The Week Ahead
THURSDAY 7/21
Red Sox at White Sox It wasn't a surprise that the Sox had the AL's best record in the first half. It was a bit of a surprise that those Sox were White, not Red. Chicago was 57--29 at the break, the team's best first half ever. The White Sox will send All-Star Game winner Mark Buerhle (11--3, 2.58) to the hill for the first of a four-game series with the world champs. Boston will also start an All-Star, Matt Clement (10--3, 4.21), but all eyes will be on its new closer--Curt Schilling (left), who lost to the Yankees in his first appearance in his new role. Check listings, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY 7/21
Gold Rush
Maybe they just needed a tougher opponent. After struggling to beat lightweights Cuba and Canada and playing to a scoreless draw against Costa Rica, the U.S. routed a tough Jamaica side 3--1 last Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup, the North and Central America and Caribbean confederation championship. DaMarcus Beasley (above) scored twice against the Reggae Boyz and will lead the U.S. in Thursday's semifinal against Honduras at Giants Stadium. (In the second semifinal Colombia plays Panama, which upset defending champion Mexico in the quarters.) Telefutura 6 p.m.; final is Sunday, Univision 3 p.m.
FRIDAY 7/22
Super Agent It's The Apprentice meets Jerry Maguire as Lions second-round pick Shaun Cody (right) selects his agent. Over the course of eight weekly shows, the defensive end from USC will put nine wannabes through tasks such as negotiating endorsement deals, then eliminate one per episode. "It's very important for me to end up with an agent that I trust and who's going to be honest," says Cody. "This is my future he's dealing with." Spike 10 p.m.
SATURDAY 7/23
Senior British Open, third round A few months after his 50th birthday, Greg Norman is a rookie again. After 23 years and 20 victories on the PGA Tour, the Shark (left) makes his Champions tour debut. The first field he'll face is formidable: Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Craig Stadler will be at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Scotland. (The final round is on Sunday.) ABC 2 p.m.
Professional Disc Golf World Championships If you like your golf a little less traditional, there's always this weeklong Frisbee competition in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, which features an $80,000 purse. Among the disc duffers to watch: 11-time world champ Ken Climo, a pro from Clearwater, Fla., and two-time defending world champ Barry Schultz, of Steven's Point, Wis.
MONDAY 7/25
Battle at The Bridges Three of the world's top five players--plus one of the world's heftiest--tee it up in a better-ball competition in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. British Open champ Tiger Woods and fan favorite John Daly will take on Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen. ESPN2 7 p.m., ABC 8 p.m.
TUESDAY 7/26
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel One segment features cyclist Tyler Hamilton (right), who tested positive for blood doping a month after winning gold in Athens. Hamilton received a two-year suspension from USADA and nearly lost his medal. (His positive test couldn't be verified because his backup sample was accidentally destroyed.) Still proclaiming his innocence, Hamilton talks about his ordeal. HBO 10 p.m.
 
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DON EMMERT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (BEASLEY)
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GREG WOOD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (HAMILTON)
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NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (NORMAN)
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LEON HALIP/WIREIMAGE.COM (CODY)
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JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES (SCHILLING)