SI View The Week in TV Sports

DON'T MISS

Monday 12/21
Broncos at Dolphins
ABC 8:20 PM

Giants 20, Broncos 16: Frank Gifford's revenge. ABC relegated
its inveterate Monday Night Football color man, a Hall of Fame
Giant, to a picayune pregame post this season. Then, on Sunday,
New York ruined MNF's most anticipated matchup of the season by
soiling the Broncos' perfect record. (Somewhere, Howard is
smiling.) That storyline gone, you can focus on the matchup at
quarterback. In 16 NFL seasons Denver's John Elway has never
played a down in Florida. Tonight he will face fellow future
Hall of Famer Dan Marino for only the second time (page 88 ).
The Broncos will meet a 9-5 Miami team fortified by the NFL's
best young defense (led by linebacker and Larry Mondello
look-alike Zach Thomas, right).

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday 12/19

Jets at Bills
CBS 12:30 PM

Legislative bills: Last-gasp play to interfere with passage is
called a filibuster. Buffalo Bills: Pass interference called on
last-gasp play is called a Wade Phillips-buster. The refs in
Foxboro notwithstanding, coach Phillips's Bills seem headed for
the playoffs, as are Bill Parcells's Jets, their foes in this
AFC East showdown. Third-year receivers Keyshawn Johnson (New
York) and Eric Moulds (Buffalo) are something, Buster.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Angel Manfredy
HBO 9:45 PM

Papa's got a brand-new bag. In 1978 a welterweight named Floyd
Mayweather went 10 rounds with Sugar Ray Leonard. Fifteen years
later Mayweather was convicted for dealing drugs and spent four
years in the slammer. During that time, his son, Floyd Jr., won
a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics and often visited his
dad. When 21-year-old Floyd (18-0), the WBC super featherweight
champ, touches gloves tonight with 24-year-old challenger
Manfredy (25-2-1), he will have his father in his corner. After
all, he has always been in his old man's.

Sunday 12/20

Nagano '98 Olympics: Bud Greenspan's Stories of Honor and Glory
SHOWTIME 8 PM

During a two-hour program that rates an overall bronze,
award-winning producer-director Greenspan presents seven tales
of heroism (about three too many to hold your interest) from
last February's Winter Games in Japan. Two moments, however,
rate gold: men's downhill skier Brian Stemmle of Canada misses a
gate and stands abject and alone on the side of the mountain,
and Norwegian cross-country skier Bjorn Daehlie, having just won
a Winter Olympics-record eighth gold medal, in the 50K, slumps
to the snow in exhilaration and exhaustion.

Tuesday 12/22

Duke vs. Kentucky
ESPN 9 PM

Seven of nine (Jeri Ryan moment; deep breaths; O.K., we're back)
NCAA men's championship games this decade have featured the Blue
Devils (9-1 and ranked No. 2 at week's end) or the Wildcats (9-1
and No. 3), but in none did they play each other. The schools
have met twice in the 1990s (in regional finals) but not on
campus, as is the case again tonight, when they tap off in the
Jimmy V Classic at the Continental Airlines Arena. Duke
sophomore center Elton Brand and Kentucky senior forward Scott
Padgett are muscular bangers and their respective teams' heart
and soul.

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

COLOR PHOTO: WINSLOW TOWNSON [Zach Thomas in game]

THE RATING

0.6
The rating on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. for the NCAA women's soccer final,
buried by the NFL on Fox (10.8) and CBS (8.5). At the same time,
ABC's Maryland-Stanford men's basketball game got a mere 1.0.

THE ZAPPER

The lockout, of course, means no Christmas Day NBA action on
NBC. At 8 p.m., in place of Knicks-Bulls, the network will air
the classic It's a Wonderful Life, a tale of a coldhearted old
miser who attempts to scrooge into submission a strapped
business foe, one who earns less than $272,250 per season. Hmmm.
At 8:30 TNT will counter with what should be required viewing
for the Davids Stern and Falk, Billy Hunter, et al.: How the
Grinch Stole Christmas.