SI View The Week in TV Sports

DON'T MISS

Saturday 8/28

Arizona at Penn State
ABC 1 PM

Leapin' lizards? No, catapulting cats. Last season Arizona
quarterback Ortege Jenkins and Penn State linebacker LaVar
Arrington made the offensive and defensive plays of the year,
respectively, by defying gravity. The Wildcats' Jenkins
somersaulted over three Washington defenders and into the end
zone for the winning touchdown in Arizona's 31-28 win in
Seattle. The Nittany Lions' Arrington (right) dived over the
line on a fourth-and-inches play to stuff an Illinois runner, an
effort now known in Happy Valley as the LaVar Leap. A midair
collision between the feline footballers seems inevitable as
Penn State, SI's preseason No. 1, and third-ranked Arizona meet
at Beaver Stadium.

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday 8/28

Little League World Series Final
ABC 4:30 PM

We read the headline KENNY ROGERS TO PERFORM AT LITTLE LEAGUE
WORLD SERIES and thought, Wasn't he just traded to the Mets?
Somebody check that dude's birth certificate. (Besides, his ERA
in the other World Series is 22.50.) Oh, it's Kenny Rogers the
chicken restaurateur-country music icon who will be at Lamade
Stadium in Williamsport, Pa., to perform his new baseball-themed
single, The Greatest. At week's end the defending champion, Toms
River (N.J.) East, had refused to fold 'em and was still alive
in the tournament.

Mets at Diamondbacks
FX 10 PM

The second-year Diamondbacks aren't to be mistaken for
carat-tops, which aren't to be mistaken for Carrot Top, who
isn't to be mistaken for comic relief, which the 1963 Mets
(51-111), then in their second season, provided often. Unlike
New York, Arizona has bypassed its terrible twos. Through Sunday
the National League West leaders, propelled by third baseman
Matt Williams's 110 RBIs, were on pace to win more games (94)
this season than the Mets did in their first two (91). Like
Arizona, New York has a slugging third baseman, Robin Ventura,
who has cracked the century mark in RBIs (101).

Monday 8/30

U.S. Open
MONDAY-FRIDAY USA 11 AM AND 7:30 PM; CBS 12:35 AM

Who's No. 1? Who cares? Holding the top ranking in tennis doesn't
get you invited to the White House, and it doesn't add a yellow
jersey to your maillot collection. This year's No. 1 carousel has
seen five men in the top spot, three of whom (Andre Agassi,
Patrick Rafter and current numero uno Pete Sampras) have won the
past six men's Open singles titles. Sampras, whose 24-match
winning streak was snapped last week, is the best bet to succeed
sore-shouldered Aussie Rafter, the reigning king of Queens.

Thursday 9/2

WNBA Finals, Game 1
Lifetime 8 pm

To play for the Houston Comets, odds-on favorites to make it to
the Finals and win their third title in as many WNBA seasons, is
to know the circle of life. In their inaugural season the Comets
made do for 19 games without marquee forward Sheryl Swoopes, who
had given birth to a son, Jordan. This summer, as the Comets
again finished the regular season with the league's best record
(26-6), their thoughts were with point guard Kim Perrot, who
died last Thursday of cancer. Tonight's game taps off the
best-of-three series, with Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 set for
Sept. 4 and 5 (both on NBC, 3:30 p.m.).

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

COLOR PHOTO: TOMASSO DEROSA/TDSI

THE RATING

10.6
CBS's rating when Tiger Woods sank the winning putt during the
PGA Tournament's final round on Aug. 15. Overall, the telecast
received a 6.9, the PGA's best final-day Nielsen in 19 years.

THE ZAPPER

John McEnroe, the Bill Walton of tennis analysts, warms up for
the U.S. Open in McEnroe Unleashed (USA, Sunday, 11 p.m.). Mad
Mac serves and volleys on topics such as U.S. players' Davis Cup
participation ("This should be an important part of tennis"),
prize money for men and women ("I absolutely endorse equal pay")
and how he feels about Steffi Graf's bolting from their
mixed-doubles team at Wimbledon ("... She screwed me"). Whaddaya
want, Lendl Unleashed?