Joakim Noah was born in New York City in 1985. Later that year, Noah's father, Yannick, made his second quarterfinal appearance at the U.S. Open, losing to Ivan Lendl in straight sets.

Over three decades later, Noah, now 31, represents his birth city. The center signed with the Knicks in July.

Noah went down the basketball route instead of tennis, which proved to be a smart idea. With two All-Star Game appearances, an NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, an All-NBA First Team nod, two NCAA Championships and a NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award, basketball has been good to Noah.

Noah explained to ThePostGame his tennis relationship with his dad, who won the 1983 French Open:

ThePostGame: The U.S. Open is going on right now. How good were you at tennis back in the day, and do you go to the US Open? JOAKIM NOAH: I love going to the U.S. Open but I suck at tennis. [I'm] really sh*tty.

TPG: What does Dad [Yannick Noah] say about that? NOAH: You know, he was always somebody who told me to follow my heart and work hard. It didn't matter if it was anything. Whether it was school or basketball. Just everything you do, you just gotta give it 150 percent. And that's a lesson I learned from my pops. But he never imposed tennis on me, or anything like that.

TPG: Is he any good at basketball? NOAH: Yeah, he would kick my ass when I was young. But then I started getting a little taller, putting on a little weight. He couldn't bully me anymore [on the court], and when he couldn't bully me anymore, it was over.

No way Yannick would be able to handle Joakim on the basketball court nowadays. Although, it would be interesting to see them battle on a tennis court. Yannick, who is France's Davis Cup team captain, is 56, and maybe Joakim could take him in a five-setter.

Noah talked to ThePostGame at the adidas Athletics launch in New York City. Along with Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins, gold medalist sprinter Tori Bowie, junior tennis star Coco Shilin, former No. 1 NFL pick Keyshawn Johnson, DJ Metro Boomin and rapper Fetty Wap, Noah debuted the adidas Z.N.E. hoodie. The hoodie became available to the public on Sept. 7.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.

Adidas, ATP Tour, Basketball, Chicago Bulls, Davis Cup, France, french open, Joakim Noah, NBA, New York Knicks, Sweden, Tennis, US Open, USA, Yannick Noah

Summary: Joakim Noah, son of French Open champion Yannick, says he sucks at tennis, but he is better than his dad at basketball.


Photo: Chris Carlson, Associated Press

In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, middle, kneels during the national anthem before the team's NFL preseason football game against the San Diego Chargers, in San Diego. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees with Kaepernick's choice to kneel during the national anthem, but recognizes the quarterback's right to protest.

In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, middle, kneels during the national anthem before the team's NFL preseason football game against the San Diego

In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick walks off the field after warm ups before an NFL preseason football game against the San Diego Chargers in San Diego.

In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick walks off the field after warm ups before an NFL preseason football game against the San Diego Chargers in San

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick greets fans after their 21-31 win against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL preseason football game Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in San Diego.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick greets fans after their 21-31 win against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL preseason football game Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in San Diego.

49ers’ York on Kaepernick: ‘We all respect his position’

Four days after matching Colin Kaepernick’s pledge to donate $1 million to underserved communities, 49ers CEO Jed York acknowledged the team is supportive of the quarterback as he continues to not stand during the national anthem.

"It's not easy to make a stand and do something that's not popular with everybody,” York said before tonight’s season opener against the Rams. “I think that's what Colin has done. He's done it in a respectful way."

York said he’s talked with Kaepernick’s about his decision, but declined to divulge specifics of their discussions.

“As a team we all understand where he's coming from and respect his position,” York said.

Safety Eric Reid joined Kaepernick and they knelt during the anthem before the preseason finale in San Diego. Last week, Reid said other players had discussed joining them tonight, but none had made a decision. York said he hasn’t been involved in those talks: “The locker room needs to care of itself,” he said.

York said there had been no isses with team sponsores regarding Kaepernick’s stance.

“They’ve been really good,” he said.

Summary: Four days after matching Colin Kaepernick’s pledge to donate $1 million to underserved communities, 49ers CEO Jed York acknowledged the team is supportive of the quarterback as he continues to not stand during the national anthem.  Safety Eric Reid joined Kaepernick and they knelt during the anthem before the preseason finale in San Diego.  Last week, Reid said other players had discussed joining them tonight, but none had made a decision.  York said he hasn’t been involved in those talks: “The locker room needs to care of itself,” he said.


The car will be tested on a closed-off section of a public road. (9NEWS)

Australia's first locally-designed self-driving car system will be tested on Melbourne roads just days after Ford stops making cars in Geelong.

Bosch has taken a Tesla car and fitted it with technology the company says is 10 years ahead of the current batch of self-driving vehicles.

"What we have done is taken the vehicle as a base - and all of the autonomous functions, all of the advanced functions, are new," Bosch Australia president Gavin Smith told reporters today.

The Bosch engineers used to design stability control and anti-lock braking systems for Fords, Holdens and Toyotas before their manufacturing shut down.

Now they've put six radars, six LIDARs, a stereo video camera, a supercomputer and a GPS accurate down to two centimetres in the prototype, which will be tested on Sunday.

The Albert Park Formula One track will be closed to the public as the Bosch car is demonstrated to an international autonomous transport conference.

"These trials are important for VicRoads to identify how driverless vehicles are going to interact with the infrastructure in our local community," Victorian Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said.

The minister said self-driving cars could provide a big step in reducing the road toll to zero.

Mr Smith said cars with the Bosch technology were likely to be on the market after 2025 and they'd be marginally more expensive than regular cars.

The Bosch prototype is a level four self-driving car, which means it still has a steering wheel and the car can prompt a human to take over in some conditions.

A level five car has no steering wheel.

The dashboard includes a camera that watches the driver at all times and pulls over if the driver is asleep.

A US man died in May when his Tesla autopilot drove at high speed into a large truck because it couldn't distinguish between the trailer and the sky.

"The fact that this car looks like one that has been involved in accidents shouldn't confuse people who see it," Mr Smith said.

"It looks like a Tesla, but the automated driving functions are ours."

Ford's Broadmeadows and Geelong manufacturing plants are due to close down on Friday more than 90 years after Ford Australia was founded in 1925.

Summary: Melbourne will host the nation's first trial of a self-driving car built locally this weekend.


A gunman remains on the run after a man was shot in the shoulder at a home in north Melbourne.

Police say a man in his 40s was shot at a Heidelberg West home at about 9am on Sunday and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The gunman fled in a car, but police say he is known to the victim.

Three of the four people who were inside the home at the time of the shooting have been released without charge after police arrested them.

One woman remained in custody for unrelated matters, Victoria Police said in a statement.

Summary: A man has been shot in the shoulder at a home in Melbourne by a man who fled and remains on the run.


After three months of the plans sailing through City Hall, GE’s $200 million headquarters complex along Fort Point Channel hit a speed bump Thursday when the Boston Planning & Development Agency abruptly canceled a key vote over concerns it may have violated the open meeting law.

The vote is likely to be rescheduled in two or three weeks, BPDA director Brian Golden said.

General Electric Co. said the delay wouldn’t affect its plans to break ground early next year.

Still, the episode serves as a minor embarrassment in the budding relationship between Boston officials and the corporate giant they carefully wooed to the city earlier this year.

At issue was a paper posting of the BPDA’s meeting agenda, behind a glass case in the lobby of City Hall. Shortly after the meeting began, a coalition of anti-GE activists sent an e-mail to the agency, noting that pages listing several items, including the public hearing on GE, were not visible. They called it “a clear violation of open meeting law,” which requires posting in a public place, and asked for the vote to be postponed.

After staff huddled for more than 20 minutes, board chairman Timothy Burke announced that all the items not visible in the posting would be postponed.

“[That page] was covered by another document,” Golden said. “Rather than have these items be approved under a cloud, we decided that adjourning and deferring them was the best course of action.”

GE shook off the episode. The company had brought its full team of architects and consultants to City Hall for Thursday’s hearing, including former senator Mo Cowan. They even hauled in a scale model of the planned complex. They’ll all be back, probably in a couple of weeks, for the final vote, spokeswoman Sue Bishop said.

“It’s no big deal,” she said. “We’re ready. And we’ll do this when they’re ready.”

James Cook of the Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee, who brought the matter to the BPDA’s attention, said the way the meeting was posted was no accident.

State and city officials have done everything they can to ease GE’s entry to Boston, he said, including offering the $25 million in city tax breaks that were to be approved Thursday night. Critics, he said, have been largely ignored.

“They know we’re out here,” Cook said. ““They tried to bury that there was public comment available tonight.”

Critics of city real estate deals have lately focused on the open meeting law to try to block projects. In recent months, Attorney General Maura Healey has ruled that Boston’s City Council and Zoning Board of Appeals violated the open meeting law ahead of key votes on projects. They were ultimately approved.

Summary: An agenda posted at City Hall was not entirely visible to the public.


Councillor Sarah Carter has spoken out about the unwanted sexual attention females in high-standing positions receive after being sent an anonymous rape threat (Image: City of Maribyrnong)

A deputy mayor from Melbourne's north-west has thanked friends and family for their support after she received an anonymous text message threatening to rape her on Saturday.

Maribyrnong councillor Sarah Carter received the message on Saturday afternoon and reported it to the sexual offences team at Footscray police station that same day.

"I see you on Victoria Street. I am going to rape you tonight," the anonymous message read.

In a private Facebook post, published by Fairfax Media, Cr Carter calls out the cowardice of the person who sent the message.

"Only the weakest most cowardly men resort to this level of intimidation," she wrote on Saturday.

"To whomever you are, and I've no doubt that you're probably on my Facebook page and most certainly local; you are a coward and if you think hiding behind an anonymous threat of violence is enough to rattle me, you're sorely mistaken.

"I shall continue to enjoy my strolls down Victoria Street as I have for the last 16 years, whilst police investigate the matter."

Cr Carter returned to Facebook on Monday to thank her supporters and stress the importance of calling out sexual harassment and offensive sexual advances.

"I have been overwhelmed by the support that I have received and the kind words expressed here on Facebook, in phone calls, text messages and emails – from friends, colleagues, complete strangers, right through to elected representatives at all levels of government and from across the political divide," she wrote yesterday.

"What causes me the most regret is that behaviour such as this has become an accepted, but not tolerated, part of my role on account of a public life."

She added that she was saddened by the fact she felt a need to caution women to "expect such behaviour" when encouraging them to stand for public office or accept leadership opportunities.

Cr Carter also noted that friends and family had suggested she abandon her political ambitions as a result of the threats.

"I don't blame them when they suggest that it might be time to 'step away' and question, 'Is it worth it?' – they too are impacted," she said.

"The truth is, it is worth it. Whilst sporadic incidences have sullied my experience as a councillor, I will not let them define it.

"It shouldn't be this way, and we won't let it be this way. I owe it to myself to continue to pursue my passions and career despite the actions of the misguided, cowardly, pathetic few that exist to distract us, deter us and to rattle us. We all deserve as much. Each and every one of us."

Cr Carter said police suspect the offender used an app which scrambles data - essentially making it untraceable.

She has called on the federal government to toughen laws surrounding harmful digital communications and on app developers to ensure their products are not able to be used in a threatening manner.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016


DEAR PHIL: I'm disappointed not that there's any reason you should care. But you seem to be squandering the chance to exercise moral leadership among your peers, leadership that no one else can provide.

"Donahue," after all, is the undisputed trailblazer of daytime talk. You have enlightened and entertained audiences for 29 years without pandering to them. You have the credibility of someone who has played the game at the highest level with unprecedented success.

Last Friday offered you the perfect opportunity at the perfect time in the perfect forum to weigh in on the excesses of daytime talk shows and you copped out.

It was the week you confirmed that "Donahue" would cease production at the end of this, its 29th, season. It was the first interview you granted, and you were the lone guest with anchor Ted Koppel on ABC News' "Nightline," as respected a TV venue as you can get.

But when Koppel brought up the controversy surrounding talk shows, your lame response was, "Do some people go too far too often? Probably so."

When Koppel mentioned an outrageous talk-show topic and asked you about taste, you replied, "We're not for everyone." Then you paraphrased a comment made by one of your recent guests, Salman Rushdie, about his own persecutors: "The people who would criticize us," you said, "have really never watched our programs."

It was an evasive, unresponsive performance, Phil, and it made me sad.

I'm someone who shares your commitment to the First Amendment and your fundamental mistrust of political bullies who take cheap shots at media instead of tackling the tough issues. My criticisms of daytime talk shows shows I have watched, by the way have avoided simplistic lists of topics. Rather, I've focused on the cynical handling of issues and on the deception and disrespect to which guests (and, by extension, audiences) have been subjected.

I have no objection, for example, to shows that examine with seriousness and humor sexual dysfunction, conflict in relationships of all sorts, homosexuality and a thousand other topics that some people consider inappropriate for television. I even accept the commercial need for shows to be frivolous and maybe a little naughty sometimes.

I'm appalled, however, by shows that book guests on false pretenses and then shock them on the air with something or someone they didn't expect. I object to shows that exploit people who look strange or have peculiar problems. I have serious problems with shows that encourage verbal and sometimes even physical violence between guests.

Let me remind you, Phil, that I've always separated "Donahue" from programs that employ such tactics, and I've defended it (most recently just last week) when it has come under unfair attack. So maybe you can understand why I worry that your silence has made you appear to be a collaborator in the sins of your lesser competitors.

It's possible, of course, that you don't think there's anything wrong with these unconscionable practices, but your own show's avoidance of them suggests ot herwise.

That leaves me to fear that your financial stake in Multimedia Entertainment which distributes "Donahue," the less reputable "Sally Jessy Raphael" and the often inexcusable "Jerry Springer" has compromised your willingness to speak out and, by doing so, maybe make a difference.

Say it ain't so, Phil.

Summary: DEAR PHIL: I'm disappointed not that there's any reason you should care. But you seem to be squandering the chance to exercise moral leadership among your peers, leadership that no one else can provide. "Donahue,"after all, is the undisputed trailblazer of daytime talk. You have enlightened and entertained audiences for 29 years without pandering to them. You have the credibility of someone who has played the game at the highest level with unprecedented


Tuesday, July 11th 2000, 2:13AM

OZ. Tomorrow night at 11 on HBO. 3 1/2 Stars.

Long before HBO's "The Sopranos" became the most attention-getting drama series in the history of cable television, the same network premiered the gritty prison drama "Oz" - and in tomorrow night's fourth-season premiere, "Oz" takes aim at its younger counterpart.

The good-natured slap at "The Sopranos" comes midway through the season opener, when series creator and writer Tom Fontana introduces a new prisoner to Oswald State Correctional Facility. The character, played by Domenick Lombardozzi, is named Ralph Galino, a building contractor serving time because one of his housing projects collapsed and killed two people.

Chucky Pancamo (Chuck Zito), a veteran convict assigned to show the new inmate the ropes, presumes Galino is mobconnected - a presumption Galino quickly corrects.

"No offense, Mr. Pancamo," he says, "but not every Italian-American is mobbed up."

"Is that so?" asks the surly Pancamo.

"Yeah. Most of us live normal, law-abiding lives," Galino continues. "The 'Guido Gangster' is an ugly and unfair stereotype."

One other "Sopranos" connection of note: Edie Falco, who has spent the last two years doubling as prison guard Diane Whittlesey on "Oz" and the much more showy Carmela Soprano on "The Sopranos," is a no-show on the "Oz" season opener. She's been written out, just as other characters - including an undercover cop posing as a new inmate - have been written in.

"Oz," which runs shortened seasons, starts its new run with episode 25 ("The Sopranos" has produced nearly that number in its two seasons to date). We pick up on the action after a two-week lockdown, with tensions high and thirst for revenge even higher.

Written by Fontana and directed by Adam Bernstein, the season opener includes such significant plot twists as Beecher's (Lee Tergesen) turning a new leaf and turning against his tormenter-lover Keller (Christopher Meloni of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"); a return visit to Death Row by wacko killer Shirley Bellinger (Kathryn Erbe); a flirtation with politics by Warden Glynn (Ernie Hudson); and, in a very tense scene, an angry gunman loose in Oz.

That last scene is gripping purely because, with a cast this large and a writer as unpredictable as Fontana, putting a gun in the hands of one of these characters means anything can happen.

Fontana can fire some pretty mean shots with his dialogue, too. Augustus Hill, the paraplegic prisoner played so poetically by Harold Perrineau, addresses the viewer directly to rattle off some fairly rattling statistics.

"Congratulations, America," he says. "This year the prison population has reached an all-time high: 2 million."

He adds, "That's the population of Vienna. That's the population of Houston, Texas. The U.S. of A. has 5% of the world's population, yet it has 25% of the world's prisoners."

The point, like the show's violence, is sudden, and the victims of the violence aren't necessarily those you'd expect. The impact, in both instances, helps establish "Oz" as one of the best drama series around.

On cable or on broadcast TV.

Summary: Long before HBO's "The Sopranos"became the most attention-getting drama series in the history of cable television, the same network premiered the gritty prison drama "Oz"- and in tomorrow night's fourth-season premiere, "Oz"takes aim at its younger counterpart. The good-natured slap at "The Sopranos"comes midway through the season opener, when series creator and writer Tom Fontana introduces a new prisoner to Oswald State Correctional


BY GEORGE RUSH AND JOANNA MOLLOY

Thursday, August 7th 1997, 2:03AM

Random House is defying Priscilla Presley by publishing a book that claims she wasn't a virgin when she married Elvis. The King's widow has already filed a $10 million defamation suit against Currie Grant, a former Elvis acquaintance who has claimed to author Suzanne Finstad that he and Priscilla had sex before her marriage. Nevertheless, Random's Harmony Books has gone to press with Finstad's bio which claims that, by the time she was 15, Priscilla had allegedly had intercourse with Grant.

The book, "Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu," challenges a central tenet of the Church of Elvis. Priscilla's lawyer, Martin Singer, said he had not seen the book, but "based on our investigation of Mr. Grant, he's a totally unreliable source. Priscilla Presley expects to win a judgment against him. We may add additional parties to the lawsuit."

Finstad quotes Grant as claiming that he and Priscilla had sex in a car in Germany while Elvis was in the Army. Finstad also reports Priscilla's denial and her claim that Grant did try to force himself on her several times, without success.

A spokeswoman for Random House said the book was published after a thorough vetting by the publisher's lawyers, who were aware of Priscilla's lawsuit.

Singer said Priscilla "will be vindicated in the courts."

It was a dark and stormy night at the launch for Barbara Walters' new daytime show, "The View." Walters looked at the sky and said, "I'm afraid this is God's way of saying, `Let's keep "Caryl and Marilyn" on.' " That would be the show Walters and her teammates are replacing with a full-court press.

Telejournalists Meredith Vieira and Star Jones, radio comic Joy Behar and newcomer Debbie Matenopoulos gathered round the capa di tutti capi of female journalists at the launch, and the chemistry was apparent. "One week after our audition," said Jones, "we went to Bermuda together."

Walters told us she's going to have to change her lifestyle to work both daytime and nighttime TV. "I know I can't go out every night of the week," she said. The show, featuring kitchen-table discussions of news of the day and celebrity interviews, follows Rosie O'Donnell starting Monday. Not home at 11? Tape it, sister.

Matt Dillon and Cameron Diaz won't have to fake the chemistry if they take the leads in the movie "She Kills Me" they've got the real thing.

And it will be an easy commute: Director Peter Bogdanovich will shoot the romantic comedy entirely on New York locations starting in October. "She Kills Me" is about a hit woman who falls for the guy she was hired to knock off not knowing he's her intended target. The consummately cute couple has just been offered the roles by Omega Films.

Jack Cooke has a lucky touch. When the legendary club manager was running Webster Hall, he found hundreds of $20 and $50 bills from the 1920s stuffed in the mirrored ball in the ceiling. He's now renovating the late, great El Morocco at 54th and Second for new owner Des Wootten, the Irish nightclub proprietor. Cooke's found hundreds of classic photos taken inside the club in its heyday.

"I've got Jack Kennedy with Peter Lawford," said Cooke. "And Joe DiMaggio and Jackie Gleason drinking together, where DiMaggio looks like a teenager and Gleason is skinny. And I've got Liz Taylor with a bunch of husbands." Wootten opens his new club in late September.

Mike Tyson's one-year suspension couldn't come at a better time. His wife, Dr. Monica Turner, had a baby boy Tuesday morning in Washington. Tyson's first son is a heavyweight: The infant came in at a pre-fight weight of 9 pounds, 10 ounces. Mike's tyke has a sister, Rayna, and a half-sister, Mickey . . .

Brad Pitt, talking projects with a pal over brunch at Ye Waverly Inn. Even without Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt is doing well for himself. He recently was offered $3.5 million to replace James Dean in ads for Japan's Edwin Jeans . . .

The Versace family is moving on after the designer's death. Gianni Versace's neighbor David Granoff and others who sent condolences to his siblings have already received thank-you notes on heavy cream Pettinaroli stock. "Heartfelt thanks," read the notes, "for everything that you've done. Santo and Donatella." . . .

Don Rickles wasn't himself the other night at Morton's of Chicago on E. 45th St. Everybody at the restaurant said that the grizzly comedian behaved like an absolute . . . cream-puff. Maybe he's happy after unloading the Beverly Hills mansion where he and wife Barbara have lived for 26 years for almost $3.8 million.

Plenty of people can blow a hundred bucks at a Hamptons bar. So why not blow it the way of a Hell's Kitchen church at the same time? There will be a huge barbecue on the deck put on by three chefs, live music and an open bar at Starr Boggs' on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach this Sunday afternoon to benefit Manhattan's Holy Cross Church and School. Holy Cross is across 42d St. from the Port Authority bus terminal, serving the area from Times Square to the river. Children at the school 50% of whom are non-Catholic speak a total of 16 languages, face a rough neighborhood and aren't exactly trust-fund babies. The pastor of Holy Cross, the Rev. Pete Colapietro you may have heard him singing Brecht at Elaine's will be one of the chefs. One of the city's worthiest causes, and it should be a good time. If you can't make it, tax-deductable donations can be sent to the school at 329 W. 42d St.


1/11/2007 3:13 PM PST by TMZ Staff

Actress Tara Reid is currently in Australia making paid appearances, and found time to stop by Sea World for a dip with local fish.Sea World normally does not permit dolphins and whales to frolic in the same tank, but it appears that this park has made an exception.It is unknown whether any animals were harmed in the making of this picture.

Tags: Train Wrecks, Paparazzi Photo, Tara Reid

Summary: Actress Tara Reid is currently in Australia making paid appearances, and found time to stop by Sea World for a dip with local fish. Sea World normally…


Seven weeks ago, eight nervous, formerly homeless people were getting to know four shy little dogs in a novel city program aimed at seeing if they could all get along and help each other.

Friday the verdict was in.

It was told with tears, smiles and lots of happy barks.

The participants were all "graduated" from the city's first class of Wonderful Opportunities for Occupants and Fidos (Woof) in a lunchtime ceremony - and judging by the loving way the humans held on to the critters and the critters nuzzled their humans, the program was a success.

"When you've been homeless, you feel like you have a scarlet H on your chest," graduate Eric Wightman, 46, said as he petted Chula, a 2-year-old Chihuahua mix. "But taking care of Chula - it's done as much for me as it did for her. Being in this program really shows me I can get back there in normal society."

The goal of Woof was to train formerly homeless people on how to turn shelter dogs into placid pups ready for adoption. The program was conceived by Bevan Dufty, Mayor Ed Lee's point person on homelessness, to give supportive housing residents a way to make a little money - $50 to $75 a week- and feel so engaged they won't be tempted to panhandle.

Wightman helped transform Chula from an attention-starved stray into an affectionate little pooch. And Chula helped transform Wightman from a man who was too embarrassed to get help for his teeth - damaged from street heroin before he cleaned up six years ago - into next week's dental patient.

"I'm going to get my teeth done, and then I'm going to start volunteering at the city's animal shelter and hopefully someday get a job working with animals," Wightman said, beaming.

The graduation was held before 60 animal advocates and other Woof admirers in a conference room at Julian and Raye Richardson Apartments on Fulton Street, run by Community Housing Partnership. All the graduates live in housing partnership buildings.

Woof and its staff of professional trainers was funded by a $10,000 grant, and now Dufty hopes to raise similar money to conduct a second Woof class. Meanwhile, two graduates will keep their dogs, and the other two pooches will be adopted out from the city animal shelter.

The idea initially drew scorn from some including one animal rights group, but on Friday Animal Care and Control Director Rebecca Katz, the county's interim sheriff and others said any fears of trouble for the dogs were unfounded.

"Just look at these individuals and these dogs today - each one, you can see how this program changed them," said Dufty, who was master of ceremonies at the graduation.

"We'd really love to expand this program," said Katz. "We think it could benefit a lot of people."

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kfagan@sfchronicle.com

Summary: The participants were all "graduated" from the city's first class of Wonderful Opportunities for Occupants and Fidos (Woof) in a lunchtime ceremony - and judging by the loving way the humans held on to the critters and the critters nuzzled their humans, the program was a success.  The goal of Woof was to train formerly homeless people on how to turn shelter dogs into placid pups ready for adoption.  The program was conceived by Bevan Dufty, Mayor Ed Lee's point person on homelessness, to give supportive housing residents a way to make a little money - $50 to $75 a week- and feel so engaged they won't be tempted to panhandle.  Wightman helped transform Chula from an attention-starved stray into an affectionate little pooch.  [...] Chula helped transform Wightman from a man who was too embarrassed to get help for his teeth - damaged from street heroin before he cleaned up six years ago - into next week's dental patient.


Stock indexes suffered a third straight decline after retailers issued weak profit forecasts and more applicants sought unemployment benefits. Investors also worry that political leaders may not reach a deal to head off tax increases and government spending cuts that take effect Jan. 1, which could send the country back into

This is an article preview. The full story is available to BostonGlobe.com subscribers.

Summary: Stock indexes suffered a third straight decline after retailers issued weak profit forecasts and more applicants sought unemployment benefits. Investors also worry that political leaders may not reach a deal to head off tax increases and government spending cuts that take effect Jan. 1, which could send the country back into recession.


The bands and the floats and the balloons come marching down Broadway in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

WORLDLY FILM. Journey through Nigeria, Germany, France, Congo and other countries at the “Film Voyagers” program. Bring the family to enjoy these animated films from around the world geared toward young audiences. Get cozy and enjoy some organic popcorn. Subtitles will be read aloud by professional actors. 10 a.m. $8. Maysles Cinema, 343 Malcolm X Blvd., at W. 127th St. (212) 582-6050.

MAGIC MAN. Experience an interactive and uplifting performance by Mario the Magician in his “One Man Magic Show.” Join Mario, an artist turned inventor, as he puts on a theatrical show with a modern spin inspired by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. His part-retro, part-rock ’n’ roll act features his own hand-made props and tricks sure to dazzle the crowd. 3-4 p.m. $10-$20. Space on White, 81 White St. (917) 605-0662.

FLIGHT PLAN. Ever wonder how a modern aircraft is built? See for yourself at the 3D Theater Event Presentation of “Legends of Flight.” Get an inside look at the first public flights of the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787. See how these astonishing planes soar effortlessly through the sky with a behind-the-scenes look that will take you high above the clouds. 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. $3-$6. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Queens. (718) 699-0005.

A LIFE’S WORK IN PICTURES. Staten Island OutLOUD continues its “Big Read” series on the Vietnam experience with an exploration of the life and work of Dickey Chapelle, a pioneering female combat photographer who was killed in Vietnam in 1965. 3 p.m. Free. Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island. (718) 816-4506.

FEEL THE NOISE. New York heavy rock band A Place to Bury Strangers will perform songs from their latest album. Psychedelic meets experimental rock as the trio trio tries to get ear-shatteringly loud during each performance. Don’t let the high volume fool you — the lyrics are filled with longing and heartbreak. 8 p.m. $15. Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (212) 533-2111.

CAN YOU DIG IT? Discover an assortment of archeological treasures from below subway tunnels at the Junior Engineer: Dig It event. Bring your little miners to dig up artifacts from the makeshift excavation site while working together with the Transit Museum’s educators. 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn. (718) 694-1792.

HOEDOWN HEAVEN. Join NYC’s premier bluegrass band for all ages at Astrograss’ Old-Fashioned, New-Fangled Thanksgiving Family Hoedown. A mix of authentic bluegrass and upbeat humor, the original songs of the band are the perfect way to welcome in the holiday season. Astrograss tunes cover everything from Thanksgiving eats to American history, animals, other holiday meals and table manners. Be sure to take part in one of Astrograss’ famous dance contests. 2-3 p.m. $10. The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St. (212) 533-7237.

TALL TALES. Whether you are bringing your little ones or channeling your own inner child, spend Sunday at Storytime in Mr. Morgan’s Library. Enjoy classic Beatrix Potter tales about Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Tom Kitten. Be sure to stay around for a viewing of “Beatrix Potter: The Picture Letters.” 11:30 a.m. Free. 225 Madison Ave., at E. 36th St. (212) 685-0008.

Summary: WORLDLY FILM.  Journey through Nigeria, Germany, France, Congo and other countries at the “Film Voyagers” program. Bring the family to enjoy these animated films from around the world geared toward young audiences. 10 a.m. $8. Maysles Cinema, 343 Malcolm X Blvd., at W. 127th St. (212) 582-6050.


EARLY LAST CENTURY, a wealthy philanthropist had an idea: build affordable housing for the inner-city poor in suburban central Queens. Things did not work out exactly as Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage envisioned. These days, Forest Hills Gardens stands prominently as one of the borough's wealthiest and most exclusive neighborhoods. "Margaret Sage's idea was to put up moderate-cost housing for the urban poor, where they could live in a suburban setting," said Jeff Gottlieb, a historian and president of the Central Queens Historical Association. "She envisioned a planned community like ones that were being built all over England.

" As he spoke, Gottlieb stood on the steps of the Forest Hills Long Island Rail Road station that overlooks the cobblestones of Station Square, at the intersection of Continental Ave. and Burns St. He stood looking down on Station Square, where on Independence Day in 1917, Teddy Roosevelt addressed a crowd of 3,000. The arched trestle that carries the LIRR tracks over Continental Ave. marks the entrance to the square, which in turn is the entrance to Forest Hills Gardens. Residents and neighbors call the area simply "the Gardens.

" "People think of Forest Hills Gardens as resembling an English village," said Gottlieb. "That's true of the homes, but not of the square itself.

" Pointing across toward the former Forest Hills Inn, he said that this building and its neighbors, with their steeply sloping tiled roofs, designed by architect Grosvenor Atterbury, were more typical of southern Germany than of England. "Atterbury was in Germany when he decided to take on the assignment," the historian explained. Today at 2 p.

m., Gottlieb will begin a three-hour walking tour in the square, and will then show off the million-dollar homes and carefully tended gardens and manicured lawns along the tree-lined streets of this quietly upscale residential community. Over the years, numerous celebrities have called Forest Hills Gardens home. Some of the famous, or even infamous, who have lived here include: R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome; Trygvie Lee, the first secretary general of the UN; Michael Miranda, a Mafia chieftain who got caught up in the Appalachian Conference raid and the Albert Anastasia barber-chair assassination plot, and Dale Carnegie, best-selling author of "How to Win Friends and Influence People.

" Geraldine Ferraro, former congresswoman and Democratic vice presidential candidate, is one of the enclave's most prominent long-time residents. "The streets were purposefully designed to be narrow and winding, to discourage heavy traffic from passing through the Gardens," Gottlieb said. "The square once was the center of Forest Hills. The post office was here, and the library.

" During the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s, the center slowly moved north - first to Austin St., on the other side of the railroad berm from the square and now a toney shopping mecca, then to Queens Blvd. and beyond. These days, Station Square is an enclosed cobblestoned area lined with shops and restaurants on three sides and on the fourth side by the station, where since 1910, LIRR trains have stopped to pick up and drop off residents and visitors commuting to and from Manhattan and points farther east on Long Island. With the additional availability of the E, F, G and R lines, which stop at the IND subway station two blocks from Station Square at Queens Blvd. and Continental Ave., plentiful and rapid transit has been a plus in making the Gardens a popular area. "The square is a very rare example of an open space that is very European," said Barbara McGregor, president of Friends of Station Square. McGregor's group is wrapping up a $100,000 fund-raising effort to landscape and maintain the area around the station. In June, the LIRR completed a 2 1/2-year renovation of the station, restoring it to its original 1910 condition, and adding such amenities as ramps to the east and west platforms for the disabled. For such an exclusive neighborhood, Forest Hills had rather humble roots. In the early part of the 17th century and for most of its existence, the area was known as Whiteput, meaning wide pit. The name had its origins in the language of the Dutch, who settled the area. Whiteput lay within the eastern boundaries of the Dutch settlement of Middleburgh. When the English took over the area in the latter part of the 17th century, they established Queens County. They changed the name of Middleburgh to Hastings and then to Newtown. The name Whiteput was changed to Whitepot. It remained mostly a farming area throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. Then in 1906, real estate developer Cord Meyer, who had already erected the renamed Elmhurst on top of the former Newtown, purchased 600 acres farther east. EMPLOYING A popular Realtor's trick, Meyer renamed humble Whitepot to the far classier-sounding Forest Hills. Two years later, he sold 142 acres of Forest Hills land to the Russell Sage Foundation, which the widow of Russell Sage, a quiet financier who funded schemes by Jay Gould and died leaving a fortune of about $70 million, had founded the year before to foster social work among the poor. But the price the foundation paid for the land and the cost of brick construction pushed up rents - slamming the door on many of the low-income working class residents Sage had foreseen living there. In 1923, the Forest Hills Gardens Corp., a membership corporation, purchased Forest Hills Gardens stock from the Russell Sage Homes Foundation.


Renovation Raiders 9 p.m., HGTV

Here’s the gimmick on this new series: Homeowners innocently go out for dinner. While they’re away, contractor Amy Matthews (pictured) and her crew spring into action and renovate one of their rooms. Matthews has already cased the joint and mocked up the job. It sounds an awful lot like TLC’s “While You Were Out” because, well, it is. Every reality show, from “American Idol” to “Pawn Stars,” has a duplicate or two out there.

National Spelling Bee 8 p.m., ESPN

Prepare to have your nerves wracked. ESPN is airing the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, which is A-W-E-S-O-M-E and C-U-T-E. The contest will feature 281 spellers between the ages of 8 to 14, with only one 8-year-old. Nearly 90 percent of them are between 12 and 14. The winner takes home $30,000, a trophy, and a whole lot of G-L-O-R-Y. Pictured: 2012 winner Snigdha Nandipati, 14, of San Diego.

Save Me 8 p.m., NBC

What does he call a Jacuzzi? A crock pot.

Does Someone Have to Go? 9 p.m., Fox

The next gas station is coming up soon.

Summary: Renovation Raiders 9 p.m., HGTV Here’s the gimmick on this new series: Homeowners innocently go out for dinner. While they’re away, contractor Amy Matthews and her crew spring into action and renovate one of their rooms. Matthews has already cased the joint and mocked up the job. It sounds an awful lot like TLC’s “While You Were Out” because, well, it is.   National Spelling Bee 8 p.m., ESPN Prepare to have your nerves wracked. ESPN is airing the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, which is A-W-E-S-O-M-E and C-U-T-E. The contest will feature 281 spellers between the ages of 8 to 14, with only one 8-year-old. Nearly 90 percent of them are between 12 and 14.


The Money Pros are standing by to take your questions.

Q. Can I do a short sale even if I am not at risk of foreclosure?

A. Yes. A short sale proceeds just like any other home sale, with one exception: the seller needs approval from the bank holding the mortgage to complete the transaction.

Sellers who are underwater, because they owe more to the bank than their house is worth, or simply won't net enough from the sale to pay off all the closing expenses, can request that their bank take less than the amount owed.

It is up to the bank to make the ultimate decision to agree on the sale and allow the deal to close.

While it's common that sellers requesting a short sale are in arrears on their mortgage, it's not necessary.

In fact, there is an advantage now in remaining current on your payments.

Effective June 1, 2012, the credit bureaus have announced that they intend to report short sales by borrowers otherwise current on their mortgage obligations as being neutral on the credit report.

That means that the borrower's credit score won't be adversely affected, provided they have been current on their mortgage payments in the last 12 months. It remains to be seen if the credit bureaus will proceed with this announcement, but if they do, it will be a big advantage to homeowners stuck in underwater situations.

Remember, a short sale isn't for everyone. If you have equity in your home, but like everyone else the home has merely declined in value, you wouldn't want to do a short sale.

And if you have been late on your mortgage, the short sale will have further impact on your credit score, making it harder to get a loan in the future.

And finally, be sure to use a lawyer familiar with the process to ensure that there is no deficiency judgment remaining after the short sale that will leave you still owing the bank money even after the sale is done!

Jerry Feeney is a residential real estate lawyer in New York City and co-host of the weekly radio show Eye On Real Estate on WOR710 AM Saturdays at 10 a.m.

Do you have a question for the Money Pros? Send it to Phyllis Furman at pfurman@nydailynews.com.

Summary: Effective June, 1, homeowners who keep up with their mortgage payments, will not get dinged on their credit reports when they do a short sale.


Welcome to Disneyland ... St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. Photograph: Cpl Russ Nolan Rlc/PA

Happy 450th birthday to Russia's national symbol, St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square – and it's a good time to step back and consider what a fantastically, psychedelically bizarre symbol it is. That's not a cathedral, it's a fairytale palace made of sweets! It's a stage set for The Nutcracker!

It was particularly hilarious during the cold war. There was Khrushchev or Brezhnev gazing on sternly from a Kremlin balcony at the synchronised marching and Soviet military hardware scrolling past below, but the whole deadly solemn communist pomp was undercut by that garish chunk of Disneyland architecture sitting in the corner, screaming "yoo hoo!". St Basil's was like a clown's nose on the face of the evil empire.

No wonder Stalin wanted to destroy it. He succeeded with other Moscow churches, such as the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which was rebuilt in 1990, but his order to demolish St Basil's was fortunately thwarted by a conservation architect named Pyotr Baranovsky. According to the legend, Baranovsky sent Stalin a telegram saying he would rather kill himself. He got five years in the gulag for his troubles. St Basil's also offended Napoleon's architectural sensibilities a century earlier. Having stabled his horses in it, he then tried to dynamite it on his way out of Russia, but rain put out the fuses.

Was it St Basil's symbolic power that led to its persecution, or simply its comedy aesthetics? Even without the garish candy colour scheme (it was originally white), it's an odd-looking pile-up of onion domes, polygonal towers, blank arches and sharp spires and extremes of architectural vocabulary. Little is known about its architect, Postnik Yakovlev. Perhaps he was a children's entertainer whom Ivan the Terrible enlisted in a rare moment of levity. Ivan's predecessor, Ivan III, had imported an Italian Renaissance architect, Aristotele Fioravanti, to design his Cathedral of the Dormition at the Kremlin (not that it really shows), but historians have scrabbled around to find a precedent for St Basil's.

Despite appearances, St Basil's is actually pretty orderly, especially if you look at it on plan. It is one central church surrounded by a symmetrical star of eight chapels, four major and four minor, aligned to the points of the compass. What ruins the order is the irregular shape of the central church, and the addition of a ninth chapel, built for St Basil himself – a holy fool who apparently wore no clothes and championed the poor. Ivan the Terrible allegedly carried his coffin.

It is a religious building, after all. It is said to have been inspired by Jerusalem, both the abstract and the literal. Perhaps it was a sort of optical illusion of "the kingdom of heaven", the post-apocalypse New Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelation as well as an approximation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, according to travellers' accounts. Either that, or someone put something in the architect's unleavened bread.

The Christian significance is all but lost today. St Basil's is now a building that belongs inside snow globes, on T-shirts, commemorative plates, and in Hollywood spy movies as a quick signifier of "Moscow". Perhaps its garishness fits better with today's oligarch-stuffed, ostentatious Russia than it has done with previous eras. Could it have influenced the likes of Gaudi, or even Gehry? Whichever way you look at it, take a good look at it: St Basil's is the craziest national monument around.

Summary: Steve Rose: As the Red Square icon turns 450, let's join the Google doodle and celebrate the crazy architecture of this comical creation


Like any chief executive officer anywhere, to succeed as a leader in China, “you need a big vision, to see things before others see them, the ability to inspire and capacity to overcome obstacles,” said Shanghai-based Chinese businessman Bobby Weng, founder and CEO of ChinaWOW, a consultancy that operates mobile applications and web platforms primarily for travel companies.

But that’s only part of the picture. Weng points to Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba.com, as an inspiration for successful leadership in China. Ma’s tenets: Chinese wisdom, western management style and global vision. While the last two are natural for most western CEOs, the added element of Chinese wisdom is harder to grasp for outsiders. Simply put, it relates to measured insight and loyalty.

Weng advises Western executives to ease their way, first by finding a good local business counterpart who can serve as a sort of guide sounding board for appropriate leadership style and local knowledge.

“If you are a corporate executive, find a partner within the company,” Weng said. “Too many businesses have failed here because western leaders tend to surround themselves with expatriate (workers) instead of local experts.”

Some recent high-profile business failures illustrate this short-sightedness. Supermarket giant Tesco, for instance, recently merged with Chinese state-owned Vanguard, and the Tesco name looks likely to disappear after, among other problems, the UK based chain wrongly assumed that its club card loyalty scheme would appeal to Chinese customers.

Meanwhile, by contrast, American fast-food chain KFC has enjoyed a meteoric rise and now dominates the market thanks to its Chinese menus. Those menus and its strategy were carefully thought out with local partners in order to attract domestic consumers at an optimum price point. With countless low-cost Chinese fast food outlets to rival its offering in most shopping malls and streets, KFC executives realised the chain needed an alternative and opted for selling traditional zhou rice porridge as a breakfast option. That helped solidify KFC as a firm choice among locals.

As important, or perhaps moreso, for a western CEO to succeed in China, it’s crucial to assess the competition in a way that goes beyond traditional competitive analysis of, say, product availability and employment practises. There’s also the problem of protecting intellectual-property rights. While national laws are becoming tougher, underlined by the establishment of IP courts and patent offices in new business hub, Sino-Singapore-Guangzhou Knowledge City, experts suggest there remains a very tangible risk Chinese competitors may breach protocol, regardless of contracts or laws.

Simon Pan, founder and CEO of web platform Best Food in China said it is important to ask some key questions. “Would you have an unparalleled edge against your competitors? Would you be comfortable and confident enough in your products or services to maintain the excellence at an affordable price and not be swamped by quick-learning local competitors?” he said. “The domestic Chinese market is vast, and competition is stronger here than almost anywhere else in the world.”

Of course, getting into the country and getting yourself established is one thing. Forging ahead is another. Given the pitfalls of maintaining operations in China, persistence is key to leading a successful business, Pan said. This is particularly critical in China due to the sheer number of rival firms.

“There’s something to be said for surviving until all your significant competitors have failed or given up,” Pan said. “We say that you’re an expert after three years, a master after five and a genius after 10.”

Some of that mastery comes from being flexible amid persistence.

“You cannot be stubborn,” said Pan, adding that Chinese people are known for their flexibility. “You have to learn very quickly and abandon methods or products that prove unworkable in the local market.”

For instance, US do-it-yourself company, Home Depot’s 2006 entry into the China market floundered due to lack of interest in home improvements in China. The ready availability of cheap, casual labour means few Chinese people ever consider doing DIY. On discovering this, Home Depot did little to adapt to the market.

A leader for the people

Foreign CEOs might be proud of their soft skills and management training and tend to focus on how they get tangible solutions and results. But, Chinese bosses within State-Owned Enterprises often don’t appreciate the value or benefit of working under a good boss or mentoring of a smart and nuanced leader, said Brian Sun, marketing director at global executive search firm Glasford International in Shanghai.

“Chinese bosses like to see certificates and diplomas,” he said. “In the state sector, traditional hierarchies still operate.”

But that doesn’t mean a CEO needs to be stiff and academic. One less tangible, but important personality and CEO-style trait does stand out for success as a CEO in China: be someone who “loves to be a people’s person,” said Sun. He points to Wang Shi, of Chinese real estate Vanke as a model. Like Ma of Alibaba, Shi is a vocal spokesperson for his company, appearing frequently in the press.

That sort of openness, not the carefully orchestrated CEO comments or appearances most Western CEOs are more comfortable with, can serve to endear a Chinese business leader to a vast public. In an era of constant social media and updates via Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) and the WeiXin chat platform, familiarity with once-distant public figures is now commonplace and popular.

If you can combine approachability, sharp business acumen and adaptability, being an executive in China will be as rewarding as it is challenging.

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, head over to our Facebook page or message us onTwitter.

Coming next week:The best ways to set up your businessNavigating China’s Silicon ValleyHow to get hired for top jobs in China

Summary: Foreign leaders take note: to succeed in China, you need more than just big ideas. Itâs time to embrace Chinese-style wisdom and a warmer demeanor.


You can now read 10 articles each month for free on BostonGlobe.com.

As of March 1, the company had a total of 1,496 stores.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. tumbled the most in three months after it warned first-quarter profit will fall short of estimates. This week it reported net income of $333.3 million for the fourth quarter, versus $373.9 million a year earlier. Net sales fell 5.8 percent to $3.2 billion. Like other retailers, the home-goods chain laid some of the blame on a harsh winter that kept customers home. It expects earnings to increase by a mid-single digit percentage for all of fiscal 2014.

© 2014 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC

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Summary: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. tumbled the most in three months after it warned first-quarter profit will fall short of estimates. This week it reported net earnings of $333.3 million for the fourth quarter, versus $373.9 million a year earlier. Net sales fell 5.8 percent to $3.2 billion. Like other retailers, the home-goods chain laid some of the blame on a harsh winter that kept customers home. It expects net earnings to increase by a mid-single digit percentage for all of fiscal 2014.


05/16/2014 at 05:00 PM EDT

Brittney Griner's basketball skills took her to the top of her sport, helping her college team win a national championship at Baylor and becoming the No. 1 pick of the Phoenix Mercury in the 2013 WNBA draft.

But as a gay woman, she also felt burdened by a policy written into the student handbook at her private Christian university, which banned homosexual behavior and advocacy for LGBT issues, she tells PEOPLE exclusively for a

who discuss their decision to play and live openly. Watch a video of all the athletes below.

"I definitely wasn't hiding who I was at Baylor," she says. "It was never an issue to feel rejected by my teammates. They were definitely understanding and welcoming with me being who I am. The coaches were, too."

But after being out to friends and family at home in Houston from the age of 15, Griner, now, 23, says the school's official stance – which she didn't discover until the start of her sophomore year – caused tension, especially when a coach called Griner into her office after she sent a Tweet to her then-girlfriend.

"Other players, they can go out on Valentine's Day with their boyfriends and it'd be no problem," she says. "I go out with my girlfriend, I'm getting a phone call, 'Brittney, what were you doing on Valentine's Day?' I had to take my Tweet down. I was like, why do I have to take my Tweet down when my teammates don't have to take theirs down?"

"It definitely felt like there was a double standard."

After deciding to go public with the 2013 WNBA draft, and in a new memoir,

, Griner says she's put her suppressed identity behind her.

"People tell me I'm going to break the barrier and trailblaze. I just kind of look at it like, I'm just trying to help out, I'm just trying to make it where it's not as tough for the next generation."

She also hopes someday to help reverse the policy at Baylor, a school she still loves. "To break something, we have to bring it up, we have to get it out there, and eventually the topic will start to become more of a conversation," she says.

Summary: Last year's No. 1 draft pick hopes to inspire others after playing for a college that opposes LGBT rights


In honor of International Museum Day, we collected the five best museum heists in history. Just thank your lucky stars you weren’t a museum director during any of these thefts.

1) The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The United States: On March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as Boston Police officers demanded entrance to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. They told the guard on patrol that they were responding to a disturbance, then drew him away from the alarm button and asked him to call his partner. The thieves then handcuffed both of them and threw them in the basement, where they duct-taped their hands and feet to pipes.

The bandits then stole around $500 million worth of priceless art, the largest art heist in history. Priceless works like Vermeer’s The Concert, Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee, and Manet’s Chez Tortoni were taken, never to be found again. Empty frames currently hang in some rooms of the Gardner museum where the paintings originally hung, and tourists visit to see the scene of the crime.

2) The Stockholm Museum, Sweden: Armed burglars stole $30 million worth of art by Renoir and Rembrandt from the Stockholm Museum on December 22, 2000. They staged two car explosions nearby to distract police, then a gunman with a semiautomatic terrorized the museum while his accomplishes grabbed a Rembrandt self-portrait and two Renoirs. Then the thieves escaped in a small boat.

3) The Kunstahl Museum, The Netherlands: Romanian gang members stole seven paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Gaugin and Monet in under three minutes from the Kunhstahl Museum in Rotterdam on October 16, 2012. The thieves got away with the artworks, worth more than $24 million, even though they tripped the small museum’s alarm system — probably because the small museum had no guards.

Last year, the mother of one of the alleged thieves claimed to have burned the paintings, perhaps to protect her son from prosecution. Olga Dogaru’s son was the alleged ringleader of the heist, and his and his accomplices had already been arrested. Dogaru first buried the paintings in different locations, then burned them so the police could never find them. The two thieves have been sentenced to 6-8 years in prison.

4) National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico: Robbers stole 140 precious objects from Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology on Christmas Eve, 1985, in the largest heist of pre-Colombian objects in history. The bandits picked a sleepy time when they knew the guards would be distracted by holiday cheer, and grabbed several gold, turquoise, and jade objects, as well as an obsidian monkey-shaped-vase worth over $20 million. Most of the stolen objects were very small and easy to transport, making them especially difficult to track down.

5) The Louvre, France: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is now the most famous painting in the Louvre, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, getting stolen might have been the best thing that ever happened to this tiny Renaissance portrait. On August 21, 1911, three Italian handymen hid in a supply closet overnight in order to sneak into the museum and steal the Mona Lisa. One of them, Vincenzo Perugia, was the man who had installed the protective glass over the Mona Lisa in the first place. The theft was all over the French newspapers, since many people feared that German or American businessmen were buying up all the good art from their museums. The painting became so famous that he couldn’t sell it without getting caught. So he hid it in the false bottom of his trunk until over two years later, when he finally tried to sell the painting. Of course, the police showed up, Perugia was arrested, and the painting was returned, more famous than ever.

Summary: Talk about a sinking feeling in your stomach


Immediate believability is one of Fred Armisen’s strong suits. So when the actor, comedian, and musician took up his post this past week as leader of the 8G Band on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” there was barely any disbelief to suspend, he looked right at home.

It’s fun to see Armisen back in a rock context (indie-rock fogeys may remember him as the drummer of Trenchmouth in the early ’90s). Scrubbing out the lead guitar part of the nondescript post-punking “Late Night” theme and tucked in among his 8G bandmates, you might not realize Armisen is the guy in charge until he hoists up his guitar to cue the ending.

Like Johnny’s Doc, Dave’s Paul, Conan’s Max (or his current Jimmy), and Jimmy’s Quest, Seth’s Fred makes for an endearing sidekick, effectively volleying gags and easing Meyers’s transition into interview mode. As on his cult-hit sketch comedy show with Carrie Brownstein, “Portlandia,” Fred’s Fred isn’t just a character, he’s also a character.

Comedically, Armisen is the anti-Jim Carrey, trading prat falls and contortions for a barely-there offness that’s too sunny to be rightly called deadpan. His exchanges with Meyers have been delightfully absurd (plugging a proposed self-help book in which every other word is blank, or a History Channel show that puts a historical spin on “the past hour or so”). Being himself almost always means being someone else; that his ever-present smile could as easily be read as a show of a jolly temperament as a sinister guise somehow only makes him more likable.

Which is a good thing since Armisen’s job inside the show is boosting his profile outside of it. In addition to the fourth season of “Portlandia” (which just returned to Thursdays on IFC this week), Armisen is also releasing a series of 7-inch vinyl singles from his long resume of fake bands from “Saturday Night Live,” including the belovedly dowdy Blue Jean Committee (“Massachusetts Afternoon,” anybody?). And while his commitments elsewhere may make his presence on “Late Night” a little spotty (may I suggest drummer Kim Thompson as a natural fill-in?), for now Armisen looks perfectly at ease playing his original character — the guy cracking up the rest of the band.

Summary: Immediate believability is one of Fred Armisen’s strong suits. So when the actor, comedian, and musician took up his post this past week as leader of the 8G Band on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” there was barely any disbelief to suspend, he looked right at home.  Like Johnny’s Doc, Dave’s Paul, Conan’s Max (or his current Jimmy), and Jimmy’s Quest, Seth’s Fred makes for an endearing sidekick, effectively volleying gags back and forth with the host post-monologue and easing his transition into interview mode. Unlike those bandleaders, though, and as on his cult-hit sketch comedy show with Carrie Brownstein “Portlandia” (which returned to Thursdays on IFC this week), Fred’s Fred isn’t just a character, he’s a character.


ALLSTON — The cover of the debut record by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is an illustration of five abstractly humanoid figures writhing playfully as they acrobatically climb over one other, seeming to float in the air. The image on the band’s latest release is a photograph of its slouching frontman, glimpsed only partially, as his much-larger shadow looms eerily on the wall behind him.

This progression of iconography reflects the evolution of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, which emerged in 2005 as a five-piece whose improbable indie success implied a path around the misfiring mechanisms of the music business. With the release this month of its fourth album, “Only Run,” the group is unveiled finally as the passion project of frontman Alec Ounsworth, who seems on a continual mission to escape the shadow of the expectations that accompanied his band’s earlier success.

“To me, there are honest records and then there are dishonest records, and you can kind of distinguish one from the other,” Ounsworth says in a phone interview from his business office. “You can hear when people are trying to play the game, and to fit a certain trend. I don't really like those types of records.”

The group’s eponymous, self-released debut sold tens of thousands of copies before the band had even signed with a distributor, barreling forward on the strength of its peppy but off-kilter rock energy and the enthusiastic endorsement of fandom’s then-emerging online hyposphere.

A more sonically ambitious follow-up made a smaller impact, and was followed by a four-year break that saw Ounsworth release two solo albums. The group’s third album, “Hysterical,” could have been seen as a return to form by some diehards, but also felt like a one-foot-in, one-foot-out gesture toward the careening energy of the debut.

“It was about how we can make this sound a little bit like the first record without sounding entirely like the first record,” Ounsworth confides. “So it kind of messed me up in the head. I think there are a lot of good songs on it, but at the same time I think it was a bit of a compromise. And I don't like to compromise. I also don't particularly like to look back. Just because a lot of people like something, it doesn’t mean that's what I think defines me.”

Since that 2011 release, three of the band’s original members have moved on, leaving only Ounsworth and drummer Sean Greenhalgh. Ounsworth describes the latter’s contribution to the new album as “some drums, and some synth loops that support in a peripheral way.” Nowadays, he’s touring under the band’s name with a group of choice sidemen he describes as “an ever-changing cast.” The newly constituted group plays Brighton Music Hall on Wednesday.

Personnel changes aside, the first-blush impression made by “Only Run” is its preponderance of synthesizers and relative shortage of guitar on some tracks. But Ounsworth is quick to highlight the stylistic continuity with even some of the fan-favorite tracks from the group’s debut (like “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth”), which indeed have hazy synths swirling around the mix. And a song like the new album’s title track does achieve the dramatic sweep and moody momentum of some catalog favorites, even if it gets there with help from different tools.

“I think a lot of people have this bizarre misconception that because there aren’t as many guitars on it, that it's a change of direction, but that's really an oversimplification of everything,” Ounsworth says. “Radiohead seems to get away with it without being turned into an electro-pop project, somehow.”

Though his comments often seem to have an edge to them when viewed in print (or pixels), in the context of a longer conversation they seem the outgrowth of Ounsworth’s genuine discomfort with describing or categorizing his music. And the kind of artistic freedom he displays on the new album is hard-won: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has self-released all four of its records, though there was a time when more-lucrative options must have been on the table.

“He has a very specific vision for a lot of these works,” says touring bassist Matt Wong. “At the end of the day they're his songs, and I think people relate to those songs, whatever he chooses to release it as.”

Earlier this year, Ounsworth played a series of intimate living-room concerts, featuring material from across his six albums. He says the experience bolstered his sense of optimism around the essential act of creating and sharing his music.

“Since everything quote-unquote blew up, I've been trying to get back to this connection with people,” he says. “I think a lot of people kind of get the wrong idea. I didn’t release the first album so I could get onstage and run around the world or anything like that; I released it because I felt I needed to do that. It wasn’t even necessarily because I thought I needed to have a career in music. I made the record for next to nothing because I believed in it. I can keep doing that.”

Summary: Jeremy D. Goodwin interviews Alec Ounsworth, frontman and primary creative architect of popular alt-rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, which plays Brighton Music Hall on Wednesday.


from a few places. She had a nearly 20-year career in Hollywood, with roles in cult classics

before abruptly pivoting into music with adored indie band Rilo Kiley.

Lewis has also turned in critically acclaimed collaborations with the Watson Twins and her partner Jonathan Rice as part of Jenny & Johnny.

We talked to Lewis on the heels of her performance at New York City's Governor's Ball about touring, the new record, and

Yeah, it's all happening. I had a little break for a while, and that break is over.

I guess I really like waking up in a different city every day and having new food to eat.

I don't really have a least favorite part, I'm kind of designed to be on the road.

I'm not a fan, but, you know, I wouldn't stop doing my job because of them. It's worth it in the end.

I didn't see anyone play! It's so funny, when you're going to a festival to play, there's very little opportunity to actually get around, and it always seems like the bands I wanna see are playing at the same time I'm playing.

[Laughs] Thank you. I love it as well. It's really awesome to have something to wear to help you get into the character of the record, and so I'll be wearing that suit as often as I can. I don't know if I'm allowed to take it to the dry cleaners, though, so there may be a limit to how many times I can wear it.

My friend Adam Seagull designed it with my friend Autumn De Wilde and her stylist Shirley Kurata. The four of us collaborate on all of my album covers, and we've done a bunch of music videos together as well. I really wanted to wear a suit for this album – I wanted something a bit more androgynous than what I had previously worn. And Adam had been painting on a couple of suits – he's an airbrush artist – and so we discussed the color palette â¦ I kind of wanted it to be like, graffiti Gram Parsons, like

, but kind of through a '90s prism, so it has a little hip-hop in there, because that's what I grew up listening to.

Exactly! It's like Lisa Frank barfed all over me, basically.

It's a very direct line, and I think it's speaking to a lot of women in their thirties. The song's only been out for a couple of weeks, but women have come up to me on the street with that line in mind. I think it really struck a nerve.

They are such different artists, obviously. I'm such a fan of both of them, and their approach is totally different – at least it was for me. I went into these sessions very willing to be produced, because I needed help, I was really stuck creatively, and they both helped me out tremendously.

Ryan was just full of energy, really sort of difficult to pin down in the studio – he was all about the spontaneity, working quickly and capturing the essence of live music. What I recorded at Ryan's was live to tape, and the band had two or three opportunities to get the song, and if there were mistakes, there were mistakes. We weren't allowed to go back and fix them.

Beck's process was a little more methodical. We played all of the instruments on "Just One of The Guys," so it was just a different way of recording, but very wonderful. We talked a lot about music, and hung out a lot, and I hung out with the kids, who are awesome.

Oh, it was so scary. I was so scared. I mean, I haven't been an actress for a long time – over 15 years – so I was a bit rusty. And I've never really done comedy before, so it was something that Scott Aukerman had to coax out of me. And not only did I have to do the comedy bits, but I had to compose the music in and out of the bits on the spot. So nothing was prepared, and they were just like, "Ok, write something for us." So I had to improvise musically as well as comedically. Is that a word?

Oh, I don't know. I can't say that it felt very natural to me. I mean, being on a set felt very natural to me, because I grew up working on films and TV, but I really prefer to be behind the scenes. And I just actually directed my first video, and that felt a bit more comfortable to me.

Oh man, that was so long ago! I truly can't remember it at all. I was 12! I mean, I'm so proud at this point in my life that I was in that movie. I went through a long period where I was embarrassed about it, when I first started my band, I didn't want anyone to mention my past, because I felt I had really shifted careers, like I'd retired, purposefully, from acting. But now I'm so thrilled that I was a part of something that has endured the test of time. People really love that film.

[Laughs] Do they make health food Jell-O? Honestly, I have't had Jell-O in a really long time. All I did when I was working on that commercial was watch the Jell-O wiggle.

Summary: Lewis also addresses Jell-O and the perils of a custom airbrushed suit


07/02/2014 at 04:20 PM EDT

Melissa Bring and Dave Coulier

wedding happening as we speak?

The actors from the hit '90s sitcom posted some potentially telling photos on Instagram Wednesday, suggesting

(who played Joey on the beloved sitcom) is tying the knot.

, Coulier, 54, indicated he and fianceé Melissa Bring would exchange vows in Montana on July 2.

And costars Candace Cameron Bure, John Stamos and Andrea Barber are posting photographic evidence that they're together in Big Sky Country.

"This boy is very happy today – know why?" Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse on the show, captioned a

of Coulier grinning while holding a piece of paper – a marriage license, perhaps?

fans as D.J. Tanner, posted a series of

from Montana, including one where she and Stamos pose in a classic Western accessory.

"Thanks Uncle J for placing my cowboy hat on my head the wrong way. #Cityfolks," she wrote.

Last but certainly not least, the actress behind next-door nuisance Kimmy Gibbler uploaded a photo from her jog on – where else? – Montana's picturesque trails, writing, "Morning run in Montana."

Missing from the social media frenzy? Tanner family patriarch Bob Saget. But fans needn't fret: Bure promised he'd deliver an unforgettable toast when Coulier says "I do."

"Dave and Bob have been best friends since they were in their early 20s â¦ so it will be funny," Bure

in June. "I'm sure we will have the tissues out because there will be tears streaming down from crying and laughing so hard."

Summary: Coulier is engaged to longtime girlfriend Melissa Bring


Updated AUG 06, 2014 8:37p ET

PHOENIX -- The most frustrating nine weeks of Cliff Pennington's career are finally over. He is back.

Pennington was activated from the disabled list Wednesday after undergoing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, a recovery that included less and less TV time.

"You get to a point where you can't watch every inning because you just drive yourself nuts," Pennington said.

"We're baseball players because we want to play."

Right-hander Bo Schultz was optioned to Triple-A Reno to make room on the roster, which now includes the normal allotment of 13 position players and 12 pitchers.

Normally a middle infielder, Pennington made his 12th major league appearance at third base Wednesday, starting there against Kansas City right-hander Yordano Venturo.

"It's definitely a new position," Pennington said. "When you go back to short, you are going home. At the same time, it is still a ground ball. I'll keep it simple. See the ball. Catch the ball. All the little cliches you would use. It's still baseball."

Pennington was 13-for-32 with a double, five RBI and six walks in 10 rehab games at Triple-A Reno and in the rookie Arizona League.

Schultz was 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in four appearances, all in relief, with the Diamondbacks this season, his first in the majors. Schultz, whose fastball touches the high 90 mph range, is going to work on tweaking his delivery to hide the ball a little longer, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.

Schultz is to return to the Reno starting rotation, but Gibson said the D-backs have not determined his future role.

Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter

Summary: The Diamondbacks have reinstated infielder Cliff Pennington from the 15-day disabled list (sprained left thumb) and optioned right-handed pitcher Bo Schultz to Triple-A Reno.


Marcus Grodd and Lacy Faddoul

09/08/2014 AT 09:55 PM EDT

fans now know, Marcus Grodd and Lacy Faddoul are on their way to the altar.

Shocked? So were we, but the giddily engaged couple, both 26, who have known each other for a little over three months now, tells PEOPLE exclusively they are "redefining the term 'YOPO' " from 'You Only Paradise Once' to 'You Only Propose Once.'Â

Lacy: It definitely still feels surreal.

Marcus: Hiding it and having [to spend time in] safe houses and covering our trails was definitely hard. It's still a whirlwind for us!

Lacy: We actually calculated how many hours we spent together and how long it would've taken us in real life to date and get that far. It was approximately six months!

Marcus: The main difference between

is if we don't get a date card, we still get to spend time together. So yeah, it's within a month's span, but within that month, you get a lot more time.

Lacy: Timing is everything. It happened naturally for Marcus and I in

. We treated it as if it were our everyday life. We both have a lot of responsibilities in our careers [Grodd is a sports medicine manager and Faddoul owns an elderly care facility], and

allowed us to let our youth come out.

Lacy: The first time I met Marcus, he was really timid and quiet, but he was so stunning. I was really intrigued. I think if that event with Robert didn't happen, Marcus and I wouldn't be where we're at. Marcus really stepped up after that and made it known he wanted to get to know me, so that's when I decided, 'Okay, this is it!'

Marcus: I was pretty determined. She's physically beautiful, but just spending time with her and talking to her about our lives and our experiences, this girl surprised me with her mind and her questions and her ideas and her future. I definitely fell in love with who she was as a person.

Lacy: The moment that I went to the hospital. Marcus wanted to be by my side the entire time. I didn't even know him that long. I was like, 'Wow, I can only imagine how much he'll be there for me for the rest of my life.'

Marcus: After that hospital time, we would lay by the beach together, just being so comfortable. Falling asleep next to her, I think I knew then I was falling in love with her.

Marcus: I think you meet certain people in your life to make you a better person and to make you realize what you have before you. I came to an understanding why all these relationships in the past and the show with Andi didn't work out. It all makes sense after meeting Lacy.

Marcus: We definitely want to wait a year to get married at least. We want to do it right. We get one shot at this!

Lacy: We are actually going to enjoy our engagement. We've talked about it and I've been on Pinterest a lot [laughs]. He sends me bridal magazines, so he wants it to be on my mind. He's coming to see my home and I'm going to see his home, so we're going to decide after that where we're going to live together.

Summary: The newly engaged couple defend their quick engagement and open up about wedding plans


TEMPE, Ariz. -- Growing up in the Los Angeles area during Pete Carroll's heyday at USC, quarterback Mike Bercovici had no trouble setting goals for his football future. His father, Ben Bercovici, remembers one in particular as his son prepares to make his second career start for Arizona State.

Father and son were walking on the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after a prospect camp at USC when Mike, then in middle school, made a prediction.

"I'll never forget, he turned to me and goes, 'Dad, I'm going to be playing on this field one day,'" Ben Bercovici said. "And here it is. His dream came true."

When ASU takes the field against No. 16 USC on Saturday, Bercovici will fulfill his childhood prediction and make his first appearance on a Southern California football field since high school as a horde of eager supporters watch from the stands.

It's a homecoming of sorts, one Bercovici and his supporters thought would come much sooner but also one that had seemingly become impossible. With Taylor Kelly entrenched as ASU's starter for his senior season, it appeared Bercovici would not get the chance to play at the Coliseum, but with Kelly still sidelined by a foot injury Bercovici will again lead the Sun Devils.

This opportunity didn't come as Bercovici expected it too, and he would never wish injury on a teammate. But this is his chance to play in his hometown in front of the people who helped him get here, and he's determined to lead ASU to a win at the Coliseum for the first time since 1999.

"For it to be a reality ... I mean, it was pretty special going there my redshirt freshman year, but the fact I'll be suiting up and taking a team out of the tunnel will be pretty awesome," Bercovici said.

As long as Bercovici waited for his opportunity to start, his family waited, too. When Bercovici won the backup job to Brock Osweiler in 2011, his family figured it would be a year or two before he got his chance to start.

Osweiler went pro after the season, and even with a new coaching staff in place after Dennis Erickson's dismissal, Bercovici led the three-man race to replace Osweiler after spring practice in 2012. But, as has been well documented, Kelly surged in fall camp to claim the starting job.

"When he lost the job to Taylor Kelly, it was an extremely emotional time for Michael," Ben Bercovici said. "His mind was going everywhere -- 'What do I do? What should I do?'"

Almost immediately, speculation began that Bercovici might transfer. Some close to him even suggested it was his best option once Kelly established himself as one of the Pac-12's top quarterbacks.

Bercovici admits he considered leaving for an opportunity elsewhere. As his father tells it, Bercovici sat down on his own one night and made a list of pros and cons.

"It was a pretty long list that he actually emailed to me, and that list included some amazing things he was thinking about," Ben Bercovici said. "Staying at ASU outweighed anything else, and that was really the final decision because we'd kept going back and forth."

Even after graduating last year, giving himself the option to transfer and play immediately, Bercovici couldn't imagine playing anywhere else. He continued to wait patiently behind Kelly.

Bercovici's sister, Danielle, would often attend practices over the past two seasons between her classes at ASU, watching her brother take second-team reps. His mother, Susan, would routinely put her head down when he came into games for mop-up duty, too nervous to watch.

Last week, the Bercovici family finally got to see Mike play meaningful minutes in his start against UCLA.

"It was very surreal only because I know Michael has been waiting for this for so long," Ben Bercovici said. "My wife and my daughter started getting so emotional after his first touchdown. I guess we've all been waiting for so long for this opportunity for him."

This week, the family gets to watch Mike lead the Sun Devils on a field less than an hour from their home in Calabasas.

"I know Michael pretty darn well -- I know him better than anybody," Ben Bercovici said. "And I'll tell you with 100 percent confidence he wants nothing more than to go in there and beat USC."

“He's going to be in a gas mask -- that's my goal. They're not going to be able to say anything about anything because they're going to be suckin' wind.”

-Mike Bercovici, with a playful jab at his good friend Antwaun Woods, a USC starting defensive lineman.

With the clocks in Houston edging toward 1 a.m., Matt Kerstetter did all he could to stay awake as he watched ASU take on UCLA last Thursday. A teacher at Westfield High School, Kerstetter had to be in by 6:45 a.m. the next day.

"So you can only imagine how early I'm getting up," Kerstetter said. "But I'm sitting there watching the tube, and it's 1 a.m. and I'm going, 'Come on, come on, I've got to see the end of this game.'"

Kerstetter is also Westfield's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He was previously the head coach at Woodland Hills (Calif.) William Howard Taft Charter High School, where he coached Bercovici for two seasons. He wasn't about to miss a minute of his former signal caller's first career start.

Though Bercovici was only eligible to play his senior season at Taft after transferring, Kerstetter calls him one of the top five favorite players he's ever coached and perhaps one of the most talented.

"He's always had as quick of a release as I've seen on a high school quarterback," Kerstetter said. "And his arm strength has always been good. I think his arm strength has gotten even better."

More than Bercovici's big arm, Kerstetter remembers Bercovici as a born leader players wanted to follow. Kerstetter used that to motivate others, yelling at Bercovici probably more than any other player.

"I told him if I yell 'Berco' or 'Bercovici' it's just me yelling," Kerstetter recalled. "And I told him if I yell 'Michael' you better listen to every word that's coming out of my mouth because it's dead serious.

"I'd be on him, but a lot of times it was just to motivate the team because he was a leader, and if they saw him shouldering the load they'd pick their game up."

Bercovici and Kerstetter remain close. Kerstetter estimates they talked by phone or text at least 10 times ahead of Bercovici's start against UCLA.

"We still talk all the time," Bercovici said. "That guy taught me everything I know."

While Kerstetter also expected to see Bercovici start in college much sooner, he was thrilled nonetheless to watch last week's game, sacrificing sleep to see Bercovici set school records for passing attempts (68) and completions (42) while passing for 488 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

This week, Kerstetter will get to see one of his prized pupils in person. Though he'll likely be at Westfield until midnight or later following a home game Friday, he's catching a 7:30 a.m. flight to Los Angeles and, with the Westfield head coach's blessing, missing film study and meetings to be at the Coliseum.

Kerstetter will also get to see a former Taft player line up across from Bercovici with Antwaun Woods starting at nose guard for USC.

"I've never had an opportunity to watch two of my players go head to head like I will this Saturday," Kerstetter said. "That is a very unique thing, and it's something I couldn't miss."

Antwaun Woods wants give pal Mike Bercovici a big ol' bear hug for a sack during Saturday's game.

Their stories vary only slightly, but in both versions it's clear Mike Bercovici and Antwaun Woods knew right away they'd be good friends.

"I think when I transferred to Taft and threw one football he gave me a huge bear hug and he realized what we could do there," Bercovici said.

Recalled Woods, whom Bercovici calls his best friend: "When he first transferred to Taft, I knew he was going to be a great quarterback. So we kind of became friends just because he was a natural leader. And also I was an offensive lineman at the time, so I blocked for him."

On Saturday, the former teammates will line up directly across from each other.

"That kid's family to me," Bercovici said. "He used to sleep over at my house all the time."

Woods says when he and Bercovici committed to different Pac-12 schools he told Bercovici they'd meet on the field one day. That it's coming in Los Angeles is perhaps only fitting.

Considering Woods used to block for Bercovici, he admits it might be weird standing across from him Saturday.

"It's going to be kind of funny," Woods said. "I'm going to mess with him a little bit, trash talk a little to him. Nothing too bad, just being competitive."

Bercovici already has gotten in a few friendly jabs, sharing his plan to wear his friend out with ASU's up-tempo offense.

"He's going to be in a gas mask -- that's my goal," Bercovici said. "They're not going to be able to say anything about anything because they're going to be suckin' wind."

Woods says he and Bercovici still talk occasionally, discussing life and football, and hanging out in the offseason. Woods even reached out to Bercovici last week.

"I knew that he was starting against UCLA so I wanted to encourage him," Woods said. "I was rooting for him the whole game."

This week, there's been no such contact.

"I'll talk to him Sunday when we beat them," Bercovici quipped. "Maybe he'll text my mom or something."

Bercovici will also have plenty of friends in the stands Saturday. His dad estimated 50-60, but Bercovici says it might be double that. Some of those friends, Bercovici claims, plan to abandon their USC colors for a week and sport the maroon and gold in USC's student section.

Woods and Bercovici know bragging rights are on the line, but both are more concerned about their teams' goals and position in the Pac-12 South. Still, the chance to face off at the next level is one both relish.

"It's great," Woods said. "We used to be around each other every day in high school and competed against each other because I also played defense. It's just now we're doing it on a different level for two different teams."

Asked if he recalls telling his dad he'd play on the field at the Coliseum one day, Bercovici doesn't have to think.

"It was a camp," Bercovici said. "It was all the guys from the city, all the guys from where I'm from. Just getting together and being on the Coliseum grass it was like you finally made it. I told my dad, 'Dad, I'm telling you right now: I don't know where I'll be, but I'm going to be playing in this stadium. I promise you that.'"

As excited as Bercovici is to make good on that promise, he's more focused on getting the Sun Devils a win as they fight to stay alive in the Pac-12 South race after losing to UCLA. For all the sentiment that comes with this game, the field will be just another 100-yard stretch of grass once the clock starts.

Yet as much as Bercovici puts the team and result first, he can't hide that a win in the Coliseum would mean everything to him.

"A win there would be no different than any other win, but let me tell you, for a kid from right down the street it would be pretty satisfying," Bercovici said. "I know I have so many people that helped me get there, so for us to win in front of all those people would be something special."

Follow Tyler Lockman on Twitter

Summary: Mike Bercovici will have plenty of support when he makes his first start in Los Angeles since high school.


WASHINGTON — A year after prodding financial regulators to act more swiftly to rein in Wall Street, President Obama on Monday claimed progress in toughening banking rules but urged bank overseers to consider additional ways to prevent the kind of risk-taking that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis.

Obama met Monday with top financial regulators at the White House, including Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen, to discuss the pace of implementing the four-year-old regulatory overhaul that Obama signed into law in 2010.

‘‘The president has been pleased with the progress that the regulators have made in implementing the law,’’ White House spokesman Josh Earnest said following the meeting, offering a more upbeat assessment of the law than Obama did in August 2013.

A year ago, with regulations behind schedule and major pieces of the law not yet in place, Obama voiced concern about the slow pace and urged regulators to exhibit urgency in adopting new rules. At the time, regulators had completed rules on only 40 percent of the nearly 400 regulations required by the law.

So far this year, 55 percent have been finalized and rules have been proposed for 21 percent. Nearly a quarter of the regulations called for in the law have not yet been proposed, according to an analysis by the law firm Davis Polk, which has been tracking progress on the bill.

Among rules enacted since Obama pushed for action last year is a ban, in most cases, on the largest banks trading for their own profit. That regulation, known as the Volcker Rule, is considered one of the more significant changes because it seeks to rein in high-risk trading on Wall Street. Though adopted, however, that rule will not take effect for the biggest banks until mid-2015.

Regulators continue to work on additional requirements that would address executive pay and set standards for the amount of money and assets that banks would have to hold to avoid becoming over-extended.

The president, Earnest said, “acknowledged the collaborative work of the regulators, specifically recognizing their work in finalizing the Volcker Rule, and also urged participants to consider additional ways to prevent excessive risk-taking across the financial system, including as they continue to work on compensation rules and capital standards.’’

The meeting was Obama’s first with Yellen since she became Fed chairwoman in February. Obama nominated Yellen to the post last year and she was confirmed early this year, becoming the first woman to head the central bank.

Yellen has signaled an aggressive stance by the Fed toward regulation of big banks, suggesting that the current regime of rules under the 2010 legislation may not be sufficient to prevent the kind of risk-taking that touched off the financial crisis and nearly toppled the banking system.

Yellen said recently that the biggest banks operating in the United States may need to hold additional capital to withstand periods of financial stress, and that companies that are not banks but have deep reaches into the financial system might also need to meet tougher rules. That includes money-market mutual funds and private equity and hedge funds.

At a Senate hearing last month, Daniel Tarullo, a Fed governor, outlined several proposals that would push the biggest US banks to shrink and become less of a risk to the financial system. The proposals include imposing additional capital requirements for the eight largest banks that exceed the levels mandated by international regulators.

The coming midterm elections could affect the pace and direction of the new regulatory regime.

The Republican-controlled House has passed measures to roll back regulations that GOP members believe are too onerous for banks and hurt the economy.

Those efforts stalled in the Democratic-run Senate, but could find new life if Republicans win control of the Senate.

Representative Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the Financial Services Committee, reflected much of the Republican view Monday when he compared the bank regulations to Obama’s health care law.

‘‘Another White House meeting between President Obama and an army of Washington regulators won’t do anything to help stressed families,’’ he said in a statement.

Obama’s meeting came ahead of an International Monetary Fund gathering in Washington this week and a Group of 20 finance ministers meeting next month in Australia.

‘‘The president’s meeting with regulators today was important from the standpoint of emphasizing that full implementation of financial reform remains a top priority, and also to signal to foreign regulatory authorities meeting in Washington later this week that the United States will continue to lead the policy response to the 2008 financial crisis,’’ said John Dearie, the executive vice president at the Financial Services Forum, a group representing the nation’s largest financial institutions.