It's Wednesday!

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Johnny blog. Here's what's happening....

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Today is Meteor Day.

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Canadians, Predators exchange three players.

Nieuwendyk closes door on Modano's return to Stars.

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The Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames in England is today. The annual international rowing event has been taking place since 1839.

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Today in Sports History:

1962 - Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax pitched his first no-hitter in a game with the New York Mets.

1970 - The Cincinnati Reds moved to their new home at Riverfront Stadium.

1978 - Willie McCovey hit his 500th career home run.

1984 - The longest professional football game took place in the United States Football League (USFL). The Los Angeles Express beat the Michigan Panthers 27-21 after 93 minutes and 33 seconds.

1994 - The U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the 1994 national championship and banned her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.

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The Johnny Carson Show debuted on CBS-TV on this date in 1955.

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Since holding a six-game lead over the Yankees in the A.L. East, the Tampa Bay Rays have struggled to find a consistant level of success. The Rays, who had the best record in the majors for the first 63 days of the season, have hit hard times, going 12-20 since, including a 10-14 record in the month of June. The free-fall in the A.L. East continued last night as Tampa Bay dropped the opener of their six-game road trip, 8-5 to the Boston Red Sox, before 38,013 at Fenway Park.

Boston broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a three-run homer by David Ortiz. In the sixth, Jason Varitek singled home J.D. Drew and Adrian Beltre scored on a Daniel Nava single, to put the Red Sox on top 5-0.

The Rays showed some life with a run in the sixth, when Evan Longoria singled to bring in John Jaso. Boston got the run back in their half of the seventh, as Kevin Youkilis scored on Varitek's sac fly. The lead grew to 8-1 one batter later on a two-run homer by Bill Hall. Tampa Bay tried to come back, scoring twice in each of their last two at bats. Willy Aybar belted a two-run homer in the eighth, then in the ninth, a Ben Zobrist single, which left fielder Darnell McDonald just missed flagging down, scored Jaso and Carl Crawford. However, that was it for the scoring, and the Red Sox won 8-5.

John Lackey got the win for Boston, allowing just 1 run on 8 hits with 3 k's and 2 walks over 7 innings, improvong to 9-3. Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 18th save of the season. James Shields took the loss for the Rays, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits, with 6 strike outs in 5 innings. He's now 6-8.

Tampa Bay is now 44-32 and are third in the A.L. East, 2 games behind Boston and 3 games behind the Yankees. The Rays, losers of 8 of their past 11 and 20 of their last 32, play the second of their six-game road swing tonight at Boston, beginning at 7:10pm EDT. Coverage of the road swing, which moves on to Minnesota for four games starting tomorrow, is on 620AM WDAE, the Rays Radio Network and Sun Sports. After this road trip, the Rays come home for seven games, with three against Boston and four against Cleveland starting next Monday.

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This is Leap Second Time Adjustment Day. If the "big clock" needs adjusting, today is the day that is usually done.

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Tomorrow's Canada Day rematch of the 2009 Grey Cup is "just a game."

Cory Huclack added to practice roster.

CFL, CFLPA announce new 4-year agreement.

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Police in Texas say a man on a crutch with a bandage on his head and a cast on his left arm held up a pharmacy. What did he want? Narcotic painkillers, of course.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 1 game over Boston and 3 over Tampa Bay. Toronto is 8 back and Baltimore is 24 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota is back in first by 1/2 game over Detroit, the White Sox are 1 1/2 games behind, Kansas City is 9 1/2 back and Cleveland is 12 1/2 games off the pace.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads the Angels by 3 1/2 games, Oakland is 9 back and Seattle trails by 14.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 1/2 game, Philadelphia by 2 1/2, while Florida is 7 1/2 back and Washington is 11 behind.

In the N.L. Central, St. Louis leads leads Cincinnati by 1/2 game, Milwaukee is 8 back, the Cubs are 9 behind, Houston trails by 13 1/2, and Pittsburgh is 17 games behind.

San Diego leads the Dodgers by 3 games in the N.L. West, Colorado trails by 4, San Francisco is 4 1/2 behind and Arizona is still last, 15 1/2 games out of first.

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The FBI arrested several people on charges of spying for the Russians. (I thought Sarah Palin was supposed to be keeping an eye on them for us.)

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Former USHL Coach/GM named assistant GM at AHL Syracuse.

Somebody (Obviously uninformed and with his head stuck firmly in the sand) in Fort Wayne doesn't like us.

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Where's Elmo?









There he is!








Jimmy checks out Riderville.com before tomorrow's Canada Day clash with Montreal.






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Happy birthday to the Chevy Corvette, which first rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan, today in 1953.

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Today in Elvis History:

1960 - The album "Elvis Is Back" hit #1 in the U.K.

1960 - The ablum "Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 2" hit #4 in the U.K.

1962 - The Elvis Presley EP "Follow That Dream" hit #34 in the U.K.

1968 - Taping ended for Elvis Presley's first television special, "Elvis," at NBC studios in Burbank, CA.

2006 - U.S. President George W. Bush took Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on a private tour of Graceland. Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley were the tour guides.


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Coming up:

Tonight --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Dayton International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 2:10pm EDT

Indy Cars: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, New York 3:30pm EDT

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That's it for today. See you tomorrow!

U.S. blanks Czechs in IIHF InLine Championships

KARLSTAD, Sweden -- Shawn Gawrys (St. Louis, Mo.) scored twice and Gerry Osterkamp (Covina, Calif.) logged three assists as the U.S. InLine National Team earned a 4-0 win over the Czech Republic in its second preliminary-round game of the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship. Team USA improved to 2-0-0-0 overall and guaranteed itself the top seed in Group B and a spot in the tournament's quarterfinal round.

"We did what we needed to do in terms of advancing by beating the Czech Republic tonight," said U.S. assistant coach Josh Milewski. "We built on our team defense, and our speed helped us create quality opportunities."

Team USA took a 1-0 lead when Pat Maroon (St. Louis, Mo.) collected his first career international goal six minutes into the opening frame. After a Gawrys goal at the 3:04 mark of the second period, Nathan Sigmund (San Diego, Calif.) extended the U.S. advantage to 3-0 with a three-on-three tally just three minutes later.

Gawry's second goal of the period, a power-play tally with less than two minutes remaining, sent Team USA to halftime with a 4-0 lead for the second consecutive game.

U.S. goalie Troy Redmann (Brea, Calif.) kept the Czech Republic off of the scoreboard again in the third period, including making a sprawling poke check save at the eight-minute mark. He was replaced midway through the fourth period by Tommy Tartaglione (Harbor City, Calif.), who helped preserve the victory. The two combined to make 27 saves in the win, while the Czech Republic's Roman Handl stopped 18 shots in the loss.

Team USA will face Germany tomorrow (June 30) at 12 p.m. EDT in its final preliminary-round game.

NOTES: Team USA went 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Czech Republic was 0-for-5 with the man advantage ... For the full U.S. roster, click here ... Results and statistics from the tournament can be found here ... Rob Chornomud is serving as head coach for the 2010 U.S. InLine National Team for the second consecutive year, while former U.S. InLine National Team member Josh Milewski is serving as the assistant coach … In the 13-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006; silver medals in 1998, 2001 and 2009; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments. There was no tournament played in 1999.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

CZE 0 0 0 0 -- 0
USA 1 3 0 0 -- 4

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Maroon (Kraemer, Osterkamp), 6:03 (pp). Penalties: CZE, Besser (interference), 5:17; USA, Miner (holding-the-stick), 7:54.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Gawrys (Osterkamp, Miner), 3:04; 3, USA, Sigmund (Beilsten), 6:03; 4, USA, Gawrys (Yoder, Osterkamp), 11:03 (pp). Penalties: USA, Rodriguez (interference), 4:52; CZE, Polanski (interference), 5:30; USA, Gawrys (cross-checking), 8:13; CZE, Vavrusa (hooking), 10:38; USA, Kraemer (hooking), 12:00.

Third Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: CZE, Vozdecky (roughing), 1:00.

Fourth Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Yoder (interference), 2:12; CZE, Strycek (delaying-the-game), 6:28; CZE, Vozdecky (slashing, double minor), 12:00.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 4 Total
CZE 7 8 5 7 27
USA 9 4 5 4 22

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 4 Total
CZE, Handl, 48:00 9-8 4-1 5-5 7-7 22-18
USA, Redmann, 42:28 7-7 8-8 5-5 7-7 27-27
USA, Tartaglione, 3:27 -- -- -- 0-0 0-0

Power Play: CZE 0-5; USA 2-5
Penalties: CZE 6-10.5; USA 5-7.5

Team USA 2010 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship Schedule
June 28-July 4 • Karlstad, Sweden

Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT) Mon., June 28 Canada W, 7-2
Tues., June 29 Czech Republic W, 4-0
Wed., June 30 Germany 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Fri., July 2 Quarterfinal Round TBD
Sat., July 3 Semifinal Round TBD
Sun., July 4 Medal Round TBD

It's Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday, happy, happy Tuesday. This is your day, to have a lot of fun! Here's what's happening....

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It's Waffle Iron Day!

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Ryan Gunderson promoted to football operations post.

Bob DeCarolis named Atletic Direcor of The Year by NCADA.

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On this day in 1940, in Batman Comics, mobsters rubbed out a circus highwire team known as the Flying Graysons, leaving their son Dick (Robin) an orphan.

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Recchi returns to Bruins.

Waiver wire heats up.

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California is considering putting ads on license plates. They're looking into live ads which could flash Amber Alerts, road conditions and regular ads. (So, let me see if I have the right: The state can ban us from using cell phones while we drive, saying they're distracting, but now they're going to put ads on license plates? Just how distracting is that going to be? "Well gee officer, I didn't mean to hit that car, but I wanted to see that cialis ad.")

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Today in Sports History:

1897 - The Chicago Cubs scored 36 runs in a game against Louisville, setting a record for runs scored by a team in a single game.

1941 - Joe DiMaggio got a base hit in his 42nd consecutive game. He broke George Sisler's record from 1922.

1958 - Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in the World Cup. Pelé, at age 17, scored a goal in the game.

1998 - With negotiations on a new labor agreement at a standstill, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that a lockout would be imposed at midnight.

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The Tampa Bay Rays, 44-31 and third in the A.L. East, are back in action tonight in Boston, against the Red Sox. The Rays, 1 game behind Boston and 3 games behind the Yankees, swept a four-game set against the Red Sox at Boston in mid-April. Tampa Bay has lost 7 of their past 10, 19 of their last 31, and are just 20-19 at home, but are a major league best 24-12 on the road. Coverage of the road swing, starting with the two games against the Red Sox at 7:10pm EDT both nights, is on 620AM WDAE, the Rays Radio Network and Sun Sports. The Rays move on to Minnesota for four games starting Thursday. After this road trip, the Rays come home for seven games, with three against Boston and four against Cleveland starting next Monday.

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Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's Senate confirmation hearing continues. (If she survives the hearing this week, Kagan will go on to play Germany.)

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Opening game on Canada Day sold out!

Rod Pedersen's CFL Notebook.

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Today is Camera Day. (Say cheese!)

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KARLSTAD, Sweden -- The U.S. InLine National Team took a 4-0 lead after two periods en route to a 7-2 victory over Canada in its opening game of the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship. J.P. Beilsten (St. Louis, Mo.), Kyle Kraemer (St. Louis, Mo.) and Anthony Miner (Glendora, Calif.) each scored twice in the victory.

"We've been champing at the bit for this tournament to begin, so it was good to get out there," said U.S. head coach Rob Chornomud. "I was extremely pleased with our first half and thought we demonstrated terrific puck control."

Team USA jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the contest when Kraemer snapped a wrist shot high over the glove of Canada goaltender Brett Leggat. Miner gave the U.S. a two-goal edge four minutes later on a quick one-timer from the low slot off of a pass from Juaquin Chavira (Upland, Calif.).

Chavira pushed Team USA's advantage to 3-0 with a goal late in the first period. Beilsten then scored the lone second-period tally with a high wrist shot past Leggat.

Both teams traded goals in the third period, with Kraemer and Miner collecting their second goals of the game to give the U.S. a 6-2 lead. Then, with less than two minutes remaining in the third, Beilsten notched an unassisted tally to complete the game's scoring.

U.S. goalie Tommy Tartaglione (Harbor City, Calif.) logged 15 saves in the victory, while Leggat stopped 24 shots in a losing effort.

Team USA (1-0-0-0) will face the Czech Republic tomorrow (June 29) at 12 p.m. EDT in its second of three preliminary-round games.


NOTES: Team USA went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Canada was 0-for-2 with the man advantage ... For the full U.S. roster, click here ... Results and statistics from the tournament can be found here ... Rob Chornomud is serving as head coach for the 2010 U.S. InLine National Team for the second consecutive year, while former U.S. InLine National Team member Josh Milewski is serving as the assistant coach … In the 13-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006; silver medals in 1998, 2001 and 2009; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments. There was no tournament played in 1999.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 3 1 3 0 -- 7
CAN 0 0 2 0 -- 2

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Kraemer (Lee), 3:33; 2, USA, Miner (Chavira, Sigmund), 7:59; 3, USA, Chavira (Lee, Kraemer), 10:03. Penalties: CAN, Ciotti (hooking), 3:58; USA, Yoder (tripping), 11:55.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Beilsten (Rodriguez, Yoder), 1:53. Penalties: CAN, Finerty (interference), 4:26; CAN, Sheen (high-sticking), 10:35.

Third Period - Scoring: 5, USA, Kraemer (Campbell, Lee), 3:38; 6, CAN, Terry (unassisted), 4:11; 7, USA, Miner (Sigmund, Osterkamp), 5:45; 8, CAN, Hammond (unassisted), 6:28; 9, USA, Beilsten (unassisted), 10:46. Penalties: CAN, Henderson (hooking), 11:44.

Fourth Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: CAN, Benjaminsen (hooking), 3:20; USA, Beilsten (hooking), 8:35.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 4 Total
USA 8 8 9 6 31
CAN 4 3 5 5 17

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 4 Total
USA, Tartaglione, 48:00 4-4 3-3 5-3 5-5 17-15
CAN, Leggat, 48:00 8-5 8-7 9-6 6-6 31-24

Power Play: USA 0-5; CAN 0-2
Penalties: USA 2-3; CAN 5-7.5

Team USA 2010 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship Schedule
June 28-July 4 • Karlstad, Sweden

Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT)
Mon., June 28 Canada W, 7-2
Tues., June 29 Czech Republic 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Wed., June 30 Germany 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Thurs., July 1 Qualification Round TBD
Fri., July 2 Quarterfinal Round TBD
Sat., July 3 Semifinal Round TBD
Sun., July 4 Medal Round TBD

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The 2010 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship will include 16 teams divided into the Top Division and Division l. The United States will compete in the Top Division alongside Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan and Slovakia will comprise Division I.

For the preliminary round, the two divisions will each be divided into two groups of four teams based on rankings (Top Division-groups A and B, Division I-groups C and D). Following round-robin play within each group, the two lowest ranked teams from the Top Division and the two top teams from the Division I will face off as part of play-in games to determine pools for the playoff round.

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On this day in 1962, the first U.S. pay TV program, Sunrise at Campobello, starring Ralph Bellamy, is broadcast.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 2 games over Boston and 3 over Tampa Bay. Toronto is 8 back and Baltimore is 24 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Detroit takes over first by 1/2 game over Minnesota. The White Sox trail by 2 games, Kansas City is 9 back and Cleveland is 13 games off the pace.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads the Angels by 4 1/2 games, Oakland is 10 back and Seattle trails by 15.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 1 1/2 games, Philadelphia by 3 1/2, while Florida is 8 1/2 back and Washington is 12 behind.

In the N.L. Central, St. Louis leads leads Cincinnati by 1/2 game, Milwaukee is 8 1/2 back, the Cubs are 9 1/2 behind, Houston trails by 13, and Pittsburgh is 16 1/2 games behind.

San Diego leads the Dodgers in the N. L. West by 4 games, San Francisco by 4 1/2 games and Colorado by 5. Arizona is last, 15 1/2 games out of first.

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Today is Hug Holiday. ((((((((Hugs to you!))))))))

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The (United) States of hockey is doing better than sports pundits think.

Pair of first-round picks on Tuesday's NHL Live!

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Jimmy kept busy with a decorating project yesterday, moving his stuffed animals between the bed, his couch and back to his bed again. It's so much fun to watch how seriously he pursues a project like that.




Snoopy sure is handsome!








Smokey is cute. Q-u-t-e cute!








Snoopy sure loves his Mommy!






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Lightning video: Yzerman wraps up 2010 draft.

St. Louis wins Lady Byng.

Lightning video: Stamkos talks Rocket.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - Elvis Presley rehearsed for his upcoming appearance on Steve Allen's TV show. On July 1, he sang the song "Hound Dog" to an actual basset hound.

1960 - Filming finished for the Elvis Presley movie "G.I. Blues."


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Today is Library Advocacy Day.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Dayton International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 2:10pm EDT

Indy Cars: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, New York 3:30pm EDT

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That's all for today. Have fun, see you tomorrow!

Monday Morning Meissnervations

It's another Meissner Monday. Here's what's happening....

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Here's Papa Joe (He's the guy on the right) and Mama Jan Diaz (a/k/a Jimmy's Grampa and Gramma) celebrating Papa Joe's official "semi-retirement" as Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Clearwater, Florida yesterday. We'll still see him on Sundays conducting services, but now he'll have more time for golf during the week. Way to go Papa!

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This is Fish are Friends not Food! Week

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Blackhawks keep building through draft.

NHL teams draft record 22 high school players.

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President Johnson approved the Monday Holiday Law on this day in 1968. (Yee Haw! Three-day weekend everybody!).

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Today in Sports History:

1997 - Mike Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ear after three rounds of their WBA heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas, NV.

1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the draft evasion conviction of Muhammad Ali.

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The Raggedy Ann doll was invented on this day in 1917.

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The Tampa Bay Rays slide continues, with some dissention thrown into the mix yesterday, in a 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, in front of 25,442 at Tropicana Field.

Arizona broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Rusty Ryal tripled to center, then Gerardo Parra homered to center to give the D-backs a 2-0 lead. After the inning, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton got into a heated exchange in the dugout, after Longoria confronted Upton about not hustling after the ball hit by Ryal. Longoria walked away from the confronttation, while Upton had to be held back by teammates. Both Longoria and Upton commented after the game that the situation had been "hashed out" and that everything was fine.

The Rays got a run back in the sixth, when Carlos Pena brought home Sean Rodrigues with a double. However, Tampa Bay, which got just two hits on the day, after getting five Saturday and none on Friday, was unable to get the equalizer, losing 2-1.

Rodrigo Lopez got the win for Arizona, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, with 3 strike outs and 5 walks. He's now 4-6. Aaron Heilman got his second save of the season. The Rays' lack of hitting wasted a solid pitching performance by Wade Davis, who allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and 3 in 7 1/3 innings of work. Davis, who lost his fifth straight decision and is 0-5 in the month of June, is now 5-9.

Tampa Bay is now 44-31 and are third in the A.L. East, 1 game behind Boston and 3 games behind the Yankees. The Rays, losers of 7 of their past 10 and 19 of their last 31, are now just 20-19 at home. Tampa Bay is off tonight, and head out for a six-game road swing starting tomorrow, with three games at Boston and four at Minnesota. Coverage of the road swing is on 620AM WDAE, the Rays Radio Network and Sun Sports. After this road trip, the Rays come home for seven games, with three against Boston and four against Cleveland starting next Monday.

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This is National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness Week.

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Sask Air Show: Riders receivers among best.

Just call him Captain Durant.

Riders open season in Grey Cup rematch.

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Today is Please Take My Children To Work Day.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 2 games over Boston and 3 over Tampa Bay. Toronto is 7 1/2 back and Baltimore is 24 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads Detroit by 1/2 game and the White Sox by 1 1/2 games, Kansas City is 9 1/2 back and Cleveland is 13 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 10 back and Seattle trails by 15.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 1/2 game, Philadelphia by 2 1/2, while Florida is 8 1/2 back and Washington is 11 behind.

In the N.L. Central, St. Louis leads leads Cincinnati by 1/2 game, Milwaukee is 7 1/2 back, the Cubs are 8 1/2 behind, Houston trails by 13, and Pittsburgh is 16 1/2 games behind.

San Diego leads San Francisco by 4 1/2 games in the N.L. West, the Dodgers by 5 and Colorado by 6. Arizona is last, 15 1/2 games out of first.

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Today is Paul Bunyan Day

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Four USHL players taken in first round

Zucker beating odds to reach NHL

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Having nummys at da Churchie.









Jimmy gets some off-season training in.






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LOUDON, N.H. -- In what was billed as a race full of potential payback after last week's shootout at Sonoma, revenge had to wait until the final three laps of Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

That's when Jimmie Johnson gave Kurt Busch's No. 2 Dodge a race-winning retaliatory nudge as the drivers raced into Turn 3 on Lap 299.

Busch had shocked Johnson on Lap 294 of 301 at the 1.058-mile track when he shoved Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet up the track in Turn 3, moments after the final restart of the race. Busch's lead was short-lived, however, as Johnson bumped him on Lap 299 and completed the winning pass in Turn 1 on Lap 300.

Tony Stewart ran second, .753 seconds behind Johnson, after his No. 14 Chevy slid into Busch's Dodge in Turn 1 while overtaking him for the runner-up spot. Busch finished third, ahead of Jeff Gordon and Cup points leader Kevin Harvick.

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Today in Elvis History:

1973 - The album "Elvis - That's The Way It Is" was certified gold by the RIAA.

2004 - SIRIUS, a satellite radio provider, announced the launch of Elvis Radio. The radio channel debuted on July 2.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' doin'.

Tuesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Dayton International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 2:10pm EDT

Indy Cars: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, New York 3:30pm EDT

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That's all for now. See you tomorrow!

It's Sunday!

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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My Dad, (who went to Heaven on November 7th, 2008) if he were still with us, would be celebrating his 90th birthday today. Happy Birthday Daddy-o!

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Today is Sun Glasses Day.










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After five trades during Friday night's opening round of the NHL Entry Draft, the dealing didn't take long to resume on Day 2.

In fact, the deals started even before Saturday's second round began, with the Philadelphia Flyers acquiring a third-round pick next year from Pittsburgh in exchange for the rights to defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Read the rest here.

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Today is the second day of American Radio Relay League Field Day.

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Today in Sports History:

1876 - Dave Force (Philadelphia Athletics) became the first National League player to get six hits in a nine inning game.

1939 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted its first night game. The Indians beat the Tigers 5-0.

1972 - Bobby Hull signed a 10-year hockey contract for $2,500,000. He became a player and coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.

1986 - Anne White wore only a body stocking at Wimbledon.

1986 - Robby Thompson (San Francisco) was caught stealing bases four times in one game.

1988 - In Atlantic City, Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds.

1990 - Jose Canseco signed a contract with the Oakland A's worth $4,700,000 per year.

2004 - The Boston Red Sox scored 10 runs before making an out against the Florida Marlins. The final score was 25-8.

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Hi there sports fans








Daddy's have the best laps for afternoon napping








It's only 93 outside, I'm freezing!






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The Tampa Bay Rays posted a three-spot in the sixth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie on their way to a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday, in front of 23,945 at Tropicana Field.

Rays scored first in the second, as Ben Zobrist scored on a Jason Bartlett sacrifice fly. Arizona tied the game in the fourth, as Justin Upton homered to right.

Tampa Bay regained the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Joyce and Bartlett scored on a Sean Rodriguez single, then B.J. Upton(Justin's brother) scored on a Carlos Pena ground out. The Dbacks shaved a run off the deficit in the seventh, as Rusty Ryal scored on a double by Chris Snyder, but the Rays got that run back in the bottom half of the inning. Bartlett bunted up the first base line, with pitcher Chad Qualls deflecting the ball to first baseman Adam Larouche for the out with Zobrist scoring on the play. Chris Young led off the ninth with a homer, but Arizona could get no closer, and Tampa Bay escaped with the 5-3 win.

The Rays' David Price became the American League's first 11-game winner yesterday, allowing 2 runs of 7 hits with 11 strike outs in 8 innings. He's now 11-3. Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth and recorded his 18th save of the season. Ian Kennedy allowed 4 runs on only 2 hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out 7 but walking 9 for the Diamondbacks to take the loss, he's now 3-6. The game took 3 hours and 1 minute to play.

Tampa Bay is now 44-30 and are tied for second in the A.L. East with Boston, 2 games behind the Yankees. The Rays wrap up their home stand with the final of their three-game set with Arizona this afternoon at 1:40pm EDT, with coverage on 620AM WDAE, the Rays Radio Network and Sun Sports. After this homestand, the Rays head out for a six-game road swing starting this coming Tuesday, with three games at Boston and four at Minnesota.

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Today is Decide to be Married Day.

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The following players have been added to the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster:

Import DB Willie Byrd
Non-Import LB Christian Houle
Import DL Ikenna Ike
Import DB Ladarius Key
Import WR Cary Koch
Non-Import DL Ryan Lucas
Non-Import WR Scott McHenry


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Today is Descendants Day.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 2 games over Tampa Bay and Boston. Toronto is 6 1/2 back and Baltimore is 24 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads Detroit and the White Sox by 1/2 game, Kansas City is 10 1/2 back and Cleveland is 14 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 10 back and Seattle trails by 14.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 1 1/2 games, Philadelphia by 3 1/2, while Florida is 8 1/2 back and Washington is 11 behind.

In the N.L. Central, St. Louis leads leads Cincinnati by 1/2 game, Milwaukee is 8 1/2 back, the Cubs are 9 1/2 behind, Houston trails by 13, and Pittsburgh is 16 1/2 games behind.

San Diego leads San Francisco by 3 1/2 games in the N.L. West, the Dodgers by and Colorado by 5. Arizona is last, 15 1/2 games out of first.

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Today is Independance Day in Iowa. (Do they have their headquarters at the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter? But, come to think of it, I didn't know they wanted to be their own country anyway. Better renew my passport then, huh?)

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Here's a list of players who skated in the USHL during the 2009-2010 season, taken in Saturday's portion of the NHL Entry Draft:

Second Round --

Pick #37 by Carolina Hurricanes -- Justin Faulk of the USNTDP. Faulk, from South Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a 6'0" 196lb defenseman for the USNTDP's U-18 team. In 21 games, Faulk had 9 goals, 3 assists and 46 penalty minutes. He was a +8 at the World U-18 tournament with the champion U.S. team. Will attend Minnesota-Duluth this fall.

Pick #38 by New Jersey Devils -- Jonathan Merrill of the USNTDP. Faulk, from Brighton, Minnesota, is a 6'3" 198lb defenseman for the USNTDP's U-18 team. Faulk had 1 goals, 8 assists and 12 penalty minutes in 22 games. Going to the University of Michigan this fall.

Pick #50 by Minnesota Wild -- Connor Brickley of the Des Moines Buccaneers. Brickley, a 6'0" 190lb center from Everett, Massachusetts, had 22 goals, 21 assists and 68 penalty minutes in 52 games. He also had 6 goals and 11 assists on the power play. Brickley played for the U.S. in the World U-18 championships, with 4 assists and a +5 rating for the gold medal winning U.S. team. He has committed to the University of Vermont.

Pick #60 by Chicago Blackhawks -- Stephen Johns of the USNTDP. Johns, a 6'3" 215lb defenseman for the U-18 team, is from Wampum, Pennsylvania and had 1 goal, 7 assists and 28 penalty minutes and was a +12 in 23 games.

Third Round --

Pick #80 by Pittsburgh Penguins -- Bryan Rust of the USNTDP. Rust, from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is a 5'10" 190lb right wing for the USNTDP's U-18 team. In 27 USHL games, Rust had 10 goals, 13 assists,6 penalty minutes, 4 game-winning goals and was a +15. He also had 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games at the World U-18 tournament, won by the U.S.. He'll skate for Notre Dame in the fall.

Fourth Round --

Pick #108 by Calgary Flames -- Bill Arnold of the USNTDP. Arnold, a 5'11' 185lb center from Needham, Massachusetts, had 8 goals, 15 assists, 20 penalty minutes, 2 power play goals and was a +15 for the USNTDP's U-18 team. He was a +5 for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the World U-18 tournament. He'll attend Boston College.

Fifth Round --

Pick #148 by Los Angeles Kings -- Kevin Gravel of the Sioux City Musketeers. From Kingsford, Michigan, Gravel is a 6'4" 175lb defenseman who tallied 3 goals, 3 assists and 36 penalty minutes in 53 games.

Pick #149 by Philadelphia Flyers -- Michael Parks of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Parks is a 5'10' 184lb right wing from O'Fallon, Missouri. In 51 games last season, Parks had 11 goals, 11 assists and 57 penalty minutes and was a +4. He also had 2 power play goals, 3 shorthanded goals and 2 game winning goals.

Pick #150 by Atlanta Thrashers -- Yasin Cisse of the Des Moines Buccaneers.
In 18 games, he had 13 goals, 6 assists, 16 penalty minutes, 5 power play goals and 3 power play assists, before his season ended with a torn ankle tendon. Cisse is a 6'3" 208lb right wing from Westmount, Quebec and is headed to Boston College in the fall.

Sixth Round --

Pick #168 by Nashville Predators -- Anthony Bitetto of the Indiana Ice. Bitetto is a 6'2" 208lb defenseman from Island Park, New York, who had 11 goals, 29 assists and 99 penalty minutes in 58 games. He also notched 6 goals and 8 assists on the power play, 2 shorthanded assists, 5 game-winniung goals and was a +11.

Pick #177 by Anaheim Ducks -- Kevin Lind of the Chicago Steel. Lind, a 6'3" 200lb defenseman from Homer Glen, Illinois, had 6 goals, 10 assists, 76 penalty minutes, 2 goals and 4 assists on the power play, 2 game-winning goals in 55 games.

Pick #180 by Chicago Blackhawks -- Nick Mattson of the Indiana Ice. Mattson, a 6'1" 190lb defenseman from Chanhassen, Minnesota, scored 5 goals, added 14 assists and 14 penalty minutes in 61 games. He also had 3 goals and 6 assists on the power play.

Seventh Round --

Pick #196 by Ottawa Senators -- Bryce Aneloski of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Aneloski is a 6'1" 197lb defenseman from Pekin, Illinois and was his teams' 2nd leading scorer, with 15 goals and 39 assists for 54 points. He had 34 penalty minutes, 8 goals and 18 assists on the power play, 1 shorthanded goal and was a +10.

Pick #197 by Colorado Avalanche -- Luke Moffatt from the USNTDP. Moffatt, from Paradise Valley, Arizona, is a 6'0" 190 defenseman, who had 5 goals and 10 assists for the USNTDP's U-18 team.

Pick #200 by San Jose Sharks -- Christopher Crane of the Green Bay Gamblers. Crane, a 6'1" 193lb right wing from West Chester, Ohio, had 15 goals, 14 assists and 107 penalty minutes in 52 games. He had 1 goal and 1 assist on the power play, plus 2 goals and 2 assists on the penalty kill.

In all, 19 players who skated in the USHL were taken in the Entry Draft, 9 from the USNTDP's U-18 team and 10 from the rest of the league.

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Today is America's Kid's Day.



I'm a kid, so yay for me!






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It was a day of positive numbers for Kyle Busch, winner of Saturday's New England 200 Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Busch pulled away after a restart on Lap 183, when Joey Logano -- in second place at the time -- spun his tires and allowed series points leader Brad Keselowski to surge into second place. Busch beat Keselowski to the finish line by .644 seconds.

Thirty-four laps earlier, on Lap 166 of 200, Busch led his 91st lap of the afternoon and passed Mark Martin to become the all-time lap leader in the series with 8,083. By the time he had chalked up his sixth win of the year and the 36th of his career, Busch had led 8,117 laps in 186 Nationwide starts.

Busch, who won at New Hampshire last June, is the first repeat winner in 24 Nationwide races at the 1.058-mile track. Tied with seventh-place finisher Kevin Harvick for second on the Nationwide career wins list, Busch needs 13 more victories to pass Martin for the lead in that category.

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Today in Elvis History:

1925 - Songwriter Doc Pomus (Jerome Solon Felder) was born in Brooklyn, NY.

1954 - Sam Phillips paired Elvis Presley with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black.

1965 - "Tickle Me" opened in London.

1966 - Elvis Presely reported to MGM Studios for a music meeting and for wardrobe fittings for the film "Doubel Trouble."

1968 - Elvis Presley began taping his first television special, "Elvis," at NBC studios in Burbank, CA.

1970 - Elvis Presley's single "The Wonder Of You" hit #9 in the U.S.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire 1:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamondbacks at Tampa Bay Rays 1:40pm EDT

Monday --

Nothin' doin'.

Tuesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Dayton International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 2:10pm EDT

Indy Cars: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, New York 3:30pm EDT

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That's it's for today. See you tomorrow!

59 Americans Drafted in 2010 NHL Entry Draft, record 11 go in first round

LOS ANGELES – Fifty-nine Americans were selected during the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft here this weekend, including a record 11 players chosen in the first round. In addition, a record-tying 21 American players were selected in the first two rounds, tying the mark set in 2007.

"The number of Americans chosen in the NHL Draft this weekend is a reflection of the hard work of so many," said Ron DeGregorio, president of USA Hockey. "There is much we have left to do, but it is cleary an exciting time for hockey in our country."

Goalie Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.), who was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Stars, was the first American taken in the NHL Entry Draft. Defenseman Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich.) was selected next with the 12th pick by the Anaheim Ducks. Both players were members of the U.S. National Junior Team that captured the gold medal last January at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask.

Five defensemen from the 2009-10 U.S. National Under-18 Team of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program that plays in United States Hockey League were selected in the first two rounds, including Derek Forbort (Duluth, Minn./15th overall/Los Angeles Kings), Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md./22nd overall/Montreal Canadiens), Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./37th overall/Carolina Hurricanes), Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich./38th overall/New Jersey Devils) and Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa./60th overall/Chicago Blackhawks).

For the full list of American players selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, see below.

NOTES: Twenty-two American players that played in U.S. junior hockey leagues in 2009-10 were chosen, including 20 from the United States Hockey League and two from the Eastern Junior Hockey League (the total does not include alumni drafted from each of the leagues nor non-Americans drafted from each league) ... Fifteen players with ties to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program were drafted ... Twenty players who skated for high schools or prep schools in 2009-10 were selected ... Four American players who played NCAA Division I hockey in 2009-10 were drafted ... Players drafted represented 16 states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and North Dakota ... For a complete round-by-round recap of the NHL draft, click here.

Americans Selected in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft

Rd. Pick Name NHL Team 2009-10 Team (League)
1 11 Jack Campbell* Dallas Stars U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
1 12 Cam Fowler* Anaheim Ducks Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
1 15 Derek Forbort* Los Angeles Kings U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
1 18 Austin Watson Nashville Predators Peterborough Petes (OHL)
1 19 Nick Bjugstad Florida Panthers Blaine (Minn.) High School
1 20 Beau Bennett Pittsburgh Penguins Penticton Vees (BCHL)
1 22 Jarred Tinordi* Montreal Canadiens U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
1 24 Kevin Hayes Chicago Blackhawks Noble & Greenough School (Mass.)
1 28 Charlie Coyle San Jose Sharks South Shore Kings (EJHL)
1 29 Emerson Etem* Anaheim Ducks Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
1 30 Brock Nelson New York Islanders Warroad (Minn.) High School
2 31 Tyler Pitlick Edmonton Oilers Minnesota State Univ. (WCHA)
2 32 Jared Knight Boston Bruins London Knights (OHL)
2 37 Justin Faulk* Carolina Hurricanes U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
2 38 Jon Merrill* New Jersey Devils U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
2 50 Connor Brickley Florida Panthers Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
2 52 Phil Lane Phoenix Coyotes Brampton Battalion (OHL)
2 53 Mark Alt Carolina Hurricanes Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.)
2 54 Justin Holl Chicago Blackhawks Minnetonka (Minn.) High School/Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2 59 Jason Zucker* Minnesota Wild U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
2 60 Stephen Johns* Chicago Blackhawks U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
3 74 Max Gardiner St. Louis Blues Minnetonka (Minn.) High School
3 78 Taylor Aronson Nashville Predators Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
3 80 Bryan Rust* Pittsburgh Penguins U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
3 82 Jason Clark New York Islanders Shattuck-St. Mary's School (Minn.)
3 85 Austin Levi Carolina Hurricanes Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
3 88 Max Gaede San Jose Sharks Woodbury (Minn.) High School/Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4 94 Brandon Archibald Columbus Blue Jackets Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
4 100 Andrew Yogan New York Rangers Erie Otters (OHL)
4 103 John Ramage* Calgary Flames Univ. of Wisconsin (WCHA)
4 108 Bill Arnold* Calgary Flames U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
4 114 Joe Faust New Jersey Devils Bloomington Jefferson (MInn.) High School
4 115 Patrick McNally Vancouver Canucks Milton Academy (Mass.)
4 118 James Mullin Tampa Bay Lightning Shattuck-St. Mary's School (Minn.)
5 122 Chris Wagner Anaheim Ducks South Shore Kings (EJHL)
5 125 Tony DeHart New York Islanders Oshawa Generals (OHL)
5 127 Cody Ferriero San Jose Sharks Governor's Academy (Mass.)
5 135 Justin Florek* Boston Bruins Northern Michigan Univ. (CCHA)
5 139 Luke Walker Colorado Avalanche Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
5 140 Kenneth Agostino Pittsburgh Penguins Delbarton School (N.J.)
5 142 Caleb Herbert Washington Capitals Bloomington Jefferson (Minn.) High School
5 148 Kevin Gravel Los Angeles Kings Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
5 149 Michael Parks Philadelphia Flyers Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
6 152 Joe Rogalski Pittsburgh Penguins Sarnia Sting (OHL)
6 160 Tanner Lane Atlanta Thrashers Detroit Lakes (Minn.) High School
6 165 Zane Gothberg Boston Bruins Thief River Falls (Minn.) High School
6 168 Anthony Bitetto Nashville Predators Indiana Ice (USHL)
6 177 Kevin Lind Anaheim Ducks Chicago Steel (USHL)
6 179 Nick Luukko Philadelphia Flyers The Gunnery (Conn.)
6 180 Nick Mattson* Chicago Blackhawks Indiana Ice (USHL)
7 183 R.J. Boyd Florida Panthers Cushing Academy (Mass.)
7 188 Lee Moffie San Jose Sharks Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
7 191 Mac Carruth Chicago Blackhawks Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
7 196 Bryce Aneloski Ottawa Senators Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
7 197 Luke Moffatt* Colorado Avalanche U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
7 200 Chris Crane San Jose Sharks Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
7 201 Ben Marshall Detroit Red Wings Mahtomedi (Minn.) High School
7 203 Christian Isackson Buffalo Sabres St. Thomas Academy (Minn.)
7 210 Zach Trotman Boston Bruins Lake Superior State Univ. (CCHA)

*-Played at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program

It's Saturday!

This is Saturday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is Chocolate Pudding Day

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The NHL draft started last night in Los Angeles. Edmonton took Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires with the number one pick. See Rounds two through seven today at 1:00pm EDT on the NHL Network.

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Today and tomorrow is the American Radio Relay League Field Day.

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Today in Sports History:

1819 - Abner Doubleday was born.

1910 - For the second consecutive year, Hazel Hotchkiss won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.

1916 - The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians appeared in a game with numbers on their sleeves. The event marked the first time that players were identified by numbers that corresponded to the scoreboard.

1938 - Lonney Frey (Cincinnati Reds) had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies.

1944 - The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six inning contest in a war bonds fund-raiser. Over 50,000 people watched the game. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1 and the Giants 0.

1962 - Earl Wilson (Boston Red Sox) pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson also hit a home run.

1970 - Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) hit two grand slams against the Washington Senators in a 12-2 win.

1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah (Texas Rangers) played an entire doubleheader without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

1979 - Muhammad Ali, at 37 years old, announced that he was retiring as world heavyweight boxing champion.

1985 - Wilbur Snapp was ejected after playing "Three Blind Mice" during a baseball game. The incident followed a call made by umpire Keith O'Connor.

1986 - Jockey Sandy Hawley won his 5,000 career race.

1990 - Jennifer Capriati, at age 14, became the youngest winner of a match in Wimbledon history.

1998 - Jamaica won soccer's World Cup. It was the first time a Caribbean team had won the World Cup since 1938.

1999 - Sammy Sosa (Chicago White Sox) hit his 300th career home run.

1999 - Cal Ripken (Baltimore Orioles) got his 995th extra base hit.

2000 - Alex Cabrera (Arizona Diamondbacks) hit a two-run home run in his first major league at-bat.

2001 - Ray Bourque (Colorado Avalanche) announced his retirement just 17 days after winning his first Stanley Cup. Bourque retired after 22 years and held the NHL record for highest-scoring defenseman and playing in 19 consecutive All-Star games.


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Jimmy watches TV








What's a little TV without some snackies?








Jimmy practices for his Hall-of-Fame hockey career








Smoke hangs out in Jimmy's clothes hamper








Snoopy stays on the couch, out of range of the "little pink monster"







Jimmy pushes his floor tiles underneath his door








Then puts them back again






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The Tampa Bay Rays were beat by the Arizona Diamondbacks last night 1-0. Former Ray Edwin Jackson(19-26 in three seasons with the Rays from 2006 to 2008) pitched a no-hitter, the second against Tampa Bay this season and the third is the last season-and-a-half. Jackson walked 8, struck out six and hit one batter. He threw 79 strikes out of his 149 pitches and moved to 5-6 on the year. The Rays' Jeff Niemann allowed 1 run on 6 sits with 8 strike outs but still lost, falling to 6-2. Adam Larouche gave all the Jackson would need, with a solo homer in the second.

Tampa Bay, now 43-30, is tied for second in the A.L. East with Boston, 3 games behind the Yankees. The Rays host Arizona this afternoon beginning at 4:10pm EDT.

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Today is National Canoe Day.

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The last cuts are the deepest.

Roughriders host fourth annual "Draft a Rider."

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Today is Forgiveness Day.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 3 games over Tampa Bay and Boston. Toronto is 7 1/2 back and Baltimore is 25 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads Detroit by 1/2 game, the White Sox by 1 1/2, Kansas City is 9 1/2 back and Cleveland is 13 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 10 back and Seattle trails by 14.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 1/2 game, Philadelphia by 2 1/2, while Florida is 7 1/2 back and Washington is 10 behind.

In the N.L. Central, St. Louis leads leads Cincinnati by 1/2 game, Milwaukee is 7 1/2 back, the Cubs are 8 1/2 behind, Houston trails by 12, and Pittsburgh is 15 1/s games behind.

San Diego leads San Francisco by 2 1/2 games in the N.L. West, the Dodgers and Colorado trail by 4 and Arizona is last, 14 1/2 games out of first.

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Today is Beautician's Day. (Rinse, set and a high buff on my toenails please.)

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Here's a list of players who skated in the USHL during the 2009-2010 season, taken in Friday night's first round of the NHL Entry Draft:

Pick #11 by Dallas Stars -- Jack Campbell of the USNTDP. Campbell, from Port Huron, Michigan, is a 6'3" 155lb goaltender for the USNTDP's U-18 team. In 11 games, Campbell was 6-3-1, with a 2.21 goals against average, a .917 saves percentage and 1 shutout. Campbell also backstopped the USA Hockey National Team to the World Junior Championship in 2010.

Pick #14 by St. Louis Blues -- Jaden Schwartz of the Tri-City Storm. Schwartz, a 5'10" 175lb center from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, who turns 18 years old today, led the USHL in scoring this past season, with 33 goals and 50 assists for 83 points, with 18 penalty minutes. Schwartz had 16 goals and 22 assists on the power play for the Storm this past season, 4 goals and 4 assists on the penalty kill and 4 game-winning goals. He had 3 assists in 3 playoff games. Schwartz is expected to attend Colorado College this fall.

Pick #15 by Los Angeles -- Derek Forbort of the USNTDP. Forbort, from Duluth, Minnesota, is a 6'4" 195lb defenseman, who had 4 goals, 10 assists for 14 points with 26 penalty minutes in 26 games. Forbort is slated to play for North Dakota this season.

Pick #22 by Montreal -- Jarred Tinordi of the USNTDP. Tinordi, the Captain of the USHL U-18 team last season, is a 6'4" 207lb defenseman from Millersville, Maryland. In 26 games, Tinordi had 4 goals, 5 assists and 68 penalty minutes. Tinordi is slated to attend Notre Dame in the fall.

Rounds 2 through 7 of the draft take place today, starting at 1:00pm EDT. Coverage of Saturday's portion of the entry draft can be seen in the U.S. on the NHL Network and in Canada on TSN.

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There's a Full Moon tonight. Go do some howlin'!

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From http://www.tampabaystorm.com

The Tampa Bay Storm (8-3, 2-1) extended its season-high win streak to six games in the team’s return home on Friday night, defeating the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (3-9, 3-3) by a score of 78-39 in front of an announced crowd of 15,808 in the second and final meeting of the season between the two American Conference clubs.

The victory proved to be record setting, as the Storm not only set a season-high point total, but also broke its best previous mark of 77 points scored at home. The win also placed the Storm atop the South Division, a half game ahead of in-state rival Jacksonville who plays at Milwaukee Saturday night.

The Storm put the game away primarily in the second half, coming up with two turnovers and scoring five touchdowns, while holding the Battle Wings to just two scores.

Tampa Bay utilized a balanced approach, making big plays on both offense and defense throughout the night. Quarterback Brett Dietz led the scoring attack, completing 22 of 30 passes for 342 yards and eight touchdowns. Aside from the overall team effort, his primary receivers on the night, Hank Edwards and Tyrone Timmons, each cashed in record-setting performances as well. Edwards, who finished the night with a team-leading 10 receptions for 209 yards and three scores, became the first Storm player in franchise history to break the 200-yard receiving mark in a single game, while Timmons capped the contest with a single-game career-high five touchdowns.

Tampa Bay was countered by Bossier-Shreveport’s Jimmy Welker, who went 14 for 33 with 239 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver PJ Berry also turned in four catches and a pair of scores for the Battle Wings. Jason Schule added two additional touchdowns on the night as well.

Despite Tampa Bay falling down by a touchdown twice in the first quarter, Dietz rallied the offense both times to counter Bossier-Shreveport score for score. Following a 26-yard touchdown from Welker to Berry that made the score 6-0, the Storm passer found Edwards in the back of the endzone to bring his team to a one-point lead after a successful extra point by Kicker Garret Rivas. Dietz then struck again to counter a second Battle Wings score, hooking up with DeAndrew Rubin to take a 14-13 lead into the second frame.

The Storm took a commanding lead in the second quarter, increasing the tempo of the game’s opening stanza, while receiving significant contributions on both sides of the ball. Schule scored to open the quarter, but Tampa Bay took over from there, scoring on five separate occasions. Dietz found Tyrone Timmons twice, once to go up 21-20, and once more from 17 yards out to give Tampa Bay a 10-point advantage. Tampa Bay’s defense was equally as impressive, as Jermaine Smith forced a fumble that resulted in a safety and two additional points for the Storm on the scoreboard. Following a rushing touchdown by Terrence Royal from the goal line to counter Bossier-Shreveport’s second score of the stanza, defensive back Brandon Hefflin intercepted a Welker pass, which allowed Dietz to find Hank Edwards and cap the half’s scoring with a 44-27 Storm lead going into the intermission.

Both the third and fourth quarters proved to be all Tampa Bay, as the Storm scored five times, while holding Bossier-Shreveport to just 12 points. In the third quarter Smith forced another fumble that Michael Hawthorne recovered in the endzone to push the Storm ahead 51-21. Daryon Brutley corralled his second interception of the season two plays late and Timmons recorded his third and fourth touchdowns of the night.

Timmons and Edwards each found the paint in the fourth stanza, but much like recent games, Tampa Bay’s defense and special teams stole the show to seal the win. Hefflin recorded his second interception of the night, while Kelvin Kinney registered a blocked kick for the third consecutive game in earning the team’s sixth straight victory.

Game Notes

* Storm WR Hank Edwards became the first WR in franchise history to reach 200 yards receiving in a single game. He finished the evning with 10 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

* Storm DE Kelvin Kinney blocked a PAT with just under a minute remaining in the game. Kinney has blocked a kick in three consecutive games.

* Storm QB Brett Dietz surpassed Peter Tom Willis on the franchise’s all-time passing attempts list with his first passing attempt of the game. Willis was ranked fourth in franchise history with 1,255 passing attempts.

* Storm WR Tyrone Timmons reached the 100-career reception mark in the first quarter on a two-yard reception from Dietz. He finished the evening with 9 catches for 106 yards and five touchdowns.

* Storm rookie WR Jacob Willis recorded his first career reception with just under 13:00 left in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with three receptions for 30 yards.

* Storm rookie QB Drew Weatherford threw his first passing touchdown of his career to Hank Edwards in the fourth quarter.

* BattleWing FB Jason Schule, in his first game back after a fight with testicular cancer, rushed four times for 30 yards and two touchdowns.

* WRs Hank Edwards and Tyrone Timmons each surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the year.

* WR DeAndrew Rubin was injured in the first half and did not return to the game.

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Today in Elvis History:

1909 - Colonel Tom Parker was born.

1957 - Elvis Presley spent his first night at Graceland.

1968 - A birthday party was thrown for Col. Tom Parker on the set of the 1968 TV Special "Elvis."

1977 - Elvis Presley's final concert took place at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis.

1979 - Elvis Presley's father, Vernon Elvis Presley, died.

2007 - The 21-song Elvis Presley collection "That's Alright" was released

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Nationwide Series: New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire 3:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamondbacks at Tampa Bay Rays 4:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire 1:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamondbacks at Tampa Bay Rays 1:40pm EDT

Monday --

Nothin' doin'.

Tuesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 8:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Dayton International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins 2:10pm EDT

Indy Cars: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, New York 3:30pm EDT

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That's all for today. See you tomorrow!