Sports On Television: June 16, 2012

Muggy. Hot. Unless you're cleaning the clogged gutter or drinking beer while camping for the weekend, there's no reason to be outdoors. And if that's the case, then you have an itinerary of sports to watch. We have your schedule for today.

IndyCar Racing: Milwaukee IndyFest 225 (1:00 PM, ABC)
Despite Justin Wilson and Will Power having some of the fastest qualifying times for IndyCar Racing event at the Milwaukee Mile, both drivers (and five others) have made engine changes, which means they'll incur penalties out of the their starting positions. Dario Franchitti and Ryan Hunter-Reay will start from the front row when the green flag lifts at 1:00 PM Easter (noon locally).

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Qualifying At Michigan (1:00 PM, SPEED)
When I've watched NASCAR races at Kentucky, it was cool when the cars qualified because you got a chance to watch blazing fast cars qualify. Hardcore NASCAR fans enjoy the qualifying aspect, but it's not nearly as good on television. Trust me. Either way would it be surprising if Sprint Cup qualifying beat an IndyCar racing event in the ratings, both of which start around the same time?

NASCAR Nationwide Series: Alliance Truck Parts 250 (3:30 PM, ABC)
Danica Patrick recorded some of the fastest speeds during practice at Michigan International Speedway, where qualifying has already begun as of this posting. Despite all of the attention Patrick receives, she's currently 176 points out of first place behind series-leader Elliot Sadler.

U.S. Open Golf: Third-Round (4:00 PM, NBC)
Tiger Woods is in the mix for another Major, which means NBC's ratings will be relatively rewarding this weekend. Along with Woods at one-under, Jim Furyk and David Toms share the lead heading into the third round at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets (7:00 PM, Fox)
Fox. Channel 3 on standard definition, 1003 on HD TV. We have to remind people of that because the team typically plays on Fox Sports Ohio, but during recent Saturdays the team has been playing on network television. The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the weekend series following 7-3 win over the Mets Friday night.

MLS Soccer: Houston vs. Dallas (7:30 PM, ESPN2)
There are people reading this page that's a fan of MLS soccer, we're sure of it. So this is clearly for you.

Euro 2012 Soccer
Greece vs. Russia (2:30 PM, ESPN2)
Poland vs. Czech Republic (2:30 PM, ESPN)

College World Series
Kent State vs. Arkansas Game Three (5:00 PM, ESPN)
South Carolina vs. Florida Game Four (9:00 PM, ESPN)