SI View The Week in TV Sports
DON'T MISS
Saturday 6/5
Belmont Stakes
--ABC 4:30 PM
On May 24 Larry King-of-all-media wrote in USA Today that he had
bet long shot Charismatic to win in the Kentucky Derby and the
Preakness (and, also in both races, Ross Perot to show). Today
the sport of King(s) anticipates its finest hour as Charismatic
(on left in picture, winning the Preakness) gallops the 1.5-mile
oval at Belmont Park with Chris Antley aboard in hopes of
becoming the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to proclaim,
"Triple Crown, hello!" A victory would not only confer equine
immortality upon the former $62,500 claimer but also guarantee
Charismatic a guest spot on Larry King Live to discuss whether
his next run in New York will be for U.S. Senate.
HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday 6/5
Mets at Yankees
--FOX 1 PM; SUNDAY ESPN 8 PM
The clues: He's an infielder for a New York team; he owns two
World Series rings; his batting average through Sunday was more
than .340; he has 10 letters in his name; and he had reached base
safely in every game he had started. We're talking not about
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (who does match this description),
but Mets first baseman John Olerud. As New York's two teams
collide this weekend at Yankee Stadium, it's indicative of their
relative visibility that Jeter commands the corner booth at
Moomba, while Olerud went unnoticed last week at LaGuardia while
waiting out a flight delay.
U.S. Women's Open
--NBC SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 3 PM
Those who chronicle the life of last year's Open runner-up, known
to the gallery as Chuasiripornographers, would inform us that
their Jenny is following the lead of fellow Dookies such as Elton
Brand and Corey Maggette by going pro. Last month Chuasiriporn
graduated on one weekend and helped the Lady Blue Devils' golf
squad to a national championship the next. Making her pro debut
this week at Old Waverly in West Point, Miss., Chuasiriporn
(should she make the cut) can expect to face stiff competition
from the likes of LPGA tour money leader Karrie Webb and Dinah
Shore winner Dottie Pepper.
Pacers at Knicks
--NBC 6:30 PM
Knicker-backer Spike Lee's next film, Summer of Sam, attempts to
capture the feel of New York, circa 1977. Back then, Woody
Allen's Big Apple navel-gazer Annie Hall was receiving more
praise but doing less box office than Star Wars, and the city's
most popular chant was "Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie!" As the
Eastern Conference finals move to Madison Square Garden for
tonight's Game 3 (and Game 4, NBC, Monday, 9 p.m.), Allen and Lee
are expected to be courtside as New York's least popular
Reggie--sharpshooting Pacers guard Reggie Miller--looks to again
torment Gotham in the postseason. Anyone got any Bubble Yum?
Sunday 6/6
Claymores at Dragons
--FOX 1 PM
Is Lawrence Phillips, Barcelona's most controversial artist since
Picasso, ready to emerge from his blue period? Phillips, a
running back whose LP record includes four arrests and two
dismissals from NFL teams, is leading the NFL Europe League in
rushing average (100.7 yards per game) for the 5-2 Dragons. Fans
of Scotland (4-3), meanwhile, are still excitedly hurling haggis
over quarterback Dameyune Craig's record-setting 611 passing
yards during the Claymores' 42-35 defeat of Frankfurt on May 22.
ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. SOURCE:
NIELSEN SPORTS MARKETING SERVICE
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN IACONO
THE RATING
6.0
Rating on May 23 for NBC's TV movie The Jesse Ventura Story,
body-slammed in the Nielsens by CBS's The Michael Landon Story
(12.4) and ABC's Cleopatra (11.9).
THE ZAPPER
NBC will air the women's final of the French Open on tape-delay
(Saturday, noon) and the men's final live (Sunday, 9 a.m.). It
should be vice versa. The distaff tour, with such compelling
figures as Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova, has more appeal
than the men's, where the only thing not wooden is the rackets.
Given that the venue is in the land of Maurice Chevalier, someone
should take note.... The Stanley Cup finals begin on Fox on
Tuesday (8 p.m.).