COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

METS 6 BRAVES 2 The Mets opened up the Mickey Callaway era in the win column by rallying late to beat back their NL East rival, the Atlanta Braves 6-2 at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie. While most of the Mets regulars were long gone by the late stages, the Mets were led by a 2-run double by Zach Borenstein that tied the game at two in the eighth inning, and a RBI single by David Thompson that bounced off the glove of left fielder Isreal Wilson that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. New York would score three more runs in the frame on walks to Patrick Mazeika, Gavin Cecchini and Luis Gillorme. Cecchini and Wilmer Flores were the only major league talent to bat in the inning for the Mets. Early on all eyes were on pitcher Zach Wheeler who got the nod for the exhibition opener. Much had been made about the security of Wheeler's spot in the rotation in light of the recent signing of veteran Jason Vargas. While he only pitched one inning, Wheeler looked good. He surrendered a lead-of...

If reports are accurate the New York Jets are going to do everything in their power to get Kirk Cousins. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN , the Jets want Cousins so badly that they are willing to do, and pay whatever it takes to get him. There is also a report from Pro Football Talk t hat the Jets are considering breaking the bank for Cousins and giving him a fully-guaranteed contract. Again these are all rumors at this point, but when you consider the Jets plight at quarterback; General Manager Mike Maccagnan's inability to draft a good quarterback in the draft not just once, but twice, and the uncertainty of this year's quarterback draft class, the Jets have to get Kirk Cousins. That's right, I said it, they have to !  The Jets have over $70 million to spend in salary cap space, and some believe they will have more cap room after they release Muhammad Wilkerson next month. This is a franchise that has been in quarterback purgatory for far too long and adding Cou...

The Mets signing veteran lefty Jason Vargas to a two-year deal worth $16 million on Friday is going to have a major impact on their rotation this season.  While the name of Vargas doesn't jump off the page like free agents Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb, the Mets made the deal with Vargas as insurance to a starting rotation ravaged by injuries the past two seasons. Vargas has had a rather mediocre career. He's bounced around between five different teams over the past 12 seasons and never had an ERA lower than 3.78 for a full season.  However last season, he seemed to put it together at age 34 when he won 18 games and was an All Star for the Kansas City Royals. His pitching coach at the time? New Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland who had Vargas when they were together at the Royals. Obviously the familiarity between the two is a big reason why Vargas comes aboard. The injury history of the Mets rotation is the biggest reason. So consider the move a shot across the bow of Steven Matz...

For Mets first baseman Dominic Smith this is his chance.   After a disappointing Major League debut where hit only .198 in 49 games, and was badly out of shape, the Mets sent Smith a direct message this winter when they signed veteran slugger Adrian Gonzalez. Show us something. The Mets could have easily given up on Smith and just went out and handed free agent Eric Hosmer the deal he covets in free agency, but because of the slow market, or the Mets unwillingness to overpay for outside talent, the Mets are not going to give up on the 22-year old just yet. The Mets battle at first base is going to be the story of camp. One side is Smith, the young man who was the thunder for both Binghamton and Las Vegas the past two years down in the Mets farm system. Smith slugged 30 home runs, 63 doubles and drove in 167, while batting .315 in 2016 and 2017 respectfully.   The power, combined with the fact that he has 120 or more hits in each of the past four seasons, gave...

Earlier this week I hosted a special Open Mike Program to recap the Philadelphia Eagles first ever Super Bowl title. Philly beat the Patriots 41-33 in one of the most entertaining, and shocking Super Bowls in NFL history. Joining me on this podcast are Sean Bretherick and Daniel Feuerstein.

Inspite of a fantastic football game and wonderful finish with the Eagles winning their first ever Super Bowl title, Super Bowl LII was the least watched 'big game' in nine years according to data released by Nielsen  on Monday night. The game garnered a 103.4 million  rating, which is down 7.1 percent from last season, which drew 111.3 million people. The rating was the lowest since Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals that drew 98.7 million eyeballs. While the game was still the most watched televised event of the year, it is little consolation. The NFL has been suffering a downturn in ratings all season long with some outlets reporting a 9 percent drop during the regular season. The postseason also saw ratings decline that went into the teens. There are a lot of reasons for this. Executives have been trumping the idea that people are streaming the content online, but that argument masks a much darker reality for the NFL.  People are just flat out...

The Mets indeed have life this off-season.  The team from Queens signed former Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier to a two-year, $17 million contract. The deal gives the Mets a solid defensive third baseman with pop, while delivering a blow to the Yankees, who lose a valuable leader in the clubhouse. Last season, Frazier split 147 games between the White Sox and Yankees. In his 66 games in the Bronx, Frazier hit only .222 with 11 homers and 32 RBI,  but his value was increased by the fact he provided steady veteran leadership in the Yankee clubhouse. A lot of people point to the fact that the Yankees postseason run was connected to his clubhouse presence. For a Mets team in a transition year, Frazier is valuable from that standpoint. Manager Mickey Callaway needs a guy who can set the tone for everyone else, and Frazier is the perfect guy to do that. That being said, the Mets are getting a rather inconsistent hitter. Frazier has never been known as a big time average hit...

EAGLES 41 - PATRIOTS 33  Pinch yourself Philly! Then again, I think the people of Philadelphia did enough of that last night as they literally tore apart their city limb for limb following the Eagles shocking Super Bowl victory over New England. Yes, the Eagles are World Champions. They are champions because they beat the Patriots at their own game -- outscoring the Patriots in a shootout, while getting a few breaks to go their way as well. It all added up to one of the more exciting Super Bowl's we have seen in years,  if not it was the highest scoring. The game itself broke records all night. Gone is the total yards record in a Super Bowl. This game crushed that by a mile. The Eagles and Patriots combined for 1,151 yards of offense, a Super Bowl record. Tom Brady's 505 yards passing shredded his own record he set last season against Atlanta. Nick Foles' 373 yards passing was just four yards short of Kurt Warner's mark from Super Bowl XLIII, and was the fifth m...

The New York Jets have been given a golden opportunity, as has just about any of the other NFL teams desperate for a quarterback in 2018. The Kansas City Chiefs traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins for a third round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller, and inexplicably, the Redskins gave Smith a four-year contract extension with $71 million guaranteed. What it means for Redskins incumbent quarterback Kirk Cousins is simple: he's a free agent. After playing two straight seasons under a franchise tag, the Skins decided it was time to move on from Cousins and allow him to pursue free agency. For those looking to sign Cousins, this is huge news, because the Redskins can't block Cousins path to another team with a third franchise tag. Let the bidding war begin. The Jets will have competition if they want Cousins. The Broncos and Jaguars are said to be interested. Denver offers a big market with a small market feel of the mountain west, low taxes, and of course a great h...