Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an abduction on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn, a double shooting at West 151st St. and Walton Ave. in the Bronx, and a pursuit/crash/bailout on 95th St. and the West Side Highway in Manhattan. The disbarred lawyer accused of murdering his wife and blaming it on a random carjacking admitted to cops that he'd sent flowers to his girlfriend that day and had various small affairs and used escorts outside......

And then there were three. The “Couch Potato” publicity stunt going on over at ESPN Zone – the favorite restaurant of Yo La Tengo’s James McNew – took a dramatic turn when one of the four contestants abruptly dropped out of the butt-numbing competition. The quitter was Rutgers student Lindsay Wagenblast, the only female participant, who had “emerged as the favorite” in the contest, which started New Year's Day and involves sitting in a recliner......

The sad Jets host the disappointing Raiders, Sunday at 1 p.m. in East Rutherford. With former Giants QB Kerry Collins struggling, Oakland looks to start the physical Marques Tuiasosopo, who hasn't even taken a snap in game action this season. On another football note, this is Heisman Trophy weekend, and while the award will be bestowed Saturday night on ESPN from the Nokia Theatre for the first time, tonight marks the annual tradition of the......

Gothamist enjoys hot wings, brew and the game on TV as much as anyone - but we can't seem to wrap our arms around ESPN Zone, or even The Park Avenue Country Club, for that matter. They just feel more like theme parks for frat boys and Midwesten businessmen excited to be in the Big Apple, than honest-to-goodness sports bars. As New Yorkers, we've learned that neighborhood sports bars are really the way to go......

After Friday afternoon's practice, coach Herman Edwards decided that Chad Pennington has sufficiently recovered from an injured shoulder to lead the Jets as they host the Houston Texans this Sunday (as the starter) (1 p.m., TV: WCBS 2, Radio: 770 WABC/1050 ESPN), just in time for a showdown with Pittsburgh next weekend. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Pennington's news is not too much a surprise, but it was left up......