SI View The Week in TV Sports

Highlights

WEDNESDAY 12/20

Stars at Devils
ESPN 8 PM Games 5 and 6 of last June's Stanley Cup each went
into multiple overtime, with Dallas winning the former 1-0 and
New Jersey the latter 2-1 to gain possession of sports' most
traveled trophy. Even in defeat, the Stars' Ed Belfour, who had
stopped 43 New Jersey shots that night, was cheered off the ice
by the appreciative Reunion Arena fans. Belfour's hot play has
continued this season: Through Sunday he had seven shutouts for
Dallas (15-8-4) and was on course to break Tony Esposito's
league record of 15, set with the Blackhawks in 1969-70.

Playing the Field: Sports and Sex in America
HBO 9 PM If every woman with carnal knowledge of a former Laker
tunes into this serious hourlong documentary, it could be the
highest-rated cable program of the week. While prolific scorers
such as Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson are mentioned, fellow
former Lakers A.C. Green (who has made a career of saying he's a
virgin) and John Salley provide the most candor. (Green: "I still
tell my sister, 'Don't ever date an athlete.'")

THURSDAY 12/21

Duke vs. Stanford
FOX SPORTS NET 9 PM Sports Geniuses, hardwood edition: If this
were a home game for top-ranked Duke (9-0) or No. 3 Stanford
(6-0), rowdy student sections would likely razz the foe with
taunts such as "You were my safety school!" Today's game,
however, is at somewhat neutral The Arena in Oakland, 40 miles
from the Cardinal's campus. Duke's senior forward Shane Battier
may be a Naismith candidate, and a worthy one, but sophomores
lead both squads in scoring (Jason Williams for Duke, Casey
Jacobsen for Stanford).

Don't Miss

WEDNESDAY 12/20

Jazz at 76ers
TNT 8 PM Here's an SAT-type question for fans of the NBA and the
new film Unbreakable (which is set in Philadelphia): Mr. Glass is
to David Dunn as Penny Hardaway is to _________? Answer: Karl
Malone (above), who through Sunday had missed three games in his
15-plus seasons in the league. Having led the Jazz to the Western
Conference's best record through Sunday (16-4), the Mailman pays
his first visit to Philly since passing native son Wilt
Chamberlain to move into second place on the NBA's career scoring
list. The other Answer, the Sixers' Allen Iverson, has emerged
unscathed from a preseason publicity train wreck to lead
Philadelphia to the best record (16-4) in the East.

COLOR PHOTO: JOHN W. MCDONOUGH

the zapper

Larry Kehres, coach at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio,
has the best winning percentage (.920) in nCAA football history,
while John Gagliardi of St. John's University in Collegeville,
Minn., has two more wins (377) than any other college football
coach except Grambling's Eddie Robinson. On Saturday the Purple
Raiders play the Johnnies in the Division III final (ESPN 2,
noon)...Directors should superimpose and R rating (for language)
when showing Steelers coach Bill Cowher chewing out his players;
it was all too easy to read his lips on CBS during Pittsburgh's
30-10 loss on Sunday to the Giants.

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.