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A report from the New York Post has renewed speculation that the Jets could be close to ending the Mark Sanchez era. According to the story, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum went on 1050 ESPN Radio and said that the organization will look very carefully at the quarterback position, hinting that the position will look very "different" on opening day, September 9. "We're looking at that position very carefully, and I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the day, by September, that position group as a whole looks a little bit different than it did at the end of the 2011 season," Tannenbaum said. Tannenbaum, who is famous for swinging big time deals like he did in ridding the Jets of another mediocre quarterback, Chad Pennington for the services of Brett Favre in 2008, did not extinguish the fire on the Peyton Manning rumors. "It's really important that we always try to improve the team. With that said, I expect Mark Sanchez to be our quarterback next...

Once the confetti came down on Super Bowl XLVI, not only did the Giants win the Super Bowl, but they clinched their ticket to the annual Thursday night season opener the following season. Only this time, the first game will not be played on a Thursday. Instead the Giants will begin their defense of their Super Bowl title on Wednesday September 5 because of President Barack Obama's speech to the DNC on Thursday September 6.  Speculation is that the Green Bay Packers will be the Giants likely opponent, continuing a tradition that begin last season when the Super Bowl champs from the previous two seasons played in the opener. Last season, the Saints and Packers opened up the 2011 season. The Steelers, Cowboys, Eagles, and Saints are the other attractive match-ups on the Giants upcoming schedule. The full schedule will be released in mid-April.

With free agency set to kick off in less than two weeks, the New York Jets are getting set to make some major changes to their damaged locker room. The team already restructured the contract of left tackle D'Brickshaw Ferguson, freeing up about $7 million on this year's cap. Now, the franchise could be looking to deal unproductive linebacker Bart Scott. Scott, who is better known for his bark than his bite,  has been a colossal failure with the Jets. He has been at the front lines of Rex Ryan's boastful talk and predictions, but he has never played well during his three years with the team. With three years remaining on a six year $48 million contract, the Jets want to move that deal to someone else. Scott is due $4.2 million with a $250,000 workout bonus. If the Jets move that contract, they would have freed up $11 million before free agency. Why is this so interesting? The answer is the Jets have a lot of needs this year. They desperately need an outside pass rus...

In the first hour of the Open Mike program of February 24, 2012, Michael discusses the fallout from the Knicks 102-88 loss to the Miami Heat since everyone appears to be jumping off the Jeremy Lin bandwagon. Is the panic justified, or are typical New Yorkers, who expect way too much from a young player, over-reacting? Michael then welcomes Mike Sanfilippo of the Triple Coverage show to get his take on Linsanity, and to discuss the Ryan Braun steroid scandal. In hour two of the Open Mike program , host Michael Cohen and guest Mike Sanfilippo take a look at Mets and Yankees spring training. Can the Yankees find a reliable number five starter? Are the Mets as bad as everyone fears? The boys debate, and make some bold MLB predictions.

HEAT 102 KNICKS 88 For the past two weeks the Knicks have stood up to the challenge of playing the big teams with solid performances from Jeremy Lin and the Knicks' bench. Victories over Dallas and Los Angeles helped make "Linsanity" a reality for the Knicks, but on Thursday night, New York ran into a buzz-saw in the Miami Heat, who are arguably the best team in the NBA. Lin had his worst game of the season: eight points and seven turnovers. He was 1-for-11 from the floor, and his back-up, Baron Davis, was no better, going 0-for-7. Lin was double and triple teamed all night long as the Heat threw a combination of Dwayne Wade and Mario Chalmers to guard the flustered the young point guard in Miami's 102-88 victory . The Knicks did the best they could to stay competitive in this game. To ask a team that has had so many moving pieces like the Knicks to win THIS game against THIS team on the road, on a back-to-back was asking a lot. New York did grab a 25-24 lead o...

KNICKS 99 HAWKS 82 Less than 24 hours before they play another big game against another big NBA team when they travel to Miami to play the Heat, the Knicks got a much needed blowout victory over a solid Atlanta Hawks team. Granted, the Knicks caught a bit of a break when Hawks' superstar Joe Johnson missed the game with an injury; nonetheless, the victory was huge for several reasons. 1) The Knicks pulled back to .500, and 2) pulled ahead of Boston in the playoff standings, who lost to Oklahmona City 119-104. 3) With Philadelphia struggling in Houston, the Knicks have a shot to trim their deficit in the Atlantic division to three games. While the chemistry between Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire is still a work in progress, the Knicks had a solid team performance against a potential playoff opponent. New York jumped out early: a Landry Field opening jumper, followed by Lin's layup and Field driving layup with the foul helped the Knicks build an e...

MAGIC 106 NETS 86 Two days after Deron Williams' inspirational performance against the New York Knicks, the Nets laid an egg against the Magic in Newark, as Orlando jumped up early on New Jersey and never looked back, at one point building a 34-17 first quarter lead thanks to six points from Dwight Howard, and two long jump shots from Glen Davis, en route to a 106-86 victory . Williams who dominated the Knicks on Monday, had a fairly quiet night against Orlando. Managing only 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting; the fact that Orlando was up so quickly made any impact by Williams virtually null and void. Meanwhile, the rest of the Nets offense continues to struggle. The Nets managed only 46 percent from the floor and a hideous 37 percent from three point land. What was most glaring about the loss was the absence of forward Kris Humphries, who was nursing a strained calf. His inside defensive presence was key to their victory on Monday; without him, Dwight Howard and company had a ea...

NETS 100 KNICKS 92 For the past two weeks the New Jersey Nets have had to listen to all the Linsanity. Whether it be newspapers, blogs, or talk radio, the Nets have heard it all: how the Knicks were a better team because of Jeremy Lin, who broke onto the scene in a game against the Nets on February 4. To their credit the Nets backed up their bravado. They talked about how confident they were coming into their recent clash with the Knicks, they talked about how big this N.Y. /N.J. rivalry was to them, and they came out and spanked the Knicks 100-92, thanks in large part to a dominating effort by Deron Williams, who scored 38 points . What makes this loss so embarrassing for the Knicks is not only did they lose to a Nets team that was 9-24 coming into the game, but they lost to a Nets team that is devoid of any talent, and, minus Williams, scored only 62 points in the game and shot only 35 percent from the floor. The Knicks never had an answer for Williams, who connected on eight ...

KNICKS 104 MAVERICKS 97 For the second time since the Jeremy Lin run began two weeks ago, the New York Knicks TKO'd a top NBA opponent. Last week it was the Lakers on a Friday night; this time the victim was the World Champion Dallas Mavericks. A game that had plenty of build-up thanks to the recent "Linsanity" that has swept the Tri-State area, the confrontation did not disappoint, as Lin, along with newcomer J.R. Smith and Steve Novak, highlighted the Knicks 104-97 victory over Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs. Box score . The unique match-up of the day was Lin versus Jason Kidd. Kidd, the former New Jersey Net who knows something about turning around basketball teams in the New York/New Jersey market, was pitted against this recent sensation who revitalized the Knicks; hence, the two point guards traded blows and counter blows in controlling the tempo of the game. It was the Knicks, however, who got out to the fast start, opening up with a 30-18 first quarter lead tha...

As has been rumored for well over a week, the New York Yankees are ready to rid themselves of mediocre pitcher A.J. Burnett. The Bombers agreed to trade Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday for right-handed reliever Diego Moreno and outfielder Exicardo Cayones. The deal is pending approval from MLB which needs to make sure that the exchange of money is fair and complete. Burnett signed a ridiculous $60 million deal with the Yankees back in 2009 and has $31 remaining on his contract. The Pirates are expected to pay only $13 million of that contract, according to ESPN . With Burnett out of town, the Yankees rotation will almost certainly look like this: CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, Hiroki Koroda and Freddy Garcia, with Phil Hughes returning to the bullpen as a long reliever. When the Yankees acquired Pineda in a trade with Seattle and signed Koroda, it made Burnett expendable. The Yankees grew tired of watching Burnett flounder during his three seasons with New...

In part I of the Open Mike program from Friday, February 17, I analyze the Jeremy Lin phonomenon that has taken New York by storm. Is Linsantiy for real, and can it continue? I welcome in Triple Coverage co-host Dan Fuerestien to find out if he is ... All Lin. The fellas then welcome in Warning Track co-host Korbid Thompson to get his thoughts on the passing of Mets great Gary Carter, who died Thursday from brain cancer. Should the Mets retire his number 8 jersey?  In hour two of Open Mike from February 17,  a special guest, Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley joins us to talk about his undefeated, 22-0 St. Anthony Friars, who are ranked first in the state and third nationally. Can the Friars repeat as state and national champs? Coach Hurley talks about it. Also, Coach Hurley tells us what he thinks about "Linsanity." LISTEN to PART I LISTEN to PART II

Hall of Fame catcher and former Mets great Gary Carter passed away after losing his six month battle with brain cancer. His condition worsened in recent weeks and months, and he was unable to attend several public events near his Florida home. Carter was 57 years old. He spent most of his career as the catcher of the Montreal Expos before coming to the Mets in 1985 and became a key piece to the Mets turnaround in the late '80s. Carter capped off his great career with a World Series title in 1986 with the Mets. No word about what the Mets plan to do to honor his memory.

Nearly two weeks ago on Friday, February 3, the New York Knicks lost their 15th ball game. A two point loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics was in some weird way an improvement for a team that had shown almost no ability to score on a consistent basis, let alone play a credible defense; New York stood at an abysmal 8-15. Things got so bad for the Knicks, they found themselves in a battle with the other underachieving New York/New Jersey basketball franchise, the Nets, for the booby prize of the Atlantic Division. The Knicks entered the 2011-2012 season with high hopes. Coming off their best season in years and fueled by the signing of Amar’e Stoudemire and the mid-season acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks qualified for the playoffs at 42-40, but, more importantly, had rid themselves of the stench of ten horrific years in PR and salary cap hell thanks to the buffoonery of owner James Dolan and his accomplice, Isiah Thomas. Nevertheless, to assert that the Knicks would b...

KNICKS 90 RAPTORS 87 Jeremy Lin mania took another dramatic turn Tuesday night. With the Knicks trailing for pretty much the entire game, and with Lin struggling both offensively and in his adjustments to playing with power forward Amar'e Stoudemire, the kid from Harvard still found a way to stick the dagger through the hearts of the Raptors and their fans with a last second three-pointer to send Knicks fans into hysteria. After New York had trimmed the Raptors' lead to two points, 78-76 with 6:52 remaining in the game, Toronto went on a furious 8-3 run led by two baskets by Leonard Barbosa. The Knicks were tripping all over themselves at this point as Lin missed a couple free throws, and Tyson Chandler missed a pair of foul shots, preventing the Knicks from getting closer. It appeared all was lost until a Landry Fields two pointer, off a rebound, and a Stoudemire jump shot cut the deficit to four points, 86-82, with 2:39 remaining. Now the Knicks showed some semblance of ...

KNICKS 92 LAKERS 85 Who is Jeremy Lin, you ask? He is the new sensation that has swept and won the hearts and minds of New York Knicks fans in a New York minute. A Taiwanese American, born and raised in California, who was largely ignored by the big California schools, UCLA, Cal, and Stanford, and who came to Harvard and shaped a incredible career at the Massachusetts-based university. Lin then went undrafted in 2010 and bounced around the League from Dallas to Golden State and then, finally, the New York Knickerbockers. Nobody knew what to expect from Lin as recently as last week! He was picked up by the Knicks two days after Christmas and was called up after Amare Stoudemire went down with an injury. Then, Carmelo Anthony went down with an injury in Monday's game against the Jazz, and the rest even now is writing itself. Lin has taken an underachieving basketball team and given them hope. He has gifted them not only the point guard they desperately needed, but, apparently, t...

On this edition of the Open Mike show, host Michael Cohen breaks down the results from Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, and answers some questions about the legacies of both Eli Manning and Tom Brady, as a result of this super match-up. Michael is joined by Karen Vankat to go over the Bowl game, and look ahead to the baseball season for both the Yankees and Mets. Michael also discusses the new phenomenon that has hit New York in the form of Jeremy Lin. Is Mr. Lin the real deal for the Knicks? Listen to Part I Listen to Part II

Two days after they beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in five years, New York City was decked out in red, white and blue, mostly blue, when the Giants were welcomed home in a ceremony down the Canyon of Heroes, as well as a hour-long City Hall presentation hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Giants great Michael Strahan. Eli Manning received the biggest cheers as he carried the Super Bowl trophy on the Giants float. Giants defensive end Justin Tuck held the George Halas trophy during the ride. Fans came out in droves to support Big Blue, and whenever a Giants fan was put on camera, they made sure to take pot shots at the Jets, the other New York team who guaranteed last Augusr that they would be celebrating on this day. John Mara ironically called Giants fans the "most loyal fans in the world;" just goes to show that winning does heal all wounds because Giants fans were calling for everyone to be fired as recently as week 1...

Eli Manning celebrates another title. GIANTS 21, PATRIOTS 17  Now the Giants PR staff can post "Giants: Super Bowl Champions" on the Giants website because the New York Giants are NFL world champions for the second time in five years. Once again Eli Manning drove the Giants down field in the final minutes, and, once again, Tom Brady came up small in the final seconds as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 . While this game was not a classic nor as dramatic as Super Bowl XLII, it was still an incredible victory for Big Blue. As for the Patriots, they will regret one big play. With New England facing a 2nd and 11 at the Giants 44, Brady had Wes Welker wide open for a first down at the Giants 20, but the usually sure-handed receiver dropped the pass, forcing a third down. Brady then, threw another incompletion on third down, forcing New England to punt. At that point, Manning took full control. In the building that his brother Peyton built, Eli Manning proved that he is...

The Giants are really enjoying sticking their own foot in their mouths this week, hey what? Chris Canty deemed it appropiate to post on his Twitter account that the Giants would win Super Bowl XLVI by a score of 28-17 ! That's right, he included a score!!  And the prediction came five hours before kickoff. What in the name of Rex-Ryan-guarantees is going on here? The Giants are setting themselves up for disaster. They slammed the Jets all week last week for helping them get to this very point, then started Super Bowl week by poking fun at Tom Brady and the Patriots. Then, on Saturday, the Giants posted a collage on their website declaring the team world champions, and now this. The Giants, that like the consider themselves a classy organization, are looking classless with each passing hour leading up to this Super Bowl game. If the Patriots don't need extra motivation, they are certainly getting it. Take the Giants own arrogance + the fact that everyone is picking...

Remember four years ago when the New England Patriots mistakenly handed out T-shirts that read 19-0? Umm, well, it's happening again, and this time, it's the Giants who are making the big booboo! The New York Giants published on their website a collage titled " The Giants are Super Bowl Champions ," with Super Bowl XLVI championship gear and the trophy in tow. Now unless, the Giants got into a time machine and fast forwarded to Monday morning, this was a really dumb mistake by Big Blue. Do the Patriots need any extra motivation? Well, now they have it. The image was removed from the Giants site, but guess what? Everyone knows about it.

In what has to amount to a drastically different Hall of Fame class than what many expected, the NFL announced a pretty shocking list of members for pro football's highest honor. Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf, and Curtis Martin will all make the Hall of Fame this year. A list that focuses mostly on offensive and defensive lineman, with the exception of Martin who was a running back with the Jets and Patriots. It's a rather shocking list due to the fact that Giants/Jets/Patriots head coach Bill Parcells was left out of the Hall of Fame final selections. Here is a coach who resurrected three different franchises and established a group of coaches who had worked under him that are now currently successful head coaches in the NFL. Parcells should have been elected to the Hall of Fame, but the vote continues a pattern established by the NFL of not electing two-time Super Bowl winning coaches for this honor. Andre Reed, Chris Carter ...

The ball is now in the Jim Irsay's court to make his move. Earlier this week a story surfaced that Peyton Manning would likely retire because the nerves that extend from his neck to his shoulder and arm have not cooled and healed as expected and, in turn, would truncate his velocity if he should play again. However, on Thursday night news broke that Manning has been cleared to rehab and play football by two doctors, including Dr. Robert Watkins who performed Manning's neck surgery in December. Watkins said that Manning's neck fusion surgery had achieved firm fixation, and the four time MVP should begin an aggressive rehab program in time to return to the field next year. Now the questions will abound about where Manning will play next season. The Colts seem intent on moving past Manning and drafting Stanford's Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in April's draft. Before that happens, the Colts have to either pay Manning his $28 million signing bonus in ...

I thought Super Bowl week was supposed to be all about the Giants and Patriots? Well, not really. Other than the obvious fact that both Big Blue and New England started their winning streaks with victories against the Jets, and the fact that both teams have publicly ripped the Jets over the course of the past two weeks with Logan Mankins of the Patriots calling the Jets "full of hot air," it has not been a good week for Gang Green. Not only are they getting ripped to pieces publicly, but they have to watch their two hated rivals go at in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. Ouch. This is what happens when coach Rex Ryan guarantees a Super Bowl trip only to come up snake eyes as Gang Green tanked at 8-8 this year. Apparently receiver Plaxico Burress takes little solace in the fact that the Jets season crashed and burned. The former Giants Super Bowl star took some of his free time in Indianapolis this week to also rip into the Jets and Mark Sanchez. When...

Attention readers of the Cohen's Corner sports blog: I would like to announce that in the near future Cohen's Corner will be making a transition to a brand new proprietary website, http://www.nynjsports.com/ . The site will be an expansion of this blog with richer and more interactive features. In addition to posting links to stories on the day's local sports headlines, game recaps and editorials, I will also begin covering live games and publishing them to the site, with photos and video. It is my goal to have a sports website that is user friendly, covering the vast area of sports in the New York/New Jersey area, and, eventually, becoming a recognized piece of the sports media landscape. While Cohen's Corner has enjoyed much success since its inception on June 20, 2008, the new website will be the beginning of even brighter days for our readers. Keep posted to Cohen's Corner Sports for more details in the coming days and weeks; links to the new site will be ...

On this edition of Open Mike from last Friday, host Michael Cohen welcomes in James Flippin of the Turnpike Throwdown, and Sean Bretherick of Triple Coverage to discuss upcoming Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. That and the Greg Schiano move to Tampa Bay, and the collapsing Knicks are discussed as well. Listen here on MTR Media.com ! And be sure to check out the latest Open Mike show, this Friday, February 3 at 2 pm ET on this link , as Michael welcomes in Karen Vankat and Mike Sanfillippo, as they make their Super Bowl XLVI predictions.