Call it Tom Tancredo’s Revenge. Mexico sends us immigrants, we send them the Arizona Cardinals.
The first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States takes place Sunday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) in the 105,000-seat Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Unfortunately, the showcase game pits the San Francisco 49ers (1-2) and the Cardinals (0-3), two of the NFL’s pobreria. (That’s “paupers,” for the Spanish-impaired.)
Though it is the first regular- season game outside the U.S. in the league’s 83-year history, there have been several preseason games, including the Denver Broncos’ 1997 appearance in Mexico City against the Miami Dolphins.
Tickets for the game are selling for $23-$80. The NFL has its fingers crossed for a sellout.
Sox or Yanks?
With baseball’s races going down to the wire, ESPN and Fox are gearing up for an all-out play-ball weekend.
As God intended, the three-game series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees should decide the winner of the AL East Division. Naturally, TV will be there. ESPN will cover Friday’s game at 5:05 p.m., and Fox the 11:15 a.m. Sunday game.
In between, the two networks will be jumping from game to game (including the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox), using split screens and butting into locally broadcast games with updates.
Wherever you go
This will make wives all over America do handsprings.
In January, ESPN unveils its Mobile ESPN, offering wireless voice and data service on sports around the clock.
Around the dial
Denver’s DaVarryl Williamson takes on IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd in a 12-rounder from Reno, Nevada (7:15 p.m. Saturday, Showtime). … Broncos fans equipped with high-definition TVs got a rude shock on “Monday Night Football.” ABC’s HD transmitter went “blooey” shortly before the game, “the worst possible timing we could imagine,” said a spokesman. ABC, KMGH-Channel 7 and, especially, Comcast were bombarded with calls. … Shia LaBeouf, who stars as golfer Francis Ouimet in the new movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” hosts a marathon of inspirational sports films, starting with “Friday Night Lights” (5 tonight, Starz). … Famed Spanish-language sportscaster Jorge Ramos hosts “Jorge Ramos y 10 más” 4-7 p.m. weekdays when ESPN launches its 24-hour Deportes Radio next Wednesday. … Broncos receiver Rod Smith guests with David Diaz-Infante and Charles Johnson on “Broncos Talk” (7 tonight, KOA 850-AM). … Quotable: “I played soccer in Mexico all my life. The first (football) game in which I kicked was the first game I ever saw. I didn’t even know you had to kick an extra point.” Raul Allegre
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
