SI View The Week in TV Sports

DON'T MISS

Sunday 10/25

Jaguars at Broncos
CBS 4 PM

Jags or JAG? The latter, a CBS military drama, stars David James
Elliott, formerly of Melrose Place, where he played a
sex-addicted pro football player. That's to say, a pro football
player. Denver (6-0) and Jacksonville (5-1), which rank first
and third, respectively, in the AFC in total offense, can score.
The Broncos, winners of 14 in a row at Mile High Stadium, have
not forgotten their last home loss: In January 1997, the Jaguars
stunned John Elway & Co. in the divisional playoffs, with
quarterback Mark Brunell (right) looking like a young Steve
Young. But today, if the Denver ground game, keyed by running
back Terrell Davis, can keep Brunell off the field, Denver will
get No. 15.

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday 10/24

Florida State at Georgia Tech
ESPN 7 PM

On this site (Atlanta's Grant Field) in 1916 the Yellow Jackets
beat Cumberland 222-0. Today's ACC showdown could feature as
much offense. Quarterback Chris Weinke of the Seminoles (6-1,
3-1 in the ACC) has rebounded from his six-interception debacle
at North Carolina State on Sept. 12 to throw 149 passes without
an interception, a dozen of which have gone for touchdowns.
Since joining the ACC in 1992, Florida State has won the
conference every year. A victory by Georgia Tech (5-1, 4-0),
which has lost the last two games in this series by a combined
87-3, would almost certainly end that reign.

David Reid vs. James Coker
HBO 11:30 PM

Super welterweight Coker (19-0) of San Antonio travels to
Atlantic City to meet 1996 Olympic gold medalist Reid (10-0), a
North Philadelphia native. "This is a neutral site," says Coker,
"but I was hoping for a neutral neutral site."

Sunday 10/25

MLS Cup
ABC 3:30 PM

Ready. Aim. Fire? You might expect an expansion team to
extinguish rather than distinguish itself long before its
league's championship game. Chicago goalkeeper Zach Thornton,
25, provides the spark for the Western Conference champion Fire.
After displacing international star Jorge Campos as Chicago's
goalie last summer, Thornton had eight shutouts in the regular
season and a 1.7 goals-allowed average, the best in MLS history.
Sure with his hands, Thornton also unleashed an 82-mph kick into
the net to win a speed-kicking contest during the league's
All-Star weekend. Chicago has not seen a leg that lethal since
Mrs. O'Leary's cow's. Today's opponent in the Rose Bowl will
either be the two-time defending champ D.C. United or the
Columbus Crew, who were to play the deciding game of their
best-of-three Eastern Conference finals on Oct. 21.

Wednesday 10/28

Arnold Palmer: Golf's Heart and Soul
GOLF CHANNEL 9 PM

"Arnold was direct and flamboyant," recounts golf commentator
Peter Alliss, one of many notables, including Palmer himself,
interviewed for this documentary. "Flashing sword, do or die."
This sprawling, two-hour hagiography narrated by John Forsythe
covers everything from Palmer's boyhood growing up by the 6th
hole of the Latrobe Country Club to his five-day courtship of
his wife, Winnie, to his amicable rivalry with Jack Nicklaus.
"I'm not the King," says Palmer. "I prefer to think of myself as
an ambassador for the game of golf." Of life, as well.

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. RATINGS
SOURCE: NIELSEN SPORTS MARKETING SERVICE.

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO [Mark Brunell in game]

THE RATING

14.3

Average of the overnight ratings for World Series Games 1 and 2
on Fox--down 7% from NBC's 15.3 average for the first two games
in 1997.

THE ZAPPER

Last Saturday, ABC, which has the best broadcasting duo in
college football--Keith Jackson and Bob Griese--also had a dream
matchup: unbeaten Oregon versus unbeaten UCLA in Pasadena. Alas,
Jackson and Griese were dispatched to do the Penn State-Purdue
game. Sure, the Big Ten battle would be shown to more viewers,
but Jackson, who lives a short drive from the Rose Bowl, was
deprived (on his 70th birthday, no less) of calling the year's
best game. Fumm-bulll!!!