It's Wednesday

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

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Today is August 10th, the 222nd day of 2011. There are 143 days left in the year.

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Return of RDO camp allows league to experiment.

Lidstrom's return means Detroit's a Cup contender.

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Todays Birthdays: Poker player Doyle Brunson is 78 ... Singer Ronnie Spector is 68 ... Actress Rosanna Arquette is 52 ... Actor Antonio Banderas is 51 ... Boxer Riddick Bowe is 44 ... Actress Angie Harmon is 39.

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U.S. Under-18 Select Team Earns 5-4 Overtime Win over Russa
at 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament

Hinostroza Scores Game-Winning Goal in Extra Frame

PIESTANY, SLOVAKIA - Vincent Hinostroza (Bartlett, Ill.) scored with less than one minute remaining in overtime to give the U.S. Under-18 Select Team a 5-4 victory over Russia in its second preliminary-round game of the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

The goal marked Hinostroza's second tally of the night, and improved Team USA's overall record at the tournament to 0-1-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L).

"Our guys played really inspired hockey today," said Seth Appert, head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team. "We were blocking shots, checking hard and playing the American way in order to get this victory."

Russia took a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the first period on a shorthanded tally. But Team USA responded three minutes later. While parked at the side of the net, Jordan Masters (Rochester, N.Y.) slammed home a rebound to tie the score, 1-1.

Late in the second period, Team USA took its first lead of the game when Daniel O'Regan (Needham, Mass.) notched a power-play goal off of an assist by Teddy Doherty (Hopkinton, Mass.). The U.S. then extended its advantage to 3-1 less than three minutes into the third when Hinostroza potted his first goal of the night.

Russia tied the game, 3-3, with a pair of power-play markers less than two minutes apart. The U.S. took another brief lead at 15:14 of the third period on a goal by Cristoval Nieves (Baldwinsville, N.Y.). But Russia answered with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to set the stage for Hinostroza's eventual overtime game-winning tally.

Team USA will next face Slovakia tomorrow (Aug. 10), with puck drop slated for 11:30 a.m. EDT.

NOTES: The game's start time was delayed by one hour due to an ice resurfacer malfunction ... Jordan Masters leads Team USA with four points (2-2) in two games, while Cristoval Nieves ranks second on the squad with three points (1-2) ... For the complete U.S. Under-18 Select Team roster, click here ... The 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament includes teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Team USA finished in second place last year ... Live streaming of Team USA's games can be found here, while live scoring and stats from the event can be found here ... Seth Appert is serving as head coach, while Matt Herr and Matt Greason are serving as assistant coaches for the 2011 U.S. Under-18 Select Team.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

RUS 1 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 4
USA 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 5

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Timirev (Malenkikh), 8:10 (sh); 2, USA, Masters (Galchenyuk), 11:50. Penalties: RUS, Garyeyev (holding), 5:36; RUS, Vasiliev (slashing), 7:07; RUS, Khlopotov (high-sticking), 12:33; USA, Payne (slashing), 14:31; USA, Brady (slashing), 17:04; RUS, Malenkikh (delaying-the-game), 18:47.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, USA, O'Regan (Doherty), 19:30 (pp). Penalties: USA, Brady (roughing), 4:23; RUS, Kozlovski (hooking), 4:51; USA, Masters (charging), 7:19; USA, Cox (hooking), 12:31; RUS, Shingaryeyev (delaying-the-game), 15:00; RUS, Vasiliev (elbowing), 17:32.

Third Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Hinostroza (Brady), 2:13; 5, RUS, Khlopotov (Kamaev), 7:42 (pp); 6, RUS, Galin (Grigorenko), 9:21 (pp); 7, USA, Nieves (O'Regan), 15:14; 8, RUS, Shingaryeyev (unassisted), 18:16. Penalties: USA, Doherty (charging), 3:00; USA, Payne (tripping), 5:44; USA, Kurker (kneeing), 8:06.

Overtime - Scoring: 9, USA, Hinostroza (Masters, Pesce), 4:29. Penalties: None.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 OT Total
RUS 10 8 10 3 31
USA 14 11 7 4 36

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 OT Total
RUS, Vasilevski 64:29 14-13 11-10 7-5 4-3 36-31
USA, Gillies 64:29 10-9 8-8 10-7 3-3 31-27

Power Play: RUS 2-8; USA 1-7
Penalties: RUS 7-14; USA 8-16

Team USA 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Schedule
August 8-13 • Breclav, Czech Republic & Piestany, Slovakia

Date Opponent Location
Time (EDT)/Result

Sat., Aug. 6 Czech Republic* Breclav W, 5-3
Mon., Aug. 8 Finland Piestany L, 3-6
Tues., Aug. 9 Russia Piestany OTW, 5-4
Wed., Aug. 10 Slovakia Piestany 11:30 a.m.
Fri., Aug. 12 Semifinals TBD TBD
Sat., Aug. 13 1st/3rd Place TBD TBD

*exhibition

U.S. Under-17 Select Team Defeats the Czech Republic, 5-1,
in 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Opener

Team USA Scores Three First-Period Goals En Route to Win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - After scoring three first-period goals, the U.S. Under-17 Select Team held on for a 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic in its opening game of the 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament.

Michael Downing (Canton, Mich.), Adam Erne (North Branford, Conn.), and Gabe Guertler (Plantation, Fla.) each had a goal and an assist for Team USA in the victory.

"We did a lot of good things on the ice to take the early lead," said Bob Corkum, head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team. "The kids came out fired up and our goaltender played great."

The U.S. jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Erne scored just over one minute into the opening period off of an assist by Guertler. Less than two minutes later, Downing made the score 2-0 with a power-play tally. Finally, Guertler scored a goal of his own to give Team USA a three-goal edge after one.

Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.) extended Team USA's lead to 4-0 with the game's lone second-period marker. Then, after the Czech Republic notched a power-play tally early in the third period, Ryan Siroky (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) connected with the U.S. on the man advantage midway through the frame to close out the scoring.

U.S. goalie Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif.) turned aside 34 shots in the win, while Czech Republic goaltender Pavel Jekel stopped 27 shots in a losing effort.

The U.S. will next face Germany tomorrow (Aug. 10), with puck drop slated for 7 p.m. EDT.

NOTES: Andrew Oglevie (Fullerton, Calif.) logged two assists for Team USA ... The U.S. went 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Czech Republic was 1-for-8 with the man advantage ... The U.S. Under-17 Select Team roster can be found here ... The 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament includes teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States competing in a round-robin format ... FASTHockey.com will stream all games from the tournament live and on demand, while live scoring and stats can be found at USAHockey.com ... Tickets for the event can be ordered by calling the Ann Arbor Ice Cube box office at 734-327-9251 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. EDT ... Bob Corkum is serving as head coach, while Pat Mikesch is serving as assistant coach for the 2011 U.S. Under-17 Select Team.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

CZE 0 - 0 - 1 - 1
USA 3 - 1 - 1 - 5

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Erne (Guertler), 1:04; 2, USA, Downing (Oglevie, Eiserman), 3:53 (pp); 3, USA, Guertler (Erne, Labosky), 7:30. Penalties: CZE, Kubalik (interference), 1:22; CZE, Mandat (tripping), 3:45; USA, Oglevie (interference), 4:27; USA, Labosky (holding), 7:30; USA, Lodge (tripping), 15:17.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Clifton (Turner, Lodge), 9:52. Penalties: USA, Lettieri (hooking), 0:42; CZE, Andrlik (interference), 7:31; USA, DeAngelo (roughing), 17:18; CZE, Beranek (cross-checking), 17:18.

Third Period - Scoring: 5, CZE, Bunda (Rob), 5:32 (pp); 6, USA, Siroky (Downing, Oglevie), 9:32 (pp). Penalties: USA, Eiserman (hooking), 1:36; USA, Olgevie (tripping), 3:40; USA, Erne (cross-checking), 5:10; CZE, Pokorny (boarding), 7:47; USA, Eiserman (hooking), 15:21; CZE, Andrlik (holding), 18:29.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
CZE 14 7 14 35
USA 12 14 6 32

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
CZE, Jekel 60:00 12-9 14-13 6-5 32-27
USA, Demko 60:00 14-14 7-7 14-13 35-34

Power Play: CZE 1-8; USA 2-5
Penalties: CZE 6-12; USA 9-18

Team USA 2011 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament Schedule
August 9-13 • Ann Arbor, Mich.

Date Opponent
Time (EDT)/Result

Live Webcast
Sun., Aug. 7 Czech Republic* W, 3-1
Tues., Aug. 9 Czech Republic W, 5-1 FASTHockey.com
Wed., Aug. 10 Germany 7 p.m. FASTHockey.com
Fri., Aug. 12 Slovakia 7 p.m. FASTHockey.com
Sat., Aug. 13 Switzerland 7 p.m. FASTHockey.com
*exhibition

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Elvis Week starts today. (Thankyouthankyouverymuch!)

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Tailback Yvenson Bernard to join Riders.

Riders' Shomari Williams ready to step up and take on larger role.

Darian Durant - Doug Berry relationship explored.

Vanstone: Trade was all about the cap.

Penalties add to Riders' woes.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to reverse their fortunes Friday night, when they host the Calgary Stampeders for the second time in three weeks at Taylor Field in Regina. The Riders, who lost to the Stamps by 4 points two weeks ago, have added some new players and are hopeful it will pay off with a win. Catch all the action with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri on 620 CKRM and the Rider Radio Network Friday night at 9:00pm EDT. Listen link is on the right side of this blog.

Visit the team's official website at http://www.riderville.com/.

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Android and iPhone app-maker Rovio has teamed up with baby product maker SwaddleDesigns to release an Angry Birds Baby line. New parents can now opt to outfit, wrap or protect their bundles of joy while showing off their Angry Birds fan status.

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Moffat: Checking in with the Als after six weeks.

Bruce eager to learn the ropes in B.C.

Ask the Ref: A conversation with Tom Higgins.

Argos mourn passing of legend Royal Copeland.

2011 CFL Schedule is here.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

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

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Some Democrats are wondering if Hillary Clinton would've been a better president. (In hindsight it would've been a good idea to vote for the person with more experience balancing a check book.)

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Boy....Talk about climbing all over the ump!

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Today is National Duran Duran Appreciation Day.

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ST. PETERSBURG -- Entering the season, one complete game was all James Shields wanted.

Well, Shields collected his Major League-leading eighth complete game of the year Tuesday to power the Rays to a 4-0 victory over the Royals at Tropicana Field.

"I didn't think I was going to get one complete game," he said. "I hadn't had one since 2008. ... Fortunately, for me it's been a lot. I'm really, really, happy with the way I've pitched this year and hopefully we can get a couple more here."

Read the rest here.

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Today is S'mores Day.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Seemingly all season, Giants manager Bruce Bochy has been insisting that his scuffling hitters would come around and start producing, just as they have in the past.

While Aubrey Huff had been quietly improving his numbers since the All-Star break, batting .327 over his previous 17 games, his performance at the plate Tuesday night loudly reminded the sold-out crowd in AT&T Park of the way Huff served as the Giants' primary run producer a year ago.

Back in the cleanup spot with Carlos Beltran sidelined by a strained right wrist, Huff drove in San Francisco's first run and added another on a solo homer, finishing 3-for-4 and leading the Giants to a 6-0 win over the Pirates. Huff said he has focused more on laying off bad pitches and getting into hitter's counts, and that has resulted in a .308 average since the All-Star break.

Read the rest here.

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With people living longer than ever and baby boomers entering old age, look for plastic surgery among those 65 and older to continue its remarkable growth. The New York Times reports there were 84,685 procedures last year alone. 

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Today in Elvis History:

1954 - Elvis Presley made an appearance in Memphis where he debuted "That's All Right (Mama)."

1963 - The Elvis Presley single "(You're The) Devil in Disguise" hit #3 in the U.S.

2002 - Lisa Marie Presley and Nicolas Cage were married in Hawaii.

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Smithsonian Day is today.

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Today in Beatles History:

1972 - Paul and Linda McCartney were arrested for drug possession after a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden. Both were fined for the possession of cannabis.

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In Indonesia, sick people are searching for a New Age cure by cozying up to train tracks. They claim that by lying on the railroad tracks they're can absorb the rails' healing electric shocks and make their aches and pains go away.

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Today in Sports History:

1947 - William Odom completed an around-the-world flight. He set the solo record by completing the flight in 73 hours and 5 minutes.

1971 - Harmon Kilebrew became the 10th major league player to hit 500 career home runs.

1973 - Arnold Palmer did not make the cut for the final two rounds of the PGA Golf Championship. It was the first time in his career.

1981 - Pete Rose hit a single and broke the National League all-time hit record with his 3,630 hit.

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A guy in England (Nottingham) has the biggest collection of Smurf memorabilia in the world -- some 1,200 items.

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Coming up:

Tonight:

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals 12:10pm EDT

Friday --

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

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Florida Marlins 7:10pm EDT

NFL Preseason Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs 8:00pm EDT

CFL Football -- Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders 9:00pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International 2:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Florida Marlins 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Car Series -- Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen at Watkins Glen International 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Florida Marlins 1:10pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series -- MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

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

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders at Toronto Argonauts 7:30pm EDT

NFL Preseason Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New England Patriots 7:30pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros  8:05pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villenueve 2:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros  8:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros  2:05pm EDT

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to tell your friends about us. See you tomorrow.