It's Thursday

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

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Today is May 12th, the 132nd day of 2011. There are 233 days left in the year.

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Sharks, Red Wings meet in Game 7 showdown.

Jagr's hat trick eliminates USA.

2011 Conference Finals scenarios.

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Today's Birthdays: Former MLB player and manager Yogi Berra is 86; Rock Hall of Famer Steve Winwood (Spencer David Group, Traffic) is 63; actor Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible films) is 52; actor/director Emilio Estevez (Mighty Ducks, Young Guns, The Breakfast Club) is 49; skateboarder Tony Hawk is 43.

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USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – First Round

Eastern Conference

Indiana Ice (#3) vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (#6)

Indiana wins series 2-0.

Team USA (#4) vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (#5)

Muskegon wins series 2-0.

Western Conference

Sioux Falls Stampede (#3) vs. Sioux City Musketeers (#6)

Sioux Falls wins series 2-1.

Fargo Force (#4) vs. Lincoln Stars (#5)

Fargo wins series 2-0.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Second Round

Eastern Conference

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (#1) vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (#5)
Cedar Rapids wins series 3-1.

Green Bay Gamblers (#2) vs. Indiana Ice (#3)
Green Bay wins series 3-0.

Western Conference

Dubuque Fighting Saints (#1) vs. Fargo Force (#4)
Dubuque wins series 3-0.

Omaha Lancers (#2) vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (#3)
Sioux Falls wins series 3-0.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference Final
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (#1) vs. Green Bay Gamblers (#2)
Game 1: Friday, April 29th – Green Bay 3 @ Cedar Rapids 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 30th – Green Bay 1 @ Cedar Rapids 2
Game 3: Friday, May 6th – Cedar Rapids 1 @ Green Bay 4
Game 4: Sunday, May 8th – Cedar Rapids 1 @ Green Bay 3
Green Bay wins series 3-1.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Western Conference Final
Dubuque Fighting Saints (#1) vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (#3)
Game 1: Friday, April 29th– Sioux Falls 2 @ Dubuque 5
Game 2: Saturday, April 30th – Sioux Falls 1 @ Dubuque 2
Game 3: Friday, May 6th – Dubuque 2 @ Sioux Falls 3
Game 4: Sunday, May 8th – Dubuque 3 @ Sioux Falls 2
Dubuque wins series 3-1.

USHL Clark Cup Final
Green Bay Gamblers vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints
Game 1: Friday, May 13th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay
Game 2: Saturday, May 14th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay
Game 3: Friday, May 20th, 7:00 PM – Green Bay @ Dubuque
Game 4: Saturday, May 21st, 7:00 PM – Green Bay @ Dubuque**
Game 5: Tuesday, May 24th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay**
** if necessary
(all times reflect local start time)

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Starting today (Thursday) sketches of two men will appear on 300 billboards around Los Angeles. They are wanted in connection with the beating of Bryan Stow in the parking lot after a Giants game.


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Hilary Knight Named USOC's Athlete of the Month

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), who scored the world championship-winning goal in overtime at the recently completed 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship, was named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Month for April.

Knight, who made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C., was playing in her fourth world championship as a member of the U.S. Women's National Team. She tallied the winning goal at 7:48 of the extra frame in the gold-medal game to secure a 3-2 victory over the reigning Olympic champion Canadians.

The University of Wisconsin junior led the tournament, which ran from April 16-25 in Zurich, Switzerland, with 14 points (5-9) to be named to the all-star team. Knight outshot her teammates two-fold, posting 45 shots on goal in five games, while also leading the tournament with a +11 rating.

The world championship was the third straight for Team USA, which also garnered titles in 2008 and 2009. With the win, the U.S. regained the world No. 1 ranking.

NOTE: The U.S. Women's National Team finished second in the voting for the USOC's Team of the Month honors behind the figure skating duo of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who became the first American ice dancing team to win a world title.

U.S. Men's National Team Falls to Czech Republic, 4-0,
in Quarterfinals of 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship

Stepan, Smith and Shannon Named Team USA's Three Best Players of Tournament

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Jaromir Jagr scored three times to lead defending world champion Czech Republic to a 4-0 victory over the U.S. Men's National Team here today in quarterfinal action of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Championship. Team USA finishes the tournament with a 3-0-1-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall record.

"I thought we played hard," said Scott Gordon, head coach of Team USA. "We had our chances, particularly in the first two periods, but just couldn't get one in the back of the net. This was a terrific group of young players that I really enjoyed coaching."

It was a fast-paced first period with both teams having scoring chances. The U.S. nearly scored just over three minutes into the game when a puck slid behind Czech goaltender Ondrej Pavelec and careened off the post. Perhaps the best U.S. scoring chance in the period came for Craig Smith (Madison, Wis./University of Wisconsin) on the power play from the slot off a nice feed from Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn./New York Rangers/University of Wisconsin), but Pavelec was equal to the test. The Czechs scored with just 1:15 left in the opening period when Jagr fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Ty Conklin (Anchorage, Alaska/St. Louis Blues/University of New Hampshire).

The U.S. started the second period on the power play and had a brief two-man advantage, but could not convert. The Czech Republic, however, did convert on its two-man advantage at 4:47 when Jagr fired a one-timer from the right faceoff circle that hit a piece of Mike Komisarek's (Islip Terrace, N.Y./Toronto Maple Leafs/University of Michigan) stick and deflected past Conklin.

Just past the midway point of the final frame, Tomas Plekanec put the Czech Republic ahead by a 3-0 count when he fired a slap shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Conklin high on the glove side. Jagr notched his third goal of the game after a give-and-go with Plekanec that finished off the scoring at 16:25 while on the power play.

Conklin made 35 saves in the loss for Team USA, while Pavelec stopped all 29 shots for the Czech Republic in the win.

NOTES: Mike Komisarek was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... Derek Stepan finished as Team USA's point leader with 2-5--7 in seven games. Craig Smith was second in points with 3-3--6 and paced Team USA in goals ... Team USA's three best players of the tournament were Ryan Shannon, Derek Stepan and Craig Smith ... The 2011 U.S. Men’s National Team was under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, including NHL general managers Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida); Atlanta Thrashers president Don Waddell; and Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director for hockey operations. Paul Fenton, assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators and general manager of the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals, served as associate general manager of the 2011 U.S. Men's National Team ... Scott Gordon was head coach for the second consecutive year after leading the 2010 U.S. Men's National Team, while Greg Cronin, Phil Housley and Barry Smith served as assistants ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Versus provided television coverage of all Team USA's game at the 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship and will be broadcasting the semifinal round and gold-medal game as well. For more information, visit USAHockey.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

CZE 1- 1- 2- 4
USA 0- 0- 0- 0

First Period - Scoring: 1, CZE, Jagr (Cervenka), 18:45. Penalties: USA, Gaustad (interference), 5:58; CZE, Krajicek (interference), 10:12; CZE, Caslava (high-sticking), 20:00.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, CZE, Jagr (Plekanec, Rachunek), 4:47 (5x3 pp). Penalties: CZE, Rachunek (slashing), 1:48; USA, Wheeler (slashing), 3:01; USA, van Riemsdyk (elbowing), 3:20.

Third Period - Scoring: 3, CZE, Plekanec (Frolik, Zidlicky), 10:33; 4, CZE, Jagr (Plekanec), 16:25 (pp). Penalties: USA, Stuart (slashing), 10:56; USA, Smith (slashing), 15:28.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
CZE 12 13 14 39
USA 12 11 6 29

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
CZE, Pavelec, 60:00 12-12 11-11 6-6 29-29
USA, Conklin, 60:00 12-11 13-12 14-12 39-35

Power Play: CZE 2-5; USA 0-3
Penalties: CZE 3-6; USA 5-10

Referees: Darcy Burchell, Brent Reiber
Linesmen: Chris Carlson, Kiel Murchison
Attendance: 9,311

Team USA 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship Schedule
April 29 - May 15 • Kosice & Bratislava, Slovakia

Date Opponent Location
Results

Wed., April 27 Austria* Innsbruck W, 3-2
Sat., April 30 Austria^ Kosice W, 5-1
Mon., May 2 Norway^ Kosice W, 4-2
Wed., May 4 Sweden^ Kosice L, 2-6
Fri., May 6 Canada# Kosice L, 3-4 (OT/GWS)
Sat., May 7 France# Kosice W, 3-2
Mon., May 9 Switzerland# Kosice L, 3-5
Wed., May 11 Czech Republic (Quarterfinals) Bratislava L, 0-4

Arenas: Orange Arena (Bratislava); Steel Arena (Kosice)
*Pre-tournament game at Tiroler Wasserkraft Arena in Innsbruck, Austria
^Preliminary Round
#Qualification Round

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Today is Limerick Day. It's also National Nutty Fudge Day.

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Riders Coach Marshall Q & A.

Adriano's last kiss: DT Belli calls it a career.

2011 CFL Schedule is here.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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I love this show Daddy.

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You can now purchase one of four sweaters made for "The Big Lebowski" and worn by "The Dude". Bidding in Beverly Hills this weekend is expected to start at $4,000-$6,000.

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CLEVELAND --  David Price isn't the guy a team wants to see if it's looking to extend a winning streak.

True to form, the Rays left-hander proved to be too much for the Indians in an 8-2 win Wednesday night at Progressive Field with 17,741 watching.

In winning, the Rays moved to 21-15 on the season and 4-1 on the current road trip, while snapping Cleveland's 14-game home winning streak.

Read the rest here.

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Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. (Linky Link)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants finally saw the version of Miguel Tejada they believed they had signed.

Until Wednesday, Tejada had hit a listless and somewhat luckless .195, including .145 (10-for-69) in his previous 19 games. He led the Giants in two dubious categories: errors and double-play grounders, amassing five of each.

But the 14th-year veteran thrived against the D-backs, recording his first three-hit game of the season and handling five fielding chances with elan as the Giants secured a 4-3 victory.

Read the rest here.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" hit #15 in the U.K.

1960 - Elvis Presley guest-starred on "Welcome Home Elvis." The TV special was hosted by Frank Sinatra. Elvis sang "Witchcraft" and Sinatra sang "Love Me Tender."

1960 - Elvis recorded "It's Now or Never" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight." They were his first post-Army recordings.

1965 - Elvis Presley began the studio sessions for the soundtrack to "Frankie and Johnny."

2003 - In London, Lisa Marie Presley performed at a nightclub. She performed songs from her debut album "To Whom It May Concern."

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The average British citizen will break the law around 21 times a year, according to a new study. We're not sure how many times we're breaking the law here in the U.S. but 21 sounds about right. The top way the British break the law is speeding.

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Today in Beatles History:

1973 - The retrospective album "The Beatles 1967-1970" hit #2 in the U.K.

1973 - The retrospective album "The Beatles 1962-1966" hit #3 in the U.K.

2003 - In Rome, two women returned a diary they had stolen from Paul McCartney in 1980. They had taken the diary from his home while it was being restructured.

2003 - Yoko Ono's singles "Walking On This Ice #1" and "Walking On This Ice #2" were released.

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A man dressed as Batman was arrested Wednesday in Petoskey, Michigan, after he was seen hanging from the wall of a downtown business. He had on him a baton type striking weapon, a can of chemical irritant spray, and a pair of lead lined gloves. 

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Today in Sports History:

1917 - Omar Khayyam became the first imported horse to win the Kentucky Derby.

1950 - The American Bowling Congress abolished its white males-only membership restriction after 34 years.

1955 - Sam Jones (Chicago Cubs) became the first black to pitch a no-hitter. The game was against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1957 - A.J. Foyt won his first auto racing victory in Kansas City, MO.

1966 - The St. Louis Cardinals played their first game at Busch Memorial Stadium. They won the game 4-3 over the Atlanta Braves.

1970 - Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs) hit his 500th home run.

1972 - The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-3, in 22 innings. The game was actually completed on May 13.

1982 - The United States Football League (USFL) was formed.

1985 - The New York Knicks won the first NBA Draft Lottery.

1996 - Lance Armstrong became the first cyclist to repeat in the American Tour DuPont.

1997 - Larry Bird was announced as the new head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

1998 - Indiana Pacers head coach Larry Bird became only the third rookie head coach to win the NBA Coach of the Year award.

1998 - The Atlanta Braves tied a national league record when they hit a home run in their 24th consecutive game.

1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis Cardinals) hit a 527-foot home run at Busch Stadium. It was the longest home run in the history of the stadium.

1998 - St. Louis Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa recorded his 1,500th victory.

2003 - Churchill Downs stewards announced that they had determined that Jose Santos had not done anything prohibited in his Kentucky Derby win.

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Today is Hug Your Cat Day.

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Coming Up: 

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians 12:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 3:45pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 2:20pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover 2:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 7:10pm EDT

NHL Playoff Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins 8:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover - 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 2:20pm EDT

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to tell your friends about this blog. See you tomorrow.