WEST MILFORD – Nick Pezzano’s third try at winning a Passaic County Tournament (PCT) championship couldn’t have been more decisive.

The Passaic Valley junior and top seed at 140 pounds captured his first title with a pair of technical falls wrapped around a decision last Saturday at West Milford High School.

Pezzano, who was denied a chance to compete in the PCT last year because of a skin condition which never existed, was Passaic Valley’s lone individual champion.

The Hornets finished eighth overall in the tournament, with Wayne Valley winning in dominant fashion and Passaic County Tech taking second place in the 14-team field.

“Overall, I think we could have done better, but I was happy for the kids who did well,” Passaic Valley coach Joe Benvenuti said. “We had been making pretty good strides in our matches, but we weren’t as good last Saturday as I know we can be. “I thought Nick had a great tournament. He hit his moves very well and was very focused.”

Jack Pohlman and Alex Trani of Wayne Valley have established quite a rivalry at 215 pounds and the two of them were back at it again last Saturday, with Trani winning a 4-2 decision.

“It was a good match between two guys who left it all on the mat,” Benvenuti said. “They’ve had some good matches over the last few years.”

Nick Armagno also had an excellent tournament for Passaic Valley, finishing second at 145 pounds. Armagno lost by fall to top seeded Pelal Deeb of Passaic Tech in the final, but Benvenuti was very pleased with his effort.

“He’s come a long way from a slow start this season,” Benvenuti said of Armagno. “He’s now above .500 for the season and that’s a testimony to his hard work.”

Billy Bici finished fourth at 103 pounds. After winning in the first round, Bici lost two one-point matches to finish fourth.

“Billy has been in every match, all season long,” Benvenuti said. “He’s 18-7 and has lost seven matches by a combined nine points. He’s been doing a very good job.”

Passaic Valley is back to dual meet action tomorrow when it hosts Northern Highlands at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the team hosts Montvale and Bogota in a tri match that starts at 10 a.m.

EAST RUTHERFORD – The Jets gave their fans, and the Buffalo Bills, a touch of August in January.

THOMAS E. FRANKLIN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jets’ Santonio Holmes celebrates with fans as Jets coaches and players did a victory lap after their win.

The Jets rested some regulars and pulled others early, including quarterback Mark Sanchez, in their regular-season finale Sunday at New Meadowlands Stadium, as they defeated Buffalo in a meaningless game, 38-7.

The Jets (11-5) are the sixth seed and will play either Indianapolis or Kansas City in the first round of the AFC playoffs Saturday or Sunday. Buffalo finished at 4-12.

Sanchez was in for the first drive, but for some reason, didn’t even throw a pass in a game that resembled a preseason contest with the amount of younger players getting significant time on the field. Sanchez handed off eight times on running plays and gave way to Brad Smith in the Wildcat formation three times on third down as the Jets went 79 yards in 12 plays to Nick Folk’s 28-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Sanchez was replaced by Mark Brunell on the Jets’ next series. Smith had runs of 40 and 20 yards on the drive.

Despite the Jets using a mix of starters and regulars, they dominated the hapless Bills for most of the day. Marquice Cole’s 35-yard interception return with 9:07 left in the second quarter increased the Jets’ lead to 10-0. The play was set up by linebacker Calvin Pace, who leveled quarterback Brian Brohm just as he released the ball.

Brohm was filling for starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who sat out with a knee injury.

Brunell threw his first touchdown pass since Nov. 5, 2006 when he connected with Santonio Holmes for a 17-yard score with 15 seconds left in the half, putting the Jets ahead 17-0. Brunell was with Washington in 2006, and that previous scoring strike came against Dallas.

Brunell later hit Braylon Edwards for a 52-yard score in the third quarter, giving the Jets a 24-7 lead. The Bills had gotten on the board when Jairus Byrd stepped in front of a Brunell pass intended for Joe McKnight. Byrd picked off the ball and went 37 yards for the score.

Third-stringer Kellen Clemens relieved Brunell in the fourth quarter and scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown with 9:18 left, increasing the lead to 31-7. The score was set up by Pace’s interception. Fullback John Conner added a 16-yard scoring run for the rookie’s first pro touchdown.

CHICAGO – Frustration quickly turned into jubilation for the Jets on Sunday at Soldier Field.

About 15 minutes after a 38-34 loss to Chicago, the Jets learned of Jacksonville’s 20-17 overtime loss to Washington, which enabled the Jets (10-5) to clinch a wild-card berth in the AFC playoffs.

Chris Harris’ interception of a Mark Sanchez pass with 51 seconds left sealed Chicago’s victory over the Jets on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears (11-4) already had wrapped up the NFC North title last week and moved closer to a first-round bye with the victory. They need a win at Green Bay next week or a Philadelphia loss to get at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

The Jets will be seeded either fifth or sixth in the AFC and likely will rest some injured players in the regular-season finale against visiting Buffalo on Sunday. One of those players almost certainly will be Sanchez, who threw for 269 yards and one touchdown despite an aching right (throwing) shoulder.

Nick Folk’s 34-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter cut Chicago’s lead to 38-34.

The Jets led 24-17 at halftime, but the game turned when coach Rex Ryan made an ill-advised decision to go for it on fourth-and-3 from their own 40 on their first possession of the second half. Mark Sanchez’s pass was dropped by Brad Smith.

Chicago immediately capitalized, as Jay Cutler lofted a 40-yard scoring pass to Johnny Knox, who beat Dwight Lowery. That tied the score at 24.

After a three-and-out by the Jets, Devin Hester returned a punt 38 yards to the Jets’ 32. That led to a 25-yard scoring pass to Hester, who beat Drew Coleman. The teams then traded quick touchdown drives, as Sanchez hit a wide-open Santonio Holmes for a 23-yard touchdown, tying the score at 31. The drive covered 66 yards in four plays.

But Chicago responded with a five-play, 49-yard drive, ending with Cutler’s 26-yard pass to Knox for a 38-31 lead with 6:06 left in the third quarter.

Chicago scored on its first two possessions of the game for a 10-0 lead. The Bears drove 47 yards in nine plays to Robbie Gould’s 37-yard field goal. On the Jets’ first drive, wide receiver Santonio Holmes fumbled on an end-around, and Chris Harris recovered for Chicago at the Jets’ 45.

It took the Bears only four plays to turn the miscue into a touchdown, as Matt Forte shredded a tackle attempt by Dwight Lowery en route to a 22-yard scoring run, giving the Bears a 10-0 lead with 4:54 to go in the first quarter.

But the Jets responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive capped by Shonn Greene’s 3-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. Sanchez went 5-for-5 for 70 yards on the march.

That touchdown came four seconds into the second period, and the Jets tacked on another one 1:04 later when Lowery made amends by jumping a pass route by Earl Bennett and intercepting Cutler’s throw into double coverage. Lowery sailed 20 yards for a touchdown, the Jets’ first defensive score since Lowery’s interception touchdown against Minnesota on Oct. 11.

The Jets extended their lead to 21-10 with a short 36-yard touchdown drive set up by Marcus Dixon’s sack of Cutler for a 10-yard loss to the Bears’ 3. Chicago was forced to punt from its own 2.

But the Bears responded on their next possession as Cutler’s 24-yard pass to Forte gave the Bears first-and-goal at the Jets’ 2. Cutler scrambled around the right side for a touchdown on the next play, trimming the Bears’ deficit to 21-17 with 2:44 left in the half. The Jets concluded the first-half scoring with Folk’s 26-yard field goal for a 24-17 lead.

Full Story:North Jersey.com

NEW YORK — The NFL is looking into how a female television reporter was treated at New York Jets practice Saturday.

Ines Sainz, a reporter for Mexico’s TV Azteca doing a story on quarterback Mark Sanchez, had footballs thrown in her direction by a Jets coach during practice, and players later called out to her in the team’s locker room.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday that the league and the Jets began looking into the situation when they were made aware of it Saturday night.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum called Joanne Gerstner, a board member of the Association for Women in Sports Media, on Sunday to discuss the matter. The two organizations were working to schedule an educational and awareness session with the team, according to Jets spokesman Bruce Speight.

Speight added that he also addressed the situation at the team meeting Sunday in advance of New York’s season opener against Baltimore on Monday night at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

Earlier Sunday, the Jets issued a statement, saying owner Woody Johnson spoke to Sainz on Sunday to discuss the incident.

“He stressed to Ines that he expects all members of the Jets organization to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times,” the statement said.

The team also said it would work with the league to gather facts and “take any appropriate steps necessary to maintain a respectful environment for the media.”

The AWSM said in a statement Sunday night that both the NFL and the Jets were “responsive to our concerns” and that it would continue to monitor the situation.

“We are awaiting the results of the investigation,” the statement read, “and further action from the NFL and Jets.”

Full Story:Yahoo.com
An eight-month Yahoo! Sports investigation has revealed that Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush and his family appear to have accepted financial benefits worth more than $100,000 from marketing agents while Bush was playing at the University of Southern California.

The benefits, which could lead to NCAA sanctions for USC and retroactively cost Bush his college eligibility and Heisman, were supplied by two groups attempting to woo Bush as a client. Current Bush marketing agent Mike Ornstein and one of Ornstein’s employees were involved. So were Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake, who attempted to launch an agency called New Era Sports & Entertainment, pursuing Bush as their first client.

Bush declined comment to Yahoo! Sports, and Ornstein denied any wrongdoing on his and Bush’s behalf.

But documents and on-the-record interviews with sources close to the situation reveal that Bush and his family appear to have received financial benefits from Ornstein and a business associate. Those benefits include:

$595.20 in round-trip airfare from San Diego to Oakland in November 2005 for Bush’s stepfather, LaMar Griffin, his mother, Denise Griffin and younger brother to attend the USC-California game at Berkeley. The fees were charged to the credit card of Jamie Fritz, an employee of Ornstein. The document detailing the charges was provided by Lee Pfeifer, an estranged business associate of Ornstein’s. $250.65 for limousine transportation from the Oakland airport to the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco that November weekend for the Bush family, charged to Fritz, according to a document. Ornstein acknowledged both he and Bush’s family stayed at the luxury hotel. Additionally, New Jersey memorabilia dealer Bob DeMartino alleges that Ornstein provided:

Suits for Bush’s stepfather and brother to wear during the Dec. 10, 2005 Heisman ceremony in New York, a makeover for his mother for the event and limousine transportation; Weekly payments of at least $1,500 to the Bush family. Documents and multiple sources also link Bush and his family to receiving benefits from New Era’s financial backers, including:

$623.63 for a hotel stay by Bush at the Venetian Resort & Casino in Las Vegas from March 11-13, 2005, charged to Michaels, according to a document signed by Bush. $1,574.86 for a stay by Bush at the Manchester Hyatt in San Diego from March 4-6, 2005, paid for by Michaels, according to a hotel document, a hotel employee and a source. Approximately $13,000 to Bush from New Era to purchase and modify a car, three sources said. As reported by Yahoo! Sports in April, $54,000 in rent-free living for a year at Michaels’ $757,500 home in Spring Valley, Calif., according to Michaels and San Diego attorney Brian Watkins. Also from previous Yahoo! reports, $28,000 from Michaels to help Bush’s family settle pre-existing debt, according to Michaels and Watkins. Thousands of dollars in spending money to both Bush and his family from the prospective agents, according to multiple sources. Approached about the financial ties on Sept. 7, Bush politely dismissed a Yahoo! Sports reporter.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, three days before making his NFL debut with the New Orleans Saints last Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ornstein denied giving Bush or his family benefits, calling the accusation of cash payments a lie. Ornstein described travel arrangements made by Fritz as loans that were paid back by the Bush family.

“Reggie Bush never received an extra benefit from Mike Ornstein other than what he was allowed to get from the NCAA when he worked with us,” Ornstein said, referring to the fact that Bush was an intern at Ornstein’s marketing company in the summer of 2005. “I feel pretty damn good about that.”

Asked why his employee, Fritz, had paid for airfare and a limousine for the Bush family’s trip to the Cal game, Ornstein said he believed the funds were paid back.

“Jamie may have paid or put it on his credit card,” Ornstein said. “I don’t think (Reggie’s) parents have a credit card, but his parents paid for everything.”

Fritz declined comment, but documents obtained by Yahoo! Sports indicate both the airfare and limousine rental for the trip to the Bay Area were paid in full on Fritz’s American Express card prior to the trip being taken. Ornstein also used the card in August to book his own trip to Bush’s NFL preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans.

The card establishes a direct link between Bush’s family and Ornstein’s office while Bush was still at USC, but Ornstein insisted it was merely a matter of helping the family.

“If the dad asked, then maybe (Jamie helped),” he said. “The (family) went on other trips. I’m sure the father – if it was anything that needed a credit card to guarantee the hotel and everything – then I’m sure Jamie will have documentation and cash receipts from the father. I guarantee it.”

Asked whether he was aware that such loans could constitute an NCAA violation, Ornstein replied: “I have no idea.”

NCAA by-law 12.3.1.2 states that an athlete shall be deemed ineligible if he or she accepts benefits from agents or marketing representatives. The rule further states that student-athletes, their family or friends cannot receive benefits or loans from agents. Additionally, NCAA by-law 12.1.2.1.6 states that athletes cannot receive preferential treatment, benefits or services because of the individual’s athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete, unless such treatment, benefits or services are specifically permitted under NCAA legislation.

The man best known as Peyton Manning’s former backup is making a name for himself on Monday Night Football.

Jim Sorgi hit Victor Cruz for a 64-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants a 17-16 lead over the Jets.

The ball went over the shoulder of the defender and Cruz stretched out and made the grab with one hand. He pulled away from the defender and went the distance.

The Jets are getting the ball back late in the third quarter down to the Giants. Victor Cruz then makes 2 other great catches and converts for another touch down and gives the Giants a 24-16 lead. Victor Cruz a native of Paterson New Jersey who attended Paterson Catholic highschool is making a name for himself tonight. with less than 3 minutes in the 4th down, Victor Cruz score his third touch down to give the Ginats a 31-16 lead, and the sure victory.

Full Story:Yahoo.com
So this is where Shaquille O’Neal(notes) comes to hide.

Actually, he’s not hiding at all. He’s not flying low to the ground and he’s not slumming. Short of zooming back to Los Angeles (hard to do on a burned bridge) or Miami (ditto), he’s signed with the most storied franchise this league has. One of the more popular, one of the most prominent and one of two that you last saw playing official hoops a month and a half ago. The Celtics.

Shaq in Boston, sportin’ the green. Chasing that ring, we’d assume. Chasing down prominence, again. From Kobe to Wade to LeBron. Now in with a series of like-minded fogies. Boston? I suppose it makes sense.

Kendrick Perkins(notes), Boston’s dutiful defensive-minded pivot man, will be out until at least January. The team signed Jermaine O’Neal(notes), but (hopefully) with the knowledge that his 2009-10 rebirth appeared to slide closer toward the spires of flukedom than an actual recharge. Rasheed Wallace(notes) is trade bait, Shelden Williams(notes) is no more. The C’s need a center.

And it’s almost sad that they’re turning to Shaq.