Friday, April 30, 2010

It's Friday!










It's Friday. Here's what's goin' on....

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Western Conference Semifinals

San Jose 4, Detroit 3 (San Jose leads series 1-0)

Eastern Conference Semifinals

No games

Tonight --

Western Conference

No games

Eastern Conference

Montreal at Pittsburgh 7:00pm EDT

WHL:

WHL Championship Finals

Last Night --

No games

Tonight --

Tri-City at Calgary 9:30pm EDT

OHL Championship Finals:

Last night --

Windsor 5, Barrie 4 (Windsor leads series 2-0)

Tonight --

No games

QMJHL Championship Finals:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Moncton at Saint John 7:30pm EDT

USHL Clark Cup Championship Finals:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Fargo at Green Bay 8:05pm EDT

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The Tampa Bay Rays scored 5 times in the second and 4 times in the 4th last night, routing the Kansas City Royals 11-1, in front of 12,766 fans at Tropicana Field.

Jason Bartlett and Reid Brignac drove in 3 each for the Rays, who also got 5 strong innings from Matt Garza, who won for the 4th time in 5 decisions. Tampa Bay improves to 17-5 and remains 2 1/2 ahead of the Yankees in the A.L. East.

The Rays and Kansas City play tonight at 7:10pm EDT on 620AM WDAE.

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We had a visitor at our house yesterday. Naturally, Jimmy took quite a liking to our guest, piling up all his toys around them. What a silly little guy!









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Gee, not much to talk about today. So, go out and make some fun, okay? See ya tomorrow!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

A great Mother's Day gift idea










Dear Friend of the Colon Cancer Alliance,

This year, show your mom you were listening when she said...

"It's the thought that counts..."
"Do unto others..."
"Share..."

Give your mom a gift that will not only bring a smile to her face, but will make her proud. It really is the thought that counts. Pay tribute to your mother by making a charitable donation to the CCA in her name. In return, we will send Mom a Mother’s Day eCard on your behalf acknowledging this generous and thoughtful gift to the CCA while wishing her a fantastic day.

Please make your donation today.

You may also choose to purchase a gift set from the CCA online store. We offer a variety of gifts that are sure to put a smile on Mom’s face on her special day.

This Mother’s Day, show Mom that you care and are making a difference in the lives of colorectal cancer survivors everywhere by supporting the CCA. Happy Mother’s Day!

Sincerely,

Your Friends at the Colon Cancer Alliance

It's Thursday!










It's Thursday. Here's what's happening....

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Eastern Conference

Montreal 2, Washington 1 (Montreal wins series 4-3)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

No games

Western Conference

Detroit at San Jose 9:00pm EDT

WHL:

WHL Championship Finals

Last Night --

No games

Tonight --

No games

(Note: WHL Finals between Calgary and Tri-City begin Friday, April 30th in Calgary.)

OHL Championship Finals:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Windsor at Barrie 7:35pm EDT (Windsor leads series 1-0)

QMJHL Championship Finals:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No games

(Note: QMJHL Finals between Moncton and Saint John begins Friday, April 30th at Saint John.)

USHL Clark Cup Championship Finals:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No Games

(Note: USHL Clark Cup Finals between Green Bay and Fargo begin Friday, April 30th at Green Bay.)

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The Tampa Bay Rays won again last night, throttling Oakland 10-3. Tampa Bay broke open a 2-2 tie with 6 runs in the fifth and 2 more in the sixth. James Shields got the win, improviong to 3-0. Evan Longoria(his 4th) and Carlos Penahis 5th) homered for the Rays, who are now 16-5 and lead the Yankees by 2 1/2 games in the A.L. East.

Tampa Bay hosts the Kansas City Royals tonight at 7:10p.m. EDT. Lots and lots and lots of good seats are still available.

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In the NBA playoffs....Oh, wait. I don't care. Never mind.

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Detroit Red Wings face fine from San Jose Airport Authority for missing curfew.

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Coming up:

(All times Eastern)

Arena Football -- Arizona Rattlers at Tampa Bay Storm on Saturday, May 1st at 7:30pm.

Rays Baseball -- vs Kansas City Royals Friday 7:10pm, Saturday 6:10pm and Sunday 1:40pm.

IZOD Indy Car series -- Road Runner Indy Car 300 at Kansas City Saturday, May 1st 1:30pm on ABC and http://www.indycar.com/.

Nascar -- Nationwide Series Friday, April 30th 7:00pm on ESPN2. Sprint Cup Series Saturday, May 1st 7:30pm on FOX. This week's races are at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

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This just in: Thelma Lou robbed in Mayberry.

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That's it for today. Have fun and stay safe!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

It's Wednesday!










It's the Day of the Hump. Here's what's goin' on....

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

No games

Western Conference

Detroit 6, Phoenix 1 (Detroit wins series 4-3)

Tonight --

Western Conference

No games

Eastern Conference

Montreal at Washington 7:00pm EDT (Series tied 3-3)

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

No games

Tonight --

No games

(Note: Calgary beat Brandon 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals, Tri-City beat Vancouver 4-2 in Western Conference Finals. WHL Championship finals begin Friday in Calgary.)

OHL Championship Finals:

Last night --

Windsor 4, Barrie 3, OT (Windsor leads series 1-0)

(Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals, Windsor beat Kitchener 4-3 in Western Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No games

(Note: Moncton beat Drummondville 4-1 in one semifinal, Saint John beat Victoriaville 4-2 in the other.)

USHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No Games

(Note: Green Bay beat Indiana 3-1 in East Final, Fargo beat Omaha in West Final, 3-2. Clark Cup Championship Finals begin Friday, April 30th in Green Bay.)

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The Tampa Bay Rays improved to 15-5 last night, with an 8-6 win over the Oakland A's, in front of 32,947 empty seats at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

The Rays scored 4 times in the second, then gave them all back in the third. The Rays scored 3 times in the third and 1 in the fourth, then held on for the win, after allowing single runs in the sixth and eighth. Pat Burrell blasted a three-run homer in the third, Sean Bartlett went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's, and Carlos Pena, John Jaso and Reid Brignac each drove in a run. Wade Davis pitched 5 innings for the win, improving to 2-1 on the year. Rafael Soriano picked up his 5th save of the season. For Oakland, Cliff Pennington went 4 for 5 with 4 RBI's and Adam Rosales went 4 for 4 with an RBI. Ben Sheets allowed 8 earned runs in 5 innings and took the loss, dropping to 1-2.

The two-game set ends tonight, with game time set for 7:10pm EDT on 620AM WDAE. Kansas City then comes to town for four games beginning Friday. The Rays are now 2 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the American League East.

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Here's a gem from our church newsletter:

"I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible just ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat..."Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

The best jokes are in church newsletters and Reader's Digest!

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Here's the schedule for the Western Hockey League's Championship Finals:

(all times Eastern)
Friday, April 30: Tri-City at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 1: Tri-City at Calgary, 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 4: Calgary at Tri-City, 10:05 p.m.
Wednesday, May 5: Calgary at Tri-City, 10:05 p.m.
x-Friday, May 7: Tri-City at Calgary, 9:00 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 9: Calgary at Tri-City, 8:05 p.m.
x-Monday, May 10: Tri-City at Calgary, 9:00 p.m.
x — if necessary.

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This just in: Today is National Blueberry Pie Day. Enjoy your pie. And don't forget the whipped cream!

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From http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/:










Riders add pair

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced yesterday they have signed import wide receiver Jeremy Gilchrist and import defensive end Brent Hawkins to contracts. Financial details of the signings were not released.

Gilchrist (5'9 – 184 lbs) was a two-year starter at Hampton after he transferred from Virginia Tech. He recorded 40 catches, 544 yards and two touchdowns in his senior season and also averaged 15.6 yards on 28 punt returns with three more touchdowns. In his junior year, he had 69 catches for 1,043 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with a 19 yard average on 20 punt returns and three more. Gilchrist was a first-team all-conference in 2007 and a second-team All-MEAC in 2008. The 24-year old originally signed with the Riders in October, 2009 and spent a few weeks on the team's practice roster.

Hawkins (6'3- 244 lbs) played two seasons at Illinois State after transferring from Purdue. He was runner-up for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in I-AA football. Hawkins ranked second in the nation with 17 sacks as a senior, setting school and Gateway Conference records. He was also the MVP for the 2006 Hula Bowl. The 26-year old was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. In 20 games played with the Jaguars during two seasons, Hawkins had 23 tackles and 5.5 quarterback sacks.

The 100th season of Saskatchewan Roughriders football begins June 13th with a preseason game in Regina against the BC Lions. The regular season commences Thursday, July 1st with a 2009 Grey Cup rematch between the Riders and the Montreal Alouettes at Taylor Field in Regina on Thursday, July 1st. For the 2010 schedule and more information on the upcoming season, visit the team's official website, http://www.saskriders.com/.

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Jimmy says hi!

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That's it for today. Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Jimmy is 23 months old today!

There's no big celebration, or anything like that. We just love our little guy and want to share him with the world.












We love you Jimmy!

BTW: There's new posts and pictures on my other two blogs, The Loves of my Life and The International Order of Snoop and Smoke. Ooh, don't forget to check out my wife's blog, Ramblings of a Random Mind. Check 'em out when you have the time. Thanks.

USA U-18 team wins gold









MINSK, Belarus – Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.) made 33 saves as the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team captured its second consecutive gold medal at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Under-18 Championship after downing Sweden, 3-1, here tonight at Minsk Arena. Team USA closed out tournament play with a 6-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record while outscoring its opponents, 33-7.

"This has been one of the neatest experiences I've had as a coach and one of the better groups I've ever had the chance to work with," said Kurt Kleinendorst, head coach of Team USA. "I had heard so many things about [USA Hockey's National Team Development Program] prior, with regard to how special it was and how good this group was to work with. I think winning the gold medal is just the perfect ending to a great season."

The U.S. got the start it wanted when Luke Moffatt (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) deflected Derek Forbort's (Duluth, Minn.) shot past netminder Johan Gustafsson just 2:10 into the game. Campbell stopped all nine first-period shots he faced, many of which came on a five-minute power play for Sweden.

Team USA kept the pressure on when Nick Shore (Denver, Colo.) dug the puck out of the corner and fed Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich.), who then slid the puck to a charging Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn.), who flipped it over Gustafsson at the 7:31 mark of the middle frame. Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor, Calif.) made it 3-0 when he redirected Adam Clendening's (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) wrist shot just inside the left post at 13:47 of the second period.

Despite a goal from Ludvig Rensfeldt at 6:54 of the third period, Team USA held off the relentless Swedish attack. Campbell stopped eight shots in the final frame to shut the door.

NOTES: Jack Campbell received the directorate award as the tournament's best goaltender and was also named Team USA's Player of the Game today. Campbell finishes his Under-18 career with a 0.80 goals-against average and .966 save percentage, to go along with five shutouts in 10 games played. He had not allowed a goal in 274:12 minutes of action until Sweden's goal at 6:54 of the third period ... Campbell and Adam Clendening received tournament media all-star honors and, along with Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.), were named Team USA's best three players ... Campbell and Jason Zucker (Las Vegas, Nev.) became the first two American men at any level to capture three IIHF gold medals after winning the top prize at the 2009 World Men's Under-18 Championship, the 2010 World Junior Championship and the 2010 World Under-18 Championship ... Clendening (3-7--10), Nick Shore (3-7--10) and Rocco Grimaldi (2-8--10) tied for the U.S. lead with 10 points each ... The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team became the first U.S. National Team to earn a gold medal in a former Soviet Socialist State at any level ... The U.S. has earned an unprecedented seven consecutive medals at the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship, which includes four gold (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010), two silver (2004, 2007) and one bronze (2008). Team USA also captured the gold medal in 2002. Team USA's eight overall medals are tied with Russia for the most ever at the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship ... The United States owns the title in each of the IIHF amateur championships with gold medals at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2010 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship. Additionally, the U.S. is the defending champion at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and World Junior A Challenge, giving it four international titles at the Under-20 level.


GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

SWE 0 0 1 -- 1
USA 1 2 0 -- 3

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Moffatt (Forbort, Grimaldi), 2:10. Penalties: USA, Watson (boarding), 13:04; USA, Watson (game misconduct), 13:04; SWE, Nordstrom (roughing), 17:43; USA, Saad (slashing), 19:26; SWE, Larsson (roughing), 19:26.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Faulk (Shore, Czarnik), 7:31; 3, USA, Grimaldi (Zucker, Clendening), 13:47 (pp). Penalties: SWE, Granberg (tripping), 5:25; SWE, Friberg (hooking), 13:33; USA, Faulk (holding), 16:38.

Third Period - Scoring: 4, SWE, Rensfeldt (Brodin, Ottosson), 6:54. Penalties: None.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
SWE 9 16 9 34
USA 13 17 3 33

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
SWE, Gustafsson, 58:10 13-12 17-15 3-3 33-30
USA, Campbell, 60:00 9-9 16-16 9-8 34-33

Power Play: SWE 0-3; USA 1-3
Penalties: SWE 4-8; USA 4-29
Officials: Referees - Stephan Bauer (GER), Sami Partanen (FIN); Linesmen - Chris Carlson (CAN), Jiri Gebauer (CZE)
Attendance: 12,820


Team USA 2010 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship Results
April 13-23 • Minsk & Bobruisk, Belarus

Date Opponent Location Result
Thurs., April 8 Belarus (Exh.) Soligorsk W, 13-2
Sat., April 10 Slovakia (Exh.) Bobruisk W, 7-3
Tues., April 13 Sweden Bobruisk L, 2-4
Wed., April 14 Switzerland Bobruisk W, 5-1
Fri., April 16 Canada Bobruisk W, 5-0
Sun., April 18 Belarus Bobruisk W, 7-1
Tues., April 20 Czech Republic (QF) Minsk W, 6-0
Wed., April 21 Finland (SF) Minsk W, 5-0
Fri., April 23 Sweden* Minsk W, 3-1
*-Gold-Medal Game

It's Tuesday!











Happy Tuesday y'all!

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Today is Jimmy's 23 month birthday. We sat and watched Elmo together and that was fun. Jimmy sang along with the Elmo's World theme and ran around the house. He sure is fun! Now, time to start planning his second birthday party. We love you Jimmy!

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Montreal 4, Washington 1 (Series tied 3-3)

Boston 4, Buffalo 3 (Boston wins series 4-2)

Western Conference

Chicago 5, Nashville 3 (Chicago wins series 4-2)

Tonight --

Western Conference

Detroit at Phoenix 9:00pm EDT (Series tied 3-3)

Eastern Conference

No games

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

No games

(Note: Calgary beat Brandon 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals, Tri-City beat Vancouver 4-2 in Western Conference Finals)

OHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Windsor at Barrie (Game 1, OHL Championship Finals)

(Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals, Windsor beat Kitchener 4-3 in Western Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

Saint John 7, Victoriaville 1 (Saint John wins series 4-2)

Tonight --

(Note: Moncton beat Drummondville 4-1 in the other semifinal)

USHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No Games

(Note: Green Bay beat Indiana 3-1 in East Final, Fargo beat Omaha in West Final, 3-2)

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From http://www.ushl.com/:
The United States Hockey League today announced the schedule for the 2010 Clark Cup Finals as the Green Bay Gamblers and the Fargo Force seek to claim the League's top prize, the Clark Cup. The series opens this weekend with the first two contests being played at the Resch Center in Green Bay on Friday, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st.

The Green Bay Gamblers have home-ice advantage for the best-of-five final series. They earned the overall first seed in the playoffs after capturing the Anderson Cup during the regular season by compiling a League-best 95 points in the standings. Green Bay reached the Clark Cup Finals by sweeping the Waterloo Black Hawks in the first round of the postseason (3-0) and knocking off the defending champion Indiana Ice in the East Division Finals, three games to one.

The Fargo Force make their second consecutive trip to the Clark Cup Finals after finishing runner-up to Indiana a year ago. Fargo earned a trip to the final series this season by sweeping the Sioux Falls Stampede in three games during the first round and winning a thrilling five-game series vs. the Omaha Lancers in the West Division Finals.

CLARK CUP FINALS

Green Bay Gamblers vs. Fargo Force

Game 1: Friday, April 30th, 8:05 PM – Fargo at Green Bay (Resch Center)

Game 2: Saturday, May 1st, 8:05 PM – Fargo at Green Bay (Resch Center)

Game 3: Friday, May 7th, 8:35 PM – Green Bay @ Fargo (Urban Plains Center)

Game 4: Saturday, May 8th, 8:05 PM – Green Bay @ Fargo* (Urban Plains Center)

Game 5: Wednesday, May 12th, 8:05 PM – Fargo @ Green Bay* (Resch Center)

* if necessary

(Note: All times Eastern)

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Tampa Bay Rays took last night off(So did I). Rays continue their homestand with two games against Oakland tonight and tomorrow, 7:10pm EDT both nights on 620AM WDAE.

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Makin' it a short one today. Have a good time today and be safe!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday Morning Meissnervations











Good morning and Happy Monday. Here's what's happening....


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We had some pretty nasty weather move through Central Florida last night. The video shows part of my drive to work. 'Twas not fun at all.

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From http://www.tampabaystorm.com/

The Milwaukee Iron (3-0, 1-0) remained undefeated by winning its third consecutive game on Sunday as they played host in a 72-61 win over the Tampa Bay Storm (1-2, 0-0) at the Bradley Center in front of 4,049 fans.

After taking a three-point cushion into the intermission, Tampa Bay committed three costly turnovers in the second half that allowed Milwaukee to gain momentum and convert the miscues into a pair of late touchdowns, ultimately preventing Storm head coach Tim Marcum from earning his 200th career milestone victory.

Tampa Bay, however, did receive an admirable performance from wideout Cleannord Saintil, who before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury, led all receivers with 128 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Saintil’s touchdown total on the evening left him just one shy of tying the franchise single-game record of seven held by former Tampa Bay receiver George LaFrance.

Saintil’s counterpart, the AFL’s all-time touchdown receptions leader in Damian Harrell, had three scores on the night for the Iron, including his 1,000th career receptions on his first touchdown of the evening. Milwaukee’s Anthony Jones also found the endzone three times, once more than Tampa Bay’s Tyrone Timmons, who with 118 receiving yards, eclipsed the century mark for the third straight week.

Both Milwaukee and Tampa Bay traded a pair of scores to open the game, with each team converting on their initial offensive possessions. Milwaukee quarterback Chris Greisen, who threw for 270 yards and seven scores, opened the contest by hooking up with Harrell from 15 yards out, but Brett Dietz countered with a touchdown pass of his own to Hank Edwards which tied the game at seven. Greisen then found Jones in the endzone to take a brief one-score lead before Saintil punched in a run from the one yard line to end the period.

Saintil found the endzone twice more in the second quarter, first to match an additional touchdown by Harrell, and again to conclude the period, which capped the game’s back and forth scoring trend and helped the Storm take a three-point lead into the half. Timmons’ touchdown reception up and over an Iron defender brought the Storm back from a seven-point deficit after Milwaukee’s Tyre Young carried a Greisen handoff in for a score. The Storm’s defense came up big to match the offense’s production, breaking up three consecutive Milwaukee pass plays to force a Robert Fortstrom field goal that gave the Iron a 31-28 advantage before Saintil recorded his third score of the contest to put the Storm up at the half. Forstrom missed a second field goal attempt wide left prior to the end of the second quarter.

After a strong first half, Tampa Bay’s offense began to falter following the intermission. Amidst tossing a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter, Dietz committed the game’s first turnover by throwing an interception that led to the second of Milwaukee’s three touchdown passes in the period. Down 52-48 heading into the game’s final quarter, Saintil redeemed himself of a prior fumble which led to a Milwaukee touchdown earlier in the stanza by taking a handoff from Dietz and carrying it into the endzone to bring the contest to within five. Greisen rushed in a touchdown and threw for another to ice the game and to keep the Iron unbeaten on the year, despite allowing a second touchdown pass from Dietz to Timmons late in the quarter. Dietz ended the night one off his opening-day passing total of eight touchdowns as heconnected on 21 of 34 attempts for 316 yards.

NOTES:
•WR Lawrence Samuels split a finger on his left hand wide open during warm-ups and was held out of the game, Reggie Lewis made his first start at Jack LB…Other players injured were WR Cleannord Saintil (Knee), DL Tim McGill (Ankle), WR Hank Edwards (Wrist), Emmanuel Akah (Groin).
•Iron WR Damien Harrell’s first TD reception of the game was the 1,000 of his career…He is the ninth player in player all-time to eclipse that mark…He trails Samuels, the AFL’s all-time reception leader by 20 receptions and currently has 1,006…Harrell also has the second longest streak of consecutive games with a catch (135), trailing Samuels as well.
•Tyrone Timmons has his eighth consecutive multi-touchdown game and third consecutive game with 100+ yards receiving.
•Despite holding Chris Greisen under 300 yards passing and 70 percent on completions for the first time this season, Greisen was able to lead the Iron to a 3-0 start.

SCORE 1 2 3 4 TOTAL
TAM 14 20 14 13 61
MIL 14 17 21 20 72
PASSING
TAM– Brett Dietz 34-21-316-7-2
MIL – Chris Greisen 41-26-270-7-0
RECEIVING
TAM– Cleannord Saintil 9-128-4 MIL – Damien Harrell 9-78-3
RUSHING
TAM– Cleannord Saintil 5-1-2
MIL – Tyre Young 10-46-2
All-Purpose Yards
TAM– Cleannord Saintil 212 yards
MIL – Nate Force 120 yards

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Tampa Bay Rays won again yesterday, blanking Toronto 6-0 in front of just 23,250. The Rays scored 2 in the 5th and 4 in the 8th. David Price got the win, fanning 9 and allowing just 4 hits in his complete game effort, improving his record to 3-1. John Jaso went 2-for-3 and drove in 2. Tampa Bay is off tonight, then host Oakland for two begiining Tuesday and Kansas City for 4 games beginning on Thursday.

Tampa Bay is now a major league best 14-5 and lead the Yankees by 1 1/2 games in the A.L. East. Minnesota leads Detroit by 3 in the Central, while Oakland leads the Angels by 2 in the West.

In the National League, Philadelphia leads the East by 1 1/2 games over Florida, New York and Washington. St. Louis leads Chicago by 2 1/2 in the Central and San Diego leads San Francisco by 1 game in the West.

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

No games

Western Conference

Phoenix 5, Detroit 2 (Series tied 3-3)

Vancouver 4, Los Angeles 2 (Vancouver wins series 4-2)

Tonight --

Western Conference

Chicago at Nashville 9:00pm EDT (Chicago leads 3-2)

Eastern Conference

Washington at Montreal 7:00pm EDT (Washington leads 3-2)

Buffalo at Boston 7:00pm EDT (Boston leads series 3-2)

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

Tri-City 5, Vancouver 2 (Tri-City wins series 4-2)

(Note: Calgary beat Brandon 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

OHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Western Conference

Windsor 4, Kitchener 1 (Windsor wins series 4-3)

Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

(Note: Moncton beat Drummondville 4-1 in the other semifinal)

USHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

No Games

(Note: Green Bay beat Indiana 3-1 in East Final, Fargo beat Omaha in West Final, 3-2)

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From http://www.nascar.com/

In a race that set Cup Series records for the number of leaders (29) and lead changes (88) -- and fanned the flames of the increasingly combustible rivalry between teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon -- Kevin Harvick broke a 115-race winless streak in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

In the third and final attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, Harvick pushed 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray for all but the final quarter-mile of the final lap before surging past McMurray to the inside and beating the No. 1 Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevy to the line by .011 seconds.

Just in the nick of time, Brad Keselowski was approved to drive in Sunday's Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Perhaps pole-sitter Kevin Harvick wishes he hadn't made the field, given that Keselowski was the major obstacle to Harvick becoming the first driver to win a Nationwide and a Sprint Cup race on the same day. With carbon monoxide levels barely acceptable under NASCAR's guidelines -- the result of breathing fumes after damaging the crush panels of his Cup car in the earlier race -- Keselowski surged to the front with a huge push from runner-up Joey Logano and won the Nationwide seriesrace under caution because of a fiery wreck behind him in Turn 4 on the final lap.

The Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond next Saturday, May 1st. Green flag drops at7:30 p.m. EDT on Fox. The Nationwide series race runs at Richmond on Friday, April 30th, 7:00pm EDT on ESPN 2.

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The Izod Indy Car series was off this weekend. Next race is the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 from Kansas City on Saturday, May 1st. The race airs at 1:30pm EDT on ABC. Check your local listings for radio outlet in your area, or catch streaming audio at http://indycarnation.indycar.com/liveradio/. Race day coverage is also available on Sirius/XM Radio on Channels 211 & 145.

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That's it for today. Have a great day!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

It's Sunday!










Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening....

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The match up for the Clark Cup Finals has been set. Saturday night, Fargo won the West with a 5-2 win at Omaha. Green Bay copped the East crown, beating Indiana 4-2. Clark Cup Finals will start in Green Bay sometime towards the end of this week.

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 3, OT (Pittsburgh wins 4-2)

Western Conference

Chicago 5, Nashville 4, OT (Chicago leads 3-2)

San Jose 5, Colorado 2 (San Jose wins series 4-2)

Tonight --

Western Conference

Phoenix at Detroit 2:00pm EDT (Detroit leads 3-2)

Vancouver at Los Angeles 9:00pm EDT (Vancouver leads 3-2)

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

No games

Tonight --

Tri-City at Vancouver 8:00pm EDT (Tri-City leads 3-2)

(Note: Calgary beat Brandon 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

OHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Western Conference

Kitchener at Windsor 2:00pm EDT (Series tied 3-3)

Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

Victoriaville 4, Saint John 2 (Saint John leads 3-2)

Tonight --

No games

(Note: Moncton beat Drummondville 4-1 in the other semifinal)

USHL:

Last night --

Eastern Conference

Green Bay 4, Indiana 2 (Green Bay wins series 3-1)

Western Conference

Fargo 5, Omaha 2 (Fargo wins series 3-2)

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Amusing moment in last night's game between Chicago and Nashville. Take a look:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Puck-goes-missing-in-Niemi-s-pads-Toews-?urn=nhl,236462

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My wife finally updated her blog!!!!!!!! And, it was well worth the 543 day wait. She is, without a doubt, the cleverest person I know. (And she makes a pretty good Crock Pot breakfast casserole too!) Her blog, Ramblings of a Random Mind is linked on the right side of this blog. Or, if you're directionally challenged like I sometimes am, click here.

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A seven spot in last night's eighth inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 9-3 win for the Tampa Bay Rays over the Toronto Blue Jays in front of 23,780 at Tropicana Field. John Jaso hit his first major league homer with a man aboard in the fifth, then the Rays hung 7 on the board in the eighth, hi-lited by a two-run single by Ben Zobrist. Tampa Bay is now 13-5 and lead the Yankees by 1/2 game in the A.L. East. The Rays wrap up their three-game set with Toronto this afternoon, 1:40pm EDT first pitch on 620AM WDAE and Sun Sports TV.

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If you're in the mood for some college baseball today, check out my friend Richard Dow's call of today's game between the McNeese State Cowboys and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. You can find the game, by heading to http://www.mcneesesports.com/, then clicking on the 1470 KLCL banner. First pitch is set for 2:00pm EDT.

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Speaking of the Rays, just under 24,000 for a Saturday home game, even though they have the best record in baseball? Is the Tampa Bay area just not hot for regular season baseball, or is it as much a combination of a cruddy stadium that's not all that easy to get to? This area has what may seem to be a well-deserved reputation of not being a "baseball town." Bad ballpark, less than ideal location, team/stadium staff that wouldn't know good customer service even if it jumped up and bit them on the....well, you get the idea.

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The Tampa Bay Storm is on the road today for an AFL game with the Milwaukee Iron. The Storm enters the game at 1-1-0, Milwaukee is 2-0-0. Kickoff is set for 5:00pm EDT on 1250AM WHNZ.

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Here's the latest family photos, taken yesterday:






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Oh, before I forget: Nascar's Nationwide Series race was rained out yesterday at Talladega. Today's schedule has the Sprint Cup racing going green at 1:00pm EDT on Fox, with the Nationwide race taking the track at 5:30pm EDT on ESPN2.

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That's it for today. Enjoy your Sunday!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Rays TV broadcaster helps subdue unruly passenger


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster and former major league manager Kevin Kennedy was among a group of eight men that subdued a man that threatened to blow up an airplane.

A Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Florida was diverted to Albuquerque early Friday after a passenger sprayed the first-class cabin with a water bottle, tried to open a cabin door and threatened to blow up the aircraft.

"When he started threatening bombs it was for real. I knew it was anyway," Kennedy said before Tampa Bay faced Toronto on Friday night. "We all kind of looked at him. The guy next to me, he was saying 'Hey buddy, let's calm down here.' We tried to talk him down but it wasn't happening. It was actually getting worse."

Passengers on Delta flight 2148 to Tampa subdued Stanley Dwayne Sheffield, 46. He was taken into federal custody after the plane landed at 1:30 a.m. Friday.

"There were seven other guys," Kennedy said. "A couple of young guys got there first. One kid flew up the aisle. We all were there. Probably four or five (guys) getting him down and the other guys helping. Eight in all."

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Darrin Jones said authorities do not believe the incident was related to terrorism.

Sheffield was charged with interference with flight crewmembers and destruction of aircraft.

(www.usatoday.com)

It's Saturday!










What better time to update the blog than when you get home from work at 6:50am? So, here we go....

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The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off the most successful road trip in team history, stumbled a bit last night, losing at home to Toronto, 6-5. 22,056 fans watched starter Matt Garza give up five runs in five innings, then saw the home team get the tying run to second with two outs in the ninth, before Ben Zobrist struck out to end the game.

The Rays, now 12-5 on the season, trail the Yankees by percentage points in the A.L. East. Game time vs. Toronto tonight is 6:10pm EDT. Radio on 620AM WDAE. No tv.

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Buffalo 4, Boston 1 (Boston leads 3-2)

Montreal 2, Washington 1 (Washington leads 3-2)

Western Conference

Vancouver 7, Los Angeles 2 (Vancouver leads 3-2)

Detroit 4, Phoenix 1 (Detroit leads 3-2)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh at Ottawa 7:00pm EDT (Pittsburgh leads 3-2)

Western Conference

San Jose at Colorado 10:00pm EDT (San Jose leads 3-2)

Detroit at Phoenix 10:00pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

Tri-City 4, Vancouver 1 (Tri-City leads 3-2)

Eastern Conference

Calgary 6, Brandon 1 (Calgary wins series 4-1)

Tonight --

No games

OHL:

Last night --

Western Conference

Windsor 6, Kitchener 4 (Series tied 3-3)

Tonight --

No games

Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

Saint John 6, Victoriaville 1 (Saint John leads 3-1)

Moncton 4, Drummondville 2 (Moncton wins series 4-1)

(Note: Both series are QMJHL semifinals)

USHL:

Last night --

Eastern Conference

Green Bay 4, Indiana 2 (Green Bay leads 2-1)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Green Bay at Indiana 7:05pm EDT (Green Bay leads 2-1)

Western Conference

Fargo at Omaha 8:05pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

(Note: All USHL series are best-of-five)

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The Izod Indy Car series is off this weekend. Next race is scheduled for Saturday, May 1st. The Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 from Kansas City will air at 1:30pm EDT on ABC. Check your local listings for radio outlet in your area, or catch streaming audio at http://indycarnation.indycar.com/liveradio/. Race day coverage is also available on Sirius/XM Radio on Channels 211 & 145.



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Nascar runs at Talledega this weekend. The Nationwide series goes today at 2:30pm on ABC, the Sprint Cup series runs tomorrow at 1:00pm EDT on FOX.

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Here's some pictures of my family and I.






They're all asleep and so soon, will I be as well. Have a great Saturday y'all!

Friday, April 23, 2010

It's Friday!











Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening....

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released quarterback Graham Harrell. Details on Rod Pedersen's blog.

It's no surprise it turned out that way. I kinda expected it would happen, especially after he never got on the field last season. After all, who A) Doesn't want to play sooner, rather than later and B) Thinks that'll happen anytime soon when you sit at #5 on the depth chart and the #1 guy (Darian Durant) put a total lock on the job with his play last season?

Lots of talk about it on Rod's blog, including some insightful comments from former Rider G.M. Eric Tillman. Go read and tell Roddy you were directed there from here, okay?

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After having their road win streak snapped Tuesday in Chicago, the Rays rebounded in a big way. After Wednesday's 12-0 win, Tampa Bay won again last night, 10-2 over the White Sox.

Chicago jumped on top with runs in the first and second, but the Rays scored 3 in the third, 4 in the 5th and 3 more in the 8th. Carlos Pena was 2 for 3 with 4 rbi's, Carl Crawford, Pat Burrell and Reid Brignac drove in 2 runs each. James Shields allowed 2 runs over 7 inning, to go to 2-0 on the year. Jake Peavy fell to 0-1 for the Sox, allowing 7 earned runs in 4.1 innings.

Tampa Bay is now a major league best 12-4 and leads the Yankees by 1/2 game in the A.L. East. Rays are now home for nine games, starting tonight with the first of three against Toronto. Oakland arrives for two games next Tuesday, followed by Kansas City for a four-game set starting next Thursday. All games on 620AM WDAE.

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Oh, before I forget: Today is Talk like Shakespeare Day. Goeth thou to http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org for alleth thy fun and frivolity. Ol' Billy, were he still with us, would be 446 years oldeth todayeth!

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Back to baseball....How bad (once again) will the Pittsbugh Pirates be? They lost to the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday, 20-0! They are 7-8, just 3 games behind St. Louis in the N.L. Central, but I'm betting they finish at least 20 games under .500 this year.

Last Saturday, the Mets beat St. Louis 2-1 in 20 innings. The good: The game was on Fox. With as badly as TV manipulates baseball these days, it's good to see FOX's network programming get all screwed up by a baseball game. The bad: 5 hours of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. That's worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Yeesh!

Speaking of bad baseball teams, how 'bout them Baltimores? Just 16 games into the season and the Orioles have won just 2 of their first 16 games, and are already 10 games out of first in the A.L. East. Managers of the O's, White Sox and Pirates are probably all looking over their shoulder, hoping they don't get that dreaded "vote of confidence" from their bosses anytime soon.

And also yesterday, the Yankees turned a 5-4-3 triple play in a 4-2 loss at Oakland, their first triple play since 1968. It reminded me of two years ago in Doniphan, Nebraska. I was working the bases in an American Legion ballgame. It was the top of the first inning, of my first game of the summer, and I called all three outs of a triple play. (Liner to short, step on second, toss to first) What are the odds of that?

Tampa Bay leads the A.L. East by 1/2 game over the Yankees, Minnesota leads Detroit by 2 games in the Central and Oakland leads Seattle by 1/2 game in the West(Mariners are 9-7, but 7-2 in their last 9 games).

Philadelphia leads the N.L. East by 1 1/2 games over Florida(A Florida-Tampa Bay World Series anyone?), St. Louis is 2 ahead of Milwaukee in the Central and San Diego leads San Francisco by 1 in the West(Giants have lost 4 straight).

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Hockey Playoff Roundup ----

NHL:

Eastern Conference

Last night --

Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 0 (Philadelphia wins series 4-1. Take that, Jacques Lemaire and Martin Brodeur!)

Ottawa 4, Pittsburgh 3, in 3OT (Pittsburgh leads 3-2)

Western Conference

Chicago 3, Nashville 0 (Series tied 2-2)

San Jose 5, Colorado 0 (San Jose lead 3-2)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Montreal at Washington 7:00pm EDT (Washington leads 3-1)

Boston at Buffalo 7:00pm EDT (Boston leads 3-1)

Western Conference

Los Angeles at Vancouver 10:00pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

Detroit at Phoenix 10:00pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

WHL:

Western Conference

Last Night --

Tri-City 5, Vancouver 2 (Series tied 2-2)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Brandon at Calgary 9:00pm EDT (Calgary leads 3-1)

Western Conference

Vancouver at Tri-City 10:05pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

OHL:

Last night --

Western Conference

Windsor 3, Kitchener 0 (Kitchener leads 3-2)

Tonight --

Western Conference

Kitchener at Windsor 7:30pm EDT (Kitchener leads 3-2)

(Note: Barrie beat Mississauga St Michaels Majors 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals)

QMJHL:

Last night --

No games

Tonight --

Saint John at Victoriaville 7:00pm EDT (Saint John leads 2-1)

Moncton at Drummondville 7:35pm EDT (Moncton leads 3-1)

(Note: Both series are QMJHL semifinals)

USHL:

Last night --

Western Conference

Omaha 6, Fargo 2 (Series tied 2-2)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Green Bay at Indiana 7:05pm EDT (Series tied 1-1)

(Note: All USHL series are best-of-five)

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Here's the scene at my house today:







I love my family!

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Ye have thee a nice day, okay?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

It's Thursday!










Just another day at the beach....

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The Clark Cup playoffs continued last night, with a thrilling, down-to-the-wire contest at the Urban Plains Center in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Force got the home crowd of 4,123 roaring their approval, with goals by Johnnie Searfoss at 3:45 of the first period and Chase Grant's power play goal at 3:33 of the second period, to build a 2-0 lead. Omaha battled back with a Seth Ambroz power play goal at 4:31, to trail 2-1 after 40 minutes.

In the third, Grant's second power play goal, at 12:31, put Fargo up 3-1. The Lancers wouldn't quit though, crawling within one once again, thanks to an unassisted goal by Greg Wolfe, at 14:43. Grant got the hattrick with an empty net goal at 18:44, regaining the Force's two-goal lead at 4-2. Again, Omaha wouldn't roll over and continued to pound away at the Fargo net. With the goaltender off, Erik Haula scored at 19:27, narrowing the deficit to 4-3. The Lancers continued to apply the pressure, storming the Force net in the dying moments. A free-for-all in the goalmouth saw a Fargo defender cover the puck, resulting in Omaha's being awarded a penalty shot with just 4 seconds remaining in regulation time. Wolfe, who scored earlier in the period, missed high and wide and the Force were able to hold on for the 4-3 win.

Besides Chase's 3 goals, Nate Schmidt added 4 assists, while netminder Ryan Massa made several five-star stops amongst his 23 saves for Fargo. For the Lancers, Erik Haula paced the offense with a goal and an assist and Jeff Teglia made 21 saves. The Force were 2-for-7 on the power play, Omaha was 1-for-5.

Fargo now leads the best-of-five Western final 2 games to 1, and can wrap things up with a victory on home ice tonight. Faceoff is set for 8:05pm EDT, with the broadcast available online at http://www.lancers.com.

The Eastern final continues Friday and Saturday, with the defending Clark Cup champion Indiana Ice hosting the two-time running Anderson Cup champion Green Bay Gamblers at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis. Faceoff each night is set for 7:05pm EDT. If game five is needed in either series, the West final game would be in Omaha on Saturday, April 24th at 8:05pm EDT, with the East final game being in Green Bay on Tuesday, April 27th at 8:05pm EDT.

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After seeing their team-record 7 game road win streak come to an end in Chicago Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays rebounded for a resounding 12-0 victory over the White Sox last night.

The Rays scored 1 in the third, 4 in the fourth, 1 in the fifth and 6 in the sixth. The big blow of the night was a Sean Rodriguez 3-run homer in the fifth inning. Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria and Sean Rodriguez each went 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored, while Rodriguez drove in 4. Juan Pierre singled twice in 4 at bats for Chicago. Wade Davis fanned 6 in 6 innings for Tampa Bay, evening his record at 1-1. Mark Buehrle, who tossed a perfect game last season in his last appearance against the Rays, allowed 6 earned runs in 4.2 innings, dropping to 2-2 on the season for the Pale Hose. Attendance at U.S. Cellular Field was 17,023.

Tampa Bay is now 11-4, 1/2 game behind the Yankess in the A.L. East. Chicago slips to 5-10 and last place, 6 games behind Central leading Minnesota. Rays and the Sox wrap up their three-game set tonight in Chicago at 8:10pm EDT, on 620AM WDAE. Tampa Bay opens a nine-game home stand tomorrow night, with Toronto coming to town for three, with first pitch set for 7:10pm EDT at Tropicana Field.

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Hockey playoff roundup ----

NHL:

Western Conference

Last night --

Vancouver 6, Los Angeles 4. (Series tied 2-2, game 5 in L.A. Friday night at 10:00pm EDT)

Eastern Conference

Washington 8, Montreal 4 (Caps lead 3-1, game 5 Friday night in Montreal at 7:00pm EDT)

Tonight --

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia at New Jersey 7:00pm EDT (Flyers lead 3-1)

Ottawa at Pittsburgh 7:00pm EDT (Penguins lead 3-1)

Western Conference

Chicago at Nashville 8:30pm EDT (Preds lead 2-1)

Colorado at San Jose 10:30pm EDT (Series tied 2-2)

Boston is at Buffalo in the Eastern Conference big play time Friday night at 7:00pm EDT, with the Bruins holding a 3-1 lead.

WHL:

Eastern Conference Finals

Last Night --

Calgary 4, Brandon 3 (Calgary leads 3-1) Game 5 Friday at Calgary, 9:00pm EDT.

Tonight:

Tri-City at Vancouver 10:00pm EDT (Vancouver leads 2-1) Game 5 Friday in Kennewick at 10:05pm EDT

OHL:

Western Conference Finals:

Last Night --

Barrie 4, Mississauga St. Michaels Majors 3 (Barrie wins series 4-1)

Tonight --

Kitchener at Windsor 7:05pm EDT (Barrie leads 3-1) Game 5 Friday at Kitchener (If necessary) at 7:30pm EDT

QMJHL:

Semifinals --

No games tonight

Friday --

Saint John at Victoriaville 7:00pm EDT (Saint John leads 2-1)

Moncton at Drummondville 7:35pm EDT (Moncton leads 3-1)

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The Tampa Bay Storm's next game, on the road against the Milwaukee Iron, has been moved to Sunday at 5:00pm EDT, because of a conflict at the Bradley Center with an NBA playoff game taking place on Saturday.

The Storm are 1-1, losing their season opener at Tulsa 69-58 on April 3rd, then beating Dallas 54-41 in their home opener on April 16th. Next home game is Saturday, May 1st at 7:30pm EDT, against the Arizona Rattlers. Hear all the action on 1250AM WHNZ.

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My wife Kim and I took Jimmy to Clearwater Beach today. As you can see below, we had fun!










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That's it for today. Y'all have fun now, ya hear?!?!

Oh Baby Vision

How to watch the videos on Oh Baby Vision

In the upper left hand corner, there's three horizontal lines. Click that once or twice and it'll bring up thumbnails of all the movies. Click on the one you want to watch and it'll start. It may play the next one automatically, or you may have to click the little box to bring the thumbnails back up.



Now with the addition of more videos, just use the scroll bar on the right to choose the one you want to watch.



I hope you like 'em