The Lineup: Monday, August 5
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Funny—I myself am in the midst of a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. (All times Eastern)
Starter
MLB New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox, 8:10p.m. (MLB Extra Innings & expect live cut-ins on MLB Network)
The epic game of chicken between A-Rod and Major League Baseball ramps up with the slugger slated to start for the first time this season. Please ignore the vultures circling over third base.
Reserves
MLB L.A. Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 7:00p.m. (ESPN)
The entire baseball world has been talking nothing but A-Rod 24/7, but the Dodgers have been the on-the-field story of the past month, going 14 and 2 since the All Star Break. Since we're still working on a nickname for Yasiel Puig, might I suggest Honey Badger? Because Puig don't care.
Basketball Adidas Nations Championship Game, 9:00p.m. (ESPNU)
Squads of the best American high schoolers take on teams made up of some of the strongest international talent. Mismatched teams and poorly-prepared defenses have led to a lot of plays like this throwdown by 2015 prospect Stephen Zimmerman.
Little League Baseball Intermediate World Series Championship Game: Japan vs. USA East, 7:00p.m. (ESPN2)
It seems there is a step just below the little big show—though "Intermediate World Series" leaves a lot to be desired from a branding standpoint.
Soccer BSV SW Rehden vs. Bayern Munich, 2:30p.m. (ESPN3)
Remember when the Champions League supposedly proved that Bayern Munich, not one of the Spanish clubs, was the best club team in the world? Well, Bayern has already lost once in this German domestic tournament. This is getting confusing. The one thing we do know for sure is that the best team in the world does not play in Nigeria.
Deep Bench
Soccer Get out Alive with Bear Grylls, 9:00p.m. NBC
Discovery upped the ante in what had become a stale survival reality show genre with Naked and Afraid. NBC's way of cranking the dial up was to create an elimination-style reality show around everyone's favorite urine sommelier.
If we're being honest, having scheduled eliminations seems unnecessary. If this were a true survival competition, the eliminations would take care of themselves.
