By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
Published November 11, 2005
CHECK IT OUT
SIX DAYS TO SUNDAY, 9 TONIGHT, NFL NETWORK: NFL Network documented a week in the life of Bucs defensive lineman Anthony "Booger" McFarland as he prepared for last weekend's game against Carolina. Cameras started shooting Oct. 31, catching the Bucs defensive line's film room as it prepared for Carolina's Stephen Davis, trick-or-treating from McFarland's Tampa Bay home and a trip to the barber shop.
NASCAR, 3:30 SUNDAY, CH. 8: Leader Tony Stewart is expected to run well in Phoenix, which could put a halt to Carl Edwards' recent surge.
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 4:30-6 P.M. SATURDAY, CH. 8: The 90-minute special on an event in which competitors swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run another 26.2 miles is always good for an inspirational story or three. NBC used 17 cameras, one helicopter, four boats, six motorcycles, 160 hours of videotape, 4,480 production man hours and 2,230 editing man hours in the production of the Oct. 10 event.
2005 WORLD SERIES OF POKER, 8 AND 9 P.M. TUESDAY, ESPN: The 32nd installment of this year's tournament (that's no joke ... 32 episodes!) wraps things up. Yes, the actual event ended months ago, but after 32 episodes, who can remember who won?
MLS CUP, 3:30 P.M. SUNDAY, CH. 28: I guess there's some sort of soccer league playing its championship?
WHAT'S UP
The Bucs-Redskins broadcast Sunday on Fox will be carried to 45 percent of the country and draws the network's top team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman for the second straight week.
Knology Cable and Bright House will air Sun Sports' HD games for the remainder of the Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning seasons on Ch. 918, it was announced Tuesday. This includes Monday's Lightning game. DirecTV also is offering the game in HD on Ch. 95.
Women's college basketball tips off Sunday when ESPN2 carries Georgia and defending champion Baylor at 1 p.m., and Final Four participant LSU against Texas Tech at 3 p.m.
RATINGS
NBC's coverage of the inaugural fall NASCAR Nextel Cup race from Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday earned a 5.1 national rating, a 4 percent increase from the comparable race last year (4.9/10 in Phoenix). Greensboro was the top metered market for Sunday's race with a 13.7. In Tampa the rating was 5.7.
