December 26, 2003
DON'T BET ON IT: OUR BUSINESS FORECASTS FOR THE NEW YEAR
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE Columnist's Handbook says I'm required to make predictions this time of year. So here are some of the things that could happen in 2004. * Having made the financial...
GOTTLIEB'S TVT LABEL AGAIN TAKES BILLBOARD'S TOP-5
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amSteve Gottlieb is ending a tumultuous year on a high note. Gottlieb's record label, TVT Records, currently owns all top-five slots on Billboard's indie label chart. It's the second time...
GOT SPAM? IT'S THE TOP 'PRODUCT' OF THE YEAR
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amFrom worms to viruses, pitches for Viagra and scams from Nigeria, there was more debris than data traveling across the Internet in 2003. No wonder analyst firm Basex has made...
AILEY'S 'BOUNTY' FALLS FLAT
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER At the City Center, 130 W. 55th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Call (212) 581-1212. Through Jan. 4. ---- THE Alvin Ailey American Dance...
LOOK TO 'Q' FOR QUALITY - RAUNCHY PUPPETS LEAD PACK OF GREAT B'WAY PERFORMANCES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE year on Broadway was hardly the best of times. In fact, it came teeteringly close to the worst. Since the season traditionally runs from the beginning of May to...
PLENTY OF ON-TARGET THEATER OFF-BWAY
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE dramatic event of 2003 was "I Am My Own Wife," Doug Wright's investigation (now on Broadway) of the incredible life of transvestite Charlotte von Malhsdorf in the Berlin of,...
THE REAL THING - SOUL, R&B LEGENDS TO PLAY ALL NIGHT
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHOSE in town this between-holidays weekend are in for a real treat when Brooklyn's Norton Records presents its "Ultimate All-Norton Rhythm & Blues/Soul Spectacular" at Southpaw (125 Fifth Ave., at...
WARTIME IN HOLLYWOOD
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amIT'S probably not surprising that 2003 saw the release of a lot of films depicting war. And it's probably not surprising that the wars depicted in those films were generally...
YOUNG HELMERS MAKE NEWS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amIT was a year of cinematic coming-out parties for a slew of first-time directors Amid the sturm und drang of special effects screw-ups like "The Hulk" and "The Matrix Revolutions,"...
2003 BEST & WORST: THE RETURN OF SERIOUS FILM - "RINGS' AND 'RIVER' TOP A TERRIFIC YEAR FOR MOVIE FANS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHIS was supposed to be "The Year of the Matrix" - but, oddly enough, it turned out to be the year serious filmmaking made a big comeback in Tinseltown. While...
'SPIDER' WEAVES SPELL - 10 FLICKS FROM OFF BEATEN TRACK
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTOP 10 lists are supposed to include movies from the entire year - but they usually just revolve around flicks released during the year-end holidays. This tally of the best...
'BOY' OH BOY! - SPECIAL AWARDS FOR EXTRAORDINARY FEATS ON B'WAY
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTIME to dole out some year-end awards to all those larger-than-life characters who make Broadway such fun to write about. THE JULIE ANDREWS HEAVY LIFTING AWARD To Hugh Jackman, who...
'MONK' MANIA - PRIVATE-EYE SERIES DRAW A-LIST GUEST STARS WHO ARE NUTTIER THAN STAR
December 26, 2003 | 5:00am"You always want to start with, 'No pressure here, but if you're a fan of the show' ...." 'MONK" fans are in for a shock: Monk has a brother -...
VILLAGE TRAGEDY - FIRE KILLS MAN IN FAMED APT.
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA blaze in the basement apartment that inspired the Broadway musical "Wonderful Town" claimed the life of a noted West Village character who had a touch of fame just days...
POPE: GOD SAVE US FROM OURSELVES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amPope John Paul II used his Christmas message to the world to ask God to save humanity from itself. "Save us from the evils which rend humanity in these first...
STOWAWAY IN JFK JET DEATH
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA 25-year-old man believed to be a stowaway was found dead inside the wheel well of an American Airlines plane after it landed at Kennedy Airport, police said yesterday. Maintenance...
MIKE PROVIDES CHRISTMAS PRESENCE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amMayor Bloomberg delivered some Christmas cheer yesterday to mourning firefighters, hungry seniors and city workers. Clad in a festive red sweater and matching red socks, the mayor began his day...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE BRONX * A 40-year-old woman was raped by two men who dragged her into their van near Bronx Park in the West Farms section, police said. The woman was...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amParishioners cleaning the roof of their church in Ontario made an unholy discovery - more than two dozen pot plants ready to be harvested. Ministers at the Gospel Hall Church...
LOTTERY'S $125M POT STIRS CITY
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amVisions of sugarplums - and sweet greenbacks - were dancing through the heads of New York lottery players on Christmas as they rushed to buy tickets for tonight's $125 million...
HOLIDAY BOMB HORRORS - BUS-STOP MONSTER BLOWS UP 4 ISRAELIS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amJERUSALEM - Terrorists struck with bombs and rockets in four of the world's hot spots yesterday - with one blast killing four Israelis at a bus stop near Tel Aviv....
CHRISTMAS VISITOR DIES IN 'DWI' SMASH-UP
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA Trinidad native visiting the city for the holidays was killed early yesterday when a truck and a car - both operated by drunk drivers - collided in Brooklyn, police...
ROULETTE VICTIM'S FATHER GRIEVES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amAn emotionally drained and grieving dad spent a "rough Christmas" without his daughter - a day after the pregnant woman's Russian roulette-playing boyfriend allegedly killed her with his .38 revolver....
NO BULL, IT'S MAD COW - BRIT DOCS CONFIRM FIRST-EVER U.S. CASE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amBritish scientists confirmed yesterday the United States was right on the money when it diagnosed its first-ever "mad cow" case - even as the feds asked Japan to change its...
TIME TO SAY GOOD 'BUY'
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amIt'll be smooth sale-ing across the Big Apple today as tens of thousands of shoppers hit the stores to scoop up day-after-Christmas bargains. And retailers from the big department chains...
JESUS TO JOIN DEAN ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amDemocratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean is getting religion. The former Vermont governor - who does not attend church regularly, but prays daily - said he plans to include more references...
4 HURT IN TWO-CAB CRACKUP
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amChristmas afternoon ended with an unexpected bang for four people when two taxis collided, sending one jumping onto the sidewalk and slamming into a Fifth Avenue building. Two passengers of...
'WAIL' OF A DISCOVERY IN MOM'S BRAINS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amThe brains of parents - especially new moms - are programmed to respond to the cries of babies, a new study shows. Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland...
DEATH TARGET - BEATEN AND RUN OVER IN BROOKLYN
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA Brooklyn man was run over and apparently killed early yesterday - after he had been knocked down by another car, beaten by its two teen occupants and left for...
TIGER'S 'LINK' ANXIETY - 'SUPER NERVOUS' AS HE POPPED QUESTION
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amThe normally confident Tiger Woods turned greener than the links of St. Andrews before popping the question to his Swedish girlfriend, Elin Nordegren. "I was super nervous the moment I...
GRIFTER GAMBLES AWAY 350G FLEECED FROM DYING PRIEST
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA priest's caregiver was sentenced to two years for swindling the dying man out of his $350,000 life insurance annuity, then losing it gambling. Brian LaGrand pleaded guilty this week...
BAD RAP DESTROYED ME - CLEARED L.I. CONTRACTOR VOWS TO SUE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amAuthorities have dropped the charges against a Long Island contractor for allegedly scamming the owners of an Astoria building out of nearly $200,000 - but now he says his business...
'ETHNIC' BRAWL TURNS DEADLY
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA 24-year-old man was stabbed to death yesterday during a battle between two Hispanic groups over "geographic background," police said. The fight left two of his friends fighting for their...
MAN FEARED DEAD IN N.J. BLDG. BLAZE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amA man was missing and presumed dead in a five-alarm blaze that ravaged a New Jersey apartment building and left four families homeless yesterday, fire officials said. Two others were...
BEATING UP ON X-MAS SPIRIT
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amBah, humbug! Last-minute Christmas shopping at a suburban Chicago Wal-Mart turned violent when two shoppers were beaten up after they tried to stop a pair of women from cutting to...
FIRST-CLASS COACHES - YEAR-END HONOREE COULD BE DECIDED IN THIS WEEK'S GAMES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amNormally, anticipating who will be named NFL Coach of the Year is about as intriguing as a pregame coin toss. But in a season that has produced some of the...
MOTOR CITY BOWL
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amNorthwestern Spread record: 8-4 VS. Bowling Green Spread record: 6-5 Opening line: Bowling Green -8 Bowling Green wears orange uniforms, but don't let that distract you. These Falcons - like...
INSIGHT.COM BOWL
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amCalifornia Spread record: 9-4 VS. Virginia Tech Spread record: 5-5 Opening line: Virginia Tech -3 Sure, California is the team that beat USC. That's impressive. But before a three-point loss...
HE'S BROWN THERE, DONE THAT
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amLarry Brown hasn't coached the Nets since 1983, yet he still has strong connections to the New Jersey swamp. The nomadic coaching legend, now guiding the Pistons, coached Richard Jefferson,...
NO HOPE FOR KNICKS, RANGERS - CABLEVISION CURSE TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amGOT garlic? In Chicago, Cub fans blame it on a goat. In Boston, it's the Curse of the Bambino. Not that we're into mysticism, but neither can we claim immunity...
KNICKS TAKE TRIP ON ROAD TO RUIN - A LOT'S RIDING ON NEXT 3 GAMES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amAn $89 million wreckage flew to Memphis on Christmas night, and we're not referring to James Dolan's plush charter. Coming off the Latrell Sprewell humiliation, the emotionally battered $89 million...
SHAKEUP PUTS SLATS ON NOTICE
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE basketball general manager is out and the boss saying he's going to be "very dissatisfied" if the team doesn't make the playoffs. Jim Dolan's hockey GM failed to get...
GIONTA GIVING DEVS FANTASTIC CHECK-UP
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amPat Burns may have a happy decision to make next month. When Jamie Langenbrunner returns after New Year's from his knee arthroscopy, Burns may be able to keep Brian Gionta...
ISIAH COULD PUT MALONE AT THE TOP
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amBrendan Malone continued to reject speculation he'll be the next Knicks coach, but he was seen speaking privately with Isiah Thomas after Tuesday's loss to the Timberwolves. Thomas interviewed all...
SEASON'S A SNAP FOR DACH
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amGIANT NOTES The best part for Carson Dach was that he escaped this lousy Giants season unscathed. No one mentioned his name. Finally, a success amid the ruins. Dach, on...
A GIANT ORIGINAL - HAMILTON FACING HIS LAST HURRAH
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amNo one is allowed to sit on the sideline during Giants practice. No one, that is, except for Keith Hamilton, who always ambles over to his reserved seat atop the...
RANGERS LOOKING TO END LEAF HEX
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amBoxing Day is not meant for fisticuffs but rather for returning received items - sometimes known as gifts, sometimes known as Anson Carter, Tom Poti and Alex Kovalev. Just imagine...
CAN'T ASK FOR MOORE - SWITCH PAYS OFF FOR YOUNG JETS LINEMAN
December 26, 2003 | 5:00am"The thing that makes him unique is he's very strong and powerful." -HERM EDWARDS on Brandon Moore It was a hot day in July of 2002 when Herman Edwards called...
LAMPE 'CAN'T WAIT' FOR KNICKS' AUDITION
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amKNICK NOTES MEMPHIS - Late Saturday night, after the Knicks beat the Hawks, a middle-aged woman from Poland came running down the Garden stands, to courtside, and flew into the...
WOODEN STILL WIZARD - LEGENDARY COACH GOING STRONG AT 93
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amIf you measure John Wooden by wins and losses, he's probably the greatest coach in modern sports history. Measure him by the impact he's had on others, though, and his...
CABLEVISION DOOMS KNICKS & RANGERS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amGOT garlic? In Chicago, Cub fans blame it on a goat. In Boston, it's the Curse of the Bambino. Not that we're into mysticism, but neither can we claim immunity...
NETS HAVE LOWDOWN ON NOMADIC BROWN
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amLarry Brown hasn't coached the Nets since 1983, yet he still has strong connections to the New Jersey swamp. The nomadic coaching legend, now guiding the Pistons, coached Richard Jefferson,...
BOXING DAY ON BROADWAY - RANGERS MUST GET TOUGH VS. TORONTO
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amBoxing Day is not meant for fisticuffs but rather for returning received items - sometimes known as gifts, sometimes known as Anson Carter, Tom Poti and Alex Kovalev, and just...
SATHER COULD BE NEXT TO GO
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amTHE basketball general manager is out and the boss saying he's going to be "very dissatisfied" if the team doesn't make the playoffs. Jim Dolan's hockey GM failed to get...
DON'T CRY FOR TROJANS - BCS MESS COULD LEAVE USC SMELLING LIKE ROSES
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amThursday, Rose Bowl, Michigan vs. USC, 4:30 p.m., ABC USC coach Pete Carroll is smiling and laughing because the whole BCS mess fell right into place for the Trojans. That's...
WELL, HE'LL BE DAMNED! - STRAHAN GETS FSN GIG FOR SUPER BOWL WEEK
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amDuring the week leading up to the Super Bowl, the Giants' Michael Strahan will be a panelist on Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period. "It is fun," Strahan...
5 QUESTIONS FOR SEAN MCMANUS
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amThis week, The Post's Andrew Marchand spoke with CBS Sports President Sean McManus. McManus, 48, is the son of legendary sportscaster Jim McKay. Q: In five or 10 years, what...
MARCHAND'S MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: MIKE PATRICK VS. DICK ENBERG (WHO IS A BETTER NFL PLAY-BY-PLAYER?)
December 26, 2003 | 5:00amESPN Sunday Night Football play-by-player Mike Patrick yells too much. A pretty good seven-yard reception inspires proclamations of, "Whatta catch!" Still, while the exaggerated excitement interferes with the game, it...