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The major sports are, for the most part, taking this Saturday off. The NFL is in minicamp mode, waiting for the long summer to end before they can start next season. There are no NBA games since the Lakers disposed of the Spurs. For MLB, Saturday is just another day in their long regular season.

None of this means that Saturday is a day without sports, however. For those on the fringe of the sports landscape, Saturday is huge.

First, it’s elimination day at the College Softball World Series. Four games will be played and four losers will be eliminated. The best game will be Florida-Virginia Tech. Florida is the number one seed. They were also upset on Day 1. Virginia Tech has the best pitcher in the country, Angela Tincher, who lost her first game in the College World Series, 1-0.

The boys have started their tournament as well. Saturday is Day 2 of the NCAA baseball playoffs.

The French Open continues on Saturday with more third round action.  The end of the first week is the time that I start watching. A few straggling Americans remain, which adds even more intrigue to the tournament.

In prime time, the Stanley Cup Finals continue with Game 4 between the Penguins and the Red Wings.  The teams got two days off between Games 3 and 4.  I think that the extra day off helped the Penguins more than the Red Wings.  They needed the extra day to come off of the emotional high that Game 3’s win provided.  I still fear that the Red Wings will dominate Game 4 because the Penguins will be flat after putting so much into their win on Wednesday night.  We will watch and see.

If that wasn’t enough, mixed martial arts makes its network TV debut tonight on CBS.  I don’t know anything about MMA; I have no interest in watching it.  With that said, I might watch this show tonight.  I know who Kimbo Slice is thanks to a story about him on E:60.  I’m curious to see how he does in his network debut.

It’s the day for fringe sports to take center stage.  Enjoy the games, everybody.