COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 Well here is a story nobody saw coming. Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz has been linked to a cockfighting ring in Puerto Rico thanks to incriminating social media posts, according to multiple reports.  Fox News reports that Diaz, who now pitches for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, appeared in tournament graphics in "full Dodgers uniform." He has also been open about his families participation in the blood-sport, which is banned in the United States.  "  Diaz described cockfighting as a pastime he has followed since childhood and confirmed that his family entered four roosters into a recent tournament." Meanwhile, " Champion jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. were also identified in social media footage tied to the events. According to the report, the Ortiz brothers, who recently dominated the Kentucky Derby , appeared on video collecting cash bets at one of the alleged cockfighting gatherings ," according to the same report....

 The New York Jets will indeed open the 2026 season at Tennessee where they will square-off with their former coach, Robert Saleh in his Titans Head Coaching debut.  Many anticipated that the Jets could open the season in Tennessee for this very story-line. It was the most obvious choice, despite rumors via ESPN N.Y. and the Daily News' Gary Myers that the Jets might open in Miami. That proved false.   While a lot of focus will be on the wits of Saleh against current Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn, the real story will be about Saleh going up against the team, and more specifically, the front office that fired him following a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London two seasons ago.    The Jets were 2-3 at the time, and had just lost a heart-breaker 23-17 to the Vikings where New York had a chance to win late.  Then Jets owner Woody Johnson, the former Ambassador to the U.K., perhaps feeling embarrassed by the showing, fired Saleh by the time the Je...

As seems to have become an annual tradition, the entire New York Giants schedule drops before anyone else, and well ahead of the "official" announcement this evening at 8 p.m.  Thanks to X accounts @NFLNerd and @ozzyNFL , fans have been watching schedule leaks drop across the league as if they were general election returns since Wednesday afternoon. In fact, the anticipation and prediction element of the schedule has become a thing of its own in social media circles. Everyone takes their best swing at guessing the schedule.  As for Big Blue, we knew on Monday that they would open the season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, September 13.  No real surprise. The Cowboys are a ratings magnate for the NFL no matter how good nor bad they are. Couple that will John Harbaugh's debut as Giants coach, and you got a ready made game for prime time.  By Wednesday night we also found out that the Giants were going to host the Cardinals in Week 4 and the Washington Comm...

 The New York Knicks are as  hot as any team in the NBA right now, and their fans know it.  In the days leading up to the beginning of this Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers star Joel Embeed pleaded with Sixers fans to make sure they didn't sell their tickets to Knicks fans.  Those pleas went of deaf ears as the Infinity Mobile Center felt more like Madison Square Garden in Game 3 on Friday, and especially in Game 4 on Sunday as the Knicks swept the series. In fact, the fan domination that many said felt like "80-20" in terms of Knicks rooting interest only grew louder as New York put together another record setting performance in a 144-114 drubbing of the Sixers.  Heck, this game was essentially over when Miles "Deuce" McBride hit his third consecutive three pointer in the opening quarter that gave the Knicks a 17-6 lead with 7:31 to play in the opening stanza. The Knicks crowd exploded chanting "DEUUUUUCE"...

Breece Hall waited a long time for this day.  The Jets running back who had been pinning for a contract extension for a couple of years now finally got his wish on Friday afternoon when the New York Jets agreed to terms with Hall's representatives on a new three-year, $45.75 million deal . The deal will make Hall the third highest paid running back in the NFL in Average Annual Salary (AAV) at $15.25 million. Only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffery make more with the Eagles and 49ers respectively.  This is a huge get for the Jets. They get to keep one of its most productive players over the past four seasons for the long term, all while ending ongoing speculation that a trade would be in the offing.  Hall has been the Jets bell-cow the past four years, averaging 978 yards rushing. In some respects he was both underutilized and underappreciated these past few seasons. He has the talent to be a top flight back in this league. Last season, Hall ran for 1,065 yards and fou...

 KNICKS 108 - SIXERS 102  After winning their past two games by a combined 90 points, the Knicks had to settle for only a six-point victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 108-102 over the 76ers.  Either way the Knicks lead this best-of-seven series 2-0 as the scene shifts to Philadelphia over the weekend.  Trailing 90-89 through three quarters in a back-and-forth affair that saw an exchange off 22-lead changes, the Knicks finally took control on a 9-0 run with less than four minutes to go in the ball game. Jalen Brunson's 16-foot jumper gave New York its largest lead at 103-99 with 3:46 to go. Seconds later, Mikal Bridges nailed a 20-footer to make it 105-99.  Meanwhile Philadelphia went completely ice cold offensively.     Following Kelly Obrue Jr's. three pointer that gave Philly a 99-96 lead with 6:52 to go, the Sixers went 0-6 from the floor, including 0-for-5 from downtown over a span of five minutes. By the time Tyrese Maxey...