SI VIEW THE WEEK IN TV SPORTS
Saturday 6/14
MOTOR SPORTS
24 Hours of Le Mans
If you can drive 24 consecutive hours without having someone
ask, "Are we there yet?" or passing a Stuckey's, God bless you.
(Even just sitting through the 10 hours of the race that will be
telecast today and tomorrow will display uncommon
perseverance--or inertia.) The most intriguing entry in this
year's Vingt-Quatre Heures du Mans is 57-year-old Mario
Andretti, who has won the Daytona 500 (1967), the Indianapolis
500 ('69) and the Formula One world championship ('78). At Le
Mans, Andretti will be driving a Porsche Courage C36 as he seeks
to become the first man to complete the sport's unofficial Grand
Slam.
SPEEDVISION, 9:30 AM; SUNDAY 7 AM
GOLF
U.S. Open
The last time the U.S. Open finished on a par-3 18th hole, as it
will on the Blue Course at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., was
in 1909 at the now defunct Englewood (N.J.) Golf Club. That was
66-plus years before Masters champion and this year's pre-Open
favorite, Tiger Woods (left), was born. What will the leaders
see before them as they approach the 190-yard 18th during
today's third and tomorrow's final round? A steep bank fronting
the green that has been "bikini waxed" to a precarious half inch
and descending to a scenic pond (also known as a water
hazard)--and a gallery of 20,000 fans. In other words, a
one-shot opportunity to test one's Congressional mettle.
NBC, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 12:30 PM
BOXING
Oscar De La Hoya vs. David Kamau
Two questions loom as De La Hoya (left) prepares to defend his
unblemished (24-0) pro record and WBC welterweight title against
the Kenyan-born Kamau inside the Alamodome. One, does the Golden
Boy's recent hiring of trainer Emanuel Steward, the former
cornerman for Thomas (Hit Man) Hearns, augur a more aggressive
approach for De La Hoya than he took in his decision over
Pernell Whitaker in April? Yes. Two--and Larry Merchant, you
know the answer--is there a good mariachi band to be found in
San Antonio? !Si! The slick Kamau, whose only loss in 29 fights
was to Mexican folk hero Julio Cesar Chavez, may find himself in
the Davy Crockett role. Proposed rematch slogan: Remember the
Alamodome!
HBO, 9:30 PM
Monday 6/16
BASEBALL
Cubs at White Sox; Mets at Yankees
What does this de facto interleague doubleheader represent to
the fans in Chicago and New York? The El and Subway Series,
respectively, for which they've longed. What does it mean to the
players of the visiting Cubs and Mets? Traffic. The Mets' team
bus had better be equipped with an E-Z Pass tag should it
attempt to cross the Triborough Bridge at rush hour. At week's
end the record of the faceless Mets was only one game worse than
that of wunderkind shortstop Derek Jeter (below) and the World
Series champs. Meanwhile, the Cubs, who last played the White
Sox in the 1906 Fall Classic (and lost), had rebounded from
their 0-14 start to stand at 24-37--within five games of the
more celebrated South Side sluggers.
WGN, 4 PM; FX, 7:30 PM
Tuesday 6/17
SITUATION COMEDY
Arli$$
If amoral superagent Arliss Michaels had worked at the same
agency that canned Jerry Maguire, he would have schemed to
leverage the goldfish from Maguire while negotiating a merger
with Maguire's ex-girlfriend. As portrayed by Robert Wuhl, the
show's creator, Arliss is the ultimate "How can you help me?"
player rep. In this sophomore-season premiere, marital and
player-agent fidelity are compromised after a baseball client
(Brad Henke) confides--while receiving a lap dance at a strip
club--that he believes his wife is unfaithful. Real-life
athletes, such as the Oakland Raiders' Desmond Howard (above,
left, with Wuhl), show up to lend verisimilitude.
HBO, 11 PM
All times Eastern. Schedules are subject to change.
COLOR PHOTO: JOE PICCIOLO [Tiger Woods]
COLOR PHOTO: MANNY MILLAN [Oscar De La Hoya boxing]
COLOR PHOTO: CHUCK SOLOMON [Derek Jeter]
COLOR PHOTO: RANDY TEPPER/HBO [Desmond Howard and Robert Wuhl in TV's Arli$$]
THE ! ZAPPER
If you're not a country music fan, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Troy Aikman and no-hit king Nolan Ryan may be the lone stars
you'll recognize in the seventh annual Wrangler/City of Hope
Celebrity Softball Challenge (TNN, Wednesday, 8 p.m.). But if
you know the difference between Joe Diffie and Ken Griffey, and
between Tim and Tug McGraw, this game's for you. Best reason to
watch: With ex-love Lorrie Morgan on the opposing team, will
Aikman reach first base? Second-best reason: no Dan (MTV's Rock
'n' Jock Softball Challenge) Cortese.
