The Week Ahead What To Watch And Watch For
FRIDAY 14
SPURS AT 76ERS ESPN 8 PM > The champs visit Iverson.
--GONZAGA VS. ST. JOSEPH'S ESPN2 9 PM > The best backcourt in the nation? It just might be St. Joe's, with preseason All-America
Jameer Nelson (right) at the point and 6'4" junior shooting guard
Delonte West. The game, at Madison Square Garden, is a benefit
for the American Cancer Society.
SATURDAY 15
PURDUE (8-2) AT OHIO STATE (9-1) ABC 3:30 PM > A win brings the
Boilermakers closer to their first outright Big 10 title since
1929.
--ELEPHANT ROUNDUP In Surin, Thailand. Yep, it's that time of
year again. Why hasn't a network snagged the rights to this
event, which has elephant soccer and tug-of-war between an
elephant and 100 men?
SUNDAY 16
ATP TENNIS MASTERS CUP ESPN 4 PM > The No. 1 ranking is on the
line in Houston: U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick and Spain's Juan
Carlos Ferrero close in.
--COWBOYS (7-2) AT PATRIOTS (7-2) ESPN 8:30 PM > "It's
showtime," says Dallas coach Bill Parcells of his team's November schedule. This may be the best show of all: Parcells returns to
face his former underling, Bill Belichick.
MONDAY 17
WHEEL OF FORTUNE CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS > It's NBA week on the
Wheel. Tonight: Bill Walton, Michael Finley and Allan Houston.
--WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS > Fourth day of nine-day
event--a qualifier for the Olympics. China's Caiyan Sun, a
three-time women's world champ, leads the 58-kg division.
TUESDAY 18
MIGHTY DUCKS AT AVALANCHE ESPN2 8 PM > Ex-Duck Teemu Selanne and
the mighty Avs are favored.
--VIDEO GAME RELEASE: NCAA MARCH MADNESS 2004 We actually sat
down and played with cover boy Carmelo Anthony, who noted that
the game's biggest drawback is, "I'm not in it." (ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2K4 is also out today.)
WEDNESDAY 19
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ROY CAMPANELLA (1921-1993) > Big league
baseball's first black catcher won three MVPs for the Brooklyn
Dodgers before his career was cut short by a car crash in '58.
(He was paralyzed below the neck.) Today the baseball Hall of
Fame screens It's Good to Be Alive, a 1974 made-for-TV movie on
Campy's life.
THURSDAY 20
LG ACTION SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS 10 AM TO 8:30 PM > The world's
gnarliest action-sports athletes descend on the Fairplex, in
Pomona, Calif., for this season-ending nine-day event. The day
showcases tailwhipper Jamie Bestwick and X Games hero Ryan
Nyquist in the BMX championships. Electro-punk band Celldweller
plays at 6:15 p.m. before the finals.
COLOR PHOTO: CHRIS O'MEARA/AP (NELSON)
COLOR PHOTO: JASON REED/REUTERS (ELEPHANT SOCCER)
COLOR PHOTO: NEWSPHOTO (VANNA WHITE, PAT SAJAK)
COLOR PHOTO: COURTESY EA SPORTS (VIDEO GAME)
B/W PHOTO: AP (CAMPANELLA)
COLOR PHOTO: PAT LITTLE/AP (MOTORCYCLIST)