Weekend Watchdog: Race day in America
Get yourself strapped in for 1100 miles of racing Sunday.
The Indianapolis 500 gets your day at the track started at 11 a.m. on ABC. After 500 miles, a drink of milk and a kiss of the bricks (thanks for the idea, NASCAR guys), then it’s off to the longest race of the NASCAR schedule. The flag drops on the Coca-Cola 600 in the early evening, with coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. on FOX. Read more
Sports Roundup: Watchdog, plus minor league baseball
Weekend Watchdog: Triple Crown or not?
He’s the last Triple Crown winner, a fact mentioned in stories numerous times over the past 30 years.Only Animal Kingdom has the power to relegate Affirmed to the history books this year. First, he has to win the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Saturday on NBC. Coverage starts at 4:30 p.m., and by 6:30 p.m. we should know if there’s still a chance at a Triple Crown in 2011.
Versus shows the fillies running the Black Eye Susan Stakes Friday. Read more
Sports Roundup: Lots of baseball
Tides drop Syracuse : Troy Patton gave the Tides 4.0 innings of emergency relief Thursday and led the Norfolk Tides past the Syracuse Chi
Weekend Watchdog: No Lakers, No Celtics?
The Lakers didn’t make the NBA Western Conference Finals – is that allowed?
The two-time champions exited the playoffs Sunday after being swept by Dallas.
The Celtics’ season ended Wednesday. The Heat scored the last 16 points of the game to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
The teams with the most NBA championships are on the sideline the rest of the way.
Who will join the Mavericks and Heat in the conference finals? Thursday, the Bulls try to close out their series in Atlanta. The tip is 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday, Memphis hosts Game 6 of its series with Oklahoma City. Results from those contests will determine rest of the weekend schedule.
The top two seeds in the NHL’s Eastern Conference have been ousted, leaving Boston and Tampa Bay to battle for a Stanley Cup Final berth. They start their series Saturday at 8 p.m. on Versus.
Out west, Vancouver hosts Game 1 Sunday at 8 p.m. on Versus. Either San Jose or Detroit – who play their Game 7 Thursday at 9 p.m. – will be the opponent.
The Red Sox visit the Yankees this weekend – guess what’s ESPN’s Sunday game of the week? FOX has Saturday baseball in prime time. Games include Giants at Cubs, Dodgers-Diamondbacks and ….Red Sox-Yankees.
Sunday afternoon, TBS has the Phillies visiting Atlanta.
The Nationals are in Atlanta Thursday on MASN, then host Florida this weekend – Friday and Sunday on MASN2, and Saturday at 1 p.m. on MASN.
The Orioles face Seattle Thursday on MASN2, before heading to Tampa Bay for a series with the Rays on MASN (MASN2 Saturday at 4 p.m.).
NASCAR visits the Monster Mile this weekend, with the Sprint Car racers on FOX Sunday at 1 p.m. The Nationwide race takes the track Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
The PGA tour hits TPC Sawgrass and its famous 17th hole for the Players Championship this weekend. NBC has coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 2 p.m.
The D.C. United face Colorado Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast, while ESPN2 shows Seattle-Portland Saturday at 11 p.m.
Comcast has SEC baseball Friday at 7 p.m., with Vanderbilt going against Florida. Saturday, it’s ACC action at 1 p.m. with Miami at Virginia followed by Tennessee-LSU at 4 p.m.
It’s a big weekend for conference softball tournaments. The ACC crowns its champion Sunday at 1 p.m. on Comcast, while ESPN2 has the Big East final Saturday at 5 p.m.. The SEC title game is on ESPN Saturday at 8 p.m., after a first-round game between Alabama and Mississippi State Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
The NCAA lacrosse tournament starts this weekend. ESPN2 has Johns Hopkins vs. Hofstra Saturday at noon, and ESPN offers North Carolina against Maryland Sunday at 1 p.m.
Weekend Watchdog: No Lakers, No Celtics?
The Lakers didn’t make the NBA Western Conference Finals – is that allowed?
The two-time champions exited the playoffs Sunday after being swept by Dallas.
The Celtics’ season ended Wednesday. The Heat scored the last 16 points of the game to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
The teams with the most NBA championships are on the sideline the rest of the way. Read more
Weekend Watchdog: Horsepower
You like your horsepower with four legs or four wheels? Saturday is for you.
In the afternoon, you have the running of the Kentucky Derby on NBC, starting at 4 p.m. Lots of horses start but only one leaves Kentucky with a chance to win this year’s Triple Crown.
In the night, FOX shows the NASCAR race from Darlington.
That ought to rev your engine for Mother’s Day.The horsepower in Kentucky gets featured on Versus in the days leading up to the big event. The fillies have their race – the Kentucky Oaks – Friday at 5 p.m.
Before the flag drops for the Southern 500, the Nationwide racers will go Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The second round of the NBA playoffs continues this weekend with doubleheaders each day. Friday, ESPN shows Game 3 of the Bulls’ series with Atlanta at 7 p.m., followed by the Lakers-Mavericks.
Saturday, ESPN has Game 3 of the Thunder-Grizzlies series from Memphis at 5 p.m., then ABC offers the Heat at Celtics at 8 p.m. Sunday’s it’s back to Dallas for the Lakers-Mavericks at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. Game 4 of the Bulls vs. Hawks will be at 8 p.m. on TNT.
The NHL continues its second round, starting Thursday at 8:30 p.m. with Game 4 of Vancouver-Nashville on Versus. Friday, the Sharks take on Detroit at 7 p.m., followed by the finish of the Flyers’ game with Boston.
The Capitals were supposed to be playing Game 5 Saturday. Instead, they’re off to the golf course after another disappointing playoff run. Later Saturday, the Predators head to Vancouver for Game 5 on Versus at 8 p.m.
Sunday, NBC has Game 5 from Philadelphia (if necessary) at 3 p.m. and Game 5 from San Jose will be on Versus at 8 p.m. – if the Red Wings win Game 4.
The Orioles make a rare national TV appearance this weekend, hosting Tampa Bay at 1:10 p.m. on FOX. Other parts of the nation get the Twins at Red Sox and Reds-Cubs. The Orioles-Rays games on Friday and Sunday are on MASN after a Thursday afternoon special in Kansas City.
ESPN’s Sunday game features the Braves at Phillies. TBS shows the Yankees at Texas Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
The Nationals play at Philadelphia Thursday on MASN, then head to Florida for the weekend.
The PGA tour hits Charlotte this weekend, with the Wells Fargo championship on CBS Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Comcast has C-USA college baseball this weekend, with Rice facing Houston at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.. From the SEC, LSU visits Alabama at 7:30 p.m.
The NCAA crowns its men’s volleyball champion this weekend. Thursday, Southern California faces UC-Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, followed by the Big Ten battle between Ohio State and Penn State. The winners go for the title Saturday at 7 p.m.
ESPN2 offers the MLS Saturday night, with New York at Los Angeles at 11 p.m.
SEC softball gets the coverage Saturday at noon on ESPN, with Florida meeting Tennessee. Sunday at 1 p.m., it’s off to the Big 12 for Texas taking on Missouri.
