A Great 24 Hours in New York Sports

Sunday nights are usually depressing times. After a weekend of fun, the realization of having to go to work/school the next day sets in. We realize all the things we forgot to do and try to get last minute things done before our free time ends. But this Sunday night is different for me: after 24 hours of great sporting results, I feel content and happy. And although I still don't want Monday to come, I can go to sleep tonight knowing that at least my sporting world had a perfect 24 hours.

CC Sabathia can enjoy his champagne & get ready for the ALCS (LoHud)

The New York Rangers: The Rangers were picked to finish anyplace from 6th in the Eastern Conference to totally out of the playoffs so the expectations were pretty low to start. It seemed like a bridge year where the Rangers with young players at almost every position. So when the Rangers won 6-3 last night, it was a bonus. But there's was an even bigger bonus: rookie center Derek Stepan scored a hat trick beating the United States Olympic goaltender, Ryan Miller as Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News writes. Carp from LoHud has some other thoughts from the first win.

The New York Yankees: The second group was the most important as the Yankees finished up their sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series. Besides the fact that they won and finished the series, there's was plenty of other good news. CC Sabathia didn't have to pitch in a Game 4 so it lines him up to throw in Game 1 of the ALCS and potentially go in three games if needed. The guy who did pitch--Phil Hughes--had a bit of a coming-out party as he dominated the Twins and proved to the Yankee naysayers that they do, in fact, have three starting pitchers. As Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal wrote: "it represented potential realized, seven innings of promise fulfilled."

On the offensive side, the have gotten a balanced attack from everyone from Nick Swisher (.333 with a homer and two doubles) and Mark Teixeira (.308 with a homer and 3 RBI) to the DH platoon of Lance Berkman and Marcus Thames (each with two hits including a home run) to the new Curtis Granderson (.455 with a hit in each game, two extra-base hits, a stolen base and 3 RBI). Overall the team hit .314/.351/.514 in the series. So they're hitting righties, they're hitting lefties, and they're pitching. And we don't have to talk about A-Rod not hitting in October.

Oh, and Kerry Wood (who was great until last night), Boone Logan (who has shut down lefties), and David Robertson (who has, like his first name's sake, has become a giant slayer) have formed a great set-up group in front of Mariano Rivera (who pitched 3.1 innings and gave up no runs in the series). LoHud's Chad Jennings has this on Rivera: "Since the 1998 American League Division Series, Mariano Rivera has recorded the final out in 16 of 18 series clinching wins for the Yankees...Rivera has allowed one earned run in his past 20 postseason appearances. His scoreless ninth inning last night lowered his all-time best postseason ERA to 0.72."

The Yankees got even more good news today when the Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers series went to fifth game. While I'm not sure if the Yankees really would rather play the Rays or Rangers, the fact that they're being extended to a fifth game and have to use their aces is, well, aces for the Yankees. The Yankees can now sit back and root for an extra-inning, high-scoring, bullpen-draining affair in the deciding game. That's a pretty good spot for a team that was said to "back their way in to the playoffs". Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues recaps the clincher and Will@IIATMS asks where we go from here?

The New York Giants: During the NFL Network Sunday morning preview show, the panel mostly dismissed the Giants saying that this was not the Bears offensive they were playing this week. That was true, but the Giants still handled them just the same. Hakeem Nicks, much like Phil Hughes the day before, continued his coming out party with 12 catches for 130 yards and 2 TDs--and a few big blocks on Ahmad Bradshaw runs. 3 TDs total for Eli Manning made up for two bad interceptions and Brandon Jacobs and Bradshaw formed a formidable tandem once again. But more impressive for the G-men was another huge defensive effort against a really good troika of Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. While division-rival Washington found a way to win against the Packers, the hated Dallas Cowboys again suffered another painful loss at home.

And so concluded a great 24 hours for my sports-rooting interests. Let's hope next weekend starts just as well as the Yankees play in the American League Championship Series and the Giants return home to face the Detroit Lions.