Tabs

Notre Dame athletic director Mike Wadsworth wants the Irish in the Final Four. So he went and hired someone who's been there. Matt Doherty was hired yesterday with hopes the longtime Kansas assistant can return a lackluster program to national prominence. "It's a very proud moment in my life. Everything that Notre Dame stands for represents how I try to live my life," Doherty said. Terms of Doherty's five-year contract were not disclosed. He replaces John MacLeod, who resigned under pressure March 9. Doherty, 37, passed up a chance to play at Notre Dame after he was lured to North Carolina by then-Tar Heels assistant Roy Williams.

The words "unfunded federal mandates" don't make the airwaves crackle with indignant callers or inspire readers to tear through the newspaper to get to the story. Nobody but mayors of big, decaying cities - like Philadelphia - gets too exercised about the issue. And the reason is that Congress often passes laws that the state and local governments have to pay for. This is like a rich man ordering his butler to drive a Rolls-Royce - and to pay for it out of his own pocket.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have changed owners, key players, their manager and general manager this year, tied up another loose end yesterday by making Kevin Malone their general manager. Malone, 41, who held the same post with the Montreal Expos in 1994 and 95, was an assistant under Baltimore Orioles GM Pat Gillick the past two years. Former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda had been interim general manager since Fred Claire was fired June 21. Lasorda, who helped with the search for a new GM, becomes senior vice president.

Like a Christmas shopper facing the January bills, the Glassboro Board of Education is searching for a way to finance the $6,400 extra it spent when President Reagan delivered a commencement address and foreign policy speech at graduation ceremonies June 19. The district has asked the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders to pay part of those expenses, and at a meeting Wednesday night the board agreed to consider giving the district $2,000,...

Can't decide whether you can afford a trip abroad? Here's a site that creates a clearer picture of what the costs might be. Name: PriceofTravel.com What it does: Offers a snapshot of costs for accommodations, transportation, attractions, food, and drink in more than 100 cities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, South America, Central America, and Australia/Pacific. What's hot: You might think the site is just for budget travelers, but there also are average hotel prices listed for four- and five-star hotels, when applicable.

The Oakland Raiders are expected to hire offensive coordinator Bill Callahan as their next head coach, ESPN.com reported yesterday. Raiders managing general partner Al Davis apparently will keep the position vacant for another couple of days, as the team has its practice schedules planned through training camp, its free-agency plan in place and every assistant under contract. Meanwhile, the Contra Costa Times reported that departed coach Jon Gruden and two league sources say signs point to the Raiders promoting Callahan.

LONDON - With their former boss under arrest, tabloid reporters are beginning to reveal secrets of what it was like to work in Rebekah Brooks' newsrooms. Disguises, bullying, lies dropped into copy - all were part of the pressure-cooker atmosphere that prevailed, according to former journalists. Michael Taggart, who worked at the Sun in 2003, said the paper under Brooks was marked by "ruthlessness and misogyny. " Taggart described routinely participating in overnight stakeouts while at the Sun , something he said was rare at other papers he had worked for. The News of the World famously employed Mazhar Mahmood, who dressed as a hidden camera-wielding Middle Eastern potentate dubbed the "Fake Sheik" to trick scores of prominent figures into embarrassing indiscretions.

NEW YORK - As the Big East prepares to negotiate a television contract that could make or break the conference, it has chosen a man who has been part of some of the biggest media rights deals in college sports to be its new commissioner. The Big East on Tuesday hired CBS executive vice president Mike Aresco as it continues to rebuild from a tumultuous year of defections. "I'm not daunted by it all. I embrace the challenge," Aresco told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno has long had an affinity for the player who patiently bides his time, the player who keeps working to improve even though he is rarely rewarded with game action. Yesterday, Paterno announced that he has chosen such a player to open the season as the replacement for Larry Johnson, the Heisman Trophy finalist who ran for an amazing 2,087 yards last season. His name is Ricky Upton, a graduate student with a bachelor's degree in journalism who had a total of 20 carries in the last three seasons.

It's time for the State of New Jersey to crack down on predators threatening our children. Last year, a 3-year-old boy barely escaped being molested, or worse, by one of these monsters. I don't use the word monster lightly, but let's face it - these offenders are not human like you or me. They can't control their urges. I hate to say it, but they're animals. Sympathizers say that it's not fair to call these offenders "predators," that they attack kids only on rare occasions when they can't help themselves.