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SI VIEW THE WEEK IN TV SPORTS
Saturday 6/28
GOLF
U.S. Senior Open
I am Gil Morgan? As the oldsters' tour arrives at its third
major of the year, the Senior Open, at Olympia Fields Country
Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., it's befuddling that little fuss
has been made over the Oklahoma optometrist and 24-year veteran
of the PGA Tour who last year won his first Senior tournament
just 11 days after turning 50. In '97, Morgan (above) has won as
many events (three) as has Tiger Woods and has earned $949,342
in prize money. Although he has never practiced optometry and
has no plans to do so, Morgan renews his license each year. His
rivals--chief among them Hale Irwin, at week's end the tour's
'97 money leader with $1,075,831--can only hope that Morgan soon
experiences a midlife crisis. And changes jobs.
NBC, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 3 PM
BOXING
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson
Will there be a doctor--and we don't mean the fight doctor,
Ferdie Pacheco--in the house at Las Vegas's MGM Grand? Yes.
Holyfield and Tyson, who have physicians in their corners during
bouts, both recently married docs, as well. Last October, a
month before knocking out then champion Tyson (below, at right)
in the 11th round for the WBA title, Holyfield wed Janice Itson,
34, an internist (page 22). Then, in April, Tyson exchanged vows
with Monica Turner, 31, a pediatrician. This much we know:
Holyfield (33-3), who will earn $35 million for this rematch,
and Tyson (45-2), who will reap $20 million, married for love
and not for money.
PAY-PER-VIEW, 9 PM
Monday 6/30
BASEBALL
Braves at Yankees
Holy cow! Interleague play reunites the 1996 World Series foes
as well as father-and-son broadcasters Skip and Chip Caray (son
and grandson of Cubs broadcaster Harry), who will call the game
for TBS and FX, respectively. Flip from Skip to Chip as third
baseman Chipper Jones (right) and Atlanta, which at week's end
had the National League's best record, revisit New York, where
last October the Braves lost Game 6 and, with it, the Fall
Classic. Good news for Atlanta: Yankees closer and Series MVP
John Wetteland has left the Bronx for Texas. Bad news for
Atlanta: Yankees fans haven't.
TBS AND FX, 7:30 PM
Thursday 7/3
NOSTALGIA
Distant Replay: Larry Doby
On July 4, 1947, Larry Doby played the lid-lifter of a
doubleheader for his Negro leagues baseball team, the Newark
Eagles. After that game, at the behest of Cleveland Indians
owner Bill Veeck, Doby boarded a train for Chicago, where the
Indians were playing the White Sox, and the following day became
the first black to play in the American League. "The most
important statement [Veeck] made was, 'We're in this together,'"
Doby tells host Dick Schaap in this respectful biography. Though
Doby made his debut to less fanfare than had Jackie Robinson
three months earlier, he had an equally illustrious career, in
which he was named to seven American League All-Star teams and
twice led the league in homers. "You don't have to love me,"
Doby used to say during his playing days, "just respect me."
CLASSIC SPORTS, 7 PM
Friday 7/4
BASEBALL
Mariners at Angels
Tonight all eyes will be on centerfield. Seattle's Ken Griffey
Jr. is only the third outfielder in American League history (Al
Kaline and Paul Blair were the other two) to win a Gold Glove in
seven consecutive years. If Griffey surrenders the gilded
gauntlet this season, it might be to Anaheim's Jim Edmonds. The
Angels centerfielder's jaw-dropping catch of a drive by the
Royals' David Howard on June 10--Edmonds snagged the ball with
his back to home plate as he dived onto the warning track--was
made even more amazing by the fact that he is playing with torn
cartilage in his left knee.
ESPN, 10 PM
All times Eastern. Schedules are subject to change.
COLOR PHOTO: ROBERT BECK [Gil Morgan playing golf]
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN IACONO [Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson boxing]
COLOR PHOTO: JONATHAN DANIEL/ALLSPORT [Chipper Jones playing baseball]
THE ! ZAPPER
SportsCenter coanchor Keith Olbermann once spiced up a routine
double-play highlight by informing viewers, "That's 6-4-3 if
you're scoring at home...or if you're alone." Olbermann will
depart ESPN this week (he is joining MSNBC to host a nightly
general-interest talk show), and his wit will be missed on
SportsCenter, from which the class clowns tend to graduate
early. In 1995 Craig Kilborn left to host The Daily Show on
Comedy Central. Now Olbermann's tag-team partner, the
vermouth-dry Dan Patrick, is rumored to be among the candidates
to replace cohost Charles Gibson on ABC's Good Morning, America.
Is it only a matter of time before Kenny Mayne is interviewing
Alan Greenspan on Nightline and declaring, "I am amused by the
simplicity of the interest-rate structure?"
