The Week Ahead
FRIDAY
24
Happy Birthday! Rafael Palmeiro turns 40. Only nine men have hit more homers than the Orioles' slugger, who has 548. "Age is just a number," he says. "It's how you feel physically that matters, and I feel as good as I've ever felt." He'll celebrate by playing the Tigers.
SATURDAY
25
Fan Celebration Tour The gold medal U.S. women's soccer team kicks off an eight-city tour with a game against Iceland in striker Abby Wambach's hometown of Rochester, N.Y. The tour is a swan song for Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett, who are retiring.
SUNDAY
26
Clubhouse CBS 8 p.m. In this new drama, Christopher Lloyd plays a big league manager who, along with third baseman Dean Cain, dispenses fatherly advice to the team's 16-year-old batboy (Jeremy Sumpter). Look for SI's Steve Rushin in the second episode, on Oct. 5.
MONDAY
27
Cowboys at Redskins ABC 9 p.m. The rivalry is renewed with the return of Washington coach Joe Gibbs. Late Show with David Letterman CBS 11:35 p.m. Yankee Gary Sheffield presents the Top Ten List. If it's "Top Ten AL MVP Candidates," he may be No. 1.
TUESDAY
28
Champions League, Real Madrid vs. A.C. Milan ESPN2 2:30 p.m. The world's flashiest side faces what might be the world's best. Real, which added Michael Owen to a stacked roster that includes David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane, takes on the Serie A champs.
WEDNESDAY
29
Miami (Ohio) at Marshall ESPN2 7 p.m. Ben Roethlisberger's replacement, Josh Betts, leads the MAC in passing. On This Day: In 1954 Willie Mays--in arguably the most memorable defensive play ever--robs Vic Wertz, snaring a 450-foot drive over his shoulder.
THURSDAY
30
Mavericks at Lakers, Dec. 6, 2002, ESPN Classic 8 p.m. Trailing by 28, L.A. was booed off the floor at halftime. Then, in the words of guard Nick Van Exel, Dallas "just flat-out choked," allowing the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback (27 points) in NBA history.
COLOR PHOTO
JOHN CORDES/ICON SMI (PALMEIRO)
COLOR PHOTO
MEL LEVINE (HAT)
COLOR PHOTO
JOHN TODD/INTERNATIONALSPORTSIMAGES.COM (HAMM)
COLOR PHOTO
MONTY BRINTON/CBS (CLUBHOUSE)
COLOR PHOTO
TOM DIPACE (SHEFFIELD)
COLOR PHOTO
PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (ZIDANE);
COLOR PHOTO
FRANK HURLEY/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (MAYS)
COLOR PHOTO
CATHERINE STEENKESTE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (LAKERS)