The Lineup: Thursday, June 27
Steven Freeman / NBAE via Getty Images
Take a chill pill, or Xanax. (All times Eastern)
Starter
NBA 2013 NBA Draft, 7:30p.m. (ESPN)
The players projected for this year's lottery have more red flags than the Kremlin in 1965. It seems like nobody wants to touch any of the top players, which could lead to a lot of chaos and fun trades. I personally find myself in a position to reassert a tweet I sent out in November:
Regardless of how he plays, I'm taking Skip Bayless's lead and tearing down everything this kid ever does just to not be proven wrong.
Reserves
Soccer Confederations Cup Semifinal: Spain vs. Italy, 2:30 (ESPN & ESPN3)
As if you needed anything else to make this rematch of the European Cup more interesting, the Brazilian press has blessed us with a sex scandal story involving booze, strip poker, and alleged robbery. ¡Que escandalo! Italy is missing noted basket case Mario Ballotelli, which lowers the odds of both an Italian win and a toddler-like temper tantrum.
Soccer Fifa U20 World Cup, coverage starts 9:47 (ESPNU & ESPN3)
FIFA is trying out a temporary spray that referees can use to mark the location of free kicks and where the defensive wall can be set up. It's proven effective in eliminating delays before set pieces and is being considered for the World Cup. If only referees were given permission to squirt the spray into the eyes of any player who takes a dive. Also, the US needs a win against their nemesis Ghana to move to the knock-out round.
Tennis Wimbledon Day 4, coverage starts 6:30 (ESPN2 & ESPN3)
Yesterday was a day of carnage. Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, and French Open semifinalist Jo-Wilfred Tsonga were among the big names to lose or withdraw due to injury. Novak Djokovic plays later today. Will the slick London grass claim another marquee victim?
Extreme SportsX Games, live coverage begins 7:00a.m. (ESPN3) primetime coverage 8:00p.m. (ESPN2)
The latest edition of the competition you thought was edgy in 1996 kicks off in Munich today. I can't think of a better country to embody the free-wheeling, gnarly lifestyle of extreme sports than those wacky folks in Germany.
TVJimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35p.m. (ABC)
It was pretty fun to watch a champagne-loosened Dwayne Wade strong-arm reporters into calling him "Three" in his post-finals press conference.
Here's hoping he's had some bubbles before visiting the NBA's official comedian. Fingers crossed that Kimmel gives D-Wade and his Heat teammates the unnecessary censorship treatment.
Deep Bench
Canadien Football League Montreal Alouettes vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 9:00p.m.(NBC Sports Network)
If you absolutely can't wait to see some gridiron action, you can watch the former team of new Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman in the Alouettes' season opener. There will be points galore in this one. Montreal's QB is the CLF's all-time leading passer and Winnepeg had the league's 2nd worst defense last year. Look, it's not perfect, but it's football.
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