SI View The Week in TV Sports

Highlights

SATURDAY 10/13

Mike Tyson vs. Brian Nielsen
SHOWTIME 10PM (TAPE DELAY) Nielsen has the same surname as
actress Brigitte Nielsen, who was married to Sylvester Stallone,
who starred in Rocky V with Tommy Morrison, who was knocked out
in the sixth round by Lennox Lewis, who took 95 seconds to
destroy Andrew Golota, who went AWOL before the third round
against Tyson last Oct. 20. Obviously the world (at least the
world of Showtime) still revolves around Tyson (48-3, 42 KOs).
As usual, Nielsen (62-1, 43 KOs), a not-so-melancholy Dane, is
expected to enter the ring for this 10-rounder at Parken Stadium
in Copenhagen to the strains of Always Look on the Bright Side
of Life.

MONDAY 10/15

Redskins at Cowboys
ABC 9 PM The reason to tune in is perversity: The last 30 minutes
of this game could turn out to be the worst half-hour of sports
programming this year not named Inside Schwartz. The Capital Gang
and America's Team have fallen on hard times; both are winless
and aimless. We're particularly curious to see the promotional
campaign ABC's spinmeisters come up with for this potential
football version of Heaven's Gate. ("It's Tony Banks against
Anthony Wright in a battle of up-and-coming quarterbacks!")

TUESDAY 10/16-FRIDAY 10/19

Baseball League Championship Series
FOX (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) That forlorn man you see roaming the
streets of St. Louis might be NBC's Bob Costas. As part of its
six-year, $2.5 billion contract with Major League Baseball, Fox
is the sole network airing the League Championship Series.
Regrettably, for the first postseason since 1993, the people's
commissioner will have to watch from home like the rest of us.

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

COLOR PHOTO: TOM DIPACE

Don't Miss

SATURDAY 10/13

Miami at Florida State
ABC NOON The job of Seminoles placekicker should come with a
warning: THIS POSITION CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO BOBBY BOWDEN'S HEALTH.
Last year's game between these two teams was a typical
heartbreaker for the septuagenarian Bowden. The Hurricanes beat
then-No. 1 Florida State 27-24 when, with time expiring,
Seminoles kicker Matt Munyon's 49-yard field goal attempt
sailed--where else?--wide right. The game was a coming-out party
for quarterback Ken Dorsey, who completed six of seven passes on
the Hurricanes' final drive, including a 13-yard touchdown throw
to tight end Jeremy Shockey with 51 seconds to go. This year
Miami comes in ranked No. 2, while No. 14 Florida State has a
kicking savior in freshman Xavier Beitia, who hasn't missed in
five field goal attempts. Of course, Beitia has yet to boot into
a Hurricane.

THE ZAPPER

Fox has ditched 1st & Ten, the computer-generated yellow line
that indicates how far a team must go to get a first down, from
its NFL telecasts. Reason: The cost ($20,000 to $25,000 per
game) can't be justified because the device doesn't attract
additional viewers. Perhaps--but we think Fox should be
penalized (loss of down?) for depriving viewers of one of the
best broadcast innovations since instant replay.... Real Sports
with Bryant Gumbel (HBO, Tuesday, 10 p.m.) presents a cautionary
segment on the stimulant ephedrine, which was banned by the NFL
last month.