Skip to main content

The Lineup: Friday, June 28

EMLineUpBanner

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Didn't get drafted? Console yourself with some downtime. (All times Eastern)

Starter

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Kentucky, 7:30 (ESPN)

Call it East Coast elitism, but auto racing hasn't been featured much in The Lineup—until now. To make amends, I've elevated this race in the Bluegrass State to the top choice of the night. Reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski will try to win all three events on the weekend. Hopefully, he's got a book on tape for all that time behind the wheel.

Reserves

Boxing  Grzegorz Proksa vs. Sergio Mora, 9:00p.m.(ESPN2)

Mora was the champion of the Sylvester Stallone reality series The Contender way back in 2005. If ESPN knows what's good for them, they'll use "watch a reality TV star get pummeled in the head" as a tag line, but keep the name a secret.

Extreme Sports X Games Munich: Moto X, live 2:00p.m. (ESPN3) recap, 7:00p.m. (ESPN2)

The rooms-vrooms take center stage with the freestyle event, a version of the high jump and best whip. Last year's best whip winner Jeremy Stenberg somehow won without once ever ghost riding.

whip

Tennis Wimbledon: Day 5 coverage starts 6:30 a.m. (ESPN & ESPN3)

Wimblegeddon on Wednesday carved a clear path for Andy Murray to the final. He has a chance to be the first Brit to win the event since 1936. But he'll probably face Novac Djokovic in the final, so the whole conversation is likely moot.

Soccer U20 World Cup, coverage starts at 10:47a.m. (ESPN3)

Groups C and D are wide open, with three of the four teams in each bunch on the brink of moving on to the knockout stage. Goal differential could be a big decider, so expect a lot of up-an-down action. You might actually see someone score a goal (*cough, Spain *cough Italy, *cough).

Swimming USA Swimming National Championships, All Day stream (usaswimming.org), 10:00p.m. (Universal Sports Network)

Everyone's favorite dullard, Ryan Lochte, is back doing what he's actually good at. Underwater mics have been installed to catch Ryan saying his mid-race "Jeah's".

Deep Bench

Rugby Men's Rugby Sevens World Cup, 7:00a.m. (Universal Sports Network)

If you ever wanted to pick up rugby, this is a good opportunity. Rugby sevens, so named because there's only seven players on the field for each side, is much more fast-paced and open than traditional rugby. If you ever wanted to watch the USA win a rugby match, this is a good opportunity. The Americans play Georgia in the first game but will eventually face New Zealand and Canada in their group. This is also a chance to see the coolest tradition in sports, the All Blacks and their Haka.