WEEKEND OBLONG SPHEROID US TV LISTINGS 7/5 - 7/8

In our never ending quest to keep you sane and alive here in the dog days of summer, ATVS proudly presents this week’s collection of football-like substances. Football never has an offseason if you believe in yourself.

Before we get on with the football, allow me a small diversion, because I’ve got no where else to talk about this. We’ve passed the 4th of July, which means it’s time for another tentpole in the summer sports calendar that signals just about the half-way point of the dog-days of summer. It’s time once again for that great crucible of (non-) motorsport: The Chuckwagon Races of the Calgary Stampede.

The Calgary Stampede is a multi-week Rodeo held every summer in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Think of it as Rodeo Houston, but somehow even more large. The rodeo itself hosts all manner of cowboy competitions, horse and cattle skills challenges, country music concerts, freestyle dirt motocross, sheepdog competitions, and anything else you can imagine. One of the marquee events, and THE highlight for me, is the TEN days of Chuckwagon Derby races.

In the past, ESPN3 carried a simulcast of the CBC broadcasts of both the main rodeo events and the chuckwagon races, but they will not be doing so this year. The Calgary Stampede’s US broadcast this year is limited to a paltry half-hour daily highlight reel airing at random times on CBS-SN for the next week. However, outside of Canada, both the rodeo sessions and the Chuckwagon races are available streaming live online from the Wrangler Network.

On to football! For reasons unknown to me, ESPN’s schedule this weekend is apparently too full to accommodate any CFL action, so this weekend’s 4 games are relegated to ESPN+. The doubleheader will be on Saturday.

This week’s Aussie Rules selection for US TV again features the bottom of the ladder Carlton Blues, this week against next to last Brisbane. Still, it’ll be entertaining at least.

Another week of Super Rugby in the wee hours of Friday and Saturday. In the US, it’s the championship round for Major League Rugby, between Seattle and Glendale.

Arena Football is in it’s final regular season week while the Indoor Football League has it’s championship game between Sioux Falls and Iowa.

Once again, there is no action on Sunday. More time for the Stampede and another F1 race for me. Or that world soccer thing I guess...

Do you have a favorite football-like substance you wish to see in our weekly listings? Hit us up with some details in the comments and I’ll add them to the mix next week.