LaberFred » -- The Sparks lead the Minnesota Lynx 2-1 entering S

Travis Kelce is looking for love, and the E! Network made a show about it. Catching Kelce premiered Wednesday night, and follows the Kansas City Chiefs tight end as he embarks on a journey to find the woman of his dreams.The show is the latest incarnation of Bachelor-esque television, only its as if The Bachelor and the Miss USA Pageant had a baby.The program opened with 50 contestants, one representing each state, and each woman had 60 seconds to make a good first impression. From there, Kelce selected his top 20 to move on, and into the obligatory reality-show mansion.It feels like all the other looking for love series, in that sense. However, Catching Kelce makes The Bachelor look like a bastion of feminism. Which is no easy feat.Its not that the show isnt enjoyable. It is, in that Real Housewives kind of way. Theres drama, side-eyes and the sport of guessing which women will fare well. It has all of the hallmarks of a fun reality TV show, if you can stomach the other stuff.Perhaps the most infuriating part of the show is that for most of the first episode, viewers dont really learn the names of the women participating. Granted, introducing the names of 50 women is a lot, and only 20 of them actually end up having substantial?on-air time. But, did they really need to be referred to by their home state -- alone -- for the bulk of the first episode?The format isnt much better either. Kelce awards one person a group date, and the power to decide who will join her. Its a friends, enemies, or frenemies scenario?that will create excellent drama in the form of guaranteed cat fights.Setting aside feminist misgivings, Catching Kelce is also fun and interesting, which is par for the course in terms of dating shows. Kelce aims to expose many of the women to his offseason lifestyle, testing out how they handle parties and events. For those interested in what NFL players do off the field, this show provides a unique insight into that world.Perhaps the biggest surprise of the show is Kelce himself. The tight end is hilarious, and a total goofball. Hes easy on the eyes, and apparently out for a good time.?Catching Kelce is certainly entertaining and fun, but it shouldnt be let off the hook for some of its more unsavory and objectifying moments (hello gratuitous butt shots). It will be interesting to see who Kelce chooses, and if he really finds true love. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Saturday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CHICAGO -- The Cubs, four wins from their first pennant in 71 years, play the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series opener. Chicago sends Jon Lester to the mound against Los Angeles rookie Kenta Maeda. Game starts 8:08 p.m.- CLEVELAND -- The Indians Josh Tomlin starts two days earlier than he expected after Trevor Bauer cut his finger working on a drone. Toronto, which lost the AL Championship Series opener 2-0, starts 20-game winner J.A. Happ. Game starts 4:08 p.m.- Three notable Top 25 college football games: No. 1 Alabama at No. 9 Tennessee (3:30 p.m.); No. 2 Ohio State at No. 8 Wisconsin (8 p.m.); and No. 12 Mississippi at No. 22 Arkansas (7 p.m.).- The Falcons made a big statement with a win at Denver and now can make another. Theyre on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, and a victory Sunday would stamp Atlanta as a Super Bowl favorite.- NAPA, Calif. -- Scott Piercy, his second round cut short because of darkness, is in front by two shots at the Safeway Open. A steady rain on Friday at Silverado meant the second round could not be completed until Saturdayy morning.dddddddddddd- LOS ANGELES -- The Sparks lead the Minnesota Lynx 2-1 entering Sundays Game 4 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals. Los Angeles is coming off a 92-75 victory in Game 3.- KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Carl Edwards has long considered Kansas his home track. A victory Sunday for his powerful Joe Gibbs Racing team would assure a spot in the next round of the Chase.- DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche begin their NHL season under new coach Jared Bednar and play the Dallas Stars. Bednar got the job after Patrick Roy surprisingly left two months ago.- SHANGHAI -- Novak Djokovic, smashing his racket and ripping open his shirt, loses to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 in the Shanghai Masters semifinals.- LONDON -- Bob Bradley, a former coach of the U.S. national team and the first American to coach in the Premier League, faces a tough opening test when his Swansea club plays at Arsenal.- STOCKHOLM -- U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo says shes received several offers to play overseas and could even do so in Sweden, whose national team she derided as cowards at the Rio Olympics. ' ' '