It's Friday

It's Friday. Here's what's happening....

************************************************

Today is April 20th, the 111th day of 2012. There are 255 days left in the year.

************************************************




Thursday's Scores:

East --

New Jersey 4, Florida 0 (Series tied 2-2)

Washington 2, Boston 1 (Series tied 2-2)

West --

Phoenix 3 at Chicago 2 OT (Phoenix leads series 3-1)

St. Louis 2 at San Jose 1 (St. Louis leads series 2-1)

Friday's games:

East --

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (Philadelphia leads series 3-1) 7:30pm EDT NBCSN

West --

Detroit at Nashville (Nashville leads series 3-1) 8:00pm CNBC

Statement on clock operation from BOS-WSH Game 4.

Blackhawks' Quenneville fined $10,000.

NHL Awards finalists announcements begin Friday.

Visit the official league website, http://www.nhl.com/.

************************************************

Today's Birthdays: Actor George Takei (Star Trek) is 75; Actress Jessica Lange (King Kong, A Streetcar Named Desire) is 63; Actor Andy Serkis (Sméagol/Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy) is 48; Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr is 29.

************************************************

Curry Added to 2012 U.S. Men's National Team

Team USA to Compete in IIHF World Men's Championship, May 4-20, in Finland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Goaltender John Curry (Shorewood, Minn./Hamburg Freezers/Boston University) has been added to the U.S. Men's National Team roster for the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship it was announced today by USA Hockey. The tournament is scheduled for May 4-20, 2012, in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

Curry will be making his U.S. National Team debut, however, he has represented Team USA at the 2007 and 2011 Deutschland Cups in Germany. The U.S. was the runner-up in 2007.

The first 17 players for the U.S. Men's National Team were announced on April 11. Forward Joey Crabb and defenseman Chris Butler were added on April 12 and 13, respectively. Team USA now has 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders on its roster. The maximum roster size is 25, which includes three goaltenders and 22 forwards and defensemen.

For Team USA's most recent roster, click here.

NOTES: Seventeen of the 20 members of Team USA announced played U.S. college hockey ... Five of the 20 players announced are products of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, including Joey Crabb, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Nathan Gerbe and Jack Johnson ... Thirteen NHL teams are represented on the roster. The Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning have two players apiece ... Scott Gordon is the head coach of the 2012 U.S. Men's National Team. Greg Cronin and David Quinn have been announced as assistant coaches ... The 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. Other members include NHL general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida) and Pittsburgh Penguins pro scout Don Waddell ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Sixteen teams will compete at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. There will be two groups of eight with one group playing in Helsinki, Finland and the other playing in Stockholm, Sweden. The semifinals and medal games will be conducted in Helsinski ... NBC Sports is scheduled to televise all Team USA games in the 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. A final broadcast schedule will be available in the near future.

Team USA 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship Schedule
May 4 - 20 • Helsinki, Finland & Stockholm, Sweden

Date Opponent Location
Time (Local/EDT)

Fri., May 4 France Helsinki 12:15 p.m./5:15 a.m.
Sat., May 5 Canada Helsinki 7:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
Mon., May 7 Slovakia Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m.
Thurs., May 10 Belarus Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Fri., May 11 Kazakhstan Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Sun., May 13 Finland Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Tues., May 15 Switzerland Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m.
Thurs., May 17 Quarterfinals Helsinki TBD
Sat., May 19 Semifinals Helsinki TBD
Sun., May 20 Bronze-Medal Game Helsinki 4:00 p.m./9:00 a.m.
Gold-Medal Game Helsinki 8:30 p.m./1:30 p.m.

Arenas: Hartwall Arena (Helsinki); Ericsson Globe (Stockholm)

************************************************

Today is my wife's birthday.

Happy Birthday my wife. I love you!

************************************************








Burris getting to work early with Ticats.

Riders release veteran Romero, sign four.

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

************************************************

Have you been watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs? It appears the teams may be settling down and stopping the "stupid stuff." That's a good thing, especially since penalties taken late in a series could be extra costly.

************************************************

I found another one!

************************************************

Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....Gonna go to Relay for Life, take my wife out for Dinner and just otherwise take it easy today. How 'bout you?

************************************************

Toronto, ON. -- The Tampa Bay Rays are ready to come home.

They have survived a 10-game trip to Detroit, Boston and Toronto and they came out of it not too bad according to manager Joe Maddon, considering the degree of difficulty of their early-season schedule.

"It's been a difficult schedule," Maddon said after the Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-4 on Thursday, led by Evan Longoria, who hit a two-run homer and had four runs batted in. "I'm really proud of the way our guys have fought through it."

Read the rest here.

************************************************

A little kid at Thursday afternoon's Chicago White Sox-Baltimore Orioles game had no problem taking the field -- even though he wasn't invited. With an Oriole player up to bat an ump is seen on video stopping the game while a White Sox fielder captures the little kid and hands him off to security.

************************************************

San Francisco, CA.-- As anticipated, Giants closer Brian Wilson will undergo reconstructive surgery, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, to repair his right (throwing) elbow Thursday.

Famed orthopedist James Andrews will perform the procedure on Wilson, 30, at his Pensacola, Fla., clinic. Giants team orthopedist Ken Akizuki will be on hand to assist. Andrews also handled Wilson's first Tommy John surgery in 2003. Wilson resumed pitching in 2004, made his Major League debut two years later and proceeded to make three National League All-Star teams.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

Time magazine has named its 100 Most Influential People in the World. [Coming in at 19 was the Secret Service travel agent.]

************************************************

Today in Elvis History

1955 - Elvis Presley started a job at Crown Electric driving a truck for $1 an hour.

1957 - Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" hit #1.

1960 - Elvis Presley's returned to Hollywood to film "G.I. Blues."

1964 - The Elvis Presley movie "Viva Las Vegas" premiered in New York City.

1964 - The principal filming for the Elvis Presley movie "Roustabout" began.

1967 - Elvis Presley began rehearsals for "Clambake."

1970 - Elvis Presley's single for "The Wonder of You" was released.

************************************************

Delaware plans to crack down on lane hogs who insist on driving at a crawl in the left lane, with the Delaware Legislature considering a bill that would fine slugs as much as $230. The bill would make the left lane for passing or turning only on any road with at least two lanes in each direction.

************************************************

Today in Beatles History:

1966 - The Beatles layed down tracks for Paul McCartney's song "Eleanor Rigby."

1970 - The "New York Times" reported that Christian groups had adopted the Beatle's "Yellow Submarine" was a religious symbol.

1976 - George Harrison joined Monty Python onstage to sing "The Lumberjack Song."

2004 - The remastered version of the soundtrack to "Porky's Revenge" was released. The album contained George Harrison's "I Don't Want To Do It."

************************************************

IN THEATERS - Chimpanzee (G); The Lucky One (PG); Think Like A Man (PG-13)

************************************************

Today in Sports History:

1912 - Fenway Park opened as the home of the Boston Red Sox.

1916 - Chicago's Wrigley Field held its first Cubs game with the first National League game at the ballpark. The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

1953 - The Boston marathon was won by Keizo Yamada with a record time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds.

1998 - Kenyan runner Moses Tanui, 32, won the Boston Marathon for the second time. He also registered the third fastest time with 2 hours 7 minutes and 34 seconds.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 in the third overtime to win the series 4-2. It was the first time in the 11-year history of the Tampa Bay franchise that they advanced in the playoffs.

************************************************

On this date in 1961, FM stereo broadcasting was approved by the FCC. .

************************************************


Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets 1:10pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins 7:07pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- STP 400 at Kansas Speedway 12:30pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets 1:10pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins 1:40pm EDT

Indy Car Series -- Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at Long Beach, CA. 3:30pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets 7:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds 7:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds 12:35pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 1:10pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Nascar Nationwide Series 250 at Richmond International Raceway 7:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers 8:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Nascar Sprint Cup Series 400 at Richmond International Raceway 7:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers 8:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Izod Indy Car Series -- Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 at Sao Paulo, Brazil 12:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers 8:05pm EDT

************************************************

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!