Tonight's TV highlights
If HBO ever gets around to doing a piece on the USC-UCLA football rivalry, it can use its newest documentary, “Michigan Vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry,” which debuts tonight (10:30 p.m.) as a nice template.
The hour-long documentary is the first on college football from the network that seems to have this genre down best, and gives rich context to the history between these two schools (which started in 1897) before they meet again on the field in the Big Ten regular-season finale on Saturday (Channel 7, 9 a.m.) in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The most interesting element to this may be that it includes the last extended interview that former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler did before his death just prior to the 2006 meeting of the two schools. The day after he did the interview, he collapsed and died of heart failure.
Earle Bruce, Cris Carter, Dan Dierdorf, Randy Gradishar, Desmond Howard and Archie Griffin are former players interviewed, while Jack Nicklaus (OSU, Class of ‘61) and CBS’ Mike Wallace (Michigan, Class of ‘39) are also included for context.
I gave a preview DVD to a friend of mine who lived for years in the Detroit area, and he was so pumped about the rivalry after seeing it, he was thinking of getting on a plane and going to the game Saturday. It has that kind of affect on those who really have a connection to the rivalry.
There's also been talk that the Kings' 6-5 overtime win over Dallas on Saturday, where they scored five goals in a team record 5:07 to go ahead at the end of regulation after trailing 4-0 with seven minutes to play, then won in overtime, will be replayed on FSN West on Wednesday night at 8 p.m.