As the MTA continues to see agency-wide ridership records, a new ad campaign known as “Courtesy Counts,” works to remind riders how to respect the MTA’s Code of Conduct.

The campaign consists of 34 illustrations with messaging to serve as a friendly reminder to:

• Keep seats clear for other riders
• Keep pets in carriers and service animals leashed
• Let people on and off the train without obstruction
• Not talk loudly on the phone
• Wear headphones
• Give everyone room to stand
• Not lay down and take up multiple seats
• Not to smoke or vape
• Not to hold the doors
• Not to charge electric vehicles
• Not to leave the emergency exit door open for others to enter without paying the fare
• Not to leave a bike unattended or obstructing space
• Not to litter

“In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget that your own individual behavior can have an impact on your fellow riders’ commute, and even their day, so why not be courteous,” said Acting Chief Customer Officer and Senior Advisor Shanifah Rieara. “The goal isn’t to lecture anyone, we just wanted to have a little bit of fun explaining our Rules of Conduct as ridership continues to grow.”

Copy messaging includes phrases like “If you don’t make the train, don’t make it wait,” and “Block punts. Don’t block doors.” Riders will be able to catch these digital ads across subway cars, buses, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North trains, and in station platforms.

“This campaign is especially important for the disability community and reminds customers what a difference it can make to keep doorways clear, or give up your seat to someone who needs it” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer and Senior Advisor Quemuel Arroyo. “While New Yorkers are busy and have a lot going on, we can all take a second to do the right thing and let another rider have an enjoyable time and pleasant ride.”

Though daily ridership was surpassing 5 million prior to the pandemic, September 20th, 2023 marked the highest post-pandemic single-day total for paid rides on consecutive days with 4,179,902 paid rides.

“As ridership continues to grow, we want to let our customers know to be courteous and don’t ruin the experience of your fellow customers,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara at a press conference. “Transit systems should be a welcoming place for everyone.”

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* This article was originally published here

The Giants’ seemingly dire situation as they entered Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium versus the Seattle Seahawks became tangibly worse when their evening on the field was over.

Optically and by quantitative measures, the Giants are arguably the worst team in football. They are 1-3 heading into their Week 5 match-up on the road against the Miami Dolphins, and Miami has the highest scoring and most prolific offense in the NFL.

The 3-1 Dolphins average 37.5 points per game, post 511 yards—334.3 passing and 176.8 rushing, and have amassed 2,044 total yards, the most by any team through the season’s first four games in NFL history. Conversely, the 1-3 Giants are averaging just 11.5 points per game, are No. 31 out of 32 teams in total yardage (1,008), and have the worst negative point differential (-76) in the league.

The impact of 2022 Second Team All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas being out with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley sidelined with a high sprain of his right ankle sustained in the fourth quarter versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 has been considerable.

The Giants’ substandard offensive line has been overrun by opposing defenses. Without Barkley, the Giants are without a dynamic skill player who can help alleviate the onerous burden placed on quarterback Daniel Jones. The fifth-year QB has been under siege all season and has compounded the offensive lines’ weaknesses by committing mistakes mirroring those that plagued him in his first three seasons as a pro.

His past turnover problems, an area where he made admirable improvement last season under head coach Brian Daboll, have reemerged. Jones threw interceptions versus the voracious Seahawks defense and fumbled twice, losing one.

The spectacular Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon picked Jones with the Giants threatening to score from Seattle’s 3-yard line and at 1:03 of the third quarter, and returned the ball 97 yards the other way for a touchdown, with the Giants trailing 14-3. Instead of potentially tightening the score to 14-10, the Giants fell behind 21-3. The No. 5 overall pick from last April’s NFL Draft, Witherspoon also added seven tackles and two sacks.

Daboll, who is in his second season as head coach with the Giants, said the Giants must continue to channel their attention to the here and now, and not harp on the negatives, of which there are many.

“When you’re in this position, you have to tell it like it is and you’ve got to move on and get ready for the next week again,” he said “Last week has nothing to do with this week. You can’t focus on stuff that happened in the past.

“You’ve got to learn from them and obviously do better. We’ve got to play better and coach better on game day. That’s what we need to do.”

It’s incumbent on Daboll and his coaching staff to make schematic changes, given the Giants’ evident personnel shortcomings. The coaches must be held equally accountable as the players for what has been a debacle of a season with less than a quarter of the schedule still completed.

The 1-3 Jets, who lost to the 3-1 Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday night at MetLife, will play the 1-3 Denver Broncos on the road this Sunday.

The post Injury-riddled Giants rapidly make their way to the abyss appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The Knicks and Nets held their annual and obligatory media day events this past Monday with preseason beginning next week and the regular season commencing in less than three weeks.

The Knicks host the Boston Celtics on Monday at Madison Square Garden in the first of their four preseason games and the Nets will open versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in Las Vegas as they also have a four-game preseason slate.

The Knicks’ 2023 regular season debut will be against the Celtics at MSG on October 25 and the schedule makers have the Nets facing the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the same night.     

Last season, the Knicks finished 47-35 and were the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. They made their first playoff appearance since the 2012-13 campaign and after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the opening round, advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time in the past 10 years. The Knicks lost 4-2 to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.

 The Knicks made two significant roster moves this summer. They traded power forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers, where he is expected to receive more minutes on the floor than the 14.7 per game the 25-year-old Brooklyn native averaged in his three seasons with the franchise that drafted him No. 8 overall in 2020.

The other transaction of note was the signing of free-agent guard Donte DiVincenzo, who played for the Golden State Warriors last season, to a four-year, $50 million deal. The 26-year-old combo guard from Villanova is reunited with his college teammates, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.   

The makeup of the Knicks will look nearly identical to last year’s squad. Head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t have designs to change his starting lineup from a season ago of Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Jalen Brunson.

“It’s hard to argue with a 37-22 record and a plus five net rating,” said Thibodeau on Monday, referencing the success of that group.

The second unit will be led by Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley—runner up to former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon (traded by Boston to the Portland Trailblazers last week) for the 2022-23 NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

“It’s pretty much the same group, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” said Brunson at media day.

The Nets were the No. 6 seed in the East last season with a record of 45-37 amid constant turmoil and dysfunction for much of the season. They traded disgruntled superstars Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) in February and landed a young, emerging star from the Suns in 27-year-old forward Mikal Bridges, another Villanova product.  The Nets were swept 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.

The pressing question for the Nets is if forward Ben Simmons can reclaim his all-star form. Injuries and mental health issues have plagued Simmons since he was acquired by the Nets from the 76ers in September of 2022 in a trade that sent James Harden to Philly.

The 27-year-old Simmons played in just 42 games last season averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. 

The post The Knicks and Nets look to elevate as the new season approaches  appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

In a battle between two undisputed champions, Canelo Alvarez retained his super middleweight titles with a lopsided victory over Jermell Charlo Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The three judges scored the fight 118-109, 118-109, 119-108. 

Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) dominated from the opening bell with his power and exceptional boxing skills, dropping the undisputed junior middleweight champion Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), who did not have any answers for the Mexican superstar, in the seventh round.

“We worked on attacking the body,” said Canelo. “We know he’s a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring. We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.”

Canelo indeed maintained a consistent body assault, causing Charlo to drop his hands to protect his midsection. The result was Canelo landing open shots to Charlo’s head. The 33-year-old veteran fighter, who turned professional at the age of 15 and has held multiple championships in four weight classes, maintains the hunger to be great.  

“I still love boxing,” he said. “I love boxing so much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today. That’s why I love boxing so much. And I love boxing so much because of my fans, too…Cinco de Mayo I’ll face whoever. I don’t care,” Canelo added, referring to a yet-to-be-determined opponent for a bout next May to honor Mexico’s victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.  

As for who Canelo may meet? He has numerous options because of the money his fights command. 

Charlo acknowledged he was off of his game.

“I just felt like I wasn’t me in there,”  he said. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it. It’s boxing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Charlo also discussed moving up two weight classes, from 154 lbs to 168 lbs, to fight Canelo who is arguably still in his prime. 

“Truthfully, I could feel the difference in the weight,” said Charlo. “I picked up 14 pounds. I am undisputed in my weight division. You fall short sometimes, but you just have to keep on pushing. My roll don’t stop right here. I’m proud of myself. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off. I’m the little Charlo and I represent that.”

Those who believe Canelo is past his prime will point to his inability to finish Charlo after dropping him in the seventh. Canelo, who has 39 career knockouts, has now failed to knock out an opponent in four straight fights, going 3-1 during that stretch. 

On October 28, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will take on former UFC champion and current PFL competitor Francis Ngannou in an intriguing matchup in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou added none other than Mike Tyson to his training team. Fury was named after the Brooklyn-born heavyweight legend. 

The UFC returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 11, 2023, when Jon Jones, who won the UFCheavyweight title in March, takes on former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

The post Canelo Alvarez dominates Jermell Charlo in a battle of champions appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The Miami Marlins were competing in one of the toughest divisions this season, but they found a way to make it to the postseason and two of our MLBbro’s played a key role in making that happen.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.  and Josh Bell will be making their second postseason appearance and both will look to help the Marlins make a deep postseason run.

It came down to the end of the season for the Marlins to find out that they would be appearing in the postseason, and it wasn’t an easy task. The Marlins clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in franchise history after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3.

Both Chisholm and Bell contributed to the team’s win. Chisholm hit his 19th home run of the season and Bell had a two-run double.

Chisholm’s 19 home run record is a new career high for the 25-year-old. The centerfielder loves playing in Miami and believes the team has a close bond on the field.

“I feel like we’re just the biggest family in the league,” Chisholm said in an article in the Times Union after the victory on Saturday. “I feel like nobody is as connected as us as a team. I feel like when someone gets going, everybody gets going. That’s the plan here and we’re just family and we’re coming in together.”

Having that team chemistry is very important and is a vital component for teams having success and winning titles. The Marlins went into that game against Pittsburgh with one thing on their mind.

“Before the game, we called it ‘Clinch Day’ and we weren’t expecting any other day to be Clinch Day except today,” Chisholm said. “And that’s what we did, and we handled it today.”

Chisholm has developed into a leader on this Marlins team. He’s a player who provides a lot of energy on and off the field. And this brother is young, too, so he has time to continue to develop and be a dominant player in the league for years to come.

Through 97 games, Chisholm is hitting .252 with 52 RBI and 22 stolen bases to go along with his 19 home runs.

Bell joined the Marlins this season and has delivered at the plate time after time, a big reason why the Marlins sought to get him. And now he’ll get a chance to do that in the postseason. 

When the Marlins clinched a playoff berth on Saturday, Bell got to experience that in a familiar place: From 2016 to 2020, Bell played in Pittsburgh and became a fan favorite there.

“Thought I’d celebrate here years and years ago,” Bell said on Saturday. “But just to be able to celebrate here now is icing on the cake.”

Bell brings that veteran leadership to the team. At any point during the game, he can change things with just one swing of the bat. Last season, Bell appeared in the postseason with the San Diego Padres and put together a solid stat line, hitting .250 with two home runs and five RBI through 10 games.

Chisholm has only appeared in one game in the postseason, which came in 2020. He went 1-for-3 that game with a double.

We’ll get a chance to see both players look to contribute in big ways during their Wild Card series against the Phillies, defending the National League pennant winners. 

The Marlins and the impact of their Black stars are one team you want to keep an eye on during the postseason.

The post Chisholm and Bell drive Miami soul train into playoffs appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

“WE WANT MOORE!” That’s what the kids say about the Compton Youth Academy (CYA) umpire camp.

Malachi Moore, an alum of the CYA, is a Black MLB umpire doing his first full-time season this year and will hold a youth umpire camp in Compton, Calif., from December 9–10, 2023.

The best part about the camp is that it is free. The 32-year-old Moore is the 10th professional Black umpire in MLB history. He grew up in Compton and wants to give kids an opportunity. The umpire camp is for youth at least 12 years old, but they try to accept all ages and have had participants as young as 9 years old.

No experience is required to attend the camp. Moore believes that no one should be left out and everyone should be given an opportunity. If you don’t think the camp is for you because you don’t have equipment, that won’t be an issue. There is a donation spot for turning in old gear, or not. Kids could walk in with nothing and walk out with brand-new equipment.

The camp has come a long way since it first started, mostly figuring out what works by trial and error and with feedback from campers.

The program has evolved from four and a half hours to seven hours last year, and is now a two–day camp. Attendees learn the basics: safety, positioning of where to stand, a lot of on-field work, and a bunch of live reps from every position. The camp is staffed by Moore and other pro umpires from MiLB and MLB.

Moore chose Compton for the camp because it holds a special spot in his heart. It is where he grew up and played both high school and college baseball. It is also where, at a pretty young age, he  dealt with the loss of his grandparents and his older brother Nehemiah, who was shot and killed.

Despite all of this, Moore continued to grind and put in hard work, especially at the CYA.

If you want to attend one of Moore’s camps but don’t live in the Compton area, sit tight because you may have a chance in the near future: Moore said, “I will eventually take my camp on the road, possibly starting next year.”

For now, Moore is involved with other umpire camps if you can’t get to Compton, including a free one-day camp on December 16th in Stockton, California.

He will also be going to Puerto Rico with Roberto Ortiz who is another MLB umpire to hold a camp in his hometown.

One main reason Moore wants to have more camps is his desire  to spread the game of baseball.

He believes “we all have an obligation to grow the game of baseball”.

Everyone knows it’s hard to become a professional baseball player but it’s hard out here for an up-and-coming ump too.

In addition to being one of the youngest umpires this season, Moore knows how special it is to be one of only five Black full-time MLB umpires.

He wears number 44 in honor of the first Black crew chief, Kerwin Danley, who just recently retired.

So his hope is that more Black kids can try out umpiring to build on that legacy but also just wants to help baseball  grow as much as he can, in all aspects of the game.

Maybe you are shy to sign up or still don’t think this is for you. Just remember neither did Malachi Moore.

He started when he was 20 and had no interest at all but a CYA instructor showed him something new. So you never know what will end up choosing you!

The post Black MLB umpire Malachi Moore holds free camps in Compton appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here