SI View The Week in TV Sports

Highlights

SUNDAY 11/21

MLS Cup '99
ABC 1:30 PM Two-time champion D.C. United, which had the
league's best regular-season record (23-9), kicks off against
the Los Angeles Galaxy (20-12). Keep your jerseys on, Christina
Aguilera fans. The Genie in a Bottle teen queen, who looks as if
she's been dipping into Carlos Valderrama's peroxide stash, will
perform--but not until halftime.

WEDNESDAY 11/24

Preseason NIT Semifinals
Maui Invitational Final
ESPN 6 PM AND 10:30 PM Madison Square Garden should become
Scoonie Penn Station as Ohio State's redoubtable point guard and
the Buckeyes are probables, along with Arizona and either
Kentucky or Utah, to advance to tonight's semis in Manhattan. On
a somewhat more pacific island, a Maui wowie of a final could
see North Carolina's Ed Cota and Florida's Teddy Dupay trading
leiups.

Trail Blazers at Timberwolves
TBS 8 PM Kevin Garnett, 23, spent what would have been his
college years playing big-time basketball in Minneapolis without
doing any homework, which should qualify him for the University
of Minnesota. Garnett, who had career highs in scoring (first 34
points, then 35) in two of the T-Wolves' first three games, has
supplanted the retired Michael Jordan as the NBA's BBP: Baddest
Bald Player. In the wake of recent reports that Mount Everest is
seven feet higher than its listed elevation, might Garnett
finally drop his 6'11" tag and admit he's a seven-footer?

THURSDAY 11/25

Bears at Lions; Dolphins at Cowboys
FOX 12:30 PM; CBS 4 PM As is customary on Thanksgiving, you can
pig out on pigskin. Each of today's rivalries is part of NFL
Turkey Day end-of-game lore. In 1980 Chicago's David Williams
returned the overtime kickoff 95 yards as the Bears beat the
Lions 23-17 in the shortest OT game in NFL history (21 seconds).
Meanwhile, who can forget when Miami last visited Dallas on
Thanksgiving ('93)? Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett became
the turkey by diving after a blocked Dolphins field goal attempt
on the snow-covered turf. The hapless Lett touched the ball, and
Miami recovered on the Dallas one and kicked the game-winner
with :03 left. In keeping with the week's halftime musical
trend, the band Third Eye Blind will rock at Pontiac, while
country star Clint Black will warble at Texas Stadium.

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO

Don't Miss

SATURDAY 11/20

Florida State at Florida
CBS 3:30 PM How one man can give 100% on the field and 5% at
the cash register is a question for bigger minds than those of
Heisman voters. Still, Seminoles wideout Peter Warrick (page 50)
meets the criterion for the trophy winner: He's the "outstanding
college football player in the United States." He also should be
the difference when No. 1 Florida State (10-0) meets the No. 3
Gators (9-1). Florida coach Steve Spurrier (Heisman 1966), who
has yet to see a Gators quarterback as commanding as Steve
Spurrier, might use Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer at the
position. (N.B.: This game was not moved to Florida to be closer
to Ken Griffey Jr.'s family; it is always played there.)

the zapper

The producers of 7th Heaven (WB, Mondays, 8 p.m.) sought a "Kurt
Rambis type" to play the principled girls' basketball coach at
Glen Oak High. Talk about typecasting: Rambis got the role as
Coach Cleary. Rambis, who guided the Lakers to a 31-19 record
last season, locks out his TV team because of its subpar book
work and confronts player rebellions. "It reminded me of last
season," says Rambis, who preached on the importance of good
grades during the Nov. 8 episode. "That's what it felt like in
the locker room after every game."... Who wants to be a
millionaire? The 25 golfers at the PGA Tour's Q school, whose
last round will be shown on The Golf Channel (Monday, 12:30 p.m.).