The Week In Tv Sports

Highlights

SUNDAY 11/21
?MLS Cup 99
ABC 1:30 PM
Two-time champion D.C. United, which had the league's best regular-season record (23-9), kicks off against the Los Angeles Galaxy (20-12). Keep your jerseys on, Christina Aguilera fans. The Genie in a Bottle teen queen, who looks as if she's been dipping into Carlos Valderrama's peroxide stash, will perform—but not until halftime.

WEDNESDAY 11/24

? Preseason NIT Semifinals
? Maui Invitational Final
ESPN 6 PM AND 10:30 PM
Madison Square Garden should become Scoonie Penn Station as Ohio State's redoubtable point guard and the Buckeyes are probables, along with Arizona and either Kentucky or Utah, to advance to tonight's semis in Manhattan. On a somewhat more pacific island, a Maui wowie of a final could see North Carolina's Ed Cota and Florida's Teddy Dupay trading leiups.

?Trail Blazers at Timberwolves
TBS 8 PM
Kevin Garnett, 23, spent what would have been his college years playing big-time basketball in Minneapolis without doing any homework, which should qualify him for the University of Minnesota. Garnett, who had career highs in scoring (first 34 points, then 35) in two of the T-Wolves' first three games, has supplanted the retired Michael Jordan as the NBA's BBP: Baddest Bald Player. In the wake of recent reports that Mount Everest is seven feet higher than its listed elevation, might Garnett finally drop his 6'11" tag and admit he's a seven-footer?

THURSDAY 11/25
?Bears at Lions; Dolphins at Cowboys
FOX 12:30 PM; CBS 4 PM
As is customary on Thanksgiving, you can pig out on pigskin. Each of today's rivalries is part of NFL Turkey Day end-of-game lore. In 1980 Chicago's David Williams returned the overtime kickoff 95 yards as the Bears beat the Lions 23-17 in the shortest OT game in NFL history (21 seconds). Meanwhile, who can forget when Miami last visited Dallas on Thanksgiving ('93)? Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett became the turkey by diving after a blocked Dolphins field goal attempt on the snow-covered turf. The hapless Lett touched the ball, and Miami recovered on the Dallas one and kicked the game-winner with :03 left. In keeping with the week's halftime musical trend, the band Third Eye Blind will rock at Pontiac, while country star Clint Black will warble at Texas Stadium.

Don't Miss

SATURDAY 11/20
? Florida State at Florida
CBS 3:30 PM
How one man can give 100% on the field and 5% at the cash register is a question for bigger minds than those of Heisman voters. Still, Seminoles wideout Peter Warrick (page 50) meets the criterion for the trophy winner: He's the "outstanding college football player in the United States." He also should be the difference when No. 1 Florida State (10-0) meets the No. 3 Gators (9-1). Florida coach Steve Spurrier (Heisman 1966), who has yet to see a Gators quarterback as commanding as Steve Spurrier, might use Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer at the position. (N.B.: This game was not moved to Florida to be closer to Ken Griffey Jr.'s family; it is always played there.)

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.