Sports

TV critic David Bianculli previews producer Ken Burns' new, nine-part documentary series, "Baseball." Bianculli says it stopped him in his tracks, and will even appeal to people who aren't fans of the sport.

Lucas was the number one draft pick for the NBA in 1976, before his career went downhill as a result of drug use. He conquered his addiction and started a recovery program for other drug-addicted athletes. He coached the San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs twice, and is now the head coach, general manager, and vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers. Lucas has just written a memoir, called "Winning a Day at a Time."

The former Cardinal was a record-breaking baseball player in the 1960's, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. He's just written his autobiography, which explores his rise from the Omaha projects to the major leagues, and being an early black ballplayer. The book is called "Stranger to the Game."

From the new movie documentary "Hoop Dreams," young basketball player Arthur Agee and film director Steve James. The movie traces the lives of Agee and his friend William Gates for five years as they try to follow their dreams of rising from inner city Chicago to play in the NBA. James is the director, producer and co-editor of the film.

Former Philadelphia 76ers' forward Julius Erving. When he retired in 1987, he was one of the highest scorers in professional basketball. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Erving has written the foreword to "The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, Second Edition."

Writer Darcy Frey, a contributing editor to "Harper's" and "The New York Times Magazine," spent a year at the Abraham Lincoln High School on Coney Island. He followed four young, African American basketball players trying to make it out of the ghetto and into a Division I school. "The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams" is his record of what happened to the dreams of these young men.

Sports doctor Rob Huizenga, team doctor to the Los Angeles Raiders for seven years. He is a past president of the National Football League Physicians' Association and has written for "Sports Illustrated" and other publications. His book about his time in the NFL is "'You're Okay, It's Just a Bruise': A Doctor's Sideline Secrets About Pro Football's Most Outrageous Team."

Sportswriter Mark Bowden. He covered the Philadelphia Eagles for "The Philadelphia Inquirer" for three seasons, and now has a book about the team, "Bringing the Heat." It follows the team through the 1992 season, after their coach was fired and after the death of their star defensive lineman, Jerome Brown.

Critic David Bianculli looks at the ample television coverage of the O.J. SImpson, from network TV, the E! channel, and Court TV.

Louganis has written a book, "Breaking the Surface," detailing the private life behind his diving persona. In 1988 he became the first diver in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in both the 10 meter platform and 3 meter springboard events. In 1994 he admitted he was gay. He has since revealed he has AIDS and knew it prior to the '88 games.

In light of the release of the first full-length biography on the African American baseball player, commentator Gerald Early reflects on the life Jack Robinson.

Commentator Gerald Early remembers one of the most amazing events in professional boxing's history: when Mohammed Ali knocked out former champion Sonny Liston.

Margolick is the former author of the New York Times "At The Bar" column. He was recently promoted from the national legal affairs correspondent to San Francisco bureau chief for the New York Times. Margolick is presently covering the O.J. Simpson trial for the Times. His legal columns have been collected into a new book, At the Bar: The Passions and Peccadilloes of American Lawyers.

At age 46, Foreman still retains the title. He is presently a preacher, community leader and dedicated child advocate. His new book By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman (Villard Books) written with Joel Engel, reveals the man behind the champion.

An excerpt from a 1985 interview with baseball legend Mickey Mantle. He died yesterday of liver cancer.

Commentator Dagoberto Gilb wonders why he keeps returning to the bullfights.

Satirist, columnist, one of the creators of and performers in the mock-rock group Spinal Tap, and host of the syndicated radio program, "Le Show," Harry Shearer. He also does several voices on "The Simpsons." Shearer has collected onto a CD his satirical pieces about the O.J. Simpson trial: "O.J. on Trial: The Early Years." (to order call, 1-800-YES-OJ-CD). These pieces originally were aired on "Le Show."

Editorial writer for the New York Times Brent Staples. He wrote a memoir last year: Parallel Time: Growing Up in Black & White (Pantheon). In 1984, Staples' younger brother, a cocaine dealer, was murdered. Staples began a process of reconsideration of the major questions in his life: his distance from his family by graduate study at the University of Chicago; the demise and racial divisions of his industrial hometown in Pennsylvania.

Journalist Jim Crogan is a freelance writer with the L.A. Weekly and Newsweek. He covered the O.J. Simpson trial for the past 15 months, and the Los Angeles Police Department for several years.

Journalist Stephen Adler. He is former legal affairs editor of The Wall Street Journal and is now the paper's investigative editor. Terry will discuss with him the O.J. Simpson trial and the jury process. Last year Adler's book about what's wrong with the jury system and how it can be fixed, was published: The Jury: Trial and Error in the American Courtroom, (Times Books/Random House). Adler looked at the history of the jury system and how our attitudes about juries changed over the years.