NYPOST

Yankees captain Derek Jeter is leaving New York — or at least his Midtown apartment.

Jeter today put his huge, bachelor-pad penthouse apartment near the United Nations on the market with a whopping $20 million asking price, according to a listing on the Trump Sales and Leasing’s website.

The superstar shortstop, who is in the last year of his 10-year Yankees contract, bought the residence in Trump World Tower directly from real estate mogul Donald Trump, without a broker, in October 2001 for $12.6 million.

The 5,425 square-foot apartment boasts four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathroom, and a chef’s eat-in kitchen. It also has16-feet floor-to-ceiling windows, which flood the apartment with light and give jaw-dropping views of the East River.

But don’t worry that Jeter won’t have a place to call home now that plans on vacating 845 United Nations Plaza.

Jeter is putting the finishing touches on a massive, 30,875 square-foot, seven-bedroom, nine bathroom waterfront home on Davis Island in Tampa, Fla.

That shack — known as St. Jetersburg by locals — should provide him and his girlfriend “Friday Night Lights” star Minka Kelly, with plenty of room to spread out in the off-season.

Sources said they don’t expect Jeter’s change of address will mean a change of teams.

The New York favorite, who has never played with a team other than the Bronx Bombers, is expected to sign a contract after the end of this season that will ensure he will end his playing days in Yankee pinstripes.

“Derek is the greatest. There’s nobody like him,” said Trump, who signed a confidentiality agreement and can’t talk about the building.

Jeter is one of several other other Yankees who live in the building. Former Bomber slugger Hideki Mastui also lives there, a Trump source said.

Jeter’s apartment in New York gave him an address, accomodations and amenitites worthy of his status as one of Gotham’s most eligible bachelor’s — but it also could have cost him millions of dollars in back taxes.

In 2008, the star signed confidential settlement with New York State tax authorities, who had earlier allegedly he improperly filed tax returns in 2001 through 2003 by claiming he was a Florida resident.

Florida has no state income tax, while both New York state and city do. With his Yankee contract and signing bonus paying him well more than $10 million in all three of the years in question, Jeter could have been liable for millions of dollars in back New York taxes.

Terms of his settlement with New York were never disclosed.

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Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green has been declared ineligible for three more games for NCAA violations stemming from his acceptance of benefits from an agent.

In a statement released Wednesday, the NCAA said Green sold his Independence Bowl game jersey to an individual who meets the organization’s definition of an agent. Green has repaid $1,000 to charity.

Green’s penalty covers four games. He did not play in 22nd-ranked Georgia’s season-opening victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.

“I want to apologize to my coaches, teammates and the Georgia fans for the mistake in judgment,” Green said in a statement. “I very much regret all that has taken place and the distraction that¹s been caused.”

Said Georgia coach Mark Richt: “Certainly I’m disappointed with the outcome. However, we have games to play and that’s where our focus needs to be in the coming days and weeks.”

Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity confirmed that the university will appeal the NCAA’s decision to the Division I NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement.

Green also is linked to the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into alleged improper contact with agents by players at Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina. But a person familiar with the investigation told ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach that Green has adamantly denied attending the agent-sponsored party in Miami or ever traveling to South Florida.

Green, a preseason All-SEC selection, is considered one of the nation’s best receivers after finishing the 2009 season with 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He was ranked the No. 4 prospect available for the 2011 NFL draft by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Green’s suspension will begin with Saturday’s Southeastern Conference showdown at No. 24 South Carolina and also cover SEC games against No. 14 Arkansas (Sept. 18) and Mississippi State (Sept. 25).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

On the eve of the 2010 NFL regular season, the head of the players’ union reiterated his belief that the league is headed for a lockout in 2011.

“I still feel that a lockout is coming in March,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith toldBloomberg News.

In an interview with ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the league’s labor talks.

“We have a lot of work to get done. There’s still sufficient time to do that. But there’s really a window here. This deal is going to be easier to make between now and, let’s say, March,” Goodell said.

“Once we get to March it just becomes more complicated and more difficult, so we really need to work hard in the next several months to try to get something that works for the players, works for the owners and works for the game.”

Goodell explained why it would become more difficult to negotiate a new deal in March.

“You get into when you don’t have a system and potentially you start getting loss of revenues. And when you have loss of revenue there’s less money for us to negotiate over that’s always a harder situation for anyone to negotiate in,” Goodell told ESPN Radio.

In the deal the NFL opted out of after last season, players received approximately 60 percent of revenue after $1 billion was kept by the owners. The NFL wants to increase that amount to $2 billion to help with the increasing costs of stadium construction and operations.

“If this model is not working, i.e. teams are losing money, then we’re willing to see the evidence of that and make the changes,” Smith told Bloomberg News. “But prove it. If not, what’s the justification for getting a billion back from us?”

In a recent segment on the NFL Network (Around the Table) , Michael Irvin and various other ex-NFL players and coaches predicted their Super Bowl 45 winner.

When it gets to Irvin’s turn to decide, he chooses the San Diego Chargers. Before he can even get out his reasons why, he is heckled by Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk, asking why he isn’t picking Dallas to win it all.

Irvin’s response: “I won’t take Dallas until Dallas has whatever it needs to stop playing 10 versus 11. And with Roy Williams on the field, the Cowboys are playing 10 versus 11. Now, if they put the young boy Dez Bryantin, you better believe I’ll take Dallas.”

There are two things that are immediately obvious from Irvin’s comments.

Firstly, Irvin obviously believes that Roy Williams’ talent, or lack thereof, is going to hold the Cowboys back from winning the Super Bowl.

And secondly, he has a massive man-crush on Dez Bryant.

Dez Bryant is a great talent, yes, but this is a receiver that is coming off a high ankle sprain, and didn’t play a single snap in the preseason.

Will he be able to make some plays this season? Yes, but a huge impact is unrealistic.

Williams is not going to stop the Cowboys from winning a Super Bowl.  It is true that he hasn’t been the receiver Dallas thought he would be when they traded for him in 2008 (and that’s putting it lightly). However, he can still have a role in the Cowboys offense. He will always be a threat in the red zone with his size (6’3″, 210lbs), and showed, at times last season, that he can be a capable possession receiver – which is something the Cowboys are now lacking with the loss of Patrick Crayton.

Irvin was right in saying that the Cowboys will be able to go further with Bryant on the field. But was dreadfully wrong in saying that Williams won’t just be ineffective, but will, in fact, hold the Cowboys back from achieving their Super Bowl aspirations.

Blacksportsonline

I appreciate some quality trash talking.

My favorite players of all time are Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin, so I am pro puffing your chest out a bit.

That is what I like about the Jets, even if I think it will be their downfall.

They are dropping all types of professional ether:

Cromartie: “We are the Miami Heat of Football”

Ryan: “If you doubt me, “I’m going to show you and prove you wrong.”

Sanchez: “”I was like, ‘Geez! What’s going on here? We’re building a dream team.”

Scott: “It’s much more fun to be the villain than the hero.”

I love that last quote by Bart Scott because it is true, but to be a great villain you have to be able to produce on the field.

The reason Mike Tyson or modern day Floyd Mayweather were great villains are become they win.

The Raiders were great villains because they were outlaws that won.  Once Tyson got knocked out a few times and the Raiders started to be awful, the allure of being the bully wore off.

The Jets are basically saying hit us with your best shot, we are going to take it and knock you out (then get a snack).

I personally think the Jets will be more Zab Judah than Floyd Mayweather, but that is why they play the games.

NEW YORK — A defamation lawsuit against Roger Clemens should be thrown out because the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was merely trying to defend himself against his former personal trainer’s doping allegations, Clemens’ lawyers argued Wednesday.

Clemens should be able to respond to claims “that are disastrous to his reputation without being subject to a lawsuit,” attorney Rusty Harden said at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn.

Lawyers for the trainer, Brian McNamee, responded by branding Clemens a liar.

“Mr. Clemens has a right to defend himself, but not when he’s lying and he knows he’s lying,” said attorney Richard Emery.

U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. reserved decision on a motion to dismiss the suit.

McNamee sued for unspecified damages last year, accusing Clemens of waging “a defamatory public relations campaign” against the trainer over allegations the pitcher used steroids.

The trainer has told federal authorities, baseball investigator George Mitchell and a House committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998-2001.

The suit quotes Clemens saying in a YouTube video in 2007 that McNamee “did not inject steroids into my body either when I played in Toronto for the Blue Jays or the New York Yankees.” It also cites an ESPN interview in which Clemens, when asked about McNamee, responded that it was a case of “somebody out there that is really crawling up your back to make a buck.”

The comments “always happened in response to accusations,” Harden said Wednesday. “He is not defaming Mr. McNamee by saying these things.”

Emery argued his client “had to tell the government the truth … and when he told the truth, he was put in the position of being called a liar repeatedly.”

Clemens, who wasn’t in court on Wednesday, has steadfastly denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

“Your honor, he wasn’t injected with anything,” another Clemens attorney, Joe Roden, said at the Brooklyn hearing.

Last month, Clemens was indicted for lying to Congress. He has pleaded not guilty to perjury and other counts, and has a trial scheduled for April.

A federal appeals court in Texas has refused to reinstate a similar suit Clemens filed against McNamee.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday that tailback Mark Ingramis unlikely to play for the top-ranked Crimson Tide against Penn State.

Saban said that last season’s Heisman Trophy winner was able to run Tuesday and his left knee is “improving every day,” but he probably won’t play against the Nittany Lions.

“We’ll continue to progress him day to day,” Saban said. “He hasn’t had any swelling or problems. If he can continue to progress — I would say he’s probably not going to be ready to play this week. He might be ready by the game, but he won’t be able to practice enough.

“After that, maybe we have a chance to get him back if he continues to progress.”

The Tide plays host to No. 19 Penn State on Saturday night in its first real test of the season.

Ingram sat out the opener after having an arthroscopic procedure to repair an injury sustained in practice early on opening week.

Backup Trent Richardson had 10 carries for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with three catches for 46 yards in the win over San Jose State. He only played the first half.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

METAIRIE, La. — Reggie Bush says whether he is stripped of his Heisman trophy is out of his hands and that his play on the field in college speaks for itself.

Bush says he “cannot confirm or deny” whether he’s met with anyone from the Heisman Trust and has had no comment on a Yahoo! report that says he could be stripped of the award by the end of the month.

Bush says he hasn’t even thought about whether he’d actually return the trophy if asked and stresses that his focus is on the New Orleans Saints’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.

The NCAA found major violations in USC’s football program and levied serious sanctions against the school in June. The Trojans have dissociated themselves completely from Bush.

TMZ

TMZ obtained this photo of the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hero getting pulled over Monday in something called an Eagle Roadster — a custom vehicle with a top speed of 152 MPH.

Law enforcement sources tell us Artest was cited because the registration on the car was expired. But get this — we’re told the car isn’t even registered to Ron … but somebody out in Tennessee.

Ron — who was smiling throughout the entire incident — was eventually sent on his way … but sources tell us cops were “very happy” he was wearing a helmet.

The Lakers should be happy too.

MILWAUKEE — For the past two seasons, Trevor Hoffman has organized and led all clubhouse celebrations when one of his Milwaukee Brewers teammates reached any particular accomplishment.

On Tuesday night, it was his turn.

Hoffman added another milestone to his illustrious career, earning his 600th save by closing out the Brewers’ 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brewers players hoisted Hoffman on their shoulders and carried him toward the dugout as his wife Tracy and three sons, Brody, Quinn and Wyatt, ran onto the field to hug him.

“You saw how my teammates reacted,” Hoffman said. “Those are the type of moments you see when teams have success and they head into the postseason. To have your teammates have that kind of outpouring is hard to describe.

“I guess it shows that you’re doing things right and you’re having an impact in a positive manner,” he said. “You appreciate the game, you appreciate them and they are appreciating you back.”

Hoffman had an 11.65 ERA in his first 18 appearances this year and lost his closer’s job to rookie John Axford. Instead of sulking or lashing out at management, Hoffman quietly tutored Axford and worked in middle relief during the summer to improve.

His numbers have been much better lately with a 2.63 ERA in his last 29 appearances. He’s been getting ninth-inning work lately as the team tried to help him reach No. 600.

“It was probably the best hold of my entire life right there for his 600th save,” said Axford, who recorded two outs in the eighth.

Axford has converted 20 of 22 saves while being mentored by Hoffman.

“In all honesty, he’s meant everything to my development,” Axford said. “He carries about his business perfectly. He’s been the best mentor for me.

“I see what he does and I try to build upon that. I try to do right by Trevor and that’s by doing things the right way.”

Milwaukee manager Ken Macha pointed to an example of the leadership Hoffman has provided the young Brewers pitchers.

“Today, we’re out there taking extra [batting practice] and we’ve got all these pitchers [led by Hoffman] running around in the parking lot with their shirts off, so it’s something else that he’s done for these guys,” Macha said.

The team presented Hoffman with a large painting of him pitching at Miller Park, and sold commemorative T-shirts to fans after the game. His teammates gave him praise in the locker room and a gift of cigars.

“He’s taught me a lot of things as far as being a teammate and being a team player and going about the game,” slugger Prince Fielder said. “Everything he says is good knowledge. His work ethic is through the roof. He works hard every day.”

Besides Hoffman’s milestone, it was a game where four people were ejected by the umpires, including Macha. The manager was tossed in the second inning, but watched the game from the clubhouse. He said pitching coach Rick Peterson came in to ask him about the ninth inning, and he told him to send Hoffman to the mound.

The right-hander entered in the ninth to his traditional music — “Hells Bells” by AC/DC — and gave up a bloop single to Colby Rasmus. Pinch-hitter Randy Winn then grounded into a double play.

Hoffman got pinch-hitter Aaron Miles on a grounder to shortstop for the final out and raised his arms in triumph as teammates rushed to mob him near the mound. Fireworks went off and the No. 599 was peeled off to reveal ‘600′ on a sign next to the Brewers’ bullpen in left-center.

“He’s one of the best relievers the game’s ever seen,” Miles said. “I always look forward to competing against him in the ninth inning. Congratulations to him.”

It was Hoffman’s ninth save in 13 chances this season and 600th in 676 career opportunities. He earned his first save for Florida in 1993, then spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres before joining the Brewers last season.

He said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll return to pitch next season or retire.

Hoffman passed Lee Smith as the career saves leader, earning No. 479 while pitching for San Diego against Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, 2006.

Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees is second in major league history with 555 saves.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, a former wrestler in the then-World Wrestling Federation, was arrested on Sunday for “possession and trafficking in a controlled substance and burglary,” according toTampa Bay Online.

Neidhart was charged with “two counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of trafficking in illegal drugs and one count of burglary and one count of grant theft.”

According to the police, he caused a disturbance while pumping gas on Sunday and ingested “multiple pills that he dropped on the ground while inside the trunk of his vehicle.”

At the gas station, police found him in possession of 55.6 grams of Oxycontin and 17.4 grams of methadone.

Neidhart was a wrestler in the WWF in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hamptons partygoers got to listen to a little Dennis Rodman lovemaking after he took six girls up to his bedroom with a cordless microphone switched on in his pocket. Promoters at the Hotel Indigo in Hampton Bays were astonished when they heard Rodman talking dirty over the music at their pool party in the early hours of Monday morning. A source told us, “Rodman had quite a lot to drink and had been making shout-outs on the mike. He headed up to his room with six girls. Then, the next thing you could hear through the speakers downstairs was Rodman describing in full sexual detail what he wanted to do to them. Organizers pulled the plug before it got any dirtier.” The source added the party was still packed with guests, including “Entourage” star Kevin Dillon. Rodman’s agent, Darren Prince, confirmed, “He was unaware of the microphone being turned on . . . I do know he had a few drinks in him.”

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NEW YORK — Hank Aaron says he’s saddened by news involving Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, both facing trial next spring and accused of lying about using steroids.

“I’m just saddened by it,” says Aaron, who held baseball’s career home run record until Bonds broke it. “I’m not a judge and I’m not a juror and I don’t know who’s guilty and who’s what. I’m just saddened for baseball and saddened for Clemens and Bonds, both.”

Aaron, at the U.S. Open to receive the U.S. Tennis Association’s “Breaking the Barriers” honor, says he hasn’t given any thought to whether Bonds’ or Clemens’ records should stand, be wiped away or accompanied by an asterisk.

More AP Top 25 voters are buying into Boise State as the No. 1 team in the country.

Boise State gained seven first-place votes and closed in on No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State as the top three teams in the first regular-season Associated Press football poll held their spots from the preseason.

The Broncos remained third after a thrilling 33-30 victory against Virginia Tech on Monday night, receiving eight first-place votes and 1,399 points from the media panel, 13 points behind the Buckeyes.

Ohio State received four first-place votes and 1,412 points.

Alabama had 47 first-place votes, down seven from the preseason poll, and 1,484 points in the rankings released Tuesday.

TCU from the Mountain West Conference moved up two spots to No. 4, marking the first time since the Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998 that two teams from conferences without automatic BCS bids have been in the top five. Boise State is the defending Western Athletic Conference champion.

Texas remained No. 5 and received one first-place vote.

In the USA Today coaches’ poll, only Alabama (55) and Ohio State (four) received first-place votes. Boise State also was ranked third in the coaches’ poll, with Texas fourth and TCU fifth.

In the AP poll, No. 8 Florida dropped four spots after a sloppy 34-12 victory against Miami (Ohio) and No. 10 Oklahoma fell three places after beating Utah State 31-24.

The rest of the top 10 is Nebraska at No. 6, followed by Oregon, which moved up four spots after beating New Mexico 72-0. Iowa is No. 9.

No. 13 Virginia Tech dropped three spots after Boise State scored a touchdown with 1:09 left to beat the Hokies at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Falling out of the rankings after close opening losses were Oregon State, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. Moving in were No. 20 Utah, No. 24 South Carolina and No. 25 Stanford.

But the big story is Boise State and the Broncos very well could be the talk of college football all season.

They entered Monday with their best preseason ranking and a legitimate chance to be national championship contenders — if they could beat the Hokies and then flawlessly navigate a schedule with no games more difficult than the first.

Boise State jumped to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, watched that lead evaporate and then needed a two-minute drill capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Moore to Austin Pettis to win its 15th straight game.

“This was no fluke,” said voter Brett McMurphy of AOL Fanhouse, who had Boise State No. 1 this week. “[The Broncos] outgained Virginia Tech and hung 33 on the Hokies. The last two teams to score more than 30 against [defensive coordinator] Bud Foster’s defense — Alabama in 2009 and LSU in 2007 — went on to win the national title.

“Will Boise? Who knows, but the Broncos deserve the top ranking for this week anyway,” McMurphy said.

The Broncos have finished the last two regular seasons with perfect records, but neither time was it enough to earn them a spot in the national championship game. They were beaten out by teams from the so-called power conferences with BCS automatic bids, teams like Alabama from the Southeastern Conference and Ohio State from the Big Ten.