Sports are full of surprises lately.

I can't believe the Rangers' road opener.
I had the unexpected good fortune to be invited to Game 2 of the ALDS in Anaheim. This meant foregoing the NHL's first day of real action since the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, but in the end it became just another reason why I love Tivo. While New York showed good intensity in the first period in the portion I watched live, they took a lot of penalties, and I knew later from a check of my satellite radio that they trailed 3-2 in the second period. I resumed play in the third period after getting back from the ballgame, and was shocked to see the Rangers, about which I have complained so bitterly in the past, scored two goals within about thirty seconds to cap a 5-3 win. Not only did Jaromir Jagr play phenomenally down the stretch, but the Rangers also out-hustled the opposing squad, and guys like center Jamie Lundmark were rewarded for the effort. Not only was it a victory, but it was against a highly-rated Philadelphia Flyers squad in their own building. While the next two contests netted the Blueshirts overtime losses which carry a value of one point in the standings, the Rangers were fortunate to force the first overtime against Montreal, and the second was in New Jersey against dominant goalie Martin Brodeur. Of course, this is a young team: confusion about a line change and uncertainty about defense in the last ten seconds of the second period cost New York two goals early today in a 3-2 loss to Washington.

I couldn't fathom that Brett Favre was going out like this.
I was in Hollywood last Monday to watch a Swedish band named Mando Diao to which my brother had introduced me. During one of the breaks between opening acts, I hopped over to the venue's bar and had a soda while I watched the closing minutes of Monday Night Football. Featuring the 0-3 Packers and the disappointing Panthers who had won just once, the contest didn't exactly hearken back to some of the marquee matchups of Monday nights past. Nevertheless, this was a chance to see the legendary Brett Favre on the stage where he has had so many magical moments in seasons of yore. When I first joined the game, Carolina led 32-21, and looked to put the game away. As poor as his team had played, Favre is never one to give up, even if his skills now rank him 14th in NFL passer rating. Sure enough, the QB led a drive from the Packers' 10 yard line all the way to the end zone and completed the two-point conversion, cutting their deficit to just three. The rally was so stirring, ABC played highlights from his past performances on this day of the week. However, the Packers next possession dashed their hopes, when a 4th down pass to Donald Driver was tipped away from him by Chris Gamble. I still wonder if Green Bay's 52-3 thrashing of the Saints yesterday was the result of extreme frustration on the part of a once proud group of players.

I didn't imagine this bad of an ending on Saturday.
Speaking of frustrating finishes this weekend, none was worse for me than that of my Cal Bears collapse at the hands of UCLA at the Rose Bowl. I watched the majority of the second half at a restaurant where I was waiting to be seated, and the 47-40 end result wasn't pretty. What was once a thirteen point Bears lead was erased with a 19-3 fourth quarter in favor of the Bruins. Now, Cal's opportunity to meet USC at home with an undefeated record is spoiled, but a win against the top-ranked Trojans would be a way to salvage a shot at big hopes.

Then again, I could not have envisioned a better Sunday.
I made an allusion to the Jets' struggles in a recent posting, but clearly I did not anticipate that a forty-something quarterback named Vinny Testaverde once again would suit up for the Jets--and make a difference. To my surprise, a 4-0 Tampa Bay outfit did not have time to drive the length of the field and kick a game-winning field goal. This isn't to say that the offense is totally fixed, but Curtis Martin made it into the end zone twice, and Laveranues Coles finally got a few catches under his belt while he sat on my fantasy football pine. I joked that the win ended New York's bid to draft quarterback Matt Leinart in the 2006 Draft, but in all seriousness, the AFC East might hear from the men in green after all. Their turnaround coupled with another unexpectedly good fantasy football day and the Yankees' dramatic rally made this a day when it was worthwhile to stay home. To top it off, I watched a few of the late innings of the historic 18-inning Astros/Braves finish, which left my prediction looking uninformed. Chris Burke's game-winning long ball may have made him the new Aaron Boone, only for Houston. I suppose I can take solace in the fact that Farnsworth nearly closed the game in regulation, which may have set up my five-game conclusion to be accurate after all with Atlanta returning to Turner Field.

I never thought that infield dirt could be so bouncy.
Fresh off the Yankees' 4-2 victory on the road in Game 1 of the Division Series, New York looked to put a stranglehold on the series in the second chapter. After leading by two early, a Juan Rivera homer in the fifth and Alex Rodriguez error in the sixth made the edge evaporate. But, as Rob Neyer concluded, what may have cost the Yanks in this one was a couple of baserunners in the seventh who reached base after their batted balls hit the dirt in front of home plate. The first, fielded by Derek Jeter was ruled an infield single, while pitcher Chien-Ming Wang was charged with an error on the second (although Wang is a great fielding pitcher, and I found the judgment unfair). A two-out single by Orlando Cabrera gave the Angels a two-run lead on the way to a 5-3 final score. The Yankees looked doomed after mostly terrible outings by Randy Johnson and the bullpen in heavy rain in Game 3, and the Angels offense put in a major appearance. Anaheim went on to win by four even though the home team mounted a rally that at one point scored six unanswered runs. Then, the Yankees needed a couple of walks to come from two runs behind in the sixth in Game 4. Tonight will either be the cause of much joy or yet another playoff setback for the men in pinstripes and I can never tell which games will punch me in the stomach, and which will leave me jumping for joy. As a parting note, I will say this: they did manage to get to the postseason after much difficulty, which is commendable.

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