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...