Many of us don't start paying much attention to Wimbledon until the first weekend when NBC starts its coverage. Probably one of the first things you'll notice Saturday and Sunday is — gasp! — they've taken the roof off Center Court.

The All England Club is in the middle of a three-year renovation to replace the partial roof at Center Court with a full one that is retractable. But right now, the whole thing is off and the result is something that looks less than, shall we say, regal.

"I don't think it looks very good, to be honest," NBC's John McEnroe said this week, "but obviously, they're doing what they need to do to not tear down the entire stadium and get it ready as soon as possible. It looks a bit bare, you can see some steel kind of sticking out a bit and it doesn't look that good.

"The other trick is probably because it's more open, there's probably more of a swirling (wind) condition on the court. Obviously, when they get that awning back and they cover it, that will be better."

Dotted line: NBC and ESPN are reportedly close to renewing their Wimbledon contracts through 2011, according to SportsBusiness Journal, which also says The Tennis Channel figures to acquire rights to some early-round matches. That would give TTC a presence in all of the majors except the U.S. Open, which is owned by the U.S. Tennis Association. The USTA is an investor in TTC, so stay tuned. ESPN's "Outside the Lines" will present a three-part series on Hank Aaron, starting at 6:30 a.m. Sunday (repeated at 9 a.m. on ESPNews). Part 2 airs at 12:30 p.m. Monday and Part 3 at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

FSN Prime Ticket will show a lighthearted look back at the Dodgers' traditional Hollywood Stars Night. Team historian Mark Langill will join Steve Garvey and Ron Cey in recalling the event, which has been a part of every Dodgers season since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958, at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, following the Dodgers-Padres game and the "Dodgers Live" postgame show.

All 88 NCAA championships won by teams during 2006-07 — that would include Cal Lutheran's Division III women's water polo title — will be highlighted on "CBS Sports Presents the Championships of the NCAA," at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. "Race Wizard with Ray Evernham," a new NASCAR show in which the race team owner looks at technical aspects and little-known inner workings of auto racing, will debut at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 7, on ESPN2.

XM will become the exclusive satellite radio home for the NHL starting Sunday. The league had had its content on both XM and Sirius. ... The CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer final between the U.S. and Mexico — which was available over the air only on Spanish-language Univision — was seen in 41 percent more households than the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators on NBC.

— Jim Carlisle