Week Ahead
SATURDAY 4/15
UFC 59: RealityCheck
Ultimate fighting, the sport Senator John McCain once called a "humancockfight," has cleaned up its act--a bit. There's no biting or eyegouging, but there's still plenty of action. This highly anticipated card inAnaheim features a rematch of the 2005 heavyweight title match between Andrei(the Pit Bull) Arlovski (above) and Tim (the Maine-iac) Sylvia. In their firstmeeting Arlovski forced Sylvia to tap out (UFC lingo for giving up) in 47seconds.
PPV 10 p.m.
NCAA softball,No. 1 Texas at No. 21 Oklahoma
Ozzie Guillen would love to manage the Longhorns, who have small-balled theiropponents to death this year. Texas has swiped 77 bases in 95 attempts;freshman Shannon Thomas (below) has 16. The Sooners prefer to bash: They havethe Big 12's top two hitters, Kristin Vesley (who's batting .480) and NorrelleDickson (.463).
ESPN 1 p.m.
Red Bulls at RealSalt Lake
New York's MLS team has a new name that George Wendt would love. Da Bulls (néDa MetroStars) also have a couple of new young players whom coach Mo Johnstonloves: Marvell Wynne Jr. (below, left), the top pick in the MLS draft, and24-year-old striker Edson Buddle, who was acquired from Columbus, where hescored nine goals last year.
Check listings 9 p.m.
SUNDAY 4/16
Giants atDodgers
Barry's chase of the Babe continues at Chavez Ravine, where Bonds has 27 homersin 120 games. The only parks he's gone deep in more as a visitor: Cincinnati'sCinergy Field (31 in 80 games) and Montreal's old Olympic Stadium (30 in96).
ESPN 8 p.m.
Bulls atHeat
Call a foul, ref! That's the plea coming from Miami's Shaquille O'Neal (right),who last week accused referees of having a "double standard." (He's$15,000 poorer as a result.) Chicago wouldn't mind a little help from thezebras: The Bulls are tied with Philadelphia for the final playoff spot in theEast.
ABC 1 p.m.
SI PICK OF THEWEEK
MONDAY 4/17
Hub Hike
It's tough to find someone in a crowd of 20,000, but the half-millionspectators lining the streets of greater Boston shouldn't have to look too hardfor Meb Keflezighi (center). The 2004 Olympic silver medalist will probably beat the head of the pack in the 110th Boston Marathon. Keflezighi, 30, who couldbecome the first U.S. man to win in Boston since 1983, joins a field thatincludes three former champs. On the women's side New York City and Osakamarathon winner Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia aims for the trifecta--and the$100,000 prize that goes to each winner.
OLN 11:30 a.m.
TUESDAY 4/18
On Shelves: TheButterfly Hunter
This book from SI's Chris Ballard profiles people who are the best in the worldat unusual, if not downright weird, professions. Among them are world championlumberjill Penny Halvorson and voice-over king Don LaFontaine.
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CHUCK SOLOMON (MARATHON)
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JOHN IACON0 (INSET)
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MARC SEROTA/REUTERS (O'NEAL)
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SUSAN SIGMON/UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (THOMAS)
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HOWARD C. SMITH/INTERNATIONAL SPORTS IMAGES (WYNNE)
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COURTESY OF JOSHUA HEDGES/UFC (ARLOVSKI)