COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

METS 14 TIGERS 3 Who would have thunk it? Facing two of the American Leagues top two teams in a row, and the New York Mets have not wilted under the pressure. Instead the Mets have delievered the TKO to both the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers over the past few days. First it was a 14-5 victory in Texas on Saturday, followed up by a solid 8-3 victory on Sunday. Then last night the Mets exploded for 14 runs on 18 hits against the Tigers to get over .500 for the first time since game five of the regular season. The game also marked the first time the Mets hit a grand slam in a game since 2009! With New York up 2-0 in the fourth inning, Josh Thole went yard with a solo shot, his first of the year, to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Jason Bay, that's right JASON BAY, hit a grand slam homer to left to make it 9-0 Metropolitans. Wow are these guys? Fast forward to the fifth, bases loaded for Carlos Beltran, and kiss it good-bye another grand slam to...

Once again the New York Yankees proved why they are one of the few franchises that knows how to honor its past. The Yankees held their traditional Old Timer's Day at the Stadium, but this year was extra special. First it marked the first time that both Lou Pinella and Joe Torre returned to the Bronx in Yankee uniforms. For Torre the reunion ends three bitter years, where Torre was not a part of the Yankee tradition. He left the Yankees in a bitter contract dispute after the '07 season. He moved onto LA to manage the Dodgers the past three seasons, but was never acknowledged by Yankee brass during that time as a part of the franchises tradition. Last season, Torre had a chance to reunite with his old team, when the Yankees came to LA to play the Dodgers, yet everyone waited for this moment. He got a nice ovation, and was even seen speaking with GM Brian Cashman, whom he had a bitter dispute with years ago. The day also belonged to recent retirees, Tino Martinez and Bernie Willia...

Former Giants running back Tiki Barber who is attempting a comeback after missing the past four seasons due to retirement could be joining another legendary football franchise: the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to SI's Peter King , he thinks the Steelers would be a good fit, since coach Mike Tomlin is a family friend of Barber, having coached his brother Ronde in Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh would make some sense. Rashard Mendenhall is a solid star ting back, but they have nobody behind him. With teams implementing more two back sets, Barber, if he has anything left, would be an interesting change of pace from Mendenhall's bruising style of play. Plus it's the Steelers. They run a tight ship, and Barber would have to toe the line if he is to make in the Steel City. If Barber doesn't have anything to offer, the Steelers could release him with no injury to their roster or finances. It's a possible deal that could work for both sides for sure. Barber wants to redeem himself ...

Three years ago this month, Tiger Woods was on the prowl for his 14th major title. After taking a one shot lead into the fourth round at Tory Pines, in his hometown of San Diego, CA. Woods started to struggle on that incredible Sunday. He was rumored to have injured his knee that day, and couldn't close out a charge by Rocco Mediate, who went into the clubhouse -1 under par, and a slim lead over Woods. Woods was able to make up for the dip, by scoring on par on 18-to tie Mediate, and force a playoff Monday morning. That Monday was the last time we have seen Woods as the hero. Limping around the course, Woods, again came back to tie Mediate after 18 holes, forcing a Sudden Death playoff that same day. In Sudden Death, Woods scored a par 4 to win the tournament by a very small margin. The lasting image from the tournament being Woods clutching his young daughter in his hands afterwards. Since that time it has been a wild ride for Woods. Even though he didn't win a major in 2009, ...

Chad Pennington is finally hanging up the cleats, at least for this year. The former injury riddled Jets quarterback, who spent much of eight years for Gang Green injured, before sticking it to the Jets in 2008 as he led the Miami Dolphins to the AFC East crown is now done with football. Pennington, who injured his knee in a pick-up basketball game in April, has signed on with Fox Sports to become a tv-analyst for the network. He will team up with N.Y. Rangers play-by-play man Sam Rosen during the season, meaning that Pennington will be covering a lot of game involving the dregs of the NFC, i.e. the Lions, 49ers, Cardinals, et al. Pennington lost his job in Miami in 2009 , when he injured his shoulder in week three at San Diego. Chad Henne stepped in and lit it up in '09, before he stumbled in 2010. Pennington got a chance to start in the middle of last season, but was injured on the first play of the game -- ending his season. How ironic! I venture to guess that Pennington won...

It has been well documented how the Oakland Athletics changed the financial game in the late 1990's, when Billy Beane helped invent the money ball theory. The Theory, for those who don't know, is to look at every statistical equation possible for major league baseball players to determine their value on the open market in free agency. The A's used this theory to their advantage, as they were able to afford players at a low costs, who could produce consistent results, i.e. Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson all in their prime. The theroies of Money Ball have shaken the game for general managers throughout the game; New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson was one of those moneyball pioneers, and he is trying to do the same stat crunching in New York, even to the chagrin of Mets fans who can't stand watching Ruben Tejada every single night. But I regress. A film based on the Money Ball phenomenon is set for release this fall, starring Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Pitt...

CUBS 3 YANKEES 1 One of the bright spots about interleague play is the rare occurrence that you get to see some of the legendary franchises playing each other for the first time in years. Of course since interleague's inception, the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have played each other a few times, but a chance to renew the rivalry is something that is always special. Unlike the 1932 World Series however, the Cubs found a way to top the Bombers. The Yankees who have been really struggling of late; losing Derek Jeter to the disabled list, and getting swept by the Boston Red Sox last weekend, were punchless in game one at Chicago. Doug Davis, who was winless this season, dazzled for the Cubs shutting down the Yankees for seven - and - a - third innings giving up only a run on three hits. Davis was virtually unhittable, holding A-Rod and Curtis Granderson to respective 0-for-4's at the plate. Even though Mark Teixiera had the Yanks only RBI, even he looked over-matched against ...

Any thoughts of Plaxico Burress returning to the Giants narrowed when the former inmate ripped into his old coach Tom Coughlin, calling his relationship with the coach "ambivalent." " Some things that I didn't agree with, with the way he went about things. And the only way to show my way was to just rebel. Is that who I am? No. "That was one of the biggest problems when I left Pittsburgh when I came here. I had a relationship with (former Steelers coach) Bill Cowher inside of football and outside of football. He always had an open-door policy to where you could come talk to him or tell him what was on your mind. When that was taken away from me, I kind of felt it was like: I'm the coach, you are the player. It doesn't matter what you have to say. You just do what I tell you to do. "This is not college. This is professional sports. If you can't sit down and go talk to a m an that you are busting your tail for, not even have the respect for anythi...

Days after losing Joba Chamberlain to the DL for the entire season for Tommy Johns Surgery, the Yankees had to disable fifth starter Bartolo Colon, Sunday, after it was reported the hefty righty strained his hamstring. Colon injured the hammy while covering first on a ground ball during Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Colon has been surprisingly good this year. After replacing Phil Hughes in the rotation after his own injury, Colon went 5-3 for the Bronx Bombers. Anyone who knows Colon and his history of weight problems, would tell you the good fortune was on a timer to begin with. The Yankees never expected Colon to deliever much for them this year -- he and Freddy Garcia have been revelations this season. With the loss of Colon, the Yankees will have to dig deep into the minor leagues to find a replacement until he returns in a few weeks.

Red Sox 11 Yankees 6 For the seventh time in eight games, the Boston Red Sox dominated the New York Yankees. The Sox, who were led by three hits from Jacoby Ellsbury, and a two run shot by David Ortiz, and a three run blast from J.D. Drew dominated New York yet again, this time to move into first place in the AL East. It is now easy to forget that Boston opened this season 1-10. Since that time the BoSox are 34-16 one of the best records in the majors, and a team that looked dead in the water is very much alive. The Sox once again put the Yankees in an early hole jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks in large part to Big Papi's homer. A.J. Burnett didn't have it for the Yankees. In five and two-thirds innings, Burnett gave up seven earned runs, while walking four. His record falls to 6-4. In spite of a positive start to the 2011 campaign, Burnett still can't shake off the doubts he amassed in all of 2010, when he couldn't pitch out of a paper bag. This st...

The NFL is getting closer to the reality that there will not be a football season later this year. Contingency plans were revealed this morning that the NFL has plans to cut the upcoming season in half, and play only eight games set to begin in late November, pending a settlement in October! If the owners and players agree to a new CBA in October, the league will allow a brief free agency period and short training camp before opening the truncated 2011 season at the end of November . It was hoped that the worst case scenario would be that the first three weeks would be wiped out in September, thus allowing the league to re-schedule those three games for late January. Every team in week three of the regular season, set for Sept 25, was intentionally scheduled with a same bye week as their opponent for week three. That game would be made up on the bye week of the two teams; (i.e. the Jets and Raiders are scheduled to play each other in week three, both teams would have a bye week on Hall...

Plaxico Burress is now a free man. After having served two years in a state prison for gun possession at a New York night club in 2008, when the Super Bowl winning wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the foot, while having a good time with fellow former Giant Antonio Pierce, Burress is now free. Arguing whether Buress deserved the harsh sentence is an argument long ago in the past. I personally believe that Buress didn't deserve the harsh sentence. Yes, his punishment was for possessing an illegal fire arm, but he never pointed the gun at anyone, never shot anybody, and certainly didn't commit as heinous as crime as say Michael Vick, who got a similar two year sentence for killing and mutilating dogs. The Giants probably won't bring back Buress at all this year, if there is a football season in 2011. Even though the memory of Buress making the winning touchdown catch in the end zone of Super Bowl XLII three short years ago is still engrained in the memory of Giant fa...

General Manager Donnie Walsh is done with the New York Knicks. "Following a long series of discussions regarding his future role with the New York Knicks, Donnie Walsh and I have mutually agreed that he will be leaving his position ... at the end of June," Dolan said in a statement. This marks then end of Walsh's wonderful job turning around a disaster that was a basketball team, decimated by the hands of Isiah Thomas. In three years, Walsh stripped the Knicks of their salary cap woes, and rebuilt the team into an Eastern Conference contender with the acquisitions of Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups. Walsh wanted full control of the franchise, which was a huge sticking point with Dolan. Another problem with the relationship between Walsh and Dolan was Isaiah Thomas. During the past year, Dolan was reported to be contact with Thomas about player personnel, which angered Walsh, and set forth rumors that Thomas was on his way back to the Garden...

It only took two months before Terry Collins blew his top over the play of the miserable New York Mets. After New York lost their second straight crushing loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Collins had just about enough coming off as testy and angry during his post game press conference. WATCH IT HERE !!! Now this was not in the ilk of Lou Pinella, or for that matter, Mike Ditka , Dennis Green , or Jim Mora Sr ., but it was clear that the Mets manager had steam coming out of his ears. "I try every night to figure it out," Collins said. "I don't have the answers. I'm wringing the rag dry of coming in here and having to look at (the media) and sit here and have you look at me like a stinking fool. ... I'll take all the F***ing blame you want to dish out." The most interesting part of Collins rant was that he promises that the atmosphere will and must change, even if he has to get different players. Now that's the spirit. That has been the Mets big problem...

With GM Sandy Alderson set to cut as much payroll as possible for the cash strapped New York Mets, rumors began flying around, Wednesday that the Mets could look to deal third baseman David Wright either this year, or in the offseason. According to WFAN, a baseball source believes that if the Mets re-sign Jose Reyes, they would not object to trading Wright to save payroll. Wright who has two years left on his contract, became the subject of a slight by owner Fred Wilpon, when the bankrupt owner called the All Star a "good player, but not a superstar" in the New Yorker magazine a week ago. According to the scout who spoke to the Daily News : “Look at their club and look at the other shortstops around the league, and trading Wright makes more sense,” said the scout. “You can play (Daniel) Murphy at third and he’ll give you enough offense there. But you can’t replace Reyes’ offense with (Ruben) Tejada .” The scout added: “Really, there are only a couple of shortstops in...

Last week Gary Carter was very worried about a pending MRI regarding tumors that surfaced on his brain. As it turns out the tumors are inoperable. Doctors will begin immediate surgery and recovery for Carter, who will undergo chemotherapy. Carter's daughter Kim, described the tumors as a "snake" that crawls across to the back of the brain. The left side of Carter's brain holds the largest tumor. Doctors hope that they can help Carter complete a full recovery. This is a tramatic time for the New York Mets hall of famer. A man who helped spearhead the Mets turnaround in 1985, when he was acquired from the Montreal Expos, Carter helped lead the Mets to the 1986 world championship. He hit 32 homers and drove in 100 in his first year with the Mets. Even though his average dipped severely after 1985, Carter was still a consistent centerpiece to the Mets successes. If the Mets ownership was smart, which we know they are not, they would retire Carter's number. Give the ma...