When the World of Sports Turns All Consuming

I can probably count on one finger the number of weeks – sporting-wise of course – that have rivalled this one for pure agitation, excitement, turmoil and tumult in recent years . . . and we’re not even done yet.

Far from it.

When the final day, being Sunday, rolls out its own red carpet, it’ll mark the continuation of the Toronto Blue Jays’ march towards what could be a World Series title.

Intense.

But to get there from here? Let’s have a look at what has happened during the first five days of this seven-day period in early October of 2025 (and a taste of what lies ahead).

I’M GOING TO NEED AT LEAST TWO TVs, PLEASE:

That would be on Wednesday night, and Thursday night as well.

Throw in Monday for good measure too.

For me, I’ve just got the one big Sony, so it’s been a battery-using nightmare with my clicker sailing back and forth, and forth and back.

After a full slate of salty NFL play coming out of Sunday, Monday – our first day of quality measurement – brought us what looked to be a sure thing with the KC Chiefs tackling Jacksonville.

Lo and behold it was a stunner as young Trevor Lawrence lived up to his ‘first-overall’ billing in leading the Jags over the legendary Patrick Mahomes, 31-28.

Changing of the guard in the AFC? Perhaps. The Jags moved to 4-1 while the Chiefs plummeted to 2-3. Don’t discount Mahomes though, he threw for 318 yards and rambled for another 60 on the ground.

Meantime, your Blue Jays were flying to the Big Apple after guzzling everybody’s choice, the NY Yankees, in back-to-backs during the weekend’s opener of the divisional series.

Monday did bring about more on-the-field baseball as well as the LA Dodgers slipped by Philadelphia by a single run and Milwaukee seemingly took charge of its set by pumping the Cubs.

Tuesday came on next, and in one forgettable and ugly showing, the Jays stunk it up against the Yankees in Game 3. It was highly watchable, though, until the latter innings when Toronto imploded.

Oh, and the NHL (or Big Hockey, as my ex calls it) kicked off that night as well with the Florida Panthers raising the banner before dusting the Chicago Blackhawks.

More on that in a bit.

Because if there was a day and night like Wednesdays, lately, we haven’t been introduced.

For the first time in memory, the oldest and most storied rivalry in hockey took its place in the backseat of a Canadian sporting fanatic’s ride.

Montreal and its Canadiens in Toronto to face the Leafs in Game 1 of the year for both and the reality was (for a change in many a household across the country), it was baseball which took a firm grasp of centre stage.

To get things going, Detroit spanked Seattle to draw their divisional showdown even at two games apiece. This was huge for optimistic Jays’ followers who understood that although Toronto hadn’t clinched anything yet, the fact that the Jays potential opponent was going the full five games (and throw in a veritable cross-country travel route to boot), set them up very well.

Night-time then showed its face with, a) the Buds and Habs and, b) what turned out to be the grand finale of Canada’s-baseball-hopes taking down the reviled Yanks on the New York stage, of all things.

Start spreading the news New York. Your boys got spanked.

If I didn’t have a dog that needed to find a tree and pee every few hours, it’s unlikely I would have left the comfort of my chair that night, and my Sony.

It was intense.

And that might be an understatement.

Thursday popped up and the frolic continued.

The Dodgers ended the Phillies season in a nail-biter, then the Cubbies took it hard to the favoured Milwaukee Brewers to even that set and send it to a deciding Game 5 (on Saturday).

And then: George Thorogood wrote it best when he said night time was the right time . . . for most in these parts.

First up? Your Ottawa Senators stunning the Tampa Lightning – an early season Eastern Conference favourite – in the late stages of the third period.

Second up? My New York Giants flying high due to a pair of rookies in Cam Skattebo (three TDs) and Jaxson Dart (one through the air, one on the ground) in an enormous upset of the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Friday (today as of this writing) brings a breather before another crazed weekend of must-see stuff. No NHL today, no NFL and but the lone MLB set-to.

Maybe we should head to the opera or something.

Phew.

thegrossgame@yahoo.com

Photo: Courtesy AP