Jocelyn’s double-team

Marrying a Giant, broadcasting Mets

SNY has found a Super replacement for its popular “Mets Weekly” show – Jocelyn Maldonado, fiancee of Giants MLB Antonio Pierce. She replaces Rumble legend Julie Donaldson, who has moved on to the Boston TV market. Maldonado, who modeled in New York and Miami for clothing lines such as Dereon, Baby Phat, Rocawear and KLS, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She later moved to the US and attended Central Connecticut State, where she began her broadcasting career on WNBC (Ch. 4). Viewers can get their first glimpse of the soon-to-be Jocelyn Pierce on March 22 at 12:30 p.m. when SNY debuts the first episode of the new season.

Simon one of the guys

The Islanders’ Chris Simon, who can return from his 30-game NHL suspension Thursday, spent the three weeks before rejoining the team for practice by driving to Islanders Iceworks in Syosset, plopping down $20, and playing pickup during two-hour open hockey sessions. “I figured there was a chance one or two of the guys would give me a hard time, but it was an amazing experience,” he said. “Those guys became my friends and I’ll never forget it. It was a reminder of how much I love the game.” Simon, who drew his second lengthy suspension within a year after purposely stepping on the Penguins’ Jarkko Ruutu during a scrum by the bench and was ordered to undergo counseling by the NHL, flew to Winnipeg during his exile to address kids in custody at the Manitoba Youth Center.

Rangers fans will have the opportunity to split their hands against Brendan Shanahan and tell Colton Orr to “hit me!” on Thursday at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. Players will don tuxedos and work the tables at the team’s annual Casino Night, benefiting the Garden of Dreams Foundation. A limited number of tickets are still available by calling (877) MSG-GOAL.

Rocket’s conscience

The Roger Clemens Steroids Show on Capitol Hill this past week prompted a way-back recollection of the Rocket from attorney/author Burton Rocks. Rocks, 35, who has written books with Bob Feller, Paul O’Neill, Carl Erskine, Clyde King, golfer Andy North and actor Jack Klugman, remembers being in the Red Sox dugout at Fenway in 1993 doing interviews for his college thesis. The junior at SUNY Stony Brook was writing about the positive and negative effects of weight training in pro sports as it has spanned the eras, and already had spoken to more than 200 big-name pros when he approached Clemens. “I told Roger that I wanted to know his workout regimen,” Rocks said. “He immediately asked me, ‘Is this something that will ever be published?’ I said, ‘Maybe in the future I might write a book.’ Roger candidly shot back at me, ‘I’d like to help, but I don’t want kids reading your report and getting hurt lifting weights because they see me lifting.’ It was my 21st birthday that day and I thought that Roger was a real man to be that cautious and caring about his image when it came to kids. It is ironic that a guy who once prided himself on family values and on being afraid kids would get hurt using weights [following his example] is being subject to congressional scrutiny for alleged steroid use.”

Giants in demand

Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck (below) will be at J&R Music World, 23 Park Row, on Feb. 26 from 1-2 p.m. to sign the Official Super Bowl XLII DVD ($22). Tuck will join 3-D pop artist Charles Fazzino to unveil his commemorative Super Bowl XLII artwork celebrating the Giants’ fairy tale season. The first 50 Giants fans on hand who purchase the DVD will receive a free poster signed by Tuck and Fazzino. … From the day after the parade to the end of this past week, Tuck, Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer, Brandon Jacobs, Jeff Feagles and Plaxico Burress were among 40 Giants who signed more than 1,000 collectibles at Steiner Sports (www.steinersports.com), including a limited number of full-sized helmets with Super Bowl inscriptions.

Former Giant and Super Bowl XXV champion WR Odessa Turner says, “David Tyree’s amazing catch was the greatest grab ever in Super Bowl history.” Turner, who now works at TEST Sports Clubs Football Academy, is preparing wide receivers Mario Urrutia of Louisville and Maurice Purify of Nebraska for the upcoming NFL Combine and draft.

Fast times at Armory

The Big East Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in New York City for the first time next weekend when they come to the Armory Track & Field Center in Washington Heights. Among the top athletes is Bobby Curtis of Villanova, who set the meet record for 3,000 meters at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational last weekend (7:50.17), and outstanding freshman high jumper Priscilla Frederick of St. John’s, who resides in Haddonfield, N.J.

Journey by numbers

Giants great George Martin is making his way through Oklahoma on his cross-country “A Journey for 9/11” and was the honoree on “George Martin Day” in Oklahoma City last Monday. Here are a few stats from the walk thus far:

Near misses on the highways: 7; pairs of sneakers gone through: 18; average number of miles walked each day: 22; weight lost: 32 pounds; babies kissed: 50+; socks burned through: 60 pairs; amount of loose change picked up: $61.00; bottles of water drunk along the route: 750+; hands shaken: 1,250+; miles walked: 1,600+; money raised: $2 million.

To make a tax deductible financial donation, call (800) 889-8038 or go to http://www.ajourneyfor911.info.

Tactics and TicTacs

Wagner’s Mike Deane and Columbia’s Joe Jones are two of the more animated college hoops coaches in the tri-state area, and both are enjoying solid seasons. Both programs will get an added “shakeup” when the schools partner with TicTac to bring the national “Remake The Shake” campaign to their campuses. TicTac will be giving out free samples of its new flavors to all at the Lions-Harvard game on Feb. 29 and the Wagner-Quinnipiac game on March 1, as well as having video crews tape fans shaking the TicTac box, with the best shake winning $10,000. “I know my actions can sometimes ‘rattle’ those around me, so maybe now we can get some money out of it,” Deane said.

This Papi’s got a hole in his bat

Al Leiter threw an impressive nine strikes in 10 pitches to David Ortiz on the upcoming episode of Spike TV’s “Pros vs. Joes” airing Thursday at 11 p.m. Yankees fans need not get too excited. This David Ortiz is a 29-year-old Air Force safety operator from Victoria, Texas, and not the menacing Red Sox slugger. Nevertheless, Leiter’s dominating performance inspired fellow castmate Nick Van Exel to taunt this Ortiz by calling him “Little Papi.”