“How I Met Your Mother” was the subject of much criticism this week for the strange ending to its ninth and final season, turning its audience on its head with a giant plot twist. Millions expected to see the main character ride off into the sunset peacefully with the mother, but the story continued on and basically everyone was disappointed.

There’s a lesson here. Don’t reserve yourself to one possible outcome and put on blinders. It was very possible “How I Met Your Mother” was going to end strangely, yet a whole nation sat in denial.

The Knicks may make the playoffs, and the Yankees may not. The consensus on both of these things seems to be the opposite. Fans of the former don’t realize just how poorly the Atlanta Hawks, sitting in the eighth seed, are playing. Fans of the latter don’t understand the Rays are stronger and more mature this year, and the Red Sox are very similar to last year, when they won the World Series.

Sports allow us to watch the unexpected happen, which keeps us coming back. We must prepare ourselves for the Knicks making the playoffs and the Yankees missing them. Both of these occurrences are very possible, and we can’t feel shocked if they happen.

That aside, I think both of these things will happen. The Knicks are coming off their best month of the season, and while they won’t win every game in April, I think they’re capable of winning five or six. That would put them right there with the Hawks at the current rate they’re playing.

For the Yankees, it becomes a bit more complicated than that. Their rotation is definitely playoff material, but they’re the same old Yankees. Emphasis on the ‘old.’ Brian Roberts is guaranteed to get hurt for at least 20 games this year, and Kelly Johnson will be asked to back up every position. As of now, Eduardo Nunez is hurt, so there would be conceivably no one to play third base. Add an aging and injury prone Mark Teixeira to the list along with Derek Jeter, who couldn’t stay on the field last year, and you have a ticking time bomb of an infield.

Adding Brian McCann, Beltran and Ellsbury will certainly help on offense, but again with the latter two there have to be cautions about injury.

For as many positives there are about the Yankees, there are just as many negatives. You can’t put on the blinders and pretend like this offseason spending spree will buy the Yankees another spot in the postseason. To go along with competition in the AL East, you’ve also got the Angels or Rangers out West, and the Indians and maybe Royals in the Central who want wild card fights.

It’s going to be a fight until the end. Don’t assume the Yankees are going to make the playoffs. Even with the Yankees missing the playoffs two years in a row.

If the Knicks make the playoffs, which is growing more likely, anything is possible.

— Kenny Ducey