The NBA regular season doesn’t begin for another month, but New York Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas has already started losing. A jury decided this morning that Thomas sexually harassed a former team executive by refusing to cease unwanted advances and verbally abusing her, and subsequently they found both Thomas and Madison Square Garden guilty in the $10 million lawsuit. The jury will reconvene later today to decide punitive damages.

The plaintiff, Anucha Browne Sanders, accused Thomas of “demeaning and repulsive behavior” at the outset of the trial, specifying persistent advances and regular cursing as part of that behavior. Sanders then said she was fired by Madison Square Garden officials after she went through internal channels to try to solve the problem. Thomas says he will appeal the verdict. “I’m innocent, very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing,” he said. “I’m extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case. I will appeal this, and I remain confident in the man that I am and what I stand for and the family that I have.”

The verdict came as no surprise after the jury sent a note to the judge Monday indicating that it believed Thomas and the other defendants, Madison Square Garden and MSG chairman James Dolan, sexually harassed Browne Sanders—a married mother of three. It’s also not shocking since all Thomas has done since he arrived in New York is lose. I guess you can chalk up another “L” for Zeke.

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Who says British people don’t do anything but snack on tea and crumpets and speak in funny accents? Last night, Osi Umenyiora (pictured)—the New York Giants defensive end born in London to Nigerian parents—set a franchise record with six sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles, as the G-Men grabbed their second straight win, 16-3.

New York’s much-maligned defense, which was arguably the NFC’s worst through two and a half weeks, tied a league record by sacking Donovan McNabb 12 times, just one week after stonewalling the Washington Redskins on the goal line to secure the Giants’ first win. “People came up with plays—play after play,” head coach Tom Coughlin said, in the understatement of the night. “It’s like a video game for you out there,’” Umenyiora’s teammates told him.

The Giants didn’t need much offense, because the defense provided that as well. In the fourth quarter, with the Giants leading 10-0, linebacker Kawika Mitchell returned a fumble 18 yards for a score. Quarterback Eli Manning did throw a touchdown too, finding the 6-foot-5 Plaxico Burress in the back of the end zone, who made an exceptional leaping grab to haul in the score. Running back Derrick Ward, who filled in for the injure Brandon Jacobs, had a solid game, carrying 19 times for 80 yards. The win improved the Giants to 2-2 on the season, two games behind undefeated Dallas in the NFC East.



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The New York Mets’ historic collapse—which they officially capped off yesterday—was a like a kick in the groin to many New Yorkers, but for those who switched channels to watch the New York Jets beat up on the depleted Buffalo Bills for some much-needed relief, they instead had salt poured in their wounds.

The Jets lost to woeful Bills 17-14 yesterday, thanks in part to two late-game interceptions thrown by Chad Pennington. Pennington threw for 290 yards and one touchdown and at one point completed 15 consecutive passes for 10.5 yards per completion, but also threw a fourth-quarter pick that set up a one-yard touchdown for Buffalo to increase their lead to 17-7. Later, with New York driving in the final minute and nearly in field-goal range, Pennington threw a pick to Terrence McGee on a ball he attempted to throw away. “The ball came out of my hands a little weird,” Pennington said. “I was just hoping Justin [McCareins] could knock it down.”

The Jets had nine penalties for 60 yards, contributing to their inability to beat a team missing four key defensive players and was also starting a rookie quarterback and running back. Kicker Mike Nugent missed a 37-yard field goal at the end of the first half, which in retrospect, also came back to haunt New York.

On the bright side, Jerricho Cotchery had eight catches for 106 yards and Laveranues Coles (pictured) had eight catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. But the loss dropped the Jets to 1-3 and they have to face the surging NY Giants next week. It's starting to look like it could be a long season for Gang Green.



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After the New York Mets completed the biggest collapse in baseball history yesterday, New Yorkers really needed something to celebrate. Al Oerter, the discus thrower who won gold medals in four straight Olympics and who died this morning, is someone well worth the city’s remembrance and applause.

Oerter, who was born in Astoria, New York and grew up in New Hyde Park, won gold medals in the 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics. He and the great Carl Lewis are the only two track and field competitors ever to capture the same event in four consecutive Olympics. Oerter, however, is the only one to set an Olympic record in each of his victories. In his later life, he fell in love with abstract painting and avidly participated in Art of the Olympians.

Oerter died at a hospital near his home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound athlete died from complications due to high-blood pressure and heart troubles, according to his wife, Cathy. “He was a gentle giant,” she said. “He was bigger than life.” Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, also had nothing but praise for the Olympian. “His legacy is one of an athlete who embodied all of the positive attributes associated with being an Olympian,” he said. “He performed on the field of play with distinction and transferred that excellence to the role of advocate for the Olympic movement and its ideals.” Oerter died at 71.

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After celebrating their 13th consecutive postseason berth late into the night on Wednesday, The New York Yankees rested many of their (hungover?) stars on Thursday. Even with a depleted lineup that lacked Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, however, the Pinstripers still defeated Tampa Bay 3-1 and kept their slim hopes of capturing the AL East division championship alive.

Phil Hughes (pictured) pitched seven exceptional innings, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out five Devil Rays, and backup catcher Jose Molina had a two-run single in the seventh to lift the Yankees to the victory. Reliever and rookie phenom Joba Chamberlain pitched on consecutive days for the first time all season, showing that the Yankees are preparing him for the grind of October baseball and that the “Joba Rules” no longer apply. With Boston’s loss last night, New York now sits two games behind the Red Sox with five games remaining in the season.

As for the playoffs, Joe Torre said Chien-Ming Wang would be his Game 1 starter, Andy Pettite would pitch Game 2 and Roger Clemens would take the hill in Game 3. The Yankees will almost certainly face the Cleveland Indians in the seven-day series, and Torre said both Wang and Pettite would both pitch twice if the series goes the full five games.

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Sickening. Embarrassing. Frustrating. Painful. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how the New York Mets and their fans feel today, with the Mets on the brink of the worst collapse in baseball history. New York fell to St. Louis 3-0 last night—their fourth straight loss—and their division lead, which they’ve had every day since May 16, has completely evaporated.

The Philadelphia Phillies pulled even with New York in the NL East after beating Atlanta last night, fully erasing the Mets’ seven-game game lead that they held as recently as September 17. If New York doesn’t win the division, they’d be the first team in baseball history to blow a seven-game lead with just 17 games remaining. “Guess we’ve got a new season now,” Manager Willie Randolph said, trying to maintain some sort of level-headedness in the clubhouse. “Start from scratch. Now we have three games to get it done. That’s the way baseball goes.”

Not even Pedro Martinez (3-1) could salvage the Blue and Green from their tailspin, as the three-time Cy Young Award winner lost for just the first time since returning from shoulder surgery one month ago. He tossed seven strong innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out eight, but the Mets’ non-existent offense—which tallied just three hits—made St. Louis starter Joel Pineiro look like Sandy Koufax. Residents of Queens: Please stay away from the ledges.



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Five months after Don Imus put the national spotlight on Rutgers University for calling their women’s basketball players “nappy-headed hos,” the New Jersey school has once again had its racial tensions roiled—this time from within.

In a New York Times article about Rutgers emerging as a major powerhouse in Division-I athletics, tenured English professor William Dowling rejected the notion that the surge will give opportunities to less fortunate students. “If you were giving the scholarship to an intellectually brilliant kid who happens to play a sport, that's fine,” Dowling said. “But they give it to a functional illiterate who can't read a cereal box, and then make him spend 50 hours a week on physical skills. That's not opportunity. If you want to give financial help to minorities, go find the ones who are at the library after school.” Wow. Why don’t you tell us what you really think, Professor Dowling?

Rutgers Athletic Director Bob Mulcahy called Dowling's comment “a blatantly racist statement,” and Rutgers President Richard McCormick labeled it “inaccurate and inhumane…[and] it also has a racist implication that has no place whatsoever in our civil discourse,” but Dowling stood by his comments. “If someone has a way to answer that question without mentioning race, I would like to hear it,” he responded. “[Mulcay's and McCormick's responses are] the cheapest rhetorical ploy I've ever heard.” The university has not made a decision about whether or not to discipline Dowling.



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After arguably their most tumultuous season in a decade, the New York Yankees clinched their 13th straight postseason berth last night, clobbering the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 12-4 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. “This is what it was about. It was a lot of unselfishness,” Manager Joe Torre said, as he guzzled champagne and tears flowed down his cheeks. “There were a lot of guys who played through some injuries, played through some fatigue. And, of course, Alex – we sort of rallied around him.”

Robinson Cano (pictured) drove in five runs, including a three-run line-drive homer that highlighted a seven-run fifth inning, and Chien-Ming Wang (19-7) became the first Yankee pitcher to win at least 19 games in consecutive seasons since Tommy John won 21 in 1979 and 22 in 1980. “I'm elated,” owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement following the game. “After a tough first half of the season when everyone seemed to lose faith except for our players and our fans, the team has really stepped up and shown themselves to be the champions that they are. ...The fans and I look forward to the team accomplishing our ultimate goal—bringing a world championship back to New York.”

Old Georgie might be getting a little ahead of himself. The Yankees still trail the Boston Red Sox by three games in the AL East with just five games remaining, and subsequently are almost guaranteed to face the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the playoffs. The Indians’ top two starters, C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, have been the two best pitchers in the baseball since the All-Star Break in terms of both record and ERA. So while the Yankees made an incredible comeback this season, it might end all too quickly unless they bring their “A” game to Cleveland.



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The Ghost of Summers Past haunted the New York Yankees last night, and his name was Dioner Navarro (pictured). Navarro, a Venezuelan catcher once considered to be the best prospect in the Yankees’ farm system before being traded for Randy Johnson in 2005, homered off Jeff Karstens in the bottom of 10th inning, lifting the Tampa Bay Devils Rays to an improbable 7-6 come-for-behind victory over New York.

The Yankees actually held a 5-0 lead, highlighted by Alex Rodriguez’s third-inning grand slam—his 53rd homer of the year and his 517th career moonshot. Later, however, Devil Ray Jorge Valendia matched A-Rod with his own grand slam—the first of his career—as the Devil Rays rallied thanks to wild Yankee pitching. New York pitchers walked 11 Devil Rays, and relievers Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney each allowed three runs in just one-third of an inning during a brutal sixth.

Navarro’s home run prevented the Yankees from clinching a playoff spot, since New York possesses a four-and-a-half-game lead over Detroit in the Wild Card race with just five games remaining. “Everybody wants to get it over with,” Manager Joe Torre said. “Everybody wants to move on to the next season, but we still have a little work to do. It just became a little bit longer to do and a little tougher to do because we let one get away from us.” The loss also dropped the Yanks three games behind Boston in the AL East.



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For eight innings last night, the New York Mets acted like they’ve been acting for the past two weeks—basically, like they’d rather be hitting golf balls or spending time with their kids or doing anything but playing baseball. In the ninth inning, however, trailing by seven runs, the Blue and Green mounted an improbably six-run rally, before Paul Lo Duca flied out with the tying run stuck on third base to end the comeback.

The 10-9 loss was the second straight embarrassing defeat for the first-place Mets at the hands of the fourth-place Nationals, but New York still held onto their two-game division lead because Philadelphia also lost last night. Subsequently, the magic number for clinching the division was reduced to four with just six games remaining. Nonetheless, there’s reason to be concerned. Tom Glavine was torched for six runs in just five innings, and then the bullpen continued to give up runs (four in four innings).

Of course, the ninth-inning rally was a good sign that the Mets still cared. Jose Reyes hit a three-run shot with one out in the inning, his second homer of the game, and Moises Alou then delivered a bases-loaded double to pull New York within one run. Alou went 4-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to a team-record 29 games, but despite the last-gasp effort, some players couldn’t help but be frustrated by their eighth loss in the last 12 contests. “It doesn’t mean a thing,” Lo Duca said. “It doesn’t matter if we lose by eight runs or one. It’s still a loss.”



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