Rex Ryan isn’t about to change his approach.

Ryan was blustery all week leading up to Saturday’s 29-14 loss to the Giants, constantly mentioning how he never ventured to New York to be a second-class citizen. he also talked about how the Jets were the better team in town the past two years since they had been to consecutive AFC title games.

But after the game, several Giants — with running back Brandon Jacobs being the most vocal — indicated Ryan’s words fired them up, giving them a little extra incentive to silence the Jets’ brash coach. Ryan, however, isn’t about to apologize for speaking his mind. still.

“That’s who I am,” Ryan said Monday. “So, do I regret it? No. did it work out? Nope, it never worked out. But I’m not ever going to regret something I believe in my heart, and I’ve always said from Day one that I’m going to be true to myself. When I leave this job 15 years from now, I’m going to be true to myself.

“Maybe it’s not the traditional way of doing things or whatever. But for me, this is who I am, this is how I believe. I made the statements and as I said before, I’ll stand by everything I said.”

Ryan once again wouldn’t get into the conversation he had with Jacobs.

“I talked about that after the game and I said it was a private conversation that we had,” he said. “I really have nothing else to add to it.”

Safety Brodney Pool, who left the game when he was barreled over on Ahmad Bradshaw’s 14-yard TD run, is medically cleared. “He had some headaches during the game, but he stayed in there and passed all of the concussion tests,” Ryan said . . . Safety Eric Smith is fighting through a knee injury but should be OK.

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Rex isn’t going to change his act

Reception is a piece for four men, choreographed by Tessa Wills. it melts together diverse choreographic interests, such as the patterns of birds flocking, stylistic references to the Baroque, and modern dance into a bubble that holds these men in unusual intimacy. The piece strives to strip and reveal the inherent humanity of the performers through revelation of their bodily functions, and a charged gaze. This is part of a body of work I am producing investigating “punctum,” the piercing of the audience from moments on stage, and how that moment simultaneously wounds the performer. In moments of “punctum” the piercing goes both ways, into the audience and into the performer (Lepecki, 1997). I’m especially interested in trauma free wounds, so what the performer may present, rather than a wound, is an uncharged entrance or exit point for transgression.

We are on our last few rehearsals. Its going well, I relaxed yesterday for the first time in ages, finally just allowing the talent of the performers to be at the heart of the performance, and enjoying my confidence in them. They are a powerhouse! We have one more hanging of the set, and then the technical, and then we are ready to roll!

We have these amazing costumes, and design. I feel really lucky to have collaborated with Finley Coyl. come and see us! We need you! This is where you buy your tickets:

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/eve​nt/181609

CounterPULSE » Reception

A topsy-turvy series of events led to an unlikely main event at UFC 137, which takes place Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

In one of the more intriguing showdowns of the year, former two-division champion B.J. Penn takes on Nick Diaz, who returns to the UFC’s Octagon for the first time in almost five years. Diaz will enter the bout on a career-best 10-fight winning streak (with Strikeforce and in Japan) and will try to get back into the good graces of UFC President Dana White with a memorable performance.

Sherdog.com recently touched base with a number of professional trainers and fighters to gauge their opinions on the UFC 137 “Penn vs. Diaz” main event:

Jussier da Silva: I think Diaz wins. B.J. has more experience with tough fighters, but Diaz has more heart. I think Diaz strikes better than B.J., and the ground is almost on the same level. Diaz wins by TKO.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: I think B.J. wins.

Nam Phan: These two fighters are both so closely skilled. I don’t know who to pick.

Phillipe Nover: B.J. is a lot better than Diaz in almost every department. I don’t think Diaz has faced anyone as talented as B.J. he is a legend and a legend for a reason. I think Penn can stop Diaz on the feet or on the ground. The only chance Diaz has is if Penn gasses out for some reason, but I don’t see that happening. I see Penn taking this one by a finish in the second or third round.

Vitor Ribeiro: I think B.J. wins. Nick’s hands are good but not as fast as B.J.’s, and I think that B.J.’s punches have more power.

Jason Lambert: Penn wins.

Carlos Barreto: great fight. I like B.J.’s style, but I’m always wondering what mood he will enter the Octagon in, so I see Diaz as the favorite, despite being technically inferior in all aspects of the sport. He’s at a good time in his career. Motivation and good conditioning can make the difference for Diaz. he wins by unanimous decision.

Javier Vazquez: This should be a great fight. Standing, B.J. should be a more powerful striker, but Diaz will be throwing punches in bunches. Diaz will have a significant conditioning edge, and they should be very equal on the ground. B.J. does have slightly better wrestling. One strategy B.J. could follow is to take Diaz down and hold him down on the ground. I doubt that Diaz will be trying to get back to his feet because he is so comfortable off of his back. This could cost him rounds, as I don’t think he will be able to submit Penn from his back. The likely outcome of this fight will be that both fighters will stand and bang. I think Diaz will outlast Penn in the stand-up and should record a TKO late in the third round after a tough and bloody bout.

Cub Swanson: Diaz’s pitter-patter punches and long reach will wear Penn down to get a unanimous decision win.

Jaime Fletcher: I think B.J. will win by knockout or submission. This fight will be high-paced. Diaz plays too much when he exchanges, and Penn will exploit it. They are both otherworldly on the ground, but I still think Penn has the advantage. I can’t wait. it should be a war.

Guilherme Mattos Rodrigues: Diaz is very tough, but I think Penn wins by knockout or submission. he has a more complete game than Diaz. Nick has good boxing and a good ground game, but B.J. is more complete than him.

Anthony Pettis: This fight is gonna be a war. I’m going with my boy B.J. on this one. I think he has something to prove, and I can’t wait to watch.

Mike Easton: Nick wins.

Travis Lutter: If B.J. fights a smart fight and takes Nick down, I would bet on B.J. but if he chooses to fight a stand-up fight, I think it would be like flipping a coin on who is going to win, with the edge going to Nick. Nick is busier with his hands and has the longer reach. both guys have great chins. I do think B.J.’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu is better than Nick’s, along with his wrestling.

Travis Wiuff: This is a fight I’m very excited for. I’m going to pick Diaz to win a decision.

Mike Whitehead: B.J. wins by decision.

Kultar Gill: Height, weight, reach and power advantage go to Diaz. The outcome will be a unanimous decision for Mr. Diaz.

Rony Mariano Bezerra: Penn wins with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Ron Foster: This is a horrible matchup for Penn. Diaz is the best BJJ player and striker Penn has faced in the UFC. outside of that, Diaz is a very long southpaw with a shotgun of a jab. B.J. has been able to outstrike most guys in the UFC, minus Frankie Edgar, by using his long jab and quick combinations. Unfortunately, he will be on the receiving end of that this time. Diaz has an iron chin and is nearly impossible to hurt. Adding to that is [the fact that] Penn will not have much of an advantage, if any, on the ground. This will be a stand-up war, and in my opinion, Penn will be stopped by strikes in the cage. Diaz will earn another title shot with an impressive TKO over a game but undersized Penn.

Ricardo Liborio: That is for sure a main event fight. I’ll pick Diaz for this one, in a split decision.

Joe Duarte: Damn, my prediction was that Georges St. Pierre would get injured, forcing Penn-Diaz to the main event.

Michael Guymon: B.J. has shown his boxing skills have been much better than most and is always a favorite in the jiu-jitsu department. but in this case, B.J. is going up against an opponent who has better boxing skills, and Diaz has enough jiu-jitsu skills to fend of his submission attempts. On top of this, B.J. has to deal with a huge size disadvantage. Diaz wins by TKO due to strikes in the third round.

Valdines Silva: Penn wins by knockout.

Gabe Ruediger: Diaz wins. This should be a really good and interesting fight. I think Diaz’s nonstop attack will make it too difficult for B.J. to get off.

Keith Berry: This is an interesting fight. I see Diaz getting the best of Penn in the stand-up. and neither of these guys is going for the takedown, so I say Diaz by decision.

Bebo Duarte: I think this will be a very busy fight, as both are very technical with good ground games. It’s a fight where the impetus of youth meets the experience of age. I’m betting on a victory for B.J.

Mike Ciesnolevicz: Diaz-Penn was the real main event for a lot of the hard-core UFC fans anyway. When Diaz loses fights, it’s usually by being outpositioned and outwrestled. I don’t think that Penn is going to use that game plan, and I don’t know that he can actually use wrestling to win this fight. I think this looks like a typical Diaz fight where he comes forward nonstop and uses his hands to pepper Penn. Penn also has solid MMA boxing skills and might land some shots with his straight right, but I think Diaz’s pace will wear on him. B.J. isn’t known for his cardio, and that could play a factor. On the ground, most people would say Penn is better, but Diaz’s BJJ is very underrated. I say it’s even if the fight hits the floor. My pick is Diaz by decision, with Penn surviving but taking lots of shots courtesy of Diaz’s reach advantage.

Tom Vaughn: I kind of feel bad these two are trapped in this situation, but it will be a fun fight to watch. B.J. seems a little sharper in all categories, and I think he will win at least two of the three rounds. Penn wins this fight by decision, and they both win at the afterparty.

Erik Paulson: well, I think Nick is really on a roll right now and I’m not sure where B.J.’s training is at, so proper preparation and tactics will play a big portion in the outcome. both are so talented and fight-worthy. B.J. has good stand-up and doesn’t get hit much in his fights. Nick loves to slug and is also good on the ground — better if he is on top. so whoever gets the takedown will have the advantage. This will be a very interesting matchup.

Pedro Rizzo: I’m betting on Penn.

Pros Picking Diaz: 13Pros Picking Penn: 13No Pick: 4

Mike Sloan is a contributor to Sherdog.com. You can also contact Sloan at www.facebook.com/mikesloan19.

Pros’ picks: B.J. Penn versus Nick Diaz

On Sunday night, "the Walking Dead" returned for its second season with a thrilling, heart-wrenching extended episode that saw not only the disappearance of Carol's daughter, Sophia, but the agonizing death of Rick's son, Carl. it was arguably the best installment of the series so far, which surely will help dispel some of the fan anxiety surrounding the controversial departure of the show's creator, Frank Darabont, earlier this year.

New show runner Glen Mazarra had promised reporters at an event last month that he planned to remain true to the spirit of the series the Oscar-nominated writer-director adapted from Robert Kirkman's comic book (Kirkman is also an executive producer). "What Lies Ahead" offers grim, compelling proof that he intends to live up to that promise.

In an opening sequence, Rick announces his plan to travel with the other survivors from Atlanta to Ft. Benning in an attempt to put the disappointing experience at the CDC behind them — almost revealing what Jenner whispered to him in last season's finale. cut to scenes of the traveling caravan, Rick driving Lori, Carl, Carol and Sophia; Dale at the helm of the RV, with Andrea and Shane his passengers. Andrea watches Shane clean his gun, and he offers to do the same for her weapon.

The group runs into trouble, though, when a section of their route turns out to be littered with abandoned, overturned cars. Daryl offers to lead the way through the wreckage on his chopper, but the RV blows a hose, forcing the group to stop out in the open. Dale takes a moment to teach Glenn some basic mechanics, while the others scavenge to find anything usable -– food, water, clothes and gasoline. and then the walkers arrive. a whole shambling horde of them, leaving Rick and the others little choice but to dive underneath the vehicles for cover.

Trapped alone inside the RV, Andrea retreats to the bathroom with the parts of the dismantled gun, but she's found by a wandering walker when one of the pieces clatters out of her grasp. he begins clawing wildly at the door. She's saved when Dale passes a screwdriver to her through the opening in the roof, and she stabs the hungry zombie repeatedly. T-Dog is threatened too, after he gashes open his arm, leaving a trail of blood for the walkers to follow as he searches for a place to hide. Struggling to remain conscious, T-Dog is saved when Daryl comes to his rescue, camouflaging both their scents by hiding underneath some nearby corpses.

It's young Sophia, though, who is discovered by a walker when she ventures out too quickly from her hiding place. She makes a run for safety, down an embankment off the highway, and Rick goes after her as she runs through the woods. when he catches up to her, he stashes the girl in a tight space near a body of water, telling her that he can't shoot the walkers for fear of drawing the attention from the rest of the herd. His plan is to draw them off and return to her later — he tells the girl that should he fail to return, she should run straight back the way they came, keeping the sun on her left shoulder. although she seems to be listening, Sophia almost immediately leaves her hiding space and runs away.

Daryl helps Rick track the girl, but they only find a walker who's recently feasted — the men perform a quick, informal autopsy to confirm that it was a woodchuck, not Sophia, that was on the lunch menu. meanwhile, tensions are rising among the survivors, with Lori confronting Shane about his recent behavior — including the incident at the CDC, which Shane calls "a mistake" — and Andrea attempting to persuade Dale to return the gun her father gave to her. Matters don't improve when Daryl and Rick return empty-handed, even though they pledge to go back out again as an organized search party to look for Sophia the following morning.

The party does go out, finding a tent with a corpse inside before they hear the sound of church bells. They run into a clearing and find the source of the sound (along with three walkers sitting on pews inside a chapel). It's only a recording, and Sophia is nowhere to be found. As the party disperses, Shane tells Lori that he plans to leave and strike out on his own; Andrea overhears the exchange and insists on being able to depart with him.

As Daryl leads the others back to camp, Rick, Shane and Carl remain behind to continue the search. Rick goes inside the church to pray for, if not a miracle, then at least a sign from God. he seemingly receives one when they stumble across a magnificent deer grazing in the woods, but as Carl quietly walks toward the animal, his two father figures looking on, a shot rings out from the distance and takes down the deer, and the boy. Rick, incredulous, rushes toward his son, but the wound is fatal. the lawman is simply too late to save the life of his only child.

What did you think? Did the episode live up to your expectations? and just when are they finally going to reveal what Jenner told Rick in Atlanta? Leave your comments below.

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Photo: a scene from "the Walking Dead." Credit: AMC

‘Walking Dead’ recap: Suffer the little children