COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 It was splashed across the pages of the tabloids, twitter and social media. From Instagram to Facebook, to TikTok. The New York Knicks "won their first championship since 1973." What month is it? What year is it? Did I sleep through the entire NBA season and postseason? Why is there snow on the ground and Christmas decorations galore in mid-June? Wait? Where am I?    Oh, that's right the Knicks DIDN'T win their first NBA Title since 1973. They didn't even win a title of any significance. They won a silly in-season tournament started by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as a way to "motivate" and push teams (with a little financial incentive thrown in by the way) to play their starters in regular season games as to avoid "angering NBA fans." Nobody is blasting the Knicks for beating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday night.  The game was there, and the Knicks needed to get a win against a quality team from the western conference. But please, d...

 The New York Jets have relieved Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilkes of his duties following the Jets 48-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.  Passing Game coordinator Chris Harris will take over play-calling duties.   Wilkes had been much maligned all season as the Jets had one of the worst defensive units in the NFL this year, ranking in the bottom half in the league in total defense, rush defense and points allowed (28.4).  In fact Wilkes unit has gone the entire year without forcing an interception. In the last two weeks alone, the Jets gave up a total of 82 points to the Dolphins and Jaguars combined.  Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence enjoyed one of the best games of his pro career, tossing for 321 yards, five touchdowns and rushing for another. The Jets had no answer for anything the Jaguars did on Sunday as Jacksonville ran through them like a hot knife through butter.  The Jets found themselves down 14-0 before anyone could blink, ...

Add Pete Alonso to the growing list of former Mets who are getting out of dodge.  Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with ... the Baltimore Orioles. Stunning, I know.  The slugger was supposed to meet with both the Orioles and Boston Red Sox, and many assumed that the Red Sox, who were coming off a playoff season in 2025 would be the odds on favorite to land him, but no! Instead Alonso heads to the AL East rival Orioles.   According to Antohny DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets never made a formal offer to Alonso. The Mets were steadfast on going in another direction, and were not interested in committing long term to their man who is first in franchise history in home runs.  The Mets were steadfast on sticking to a plan of three years on Alonso and were not going to move on it. It's a shame. The Mets under David Stearns are clearly in rebuild mode, and there is no telling what Stearns has up his sleeve as to what this team will ultimately look like come 2026...

 David Stearns stood in front of the media with a big smirk on his face as he described his strategy for the Mets 2025-26 off-season. Now that smirk better be off his face.  The Mets struck out big time on one of the most valuable pieces of their bullpen when Edwin Diaz left the Mets for the glitz and power of the Los Angeles Dodgers for only three-years at $69 million . This just days after the Mets signed what turned out to be Diaz's replacement, Devin Williams to a three-year $51 million deal.   Of course soon after the deal was announced the Mets hurriedly rushed out word that they had offered Diaz a deal of $66 million over three years and were willing to pay more as a way to make Diaz look bad on the way out the door.  What a disgrace for a franchise that has pounded its chest ever since Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020 that they have deep pockets, and would stop at nothing to improve the team.   This is the same Mets that have the second hig...

 According to the New York Post's Mike Puma, first baseman Pete Alonso is scheduled to meet with the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox at the Winter Meetings.  It is unclear if the Mets will meet with Alonso per the same report.  Meanwhile, Puma reports that the Mets are showing interest in Phillies free agent Kyle Schwarber, who is the reigning NL MVP after blasting 56 homers this past season.  While nothing is set in stone, this is a bad sign for those in the camp of wanting Alonso to return to Flushing.  It was reported last week that the Mets were looking at three years for Alonso, while the slugger wanted a longer term deal in the range of six to seven years. Then over the weekend, Joel Sherman reported that he heard from an A.L. executive that Alonso would be hard pressed to get a four year deal from someone.  This is not to say the Mets are out of the mix, but one would imagine that the slugger has considerable interest in getting something done s...

 Just logon to X or Instagram and you will find Jets fans going gaga for Indiana's Fernando Mendoza.  After Mendoza played well in the Hoosiers 13-10 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday, and, coupled with the Jets 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, there is a segment of the fanbase that wants the Jets to go all in on Mendoza no matter what.  Fans have compared him to Tom Brady and Josh Allen, and said they want the franchise to trade all of its draft capital in order to move up to get Mendoza. Currently the Jets select seventh if the draft were held today.  Fortunately we got four more games, and four more months til the draft actually happens. Ugh  

Reliever Devin Williams was introduced to the media as the Mets biggest signing of the early off-season up to date. Williams, who struggled with the Yankees last season is hopping to rebound in a big way across town in Queens.  Of course what role he has on the 2026 squad hinges on whether Edwin Diaz returns to the Mets or not.  Reports have indicated that the Mets do not want to go five years on Diaz, although they remain a favorite to land him according to Jon Heyman. The Blue Jays are also interested.  "I think its a good situation. If he comes back, we will have a really good back end of the pen. More arms is always a good thing," Williams said.     The right-hander who had a 1.83 ERA in six years in Milwaukee as its closer, says he has been working on a new pitch called a Gryro Slider that he hopes to carry over into this coming season.  Willianms signed a three-year $51 million deal with deferments that trim his annual salary just below $15 milli...

New York Mets General Manager and President David Stearns has rolled the dice signing former Yankees closer Devin Williams to a three-year, $50 million contract (with plenty of deferments more on that in a moment) to supposedly be the Mets set-up man to Edwin Diaz, should Diaz and the Mets come to terms on a new contract.  If Diaz and the Mets do not come to terms on a deal, then Williams, who bombed as Yankees closer last season would be the Mets closer to start the season.  Talk about a nightmare!  Williams struggled with the Yankees in 2025 . His ERA was 4.79 at the end of the year, but when he was in the closer's role he struggled to end games, and lost the job to David Bednar by mid-season.  The Mets are taking the bet that in his second season in New York, Williams will flourish and start to figure it out much the same way Diaz did his first couple years in New York. Remember Diaz had a 5.59 ERA in his first season in Flushing in 2019. He was booed and ridicule...

 The Giants needed more than a helmet catch to have any shot at the Patriots last night in Foxborough.  The G-Men got embarrassed 33-15 to the New England Patriots, as New York dropped to a pathetic 2-11 on the season.  Jaxson Dart was ineffective in his return to the lineup, throwing for 124-yards and getting drilled out of bounds on a run when he, once again, failed to smartly get out of bounds to avoid the hit.  Of course most of the focus on Monday night was directed at outside linebacker Abdul Carter who was benched in the first quarter for tardiness. It was the second time in three weeks he's been disciplined. Let's be honest he's had a bust of a rookie year.  When asked about Carter's benching by the ESPN sideline reporter after halftime, Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka said simply. "Coaches decision." Interview over!  The off-season can't come soon enough, and Big Blue's search for a new head coach can't kick into high gear fast enough.   

 Say good bye to all the "tank" talk for the New York Jets. The Jets defeated the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on Sunday, capturing their third victory of the year, all but assuring they won't end up with a top 3 pick in the NFL Draft.  While that is clearly going to upset half the fan base who is obsessed with Fernando Mendoza and the number 1 pick, the fact is this: NOBODY TANKS!  NOBODY!   The only way a team can build a culture and establish a foundation for success is to win games and find out which players are going to give the franchise an opportunity to succeed in future years. The Jets are doing that by winning games! They have now won three of their last five.  And already a trio of young receivers are making a case to be part of the solution. Ad Mitchell (eight catches 102 yards and a touchdown),  John Metchi III, and rookie tight end Mason Taylor all played well in the Jets victory. It helps when the quarterback can actually throw the ball accurat...

 According to a report by the New York Post's Mike Puma, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor wasn't exactly chums with teammates Jeff McNeil and Juan Soto going so far to to make the case that the rifts may have contributed to the Mets downfall in 2025.  The exclusive story which has been behind a paywall since it was revealed on Friday night, Lindor got into a verbal exchange with McNeil after the second baseman misplayed a grounder in a 10-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies back on June 20.  The story rehashed the odd history between the two that dates back to 2021 when both infielders got into a physical altercation in the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse, which the two tried to swipe away as disagreement over "rats and raccoons."  Lindor and McNeil would "patch" things up a bit come 2022 -- the year Buck Showalter arrived -- and McNeil led the NL in batting average. Lindor would buy him a new car the following season.    As far as Lindor's relati...

 If you believe all the leaks and reports that have been swirling over the past 48 hours it looks like Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula and Colts Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo are the early favorites for the Giants Head Coaching job.  Regarding Anarumo many are connecting the dots because of the coach's relationship with Giants General Manager Joe Schoen. The two worked together with the Miami Dolphins back in 2017. In fact Ryan Dunleavey of the New York Post tweeted that Anaurmo is a slight favorite.   Anarumo, 59, has never been a head coach at any level, and he's been coaching football since 1989. If he were to attain the Giants job, he would be 60 come next season.  It's not unusual for a Head Coach to attain his first job at such an advanced age; think Mike Zimmer with the Vikings.  Zimmer was 58 when he took the Vikings job in 2014.  Anarumo, a Staten Island native is certainly familiar with the Giants having worked on Pat Schurmur's staff ...

 The New York Giants have parted ways with embattled defensive coordinator Shane Bowen following Big Blue's disheartening 34-27 overtime loss to the Lions on Sunday afternoon.  The move was announced by Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka, who said Monday it was his decision to make the move, a total 180 from Sunday night when Kafka said that he had confidence in Bowen and the Giants defensive coaching staff.  Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will take over play-calling duties as Defensive Coordinator.   "My decision," Kafka said Monday. "My decision to make this move. "... The results just weren't where we wanted them to be, and so Charlie is going to step up for us and rally the group. The defensive staff will rally around Charlie and put together a great plan. I got a lot of confidence in the room and a lot of confidence in our staff to do that." When asked about the change in opinion on Bowen's job status Kafka said:  "I just had an ...

 In the first real big move of the off-season, the New York Mets have traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for infielder Marcus Semien on Sunday night.  The move is basically a swap of bad contracts for two players who once were really good for their respective franchises. Nimmo has five years at $19.25 million per season remaining on an eight year, $162 million deal he signed with the Mets in 2023.  Semien, who is about three years older than Nimmo, has three years at $26 million per year. His final year in 2028 is only $20 million.  While both players have struggled at the plate the past two seasons, where the deal does make sense for the Mets, its the defense that Semien provides in the infield that made this possible. Semien infield defense is still considered one of the best in baseball, where as Nimmo's defense in the outfield has gone downwards.  Nimmo will be missed. He was a lively presence in the Mets clubhouse that brought leadershi...

Utility outfielder Trent Grishom will return to the Bronx next season after accepting a one-year qualifying offer from the New York Yankees, assuring New York keeps one of its more reliable veteran bats in the fold for 2026.  Grishom is set to make $22 million this coming season.  Grishom enjoyed a career year , belting 34 homers, 74 RBI and 116 hits. He also set career bests in slugging percentage (.464) and OPS (.811). He could have easily parlayed that success into a bigger contract elsewhere, but the 28-year old wanted to be part of the Yankees regardless of contract.  It's a shrewd move for Grishom, who is essentially betting on himself to have another stand-out season while simultaneously competing on a team with a shot at a World Series ring.   Now the question is what happens with Cody Bellinger?  Bellinger enjoyed one of his finest offensive seasons, belting 29 homers and driving in 98 last year in the Bronx. He solidified the Yankees hole in righ...

 The New York Mets are mulling the possibility of re-signing Edwin Diaz, and signing Yankees free agent reliever Devin Williams and pairing the two of them together at the back end of the Mets bullpen in 2026. That according to Jeff Passon of ESPN.  A far cry from the initial assumption many made on social media (including yours truly) that the Mets were considering Williams as a Diaz replacement. Not true, at least not right now.  "New York is in on Devin Williams , whose connections to those in the Mets organization, including president of baseball operations David Stearns, date to their time together with the Brewers," Passan wrote.  "Williams is coming off the worst season of his career with the Yankees, but his peripheral numbers were excellent and his stuff still graded out well-above-average. Williams has suitors from coast to coast, though the Mets are mulling the opportunity to sign Díaz and Williams to head up a bullpen in need of a total restructur...

 The New York Jets will once again bench quarterback Justin Fields in favor of Tyrod Taylor as New York prepares to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.  The move had to be made. The Jets have been unable to much offensively with Fields under center. The Jets are ranked 32nd in the NFL in pass yards per game, and Fields has thrown for a combined 505 yards in his last five starts.  Fields threw for only 116 yards in a 27-14 loss to the Patriots last Thursday, and threw for only 57 yards in a grind-em-out victory over the Browns before that.  In desperate need of  a jolt, the Jets go back to Taylor who has appeared in two games this year. He started the Jets 29-27 loss to Tampa in Week 3, and appeared in mop-up duty of a 13-6 loss to Carolina in Week 7. He hasn't been that great either, but at least he's a veteran.  The Ravens are going to pin their ears back against this Jets offense, and the Jets coaches probably feel that Taylor gives them a better shot t...

 So much for the debut of Mike Kafka as Giants interim Head Coach. The Giants were still the same old G-Men (sorry Jets, you don't have a patent on the phrase 'same old'), as Big Blue dropped its fifth in a row 27-20 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.  Yes, there were moments where it looked like the Giants might come away with the upset. They gave the Packers a run for their money, with Jamies Winston providing a necessary spark to the offense. Heck the Giants rolled up 336 yards on Jeff Hafley's defense, which at times didn't have any answers to slow down Big Blue.  Nope, the only ones stopping the Giants on Sunday were the Giants themselves.  Twice the G-Men had the lead, and twice, they watched it fritter away as Big Blue's defense had no answer for Jordan Love or even Malik Willis when the back-up came in for Love after the former left for concussion protocol.   But here were the Giants with a 20-19 lead thanks to Winston's one-yard plung that capped ...

 You can cross Bill Belichick off t he list of potential candidates for the New York Giants' head coaching vacancy.  Belichick went scorched earth on the speculation, emphasizing his commitment to the University of North Carolina.    “I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families,” Belichick wrote. “The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”  According to New York Daily News writer and NFL historian, Gary Meyers, there is a chance -- that Belichick may have burned his bridges with the Giants about 4-5 years ago.    It's been hard times for the Hall of Fame Head Coach, who couldn't land an NFL HC job after getting fire...

 The New York Jets didn't make the grade in Foxborough, Massachusetts either on Thursday. New York was grounded by their arch rivals 27-14 on Thursday night as the Jets failed to extend their two-game winning streak, dropping to 2-8.  The Jets opened the game with a beautiful 14-play, 72-yard drive that featured a mix of runs by Breece hall, Isiah Davis and Justin Fields. Fields would score the games first touchdown on a seven-yard scamper, but that was it for New York.  Mental mistakes spelled doom for the Jets the rest of the night. The Jets were flagged seven times, many of them for silly mistakes that cost the team dearly in field position.  Jarvis Brownlee had a nightmare of a game, getting flagged multiple times, and even missed a tackle on DeMaryo Douglas in the fourth quarter on a play where Douglas initially gave himself up at the Patriots own 40, got up and gained 16 more yards.  Give Brownlee credit, he faced the media and fessed up to the bad game....

 Leave it to Jets owner Woody Johnson to find his way to the center of the storm.  According to the Jet Press , Johnson, the Jets billion dollar owner of the past 25-seasons, was a "key figurehead" in the NFL owners filing a grievance against the NFLPA's report cards that came out last year.  Of course, Johnson's report card was none too pretty, as it came back as an F, with the Jets ranked 29th overall in the NFL, and players citing a "culture of fear" within the organization.  ESPN, which first reported the story state s:  The league claims the report cards, which poll players on various aspects of working conditions, violate a CBA clause that says NFL owners and the union must "use reasonable efforts to curtail public comments by club personnel or players which express criticism of any club, its coach, or its operation and policy," according to an August letter from the league's management council to NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso th...

 The New York Giants officially fired Head Coach Brian Daboll on Monday afternoon, following Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears.   Essentially it comes down to this: Brian Daboll failed to protect his most important asset, quarterback Jaxson Dart when the quarterback may have played with a concussion during Sunday's game. How long he played with that concussion is unknown, but Daboll didn't help himself when he couldn't diagnose the issue.   "I am not sure exactly the play where it happened. I am just concerned for the kid. I don't know the exact play it happened for him relative to him getting hurt or not getting hurt," he told reporters on Sunday.  Dart's health concerns are nothing new for the Giants. A month ago Daboll earned Big Blue a $200,000 fine from the league office after breaking protocol by going into the blue tent when Dart had concussion symptoms against the Eagles. Daboll was also seen yelling at team doctors, imploring the quarte...

 This has to be it.  There is no coming back from this for Brian Daboll. A head coach is responsible for three things: win games, establish a culture of success, and protect your players, even from themselves.  Unfortunately for Daboll that didn't happen in Sunday's disheartening 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears in snowing Chicago.  Not when quarterback Jaxson Dart left this game with a concussion, and didn't return. And in his post game comments, Daboll all but admitted that he had the quarterback he practically hand-picked in the NFL Drat last April, back onto the field with a concussion.  When pressed by the media when Dart suffered the concussion, Daboll said he wasn't sure.   “As he was going back out on the field, it just didn’t seem right, so I called the trainers over and said, ‘Let’s get him out and make sure he gets looked at,’ Daboll told reporters. ”He went in and got looked at and he ended up being evaluated for a concussion.” However it...

Like the rainy and gloomy weather that pounded MetLife Stadium most of the afternoon on Sunday, the Jets found a way to win an ugly 27-20 contest against the equally lowly Cleveland Browns.  It wasn't pretty. The offense under quarterback Justin Fields was again stuck in neutral for the entire first half, but thanks to two special teams touchdown returns, and a huge second half by running back Breece Hall, the Jets came away victorious.  On top of that the Jets defense, which had lost stalwarts Quinnen William and Sauce Gardner at the beginning of the week via the trade deadline, put together its best effort as a unit, granted it was against the Browns. The Jets sacked Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel six times, four of which belonged to edge rusher Will McDonald.  Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, the Jets answered right away when Kene Nwangwu returned the kick-off 99-yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7.  Later, after a Browns three-and-out, Isaiah Williams...

 One team that was curiously absent from all the hubbub of the NFL trade deadline was the New York Giants.  At 2-7, the Giants are going nowhere as the season has spiraled out of control in the last three weeks.  New York has seen valuable pieces like Malik Nabers and Cam Skatebo go down with season ending injuries, and they have also seen rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart throw his body around to the point he had to crouch down on the ground in pain on the sideline during a 34-24 drubbing to the 49ers on Sunday.  Not to mention the Giants lauded defense has given up 30-plus point in each of the last three games, all loses.   So what is going on here?  The Giants didn't get any help for their rookie quarterback who needs it.  As it stands now, the Giants have only one first round and one second round pick going into next year's draft, meaning they will either have to get creative in trades this off-season, or get aggressive in free agency.  Is t...

 The New York Jets are blowing it all up and starting over. At least mostly anyway.  Jets General Manager Darren Mougey and the front office took a major step toward the future by trading away two Pro Bowl players for a ton of draft capital it will plan to use in the near future.  First New York dealt Ahmad Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for two first round picks (one in 2026 and another in 2027), and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, and, then traded away defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a second round pick in 2026, a first round pick in 2027, and tackle Mazi Smith.   By the time the 4 p.m. trade deadline came and went, the Jets did not trade away running back Breece Hall, who according to Jordan Schultz, wanted to be traded out of New York. The Jets were looking for a third round pick, didn't get it.  Quinnen's brother, linebacker Quincy Williams was also not traded.   Wide receiver Garrett Wilson will also re...