When you look at the big question marks for the 2012 Mets, Johan Santana and Jason Bay top the list.

But in order to compete, the Mets must get solid starting pitching — even if Santana returns healthy and ready to go. Over the past four years, Mike Pelfrey has shown the ability to both impress you and leave you scratching your head.

In 2008,  he finished 13-11 with a 3.72 ERA, followed by a 2009 season in which he went 10-12 with a career high 5.03 ERA. And just when you were ready to write him off, he had his best season ever, winning 15 games and possessing a 3.66 ERA. Then the bottom fell out last year with a 7-13 record and a 4.74 ERA.

So what do you make of his inconsistency? Clearly he has shown the ability to rebound. Pelfrey’s track record would indicate a good  season in 2012. But I refuse to just dismiss this with a one-year-on, one-year-off explanation.

I really believe Pelfrey fell in love with his new pitch — the cutter — last season. It gave him some success in 2010, but the problem was it forced him to move away from his real strength — a hard sinking fastball. He gave up a career high 21 homers last year and I firmly believe the cutter had a lot to do with that. He needs to get back to basics. Pelfrey was a top draft pick because he threw a hard sinker very similar to Brandon Webb.

And if he is to have success, he needs to return to his roots.

Another big thing for Pelfrey is the presence of Santana, who I firmly believe has a profound influence on the big right-hander for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a return to ace status for No. 57 will allow Pelfrey to be Pelfrey — and not force the righty to be something he is not. Secondly, Santana spent hours with Pelfrey when he was healthy talking to him about preparation, focus and confidence.

“He has great stuff,” said Santana a few years ago in spring training. “And he needs to trust his stuff. You do thinking before you throw a pitch not during the motion of pitching.”

And that is an important point for Pelfrey. He has good stuff and sometimes he suffers from over thinking. That especially came to fruition when Terry Collins made him the Opening Day starter — one of the few mistakes the manager made last year. When he does not over think things, he performs well.  Case in point: Back in 2010, Pelfrey relieving in that marathon game in St. Louis. He performed in a very tough situation because he did not have time to worry about the moment. “Paralysis by Analysis” is the term for it I think.

I have gotten to know Pelfrey in the past few years and nobody wants to win more than him. He is a great teammate, very well-liked in all corners of that clubhouse and a real role model in the way he handles himself with both and the media and the fans. More importantly, he has talent. And if I were a general manager, I’d want him on my staff.

Pitching is a strange thing. Some hurlers blossom right away while others need time to develop. R.A. Dickey re-invented himself after an injury because he had the will to make it back to the majors. The road for Pelfrey is slightly different because he is physically healthy but he needs an injection of confidence and a return to “his basics” of pitching.

In both 2008 and 2010, he showed he could be more than a serviceable pitcher.

If he returns to that form in 2012, the Mets’ starting rotation may start to look a lot better than the gloomy picture the baseball world has depicted for all of us to see.

Do you think Pelfrey will return to form this season? Sound off below…

By Nina Pajak
______________________

Oh, H&H. We hardly knew ye.

After watching locations and plants close over the last six months or so—most notably to many the large outpost on Broadway and 80th—the legendary bagel maker was evicted from its flagship spot on the West Side Highway last week. They owed $600,000 in rent. Yikes.

I remember being aware of the importance of H&H bagels from a young age. When our family would drive into Manhattan for whatever reason, on a weekend, we’d always try to stop at the 46th street store on our way home as a treat. Don’t get me wrong, we have phenomenal bagels in my hometown. Bagels that could rival any store in the five boroughs, sold out of an ancient, down and dirty shop which draws people from all over the area. So we weren’t hard up for bagels. No way. Oh my God you have no idea how badly I want a bagel right now.

Anyway, there was something particularly special about going to H&H. We’d pull off the West Side Highway and dash into the slightly run-down, large store. It smelled like heaven, even though it was aging and always looked sort of dusty to me – neurotic child that I was. I could tell my parents took some great appreciation in performing the ritual and providing their children with exposure to one of the Best Bagels in New York (and thus the world). And I knew, as all good Tri-State area children do, the meaning and value of an excellent bagel. It is a prize to be revered. It is not something to be taken for granted.

I learned that all too well during my years living in Boston, where mass market, commercially-produced bagels from places like Finagle-a-Bagel and Einsteins suddenly became, “not that bad!” I had to endure listening to people telling me that their favorite bagel flavor was blueberry and manage not to sneer every single time. One time, before Yom Kippur, a friend and I drove nearly forty minutes outside the city to chase down a lead on “real bagels, made from water imported from New York.” It was around that time that I realized I had to come home.

When I did, I didn’t go directly to H&H. Sure, I bought bagels from them when I could, but I discovered that there were so many more worthy bagelries. And to be honest, H&H fell out of my favor. I stopped patronizing them except for when it was simply the most convenient option. But I never thought they’d be gone. They were a part of this city, like Katz’s or the Carnegie Deli or Ray’s pizza (in all its permutations). Their Broadway store was conveniently located next to my gym for a time, and I had the pleasure of inhaling intoxicating bagel-making smells while trying to force my feet to continue on and not undo all my hard work in one doughy, chewy swoop.

Maybe there are better bagel places out there. Maybe they had bad business practices. Maybe they should have slackened on their “no sandwiches” policy or maybe there’s nothing anyone could have done. It’s just so sad to me to think that an historical bagel institution could go bankrupt in this city and disappear. Generations of children will grow up here having no idea that H&H ever even existed. This, to me, is strange and wrong.

But not as strange and wrong as jalepeno bagels. Pssht. Boston.

_________________________

Dear Readers: While I am rarely at a loss for words, I’m always grateful for column ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me your suggestions.

Nina Pajak is a writer and publishing professional living with her husband on the Upper West Side.

The Nina Archives:

Wakey, Wakey…Eggs And Chalupa

And The Nominees Are…

Taxi Cab Confessions

Who, Us? Rude? Shut Your Mouth.

Dear Tina Fey, I’d Like A Sandwich Please

National Cheese Lover’s Day

Packed to capacity in the lower level on one side of Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Patriots fans watched replays from the AFC championship victory that put New England in the Super Bowl.

A few minutes later, those roughly 25,000 fans sent the players off in style.

Before a spirited crowd that filled approximately one-third of Gillette Stadium, the Patriots officially began their short journey to Indianapolis by attending a free send-off rally.

“We wish we could take all of you guys to Indy with us,” said Brady, who will tie the record for quarterbacks with his fifth Super Bowl start. “Hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend.”

Party next weekend?

As in a championship parade?

Brady may have just provided the Giants some measurable bulletin-board material. In a report published by the Post last week, a handful of New York defenders admitted Brady’s pre-game “arrogance” fueled their Super Bowl XLII win.

Brady was asked about his “party” comment at the team hotel Sunday night.

“Well, it was a pep rally,” he said to laughter. “People were pretty excited.”

Following Sunday’s 13-minute program on a stage constructed at the 50-yard line, Patriots players skirted the lower level of seats on their way out of the stadium, high-fiving fans and filming the celebration along the way before boarding busses bound for the airport.

The Giants’ boarding process figures to be more low-key. According to the New York Post, Big Blue will leave on a charter flight from Newark on Monday and land in Indianapolis around 2:15 p.m.

“I want a pep rally for cryin’ out loud!” WFAN’s Craig Carton said Monday morning. “It’s embarrassing!”

New England will play New York Sunday — a little more than four years after the Giants spoiled the Patriots’ perfect season with a stunning 17-14 Super Bowl victory.

Giants fans, did Brady get under your skin with his “party” comment? Sound off below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

With much of the focus this weekend on all-star captains Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara, the unsettled future of the Phoenix Coyotes, and a still cloudy outlook regarding Sidney Crosby’s health, Gaborik grabbed the limelight in capping the league’s All-Star festivities in Ottawa.

The 11-year veteran earned MVP honors after scoring three times and adding an assist in leading Team Chara to a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson on Sunday.

“Need to sign (Gaborik) for life in NY,” Lundqvist tweeted after the game, “can’t stop this guy.”

“Hank is still the best goalie in the world!” Gaborik responded.

Gaborik proved he was the Rangers’ top star by beating Lundqvist twice during the first period in delivering payback after the goalie — and Team Alfredsson assistant captain — failed to push for his selection in the All Star player draft on Thursday.

“I was trying to get into his mind over the whole weekend,” Gaborik said, referring to a series of back-and-forth comments and tweets the two had exchanged the past few days. “And I think it was a pretty good challenge against him, and worked a little better for me.”

No worries, said Lundqvist, who prefers Gaborik as a teammate.

“Obviously, he has a lot of leverage from all the games we’ve had against each other,” Lundqvist said, recalling the time he gave up five goals to Gaborik, when the forward was with the Wild. “Hopefully, he stays in New York for a long time so I don’t have to face him in a game.”

The one-two punch of Gaborik and Lundqvist has had the Rangers on a roll for much of this season.

Gaborik’s team-leading 25 goals and 39 points, and Lundqvist’s 1.82 goals-against average — best among NHL goalies with at least 25 starts — has the Rangers (31-12-4) with 66 points, one behind league-leading Detroit.

The final two-plus months of the season resumes with 13 games on Tuesday. And if Sunday’s game is any measure, the league isn’t bereft of stars in the absence of Crosby, who’s played only eight games this season due to a concussion and neck injury, and Alex Ovechkin, who didn’t attend after the NHL suspended him for three games for an illegal hit.

Chara delivered by scoring the eventual winner in the midst of a decisive three-goal outburst over a 1:22 span that put his team up 11-8 with 6:34 remaining.

The Vancouver Canucks’ Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, continued to prove they’re among the game’s top play-makers with several nifty passes.

And even in defeat, Alfredsson rewarded the hometown fans with two goals and an assist to further cement his place as Ottawa’s favorite athlete, before providing a hint that he might come back for one more season.

With one year left on his contract, Alfredsson has sidestepped questions over whether he might retire after this season.

In an interview broadcast on the arena’s scoreboard, the 39-year-old broke into a wide grin in giving his most definitive answer yet by saying, “Fifty percent yes, and my wife’s going to have to decide the other 50,” as the crowd broke into a cheer.

Even Chara got into the spirit of the exhibition, saying he was rooting for his former Senators teammate to complete his hat trick.

“Alfie’s such a classy guy, obviously a big icon in Ottawa and Sweden, as well, and such a great player to represent this team,” Chara said. “So of course I was pulling for him.”

There was plenty to root for after fans were treated to a wide-open, no-hitting style in a game that featured plenty of nifty passing, numerous odd-man breaks and even a penalty shot awarded to Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals.

Stamkos, however, was foiled on his freebie — the second in All-Star game history — when he attempted the same spin-around move he used to beat Carey Price in the skills competition on Saturday night. Jimmy Howard didn’t bite on Sunday, holding his ground and hugging the post to stop Stamkos’ penalty-shot attempt.

“I think I ran out of moves,” Stamkos said. “I tried something fancy and hoped it would work. It didn’t. But I just tried to have fun with it.”

Tim Thomas made 18 saves in the final period, and extended his record by winning his fourth All-Star game.

Marian Hossa and Jarome Iginla had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara.

For Team Alfredsson, Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville and Milan Michalek had a goal and assist each.

Were you surprised how much success Gaborik had against King Henrik? Sound off below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

At his opening news conference Sunday night, Belichick was asked if he expected some Hoosier hospitality.

“I never had too much hospitality here,” he said, noting that the Patriots aren’t exactly popular in Colts country, “until I went for it on fourth-and-2.”

His gamble on that play at the New England 28 with 2:08 to go failed and led to the Colts’ winning field goal in a 2009 regular-season game.

“Fans greeted us lots more and were awfully friendly” after that, he added.

Listen: Ed Coleman & Roman Oben preview SB XLVI

All-Pro receiver Wes Welker wasn’t familiar with the term when asked the same question.

“What is Hoosier hospitality? What does that consist of?” Welker asked to laughs before getting a full explanation from a local television reporter. “I think it will be a little strange practicing at the Colts’ facility. I don’t know how many people like that, but we’ll be calm and polite and not try to rub it in, so I hope everyone is appreciative of it.”

Belichick, dressed in a suit — no hoodie for the coach this time — also said All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is “day to day” with a high left ankle sprain for next Sunday’s NFL title game against the Giants. Gronkowski has been wearing a walking boot since being injured in the AFC title game.

“You’ve got to prepare for every one of these situations that come up,” quarterback Tom Brady said of the possibility Gronkowski will be limited or sidelined. “You always have to have some contingency plans.”

Brady knows the Giants will bring lots of heat with their pass rush, but for now he was more comforted by not having to face a local rival who frequently has put Brady on his back.

“I see Dwight Freeney’s picture up there (on the stadium),” Brady said. “When you come to Indy and don’t have to play him, we are very fortunate for that.”

The Patriots drew about 25,000 fans to Gillette Stadium earlier Sunday for what Brady termed “a pep rally.” Team owner Robert Kraft, who has had an emotional year — his wife passed away last July and he was instrumental in resolving the NFL’s lockout of the players — was thrilled by the turnout.

“We had 25,000 people come to our stadium today to send the team off,” Kraft said. “At the stadium today it was so special, the time we are in now, to have 25,000 of our fans cheer our team is a very emotional experience.”

This is Kraft’s sixth Super Bowl as owner, and he vividly recalled the days when the team was lucky to draw 25,000 for a game.

“I sat with those crowds. I sat in the stands for 34 years and we had one home playoff game, in 1978, which we lost to Houston,” Kraft said. “And last Sunday, we were privileged to host our 15th playoff game.”

What’s your prediction for Giants-Patriots? Let us know below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

By Siobhan Wallace

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It was 1992 when City Bakery first turned February into a Hot Chocolate Festival.

This year, they’ll celebrate 20 years of the tradition with 25 different flavors of hot chocolate – and a few are definitely worth it to stop by for.

More: NYC’s 5 Best Cups of Hot Chocolate | The 6 Best Hot Drinks In NYC

Investigators say the suspect jumped into a Honda Odyssey in the Bronx Saturday afternoon, then sped off with a 3-year-old in the back seat.

The boy’s mother was double-parked with her engine running outside her flower shop on Jerome Avenue in Fordham. She went around to unstrap her child, but before she could, police said, the carjacker got behind the wheel.

Bronx carjacking (credit: CBS 2)

A witness told 1010 WINS’ Sonia Rincon that the mother jumped in front of the car and screamed “stop,” but the stranger sped away with child in tow, hitting the woman and a subway column.

“We heard a noise, we came outside, we saw cops all over,” said witness Martin Larbee. “And they told us that the flower shop lady, Lucy, had been hit by a car.”

“She was really in terrible pain. Her legs seemed to be broken or something,” another witness said. “It’s so sad to see these type of things happen. People just steal your vehicle, but she had the keys in the car and it was running at the time.”

Police found the boy 45 minutes later, unharmed, in the minivan just blocks away. He was reunited with his mother at the hospital.

Police describe the suspect as a balding white or light-skinned Hispanic man between 55 and 60-years-old, wearing glasses and standing between 5’7″ and 5’10″ tall.

Anyone with information in regards to this robbery is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Please leave a comment below…

An estimated 17,000 worshipers marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall Sunday to protest the Appeals Court decision to ban religious services from public schools to avoid the appearance of government endorsement of particular faiths.

“Freedom to worship, that’s what we want,” they chanted.

On December 5, the City announced congregations would have to stop using public schools for services as of February 12.

“We are here to tell Mayor Bloomberg, I mean we are going to have 60 churches homeless and that’s not Christ-like,” said Bronx Pastor Sal Sabino of the Heavenly Region Christian Center.

“The church has been notoriously persecuted since its inception so I’m not surprised but we’re not going to stay quiet we’re going to speak out and say this is what the foundation of America is built upon,” said Roseann Kytka of Ascencion Presbyterian Church, which meets at P.S. 101 in Forest Hills.

Bills are pending in the State Legislature and City Council that would reverse the ban.

Please leave a comment below…

The Poughkeepsie, N.Y., school says 76 students logged onto the site after 4 p.m. Friday and saw letters saying they had been accepted when in fact they had not been.

The school says it fixed the mistaken information by 4:30 p.m. and informed all the impacted applicants of the mistake by Friday evening. Another 46 students who logged on had been correctly told they were accepted.

LISTEN: WCBS 880′s Alex Silverman reports

Students who apply early decision make a commitment to go to Vassar if they are accepted.

The college released the following statement Sunday: “Each of those students was informed of the error and received our deepest apologies.We are full of regret and we will be making changes to our notification system.”

Vassar has invited the students to contact the school on Monday.

Please leave a comment below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

In one viral video, a woman told another who was eating spaghetti on the subway, “animals eat on the train,” and got a face full of pasta in response. That encounter helped ignite a debate over food in the subway.

A ban was proposed but never passed, but where the MTA couldn’t get it done, State Senator Bill Perkins plans to propose a $250 fine.

Perkins says riders are always complaining to him about rodents.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS’ Sonia Rincon reports 

“Those rats feed off of what we eat or discard in the system. You feed them, you breed them,” he told CBS 2′s Ann Mercogliano. “Not only are they on the tracks, they’re on the seats. Sometimes they even come off out of the subway.”

“If you look in the subway on track, you’ll see them eating pizza,” he told 1010 WINS’ Sonia Rincon.

For busy subway riders, taking away their food on the subway is like taking away their MetroCards.

“I don’t think that would work,” said Kiley Olsen of the Lower East Side, munching on a bagel. “I would still eat on the train.”

One straphanger wouldn’t mind a ban, and says having a meal on your way to work is just plain rude.

“Definitely eating a meal on the subway, that’s a little obnoxious,” said Michael Friedman of the Upper East Side.

Riders aren’t so sure that such a proposal could be enforced.

“It’s like, some of people’s only free time is to like be on the train to eat,” said Olsen.

The MTA says it studying the new proposal.

Please leave a comment below…

Victor Cruz, who got a hometown sendoff in Paterson this weekend is so popular, his jerseys and T-shirts are this week’s top sellers at Modell’s in Times Sqaure.

“Victor Cruz, he’s definitely number one in my book with the Giants,” fan Tracy Beck told CBS 2′s Mark Morgan.

“Cruz, anything with the word Cruz on it, customers are flocking in looking for them,” said Marc Sacks, assistant manager of Modell’s.

Asked if he was sick of people requesting Cruz gear, Sacks told Morgan: “Sick of the phone ringing, for sure, yeah.”

Merchants, of course, are thrilled with Big Blue boost in business.

“That’s why we came in. We came in from New Jersey. Can’t get them in New Jersey anywhere right now, so we thought we’d take a ride in now while it’s quiet and see if we could get one, so here we go,” said Bob Schultz of West Milford, proudly showing off his Cruz jersey Sunday.

Next week, bars will be overflowing with fans.

“It’s just going to be great business for any bar with huge screens and the Super Bowl on,” said Angelica Cartagena, manager of Rumours Bar in Midtown.

“It’s going to be really crowded and I’m going to get here really early so I can have a seat at the bar,” fan Donna Pappalardo told CBS 2′s Dave Carlin. “Watch them win, that’s the most important thing.”

As the Giants take the next step on the road to glory, fans remain confident in a repeat of Super Bowl XLII.

“We’re New Yorkers and we’re the best team out there. We’re in the best city in the world and I just think it’s time, once again, that the Giants win,” said Clara Panzini of Lake Grove, N.Y.

“Because we got it in the bag, that’s it, New York all the way,” said Rachel Carrillo of Canarsie. “That’s right, in the bag… No doubt.”

CBS 2 even found a non-Giants fan whose dislike of the Patriots has pushed him into the G-Men camp.

“I’m a Jets fan and if it’s the Giants or the Patriots, I’m going with the Giants. That’s pretty much the way I see it,” said Richard Beck of Colonia, N.J.

Asked if that was hard for him to say, Beck answered: “No, I’m a New Yorker. I’m for the Giants. Go Blue.”

Please leave a comment below…

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver had a touchdown catch in each quarter, including an early 74-yarder and a 3-yarder in the fourth, in a game filled with highlight-reel catches. He was selected the game’s MVP and his four TD catches set a Pro Bowl record.

The 59 points by the AFC set a Pro Bowl mark, and the 100 points scored by the two teams combined was the second highest, a touchdown shy of the 107 scored in 2004.

But it was clear from the start it was Marshall’s day. He hauled in a deflected, go-ahead 47-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, while on his back, to give the AFC a 38-35 lead late in the third quarter. It was Marshall’s third TD catch of the game, tying Jimmy Smith’s Pro Bowl record set in 2004.

Marshall, making his third Pro Bowl appearance, then nabbed a 3-yard TD pass from Dalton that gave the AFC a 52-35 lead with 8:25 left and put the game away.

The game featured 36 first-timers, including rookie quarterbacks Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, who replaced Super Bowl quarterbacks Eli Manning and Tom Brady. Their selection made this Pro Bowl the first to feature two rookie signal callers.

While Dalton looked composed, Newton played horribly — struggling to move the ball, stay in the pocket and find his targets, which drew some boos from the sun-splashed, sellout crowd of 48,423.

Newton finished 9 of 27 for 186 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dalton, meanwhile, was 7 of 9 for 99 yards and two TDs.

On his first series, Newton overthrew a wide-open Tony Gonzalez over the middle, with the ball sailing into Eric Weddle’s hands. The San Diego Chargers safety popped up to his feet and returned it 63 yards to the NFC 23, leading to a 37-yard FG by Sebastian Janikowski, which gave the AFC its first lead of the game at 31-28.

Newton recovered on the next series, airing out a 55-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Panthers teammate Steve Smith, making it 34-31. But he was intercepted again on the next series.

With the Pro Bowlers unable to get out of third gear — particularly on the offensive and defensive lines — and hitting each other as though they were having a pillow fight, the Pro Bowl featured some good, bad and real ugly — sometimes on the same play. For example, Aaron Rodgers caught a pass from himself. His throw was deflected at the line and he leaped to catch the ball and backpedaled for a 15-yard loss.

Rodgers was 13 of 17 for 141 yards and two TDs, giving him a quarterback rating of 139.6, higher than his NFL record 122.5 rating during the season. But he was watching late in the game as Newton struggled.

The NFC had three players with 100-yard yard receiving: Gonzalez (seven for 114), Larry Fitzgerald (6 for 111) and Smith (5 for 118).

The AFC and NFC traded score after score, and turnover after turnover in the first half.

Rodgers and Fitzgerald connected for a pair of scores on back-to-back plays to put the NFC up 14-0 early in the game.

After stopping the AFC on fourth down at midfield, Rodgers drove the NFC down the field and threw a 10-yard TD toss to Fitzgerald. Six seconds later, Rodgers aired a 44-yard rainbow in the end zone to Fitzgerald for another score after the NFC got the ball back with a surprise onside kick.

The reception was Fitzgerald’s sixth career TD catch in the Pro Bowl, tying Gonzalez’s record.

The AFC came right back and tied it up on two deep TD passes on the right side by Ben Roethlisberger. He threw a 34-yarder to rookie A.J. Green, and then connected with Marshall on a 74-yarder.

But Drew Brees and the NFC kept the scoring going. Just like in the regular season, Brees and Saints teammate Jimmy Graham hooked up to give the NFC a 21-14 lead in the second quarter. On fourth-and-goal, Brees zipped a pass to Graham for a 6-yard score and would later find Brandon Jennings for an 11-yard TD.

Antonio Gates pulled in a 27-yard TD from Chargers teammate Rivers as time expired in the half to tie it at 28.

Each AFC player earned a record $50,000 for the win, while the NFC players received $25,000.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Mark Pryor of Arkansas proposed that federal funding in a pending transportation funding bill be used for research and to train police. They said police have no equipment and few have training in identifying drugged drivers, who don’t show the same outward signs of intoxication as drunken drivers do, such as slurred speech.

“Cops need a Breathalyzer-like technology that works to identify drug-impaired drivers on-the-spot, before they cause irreparable harm,” Schumer said.

1010 WINS Reporter Glenn Schuck Was There…

“With the explosive growth of prescription drug abuse it’s vital that local law enforcement have the tools and training they need to identify those driving under the influence of narcotics to get them off the road.”

Schumer says drugged driving arrests rose 35 percent in New York since 2001, but he says that’s a fraction of the cases.

The Democrats cited a 2009 federal report in which 10.5 million Americans acknowledged that they had driven under the influence of drugs. Schumer said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in a 2007 roadside survey, more than 16 percent of weekend and night-time drivers tested positive for illegal prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs. Eleven percent of them were found to have taken illegal drugs.

The administration also found that a third of 12,055 drivers tested who died in car crashes in 2009 had used drugs.

Yet police have no approved equipment to help identify drugged drivers, though saliva tests are being researched.

Pryor wants to create federal grants so police can participate in programs that require up to 200 hours of instruction to detect drugged driving.

Schumer said the effort is prompted in part by two fatal December crashes in the New York City area in which two boys, one 5 years old and the other, 4 died. Prescription drug abuse is being investigated in both cases.

What do you think can be done to curb drunk and drugged driving in the New York area? You may comment below…

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Even in defeat, Daniel Alfredsson rewarded the hometown fans with two goals and an assist, and then the Ottawa Senators captain provided a hint that he might come back for one more season.

For an All-Star game that lacked the league’s top-name talent in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, there was plenty to keep everyone buzzing on Sunday.

Gaborik scored three times, added an assist and earned MVP honors, and Team Chara used a third-period offensive eruption to secure a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson.

“We have a lot of fun out there,” said Lundqvist, who allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. “A lot of times you might forget because it’s a lot of pressure, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself, but this weekend is all about the game of hockey and having fun with it. So we’ve been enjoying ourselves, and I hope the fans felt the same way.”

What was not to like?

Fans were treated to a wide-open, no-hitting style in a game that featured plenty of nifty passing plays, numerous odd-man breaks and even a penalty shot awarded to Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals.

Stamkos, however, was foiled on his freebie — the second in All-Star game history — when he attempted the same spin-around move he used to beat Carey Price in the skills competition on Saturday night. Jimmy Howard didn’t bite on Sunday, holding his ground and hugging the post to stop Stamkos’ penalty-shot attempt.

“I think I ran out of moves,” Stamkos said. “I tried something fancy and hoped it would work. It didn’t. But I just tried to have fun with it.”

Gaborik enjoyed himself the most, earning bragging rights over Lundqvist after the two spent the past few days playfully going back and forth on Twitter. The mock feud was over Lundqvist — Alfredsson’s assistant captain — choosing not to select Gaborik in the All-Star player draft on Thursday.

Gaborik showed just how motivated he was. After opening the scoring 4:34 in on a give-and-go with Pavel Datsyuk, Gaborik circled the net dropped to one knee and pointed his stick machine-gun style at Lundqvist while pumping his fist.

The move was identical to one done by Rangers forward Artem Anisimov earlier this season when he scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This one was all in fun, said Gaborik, the 16th player to score at least three goals — one short of matching the record — in the All-Star game. It was the first All-Star hat trick since Rick Nash had three goals in 2008.

“It’s always tough to score on him,” Gaborik said of Lundqvist. “It’s not easy. I was fortunate to be lucky against him, but I think he’s one of the best if not the best goalie in the league.”

Tim Thomas made 18 saves in the final period, and extended his record by winning his fourth All-Star game.

Hossa and Jarome Iginla had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara.

For Team Alfredsson, Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville and Milan Michalek had a goal and assist each.

The outcome was decided in the final period when Team Chara outscored Team Alfredsson 6-3.

With the game tied at 8, Chara, Marian Hossa and Corey Perry scored in a span of 1:22, beating goalie Brian Elliott on consecutive shots.

Gaborik set up Chara for the decisive goal, flipping the puck into the high slot, where Chara slapped it in.

“I was surprised that I was open, and I just put it on net,” Chara said. “It’s nice to get the win. The fans saw some goals, and then as we were going toward the end, you could see that the guys wanted to win.”

Chara paid respect to Alfredsson, saying he was rooting for his former Senators teammate to complete his hat trick.

“Alfie’s such a classy guy, obviously a big icon in Ottawa and Sweden, as well, and such a great player to represent this team,” Chara said. “So of course I was pulling for him.”

After falling behind 3-0, Team Alfredsson rallied to tie it before the first period ended. But they didn’t get their first — and only lead — until Alfredsson scored twice during a 1:31 span to put his team up 6-5 with just under four minutes left in the second.

His first goal came on a great individual effort in which Alfredsson, dragging the puck behind him, split defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Ryan Suter, and flipped a shot that sneaked inside the right post to beat Price. Alfredsson’s second came on a wonderful passing play courtesy of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whom Alfredsson was looking forward to play with when he drafted the twins.

That got the crowd chanting “Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!”

He nearly scored his third goal in the third period, only to have a one-timer from the left circle ring off the post.

But it was after the game when Alfredsson sounded upbeat about his future in an interview broadcast on the arena’s scoreboard.

With a smile on his face, and fans cheering his name, Alfredsson said: “Fifty percent yes, and my wife’s going to have to decide the other 50.”

He has one year left on his contract.

It a game built around offense, the goalies still found ways to have fun with it.

Price allowed three goals on 14 shots, and lamented during the first intermission the lack of defense.

“I feel like being a lamb getting led to slaughter,” Price said. “I’m must be holding on for the ride today and hope I don’t get lit up too bad.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

DeRozan scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, leading the Toronto Raptors to a 94-73 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night.

With injuries playing a role in their 7-14 start, the Raptors received a huge lift from DeRozan. He made eight of 12 shots, and 11 of 16 free throws.

“The key was patience,” he said. “I watched a lot of film and I didn’t want to force a lot of things. Lately we get kind of slow coming out in the third quarter, so I tried to be aggressive and get things going.”

Raptors coach Dwane Casey was impressed by DeRozan’s effort.

“I thought DeMar DeRozan did a heck of a job attacking the basket,” Casey said. “He’s too athletic and too quick to not get to the rim.”

Toronto led 46-41 when it scored 10 straight to go up by 15 points. DeRozan scored four free throws in the run, and Jerryd Bayless scored a couple of baskets.

“The guys played like they believed,” Casey said. “They knew that we were short-handed, so everybody carried their load.”

Bayless finished with 17 points, and the 6-foot-3 guard added six rebounds and six assists. He also spent his 34 minutes playing defense on Deron Williams.

Williams came in averaging 19.4 points, scored 24. But he had to work for them. He made only eight of 20 shots and just three of 10 from outside the arc.

“Coach wanted me to come out and play defense as hard as I could,” Bayless said. “Everybody in the league knows he’s a great player. But I think our defense played its best game of the year, honestly. Ed (Davis) and Amir (Johnson) really helped out and made my job easier.”

The game continued to be easy for Toronto after it build the 15-point cushion. New Jersey never got closer than 11 the rest of the way, and the margin reached 23 at one point.

The result left both teams with records of 7-14, tying them for third place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors put together a 12-1 run midway in the second quarter, going from two points down to nine up at 40-31. They took a 44-39 lead into the half. Bayless led the stretch, driving for one basket and making three of four free throws.

Eleven points by DeRozan in the third quarter really broke things open.

“We didn’t have any energy on either side of the floor,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “(Toronto) came in, they’re a hungry team, and DeRozan had a big night. Unfortunately we just had a bad offense and bad defense.”

Notes: Toronto shot 51.5 percent to New Jersey’s 36.5, and outscored the Nets from the free-throw line 21-12.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Even in defeat, Daniel Alfredsson rewarded the hometown fans with two goals and an assist, and then the Ottawa Senators captain provided a hint that he might come back for one more season.

For an All-Star game that lacked the league’s top-name talent in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, there was plenty to keep everyone buzzing on Sunday.

Gaborik scored three times, added an assist and earned MVP honors, and Team Chara used a third-period offensive eruption to secure a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson.

“We have a lot of fun out there,” said Lundqvist, who allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. “A lot of times you might forget because it’s a lot of pressure, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself, but this weekend is all about the game of hockey and having fun with it. So we’ve been enjoying ourselves, and I hope the fans felt the same way.”

What was not to like?

Fans were treated to a wide-open, no-hitting style in a game that featured plenty of nifty passing plays, numerous odd-man breaks and even a penalty shot awarded to Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals.

Stamkos, however, was foiled on his freebie — the second in All-Star game history — when he attempted the same spin-around move he used to beat Carey Price in the skills competition on Saturday night. Jimmy Howard didn’t bite on Sunday, holding his ground and hugging the post to stop Stamkos’ penalty-shot attempt.

“I think I ran out of moves,” Stamkos said. “I tried something fancy and hoped it would work. It didn’t. But I just tried to have fun with it.”

Gaborik enjoyed himself the most, earning bragging rights over Lundqvist after the two spent the past few days playfully going back and forth on Twitter. The mock feud was over Lundqvist — Alfredsson’s assistant captain — choosing not to select Gaborik in the All-Star player draft on Thursday.

Gaborik showed just how motivated he was. After opening the scoring 4:34 in on a give-and-go with Pavel Datsyuk, Gaborik circled the net dropped to one knee and pointed his stick machine-gun style at Lundqvist while pumping his fist.

The move was identical to one done by Rangers forward Artem Anisimov earlier this season when he scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This one was all in fun, said Gaborik, the 16th player to score at least three goals — one short of matching the record — in the All-Star game. It was the first All-Star hat trick since Rick Nash had three goals in 2008.

“It’s always tough to score on him,” Gaborik said of Lundqvist. “It’s not easy. I was fortunate to be lucky against him, but I think he’s one of the best if not the best goalie in the league.”

Tim Thomas made 18 saves in the final period, and extended his record by winning his fourth All-Star game.

Hossa and Jarome Iginla had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara.

For Team Alfredsson, Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville and Milan Michalek had a goal and assist each.

The outcome was decided in the final period when Team Chara outscored Team Alfredsson 6-3.

With the game tied at 8, Chara, Marian Hossa and Corey Perry scored in a span of 1:22, beating goalie Brian Elliott on consecutive shots.

Gaborik set up Chara for the decisive goal, flipping the puck into the high slot, where Chara slapped it in.

“I was surprised that I was open, and I just put it on net,” Chara said. “It’s nice to get the win. The fans saw some goals, and then as we were going toward the end, you could see that the guys wanted to win.”

Chara paid respect to Alfredsson, saying he was rooting for his former Senators teammate to complete his hat trick.

“Alfie’s such a classy guy, obviously a big icon in Ottawa and Sweden, as well, and such a great player to represent this team,” Chara said. “So of course I was pulling for him.”

After falling behind 3-0, Team Alfredsson rallied to tie it before the first period ended. But they didn’t get their first — and only lead — until Alfredsson scored twice during a 1:31 span to put his team up 6-5 with just under four minutes left in the second.

His first goal came on a great individual effort in which Alfredsson, dragging the puck behind him, split defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Ryan Suter, and flipped a shot that sneaked inside the right post to beat Price. Alfredsson’s second came on a wonderful passing play courtesy of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whom Alfredsson was looking forward to play with when he drafted the twins.

That got the crowd chanting “Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!”

He nearly scored his third goal in the third period, only to have a one-timer from the left circle ring off the post.

But it was after the game when Alfredsson sounded upbeat about his future in an interview broadcast on the arena’s scoreboard.

With a smile on his face, and fans cheering his name, Alfredsson said: “Fifty percent yes, and my wife’s going to have to decide the other 50.”

He has one year left on his contract.

It a game built around offense, the goalies still found ways to have fun with it.

Price allowed three goals on 14 shots, and lamented during the first intermission the lack of defense.

“I feel like being a lamb getting led to slaughter,” Price said. “I’m must be holding on for the ride today and hope I don’t get lit up too bad.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Sugar Rodgers added 19 points for the Hoyas (17-5, 6-3 Big East). Magee and Rodgers added five steals apiece as Rutgers committed 22 turnovers. Rubylee Wright finished with five assists to set a new all-time Georgetown assist record at 472.

Georgetown led by nine at intermission and Magee’s steal and layup capped a 7-0 run to open the second half. The Hoyas extended the lead to as many as 27 late in the game.

April Sykes led Rutgers (17-4, 6-2) with 13 points.

The Scarlet Knights shot just 30.8 percent (16 of 52) and missed all 14 3-point attempts.

Rutgers lost second leading scorer Khadijah Rushdan (13.1 ppg) with 5:33 left in the first half. The Scarlet Knights were trailing by eight when Rushdan and Magee jumped for a pass. Rushdan fell, hitting the back of her head on the court.

She remained down through the ensuing timeout and was eventually helped off the court in a wheelchair. She didn’t return to the game, but was on the Rutgers bench for the second half.

Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said Rushdan will be examined further when the team gets home. Her status for Tuesday’s game against No. 2 Notre Dame is uncertain.

The Scarlet Knights led 8-4 early, but then went seven minutes without a basket. Georgetown took advantage with a 12-0 run capped by a pair of Rodgers’ 3-pointers. The Hoyas pushed the margin to as many as 10 and led 26-17 at the break.

Rutgers made just 8 of 27 shots in the half.

Georgetown was outrebounded 42-33 but limited Rutgers to just seven second-chance points.

The Hoyas turned the ball over 11 times, one above their season low.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Boatright played Sunday in the 24th-ranked Huskies’ 50-48 loss to Notre Dame after the NCAA said it would it take no further action, despite finding that he and his mother had accepted more than $8,000 in impermissible benefits from at least two people.

“It’s finally over with,” Boatright said after scoring six points. “We can finally put it behind us. We don’t have to worry about me getting pulled out again. We just have to use this to our advantage and come together as a team and make this last final run.”

But Scott Tompsett, an attorney representing Ryan’s mother, Tanesha, issued a statement calling Saturday’s NCAA news release that announced the findings false and misleading. He said the people providing the benefits were friends of the Boatright family and had “no expectation of repayment or reciprocation.”

“And there’s not a shred of evidence that they influenced Ryan’s decision to attend UConn or that they intend to represent Ryan if he ever goes pro,” he said. “The public also should know that the NCAA never told Tanesha and Ryan who made the accusations about them or told them the substance of the accusations so they could defend themselves.”

Tompsett, who also has represented Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun in the past, said the Boatrights had been told the information they gave the NCAA would be kept confidential.

“The NCAA has violated the Boatrights’ privacy by releasing their personal information,” he said.

The NCAA said the benefits included car payments, travel expenses for his mother during four official visits to NCAA schools, and approximately $1,200.

“In addition, Mr. Boatright was provided travel expenses, hotel, meals and training expenses during a two-night trip to California,” the organization said.

The NCAA said the benefits came from at least two people with links to “nonscholastic basketball and professional sports.”

Several news organizations, including ESPN and The New York Times, had previously reported that a plane ticket was purchased for Boatright’s mother by Reggie Rose, who runs the AAU team for which Boatright played. Rose, the brother of NBA star Derrick Rose, has declined to comment on the case.

The NCAA said it allowed Boatright to return to action after determining he has lived up to an agreement that gave him limited immunity for cooperating in the investigation, and is “likely the least culpable” of those involved in the violations.

NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn issued a statement Sunday saying the organization had not violated the family’s privacy nor implied that the benefits were used to influence Boatright to attend UConn.

“In fact, both UConn. and Mr. Boatright should be commended for their cooperation throughout the process to gather information,” she said. “The school and student-athlete’s dedication to uncover the facts should be viewed as a positive example, not somehow construed negatively. Had Ms. Boatright cooperated fully from the beginning, this matter could have been settled months ago.”

Boatright has missed nine games this season as a result of the investigation, including a six-game suspension to start the season. He also is repaying $4,500 in benefits. He was held out of the last three games as the NCAA looked into additional information.

He said he considers the matter closed.

“I’m just happy to be back on the court,” he said. “Whatever my mom and the lawyer got going on, that’s with them.”

The 6-foot Boatright received a standing ovation when he entered the game just under 4 minutes into the first half. His first points came on a runner in the lane at the halftime buzzer that gave UConn a 24-21 lead. He finished 3 of 6 from the field.

“I’m sure that Ryan was trying to work out a lot of kinks,” Calhoun said. “But, he’s always going to give you a very good effort. He’s a good basketball player and I think he has a great future with us.”

Before Tompsett’s release, university President Susan Herbst issued a statement on Sunday praising Boatright’s character.

“This young man has shown tremendous patience and poise all the while in the national spotlight,” she said. “This is a strength of character that is seldom demanded of college freshmen and I am extraordinarily proud of him, our team and our coaching staff.”

Connecticut went 6-3 this season with Boatright out of the lineup, but dropped two of three when he was forced to sit out a second time. The Huskies (14-6, 4-4 Big East) won at Notre Dame, snapping the Irish’s 29-game home-court winning streak, before losing consecutive games to Cincinnati and Tennessee, each by three points.

Boatright averaged more than 10 points and three assists in the 10 games he played after being reinstated to the team.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Eric Atkins scored 13 points and Jerian Grant hit three key free throws late as the Irish (14-8, 6-3) held on for their third straight win, 50-48 over the Huskies.

“We really controlled the tempo,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “And that takes its toll on a team over 40 minutes when the offensive rhythm isn’t quite there.”

The loss spoiled the return of freshman guard Ryan Boatright for Connecticut (14-6, 4-4). He had missed the last three games amid an NCAA investigation into his eligibility.

“It’s been mentally draining,” said Boatright, who scored six points. “But I can finally say that it is put behind me and we can move on.”

The Huskies were 1-2 since Boatright was removed from the lineup. They won at Notre Dame, snapping the Irish’s 29-game home-court winning streak, before losing consecutive games to Cincinnati and Tennessee, both by three points.

Notre Dame trailed this one 24-21 at halftime, but went on a 13-0 run to open the second half.

Jeremy Lamb had 16 points to lead the Huskies and had a chance to tie the game after missing his second free throw with 2.3 seconds left on purpose. He grabbed the rebound of the miss but his off-balance follow bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

“If Jeremy’s shot had gone in, I wasn’t going to be jumping,” Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said. “The game was lost over the 40 minutes. It particularly was lost as we began the second half.”

Freshman Andre Drummond had 15 points and 11 rebounds for UConn.

Grant had 11 points and Scott Martin added 10 for Notre Dame, which outrebounded UConn 33-29 including 11-7 on the offensive end.

“I think there was that one possession where we had two or three offensive rebounds, Martin said. “We probably had the ball for a minute-and-a-half. That was probably a turning point for us in the game. We really knew at that point we had the tempo how we wanted it.”

The win caps a good week for the Irish. They beat then-No. 1 Syracuse on Jan. 21 before winning at Seton Hall. Notre Dame set team records in that game by allowing the Pirates just 15 field goals, and 42 points.

“To be 6-3 halfway through this league; if you would have told me that after the Indiana game (a 69-58 loss on Dec. 17) or after Missouri beat us by 29 … I don’t know,” Brey said. “I’m really proud of this group, and it’s a lot of fun working with them.”

It hasn’t been much fun for UConn.

Boatright was cleared Saturday by the NCAA to return to action, despite a finding by the governing body that he and his mother received more than $8,000 in impermissible benefits both before and after he enrolled in school.

He made his first appearance 4 minutes into the game, entering to a standing ovation. He scored his first points on a runner in the lane at the halftime buzzer.

“(His teammates) are glad to have him back,” Calhoun said. “They didn’t seem that glad the way they played, but Ryan is a terrific kid. We’re glad to have him back on the team and he’s going to have a terrific career at UConn.”

Notre Dame blocked three shots during its second-half run that turned a 24-21 deficit into a 34-24 lead. Scott Martin capped it with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Connecticut didn’t have a field goal for the first 7 minutes of the second half, but the Huskies trailed by just five points after a basket by Drummond and a 3-pointer by Lamb.

Drummond brought the crowd back into the game with a rebound, dunk and free throw that cut the deficit to 36-34 with 7:30 left in the game. But the Huskies never retook the lead.

A Notre Dame steal and a layup by Atkins pushed the lead to 44-38 with 4 minutes left.

A driving layup by Boatright made it 45-42 with a minute left. A steal by Roscoe Smith gave the Huskies a chance to tie, but Shabazz Napier missed a 3-pointer and Pat Connaughton calmly hit two free throws on the other end.

An dunk by Drummond on an alley-oop pass from Napier made it 47-44 with 36 seconds left.

UConn’s defense forced an inbounds 5-second call before the Irish could get a timeout. But Napier missed everything on another 3-point attempt. He was 0 for 7 from behind the arc.

Grant hit three free throws around a 3-pointer from Lamb to make it 50-47.

The Huskies held the Irish to just 36 percent shooting in the first half. But Notre Dame stayed in the game by hitting four of their nine 3-point attempts. They were 7 of 22 from long range for the game.

Drummond and Lamb carried UConn in the first half, scoring 15 of the team’s 24 points. Those two were 7 of 12 from the field while the rest of the team was 4 of 10.

Connecticut has been ranked in the Top 25 for 28 straight weeks, the fifth-longest stretch in program history, a run that is likely to end Monday.

“We’re going through some hard times right now,” Lamb said. “We just have to find a way to get through it.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

This was the final act in Djokovic’s 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final — a sweat-drenched, sneaker-squeaking 5 hour, 53-minute endurance contest that ended at 1:37 a.m. Monday morning in Melbourne.

Djokovic overcame a break in the fifth set to win his fifth Grand Slam tournament and third in a row. None, though, quite like this. This one involved tears, sweat and, yes, even a little blood. It was the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of pro tennis and it came against Nadal, the player who built a career on his tenacity — on outlasting opponents in matches like these.

“It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies,” Djokovic said. “We made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn’t be two winners.”

When the drama was finally over at Rod Laver Arena, the 24-year-old Djokovic joined Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Nadal as the only men who have won three consecutive majors since the Open Era began in 1968. Nadal was his vanquished opponent in all three.

Djokovic will go for the “Nole Slam” at Roland Garros in May.

As the players waited for the trophy presentation, Nadal leaned on the net, while Djokovic sat on his haunches. Eventually, a nearby official took pity and they were given chairs and bottles of water.

Nadal held his composure during the formalities, and even opened his speech with a lighthearted one-liner.

“Good morning, everybody,” he said.

A few minutes earlier, after hugging Nadal at the net, Djokovic tore off his sweat-soaked black shirt and headed toward his players’ box, pumping his arms repeatedly as he roared. He walked over to his girlfriend, his coach and the rest of his support team and banged on the advertising signs at the side of the court.

“I think it was just the matter of maybe luck in some moments and matter of wanting this more than maybe other player in the certain point,” Djokovic said. “It’s just incredible effort. You’re in pain, you’re suffer(ing). You’re trying to activate your legs. You’re going through so much suffering your toes are bleeding. Everything is just outrageous, but you’re still enjoying that pain.”

The match was full of long rallies and amazing gets. Djokovic finished with 57 winners, along with 69 unforced errors. Nadal had 44 winners against 71 unforced errors.

Laver was part of the 15,000-strong crowd when the players walked on at 7:30 p.m. Sunday to flip the coin and start the warmup. He was still there, along with most of the crowd, after 2 a.m. for the trophy presentations.

Djokovic called it the most special of his five Grand Slam wins.

“This one I think comes out on the top because just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible, incredible,” he said. “I think it’s probably the longest finals in the history of all Grand Slams, and just to hear that fact is making me cry, really.

“I’m very proud just to be part of this history.”

It went so long because Nadal refused to yield. He was trying to avoid becoming the first man to lose three consecutive Grand Slam finals — and seeing his losing streak in finals stretch to seven against Djokovic, who beat him for the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles and took his No. 1 ranking last year.

After a grueling four-set loss to Djokovic at Flushing Meadows last year, Nadal said that, indeed, he may have found a slight opening — a glimmer of hope for next time against the player who dominated the 2011 season and had dismantled him time and again over the year.

This one was, in fact, closer, though not necessarily because of any strategic changes, but rather, because Rafa summoned up the heart to take this one the distance.

Nadal stayed in the contest for almost every point, sprinting from one side of the court to the other, chasing down balls and making Djokovic work extra time for the victory. But in the end, the same man was holding the trophy.

Nadal thought his win in the 2008 final against Federer was the best match he’s played, but gave Sunday’s match a top place in his personal rankings nonetheless.

“This one was very special,” he said. “But I really understand that was a really special match, and probably a match that’s going to be in my mind not because I lost, no, because the way that we played.”

Djokovic had his off moments during this two-week tournament Down Under. He appeared to struggle for breath in his quarterfinal win over No. 5 David Ferrer and again during his five-set semifinal win over No. 4 Andy Murray. He blamed it on allergies, and he managed to control it better against Nadal.

Yet, at times in the final, he looked as if he couldn’t go on.

When Nadal fended off three break points at 4-4 in the fourth set to win the game, spectators jumped to their feet and chanted “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa, Rafa!” Djokovic had lost the momentum. Play was stopped moments later when rain started to fall and a suddenly animated Nadal threw his arms up in disbelief and walked slowly back to his chair. The stadium roof was then closed.

Djokovic picked up his game after a 10-minute break and his pockets of supporters waved their Serbian flags again and started their own competing chant of “Nole, Nole, Nole” — inserting Djokovic’s nickname where “Ole” belongs in the tune and rhythm of the Spanish soccer chant.

It wasn’t enough to get him through the tiebreaker in the fourth set, though, when Nadal won the last four points to finish it in 88 minutes. Nadal dropped to his knees on the baseline and pumped his arms at that point, celebrating as if he’d won the final. All he’d done was prolong it. This pair had never gone to five sets.

Just as he did during the first set, Djokovic took off a white shirt and replaced it with a black one.

It didn’t seem to help immediately as he went down a break and a defeat loomed.

The match clock hit 5 hours with the score 2-2 in the fifth. Nadal won the next point and Djokovic started to stumble slightly, unsteady on his feet.

Nadal held that game without losing a point and then broke Djokovic for a 4-2 lead.

The turning point came in the next game, when Nadal had an open court but knocked a backhand volley wide down the line. He challenged the call, but the ball was clearly out. Instead of being up 40-15 and one point from a 5-2 lead, the game score became 30-30.

Djokovic found energy again and got a break point with a backhand that forced an error from Nadal. He pounced on a Nadal second serve to convert the break as the match clock ticked to 5:15, confirming it as the longest match in the history of the Australian Open. Nadal had that record, at 5:14, in his five-set semifinal win over fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in 2009.

This match had already long surpassed Mats Wilander’s win over Ivan Lendl at the 1988 U.S. Open, in 4:54, as the longest final in the terms of duration.

Djokovic started to look better physically and Nadal started to make some unforced errors, giving the Serbian some extra seconds between points to get his heavy breathing under control. After getting back on serve at 4-4, Djokovic kissed the crucifix around his neck twice.

With Nadal serving, the pair engaged in a 31-shot rally that Nadal finally won when Djokovic committed a backhand error. The Serb fell flat on his back on the court, fully stretched out, arms over his head, while Nadal doubled over on his side of the court, hands perched on his knees.

It appeared Djokovic was ready to throw in the towel, but he said he never thought about staying down.

“At that point I was just thinking of getting some air and trying to recover for next point,” he said. “Thousand thoughts going through the mind. Trying to separate the right from wrong. Trying to prioritize the next point. I’m playing against one of the best players ever — the player that is so mentally strong. He was going for everything or nothing.”

When Djokovic got the break to go up 5-4, the Serbian fans jumped up with their flags and screamed while the rest of the crowd sat in stony silence.

After kissing the crucifix around his neck repeatedly in the later games, Djokovic openly prayed out loud and looked upward as he got within points of sealing his victory.

“I was trying find every possible help and energy that I possibly can,” he said. “It paid off I guess.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Woods resembled the Tiger of old over the first three rounds at the Abu Dhabi Championship, stringing together a trio of rounds below par before shooting an even 72 in Sunday’s finale to finish in a tie for third place behind winner Robert Rock and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.

The 117th-ranked Rock shot 70 for an overall 275 to beat McIlroy (69) by a shot. Woods was a further shot back with Thomas Bjorn (68) and Graeme McDowell (68). The 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero (69) and George Coetzee (70) of South Africa were another shot back.

“Today I just didn’t give myself enough looks at it,” Woods said. “Most of my putts were lag putts. I didn’t drive the ball in as many fairways as I should have … It was a day I was just a touch off the tee and consequently I couldn’t get the ball close enough.”

It marked the second straight time Woods hasn’t won with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes. He failed to win the Chevron World Challenge in 2010 after going into the final round with a four-shot lead over McDowell.

The 14-time major winner appears to have recovered from a two-year victory drought in which he was sidelined by injuries and personal turmoil. But Woods must now face the fact that, at age 36, there are plenty of players — known and unknown — who can potentially beat him.

Woods, though, was looking for the silver lining out of his third-place finish. He insisted he has been steadily improving — hitting a high percentage of fairways and greens until Sunday and putting much better.

“There’s plenty of big events to go, but I’m pleased at the progress I’ve made so far,” said Woods, who won the Chevron World Challenge last month to end his drought. “I just need to keep building, keep getting more consistent, and today was a day where I putted beautifully. Just didn’t give myself enough looks.”

Coming into Sunday, Woods was tied for the lead with the unheralded Rock and was the clear favorite to win. Rock had only one victory under his belt compared to 83 for Woods worldwide, but it was Rock — battling his nerves over playing alongside one of his golfing idols — who held it together down the stretch.

“It’s pretty hard to believe that I managed to win today. Very surprised,” the Englishman said. “I played good. So I guess I had a chance from early on, a couple of birdies made the day feel a little bit easier.”

“But it’s difficult playing with Tiger. You expect almost every shot to threaten to go in. It felt a lot of pressure and couldn’t afford any lapses in concentration at all.”

Woods started strong and it looked as though he might pull away from Rock, sinking a 40-footer on No. 2 for birdie and chipping to within a foot of the cup for a second birdie on the 3rd. But Rock didn’t blink, making birdie on two of the first three holes to keep pace.

Then Woods began to unravel.

He started spraying his drives into the thick rough and fairway bunkers, resulting in bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5. When Woods wasn’t missing the fairways, he was scrambling to save par as he did on 11 after overshooting the green. As he approached his shot in deep rough just off the 11th green, he sighed heavily and let out a stream of obscenities under his breath.

Woods managed to save par by sinking a 12-footer and Rock just missed a birdie putt. Woods pumped his fist and appeared to be regaining momentum as he pulled within one shot of Rock on No. 13 when the Englishman had one of his three bogeys. But the 34-year-old Rock birdied two of the next three holes to regain control.

Rock wobbled on the 18th when his drive landed in a pile of rocks near the water — forcing him to take a drop — but he recovered beautifully, reaching the green in four and two-putting for the win.

“I was just focusing on trying to hit fairways and then hit my iron shots as good as I have been and give myself chances at birdies,” Rock said. “Both Tiger and Peter struggled on occasions on a few holes and I managed to keep my ball in the right position and didn’t put myself under too much stress until the last, which was a relief.”

It was a storybook ending for Rock, who rose from a club pro to join the European Tour in 2003 and only got his first tour win last year at the Italian Open. The victory will elevate him into the top 60.

“It doesn’t get an awful lot harder than playing with Tiger Woods,” Rock said. “So I guess barring a major championship, I know I can handle that again. So that’s pretty nice to know.”

While most of the attention was on Rock and Woods, several players surged into contention down the stretch.

McIlroy, playing ahead of Rock and Woods, birdied No. 18 to move to 12 under and give himself a chance. But he came up short with four rounds of par or better golf being undone by several costly mistakes — the worst coming Friday when the third-ranked McIlroy was penalized two shots for brushing away sand in front of his ball in the rough of the 9th.

“You know, you’ve got to take the positives,” McIlroy said. “It’s the first week of the year, and you know, it looks like it’s going to be the second year in a row here that I’ll finish second. But still a very good start to the season and something I’ll build on.”

McDowell played the most exciting round of the tournament on Sunday, with an ace on No. 12, a chip-in on 13 and then a shot off the grandstand on the 18th that led to a birdie and a tie for third. For the 2010 U.S. Open champion, it was a good way to start the year after failing to win in 2011.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Those two players, like plenty of NFL tight ends and wide receivers, wear “sticky” gloves made with a rubbery material on the palms to help hold onto a football. Consider these mitts the 2000′s’ answer to the 1970′s’ Stickum, the gooey substance famously used by Oakland Raiders defensive back Lester Hayes and receiver Fred Biletnikoff, among others, before it was banned three decades ago.

“I wear gloves — rain, sleet, hail, snow, outdoor, indoors. I got to have some gloves,” Cruz said. “I feel naked without gloves.”

Why?

“You grip the ball better, no question,” Cruz’s teammate Hakeem Nicks said. “You don’t even (need to) think about catching it.”

Take a close look during the NFL championship game in Indianapolis next Sunday; most of the players who’ll be on the field will have their hands enhanced. What the league refers to as “gloves with tactified surfaces” — with a synthetic material in the palm instead of old-school leather — entered the football world more than 15 years ago. But equipment makers have developed increasingly helpful models over time, and the popularity has increased.

“I definitely think it’s a huge advantage for receivers,” said Kurt Warner, a quarterback in three Super Bowls who now appears on the NFL Network. “You see all these one-handed catches, and guys snagging balls, and you say, ‘Whoa, that’s almost impossible.’ It slows the spin on the ball.”

And it’s not just the guys paid to catch passes; defensive backs, linebackers, linemen use them, too — even Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko, who wears a glove on his right hand when he’s holding for extra points or field-goal attempts by kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

“It’s more grippier. It gets the ball down quicker,” Mesko said.

Gronkowski’s really stand out on TV, because they’re all white, and he wraps white tape around his wrists at the base of the gloves, making them look massive.

Plus, he grabs pretty much everything thrown in his direction: Gronkowski’s 90 catches this season ranked fifth in the NFL, and his 17 touchdown receptions set a record for a tight end.

Patriots teammates such as BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and Matthew Slater swear by the gloves, too, although running back Green-Ellis wasn’t quite prepared to give the equipment credit for his perfect record of zero fumbles in the NFL.

Greg Jennings, a Pro Bowl receiver for the Green Bay Packers, said the main benefit he gets from the gloves is to protect his hands from the “sting” from a football’s laces.

“Oh, I can catch. Every receiver needs be able to catch barehanded,” Jennings said. “The gloves don’t catch the ball for you. It’s the hands.”

That’s certainly true, of course.

Still, others do acknowledge some assistance from the gloves.

“They make your job a little easier,” New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller said. “We all could catch the ball without gloves, but with the grip on the gloves and with them somewhat serving as a layer of protection, I think wearing gloves is a no-brainer.”

Other players praised the equipment for keeping hands safe from injury in case they get stepped on or while blocking.

Still, these aren’t exactly the kind of mittens you’d choose to stay warm in the dead of winter.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph described his gloves as being thin and lightweight enough to give him the feeling of being able to actually feel the ball when he catches it.

“I feel like if there’s a ball anywhere near me, and I can just get a hand on it, I feel pretty confident that I’m going to catch it, whether it’s the gloves or hand-eye coordination. If I don’t have gloves on,” Rudolph continued, “I might not be able to just grab it with one hand. It might slip out.”

Slater, New England’s special teams captain and someone who occasionally plays on offense and defense, began wearing gloves in high school. He couldn’t recall the last time he saw a barehanded player trying to grab a pass on a football field.

And he, like others, noted how the gloves keep getting better. A far cry from when his father, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater, was in the league.

“Nowadays, the gloves are so ‘tacky’ — they’ve got a lot of stick to them,” the younger Slater said.

When his father played, he added, “They wore gloves, but I don’t think they were as, like, high-tech as they are now. The gloves are getting more and more high-tech. Nike’s coming out with something different every year.”

Sometimes even more frequently than that.

Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy’s son Eric plays college football at Oregon and is a receiver, so he’s always getting the newest gear from Nike, a major supporter of that school. Dungy said it seems as if Eric calls every couple of weeks to tell him about the latest model of gloves and the improvements.

That equipment maker’s website boasts that the rubberlike substance on the palms of some of its gloves is the “most innovative sticky material to date.”

As Cleveland Browns tight end Evan Moore put it: “This type of material seems to grab the ball a bit more than just a standard piece of leather.”

“These guys, they want the gloves all the time, because it does help them catch the ball, and they feel good, and it’s consistent, no matter what the weather,” said Dungy, who coached the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title and will be part of NBC’s broadcasting crew next weekend. “I do wonder sometimes how Biletnikoff and (Hall of Famer Lynn) Swann and those guys, if they had some of this technology now — I don’t know they ever would have dropped a ball.”

Giants equipment manager Joe Skiba said the team broke out special gloves for the rain-soaked NFC championship game at San Francisco because those particular ones “don’t lose their ‘tackiness’ in wet weather.”

There are models meant to be used on snowy or particularly cold days, but Skiba explained: “Our receivers won’t wear a winter glove. They want to feel the ball and think they don’t with those gloves.”

That won’t be an issue, of course, in the upcoming Super Bowl, which is being played in a dome.

Nicks is planning to wear his usual red gloves. Skiba will set him up with a new pair, just like every week all season.

They’ve become something of a trademark. So much so that while discussing Nicks’ remarkable TD catch at the end of the first half in the Giants’ upset of the Packers two weeks ago, New York coach Tom Coughlin didn’t mention the receiver by name.

Instead, Coughlin talked about seeing “those red gloves go up.” Everyone knew who he was talking about.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The second-year defensive end’s days of impressing his New York Giants teammates with his athleticism are over.

What stands out for the rest of the Giants these days — more than his one-handed catches in practice while laterally jumping over rectangular foam obstacles — is what the 23-year-old Pierre-Paul is doing on the field.

Not only is he the best player on the Giants’ defense, he is now among the best in the NFL.

Doubt it? How’s this for a list of honors: Pro Bowl. All-Pro. Two NFC defensive player of the week awards. Conference player of the month in December.

Not enough? How about his game-saving block of Dan Bailey’s 47-yard field goal attempt in the most important game of the season at Dallas in early December when the postseason was on the line? Then there’s his 16 1/2 sacks — the fourth-highest total in Giants history — to go with 23 tackles for losses and 29 quarterback hits.

Ouch!

So if you are wondering who will make a game-changing play in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, find No. 90 in the white uniform next weekend in Indianapolis because chances are he’ll be the one making the play.

“He’s a thoroughbred,” said two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who lost his starting job to Pierre-Paul through a combination of injuries and just better play. “His motor, man, just never stops.”

Pierre-Paul has created his own little highlight film in helping the Giants (12-7) get to the Super Bowl for a second matchup with the Patriots (15-3) in four years.

Besides his field goal block against the Cowboys, people tend to forget that Pierre-Paul also had eight tackles and two sacks, including one for a safety, in the game that allowed New York to end a four-game losing streak and get back in the playoff hunt.

The other play his coaches rave about came in a 49-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints. It turned out to be meaningless but it was such a good play. The Saints faked a field goal on the opening drive and Pierre-Paul came from one side of the field to the other to stop Jimmy Graham a yard shy of a first down.

His coaches insist no other linemen in the league could have made the play.

“I’m still learning,” said Pierre-Paul. “I’m taking steps. I have a ways to go.”

That’s scary because Pierre-Paul dominated this season, particularly early on when the opposition had yet to realize his impact and send double-teams his way.

That’s changed now, and he has still excelled.

His 16 1/2 sacks were the most by a Giant since Michael Strahan had 18 1/2 in 2003. His 29 quarterback hits were 19 more than any other teammate and his 23 tackles for losses were 10 more than linebacker-defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who was second in that category for New York.

“First off, he’s an athlete,” Kiwanuka said. “He probably can do a number of things on the football field but at the position he is at, he definitely excels. His understanding of what our defense is asking him to do, and you combine that with the point in the season where people started focusing on him and he adjusted to all the double teams and shifts and all that kind of stuff. He’s definitely a professional now.”

After being taken with the 15th pick overall in the first round in 2010, Pierre-Paul had to learn how to play in the NFL.

“This year, I know all the calls and I’m not thinking as much,” the former South Florida star said. “Last year, it was on and off, I was a little slow on that, so they allowed me to play slower. My pass rush is better, run defense is better. Everything is coming to mind quicker.”

Pierre-Paul also is bringing more to the table — more moves and more ways of beating an opposing lineman than a year ago.

Veteran Dave Tollefson said most people tend to focus on Pierre-Paul’s speed.

“They don’t realize how strong he is,” Tollefson said. “He’s got the whole package. He can get to the quarterback. He can stop the run. He can do everything.”

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell says Pierre-Paul does so much it’s hard to give him a rest.

“You have to pry him off the field and we have to tell him, ‘Hey, JPP, take a rest,’” Fewell said a couple of weeks ago. “But he loves to play the game and he plays hard and fast. We think he can play harder and faster when he doesn’t play as much.”

If the Patriots are going to avenge their loss to the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, they will have to slow down Pierre-Paul, which might be tough because it will open things up for Umenyiora and fellow defensive end Justin Tuck.

“He’s another one of those guys that he’s a big guy and he’s got very good skills and he does a lot of things that other guys can’t do,” Patriots guard Logan Mankins said. “He’s got the power, the speed, he’s got all of it so that’s what makes him hard to block.”

The Giants didn’t hit Patriots quarterback Tom Brady a lot in their 24-20 win over New England earlier this season, but they still won.

Pierre-Paul thinks the defense needs to do a better job this time around.

“Every quarterback can be rattled, there’s no guy who can’t be,” he said. “Even the great ones. You do your assignments, don’t do anything out of the ordinary, just do what you do.”

If the Giants can get to Brady, don’t be surprised if Pierre-Paul makes a big play to give New York its fourth Lombardi Trophy.

“This guy has pretty much everything, speed and power,” Patriots receiver Deion Branch said. “I think more so you might need to talk to the offensive linemen about that because I see him and I stay away from him.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

A Camden County jury convicted Tiece Riddick of Sicklerville last August on a vehicular manslaughter charge and three counts of assault by auto. The charges stemmed from a July 2009 crash that killed 44-year-old Kathleen Lucas of Windber, a front-seat passenger in the car Riddick hit.

The woman driving that car, her teenage son and his friend were all hurt in the crash, but have since recovered.

Riddick must serve 85 percent of her vehicular homicide sentence before becoming eligible for parole. She also received a concurrent 27-month sentence for the assault by auto counts.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Officials have not yet identified the badly burned body, which was found shortly after the blaze was extinguished Saturday night. Further details on the victim were not immediately disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.

No one else was hurt in the fire, which broke out around 7:45 p.m. in an area off Route 88 in Lakewood. Firefighters had to go through areas of heavy brush to reach the blaze, which also forced Conrail to briefly stop train traffic in the area.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Lakewood police are investigating.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Among those weapons were twenty-nine semiautomatic, and seven of the surrendered weapons were loaded.

The NYPD/Clergy Gun Buy-Back program has been in effect since 2008 and has resulted in more than 7,600 weapons being taken off of the street.

What else can authorities do to curb gun violence in the city?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Though they only formed a year ago, Brooklyn-based Whale Belly has made a name for themselves.

Still experimenting with their sound, frontman Todd Bogin explained what concertgoers can expect from their live show.

“We craft this soundscape. We think of classical music where you’d see 45 minutes [of music] straight,” he said. “What we’ve been reaching towards is bringing that idea to indie music, that 45 minute musical piece that goes through different movements. Our movements are songs; 10 different movements within the 45 minute piece.”

Hailed as a band that “would make Woody Guthrie proud,” Bogin says part of the group’s success is that they’re all friends.

“We really are best friends. We’re super close and trustworthy of each other and we all value each other’s talents,” he said. “We’re not following any trend that’s going on right now. We’re not doing something because it’s cool or following a sound that will be dated in a few years. There’s something really heartfelt in us.”

The group’s first album, …the Smile at the End of the Slope, has garnered thousands of free downloads. A choice he was reprimanded for, Bogin thinks it’s the best decision Whale Belly has made.

“No one knew who we were. By making it free we’ve been able to expand our band,” he said.

By nurturing the free link on their website, Whale Belly centralize and control all the information about their band in one place. With a well received tour, and a second album in the works, Bogin says Whale Belly is just hitting their stride.

“I think touring has made us tighter and more adventurous and worked out the new songs to an extent that they would have never been before.”

While Bogin’s writing process varies, he says living in New York has had a major impact.

“It’s made me be a much better musician in that the competition is intense and you have to be good. My band has a touch of New York to it, a grittier sound,” he said. “All my songs are written differently [and] I learn about myself every time I write a song. The next album’s topics are going to be reflective of what’s been going on in my life over the last year.”

Many of his songs are inspired by real life events, including “Nervous Breakdown at IKEA,” a track on their upcoming record.

“I’m a very anxious person and I do really bad in crowded public spaces,” he explained. “I had a freak-out in IKEA because I went there on a Saturday before Christmas and it was so insane. I got lost, I couldn’t find who I was with, I couldn’t find the exit and I literally ran home. It’s a lighthearted song but if you listen to the lyrics and the music, it’s a very stressful song. It’s hard to listen to for me because it’s so intense.”

While Whale Belly has been labeled a folk band, Bogin says he thinks they’re doing something different and can’t be classified into one genre. Though their next album is still in the works, Bogin is looking optimistically toward the future and a 2012 release.

“The next album will have the aesthetic of Whale Belly itself but make a point of transitions in life and change. I’m really excited to see where we go next.”

For more on Whale Belly, visit their Website and download a copy of their album. Catch them live on Sunday, January 29 at Southpaw in Brooklyn.

Annie Reuter is a freelance writer and the founder of YouSingIWrite.com.

If you want to adopt Berry or Pebbles, call the Humane Society of New York at 212-752-4842.

Every Sunday morning around 8:20 on CBS 2 HD News, the Humane Society of New York City will feature one of its many great pets up for adoption. Here you can keep track of which furry friends are still looking for homes, and which ones have been adopted  by a loving family. The Humane  Society of New York is located at 306 E. 59th Street near Second  Avenue.