SURFING THE TUBE.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

TODAY

Legendary writer H.L. Mencken viewed Jim McManus' first TV broadcast in 1947 - the Baltimore Evening Sun put their young sports writer on WMAR-TV's experimental coverage of a horse race. ``I wouldn't give a dime for an hour of the stuff, even if it included a massacre,'' Mencken wrote in his diary about this new medium. Besides that, the young man doing the talking ``was poor at his job.'' Apparently, Jim McKay - he would have to change his name later to fit the title of a variety show he hosted - must have gotten better. Tonight, HBO celebrates the sportscaster's half-century TV career with an hourlong documentary that the network thankfully allowed him to write and narrate. It also includes comments from Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, Arnold Palmer, Olga Korbut, A.J. Foyt and Jackie Stewart, as well as CBS Sports president Sean McManus - who happens to be McKay's son. ``Jim McKay: My World in My Words,'' HBO, 10 p.m. (replays Thursday and Sunday this week); NHL: Kings at Detroit, Fox Sports Net, 4:30 p.m.; Calgary at San Jose, ESPN2, 7 p.m.; Yachting: America's Cup race 4, ESPN2, 4 p.m.; College basketball: UConn at Notre Dame, ESPN, 4 p.m.; Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, ESPN, 6 p.m.; BYU at Utah, ESPN, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY

In two previous Lakers-Clippers meetings, Kobe Bryant had 33 points and 15 rebounds Nov. 1, then 26 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists Jan. 20. Both were Laker victories. NBA: Clippers at Lakers, Fox Sports Net, 7:30 p.m.; NHL: Kings at Pittsburgh, Fox Sports Net 2, 4:30 p.m.; College basketball: South Carolina at Florida, ESPN, 4 p.m.; Indiana at Illinois, ESPN, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

With a lot of luck, it'll be Tiger Woods against Ernie Els in Sunday's $1 million final of this annual top 64 event that looks more like the NCAA basketball tournament. But the odds of No. 1 Woods (upset by No. 64 Peter O'Malley last year) or No. 2 Els even getting that far at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad are pretty slim based on what's happened the first four years. Jeff Maggert, Darren Clark (a 4 and 3 winner over Woods in 2000), Steve Stricker and Kevin Sutherland (a 62nd seed) are the ones who've mastered the winding road in the past, but Maggert and Stricker didn't even make the cut this year. ``That's the beauty of it,'' ABC commentator Curtis Strange said. ``You can't be methodical out there. You have to play exciting and go for birdies and eagles.'' The most interesting first-round matchup should be David Duval vs. Brad Faxon. Golf: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship first round, ESPN, 11 a.m.; College basketball: Duke at Georgia Tech, ESPN, 4 p.m.; NBA: Utah at Minnesota, ESPN, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY

For Arizona and Cal, it's a quality test leading up to the NCAA Tournament. For UCLA, it's one of four more chances to prove it belongs in the Pacific-10 Conference tournament. College basketball: UCLA at Oregon State, Fox Sports Net 2, 9:30 p.m. (delayed); Arizona at Cal, Fox Sports Net 2, 7:30 p.m.; Marquette at Louisville, ESPN2, 5 p.m.; NBA: Detroit at Lakers, Fox Sports Net, 7 p.m.; Houston at Washington, TNT, 4 p.m.; Sacramento at Dallas, TNT, 6:30 p.m.; NHL: Kings at Columbus, Fox Sports Net, 4 p.m.; Boston at N.Y. Rangers or Chicago at Philadelphia, ESPN, 5 p.m.; Golf: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship second round, from Carlsbad, ESPN, 11 a.m.; PGA Chrysler Classic from Tucson, Ariz., first round, USA Network, 3 p.m.

FRIDAY

The Sonics without ``The Glove?'' Might as well trade away the Space Needle, too, to Milwaukee. NBA: Lakers at Seattle, Channel 9, 7 p.m.; Clippers at Portland, Channel 5, 7:30 p.m.; Orlando at New York, ESPN, 5 p.m.; NHL: Ducks at Phoenix, Fox Sports Net 2, 6 p.m.; Golf: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship third round, from Carlsbad, ESPN, 11 a.m.; PGA Chrysler Classic from Tucson, Ariz., second round, USA Network, 3 p.m.

SATURDAY

The do-gooders at PETA have asked Florida authorities to look into reports boxer Roy Jones Jr. has been mistreating some of the critters on his 80-acre ranch. In particular, Jones has a fondness for prize-fighting roosters -- cockfighting, we believe they call it, which is a felony in the state. Jones does keep his roosters well fed, he admitted in a recent Esquire article. Well fed is what the light-heavyweight champ best be when he gives up about 30-odd pounds to WBA heavyweight titleholder John Ruiz in the anticipated big-vs.-bigger Vegas matchup. Boxing: Roy Jones Jr. vs. John Ruiz, pay per view, 6 p.m.; NBA: Sacramento at San Antonio, ESPN, 1 p.m.; Seattle at Clippers, Channel 5, 7:30 p.m.; Golf: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship quarterfinals, ESPN, 7:30 a.m. and Channel 7, noon; College basketball: UCLA at Oregon, Channel 2, 1 p.m.; USC at Oregon State, Fox Sports Net, 4 p.m.; Arizona at Stanford, Channel 7, 4 p.m.; Iowa at Indiana, ESPN, 4 p.m.; Penn State at Northwestern, ESPN, 11 a.m.; Notre Dame at Rutgers, ESPN2, 1 p.m.; Cincinnati at Memphis, ESPN, 6 p.m.; Gonzaga at San Diego, Fox Sports Net, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

The 18th annual romp around L.A. should attract 25,000 runners, cyclists, wheelchair athletes and nearly as many traffic tie-ups. Los Angeles Marathon, Channel 4, 8 a.m.; Golf: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship 36-hole final, Channel 7, noon; NASCAR: Winston Cup of Las Vegas, Channel 11, 11:30 a.m.; IRL: Grand Prix of Miami, Channel 7, 10 a.m.; College basketball: Duke at St. John's, Channel 2, 9 a.m.; Arizona State at Cal, Fox Sports Net, 12:30 p.m.; Kentucky at Georgia, Channel 2, 1 p.m.; Maryland at North Carolina State, Fox Sports Net, 5 p.m.; Tennis: WTA State Farm Classic final from Scottsdale, Ariz., ESPN, 1 p.m.; NHL: Phoenix at Detroit, ESPN2, 3 p.m.; Pittsburgh at Dallas, ESPN, 5:30 p.m.; Atlanta at Ducks, Channel 9, 5 p.m.

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Photo:

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, will try to disrupt Quentin Richardson and the Clippers on Tuesday night at Staples center in the third meeting this season between the L.A. teams.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News

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