Monday Morning Meissnervations

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

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Today is June 4th, the 156th day of 2012. There are 210 days left in the year.

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Stanley Cup Finals (New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings:

Wednesday, May 30th Los Angeles 2 at New Jersey 1 OT
Saturday, June 2nd Los Angeles 2 at New Jersey 1 OT (Los Angeles leads series 2-0)
Monday, June 4th New Jersey at Los Angeles 8:00pm EDT NBCSN
Wednesday, June 6th New Jersey at Los Angeles 8:00pm EDT NBCSN
*Saturday, June 9th Los Angeles at New Jersey 8:00pm EDT NBC
*Monday, June 11th New Jersey at Los Angeles 8:00pm EDT NBC
*Wednesday, June 13th Los Angeles at New Jersey 8:00pm EDT NBC

* -- If necessary

Devils still confident despite 0-2 deficit.

Doughty embracing the pressure in Los Angeles.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Noah Wyle (ER) is 41; Actor/comedian Russell Brand (Arthur, Get Him to the Greek) is 37; Actress Angelina Jolie is 37; Model Bar Refaeli (cover model of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Maxim's hottest woman for 2012) is 27.

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U.S. Inline National Team Defeats Canada, 4-2, at 2012 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship Nathan Sigmund Tallies Game-Winning Goal for U.S. INGOLSTADT, Germany - Nathan Sigmund (San Diego, Calif.) tallied two goals, including the game winner, as the U.S. Inline National Team defeated Canada, 4-2, in its final preliminary-round game of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship at Saturn Arena. With the victory, Team USA finished atop the Group B standings with a 3-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and will face Finland, the fourth seed in Group A, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (June 5) at 2 p.m. EDT.  "Our guys played very well today and were up against a hot Canadian goalie," said Joe Cook, head coach of the U.S. Inline National Team. "I'm excited at how the team is coming together heading into the playoff rounds." Defenseman Greg Thompson (Bayport, N.Y.) gave the U.S. an early lead only 18 seconds into the first quarter. Team USA outshot Canada, 6-1, in the opening quarter, but Thompson's tally was the lone goal of the frame. Canada tied the game on the power play with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter to send the two teams into halftime knotted, 1-1. Team USA reclaimed the lead at 7:18 of the third quarter when Junior Cadiz (Los Angeles, Calif.) sent a perfect saucer pass across the slot to Travis Noe (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), who slammed the puck into the net. Canada responded with another power-play goal at 10:54 of the third quarter to send the teams into the final frame tied, 2-2. Sigmund recorded the eventual game winner when he found the puck at the bottom of the left circle and fired it a quick shot past Canadian goaltender Brett Leggat. Sigmund recorded his second goal, an empty-net tally, with one second remaining in the game to secure the victory for Team USA. Nicholas Maricic (Alta Loma, Calif.) made 19 saves in the win for the U.S., while Leggat recorded 29 saves in the loss. All games from the of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship are streamed live and for free on IIHF.com. A full schedule is below. Use the hashtag #InlineWC on Twitter to join the conversation surrounding the tournament. NOTES: Travis Noe was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Click here for a complete roster ... Former U.S. Inline National Team member Joe Cook is the head coach for the 2012 U.S. Inline National Team for the third time (1999-2000), while Jami Yoder, who is also a former member of the U.S. Inline National Team, is serving as an assistant coach. Corey Rastello is the equipment manager for the team and Brian Brewster will be the team doctor... Defenseman C.J. Yoder is the captain of Team USA. The alternate captains are Rafael Rodriguez andGreg Thompson ... In the 15-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006 and 2010; silver medals in 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2011; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments. There was no tournament played in 1999. GAME SUMMARY Scoring By Period USA 1 - 0- 1- 2- 4 CAN 0 - 1- 1- 0- 2 First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Thompson, 0:18. Penalties: CAN, Carlson (interference), 8:54; USA, Gawrys (slashing), 10:54.  Second Period – Scoring: 2, CAN, Woods (Grassi, Hammond), 11:10, (pp). Penalties: CAN, Hutchinson (slashing), 3:37; USA, Noe (hooking), 9:56. Third Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Noe (Cadiz), 7:18; 4, CAN, Woods (Grassi, Ross), 10:54, (pp). Penalties: CAN, Grassi (tripping), 1:50; USA, Gawrys (slashing), 10:32. Fourth Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Sigmund, 8:14; 6, USA, Sigmund (Cadiz), 11:59, (en). Shots by Period 1 2 3 4 Total USA 6 5 12 9 32 CAN 1 4 5 11 21 Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 4 Total USA, Maricic, 48:00 1/1 4/3 5/4 11/11 21/19 CAN, Leggat, 46:21 6/5 5/5 12/11 9/8 32/29 Power Play: USA 0-3; CAN 2-3 Penalties: USA 3-4.5; CAN 3-4.5 Team USA 2012 IIHF Inline World Championship ScheduleIngolstadt, Germany • Saturn Arena Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT)/Result Live Streaming Friday, June 1 Germany W, 5-4 IIHF.com Saturday, June 2 Slovenia W, 5-4 IIHF.com Sunday, June 3 Canada W, 4-2 IIHF.com Tuesday, June 5 Finland (Quarterfinals) 8 p.m./2 p.m. IIHF.com Wednesday, June 6 Semifinal Round TBD IIHF.com Thursday, June 7 Medal Games TBD IIHF.com

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Today is (was) the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling in Gloucester, England. If you want to see people risking life and limb chasing cheese, head for Cooper's Hill, where competitors battle it out in pursuit of an eight-pound wheel of cheese.

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Questions loom over Riders’ training camp.

Big Blue lovin' the love.

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

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President Obama is blaming Congress for the weak jobs report. [He'd like to blame them for the gum under his desk, too, but he knows that watermelon Bubble Yum is Joe Biden's favorite.]

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Here's Jimmy visiting his Mommy in the big doctor place.

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....going to the hospital to see my wife. More tests today and hopefully discharge is included too. Keep those thoughts and prayers coming. Thanks.

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St. Petersburg, FL. -- Rays manager Joe Maddon described Tampa Bay's 8-4 win over the Orioles on Sunday at Tropicana Field as the kind of "complete game" his club is used to playing

Read the rest here.

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One in five adults pee in the pool. Welcome to summertime! How would you ever know? Check your eyes... it turns out that red eyes in the pool are associated with chloramine, a chemical created when urine combines with the chlorine that's already in the pool. Oh, and it gets better, the study also found that 70% of us don't shower before entering a pool, which spreads many diseases (according to the CDC). A quick 30 second shower will remove dirt, sweat and sunscreen before entering the pool.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Reed Johnson paid the ultimate tribute to Barry Zito's pitching skill Sunday.

With one out in the eighth inning, Johnson pushed a bunt single toward third base. It was a tacit admission that Zito was simply too difficult to hit on this sunny afternoon at AT&T Park.

Zito entered the ninth inning with a four-hit shutout and, despite being removed after issuing a one-out walk to Darwin Barney, emerged with his 150th career victory in the Giants' 2-0 decision over the Chicago Cubs.

Read the rest here.

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It was a day for the history books as zip-liners in West Virginia set a new Guinness World Record. Their challenge was to top the number of zip-liners crossing the sky in exactly one hour. On Sunday, the team made 184 crossings, shattering the previous world record of 122.

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Today in Elvis History

1992 - The U.S. Postal Service announced that people preferred the "younger Elvis" stamp design in a nationwide vote.

2003 - Lisa Marie Presley performed "Sinking In" at the halftime show of the NBA Finals game between the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs.

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A Saudi princess was caught trying to leave the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris without settling a bill for her rooms. The princess tried to walk out on 3:30 in the morning on Thursday without paying for her suite and those of her 60-member entourage, prompting staff to call in police.The tab for her hotel stay: $7.4 million.

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Today in Beatles History:

1962 - George Martin signed the Beatles to a provisional contract with EMI to record demos.

1964 - The Beatles' "World Tour" began in Copenhagen, Denmark.

1969 - The Beatles single "Ballad Of John and Yoko/Old Brown Shoe" was released in the U.S.

1974 - Paul McCartney's single "Band On The Run" was certified gold by the RIAA.

2007 - Paul McCartney released the album "Memory Almost Full."

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Snow White and the Huntsman put the kaibosh on any ideas that Men In Black 3 was going to take the box office two weekends in a row. At $56.3 million, Snow White not only bumped off MIB3, but also earned the distinction of having the highest grossing weekend since The Avengers took control.

... Opening Friday: Madagascar 3 and Prometheus.

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Today in Sports History:

1927 - The U.S. defeated Britain in the first Ryder Cup international golf championship.

1940 - Forbes field hosted its first night game. The Pirates beat the Braves 14-2.

1940 - Sportsman's Park hosted its first night game. It was the first National League to be played at night. The Dodgers beat the Cardinals 10-1.

1964 - Sandy Koufax threw his third career no-hitter.

1968 - Don Drysdale (Los Angeles) pitched his sixth consecutive shutout.

1971 - The Oakland A's beat the Washington Senators 5-3. The game took 21 innings.

1974 - The NFL granted the Seattle Seahawks franchise.

1974 - Henry (Hank) Aaron set a National League record when he hit his 16th career grand slam.

1976 - The Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix in triple-overtime in Game 5 of the NBA finals. The Celtics took the series on June 6.

1980 - Gordie Howe announced his retirement from hockey. At the time he was playing for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association.

1984 - For the first time in 32 years, Arnold Palmer failed to make the cut for the U.S. Open golf tournament.

1988 - Steffi Graf won the French Open for the second straight year.

1996 - Eddie Murray hit his 535th double. He moved into 18th on the all-time list by passing Lou Gehrig.

1996 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) started in his 133rd consecutive playoff game.

1997 - Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboys) announced that he was putting his NFL career on hold. Irvin later retracted his announcement and returned to the game.

2000 - Julius "Dr. J" Erving reported his 19-year-old son, Cory, missing. His body was found on July 6, 2000.

2000 - Fred McGriff (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) got his 2,000th career hit.

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On this date in 1977, Supertramp's "Give A Little Bit" was released.

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DOVER, Del. -- The Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut is back -- with a vengeance.

Driving away from Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth after a restart with 31 laps left in Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway, Jimmie Johnson made short work of his Sprint Cup rivals.

Johnson, who led 289 of the 400 laps, picked up his second victory of the season and his second victory in the past three points races. He also won the Sprint All-Star Race on May 19. Hendrick drivers now have won four consecutive races, including the All-Star event.

The victory was the 57th of Johnson's career, eighth most all-time. His seventh win at Dover tied Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for most at the high-banked, 1-mile concrete track.

Harvick finished second, 2.550 seconds behind Johnson. Kenseth ran third, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer. Greg Biffle retained his series lead by one point over teammate Kenseth with an 11th-place finish.

Read the rest here.

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Bruce Springsteen released his "Born in the U.S.A." album on this date in 1984.

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Detroit, MI. -- A rainbow greeted the podium finishers of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix -- an appropriate sign of (hopefully) brighter races on the challenging street circuit in upcoming years to complement the fan-friendly event.

Race winner Scott Dixon, who held on to finish 1.9628 seconds ahead of Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti, also was joined on the stage by Simon Pagenaud as Honda swept the top three in Chevy's home race.

A week earlier, it was Franchitti leading Dixon across the start-finish line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to win his third Indianapolis 500.

Read the rest here.

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Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire and the pop group Hanson performed a benefit for Children's Miracle Network hospitals on this date in 1998.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Chicago Cubs 3:45pm EDT

Tuesday --

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

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 10:05pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 6:35pm EDT

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

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 3:35pm EDT

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

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Florida Marlins 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Florida Marlins 7:15pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway 8:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway 12:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Florida Marlins 1:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers 4:05pm EDT

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