Sportacular Saturday: A viewers’ guide – CNN

This Saturday is a sports fan’s dream — an all-you-can-watch TV buffet of big sporting events, from the NFL Draft to Red Sox-Yankees to the NBA and NHL playoffs to the Kentucky Derby to the long-anticipated Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight.

Whew! It’s the greatest sports day of 2015 and arguably the most action-packed since at least November 1, 2009, which featured Game 4 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, week 8 of the NFL, the opening weekend of the NBA season and a NASCAR race at Talladega.

You can flip on your TV at noon ET Saturday and have something momentous to watch continuously until at least midnight, if you have the stamina. That’s 12 hours of sports bliss, butt-ache and Bud Light ads.

But catching all the day’s top moments will require planning and some nimble channel-hopping. Here’s your lineup:

Day 3 of the NFL Draft

Noon ET (ESPN)



Yes, Famous Jameis and Super Mariota will be long gone by Saturday’s third and final day, which showcases Rounds 4-7.

But the draft’s late rounds can still offer intrigue. Among the notable players drafted in Round 6 or later: Dwight Clark, Donald Driver, Richard Dent, Terrell Davis, Matt Hasselbeck, Shannon Sharpe and some guy named Tom Brady.

Then there’s always the question of who will be 2015’s “Mr. Irrelevant” — the final guy drafted.

NHL Playoffs: Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

12:30 p.m. ET (NBC)



Between picks in the draft you can always flip over to Game 1 of this Eastern semifinal series, a clash between two familiar rivals.

It’s the teams’ fifth postseason meeting in the last seven years, and three of the last four series have gone seven games. So the skates, and maybe even the fists, should be flying.

Yankees vs. Red Sox

1:35 p.m. ET (YES, NESN)



OK, time to give your remote a real workout.

This storied rivalry has lost a little luster in recent years, when one or both teams have been terrible. But both clubs appear improved over last season, and it should be fun watching the ageless Big Papi and a reborn A-Rod taking aim at Fenway’s Green Monster.

Kentucky Derby

4 p.m. ET (NBC)



No, you don’t need to watch all three hours of Derby programming. The race itself doesn’t start until 6:34 p.m., and it only lasts two minutes.

But what a thrilling two minutes! If the race is close at the wire, this could be the highlight of the day. Switch over about 6 p.m. to watch the horses parade down the track.

American Pharoah is the early favorite.

WGC-Cadillac Match Play quarterfinals

7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)



Time to catch your breath, grab some dinner and watch a little golf.

After three days of pool play, this event heats up Saturday with 16 top golfers facing off in a single-elimination tournament from TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

Tiger and Phil won’t be there, but plenty of big names will — among them Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and newly crowned Masters champ Jordan Spieth.

NBA playoffs: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers*

10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

*If necessary



Yes, the Clippers must win Thursday night in San Antonio to force what would be a dramatic Game 7 Saturday night in L.A. But what a Game 7 it would be: Upstarts Chris Paul and Blake Griffin trying to knock out the wily defending champs in the playoffs’ first round.

All in favor of a Game 7 raise your hands. We thought so.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

About 11:30 p.m. ET (Showtime, pay-per-view)



Depending on how susceptible you are to hype, this is either the Fight of the Century or just a once-in-a-decade clash in Vegas between the two best boxers of their generation.

The televised undercard starts at 9 p.m. ET, although the main event isn’t expected to get underway until about 11:30.

As you know, you’ll need to pony up some extra cash for this one. You can pay $90-$100, depending on your provider and whether you want standard or HD. You can find a buddy who has ordered the fight and invite yourself over. Or you can watch it at a bar, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, which will charge you a cover of about $20.

Whatever you choose, the fight should be a potent nightcap to a historic smorgasbord of sports.