Week Ahead

THURSDAY 6/14
Hasim Rahman vs. Taurus Sykes
A year ago Rahman was the WBC heavyweight champ; now he's trying to get back in the title picture (who isn't, really?) by beating Sykes (25-3-1), the former NABA champ.
Versus 9 p.m.

SATURDAY 6/16
Angels at Dodgers
Call it the Interstate 5 Stuck-in-Traffic Series: These So Cal rivals meet for the second time this season. The Angels swept the first series, but the Dodgers finally have their ace, hard-throwing righthander Jason Schmidt (above), back from a right shoulder injury that kept him out of action for seven weeks.
Fox 3:55 p.m.

24 Hours of Le Mans
Last year an Audi R10 became the first diesel-fueled car to win in the 75-year history of Le Mans, so this year more teams are bringing diesel engines. Among the fuel's virtues: It's cheaper. These days, who doesn't want to save money on gas?
Speed 8:30 a.m.; Sunday 6 a.m.

CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals
Landon Donovan became the U.S. men's national team's career points leader with an assist in last Saturday's ho-hum 2--0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. That victory lifted the Yanks' alltime record in the opening round of the Gold Cup—the regional championship—to 20-0-1 and locked up a spot in the quarters. The first two are today in Foxborough, the other two tomorrow in Houston.
Telefutura and Univision Check listings

National Concrete Canoe Competition
Turns out concrete, when not attached to a mob victim, actually floats. More than 20 rock-solid boats will race in the 20th annual competition, held on Lake Sammamish outside of Seattle. The team to beat is from the University of Wisconsin; the Badgers have won every year since 2003.

WEDNESDAY 6/20 Liberty at Sun
New York won its first five games of the season for the first time in 10 years, thanks to four starters averaging double digits in points. Guard Loree Moore (left) is putting up 10.7 points a night while shooting 54.2% from behind the arc.
MSG 7 p.m.

SI PICK OF THE WEEK

SUNDAY 6/17
Down to the Wire
Think of Phil Mickelson's agonizing losses in 2004 (when he made double bogey on the 71st hole with a one-shot lead) and '06 (double bogey on the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead). Or Retief Goosen's missed putt from two feet away on the 72nd hole in '01. The U.S. Open is often an occasion for high drama—never more so than the last time it was held at Oakmont, site of this year's tournament, in 1994. A then 24-year-old Ernie Els (above) won a three-way playoff that took 20 holes to decide. Thursday and Friday ESPN 10 a.m., 5 p.m; NBC 3--5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday NBC 1 p.m.