Week Ahead
THURSDAY 5/10
The Players Championship
Jim Furyk is living proof that you don't have to win very often to make a goodliving in golf. Furyk (right) hasn't won a tournament since the Canadian Openlast September, but he has three top 10 finishes this season and is the world'ssecond-ranked player. Last year at Sawgrass he finished—surprise!—third.
Thursday and Friday, Golf Channel 1 p.m; Saturday and Sunday, NBC 2 p.m.
NBA Playoffs:Pistons at Bulls
Few things are out of Luol Deng's reach—the wiry Chicago forward (left) has aseven-foot wingspan—but an NBA title will be if the Bulls don't get their gamein order. The Pistons won Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal seriesby 26 points last Saturday. (Game 3 is tonight; Game 4 will be on Sunday.) Theseries could come down to an arms race: Deng, Chicago's leading playoff scorer,will be guarded by the spidery Tayshaun Prince, a second-team All-Defenseselection this year.
ESPN 9 p.m.
SI PICK OF THEWEEK
FRIDAY 5/11
Something's Brewing
It's been 10 years since the Brewers, who sat atop the National League Centralwith a major-league-best 21--10 record through Sunday, have been in first placethis late in the season. It's been even longer since they've had a closer leadthe NL in saves. (Rollie Fingers did it in 1981.) But Milwaukee has anotherelite fireman: Francisco Cordero (above), who was leading the league with 12saves, and he could help end another drought—a quarter-century without aplayoff appearance. Are the Brewers for real? Fans will have a better idea whenthe Brew Crew visits New York to face the Mets for the first time.
Check listings 7 p.m.
MONDAY 5/14
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Correspondent Jon Frankel investigates horse racing's dark secret: the growingproblem of doping. Also, SI senior contributing writer Frank Deford goesone-on-one with Marlon Shirley, the world's fastest amputee. Shirley, missingpart of his left leg, is the Paralympic world-record holder in the 100meters.
HBO 10 p.m.
Arena Football:Chicago Rush at Dallas Desperados
A premier touchdown catcher matches up with a historic TD thrower. Chicagoreceiver Bobby Sippio (right), the AFL's midseason offensive player of theyear, leads the league with 35 TD receptions. Dallas quarterback Clint Dolezelhas 68 TD passes and is the only pro QB to throw more than 800 in hiscareer.
ESPN2 8:30 p.m.
TUESDAY 5/15
On Shelves: Can I Keep My Jersey?
Paul Shirley never amounted to much as an NBA player, averaging 1.8 points pergame in three seasons. But he found his calling as a wordsmith. Shirley wrote apopular and funny blog while with the Suns in '04. He exhibits the sameself-deprecating humor and inside-the-locker-room honesty in his first book, anengaging account of a vagabond career that saw him play for 13 teams in theU.S. and Europe.
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FRANK ORRIS/WIREIMAGE.COM (CORDERO)
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G. NEWMAN LOWRANCE/WIREIMAGE.COM (SIPPIO)
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DOUG BENC/GETTY IMAGES (DENG)
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ROBERT BECK (FURYK)