Paterno Gets Final Roar in Battle of Old Lions

Abstract: MIAMI, Wednesday, Jan. 4 - It took Penn State three overtimes and more than four and a half hours in the Orange Bowl to cement its place among college football's elite teams. In the process, Joe Paterno moved a victory closer to Bobby Bowden on the major college career victories list. Kevin Kelly's 29-yard field goal finally allowed the Nittany Lions to beat Florida State, 26-23, before 77,773 at Dolphins Stadium, just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions finished 11-1, and Florida State was saddled with a rare five-loss season. The victory gives Paterno 354 career victories, now just 5 behind Bowden, who is atop the list. The Nittany Lions had a chance to win in regulation, but Kelly's 30-yard field-goal attempt was wide left. Kelly also missed wide left on a 38-yarder in overtime, shortly after Florida State's Gary Cismesia missed a 44-yarder. Cismesia also hit the right upright with a 38-yarder before Penn State won it. It was a tough night for Tony Hunt and BranDon Snow, Penn State's starting running backs. Both left with injuries, Hunt after his team's first series and Snow early in the third quarter. The third quarter was as uneventful offensively as one could imagine between teams with such high-scoring offenses. Nittany Lions safety Calvin Lowry stopped one drive with an interception, but simple futility was more the standard for the quarter. The quarter began with Penn State leading, 14-13. And it ended that way. But early in the fourth, Florida State blinked first when Penn State produced a safety. A ferocious rush by the line forced Seminoles quarterback Drew Weatherford into intentionally grounding the ball from his end zone -- an automatic safety. That margin held up for much of the quarter. In fact, it appeared that the Nittany Lions would add to it, until a botched center snap to quarterback Michael Robinson led to an F.S.U. fumble recovery. That set the Seminoles off on a game-tying drive, fueled in large part by Weatherford's 39-yard pass to Chris Davis and his 14-yard connection to Willie Reid, an earlier star with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown. Cismesia tied it with a 48-yard field goal with 4:08 left. It appeared an ominous sign for Penn State when Hunt, the Nittany Lions' leading rusher this season, went to the sideline with a sprained left ankle after the team's first series. Replacing Hunt, who rushed for 1,047 yards during the season, was Austin Scott, who rushed for 163. Yet there was Scott arriving on the scene like Franco Harris or Larry Johnson, two Nittany Lion land-eaters of yesteryear. Scott gained 6 yards on his first carry, then 10. Then came a 35-yard bolt that left the ball at the F.S.U. 11. Why pass now? Scott reeled off a 9-yard gain, then finished the drive with a 2-yard power move in which he scored standing up. That gave Penn State a 7-0 lead with 4:59 left in the first quarter. Two offensive opportunities later, the Nittany Lions appeared primed to set a rout in motion. They had a first down at the Seminoles' 29, but the offense began to sputter, and a penalty put them out of field-goal range. As Penn State's offense began to look more ordinary, the Seminoles took the cue to get back in the game. Their big break came as the second quarter was droning toward a conclusion, with not much happening for either side. The Nittany Lions' Jeremy Kapinos punted deep, and Reid caught it at his 13. That is where the Seminoles' excitement started. Reid faked to his left, took a step to his right, then cut to the middle to find a gap as several Nittany Lions flailed to reach him. Reid angled to his left as he broke free, and soon only Kapinos had a chance of tackling him. Reid proved too fast, and suddenly the game was tied at 7-7 with 4:09 until halftime. Reid's return for a touchdown set an Orange Bowl record for length, 87 yards. Penn State again could nothing offensively, and it took the Seminoles just one play to take the lead. Weatherford threw an innocuous-looking screen pass to tailback Lorenzo Booker in the right flat, and Booker turned it into a touchdown. Booker burst through an initial wave of Nittany Lions tacklers, then outran the rest to complete a stunning 57-yard play. Cismesia's extra-point attempt was wide left, leaving the score at 13-7 with 2:49 left. When the Nittany Lions had to punt on their next possession, it appeared the half would end with F.S.U. ahead. But Kapinos's punt went out of bounds at the Seminoles' 3, and Penn State kept the pressure on. The Nittany Lions narrowly missed a safety when several defenders drove James Coleman into the end zone on first down, then they forced F.S.U. to settle for quarterback plunges. Calling timeouts after every play, the Nittany Lions got the ball back with 17 seconds left. It took them only two plays to score. First, Robinson connected with wide receiver Jordan Norwood for 16 yards. Then he found wide receiver Ethan Kilmer in the end zone's right corner for the final 24 yards. Kilmer easily beat cornerback Tony Carter. Kelly's kick with six seconds left returned Penn State to the lead. And it set the stage for a tense second half -- and for an even more tense overtime.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
PATERNO JOE
BOWDEN BOBBY
ORANGE BOWL (FOOTBALL GAME)
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
FOOTBALL


A Top Syrian Intelligence Officer Is Killed in Fighting

Abstract: BEIRUT, Lebanon — One of the Syrian government’s most prominent intelligence officers, Maj. Gen. Jamea Jamea, was killed during fighting in the eastern provincial capital of Deir al-Zour, Syrian rebels and the state news media said on Friday as government warplanes bombed the city after several days of fierce clashes. General Jamea, killed Thursday, is the most senior security figure confirmed dead in more than a year. He was respected in Syria’s powerful inner circles of intelligence and military leaders after a long career as a Syrian strongman in Lebanon and most recently for “doing a good job” against the uprising at home, according to a Syrian in contact with senior security figures. The European Union appeared to have a similar view of his importance, if a different response. In August 2011, it placed sanctions on General Jamea , freezing his assets and denying him a visa for travel in the European Union, for his role in “repression and violence against the civilian population.” That such a notable figure was still commanding operations in Deir al-Zour suggested that President Bashar al-Assad was still committing important resources to checking rebel advances in remote, rebellious eastern Syria. And this was despite the views of many pro- and antigovernment analysts that the Syrian government had written off any hope of regaining full control of the area. The general was considered a formidable and notorious enemy not only by Syrian rebels but also by opponents of the Syrian government in Lebanon, where he served during Syria’s occupation and was accused by some of playing a role in the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 . According to varying reports, the general was killed either by a sniper’s bullet or in an explosion during an ambush. His death helped rebels recapture some optimism after the fading of their hopes for American military intervention and the eruption of infighting with jihadist groups. “He is a regime symbol,” said Ragheb Bashir Tomeh, a member of the rebel Supreme Military Council. Still, some rebel fighters, along with a number of anti-Assad Lebanese politicians, said they regretted that General Jamea had not been captured so he could be interrogated and tried. Footage in the pro-government news media showed mourners following a rose-wreathed ambulance on Friday to General Jamea’s funeral in his home village of Jableh, in the coastal mountains of Latakia Province, where support for Mr. Assad is strong. Far to the east, rebel fighters and residents of Deir al-Zour Province, where entire blocks of buildings in the provincial capital have been destroyed, said the announcement had led people to cheer. “Joy filled the streets,” said Abu Amro, a spokesman for the rebel group Liwa al-Islam who uses only a nom de guerre. “Despite the misery and sorrow, people here were congratulating each other as if there is a real holiday. I haven’t seen such a situation since the beginning of the uprising.” Abu Amro said the general had personally supervised security operations in Deir al-Zour from early on in the uprising, which began as a protest movement in March 2011. His appointment there signaled that the government intended a tough response. Image Gen. Jamea Jamea, a prominent Syrian intelligence officer, is the most senior security figure confirmed dead in more than a year. Credit Uncredited/SANA, via Associated Press He stood out from previous intelligence bosses there, Abu Amro said, by imposing full control over the province’s multiple security branches. First, he clamped down on the city to hamper the peaceful side of the movement, even tightening restrictions on the ownership of motorbikes, Abu Amro said. Later, he said, the general hunted down armed rebel groups when they were still nascent. Mr. Tomeh of the military council said General Jamea had also presided over the torture of captured rebels. “Our joy is incomplete,” he said. “It would have been better if we arrested him. He has a lot of information.” “We wanted to bring him to Lebanon to be killed by Lebanese hands,” he added. “We wanted to give the Lebanese this privilege.” General Jamea served more than 20 years in Lebanon, during the decades when Syria dominated the country, arriving as a lieutenant and leaving in epaulets. He was in charge of security in Beirut when Mr. Hariri was killed, which prompted a popular protest movement that culminated in Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon, and Mr. Hariri’s supporters said it was hard to believe that such an operation could have been carried out without the general’s knowledge. Gen. Hisham Jaber, a former commander in the Lebanese Army now at the Middle East Center for Studies and Public Relations in Beirut, defended General Jamea, saying he did not deserve his bloody reputation. “Lebanese like to exaggerate,” General Jaber said, adding that “he was a very disciplined and humble man.” A Lebanese television station showed an interview on the site of the general’s former headquarters with a man who said he had been tortured there. And Michel Mouawad, a politician and a son of René Mouawad, who was assassinated after becoming president of Lebanon in 1989 , said he suspected General Jamea in his father’s death and wished that he had been tried in Lebanon. The death of General Jamea added to the thousands plaguing his home region. “People are getting sick and tired of this,” said Manal, a government supporter, in a phone interview. “Can we just finish it up? I think both sides are weak now — no winner, just losers.”

Arab Spring
Syria
Military
Bashar al-Assad


61 Used Staged Crashes and a Clinic to Bilk Insurers of $1.6 Million, the Police Say

Abstract: The conspirators, law enforcement officials say, used the streets of Queens as their own personal bumper-car course. An unsuspecting driver would be backing out of a driveway or a parking space and — boom! — a car loaded with people would crash into his car. Those people, officials say, would all get treatment at the same Upper Manhattan clinic, often for pains and strains that do not leave telltale marks. The clinic would then seek reimbursement from car insurance companies, which, under New York’s no-fault insurance law, pay up to $50,000, no matter who caused the crash. The crashes — 40 of them over three years — were deliberately staged by an insurance-fraud ring that hired drivers to cruise the neighborhood looking for targets and bilked insurers out of $1.6 million, the Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, said on Thursday. Sixty-one people were charged this week: the operators of the clinic, Bronx Park Medical at 100 Dyckman Street, along with the drivers, passengers and the people who recruited and coached them. Seven people are still being sought. The conspirators drove to Queens specifically to target drivers with Asian backgrounds in Flushing, home to many immigrants from China and other Asian countries, Mr. Brown said, because they believed that “they were bad drivers and would be blamed for the crash,” and that a language barrier would keep them from expressing suspicions to the police. It worked for a while, said Gerard A. Brave, chief of the district attorney’s rackets bureau. Several of the victims, initially alarmed when approached by law enforcement officials, said they had thought something was fishy all along, but others, he said, insisted, “No, it was probably my fault.” None of the unsuspecting victims were seriously injured. A tip in March 2007 from an insurance company started the investigation, Operation Direct Hit, which ultimately involved the district attorney’s office, the F.B.I., the Police Department’s organized crime division, a state insurance-fraud task force and insurance firms. Law enforcement officials wiretapped and videotaped the clinic offices, followed the cars, and in two cases, detectives believe, scared off drivers before they hit anyone by stopping them for traffic violations and taking down all the passengers’ names. The ring involved people from across the city and region, according to investigators. Twelve face charges including enterprise corruption, with a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison; the rest face lesser charges related to insurance fraud. Officials said three people — Inessa Drabkin, 53, of Manhattan; Michael Mazur, 42, of Staten Island; and Yevgeniy Ryvkin, 38, of Brooklyn — organized the scheme with the help of Tomas Aquiles, 40, of New Britain, Conn., who recruited people to drive and ride in the cars from Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Mr. Mazur and Ms. Drabkin ran the clinic, officials said, and laundered the money through companies they owned, Integra CBA Company and PKH Corporation. Mr. Ryvkin coordinated lawsuits filed to claim the money, officials said. The three pleaded not guilty to charges including enterprise corruption. Mr. Aquiles enlisted seven people who helped him recruit drivers and passengers, mostly women ranging from their teens to their 50s who were paid about $1,000 each, officials said. He was recorded on video and wiretaps coaching the patients in how to feign or exaggerate their injuries, officials said, and is being charged with hate crimes for selecting Asians as victims, which could enhance his sentence if he is convicted. Mr. Aquiles drove behind the cars, coaching the drivers by cellphone on which cars to hit, and sometimes threatened people who wanted to pull out of the scheme, said Detective Gerard Shanley, who helped conduct the surveillance. Lawyers for Mr. Mazur and Ms. Drabkin would not comment on the case. Mr. Ryvkin’s lawyer, Arkady Bukh, said that he had known him for years and that “as far as I know he is a legitimate businessman and he has never been involved in any wrongdoing.”

Automobile Insurance and Liability
Frauds and Swindling
Accidents and Safety
Insurance
Automobiles
Queens (NYC)


China: Effort to Attract Foreign Students

Abstract: A senior Chinese education official says that China plans to have 150,000 foreign students studying for degrees by 2020, according to a report on Wednesday in China Daily, an official English-language newspaper. The central government intends to offer more scholarships and to encourage local governments and schools to do the same, the report said. The plan to attract more foreigners to degree programs is part of the country’s push to increase its soft power, or influence through culture and diplomacy. The official, Hao Ping, vice minister of education, said that the 240,000 foreign students in China last year were a record. About 60 percent of foreign students are studying Chinese, and 13.5 percent are studying medicine.

China
International Study and Teaching
Education (K-12)
Scholarships and Fellowships


Jobs Takes Leave at Apple Again, Stirring Questions

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO — Steven P. Jobs , the visionary co-founder and chief executive of Apple , is taking a medical leave of absence, a year and a half after his return following a liver transplant . The leave raises questions about both his long-term prognosis and the leadership of the world’s most valuable technology company. Mr. Jobs, 55, who recovered from pancreatic cancer after surgery in 2004, has not appeared at public events since October, and has looked increasingly frail in recent weeks, according to people who have seen him. An Apple spokeswoman, Katie Cotton, said Apple would have no further comment beyond a brief public statement in which Mr. Jobs announced he was turning daily oversight of the company’s operations over to the chief operating officer, Timothy D. Cook . While Apple and Mr. Jobs provided no more details of his illness, Mr. Jobs suffers from immune system problems common in people who have received liver transplants, said a person who knows him well, but who requested anonymity in order to maintain a relationship. As a result, his health suffers from frequent “ups and downs,” the person said. Mr. Jobs, who has tried to keep his condition private, has in recent weeks begun a down cycle. Mr. Jobs has reduced his trips to the office, coming in about two days a week, and has appeared increasingly emaciated, the person said. He has frequently had lunch in his office, rather than in the company cafeteria, the person said. Mr. Jobs said he would remain chief executive and said he hoped to return to Apple as soon as he could. Medical experts said that recipients of liver transplants often suffered from a variety of medical problems that were not life-threatening. According to statistics compiled in 2009 by the federal government, among patients who receive liver transplants, 20.7 percent die in the first three years, on average. Mr. Jobs is taking a leave at a critical time for Apple. The company has outflanked most of its rivals in the technology industry with the iPhone and the iPad , which have been blockbuster hits with consumers. But giants like Google , Microsoft and Samsung have narrowed Apple’s lead or even surpassed the company by some measures. Mr. Jobs’s leave is certain to cause anxiety with investors and consumers, because of the heightened competition the company faces. Perhaps more than any other chief executive, he is seen as inseparable from his company’s success. “He may be the most vital C.E.O. of our era,” said Michael Useem, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management. Analysts noted that unlike his previous leave, when Apple said Mr. Jobs would be gone for six months, this time Mr. Jobs did not specify how long he would be out. “It raises the bigger question about whether he’ll ever return,” A. M. Sacconaghi Jr., an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, said. Shares of Apple immediately fell on foreign exchanges Monday, decreasing 7.6 percent in Frankfurt . Financial markets in the United States were closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King ’s Birthday. “It is natural that investors will expect the worst,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst with Needham & Company, adding that Apple has a history of “minimal disclosure” and “obfuscating” details about Mr. Jobs’s health. During his previous leave of absence, Apple kept details of Mr. Jobs’s health private, prompting criticism among some shareholders who contended that the company had an obligation to be more forthcoming with information. In his message to the staff on Monday, Mr. Jobs said, “My family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.” Mr. Jobs announced his leave on Monday in an e-mail to employees that said he was stepping aside “so I can focus on my health” but would continue to be involved in strategic decisions at the company. “I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can,” Mr. Jobs wrote in the message, which was made public by Apple . Mr. Cook, 50, will run day-to-day operations, Mr. Jobs said. Mr. Cook performed the same duties during Mr. Jobs’s medical leave in 2009. “I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011,” Mr. Jobs wrote. Mr. Jobs is known as a perfectionist, an exacting taskmaster who demands meticulous attention to detail, a management style that makes him difficult to work for, but which also helped Apple develop must-have products. He is said to pay close attention to major decisions like whether Apple should develop a phone before a tablet, for example. He also pays attention to the most picayune cosmetic details, like ensuring that the colors of Google’s logo were exactly right on early versions of the iPhone. He is credited with anticipating the desires of consumers time and again, leading Apple to create one breakthrough product after another. During most of his last absence, Mr. Jobs remained in almost daily telephone contact with other top executives as he monitored the progress of the iPhone 4 and the iPad. He was out of contact for a brief period only while recovering from his transplant. Mr. Wolf said that regardless of whether Mr. Jobs returned to Apple, the company would probably continue doing well for the foreseeable future, although its long-term prospects were more uncertain. “Right now Apple has a management team that is one of the greatest in American business,” Mr. Wolf said. “Whatever trajectory the company is on will continue for two to five years, regardless of whether Steve comes back.” Still, Apple faces increasing competition, especially in the smartphone market, where handsets powered by Google’s Android software recently began outselling the iPhone in the United States. Some analysts said the rise of Android led to Apple’s recent decision to begin offering the iPhone on Verizon Wireless starting next month , ending more than three years of exclusivity on AT&T. Apple also faces sharper competition in tablet computers. The company’s iPad, introduced last spring, became an instant hit with consumers. But less than a year later, companies like Samsung, Research In Motion , Motorola and others have introduced or announced a string of credible competitors. Analysts have confidence in the executive team because during Mr. Jobs’s 2009 leave, Mr. Cook successfully steered the company as it developed critical products. “Last time, Tim elevated his status with shareholders and employees,” Mr. Sacconaghi said. “The company did very well in Steve’s absence and various constituencies were pleased with that.” In recent months, Mr. Jobs has looked increasingly frail and has sometimes needed to lean on others while walking, according to people who have seen him. He was expected to appear at an announcement with Rupert Murdoch , chief executive of the News Corporation , this week, but that event was postponed. The event was scheduled to announce a new publication for the iPad. Medical experts say a variety of problems could affect someone with a liver transplant. Dr. Lewis W. Teperman , the director of transplant surgery and vice chairman of surgery at the Langone Medical Center of New York University , said: “It’s very common for transplant patients to have issues that are not life-threatening. We give them very strong, high-powered medications, immuno-suppressants, to prevent rejection.” Dr. Teperman said he had no knowledge of Mr. Jobs’s case. Side effects from the drugs include high blood sugar and diabetes , kidney damage , diarrhea , high blood pressure , high blood fats and cholesterol , rashes and low counts of white blood cells. The drugs leave patients prone to infection. Dr. Teperman said it was extremely rare for a liver transplant to be totally rejected. The original reason for Mr. Jobs’s transplant was never publicly disclosed. At the time, doctors not involved in his case said the most likely reason was that his pancreatic cancer had spread to his liver. If that was the case, it was possible that cancer had recurred. “There are lots of bumps in the road with transplantations, and people usually get through them,” he said.


Resisting the Rush to a World of No Cash

Abstract: The glorious $85 porterhouse for two at Peter Luger. A Barney Greengrass bagel with belly lox on a Sunday morning. Adopting a frisky mixed-breed puppy from an animal shelter in Onondaga County, N.Y. Getting X-rays and an orthopedic consult at a deep discount in New Brunswick, N.J. All can be had — so long as you have cash. After a week in which many of the MetroCard machines in the subways refused to accept credit or debit cards for parts of two days, it seemed appropriate to tour some of New York City’s cash-only establishments. It was an adventure one part nostalgia, one part sociological experiment. In an era of online banking and E-ZPass and workplace cafeterias where an employee-identification card is all you need to buy lunch, who still uses green these days, and why? Though there are plenty of exceptions — neighborhood bodegas, street vendors selling counterfeit Fendi bags, bail bondsmen — cash-only holdouts in New York are rare and tend to be an iconoclastic, or at least deliberate, bunch. Much like dogs who lick themselves in silly places or Park Avenue co-op boards that require a 100 percent down payment, there are some commercial establishments that have a cash-only policy just because they can. Take Peter Luger, the famous steakhouse in Williamsburg, where dinner for two can easily top $300, but credit cards are useless. “I’ve heard people complain, but they don’t care: they’re full most every night,” Tim Zagat, owner of Zagat restaurant guides, said of Luger. “Most restaurants don’t want to be in a position of embarrassing their diners by telling them, ‘Sorry, you’ve got to pony up cash,’ if they weren’t expecting it. But the owners of Peter Luger are just peculiar in the way they run the business.” Marilyn Spiera, a member of the family that owns the restaurant, said she simply preferred not to pay the 2 to 3 percent fees that credit card companies charge vendors to use them. “The steak costs us 73 percent of what we sell it for, and when you factor in the rest of our costs — cooking, waiters, cleaning up — it’s one of the things we make the smallest profit on,” she said. “Thank God, we have the bar and the salads.” (A well-kept secret: Peter Luger will accept debit cards, but, Ms. Spiera said, “that’s only a case of when all else fails, a last resort.”) Some gas stations around the city accept credit cards but offer a discount for cash, since it saves them the credit card fee. For Dr. Ronald Selby, a New Brunswick orthopedist, the matter has less to do with the form of payment than other forms, namely insurance. He recently began offering 40 percent to 50 percent discounts for customers who use SimpleCare, a cash-only system that has taken root on the West Coast but has few subscribers in the New York area. With it, he said, “I don’t have to deal with the insurance companies at all.” Oriente Mania, a founder of Sette Mezzo, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, said that when he and two partners went into business in New York 22 years ago, they could not get approved for accepting credit cards, so they began allowing regulars to open house accounts, and the place took on the atmosphere of a private club. “I would say we are 90 percent a house-account business, most of the people living one-hundred twenty-one,” Mr. Mania estimated, circling his finger in the air during lunchtime the other day. “You know, the ZIP code, 10021? The Newhouses come every Sunday from the day we opened — Table 11, 8 people. Tom Tisch, John Tisch. Sol Steinberg, the Soros family.” And if uninitiated patrons should happen to find themselves caught out without cash, Mr. Mania said, “They write their address and we mail them the bill.” Merob Koiava, a manager at Piadina in Greenwich Village, said it was not uncommon for one person at a table to stand up when the bill arrives and head into the night in search of an automated teller machine. “But if somebody wants to come back a day or two later with the money, we let them,” he added. “We trust them. It makes it feel like a neighborhood restaurant.” Sandy Jephson, who was eating there with her boyfriend the other night, said she thought it would do her good to use cash more often. “My problem is I swipe my card for every little thing I buy that’s $8,” she said. “I end up with a huge long bill.” A recent study by the Federal Reserve System found that people are using plastic more frequently for ever smaller transactions: the number of debit card payments rose by 77 percent, to 9.4 billion from 5.3 billion, even as the average payment dropped by nearly 12 percent. The right to run a cash-only business is, in fact, reflected in local law. “The only industry in New York that is required to offer both cash and credit options is the towing industry,” said Beth Miller, a spokeswoman at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. “Not the kind of towing where you call to get your own car towed. The kind where your car gets towed because it’s parked where it’s not supposed to be.” The law, enacted in 1993, was apparently the brainchild of Saul Weprin, a Queens Democrat and Assembly speaker who died in 1994. “He or somebody in his family had their car towed in the middle of the night and didn’t have cash on them and couldn’t get their car out,” Ms. Miller said, recalling local lore. There are financial self-help gurus on talk radio and on the Internet who preach the virtue of a “cash-only diet,” including James Neely, who, with a partner, writes moneyanswerguy.com . “The philosophy is very simple,” said Mr. Neely, a freelance writer who lives in Indiana. “You become a lot more aware of what you’re spending. You are aware that you immediately no longer have the money you had.” But Allen H. Kupetz, the author of “The Future of Less,” a book about the global economy’s movement toward a cashless, wireless and paperless existence, said most people use paper money for less than 10 percent of their purchases. And he predicted a cardless society soon enough. “In Japan, you can use your cellphone to buy a Coke from a vending machine,” he said. “Some day, machines will stop accepting cash and credit cards, and everything will be on the phone. Cash will become like the 8-track tape.” Barney Greengrass, the Upper West Side temple of Jewish appetizing, accepts credit cards only on weekdays. “On weekends, we get so busy, I don’t want to spend the time running the machine,” said a manager, Richie Kleiman. The restaurant also has its share of house accounts, Mr. Kleiman explained, and a few minutes later he took a phone order, writing at the top “Woody Allen.” “Did he say chocolate cake or babka?” Mr. Kleiman said. The woman on the other end was ordering food for Mr. Allen’s coming airplane trip. “He probably meant babka,” Mr. Kleiman said. “I know he likes babka. I’ll throw in a babka.” The list got longer. Cream cheese, bagels, smoked fish. “You want sandwiches, too? We can do that,” Mr. Kleiman said. Another pause, and he smiled. “No sweetie, we don’t have ham here,” he said.


Cuomo Shuts Door on Part of Mayor de Blasio’s Affordable Housing Plan

Abstract: ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo dealt a serious blow to Mayor Bill de Blasio ’s affordable housing plan on Wednesday, saying time had run out to amend a state program giving developers generous tax breaks in exchange for creating low-cost housing. The governor placed blame on the current climate in Albany, which has been muddied by the corruption cases against Assemblyman Sheldon Silver , a Democrat who had been the Assembly speaker, and Dean G. Skelos , a Republican senator and former majority leader. But Mr. Cuomo also criticized Mr. de Blasio for complicating Albany’s efforts to revise the program, known as 421-a, before it is set to expire on Monday. “You can’t come up with a resolution in these next few days, and I am not going to attempt to,” Mr. Cuomo said in Albany. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, has been pushing for modifications to the program that would essentially require developers who accept tax incentives to set aside more affordable units for poor and working-class residents. The mayor’s plan has an unexpected ally: the Real Estate Board of New York, a lobbying group for the city’s developers. The board likes the plan because developers would get tax breaks for a significantly longer period. But, the plan is opposed by some construction unions, which want the mayor to require higher wages in return for tax breaks. The mayor went public with the plan in early May. In late May, he traveled to Albany to sell lawmakers on it. The trip set off a very public war of words between Mr. de Blasio and Mr. Cuomo that began with the mayor’s saying that the governor needed to show “leadership.” The governor, a fellow Democrat who has been cool to Mr. de Blasio’s plan, said on Wednesday that the mayor shouldered some blame. “Nobody knew that the mayor was going to reach an agreement and propose it a couple of weeks ago,” Mr. Cuomo said. “And then it became a reaction to the mayor’s plan, and the mayor’s plan generated problems.” The mayor’s advisers dismissed the notion that time had run out, saying that nothing gets done in Albany until the last minute. Mr. de Blasio said his administration “gave all of the different elements in Albany plenty of notice of this vision.” “And obviously it had a lot of support,” he continued. “So I’ve never bought into the notion there wasn’t time to get to the larger plan.” The Legislature could extend the program on Monday, either with the same terms or a modified version. The mayor has said that without meaningful reform, he would prefer to see the program expire, which would put an end to what he considers an expensive tax break that does little to provide affordable housing. Although many in Albany expect the Legislature to extend the program, either for six months or a year, the governor did not commit to a course of action. “This is a complicated beast, this law,” he said. “So you could either rush it and try to do it very quickly and wind up making mistakes, or you could take a little more time and do it right.”

Tax Credits Tax Deductions Tax Exemptions


Nuggets Defeat Wizards

Abstract: Danilo Gallinari scored 26 points and went 4 of 5 from 3-point range to lead Denver to a 117-113 road victory over the reeling Washington Wizards, who have lost five of six games. After the Wizards clawed back from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game at 99-99, Gary Harris and Gallinari hit consecutive 3-pointers for a 105-99 lead with 3 minutes 16 seconds to go. PACERS 111, HAWKS 92 Monta Ellis scored 25 points, and Myles Turner added 20 in his first N.B.A. start to lead Indiana past visiting Atlanta. The Pacers ended a three-game losing streak by outscoring the Hawks by 23-2 over the final 5:34. PELICANS 114, KINGS 105 Ryan Anderson tied his career high with 36 points, and New Orleans beat visiting Sacramento for its sixth victory in eight games. The Pelicans won despite the absences of Anthony Davis, who sustained a concussion on Monday night, and Tyreke Evans, who has tendinitis in his right knee. Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 8 assists for New Orleans. GRIZZLIES 103, BUCKS 83 Jeff Green scored 21 points, Marc Gasol added 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Memphis pulled away in the second half for a home victory over Milwaukee.


Commission Calls for Guatemala to Protect Patients

Abstract: MEXICO CITY — An international human rights commission has told Guatemala that it must take steps to protect patients at a psychiatric hospital where two human rights groups found them subjected to abuse and terror at the hands of gangs and guards. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights this week acted on the findings of the groups, including Disability Rights International , which has investigated psychiatric hospitals across Latin America and said that the Federico Mora Hospital in Guatemala City was among the most troubling. Children and adults were abused at the hospital, basic medical care was denied and women were subjected to sex trafficking, often controlled by guards from the national police and gang members given access to the hospital from an adjacent prison, the commission said. On an inspection of the grounds last summer, investigators from Disability Rights International and the Office of Human Rights of the Archdiocese of Guatemala City, along with a reporter, found evidence of neglect. Patients lay about on the ground in dirty or tattered clothing, while others were tied to chairs and beds in dank, dreary buildings — freshly scrubbed for the inspection, it appeared, by the suffocating scent of bleach — or wandered around with no purpose or attention. A woman locked in an isolation cell moaned in confusion, and staff members reported shortages of medicine and inconsistent care by doctors. A Chilean psychiatrist accompanying the investigators examined several patients and found signs that some had been given improper doses or poorly prepared medications. Patients with mental, psychiatric and physical disabilities, including many accused of violent crimes, are sent to the hospital and mixed together. Privately, the groups said in a report, staff members reported that the guards and the gangs controlled the place and fomented a climate of fear. “This is not a safe place for people with mental disabilities — or anyone,” said Eric Rosenthal, executive director of Disability Rights International, based in Washington. “Everyone in this facility could be immediately moved to safe places in the community — starting with the children and women, who are most at-risk.” Guatemalan officials did not respond to requests for comment. The commission, an arm of the Organization of American States , did not rule on the merits of the case but found sufficient concern to ask the Guatemalan government to take several steps, including separating children from adults, providing appropriate medical care and putting in place measures to prevent patients from being abused by guards, staff members and other patients. It asked Guatemala to report back on its progress in a month, but the commission has no official power to compel the changes. Still, few countries proclaiming their respect for human rights, as Guatemala has done, wish to have actions pending in the commission. The commission’s acceptance of the groups’ “precautionary measures petition” is a rare step; last year it granted only 57 such requests out of the 422 it received. Disability Rights International has focused on care in psychiatric facilities, calling them an area often neglected or mismanaged in several countries. Two years ago it issued a report condemning the level of care for the mentally and physically disabled in Mexico , prompting the government to promise changes, though human rights groups have said problems persist. Still, Mr. Rosenthal of Disability Rights International said the Guatemala ruling would serve notice on governments. He said the group would seek a settlement with the government that would open the door to more community-based clinics and care for people with disabilities.

Human Rights and Human Rights Violations


Figure in 2006 City Hall Patronage Case Has a New Career Lobbying City Hall

Abstract: The city’s inspector general forced Christopher Kozicki from his high-ranking job in Mayor Richard M. Daley ’s administration three years ago, citing his involvement in the infamous hiring of an unqualified, but politically connected, teenager as a building inspector. At the time, his lawyer said Mr. Kozicki would move on to “pursue other opportunities.” His new opportunity turns out to involve lobbying the mayor’s office, according to city records. Mr. Kozicki’s employer installs steel covers over the windows of abandoned city properties like police stations and firehouses. “If, in fact, Kozicki is working for city funds and lobbying people in the mayor’s office, the current administration has no interest in punishing people for illegal hiring,” Noelle Brennan, the city’s court-appointed hiring monitor, said last week. “It suggests instead that such people are rewarded.” The state’s last two governors have faced corruption charges in cases based largely on the testimony of former top aides. Yet, despite federal prosecutors’ threats to aim for bigger targets at City Hall, their investigation of illegal patronage hiring never reached into the highest echelons of the mayor’s office. Whenever the smaller fish caught in the federal net would refuse to incriminate their superiors, members of the city’s political class shrugged and suggested that the “stand-up guys” would eventually be taken care of. But Mr. Kozicki said Friday that his story was not a case of a political loyalist being rewarded for taking the fall for Team Daley. “It’s a great product,” he said of his company’s method for securing vacant properties. “You can pick on me all you want, but the technology is second to none.” Mr. Kozicki agreed to testify under a grant of immunity in the 2006 federal corruption trial of Mr. Daley’s patronage chief, Robert Sorich. But Mr. Kozicki surprised prosecutors when he testified that his old boss in the buildings department — rather than the mayor’s aide who was on trial — had pushed to rig the hiring of the young building inspector. The prosecutors treated Mr. Kozicki as a hostile witness, saying his words on the witness stand deviated from an earlier sworn statement to the authorities. Those authorities suggested he had changed his story because of his deep ties to Mr. Daley’s 11th Ward Democratic power base, of which Mr. Sorich also was a member. Mr. Kozicki was an operative for the ward organization, and he drove the mayor’s brother, Cook County Commissioner John Daley, to and from their Bridgeport neighborhood. Soon after the trial, the mayor’s office rejected the inspector general’s recommendation that Mr. Kozicki be fired for his role in the hiring of the 19-year-old son of a union official. Still, Mr. Kozicki stepped down in March 2008. He then registered as the City Hall lobbyist for Vacant Property Security, city records show. The firm covers up abandoned buildings for the city’s property management contractors. Mr. Kozicki said his work for the city since leaving the Daley administration has owed nothing to clout and everything to the value of the company’s product, as well as his experience as a “good public servant” before the scandal. “I was not charged with any wrongdoing,” Mr. Kozicki said. “I worked hard. I was the mayor’s top deputy for vacant buildings for 10 years. I’m not some hack who didn’t know anything.”

Lobbying and Lobbyists
Inspectors General
Daley Richard M


Islanders’ Future Blurred by Rejection of Arena Proposal

Abstract: Charles Wang , the owner of the Islanders , said last week there was “no Plan B” if Nassau County, N.Y., voters rejected a plan to borrow $400 million to pay for a new arena for his team, a minor league ballpark and new convention space. He might have to find a Plan B now that the measure was voted down, 57 percent to 43, on Monday. “Right now, I have to tell you, it’s a very emotional time and we’re not going to make any comments on any specific next steps,” Wang said Tuesday at the county-owned Coliseum, which was built in 1972 and contains few of the luxury boxes and amenities that produce significant revenue for the N.H.L.’s other 29 clubs. The club has promised to remain at the Coliseum in Uniondale until its current lease expires in 2015. The bond issue defeated Monday was just the latest version of a plan to fix the arena. Wang had proposed an earlier real estate project, which included refurbishing the Coliseum, that fell through last year. But if a plan to renovate or replace the Coliseum does not succeed between now and 2015, will the Islanders move, and if so, where? The front-runners at this very early stage are Brooklyn and Quebec City, with Kansas City, Mo.; Hamilton, Ontario; and Seattle regarded as much longer shots. Wang, a part or full owner of the Islanders since 2000, has left open the option of moving the club, which loses an estimated $20 million per season, after the 2014-15 season. County Executive Edward P. Mangano, who backed the arena deal, said Tuesday that he was seeking proposals for developing the 77-acre Coliseum site. “The time is now to explore a new path for economic development opportunities and job growth at the site of Nassau Coliseum,” Mangano said. “I encourage all those with a plan to contact the county immediately.” N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has made several public appearances in support of Wang’s Coliseum-related projects, reiterated his support on Tuesday. “We will continue to work closely with the Islanders to explore whatever options still may be available in light of what obviously is not a positive development,” Bettman said. “Our goal is for the team to remain on Long Island and we still hope that objective can be realized.” The Brooklyn option involves the Nets’ new basketball arena, the Barclays Center, that is scheduled to open in September 2012. A revised design of the arena has raised doubts over whether the arena floor, in its present configuration, is large enough to accommodate an N.H.L.-sized ice sheet. But Brett Yormark, the chief executive of the Barclays Center, said the arena “will have an ice rink that can support professional hockey.” While the N.H.L. and the operators of the arena have not had talks about bringing the Islanders to Brooklyn, Yormark made it clear that hockey is an option in his arena. “Due to the venue’s design, the capacity for hockey would be several thousand seats less than for basketball,” he said. “While we hope to explore hockey opportunities in the future, our primary focus at the moment is to build the best sports and entertainment venue in the world.” Moving the team 26 miles from Uniondale to Brooklyn would keep much of the Islanders’ fan base intact and would help preserve the club’s legacy of four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s and 19 straight playoff series victories. It would also provide Wang or whoever owns the Islanders with luxury-box revenue, and more access to public transportation than the Coliseum has. But a relocation of the Islanders to Brooklyn would do little to solve an underlying problem — the presence of three N.H.L. teams in the New York area, where hockey is not an overriding passion. Nor will it solve the Islanders’ 18-year drought without winning a playoff series, which has led to low attendance and a lack of coverage in the sports media. “When you have nine professional teams and three in one sport, it can present problems,” Bettman said in 1995, when the Devils threatened to move to Nashville. Bettman was quick to add that the glut of teams does not necessarily mean an N.H.L. club has to move from the New York area. But what he said about the Devils in 1995 remains applicable to the Islanders today. In Quebec, however, hockey is king, and there they are in the middle of a big push to bring back the N.H.L. The Nordiques left there in 1995. With the Canadian dollar strong, plans are proceeding for the construction of a new $400 million rink, financed by a mix of provincial, municipal and private funds to be completed by fall 2015. Mayor Régis Lebeaume said last week that he was “watching the referendum on Long Island.” Quebec City is probably first in line to get a relocated N.H.L. team, but right now it seems most likely that the Phoenix Coyotes, not the Islanders, will be that team. The Coyotes, operated as a money-losing proposition by the N.H.L. and still seeking a buyer two years after its previous owner put the team into bankruptcy, are guaranteed to stay at their Glendale, Ariz., arena only through the 2011-12 season. If Brooklyn or Quebec City are not available, the Islanders may look to Kansas City, where the four-year-old Sprint Center is still seeking an anchor tenant and where the Islanders staged an exhibition game in 2009. But there has been little public groundswell in support of bringing the N.H.L. to Kansas City, despite the city being proposed as a destination in recent years when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators threatened to move. Hamilton’s problem is that it is too close to Toronto and Buffalo. Neither the Leafs nor the Sabres have indicated they would welcome a new team in their territory. Last spring Bill Daly, the N.H.L.’s deputy commissioner, confirmed that the league had been approached by a Seattle group about acquiring a club. Seattle has a long history in hockey — in 1917 it became the first American city to win the Stanley Cup — and has supported a team in the junior Western Hockey League since the 1977-78 season.

Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
Wang Charles B
Nassau County (NY)
Hockey Ice
Stadiums and Arenas
Relocation of Business


Camera System Creates Sophisticated 3-D Effects

Abstract: PALO ALTO, Calif. — In a darkened garage here, Steve Perlman is giving digital actors a whole new face. A former Apple Computer engineer who previously co-founded WebTV Networks and the set-top box firm Moxi, Mr. Perlman is now putting the finishing touches on Contour, a futuristic camera system that will add photorealistic three-dimensional effects to digital entertainment. The new system will be introduced today at the Siggraph computer graphics conference in Boston, and effects created with it could start appearing as early as next year. The system could change the nature of cinematography in several ways, according to leading Hollywood producers and technologists who are planning to use the system. For example, it will make it possible to create compellingly realistic synthetic actors by capturing the facial movements of real actors in much greater detail than is currently possible. David Fincher, who directed the films “Fight Club” and “Panic Room,” is planning to use Contour next year when he begins filming “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” a movie based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald in which Brad Pitt will play a character who ages in reverse. “Instead of grabbing points on a face, you will be able to capture the entire skin,” Mr. Fincher said. “You’re going to get all of the enormous detail and the quirks of human expression that you can’t plan for.” The technology will let filmmakers transform the appearance of actors in the computer, raising the possibility of a new form of digital video in which the viewer can control the point of view — what is being described in Hollywood as “navigable entertainment.” The Contour system requires actors to cover their faces and clothes with makeup containing phosphorescent powder that is not visible under normal lighting. In a light-sealed room, the actors face two arrays of inexpensive video cameras that are synchronized to simultaneously record their appearance and shape. Scenes are lit by rapidly flashing fluorescent lights, and the cameras capture light from the glowing powder during intervals of darkness that are too short for humans to perceive. The captured images are transmitted to an array of computers that reassemble the three-dimensional shapes of the glowing areas. These can then be manipulated and edited into larger digital scenes using sophisticated software tools like Autodesk’s Maya or Softimage’s Face Robot. “Steve is really on to something here,” said Ed Ulbrich, vice president of Digital Domain, a Hollywood special-effects company in Venice, Calif. “The holy grail of digital effects is to be able to create a photorealistic human being.” Until now, realistic digital actors have required significant amounts of computing power, at great expense. “It’s been used in stunts and big special-effects scenes,” Mr. Ulbrich said. “Now you can use it for two actors sitting at a table and talking. You have the ability to tell stories and have close-up scenes that make you laugh and cry.” Mr. Perlman’s system is a leap forward for a technology known as motion capture, now widely used in video games and in movies like “The Polar Express,” which starred Tom Hanks in various digital guises. Motion capture cuts the costs of computer animation while creating more natural movement. Today’s motion-capture systems work by tracking the locations of hundreds of reflective balls attached to a human actor. This permits the actor’s movements to be sampled by a camera many times per second. But the digital record is limited to movement, and does not include the actual appearance of the actor. The difference offered by Mr. Perlman’s technology is in the detail. Standard motion-capture systems are generally limited in resolution to several hundred points on a human face, while the Contour system can recreate facial images at a resolution of 200,000 pixels. The digital video images produced by the system are startlingly realistic. Mr. Perlman, who helped develop Apple’s QuickTime video technology, said the computer-generated animation techniques pioneered by Pixar Studios were reaching a visual plateau and, as a result, losing some of their audience appeal. But an important hurdle to commercial success for the Contour system is whether it will be the first low-cost technology to cross what film and robot specialists refer to as the “uncanny valley.” That phrase was coined in the 1970’s by Masahiro Mori, the Japanese robotics specialist, as he sought to describe the emotional response of humans to robots and other nonhuman entities. He theorized that as a robot became more lifelike, the emotional response of humans became increasingly positive and empathetic — until a certain point at which the robot took on a zombie-like quality, and the human response turned to repulsion. Then, as the robot becomes indistinguishable from a human, the response turns positive again. Critics were quick to point out the eerie look of the characters in “Polar Express.” “We are programmed from birth to recognize human faces,” Mr. Perlman said. There are some limits to the new technology. For example, the Contour system can capture eyebrows, mustaches and short beards, but it is not able to capture freely moving strands. It is also not able to capture areas where makeup cannot be applied, like the eyes or the inside of the mouth. The Contour developers are now experimenting with plastic teeth molds with embedded phosphor powder. If the Contour system can be commercialized, it will allow digital film directors to easily and inexpensively control camera angles and generate elaborate visual fly-throughs in movies. It will also lower the cost of creating fantasy characters like Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In addition to films, the new system will be valuable in creating more realistic video games, Mr. Perlman said. A major video-game development company has committed to use the system in future games, he said, adding that he could not give its name at this time. The Contour system has been developed by a small team of software and hardware engineers that Mr. Perlman has assembled in the garage of his home in Palo Alto, Calif., over the last three years. He rewired the garage to handle the power requirements of the lighting system and a small graphics supercomputer that was built from scratch. Contour will be distributed by Mova, one of a group of start-up firms that Mr. Perlman has assembled since he left WebTV in 1999, after it was purchased by Microsoft. Contour is not the only attempt to develop more advanced digital cinematography techniques, said Richard Doherty, a digital media consultant who is president of Envisioneering Inc., in Seaford, N.Y. “There are some upstarts in Los Angeles, but none have achieved the demonstrated scale and performance that Steve has shown,” Mr. Doherty said. “This is the kind of technology that is celebrated, and it is on the scale of the invention of the Steadicam. He’s going to give that kind of freedom to actors and directors.”

Motion Pictures
Cameras
Virtual Reality (Computers)
Perlman Steve


Isles Edged by Penguins

Abstract: Sidney Crosby scored with 1 minute 16 seconds left to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 victory over the visiting Islanders on Friday night. Thomas Vanek scored twice for the Islanders in his first game after missing five with an upper-body injury. ■ Prosecutors filed a misdemeanor assault charge against Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov after his girlfriend said he attacked her last month. Varlamov, 25, faces one count of third-degree assault.

Ice hockey
Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
Sidney Crosby


Large Field for Travers Stakes With Big Brown Out

Abstract: SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — They will come in large numbers Saturday to compete in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, lured by the purse, the prestige and the absence of Big Brown . With Big Brown, the nation’s best 3-year-old, taking a pass on the Travers, 12 names passed through the entry box Wednesday. If all 12 start, it will be the largest Travers field since 1990. “It’s a good bunch of horses, and with no Big Brown here, everyone thinks they have a chance,” said Neil Howard, the trainer of the Travers starter Mambo in Seattle. “That’s why we’re all in here.” The Travers, the signature race of the Saratoga meet, usually attracts the best 3-year-olds in training. Seventeen Travers winners have been named the 3-year-old champion. But Big Brown’s connections chose to focus instead on the Haskell on Aug. 3 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. After Big Brown had to go all out in the stretch to run down Coal Play, his connections decided they needed more than the 20 days off between the Haskell and the Travers. With Big Brown, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes winner, sitting this one out, what is left is an evenly matched group of colts all trying, at least for a day, to escape from his shadow. The biggest name in the field is Da’ Tara, an unknown colt until his stunning victory against Big Brown and seven others in the Belmont Stakes . He followed with a clunker in the Jim Dandy Stakes, where he finished last after battling for the early lead. It remains to be seen which Da’ Tara will show up Saturday. “That wasn’t him,” the trainer Nick Zito said of Da’ Tara’s Jim Dandy performance. “We know he can go the distance because he proved it in the Belmont. He likes to run on the front or run close, and when a horse like that gets pressed it can be a difficult time for them. That’s really what went wrong; he had no chance in that speed duel.” Zito, who won the 2004 Travers with Birdstone, who earlier that year ended Smarty Jones’s Triple Crown bid in the Belmont, entered three horses. The others are Amped and Cool Coal Man. Da’ Tara was installed at 8-1 in the morning line and will break from the third post. At 7-2, the morning-line favorite is Pyro, who drew Post 11. Once a top contender for the Derby, he has had an up-and-down year but is coming off a second-place finish in the Jim Dandy. The field also includes a surprise entry in Tizbig, who will come back six days after finishing second in an allowance race for his trainer Allen Jerkens. The last three Jim Dandy winners have come back to win the Travers, good news for West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again. He was second in the Preakness and then was a nonfactor in the Belmont, finishing fifth. Trained by Dallas Stewart, he bounced back with a half-length win in the Jim Dandy, posting a mild upset at 8-1. Still another contender is Colonel John, who is 8-1 in the morning line and drew the second post. He was recognized as the top 3-year-old in California after winning the Santa Anita Derby, but flopped in the Kentucky Derby, finishing sixth. That was his lone start over a dirt track, which could be an indication that he prefers synthetic tracks. “That’s the million-dollar question,” his trainer Eoin Harty said of Colonel John’s ability to handle a dirt track. “I just think he’s a good horse, and a good horse will handle anything.”


Big 5 Teams Celebrate Milestone With Throwback Doubleheader at Palestra

Abstract: PHILADELPHIA — More than 50 years later, the memory remains as clear as ever for Don DiJulia. He will never forget Feb. 20, 1965, when a men’s college basketball game between St. Joseph’s and Villanova was interrupted after the police received a call at halftime saying a bomb had been planted in the stands. DiJulia, a sophomore guard at St. Joseph’s at the time, and everyone else at the arena, the Palestra, was told to evacuate. They followed orders, but Les Keiter, who was announcing the game on television, refused to leave. “He wanted to cover it,” said DiJulia, who is now the St. Joseph’s athletic director. “He was going to go up in flames if it was a legitimate bomb scare.” The threat turned out to be a hoax, and the game resumed. Yet that night endures as part of the lore of the Big 5, the name for a collection of five Division I men’s basketball programs in Philadelphia. On Wednesday, the Big 5 staged a 60th anniversary celebration in a fitting way, with a doubleheader at the Palestra, a tradition that had not taken place since December 2004. Temple beat La Salle, 62-49, in the first game, and St. Joseph’s followed with a 75-60 win over Pennsylvania. No. 4 Villanova, the other Big 5 university, won, 72-71, at Seton Hall. Throughout the night, the public-address announcer introduced and honored 30 former players (six from each university representing the Big 5’s first six decades) who helped the Big 5 secure an enduring legacy. For longtime Big 5 stalwarts like DiJulia and Temple Coach Fran Dunphy, the night served as a reunion of sorts and a reminder of the Big 5’s rare nature, the lure of the Palestra and the changing landscape of college athletics. Since the formation of the Big 5 in 1955, the universities have played each other in a round-robin format each season except for an eight-year stretch in the 1990s when they played only two Big 5 opponents per season. No city has come close to duplicating that feat. For the first 24 seasons, all matchups between Big 5 teams and most home games for the colleges were held at the Palestra, the storied gym on Penn’s campus that opened in 1927. Back then, the Palestra typically hosted college basketball doubleheaders on Wednesday and Saturday nights in the winter. “It was part of the fabric and the culture of life in Philadelphia,” said DiJulia, who grew up in southwest Philadelphia. Dunphy, also a Philadelphia native, remembered heading to the Palestra with friends from his neighborhood. He later played at La Salle and served as an assistant at his alma mater before becoming the coach at Penn in 1989 and at Temple in 2006. “It was a basketball heaven,” Dunphy said of the Palestra. “I think still to today it holds a special place in my heart. It’s revered in Philadelphia basketball.” Still, times have changed as universities have to consider conference affiliations, television contracts and financial interests. Although banners of the Big 5 programs hang in the Palestra’s rafters, Penn is the only one to have all of its home games at the gym. The other four colleges have their own arenas. This season, the only non-Penn games at the Palestra were Miami-La Salle on Dec. 22 and Temple-La Salle on Wednesday. Scheduling Wednesday’s doubleheader was not easy. After several months of talks, the universities received permission from their conferences and settled on a date. Steve Bilsky, a former Penn guard, conceived the idea when he became the Big 5’s executive director in 2014 after retiring as Penn’s athletic director. He wanted to stage an event at a building that meant so much to him and many others. “No other city has done it,” Bilsky said of the Big 5. “Some have tried, but that’s what sets the Big 5 apart. It’s such a credit to the schools that they’ve been able to maintain this commitment even though in some cases they’ve had to sacrifice things that might be perceived as not in their best institutional interests.” Bilsky would like to have more doubleheaders at the Palestra, preferably on a Saturday night in early December. As of now, though, nothing is set for next season or beyond. On Wednesday, the near-sellout crowd had a chance to relive the old days and walk the concourses of the Palestra, which feature display cases honoring the Big 5 colleges and the arena’s history. It has hosted not only college basketball games. Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James played at the Palestra while in high school. When recruits visit La Salle, Coach John Giannini takes them on a tour of the Palestra. Giannini’s first Big 5 game occurred on Dec. 4, 2004, which was the last time the Palestra hosted multiple games involving Big 5 teams. That day, the former St. Joseph’s coach John Griffin told Giannini to cherish the moment. “I think most coaches are so focused and intent on winning that ‘enjoyment’ isn’t the word they would use,” Giannini said. “But as I reflect back on those Palestra games, it’s definitely memorable, and you definitely feel privileged. I don’t know if ‘enjoyment’ is the right word, but ‘privileged’ definitely is the right word.”

College basketball
Philadelphia
Villanova
Seton Hall
University of Pennsylvania
St Joseph's
Temple University
La Salle University Philadelphia


Red Bulls Knocked Out of U.S. Open Cup in Penalty Kicks

Abstract: Lloyd Sam tied the game at 1-1 four minutes into second-half stoppage time on Tuesday, but the Red Bulls nonetheless went on to lose, 4-3, in penalty kicks to the visiting Philadelphia Union in the United States Open Cup quarterfinals. Bradley Wright-Phillips, the Red Bulls’ leader in M.L.S. goals this season with eight, missed the hosts’ first spot kick. Sam later had his attempt saved, while the Union converted four of their five. Philadelphia’s Eric Ayuk Mbu opened the scoring at Red Bull Arena in the 56th minute of regulation. A STRONG START FOR STERLING Raheem Sterling, the most expensive English soccer player in history, wasted no time in paying off for Manchester City, scoring just 2 minutes 17 seconds into his debut in a friendly win over Roma at the International Champions Cup in Melbourne. Sterling, a 20-year-old Jamaica-born Londoner, moved from Liverpool last week in a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $76 million. “I’m happy with the way he played,” Manager Manuel Pellegrini said. “He demonstrated why he’s here.” (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) CHARGE IN BLATTER PRANK Simon Brodkin, the British comedian who on Monday showered FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, with fake dollar bills on Monday, has been charged by the Swiss police after being arrested and interrogated, a police spokesman said. (REUTERS) JAMAICANS RELISHING UNDERDOG ROLE Forward Michael Seaton said Jamaica advanced to the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals for the first time since 1998 because the team, known as the Reggae Boyz, enjoyed surprising the doubters. With the five-time champion United States waiting in Wednesday night’s semifinal, Jamaica Coach Winfried Schaefer is playing up the underdog role once again. “It feels like David versus Goliath," Schaefer said Tuesday. “But that’s fine. We will try everything to hit the giant when it counts the most.” Mexico, which has six Gold Cup titles, will play Panama in Wednesday night’s other semifinal. United States Coach Jurgen Klinsmann predicted a tight match against Jamaica. That’s no surprise: Other than their 6-0 win over Cuba in the quarterfinals, the Americans have had plenty of tough matches in the Gold Cup so far. “We certainly have the most respect for Jamaica,” the U.S. midfielder and captain Michael Bradley said. “We know it’s going to be a difficult game. We think everybody on all four teams is sensing a big opportunity here.” BOLIVIAN OFFICIAL IS JAILED The Bolivian judge Roberto Baldivieso ordered the president of the country’s soccer federation, Carlos Chavez, jailed on charges he diverted funds from a charity match. Baldivieso sent Chavez, who is also treasurer of the South American Soccer Confederation, to Bolivia’s notorious Palmasola Prison in the eastern city of Santa Cruz. He also ordered the federation’s executive secretary, Alberto Lozado, placed under house arrest in the same case. Chavez and Lozado are accused of misappropriating some of the more than $400,000 in receipts from a 2013 friendly match between Bolivia and Brazil that were to have benefited the family of a fan, Kevin Beltran, killed by fireworks shot by Brazilian fans at an earlier game. (AP)

Soccer
Sepp Blatter
FIFA
US Open Cup
New York Red Bulls Soccer Team
Philadelphia Union Soccer Team


Graffiti Artist Still Painting on Walls but No Longer an Outlaw

Abstract: A love of graffiti has gained Steve Powers notoriety on the streets, fame in the art world and a long arrest sheet. It has also earned him a Fulbright scholarship. Although his tag, ESPO, can still be spotted on storefront grates throughout New York City, Mr. Powers, 40, has stopped painting illegally. Working out of his studio in Lower Manhattan, he now shows pieces at a SoHo gallery, has published art books, participated in the Venice Biennale and had his first solo museum exhibition last fall at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Mr. Powers returned this week to New York after spending nearly six months in Ireland working on his Fulbright. His idea was to create public artwork with the help of teenagers from troubled housing projects in Dublin and Belfast. At the end of the highly competitive selection process, he was one of about 800 people out of 2,000 applicants awarded Fulbright grants last year. The awards primarily go to scholars and professionals who go abroad to pursue research and teach in academic and specialized fields. Thirty-seven Fulbright winners have also received Nobel Prizes . “I was shocked,” Mr. Powers said in a phone interview from Ireland. “I didn’t think I would get it but I felt a few feet taller when I did.” Although a Fulbright scholar typically must have a doctorate, Mr. Powers, an art school dropout, was granted an exception because of his achievement in the arts. “The Fulbright program invests in talented people,” said Thomas A. Farrell, deputy assistant secretary for academic programs at the United States Department of State, which manages the program. “The body of work is what counts.” After moving to New York from Philadelphia in 1994, Mr. Powers became infamous for painting his signature boxy letters in daylight over the metal grates of shuttered storefronts. His work led to his apartment being raided by the transit police’s vandals squad in 1999, as well as six felony charges in Manhattan and Brooklyn for criminal mischief; he eventually accepted a plea deal in which he did five days of community service. During an interview in March in his studio, Mr. Powers explained his decision to stop painting illegally: “I wanted to find a way to grow out of it while succeeding at being creative.” His paintings on aluminum now sell for as much as $20,000 and he has published several books including a history of graffiti, “The Art of Getting Over.” “Steve is someone who has reshuffled the deck,” said Jeffrey Deitch, the owner of Deitch Projects, the gallery that represents him. “He’s not the kind of artist who waits to get invited to be in a museum show. He gets out there and he does it himself.” In Ireland, known for an affinity for words and dark humor, the sides of many derelict cottages and dreary parking lot alleys now display Mr. Powers’s spray-painted images and ironic phrases, which he says describe a kind of love story. In one image, an unlighted cigarette and lighter lay underneath a message outlined in hot pink: “lonely for you only.” In another, a stylized “anywhere is paradise with you” is written above two pigeons on an abandoned building. A third, titled “Happy Mother’s Day,” stretches about 80 feet across a wall in flowing black and white lettering: “baby is crying, rent all spent, car got towed, lost the remote, no hot water, fridge is empty, but I ordered food, please come home.” Mr. Powers has painted approximately 20 murals since January, most of them in Dublin. Moved by the crude political murals of Northern Ireland, Mr. Powers also worked in the lower Shankill area in Belfast, the flashpoint for much of the violence that tore through Northern Ireland, and where walls memorialize fallen fighters and ski-masked gunmen. “I’m taking the form of the murals, which are insanely powerful for all the wrong reasons, and trying to retain some of the power and use it in a really good way,” Mr. Powers said in the phone interview. With the permission of local property owners, Mr. Powers produced large-scale murals with the help of teenagers, some of whom were also graffiti makers hoping to glean techniques from a man considered by some to be a legend. “It’s useful for them to have a role model,” Mr. Powers said. Sean Bryan, 21, a graffiti artist in Dublin known as KONK, worked with Mr. Powers on several paintings. “I can’t paint illegally anymore,” said Mr. Bryan, who is facing charges resulting from his graffiti. “To see high-up people recognizing his stuff as opposed to sneaking out in the dark, it’s brilliant.” Mr. Powers was in Dublin on a recent Saturday working on one of his final paintings before returning home. As the hours passed, a steady stream of passers-by watched as paint slowly filled in chalk outlines on the 150-foot-long concrete wall. White, orange and black paint formed the oversize legs of a man and a woman cutting down the center of the mural, surrounded by a sinking Titanic with “don’t give up on us baby” written inside a puff of steam, handcuffs, and a crossword puzzle in the shape of a heart. “I really like it,” said Laura Burke, 23, a student studying painting at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. “Graffiti is usually a random name on a wall, but when ESPO does it, there’s a philosophy behind it.” As Mr. Powers was preparing to return home, he reflected on the contrast that had emerged in his life: He started his artistic career as essentially an outlaw, and was now painting in Ireland under the auspices of an elite, ivory-tower organization. “It’s interesting to revisit my original medium and do it differently,” he said. “The only reason I got into graffiti in the first place was I wanted some stories to tell.”

Art
Graffiti
Scholarships and Fellowships
New York City
Ireland


The Taiwan Elections: What to Expect

Abstract: Voters in Taiwan are expected to make history again when they go to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president and legislature. China’s authoritarian government claims Taiwan as part of its territory, so any time the self-governing island holds an election, the world tends to pay attention. Taiwan held its first direct presidential election only 20 years ago. China’s president, by contrast, is selected by the governing Communist Party, not elected by the public. Tsai Ing-wen, the chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, is widely expected to become Taiwan’s first female president . Her party has traditionally favored formal independence for the island, so Beijing will not be pleased if she wins. Ms. Tsai, however, has pledged to maintain the cross-strait status quo. A victory for Ms. Tsai would be only the second time the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, has lost the presidency since Chiang Kai-shek’s forces fled to the island at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. The Kuomintang, which has pursued closer engagement with China under the departing president, Ma Ying-jeou, could also lose control of the legislature, called the Legislative Yuan, for the first time. Holding both the presidency and the legislature would give Ms. Tsai considerable power to pursue her party’s agenda. Her priorities include redressing injustices from Taiwan’s authoritarian past, reviving the economy and improving social safety nets. The Presidential Candidates Tsai Ing-wen, 59, Democratic Progressive Party Image Tsai Ing-wen Credit Pichi Chuang/Reuters This is Ms. Tsai’s second run for the presidency after losing to Mr. Ma in 2012. A win would give the region its first female leader who is not related to a powerful male politician. Ms. Tsai was educated at National Taiwan University and Cornell and holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. She was a lawyer and professor before entering political life, serving as minister of the Mainland Affairs Council and vice premier. She was elected to the legislature in 2004. Eric Chu, 54, Kuomintang Image Eric Chu Credit Pichi Chuang/Reuters Mr. Chu was chosen as the Kuomintang’s candidate in October, replacing Hung Hsiu-chu, who was dropped by the party because of her poor showing in the polls. But the switch has changed little: Mr. Chu trails in the polls by at least 20 points. Mr. Chu is the chairman of the Kuomintang and mayor of New Taipei City. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University and taught accounting before entering politics, joining the legislature in 1999. He has served as magistrate of Taoyuan County, and vice premier and minister of the Consumer Protection Commission. James Soong, 73, People First Party Image James Soong Credit Pichi Chuang/Reuters Mr. Soong, who was elected in 1994 as the governor of Taiwan Province (a position that was eliminated in 1998), founded in 2000 the People First Party, which favors closer relations with China. He was defeated in his 2000 and 2012 presidential bids. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for vice president in 2004. He was born in Hunan Province, the only candidate born in mainland China, and he has a Ph.D. in political science from Georgetown University. The Legislative Yuan Image Freddy Lim, at a concert to promote his campaign. Credit Pichi Chuang/Reuters The Kuomintang currently holds 64 of the legislature’s 113 seats, all of which are up for grabs on Saturday. It needs to retain 57 of them to keep its majority. Most of the seats are chosen by geographical districts, but 34 are filled by the parties based on the national vote and six are reserved for aboriginal constituencies. One of the first-time legislative candidates this year is Wu’er Kaixi , 47, a former student leader at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing and a talk-show host in Taiwan. He is running as representative of a small party called the Constitutional Reform Fraternity Coalition. Freddy Lim , 39, the lead singer of the heavy-metal band Chthonic and former chairman of Amnesty International Taiwan, is a candidate for the New Power Party, which he helped establish in January 2015. The party seeks to turn the activism of young people embodied in recent political movements into political representation. Its other candidates include Huang Kuo-chang , a legal scholar who was a leader of the Sunflower Movement protests in 2014, when demonstrators occupied the legislature over a trade deal with China, and Hung Tzu-yung , sister of an army corporal whose death in 2013 set off large rallies. Also running, for the Kuomintang, is Wayne Chiang , 37, a lawyer and great-grandson of Chiang Kai-shek , the Nationalist Chinese leader. Image Lin Li-chan could become the first migrant spouse to win a legislative seat in Taiwan. Credit Sam Yeh/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Another Kuomintang candidate is Lin Li-chan , 38, born in Cambodia and married to a man from Taiwan through a marriage broker 18 years ago. She said she hoped to be a voice for Taiwan’s growing number of spouses from China and Southeast Asia. And there is Chang An-lo , 67, who served 10 years in prison in the United States on drug charges before being deported to Taiwan in 1995. The next year, Mr. Chang, also known as White Wolf , was accused of involvement in organized crime in Taiwan and fled to mainland China. He was arrested on his return to Taiwan in 2013 and is now free on bail. He is running as a candidate of the China Unification Promotion Party, which, as the name suggests, advocates Taiwan’s unification with the Chinese mainland. The Results The Central Election Commission of Taiwan will begin to post results on its website after polls close at 4 p.m. Saturday. The new legislature will be seated on Feb. 1. The victor in the presidential race will not take office until May 20.

Taiwan
Election
China
Tsai Ing-wen
Eric Chu
Ma Ying jeou
James Soong
Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan
Kuomintang,Chinese Nationalist Party
People First Party


Hoan Kiem Turtle in Hanoi Escapes Would-Be Rescuers

Abstract: BANGKOK — Rescuers in Vietnam began an urgent effort on Tuesday to capture and treat an old and ailing turtle that lives in a landmark lake in Hanoi and is revered as the city’s spiritual symbol. Thousands of onlookers jostled at the edge of the tree-fringed lake as divers and boatmen tried to wrestle the huge turtle onto an artificial island where an elaborate “turtle hospital” had been created with a holding pen and filtered water tank. But the rescuers lost their quarry, as the turtle, which weighs about 440 pounds, ripped through their net and plunged deeper into the cold and murky water and disappeared. Seemingly fruitless efforts continued throughout the day. The turtle, which scientists say could be more than a century old, is revered as the incarnation of a mythical creature that snatched a magic sword from a 15th-century king and returned it to its divine owners beneath the water, giving the lake its name, Hoan Kiem, or Lake of the Returned Sword. Romantics say the turtle is that legendary creature, believing it to be more than 600 years old. For months, scientists and officials have argued over how to save the turtle, whose shell has become gouged and whose flesh is raw with wounds, raising fears of infection from the pollution that has fouled the lake. Some blame an infestation of small turtles called red-eared sliders. It surfaces from time to time, then quickly disappears as cars and motorbikes whirl past, bathing the modern lakeside in the white noise of traffic. Such appearances have grown more common as his condition has deteriorated. Though some experts warned that disturbing the solitary creature could cause him further harm, alarm over his condition prompted an urgent effort to determine and treat his ailments. “The turtle is old and weak and if it is not protected, it may die at any time,” said Ha Dinh Duc, an independent scholar who has spent the last 20 years studying the Hoan Kiem turtle. “I don’t know why authorities have kept saying they need more time to work out a solution,” he told the local news media in January. “I’m afraid when they are finally able to do something, it would be too late.” The urgency comes primarily from the serious and possibly infected wounds that have been observed when the turtle surfaces, said Douglas Hendrie, a wildlife crime specialist with a private Vietnamese conservation agency called Education for Nature — Vietnam. “The second reason is simply, it’s an old turtle,” Mr. Hendrie said by telephone from Hanoi. “The third thing is, of course, pollution. The lake is hopelessly polluted.” With these three factors, he said, “the odds are not good” for its survival. Hoan Kiem Lake, surrounded by weeping willows and other foliage, lies at the heart of the city, its curved red bridge leading to a tiny island with a temple. Visitors surround it throughout the day, eating ice cream or staring out at the water from benches. But like many of Hanoi’s other small lakes, Hoan Kiem has shrunk as development has encroached, and debris and pollution have decreased its depth with a deep layer of sludge. Experts say the turtle could be even more than a century old. Turtles have been known to live to the age of 175, said Timothy McCormack, a coordinator at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Asian Turtle Program, a network that seeks to develop and promote turtle conservation efforts in Asia. While Mr. Duc insists that the Hoan Kiem turtle is unique, a species of its own, scientists generally agree that it is one of just four members of its species, Rafetus swinhoei. There is a second in another lake in Hanoi and two more in a zoo in China. Mr. McCormack watched Tuesday morning as six boats and two divers with two nets struggled to land the powerful turtle. “When you’re down to the last four animals,” he said, “the options are running out.”

Turtles and Tortoises
Water Pollution
Hanoi (Vietnam)
Hoan Kiem (lake)


German Central Bank Leader Joins Critics In Lecturing France on Government Debt

Abstract: FRANKFURT — The head of the German central bank said Monday that France should not give up trying to bring its government deficit below 3 percent of gross domestic product, adding to the criticism being heaped on President François Hollande of France from abroad. Jens Weidmann, president of the Bundesbank, framed his rebuke in the language of French-German solidarity and was considerably more diplomatic than Maurice M. Taylor Jr., the head of the American tire maker Titan International, who touched off a furor last week when he told the French industry minister that French workers were lazy. Still, Mr. Weidmann was the latest prominent person to lecture the increasingly defensive French on how they should manage their economy. Speaking in Paris at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales, a leading business school, Mr. Weidmann noted that unemployment in France was above 10 percent while France’s share of world exports had declined by 25 percent since the euro made its debut. Total government debt “has reached a level that could potentially hurt growth,” Mr. Weidmann said. France would undermine confidence in its prospects if it delayed efforts to control deficit spending, he said. “Putting consolidation off would just shift the problem into the future,” Mr. Weidmann said. “It would buy time but in so doing also worsen matters today as there is the risk that trust in public finances would erode even more.” The tone of Mr. Weidmann’s speech was polite and even included a joke at Germany’s expense. (“How many Germans do you need to change a light bulb? One: he holds the light bulb, and the rest of Europe revolves around him.”) Mr. Weidmann invoked the durable, if sometimes contentious, relationship between France and Germany, which has always been crucial to the functioning of the European Union. “Only together can France and Germany solve the current crisis,” he said. But he said that the largest countries in the European Monetary Union had a responsibility to set an example for other members. “It is in my view particularly important for the heavyweights in E.M.U. to give clear signals,” he said. France’s government budget deficit will be 3.7 percent of gross domestic product this year, while Germany will have a slight surplus, the European Commission forecast last week. When European countries formed a common currency, they agreed to keep their deficits below 3 percent of G.D.P., though the target has often been breached. Mr. Weidmann acknowledged that budget austerity might hurt growth but said countries had no choice. “It is important that governments adhere to the consolidation plans they announced,” he said. “This will inspire confidence, which is an important prerequisite for the economy to grow.” He rejected suggestions by Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund and a former French economics minister, that Germany should somehow become less competitive to give other countries a chance. “The deficit countries must act,” Mr. Weidmann said. “They must address their structural weaknesses. They must become more competitive, and they must increase their exports.”

European Central Bank
Euro
Francois Hollande
France
Economy
Euro Crisis
Jens Weidmann
Bundesbank


Martha Stewart Profit Up

Abstract: Fourth-quarter profit for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia increased sharply over the period a year ago amid a resurgence across its businesses, which range from magazines and television shows to home fashions. Martha Stewart Living also projected revenue for the current year above analysts’ forecasts. Its shares rose 48 cents, to $18.53. Martha Stewart Living said it earned $16.21 million, or 31 cents a share, in the quarter, compared with $2.95 million, or 6 cents a share, in the period a year ago. Revenue rose 15 percent, to $97.04 million.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Incorporated


Panthers Receiver Smith Suspended Two Games

Abstract: The Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, turned Hog wild on Saturday. Darrell Green and Art Monk walked across the stage waving their arms and urged thousands of Washington Redskins fans to give them one more salute. Emmitt Thomas, the former Kansas City Chiefs player and Redskins coach, simply waved back. And they applauded the three other inductees without Washington ties — Fred Dean, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman — because they understood they would have been a good fit with the Redskins’ blue-collar players. Most did not shed a tear. Green, as usual, was the exception. “Deacon Jones said I was going to cry,” he said after his son, Jared, introduced him. “ You bet I’m going to cry. You bet you’re life I’m going to cry. You bet your life I will. That’s my boy, that’s my boy right there.” Clearly, this was Washington’s showcase. From the red-and-yellow clad crowd to the pig’s snouts to the responses whenever the Dallas Cowboys were mentioned, the ceremony looked more like a team Hall of Fame induction than a leaguewide enshrinement. Fans cheered louder each time Thomas mentioned a Redskins player or coach. They chanted “Dar-rell, Dar-rell.” Yes, it had everything but the band playing “Hail To The Redskins.” It was such a partisan crowd that Green’s son even joked that 95 percent of it was from Washington. But the inductions were also marked by poignancy. Dean, Tippett and Zimmerman chose team owners as their introductory speakers. Green, Monk and Thomas each gave the honor to their sons. No speech was more moving than that by Derek Thomas, who suggested his father finally let everyone know how good he was before breaking down as he tried to announce his father’s name. “My dad always used to give me and my sister advice,” he said. “Like most kids, we didn’t always follow that advice. A piece of advice he gave me once was never make athletes your heroes because they make mistakes, too. I guess I didn’t follow that advice very well. I’d like to introduce you to my hero, my mentor, my father, Emmitt Thomas.” SMITH SUSPENDED FOR 2 GAMES Receiver Steve Smith was suspended for two regular-season games by the Carolina Panthers after a training camp fight with cornerback Ken Lucas. Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, will continue to practice when training camp resumes Monday and will be allowed to participate in preseason games, Coach John Fox said. Lucas has a broken nose, Fox said. PENNINGTON LEADS GREEN TEAM Score this round of the Jets’ quarterback competition in favor of Chad Pennington — barely. Locked in a tight contest with Kellen Clemens for the starting job, Pennington left Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium a winner in the green-white scrimmage. He was still not quite ready to declare victory in the competition. “No, that’s up to Coach,” Pennington said with a smile. “I’m pleased with how our whole team did. We came out here and competed really well.” Pennington’s green team beat Clemens’s white squad, 10-7. Each threw a touchdown pass and had no turnovers in an annual event that is essentially a practice run in gamelike conditions. Pennington finished 8 of 14 for 115 yards, including a 27-yard scoring pass to Jerricho Cotchery. Clemens was 8 of 22 for 137 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Keller. HOPING TO END FAVRE DRAMA Commissioner Roger Goodell hopes to have Brett Favre’s standoff with the Green Bay Packers resolved by Monday — even if he has to force the issue. “Both parties are talking,” Goodell said in an interview with the NFL Network. “I think the discussions are moving ahead and I hope we have something resolved by Monday. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we kind of have to force it.” GRANT AGREES TO DEAL The Packers agreed to terms with running back Ryan Grant, allowing him to report to training camp as early as Sunday. Grant, who ran for 956 yards and 8 touchdowns, has agreed to a four-year deal that could be worth up to $30 million, his agent, Alan Herman, said.

Carolina Panthers
National Football League
Smith Steve
Lucas Ken
Suspensions Dismissals and Resignations


Federer Walks Off a Loser but Is Not Walking Away

Abstract: LONDON — This did not feel like an Andy Roddick moment. When Roddick, the former No. 1, lost to David Ferrer at Wimbledon last year, his protracted exit from the court, with a whirl and kiss to the crowd, suggested he would not return. Roddick announced his retirement at the United States Open two months later. As Roger Federer said goodbye to the more than 17,000 fans who watched him lose a semifinal match to Rafael Nadal on Sunday, his departure from the ATP World Tour Finals seemed nondescript. With a bag over each shoulder, he waved with one hand, then another, and made the short walk to the locker room at O2 Arena. Unless Federer does an about-face, retirement is not in his immediate future. “Why just walk away?” said Federer, who clearly wants to return to the elite eight-man event he has claimed a record six times. But given that Federer will be 33 by the time of the 2014 season-ending championships, that he endured further back problems in the summer and that he did not qualify for this year’s tournament until two weeks ago in Paris, the question still arose: Could this be his last visit to the World Tour Finals? “No, I don’t think so,” the television analyst and former South African player Robbie Koenig said. “I think what we’ve seen at the tail end of the season is a much healthier Federer. “It’s been a positive end to the season for him, and I think he’s going to take that into next year.” Federer can start pondering next year in earnest after his 7-5, 6-3 loss. This was Nadal’s first victory indoors against Federer in five tries, improving his overall record in the rivalry to 22-10. Nadal’s opponent in Monday’s final is Novak Djokovic, who extended his winning streak to 21 matches by beating Federer’s fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3, 6-3. Wawrinka said he and Federer chatted about their semifinal opponents Sunday morning, although any tips they shared — judging by the results — did not help. Federer was coming off a two-and-a-half-hour win on Saturday against Juan Martín del Potro. The slugfest featured between-the-legs shots from del Potro and a no-look, over-the-shoulder lob from Federer. Image Roger Federer during his loss to Rafael Nadal at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. Credit Carl Court/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images On Sunday, the early exchanges favored Federer. He earned the opening three break points at 3-2; on the second, with ample space down the line, he erred on his increasingly erratic forehand. Federer had complained Saturday that statisticians at the World Tour Finals were harsh, but even he could have no argument about the miss being categorized as an unforced error. Nadal broke for 5-4 but was then broken himself, in a game highlighted by Federer’s capping a 30-shot rally with a forehand winner. By the end of the first set, though, Federer’s first-serve percentage dipped and rallies became extended, both to Nadal’s liking. On his second opportunity, Nadal served out the set to love. He did not face a break point in the second, with Federer’s forays to the net proving largely unsuccessful. Federer seemed to be disappointed in the speed of the court. “It’s unbelievable that he gets away with playing so far back indoors these days,” he said of Nadal, “but that’s the conditions.” Djokovic also chose to play mainly behind the baseline and allow Wawrinka, who compiled a hefty 10 unforced errors through four games, to dictate much of the first set. Djokovic struck his first winner in the ninth game. Djokovic’s forehand passing shot on a full stretch energized spectators in a second set in which Wawrinka trailed in each of his service games. The match resembled Djokovic’s recent straight-set win over Wawrinka in Paris rather than their five-set thrillers at the United States Open in September and at the Australian Open in January. The final between Nadal, who is guaranteed to finish 2013 at No. 1, and Djokovic is the perfect end to the season, according to Koenig. “You have the guy who is the best player in the world and the guy who is probably the hottest player in the world,” he said. Federer can only watch.

Roger Federer
Tennis
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic