FOOTBALL

GIANTS STADIUM TO BOLSTER SECURITY DURING HALFTIME

Giants Stadium will bolster security in an effort to crack down on rowdy Jets fans who chant obscenely at women during halftime.

The president of the agency that runs the stadium, George Zoffinger, said yesterday he would increase the 370-member stadium security force for all remaining Jets and Giants home games.

“This boorish behavior should not be tolerated,” Zoffinger told the Associated Press yesterday.

Earlier, a top New Jersey lawmaker demanded a crackdown after the New York Times reported that Jets fans gather on a pedestrian ramp at halftime urging women to expose their breasts. When a woman obliges — as one did at Gate D on Sunday during the game against Pittsburgh — the crowd roars in approval.

HARRINGTON TO START FOR INJURED LEFTWICH

Joey Harrington will start at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons against Indianapolis after Bryon Leftwich missed practice yesterday with a bruised tailbone. The Falcons (3–7) host the Colts (8–2) tomorrow.

Coach Bobby Petrino sidestepped whether Harrington will remain as Atlanta’s starter for the rest of the season.

VICK TO SPEND THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IN RURAL VIRGINIA JAIL

The Northern Neck Regional Jail doesn’t have the comforts of Michael Vick’s Georgia mansion, but at least the disgraced quarterback will get to enjoy a hot turkey dinner this Thanksgiving. And, perhaps, a non-contact visit with a loved one.

Vick unexpectedly turned himself in Monday and will be housed at the jail until his sentencing on a federal dogfighting charge in three weeks. He faces up to five years in prison.

Jail officials wouldn’t discuss their new celebrity inmate, but a peek inside the facility provided a glimpse of what life for the Atlanta Falcons quarterback will be like in the coming days. And it’s not exactly festive.

BASEBALL

INDIANS INK JAPANESE CLOSER MASAHIDE KOBAYASHI

The Cleveland Indians became the latest team to tap into Japan’s talented pitching pool, agreeing yesterday to a $6.25 million, twoyear contract with free-agent closer Masahide Kobayashi.

The deal for Kobayashi, who had at least 20 saves in each of the past seven seasons, includes a $3.25 million club option for 2010.

The 33-year-old reliever spent the past nine seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, currently managed by Bobby Valentine. The right-hander is one of three pitchers in Japanese baseball history with more than 200 saves.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BCS COULD EXPAND POOL OF AT-LARGE ELIGIBLES

The Bowl Championship Series will expand the pool of teams eligible for at-large bids if it’s faced with a shortage of qualified contenders when the season is over. BCS rules state a team must have at least nine victories and finish in the top 14 of the final standings to qualify for an at-large bid to one of the five marquee bowl games. But because no conference can have more than two teams, including its champion, in the BCS, officials were facing the possibility of not having enough eligible teams to fill the 10 spots this season.

The BCS announced yesterday that if fewer than 10 of the top 14 teams in the standings are eligible for an at-large bid, the qualifying standard will extend to the top 18. If enough teams are still not available, the standard would be pushed back four spots until the pool is big enough to fill all the bowls.