Over the air, out of luck

New Year's Day used to be the big day for college football on the TV networks - three or recently four games on the same time in the early afternoon.
In 2011, if you don't have cable, you won't have a full bowl menu to choose from. There's just one game - Florida vs. Penn State in the Outback Bowl on ABC at 1 p.m. And that's only because there's no room on ESPN or ESPN2 in the time slot.
The Granddaddy of them All - the Rose Bowl - will be on ESPN at 5 p.m. Your memories of Curt Gowdy calling the game on NBC while your family got together to watch - long gone. Of course, TCU's purple in one end zone doesn't go with tradition. Although Wisconsin and its run game would fit right into the Woody Hayes era.
ESPN starts its bowl day with the Capital One Bowl between Alabama at Michigan State, while ESPN2 has the Gator Bowl goes with Mississippi State against Michigan at 1:30 p.m. in the nightcap, it's the Fiesta Bowl between Connecticut and Oklahoma.
CBS retains the Sun Bowl from El Paso, bringing together Miami and Notre Dame, Friday at 2:30 p.m. ESPN has three other games that day - South Florida tackling Clemson in the Car Care Bowl at noon, followed by Georgia-Central Florida at the Liberty Bowl and South Carolina meeting Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
Thursday, there's four games on ESPN. Army battles SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl at noon, then new Yankee Stadium hosts the first Pinstripe Bowl with Kansas State meeting Syracuse. You head south for North Carolina facing Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, with the finale matching Nebraska and Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
The NHL has added something to the New Year's Day menu - the Winter Classic. This year, Pittsburgh gets the hosting duties, with the Steelers' Heinz Field getting a rink for the Penguins to face the Capitals.
Venues were the stars the past two years - Wrigley Field and Fenway Park - but this year it's Sid the Kid vs. the Great Eight.
The final weekend of the NFL season means doubleheaders on both CBS and FOX, except the markets of teams playing at home. CBS in Washington shows the Ravens facing the Bengals at 1 p.m., with Baltimore fans rooting for Cleveland to pull the big upset of Pittsburgh.
On FOX, the Saints and Bucs battle at 1 p.m. before the Redskins finish their lousy season against the Giants. The Redskins know they will be packing up their gear after the contest, while the Giants have a slim postseason chance - needing the Bears to beat Green Bay.
NBC brings the classic NFC West showdown - 7-8 St. Louis vs. 6-9 Seattle for the playoff berth. And the hosting duties next weekend before getting quickly booted from the postseason.
College basketball begins to gear up for the conference schedule as the new year starts. Comcast offers Iowa State's visit to Virginia Thursday at 8 p.m. Sunday, Comcast has four games on the schedule, starting Gonzaga-Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Virginia hosts LSU at 5:30 p.m., followed by Miami-Duke. When that game ends, you head west for the conclusion of Arizona's game at Oregon State.
ESPN2 has the Philadelphia battle between Temple and Villanova Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday, Northwestern battles Purdue at noon, followed by College of Charleston-Tennessee and Florida-Xavier. The night tripleheader begins at 6 p.m. with Ohio State's visit to Indiana, then it's Seton Hall vs. Cincinnati and Oklahoma facing Gonzaga as we ring in the new year.
Saturday, West Virginia and Marquette have an early tip - 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
CBS brings the big contest between Louisville and Kentucky Friday at noon.
MASN offers Big East basketball Saturday as St. John's visits Providence. Sunday, there's UNC-Charlotte tangling with Georgia Tech at 7 p.m.
In women's basketball, Stanford tries to end Connecticut's lengthy winning streak Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
TNT offers its Thursday doubleheader, with the Knicks in Orlando at 7 p.m. followed by San Antonio-Dallas. The Wizards close out 2010 on Comcast with a 3 p.m. game at Indiana, then host the Hornets Saturday at 7 p.m.

Sports under the tree

After spending time with a tree with Christmas balls, the NBA hopes you'll watch their players on the court Christmas afternoon.
Five NBA games tip off Christmas Day, with the two biggest on ABC. The Celtics head south to face Orlando at 2:30 p.m., then at 5 p.m. LeBron, D-Wade and the crew take the Heat against the Kobe and the Lakers.
The day starts at noon on ESPN with the Bulls visiting Chicago at noon. At 8 p.m., Denver takes on Oklahoma City followed by Portland-Golden State.
Before the big day, TNT has its usual Thursday doubleheader - the Spurs meet the Magic at 8 p.m. before the Heat and Suns meet in Phoenix. The Wizards head to San Antonio Sunday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NFL network has its final games this week, with Dallas visiting Arizona Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The weekend begins with Carolina traveling to Pittsburgh Thursday at 8. Once the Steelers ice the Panthers, rink-building begins for the NHL's Winter Classic New Year's Day.
The NFL moved Vikings-Eagles to the Sunday night NBC slot, and the NFC South battle between the Saints and Falcons has coverage on ESPN Monday.
Sunday afternoon, the Ravens visit Cleveland on CBS. FOX has the doubleheader, with the Redskins taking on Jacksonville in the early game and the Giants-Packers earning the 4:15 p.m. spotlight.
College bowl season continues Thursday in San Diego, as Navy faces San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Tulsa spends Christmas Eve in Hawaii, meeting the Rainbow Warriors at 8 p.m., while Sunday at 8:30 p.m. Florida International takes on Troy in the Little Caesar's Bowl.
College basketball has a few contests over the Christmas weekend. ESPN2 shows Georgetown-Memphis Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by a game from the Diamondhead Classic. Friday starting at 7 p.m., there's two games from the Cancun Governor's Cup.
Christmas Night, there's two more games from the Diamondhead Classic at 7 p.m.
MASN has St. Francis of Pa. taking on Cincinnati Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Capitals host Pittsburgh Thursday on Comcast, then visit Carolina Sunday on Comcast-plus.

Bowling with Beef O'Brady

It's college bowl season. Thirty-five bowls spread over 24 days, starting Saturday with a tripleheader on ESPN. But don't wear yourself out watching too much early bowl football. You've got to pace yourself to make it to the national championship game Jan. 10.
The first bowl champion will be crowned at the New Mexico Bowl, with BYU facing UTEP at 2 p.m. Then it's Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl, and Troy faces Ohio in the R&L Carriers Bowl from New Orleans.
Tuesday is the famous Beef O'Brady Bowl, with Southern Mississippi going against Louisville.
ESPN is your home for almost every bowl game - CBS is down to the Sun Bowl and FOX keeps the Cotton Bowl - ESPN produces the Capital One Bowl on ABC New Year's Day.
The former I-AA has its semfinals, with Villanova meeting Eastern Washington Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 with the other semifinal Saturday on ESPNU. The Division II final matches Delta State and Minnesota-Duluth Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
On Sunday, FOX has only one NFL game and some good choices - the NFC East battle between the Giants and Eagles, and a potential Super Bowl preview as the Saints and Ravens meet in Baltimore. Sorry Fishersville fans, but you'll get the Redskins and Cowboys fighting for last place in their division.
The CBS doubleheader will be Jacksonville meeting Indianapolis with the AFC South title basically on the line, followed by the slumping Jets at the Steelers.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday when the 49ers and Chargers meet on NFL Network. The Packers visit the Patriots on NBC Sunday night, and the traveling Vikings play the Bears on ESPN Monday night. Might be a bit chilly for Viking fans outdoors.
TNT starts the NBA weekend Thursday with Atlanta facing the Celtics, followed by the Spurs taking on the Nuggets. Friday, ESPN has the Heat meeting the Knicks at 7 p.m., then the Suns visit the Mavericks in the nightcap.
The Wizards visit New Jersey on Thursday on Comcast, then host LeBron and the Heat Saturday.
The college basketball schedule is limited with the exams finishing and holidays looming. Virginia gets back into action Friday, hosting Oregon on Comcast at 8 p.m. Saturday, Comcast hangs out in Florida for Miami vs. Central Florida at 1 p.m. and Florida-Kansas State at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN has USC-Kansas Saturday at noon, while ESPN2 offers Arkansas-Texas A&M at 2 p.m. followed by Gonzaga vs. Baylor and Alabama-Oklahoma State.
MASN offers four games from the Big East Saturday, starting with Loyola at Georgetown at noon. Cleveland State visits West Virginia at 2 p.m., then Gardner-Webb plays Louisville. The day concludes at 7 p.m. with Maryland Eastern Shore against Pittsburgh.
Women's hoops takes center stage Sunday at 7 p.m. when Stanford visits Tennessee.
ESPN even goes with high school basketball this week, with a pair of games Thursday starting at 7 p.m.
The Capitals are on the road this weekend, visiting Boston Saturday on Comcast-plus and Ottawa Sunday on Comcast.
The NCAA women's volleyball champion will be crowned this weekend. Thursday on ESPN2, Texas meets Penn State at 7 p.m., followed by California-USC. The final will be Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Changing of college seasons

With college football basically down to the bowl season, college basketball begins to step into the spotlight.
Saturday, CBS has a two-sport doubleheader. Saint Louis visits national champion Duke at noon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, then the coverage heads to Philly for the annual Army-Navy game. While it's the biggest game of the season for both, they still have bowl season to look forward to.
The Football Championship Series (old I-AA) playoffs provides the rest of the football this weekend. The quarterfinals start Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 with a battle between CAA schools - New Hampshire at Delaware. Villanova visits Appalachian State Saturday at noon on ESPN, and MASN features Georgia Southern-Wofford at 2 p.m. North Dakota State visits Eastern Washington following the conclusion of that contest.
Off the field, ESPN has the college football awards season, capped by the awarding of the Heisman Trophy Saturday at 8 p.m. Plenty of other awards will be given Thursday at 7 p.m.
ESPN continues it's early-season hardcourt action Thursday - Georgetown-Temple at 9 p.m., while ESPN2 has the doubleheader starting at 7 p.m. with Kansas State-Florida. Butler battles Xavier at 9 p.m.
The SEC takes center court Saturday on ESPN, with Tennessee against Pittsburgh at 3:15 p.m. followed by Kentucky-Indiana. ESPN2 begins the day with Auburn-Rutgers at 12:30 p.m., followed by Wisconsin-Marquette. Then it's a matchup in the Big 12/Pac-10 challenge - Washington vs. Texas A&M - followed by a team moving from one conference to the other - Colorado - meeting Kansas.
Gonzaga plays Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m.
MASN offers George Mason at Liberty Saturday at 7 p.m., then Sunday at 2 p.m. Wake Forest takes on UNC-Wilmington. Comcast shows Dayton's game at Old Dominion Saturday at 4 p.m., then Sunday Virginia Tech hosts Penn State at 1 p.m. and Maryland battles Boston College at 4 p.m.
The NFL weekend begins the Indianapolis visiting Tennessee Thursday on NFL Network. The other primetime games come from Texas - Eagles at Cowboys on NBC Sunday night, then the Ravens take on the Texans on ESPN Monday night.
The Redskins host Tampa Bay Sunday afternoon on FOX, while CBS has the doubleheader. The Washington CBS channel doesn't have a game at 1 p.m. - while most of Virginia sees Cincinnati-Pittsburgh - and in the nightcap New England visits Chicago.
TNT has the NBA doubleheader Thursday,with the Celtics visiting Philadelphia at 8 p.m. followed by the Magic's trip to Portland. ESPN starts Friday with the Lakers heading to Chicago at 8 p.m., then it's the Heat at Golden State.
The Wizards take on the Knicks Friday on Comcast.
The Capitals host Florida Thursday on both Comcast and Versus, then take on the Avalanche Saturday and visit the Rangers Sunday on Comcast.
NBC will feature the Shark Shootout Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The NCAA crowns its men's soccer champion this weekend. The second semifinal - Akron against Michigan - is Friday at 11 p.m. on ESPN2, with the final Sunday at 4 p.m.

Conference title time

We know when the BCS bowls will be.
We basically know who's going to be in the BCS bowls.
But it won't be until Sunday night that we officially know who's going where, and who's playing for the national championship January 10.
ESPN's BCS selection show Sunday at 8:15 p.m. - and the bowl selection show at 9 p.m. - caps off the final big weekend of college football.
Top-ranked Oregon knows it's in the BCS, and plays Oregon State in the Civil War Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Over on CBS, No. 2 Auburn faces South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference final at 4 p.m.
Virginia Tech goes for it's 11th straight victory and a BCS berth against Florida State at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN. Keep the clicker busy, as the Big 12 title game matches Oklahoma and Big Ten-bound Nebraska on ABC at 8 p.m. while Connecticut can clinch the Big East crown when it plays South Florida on ESPN2.
West Virginia can stay alive in the Big East with a win in its noon contest against Rutgers on ABC.
The battle between Arizona State and Arizona kicks off the weekend Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Friday, ESPN2 has a doubleheader - the MAC championship between Northern Illinois and Miami at 7 p.m., followed by Illinois visiting Fresno State.
Saturday at noon, ESPN2 shows the C-USA title game between SMU and Central Florida, while Pittsburgh meets Cincinnati on ESPN.
Versus offers the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State Saturday at 7 p.m. Comcast brings together L.A. rivals - USC vs. UCLA - Saturday at 10:30 p.m.
In the world of college football playoffs, MASN shows a pair of games from FCS (the old I-AA) - Wofford at Jacksonville State at noon, followed by Villanova taking on Stephen F. Austin.
Going against the BCS selection show is one of the top NFL games of the season - Steelers at Ravens on NBC Sunday night football. The AFC North title and likely a top-seed will be on the line when the rivals meet in Baltimore.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday night when the faltering Texans visit Michael Vick and the Eagles. Monday night, ESPN has the AFC East grudge match between the Jets and Patriots.
On Sunday afternoon, the Redskins visit New York at 1 p.m. on FOX. So CBS in Washington decided to show the Raiders' game with San Diego in the 4 p.m. slot, against the Cowboys' visit to Indy.
LeBron James returns home to Cleveland Thursday, bringing the struggling Heat to town on TNT. The Suns visit Golden State in the nightcap.
Friday on ESPN, the Bulls visit Boston at 8 p.m., then the Mavericks play the Jazz.
The Wizards host Portland Friday on Comcast, then begin a west coast swing at Phoenix Sunday at 8 p.m.
In college basketball, the ACC hits conference play early when Virginia visits Virginia Tech Sunday at 6 p.m. on Comcast.
ESPN has two games from the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardcourt Series - Arizona State faces Baylor at 7 p.m., followed by UCLA-Kansas. Saturday, there's an afternoon doubleheader on ESPN - Butler-Duke at 3:15 p.m., then Illinois meeting Gonzaga - while ESPN2 offers Alabama-Purdue and N.C. State-Syracuse starting at 3:30 p.m.
Comcast's basketball weekend tips off Thursday at 11 p.m. when Missouri heads to Oregon. Friday, the Big 12-Pac10 challenge continues as Kansas State takes on Washington State at 11 p.m. There's two more games Saturday afternoon -California heads east to face Iowa State, then Texas Tech battles Washington - and Sunday at 11 p.m. it's Texas at Southern Cal.
Comcast goes to the CAA Saturday at noon when VCU plays William & Mary.
MASN has a Big South doubleheader Thursday - Gardner Webb vs. High Point at 7 p.m., followed by Presbyterian's visit to Liberty. Friday, Connecticut hosts UMBC at 7 p.m.
CAA basketball gets the coverage Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when UNC-Wilmington goes to George Mason. The weekend closes with a pair of games from the BB&T Classic - George Washington vs. Navy at 5 p.m., followed by Maryland-Temple.
Comcast offers women's basketball Sunday at 2 p.m., when Tennessee visits rival Old Dominion, while ESPN2 has Purdue-Notre Dame at the same time.
The Capitals visit Dallas Thursday on Comcast, then return home Saturday to face Atlanta.
The NCAA Women's College Cup semifinal will be on ESPN2 Friday at 5 p.m., with Notre Dame taking on Ohio State. The final will be Sunday at noon.

Turkey Day TV

When the NFL schedule came out, fans circled the Cowboys-Saints game as the highlight of Thanksgiving football.
Then the Cowboys flopped.
Sure Dallas has won two straight since chopping coach Wade Phillips. But their season is still a turkey.
The show must go on, and the Saints must win to keep pace with Atlanta in the NFC South. FOX has the festivities Thursday afternoon, after CBS opens the day with Tom Brady and the Patriots visiting Detroit.
The day concludes with the Bengals visiting the New York Jets on NFL Network. But people will likely be asleep by then, either due to the turkey dinner or getting ready for Friday's shopping.
The NFL weekend continues Sunday with the Redskins hosting the Vikings at 1 p.m. on FOX. Just six more games until Brett Favre's next retirement.
CBS in Washington will offer Miami at Oakland at 4 p.m., and FOX shows Eagles at Bears in Fishersville and Ravens-Bucs in Washington.
In primetime, the Chargers visit the Colts on NBC Sunday, then Monday ESPN has the NFC West contest between the 49ers and Cardinals.
College football pretty much closes down the regular season through the weekend, starting Thursday with Texas A&M meeting Texas at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday features plenty of great football, as No. 2 Auburn plays No. 11 Alabama on CBS at 2:30 p.m. In primetime, No. 1 Oregon takes on Arizona on ESPN, followed by No. 4 Boise State at Nevada.
ABC has an afternoon doubleheader, starting with the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh at noon. Colorado closes out its time in the Big 12 with a visit to Nebraska.
The day starts with a Big East battle between Louisville and Rutgers at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
Virginia Tech prepares for the ACC championship game by hosting Virginia Saturday at noon as the ACC game of the week.
Saturday's slate starts with Michigan's contest with Ohio State at noon on ABC. In the afternoon, fans will see either Wisconsin-Northwestern or Florida's visit to Florida State (the other game is on ESPN) and in primetime it's Oklahoma against Oklahoma State and Notre Dame heading west to meet USC.
ESPN2 starts Saturday with Michigan State against Penn State, and contests with ACC teams fill up the rest of the day on the Worldwide Leader of Sports. Boston College visits Syracuse at noon on ESPN, then ESPN2 shows N.C. State against Maryland at 3:30 p.m.
In primetime, South Carolina visits Clemson on ESPN2 and it's Georgia Tech-Georgia on ESPN.
CBS closes the SEC regular season with LSU's matchup with Arkansas.
Versus offers two of the top six in action, with No. 3 TCU at New Mexico at 4 p.m., followed by No. 6 Stanford hosting Oregon State. Comcast has the Big 12 contest between Missouri and Kansas Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
MASN shows the Big East game of the week Saturday at noon - Cincinnati vs. Connecticut - then heads west for the WAC contest between Hawaii and New Mexico State.
The NBA has a Thanksgiving doubleheader on TNT, with the Wizards in Atlanta at 8 p.m., followed by Sacramento visiting the L.A. Clippers. The Wizards then host Orlando Saturday on Comcast.
ESPN2 has the Friday twinbill, with the Rockets traveling to Charlotte at 7 p.m. and the Warriors-Grizzlies late.
The Capitals host a pair of 5 p.m. games this weekend - Friday against Tampa Bay and Sunday versus Carolina on Comcast.
It's Feast Week for college basketball over at ESPN. There's four games from the Old Spice Classic Thursday - starting at noon with Boston College vs. Texas A&M - and two more from the 76 Classic at 5 p.m. and 11:30. Friday there's five more tournament games, including the NIT Tipoff.
Saturday, ESPN2 has the Las Vegas Invitational at 10:30 p.m., then Sunday it's finals from the Old Spice Classic at 7 p.m. and 76 Classic at 9 p.m.
MASN has two games from the (not so) Great Alaska Shootout Thursday - Houston Baptist vs. Arizona State at 9 p.m., followed by Weber State against Alaska-Anchorage. There's two more games Friday, starting at 9:30 p.m., then the third place game Saturday night followed by the championship contest at 11:45 p.m.
West Virginia's Mountaineers host VMI Saturday at 7 p.m. on MASN. Comcast has Maryland's game with Elon Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday goes with Florida against Florida State at 7:30 p.m.
The second UFL season closes with the championship game between Las Vegas and Florida Saturday at noon on Versus.

Gentlemen, finish your season

Can Jimmie Johnson win another NASCAR championship?
Or will Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick hoist Sprint Cup sometime Sunday?
The NASCAR season is down to a three-way shootout for the title. When the green flag drops Sunday at Homestead, ESPN viewers will be watching the closest contest of the "Race for the Cup" era. One that may not be decided until the white or checkered flags drop.
Johnson has won the last four championships, and enters Sunday only 15 points behind Hamlin. Hamlin finished 12th at Phoenix to watch his lead dwindle, and basically needs to finish ahead of Johnson to win the championship. But we really won't know for sure until the race is over.
The Nationwide racers close out their season Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
Also ending this weekend is the MLS season. FC Dallas will compete with Colorado for the 2010 MLS Cup, starting at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. Neither team has won an MLS championship, although Colorado lost to D.C. United in the second league title game in 1997.
College football still has a few more weeks left, but some traditional rivals close out their season this weekend. Versus has the Ivy League battle between Harvard and Yale Saturday at noon. If you can't park the car at Harvard yard, sit in front of the TV for the game.
The weekend starts Thursday at UCLA visits Washington at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Friday, ESPN2 goes back to the blue turf as Boise State hosts Fresno State.
Notre Dame meets Army at new Yankee Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m. on NBC. The Fighting Irish kept their season alive by whipping Utah last Saturday, and a win makes them bowl eligible.
CBS offers Mississippi's visit to LSU Saturday afternoon, while ABC offers the Big Ten battle between Ohio State and Iowa.
In primetime, ACC country will likely watch Florida State's game with Maryland. Other parts of the country will get either USC-Oregon State or a top 20 contest between Nebraska and Texas A&M.
Virginia Tech can wrap up a spot in the ACC championship game when the Hokies visit Miami Saturday afternoon on ESPN.
At noon, Wisconsin and weary Bucky Badger travel to Michigan on ESPN while Pittsburgh takes on South Florida on ESPN2. In primetime, Arkansas visits Mississippi State on ESPN and Oklahoma heads to Baylor on ESPN2.
Arch-rivals clash in the ACC as North Carolina State faces North Carolina in the game of the week.
Comcast has a Saturday doubleheader, starting with Oklahoma State at Kansas at noon. They then head to the Pac-10 for Stanford's big game with California. MASN's doubleheader begins with West Virginia at Louisville at noon, then offers Stony Brook against Liberty from the Big South.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday on NFL network with the Bears heading to Miami to play the Dolphins. The big game of the weekend comes Sunday afternoon on CBS, when the Patriots and Colts meet in their traditional November battle. The early afternoon games have the Ravens visiting Carolina on CBS, while the Redskins travel to Tennessee on FOX.
In primetime Sunday, the Giants visit the Eagles on NBC. Monday night, it's an AFC West contest between the Chargers and Broncos - usually the top two teams in the division, but this year they are at the bottom.
TNT starts the NBA weekend Thursday when the Suns travel to Orlando. In the nightcap, the TrailBlazers host the Nuggets. ESPN's Friday doubleheader begins with the Thunder heading to Boston, then the Bulls face the Mavericks.
The Wizards play the Grizzlies Friday on Comcast-plus, then head to Detroit to face the Pistons Sunday at 6 p.m.
College basketball continues its opening schedule this weekend. Thursday on Comcast, Virginia visits Stanford at 10:30 p.m. as the Cavaliers head to Hawaii for a Thanksgiving week tournament. Sunday, Virginia Tech is on the road at UNC-Greensboro on Comcast.
ESPN2 has the Coaches vs. Cancer doubleheader Thursday, with Pittsburgh facing Maryland at 7 p.m. followed by Illinois-Texas. Two more games take the stage Friday starting at 5 p.m., and Sunday on ESPN2 two games from the Puerto Rico Tip-off begin at 5:30 p.m.
MASN features the Charleston Classic Thursday, starting at noon with Coastal Carolina against Georgetown and USC-Upstate vs. Wofford. The night begins at 6 p.m. with East Carolina taking on N.C. State, then George Mason plays Charlotte.
The tournament continues Friday, with coverage of games at noon and 8:30 p.m.
The Capitals visit Atlanta Friday on Comcast, then host the Flyers Saturday.

I want my game, NFL network

Do you have NFL network? It's the most popular of the league networks, but not popular enough to make most basic cable packages.
So the second half of the season, eight games on NFL network means most fans must head to a sports bar or a friend with the upper tier programming to watch. Fans in the local cities get to watch over-the-air, but out-of-market areas like Fishersville are out of luck.
This year's slate starts with a good one - Ravens visiting the Falcons Thursday. Teams with young quarterbacks who have had success in the past two years, and continue that in the 2010 campaign. They are among a bunch of teams with 6-2 records midway through the season, so the winner gets a big boost toward the playoffs.
Fire up the computer or catch the highlights. And wait for whatever's left for Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the Redskins get prime time exposure Monday night against the Eagles. Sunday night, the Patriots visit Pittsburgh on NBC.
In the Sunday afternoon coverage, CBS will show the Colts against Bengals. The FOX doubleheader starts with the Vikings at Bears, then heads to the New Meadowlands as the bumbling Cowboys visit the Giants.
The college football weekend begins Thursday on ESPN when the Pitt Panthers head to Connecticut. Friday, Boise State continues its run for a prefect season at 9 p.m. against Idaho.
Virginia Tech's big contest with North Carolina gets coverage on ABC Saturday, starting at 3:30 p.m. Other games in the slot include Penn State going against Ohio State (likely ESPN game in the mid-Atlantic) and Texas Tech at Oklahoma.
In primetime, ABC shows Clemson-Florida State or USC at Arizona.
CBS has a doubleheader Saturday, with Mississippi facing Tennessee at noon and Georgia taking on Auburn at 3:30 p.m. Notre Dame tries to bounce back against Utah on NBC. The Utes got blown out for their first loss Saturday, so might not be a good day for the Fighting Irish.
The Big Ten gets more coverage at noon, with Iowa at Northwestern on ESPN and Wisconsin-Indiana on ESPN2. In primetime the SEC takes over, with South Carolina visiting Florida on ESPN and Mississippi State-Alabama on ESPN2. Close out your night with Nevada-Fresno State on ESPN.
Miami's visit to Georgia Tech gets the coverage as ACC game of the week Saturday at noon. Comcast offers the Big 12 game of the week as Kansas State visits Missouri Saturday afternoon.
MASN goes with the Big East game of the week between Connecticut and West Virginia Saturday at noon, then offers Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State from the WAC at 6 p.m.
Versus gets to show some of the top teams in the country, with San Diego State at TCU at 4 p.m., followed by top-ranked Oregon battling California. The day begins at noon with Brown-Dartmouth.
NASCAR is in Phoenix for the next to last race of the season - Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. Can Denny Hamlin hold onto the chase lead? Will Jimmie Johnson's crew troubles continue?
The Nationwide racers go Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
TNT's Thursday doubleheader features the Celtics visiting the Heat at 8 p.m., followed by the Lakers taking on the Nuggets. ESPN's Friday doubleheader starts at 7 p.m. with the Hawks hosting the Jazz, then the action shifts to Oklahoma City with the Thunder meeting Portland.
The Wizards take on Charlotte Friday on Comcast, then play the Bulls Saturday night on Comcast-plus and WGN.
College basketball begins gearing up this week, and MASN offers Kentucky Wesleyan at Louisville Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday, it's a Big East doubleheader with Connecticut hosting Stony Brook at 7 p.m., followed by Prairie View A&M at Marquette.
Saturday, Pittsburgh takes on North Florida at 4 p.m., and Sunday there's the Patriot League game between Lafayette and Rider.
The Capitals host Tampa Bay Thursday on Comcast, then visit Buffalo Saturday and close a busy weekend with a 5 p.m. home game against Atlanta on Sunday.
The MLS has Dallas battling Los Angeles Sunday on ESPN2 for a berth in next Sunday's MLS cup. For your college action, MASN has the Big East men's soccer tournament championship at noon, while the ACC title game will be on Comcast-plus Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tech vs. Tech

After losing its first two games of the season, Virginia Tech has rolled to six straight wins. Will the trend continue in the November stretch run?
The Hokies host Georgia Tech Thursday in ESPN's Prime Time game. Since being upset by James Madison, Virginia Tech has righted its ship nicely - leading its division by two games over Georgia Tech, Miami and North Carolina.
A win Thursday puts the Hokies in great shape to spend the first Saturday of December at the ACC championship game. Then a BCS game is only one win away.
Friday, ESPN2 shows the C-USA contest between Central Florida and Houston at 8 p.m. Saturday at noon, ESPN will feature Illinois against Michigan.
CBS has the top 20 battle between Alabama and LSU Saturday afternoon. ABC gives the country four choices in that time slot, with ESPN2 showing either Washington-Oregon or Northwestern-Penn State. ACC country will watch North Carolina's game with Florida State, and parts of the Midwest will get Nebraska at Iowa State.
In primetime, ABC has the Pac-10 matchup between Arizona and Stanford or Missouri at Texas Tech. ESPN goes with an SEC contest between Arkansas and South Carolina at 7 p.m., while ESPN2 has Texas taking on Kansas State.
Clemson hosts North Carolina State on the ACC game of the week Saturday at noon. Comcast offers CAA action Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., with James Madison taking on Richmond. Later in the evening, there's Arizona State's visit to Southern Cal.
On MASN, the Big East game between Louisville and Syracuse kicks off at noon. Then it's Navy's visit to East Carolina. Versus has Penn-Princeton from the Ivy League at 3 p.m., then heads west for Oregon State-UCLA.
The Redskins have a bye this week - maybe Donovan McNabb can catch his breath - but fans can enjoy watching the Cowboys limp into Green Bay Sunday Night. ESPN features the Steelers' visit to Cincinnati on Monday Night football.
Sunday afternoon, CBS has the doubleheader - Dolphins at Ravens early followed by Peyton Manning taking the Colts to Philadelphia. FOX in Washington plans to show the late game of New York Giants at Seattle.
NASCAR's chase for the Cup heads to Texas, with the green flag dropping at 3 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide racers hit the track Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
The NBA on TNT Thursday starts with the Knicks taking on the Bulls at 8 p.m., then Oklahoma City against Denver. ESPN's Friday doubleheader starts with the Bulls' visit to the Celtics at 8 p.m., followed by the Clippers vs. Nuggets.
The Wizards take on New York Friday on Comcast-plus, then host the Cleveland not-LeBrons Saturday on Comcast.
It's Breeders Cup weekend, with action Friday on ESPN2 and Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.
The Capitals are home twice this weekend, meeting Boston Friday and Philadelphia Sunday at 5 p.m. on Comcast. With no local action Thursday, Comcast shows the Rangers facing the Flyers.
The MLS playoffs continue Thursday with San Jose's trip to New York on ESPN2. Sunday at 9 p.m., Seattle battles the L.A. Galaxy.
On Sunday, Comcast has a pair of ACC women's championships - the field hockey contest at noon and the women's soccer tournament final at 2 p.m. MASN has the Big East's women's soccer title game Sunday at noon.
ESPN2 has Big 10 volleyball Sunday afternoon with Penn State facing Michigan.

Nine weeks, nine teams to go

Through eight weeks of the season, 23 of the 32 teams have appeared over the air on Sunday afternoon in Fishersville.
Nine more teams wait to appear in the final nine weeks of the season. Five are AFC - N.Y. Jets, Miami, Jacksonville, Oakland and Kansas City. The four remaining in the NFC are Tampa Bay, Arizona, San Francisco and Seattle.

November Classic

It's Trick or Treat meets Seventh Inning Stretch.
Go vote after watching the new champions celebrate - maybe?
The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants started the 2010 World Series Wednesday on FOX, and it's Game 4 on Halloween night. Good thing it's in Texas, not a colder northern climate.
If necessary, Game 5 is Monday. Go vote Tuesday, then see if the series heads back to San Francisco for the final two games Wednesday and Thursday.
The Giants are looking for their first championship since Willie Mays patrolled the Polo Grounds. The Rangers had never won a postseason series until a few weeks ago.
Someone's long drought ends shortly.
The NBA opened its regular season Tuesday, and Thursday TNT offers the Wizards' season opener at Orlando. The TNT nightcap will be Phoenix at Utah.
ESPN has a Friday doubleheader, with the Magic-Heat at 8 p.m. followed by the Suns' game against the Lakers.
Comcast gets its first Wizards game Saturday, when they meet Atlanta at 7 p.m.
The Ravens have the weekend off, but Sunday Night Football goes up against the World Series with the Steelers visit to New Orleans. Monday night on ESPN, you can watch the Texans at Colts if you don't care for World Series Game 5.
Sunday afternoon, will Brett Favre limp onto the field when the Vikings face New England on FOX at 4:15 p.m. The Redskins are in Detroit at 1 p.m., while CBS in Washington, D.C. goes with the late game of Titans at Chargers. Other parts of Virginia will see Jacksonsville's game against Dallas.
The college football weekend starts Thursday with an ACC contest between Florida State and N.C. State. Friday, ESPN2 has West Virginia trying to bounce back against Connecticut.
Notre Dame, fresh off another loss to Navy, hosts Tulsa on NBC. Feel the tradition. The CBS game oozes tradition, as Georgia meets Florida in the world's largest cocktail party.
ABC has a pair of top 20 showdowns in the afternoon - Michigan State-Iowa and Missouri against Nebraska - then in primetime offers top-ranked Oregon at USC or Ohio State taking on Minnesota.
Virginia hosts Miami on ESPN at noon Saturday, while ESPN2 shows Purdue-Illinois. ESPN2 has Auburn-Mississippi at 6 p.m. followed by Oklahoma-Colorado, and ESPN offers Michigan's battle with Penn State at 8 p.m.
The ACC game of the week features Clemson taking on Boston College.
MASN has a pair of games Saturday - the Big East game of the week between Louisville and Pittsburgh at noon, then East Carolina's visit to Central Florida. Versus offers Stanford at Washington at 7 p.m.
Comcast offers a doubleheader Saturday - Oklahoma State against Kansas State at noon, then the CAA battle between Massachusetts and James Madison. If you get Comcast-plus, there's Arizona-UCLA at 3:30 p.m., followed by Baylor taking on Texas.
NASCAR heads to Talledega for Halloween weekend, starting at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
The Capitals are on the road this weekend, visiting Minnesota Thursday at 8 p.m. and Calgary Saturday at 10 p.m. on Comcast. With no local teams playing Friday, Comcast offers the Penguins and Flyers at 7 p.m.
The MLS playoffs have begun, and ESPN2 has Columbus at Colorado Thursday at 9 p.m. and L.A. vs. Seattle Sunday at 8 p.m.

Is it too early for flex scheduling?

The NFL probably felt very good about this week's national games - Vikings going to Green Bay Sunday night and Giants-Cowboys on Monday - until the season started.
After Sunday's meeting, the Vikings are 2-3 and the Cowboys 1-4. People will still watch them, but it's likely they won't be watching them when the playoffs start.
Hey, Cowboys, which team will be in your locker room for Super Bowl XLV?
The Redskins travel to Chicago Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. CBS has the doubleheader, starting with the Ravens hosting Buffalo. Most of the country will get the Patriots' visit to San Diego, another disappointing squad, at 4:15 p.m.
The baseball playoffs will have their World Series participants by Sunday night. The National League has Game 5 from San Francisco Thursday on FOX, then Game 6 Saturday and Game 7 Sunday if necessary.
The Rangers have two chances to put away the Yankees and reach their first-ever World Series. The teams meet Friday at 7:30 p.m. on TBS. If the Yankees win, then it's Game 7 Saturday.
CBS has a college football doubleheader Saturday, thanks to Navy playing host to Notre Dame. The game kicks off at noon from the new Meadowlands, then it's an SEC shootout between LSU and Auburn.
ABC has a pair of top 25 shootouts in the afternoon - Wisconsin-Iowa and Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State - but ACC country will likely watch Georgia Tech's trip to Clemson. In prime time, Oklahoma takes on Missouri.
Virginia Tech seeks its sixth straight win as the ACC game of the week against Duke at noon.
ESPN opens the college football weekend Thursday at 9 p.m. as new Number 1 Oregon hosts UCLA. Friday, South Florida battles Cincinnati at 8 p.m on ESPN2.
Saturday at noon on ESPN it's Michigan State-Northwestern. In the evening, Alabama goes to Tennessee at 7 p.m., followed by Washington heading to Arizona.
ESPN2 has Syracuse facing West Virginia at noon, then at 7:30 p.m. it's North Carolina taking on Miami.
MASN offers a pair of games Saturday - the Big East contest between Rutgers and Pittsburgh at noon and a Big South match between Stony Brook and Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m.
Comcast has Texas taking on Iowa State at 12:30 p.m., followed by Massachusetts-New Hampshire from the Atlantic 10.
NASCAR visits the short track at Martinsville Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide races are in the Midwest, at the Gateway track outside St. Louis, Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals head to Boston Thursday to face the Bruins on Comcast, then host Atlanta on Saturday.
ESPN2 has its MLS Game of the Week Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with New England facing the New York Red Bulls.
ESPN offers an NBA preseason doubleheader Friday, with the Heat facing the Magic at 7:30 p.m. and Warriors-Lakers at 10 p.m. The regular season starts Tuesday on TNT.
There's Big 10 women's volleyball Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, with Illinois facing Minnesota.

Yankees again? Yuck

Fresh off their three-game sweep of the Twins, the New York Yankees continue their march to spoil the postseason for Yankee-haters everywhere.
The evil empire opens the American League championship series Friday on TBS in Texas. Game 2 is Saturday, and the series shifts to New York Monday evening.
The Yankees won baseball championship number 27 last season, but must travel as the wild-card team from the AL East.
The Rangers have never won a World Series, or a league pennant. Or a playoff series until Tuesday in Tampa. They lost nine straight games in three division series against the Yankees in the late 1990s.
Saturday night on FOX, the National League series starts in Philadelphia, as the Phillies try to make a third straight World Series trip. The Giants are seeking their first World Series title in San Francisco. Game 2 is Sunday at 8 p.m., then the teams head west for games Tuesday through Thursday (if necessary).
Peyton Manning gets another shot at the Sunday Night spotlight, bringing the Colts to face the Redskins on NBC. Monday night on ESPN, the Titans visit the Jaguars in a battle for first place or last place in the AFC South (all four teams stand 3-2 after week 5).
Sunday afternoon, the Ravens visit New England on CBS. Fox has the doubleheader without the Redskins, meaning NFC East foes get the TV time - the Eagles hosting Atlanta followed by the 1-3 Cowboys at 1-3 Minnesota. Not where those teams expected to be.
CBS gets another top SEC matchup Saturday afternoon, with Arkansas facing No. 7 Auburn. On the other side of the competition scale, Notre Dame faces Western Michigan at 2:30 p.m. on NBC. Bonus points if you know where the school is located and its mascot (Kalamazoo and the Broncos).
On ABC, Texas visits Nebraska or Iowa-Michigan in the afternoon. The game not on ABC in your area will be on ESPN.
ESPN opens the college football weekend Thursday night as West Virginia hosts South Florida, and stays in the Big East Friday with Cincinnati against Louisville. At noon Saturday, it's Florida State taking on Boston College while ESPN2 has Minnesota-Purdue.
ESPN's big contest in primetime is Ohio State's visit to Wisconsin, followed by Oregon State-Washington at 10:15 p.m. ESPN2 offers Alabama hosting Mississippi at 9 p.m.
Maryland's trip to Clemson gets the ACC game of the week coverage Saturday at noon.
MASN offers a pair of college games Saturday - the Big East game between Pittsburgh and Syracuse at noon and the WAC battle between Idaho and Louisiana Tech at 4 p.m.
Comcast has the Big 12 matchup between Texas A&M and Missouri Saturday at noon. Comcast-plus offers Villanova against Maine at noon, then California-USC and Oklahoma taking on Iowa State at 7 p.m.
Versus joins the action with fourth-ranked TCU facing BYU at 4 p.m., followed by Arizona's contest against Washington State.
NASCAR heads back home this weekend, racing in Charlotte Saturday night on ABC. The Nationwide racers hit the track Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals head south to play the Predators Saturday night on Comcast. Versus offers Thursday night NHL action as Tampa Bay faces the Flyers.
There's NBA preseason basketball Thursday on Comcast as the Wizards host the Bucks.
D.C. United will be in Chicago to fight the Fire Saturday at 4 p.m. ESPN2 offers the Chivas USA game at Seattle Friday at 11 p.m.
For fans of volleyball, ESPN2 will show Minnesota at Penn State Sunday at 1 p.m.

Ice is nice

October means the baseball postseason.
And the NHL season openers.
Ice hockey returns with three games on Versus Thursday. The day starts at noon, since Carolina and Minnesota are among six teams opening the season in Europe. After their game in Helsinki, the action heads to Pennsylvania as the Penguins and Flyers face off at 7 p.m. The day closes with Chicago's visit to Colorado at 10 p.m.
There's three more games from Europe the rest of the weekend. Carolina and Minnesota play again at noon Friday, followed by Columbus against San Jose in Stockholm. Saturday at noon, it's Boston facing Phoenix from Prague.
Enjoy the different dasherboards.
Here in the States, the Capitals open their season Friday in Atlanta against the Thrashers. Saturday is the home opener against the Devils, then they play Ottawa Monday on Comcast.
TBS has the baseball division series coverage, with three games Thursday - Texas at Tampa Bay at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Yankees at Twins and the Game 1 of the Braves-Giants at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, it's game two of both National League series then Saturday it's game three in the American League contests from Texas and New York. Sunday, there will be either two, three or four games, depending on how Saturday's games go.
If various series go the full five games, they will be Tuesday in the American League and Wednesday in the National.
Brett Favre returns to New York, as the Vikings visit the Jets at new Meadowlands Stadium Monday on ESPN. The Eagles' game against the 49ers gets featured on NBC's Sunday night game - will Michael Vick play? Can San Francisco win a game?
The Packers visit Washington Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX, while CBS has doubleheader coverage most places - except Fishersville. We will get the Titans' trip to Dallas at 4:15 p.m., but the early game gets blacked out. Richmond and the rest of Virginia will be watching the Ravens host the Broncos, and I hope my cable picks up that game.
ESPN starts the college football weekend Thursday with Nebraska heading to Kansas State. Friday, ESPN shows the Big East matchup between Connecticut and Rutgers at 7:30 p.m., while ESPN2 goes with Oklahoma State and Louisiana-Lafayette at 9 p.m.
Saturday's schedule starts at noon on ESPN with Indiana against Ohio State, while ESPN2 shows Illinois-Penn State. In primetime, ESPN has LSU-Florida.
CBS goes with top-ranked Alabama's visit to South Carolina at 3:30 p.m., while Pittsburgh visits Notre Dame on NBC. ABC's regional action includes Clemson at North Carolina in ACC territory, while other areas see a top 20 battle between Michigan State and Michigan or Arkansas vs. Texas A&M from Cowboys Stadium.
In primetime, ABC has the ACC battle of Florida with Florida State facing Miami. Other parts of the country will watch USC-Stanford, while ACC country gets that game on ESPN2.
N.C. State's contest against Boston College gets coverage as the ACC game of the week. Can the Wolfpack hold a lead this week?
MASN shows the Big East game of the week at noon, then West Virginia hosts UNLV at 3:30 p.m. Comcast has a Big 12 game between Texas Tech and Baylor at noon, while Versus goes with Oregon State's visit to Arizona at 7 p.m.
Jimmie Johnson's back on top of the NASCAR Chase for the Cup, with seven of the 10 playoff races to go. Will someone catch him or will his lead balloon? We'll find out Sunday at 3 p.m. as the drivers take the track at Fontana on ESPN.
The Nationwide Series will race Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
In MLS play, D.C. United hosts San Jose Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast-plus. Thursday on ESPN, Philadelphia takes on the LA. Galaxy.
The NBA preseason has started, and TNT shows it's lone exhibition Sunday night as Dallas plays Phoenix.

Play ball, postseason style

Are you ready for four weeks of postseason baseball?
Will the Yankees be in prime time most of the time? As much as possible.
Baseball's postseason starts Wednesday at 1:35 p.m. when the Rangers visit American League East champion Tampa Bay. The Reds' first postseason trip in 15 years begins at 5 p.m. in Philadelphia, then at 8:30 p.m. the Yankees and Twins meet at new Target Field.
Thursday, the Rangers and Rays play game two at 2:30 p.m., then it's the Yankees and Twins at 6 p.m. The Braves meet NL West champion San Francisco at 9:30 p.m. to start their series.
There's two National League games Friday - Reds at Phillies at 6 p.m. and Giants-Braves at 9:30 p.m. - and Saturday the Rangers host the Rays at 5 p.m. and Twins visit New York at 8:30 p.m. while the National League teams travel to the sites of their Game 3.
The rest of the divisional series schedule is to be announced. The American League Game 5 would be on Oct. 12, and the National League finales would be Oct. 13.
The American League championship series will be on TBS, starting Oct. 15. FOX carries the National League series starting Oct. 16, and has the World Series beginning Oct. 27. If there's no sweep, there will be November baseball.

Tide rides into Prime Time

Once a season, CBS shows a Southeastern Conference game in prime time. It's a good one this week.
Top-ranked Alabama, fresh off a come-from-behind win at Arkansas, hosts Florida in a rematch of last year's SEC championship game.
And the schools with two of the last three Heisman Trophy winners.
And the last two national champions.
Ought to be something worth watching. Even if Tim Tebow is in the NFL.
If that's not enough, in the late afternoon slot CBS shows Tennessee at LSU.
ABC usually shows prime time games on Saturday, and has some good ones this week also. Out west, Oregon takes on Stanford while Notre Dame's visit to Boston College will be shown to much of the east. ESPN2 will show the game you don't get on ABC, except a few western areas will see Washington-USC.
ABC fires up the football day at 3:30 p.m. with the Red River Rivalry - Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas. Too bad the Longhorns lost to UCLA last week. Parts of the country will get to see Wisconsin-Michigan State, while ACC country gets Virginia Tech's game with North Carolina on the main channel and something else on ESPN.
ESPN begins the weekend Thursday with Texas A&M going against Oklahoma State, then Friday it's BYU facing Utah State.
Saturday begins on ESPN with Northwestern against Minnesota at noon, while ESPN2 shows Miami's visit to Clemson. ESPN's primetime contest matches Penn State and Iowa.
Virginia gets its turn in the ACC game of the week, hosting Florida State at noon. Should be a tougher game for the Cavaliers than the last two home contests.
Versus brings another battle in the Commander-in-Chief trophy series, when Navy heads west to face Air Force. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Comcast brings three games on Saturday, starting at noon with Kansas at Baylor. There's CAA action at 3:30 p.m. when Villanova goes to William & Mary, then at 7 p.m. Georgia takes on Colorado.
Golf's feature event this weekend is the Ryder Cup, being played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales. ESPN starts the coverage Friday at 2:30 a.m. (set your alarm clocks). NBC takes over for the weekend, with play Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., then the final day starting at 7 a.m.
It's week four for the NFL, and the first one with byes. Four teams have the week off, and the Eagles welcome someone they said "bye" to in the offseason - quarterback Donovan McNabb. McNabb and the Redskins visit Philadelphia at 4:15 p.m. on FOX.
In the early slots in Fishersville, CBS has the Steelers hosting the Ravens while FOX offers Carolina at the Saints.
In prime time, the Bears make a journey to new Meadowlands Stadium to play the Giants on NBC. Monday Night's game features the Patriots and Dolphins on ESPN.
The major league baseball regular season ends this weekend, bringing a merciful end to the season for the Orioles and Nationals. The Orioles face the Tigers on MASN2, while the Nationals are in New York to meet the Mets on MASN.
The Red Sox are done, but their games with the Yankees are on FOX Saturday and TBS Sunday afternoon. FOX also shows the Phillies-Braves and the NL West showdown between the Padres and Giants. Close pennant races could add games to the national schedule.
The IRL season closes at Homestead on Versus - Saturday at 7 p.m. - while NASCAR is in Kansas Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide Series, waiting for Danica Patrick to return - goes Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN2 offers MLS action Sunday night, with the Galaxy going against Chivas USA.

Danica does Dover

How has Danica Patrick's season been in the Nationwide Series? Been a long time since she's raced there.
After appearing in just six of the first 27 races, Patrick heads to Dover Saturday for her fall tour on the Nationwide Series. She should appear in seven more races to close out the season, as the IRL has only one more race to run in 2010.
The flag drops on ESPN2 Saturday at 3 p.m.
Race two of the NASCAR Chase for the Cup will be at the Monster Mile Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.  Jimmie Johnson dropped four spots after struggling, but somehow, I bet he'll be back near the top. Can't say the same about Clint Bowyer.
The Red Sox and Yankees aren't battling for the AL East championship, but they do meet twice this weekend on national TV - Saturday on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. The Reds take on the Padres also on FOX, while the Giants and Rockies battle Sunday afternoon on TBS.
The Nationals continue their final homestand with three games against the Braves on MASN. The Orioles are in Toronto to face the Blue Jays on MASN2.
The Ravens open their home season against the closest thing the NFL has to bye - the Cleveland Browns. CBS will show that at 1 p.m. in the Fishersville area, followed by the Colts' visit to Denver. The Redskins host the Rams in the late afternoon slot on FOX.
The Jets visit Miami for NBC's Sunday night game, while ESPN has the Packers heading to Chicago on Monday night.
CBS has the top college football matchup of the weekend, with top-ranked Alabama playing Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Notre Dame takes on Stanford in the time slot on NBC, while ABC/ESPN2 offers Wake Forest-Florida State, Ohio State against Eastern Michigan and UCLA facing Texas.
In primetime, ABC will feature Oregon State against Boise State on the blue turf in the Broncos' final big non-conference game.
Virginia Tech's visit to Boston College gets to be the ACC game of the week, starting at noon.
ESPN begins the weekend Thursday when Miami heads to Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, TCU meets SMU at 8 p.m., then Saturday at noon it's N.C. State facing Georgia Tech. In primetime, it's a top-20 battle between South Carolina and Auburn.
On ESPN2, the day starts at noon with Bowling Green meeting Michigan. Oklahoma goes to Cincinnati at 6 p.m., followed by the big battle between West Virginia and LSU at Death Valley.
Versus presents the Atlanta Football Classic Saturday at 3:30 p.m., with Tennessee State meeting Florida A&M.
Comcast has football early - Central Florida at Kansas State at 12:30 p.m. - and late from the Pac-10 as Oregon goes to Arizona State at 10:30 p.m.
MASN has college football in prime time Saturday, with Western Kentucky visiting South Florida.
For your younger football action, ESPN2 shows high school football from South Carolina Friday at 7 p.m.
The main part of the PGA tournament schedule closes this weekend with the Tour Championship. NBC provides coverage Saturday starting at noon and Sunday from 1:30 to 6 p.m.
D.C. United takes to the pitch Saturday night on Comcast, hosting Houston at 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 has its MLS game Friday night, as the Red Bulls visit Los Angeles at 11 p.m.

And the Chase is on

Ten more NASCAR races to go, which means 12 drivers enter the Chase for the Cup starting Sunday.
NASCAR designed the chase to heighten excitement down the stretch. But how much excitement has there been with Jimmy Johnson winning the last four cups?
Johnson is second to Denny Hamlin going into this year's cup, which starts at New Hampshire on ESPN.
If you want real late night Saturday racing, the IRL is in Tokyo. The green flag drops at 11 p.m. on Versus.
The Manning Bowl highlights the second weekend of the NFL season - Eli and the Giants visit Peyton and the Colts Sunday night on NBC. Monday night, the Saints head to San Francisco as the 49ers seek to bounce back from a lousy opener.
After no local teams played last Sunday afternoon, CBS gets both this week. The Ravens visit Cincinnati in the early game, then the Redskins look for a second straight win over a Texas team - meeting the Texans at 4:15 p.m.
FOX will show the Bears going to Dallas in the Fishersville area in the early slot.
The Orioles get national coverage on TBS Sunday afternoon, hosting the Yankees. MASN also has the series all weekend, while the Nationals face the Phillies on MASN2.
The Tigers and White Sox play Sunday night on ESPN, and join the Braves-Mets and Padres-Cardinals as the offerings for the FOX Saturday package.
With tennis done, CBS enters the college football realm as Florida visits Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. The Vols' big loss to Oregon and Florida's opening game struggles may dim a little luster from the contest.
ABC has a pair of big games on Saturday night - Texas against Texas Tech and Notre Dame-Michigan State. In the late afternoon, games include Alabama at Duke, Nebraska-Washington and Arizona State's visit to Wisconsin. In both time slots, ESPN2 has one of the offerings not on ABC in your area.
ESPN opens the weekend Thursday as Cincinnati goes to North Carolina State. Friday, it's Kansas-Southern Mississippi at 8 p.m. on ESPN and California taking on Nevada at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
Saturday starts on ESPN with Arkansas meeting Georgia at noon, then USC visits Minnesota. Will the Trojans be tougher than South Dakota? In primetime, it's Clemson taking on Auburn.
On ESPN2, Penn State hosts Kent State at noon and Wake Forest heads west to play Stanford at 11 p.m.
The ACC game of the week features Georgia Tech at North Carolina. Wonder if there will be over 100 points scored in the ACC game like last Saturday?
MASN shows Connecticut at Temple Saturday at noon, as the former Big East team tries to impress a rising star.
Comcast goes with four games Saturday from all across the country, after starting at noon with Iowa State against Kansas State from Kansas City. Air Force visits Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m., followed by William & Mary-Old Dominion before heading west for Houston against UCLA at 10:30 p.m.
Versus has Baylor against TCU at 4 p.m.
The WNBA champion could be determined tonight, when Seattle visits Atlanta at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

Time for a summer hiatus

I'm going to take a break from the watchdog for the next few weeks while I enjoy summer vacation with my sons. I hope to resume weekly updates as football season rolls around at the end of August.
You know your summer sports. Here's your links.
MASN covers the Orioles and Nationals.
MLB's national schedule can be found here. They have all previous games still listed, so you'll have to scroll down.
Wimbledon got underway Monday, and breakfast at Wimbledon will be Sunday morning, July 4. A great way to start that day.
The PGA summer include the British Open in July and PGA championship in mid-August.
The World Cup crowns a new champion July 11, after round of 16 matches begin Saturday.
NASCAR visits Daytona for July 4th weekend on TNT, then one more race before ABC and ESPN take over coverage at Indy July 25.
Danica Patrick will be racing both IRL and Nationwide at times this summer.
Comcast will have various events through the summer, including the Washington Mystics and D.C. United soccer.
As always, ESPN has sports covered.

Father's Day viewing

Last year, Father's Day was a sports feast for dads. This year, you get to add the World Cup to the weekend mix.
The United States plays its second game Friday, meeting Slovenia at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN. That's the group leading Slovens after the first batch of matches. Germany meets Serbia to open the day at 7 a.m., then England meets Algeria at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Will the Brits be able to keep up with the Yanks in group play?
Saturday opens with the Netherlands vs. Japan at 7 a.m., then it's Ghana vs. Australia at 9:30 p.m. ABC gets to show Denmark against Cameroon at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, you've got Slovakia vs. Paraguay, then Italy against New Zealand in the morning on ESPN. ABC has favorite Brazil going against Ivory Coast in its afternoon slot.
By the next weekend, the group play will be done and it's off to the single-elimination round of 16.
Golf dads will be focused on the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. NBC will be on the air 3-5 p.m. Friday, while ESPN has coverage from 1-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.
Saturday, NBC is on from 4:30 p.m. and through prime time. The final round is on from 3-9 p.m. The College World Series kicks off Saturday in Omaha, and don't feel too bad Virginia fans - only three of the top eight seeds advanced to the final eight.
TCU meets Florida State Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN to open the festivities, then it's Florida-UCLA at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oklahoma meets South Carolina at 2 and Arizona State faces Clemson at 7 p.m.
The Nationals host the White Sox this weekend, with games Friday and Sunday on MASN. FOX has picked up the Saturday afternoon game for its package. Other areas will see the Dodgers at Red Sox or Twins-Phillies. TBS will show the Yankees and Mets Sunday afternoon, with Dodgers-Red Sox being ESPN's Sunday night game.
The Orioles conclude a west coast swing with a weekend at San Diego's Petco Park on MASN2.
NASCAR gets a late start, with TNT's coverage from Sonoma starting at 3 p.m. The Nationwide drivers are in Wisconsin Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Indy cars are in Iowa, with Versus coverage starting at 1:30 p.m.
Comcast offers the Washington Mystics facing Chicago Saturday at 7 p.m.
For something different, the Red Bull Air Race will be seen on Comcast Sunday at 2 p.m.

The world arrives in South Africa

It's an event held every four years, but this time it's unique.
The World Cup comes to Africa for the first time in its 80-year history, and host South Africa opens play against Mexico Friday at 9:30 a.m. Uruguay takes on France at 2 p.m.
The United States team has its first contest Saturday at 1:30 p.m., facing on England on ABC. Earlier in the day on ESPN, it's South Korea vs. Greece at 7 a.m. and Argentina-Nigeria at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, the day begins with Algeria vs. Slovenia at 7 a.m., then Serbia vs. Ghana. ABC brings Germany against Australia at 1:30 p.m.
Play continues daily through the opening round, with the final set for July 11.
Getting you ready for the action, ESPN2 shows D.C. United's visit to Seattle Thursday at 10 p.m. The NBA Finals continue Thursday with Game 4 from Boston, starting at 9 p.m. on ABC. Game 5 will be Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Celtics' final home game of the series. And maybe the last NBA game of the season.
The NHL season is over, but minor league hockey continues. Comcast will show Game 5 of the American Hockey League's final - Hershey at Texas - Friday at 8:30 p.m.
It's time for interleague play in baseball. The Orioles start a series with the Mets on MASN, while the Nationals visit the Indians on MASN2.
Nationally, the battle of Chicago between the White Sox and Cubs gets the national attention on FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night. The Red Sox and Phillies are the other FOX offering, and the game featured on TBS Sunday afternoon.
College baseball is down to the Super Regional level, with eight series determining the eight participants in next week's College World Series. Virginia hosts Oklahoma, playing Saturday at 3 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN and Monday (if necessary) at either 1 or 7 p.m.
The ESPN family of networks starts the fun Friday afternoon with Vanderbilt-Florida State and Texas against TCU on ESPN2. Florida faces Miami at 7 p.m. on ESPN, then it's UCLA and Cal State-Fullerton on ESPN2 at 10:30 p.m.
The best available games will fill the time slots Saturday and Sunday, with four finals possible on Monday.
NASCAR heads to Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m., while the Nationwide racers are in Kentucky Saturday night at 7:30 on ESPN.
The PGA tour is in Memphis for the St. Jude's Classic. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Mystics host the New York Liberty Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Saturday afternoon, ESPN2 offers Major League Lacrosse at 3 p.m. (Denver vs. Boston) and women's pro softball (Chicago vs. Florida) at 5 p.m.

Let the Finals begin

Do you think ABC is happy?
The NBA Finals tip off Thursday at 9 p.m. with the league's most storied rivalry - Celtics vs. Lakers. Game 2 will be Sunday at 8 p.m.
Getting ready for the series, you'll see black-and-white matchups from the 1960s. And the Bird vs. Magic rivalry of the 1980s. And maybe a little bit from 2008, when the Celtics won the last Finals meeting.
The Lakers have the homecourt advantage, always big in the Finals. When it's all over, one of the most successful teams in NBA history will add another title to its list.
The Stanley Cup finals continues Friday, with Game 4 on Versus. The teams return to Chicago for Game 5 Sunday on NBC.
In Paris, it's the end of the French Open. NBC shows the mens' semifinals Friday at 11 a.m., then has the women's championship Saturday at 9 a.m. The men's winner is crowned during live coverage Sunday at 9 p.m.
NASCAR bid farewell to Digger, Darrell and the crew for the season last weekend. Sunday, TNT picks up the coverage for the next six races, starting at Pocono at 1 p.m. The Nationwide Series is in Nashville Saturday night on ESPN2.
The IRL, fresh off its biggest race of the year, heads to Texas Saturday night on Versus.
The Orioles start a nine-game homestand as the Red Sox visit Camden Yards on MASN. The Nationals host the Reds on MASN2.
The Brewers visit to St. Louis gets the most national attention in baseball this weekend - on FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night. The Marlins vs. Mets and Rays-Rangers are also in the FOX mix of games, while TBS shows the Yankees and Blue Jays Sunday afternoon.
Tiger Woods is back to defend his title at the Memorial. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
D.C. United hosts Real Salt Lake Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast.
Want something different? NBC has the Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championships from Columbus Saturday and Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. both days.
The NCAA softball championships start Thursday in Oklahoma City with four games -Missouri vs. Hawaii and UCLA-Florida in the afternoon on ESPN, then Arizona against Tennessee at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 followed by Georgia-Washington.
There's two winners bracket games Friday, four more games Saturday and four Sunday on either ESPN or ESPN2 to reduce the field to two teams. Those two play a best-of-three series starting Monday.
The triple crown races end Saturday with the Belmont Stakes on ABC at 5 p.m.

Va-room

It's the official kickoff weekend of summer. Are you going to spend it in traffic, or watching fast traffic?
Sunday is the biggest day in motor racing, with the Indianapolis 500 on ABC and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at night on FOX. That's 1,100 miles of racing from 1 p.m. until near midnight.
Also at Charlotte, the Nationwide race takes the flag Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
The University of Virginia's quest for a national lacrosse championship continues Saturday in Baltimore, as the Cavaliers face Duke. The ACC foes play at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2, following the 4 p.m. start between Cornell and Notre Dame.
The winners battle for the championship Monday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
There's a few more games to decide the champion of the NHL season. The Stanley Cup Finals get underway Saturday at 8 p.m. on NBC as Philadelphia visits Chicago. Game 2 is Monday on NBC.
The NBA playoffs will have their final participants set by the end of the weekend. The Lakers face the Suns Thursday at 9 p.m. in Game 5 on TNT, then Saturday at 8:30 p.m. If necessary, Game 7 will be Monday.
The Celtics try to close out Orlando Friday in Game 6 on ESPN. If they don't, then Game 7 will be Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
The French Open reaches its middle weekend. NBC will show highlights Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon. ESPN2 has Friday coverage from noon to 6:30 p.m.
The Orioles head to Toronto for the weekend on MASN, while the Nationals are in San Diego. On Memorial Day, the Nationals are in Houston for a 2 p.m. game.
The Rangers' visit to the Twins gets coverage on FOX Saturday afternoon and on Sunday Night baseball (on ESPN2 this week). FOX also shows the Cardinals at Cubs and Mariners-Angels. TBS has the Cardinals and Cubs Sunday afternoon.
There's plenty of ACC tournament baseball on Comcast. Thursday and Friday, games will be shown at noon and 8 p.m. Saturday, the games at noon and 4 p.m. will air. The championship game is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN has the SEC baseball championship Sunday at 2 p.m.
The PGA tour is in Texas for the Colonial. CBS has the coverage on the weekend, starting at 3 p.m. both days. The Seniors hold their PGA Championship on NBC, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For your MLS action, FC Dallas visits Chicago Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. D.C. United faces Chivas USA Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast. The United States World Cup team plays its final friendly on home turf Saturday, meeting Turkey on ESPN2.
Sunday at 4 p.m., Comcast has Major League Lacrosse as Chesapeake faces Chicago.
NCAA softball has reached the super regional round. Thursday at 8 p.m., Tennessee battles Michigan on ESPN, followed by Oklahoma vs. Washington on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. There's two more games on ESPN2 Friday, four on ESPN Saturday and two on Sunday.

Who's on the pole?

The biggest weekend in racing is still a week away. But they are warming up in Indianapolis and Charlotte.
The field of the Indy 500 will be determined Saturday and Sunday in time trials. Versus has the full coverage both days, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Then the 33-car field will be ready for May 30.
Saturday night in Charlotte, NASCAR gets together for it's all-star race on Speed. Only after lettting the rest of the drivers race for a spot in the final field. There's four segments to the race, concluding with a 10-lap shootout. Should be plenty of fun.
Then they have a little rest before the 600-mile run Memorial Day weekend.
The first round of interleague play begins this weekend, so the Orioles and Nationals play on MASN and MASN2 - 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Nationally, it means you see the Yankees at Mets Saturday on FOX (7 p.m. this week) and Sunday night on ESPN. FOX has three other games to offer different parts of the country - Red Sox vs. Phillies, Cubs at Rangers and Tigers meeting Dodgers - then TBS shows the Red Sox at Phillies Sunday afternoon.
The NBA playoffs continue into the Conference finals. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals will be Saturday on ABC, with Orlando visiting Boston at 8:30 p.m.
Out west, the Lakers head to Phoenix Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
The NHL, also in the conference finals, shows the Flyers at Canadiens Thursday on Versus and Saturday afternoon on NBC. The Blackhawks host the Sharks Friday on Versus and Sunday on NBC.
CBS offers the Byron Nelson Classic, starting at 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Comcast has plenty of college baseball scheduled as the regular season winds down. Thursday, it's Florida State's visit to Clemson, then on Friday Virginia heads to Miami.
It's a Saturday tripleheader, starting with Florida State-Clemson at 1 p.m. Mississippi State goes to LSU at 4 p.m., then it's Sun Belt play between Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.
NCAA softball regionals begin Friday, with Auburn meeting Oregon at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and Georgia Tech vs. Jacksonville State at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Three more games are set for Saturday on ESPN, starting at noon, and another pair start Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 shows the MLS game of the week Thursday, with Columbus visiting the New York Red Bulls. On Saturday, they have Major League Lacrosse with Chesapeake visiting Toronto.

Triple crown or not

Going into the Kentucky Derby, all the horses have a chance of winning the Triple Crown.
Saturday in Baltimore, only one still has that chance.
Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver leads the field into the Preakness Stakes on NBC. Coverage starts at 4:30 p.m., and a few hours later we'll know if the Belmont Stakes really matters this year.
Also in Baltimore this weekend, the Orioles host Cleveland on MASN. The Nationals are in Colorado on MASN2.
The Phillies' visit to Milwaukee will be seen Saturday afternoon on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. Other FOX choices are Seattle at Tampa Bay and Astros-Giants. Sunday afternoon, TBS will show the Twins' visit to the Yankees.
While the NBA season winds down, the WNBA kicks off its season Saturday afternoon on ESPN2 as Los Angeles meets Phoenix. In the NBA playoffs, Game 6 of the Cavaliers and Celtics will be Thursday on TNT. Game 7 is Sunday afternoon if necessary, and if it's not then the winner will play Orlando in the opener of the Eastern Conference final.
The fourth member of the NHL's final four will be decided Friday, when the Flyers head to Boston for Game 7 of their series. The Flyers are trying to win a seven-game series after losing the first three games, and Friday's winner plays Montreal in the Eastern Conference final.
San Jose and Chicago have advanced to the Western Conference final.
The NCAA lacrosse tournament starts this weekend, and Saturday at noon ESPN shows Johns Hopkins' visit to Duke.
NASCAR heads to Dover a few weeks earlier than normal. The "Monster Mile" usually gets its visit after the Memorial Day weekend race in Charlotte, but with the holiday coming on May 31 Dover moves up to fill a hole in the schedule. FOX will be there.
The Nationwide Drivers go racing Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
DC United faces the Colorado Rapids Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast. Thursday on ESPN2, the Houston Dynamo visit Real Salt Lake.
CBS has the Valero Texas Open Saturday and Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. both days.
Comcast has college baseball Friday as Miami visits Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday afternoon, North Carolina takes on Virginia. ESPN has Mississippi vs. Alabama Saturday at 4 p.m.
The SEC crowns its softball champions Saturday at 7:30 p.m.