Media newsletter folds after 67 years

Media Industry Newsletter, which has been chronicling the ad page performance of the magazine industry for 67 years through its boxscores said that last Monday's edition was the final version.

MIN Editor-in-chief Steve Cohn said publishers were being discouraged from turning over their numbers as the Magazine Publishers of America gets ready to unveil a new way of calibrating the industry's performance.

Mary Berner, the head of MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, has been making the rounds to publishers in recent weeks to hype a new way of capturing the many platforms where magazines are selling.

Although most magazine media still count on their print editions for the bulk of revenue, the print side has been in steady decline. The much smaller digital side has been growing double digits.

In the farewell note, MIN editors wrote, "The September 29 MIN will debut a new box score ….

"To borrow the famous line from Desi Arnaz in 'I Love Lucy,' there will be plenty of 'splainin' to do, but we are confident that the new data will be a valued reference."

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Jets are Lion kings

The Jets-Lions game has some of the same handicapping elements as last week's Giants-Texans game.

The Giants came in having lost two in a row, the second of those at home. Although their offense had shown some signs of coming around in a Week 2 loss to the Cardinals, there was a new, big injury (Jon Beason), and some seemingly bad matchups in store against the Texans, notably a suspect offensive line against J.J. Watt. The Giants not only won, they won big.

So here are the Jets, losers of two straight, the most recent at home to the Bears. They have an extremely iffy Eric Decker (hamstring) and a nightmare of a matchup with their cornerbacks up against Calvin Johnson, if he plays.

Even with the "Megatron" mismatch, this figures to be a defensive slog. The Lions are No.1 in the NFL with 244.3 yards per game allowed, while the Jets are No. 1 in the AFC at 268.3. The QBs actually have comparable numbers: Matthew Stafford has 883 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions and Geno Smith is 713-3-4. The Jets have an edge on the ground, with Chris Ivory averaging 5.7 yards per carry to Joique Bell's 3.0

But this selection comes down to urgency, and it was encouraging to hear Rex Ryan say that word and embrace that feeling this week. With the Chargers, Broncos and Patriots lined up ahead, Ryan knows he can't let this season get to 1-3. He will throw he everything he can dream up at the Lions to try to win this game.

The pick: Jets +1 ¹/₂ .

Raiders (+4) over Dolphins (at London): The Dolphins have urgency, too, with two losses after their stunning win over the Patriots. But this spread seems a bit much on a neutral field, especially with Knowshon Moreno not available to help struggling QB Ryan Tannehill. Impressed with rookie QB Derek Carr, though the numbers aren't there yet. He's covered the spread two of his first three.

Packers (-1¹/₂) over BEARS: Odd line considering the Bears have won two in a row and the Packers are 0-2 on the road by a combined 55-23. Here's why: Aaron Rodgers is 10-2 in his career against Chicago and has won his last seven, and the Bears are beat up in the secondary. Geno Smith couldn't take advantage but Rodgers will.

TEXANS (-3) over Bills: Wouldn't give many more than this, though, because the Texans' offense didn't look like much against the Giants with Arian Foster out and Andre Johnson gimpy. Those injury concerns remain.

COLTS (-7¹/₂) over Titans: OK, football mathematicians … How have the Titans been outscored 69-43 if they are plus-44 yards per game and plus-1 in turnovers? The Titans are sweating out Jake Locker's wrist injury. Meanwhile, the Colts are getting rolling, and know how to blow out suspect foes.

RAVENS (-3¹/₂) over Panthers: That was a telling loss on Sunday night to the Steelers. The Panthers couldn't stop the run, and didn't even try the zone-read option with Cam Newton because of his rib injury. And now the Ravens' Steve Smith, a Carolina legend, takes a shot at his old team.

STEELERS (-7¹/₂) over Buccaneers: Bucs will have had 10 days to think about their desultory 56-14 no-show in Atlanta. Maybe they should think about other careers. Somewhere, Greg Schiano is laughing his butt off. Pittsburgh isn't the place where bad teams go to get well.

CHARGERS (-13) over Jaguars: Loss of Danny Woodhead is huge for Chargers, who already were without Ryan Mathews. That leaves Donald Brown and his 2.0 yards per carry. That will hurt them against better defenses but not so much here. Qualcomm is a tough place for Blake Bortles to make his first start.

Eagles (+5) over 49ERS: Love the desperation angle, and the Niners certainly should be that, but it's hard to justify this hefty lay to the undefeated Eagles. Fun college rematch of Chip Kelly and Jim Harbaugh. Their two Oregon-Stanford meetings were 51-42 Harbaugh in 2009 and 52-31 Kelly in 2010.

Falcons (-3) over VIKINGS: Like Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater makes his first NFL start after a lengthy relief appearance. He's QBing a team whose leading rusher after three games has 95 yards, and plays wide receiver (Cordarelle Patterson). Just a hard task trying to keep up against a loaded Falcons offense.
COWBOYS (+3) over Saints: Cowboys in nice home-'dog role after big comeback win at St. Louis, where they trailed 21-0. Saints are 0-2 on the road this season already, losing at Atlanta and Cleveland.

MONDAY NIGHT

CHIEFS (+3¹/₂) over Patriots: Taking the other home underdog in prime time as well. Andy Reid is hoping to get Jamaal Charles back. Replacement Knile Davis had 132 yards and a touchdown in the win at Miami, and, Jets fans, did you notice Joe McKnight scored two TDs against the Dolphins? Like Alex Smith's patience and efficiency to keep the ball away from Tom Brady.

BEST BETS: Steelers, Eagles, Falcons.

LOCK OF THE WEEK: Steelers (Locks 2-1).

LAST WEEK: 10-6 overall, 3-0 Best Bets.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Giants.

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Hondo gets even!

Hondo not only brought his overall record to .500 by going 9-7 in Week 3, but also maintained his No. 1 status in the Best Bet penthouse, although he now has some unwanted company. Some people just don't know when to leave you alone.

Before delving into the whys and wherefores of Week 4, Mr. Aitch, on behalf of the rest of the Bettor's Guide, would like to congratulate Brian Costello for finally breaking into the Best Bet win column. Everyone was confident you could do it.

Jets over Lions: The red zone is the dead zone for the Jets. However, the road can be a load for the Lions. What to do? Well, it's like this: Gang Green is 0-2 so far on its six-week run of facing elite QBs. If they're going to break through against one of them, it will be against the weakest link, Stafford.

Not only that but Rex provided assurances Geno will improve: "I've seen him improve. I've seen him make huge improvements. I think he's going to continue to improve. I truly believe that." Rex would never say something he doesn't believe, so that's good enough for Hondo.

Bears over Packers: Dale Decker of Two Rivers, Wis., experiences as many as 100 orgasms a day because he's suffering from something called Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome (PGAS). Assuming he's a Packers fan, chances are the number probably will drop into the mid-90s Sunday.

Decker complained of having an orgasm at the grocery store, but he may have been partially to blame for that one himself — he kept checking and rechecking the melons.

It's a rare condition but not unheard of, medical experts say. Bill Clinton had a similar affliction when he was in the White House, although his version was known as PPPGAS — President Peyronie's Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome.

Texans over Bills: After listening to Jim Nantz's contentious interview with Mike Francesa, it's clear if Roger Goodell ever needs a hug he can always run to the open arms of Nantz.

In an obvious suckup to Goodell, Nantz stridently challenged Francesa's notion that it looks like the fix could be in on the so-called independent probe of the commissioner by former FBI chief Robert Mueller Jr., who works for a firm that does business with the NFL. Ranted Nantz: "I'm tired of a former FBI director being besmirched by people like you." Others are tired of Goodell being besmooched by people like Nantz.

Colts over Titans: Goodell didn't mention the NFL victims of domestic violence in his 45-minute dodge-ball game last Friday. He must be waiting for his committees and panels to advise him when to do that.

Ravens over Panthers: HondoNation props to Stuy High for being named the city's No. 1 high school. Rumor has it the students were so excited about the honor, they dressed even more provocatively this week for Slutty Wednesday.

Mayor de Blasio says he plans to lift the cell phone ban at city schools. That way parents will be able to stay in touch with their children throughout the day and the kiddies won't have to wait until after school to do their sexting.

Steelers over Bucs: More props … to the "Slip 'N' Slide," which was nominated for the Toy Hall of Fame. In a related story, the Nip 'N' Slip has been nominated for the Internet Hall of Fame. Other Internet honorees include: the Sideboob, the Underboob, the Wardrobe Malfunction and the Wag List.

Dolphins over Raiders: Goodell definitely wants the NFL's new personal conduct policy in place by next season when Jameis Winston enters the league. In fact, word is some standardized punishments already have been worked out. For example, it will be a two-game ban for stealing crab legs, and one game for stealing soda at a Burger King. However, if there are videos of the heists, add two games.

Coming next year on CBS — "NCIS: NFL."

Jaguars over Chargers: From Bob Fox, the crafty emailer: "I am SHOCKED to read Olbermann's comments about Jeter! Who knew Olbermann was still alive?"
A tribute to Jeter from BarkingMut of SoBe: "In ways that truly count, Derek Jeter retires on Sunday after 20 years of never having struck out."

Falcons over Vikings: The Vikings, who repeatedly vowed to "get it right" when it comes to dealing with the Adrian Peterson mess, still are selling Peterson memorabilia such as jerseys, bobbleheads, earrings, shot glasses. Apparently, in the Minnesota front office, "getting it right" means raking in some extra dough on the back of an alleged child abuser.

Eagles over 49ers: Obama reportedly is so upset about the latest breach in security at the White House he may change his home protection from the beleaguered Secret Service to a neighborhood watch.

Cowboys over Saints: Larry Flynt reportedly is considering taking Hustler public. If he's smart, he will cash in on the Alibaba buzz and rename his company Alibooba.

Chiefs over Patriots: The search has begun to replace Eric Holder, who Thursday announced his resignation as Attorney General. Applicants for the DOJ's top job must be willing to monitor reporters' phone calls and read their emails, enforce laws selectively, and conduct an allegedly impartial investigation of his department should any suspicion of impropriety arise.

BEST BETS: Jets, Texans, Steelers.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Giants.

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It’s no surprise Jeter’s final act in Bronx was a winning one

If you were paying attention, what you saw a fraction of inch before was a whole lot of space on the right side of the infield. Man on second, with speed, that's no such an unusual strategy. Unless you factor in the man standing at home plate.

And unless you remembered just how many of the first 3,462 base hits of Derek Jeter's career had gone in almost precisely that direction.

It had been seven years since Jeter had delivered a walk-off hit. And there seemed no way that he would end that streak. A few minutes earlier the Yankees held a 5-2 lead and the only question was this: would manager Joe Girardi take him out with one out or two outs, to the longest ovation in the short history of the new Yankee Stadium.

Before the game, Girardi has said: "Let it go through. Let the game take it's course. And we'll see what happens."

And he took that literally. Girardi never lifted him. And then the Orioles hit a pair of home runs, and suddenly it was 5-5, and the strangest thing happened then: out of muscle memory, the 48,613 people in stands started to boo. Until they realized something:

Until they realized Jeter was due up third in the bottom half.

The booing stopped then.

Now, one out, man on second, Jeter up, that big inviting hole on the right side of the infield … even before it happened, you knew it would happen. Even before the ball shot through to right field, you could see it shoot there, because you've seen it so many times. And so it was.

And so it happened.

And so his last act in The Bronx would be a winning one, almost a defiant one, the game-winning hit in the 81st home game of the year, a valedictory to end all valedictories. The run scored, the dog pile between first and second was on.

"All I ever wanted," he would say, "was to do my job."

And from the moment Antoan Richardson slid across home plate, then the joint began to jump, and rock, and shudder and shake. Louder and then louder still, crazy and then crazier still, 5 minutes and 16 seconds of sheer pandemonium that you still will feel in your bones in January.

Of course it had to end this way: no scripted ceremony, no fake plot. This is exactly how Jeter would have asked for it to end, even at the beginning, when he was still figuring out about himself, and about what mattered to him. Winning he said, at age 21: winning was what mattered most.

He walked in a winner, a World Series champion as a rookie.

And he would walk out that way, too. He graciously would congratulate the Orioles on winning the race that mattered most to him, but this would be just fine, too. The Orioles, just as graciously, stood on the top step, because when you're a part of a moment like this — even the foil — you want to enjoy it just as much.

The people weren't about to leave, of course. They stayed and they stood and they roared when Jeter went back out to shortstop and bent over to salute the sacred slice of dirt that had been his home, here and across the street, for 19 seasons. They stayed and they stood and they roared as he sought out his parents and his sister.

The stayed. They stood. They roared. It had been like this back in the first inning, when Jeter had hit a rocket that traveled 398 feet to Death Valley, colliding with the top of the fence, and if that had been it, if that had been all, that would've been enough. But of course there was more.

Of course three would be a ninth inning.

"It's the memories more than the mementos that I want to hold on to," Girardi had said before the game, in as prescient a statement as he possibly could have drafted. Seven hours later, there was a hole in the infield and a ball shooting through, and a career that Hollywood would adore was given its fitting conclusion … well, of course it ended that way.

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50 killed in terror attack: Chinese state media

BEIJING — Chinese state media reported Thursday that 50 people, including 40 assailants, were killed in a series of explosions over the weekend in the far western region of Xinjiang, in what officials called a severe terror attack.

Regional authorities had earlier said that the explosions Sunday in Luntai county killed at least two people and injured many others.

The news portal Tianshan Net said bombs exploded at two police stations, a produce market and a store. It said the attack killed two police officers, two police assistants and six bystanders, and that 54 others were injured. It said police took swift action and 40 assailants were either shot dead or died in explosions.

Police captured two attackers, and an investigation found that Maimaiti Tuerxun, a man who was fatally shot, was responsible for the attack, the news portal said. The official Xinhua News Agency spelled the man's name as Mamat Tursun. Names for people from the Uighur and other ethnic groups in China are sometimes transcribed differently in English.

Regional authorities were not available for comment Thursday night.

Ethnic tensions in Xinjiang, home of the Muslim Uighur minority group, have killed more than 300 people in the past year and a half. Chinese authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-influenced terrorists seeking a separate state. Many Muslim Uighurs bristle under Beijing's heavy-handed restrictions on their religious life and resent the influx of the Chinese Han majority into their homeland.

On Tuesday, a court gave a life sentence to a Uighur scholar who has criticized China's ethnic policies and sought to reduce tensions between Uighurs and the Han majority. The court found Ilham Tohti guilty of separatism, saying he incited ethnic hatred and instigated violence.

Authorities have also launched a one-year crackdown on terrorism in Xinjiang, and Chinese state media applauded Ilham Tohti's guilty verdict as a victory in that campaign.

Scholars and human rights advocates say the strike-hard campaign could further radicalize the Uighur people and result in more violence.

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Jeter in no mood to discuss whether he’ll play against Boston

On Tuesday, Derek Jeter left open the possibility he wouldn't play at Fenway Park this weekend. On Wednesday, Jeter didn't commit to participating in the three-game series against the Red Sox.

And manager Joe Girardi did the same, which increases the chances Thursday night's game against the Orioles will be the last of Jeter's Hall of Fame career.

"We just lost, man. Respect the fact that we just lost, we are not going to the playoffs. I can't think about Boston right now,'' Jeter said following a 9-5 loss to the Orioles Wednesday. "Right now I am disappointed, I can't tell you about Boston because I am not thinking about Boston.''

Asked if he discussed with Jeter what his plans are for the weekend, Girardi said he hadn't and would hope to chat with the shortstop sometime Thursday which is expected to be a very hectic day.

"I will try to get his ear, talk to him and see how he wants it to go,'' Girardi said.

As he did last year with Mariano Rivera, Girardi said he is going to leave the decision up to Jeter with the Yankees eliminated from the wild-card chase.

"I will leave that up to him, very similar with what I did for Mo,'' Girardi said of Jeter making the call to play or watch. "In my mind, I really thought Mo would want to play an inning in center field and it never happened. I will leave it up to Derek, I don't see why I would do it any different.''

Rivera opted not to pitch in any of the three final games in Houston last season.

---

The job of managing an aging superstar isn't easy and Girardi acknowledged that any move a manager makes — moving Jeter, 40, out of the No. 2 spot for instance — involves more than the player.

"I think sometimes people underestimate the things you do as a manager, how it affects the whole club,'' said Girardi, who never moved Jeter out of the second spot in the batting order. "There is a ripple effect in everything you do. You have to make sure they are together and you aren't putting the clubhouse in a bad place. The strength of the team is as a whole, not an individual.''

Girardi said he understood the attention on Jeter because of who he is, but mentioned Jeter was not the only Yankee to swing a dead bat at times this season.

"He had a slow April, pretty good May, pretty good June, pretty good July,'' Girardi said. "We had a lot of guys struggle in August and a lot of guys struggle in September. Look at our numbers in September and what a lot of the guys have done. You can move guys around. You can move a guy up who is hitting .200, it's replacing a guy who is hitting .220. Collectively as a group we have not hit as much as we thought we would.''

The Yankees are 0-for-2 attempting to get iconic players a World Series championship send-off.

"We wanted to take Mo out last year as a winner. We wanted to take Derek out as a winner but the fact is that very few players get to do that,'' Mark Teixeira said. "That's very tough to do. We tried our best.''

---

Through three innings, Shane Greene appeared to be on the way to a solid outing in his final appearance of the season. He retired the first seven O's and then left the bases loaded in the third by getting Adam Jones on a grounder to the left side.

But working in the fourth with a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI double by Teixeira in the first, Stephen Drew's solo homer in the second and Chase Headley's solo blast in the third, Greene came apart.

Singles by Nelson Cruz and Steve Clevenger started the six-run fourth before Kelly Johnson drew a four-pitch, one-out walk to load the bases for Ryan Flaherty. His double to right scored two and after Caleb Joseph struck out, Nick Markakis' single to right plated two. David Lough's triple made it 5-3 and Jones' bunt single scored Lough for a three-run Orioles lead.

In his 14th big league start Greene gave up six runs, seven hits, walked three and fanned five. He finished 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA and certainly showed enough to be in the mix for a rotation spot when spring training opens in February.

---

The Yankees are 5-13 against the Orioles this year and have lost 11 of the last 14.

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Outfielder Eury Perez entered Wednesday's game in the eighth inning and was the 58th player used by the Yankees this season, extending the franchise record.

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Astorino rips fellow GOPer Christie for appearing with Cuomo

There's war on the Hudson — within the Republican Party.

New York gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino ripped New Jersey Gov. and fellow GOPer Chris Christie Wednesday for appearing with rival Democratic Gov. Cuomo at a joint bistate security press conference at 7 World Trade Center — in the heat of an election campaign.

Astorino, the underdog, accused Christie of aiding Democrat Cuomo's re-election bid.

Christie, who is chairman of the Republican Governors Association, is supposed to help elect GOP candidates to head statehouses across the country — not undermine them, the Astorino camp said.

The election takes place Nov. 4.

"It's beyond us why Governor Christie would want to spend so much time with Andrew Cuomo, who is under investigation by federal prosecutors, got caught cheating on his property taxes and has an approval rating that plummeted to 42 percent," said Astorino spokeswoman Jessica Proud.

"Maybe he's having 2012 flashbacks, but someone should remind him he is chairman of the RGA, not the DGA."

The furor comes almost two years after Christie caught GOP heat for appearing with President Obama to survey damage along the Jersey Shore in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy — just days before the Democratic incumbent's re-election bid against Republican Mitt Romney. The move alienated many GOP leaders, but Christie defended the tour as helping his constituents.

Christie's office dismissed the friendly fire from Astorino, and appeared baffled by it.

"This is a serious task between neighboring states, which suffered the worst terrorist attack in modern history. He can't be serious," said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak.

Cuomo spokesman Matt Wing responded: "Politicizing public safety during a period of increased terrorist activity abroad is irresponsible and reckless."

Christie, who was re-elected last year in a blue state and is eying a run for president, has stumped for other GOP gubernatorial hopefuls nationwide, but has not campaigned with Astorino, who is trailing Cuomo by double digits.

"We don't pay for landslides and we don't invest in lost causes," Christie said of Astorino in July.

At the time, Astorino said Christie should step down as RGA chief if he won't support his campaign against Cuomo.

The New York race is a tricky situation for Christie, who wants to woo Republicans nationally but has to work with Cuomo on bistate issues in their respective roles as governors. The two jointly oversee the Port Authority, for example.

At Wednesday's press conference, they announced there will be a surge of law enforcement and military personnel at area mass transit hubs — subways, PATH trains, and LIRR and Metro-North railroads — due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Cuomo and Christie on Wednesday signed a bi-state agreement to boost security to combat terrorism.

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Geno Smith has a key quality that’s crucial for NFL success

He was defiant in a soft-spoken way, which is exactly what you want to see from Geno Smith as the heat rises on whether he should remain the Jets starting quarterback.

Let the critics chatter all they want about his turnovers and why Michael Vick would be a better option, Smith made it clear on Wednesday he is the leader of the Jets and doesn't really care what anyone outside the Florham Park, N.J., facility thinks about it.

"I don't care about what anyone on the outside says in regards to anything negative about myself or this team," Smith said in the locker room following a spirited practice. "I appreciate the fans and I know they come and support us every week. They've got to understand we're working extremely hard to go out there and win. But right now, it's about getting ready for the Lions and that's all we're focused on."

And if that wasn't quite clear enough, Smith added, "I can't sit here and think about something I have no control over. My job is to continue to work hard and get better and lead this team."

I'll say this for Smith: He seems to have thick enough skin to get through his growing pains. There are times in these situations when the stress is evident even behind a calm exterior. The Jets have lost two straight games. Smith has committed five turnovers in a 1-2 start, including two costly interceptions in a 27-19 loss to the Bears on Monday night. But the second-year quarterback doesn't seem fazed by the haters.

Though the season isn't in its second month and already there are those calling for Vick, Smith seems oblivious to it all. He has the endorsement of head coach Rex Ryan, and that's all that seems to matter.

"I respect coach and what he says, because I obviously work hard and I want to be the leader of this team," Smith said. "But it's about me proving myself every single day. Nothing has changed. I've got to prove myself to my teammates. I've got to prove to my coaches as well as myself that I can go out there and get the job done. At this point of my career I'm going out there every single day with the intent to get better."

Vick reiterated his support of Smith, though the backup is confident his chance to prove himself NFL worthy will come sooner or later.

"I want success for Geno," Vick said. "I want Geno to fulfill everything that he wants to fulfill in this game and at the quarterback position, and primarily for this team. But my chance will come again. I'm thankful for that. I'm hoping for that."

Smith hasn't lost his teammates. Center Nick Mangold characterized the confidence level the team has in Smith as "great." The Jets investment in Smith has been too great to give up on him three games into the season.

"We all make mistakes," Mangold said. "I think he's learning and getting better at it. His mistakes are just more amplified than the rest of us."

The Jets rank a respectable eighth in the NFL in total offense, averaging 376 yards per game. But they have struggled in the red zone, recording just one touchdown in six trips inside the Bears 20 on Monday night.

"Turnovers and not scoring touchdowns in the red zone are big things," Mangold said. "We all have a part in it. The protection could be better. Decisions could be better. Routes could be better. We can run the ball better in the red zone. If we get those cleaned up we should be pretty good."

That's what Smith is thinking about, not the critics.

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Ex-St. John’s standout Sanchez: My game fits Knicks triangle

Former St. John's standout Orlando Sanchez lived dirt-poor in the Dominican Republic until he was 20. He landed in Westchester to attend Monroe College in New Rochelle for two years, then got his big shot in Queens.

Sanchez is now back in Westchester, and the athletic 6-foot-9 power forward may just stay in Westchester.

As his wild ride that featured a battle with the NCAA over eligibility and a stint on the Dominican Republic's national team continues, the 26-year-old Sanchez, improbably, will be part of Knicks training camp starting with media day Monday in Tarrytown.

That Sanchez was signed by the Knicks is nothing short of shocking. After a slightly disappointing one-year stint at St. John's, he wasn't drafted after a series of pre-draft workouts with NBA teams because of his age, then wasn't signed to anyone's summer-league team.

According to a source, Knicks brass considered bringing Sanchez to Las Vegas but didn't. President Phil Jackson hadn't seen enough of him. Sanchez, who has a high skill level for a big man, averaged 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Red Storm last season. The Clippers showed interest but never made a summer-league offer.

"Tells you a little something — not that he didn't get drafted, but wasn't playing on a summer-league team,'' one NBA scout said.

After summer league, Allan Houston, general manager of the Knicks' new D-League affiliate in Westchester, fell in love with Sanchez after watching more tape. He envisioned Sanchez as a skilled big man, perfect for the triangle offense, to develop in Westchester — a player who just needed more coaching. The Knicks will need to fill the 2015-16 roster with a group of minimum-wage players to afford to fit a second superstar.

"He's been on the Knicks radar for a while because he was at St. John's,'' his agent BJ Bass said.

There's enough highlight plays of Sanchez using quickness and shot fakes to drive to the basket and finish. He also can run the break and hit the mid-range jumper to potentially be a force in Jackson's and coach Derek Fisher's triangle. Too often at St. John's, playing guard, stayed on the periphery and didn't always show a high motor.

Sanchez, who speaks limited English, has gotten a triangle lesson in the last week since most of the Knicks already are in Tarrytown for voluntary scrimmages.

"I think my game fits the triangle very well,'' Sanchez told The Post. "I've picked it up quickly so far. My ability to shoot, handle and pass shows in this offense. I would like to make the Knicks roster out of camp, but I also understand going to Westchester is a possibility. I think it would be a positive situation, because the team will practice at the Knicks facility and I can develop with the coaching staff.''

That the Knicks now have their D-League affiliate next door as opposed to in Ohio is a bonus to developing players such as Sanchez. That is why second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo chose to sign with Westchester rather than play for a lot more money in Europe. Nevertheless, Antekumpo can't attend training camp because if he fails to make the 15-man NBA roster, the Knicks will lose his rights.)

"I wasn't too worried about not attending summer league,'' Sanchez said. "Veterans' camp is the real opportunity to earn a roster spot.''

Sanchez's eligibility issues swayed John Calipari, who coached him on the Dominican team, from giving him a scholarship at Kentucky. The NCAA ruled he had no eligibility left.

He played seven games for a club team in Spain, from where he was called home by his financially strapped family to work as a carpenter. He had a brief stint with the DR national team. Add in the two years at Monroe College and Sanchez was out of luck and eligibility. After four months of lawyering and petitions, the NCAA granted him a senior year. His junior year at St. John's was lost.

"Not playing junior year at St. John's was very difficult,'' Sanchez said. "The hardest part was not being able to help my teammates. They were like family.''

He's got a new family now — in Westchester.

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Arizona State will turn UCLA into pretenders

The creation of a playoff in college football rectified decades of irrational tradition, but the sport still needs so much fixing.

There's the unresolved matter of schools making billions of dollars off of an unpaid workforce, those athletes receiving health coverage long after they leave campus and the waste that is so much of the first month of the season, when powerhouse schools are scared to schedule anyone but the puny and pathetic.

Least understandable is the continued value placed on preseason polls. After all these years, voters remain unable to disregard mostly unfounded opinions from August and replace them with actual evidence in the fall. Who cares if a player has regressed or a Heisman-winning quarterback continues to prove that common sense doesn't come with athletic gifts or a coach has lost a team or a fanbase has eroded the confidence of a 19-year-old who only has known greatness and assumed that's all that would ever come?

(Note: I'm aware the four playoff teams will be decided by a 13-person committee, but I would trust them to ignore long-established rankings and use original thought as much as I trust the governing body they're working for).

UCLA was a sexy preseason playoff pick, a storied school which hadn't been in the spotlight — even in its own city — for some time and had a Heisman candidate quarterback — Brett Hundley — who could lead an offense as powerful as any in the country, playing alongside a two-way star in linebacker/running back Myles Jack, a Charles Woodson for a new generation.

Then, the top-10 team started the season and Hundley only could lead the offense to one touchdown against Virginia. The next week, the Bruins held on for another one-possession win, allowing 35 points at home against Memphis, followed by Hundley getting injured against Texas and escaping with a three-point win.

Somehow, the Bruins are ranked No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the USA Today poll, the latter putting them ahead of actually impressive undefeated teams such as Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as clearly superior one-loss teams like Georgia and Stanford.

In its first real test of the season, UCLA faces No. 15 Arizona State on Thursday and catches two breaks with Hundley likely back and Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly out with an injury.

Though junior Mike Bercovici is making his first start, he is one of the most talented backups in the country. There's no precedent for how he will perform, but we already know what the Bruins will do.

Take ARIZONA STATE (+4) at home as they erase the idea of UCLA as any kind of playoff contender.

Texas Tech (+14) over OKLAHOMA ST.: Coming off a bye, the Red Raiders still won't be able to make a stop, but will keep the shootout respectable.

Tennessee (+17) over GEORGIA: It's hard to believe in the Bulldogs when they don't believe in feeding the ball to their best player — running back Todd Gurley — who is averaging 9.8 yards per carry and fewer than 14 attempts per game.

WISCONSIN (-34) over S. Florida: Perhaps the Bulls should have started with a different opponent in their first road game.

RUTGERS (-12) over Tulane: The Green Wave's invisible defense outweighs the possibility of the Scarlet Knights looking ahead to their Big Ten schedule starting the following week.

N.C. STATE (+19) over Florida St.: The Seminoles need to look like the defending champions at least once before they're given this kind of respect on the road.

Texas A&M (-9) over Arkansas: All right Aggies, I'm late to the party. Hand me a drink. I've got a lot of catching up to do.

WASHINGTON (+8) over Stanford: Few things in life are more reliable than the home dog.

Cincinnati (+16) over OHIO ST.: A thrashing of Kent State didn't erase the issues the Buckeyes displayed in their first two games.

CLEMSON (-14½) over Unc: The Tar Heels can't stop the ball or take care of the ball. Good times.

S. CAROLINA (-5½) over Missouri: Steve Spurrier is understandably upset with how his team is playing, but the underachieving only will last so long. After a loss to Indiana, Missouri would love to have the Gamecocks' struggles.

Memphis (+19½) over MISSISSIPPI: The Rebels will be ready for Alabama. Unfortunately, that's next week.

IOWA STATE (+21) over Baylor: An upset at Iowa and near-shocker over Kansas State are enough reason to buy into a Cyclones squad with two weeks to prepare against the road-challenged juggernaut.

Notre Dame (-12½) over Syracuse: This seems like a trap, but it's not nearly as scary as the talent gap between the teams.

USC (-9) over Oregon St.: Too often, a highly regarded team is disregarded after one loss. The Trojans still can contend for a conference championship, with their cross-country loss at overlooked Boston College as understandable as any upset.

BEST BETS: Arizona State, Texas A&M, Memphis

Record: 29-29-1; Best Bets: 7-4-1

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