The Week In Tv Sports

Saturday 9/6

BASEBALL
Orioles vs. Yankees
The kid stole an out from Tarasco, Gaining fame and inviting fiasco: Jeff Maier had the gall To snag Jeter's fly ball, Making O's fans as hot as Tabasco. No one in Baltimore has forgotten Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier, then 12, who turned a sure fly-out into a tying homer in Game 1 of last October's American League Championship Series. The Orioles and the Yanks, who at week's end had the AL's best records since the All-Star break, will meet eight times in September's first fortnight. This all's angel in the outfield for New York is centerfielder, Bernie Williams (left), who was batting .376 since returning to action on Aug. 1 after recuperating from a pulled left hamstring.
•FOX, 1 PM; WPIX, SUNDAY, 1:30 PM, AND THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, 7:30 PM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Tennessee at UCLA Florida State at Southern Cal
The riots, the Northridge earthquake, O.J., the exodus of the Raiders and the Rams, Charlie Sheen...is there no end to the misery Los Angeles has endured this decade? Apparently not. Consider that in the 1990s its vaunted football schools, UCLA and USC, have zero Top 10 finishes in the Associated Press poll. Enter the Volunteers, who are led by matinee idol quarterback Peyton Manning, and the Seminoles, who last finished out of the Top 5 in '86. An upset win by either L.A. school could produce a tectonic shift of campus chatter from sun-protection factor to quarterback-protection factor.
•ABC, 3:30 PM AND 8 PM

Sunday 9/7

TENNIS
U.S. Open Singles Final
A word of warning to unseeded Andre Agassi and to all those whose off-court courting has led to an altared state—Flushing Meadows is bachelor heaven. Only three husbands have won this event since it moved from Forest Hills in 1978: Jimmy Connors (1982 and '83), Mats Wilander ('88) and Stefan Edberg ('92). Among married ladies, only Chris Evert Lloyd ('80 and '82) has been a winner. At week's end, though, Agassi, who became one half of a mixed-doubles pair in April when he wed Brooke Shields, was still alive.
•CBS, 2 PM

SOCCER
Costa Rica at USA
Juan Luis Hernandez, Costa Rica's third coach in the last 18 months, used the following analogy in imploring his country's media to keep his team's tactics a secret: "If they publish that I am going to the White House with a missile to kill President Bill Clinton, then the chances are that somebody will be expecting me." ¿Qué? For this World Cup qualifying match in Portland, Team USA, hoping to avenge a 3-2 loss last March in Costa Rica, will employ the not-so-secret services of keeper Kasey Keller (left), a University of Portland alumnus who has two shutouts in previous qualifiers.
•ABC, 3:30 PM

PRO FOOTBALL
Cowboys at Cardinals
Despite Barry Switzer's shotgun offense and dormitory vandalism by players, Dallas is still America's Team. The proof: The Cowboys' new field goal kicker is named Richie Cunningham. If Sunday's 37-7 rout at Pittsburgh (page 24) is any indication, happy days are here again in Big D. Arizona last beat Dallas in Sun Devil Stadium when Rod Tidwell made that amazing touchdown grab in Jerry Maguire. The Cardinals need big games from defensive tackle Eric Swann (two sacks in Sunday's 24-21 loss at Cincinnati) and linebacker Simeon Rice (one sack). Arizona also must recover from the late-game fumble by fullback Larry Centers (above) that sent them to defeat.
•TNT, 8 PM

All time Eastern. Schedules are subject to change.