Jets release Tim Tebow

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Tebow Time is up.
The Jets released popular backup quarterback Tim Tebow on Monday morning, The Post has learned. The move comes three days after they drafted Geno Smith in the second round to compete with Mark Sanchez, David Garrard and Greg McElroy for the starting quarterback spot.

It ends Tebow’s 13 months with the Jets that were more memorable for all of the headlines than anything that actually happened on the field. The Jets acquired him from the Broncos in March 2012 for a fourth-round draft pick (the two teams also swapped later draft picks).

Tim Tebow arrives on the first day of off-season workouts at the Jets practice facility on April 15.

 

The Jets confirmed the news with a press release that included a quote from coach Rex Ryan.

“We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow,” Ryan said in the statement. “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped. Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this offseason. We wish him the best moving forward.”

Tebow reported to the Jets training center in Florham Park to work out this morning, according to a source. Before he made it to the weight room, he was summoned to general manager John Idzik’s office where he was informed of his release by Idzik and Ryan.

Tebow posted on Twitter hours after the news broke.

Apple's Profit Falls 18%, but Beat the Street

By JESSICA E. LESSIN And IAN SHERR

In one of its most closely watched earnings reports in years, Apple Inc. AAPL +1.87% eased Wall Street's biggest fears despite notching its first profit drop in more than a decade.

The Silicon Valley company's results for its second fiscal quarter surpassed analysts' estimates, and Apple boosted a program to return cash to shareholders by $55 billion to $100 billion by the end of 2015. The moves, which comes as investors have been agitating for the company to return more cash to shareholders, include stock buybacks and increasing quarterly dividends.

Apple's results—which included and 18% decline in profit and the slowest revenue growth since 2009—nevertheless underscored the resilience of its iPhone franchise. Sales of iPads were even stronger, with unit sales jumping 65%.

"We're very confident in our future," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's chief financial officer, in an interview. He added that "it a great time for Apple and it will continue to be a great time for Apple."

A less-positive undercurrent in Apple's results is a squeeze on gross profit margins, an important measure in the efficiency of the company's operations. The figures came in slightly lower than expected, as the company's product mix shifted to cheaper products like the iPad Mini.

The company predicted margins could shrink a bit more in the current period ending in June, while its revenue prediction was slightly lower than analyst expectations.

Apple shares rose as much as 6% in after-hours trading but were recently down less than 1% following the earnings announcement. The vicissitudes of Apple shares, which peaked last year above $700, are broadly felt. About one-fourth of all U.S. mutual funds that hold stock own Apple shares, according to Morningstar Inc.

For the quarter ended March 30, Apple reported a profit of $9.55 billion, or $10.09 a share, down from $11.62 billion, or $12.30 a share, a year earlier. Analysts had projected a per-share profit of $10. Revenue rose 11% to $43.6 billion.

The results helped ease some major concerns hanging over the Cupertino, Calif., company, whose years'-long growth streak has been wavering amid competition from Android-powered phones by Samsung Electronics Co. 005930.SE -1.33% and a delay in introducing new products.

Among the positive signs, Apple said it sold 37.4 million iPhones in the quarter, up from 35.1 million a year ago. Apple sold 19.5 million iPads, compared with 11.8 million the year before.

Executives also said a little more than usual about the timing of future products. Mr. Cook said on the call with analysts that the teams are working hard on "amazing new hardware software and services that we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014."

Apple's announcement on cash, which Mr. Cook said earlier this year the company had been examining, also settles questions about the company's plans for the stockpile, which grew to $145 billion at the end of March. Earlier this year, investors including David Einhorn lobbied the company to return more to shareholders.

Write to Jessica E. Lessin at jessica.lessin@wsj.com and Ian Sherr at ian.sherr@dowjones.com

New 'Captain America' filming in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WDTN) -

Ohio’s film industry announced its receiving another major production in February of 2013, bringing thousands of job opportunities with it. 

Disney’s Marvel Studios was awarded a $9.5 million Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit for two project locations related to the new film,  Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The movie will be shot in northeast and southern Ohio.

“First the  Avengers, now  Captain America—Hollywood is seeing the benefits of filming in Ohio,” said Christiane Schmenk, Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “This is another example of the positive impact that the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit is having on our film industry and our state’s job-creation picture overall.”

Production in Ohio is expected to begin in February 2013, with the film scheduled for a Spring 2014 release.  An estimated $35 million is expected to be spent in Ohio on the production over approximately 150 days for prep, shooting, and post production work.  Approximately 40 % of the movie will be shot in the Ohio, creating an estimated 2,778 Ohio job opportunities.

NFL reaches tentative agreement with refs

By BARRY WILNER | Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — So long, replacements refs. The NFL's regular crews will be back at work starting Thursday night.

After two days of marathon negotiations — and mounting frustration among coaches, players and fans — the NFL and the referees' union announced at midnight Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached to end a lockout that began in June.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was at the bargaining table Tuesday and Wednesday, said the regulars would call the Browns-Ravens game at Baltimore.

The tentative eight-year deal must be ratified by 51 percent of the union's 121 members. They plan to vote Friday and Saturday.

"Welcome back REFS," Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller tweeted shortly after the news broke.

The replacements worked the first three weeks of games, triggering a wave of outrage that threatened to disrupt the rest of the season. After a missed call cost the Green Bay Packers a win on a chaotic final play at Seattle on Monday night, the two sides really got serious.

"We are glad to be getting back on the field for this week's games," referees' union president Scott Green said.

The NFLRA said the current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years' service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen.

Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement. The annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per official and increase to more than $23,000 per official in 2019, and a partial match on any additional contribution that an official makes to his 401(k) account.

Apart from their benefit package, the game officials' compensation will increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019.

Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option of hiring a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year-round, including on the field. The NFL will have the option to retain additional officials for training and development purposes, and may assign those additional officials to work NFL games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the NFL.

Replacement refs aren't new to the NFL. They worked the first week of games in 2001 before a deal was reached. But those officials came from the highest level of college football; the current replacements do not. Their ability to call fast-moving NFL games drew mounting criticism through Week 3, climaxing last weekend, when ESPN analyst Jon Gruden called their work "tragic and comical."

Those comments came during "Monday Night Football," with Seattle beating Green Bay 14-12 on a desperation pass into the end zone on the final play. Packers safety M.D. Jennings had both hands on the ball in the end zone, and when he fell to the ground in a scrum, both Jennings and Seahawks receiver Golden Tate had their arms on the ball.

The closest official to the play, at the back of the end zone, signaled for the clock to stop, while another official at the sideline ran in and then signaled touchdown.

The NFL said in a statement Tuesday that the touchdown pass should not have been overturned — but acknowledged Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference before the catch. The league also said there was no indisputable evidence to reverse the call made on the field.

That drew even louder howls of disbelief. Some coaches, including Miami's Joe Philbin and Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, tried to restore some calm by instructing players not to speak publicly on the issue.

Fines against two coaches for incidents involving the replacements were handed out Wednesday.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was docked $50,000 for trying to grab an official's arm Sunday to ask for an explanation of a call after his team lost at Baltimore. And Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was tagged for $25,000 for what the league called "abuse of officials" in the Redskins' loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Two other coaches, Denver's John Fox and assistant Jack Del Rio, were fined Monday for incidents involving the replacements the previous week.

"I accept the discipline and I apologize for the incident," Belichick said.

Players were in no mood for apologies from anyone.

"I'll probably get in trouble for this, but you have to have competent people," Carolina receiver Steve Smith said. "And if you're incompetent, get them out of there."

Added Rams quarterback Sam Bradford: "I just don't think it's fair to the fans, I don't think it's fair to us as players to go out there and have to deal with that week in and week out. I really hope that they're as close as they say they are."

They were. Finally.

___

AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds in Miami, Steve Reed in Charlotte, and R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this story.

Andy Williams dead at 84: ‘Moon River’ crooner loses battle with bladder cancer

Williams came across for six decades on concert stages and television shows as the ultimate Mr. Nice Guy, as well known for his warm, genial personal style as for his music.

Andy Williams at the Emmys with Carol Burnett and Harry Belafonte (left), Williams and then-wife Claudine Longet (top right), and Williams in a quiet moment (bottom right).


Andy Williams, one of the last crooners from the golden age of easy-listening pop music, died Tuesday at his home in Branson, Mo. He was 84.

Williams, who had been battling bladder cancer, had divided in time in recent years between La Quinta, Calif., and Branson, where he owned the Moon River Theater — named after the song that had been his signature since 1962.


Williams came across for six decades on concert stages and television shows as the 
ultimate Mr. Nice Guy, as well known for his warm, genial personal style as for his music.

He had only one major brush with tabloid celebrity, when his ex-wife, Claudine Longet, was charged in 1976 with accidentally killing her new boyfriend, skier Spider Sabich.

Williams, from whom Longet had been divorced a year earlier, escorted her to court, attended the trial and helped pay for her defense.

She was eventually sentenced to 30 days in jail and then married her attorney a few years later.

American singer Andy Williams and his wife Claudine Longet, shown upon arrival at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, on Dec. 19, 1974 for the Royal Charity World premiere of "The Man With the Golden Gun.”

Williams married Debbie Meyer in 1991 and remained with her until his death.

Williams had one of the most successful music-and-TV crossover careers of his generation.

He went solo as a recording artist in 1953 and started his TV career as a regular on the Steve Allen’s “Tonight Show” in 1954.

He hosted his own TV variety show from 1962 to 1971 along with popular holiday specials into the 1990s.

He recorded eight albums of Christmas music, tagging him with the affectionate nickname “Mr. Christmas.”

During the warmer months, he was in great demand for movie theme music. Beyond “Moon River,” he recorded themes as diverse as the dark “Days of Wine and Roses” and the saccharine “Where Do I Begin” from “Love Story.”

His association with “Moon River” began when composer Henry Mancini asked him to sing it at the 1962 Academy Awards. It won the Oscar and quickly became Williams’ most popular song — though it was never released as a single.

His only No. 1 radio hit was a cover version of Charlie Gracie’s 1957 rockabilly song “Butterfly,” but he kept his popularity with easy-listening fans for decades, racking up 18 gold and three platinum albums.
Reflecting his reputation as a mainstream concert artist, Williams sang the National Anthem at the 1973 Super Bowl. He also hosted seven Grammy Awards shows, from 1971 to 1977.

He was politically active, and while he described himself as a “lifelong Republican,” he campaigned in 1968 for his friend Robert F. Kennedy. He sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at Kennedy’s funeral that year.

Williams hosted his own TV variety show from 1962 to 1971, along with popular holiday specials in to the 1990s.

ANONYMOUS/APAndy Williams performs a song on a television show on May 12, 1961. Emmy-winning TV host and "Moon River"

In 1972, he campaigned for George McGovern, and when the Nixon administration tried to deport John Lennon, Williams became an outspoken defender of Lennon’s right to stay in the U.S. In later years, he criticized Barack Obama for taking the country “too far left.”

Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, Williams began singing in the Presbyterian church choir and joined his three siblings in the Williams Brothers quartet.

They sang on radio programs in the Midwest and backed Bing Crosby on his 1944 hit “Swingin’ on a Star.” They also appeared in several movies.

Williams went solo in 1953 and had his first hit with “Canadian Sunset” in 1956.

He was also a shrewd businessman. He eventually acquired the masters to all the music from his first label, Cadence, where his colleagues included the Everly Brothers and the Chordettes.

He launched his own label, Barnaby Records, which had hits with Ray Stevens and released the first album of a then-unknown singer named Jimmy Buffett. Earlier, on his TV show, he had introduced the Osmond family.

He opened the Moon River Theater with his brother Don in 1992. It was the first Branson theater not directly tied to country music, and paved the way for a broader range of artists to start playing in Branson.

He was also a major golf fan, hosting a PGA tournament in San Diego from 1968 to 1988.

He is survived by Meyer and three children from his first marriage, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

The Osmond's were a regular feature on The Andy Williams Show

Donny Osmond

Andy Williams was an inspiring man in both his music and his life....

donny.com

The Official Jay Osmond Fan Page

So sorry for the loss of dear friend Andy Williams. We would not be in this business & had the success we've enjoyed without this great man.

www.jayosmond.com/news

Apple's Steve Wozniak: I want to become Australian

Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with the late Steve Jobs, revealed his fondness for Australia and said he hopes to become a citizen.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Photo: REUTERS

"I actually like this country and want to become a citizen," he told the Australian Financial Review, saying he was particularly impressed with plans to roll out a national broadband network across the country.

Wozniak, who quit Apple in 1987 after 12 years, told local radio in Brisbane last week that he enjoyed his regular visits to Australia.

"I am... on the way to become an Australian citizen, that's a littlenown fact," he told station 4BC after queuing up to buy the new generation iPhone 5.

"It turns out that I get to keep my American citizenship," he added.

"I intend, you know who knows what will follow through in the next five years, I intend to call myself an Australian and feel an Australian, and study the history and become, you know, as much of a real citizen here as I can."

In the interview with the Financial Review, Wozniak said the national broadband network was one of the reasons he wants to become a citizen.

Australia's ambitious Aus$35.9 billion ($37.4 billion) National Broadband Network (NBN) aims to connect all Australians to superfast Internet by 2021 in a move the government hopes will transform the country's economy.

Wozniak said his home in California was not connected to a broadband service and there was no "political idea" to bring it to everyone in the United States.

"There's only one set of wires to be on and I'm not going to pull strings to get them to do something special for me," he said.

Under the NBN scheme, 93 per cent of homes, schools and businesses will be linked by fibre optic while those in more remote regions of the vast nation will receive their service by fixed wireless and satellite technologies.

Beagle survives 70-foot leap off of N.J. bridge with only a few bruises

Burlington-Bristol Bridge (Burlington County Bridge Comission)

(CBS/AP) BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A beagle who jumped 70 feet off a New Jersey bridge has survived with only minor bruises.

Seven-year-old Brandi got away from her owner, Robert Lorenz, during a walk along the Burlington Riverfront Promenade Friday night.

His wife, Alexis Lorenz, told The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill he returned one hour after he set out on the walk with their two beagles, panicking. The two began to scour the area by the riverfront by foot and car for hours unsuccessfully.

That's when bridge officer Rob Bittner saw Brandi walking up the Burlington-Bristol Bridge toward Pennsylvania.

Bittner tells The Courier-Post he turned on his emergency lights to slow traffic and followed the dog. Bittner says Brandi was doing fine until she got to the top of the span and her paws felt a steel grate.

The officer says Brandi jumped into the Delaware River as motorists tried to grab her.

"She went in," Bittner said. "We immediately started looking over into the water. She was swimming and made it to the shoreline.

The beagle's owner recovered her after a long night of searching and took her to a veterinarian. Brandi was bruised around the abdomen, but didn't have any broken bones. The owners added to that Brandi was a rescue dog who was skittish around people she didn't know because of her past experiences.

Alexis said the dog has a new nickname: Leaping Licker. She also has a brand new harness so she can't get lose again.