SI View The Week in TV Sports
SATURDAY 5/30
College World Series
Two strikes and yer out! At the College World Series, the
double-elimination format allows all eight schools involved a
second chance after a defeat. Each day this week (with telecasts
after today at various times on ESPN and ESPN2), Omaha's
Rosenblatt Stadium will host a twin bill as the field winnows
itself down to two for the June 6 championship game (CBS, 12:30
p.m.). Top teams and players still alive at the conclusion of
the regionals on Sunday: Two-time defending champion LSU has an
ace in pitcher Randy Keisler, who was averaging 12.2 strikeouts
per game; and Florida State boasts freshman rightfielder Matt
Diaz, who blasted four home runs during the Seminoles' 23-2 rout
of Oklahoma.
CBS, 1:30 PM; ESPN2, 7:30 PM
SUNDAY 5/31
Stars at Red Wings, Game 4
How does one earn $28 million for four months' work and still
remain in the red? Ask Detroit center Sergei Fedorov (far left),
who, on top of his $2 million salary and $14 million signing
bonus, will pocket an extra $12 million on July 1 because his
defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings advanced to these
Western Conference finals. The Russian-born Fedorov, through
Sunday the top postseason goal scorer in 1998 with eight, has
taken dead aim at becoming the first European to win the Conn
Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Aiming to smite his Smythe hopes
is the NHL's top-ranked goalie during the regular season,
Dallas's Ed Belfour. Tip: Home ice guarantees nothing. Entering
this round, home teams were 33-33 in the playoffs.
FOX, 2 PM
Nike Prefontaine Classic
"I'm in no hurry," says Marion Jones. No? Jones (left), who last
month ran the second-fastest women's 100 meters (10.71 seconds)
of all time, isn't in a rush to shatter Florence Griffith
Joyner's world-record 10.49, set in 1988 at the Seoul Olympics.
"If it comes, it comes," says the 22-year-old Jones, who will
run the 100 on the Hayward Field track in sylvan Eugene, Ore.
Like Michael Jordan, Jones was a starting freshman guard (in her
case in 1994) on an NCAA championship team at North Carolina.
Unlike Mike, who stuck to basketball to win Olympic gold medals
in '84 and '92, the distaff MJ has turned to the track in her
quest for a women's-record five Olympic golds (100, 200, long
jump, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay) in 2000. Yet another MJ, Michael
Johnson, is expected to compete in the 200 in the Pre.
CBS, 4 PM
THURSDAY 6/4
1958 World Cup Highlights
Everything about this captivating black-and-white Swedish film,
dubbed in English, appears dated--you half expect Bogie and
Bergman (Ingrid, not Ingemar) to emerge from the shadows--except
the astonishing speed and footwork of the conquering Brazilians.
Pele, then 17, scores twice as Brazil triumphs 5-2 in the final
against Sweden. To appreciate how far ahead of their time Pele &
Co. were, see how their skills match those displayed when two of
this year's best teams, Colombia and Germany, meet Saturday
(pay-per-view, noon) in a final pre-World Cup friendly.
ESPN Classic Sports, 8 PM
FRIDAY 6/5
Braves at Orioles
Memo to Baltimore's suspendered supporter, Larry King: Regarding
your "I don't need Viagra" boast, that's inside-the-Beltway
gossip we could do without. In his March 30 USA Today column
King foresaw an Atlanta-Baltimore fall classic, but at week's
end the uh-O's dwelt in the AL East cellar. One pitcher, Doug
Johns, went on the DL because he wasn't sleeping at night.
(Neither, it seems, is Larry.) Atlanta, meanwhile, had a pair at
the corners--first baseman Andres Galarraga (above) and third
baseman Chipper Jones--who combined had 31 homers and 84 RBIs.
TBS, 7:35 PM
ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
COLOR PHOTO: ELSA HASCH/ALLSPORT [Sergei Fedorov in game]
COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES [Marion Jones]
COLOR PHOTO: DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP [Andres Galarraga batting]
THE ! ZAPPER
The Knicks fell in the second round, and the Rangers failed to
make the playoffs, meaning that Madison Square Garden won't play
a role in either the NBA Finals (which start this week on NBC)
or the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals (Capitals at
Sabres, Saturday, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.). The Garden, however, is
featured in the summer blockbuster Godzilla. The film's title
character uses the arena as a nest to lay some 200 giant eggs.
That's overkill: The arena's two teams have already laid plenty
of eggs this year.