Yonkers Graded Entries

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Romantic Moment (2nd)

FIRST: mile pace; $111,268; N.Y.S.S.

2 ZellwegerBluechip

(GBrnnn)

3-5-2

4-1

1 Vanity Fairest

(PLachance)

2-2-1

5-1

5 BrwnsvilleBomber

(JMorrill)

3-5-1

8-5

3 Heavens Bettorhalf

(BSears)

8-5-10

8-1

4 Double Major

(TTetrick)

2-7-4

8-1

6 Centralia Hnover

(YGingras)

5-3-5

10-1

SECOND: mile pace; $111,268; N.Y.S.S.

5 RomanticMoment

(YGingras)

2-1-3

7-5

2 New York Kitty

(GBrennan)

1-3-5

5-1

4 Jk Fine Art

(JMorrill)

4-2-2

8-5

1 Marinade Hanover

(BSears)

4-2-2

8-1

3 HaywrthBlueChip

(TTetrick)

6-2-6

12-1

6 Sir Lb's Z Tam

(PLachance)

5-6-2

15-1

THIRD: mile pace; $113,268; N.Y.S.S.

2 Handsoffmycookie

(TTtrick)

2-1-2

3-5

7 Eighthunrdolarbill

(GBrennn)

1-1-1

5-1

4 Canamerica

(DDube)

2-8-1

12-1

1 Ramalama

(EGoodell)

7-3-3

10-1

3 Upstroke Hanover

(BSears)

1-5-8

12-1

5 Ryder Blue Chip

(JBartlett)

7-3-4

10-1

6 L Diz

(JMorrill)

1-6-4

8-1

FOURTH: milie trot; $19,250; claiming

3 Ringside Lauryn

(GBrennan)

2-3-1

9-5

6 Speed Hanover

(JBartlett)

4-2-6

6-1

7 Benns Sure Thing

(TButer)

1-1-2

3-1

1 Champion Hill

(DDube)

4-2-1

10-1

2 Rev It Now

(CManzi)

3-2-1

4-1

4 Curly Top

(EGoodell)

8-4-6

12-1

5 Gotta Be Prfect

(LStalbaum)

8-8-1

5-1

8 Fortissimo

(BHolland)

5-5-1

15-1

FIFTH: mile pace; $11,500; claiming

4 Ladybones

(BSears)

8-5-8

10-1

3 Make A Bundle N

(CManzi)

5-8-5

3-1

1 Marie The Artist

(LStalbaum)

2-4-4

5-1

2 Our Girls Chance N

(SSmith)

5-2-5

10-1

5 Rolltideroll

(GBrennan)

2-7-4

4-1

6 SuperstarDream

(EAbbatiell)

9-2-2

8-1

7 So Confusing

(JPantaleano)

8-1-8

6-1

8 Little Mermaid N

(DDube)

8-6-3

20-1

SIXTH: mile pace; $14,500; cond

1 Late Flyin N

(GBrennan)

1-2-1

3-1

4 Speed Mcqueen

(JStratton)

5-3-5

8-1

2 Look Annie Hall

(TButer)

3-2-4

9-5

3 Cape Marj

(LStalbaum)

4-1-1

5-1

5 Peteantnart

(JPantaleano)

7-5-5

12-1

6 Brickyard Nellie

(RBaynes)

8-3-6

15-1

7 Carnivalocity

(JBartlett)

3-4-7

12-1

8 Styx Delight N

(BHolland)

8-8-1

20-1

SEVENTH: mile trot; $19,000; cond

3 Holly Hill Master

(BHolland)

5-7-3

8-5

1 Crypto Man

(GBrennan)

7-4-1

4-1

7 Current Closer

(JDoherty)

6-5-3

8-1

2 Winbak Dream

(PLachance)

2-6-5

6-1

4 Abundasass

(TButer)

9-7-4

SCR

5 Braggart

(BSears)

7-1-1

8-1

6 Donttellmywife

(JBartlett)

6-7-7

12-1

8 Yozhik

(DDube)

4-4-4

12-1

EIGHTH: mile pace; $17,000; claiming

2 Clooney Drmmond

(CManzi)

6-2-7

8-1

5 Midnight Gambol

(BSears)

1-3-8

8-1

3 Hi Ho Steverino

(TButer)

2-1-3

8-5

1 Up Front Jerry

(BHolland)

2-7-6

4-1

4 Distinct Color

(GBrennan)

2-4-4

10-1

6 Mixed Media

(EGoodell)

7-6-2

10-1

7 Gem Heist

(ADavis)

5-1-3

15-1

8 Golden Time

(JBartlett)

8-7-2

15-1

NINTH: mile pace; $17,000; claiming

1 Mcardle Park

(BSears)

3-8-1

8-5

4 Lord Of The Bling

(JStratton)

3-7-6

5-1

3 Game Jocko

(GBrennan)

1-8-3

4-1

2 Sucrose Hanover

(TButer)

5-4-1

12-1

5 Bettors Curse

(JBartlett)

4-8-6

10-1

6 Tinys Million

(LStalbaum)

1-5-5

6-1

7 Print It

(BHolland)

6-7-5

12-1

8 Yuma Hanover

(EGoodell)

2-7-3

10-1

TENTH: mile pace; $19,000; cond

4 Moving Art

(GBrennan)

1-2-1

7-5

7 Britash Redcoat

(TButer)

1-1-4

8-5

6 Latin Lyric

(BSears)

2-4-3

15-1

1 Boots Place

(LStalbaum)

5-7-4

10-1

2 Denyittotheend

(EGoodell)

7-3-6

15-1

3 You Little Rascal

(JStratton)

6-7-3

10-1

5 Sadies Place

(JPantaleano)

1-8-6

5-1

8 Hannah Isabel

(JBartlett)

3-1-6

12-1

ELEVENTH: mile pace; $19,000; cond

6 Ideal In Vegas

(CManzi)

1-9-1

8-5

1 Dysnomia Blue Chip

(BSears)

3-1-6

4-1

3 Whatrugonnado

(LStalbaum)

2-3-3

5-1

2 Gordys Filly Yenta

(JBartlett)

4-5-5

8-1

4 Fantasy Winner

(ADavis)

1-1-1

5-1

5 Look Siera

(GBrennan)

3-5-1

10-1

7 Orphan Annie

(JStratton)

6-2-5

8-1

8 Grounded

(TButer)

4-3-7

15-1

TWELFTH: mile trot; $19,000; cond

3 E L Rock

(GBrennan)

1-1-1

4-5

5 Buck I D

(CManzi)

4-1-6

12-1

7 For You Almostfree

(DDube)

2-6-2

6-1

1 Pilgrims All In

(LStalbaum)

8-2-1

6-1

2 Justa Jersey Boy

(JBartlett)

1-4-8

10-1

4 Lukin At Me Kid

(BHolland)

5-1-2

15-1

6 Samsawinner

(BSears)

1-6-2

15-1

8 Whybabywhy

(TButer)

5-4-4

10-1

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mile pace, Marinade Hanover, Centralia Hnover, Jk Fine Art, Vanity Fairest, New York Kitty, Speed Hanover

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Commissioners facing final hurdle for football playoff

And here's the playoff pitch.

The commissioners of the 11 major college football conferences and Notre Dame's athletic director gathered Tuesday in the nation's capital to present their proposal for a four-team playoff to a panel of 12 university presidents, headed by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.

Approval from the BCS presidential oversight committee is the last hurdle to clear for a big-time college football playoff to become a reality. The new format would replace the Bowl Championship Series, starting in 2014.

Former acting Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said before the meeting at a hotel in the DuPont Circle area of Washington that the commissioners will make about a 30-minute presentation, and then take questions from their bosses.

"The presidents have been pretty well briefed by their commissioners coming in, so it will be a matter of how much they want to discuss," he said.

The presidents will then talk about the plan among themselves. Each of the 11 conferences and Notre Dame is represented on the presidential committee. Approval is expected, but it won't come without some debate.

Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman has said he would prefer to keep the BCS as is or make a small modification to it that would have the championship matchup set after the bowls are played instead of before. The tweaked BCS is referred to as a plus-one.

"I know Harvey Perlman will speak to the plus-one. That's very well documented," Neinas said with a chuckle.

The commissioners have been working on a new postseason format since January. They have held six formal meetings, the last of which was last week in Chicago. At that meeting, they announced that they had come to a consensus on a plan.

The proposal calls for two semifinals played at existing bowl sites on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, with winners advancing to a title game to be played about 10 days later. The site of the championship game will be bid out the way the NFL does with the Super Bowl. The four teams will be chosen by a selection committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set.

Who exactly will be on that committee has yet to be determined. The basketball committee has 10 members and is made up of conference commissioners and college athletic directors. Neinas said the football selection committee will probably need to be larger so anyone with ties to a conference or team being discussed can be recused.

Even if the presidents sign off on the commissioners' plan by the end of the day, there are still details to be worked out, beyond how to pick a selection committee.

The semifinal sites will rotate among the four existing BCS bowls - the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta - and a couple more sites will likely be added to that rotation. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the new home of the Cotton Bowl, is considered a front-runner to land in the rotation.

A revenue sharing plan between the conferences still has to be finalized, though the commissioners have said a framework for that is in place.

Neinas, whose career in college sports spans more than five decades, said he is not surprised to see major college football on the verge of implementing a playoff for the first time.

"What people forget is the BCS is part of an evolution," Neinas said. "There was the alliance, the coalition, the BCS and now this new (format) would be the four-team playoff."

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Commissioner Chuck Neinas, college football conferences, college football playoff, Notre Dame, commissioners, selection committee, Harvey Perlman, college football, Bowl Championship Series online, university presidents, athletic director

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Calder Results

FIRST-7 fur; $11,000; clm($10,000); 3up

3

Growl (MontrryJr.)

7.20

3.40

2.20

6

Elss'sroylmg (Domnguz)

5.60

3.40

5

Yes He's Innocent (Villegas)

3.00

Scr: Mr. Foxy, Schatt the Bandit.

* Exacta (3-6) $31.60 * Superfecta (3-6-5-1) $153.00 * Trifecta (3-6-5) $136.60

SECOND-1 mile; $13,500; alw; 3up

4

Brr d'Oro (Gonzls)

6.60

3.00

2.40

7

Power Rules (Nunez)

2.20

2.10

1

a-Master Tassel (Saez)

2.10

Scr: Mr. Monarch, King Kitten.

* Daily Double (3-4) $26.60 * Exacta (4-7) $21.60 * Superfecta (4-7-1-2) $58.60 * Trifecta (4-7-1) $34.80

THIRD-1m&70yds; $11,000; clm($10,000); 3up

5

Tke Advntge (Sez)

3.40

2.40

2.10

3

Johnny's Galxy (Gonzles)

3.60

2.80

1

Tour de Comprse (Domnguez)

4.00

* $1 Pick 3 (3-4-5) 3 Correct $22.20 * Exacta (5-3) $10.60 * Superfecta (5-3-1-4) $234.40 * Trifecta (5-3-1) $54.00

FOURTH-7 fur; $10,500; clm($6,250); 3up

8

Vnshng Bck (Snchz)

6.80

3.40

2.40

1

Blandishing (Leyva)

3.00

2.40

5

Tiznow Mytime (Jara)

2.60

* $1 Pick 4 (3-4-5-8) 4 Correct $72.80 * $1 Pick 3 (4-5-8) 3 Correct $29.70 * Exacta (8-1) $20.00 * Superfecta (8-1-5-2) $159.00 * Trifecta (8-1-5) $40.80

FIFTH-1m(T); $22,000; clm($40,000); 3YO

2

Snster Brew (Jara)

6.60

3.40

3.20

5

Peekablue Sue (Panici)

3.60

3.00

8

Criolla Linda (Gonzales)

5.60

Scr: Indy Crown, Oh So Sherri, It's a D'wildcat.

* $1 Pick 3 (5-8-2) 3 Correct $23.40 * Exacta (2-5) $18.80 * Superfecta (2-5-8-1) $320.60 * Trifecta (2-5-8) $83.20

SIXTH-6 fur; $16,500; clm($25,000); 3up

3

Gbsn Cnty Ln (Grc)

5.40

3.20

2.80

2

Saint Pete (Cruz)

4.80

3.20

1

Prince Liam (Leyva)

8.40

* $1 Pick 3 (8-2-3) 3 Correct $22.30 * Exacta (3-2) $22.40 * Superfecta (3-2-1-5) $1,284.40 * Trifecta (3-2-1) $177.20

SEVENTH-1 1/16m(T); $28,000; alw; 3up

6

Nam's Strke (Sez)

5.00

3.40

2.20

5

For the Luv of Lil (Leyva)

4.00

3.80

7

Storm Warnings (Ferrer)

4.60

Scr: Great Scot, Aussi Austin, Jupiter.

* $1 Pick 3 (2-3-6) 3 Correct $26.20 * Exacta (6-5) $11.20 * Superfecta (6-5-7-4) $85.20 * Trifecta (6-5-7) $55.60

EIGHTH-5 1/2 fur; $39,000; mdn; 2YO(f)

3

Weknd Wrror (Sz)

3.40

2.40

2.10

2

Distinction Lady A (Rios)

4.80

3.80

6

Seretaria (Gonzales)

2.40

Scr: Be My Love, Sweetly Put.

* $1 Pick 3 (3-6-3) 3 Correct $19.50 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (3-6-7) 3 Correct $12.80 * Exacta (3-2) $18.20 * Superfecta (3-2-6-4) $153.20 * Trifecta (3-2-6) $40.40

Winner picked by Vic C.

NINTH-1m(T); $15,000; clm($16,000); 3up

7

Grove Hall (Saez)

9.40

4.60

4.00

8

Mean Sax (Leyva)

6.80

5.00

6

Bidham (Soto)

5.20

Scr: Surely Sent, General Guti, My Pocket Ace, Tour Ireland, Omar's Tiger, Uffizi, Winner Jak, Joey the Scholar.

* $0.1 Pick 6 (8-2-3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 6 Correct $85.17 * $0.5 Pick 5 (2-3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 5 Correct $148.25 * $1 Pick 4 (3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 4 Correct $74.30 * $1 Pick 3 (6-3-7) 3 Correct $28.90 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (6-7-7) 3 Correct $11.30 * Exacta (7-8) $63.00 * Daily Double (3-7) $15.60 * Superfecta (7-8-6-14) $2,055.00 * Trifecta (7-8-6) $278.80

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Trifecta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Superfecta, clm, clm, clm

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Parx Racing Analysis

Post Time: 12:25 p.m.

All Horses appear in post position order

1. 5f; $25,000; str alw; 3up; (f&m)

GABRILICIOUS trounced in turf sprint stakes at Belmont after closing in the slop in claiming start to win by a half. Barn winning at 35% clip here. FUMING been battling at this level in last three and owns a 8 1/4-length romp in the mud before two third-place finishes. FOURTEENKAROTPRIZE third start off layoff and third attempt at this level while switching to bug rider.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Gabrilicious(L),108

J Ortiz

9-1-5

Rodriguez

3-1

2 Queen Cleopatra(L),118

A Castillo

2-9-5

Lake

7-2

3 Patriot Princess(L),113

K Frey

6-1-4

R Preciado

10-1

4 Fuming(L),111

J Acosta

3-3-1

Guerrero

2-1

5 Fourteenkarotprize(L),113

K Pellot

4-2-4

G Preciado

4-1

6 Full Moon Frolic(L),118

V Molina

7-1-8

McNeely

8-1

2. 1m; $25,000; str alw; 3up; (f&m)

WADE COUNTY stepped up from game place finish against claimers and won going wire to wire at today’s conditions. LADY S first start since April after two third-place finishes at this level and gets barn switch for trainer who is 22% with new horses. KEIRALICIOUS was extremely wide before offering no match for winner and taking place spot in last at today’s level.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Arcina(L),118

F Pennington

2-8-4

Reid

6-1

2 Wade County(L),115

A Castillo

1-2-3

LeBarron

2-1

3 Keiralicious(L),110

J Acosta

2-3-1

Guerrero

4-1

4 Lady S(L),111

A Canchari

3-3-4

Walder

3-1

5 Sweet Dispute(L),118

K McManigell

4-2-4

Guerrero

10-1

6 Where There's Love(L),118

A Suarez

1-1-9

Aristone

7-2

3. 7f; $24,000; cl($10,000); 3up

OFFICER WARRIOR ran very wide and was caught in state-bred allowance start and settled for place spot, now drops in class. JAMBONIED makes second start since September and drops in class after beating two in last. VARBOROUGH has been dropping steadily and was wide in last and finished fourth before getting claimed from barn that returns to win at 26%.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Double Dutch Bus(L),112

R Moya

5-1-3

Bedard

12-1

2 Varborough(L),105

L Villanueva

4-6-2

McMahon

7-2

3 Jambonied(L),119

J Acosta

4-7-3

Guerrero

8-5

4 Officer Warrior(L),114

R Rosado

2-7-1

Calderon

2-1

5 West Birch(L),121

A Castillo

1-8-10

Andrade

8-1

6 Mr. Ventura T(L),117

P Hrndz Ortga

4-5-2

Aro

12-1

7 Minute(L),119

V Molina

5-9-2

Conrad

15-1

4. 6f; $28,000; mdn cl($25,000); 3up; (f&m)

STRIKE A PUNCH made debut with blinkers in last and had nothing else after gunning on lead in fast fractions. Drop today should help. APPEALING LUCY makes second career start after a wide trip where she came up empty late and makes first start off claim for barn that fares well with these. KIWI GAL has been beating half the fields he’s run in now drops to lowest level thus far and gets blinkers today for shake up.

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2

3

horses, horses, Queen Cleopatra, Horse, place spot

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Wall’s not lost for Mets' Bay

Jason Bay is still undergoing tests, but there are early indications the concussion he sustained last week is not as severe as the one that cost him the final two months of the 2010 season, a team source said Friday.

The Mets left fielder visited with teammates before Friday night’s 6-4 win over the Yankees at Citi Field — his first trip back since hitting his head on the left-field fence eight days ago and staggering from the field with a concussion.

The source said many of Bay’s symptoms have subsided, and there is a sense of optimism he won’t need to miss the remainder of the season — as some within the organization had originally feared. But Bay is under continued evaluation by doctors.

Bay’s previous concussion came in July 2010, when he smashed into the left-field fence at Dodger Stadium.

***

Johan Santana received the key to the city from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to honor the lefty’s June 1 no-hitter.

“I know it won’t open any doors or anything, but we’ll take it,” Santana said. “I really want to thank everybody and all the fans and all of New York City for being very nice to me and my family.”

***

Citi Field’s new dimensions were kind to the Yankees, who blasted three homers after hitting four Bronx bombs in the last game of their homestand Wednesday.

“I was glad to hear they moved the fences in,” Mark Teixeira said. “I’m all for a pitcher’s duel, but there were times when you would hit a ball 420 feet and it would either be a double or an out. That’s too much. It seems like it’s more fair now.”

YANKEES-METS BOX SCORE

PHOTOS: SUBWAY SERIES MOMENTS

Robinson Cano, Andruw Jones and Alex Rodriguez all went deep. Rodriguez hit homers in consecutive games for the first time this season.

Cano has 12 homers over his last 31 games following last night’s moonshot to right field after hitting just three in his first 38, but insists he hasn’t made any major changes.

“I was saying all along, the home runs would come because I felt good at the plate the whole time,” Cano said. “But it’s good to get some results.”

***

As R.A. Dickey remains a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game for the National League, the veteran knuckleballer said finding a catcher to handle his signature pitch shouldn’t be an issue.

“There’s always a first time for people to catch the pitch,” Dickey said.

NL manager Tony La Russa has suggested it might be more beneficial to use Dickey early in the game — perhaps as the starter — so there will be time to recover from any potential catching mishaps.

“I’ll do whatever anybody asks me to do,” Dickey said. “I don’t have an ego in this thing.”

***

The Yankees saw their season-high, seven-game road winning streak snapped. It was their longest streak away from The Bronx since 2009. … The team signed its third-round pick, high school first baseman Nathan Mikolas, for a reported $400,000.

***

Ronny Cedeno (1-for-3) was activated from the disabled list and was in the lineup for the Mets at shortstop. Elvin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to clear roster space, leaving the Mets with six relievers. Manager Terry Collins said if the team encounters a bind in the bullpen, Ramon Ramirez (on the disabled list with a hamstring injury), Pedro Beato and Jenrry Mejia are among the options that could be a phone call away.

mpuma@nypost.com

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Jason Bay, Mets, the Yankees, concussion, Alex Rodriguez, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mark Teixeira

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Homer-reliant Yankees may never get clutch

Ken Davidoff
Follow Ken on Twitter
Blog: Baseball Insider

I’d steal from Dennis Green and say that, in last night’s second Subway Series opener, the Yankees and Mets were who we thought they were. But there’s no need, thanks to Joe Girardi.

“We are who we are,” the Yankees manager said after his team dropped a 6-4 decision to the Mets at Citi Field. “There are basketball clubs that are built around 3-point shooting, and when they don’t make their 3s, they don’t win. We’re a home run-hitting club. If we hit two- and three-run homers, we usually win games.”

Hmm. That’s not the most encouraging logic, looking forward in this so far successful Yankees’ season.

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg; Anthony J. Causi

UNLUCKY STRIKES: Curtis Granderson is in a rainy-day mood after striking out with runners on in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Mets last night at Citi Field, just as Robinson Cano had in the first inning.

The Yankees hit three more homers last night, extending their major-league-leading total to 108. And they went hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position, including two failures in the ninth inning against Mets closer Frank “Chicken” Francisco, giving them 125 hits in 577 at-bats for the season in those situations, a woeful .217 batting average.

The Mets, meanwhile, created a five-run first inning against Andy Pettitte because they came through with two huge hits with two outs and runners in scoring position.

You wonder whether the Yankees can ride such terrible situational hitting all the way to the division title, or whether that skill must improve to prop up other areas that have compensated for the clutch deficiency so far.

“It’s going to change one day,” said Robinson Cano, one of the team’s worst offenders with a .145 batting average (9-for-62) with runners in scoring position.

“It’s kind of an individual thing,” Mark Teixeira said. “If you swing at bad pitches, probably be a little less aggressive. If you’re taking a lot of strikes and getting down in the count, you probably want to be more aggressive.”

It was Teixeira who stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth and teammates Derek Jeter and Raul Ibanez on first and second. Curtis Granderson had struck out looking to pass the baton to Teixeira, who swung at a 1-and-1 Francisco fastball and skied it to short left field, where Mets shortstop Omar Quintanilla settled under it and made the game-ending catch.

“I had my chance,” Teixeira said. “I got the pitch I wanted, took a good swing on it and just missed it. Just popped it up. It happens. ... [Francisco] throws me a lot of sinkers. If that ball sunk a little bit, I might be walking around the bases with a game-winning home run.”

Earlier in the game, Cano stranded teammates at first and second with a first-inning strikeout, and the Yankees put runners on second and third with two outs in the second only to see Jeter ground out to shortstop.

The Yankees’ home-run prowess, starting pitching and bullpen all deserve credit for making the hitting with runners in scoring position problem more of a curiosity than a crisis. But every component hits a speed bump at some juncture. And on a good team, every component should eventually shine.

When will the Yankees’ clutch hitting shine? It didn’t during their 10-game winning streak. It hasn’t in the subsequent three-game losing streak. These hitters are so talented, and there’s little reason to press, given their standing. There is, in short, no common-sense explanation for the Yankees’ continued struggles here.

Girardi’s basketball analogy is flawed. A basketball team that relies on 3-point shooting probably lacks the big guys capable of scoring in the paint. A baseball team that relies on home runs doesn’t necessarily lack the ability to come through in clutch moments. Shoot, there’s nothing better than a crucial home run, of which the Yankees have a few.

Maybe the other strengths can carry the Yankees all the way through this liability. Perhaps the law of averages will finally work to the Yankees’ favor.

For now, though, it ranks as a major annoyance in a generally pleasurable Yankees’ season.

“We ask this question every day,” said Girardi, expressing his fatigue. “You keep putting them on, it’s eventually going to change.”

Unless, of course, this is just who the Yankees are.

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France out to be Spain in the neck

DONETSK, Ukraine — Spain is looking for a little history and a little revenge today in its European Championship quarterfinal against France.

Spain has never beaten the French in six major competitions, the most recent loss coming at the 2006 World Cup. Spain hasn’t been eliminated from a major tournament since, and defender Sergio Ramos doesn’t want another French victory to end his team’s bid for a third straight major title.

“Football offers up something nice, which is you always get a chance at revenge, and [today] we get that chance,” said Ramos, who played in that 3-1 second-round loss to Les Bleus in Hannover, Germany.

Since that result, Spain has gone on to hone the quick-touch, possession game that led to triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. Between those title wins, the French claimed the fifth of its six wins over Spain.

“There are facts that can’t be denied, and we will strive to change that,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. “We’re favorites since we’re world and European champions, but in the prior matchups France has been superior to us. Let’s see if we are capable of changing that precedent by extending the success we’ve achieved.”

Del Bosque said he had doubts about his lineup after the unconvincing 1-0 victory over Croatia, which helped Spain finish first in its group.

Spain’s attack has been led by striker Fernando Torres or midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and there was no further clarity over which way Del Bosque would lean in the team’s first match in Ukraine. Striker Fernando Llorente, who impressed this season with Athletic Bilbao, remains unused at Euro 2012.

Spain was not letting news of France’s locker-room outburst following the loss to Sweden soften the team’s approach.

“In every household of every family, there are arguments,” Ramos said, “and that doesn’t necessarily mean the unit is affected.”

The Spanish are the masters of keeping possession, but the French have the likes of Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Yohan Cabaye. They are comfortable on the ball, making the match potentially one for the purists.

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Yanks’ run snapped as two gunned out at home

The Yankees found all sorts of ways to pull out victories during their 10-game winning streak and seemed to be on their way to finding yet another one last night, but let opportunities slip by.

The Yankees fell to the Braves, 4-3, failing to match their longest unbeaten stretch in 50 years — and getting two runners thrown out at home in the process.

BOX SCORE

PHOTOS: YANKS LOSE TO BRAVES

“When you win 10 in a row … you have breaks go your way,” Mark Teixeira said. “None of the breaks went our way.”

No one knows that more than Teixeira, who was nailed trying to score on Nick Swisher’s single to right in the fifth by Jason Heyward and then nearly had his foot crushed by a Heyward shot in the sixth that drove in the winning run.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

HOME DONE: Curtis Granderson is tagged out at home by Braves catcher Brian McCann as he tries to score on Mark Teixeira’s groundball to third baseman Chipper Jones in the seventh inning.

Both plays epitomized what had gone right for the Yankees as they stormed into first place — and what didn’t go right last night.

Teixeira walked with two outs in the fifth against Tim Hudson, who then also walked Raul Ibanez. Swisher followed with a bullet to right, but a perfect throw from Heyward easily nailed Teixeira.

“Heyward has a really good arm,” Teixeira said. “We were just hoping in that situation he made a poor throw and he didn’t. He made a great throw.”

After Hiroki Kuroda nearly pitched his way out of trouble following a leadoff double in the sixth, Heyward sent a screamer toward Teixeira that was too fast for him to lay a glove on. The ball rolled away, allowing Martin Prado to score what proved to be the winning run.

Oh, but the Yankees had plenty of other chances. With runners on second and third and one out in the seventh, Teixeira grounded to third, but Chipper Jones fired home and got Curtis Granderson at the plate to prevent him from tying the game.

And don’t forget the second, when the Yankees took a 2-0 lead on Swisher’s two-run double with no outs, but the Yankees stalled after that.

Those waiting for a ninth-inning comeback were out of luck. Craig Kimbrel, last season’s NL Rookie of the Year, put the Yankees away with ease, striking out Derek Jeter and Granderson before getting Alex Rodriguez on a pop out to end it.

“Their closer is really good,” Teixeira said. “We don’t see him very much. We saw him once in Atlanta and he was lights-out, and he was lights-out tonight.”

Kuroda, who had been lights-out in his previous four starts (3-0, 1.29 ERA), did not continue the trend.

He was hurt by Heyward’s triple to start the third and then gave up two more runs in the fourth. The damage would have been worse if Granderson had not gunned down Heyward at third to prevent further scoring.

The seven-inning, four-run outing wasn’t bad, but it dropped Kuroda to 6-7 as the righty became the first Yankee to lose a game since CC Sabathia on June 7.

”I really didn’t want to give up that last run,” Kuroda said through a translator. “If I kept them to three runs, I think we’d win the game.”

Perhaps.

“Every loss is frustrating to me, but it’s even more frustrating when you have an opportunity and don’t come through,” Russell Martin said. “It was just one of those days. We’re not going to win every game for the rest of the year. Hopefully we just start another streak.”

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St. John's Dunlap hired as Bobcats head coach: source

Mike Dunlap will be the next head coach of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, sources told The Post last night.

Dunlap, 54, spent the past two years working as Steve Lavin’s lead assistant at St. John’s, including running the program’s day-to-day operations this past season while Lavin recovered from prostate cancer surgery.

Dunlap’s hiring was first reported by the Charlotte Observer.

He becomes the first NBA head coach that jumps from being an NCAA assistant who has no prior Division I head-coaching experience.

Dunlap originally was one of the 10 candidates to interview for the job, but the team last week trimmed the list to former Utah coach Jerry Sloan, Indiana assistant coach Brian Shaw and Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder last week.

At some point Dunlap re-entered the picture and was offered and accepted the job last night, AP reported.

“To make the unprecedented jump from college assistant to NBA head coach is testament to both Mike’s abilities as a teacher and our basketball program’s marked improvement over the past 27 months,” Lavin said last night.

Dunlap’s hiring leaves a big hole in Lavin’s St. John’s staff. While Lavin’s other assistants, Rico Hines and Tony Chiles, are strong recruiters, Dunlap is highly regarded as a strategist and tactician on the sidelines.

Sources said Lavin will not take a cookie-cutter approach to hiring a replacement, which means he’s not married to hiring another X’s and O’s expert.

Since getting his first coaching job as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount in 1980, Dunlap has spent the vast majority of his time working in the college game. His only previous NBA experience came from a two-year stint in Denver from 2006-08 as an assistant under George Karl.

Dunlap has had three previous head-coaching jobs. He was the coach at Division III California Lutheran from 1989-94 before leaving to coach an Australian pro team, the Adelaide 36ers, from 1994-97. He left there to have a lengthy run of success at Division II Metro State in Denver, where he won two national championships and made nine straight NCAA Tournaments from 1997-2006 before joining Karl’s Nuggets staff.

Dunlap becomes the fifth coach in the nine-year history of the Charlotte franchise, which is owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan. The Bobcats are coming off a historically bad season that saw them finish 7-59, including losing their final 23 games of the season. Charlotte’s .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history.

The Bobcats even lost in the lottery, getting the second pick behind the Hornets and missing out on a chance to draft Kentucky star Anthony Davis.

—Additional reporting by Lenn Robbins

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First-round leader Thompson bolstered by finish

SAN FRANCISCO — He posted the lowest round of the week and carded the most birdies of anyone in the field, but Michael Thompson’s bid to win the U.S. Open still fell tantalizingly short.

Thompson, a 27-year-old virtual unknown on the PGA Tour, burst on the scene with an opening-round 4-under-par 66 to take a three-shot lead into the second day. He also had 16 birdies in his four rounds, more than anyone else.

But it was his two middle rounds — a 75 on Friday and a 74 on Saturday — that sabotaged his chances to make this week truly magical for himself.

EPA

FORE SHAME: A fan in a rooster hat disrupts Bob Costas’ interview of Open champ Webb Simpson yesterday at The Olympic Club. As the fan was hauled away, Simpson wished the man well, telling him: “Enjoy the jail cell, pal.” A

Thompson fought back in yesterday’s final round with a 67 and was the leader in the clubhouse at 2-over par for the tournament until Webb Simpson came in at 1-over about 45 minutes later.

U.S. OPEN HOLE BY HOLE

“I knew from the beginning of the week if I can just shoot right around 1-over every day I would be happy,’’ Thompson said. “I didn’t expect at all to shoot under par and then to go out and shoot way under par [in the first round] on a U.S. Open is kind of unbelievable.

“To have that great start the way I did was a new experience for me,’’ he added. “Coming in with a three-shot lead after the first day is, in any golf tournament, is unbelievable. That means you played fantastic the first round. So that was different and a new experience.

“I don’t know what to say. It was a great tournament. To start it off in such a way and then finish it the same way practically, it just feels amazing.’’

Despite not being able to sustain it for four rounds, Thompson was very upbeat about his experience.

“I’m excited because now I know I can do it,’’ he said. “I love USGA events. I honestly have fun during USGA events because they’re so challenging. It’s easy for me to get prepared mentally. I believe in myself.’’

Thompson’s runner-up finish in the 2007 U.S. Amateur at the Olympic Club helped that belief. He has been staying with the same family he stayed with in 2007.

“I think it helped me a ton,’’ he said. “Through the U.S. Amateur I learned to love the golf course.’’

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Pettitte ‘gassed’ after solid outing for Yankees

WASHINGTON — Andy Pettitte became the first pitcher over 40 to start a game for the Yankees since Roger Clemens took the mound five years ago at 45.

Though Pettitte gave the Yankees just about everything they could want, he admitted to being “gassed” after seven innings and 95 pitches.

“I don’t know if it was from the heat, a day game, or having to go up there [to the plate] with a different routine,” Pettitte said of why the outing took so much out of him. “Maybe it’s being 40.”

The lefty said it with a laugh after hitting the milestone on Friday and then watching the Yankees battle through a 5-3, 14-inning win over the Nationals yesterday, but Pettitte is still attempting to defy time.

Pettitte gave up just two runs in seven innings and was in line to earn his fourth win when Cory Wade gave up a game-tying homer to Ian Desmond in the eighth. The only two runs Pettitte surrendered came on a broken-bat double by Jesus Flores in the second.

The veteran also dominated 19-year-old Bryce Harper, striking out the phenom three times before the center fielder lined out to center in the seventh — which turned out to be Pettitte’s last batter.

BOX SCORE

Pettitte said he hadn’t given much thought to his between-start regimen until he was asked about it yesterday, but he admitted it was something he might have to reconsider.

“I ran every day in Atlanta,” Pettitte said of the team’s recent trip down South. “It was hot and maybe I ran too much. ... Those are things I have to evaluate.”

But he would rather not alter anything.

“I’m trying to act like I’m not 40 and I’m like I was a few years ago and do my routine and what I’ve always done because I’m such a creature of habit,” Pettitte said. “I throw two bullpens between starts. ... I don’t think it’s gonna happen but if I continue to get tired, I’ll have to look at it.”

He threw 95 pitches in his previous outing, as well.

“The other day was a day game at home and I threw [38] pitches in the second inning and, I’m not going to lie to you, I didn’t think I would get out of the third inning because I so tired.”

Though he may tire a little more easily than he used to, the Yankees certainly will continue to take these results from Pettitte, who lowered his ERA to 2.77 in seven starts.

“He’s been amazing,” manager Joe Girardi said.

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Bidder blow for Buffett

Uncle Sam will likely get some cover Monday in bankrupt mortgagor ResCap’s battle with Warren Buffett.

Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn is expected to uphold the decision by the government-owned ResCap to reject an offer from Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway to be the favored bidder to acquire its mortgage servicing portfolio, sources said.

“Warren’s request is a bit too little, too late,” a source said.

ResCap met with Buffett’s lawyers yesterday to discuss hiring a special independent examiner to probe settlement agreements of the bankrupt company’s parent, Ally Financial.

Ally entered into a deal with Fortress Investment Group prior to ResCap’s May 14 Chapter 11 filing. That deal allowed FIG’s $2.4 billion offer for ResCap’s mortgage unit to be the so-called stalking horse bid.

Buffett has offered $2.4 billion to buy ResCap’s servicing portfolio, matching the agreement with Wes Edens’ FIG to buy the same assets.

Fortress, though, received approval from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be the favored bidder for the assets, unlike Buffett, justifying the larger break-up fee.

ResCap has agreed to pay Fortress a $72 million break-up fee if FIG is outbid, and Buffett is willing to make the same offer and take a much lower $24 million break-up fee.

Fortress has won the backing of ResCap’s unsecured creditors committee, and with its support, it is expected to get the judge’s backing, sources said.

ResCap said in a prepared statement, “Fortress will likely remain the highest and best offer for the debtors.”

The judge on Monday will set up bidding guidelines, and rivals will get to make competing offers by a likely October deadline.

“I suspect in the auction Fortress will have to pay more,” a source close to the situation said.

The judge can choose to reject ResCap’s proposal and make Buffett the favored bidder.

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Nationals phenom Harper gets plenty of attention

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper’s major-league career is just 42 games old, but the 19-year-old has made quite a name for himself.

He already has opened the eyes of some Yankees — including Alex Rodriguez — who got their first look at the center fielder last night in the series opener at Nationals Park.

Harper has been watching the Yankees considerably longer.

“[Rodriguez] has been through so many things in his career,” Harper said before the Yankees’ 7-2 victory over the Nationals last night. “He’s grown up in that atmosphere, where he’s targeted and gets attention. I’m looking forward to seeing him play and [Derek] Jeter play.”

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BRYCE IS RIGHT! Bryce Harper makes a diving catch on a line drive by Mark Teixeira during the first inning of the Yankees’ 7-2 victory over the Nationals.

The feeling is mutual, as Rodriguez spoke earlier in the week about how impressed he’s been with the precocious No. 1 pick that made his debut with Washington on April 28 and hasn’t looked back.

YANKEES BOX SCORE

In his previous 21 games before last night, Harper had hit .370 with three doubles, three triples, five homers and 14 RBIs. He was also named National League Rookie of the Month in May.

Harper finished last night 1-for-4, striking out once. He is hitting .302 for the season.

“What he’s doing is amazing,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s pretty hard to compare him to any 19-year-old because 19-year olds usually aren’t here.”

But Harper has proven not to be an ordinary 19-year-old, something Andruw Jones could relate to.

“He’s impressive,” said Jones, who was also 19 when he came up with the Braves in 1996.

But Jones didn’t arrive with nearly the fanfare — or immediate expectation — that has followed Harper.

“I wasn’t in the lineup regularly when I got up here,’’ Jones said. “I got to play behind some really good players like Jermaine Dye until I figured it out.”

Nevertheless, Jones said he isn’t too surprised Harper has found success so quickly.

“It’s still playing baseball,” Jones said. “If you have the skills, you can play anywhere, no matter how old you are.”

Harper raised some eyebrows last year when he tweeted — and later deleted — some support for the Yankees during the playoffs. He has said his favorite player is Mickey Mantle, but for now, he’s focused on beating the Yankees and keeping the Nationals in first place.

“If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best,” said Harper, who is beginning to understand the scrutiny players like Rodriguez and Jeter face. “That whole team has been under a microscope. They all have targets on them. They’re the New York Yankees. For them to come in here and deal with that, that’s what I’m trying do.”

But he didn’t expect to ask either player for advice.

“I don’t know, maybe,” Harper said. “I don’t like bothering anybody. It’s a big series.”

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Beau shows he knows golf as amateur Opens eyes at Olympic

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SAN FRANCISCO — When Beau Hossler hit a tree with his drive off the No.5 tee box, his caddie and godfather Bill Schellenberg looked at the 17-year-old and said: “Well, that was pretty pure.”

The levity was much-needed considering the junior from Rancho Santa Margarita High School had just gone from leading the 112th U.S. Open yesterday to a potential full-fledged meltdown on the front nine of the Olympic Club. Funny what nerves can do to someone, especially when leading Tiger Woods by one shot in a major golf championship.

That’s where the young Hossler, who began his round on the ninth hole, found himself after draining a 12-foot putt for birdie at the first hole to go to 2-under for the tournament. Hossler, an amateur who has verbally committed to the University of Texas, insisted he didn’t get nervous. After all, this is becoming old hat to him having qualified for last year’s U.S. Open at Congressional. But his dad saw the signs.

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BEAU HOSSLER: 17-year-old amateur in contention.

U.S. OPEN HOLE BY HOLE

“When he looked up on the board and saw he was leading at one point, I believe his heart rate started beating a little bit and his swing got a little quicker,” said his father, also named Beau.

Suddenly there were cameras and reporters and the galleries got thicker. Hossler promptly took bogey on the second hole and made double-bogey at the fourth when his tee shot went wide right and landed in knee-high rough near a tree. That was followed by the drive at the fifth hole that smacked into another tree and dropped back into a bunker.

“You’re going to have stretches, especially on those holes where you’re struggling,” the teenager reasoned. “Obviously, I think I got out of my rhythm a little bit on those tee shots, and those really killed me.”

Schellenberg wasn’t going to let him implode. They had come too far, playing at Congressional at age 16 last year and winning the 2011 Junior World Golf Championships before qualifying for the U.S. Open again this year.

“He was getting upset and angry and I was just trying to talk him off the cliff,” said Schellenberg, who was at the hospital the day Beau Hossler was born. “I noticed something in his pre-shot routine and told him, ‘Hey, you looked a little quick in that.’ I’m sure that was nerves.”

Then the kid showed “Beau Knows Golf” when he hit that marvelous recovery shot at the fifth against his godfather’s wishes, leading to a good bogey, if there’s such a thing. “Fortunately, it worked out,” Hossler said. “If not I could have made a quad there.”

He would make another bogey at the sixth when his short chip with a wedge from the back of the green stopped one roll short of the hole. But he showed he has plenty of game and guts at the par-4 seventh where he made birdie when another short chip found the hole. A bogey at the par-3 eighth hole left him at 3-over going into today’s third round, a score good enough to tie for ninth.

“I think he’s going to handle the weekend better now that he didn’t end up in the lead,” his father said. “I don’t want Beau to move too fast. If he had the lead in the U.S. Open, that’s too much, in my opinion, for a 17-year-old to handle.”

Tiger Woods can chase his 15th green jacket. Hossler wants to finish as the low amateur. “There’s some things I really got to tighten up for the next couple days because I know the course is going to get harder,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a good spot for me to reach my goal of low amateur.”

The plan is to go to the University of Texas for four years and get his degree before trying to make the PGA Tour a career. At least that’s what dad’s thinking. Right now the kid’s just happy to be playing the weekend and getting another few days of free dry cleaning. “That’s pretty sweet,” he said.

Just like his golf game.

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Exchange of plunks no big deal for Mets' Wright

n what looked and smelled like archetypal baseball retaliation, the Mets plunked Cincinnati star Joey Votto with a pitch only to see their star, David Wright, get hit innings later. The Reds insist it wasn’t intentional, but the Mets — who aren’t buying that — said even if it was on purpose, it was done professionally.

“That’s the way you play the game. I know we didn’t hit Joey on purpose, but you take care of your guys. We would have done the same thing,’’ said Wright, who had been robbed of his chance to literally take one for the team when manager Terry Collins pulled him from an 8-0 loss May 15 after the Mets had hit Ryan Braun.

Friday night, Wright finally got his wish.

Mets starter Dillon Gee hit Votto in the third inning of the Mets' 7-3 loss and Reds reliever Sean Marshall grazed Wright in the eighth. But the pitch was low, around his midsection, and barely touched Wright’s shirt.

“It hit me in the stomach. It was done in the right way. That’s the way you play the game. I appreciate that, keeping the ball down,’’ said Wright. “Dillon didn’t mean to hit Joey, but obviously you protect your own hitters. That’s the way it goes.’’

BOX SCORE

Manager Terry Collins said he wasn’t surprised by Wright getting hit.

“Well, I watched the same thing you did the other day,’’ Collins said. “When their guy got hit, they answered, so I’m not surprised.’’

That would refer to a heated incident during the Reds’ sweep of the Indians, when Mat Latos buzzed Cleveland starter Derek Lowe and the latter hit Brandon Phillips. Reds manager Dusty Baker and Lowe waged a war of words, but last night Baker said he didn’t see any intent on either side.

“We didn’t think there was any intent,” Baker said. “ Every time somebody gets hit now people think there was intent. You can tell if there’s intent or not. We didn’t think that.”

When told it looked suspicious because of the Reds hitting the Mets star, Baker dismissed that.

“Well, you can perceive anything you want to,” the manager said. “That guy’s a heck of a player. He’s 4-for-6 off Marshall, so evidently nothing else has worked, so he’s trying to come inside with a fastball.’’

Votto agreed, saying he didn’t feel he was hit on purpose.

“No,’’ said Votto, who claimed he had no idea the Reds hit Wright. “We hit Wright? [Well], people can perceive whatever we want but I didn’t see anything.’’

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Sports Shorts

MLB: Huff hurt after Cain’s perfect game

Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff has become the second big leaguer to get injured this month while celebrating a no-hitter. Huff sprained his right knee while trying to jump over the dugout railing and join the postgame celebration of Matt Cain’s perfect game Wednesday night. Two weeks ago, Mets pitcher Ramon Ramirez hurt his hamstring following Johan Santana’s no-hitter.

The Rockies said All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will undergo a precautionary MRI exam after aggravating a groin injury in a rehab assignment.Tulowitzki took himself out of a game Wednesday at Triple-A Colorado Springs after feeling not quite right.

NFL: Kubiak, Smith receive extensions

The Texans announced contract extensions for general manager Rick Smith and head coach Gary Kubiak, rewarding them for taking the team to the playoffs last year for the first time.Smith’s extension is for four years, which will keep him with the team through 2016.

Kubiak’s is a three-year agreement which re-does the last year of his current deal and keeps him under contract through 2014.

When he tore his right Achillies tendon in April, Terrell Suggs spoke optimistically about returning to the Ravens as soon as November.The five-time Pro Bowl linebacker had surgery on May 8 and recently discarded his crutches, yet the slow pace of his rehabilitation has made him realize that he will almost certainly be sidelined longer than originally anticipated.

ETC.: LeGrand wins perseverance award

Paralyzed former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has been selected to receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS next month.LeGrand, who has vowed to walk again, suffered a spinal cord injury in a game against Army in 2010.

Starting today, Division I men’s basketball coaches will be able to send unlimited texts and make unlimited calls to recruits who have wrapped up their sophomore year of high school. The NCAA also will allow coaches to send private messages to prospective players through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Bobcats’ coaching job, Sports Illustrated reported.

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Mets' Dickey of two minds over appeal of one-hitter

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — R.A. Dickey has mixed emotions over the Mets’ appeal of a scoring decision from Wednesday night that could result in him receiving credit for a no-hitter.

The Mets have requested for the commissioner’s office to review B.J. Upton’s first-inning single — the Rays’ only hit against Dickey in his complete-game 9-1 victory. David Wright attempted a bare-handed play on the grounder and missed it.

“A part of me would love a no-hitter, regardless of how you get it, it’s still a no-hitter,” Dickey said yesterday. “And then a part of me thinks it would be cheap.

“I think the asterisk beside the no-hitter would get more attention than the no-hitter, plus you’re not pitching the eighth or ninth inning with the pressure of a no-hitter going. But for the integrity of the game, I think it’s worthy of a review.”

BOX SCORE

Joe Torre, baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations, will solicit opinions from four or five committee members, including Tony La Russa, before rendering a verdict, likely today.

“Given what is at stake, I want to get more than my opinion,” Torre said. “We have to be careful because it is a [potential] no-hitter.”

“We’re just taking a shot, taking a stab,” Collins said. “What the hell? What do we have to lose? Nothing. We won the game and R.A. pitched a great game.”

Wright said he feels “terrible” the Upton grounder was the lone hit, but said there is nothing he would have done differently in an attempt to nail the speedy runner.

“It’s a little awkward when the team wants an error on its own player,” Wright said. “Usually it’s you’re trying to appeal for the reversal of that. But it would be a lot more difficult for me if I thought there was something else I could do, but I did everything I possibly could.”

Dickey joked that the Mets could hold a reenactment of the final out if the scoring decision is overturned.

“We were talking about having a mock up of what it was like out there and then having a celebration on the mound at Citi [Field],” Dickey said. “We can sell jerseys, authenticate our hats.”

Additional reporting

by Joel Sherman

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Germans leave Dutch in ditch

It wasn’t even halftime and the German fans were already singing “Aufwiedersehen, aufwiedersehen” — the bye-bye chant of scorn for the Dutch team and its orange-clad fans.

It was a little premature to be saying goodbye, but the Germans still left the Netherlands on the brink of elimination from the European Championship after beating their historic rivals 2-1 in one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament yesterday in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Mario Gomez scored both goals for Germany, which is now a perfect 2-0.

Although Robin van Persie pulled one back for the Netherlands in the second half, the defeat leaves the 2010 World Cup runner-up dangerously close to going home.

The Netherlands, along with Germany considered one of the favorites but drawn into a tough group, has lost both group games and needs to beat Portugal to have a hope. Germany will need only a draw against Denmark on Sunday to win the group.

Portugal 3, Denmark 2

After a miserable run of four games without a victory and only one goal scored, the Portuguese came through with an 87th-minute goal from substitute Silvestre Varela to beat Denmark in Lviv, Ukraine.

Varela scored the winner, spinning on the ball and shooting from short range. It was Varela’s first international goal in four appearances. But the winning strike came late, and after several missed opportunities from Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s captain.

Germany, Silvestre Varela, Netherlands, European Championship, Robin van Persie, Denmark, aufwiedersehen

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Danish striker drops trow, draws ire of UEFA

KOLOBRZEG, Poland — Talk about getting your knickers in a twist.

The Danish Football Association was in damage control mode Thursday after striker Nicklas Bendtner dropped his pants in a goal-scoring stunt it says breached an exclusive sponsorship deal as well as UEFA’s rules against ambush marketing.

Celebrating his second goal in Denmark’s 3-2 loss Wednesday against Portugal, Bendtner lifted his shirt and lowered his shorts slightly, revealing the name of an Irish betting firm across the top of his underpants.

Not only is that against UEFA rules, which bar players from wearing any sponsor advertising on their kit, it also didn’t go down well with British gambling company Ladbrokes, one of the official sponsors of Denmark’s national team.

AP

Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner celebrates after scoring against Portugal on Wednesday, showing off the name of an Irish betting firm -- strictly forbidden by UEFA.

“This is not something we will accept,” Richardt Funch, the manager for Ladbrokes in Denmark, told The Associated Press.

Funch said the company immediately asked Denmark’s FA, known by its Danish initials DBU, for an explanation, and got one Thursday.

“I want to keep the outcome of it between us, DBU and Nicklas,” Funch said. “I think it was a blunder from Nicklas’ side.”

Association officials told Bendtner that what he did violated the sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes as well as UEFA’s commercial rules, DBU spokesman Lars Berendt told the AP.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Bendtner would face any action for the display, except having to switch underwear for the next Group B match against Germany.

“Nicklas Bendtner has assured us that he will pay attention to respect the regulations and contracts made by UEFA and DBU for this tournament,” Berendt said.

As of Wednesday morning, UEFA had not raised any complaints over the issue, he added.

The Arsenal center forward, who was loaned to Sunderland last season, insisted Thursday that it wasn’t a publicity stunt.

“I was happy after having scored 2-2 ... so I celebrated like I normally do,” Bendtner said. “But it was not a conscious thing on my part. It was simply some underwear that give a little luck. I also wore them in the first match and have worn them before.

“Of course I can see it’s a bit unfortunate. But there is no agreement or anything like that. It was just for myself,” he said.

Minutes after Bendtner’s celebration, the Irish bookmaker sent a Twitter message with a photograph claiming that Bendtner was wearing his lucky underwear.

Germany leads Group B with six points while Denmark and Portugal both have three.

Nicklas Bendtner, Bendtner, Danish Football Association, UEFA, Denmark, Denmark, Richardt Funch, Ladbrokes, KOLOBRZEG, Poland, Portugal, Portugal ebook download, sponsorship deal, Lars Berendt

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Human rights groups say racist crimes on rise in Ukraine, call for Euro 2012 boycott

Hate crimes are on the rise in Ukraine, a group of human rights organizations said Wednesday, amid calls to boycott European Championship matches because of the threat of racially motivated abuse.

Ukraine, which is a co-host of Euro 2012 along with neighboring Poland, has been rocked by accusations of racism and a recent call by a former England soccer to not attend matches here because fans might return "in a coffin." Days before the tournament started, the BBC broadcast footage of racist and violent incidents at recent club matches in Ukraine, including host city Kharkiv.

Authorities have responded angrily to the suggestions that the country is racist. Officials have vowed that all fans would we greeted with open arms. UEFA's tournament director in Kiev, Markiyan Lubkivskyi, said Tuesday there have been no reports of racial abuse during the four group matches played in Ukraine so far.

But a recent study of racism and xenophobia conducted by the Eurasian Jewish Congress shows that the number of hate crimes rose from 37 in 2009 to 48 in 2011.

"Without a doubt, racism exists in Ukraine," said Maksym Butkevych, of No Borders, a Kiev-based advocacy group. He cautioned that racism wasn't a widespread practice affecting the daily lives of the majority of Ukrainians, but said racial and ethnic intolerance among Ukrainians was growing.

"We are seeing a rise in such sentiments and views and this is a worrisome tendency," Butkevych said.

Yevhen Zakharov, head of the Kharkiv Rights Group, a leading rights organization in Ukraine, said the rise in xenophobic sentiments can be attributed to a severe economic crisis that has shaken the country in recent years, leading people to blame others for their hardships.

"The level of aggression in society has risen. People look for enemies and they find them - not in themselves but around them," Zakharov said.

The activists said authorities rarely punish the perpetrators of hate crimes and often write off such attacks as mere hooliganism because they are harder to prove and victims are often scared to report them, fearing retribution from the attackers and more racially motivated abuse at the hands of police.

"The standard reaction of a victim is to lie in bed at home and not tell anyone about" the attack, Butkevych said.

Grygoriy Surkis, president of the Ukraine soccer body, said the racism threat was overblown in Ukraine and urged everyone to turn their attention from politics to sports.

"There can be individual cases of racism in Ukraine stadiums and that needs to be stopped," Surkis said Tuesday. "But it is important we focus on the most important thing - football ... We should not keep talking about racism in Ukrainian football. The tournament is about football, not politics."

Ukraine, European Championship, Maksym Butkevych, racism, Hate crimes, hate crimes, Eurasian Jewish Congress, Kharkiv Rights Group, racially motivated

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Realizing I'm a player not a fan is the first step

Mark McCormick

Mark McCormick, the 49-year-old head pro at Suburban Golf Club in Union, N.J., is doing an exclusive diary for The Post this week, as told to Mark Cannizzaro. McCormick’s caddie, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, was the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.

I slept until 5 a.m. this morning and when I woke up I listened to a little Bob Rotella tape, which helped me calm down for the day. I talked to Bob on Monday and his message was: “Have fun. It’s a party. Just let it loose and enjoy it.’’

After speaking to him, it focused me and I realized, “You’re not a spectator, you’re a player. You’ve got to think like a player, think not like Phil Mickelson is your idol, but he’s your playing partner. You’ve got to be focused on playing. You’re not here to just spectate, you’re here to play.’’

OPEN HOLE BY HOLE

That probably got me a little more serious this morning, thinking that I qualified as a player, so let’s go play.

VINI LOPEZ

I got into San Francisco on Monday. The last time I was here was 1970, when I played drums along with Bruce Springsteen in our band, “Steel Mill.’’ I woke up early this morning and as we were driving to the course we passed several venues where we used to play with Steel Mill.

We used to play at the Carousel Ballroom, the Matrix on Filmore Street, a place called the Family Dog and at the College of Marin. It was classing driving by all those places. It’s like Yogi Berra always said, “Déjà vu all over again.’’ I could see us there playing, clear as a bell. Being here has brought back so mamy memories.

The only place among those where we played that’s still around is the Matrix. I’m going to go in there and have a beer tonight. I played golf back then, started in 1967, but I never imagined I’d be back here caddying in a U.S. Open.

Bruce Springsteen, Mark McCormickMark McCormick, Suburban Golf Club, Bob Rotella

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Tapitsfly edges ‘Winter’ to capture Just A Game

Unlike the past, Winter Memories had a clean trip and no wall of horses in front of her to conquer turning for home and looked poised and ready to unleash her usual late kick as the even-money favorite.

But the Dale Romans-trained Tapitsfly, who was on her game, set the pace early on from the gate and took charge through the stretch holding off Winter Memories for a 2¹/‚„-length victory in the one-mile, Grade 1 $500,000 Just a Game on the Widener turf. It was Winter Memories’ first defeat at Belmont.

”It was excellent. Looking on paper, there was no speed,” her jockey, Ramon Dominguez, said. “I was pretty happy when I got to the paddock and Dale said to me ‘Try to put her on the lead.’ It worked out beautifully. She relaxed for me. Turning for home, she gave a great kick. She was moving right along.”

Javier Castellano, who gave Winter Memories her cue to run at the quarter pole, said he was pleased with her performance.

“She was just second-best today, unfortunately. I’m not disappointed. We ran fast, and she finished very strong today.”

Tapitsfly, who paid $8.40 to win, won in good time, 1:32 1/5. The exacta returned $21.60.

aaffrunti@nypost.com

Winter Memories online, Ramon Dominguez, Javier Castellano

Nypost.com

Novak gunning for Slam, of sorts

PARIS — Novak Djokovic has won 27 matches in a row at Grand Slam tournaments. If he can make that 28 by beating Rafael Nadal in today’s French Open final, Djokovic will earn a fourth consecutive major title, something no man has accomplished since 1969.

Tough to imagine someone so close to such a historic achievement being an underdog, yet that’s exactly the case for Djokovic. Even the 25-year-old Serb says so.

“You can say that he’s a favorite, definitely,” Djokovic said.

Really? Even though Djokovic beat Nadal in each of the past three Grand Slam finals?

Well, yes. Because as good as Djokovic is on all surfaces and in all settings at the moment, no one ever has been as good as Nadal is on the red clay of Roland Garros. Set aside that Nadal owns 10 Grand Slam titles overall, twice as many as Djokovic, and simply consider the 26-year-old Spaniard’s superb French Open bona fides.

Though Djokovic hopes to complete a “Novak Slam” — only two other men in the century-plus annals of tennis have been the reigning champion at all four Grand Slam tournaments simultaneously — Nadal seeks his record seventh trophy at the French Open. Only Nadal and Bjorn Borg have won the title six times.

“He has lost, what, two matches in his career here?” Djokovic asked during a news conference after eliminating 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the semis.

Actually, Nadal has just one loss at the French — where he is 51-1, including 3-0 vs. Djokovic. But one more loss today, and Djokovic makes history.

Purchase US Open tickets

Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Slam titles, French Open

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Stony Brook tops LSU, 3-1, to even NCAA Super Regional series

BATON ROUGE, La. — Tyler Johnson threw a three-hitter and allowed an unearned run, and Stony Brook defeated LSU 3-1 on Saturday to even the super regional series at one game each.

LSU (47-17) could not muster the late-inning magic of the series opener, when the Tigers hit three game-tying homers before winning a rain-postponed game in the 12th inning Saturday morning.

Johnson improved to 12-1, and now Stony Brook (51-13) is one victory from its first College World Series, with the final game of the best-of-three series slated for Sunday.

Kevin Courtney was 3 for 3 with a homer for the Seawolves, while Sal Intagliata and William Carmona each hit run-scoring singles.

LSU starter Kevin Gausman (12-2), who won Game 1 by pitching the last inning, lasted seven innings in Game 2, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out six.

LSU, Tyler Johnson, BATON ROUGE, La., Stony Brook, William Carmona, regional series, Sal Intagliata, the Tigers, Kevin Gausman, inning

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Spain set to seek EU aid

Spain is expected to ask the euro zone for help with recapitalizing its banks this weekend, sources said yesterday, becoming the fourth country to seek aid since Europe’s debt crisis began.

Senior European Union and German officials said deputy finance ministers from the single-currency area would hold a conference call today to discuss a Spanish request for aid, although no figure for the assistance has yet been fixed.

Later the Eurogroup, which consists of the euro zone’s 17 finance ministers, will hold a separate call to discuss approving the request, the sources said.

Spain needs about $50 billion in extra capital injected into several banks to allow them to withstand severe economic conditions, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday.

On Thursday, Fitch cut Madrid’s sovereign credit rating by three notches to BBB, underlining the Spanish banking sector’s exposure to bad property loans and to contagion from Greece’s crisis.

“The government of Spain has realized the seriousness of their problem,” a senior German official said.

He added that an agreement needed to be reached before a Greek election on June 17, which could cause market panic and increase the threat of Athens leaving the euro zone if left-wing parties opposed to Greece’s EU/IMF bailout win.

The euro zone has been under strong pressure to take swift action to prevent the debt crisis from spreading.

debt crisis, European Union, Spain, International Monetary Fund, German officials, finance ministers

Nypost.com

Monticello Results

WEATHER Clear TRACK Fast

FIRST-mile; pace; $3400; cond

OFF: 12:53 TIME: 1:56.4

3

ThngsLftUsd(JMrhnJr)

4.30

2.30

2.20

1

WinsmithMolly(JTaggartJr)

2.40

2.40

5

Not Thinking (M Forte)

2.80

* Perfecta (3-1) $7.30 * Trifecta (3-1-5) $35.00

SECOND-mile; trot; $2700; cond

OFF: 1:12 TIME: 2:02.3

3

YullMssAllt(JTggrtJr)

3.90

2.50

2.30

5

Fair Lady J (M Forte)

3.10

2.60

2

Engamer Benns Best (J Gilmour)

3.40

* Perfecta (3-5) $10.60 * Trifecta (3-5-2) $32.60 * Daily double (3-3) $9.60 * Superfecta (3-5-2-1) $95.00

THIRDMILE;-pace; $2000; cond

OFF: 1:29 TIME: 2:00.3

3

EgleMcnr(KDIBndtto)

3.00

2.20

2.10

8

Bandito N (A Schwartz)

11.60

5.40

5

Model Magnate (M Forte)

2.90

* Perfecta (3-8) $65.50 * Trifecta (3-8-5) $277.50 * Pick 3 (3-3-3) $21.80 * Superfecta (3-8-5-7) $1,435.00

FOURTH-mile; pace; $2700; cond

OFF: 1:50 TIME: 1:57.3

1

CmmntySprt(JMrhnJr)

3.70

2.30

2.10

5

Bet On Lindy (J Taggart Jr)

5.30

2.90

6

You Cant Fool Me (G Merton)

2.40

* Perfecta (1-5) $12.60 * Trifecta (1-5-6) $35.60 * Pick 3 (3-3-1) $21.60 * Superfecta (1-5-6-4) $119.50

FIFTH-mile; pace; $2300; cond

OFF: 2:06 TIME: 1:59.0

4

BouncyThre(JMrohn)

7.00

3.50

2.40

6

Kyrah Can (C Stratton)

4.10

2.30

1

Ges Jody (M Merton)

3.00

* Perfecta (4-6) $35.40 * Trifecta (4-6-1) $158.00 * Pick 3 (3-1-4) $51.50 * Superfecta (4-6-1-3) $373.50

SIXTH-mile; pace; $3400; cond

OFF: 2:25 TIME: 1:57.3

3

Park Avenue (TButer)

2.10

2.10

2.10

7

Sixth Sense(KDIBenedetto)

4.80

3.30

4

Rootintootinfilly (G Annaloro)

5.80

Scr: Docs Whisky.

* Perfecta (3-7) $12.40 * Trifecta (3-7-4) $65.00 * Daily double (4-3) $17.40 * Pick 3 (1-4-3) $42.20 * Superfecta (3-7-4-8) $227.50

Perfecta picked by Little

SEVENTH-mile; pace; $2000; cond

OFF: 2:44 TIME: 1:59.2

5

PmbrokBg(ASchwrtz)

18.60

4.10

2.80

4

Mcdonna (W Parker Jr)

2.10

2.10

6

Windy City Paige (K Switzer Jr)

2.80

* Perfecta (5-4) $27.80 * Trifecta (5-4-6) $76.50 * Pick 3 (4-3-5) $136.50 * Superfecta (5-4-6-1) $421.00

EIGHTH-mile; pace; $4000; cond

OFF: 3:03 TIME: 1:58.0

1

AllkatFghter(JTggrtJr)

3.10

2.10

2.10

5

Act of Heaven (W ParkerJr)

2.50

2.10

2

Livinwell Hanover (M Merton)

2.50

* Perfecta (1-5) $6.00 * Trifecta (1-5-2) $13.40 * Pick 3 (3-5-1) $16.00

Perfecta picked by Little

NINTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2300)

OFF: 3:19 TIME: 1:58.2

2

BdlndsPowr(GMrton)

10.40

4.00

2.30

1

Im All Sporty (W Parker Jr)

2.80

2.10

4

Early Morning (M Merton)

2.30

Scr: Carmelitas Girl; Pilgrims Easel.

* Perfecta (2-1) $23.00 * Trifecta (2-1-4) $49.00 * Daily double (1-2) $13.40 * Pick 3 (5-1-2) $100.50

TENTH-mile; trot; $3400; cond

OFF: 3:38 TIME: 2:02.0

1

R George (R Harp)

8.70

4.50

3.20

7

Four Starz F (W Parker Jr)

18.00

11.60

3

Thergosmyvacation (R Petitto)

5.80

* Perfecta (1-7) $152.00 * Trifecta (1-7-3) $815.00 * Pick 3 (1-2-1) $75.00 * Superfecta (1-7-3-5) $1,420.00

ELEVENTH-mile; pace; $2700; cond

OFF: 3:59 TIME: 1:58.2

1

DxeAllstr(KSwtzerJr)

3.60

2.40

2.10

6

Jordans Jewell (J Primeau)

4.70

3.50

7

Golden Fizz (K DI Benedetto)

3.40

* Perfecta (1-6) $18.60 * Trifecta (1-6-7) $138.00 * Pick 3 (2-1-1) $114.50 * Superfecta (1-6-7-2) $652.00

TWELFTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2300)

OFF: 4:16 TIME: 1:58.3

1

RomMystc(JMrohnJr)

3.60

2.30

2.10

6

SSDerbyGirl(KDIBenedetto)

6.40

5.20

4

Edies Desire (K Switzer Jr)

4.10

* Perfecta (1-6) $26.20 * Trifecta (1-6-4) $71.00 * Pick 3 (1-1-1) $46.20 * Superfecta (1-6-4-2) $525.00 Winner picked by Little

THIRTEENTH-mile; pace; $2000; cond

OFF: 4:35 TIME: 2:00.3

3

Urbani (M Forte)

4.90

2.70

2.10

7

BullvlleMonrch(KSwtzerJr)

7.20

5.10

2

Mare Supply (K DI Benedetto)

3.70

* Perfecta (3-7) $30.80 * Trifecta (3-7-2) $191.50 * Pick 3 (1-1-3) $23.00 * Superfecta (3-7-2-5) $619.00 *

Winner picked by Little

HANDLE $575,269.

Trifecta, W Parker Jr, J Taggart Jr, M Forte, J Gilmour, M Merton, M Merton, pace

Nypost.com

Giants' Bennett says he's a 'beast,' not out of shape

Martellus Bennett, signed as a free agent from the Cowboys, is listed at 265 pounds, but last week Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope said Bennett weighed in at 291, questioning aloud if the increased bulk was a factor in the hamstring pull that has kept Bennett off the field.

Is this something that needs to be investigated?

“What you all should be writing is how much of a freak Martellus Bennett turned himself into,’’ Bennett said yesterday, explaining he has been “beasting out’’ all offseason.

Bennett arrived from the Cowboys with a reputation of having a lively personality and perhaps not the world’s greatest work-ethic. He conducted a group interview bare-chested following an OTA practice and never once came close to reaching for a shirt.

“I had to let the world see,’’ Bennett said, “because the way it sounds, it’s like, ‘Damn this guy’s fat?’ I just wanted everybody to know that I’m not fat.’’

As he spoke, Bennett frequently rubbed what he stressed is a flat stomach and showed off what he insists are biceps that are “like three inches bigger than they were last fall’’ as visual evidence he has “just been getting rocked up.’’

Yes, he has bulked up, but he does appear to carry the weight easily on his 6-foot-6 frame. Coach Tom Coughlin said Bennett “obviously has got the size to carry whatever weight we would want him to carry.’’ and added Bennett’s ideal playing weight is something the Giants will get “under control.’’

Bennett said he believes he is in complete control of a body he says is “Looking like Atlas, not Professor Klump’’ and promised there is no need for concern.

“I mean, there’s this perception about me that I don’t work hard, but if you ask any of the coaches, any of the guys on this team in the offseason program, I haven’t missed a day,’’ he said. “I haven’t stepped out of one workout or anything.“My body fat percent is like 13. By the time the season comes I’ll be at nine percent body fat.’’

* LT Will Beatty, coming back from surgery to repair a detached retina, has been on the sideline because of a lingering back issue that figures to hold him out of next week’s veteran mini-camp.

“Anybody that has had a bad back realizes that if you get yourself in trouble it is very difficult to get out of trouble in a short amount of time,’’ Coughlin said.

* Coughlin singled out CB Michael Coe, WR Ramses Barden, DE Adrian Tracy and rookie RB David Wilson as having impressive offseasons. ... S Tyler Sash injured his left hamstring in a special teams drill and was limping badly in the locker room afterward. ... Rookie DT Markus Kuhn isn’t practicing because the German native has not secured a work visa.

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Exclusive Super Bowl merchandise featuring New York Post front pages

Martellus Bennett, Coach Tom Coughlin, the Cowboys

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Here Comes Suburbia

The minivan was the easy part. Dan Zevin, hipster parent and professional humorist, seemed not to worry all that much about violating Cool Rules when it came to trading in his little car for a boxy, bourgeois kid-hauler. In his younger days he needed room for only three people in his car: "Me, Me, and Me." Now he is happy to embrace the vehicle, even if riding around in it signals to all the world that he, his wife and his two children are decidedly not one of those "cool Brooklyn families who have no use for any vehicle that's not yellow with a meter on the dashboard." Much harder is the question of whether to remain in Brooklyn at all.

Before getting to that question, "Dan Gets a Minivan" spoofs the absurdities and frustrations of urban life, especially as it is lived in New York. There may not be enough police around to obviate the need for iron bars on your townhouse windows, Mr. Zevin notes, but park illegally and within minutes you'll be slapped with a $250 ticket. One morning, he is walking his dog (on a leash) in his neighborhood park and in his best responsible-owner fashion crouches with a plastic baggy to clean up after the pooch. It is at that moment that the dog spots a squirrel and, with his owner off-balance, breaks free to chase it. Within seconds a humorless officer of the law appears and cites Mr. Zevin for violating the park's leash law. Off the writer goes to court, an experience one part Kafka and two parts Henny Youngman.

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Dan Gets a Minivan

By Dan Zevin
(Scribner, 217 pages, $24)

Alas, too many of the set pieces feel forced, with Mr. Zevin flogging away at mundane situations and unremarkable events. And as modestly amusing as some of the anecdotes are, much of the shtick in "Dan Gets a Minivan" comes with a whiff of mothballs. The basic conceit of the book—young dad comes to terms with driving a minivan and all that it symbolizes—was done, and done well, long ago. See Andrew Ferguson's "Me Tarzan, You Minivan" (Time magazine, 1997). Mr. Zevin makes fun of the sort of "Aloof Hipster Dad" in Brooklyn who dresses his kids in a "Sex Pistols T-shirt and Velcro-strap Converse All Stars." See Adam Sternbergh's anthropological investigation into the sort of hipster dad in Brooklyn who makes "his 2-year-old wear a Misfits T-shirt" (New York magazine, 2006).

At times, the humor isn't just old but tired. We are told that, at Costco, products come in mondo-bulk packages, such as the "Janitor in a Drum jugs large enough to be taken literally." (Who knew?) Mr. Zevin is astonished that the cranberries that New Englanders eat at Thanksgiving are not "a cylinder of Jell-O-like 'sauce.' " He describes his first trip abroad: "The closest I'd ever come to world travel was the International House of Pancakes"—which was a lame gag back at the Republican National Convention in 1992, when Pat Buchanan described breakfast at IHOP as the full extent of Bill Clinton's foreign-policy experience.

Or consider when a Catholic college asks Mr. Zevin to give a commencement speech. He is nonplussed, until his agent tells him, "They want you." Mr. Zevin writes that, "for a second there, it sounded like he said, 'They want Jew.' Which would actually explain a lot." That joke was fresh in 1977, when Woody Allen walked down the street in "Annie Hall" complaining that an anti-Semite had said to him, "Didchoo eat?": "Not 'Did you eat,' but 'Jew eat?' " Mr. Allen rants. "Get it?" We got it 35 years ago.

Light comedy can be heavy lifting, which is why one roots for Mr. Zevin when he applies his comedic talents to social observation, in particular to the limits of urban hip and its precious tastes. Seeing a Brooklyn neighbor "walking down Smith Street in those white Fred Perry tennis shoes with the green wreath logo on the side," he assumes that the man plays tennis and so invites him to play a match. But tennis, it turns out, has nothing to do with the shoes. Mr. Zevin soon notices "the majority of my neighborhood promenading around in the exact same footwear, not because they were into tennis, but because they were into sneaker worship, the predominant religious practice in Brooklyn."

Mr. Zevin hits his stride in lampooning the Brooklyn crowd of which he is a member, where everyone "is incredibly friendly and interesting and a free-lance graphic designer." His neighborhood is gentrifying, meaning that "the ratio of bail bond offices to organic, free-range ice cream shops . . . is now about 1:3." The hipsters with kids strain to convince themselves that "the city has everything a family could want." But Mr. Zevin begins to doubt that this assumption is really true after spending a summer in the suburbs, where his kids have a grassy green lawn with butterflies to chase and a tree to climb. Mr. Zevin is at his likable best when he realizes that schools and space may matter more than being in a neighborhood with cool bars and "artisanal, Rain-forest Alliance-certified, cruelty-free pizza."

And so finally, after wasting too much time on comedy pyrite, Mr. Zevin grapples with the question: Is it worth sacrificing his urban tastes for the sake of his children's welfare? On one shoulder is the Brooklyn neighbor who sneers at the "cesspool of suburban lethargy." On the other is a refugee from the city he meets at a Westchester backyard barbecue, who observes: "We spent the first few years trying to fit the kids into our lives, so now it's our turn to fit into theirs." So which will it be? "Dan Gets a Minivan" may be a lumbering jokemobile, but the theme stowed inside is serious enough that one actually cares how Mr. Zevin answers the question.

Mr. Felten writes the Journal's Postmodern Times column.

A version of this article appeared June 4, 2012, on page A15 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Here Comes Suburbia.

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Dan Zevin, Dan Zevin, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn

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'Snow White and the Huntsman' tops weekend box office with estimated $56.3 million

LOS ANGELES — "Snow White & the Huntsman" is the fairest in the land at the weekend box office.

According to studio estimates Sunday, Universal Pictures' action yarn inspired by the fairy-tale princess debuted strongly at No. 1 with $56.3 million domestically. That's about $20 million higher than industry expectations.

"Snow White" bumped Sony's "Men in Black 3" from the top spot and into second-place with $29.3 million. The Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones sequel raised its total to $112.3 million after two weekends.

Disney's superhero sensation "The Avengers" remained strong at No. 3 with $20.3 million, lifting its domestic total to $552.7 million. "The Avengers" climbed past "The Dark Knight" at $533.3 million to become No. 3 all-time on the domestic revenue chart, behind "Avatar" at $760.5 million and "Titanic" at $658.5 million.

AP

Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart in a scene from "Snow White and the Huntsman."

Snow White, Universal Pictures, Smith-Tommy Lee Jones, studio estimates

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‘Marathon man’ Isner ousted in 34-game fifth set at French Open

PARIS — The “Marathon Man” was at it again yesterday, but this time John Isner was on the wrong end of a 5 1/2 -hour struggle at the French Open.

The 10th-seeded American, who outlasted Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010 in an epic 70-68 fifth set, was bounced from Roland Garros in the second round 6-7 (7-2), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6 18-16 by Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.

This one goes in the books as the second-longest match, by time, in French Open history.

“I just didn’t get it done. I felt like I got caught in patterns that weren’t ideal for me,” said a somber Isner, whose exit means there are no U.S. men in the third round for the first time since 2007. “I wasn’t going for my shots at certain points in the match, and that comes from a little bit of a lack of confidence.”

If the 6-foot-9 Isner, who led Georgia to an NCAA title, is going to become more than a novelty act, he needs to win encounters like yesterday’s, and not because of the duration but because it was a first-week Grand Slam match against a player ranked 261st who got into the field thanks to a wild-card invitation.

“I dug deep,” said Mathieu, who hadn’t played in a major tournament since the 2010 U.S. Open because of a left knee injury that forced him off tour all of last year. “I was away from the courts for quite a while, and I came back to live moments like this.”

Earlier, No. 4 Andy Murray overcame back pain and rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jarkko Nieminen of Finland to reach the third round.

For the better part of an hour, Murray the three-time major finalist looked downright miserable. He grimaced. He clutched at the small of his back. He considered quitting.

“Just kind of gritting my teeth,” Murray said, “and [trying] to find a way of turning the match around, because I was a few points, probably, from stopping.”

Defending champion Rafael Nadal also made it to the third round, defeating Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 and improving his record at Roland Garros to 47-1. The second-seeded Spaniard has won the French Open six times, and one more will break the record he shares with Bjorn Borg.

No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain also advanced, while Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova reached the third round by beating Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3.

Defending champion Li Na easily advanced by beating Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-0, 6-2.

Caroline Wozniacki also made it through. The ninth-seeded Dane beat Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 6-1, 6-4.

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