The Week In Tv Sports

DON'T MISS

Friday 12/18
Stars at Red Wings
? ESPN 7:30 PM
Halloween and Friday the 13th (of November). The NHL's two best teams have met twice this season, on those dates, and each game has been a scream. In the first, Dallas, playing on home ice and propelled by two goals from $17 million free-agent signee right wing Brett Hull, beat Detroit 3-2, thus quashing whispers that Brett was the most over-budget Hull on ice since Titanic. The sequel, at Joe Louis Arena, turned out to be a Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Stars scored seven seconds into the game and slashed through Detroit's defense for a 5-1 win. Then again, the Stars know what Red Wings Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman & Co. did last summer (O.K., late last spring): won their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday 12/12
Heisman Trophy Presentation
? ESPN 7:30 PM
His coaches have been John Mackovic and Mack Brown, but Texas running back Ricky Williams is the undisputed Mack-Daddy of college football. This season Williams broke 1976 Heisman honoree Tony Dorsett's career rushing record as well as records for all-purpose yards and touchdowns, proving that He-is-(da)-man. Tonight at New York City's Downtown Athletic Club, unless grizzled scribes have mistaken his dreadlocks for those of Venus Williams, the long-yardage Longhorn will become the 64th player to receive the bronze statue. The show also will look back at 1948 winner Doak Walker and '73 honoree John Cappelletti.

Maryland at Kentucky
? ESPN 8:30 PM
In their first eight games the Terrapins (10-0 and ranked No. 2 at week's end) turtle-waxed the opposition by an average margin of 32.8 points. On Sunday, led by juco transfer guard Steve Francis's 24 points (page 76), Maryland was just as impressive in winning a close one, 62-60 over No. 6 Stanford. Tonight's turtle hurdle at hostile Rupp Arena: defending national champion Kentucky (7-1, No. 5), which already had been led in scoring by six different players.

Sunday 12/13
National Finals Rodeo
? ESPN 4:30 PM
More chaws than baseball. As many injuries as the NFL. Less b.s. than the NBA labor talks. That's rodeo. The 40th anniversary world championship culminates in Las Vegas, and there's a connection to be made among bull riding, being able to last eight seconds and Dennis Rodman's marriage to Carmen Electra, but we're not about to make it. Six-time all-around champion Ty Murray, injured the last three years, returns and is the favorite to reclaim the gold belt buckle. If Murray does so, he will be the first seven-time winner.

Jets at Dolphins
? ESPN 8:15 PM
A not-so-Dolphin-safe Tuna invades Marinoworld as Bill Par-cells (page 98) brings New York to Miami's Pro Player Stadium for an AFC East showdown. Though the Jets have the NFL's worst December record this decade (7-26), Parcells, in his second season at the helm, has them tied with the Dolphins atop their division. New York quarterback Vinny Testaverde is playing his best ball since he won the Heisman playing for that other Miami team, the Hurricanes, under a coach named Jimmy Johnson. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino recently threw his NFL-record 400th career touchdown pass. It went to favorite target O.J. McDuffie.