COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 KNICKS 137 - SIXERS 98   New series, same result. The New York Knicks continue to dominate in this postseason, racking up a second consecutive victory by more than 35 points, as they blasted the 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  After a back-and-forth opening quarter, the Knicks caught fire in the second quarter, knocking down 15 of their 22 shots in the frame, five of which were from downtown, en route to a 41-point quarter as New York carried a 74-51 lead into the half.  They would never look back.   According to ESPN and Sportradar, the Knicks historic run is mighty impressive. The Knicks have won four in a row by a combined 135 points, and have led in three straight playoff games by at least 30 point in each of those games, a first since detailed play-by-play stat-keeping began during the 1996-97 season.  Leading the way this time was Jalen Brunson, who dominated the floor with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting, and ...

 The New York Yankees remembered the life and legacy of longtime radio voice John Sterling, who passed away Sunday at the age of 87.  Sterling had the call of over 5,400 regular season Yankees games, and 211 postseason games during his illustrious Yankees' career that began in 1989 and carried him through his retirement at age 85 in 2024. The voice of five Yankees championships and the Hall of Fame careers of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Sterling will forever be synonymous withe New York Yankees baseball.  The Yankees put together a touching tribute before the club's 12-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium.  Fellow broadcasters Michael Kay and Susan Waldman, who both worked alongside Sterling throughout his Yankees career honored their broadcast partner with flowers at home plate and a moment of silence.   

For more than three decades New York Yankees fans had grown accustomed to hearing the baritone pipes of long time radio broadcaster John Sterling, who turned the phrase "Yankees Win! DAAAAAAA Yankees Win!" into one of the most recognized calls around the world.   Sterling, who stepped away from the microphone in April of 2024, passed away Sunday night. He was 87.  Sterling had the call of 5,420 regular season and 211 postseason games as Yankees broadcaster, and even called 5,600 consecutive games from September 1989 through July of 2019. He was the voice of an entire generation of Yankees fans, who grew accustomed to both his wild sense of humor and keen professionalism.   Whether it be coining catching home run calls for various players like Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui, to sometimes, even misjudging plays in hilarious fashion, or capturing the essence of total victory in October, Sterling had a front row seat to some of the greatest Yankees' teams of a...

 Well, unless David Stearns and Steve Cohen have a trick up their sleeves, there won't be any 3 a.m. firings of the Mets manager in Anaheim over the weekend.  That's because Stearns gave Manager Carlos Mendoza the dreaded vote of confidence on Friday night before the Mets opened up a three-game weekend series in Anaheim against the Angels.  The Mets (10-21) are currently the worst team in Major League Baseball, and it's not even close.  While most of the fan base has been forgiving of Mendoza for the poor start, putting most of the blame on Stearns and Cohen for building a flawed roster, the media has been on Mendoza Watch.  It hasn't helped matters that both the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies fired their managers, Alex Cora and Rob Thompson respectively in the last week.   It is ironic in a way that the Mets are in Anaheim this weekend, because about 18-years ago the Amazin's found themselves in a similar predicament, w hen then manager Wil...

 It was a game that nobody could have foreseen coming from the New York Knicks.   With an opportunity to wrap up their opening round series with the pesky Atlanta Hawks, the Knicks put together a record breaking performance, dropping 140 points in one of the most lopsided games in NBA playoff history, a 140-89 throttling of the Hawks.  The 51-point spread was the biggest road victory in playoff history, and set the franchise record for largest postseason margin of victory. And to think this game was at one point a 61-point advantage for the Knicks.  New York stunned the Hawks right from the jump with a 40-point first quarter en route to a 83-36 halftime lead. That 47-point margin of victory broke a nearly nine year record once held by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who carried a 41-point halftime lead in a playoff game.  And leading the way was OG Anunoby who dished out 29 points on an 11-of-14 night from the floor in a dominant showcase as he carried the ballclu...

 Both the New York Giants and New York Jets addressed some big needs in the opening night of the NFL Draft out in Pittsburgh, and none bigger than adding a some edge rushers to the mix.  JETS PASS ON REESE, DRAFT DAVID BAILEY INSTEAD This was one of the most controversial picks of the night. Should the Jets select Bailey, a player by most accounts was one of the most dominate pass rushers in college football last season, or do they take the versatile Arvell Reese, who many believe could be an even better player than Bailey in the long term? Well, the Jets decided to go with Bailey who recorded 14.5 sacks last season at Texas Tech, and had an impressive 4.50 -40-yard dash at the combine. While he is considered "pro ready" to take the leap into the NFL, many scouts also feel his ceiling is not as high, and there are concerns about his ability against the run.  Many Jets fans were not pleased with the pick, some even going as far as to claim that the Jets drafting of Bailey ...