20-1

11 Ratatat(LA),120

JMcKee

1-4-6

4-1

12 EndersUnivrsLA111

FVilled

1-5-6

20-1

THIRD-1 1/8m, $19,000; clm($30,000); 3up

HARDROCKER drops in class after finishing fourth. MR. THREEWITT second as favorite on turf. KATHYS KITTEN comes in with a bullet work for debut.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 Kathy'sKittenLA123

JLeparx

x-x-x

7-2

2 Zippin Free(LA),123

CCedn

6-5-x

20-1

3 Hardrocker(LA),123

JGrahm

4-2-2

5-2

4 Zapaton(L),116

MGzmn

3-4-6

50-1

5 Slinger(LA),116

LGnclv

4-4-7

4-1

6 SplashLndngLA116

SBrdg

x-x-x

15-1

7 Mr.Threewitt(L)116

G Saez

2-4-5

6-1

8 Wasn't Me(LA),116

M Cruz

7-8-11

15-1

9 OutofsttfmndLA123

VLebrn

5-7-2

8-1

10 ShahEnShah(LA116

FVilled

7-10-3

50-1

11 MyChaperrel(L),123

O Rossi

6-8-4

20-1

12 Battle Aray(L),123

P Ouzts

5-7-4

10-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $30,000; clm($25,0); 4up

ATTRACTIVE RIDE drops in class after finishing third. PAIGE ME defeated cheaper in return to dirt. SILENT PIPE finished third in first off the claim.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

2 Sever(L),118

LGnclv

6-8-1

4-1

1 a-Uno Mas(LA),118

JGrahm

7-5-1

7-2

3 AttractiveRidLA118

CLaneri

3-5-5

3-1

4 EvacuationRtLA118

RAlbrd

5-1-3

5-1

5 ToWldfrWrdsLA118

E Baird

6-6-11

10-1

6 Paige Me(L),118

MPedrz

1-3-4

20-1

7 TrulyAmazing(L118

WMrtn

10-5-3

10-1

8 Coal Fired(LA),118

E Prado

5-4-3

15-1

9 Jemaru(L),118

JEnriqz

4-2-3

15-1

1 a-IslandSoul(LA118

G Saez

4-3-2

7-2

10 Silent Pipe(LA),118

BHrnnJ

3-1-4

8-1

FIFTH-1 1/16 mile(T); $50,000; mdn; 3YO(f)

COLONIAL FLAG had a troubled trip in career debut. ROYAL FURY showed some closing ability at Fair Grounds. PRISSY working well for career debut.

Next >

1

2

LA ebook download, Lou Brissie, clm, clm

Nypost.com

domingo, 15 de abril de 2012

US considering immunity for key MF Global witness

Federal law enforcement authorities investigating the implosion of MF Global say the likelihood of a criminal prosecution in the case has grown in recent weeks, as investigators actively discuss providing immunity to a key witness who could provide details about who was responsible for the transfer of money out of customer accounts during the brokerage firm's final frantic days.

People with direct knowledge of the investigation say that in recent days federal law enforcement authorities have held high-level discussions about granting immunity from prosecution to former MF Global assistant treasurer Edith O'Brien in exchange for her cooperating in the probe.

Granting immunity from prosecution is rare in criminal cases primarily because prosecutors are wary of giving possible targets free reign to discuss their alleged crimes without fear of facing charges.

In fact until recently, federal prosecutors have brushed off offers of a so-called "proffer" agreement by O'Brien's attorneys in which she would gain immunity in exchange for her cooperation in the ongoing criminal probe, these people say.

But federal authorities investigating the MF Global collapse, specifically the disappearance of $1.6 billion in customer funds, have recently had a change of heart, people with direct knowledge of the matter told FOX Business.

Prosecutors believe O'Brien, as the firm's assistant treasurer and one of the people in charge of MF Global's funding, holds the key to whether senior officials at the firm, including former CEO Jon Corzine, either gave direct orders for the transfer of customer funds to keep the firm alive during its final days, or knew customer funds were being used.

It's unclear if prosecutors will grant O'Brien immunity or when they will make their final decision, but people close to the investigation say they are leaning toward a proffer deal.

Granting O'Brien immunity could pose a major headache for Corzine. Federal criminal authorities in New York and Chicago were starting to conclude that no criminal activity took place regarding the missing money and that the use of customer funds was the result of confusion at a firm.

But now criminal authorities are once again actively weighing criminal charges against senior officials at the firm, including Corzine, based on the prospect of O'Brien's testimony.

Officials from the Justice Department declined to comment; a spokesman for Corzine declined comment. An attorney for O'Brien didn't return calls for comment.

To read more, go to Fox Business

MF Global, immunity from prosecution, MF Global assistant treasurer Edith O'Brien, federal authorities, Jon Corzine, authorities, authorities, customer funds, criminal prosecution, O'Brien, federal law enforcement, direct knowledge, O'Brien immunity

Nypost.com

sábado, 14 de abril de 2012

INSIDE LACROSSE: Poly's Reyes returns from tryout for Puerto Rico U18 hoops squad

It isn’t too often you see a team captain asked to run down loose balls and bring in the water jug after a convincing win. That’s exactly what Poly Prep coach Brooks Sweet made senior Anthony Reyes do following his team beating Collegiate on Wednesday.

"It's my punishment for missing three weeks,” Reyes said with a smile. “I’ll take it as long as I’m not doing anything else, as a long as this is the last punishment.”

The midfielder was off in Puerto Rico trying out for the Puerto Rican U18 National basketball team. He missed Poly Prep’s preseason trip over spring break to Disney World for games and training. Reyes returned Wednesday to pick up a goal and an assist in a home win over Collegiate. Sweet and his teammates were supportive, but he still felt torn.

Denis Gostev

Poly Prep's Anthony Reyes scored a goal and had an assist against Collegiate in his first game of the season.

“I’m the captain of my team,” he said. “I felt like I was letting my team down.”

Added Sweet: “He doesn’t hesitate to go for the ball. He’ll run by anybody.”

Reyes wasn’t exactly sure how he got the opportunity. A Puerto Rican national team representative contacted Poly Prep coach Bill McNally about Reyes after his name was in the news for scoring the 1,000th point of his career back in February.

“Next thing you know, I’m in Puerto Rico,” Reyes said.

He called the experience unforgettable. It took him some time to get used to the style of play and no one speaking English in the city. The game is really slowed down and methodical compared to New York’s transition game played with a shot clock. He finds out if he makes the team in the next couple of days. Reyes would then go back to Puerto Rico in June and play in the FIBA Americas Championships.

“Hopefully it works out, but if I don’t I always have this,” he said.

Reyes admitted to shaking off a little rust after only practicing the opening weeks of the season. He misfired on his first few shots, but hit his stride as the game went on. It’s his energy and athletic ability that they missed the most. Poly lost its first game to Riverdale without him. Reyes scored seven goals and dished out 19 assists last season as Poly won the NYSAISAA title.

“It’s great to have Anthony back,” junior midfielder Sam Bernstein said. “Anthony is a hard-working player. He is one of our best three midfielders, one of our seniors, one of our leaders, one of our go-to guys. There is no way to measure how good it is to have anything back.”

LIC succeeding minus home field advantage: Long Island City will be road warriors the rest of the season.

The Bulldogs played one game on the school’s home field before it was deemed unfit for competition because of the turf being too ripped up on the north and south ends, according to girls lacrosse coach Kristen Sherlock. They are allowed to practice on certain parts of it, but cannot play games. Her players have embraced the challenge.

“They love it,” Sherlock said. “In the beginning of the season we thought it was going to be hard. We’ve won four games and lost one right now, so I think we have done a great job embracing any challenge that’s come at us.”

A year after finishing 5-7 in the PSAL Bowl Division, LIC is one of the favorites to claim the title. Its only loss is to division leader James Madison 14-13 at its new home site on Randall’s Island. LIC missed the playoffs by one goal last year in a tiebreaker with A.P. Randolph, who outscored them by that margin during the season.

The Bulldogs feature the PSAL’s top scorer in Chantell Chimbo, who has 31 goals in five games. The senior is also a member of the school’s soccer team, which earned its first quarterfinals berth last fall. She’s helped LIC mesh its experience with a group of players that have been thrust into bigger roles. Chimbo is part of a strong midfield with Lindsay Hennessy and Brenda Vergaray that love to be aggressive.

"She is a real leader on and off the field,” Sherlock said of Chimbo. The girls look up to her. I definitely rely on her a lot.”

Curtis finding its groove: Matt Gonzalez understands one regular-season win means little in a long season, but a win over defending PSAL girls lacrosse Class A city champion Tottenville is something to build off of.

“We got to keep that momentum going,” the Curtis coach said. “We still have a lot of tough games coming up. We are hitting our stride now.”

The 11-9 home victory on April 5 followed defeats to fellow contenders Midwood and Beach Channel by a combined three goals. Star Taylor O’Gara scored five goals and dished out two assists and Acacia Metz added three goals. Curtis, which lost the Pirates in last year’s final, won without three starters who were away on a school trip.

“From a team standpoint it was nice for everybody’s confidence,” the coach said.

Gonzalez felt it took a couple games for the team’s new girls to get comfortable. He pointed to defenders Nora Restrepo and Caterina Cusenza, who are both playing for the first times and will only gotten better with more experience.

jstaszewski@nypost.com

Anthony Reyes, Reyes, Poly Prep, Puerto Rico, Collegiate, Kristen Sherlock, Puerto Rican national team representative, LIC, Chantell Chimbo

Nypost.com

viernes, 13 de abril de 2012

Sports Shorts

MLB: Johnny Damon to sign with Cleveland

Johnny Damon agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal plus incentives with the Indians. Damon, 38, is 277 hits from 3,000 and was looking to catch on with a team to prolong his career. He can make another $1.4 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. He played for Tampa Bay last year.

The Justice Department, embarrassed by an error that caused a mistrial of Roger Clemens last July, has added more prosecutors in hopes of containing any missteps as it seeks to convict the famed pitcher of lying to Congress when he said he never used performance-enhancing drugs.The prosecution team has more than doubled from two lawyers to five. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial after prosecutors showed jurors evidence that had been ruled inadmissible. The new trial begins Monday with jury selection.

Former Phillie Pat Burrell will sign a one-day minor league contract next month and retire with the organization.

NFL: Karras lends name to concussion suit

To a generation of TV and film fans, Alex Karras will forever be the loving adoptive dad on the 1980s sitcom “Webster” or the big guy who punched a horse in 1974’s “Blazing Saddles.” Before his acting days, he was a football star, a three-time All-Pro defensive tackle for the Lions in the 1960s.

Now 76, and diagnosed with dementia, Karras is taking on the role of lead plaintiff: He is one of 119 people who filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, the latest complaint brought against the NFL by ex-players who say the league didn’t do enough to protect them from head injuries.

Karras and 69 other ex-players named in yesterday’s suit are among more than 1,000 former NFL players suing the league, lawyers involved say. The cases say not enough was done to inform players about the dangers of concussions in the past, and not enough is done to take care of them today.

GOLF: Schwartzel holds one-stroke lead

In Kuala Lumpur, South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over India’s Jeev Milkha Singh after the first round of the Malaysian Open.

Chad Campbell, Vaughn Taylor and Colt Knost shot 4-under 67 to share the first-round lead at 4-under 67 in the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S. C.

In Hayward, Calif., Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice was 8-over par after eight holes when first-round play was suspended because of darkness in the Nationwide Tour’s TPC Stonebrae Championship. The tournament host missed the cut the last two years.

Johnny Damon, Damon, Alex Karras, Roger Clemens, District Judge Reggie Walton, Justice Department, Pat Burrell, NFL, Jeev Milkha Singh, Tampa Bay, Charl Schwartzel, Karras

Nypost.com

miércoles, 11 de abril de 2012

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn resigns amid probe of personal conduct

Best Buy’s CEO stepped down amid a probe of his personal conduct, the latest black eye for the retailer as it grapples with a growing Amazon problem.

The world’s largest electronics chain said its board learned of concerns about CEO Brian Dunn that were “unrelated to the company’s operations or financial controls, and an audit committee investigation was initiated.”

Dunn — who joined Best Buy in 1985 as a sales associate before working his way up to CEO less than three years ago — resigned before the investigation was completed, a spokeswoman told the Minneapolis Star Tribune yesterday.

Best Buy officials declined to comment further on the probe, and Dunn couldn’t be reached for comment.

In reaction to today’s news, Best Buy shares fell to a new 52-week low of $21.21 before recovering slightly to close at $21.32, down 5.9 percent.

Dunn stepped down just weeks after he announced a turnaround plan for the company’s big-box stores that some critics said was too little, too late.

In addition to a rising threat from Amazon, critics say Best Buy has been hit by increased competition with Apple.

Last month, after reporting a $1.7 billion quarterly loss, Dunn had proposed closing 50 of the company’s 1,100 stores and accelerating the rollout of smaller-format locations geared toward sales of mobile gadgets.

But the company has been under pressure from investors who are seeking more radical change. Rather than continued growth, some analysts say Best Buy should focus more on wringing profit from the stores it already has.

“We would like to see a greater emphasis on . . . value as opposed to continued growth,” Barclays analyst Alan Rifkin said in a note to clients yesterday. “We would like to see dividend increases and greater focus on payout ratios.”

Dunn admitted in a January blog post it was “fair criticism” that the company had been too slow to react to the Amazon threat.

At the time, Best Buy disclosed its sales had declined in December after a well-publicized screw-up by the chain’s own Web operation.

The episode, in which BestBuy.com canceled Christmas orders that had been made weeks earlier because of botched inventory management, was “our fault” and “not representative of how we EVER want to treat our customers,” Dunn wrote.

Board member G. Mike Mikan will serve as interim CEO until a replacement is found.

jcovert@nypost.com

Amazon, Best Buy, Brian Dunn online

Nypost.com

martes, 10 de abril de 2012

Bank of Russia Keeps Rates Unchanged

MOSCOW—Russia's central bank left its major policy rates unchanged Monday and said current rate levels would be appropriate for coming months, but warned of growing inflation risks in the medium term.

The Bank of Russia left the refinancing rate at 8%, while the overnight deposit rate stayed at 4% and the overnight auction-based repurchase rate was left at 5.25%.

While inflation has fallen on an annual basis, that trend "is only temporary," the central bank said in a statement on its web site. "Mid-term inflation risks are strengthening amid hikes in many regulated prices and utility tariffs set for June."

Russia delayed annual hikes in utility prices that usually take place in January until midyear, a move analysts called an attempt to garner public support for Vladimir Putin ahead of the March 4 presidential elections.

Inflation stood at 3.7% in March. Core inflation, which excludes items that face volatile price movements such as energy, fell to 5.5%, the central bank said.

The central bank's chairman, Sergei Ignatyev, warned last week that keeping inflation below the central bank's target of 6% would be difficult, while saying the regulator will keep a close eye on signs that the economy may be overheating. Unemployment fell to 5.8% in February, its lowest levels since the peak of Russia's oil boom in 2008.

The central bank also said it would set its one-week auction deposit rate at 4.75% starting April 10, a move that will help the regulator reduce volatility in money-market rates as it increases the use of monetary policy to combat inflation.

Some analysts said the regulator was focusing too much on inflation, while ignoring risks to growth. The economy ministry last week cut its economic growth forecast for 2012 to 3.4%, from a previous outlook of 3.7%.

"The economy ministry has already recognized that Russia will be facing strengthening headwinds in the second half," said Ivan Tchakarov, chief economist at Renaissance Capital. "In our view, the central bank is too complacent about risks to growth and is overemphasizing risks to inflation."

The central bank will next meet on rates in the first half of May, it said.

Bank of Russia, central bank, inflation risks online, Vladimir Putin, Russia, Russia

Online.wsj.com

lunes, 9 de abril de 2012

GAMETRACKER: Braves at Mets

Jonathan Niese pitches for the Mets against the Braves at Citi Field in the finale of the teams' season-opening three-game series.

Jonathan Niese, the Braves, the Mets

Nypost.com

Hondo rolls with the Jays

It took unnecessarily long, but Hondo finally prevailed with the Blue Jays yesterday, which trimmed the debt to 110 purkeys.

Today, Mr. Aitch will use the Reds to move closer to the black -- 10 units on Arroyo to gut the Fish.

-$

After Friday's Opening Day loss by the Yankees, Vegas oddsmakers have made Joe Girardi the favorite to be named Micro-Manager of the Year ... NBC fired the producer whose botched editing job helped fan the racial flames in the Trayvon Martin case. No need to worry about the producer, though. He probably has a job waiting for him at MSNBC.

hondo@nypost.com

Joe Girardi, Aitch, NBC, Yankees

Nypost.com

sábado, 7 de abril de 2012

Ex-Saints D-coordinator heard on audio encouraging players to injure key 49ers

Talk about your bad timing.

On the same morning Sean Payton and two other Saints officials were in New York to appeal their Bountygate suspensions to Roger Goodell, an explosive audiotape of Gregg Williams surfaced early yesterday that made the cash-for-injuries scandal look even worse and could end Williams’ NFL coaching career.

The tape, made by a documentary filmmaker with the Saints’ permission on the eve of their NFC divisional playoff against the 49ers in January, has the disgraced defensive coordinator profanely encouraging his players to injure key San Francisco players Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Alex Smith and returner Kyle Williams.

OH, OH! Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was heard on audiotape encouraging his players to hurt key 49ers on the eve of their NFC divisional playoff game last season.

AP

OH, OH! Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was heard on audiotape encouraging his players to hurt key 49ers on the eve of their NFC divisional playoff game last season.

“We need to decide on how many times we can beat Frank Gore’s head,” said Williams, who also implores the Saints defenders to go after Crabtree’s “outside ACL [knee ligament],” give Smith a concussion and add to the multiple concussions Williams already had received earlier in the season.

The Giants, incidentally, were criticized the following week when several players admitted they targeted Kyle Williams in the NFC title game because of his concussion history.

“Kill the head and the body will die,” Gregg Williams added on the tape. “We’ve got to do everything we can in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.”

Williams then is heard rubbing his fingers together and saying, “I got the first one” — a seemingly explicit reference to the well-orchestrated cash bounty program that so far has resulted in unprecedented punishment for the Saints and everyone in their management that was involved.

Williams has been suspended indefinitely by Goodell, while Payton was suspended for an entire season, general manager Mickey Loomis banned for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt suspended six games. The Saints also were fined $500,000 and docked two draft picks.

Payton, Loomis and Vitt just happened to be in Manhattan yesterday morning to appeal their sentences to Goodell when the tape was first leaked to Yahoo! Sports by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who was a guest of the Saints last season while doing a documentary on former player Steve Gleason’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Payton didn’t speak to reporters after his meeting at NFL headquarters, but the attorney for Vitt — with a straight face — claimed that the comments by Williams were from a “rogue coach” who was about to be fired by Payton for continuing the bounty program despite being warned to stop the week before.

The Saints lost that game in San Francisco the next day, and Williams departed for the same job with the Rams soon afterward. Ironically, the only player significantly injured in that game was Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who suffered a concussion from a ferocious hit by 49ers safety Donte Whitner.

The Saints reportedly let Pamphilon film with the understanding that Williams’ speech would remain private, but Pamphilon said he leaked it because it was so disturbing.

Pamphilon late yesterday released a lengthy defense on his personal website regarding his decision to leak the recording, while also admitting the move had endangered the Gleason documentary and strained his relationship with the ailing ex-player and the team.

“Some will call me releasing this audio for fame or money grab,” Pamphilon wrote. “True haters will call it exploitation. People of character and conscience call it [what] it is — [true].”

Pamphilon also ripped into Williams for so casually encouraging his players to maim their counterparts.

“It’s a coward’s play to send someone off to do your malicious bidding,” he wrote. “I’m sure many of his players would have told him this if they weren’t scared to lose their jobs or look like b-----s in front of their teammates. Or if they weren’t 25 and couldn’t possibly have a fully developed perspective on life.”

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Gregg Williams, Frank Gore, Kyle Williams, Sean Payton, Roger Goodell, the Saints, the Saints, Saints, 49ers, San Francisco, Sean Pamphilon, Williams, Williams, Michael Crabtree, Saints, defensive coordinator, Yahoo! Sports

Nypost.com

Smith solid for Knicks after Woodson remarks

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Mike Woodson had a message Thursday for J.R. Smith: Pull up your pants.

The Knicks coach continued his spiel to Smith that he needs to be more professional “on and off the court,’’ even taking on the fashion statement the guard makes.

Woodson had a talk with Smith after Wednesday’s practice in the wake of his ejection with 10.7 seconds left at Indiana on Tuesday for throwing down Leandro Barbosa.

“I told him I’m going to continue to coach him as long as I’m coaching the team,’’ Woodson said. “I told him I’m not going to let him off the hook. I want his shorts pulled up. I want him to look presentable. Be a professional. That’s what it’s all about.

“On the floor, I expect him to be more professional. I want him to be a pro. That’s my job as a coach. I’ve dealt with so many young players over the years. That’s one thing you got to teach some of them. It’s not just playing on the floor. It’s how you present yourself off the floor as well.’’

In following the fashion trend for youthful hip-hop fans, Smith likes to wear his pants around the hips, exposing his underwear, in what has been termed as “sagging.’’ He was seen leaving the locker room Thursday night after his big 15-point, nine-assist outing with his jeans hung low.

Woodson also said his lecture to Smith centered on his poor body language on the court when things are going badly.

“On the floor I want him to be happy when he’s playing, feel good about himself,” Woodson said. “When things go bad, I don’t want that look on his face that the world is coming down on him. We make mistakes and we miss shots. It’s OK.’’

Thursday night, Smith didn’t miss many.

***

A source familiar with the situation said Amar’e Stoudemire won’t be ready for the big showdown in Milwaukee on Wednesday. That would be the two-week mark of the 2-to-4 week timetable for his return from a bulging disk.

Indications are Stoudemire is eyeing the Miami game April 15. Stoudemire broke his promise and didn’t speak to the media Thursday morning after doing his back exercises.

He seemed in a less jovial mood than in Indiana on Tuesday, which was the indication he doesn’t seem that close. Stoudemire received his epidural steroid injection shot for his bulging disk last Thursday.

“I’ll keep you posted,’’ said Stoudemire, who hasn’t spoken since the night he injured his back 12 days ago.

***

Before Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Dwight Howard wants him fired, he caused another ripple when he stated the Knicks are “a far better defensive team’’ without Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin.

“They’re better defensively in my mind,’’ Van Gundy said. “The thing that’s helped them defensively, is Carmelo [ Anthony ] is playing real, real hard but they got [ Iman ] Shumpert back in the lineup. That’s been a big part of that. And Baron Davis is probably a better defender than Jeremy Lin at this point. What’s happened is their injuries have made them a far better defensive team.”

***

Davis, suffering now from a sore left knee, said he plans to play next season and not retire. … Jared Jeffries (knee) expects to be back Sunday, as does Bill Walker (elbow).

marc.berman@nypost.com

Mike Woodson, J.R. Smith, Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire, Stoudemire

Nypost.com

viernes, 6 de abril de 2012

Santa Anita Results

FIRST-6 1/2 fur; $40,000; clm($40,000); 4up

4

Va Verde (Bejrno)

3.40

2.60

out

3

Domonation (Rosario)

3.40

out

Scr: Shrug.

* $1 Exacta (4-3) $5.20 * $1 Trifecta (4-3-2) $6.50

Winner picked by Vic C

SECOND-6 fur; $19,000; clm($20,000); 4up

5

Wrrn's Jzz Wlk (Bjrn)

2.60

2.20

2.10

3

Lily's Tiz (Quinonez)

4.80

3.80

7

Our New Dancer (Steiner)

4.40

* Double (4-5) $5.60 * $1 Exacta (5-3) $6.20 * $1 Trifecta (5-3-7) $47.60

Double picked by Vic C

THIRD-6 1/2 fur(T); $58,000; alw; 3YO(f)

7

Belle Psse (Rosro)

4.80

2.80

2.20

1

Hidingnplansght (Flores)

3.00

2.60

3

Lady Fairbanks (Talamo)

4.40

Scr: Lovestealer, Starry Skies.

* Double (5-7) $6.60 * $1 Exacta (7-1) $5.30 * $1 Trifecta (7-1-3) $30.10

FOURTH-6 fur; $56,000; mdn; 3YO(f)

7

Splndd Frtn (Tlm)

2.80

2.40

2.10

8

Dime Piece (Smith)

6.60

4.80

6

Sweet Results (Gutierrez)

8.40

* Double (7-7) $7.60 * $1 Exacta (7-8) $11.90 * $1 Superfecta (7-8-6-3) $691.40 * $1 Trifecta (7-8-6) $122.60

Winner picked by Vic C

FIFTH-6 1/2 fur(T); $56,000; mdn; 3up(f)

5

Gldntch f Gn (VldvJr.)

17.80

7.40

5.20

6

Gypsy Friday (Lenclud)

5.80

3.80

10

Comin Easy (Krigger)

4.80

* $0.5 Pick 5 (4/5-5-2/7/9-7-5) 5 Correct $78.80 * $0.5 Pick 4 (5-2/7/9-7-5) 4 Correct $46.40 * $1 Pick 3 (7-7-5) 3 Correct $58.60 * $1 Trifecta (5-6-10) $193.30 * $1 Superfecta (5-6-10-8) $347.40 * Daily Double (7-5) $40.00 * $1 Exacta (5-6) $38.30

SIXTH-6 fur; $60,000; alw; 4up(f)

6

Mldly Offnsv (Bjrn)

5.00

2.80

2.40

1

American Lady (Garcia)

2.80

2.40

8

Chukchi Sunrise (Krigger)

2.80

Scr: Hey I'm Sobaa, Justenufappeal.

* $1 Pick 3 (7-5-6) 3 Correct $52.40 * Daily Double (5-6) $49.20 * $1 Exacta (6-1) $6.10 * $1 Superfecta (6-1-8-2) $44.00 * $1 Trifecta (6-1-8) $25.60

SEVENTH-1 1/8mi; $58,000; alw; 4up

5

Lt's G Chynn (Tlm)

13.60

5.80

4.20

6

Caelis (Gomez)

3.00

2.40

2

Meltarib (Flores)

4.40

* $1 Pick 3 (5-6-5) 3 Correct $103.90 * Daily Double (6-5) $26.40 * $1 Exacta (5-6) $16.40 * $1 Superfecta (5-6-2-1) $229.50 * $1 Trifecta (5-6-2) $80.80

Exacta picked by Vic C

EIGHTH-1mi; $17,000; cl; 4up

5

Mn Chstr Mn (Blnc)

7.60

3.80

2.40

4

Devils Afleet (Bisono)

5.20

3.00

11

Maker (Krigger)

2.60

Scr: Chop House George, Personalitary, Miles Heir, Lana's Smile, Formula Gold, Wild Revenge.

* Pick 6 (2/7/9-7-5-5/6/7-5-5) 6 Correct $8,186.20, 5 Correct $109.60 * $0.5 Pick 4 (5-5/6/7-5-5) 4 Correct $348.45 * $1 Pick 3 (6-5-5) 3 Correct $66.00 * Daily Double (5-5) $41.00 * $1 Exacta (5-4) $12.30 * $1 Superfecta (5-4-11-6) $99.50 * $1 Trifecta (5-4-11) $39.60

Attendance: 3,708

Handle: $800,984

Total Handle: $5,864,359
Nypost.com

jueves, 5 de abril de 2012

Rangers will rely on Staal's steady improvement

PITTSBURGH — The Rangers have amassed the best record in the NHL through 80 games by mixing and matching on defense behind the redoubtable Dan Girardi-Ryan McDonagh first pair that is to this regular-season conference champions what the Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg tandem was to the 2011 Stanley Cup winning Bruins and the Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook unit was to the 2010 Cup champion Blackhawks.

But in order to achieve ultimate success in the playoffs, the Rangers, who face the Penguins tonight before Saturday’s finale at Madison Square Garden against the Capitals, will need a strong, reliable second pair on which to lean. Girardi and McDonagh can’t play 30 minutes a night into the middle of June, no matter how much they’re willing.

PRIME TIME: “Right now, I do feel that my game is coming,” says defenseman Marc Staal, whom the Rangers are counting on to continue his stellar play with the NHL playoffs due to start next week.

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PRIME TIME: “Right now, I do feel that my game is coming,” says defenseman Marc Staal, whom the Rangers are counting on to continue his stellar play with the NHL playoffs due to start next week.

And for the last four games following last Tuesday’s unprecedented third-period benching in Minnesota, Marc Staal has provided necessary strength in that assignment skating with either Anton Stralman or Michael Del Zotto.

This has represented the closest Staal has come to resembling the first-pair, matchup force he was before sustaining the concussion Feb. 22, 2011, in Carolina that sidetracked the 2011 All-Star Game participant beyond sidelining him for this season’s first 36 games.

And it is likely no coincidence the turnabout from inconsistent performances marked by indecisiveness to Staal’s recent assertiveness with and without the puck has come in the wake of a meeting between the alternate captain and John Tortorella after the coach gave him just 3:09 of third-period ice while nailing him to the bench for the final 10:28 of the 3-2 victory over the Wild.

“That [benching] is something no one ever wants to go through,” Staal told The Post following Tuesday’s 5-3 victory in Philadelphia that clinched first seed in the East. “I had a talk with Torts afterward where we aired some stuff out.

“It was a good, honest conversation. Since that game, I’ve been concentrating on playing instead of thinking, of initiating instead of reacting, and to doing as much as I can on instinct.

“I’m getting as confident as I can be,” said the 25-year-old who led the Rangers in ice time last year at 25:44 and has gotten 19:44 in 44 games this year since joining the lineup for the Jan. 2 Winter Classic. “The team was having success when I came back so I didn’t want to disrupt anything.

“But right now I do feel that my game is coming.”

Staal has been more physical and more aggressive, more involved on the rush and in the offensive zone. It remains to be seen whether he’ll partner with Stralman, with whom he’s opened the last four games and who has also improved, or whether he’ll skate primarily with Del Zotto, who got only two shifts for 1:04 in the third against the Flyers after an ineffective second period.

The Rangers have made no official announcement, but Michael Sauer, concussed on Dec. 5 and who suffered a mid-January setback, is not coming back for the playoffs. The availability of Steve Eminger, who apparently suffered a setback of his own after skating lightly last week on a sprained ankle, is problematic.

Stu Bickel, averaging 10:28 minutes per game, is the sixth defenseman. The Rangers’ depth is going to be tested. The club will have a much easier time if Staal is able to make the grade.

larry.brooks@nypost.com

Marc Staal, Rangers, Rangers, Dan Girardi-Ryan McDonagh, NHL, Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook, Anton Stralman, NHL playoffs, John Tortorella, Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg

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