Week Ahead
THURSDAY 7/26
Senior British Open
Nick Faldo looked a bit past his prime at last week's British Open—the three-time champ missed the cut at Carnoustie (page 40). Fortunately for him Faldo (right) turned 50 on July 18, which means he can play on the Champions tour and pick on opponents his own age. Faldo will make his senior tour debut at Muirfield, the Scottish course on which he won the younger man's Open in 1987 and '92.
Thursday and Friday TNT noon; Saturday ABC 2:30 p.m.; Sunday ABC 1 p.m.
Pan Am Games: Men's Basketball
It won't exactly be the Miracle on Hardwood, but it will be a big deal if the U.S. wins gold in Rio de Janeiro: Team USA hasn't won this tournament since 1983. Georgetown center Roy Hibbert (right) leads the team of college stars, which faces Panama in the second of its three first-round games today.
ESPN Deportes 6:30 p.m.
SUNDAY 7/29
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
Last year Jimmie Johnson won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his fifth race there. He's hoping he breaks a slump there this year too. The 2006 Nextel Cup champion hasn't taken a checkered flag since May 6 and has finished out of the top 10 in five of his last seven races. It won't help matters at Indy that his crew chief, Chad Knaus, is still serving the six-race suspension he received after Johnson's car failed inspection at Sonoma last month.
ESPN 1 p.m.
ATP Tennis: Indianapolis Championship Final
In his first event after a quarterfinal flameout at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick will try for just his second title of the year at one of his favorite venues. The world's No. 4 player has won twice in Indy, in 2003 and '04.
NBC 4 p.m.
TUESDAY 7/31
Baseball Tonight Trade Deadline Special
The chatter finally stops, and we find out which trade rumors had some merit. One of the biggest names who could change uniforms is Ken Griffey Jr. (left), who has hinted he'd like to leave the floundering Reds and finish his career where it started—with the Mariners, who are gearing up for a surprising run at the playoffs.
ESPN 1:30 p.m.
SI PICK OF THE WEEK
SUNDAY 7/29
ArenaBowl XXI
The city of New Orleans continues its revival by hosting the Arena Football League championship game, which will feature a team that knows a thing or two about comebacks itself. The Columbus Destroyers went 7--9 during the regular season and barely qualified for the playoffs, but they knocked off two division winners to reach the ArenaBowl. To spring another upset, the Destroyers and quarterback Matt Nagy (above) must get by the San Jose SaberCats, who went 13--3 and had the second-best scoring defense in the league this season.
ABC 3 p.m.
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D. JONES/AFL/WIREIMAGE.COM (NAGY)
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HOWARD SMITH/US PRESSWIRE (GRIFFEY)
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BOB ROSATO (HIBBERT)
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MARTIN RICKETT/PA EMPICS/ABACAUSA.COM (FALDO)