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Quite a few New York Giants players have appear-ed on TV over the years in roles that didn’t require wearing helmets with “NY” on them. Here are five:

v Frank Gifford: The telegenic running back (1952-60; 1962-64) played himself in a 1963 episode of “Hazel” called “Hazel and the Halfback.”

v Fran Tarkenton: The scrambling quarterback (1967-71) co-hosted the freak show “That’s Incredible!” (1980-84), a progenitor of today’s reality TV.

v Lawrence Taylor: The fearsome linebacker (1981-93) played himself in a 1994 football-themed episode of “Married ... With Children” about a grudge match between Al Bundy’s old high school team and its former rival.

v Phil Simms: The quarterback (1979-93), who led the team to victory in Super Bowl XXI, made a 2007 cameo as himself on the soap “As the World Turns.”

v Michael Strahan: The gaptoothed defensive end (1993-2007) starred in his own Fox sitcom, “Brothers,” in 2009.

“super bowl’s greatest commercials” (8 p.m., cbs): Talking babies. Goofy animals. For years now, the Super Bowl telecast has been a showcase for standout ad spots. “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials” is a special that runs down the best of the best, based on viewer votes.

tv listings: B6

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Contemporary Christian concert

YOUNGSTOWN

Mark and Kathleen Lyda will present a free concert of love songs and contemporary Christian selections at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Patrick Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave.

The Lydas are music ministry directors of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Gates Mills, Ohio.

The two met while performing with the Wade Raridon Singers.

Kathleen traveled throughout Europe with the Dana Chorale and has been an elementary music instructor and cantor for Youngstown-area parishes. Mark began playing the organ for morning mass at St. Matthias in third grade. In addition to the organ, he has studied voice, piano and the accordion.

Free-will offerings will be accepted.

For more information, call 330-743-1109.

‘X Factor’ judges are shown the door

LOS ANGELES

Monday was pink-slip day at “The X Factor,” with Paula Abdul apparently the latest to get sent packing.

In a major housecleaning, creator and lead judge Simon Cowell decided to boot half the judging quartet from Fox’s singing show, which returns for Season 2 this fall. Nicole Scherzinger was likewise shown the door.

Host Steve Jones was also told his services would no longer be needed. Presumably the only two on-camera personalities returning will be Cowell and fellow judge and music mogul L.A. Reid.

In some ways, the departures are not a surprise.

The singing groups mentored by Abdul were eliminated in short order on last fall’s shows. Cowell openly questioned Scherzinger’s mentoring skills and ridiculed her judging comments.

As host, Jones often appeared tense and was reduced to imploring the judges to make up their minds.