Espn Classic

You would think that a channel that traffics in nostalgia would be sensitive to the issue of a face lift, but the folks who run ESPN Classic are plowing on with a whole new look. Starting Monday, the new ESPN Classic won't look like your father's ESPN Classic, what with new logos and graphics, but it will continue to show your father's favorite games, along with some new programming. "Right now, it [ESPN Classic] is potluck viewing, and that won't work anymore," said Mark Shapiro, the channel's vice president and general manager.

"SportsCentury: Affirmed vs. Alydar" Noon [ESPN Classic] Affirmed, the last Triple Crown winner (1978), had a rivalry with Alydar that was unlike any other that horse racing has seen. In nine races, Affirmed edged Alydar (at left, the two battling at Belmont Park) seven times at the finish, including in all three Triple Crown races in 1978.

In today's 500-cable channel universe, the keys to success for a fledgling channel are to get brand recognition and to create a buzz that becomes so powerful that cable operators come clamoring. As ESPN Classic's new vice president and general manager, Mark Shapiro has a double shot of brand recognition, with the name of the self-proclaimed world-wide leader in sports and perception that the channel will show all the history-making games. But Shapiro, who took over the channel four weeks ago, is laboring late into each night to beef up talk about Classic as a place to see more than the 1970 Super Bowl or 1965 Masters.

5 p.m. [ESPN Classic] Watch Danny and the Miracles give Kansas a national championship over Oklahoma. Manning (left) led the Jayhawks over a Sooners team that had three future NBA first-round draft picks - Stacey King, Mookie Blaylock and Harvey Grant.

How good was Len Bias? Duke mastermind Mike Krzyzewski, in all his years coaching in the ACC, has seen dozens of outstanding basketball players, he says, but two stand out above the rest: Michael Jordan and University of Maryland star forward Lenny Bias. Former teammates dreamily describe his dribbling, passing, driving, dunking, his hunger to improve, his grace, his skill at making defenders look like schoolchildren. Bryan Burwell, a veteran sports commentator, says that when the Boston Celtics claimed Bias with the second pick of the NBA draft in 1986, the significance of the move was simple: When Celts legend Larry Bird finally had to retire, "there would be no fall-off."

"Top 5 Reasons ... 7:30 p.m. [ESPN Classic] ... You Can't Blame the Trail Blazers for drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan." Reason No. 3: Portland management felt the whole tongue-wagging thing was terribly unsanitary.

Golf -- The Champions Tour is in town, but maybe you don't want to leave your couch. The Golf Channel carries the Constellation Energy Classic from the Hayfields Country Club today through Sunday at 1:30 p.m. College football -- Keep that remote-control finger loose tomorrow. No. 3 Auburn vs. No. 6 LSU and No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Michigan both air at 3:30 p.m. on, respectively, CBS (WJZ/Channel 13 and WUSA/Channel 9) and NBC (WBAL/Channel 11 and WRC/Channel 4). Boxing -- Marking the 25th anniversary of Sugar Ray Leonard's stopping Thomas Hearns in the 14th round, ESPN Classic presents ESPN Classic Remembers: Hearns vs. Leonard on Saturday at 8 p.m., with a replay of the fight with updated commentary.

5 p.m. [ESPN Classic] Watch Danny and the Miracles give Kansas a national championship over Oklahoma. Manning (left) led the Jayhawks over a Sooners team that had three future NBA first-round draft picks - Stacey King, Mookie Blaylock and Harvey Grant.

Sports Century 9 a.m. [ESPN Classic] The program looks at the just-retired Curt Schilling (left). Some folks just love him, but others say he should just put a sock in it. And they don't mean that bloody one, either.

1 Who are you?: The Wizards find out whether they're different with a different coach in their first game since firing Eddie Jordan (left), against the Warriors (7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet). 2 Won't get fooled: Has Northern Illinois been practicing for Navy's tricky offense? ESPN must think this is going to be a classic, as it's being carried on ESPN Classic (7 p.m.). 3 Substitute: Villareal meets Manchester United for first place in their Champions League group (2:30 p.m., ESPN)

Where to watch or hear tomorrow's induction: TV ESPN Classic, 1:30 p.m. (highlights show on ESPN2 Monday at 8 p.m.) Ch. 13, Celebrating Cal special, about 4:30 p.m. (after Orioles game) RADIO ESPN 1300 AM, 1:30 p.m. (replayed after Orioles game on WHFS [105.7 FM]) ONLINE For a multimedia presentation, go to baltimoresun.com/ripken -- video of Ripken's speech should appear by 9 p.m.