SI View The Week in TV Sports

Highlights

SATURDAY 3/10

Shane Mosley vs. Shannan Taylor
HBO 10 PM Dextrose, fructose, sucrose.... "I want them to
remember me as one of the great Sugars, with Sugar Ray Robinson
and Sugar Ray Leonard," says undefeated (36-0, 33 KOs) WBC
welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley, 29, referring to his
nom de guerre. Having given Oscar De La Hoya his lumps last June,
Mosley, a sweet scientist and bruising puncher, steps into the
ring in Las Vegas with the undefeated Shannan Taylor (28-0-1), a
Down Underdog from Wollongong, Australia. Prediction: Glucose to
call.

SUNDAY 3/11

College Basketball Conference Tournament Finals
CBS (SEC) 1 PM; ESPN (ACC) 1 PM; ESPN (Big 12) 3 PM; CBS (BIG
TEN) 3:30 PM These games can be either nothing more than a
scintillating prologue to the NCAAs--or everything to teams on the
bubble (see North Carolina State, 1983). The ACC, with four
schools in the Top 15 and a strong fifth, Wake Forest, promises a
fantastic finale. This evening the selection show (CBS, 6:30
p.m.) will reveal who made the NCAAs and where they're going to
play.

TUESDAY 3/13

Red Sox at Rangers
NEW ENGLAND SPORTS NETWORK 7 PM (DIRECTV CH. 623; DISH NETWORK
CH. 434) Our alltime all-financial team--pitcher Wes Stock,
catcher Buck Ewing, first baseman Norm Cash, second baseman Don
Money, third baseman Jonah Goldman and outfielders Barry Bonds
and Shawn Green--is shy a shortstop and an outfielder. We choose
Texas's Alex Rodriguez and Boston's Manny Ramirez, respectively,
who between them are newly signed to contracts worth $412
million.

Don't Miss

THURSDAY 3/15--FRIDAY 3/16

NCAA Basketball Tournament, First Round
CBS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NOON AND 7:30 PM Lee Ann Womack has
performed her country anthem, I Hope You Dance, at the Orange
Bowl, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies and President Bush's
inauguration. We foresee a montage marrying her terpsichorean
tune to the Big Dance as celebrated hoofers like forward Jason
Richardson (above) of defending champion Michigan State and
forward Shane Battier of Duke lead their teams onto the floor. By
early Saturday morning, half the field of 64 will be gone. Anyone
for an 'N Sync Bye Bye Bye montage? Me, neither. (DirecTV users
can purchase the entire first three tournament rounds for $49 or
any individual game for $19.95.)

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO

THE ZAPPER

The Feb. 28 Mexico-U.S. World Cup qualifier was ESPN's
SportsCenter Showcase that evening--chosen by online voters over
a Heat-Sixers game. The next day ESPN Radio's Tony Kornheiser,
noting that the match aired on ESPN2, insinuated that the choice
had been made with promotional interests in mind. "You know what
portion of the show that should have been on?" he mused. "Did
You Know? as in, Did you know there was a soccer game?"...ESPN's
fair-haired NBA analyst Rick Bucher is sporting a soul patch.
Yeah, he's fly.