Simpson’s stand-in does the job

Jessica Simpson wasn’t available Sunday for the NFL playoff game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys because she was working on an album.

So the New York Post brought along the closest thing it could find to Tony Romo kryptonite: Lynsey Nordstrom, a Simpson look-alike.

The paper flew Nordstrom in from her Seattle-area home, got her seats in the third row behind the Cowboys’ bench and outfitted her in a pink Cowboys jersey with Romo’s No. 9 on it.

Nordstrom earns $500 for the first hour of an appearance and $250 for each additional hour, according to the Newark Star-Ledger, and apparently it was worth it for Giants fans.

Romo, who faltered when the real Simpson last attended one of his games, had a pass intercepted in the end zone with nine seconds to play and the Cowboys lost, 21-17.

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Trivia time

Romo set Cowboys single-season records with 36 touchdown passes, 335 completions and 4,211 yards passing. Whose records did he break? (Hint: They were all set by one quarterback in one season).

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Another misfire

On Sunday, the combination of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison accounted for only 27 yards in the Indianapolis Colts’ 28-24 upset playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers.

That should have been a hint to hunch players to stay away from betting on the No. 3 horse in the fourth race Monday at Santa Anita: Manningtoharrison.

The horse went off as a 2-1 favorite. And finished fourth.

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New sheriff

New West Virginia football Coach Bill Stewart has lured Doc Holliday away from Florida to become tight ends and running backs coach for the Mountaineers.

Holliday will also take over as recruiting coordinator at his alma mater.

The hiring has fueled rumors that Wyatt Earp is in line for the defensive coordinator position.

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Match play

Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic nearly missed her first-round match at the Australian Open because her cab driver took a wrong turn.

Jankovic said she noticed her driver was heading in the opposite direction from Melbourne Park and instead was on his way to the Albert Park practice courts.

“He was thinking I was going to practice. And I was like, ‘Excuse me, are you taking a new shortcut? Where are you going?’

“So it was actually good that I said something, otherwise I would end up in Albert Park, would miss my match. Who knows what would happen.”

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Trivia answer

Danny White, who had 29 touchdowns, 334 completions and 3,980 yards passing in 1983.

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Re-gifting

The Lakers’ Luke Walton was among the sports celebrities who helped raise $70,000 for the Toberman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro and dedicate a new gym at a charity function Saturday.

Walton personally auctioned off a basket full of his father Bill’s autographed memorabilia -- a photo, a poster, a ball and a Grateful Dead sticker.

“This looks like what I used to get every year for Christmas,” Walton said.

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And finally

The Detroit Pistons, leading the NBA’s Central Division, came within a point of the franchise record for fewest points in a game and shot an NBA season-low 30.7% in an 89-65 loss to the last-place New York Knicks on Sunday night, and that made Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups feel dirty.

“I washed it right off on that shower,” Billups said after the game.

“Got to forget about that one. That was bad.”

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