The Arizona Cardinals, the ultimate underdog's underdog, will play in the Super Bowl - as totally improbable as that sounds.

Pittsburgh's favored, naturally. Arizona wouldn't have it any other way.

Yes, a nine-win team out of arguably the league's weakest division beat the odds and a stubborn Philadelphia Eagles team for the opportunity to face the blue-blood Steelers.

The '69 Mets weren't this amazing. The '83 Wolfpack's got nothing on Kurt Warner's team. Neither does the charismatic Obama, who overcame some steep odds of his own.

A Cardinals team that came within an hour or so of not selling out its first-round home playoff game is the latest feel-good story in sports. They've stolen a page from the Boise States and George Masons of the athletic world to stamp their way into underdog lore.

What we're seeing the past two years with Arizona's arrival and the New York Giants' repudiation of the near-perfect Patriots is the magic of a playoff, something college football sorely misses out on.

Unpredictability in sports is as big a constant as death and tax loopholes and the Harlem Globetrotters. That's the one thing we can predict.

So if the Cardinals can reach the ultimate game, anything is possible. With that as a backdrop, the sporting public undoubtedly can expect to see the following in the future:

* The Texas Rangers actually win a postseason series. Could a Cy Young award for a Rangers pitcher be far behind? (Maybe a single vote, anyway?)

* A 16-team, Division I-A college football playoff with no automatic berths but a tournament of just the best teams.

* Martha Burk win the Masters, with Gary McCord at the mike on the 18th green to chronicle it.

* The University of Texas actually hold a press conference when something bad happens, instead of just releasing a statement.

* Terrell Owens never hold another press conference ever.

* A winning coach dump a bucket of Gatorade on a player.

* A losing or disgruntled player dump a bucket of Gatorade on a coach, say, like Arizona Cardinals spoilsport Anquan Boldin on offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

* A non-BCS conference team win a national championship.

* A non-BCS conference team even have a chance to win a national championship.

* Mike Leach get the Notre Dame job.

* The NFL get rid of stupid rules that make no sense - say, like an illegal touch on kickoffs.

* Justin Mason find his 2008 game as he did at Tech.

* A guy who deserves the Heisman Trophy actually win it.

* Roger Clemens tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

* Barry Bonds do the same.

* The Longhorns run the ball on third-and-one. And make it.

* Jack Nicholson do a Frank Caliendo impersonation.

* Jack Nicholson take in a Lakers game from the mezzanine.

* No contract holdouts, positive steroid tests or overpriced tickets.

* My New York Yankees actually develop a player through their farm system.

* Donovan McNabb catch a break and win it all.

* Baseball pay its players living wages, not extravagant wages.

* Texas men and women win a basketball championship.

* Bud Selig look commissioner-like.

* Jerry Jones admit he's been wrong and hire a real general manager.

* Texas A&M beat Texas Tech in football. And beat somebody else, too.

* Jerry Sloan get his due as the perfect coach.

* A pro sports owner pay for his own stadium without public subsidies.

* Alex Rodriguez get a clutch hit in October.

* Wade Phillips get a clue.

* A World Series day game.

* A boxing match that anyone cares about.

* Tony Romo not shrug off a loss.

* Mack Brown vote his conviction.

* Florida acknowledge that Tim Tebow is really the Gators' head coach as well.

* The Los Angeles Clippers win an NBA title.

* The Detroit Lions win a game.

* The Houston Astros take a World Series crown.

* Augie Garrido take a cab.

kbohls@statesman.com