SI View The Week in TV Sports
DON'T MISS
Saturday 10/17
World Series
FOX 8 PM; SUNDAY 7:55 PM; TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY 8:20 PM
In 1967 St. Louis's Tim McCarver enjoyed a catcher-cam view of
perhaps the most dominating pitching performance in World Series
history. Batterymate Bob Gibson allowed three runs in three
games--all Cardinals wins--as St. Louis defeated Boston in
seven. That season Jack Buck was a Cardinals broadcaster.
Thirty-one years later Buck's son Joe will do the World Series
play-by-play and McCarver, who batted .125 in the '67 Fall
Classic, will add a been-there perspective to a postseason in
which pitching is again in the spotlight. The only "kings of the
hill" whom Buck, McCarver and boothmate Bob Brenly should refer
to are the guys who throw gas, not the one who sells it.
HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday 10/17
Dullest Show Ever
ESPN2 10 AM
No, not Caroline in the City. Borrowing a trick from Jerry
Seinfeld, the geniuses at NFL Films have crafted a hilarious
show about...nothing. Most entertaining is a segment devoted to
the "Get back!" coach, the game-day equivalent of the hall
monitor, who's charged with keeping his team's players at least
six yards back from the sideline. "He's got to be a complete
jerk," says former coach Jerry Glanville, citing the main
attribute of a "Get back!" coach. "He's got to be somebody that
nobody likes." Another segment, narrated in the decidedly
un-Facendan monotone of writer-actor Ben Stein, is a tribute to
the game's tedious plays, such as fair catches and intentionally
spiked passes. Footage from Super Bowl XXIV (San Francisco 55,
Denver 10) must have been unavailable.
Oregon at UCLA
ABC 3:30 PM
Opposites attack! The Bruins versus the Ducks is sun versus
rain, The Sure Thing versus Animal House, Bel Air versus fresh
air, Californians versus...California emigres. In tree-studded
Oregon, no limb is more revered than the one attached to San
Diego native Akili Smith. The Ducks quarterback leads the nation
in passing efficiency (196.3) and has guided No. 11 Oregon to
its best start (5-0) since 1964. The No. 2 Bruins (4-0) have the
nation's longest winning streak, 14 games, and, in southpaw
quarterback Cade McNown, the NFL's next Mark Brunell, who
already is the next Steve Young.
Monday 10/19
Jets at Patriots
ABC 8:20 PM
New York quarterback Glenn Foley suffered a rib injury in a loss
to the Ravens on Sept. 13. A few days later coach Bill Parcells
checked on Foley's condition by sneaking up behind him and
squeezing his ribs. In a related story the Jets report a low
incidence of groin pulls since Sept. 13. New York (2-3) has not
beaten New England (4-1) in Foxboro since 1994. In last year's
meeting the Pats had seven sacks. They hope to make this one a
similar rib-tickler for Foley and fellow quarterback Vinny
Testaverde.
Thursday 10/22
Nike Tour Championship
ESPN 4 PM
Casey Martin. Remember him? The guy who put a new twist on the
term driver? After winning the year's opening event, the Nike
Lakeland Classic, the courageous cart wheeler has struggled.
Martin is ranked 27th on the Nike tour heading into its final
event; only the top 15 hackers will be offered a PGA Tour card
for '99. My favorite Martin needs a win in Mobile to avoid a trip
to Tour qualifying school in December.
ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. RATINGS
SOURCE: NIELSEN SPORTS MARKETING SERVICE
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN BIEVER [Ryan Klesco sliding into Ken Caminiti at second base]
THE RATING
18.5
Overnight rating in New York for Sunday's Yankees-Indians
American League Championship Series Game 5 on NBC. It flattened
the competing Jets-Rams game on CBS, which got a 7.7.
THE ZAPPER
An erstwhile Ball Stater meets the man who makes balls taters
when David Letterman welcomes Mark McGwire to Late Show (CBS,
Monday, 11:35 p.m.). Last December on Late Show Letterman tied
guest Peyton Manning in a football-throwing contest, but he'd be
wise not to challenge the home run king to a swing on West 53rd
Street. Instead, why not have frequent visitor Richard Simmons
toss McGwire batting-practice pitches and get Marv Albert to do
the play-by-play?