The Week In Tv Sports

Saturday 4/19

PRO FOOTBALL
NFL Draft
And you thought Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace, a possible No. 1 overall pick, was the only BMOC in Columbus. "Probably no defensive back since Deion Sanders has been as ballyhooed as Shawn Springs has in the last few weeks," says SI senior writer Peter King of the former Buckeyes cornerback. Not bad for a player who didn't have any interceptions in '96. Springs's stock rose at a pre-draft workout when he ran a 4.25 40 and bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times. Springs (right) likely will be one of the top three picks (page 54). ESPN will use five "war-room cams" in team offices during its 17 hours of coverage over two days; leave it to TV to transform guys choosing football players into D-Day.
? ESPN, NOON; ESPN2, 7 PM

HOCKEY
Stanley Cup Playoffs: Penguins at Flyers
La fin de Lemieux? If sixth-seeded Pittsburgh continues to suffer a case of road rash—the Penguins were 0-12-1 in their final 13 regular-season away games—the second game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals could help hasten Penguin Mario Lemieux's retirement. Third-seeded Philadelphia outscored the Penguins 20-9 in winning three of their four regular-season games.
? ESPN, 7:30 PM

Sunday 4/20

SOCCER
Mexico at U.S.
All 58,575 seats at Foxboro Stadium should be sold for this World Cup qualifier. A loss won't eliminate the Yanks from contention for a berth in World Cup '98, but a win or a tie is crucial after a 3-2 defeat at Costa Rica on March 23. The U.S. will be relying on goalie Kasey Keller (right), who has had five shutouts in his past six World Cup qualifying appearances. Keller would love to get another against Mexico coach Bora Milutinovic, the former U.S. skipper who during his tenure never gave Keller a real chance to play.
?ABC, 2:30 PM

DOCUMENTARIES
A Passion to Play
In Women's Boxing: Spectacle or Sport? host Robin Roberts wades into the controversy surrounding women (and girls) in the ring. Meet Megan Rosario, 11, whose mother wants her to win an Olympic boxing medal someday; Christy Martin, who commands $100,000 a fight after her bloody pay-per-view victory over Deirdre Gogarty last year; and Katie Dallam, a former drug and alcohol counselor who suffered brain damage and nearly died after her first and only bout, against Sumya Anani, in December. Says Dallam, haltingly, "I can't live alone. I can't work. I can't drive. Everything's changed."
?ABC, 5 PM

Monday 4/21
TRACK AND FIELD
Boston Marathon
A question after the women's marathons of 1996: If an Uta won in Boston, and Anuta won in New York, who will break the tape in Copley Square this year? Judy Tenuta? More likely, it will be Germany's Uta Pippig (above), who has won this race in each of the past three years. The palindromic '96 New York champ, Anuta Catuna, won't be in Boston, but Pippig will be challenged by Olympic gold medalist Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia. On the men's side, the favorites are '95 winner Cosmas Ndeti and '96 champion Moses Tanui, both of Kenya.
? ESPN2, 11:55 AM

Thursday 4/24
PRO BASKETBALL
NBA Playoffs
Looking for an entertaining spoiler to root for in the postseason, which begins tonight and tomorrow with eight best-of-five series? How about the Suns? Phoenix overcame an 0-13 start and at week's end was battling the Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Rookie coach Danny Ainge's stroke of genius: a four-guard lineup of Rex Chapman, Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd and Wesley Person that flummoxes slower foes. Says KJ: "With two point guards [ Johnson and Kidd] out there, we're almost impossible to defend."
?THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, TBS, 7 AND 9:30 PM; TNT, 8 AND 10:30 PM

All times Eastern. Schedules are subject to change.