He Woke Up to a Bizarre New World

The curse might have been lifted, but not totally, as far as Boston-area resident Steven Manganello is concerned.

The lifelong Red Sox fan was hit by a taxi on Oct. 1 while vacationing in Tokyo. He spent four weeks in a hospital drifting in and out of consciousness, thereby missing the team’s World Series triumph.

“I get hit by a car and boom, they win the Series,” Manganello told Bill Simmons of ESPN the Magazine. “If you loved the Red Sox and waited your whole life for this, how would you feel? It’s brutal.”

He did add that he was thankful to be alive.

Trivia time: On this date in 1981, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10, in Super Bowl XV. What was significant about the Raiders’ triumph?

X-rated: Snowboarding sensation Shaun White, among the competitors at the Winter X Games, which begin Saturday at Aspen, Colo., showed why he’s one of the world’s best during a warmup rail-riding event at nearby Vail.

And Transworld Snowboarding magazine, which covered the event, showed why the sport is so difficult for mainstream audiences to follow. White won by “50-50 to gapping the kink on his way up, and then 50-50ing back down the kinked rail to 360 out,” the online report described. “He also 270ed onto the kink and tore apart both C-rails. Yeah, he kinda just did it all.”

Whatever it all was.

Shirts off their backs: Many top supercross stars autographed the race jerseys they wore during the season opener this month at Angel Stadium, then put them up for auction on EBay, with the proceeds earmarked for Red Cross efforts to aid tsunami victims.

Monday morning the total was nearly $20,000, with Jeremy McGrath’s jersey fetching a bid of $2,550. Kevin Windham’s was next at $2,035, followed by Ricky Carmichael’s at $1,925. The auction runs through Sunday.

Looking back: On this date in 1960, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors set a rookie record by scoring 58 points in a 127-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons. He also had 42 rebounds.

Bucking the odds: Fox broadcaster Joe Buck, who will be profiled tonight on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” was working as an announcer in the minor leagues at 19 and in the majors at 21, thanks to his father, legendary broadcaster Jack Buck.

Asked by correspondent Bernard Goldberg whether he considered that nepotism, Joe replied, “Absolutely. And I think nepotism is great, as long as you keep it in the family.”

Trivia answer: They became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl, after finishing second to the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West. They defeated the Chargers in the AFC championship game, 34-27.

And finally: Shaquille O’Neal on the Miami Heat’s 97-68 victory Sunday over the doormat New Orleans Hornets: “This isn’t a game we should be proud of. This game is like taking your kids to the zoo. You’re supposed to take your kids to the zoo. You’re a father. So a team like that, we’re supposed to beat them like this.”