Sunday, September 30, 2018

Red Bulls Shutout Atlanta, Inch Closer To First

Kaku, at left, looking to make a play. @NewYorkRedBulls.



The Red Bulls earned an emotional 2-0 win over Atlanta United to keep their Supporters' Shield hopes alive on Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena.

The Red Bulls are now 19-7-5, with 62 points, just one point behind Atlanta (19-6-6, 63 points) for the best record in the MLS overall and the Eastern Conference.

Books: "Blanket Fort" By Grackle + Pigeon





Blanket Fort: Growing Up Is Optional
By Grackle + Pigeon
Morrow Gift; hardcover, $18.99; available Tuesday, October 2

Grackle + Pigeon, the Brooklyn-based wife-and-husband creative team, have created the first photo book dedicated exclusively to the art and joy of getting cozy in style.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

NYCFC Loses In Minnesota; Red Bulls Clinch First-Round By

Minnesota goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth leaps to make a save. USA Today Sports.


New York City Football Club suffered a 2-1 loss in Minnesota on Saturday night, giving the Red Bulls a first-round bye in the MLS Playoffs.

NYCFC fell to 15-8-9, with 53 points, six points behind the Red Bulls (18-5-7, 59 points) with two matches to go and the Red Bulls hold the tiebreaker.

NYCFC is five points ahead of 4th-place Columbus (13-9-9, 48 points) and six points ahead of Philadelphia (14-5-12, 47 points).

Friday, September 28, 2018

Books: "The Happy Cookbook" By Steve & Kathy Doocy





The Happy Cookbook: A Celebration of the Food That Makes America Smile
By Steve and Kathy Doocy
William Morrow Cookbooks; hardcover, $29.99; E-Book, $23.99; available Tuesday, October 2

Steve Doocy, of the hosts of Fox & Friends, and his wife, Kathy have created a beautiful, full-color collection of their favorite recipes, pictures, and stories in The Happy Cookbook.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Yankees Take Care Of Business In Tampa Bay

Giancarlo Stanton rounding third base on one of his home runs Thursday night. @Yankees.


The Yankees took three out of four in their series with Tampa Bay, and, barring a collapse in Boston this weekend, will be hosting the Wild Card game against Oakland A's next Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

With the 12-1 win on Thursday, the Yankees (98-61) now hold a 2-game lead on Oakland (96-63) with just three games to play.

St. John's Names Mike Cragg Athletic Director

@StJohnsBball.


St. John’s University President Conrado "Bobby" Gempesaw, Ph.D., announced on Thursday that Mike Cragg has been selected to lead the Red Storm Athletic Department.

Cragg will become St. John’s seventh athletic director following a distinguished tenure at Duke University that spanned more than three decades. As part of his leadership role at the University, Cragg will serve on the President’s Advisory Council.

NYCFC Clinches Playoff Spot With Win Over Chicago

NYCFC's David Villa holding off Chicago's Michael de Leeuw - USA Today Sports.


New York City Football Club clinched a playoff spot with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

NYCFC improved to 15-8-8, in third place in the Eastern Conference. They are six points behind the Red Bulls (18-5-7, 59 points) for second and six points ahead of Columbus (13-8-9, 47 points).

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Books: "The Most Dangerous Branch" Of The U.S. Government? Not The One You Think




The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside The Supreme Court's Assault On The Constitution
By David A. Kaplan
Crown; hardcover, 464 pages; $30.00

As the country is embroiled over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, it is time to take a step back and see what brought us to this point, why this is such a consequential moment.

In the tradition of The Nine and The Brethren, David A. Kaplan, the former legal affairs editor of Newsweek takes us inside the secret world of the Supreme Court in his new book, The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside The Supreme Court's Assault On The Constitution.
Kaplan shows how the justices have subverted the role of the other branches of government, and how we’ve come to accept it at our peril.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Books: Belichick, An Intimate Portrait Of The Hooded Genius




Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time
By Ian O'Connor
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; hardcover, $28.00; available Tuesday, September 25

Bill Belichick is arguably the most compelling figure, as he has coached the New England Patriots for nearly two decades, and teamed up with quarterback Tom Brady for a record five Super Bowl championships.

To some in New York, Belichick is still viewed with derision for leaving the Jets one day after he was named the head coach when Bill Parcells resigned.

To others, he is viewed as the defensive genius who partnered with Parcells to win two Super Bowl championships with the Giants.

Books: How A Postal Inspector Took Down Gangsters





Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society: America's Original Gangsters and the U,S. Postal Detective that Brought Them to Justice
By William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce
Touchstone; hardcover, $26.00

With the FBI still in its infancy in the first decade of the 20th century, the only American law enforcement agency with enough savvy and muscle to take down organized crime was the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Letters, goods, cash, and gold made its way through the Post Office system, and any crime committed through U.S. mail, anywhere in the world, fell under the jurisdiction of the Post Office Inspectors.

Red Bulls Sign Lawrence To New MLS Contract

Kemar Lawrence. @NewYorkRedBulls.


The Red Bulls announced on Tuesday morning that they have signed Jamaican international Kemar Lawrence to a new MLS contract.

Lawrence, who has amassed 117 appearances across all competitions for the club, signs a multi-year deal to remain with the Red Bulls.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Books: The Fall Of Rick Pitino, Face Of Corruption In College Sports




The Last Temptation Of Rick Pitino: A Story of Corruption, Scandal, and the Big Business of College Basketball
By Michael Sokolove
The Penguin Press; hardcover, $27; available September 25

It has been a year since college basketball was rocked by the epic corruption scandal involving Adidas, Louisville University, and many other colleges.

Large payments were laundered from Adidas through a network of coaches and fixers to athletes and their families to induce them to Adidas-branded college programs.

Books: Compelling Works Of Fiction




There are three compelling new works of fiction out now, The Secrets We Carried by Mary McNear, Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone, and Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Cookbooks: Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta





Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of
By Cal Peternell
William Morrow Cookbooks; hardcover, $25.99; eBook, $20.99; available Tuesday, September 25

Cal Peternell's cooking is very traditional, drawing on how people have eaten for generations, using vegetables as the center of the plate, seasoned with a little bit of meat or fish to create a delicious and satisfying meal.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Tiger's Comeback Complete As He Earns First Win Since 2013

Tiger Woods celebrating his win on the 18th green.


Tiger Woods has taken his place back at the top of the golf world.

Woods won the Tour Championship on Sunday, his first victory since 2013 and the 80th of his illustrious career.

Saturday, September 22, 2018

NYCFC Earns Tie On Road At Montreal

NYCFC celebrate their goal on Saturday night in Montreal USA Today Sports.


New York City Football Club earned a point on the road as they drew with the Montreal Impact, 1-1, on Saturday night.

NYCFC is now 14-8-8, with 50 points, in third place, three points ahead of the Columbus Crew, who beat Colorado, 2-1, to improve to 13-8-9, with 47 points.

Red Bulls Trounce Toronto

The Red Bulls and Toronto enter the pitch on Saturday. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Red Bulls beat Toronto FC 2-0, with both of their goals coming in the final 25 minutes of the match, on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena.

The Red Bulls earned their 18th win of the season to tie the franchise record set in 2015. This team did it with four matches remaining, while the 2015 team tallied it on the last day of the season.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Yankees Announce Creation Of Yankees-Stonewall Scholars Initiativ

Photo by Jason Schott.


On Friday morning, the Yankees announced the creation of the Yankees-Stonewall Scholars Initiative to commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising.

It will also celebrate the achievements of New York City Public School graduating seniors who have demonstrated academic achievement, a commitment to equality and impactful support for the LGBTQ community.

Books: Los Angeles Dodgers History

Kirk Gibson celebrating his famous home run in the 1988 World Series.


The Dodgers have had a rich history in their 60 years in Los Angeles, and two books delve into one of their best seasons, when they won the World Series in 1988, and their rivalry with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Red Sox Clinch American League East Title

@RedSox.


The Boston Red Sox clinched the American League East crown with an 11-6 win over the Yankees on Thursday night.

This is Boston's third straight division crowd, as they now have a record of 104-49 on the season. 

Books: "Applied Empathy" By Michael Ventura





Applied Empathy: The New Language Of Leadership
By Michael Ventura
Touchstone; hardcover; $26.00

Michael Ventura has been brought in by big companies like Nike, General Electric, and Google, as well as the United Nations and West Point, to help them apply empathy to better connect their brands, their messages, and their campaigns with their audience or customers.

Bronx Bombers Bash BoSox

Luke Voit celebrating one of his home runs - @Yankees.


The Yankees lived up to their nickname of Bronx Bombers on Wednesday night, as they used three home runs to bash the Boston Red Sox, 10-1 at The Stadium.

The Yankees got a pair of homers from first baseman Luke Voit and one from third baseman Miguel Andujar, to give them 245 homers as a team this season, tying the franchise record set in 2012. That is tied for the eighth-highest home run total in Major League history.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Books: Fashion Icons Iris Apfel & Bill Cunningham

Iris Apfel.


Bill Cunningham.


Two of the greatest icons of the New York fashion scene are costume designer Iris Apfel and the late Bill Cunningham, legendary fashion photographer of the New York Times. 

Apfel, 96 years old, chronicles her extraordinary career in her autobiography Accidental Icon, and Cunningham left behind a memoir, Fashion Climbing, about the early stages of his illustrious career.

David Robinson To Be Honored At An Evening with St. John’s Basketball Dinner




As the 2018-19 season is upon us, St. John’s has announced that its annual An Evening with St. John’s Basketball dinner will be held on Monday, October 29 at The Metropolitan Club.

David Robinson, the who became an NBA legend with the San Antonio Spurs, will serve as the event’s honored guest. This continues the tradition of St. John's honoring a number of Naismith Hall of Fame inductees over the past several years.

Prostate Cancer Screening At Yankee Stadium Thursday Night

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.


Prostate cancer screenings will be offered on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium prior to and during the Yankees' 7:05 p.m. game against the Boston Red Sox.

This is the eighth consecutive year that the Yankees have teamed up with New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure (fans4thecure.org), to save the lives of their fans and employees from prostate cancer during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by offering a free screening.

Yankees Have Many Reasons To Celebrate

Neil Walker - @Yankees.


The Yankees had a big day Tuesday, as right fielder Aaron Judge was back in the lineup, they got another strong start from J.A. Happ, and Neil Walker hit a clutch home run late to give them a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Red Bulls' BWP Honored As MLS Player Of The Week

BWP scoring one of his 3 goals Sunday. @NewYorkRedBulls.


Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips was voted the Alcatel Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 29th week of the 2018 MLS season.

Wright-Phillips earned the honor for the hat trick he had on Sunday to help the Red Bulls earn a point in a 3-3 draw against Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United on Sunday at Audi Field.

Great American Read: The Book Of Books; Companion To PBS Series





The Great American Read: The Book of Books
As Featured In The PBS Series; Foreword by Meredith Vieira
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; hardcover, $29.99

Explore some of the most beloved books of all-time in the beautiful illustrated book, The Great American Read: The Book of Books, the companion to PBS’s ambitious series.

The Great American Read started in May when America’s 100 best-loved novels, which were determined by a rigorous national survey, were revealed.

UEFA Champions League Group Stage

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus.


The UEFA Champions League Group Stage kicks off on Tuesday afternoon, with matches including Barcelona taking on PSV Eindhoven, and Paris Saint-Germain against Liverpool.

Real Madrid has won the Champions League the past two seasons and three of the last four, but they have a different look this year, as Cristiano Ronaldo went to Juventus of Italy.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Books: Basketball Greats On The Love Of The Game




BASKETBALL: A Love Story
By Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores
Crown Archetype; hardcover, $30.00; available Tuesday, September 18

Two of the most well-respected basketball journalists today, Jackie MacMullan and Rafe Bartholomew, collaborated with award-winning director Dan Klores to tell the comprehensive story of the game of basketball in its many compelling dimensions.

They have produced BASKETBALL: A Love Story, a groundbreaking work based on interviews with more than 170 of the greats of the game.
The interviews were conducted by Klores and his team of producers for a mulit-part ESPN Films series to be released this fall, and they include legendary players such as Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson; renowned coaches such as Phil Jackson and Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski; and numerous executives, commissioners, and journalists.

Judge & Chapman Make Progress In Returning To Yankees

Aaron Judge in the batting cage earlier this season. Photo by Jason Schott.



Monday was an off day for the Yankees ahead of the start of their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox, but they received some good news on two of their key players, right fielder Aaron Judge and closer Aroldis Chapman, returning for the stretch run.

Ralph Lauren To Throw Out First Pitch At Yankees Game Thursday

Ralph Lauren.


On Thursday night, Bronx native Ralph Lauren will return home to be honored by the New York Yankees in recognition of the company’s 50th anniversary.  

Lauren will be celebrated with a special pregame home plate ceremony and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

Books: "Dear America" By Jose Antonio Vargas




Dear America: Notes Of An Undocumented Citizen
By Jose Antonio Vargas
Dey Street Books; hardcover, $25.99; eBook, $20.99; available Tuesday, September 18

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas has been called “the most famous undocumented immigrant in America” after The New York Times Magazine published his story on his life in the United States after arriving from the Philippines in 1993 at the age of twelve.

NYCFC's Lewis On Loan To Louisville City FC

Jonathan Lewis. @NYCFC.


New York City Football Club's Jonathan Lewis has joined Louisville City FC until the end of the USL Regular Season.

NYCFC retains the right to recall the 21-year old winger at any stage before Louisville’s final league game on October 13. Lewis will return to New York once the USL regular season concludes and will be eligible for the remainder of the MLS regular season and playoffs.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

For Yankees, Are The Playoffs Still A Certainty?

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone.


The Yankees' second half swoon continued over the weekend as they lost two of three over the weekend to the Toronto Blue Jays at The Stadium.

This leaves the Yankees (91-58) on the brink of losing the American League East, as the magic number for the Boston Red Sox (103-47) is just two. 

Red Bulls, Thanks To BWP Hat Trick,Tie Rooney & DC United

Bradley Wright-Phllips and Wayne Rooney. @NewYorkRedBulls.


The Red Bulls, backed by a Bradley Wright-Phillips hat trick, earned a point on the road with a 3-3 draw with DC United 3-3 on Sunday at Audi Field.

The Red Bulls are now 17-5-7, 56 point and are within one point of first-place Atlanta United (17-6-5, 57 points) for the Supporters' Shield and Eastern Conference lead.

D.C. United and New York traded goals in the first half as Paul Arriola tallied the match's first goal for DC in the 25th minute before Wright-Phillips recorded his first equalizer of the match in the 41st.

Early on the in second half, Junior Moreno sent one into the box, and Wayne Rooney flicked it in for the goal-ahead goal in the 64th minute.

Wright-Phillips, off a feed from Michael Amir Murillo, earned his second game-tying goal, and completed his brace in the 76th minute

D.C.regained the lead in the 87th minute when Luciano Acosta danced to the endline and beat Luis Robles to the near post to give them a 3-2 edge.

That lead would be short lived as Wright-Philips, for the third and final time,  brought the Red Bulls even in the 90th minute as Alex Muyl sent a cross in and BWP volleyed in his hat trick to the near post.

BWP became just the second player in league history to record three game-tying goals in a single match

Wright-Phillips' hat trick raised his season total to 19 goals, placing him second in MLS behind Josef Martinez. He also moved into a three-way tie with Stern John and Diego Serna for second-place all-time in hat tricks with his fifth.

For his career, Wright-Phillips moved into eighth place all-time in MLS with 105 league goals.

Red Bulls goalkeeper and Captain Luis Robles made his 200th regular season start for the Red Bulls. His time in net has accrued 18,000 league minutes and also includes 1,650 minutes of MLS playoffs, 990 minutes of Concacaf Champions League and 390 minutes of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Red Bulls  return to Red Bull Arena for back-to-back matches, beginning with Toronto FC on Saturday at 5 p.m., followed by a pivotal match with Atlanta United on Sunday, September 30 at 1 p.m.

Books: An Oral History Of The Obama Presidency




OBAMA: An Oral History 2009-2017
By Brian Abrams
Little A; hardcover, $24.95; paperback, $14.95; eBook, $5.99

Barack Obama had one of the most consequential presidencies in American history, and Brian Abrams has created a candid oral history of a near-decade in Washington.

OBAMA: An Oral History 2009-2017 is the first ever comprehensive oral history of the politics and governing behind a landmark American presidency. Abrams obtained unprecedented access to Obamaworld, interviewing aides and advisers in the administration and on the campaigns as well as several elected members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican.

Books: "Road To Disaster" On Vietnam





Road To Disaster: A New History of America's Descent into Vietnam
By Brian VanDeMark
Custom House Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; hardcover, $32.99; available this Tuesday, September 18

Many books have been written on the decision-making by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations regarding the Vietnam War, but no historian has been able to explain why such decent, brilliant, and successful people repeatedly made so many mistakes.

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Manchester City, Parent Club Of NYCFC, Releases Annual Report

Manchester City Head Coach Pep Guardiola when the team was in New York in July. Provided by NYCFC.


Manchester City Football Club recently released its Annual Report for 2017-18, announcing revenues of more than £500 million for the first time in City history, and the tenth successive year of improved financial performance.

Manchester City,  the parent club of New York City Football Club, enters its fourth consecutive year as a profitable business, posting a profit of £10 million.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Seton Hall Releases Entire 2018-19 Schedule

Seton Hall in action at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team enters the 2018-19 season coming off three consecutive NCAA Tournament bids, 20-win season and double-digit Big East win seasons. The Pirates will be chasing a fourth straight trip to March Madness, a feat the school has accomplished only once prior from 1991-94.

Seton Hall will be led by ninth-year head coach Kevin Willard, and they return two significant upperclassmen in senior Michael Nzei and 2018 Big East Most Improved Player of the Year junior Myles Powell.

St. John's Releases Entire 2018-19 Schedule

Carnesecca Arena, the home of St. John's. Photo by Jason Schott.


The complete Big East men’s basketball schedule was released on Thursday afternoon by the conference office, and now the entire 2018-19 St. John’s men’s basketball slate has now been revealed.

Four of the team’s nine home games in Big East Conference play will be contested at Madison Square Garden, the home of St. John’s Basketball since 1931. The remaining five Big East home games will take place at Carnesecca Arena, the on-campus home of the Johnnies.

Red Bull Arena to Host Colombia & Chile October 16

Photo by Jason Schott.


Red Bull Arena will host 2018 World Cup sides Colombia and Costa Rica for an international friendly on Tuesday, October 16 at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Wednesday, September 19 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. New York Red Bulls Red Members will have access to a pre-sale beginning Monday, September 17 at 10 a.m.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Yankees Start Final Homestand Of Season Friday Night

The Yankees taking batting practice this season. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees will return home on Friday night for their final homestand of the regular season, a nine-game stretch featuring three American League East foes.

The stretch begins with a three-game weekend set with the Toronto Blue Jays from Fri., Sept. 14 – Sun., Sept. 16.

Yankees September Honor Row: Hostos Community College

Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees, as part of their “Honor Row” initiative  will welcome a group of students and staff members from Hostos Community College in the Judge’s Chambers for their 7:05 p.m. game vs. the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, September 14.

Islanders Open Preseason Sunday Against Flyers

Photo by Jason Schott.


The Islanders will begin their 2018-19 preseason schedule with a game at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, against the Philadelphia Flyers this Sunday at 1 p.m.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Tyler Adams Gets Winning Goal For U.S. National Team

Tyler Adams celebrates his goal. Provided by Red Bulls.


New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams scored his first goal for the U.S. Men's National Team on Tuesday night, and it was the game-winner in their 1-0 victory over Mexico at Nashville's LP Stadium.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

C.J. Chivers On Covering The Afghanistan & Iraq Wars

C.J. Chivers.

Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times reporter and former Marine infantry officer C.J. Chivers has been covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since their beginning in 2001.

In 2009, he was part of a team that won the Pulitzer for International Reporting for coverage from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in 2017 he won the Pulitzer for Feature Writing for his New York Times Magazine story about a veteran suffering from PTSD who was jailed after returning from the Afghan War. That veteran was released from prison based on Chivers' story.

In his new book, The Fighters: Americans in Combat in Afghanistan and Iraq (Simon & Schuster; hardcover, $28.00), Chivers returns to his subjects to follow the human arc of the two wars by tracing the lives of six American service members over seventeen years. What results is an unvarnished account of modern combat, its legacies, and effects.

PBS Great American Read Returns; Winner Crowned In October




The Great American Read returns tonight, Tuesday, September 11, at 8 p.m. on PBS stations, including Channel 13 here in New York, and will introduce viewers to the full list of America’s 100 favorite novels selected through a demographically representative national survey conducted by YouGov.

It will be hosted by television personality and journalist Meredith Vieira.