COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

Knicks Raise Banner & Get Rings, While LeBron & Sixers Spoil the Fun

2026-10-21T01:40:18.509-04:00

The New York Knicks celebrated the success of last season that culminated in the franchise's first NBA Championship in 53 years just 3-1/2 months ago when they took down the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

Players, coaches and staff received their championship rings before watching a blue Championship banner get raised to the rafters to join the 1970 and 1973 champions for all eternity. Fans, some of whom had to pay upwards of more than $1,900 just to secure a seat in the nosebleed section, witnessed something that many thought was not possible.

The ceremony itself was a thing of beauty. Knicks television play-by-play man Mike Breen, who called the Knicks NBA Finals series nationally for ABC MC'd the event, while Knicks and NBA Hall of Famer Walt Clyde Fraizer handed the rings to all the players. It was emotional, and gave the sold out crowd at MSG a collegial feel.

Then reality set in, and the Knicks, who for decades have always been the hunter, were now in an unfamiliar place: the hunted.

And the first one up to try to take the Champs down a rung was the King himself, LeBron James, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Knicks 106-100 to open the '26-'27 season.

While James, 41, may not be the offensive force he once was in his prime, he still became the focal point of the Sixers victory. 14 points, 9 boards and 7 assists. He was a huge difference maker for Philadelphia, adding both physicality and swagger that was not present when the Knicks swept away the Sixers in the East Semis last May.

Hey, the man is one of the greatest players in NBA history for a reason.

Add 19 points by fellow Sixers newcomer Jaylen Brown (trade via Boston), and spirited efforts by Tyreese Maxy, who led the way with 28 points, and Anfernee Simons, who drained three huge three-pointers, the Sixers were too much for New York.

The game really flipped when Simons three ball gave Philly a 77-76 lead late in the third quarter. Brown then followed with a pair of three's of his own to give the Sixers an 83-76 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Despite big shots by Karl Anthony Towns, Jose Alvarado, and OG Anunoby, the Knicks couldn't make up the deficit. For his part, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 21 points, but was 6-of-19 from the field, including two huge shots down the stretch.

Jets' Aaron Glenn Once Again Out-Coached as Patriots Walk Away With Win

2026-10-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

This much is clear from the New York Jets 26-19 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday: there is a clear and obvious coaching discrepancy between the two teams.

In a game that wide receiver Garret Wilson rightly called a "big ass game" on Friday, the Jets shot themselves in the foot one too many times, and when you do that a team as well coached as the New England Patriots you are bound to lose.

Aaron Glenn is not Mike Vrabel. He's not as calculating and involved as Vrabel appears to be on the field, and even that was obvious on Sunday as well.

What really killed the Jets Sunday was three plays. Two of those plays involved Gang Green's inability to convert a simple fourth and one to move the sticks, keep a drive going, and perhaps put points on the board.

And that inability not only falls on Head Coach Aaron Glenn, it falls on Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich, who once again showed an inability to put together a creative game plan.

Twice the Jets faced a fourth and short, and each time Reich called the same play, over and over again. Runs up the middle.

The worst came midway through the second quarter when the Jets faced and second and one, third and one, and fourth and one, and ran the same play each time, and each time it got stuffed. And that is including a ridiculous decision to run a quarterback sneak on a long fourth and one.

One would think that it would be a good idea to change things up, just a little bit? Especially in a league where teams are willing and able to take advantage of eight-men in the box formations, and actually throw the football.

Most teams toss the ball to a sure-handed tight end in such scenarios. But not the Jets. Not Reich, who once was credited with imploring five tight ends in Week 1. I guess that Frank Reich was left in Nashville.

Isn't Glenn's job as head coach is to listen to and override bad decisions?

The other moment that lost this game for the Jets happened late fourth quarter with 6:30 to go in the game. Gang Green trailed 23-16, and had New England on the precipice of a three-and-out as the Patriots faced a third and 13. The Jets went with an all out blitz on Drake Maye, who quickly dumped the ball off to wide open Hunter Henry who just walked for 15 yards for a first down.

The Patriots would chew up the next four-and-a-half minutes, as Vrabel positioned himself in a great position to either go for it on fourth and short and win it, or kick the ball and take a 10-point lead. Either way he won.

That's coaching. That's game management. That's something that Glenn and his staff have been so putrid at in their 1-1/2 years on the job. The Jets lost not because they weren't as talented as the Patriots. They lost because their coaches aren't getting the job done to put them in a position to succeed.

J.J. McCarthy Shines As Giants Flatline vs. Saints

2026-10-18T17:30:00.000-04:00

There are two huge storylines that came out of the Giants stunning 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

1) Cam Skattebo was all but benched by Head Coach John Harbaugh. Skattebo didn't have a single carry in the game on Sunday, and when asked by reporters, the running back said he was "punished" for his fumble against the Commanders that cost the team a chance at victory last week.

That was last week. The Giants meanwhile this week, couldn't establish a running attack. Their leading rusher on Sunday was back-up quarterback J.J. McCarthy who had two carries for 26 yards, and he didn't come into the game until there were 11 minutes left in it.

Harbaugh denied that Skattebo was benched, saying it was "not by design, It’s just when he was in the game, we didn’t call any runs.”

You have to respect what Harbaugh is doing here. Skattebo's fame skyrocketed early last season before his rookie year was cut short at midseason with a brutal leg injury. Since that time it has basically been assumed he would be the 'star' bell-cow for the Giants. Not the case. Harbuagh wants to find his guy at running back, and if he feels Skattebo isn't up to snuff, whose to fault the head coach for that.

2) The other huge storyline is the quarterback. McCarthy, as I wrote came into the game will about 11 minutes to go with the Giants down 24 points. He then threw for 243 yards and a touchdown, which apparently was an NFL record for yards thrown in such a small amount of time. The Giants went from down 34-10 to right in the game at 34-27.

He had good zip on his passes, and got his receivers involved. The Giants needed as they had to live with another shaky outing from starting quarterback Jamies Winston.

Harbaugh was mum on Sunday about a potential quarterback controversy, but that's what the Giants have here.

They know what they have in Winston. He's a good veteran back-up quarterback, and better clubhouse guy. That's about it.

McCarthy is still a raw talent at 23-years old, and was a former first round pick. He has a National Title to his name at Michigan. The Giants should at least kick the tires and give McCarthy an extended look under center when they visit the Texans this weekend.

Nobody is saying that McCarthy is a guarantee to take the starting job away from Jaxson Dart come 2027, but who's to say he can't play his way into the conversation.

Jets Aim for Defining Victory in Foxborough, Sunday

2026-10-16T17:15:52.629-04:00

It has been a long time since the New York Jets last won a game of any significance up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

While New York's most recent victory there came just three seasons ago, a 17-3 win in Week 18 of the 2023 season, that game was pretty meaningless. The Jets finished 7-10 that season, a season that was supposed to be about Aaron Rodgers first in New York. Of course all the dreams of Rodgers succeeding in different shade of green was hijacked in Week 1 when he went down with an Achilles Tear.

As for the Patriots they were an awful 4-13. It was Bill Belichick's final game as Patriots Head Coach, but nobody really seemed to care that the Jets sent him out of the NFL with an 'L.' Not in a snowy, cold Week 18 game with both teams already looking forward to the off-season.

So if you are looking for the last Jets win at New England that had any real significance as far as playoffs, or AFC East standings, or even division titles are concerned, you'd have to go all the way back to the Jets 28-21 divisional playoff victory over the Patriots in the 2010-11 season!

That's right, the last time the Jets had a truly significant win at Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady was still under center for the Patriots; Bill Belichick was still Head Coach. The Patriots hadn't even won Super Bowl titles No. four, five, and six yet.

Rex Ryan was in the midst of taking the Jets to their second consecutive AFC Championship game; Mark Sanchez was under center; Brian Schottenheimer, now the Dallas Cowboys Head Coach, was the Jets O.C. Revis Island was still a thing.

It's hard to believe that for as long as the Jets playoff drought (15 years and counting), it's been that long since Gang Green's last meaningful victory on the road in New England.

The Jets are 1-14 in their last 15 games at Gillette. They are 4-25 overall if you include an equally dismal 3-11 record at home against the Patriots. What's remarkable about that stat is the fact that the losing continued long after Tom Brady was off the scene. The Jets are 2-10 against the Patriots in the post-Brady Era; 1-3 against them in the post Belichick Era.

It's really outrageous when you think about it.

At some point something has to change, and this game, this week might be that golden opportunity.

The Jets (2-3) have been lead by their defense all season. They have held three of their first five opponents under 200 yards of offense for an entire game, including an eight-sack masterclass last week against Cleveland.

I know that was Cleveland, but Aaron Glenn has been dialing up some nasty blitzes this year, and it's clear play-calling is indeed his super power.

Now as for the Patriots, they looked terrible offensively just a few weeks ago. They were 1-2 after getting shellacked 35-6 by the Jaguars in Week 3. Drake Maye threw four picks that day, and many were wondering if he was showing signs of being a flash in the pan.

Well, guess what? The last two weeks Maye and the Patriots have been on fire. Maye has thrown seven touchdowns to one pick in wins over the Bills and Raiders, to get to 3-2 on the season. Suddenly the Pats are rolling again.

Obviously the Patriots are a -7.5 point favorite. They deserve to be. The Jets have to prove they can beat a team as deep as this, and as well coached as Mike Vrabel's squad. This will be a huge test for Geno Smith who will be without Breece Hall again. The Jets offensive line must do a better job in giving him time than it did the previous two weeks.

Still, I got a feeling this Jets defense is going to keep New York in it, and as they say when it comes to the law of averages, sometimes a team is just due. The Jets are more than due for some success in New England.

Giants Look for Complete Game Victory over Bumbling Saints

2026-10-16T17:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know what goes through the heads of gamblers when it comes time to setting the betting lines for an NFL game, but I truly am aghast at the very idea that the bumbling New Orleans Saints are a -1.5 point road favorite this week at the New York Giants.

I just don't get it.

Sure the Giants are lucky to be 3-1-1 right now. They had to win two games on the final play, and get a brain fart on the part of Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn to pull out a tie in Washington. Still though, the G-Men are 3-1-1, and the Saints (1-4) are in my mind have been the most overhyped team in the NFC South since the season began.

I mean people were not only picking the Saints to win this division, which might still happen, but they were already putting Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore on the Mt. Rushmore of brilliant young head coaches, and quarterback Tyler Shough as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Really? Are we really that serious?

Outside of their one-point Week 1 loss to Detroit, the Saints have been blown out of every other game they have lost this year. So to spot them as a road favorite is generous.

Sure Shough has put up good numbers, but let's get real, if the Saints are picking high in the first round next Spring, you can bet dollars to donuts they are taking a quarterback, especially if someone like Arch Manning is sitting there.

New Orleans biggest issue this year has been the ground game. They are averaging only 3.5 yards per game on the ground. That's not good at all.

Will be fascinating to see how the Giants who rank seventh against the pass, but 25th against the ground handle this Saints attack. If Big Blue is as opportunistic against Shough as it was against Jacoby Brissett and Cam Ward, it will be a long day for New Orleans.

On the flip side, Jamies Winston has to get off to faster start in these games. The offense has been notoriously slow in the opening quarter of games. Big Blue could use an opening touchdown drive to get this rolling.

The Saints are 25th in the NFL in total defense, and are ranked 30th and 31st against the run and in points allowed per game.

Expect Winston to have a solid enough afternoon, and for the Giants to pull away to 4-1-1 before the schedule gets really tough.

Jets Sack Browns, While G-Men Draw in D.C.

2026-10-11T23:30:00.000-04:00

The New York Jets Sack Exchange is back! At least the latest version anyway.

Props to Aaron Glenn for putting together an incredible game plan as his defense came to life amid tropical rainfall to defeat the Cleveland Browns 17-12 at MetLife Stadium. Much maligned rookie defensive end, David Bailey led the way with three sacks, as he dominated the Browns at the line of scrimmage.

Defensive end Will McDonald also got into the action with a sack, as the Jets collected eight sacks on the day.

Meanwhile the Jets had to rely on some Browns mistakes to make this win happen. Trailing 12-10 midway through the fourth quarter, a muffed punt by the Browns gave the Jets the football at the Cleveland 23-yard line. A couple plays later, running back Branden Allen was in for the score to give the Jets the lead for good.

New York is 2-3 in a much needed victory to alleviate the pressure that had been mounting in recent weeks.

As for Big Blue, well they were very fortunate to escape Washington D.C. with a 27-27 tie, thanks to the Commanders totally botching their final drive of the game. After Cam Skattebo fumbled the football, giving the Commanders life, Washington was in position to win the game with a field goal.

Only one problem, the Commanders kept play, and they kept playing until the clock read triple zero, and didn't realize it until it was too late. Washington Head Coach Dan Quinn was beside himself as he slammed his headset into the ground.

The tie marks the third straight week in which the Giants escape at the final seconds.

Yankees season ends thanks to Fan Interference in Game 3

2026-10-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

It was Jeffery Maier but in reverse for the 2026 New York Yankees.

With a runner on in the bottom of the sixth inning, and trailing 4-2, Yankees short stop Anthony Volpe crushed a Griffin Jax fastball toward the left field wall. And for a split second it looked like the ball had cleared the fence just past the outstretched glove of left fielder Victor Mesa Jr., tying the game at four.

The Yankee Stadium faithful exploded! Volpe's homer signaled the second time that the Yankees stormed back to tie. Surely it was only a matter of time before the Bronx Bombers would win this game.

But, it was all a mirage.

Thanks to modern day technology and the fact that Baseball now reviews every home run that is close to the wall, it became painfully obvious that a fan had reached over, touched the ball and pulled it into the stands.

The review overturned the home run as fan interference. Instead of touching home, Volpe was rewarded with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 4-3.

But that would be the final time the Yankees would score.

Thanks to one fan's ignorance and selfishness the Yankees season ended in a three game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays who were chanting "Daaaaa Yankees Lose!" in the clubhouse afterwards.

Oh, how ironic karma can be sometimes. Because almost 30 years to the day, October 9, 1996, in an ALCS game the Yankees trailed 4-3, short stop Derek Jeter hit an opposite field drive to right that was pulled away from Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco. The culprit: Jeffery Maier.

Back in 1996 there was no instant replay review process. The call was a home run for Jeter. The Yankees won that game, would go to win the World Series, and begin a dynasty that became one of the most dominant the sport of baseball has ever seen.

So here we are 30 years later, and the man who was ballyhooed as the heir to Jeter's short stop throne, a young man in Volpe who had been a huge Yankees fan because of Jeter, should hit this fly ball that didn't result in a two-run homer, instead ending another disappointing Yankees trip to the postseason.

Since the Yankees won the 2009 World Series, New York has managed to appear in the Fall Classic only once: in 2024.

And under Aaron Boone, the Yankees have now been knocked out of the division round four times. Whats more, the Bombers have seen the visiting team celebrate on the field at Yankee Stadium in each of their last four postseason appearances: 2022 against Houston in the ALCS; 2024 against the Dodgers in the World Series; 2025 in the ALDS against the Blue Jays, and 2026 against the Rays in the ALDS.

It has to be frustrating for the Yankees.

They didn't have Aaron Judge for most of the season, and not at all in the playoffs. Giancarlo Stanton missed most of the season, but returned for two at bats in the playoffs. He was 0-for-2.

The questions that face the Yankees are manifold. What do they do with Aaron Boone who has a year left on his contract.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the expectation is Boone will return. Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have been high on Boone for years, but the fact is this: in nine years, Boone has yet to win the World Series. It's a pinnacle that has evaded him ever since he got the job in 2018.

One would think that after nearly a decade of little postseason sucess, to which Boone is 27-30, the Yankees would make a change, but it's not likely.

Moreover the Yankees have questions about the roster. What will happen to Judge and Stanton moving forward? Do the Yankees keep Volpe who struggled for the most part this year and was demoted at one point?

Do the Yankees keep Austin Wells despite his base running blunder in this postseason? Do the Yankees say good bye to Jazz Chishom and Ryan McMahon?

While New York had great pitching in 2026, it was not enough to get past a team like Tampa Bay. And now with a future so uncertain thanks to the pending lockout, the Yankees have to truly look in the mirror and decide what path they want to go on next. It's time.

Giants and Jets are Polar Opposites

2026-10-06T12:27:17.970-04:00

For years the Giants and Jets were on similar trajectories downward. Since 2017 until this season, both New York City based clubs were one and two for the worst winning percentage in the NFL.

That is finally changing.

The Giants are 3-1 following a thrilling 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Deonte Banks' 98-yard pick six with seven seconds to go sealed the deal for Big Blue, as they took sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

It is the first time in any season the Giants have been in first since 2015.

As for the Jets, well, they remain the Jets. An embarrassing 23-12 showing in Chicago on Sunday, saw the Jets get totally outcoached and outplayed by a superior Bears team. The Bears held the ball for nearly 43 minutes, and outgained the Jets 492-157. Ouch!

So here we sit! One team has a direction and a head coach to be respected in John Harbaugh. The other team has one of its all time best players, Aaron Glenn trying his best to rally the troops and failing on a weekly basis.

Yup, New York finally has some clarity when it comes to its NFL teams.

Yankees on the Brink of Elimination as Rays take 2-0 ALDS Lead

2026-10-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

The New York Yankees are on the brink of elimination, yet again.

And yet again, the Yankees face the prospect of watching someone else celebrate on the Yankee Stadium turf in October when the Rays bring a 2-0 ALDS series lead to the Boogie Down on Wednesday and Friday for Games 3 and 4, if necessary.

The Yankees find themselves here after a 5-2 loss to the Rays on Monday night where New York was charged with an inexplicable four errors! Three of those errors came in a nightmarish first inning as Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm struggled to make what are normally routine plays look anything but routine.

First McMahon couldn't field a ground ball by Yandy Diaz that immediately swung momentum the Rays way. Two batters later, Junior Caminero reached on a Fielder's Choice after Chishom threw the ball away while trying to make an acrobatic play at second base. The resulting error allowed Diaz to score from third, handing the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Chisholm would make another error when he pulled George Lombard off of second base. In what should have been a quick inning for Yankees ace Cam Schlittler, turned into a 19-pitch endurance test.

It would only get worse from there.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the fifth, the Rays plated four runs to take a commanding 5-1 lead.

Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero would both score on Yankees mistakes. A slow grounder by Liam Hicks, allowed Aranda enough time to take off from third and score, forcing Chisholm who made the play on the ball to go to second.

Chandler Simpson's slow hopper to short stop was bobbled by Lombard, who tried to make a play at the plate as Caminero scored to make it 3-1, chasing Schlittler from the game.

Tampa would plate two more runs in the frame when Richie Palacios drove in Simpson and Jonny DeLuca on a single to center.

It's not like the Yankees didn't have chances.

Ben Rice has two solo homers in the game. His first blast tied the game in the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth New York had something cooking when Austin Wells doubled, and both Ryan McMahon and Rice walked to load the bases for Cody Bellinger. The Yankees lanky left field put a charge into one towards center, but the ball died at the warning track, falling into the glove of center fielder Johnny DeLuca.

The Rays now hold a 2-0 series lead. They can wrap it up Wednesday. Should that happen, it will marke the fourth straight October for the Yankees were they watched someone else celebrate on their field. They saw Houston do it in Game 4 of the 2022 ALCS; the Dodgers celebrated at Yankee Stadium in Game 5 of the World Series in 2024; the Blue Jays celebrated in Game 4 of the ALDS last season. The Rays can now join them.

Still the Yankees are known for the comeback. Twice in their history have the Yankees stormed back down 0-2 in an ALDS and won. That was in 2017 when the Yankees climbed out of a 0-2 hole to beat Cleveland, and in 2001 when the Yankees came out of a 0-2 hole vs. Oakland to win that series.

This Yankees team, however, is not as good as those two teams were. Not even close. It could get ugly in the Bronx. Stay tuned.

Austin Wells' Basing Running Error Costs Yankees Chance in Game 1 of LDS

2026-10-04T00:48:23.147-04:00

Fair or not, Game 1 of the 2026 American League Division Series will forever be known as the Austin Wells Game.

That is because Wells got caught trying to turn a big play into a monumental play when he thought his double down the right field line took an extra hop and committed himself toward going to third.

Turned out to be a big mistake. As Luis Rojas' had his hands up in the air motioning Wells to stop at second, he admitted in postgame, that by the time he saw Rojas he was committed.

"I tried to make something happen in being aggressive. After I was passing second I picked his hands up, but I was committed," Wells said, adding in the moment he was trying to be aggressive.

His answer was understandable, but it was a mistake nevertheless.

Had Wells stopped many assume that manager Aaron Boone would have pinched hit Ryan McMahon for Giancarlo Stanton, who hadn't batted in a live Major League Game since April 24. The very thought of Stanton, who crushed seven homers and drove in 16 two Octobers ago, was tantalizing, but we'll never know how that played out.

However it is also unfair to make the assumption that Stanton ties it there. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen was absolutely dealing on Saturday night. He held the Yankees hitless through 7-2/3 innings of work, with only two walks and 10 strikeouts to boot.

The A.L. Cy Young Award candidate is 3-1 against the Yankees in four starts for a reason. Heck he was on the mound two weeks ago when the Rays clinched the A.L. East crown at Yankee Stadium. The guy just knows how to pitch to the Yankees. In fact the Yankees current lineup hits a career .167 against him.

Sure it's easy to get on Wells for what could have been, but making that assumption just doesn't pass muster to what was really happening on Saturday night.

The Yankees who pounded 26 hits and scored 18 runs against the Red Sox were totally put to sleep, and it wasn't even close.

Whehter this game lives in infamy or not depends on how New York responds. Cam Schlitter will get the ball on Monday night. If he dominates or shuts the Rays down, and the Yankees can win, this series is back on track for the Pinstirpes.

Yankees Dispose of Punchless Red Sox in AL Wild Card Sweep

2026-10-01T13:11:25.861-04:00

Oh, how I miss the days when Red Sox - Yankees used to mean something.

The days when the series was an intense border war with games that had a razor thin margin for error, combined with an intense, boiling hatred that filtered through the clubhouses and the fan bases alike.

Oh, how I miss the days of Pedro Martinez head hunting Yankees and dropping quote like "Who is Kareem Garcia?" and "Whose you Daddy?" The days when A-Rod got booed; when A-Rod and Jason Varitek fought one another at home plate. The time when the Yankees stormed back to beat the Sox in the '03 ALCS. Aaron Boone's home run. Then the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees choked on a 3-0 series lead.

Those were the days, my friend.

Because this iteration of the Yankees-Red Sox war has as much enthusiasm as a Yankees-A's game in mid-May.

It's sad.

And that sadness was on display for two consecutive nights in the Big Apple as the Yankees dismantled the Red Sox by a combined score of 18-2.

This was a total mismatch. The Yankees had a huge pitching advantage, and they will in every game and series they play this October. It's the only reason this Bombers squad has a shot at the pennant, and it's hard to believe they are considered under the radar this season.

Cam Schlittler blanked the Sox over 6.1 innings with 10 strikeouts in Game 1, continuing his stretch of owning Boston since last October when he burst onto the postseason scene.

In Game 2, Max Fried got touched up with a run on three hits over six otherwise brilliant innings.

And to think the Yankees will have a fully rested Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon waiting to start Games 1 and 2 in Tampa for the Division series.

Offensively the Yankees did something they haven't done in a long time: play small ball.

The Yankees plethora of young stars from George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells all found ways to move runners along whether it be by singles, productive outs, or even bunts. Then when the Yankees needed it they got the power swing.

Over two games, the Yankees pounded 26 hits, and only four of them were homers.

On Wednesday night they got it from Luis Garcia, the man Brian Cashman acquired at the deadline, who roped a home run to right to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Then in the six, Cody Bellinger crushed a three-run home to right to blow the game wide open at 8-1.

The Yankees offensive output was very similar to what they accomplished in Game 1 when Rice drove in six, and cracked a grand slam to blow that game open at 9-0.

If anything the Yankees showed that they do no necessarily need Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Both players are finally on the doorstep of returning after missing huge swaths of the 2026 season. Judge is expected back by the Tampa series. Stanton was active but didn't bat against Boston.

Who needs them? When both were in the lineup in big spots like this, the Yankees got home run happy. Without them they are a more finesse offense with an old National League feel -- something a long time N.L. player like Boone, would like to manage.

Meanwhile the Red Sox had nothing. They came into the playoffs slumping having lost 11 of 18 entering the wild card series. They are a shell of who they once were, and were not the team that was red hot in July.

Next up, the Yankees take on a Rays team that has been ahead of them in the standings for almost the entire season. Everyday it felt like the Yankees were either three or four games out of first. Now these two AL East titans will meet in what should be a barn-burner of a five-game series.

Giants Trade for Vikings Failed QB Prospect JJ McCarthy

2026-09-28T14:15:18.239-04:00

The New York Giants have swung a very intriguing deal with the acquisition of former first round pick, J.J. McCarthy to back-up Jamies Winston, who struggled in Big Blue's 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

McCarthy, once drafted 10th overall in the 2024 draft, was supposed to be the apple of the eye of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, but failed to live up to expectations. McCarthy lost the starting job last season when it was given to him, despite going 6-4 in 10 games as the Vikings starter in 2025.

This summer McCarthy became the odd man out, as the Vikings brought in two veteran quarterbacks in Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, both of whom have helped lead Minnesota to a 3-0 start the season.

Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh is certainly familiar with McCarthy since his brother, Jim, coached the quarterback at Michigan over three seasons, winning a National Championship in 2024.

The Giants gave up a fifth round pick to the Vikings in order to get the deal done, but it does create a very interesting dynamic not only for this season but for 2027. McCarthy is due to make $1.19 million next season with a $3.77 million cap hit, the final year of his rookie deal in 2027.

Meanwhile incumbent starter Jaxson Dart still has two years on his rookie year through 2028; the veteran, Jamies Winston is also on a multi-million deal through the '28 season as well.

What if McCarthy finds a way to sub-plant Winston as the starter this season, plays very well and leads the Giants to the playoffs? What do you do if your are Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh? Suddenly the Giants have a quarterback controversy on their hand in '27 with Dart and McCarthy. Would they consider trading one of them?

It's worthy speculation for another day, but for the time being, the Giants hope they have solved their quarterback depth issues following Dart's season ending knee injury.

Giants Hold Off Titans in MetLife Nor'Easter

2026-09-28T02:00:35.382-04:00

Not only did the Giants battle the elements on Sunday, they found a way to hold off a stubborn Tennessee Titans team 12-7 in an ugly rain-drenched affair at the Meadowlands.

The Giants managed only 238 yards of offense, and could only score four field goals, but it was more than enough this time.

The biggest play of the game of course came in the final seconds with the Titans in position to take the lead for good. Tennessee had 24 seconds and two timeouts in their back pocket at the Giants' own seven yard line, but Cam Ward couldn't handle the prosperity.

The second year signal caller threw up a duck on the run that was picked off in the end zone by Giants safety Jevon Holland to seal the deal and get the banged up Giants back over .500 at 2-1.

Jets Mistakes Add Up, Lions Sneak Away with 31-24 Win

2026-09-28T00:36:00.142-04:00

At what point should we get tired of hearing about moral victories?

Following the Jets heartbreaking 31-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Aaron Glenn stressed to reporters that his players are closing the gap.

"We're right here. It's this gap that we have to close. We're fighting to close that gap and we will. We'll be on the other side of these games. I truly believe that."

Even if the Jets "closed the gap" the same problems still persisted for the Jets and Glenn on Sunday, that helped contribute to a disheartening loss. Whether it be time management at the end of halfs, the use of timeouts and challenges, or even the inability to adjust the game plan, the Jets failed in many respects to cover themselves, and as a result played right into the hands of the Lions.

Call it a young team, or a moral victory if you want, but the facts are 20-games in, Aaron Glenn is 4-16 as a head coach. Not that anyone expected them to win on Sunday in Detroit. Nobody did, but there were so many golden opportunities for the Jets, it was a crushing loss nonetheless.

Really, credit Garrett Wilson for keeping the Jets in this game. His incredible goal line touchdown catch at the Lions one-yard line on a crucial 4th and six with four and a half to play saved Glenn and the Jets from intense scrutiny.

Why? Because a possession earlier when the Jets scored at the start of the quarter to cut the Lions lead to 24-16, Glenn opted to go for two points, when all he really needed was one. The gaff in judgement is not the first time Glenn has gambled and lost on two-point conversions. He infamously did it last year against the Steelers in his first game as a head coach. That was forgivable.

20 games in is not.

Had Geno Smith's throw not gotten to Wilson, or had Wilson not come down with the football and landed in the end zone, or if the ball wizzed out of his hands for an incompletion. The Jets lose that game right there at 24-16.

What Glenn probably should have done right there was kick the field goal. It would have made it a five point game at 24-19 with enough time to get the ball back, IF the defense could hold. Instead he gambled, luckily it paid off. Wilson got the touchdown, and ex-Giant Sterling Sheperd got the two-point conversion.

But then, Glenn's bread and butter, his defense which came into the game ranked number 1, couldn't shut the door on the Lions. Jared Goff evaded an incomping David Bailey and connected with speedy receiver Isaac TeSlaa for a 49-yard gain, setting up Jaymar Gibbs with the winning score. The Lions needed only four plays to go 65-yards.

If defensive play-calling is Glenn's superpower, it didn't show there.

Finally with the Jets driving for the potential winning score. The Jets couldn't cover the safety blitz as Chuck Clark came flying through the Jets o-line toward Geno Smith, forcing the fumble that ended the game.

It was little things like this that stopped the Jets from having a chance.

Again, you can claim moral victory and sing it all you want, it's not good enough. This team isn't prepared well enough, and it showed on Sunday. That in itself is a major disappointment.

Mets Name Andy Green Manager in First Move of 2027

2026-09-23T00:45:13.624-04:00

The 2026 season isn't even over, and moves are already being made for 2027.

The New York Mets have removed the interim label from Andy Green, naming him the full time manager of the club with a brand new three-year contract extension.

Green who took over a brutal situation in late June with the Mets all but out of contention following the firing of Carlos Mendoza, settled things down to the best of his ability. He got the team to play better, got the most out of many of the young players like AJ Ewing and Carson Benge, and as a result the Mets went 37-38 in the 75 games since June 26.

"I think Andy brings to us an ability to connect the organization in ways that very few people could," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns told the media in Texas on Tuesday.

Green was serving as the Mets VP of Player Development with a specific focus on the Mets farm system, when he was asked to step into the managerial role in late June to take over for Mendoza. It was Green's familiarity with a lot of the young and developing players, and his unique communication skills that made him rub off quiet well with the players in the clubhouse.

His naming as full time manager was met with unanimous praise from players and those associated with the franchise.

"Since Andy stepped in, he’s helped a lot of guys be a better version of themselves. We’ve been playing a good brand of baseball. Glad to have that continuity moving forward. Extremely happy for him and his family," infielder Marcus Seimien said on Tuesday.

Added veteran Francisco Lindor: "Its a good thing for the organization. I felt like he's done a good job, and you don't want to go into the offseaosn thinking about what's going to happen. He's been in the organization for the past few months, it's a wise decision, and I look forward to the next couple years."

Lindor added that Green has brought "light, joy and accountability" to the team.

Mets Hall of Famer and broadcaster Keith Hernandez was thrilled by the move. "It's very important when you have young players you have a manager who knows their abilities. I think he's the right guy for the job. I am absolutely thrilled."

While the move wasn't a shock to those around the Mets, it might have come as a shock to fans and those outside, because Green, Stearns and owner Steve Cohen has stated emphatically for months that once the 2026 season ended, Green would head back into his VP of Player Development role, and that he valued family time with his children. There was an understanding that the Mets were going to go into a full scale search.

But things changed.

"I made a promise to my girls when they were 13 years-old that I would not go back into the dugout until they graduated high school. And over the last month to see them go from 13-year olds to almost 18 year olds who want to see what dad do what makes him happy, but encouraged me to do this if the opportunity presented itself."

Stearns added that he got a call from Green a couple weeks ago in early September that he was open and "eager" to throwing his hat into the ring for the full time role, and that he "very much believed in this group of players."

"It got my head spinning just a bit," Stearn said. "We've had a number of conversations, and ultimately I recommended we move forward with Andy to Steve and Alex, and they agreed."

"I expected to have a conversation with Andy as we got deeper into September, and I expected him to come back to the front office. When he shared with me where his mind was, and it got me thinking. We've been able to have those conversations, and I was pleased we ended up where we did."

"I am excited to go forward with that group, and anticipate what we can do going forward," Green said. "It became more obvious with my family that this was something we wanted to do together."

When asked if he had done any informal searches outside the organization before this move, Stearns added, "I would say we did a significant amount of due diligence on candidates so we knew who was out there. But we never got to the point of interviewing an external candidate," Stearns added.

"The familiarity helps as we get into the off-season. It's comforting for players and allows us to move forward together."

Giants' Dart Could Be Lost for the Season with Knee Injury

2026-09-22T17:03:43.066-04:00

The prognosis for quarterback Jaxson Dart is not good.

Dart, who was injured on the seventh play of the Giants opening drive on Monday night in Los Angeles, could miss the entire season, or at least an extended period of weeks, as tests revealed the damage to Dart's left knee is worse than anticipated.

Dart got hurt when he was sandwiched in mid air between Rams linebackers Byron Young and Josiah Stewart. Dart then fell to the ground in a heap, while holding his knee. He left the game and didn't return, although reports early Monday indicated that he wanted to come back in, and was seen on the sideline in street clothes moving around just fine.

There was also ESPN, incidentally, capturing a member of the Giants training staff mouthing to Head Coach John Harbaugh what many assumed was him saying Dart could miss four to six weeks. Of course that was never confirmed.

Harbaugh did not reveal any diagnosis following the Giants 28-6 loss to the Rams, and then declined to comment further on how long the quarterback would miss time when broached about it on Monday.

However ESPN's Ian Rappoport and Mike Garafolo both indicate that Dart's injury is very severe and he could miss the rest of the season.

While the Giants have a favorable schedule the next two weeks with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals coming to MetLife on the schedule, beyond that it will get dicey.

Nobody expected the Giants to have a quarterback crisis on their hands this season, but now they do.

If he does, it's a devastating blow to Dart, and to Harbaugh, who is in his first season as Giants coach. A lot has been made about the Giants new coaching staff getting the most and best out of the second year signal caller after an injury plagued and inconsistent rookie year.

Veteran quarterback Jamies Winston played the rest of the game on Monday and struggled; he was 11-of-27 for 111 yards and an interception. Winston just signed a two-year, $13 million extension to be the Giants back-up, so if Dart is out, this is definitely going to be Wintson's show.

The only other quarterback on the team is Jack Haener who is on the practice squad.

If the Giants go out and look for a free agent, the best available is veteran Jimmy Garroppolo, who hasn't started a game since 2024.

If the Giants were to make a trade, would they call the Cincinnati Bengals about Joe Flacco?

It's an intriguing idea. Of course Flacco won a Super Bowl with Harbaugh in 2012 with the Ravens, and Flacco is no stranger to the area having spent three years with the Jets as a back-up and fill-in starter. But, the Bengals might value Flacco very highly, considering they don't have anyone else to back-up starter Joe Burrow.

Jets Disasterous Loss Harkens Back to Same Old Times

2026-09-21T04:48:00.000-04:00

Not only did the Jets blow a 17-7 lead on Sunday, and lose to the Green Bay Packers, 20-17, but they did something that hadn't been done in the NFL since 1941, and that is they held Green Bay under 200 yards, had a plus-one turnover margin, and Green Bay was flagged for over 100 yards, and still the Jets managed to lose.

The loss reminded us all what its like as the Same Old Jets.

Howie Rose Puts it in the Books ... on Legendary Career

2026-09-20T23:44:19.772-04:00

Legendary New York Mets broadcaster Howie Rose called it a career Sunday in his final radio broadcast as the Mets lead play-by-play voice.

Rose who covered the Mets for 39 years beginning in 1987, built a lasting legacy as one of the many great local voices to lend his pipes to the Amazin's. When you think of the Mets and broadcasters, Rose is right up there along with Gary Cohen, Bob Murphy, Lindsay Nelson, and Ralph Kiner.

Rose began his career as the host of the Mets pre and post game shows in 1987. By 1995 he moved into the broadcast booth as the voice of the Mets TV telecasts, first on Sports Channel, and then on Fox Sports Net New York.

In 2004, he took over the slot vacated by Murphy when he retired, sitting alongside Gary Cohen for two seasons, before Cohen switched over to TV and SNY.

Since 2006, Rose has been the lead voice of Mets radio broadcasts joined by a cast of different broadcasters from Eddie Coleman, Wayne Hagen, Josh Lewin, Wayne Randazzo, and Keith Radd.

On Sunday, the Mets had to postpone a ceremony to him due to the lingering rain storm in the area, it will be made up next season, but that wasn't enough to dampen the moment. The game went on, the Mets lost 7-2, and with each passing inning Rose became more emotional. When he signed off, he had tears in his eyes as the mets players came out of the dugout tipping their caps to him. He waved to the crowd who gave him a standing ovation.

Much deserved for the man who made catch phrases like "Put it in the Books" and "Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!" a part of the lexicon of New York sports.

Pete Alonso Earns Revenge Against Mets Front Office with 300th Career Homer

2026-09-16T00:54:10.076-04:00

Pete Alonso wouldn't admit it when asked about the emotions of this moment when he returned to Citi Field as a member of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, but this was personal, and he had to love every minute of it.

Nine months ago Alonso said good bye to the city he called home for over a decade, when he signed a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles, after the Mets front office, led by President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, decided against going into an aggressive bidding war for his services.

In fact, the Mets didn't even make an offer last winter.

How could they do that?

Alonso is the Mets All-Time Home Run Leader. His bat alone catapulted the Mets onto an incredible postseason run in 2024 when he launched a Devin Williams fastball over the right field wall in Milwuakee to send the Mets past the Brewers in the wild card.

Alonso was a home grown Met; one of the franchise's best overall players (even if he wasn't fleet afoot at first base). He played every single day. Never complained. Just put his head down and worked, and worked and worked.

"I spent a lot of time here. It's obviously exciting, because of all that time, coming up in the Mets organization and knowing a ton of people on the other side ... it's good to see all the people there," Alonso said on Monday outside the Orioles clubhouse. "Honestly I am gracious and appreciative of all the support. It's been a long time now since I have been an Oriole. It's been almost a year, I've been an Oriole and to still have that support is appreciative."

While he said all the right things, let's be honest, when Alonso launched a Kodi Senga fastball deep into the Flushing Queens night on Tuesday for his 300th career home run, he had to feel every kind of emotion and thought running through his body. I bet it probably felt like running on air around those bases.

He flipped the bat toward the Orioles dugout, pumped his fist in the air and screamed, then rounded the bases at Citi Field, something he had done 123 different times in a Mets uniform. Only this was different. This was vengeance. As Alonso came to the dugout he high-fived his new teammates, and had the look of both relief and anger in his eyes.

300 home runs! In the building he once called home! Against the team that didn't want him anymore! Against the team that replaced him with an oft-injured and inconsistent middle infielder named Jorge Polanco?!?!?!

You have to think that Alonso was thinking about all of that. Thinking about David Stearns who refused to come to terms on any deal with the Mets best player for two straight off-seasons. In fact Alonso was quoted in a May edition of the New York Post as telling Stearns: "When my career is being evaluated for the Hall of Fame years from now, you'll still be fiddling with your F---ing formulas."

This was justice personified.

And then there is Steve Cohen, the Mets slickster owner, who for years has tried to paint himself like George Steinbrenner, but is just a slicker version of Fred and Jeff Wilpon, walked up to Alonso at batting practice on Monday, almost making sure the cameras were on the two of them, when he told the Mets former First Baseman that Citi Field would always be his home. The two shook hands and Cohen walked back to the first base dugout.

While Cohen was trying to be the better man, and with all intents and purposes did the right thing going up to Alonso, he also tried to paint himself as innocent one in this situation.

Here's the thing, Cohen is the second richest owner in Baseball (outranked now by the Angels new owner Stan Kronkie). He could have easily walked into the office at any point last off-season and said, 'Guys, what the hell is going on here with Alonso? Five years? Six years? What is it? I'll pay it.'

He could have done that. Just like he made sure to outbid the Yankees for Juan Soto, making Soto one of the highest paid players in baseball history just two off-seasons ago. He could have done that, just the way he tried to with Carlos Correa before that deal fell through back in 2023.

Cohen said he wanted to be the East Coast version of the Dodgers, but last off-season he looked like an older version of the Mets when they used to tighten their purse strings.

So this entire week has been a harsh reminder to both Cohen and Stearns that Mets fans never forgot and never forgave. Sure for the past two months in July and August when this team has played a little bit better under Andy Green, you didn't hear much from Mets fans, mainly because the season was over before it ever started in April.

Mets fans stood up and gave Alonso a well deserved standing ovation when he walked to the plate on Monday.

And when he was walked in his first at bat, the crowed booed. When nothing was going on, they chanted, "Fire Stearns!"

Then came Tuesday night when Alonso crushed his 300th home run in the ninth inning of the Orioles 7-5 victory.

Citi Field exploded when the ball was launched off Alonso's bat. Then, Alonso peered out of the dugout and gave the fans a curtain call to which he received an even louder ovation.

The "Fire Stearns" chants grew louder and louder.

For those few fans criticizing Mets nation for their love and support of Alonso, you just don't get it.

Alonso was more than just a ball-player, he is a Hall of Famer. While we can argue about the Mets moving on from Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and even Edwin Diaz last off-season, Alonso should have been a full stop. Allowing him to leave should have never been an option.

Yankees Clinch Playoff Berth vs. Twins

2026-09-15T00:14:00.000-04:00

Behind a three-run bomb by Aaron Judge, the Yankees clinched a spot in the 2026 postseason in an 8-3 win over their favorite whipping boys, the Minnesota Twins.

Judge, who was 3-of-20 since coming off the I.L. after missing most of the season with a rib injury, launched a pitch into the second deck, signifying the Yankees slugger was finally back!

Judge wasn't the only one to go long. Both Jose Caballero and Austin Wells went long for the Yankees as they blew away the Twins in the later innings.

Now as far as that postseason thing is concerned the Yankees have a lot of work to do, and need some help. They still trail the Rays by 3.5 games. Tampa has been in first place seemingly everyday since mid-June.

Can the Yankees catch them? We are running out of days. The Yankees are six games ahead of Boston for the top wild card, meaning New York will have home field in the wild card series, but for the second straight season, the Yankees are starring down facing the Red Sox in that series.

That's rough.

New York has had a lot of trouble against teams within their division the past few years. This year has been a little better, New York is 25-20 vs. the A.L. East, but still. The Yankees will have to get through both the Red Sox and Rays to get to at least the ALCS. It's going to be a real challenge, but if anything the Yankees have the pitching.

Jets and Giants Both Impressive in Opening Day victories

2026-09-14T14:25:34.233-04:00

It has been 17 years since the last time both the New York Football Giants and New York Jets opened a season winning their season openers.

17-years.

Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin were the head coaches. The Giants were - at that time - two years removed from winning Super Bowl 42. The Jets were beginning a new era under Rex Ryan that would take them to the first of back-to-back trips to the AFC Title game.

It's truly been that long since both teams have been good in this town. And for the first time in seemingly forever both teams appear to finally be heading in the right direction.

The Giants dominated the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 on Sunday night. It wasn't as close as the score indicated. The Giants had 396 yards of offense in the game, and Jaxson Dart absolutely ate the Cowboys lunch tossing for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He even added 54 yards on the ground on 11 carries.

Cam Skateboo chipped in 81-yards and a score himself.

The Giants looked like a different football team on Sunday night. The atmosphere was of course electric. A new coach in John Harbaugh, plus the 25th Anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks, and you had momentum pointing right in the Giants favor.

Harbaugh wanted to instill tough mindedness into this Giants, and it worked in a big way on Sunday as New York never trailed their arch rivals.

Meanwhile the Jets took out the trash in Tennessee, as they slapped the Titans 23-10 behind a 102-yard effort from running back Breece Hall.

The Jets as a team ran for 152 yards in the game.

Geno Smith was efficient. He completed 19-of-24 passes for 215 and a score. He managed the offense incredibly well, and didn't make too many mistakes.

Defensively the Jets dominated up front. They sacked quarterback Cam Ward three times and hurried him five times overall.

It looked like a totally different Jets team than the one we saw a year ago under Head Coach Aaron Glenn.

Instead the discombobulated team was run by ex-Jets coach Robert Saleh, now the head-man with the Titans. His team looked unfocused and unprepared, something that was too much of a trait when Saleh was the coach in New York.

While the Jets face a gauntlet the next three weeks, they are 1-0 for the first time in three seasons. The win was also the franchises first on the road to start a season since 2018.

Yes, it's one game, but for one game the Jets and Giants have done something nobody expected: they are giving their fans reason to believe!

25th Anniversary of 9-11 Terror Attacks, A Sobering Reminder

2026-09-12T01:29:41.086-04:00

25 years ago, radical terrorists tried to take away our freedoms, filling us with nothing but fear when they hijacked four planes on a crisp Tuesday, September morning. Two of those planes as we known crashed into the World Trade Center; another was driven right into the Pentagon, and, thanks to the heroics of the passengers aboard United Flight 93, the last plane wound up crashing into a field in Pennsylvania.

2,977 people were killed.

I shake with sadness and anger because it's just too horrifying to think about, let alone type into words.

September 11 changed everything in our Nation and around the world. Not only did radical Islamic terrorists try to take away our freedom, they declared war on it, and led us down a path toward seemingly never ending wars in Afghanistan and later, Iraq.

Moreover our way of life changed forever. Security checkpoints at airports changed; even security at big social gatherings like stadiums and concert halls required (at the time, and still do) bag checks. That just scratches the surface.

I was 16-years old on September 11, 2001, a sophomore in high school, and I remember that day as if it were yesterday.

I was in a computer class, because at that time in my life, I was of those kids who was a one-finger-at-a-time typer. That class helped me rebuild my skills, but on that Tuesday morning, one of our high school history teachers, better known for being a jokester, came running into the room.

"Hurry turn on your televisions, we are under attack. They hit the World Trade Center."

"What!?" our computer teacher said out load. I remember distinctly looking at the girl to my right in shock.

The television, which -- in case you do not know what technology was like in 2001 -- was strapped down to giant rolling stand, rolled into the room and plugged into the wall. There were no flat screens back then. Some rooms were self equipped with those big ole boxy sets tied tightly to the ceiling. That's the way it was back then. Alas, the TV went on to one of the news stations and we all saw it.

The World Trade Center was on fire, both buildings, as the second plane had already hit. We all know what came next: the buildings themselves collapsed from the heat that melted the steel structure that couldn't support the weight any longer. Anyone left inside was incinerated.

Derek Jeter hugs kin of those lost on 9-11.

Clouds of smoke, dust and asbestos filled the air in downtown Manhattan that late morning and afternoon as people scurried out of the way. Workers from all over the city were trying to get out. Some were leaving on foot to cross over the bridges like the G.W.B, or made their way hiking through the tunnels.

Everyone has their own story of how they dealt with that day.

In the years since whenever I would pass through North Arlington in Hudson County, especially when I was a beat reporter with the Jersey Journal, I would pass by this open fenced area where you can see straight across to lower Manhattan where the towers were. What a horrifying site that must have been for those residents.

Back in our school on that horrible day in 2001, I remember being in the lunch room shortly after that computer class. The principal was making announcements that we were all to be dismissed early. You could hear kids screaming, some crying, in fact I remember one of our assistant principals had to hold one young girl in his arms to comfort her. Others didn't know how to react; others wanted to get the terrorists that did this.

There were all kinds of emotions coming out. Anger and fear were the most prominent. I remember when I got off the bus that afternoon, looking up into the sky, wondering what else would happen. Was I safe? Were we all safe?

And that's how we lived basically for days, weeks and months ahead. We lived in fear. We looked around. We were always on the alert. We looked to the sky fearing what would come down. We crawled back into New York in fear of what would happen.

I remember the ensuing baseball season in 2002 being extremely worried (I said nothing of course) when we would drive on the lower level of the G.W.B, and if you take that drive you know there are buildings on top of the bridge entrance into NYC when it splits between the FDR Drive and Amsterdam Ave in the Bronx.

'What would happen? Would a van explode and trap us all like rats?' I thought.

These are the kinds of fears we had because we just never knew, and it would be years until justice was finally delivered to the curator of this disaster, Osama Bin Laden in the spring of 2011.

Since this is a sports site, obviously sports played a very large role in 9-11, its response to it, and how we survived it all.

All sporting events were cancelled for a week following the 9-11 attacks. No baseball. No football. Basketball and hockey preseason were also canceled.

It was quiet. Nothing was on television. This was long before Netflix or Prime Video, so when I say there was next to nothing on TV, I mean it! There was literary next to nothing except the news on just about every channel. What would we do? Would we bomb Afghanistan? Iraq? Saudi Arabia? How would we respond? Did anyone survive?

Sure, there were benefit concerts with a whole call list of celebrities. (Again, this was still in an era when people actually liked Hollywood celebrities -- famous faces like Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, and Alicia Keys all chipped in to help raise funds for 9-11 victims and their families on live TV.

There was even that bizarre moment when both houses of Congress - both Democrats and Republicans -- stood together holding candles and praying for their fellow American.

But overall it was a long, and painful time just waiting for any kind of reprieve.

When baseball finally returned about a week later on September 17, the Mets were in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. It was so very strange. I remember seeing players trying to hold back tears during the national anthem. Mets broadcaster Gary Thorne was choked up. And I remember the Mets were still in a pennant race at the time. That took a back seat. It felt like it was Opening Day all over again, only not. The Mets won 4-1 which was a nice dose of reality at the time.

A few days later, the Mets made everyone feel even better.

On September 21, the Mets were the first team to host a game in New York City, at old Shea Stadium, against their arch rivals the Atlanta Braves. While these two bitter foes were once again neck-and-neck in the N.L. East standings, they took time before the game to share a team wide embrace on the field before the game.

It was so very different. Fans in attendance were nervous. Everyone was terrified. What would happen? Can we go to a ballgame? Should we be doing this?

The answer was a resounding 'YES!' Come the eighth inning of that ballgame, Hall of Famer Mike Piazza delivered the keynote when he crushed a solo home run straight dead center to give the Mets a 3-2 lead over Atlanta.

It was more than just a home run to beat the Braves and get closer in the standings. It was a breath of fresh air; like a baby taking its first scream to draw oxygen into its lungs when it breathed for the first time.

I'll never forget the feeling watching that on my couch. It was bigger than any World Series or NLCS. It was a shot at the terrorists that took down those buildings, and drove that plane into the Pentagon, and forced passengers to drive a plane into the ground that they could not and would never win. EVER!

A few weeks later the Yankees got their shot to give the City what it needed. The Yankees -- baseball's grandest dynasty of the 20th Century -- were looking for its fifth World Series title in six years at the time, and against the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks, we got one of the best Fall Classics we have ever seen.

The Yankees won Games 4 and 5 in dramatic fashion.

Those Yankees teams always found ways to rip the hearts right out of the chest of their opponents. As a Mets fan, I couldn't stand them, but respected them. Now, I wish we had teams like that still. Funny how that works. Those Yankees were ruthless, something we haven't seen from the franchise in decades.

First in Game 4 there was Tino Martinez's two-run bomb in the bottom of the ninth against closer Byung-huyn Kim that tied the game in typical Yankees fashion.

In extra innings Derek Jeter became Mr. November when he launched the game winning home run to knot up this series at two games a piece. Old Yankees Stadium exploded, the building shook!

The next night in Game 5, Scott Brosious crushed a two-out, two-run bomb off Kim to tie that game up at two. The Yankees would win on an Alfonso Soriano RBI single in the 12th.

While the Yankees would end up losing that World Series in seven games, those two cold October nights in the Bronx proved that New York was ready to stand tall again.

And so we did. We persevered. We kept going.

Every year; every week; every day.

We're still here, and we will never forget.

NFL Season Kicks off Tonight in Seattle

2026-09-09T16:54:57.004-04:00

Let's get this bad boy started!

The 2026 NFL season is upon us, and it all begins this evening when the reigning Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots. It will be a rematch of last season's Super Bowl, and it's only the second time since the NFL implemented the Thursday night opener begin with the reigning champion taking on the same team they defeated in the Big Game.

The last time that happened was 2016 when the Broncos faced off with the Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50.

Chances are good the Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold will crush a Patriots team that has had an off-season full of distractions. We'll see.

Meanwhile back here in New York City, the Jets and Giants are preparing for Sunday's games, with moderately high expectations for the upcoming season.

Can John Harbaugh turn around the Giants? Will Jaxson Dart come into his own? Can the Giants stay healthy offensively? Will Arvell Reese have an immediate impact?

Can Aaron Glenn keep his job with the Jets? Has Woody Johnson changed as an owner? Will Geno Smith be the Geno Smith we saw in Seattle? Can the Jets defense force an interception?

These are the questions that will linger all season for both clubs. In the meantime check out our vlog of predictions!

Athletic Article Paints Woody Johnson Redemption Story

2026-09-08T15:25:06.037-04:00

A couple years ago the Athletic published an article about the dysfunction within the New York Jets. New York had just fired its head coach, Robert Saleh following a disappointing trip to London, England, in which they lost to the Minnesota Vikings 23-17 to drop to 2-3 on the season.

When Saleh was fired, many pundits and fans, including myself, thought the move was abrupt. What followed was a scathing story that painted owner Woody Johnson as a meddling owner; detailed his fractured relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and dove into the idea that Johnson's own son Brick and Madden ratings.

It was wild.

Of course Jets fans pounded on Johnson for the handling of the Saleh situation, and the Jets failings over the past 15 years without a playoff appearance. The media has dissected his every word -- when he does speak in public -- but we never really get HIS side of the story. That was until now.

Fast forward to today, and The Athletic is back with a new article on Johnson, this time written exclusively by Jets beat writer Zach Rosenblat, and it depicts, in grand detail, how Johnson is doing everything he can to change the narrative about himself and the organization.

It's an incredible story.

"When we sat down, he flat-out told me: Listen, I made mistakes,'" Aaron Glenn is quoted as saying in the story about his first meeting with Johnson when the Jets were searching for a head coach in January of 2025.

What follows is a story that details how Johnson tried to learn from his own mistakes, while not shying away from his firing of Saleh. Ironically the Jets face Saleh on Sunday when Gang Green opens the season against the Tennessee Titans with Saleh as its head coach.

Rosenblat explains how Johnson's just couldn't co-exist with Saleh and then GM Joe Douglas, both of whom were hired by his brother, Christopher, in 2021. Johnson and Glenn made a pact to work together and so far they are trying to keep to it.

Rosenblat reports that Johnson improved the training facilities, a reconstruction project that is still on-going; he took to learning more about A.I. and how it could help the Jets moving forward schematically both in player preparation and nutrition, and he's allowed GM Darren Mougey to implement lessons and plans he's learned along the way after 12 years in Denver.

The players haven taken notice, as Johnson's NFLPA score jumped up from an F in 2024 to a solid B in 2025.

It's a intriguing story about reaching for redemption, and one that the Jets hope will pay off this year.

At the very least it should put to rest the story lines of tanking for the next so-called great quarterback, and Hot Seats, and Mike Tomlin -- at least for now. If Johnson is true to his word, and he and Glenn, and Mougey are indeed working in concert than the focus in 2026 should be on taking a step forward in the right direction and evaluating from there.

Nobody is expecting the Jets to win a Super Bowl in 2026. And anyone with any common sense shouldn't be expecting playoffs this year either, but an increase in wins? An increase in competency and solid play moving forward? That's really all fans should ask for.

Let's see how the chips fall beginning Sunday.

Judge Returns to Yankees' Lineup Tonight

2026-09-08T15:00:59.787-04:00

Aaron Judge is back.

At long last the Yankees MVP is back in the lineup tonight against the Colorado Rockies, in what the Yankees hope is the beginning of a major run by slugger Aaron Judge.

Since landing on the IL on May 31 with a rib injury, the Yankees have bounced up and down all summer long, posting a record of 45-39 during the 84 games Judge was sidelined. New York clearly missed him. New York's run production dropped off considerably from 5.19 per game with him to 4.06 runs per game in Major League Baseball.

There have been points this summer where it felt like the Yankees were the on the precipice of fading. Not only did they not have Judge, but Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger have missed time. Bellinger returned to the lineup a couple weeks ago. Stanton might be done for for the year.

Winning five straight in mid-August which included a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles was really the Yankees saving grace. In addition, the team dominated the Red Sox in a four-game series from August 28-30, taking three of four, highlighted by a 16-1 win on August 30.

Over the last seven games the Yankees as a team are hitting .269 with a .689 OPS. Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Spencer Jones, and Ben Rice have all been standouts in recent weeks. It's all to the good.

Not to mention, barring anything unforeseen, the Yankees finally have a full rotation with Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon, and Max Fried all pitching, and pitching well.

But don't expect miracles. Judge is 34; he is human after all. While he has the ability to go yard at any point, he wants and the Yankees want him to get into a groove here. If Judge uses these next three weeks to get hot for the wild card round, the Yankees will be the scariest team in the American League come October.

Then again it all depends on what happens in October when we get there. Judge is a lifetime .236 hitter in the postseason. Despite hitting .500 last year in seven playoff games, the Yankees still got bounced in the ALDS by Toronto.

He's amazing when he's on, but the Yankees are not infallible. There are enough holes on this team that it could drop two of three at moments notice.

This year they'll have to get through Tampa Bay and Boston mostly likely to get to the playoffs, and we know those two teams have had their success against the Yankees in the past.

Buckle up folks.