COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 As if the NBA Finals didn't have enough juice going into it, this angel certainly helps.   Becky Hammon, a former WNBA star, and current head coach of the Las Vegas Aces once questioned the Knicks chances of winning an NBA title with Jalen Brunson as its main star because of his height.  " “If your best player is small, you're not winning" Hammon said on ESPN back in 2023. Adding New York doesn't have that gigantic 1A player to help out.  When pressed about those remarks recently, Hammon doubled-down .  "Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the Finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I'm up for being proven wrong.  "That's the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I'm speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don't know why everybody's so stuck on that. I said it two years ago. I stand by it."   Of course the Knicks did add Karl Anthony Towns tw...

As the late Yogi Berra once said, "it's deja vu all over again."  That will be the case when the New York Knicks tussle with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, a rematch of sorts via the 1999 Finals. Not only was that the last time the Knicks appeared in the Finals, it was the beginning of the Spurs dynasty as a young Tim Duncan won the MVP, and the Spurs thrashed the Knicks in five games.  That Spurs team was laden with veteran talent from Avery Johnson to Sean Elliot leading the front court. Former Bulls point guard Steve Kerr (who we all know would one day become a successful head coach in his own right), was a role player on that San Antonio team. But all the focus at the time was on David Robinson who was seeking his first NBA title after a storied decades long career.   Duncan, who at the time was in his second year in the NBA was the future star and face of the franchise back in '99.    Little did we know back then it was the first of five...

After 27 years the New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.  Thanks to another dominating offensive showcase, the Knicks blasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, assuring a sweep and plenty of rest before the Finals begin June 3.  For the long suffering Knicks fan who had witnessed year upon year of horrendous basketball, front office blunders, bad public relations, and even worse press, this is the moment you have been waiting for.  You have every right to be giddy.    If you witnessed the days when the Patrick Ewing era ended in a ECF loss to the Pacers back in 2000, which followed his trade to the Seattle SuperSonics that off-season, this is for you!  If you remember when an exhausted Jeff VanGundy resigned at mid-season in 2001; if you remember Antonio McDyess; heck, if you lived through the embarrassment of the Isiah Thomas era's (that's right era's), this one is for you.  ...

The New York Knicks are now one win away from the franchise's first trip to the NBA Finals in 27 years.  Led by another outstanding offensive performance from Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks pounded the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.   The Knicks never trailed in the contest as Cleveland had literally no answer to stop the Knicks on the offensive boards. The Knicks did whatever they wanted to. From screens, to post-ups and open shots without any defensive pressure.  Hit the open man in the lane? Check.  Kick the ball out to an open man in the corner to hit a three? Check.  Drive through the lane with numbers? Check again.  It was a clinic by New York.  By the end of the contest it looked like Cleveland had totally given up as Brunson glided to the hoop uncontested for an easy layup that gave New York a 118-102 lead with 1:49 to play.  As the Cavs limped and staggered on the court, the chant...

 What would the Knicks do to follow up their virtuoso fourth quarter performance in Game 1? Well, how about finding a way to outlast the Cavs in Game 2.  Powered by Josh Hart's 26 points, and timely shooting from Jalen Brunson and Mikael Bridges (19 points each), the Knicks held off Cleveland 109-93 on Thursday night at the Garden.    It wasn't easy. Give credit to Kenny Atkinson's Cleveland Cavaliers. The former New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets Head Coach had his team ready to go on Thursday night.   The Cavs fought hard in Game 2 and showed no signs of a hangover from their devastating Game 1 defeat. Heck, Cleveland had a 27-24 lead after one quarter, and this games was tied at 53 in the third quarter before New York ripped off runs of 18-0 and 23-5 to all but put the game on ice.  Let's discuss it in our daily vlog!   

 If you had turned off the television set, or got up to do something else with at around 10 after 10 at night last night, nobody would have blamed you.  That's because the New York Knicks trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points with 7:39 to go in the fourth quarter. By all intents and purposes the game was over.  Then a miracle happened.  A sudden surge by Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, who couldn't hit the side of a barn let alone a basketball hoop, were charging back on an 18-1 run that was highlighted by Brunson's three with 3:30 to go cut Cleveland's lead down to just five points.  The Cavs who had a 99.9 percent chance to win four minutes earlier, saw their chances narrowed down to 85 percent. Still within reason.  But this was a different circumstance. The Knicks would not be denied. A 44-11 run by New York, including overtime pushed the Knicks to their greatest playoff comeback victory in franchise history.   When it was all said and do...

 Well here is a story nobody saw coming. Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz has been linked to a cockfighting ring in Puerto Rico thanks to incriminating social media posts, according to multiple reports.  Fox News reports that Diaz, who now pitches for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, appeared in tournament graphics in "full Dodgers uniform." He has also been open about his families participation in the blood-sport, which is banned in the United States.  "  Diaz described cockfighting as a pastime he has followed since childhood and confirmed that his family entered four roosters into a recent tournament." Meanwhile, " Champion jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. were also identified in social media footage tied to the events. According to the report, the Ortiz brothers, who recently dominated the Kentucky Derby , appeared on video collecting cash bets at one of the alleged cockfighting gatherings ," according to the same report....

 The New York Jets will indeed open the 2026 season at Tennessee where they will square-off with their former coach, Robert Saleh in his Titans Head Coaching debut.  Many anticipated that the Jets could open the season in Tennessee for this very story-line. It was the most obvious choice, despite rumors via ESPN N.Y. and the Daily News' Gary Myers that the Jets might open in Miami. That proved false.   While a lot of focus will be on the wits of Saleh against current Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn, the real story will be about Saleh going up against the team, and more specifically, the front office that fired him following a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London two seasons ago.    The Jets were 2-3 at the time, and had just lost a heart-breaker 23-17 to the Vikings where New York had a chance to win late.  Then Jets owner Woody Johnson, the former Ambassador to the U.K., perhaps feeling embarrassed by the showing, fired Saleh by the time the Je...

As seems to have become an annual tradition, the entire New York Giants schedule drops before anyone else, and well ahead of the "official" announcement this evening at 8 p.m.  Thanks to X accounts @NFLNerd and @ozzyNFL , fans have been watching schedule leaks drop across the league as if they were general election returns since Wednesday afternoon. In fact, the anticipation and prediction element of the schedule has become a thing of its own in social media circles. Everyone takes their best swing at guessing the schedule.  As for Big Blue, we knew on Monday that they would open the season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, September 13.  No real surprise. The Cowboys are a ratings magnate for the NFL no matter how good nor bad they are. Couple that will John Harbaugh's debut as Giants coach, and you got a ready made game for prime time.  By Wednesday night we also found out that the Giants were going to host the Cardinals in Week 4 and the Washington Comm...

 The New York Knicks are as  hot as any team in the NBA right now, and their fans know it.  In the days leading up to the beginning of this Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers star Joel Embeed pleaded with Sixers fans to make sure they didn't sell their tickets to Knicks fans.  Those pleas went of deaf ears as the Infinity Mobile Center felt more like Madison Square Garden in Game 3 on Friday, and especially in Game 4 on Sunday as the Knicks swept the series. In fact, the fan domination that many said felt like "80-20" in terms of Knicks rooting interest only grew louder as New York put together another record setting performance in a 144-114 drubbing of the Sixers.  Heck, this game was essentially over when Miles "Deuce" McBride hit his third consecutive three pointer in the opening quarter that gave the Knicks a 17-6 lead with 7:31 to play in the opening stanza. The Knicks crowd exploded chanting "DEUUUUUCE"...

Breece Hall waited a long time for this day.  The Jets running back who had been pinning for a contract extension for a couple of years now finally got his wish on Friday afternoon when the New York Jets agreed to terms with Hall's representatives on a new three-year, $45.75 million deal . The deal will make Hall the third highest paid running back in the NFL in Average Annual Salary (AAV) at $15.25 million. Only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffery make more with the Eagles and 49ers respectively.  This is a huge get for the Jets. They get to keep one of its most productive players over the past four seasons for the long term, all while ending ongoing speculation that a trade would be in the offing.  Hall has been the Jets bell-cow the past four years, averaging 978 yards rushing. In some respects he was both underutilized and underappreciated these past few seasons. He has the talent to be a top flight back in this league. Last season, Hall ran for 1,065 yards and fou...

 KNICKS 108 - SIXERS 102  After winning their past two games by a combined 90 points, the Knicks had to settle for only a six-point victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 108-102 over the 76ers.  Either way the Knicks lead this best-of-seven series 2-0 as the scene shifts to Philadelphia over the weekend.  Trailing 90-89 through three quarters in a back-and-forth affair that saw an exchange off 22-lead changes, the Knicks finally took control on a 9-0 run with less than four minutes to go in the ball game. Jalen Brunson's 16-foot jumper gave New York its largest lead at 103-99 with 3:46 to go. Seconds later, Mikal Bridges nailed a 20-footer to make it 105-99.  Meanwhile Philadelphia went completely ice cold offensively.     Following Kelly Obrue Jr's. three pointer that gave Philly a 99-96 lead with 6:52 to go, the Sixers went 0-6 from the floor, including 0-for-5 from downtown over a span of five minutes. By the time Tyrese Maxey...

 KNICKS 137 - SIXERS 98   New series, same result. The New York Knicks continue to dominate in this postseason, racking up a second consecutive victory by more than 35 points, as they blasted the 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  After a back-and-forth opening quarter, the Knicks caught fire in the second quarter, knocking down 15 of their 22 shots in the frame, five of which were from downtown, en route to a 41-point quarter as New York carried a 74-51 lead into the half.  They would never look back.   According to ESPN and Sportradar, the Knicks historic run is mighty impressive. The Knicks have won four in a row by a combined 135 points, and have led in three straight playoff games by at least 30 point in each of those games, a first since detailed play-by-play stat-keeping began during the 1996-97 season.  Leading the way this time was Jalen Brunson, who dominated the floor with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting, and ...

 The New York Yankees remembered the life and legacy of longtime radio voice John Sterling, who passed away Sunday at the age of 87.  Sterling had the call of over 5,400 regular season Yankees games, and 211 postseason games during his illustrious Yankees' career that began in 1989 and carried him through his retirement at age 85 in 2024. The voice of five Yankees championships and the Hall of Fame careers of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Sterling will forever be synonymous withe New York Yankees baseball.  The Yankees put together a touching tribute before the club's 12-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium.  Fellow broadcasters Michael Kay and Susan Waldman, who both worked alongside Sterling throughout his Yankees career honored their broadcast partner with flowers at home plate and a moment of silence.   

For more than three decades New York Yankees fans had grown accustomed to hearing the baritone pipes of long time radio broadcaster John Sterling, who turned the phrase "Yankees Win! DAAAAAAA Yankees Win!" into one of the most recognized calls around the world.   Sterling, who stepped away from the microphone in April of 2024, passed away Sunday night. He was 87.  Sterling had the call of 5,420 regular season and 211 postseason games as Yankees broadcaster, and even called 5,600 consecutive games from September 1989 through July of 2019. He was the voice of an entire generation of Yankees fans, who grew accustomed to both his wild sense of humor and keen professionalism.   Whether it be coining catching home run calls for various players like Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui, to sometimes, even misjudging plays in hilarious fashion, or capturing the essence of total victory in October, Sterling had a front row seat to some of the greatest Yankees' teams of a...

 Well, unless David Stearns and Steve Cohen have a trick up their sleeves, there won't be any 3 a.m. firings of the Mets manager in Anaheim over the weekend.  That's because Stearns gave Manager Carlos Mendoza the dreaded vote of confidence on Friday night before the Mets opened up a three-game weekend series in Anaheim against the Angels.  The Mets (10-21) are currently the worst team in Major League Baseball, and it's not even close.  While most of the fan base has been forgiving of Mendoza for the poor start, putting most of the blame on Stearns and Cohen for building a flawed roster, the media has been on Mendoza Watch.  It hasn't helped matters that both the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies fired their managers, Alex Cora and Rob Thompson respectively in the last week.   It is ironic in a way that the Mets are in Anaheim this weekend, because about 18-years ago the Amazin's found themselves in a similar predicament, w hen then manager Wil...