It's Wednesday!

It's Wednesday. Here's what's happening....

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It's National Nude Day. (I suppose there's a reason this day is in summer....)

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Free agent 2010 blog.

Here's a look at the NHL's over-35 club.

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Tiger Woods announced that he's changing putters. (Apparently, he's losing the old one in the divorce settlement.)

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Hawkins named CFL Defensive Player of the Week.

The Riders bring their 2-0 record back home this coming Saturday to host the 0-2 Edmonton Eskimos. Kickoff is set for 4:00pm EDT. Listen links for the game are on the right side of this blog.

If your cable providers offers them, you can see this Saturday's game live in the U.S. on the NFL Network, or online at ESPN3(Formerly ESPN360).com.

Check out Riderville.com for the latest on "Canada's (And Clearwater, Florida's) Team."

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Today is Pandemonium Day.

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Today in Sports History:

1951 - The first sports event to be shown in color, on CBS-TV, was the Molly Pitcher Handicap at Oceanport, NJ.

1967 - Eddie Mathews of the Houston Astros hit his 500th career home run.

1968 - Hank Aaron (Atlanta Braves) hit his 500th career home run.

1969 - U.S. President Nixon signed a baseball from the baseball Hall of Fame that had the signatures of nine other U.S. Presidents.

1970 - U.S. President Nixon threw out the first ball at the major league baseball All-Star Game.

1981 - The All-Star Game was postponed because of a 33-day-old baseball players strike. The game was held on August 9.

1981 - U.S. President Reagan met with Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh Pirates) to discuss sickle cell anemia and funding for the National Institute of Health.

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Today is Bastille Day.

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All-Star memories will linger for Rays.

National uprising: N.L. wins All-Star game for first time since 1996.

The Rays have a record of 54-34 at the All-Star break. They're 9-2 in July, have won 8 of their last 9 and 11 of their last 15, and are second in the A.L. East, 2 games behind the Yankees and 3 ahead of Boston. After MLB's All-Star break, the Rays head out for nine games, starting with a huge three-game set at the Yankees beginning on Friday. Tampa Bay will also play three at Baltimore and three at Cleveland, before returning home on Monday, July 26th for their longest home stand of the season, 11 games, with the first of a four-game set against Detroit, to be followed by three against the Yankees and four against Minnesota. You can follow the Rays on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. Saturday's game at the Yankees can be seen on FOX at 4:00pm EDT. All other games can be seen on Sun Sports.

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Today is the 100th birth anniversary of William Hanna (1910-2001), co-creator with Joe Barbera of Academy Award-winning Hanna-Barbera animated shorts. (Flintstones, meet the Flinstones, they're the modern stone-age family. From the town of Bedrock, they're a place right out of history. Someday, maybe Fred will win the fight, and that cat will stay out for the night. When you're with the Flintstones, have a yabba-dabba-doo time, a dabba-doo time, we'll have a gay ol' time!)

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 2 games over Tampa Bay and 5 over Boston. Toronto is 12 1/2 back and Baltimore is 27 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Detroit leads Chicago by 1/2 game, Minnesota is 3 1/2 games behind, Kansas City is 10 1/2 back and Cleveland is 15 1/2 games off the pace.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads the Angels by 4 1/2 games, Oakland is 7 1/2 back and Seattle trails by 15.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 4 games, Philadelphia is 4 1/2 behind, while Florida is 10 back and Washington trails by 13 1/2.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati leads St. Louis by 1 game, Milwaukee is 8 1/2 behind, Chicago trails by 9 1/2, Houston is 12 1/2 behind, and Pittsburgh(which hasn't had a winning record since they last won the division in 1992) is 18 games off the pace.

San Diego leads Colorado and the Dodgers in the N.L. West by 2 games, with San Francisco 4 back. Arizona is still last, 17 1/2 games out of first.

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Alfred Nobel demonstrates dynamite on this date in 1867. (After which, he was awarded the first Nobel prize for KA-BOOM!)

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Team USA forward Rocco Grimaldi commits to North Dakota.

'Hawks assistant Dobes returns to Northern Lights.

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Here's Jimmy with Mommy and Auntie DeeDee, one year ago today.







The world of a toddler can be a harrowing one for parents, but it sure is a lot of fun too!

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Today in Elvis History:

1988 - The Nashville radio station WYHY offered $1 million dollars to anyone who could produce Elvis Presley alive.

2003 - Lisa Marie Presley peformed her new single "Sinking In" on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

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Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC 'Fleeting Expletives' Indecency Policy.

The FCC's "fleeting expletives" indecency rules were thrown out by a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday. The ruling, responding to the Commission's determination that the expletives, heard in two editions of the Billboard Music Awards on FOX television, were actionably indecent was "unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here." The Court also indicated that the entire Commission indecency policy was invalid.

"We agree with the networks that the indecency policy is impermissibly vague," the court, in a decision written by Judge Rosemary Pooler, said. "It results in a standard that even the FCC cannot articulate or apply consistently."

FOX issued a statement saying the network is "extremely pleased with the decision handed down today by the Second Circuit. We have always felt that the government's position on fleeting expletives was unconstitutional. While we will continue to strive to eliminate expletives from live broadcasts, the inherent challenges broadcasters face with live television, coupled with the human element required for monitoring, must allow for the unfortunate isolated instances where inappropriate language slips through."

The case is now likely headed back to the Supreme Court on appeal by the Commission.

NAB Comments

Commenting on the court ruling, NAB EVP/Communications DENNIS WHARTON issued the following statement:

"NAB supports Today’s (Tuesday) appellate court decision. As broadcasters, we will continue to offer programming that is reflective of the diverse communities we serve. We believe that responsible decision making by network and local station executives, coupled with program blocking technologies like the V-chip, is far preferable to government regulation of program content."


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Coming up:

Tonight --

Baseball: All-Star Break

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

Saturday --

CFL Football: Edmonton Eskimos at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 4:10pm EDT

Arena Football: Tampa Bay Storm at Jacksonville Sharks 7:00pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series: Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Indy Car: Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto, Ontario 12:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 1:05pm EDT

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That's it for this day. See you tomorrow!