COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 The NFL off-season won't officially kick start until after 10:00 p.m. next Sunday when Super Bowl LV comes to an end, but that didn't stop the Detroit Lions and LA Rams from completing a blockbuster trade that is going to shake the sport, especially in a year where quarterbacks are expected to be on the move in a big way.  The Lions trade quarterback Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff, a third round pick in 2021 and first round picks in 2022 and 2023.  The deal sends Stafford, a former Pro Bowler, who requested a trade out of Detroit after the hiring of coach Dan Campbell, to the Rams and their high-flying offensive scheme under head coach Sean McVay.  Many expect McVay's offense is tailor-made for Stafford, who leaves a dumpster fire franchise in Detroit where he never won a playoff game.  As for Goff, it is amazing how quickly the Rams fell out of favor with him. Goff is two years removed from taking the Rams to the Super B...

Things haven't been too rosey for Mets owner Steve Cohen lately. After trying to financially assist fellow hedge funder Melvin Capital amid the massive losses its experience from the GameStop controversy, Cohen has dropped off Twitter after a lengthy battle with Barstool Sports president David Portnoy.   “I’ve really enjoyed the back and forth with Mets fans on Twitter which was unfortunately overtaken this week by misinformation unrelated to the Mets that led to our family getting personal threats. So I’m going to take a break for now. We have other ways to listen to your suggestions and remain committed to doing that. I love our team, this community, and our fans, who are the best in baseball.  Bottom line is that this week’s events in no way affect our resources and drive to put a championship team on the field. #LGM!” Gamestop's stock soured more than 70% when a bunch of day traders on Reddit poured tons of money into the struggling retailer as a way to beat out...

 The worst kept secret is now official, Deshaun Watson wants out of the Houston Texans. The question is do the Jets want to give up the farm to get the disgruntled quarterback, and there is even more debate about whether he actually wants to come to New York? Even with the Texans hiring former Ravens wide receivers coach  David Culley as its new head coach, it has not changed the thinking of Watson, who has reportedly expressed his frustrations with the franchise for weeks ever since he claimed they didn't listen to his recommendations to interview Robert Saleh or Eric Bieniemy for the Texans head coaching job.  Of course the Texans eventually interviewed Bieniemy and it went nowhere.  Watson signed a $156 million, four year deal last year, which averages about $28 million -- a considerable bargain considering the deal Patrick Mahomes got from the Kansas City Chiefs. While Watson has a no-trade clause, the Texans could control his rights through 2028 due to three yea...

Mashairo Tanaka will not return to the Bronx, signing with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, as the former Yankees ace makes his return to his native land.  Tanaka's return to Japan ends a seven year stay with the Yankees that saw the righty post a 78-46 record with a 3.74 ERA in 174 games with the Bombers. The Yankees never won a World Series with Tanaka, who was a two-time All Star.  After partially tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow back in 2014, the Yankees routinely tried to get him has much rest as possible.  With Tanaka no longer a part of the Yankees rotation, New York is scrambling to find his replacement. They are hoping that Luis Severino can return to form from Tommy John's Surgery. They are hoping for the same fate from Jameson Tallion, whom the Yankees acquired over the weekend from the Pittsburgh Pirates.   TheYankees are also hoping Domingo German returns to form after serving a season long suspe...

 I guess it's fair to say the bloom is off the rose sorta speak with regards to Mets owner Steven Cohen. Cohen has been indirectly involved in the controversial and complicated GameStop controversy that has practically broken Wall Street.  As most known by now the controversy stems from a group of independent traders using Reedit as a way to commiserate, who dared to drive up the price of the retail outlet, after Andrew Left of Citron Research said the stock would tank below $20. Gamestop which had languished at around $5 a share, sky rocketed basically overnight to more than $300 a share. In order to stop the bleeding, big Corp froze investors out of Robinhood.  How the hell is Cohen involved in this? Well, his hedge fund company, Point72 joined Citadel to invest $2.75 billion into Melvin Capital, who took a huge lose with Gamestop.  Soon fans as well as Barstool Sports President David Portnoy lashed out on Cohen, saying he was partly responsible for the freeze on...

 It will be the battle of the GOAT vs. the KID.  Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes.  The 43-year old Brady punched his ticket to his record setting 10th Super Bowl appearance behind Tampa Bay's 31-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers.  After jumping out to a 28-10 lead on Green Bay, the Bucs had to hold on as Brady tossed interceptions on three consecutive possessions.  Fortunately for the Buccaneers, the Packers were unable to take full advantage scoring only once, on a two-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams to make it 28-23. The Packers were unable to take advantage again going three-and-out on their next two series following a Brady pick.  Give a lot of credit to Todd Bowles (that's right former Jets head coach Todd Bowles), and his defense. While Rodgers tossed for 346 yards and three touchdowns, he was under siege for much of the afternoon, getting sacked five times -- three of them coming from Shaq Barrett, and two coming from ex-Gia...

 The Yankees may have landed an important cog to their rotation in a trade that didn't cost them too much.  The Bronx Bombers swung a deal, Sunday, with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 29-year old righty Jameson Tallion.  Tallion was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, and won 14 games with the Pirates in 2018, before injuries set him back the past two years.  Tallion missed the entire 2020 season, recovering from Tommy John's Surgery.  Tallion pitched in only seven games in 2019, pitching to a 2-3 record with a 4.10 ERA.  Scouting reports on Tallion describe a pitcher whose four-seam fastball tops 98 mph, and a two-seamer that hits 96 mph. This is a young man, still 29, who was selected ahead of familiar names like Manny Machado, Matt Harvey, Chris Sale, and Christian Yelich back in 2010 by the Pirates. Obviously it hasn't worked out too well.  To get Tallion, the Yankees gave up prospect pitchers Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol ...

 Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is letting it be known he has a New York state of mind.  The disgruntled quarterback who has expressed continued discontent with the Houston Texans front office combination of owner Cal McNair and Vice President of Football Operations Jack Easterby over their handling of the teams head coach vacancy, wants to come to the Jets.  That is the latest rumor according to Miami Herald reporter Armando Salguero . Watson has told people that the Jets are his top choice to play for in 2021 because of the presence of head coach Robert Saleh. Watson encouraged the Texans to interview Saleh, as well as Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Both recommendations went on deaf ears -- although the Texans did interview Bieniemy recently.  The Dolphins are also one of Watson's top choices to go to. In fact it's really between the two AFC East rivals for his services if Watson had it his way.  The Dolphins were 10-6 this season, and ...

 The days of googly eyes Adam Gase are long gone. In its place sat a stoic new head coach with an optimistic outlook for his new team as Robert Saleh met the media for the first time as Jets Head Coach.  Saleh spoke about communication, family, and dropped a phrase that will likely define his tenure here in New York: "All Gas, No Breaks." As Saleh explained, it means going beyond the X's and O's of the gameplan, but preparing mentally and physically for peak performance and attitude every single day. That will be the challenge he faces as he looks to turn the downtrodden Jets back into winners.  Saleh gave off a confident, genuine vibe. It is easy to see why the Jets were more than happy to give him the keys to the football team.    Of course Saleh's biggest challenge early on will be diagnosing the quarterback position. Sam Darnold is the incumbent coming off of two mediocre years under Adam Gase. Saleh will bring in Mike LaFleur as offensive coordinator, and t...

A really bad 24 hours for the New York Mets just got a little worse Tuesday night. Free agent center fielder George Springe r, who was rumored for months to be on the Mets radar is signing with the Toronto Blue Jays for six years at $150 million. The news comes off the heels of the Mets GM scandal, where former GM Jared Porter was fired Tuesday morning after reports surfaced he sent over 60 pornographic photos to a female journalist.  The news is a huge blow to the Mets. New York was hoping that Springer would eventually sign with them that would shore up the Mets defensively up the middle and give them a powerful right handed bat at the top of the order.  Springer hit 20 plus homers in five of his first six seasons, including corking 39 homers and driving in 96 two seasons ago in 2019. Springer was a three-time All Star, who became an adept postseason hitter, boasting a .276 batting average in 63 career playoff games. Instead, Springer will take his talents across the border ...

 There is so much to unpack from the aftermath of ESPN's bombshell story that Mets General Manager Jared Porter sent more than 60 lewd photos to a female journalist while as a member of the Chicago Cubs front office that it will take months to unravel for Major League Baseball.    A year after MLB whiffed on its handling of the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, there are some serious questions that need to be answered in light of the Porter fiasco. Namely why was Porter allowed to maintain employment with several MLB clubs, including the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, and Mets and not once did anyone raise an eyebrow to his troubled past?  On Tuesday morning the Mets fired Porter for cause, his contract terminated as Mets general manager. Give credit to owner Steve Cohen and President Sandy Alderson for acting swiftly, firing Porter at 7:30 Tuesday morning a mere eight hours after the story broke late Monday night.  In speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoo...

 A bombshell of a story has rocked what was once a happy off-season for the New York Mets. The Mets had a new owner, acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor, and signed catcher James McCann.  All things appeared to be on the up and up for the Mets.  Until it wasn't.  Until a story came out that reminded Mets fans of why this is a franchise that more often times than not is prone to slipping on its own banana peel.  A story from ESPN details, graphically, how newly minted General Manager Jared Porter sent lewd pictures of his genitalia to a female journalist in 2016, who just so happened to be a foreign correspondent who had moved to the USA to cover Major League Baseball.  At the time Porter was the Director of Professional Scouting at the Chicago Cubs. According to the ESPN story, Porter sent the woman over 60 messages including 17 pictures, one of which was his penis. According to the story Porter tried to apologize to the woman whom the story says had a "li...

 It's going to be one hell of a Final Four in the NFL next week. Championship Sunday is all set after the Kansas City Chiefs outlasted the Cleveland Browns 22-17, and the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers took care of the New Orleans Saints 30-20 on Sunday night.  This now sets up what will be a compelling week of football that will not be short of storylines.  1) The health of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes left Sunday's game against Cleveland in the third quarter after sustaining a concussion. He never returned and Kansas City nearly lost the game. Were it not for some gutsy play calling by head coach Andy Reid and a spirited play by back-up quarterback Chad Henne it would have gotten real interesting in KC Sunday night. The Chiefs need Mahomes back next weekend, obviously, but it all depends on how he clears concussion protocol. If it's Henne vs. Buffalo, it could be a rough night.  2) The Bills return to the AFC Championship game. The last time the Bills play...

 Before Friday it had been a pretty quiet offseason in the Bronx. While all the noise was coming out of Queens this winter with the sale of the New York Mets to hedge fund manager Steve Cohen and the Mets signing of catcher James McCann, and acquisition of Francisco Lindor from the Cleveland Indians, New York has become quiet Mets-centric lately.    It was time for the Yankees to wake up . Time for the Yankees to remind people who they are. And do so while keeping themselves somewhat under the $210 million salary cap threshold that have stated they do not want to cross this year.  The Yankees brought back second baseman D.J. LeMahieu on what is considered a very team-friendly six-year $90 million deal, meaning New York only gets to edge out $15 million per year for a guy who hit .336 the past two years combined, and was by leaps and bounds the Yankees best hitter, and an MVP candidate in 2019.  There had been fear throughout the off-season that LeMahieu would ca...

 The Jets have their man. The Jets agreed to terms with former 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh to become their new head coach. The Jets and Saleh agreed to a five-year deal.  The news was broken by Adam Schefter of NFL.com. Schefter also revealed that Saleh plans to bring Passing Game Coordinator Mike LaFluer over as the Jets new Offensive Coordinator. It remains to be seen who the quarterbacks coach, and defensive coordinator will be, but at this point it is a moment for Jets fans to celebrate.  Jets fans haven't had this feeling in a long, long time. Give credit to the Johnson brothers for giving General Manager Joe Douglas the power to conduct the search and get his guy.    The Jets had interviewed Saleh extensively on Tuesday and Wednesday before he left for Florida to interview with the Eagles. The Jets also interviewed Arthur Smith the OC of the Tennessee Titans.  There was speculation this past weekend that ex-Eagles coach Doug Pederson woul...

 Only the Jets, right? Or maybe we should say only social media?  Whatever you want to believe, the Jets completed their second interview with San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh on Wednesday after courting him for more than a day. Saleh arrived in New Jersey on Tuesday, and was on his way to Philadelphia by Wednesday evening.  It had been speculated by numerous fans on twitter as well beat reporters that Saleh and the Jets was a "strong possibility." Unfortuantly for the Jets, they allowed Saleh to leave the building without a deal. The last time the Jets did that -- two years ago -- with the likes of Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Rhule and Mike McCarthy, none of those guys came back. While there is always the chance that Saleh could comeback to the table, the chances are slim.    Saleh is highly sought after in NFL circles. In addition to the Eagles, the Detroit Lions are also very interested in the Michigan native.  Saleh's defenses in San Fra...

 The Nets already have one disgruntled super star in Kyrie Irving, who for whatever reason has kept away from the team for personal reasons. The reason's why are manifold, but it hasn't made Kyrie look good at all. Whether it be using last week's U.S. Capital riots as an excuse or attending a jam-packed, maskless birthday party, one would think the last thing the Nets would do -- or even should do -- is add to the difficulty.  But that is what the Nets essentially did on Wednesday afternoon when they completed a deal with the Houston Rockets for their disgruntled superstar, James Harden. Now the Nets boast a big three of talented, and even highly opinionated stars in Harden, Irving and Kevin Durant. If all three play and play with a smile on their face, the Nets will be very difficult to stop.  If the egos get in the way, as it normally does with so many superstars under a rookie head coach -- in this case Steve Nash, it is a formula for a total and utter disaster. The Ne...

 The Jets might be closing in on a head coach.  San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh is said to have flown to New Jersey on Tuesday for a second round of interviews with Jets brass, and is the first candidate to get a second invitation for the job.  If that is not an indication that Saleh is highly thought of by the Jets, I don't know what is.  Saleh's defenses in San Francisco were always highly regarded. They were ranked fifth this year in total defense. Last year they were second in total defense and eighth in points allowed. His fiery personality rubs off well on players, and just about anyone who has played for him or worked with him has heaped praise his way.  He is also a part of the Pete Carroll coaching tree, having spent time with the Seattle Seahawks during their Legion of Boom days, and won a Super Bowl ring with them back in 2013. Ironically, Saleh was on the Seahawks coaching staff that beat the Denver Broncos when Adam Gase was ...

 Could former Eagles coach Doug Pederson land with the New York Jets ?  There is a possibility, and according to multiple reports, its hard not to connect the dots and see it as a reality. Pederson worked closely with Jets General Manager Joe Douglas when the two were in Philadelphia, and Douglas has spoken glowingly about Pederson in the past.  The Jets are in the midst of a head coaching search that has taken them to consider at least 9 known candidates including Eric Bienemy, Joe Brady, Brian Daboll, Arthur Smith, and Aaron Glenn. Douglas said he would cast a wide net, and he has done exactly that.  However, the potential to reunite with a former colleague in Pederson who has a Super Bowl ring to his credit might be hard to pass up. That is if Douglas and the Jets can get answers as to why Pederson's tenure in Philadelphia ended in such acrimony . According to multiple reports coming out of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pederson had a lot of issues with GM Howie Rose...

 Well, Christmas might be two weeks ago , but the Mets gave their fans quiet the late X-mas gift Thursday when they swung a deal for Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, solidifying two huge needs for the Metropolitans.  What makes the deal even bigger for the Mets is the fact they didn't give up a whole heck of lot in return. Heading to Cleveland are shortstops Amed Rosario and Andres Giminez, and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene.  For the Indians the move comes as they are shedding payroll, and with Lindor set to become a free agent next winter -- his departure from the Indians was inevitable. If anything it became more so after he rejected a $200 million deal last year. He wants a deal in the neighborhood of $300 million.  The question for the Mets is are the willing and able to spend that much on Lindor -- should he decide to stay in Queens after the 2021 season? It's a question that will hover over them all year...

 Giants Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham is going nowhere.  After the Giants cross-town rivals, the Jets asked for permission to interview Graham for their head coaching vacancy, the Giants quickly signed Graham to an extension.  Retaining Graham was a huge move for the Giants, after the defense improved exponentially this past season, ranked 12th in the NFL in total defense. That is up from 30th a year ago. The Giants also had the best red zone defense in the NFL, and a unit that recorded 40 sacks without a top flight edge rusher.  This was a no-brainer for Big Blue.  Meanwhile the Giants-Eagles turf war, or should I say, Tank War got even more interesting this week when Head Coach Joe Judge lit into Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson, claiming his counterpart damaged the integrity of the sport by pulling Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter of Sunday nights game. The Giants would have made the playoffs had the Eagles won. Many Giants fans, and Giants players f...

 WASHINGTON 20 - EAGLES 14  The Giants can sit there and stew all they want. They can blame Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson for removing quarterback Jalen Hurts from the ball game in the fourth quarter, down 17-14 for Nate Sudfeld all they want. Bottom line is the Giants didn't do enough to make the playoffs.    The Giants were in this position, hoping against hope that the Eagles would shock Washington and essentially send Big Blue to their inevitable playoff extinction at the hands of Tom Brady and the Bucs, because they didn't do their job.  The Giants lost four games this year by four points or less, including an excruciating 22-21 loss to the Eagles and a 25-23 loss to the Bucs in the middle of the year. The Giants also had fate in their hands when they won up in Seattle in Week 13 to get to 5-7. Then they lost three straight, including no show performances against the Cardinals, Browns and Ravens.  And yet members of the Giants, including the fans hav...

 GIANTS 23 - COWBOYS 19  Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. And in the case of the 2020 New York Giants that may indeed be the case. Thanks to a horrible decision by Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy for not challenging was a clear trap on the part of Giants wide receiver Dante Pettis, on a 10-yard "completion" at the Dallas 32-yard line, the Cowboys lost out on a shot at winning the NFC East -- pending a Washington loss tonight.  McCarthy decided not to challenge the play, the completion stood, and Graham Gano converted on a 50-yard field goal to give Big Blue a 23-19 lead with 6:27 to go. Had McCarthy challenged, the Giants would have been out of field goal range. Perhaps punted. Perhaps Dallas gets the ball back down 20-19, needing only a field goal to win it 22-20. But that never happened.  Instead, Andy Dalton and his blood soaked hand couldn't get Dallas over the finish line. The Cowboys pushed the Giants right to the bring though. Dalton moved Dallas ...

PATRIOTS 28 - JETS 14  Celebrate Jets fans, the Adam Gase era is officially over.  Gang Green ended the season the only way it could with a disparaging 28-14 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The game was punctuated by another rough day for quarterback Sam Darnold who finished with two interceptions and was sacked three times.  If this is Darnold's last game as a Jet, it ended the exact same way it started three years ago in Detroit, with an interception.   The Jets somehow grabbed a 14-7 lead in this game when Darnold orchestrated a six play, 75-yard drive to open the second half, but New York would never reignite their offense again. The Jets managed only 26-yards the rest of the day, until Darnold engineered a 16-play, 65-yard drive that ended in his final interception of the game that landed in the hands of Jonathan Jones.  Gase's era is over. It was reported Saturday night that the Jets would part ways with the embattled coach after Sunday ...

 The Adam Gase era is officially over.  After numerous rumors from unspecified sources via WFAN's Craig Carton and a website called uStadium, it is now official Gase will be gonzo from the Jets sidelines.  According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissaro of NFL.com, the Jets are expected to fire Gase following the Jets season finale in New England.  Gase went 9-22 in two years as Jets coach - a stay that felt just as long as well as tortured. He alienated the teams superstars and chased them out of town in Jamal Adams and LeVeon Bell, and ruined the development of quarterback Sam Darnold in the process.  The question for the Jets now as the move on from Gase is can the find a coach who can get Darnold on the right track, or B) do they find a coach who wants someone cheaper like Justin Fields or Zach Wilson, both of whom will be there when the Jets pick second in the NFL draft.  Likely names linked to the job inlcude: Ravens Defensive Coordinator Don "Wink" Marti...

 Entering Friday night's contest between Ohio State and Clemson all of the talk was centered around Clemson superstar Trevor Lawrence, the presumed first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. By the end of the night  all of the talk was instead about Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who lit up the scoreboard in a 49-28 Ohio State upset victory.  Now the New York Jets, who sit as the number two overall pick have options. They could seriously take Fields with that pick or keep Sam Darnold and use Fields' presence as leverage to get a haul of picks in return for #2 overall. Suddenly the Jets are in an advantageous position. Check out the vlog below!