It's Saturday

It's Saturday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is July 14th, the 196th day of 2012. There are 170 days left in the year.

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Gagne enjoys day of golf with Cup in Quebec.

Report: Hasek contacts Sabres, who pass on return.

Official 2012 free agent signings tracker.

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

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Alvin J. Fellows patented the tape measure on this date in 1868.

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Witt Named Coordinator of Player Development
and Women's National Team Scout

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Hillary Witt (Canton, Mass.), a former member of the U.S. Women's National Team (2001) and the all-time winningest women's ice hockey coach at Yale University, has been named Coordinator of Player Development and Women's National Team Scout it was announced today by USA Hockey.

Witt comes to USA Hockey from Northeastern University, where she served as assistant coach of the Huskies NCAA Division I women's ice hockey team the past two seasons. Prior to that, Witt spent nine campaigns at Yale University (2001-2010), including eight as the head coach of the women's ice hockey team. She is Yale's all-time winningest women's ice hockey coach (96-126-24) and was named the 2002-03 ECAC Women's Hockey Coach of the Year in her first season as head coach.

As a player at Northeastern (1996-2000), Witt was a two-time All-ECAC selection and a three-time candidate for the Patty Kazmaier Award. The Huskies' all-time leading goal-scorer (113) and point-getter (208) was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Women's Beanpot Hall of Fame in 2010.

Witt has contributed to the U.S. Women's National Team program as a coach regularly over the last six years. She was an assistant for the gold medal-winning U.S. Women's National Team at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship. She also helped Team USA to a pair of silver medals as an assistant coach at the 2006 Four Nations Cup and the 2007 IIHF Women's World Championship. Additionally, she spent time as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-22 Select Team in August 2010.

Witt will officially begin her duties with USA Hockey on August 1.

2012 U.S. Under-17 Select Team Revealed

U.S. Team to Compete at the
2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Czech Republic

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twenty players who participated at USA Hockey's Boys' Select 16 Player Development Camp that ended today in Rochester, N.Y., have been selected for the 2012 U.S. Under-17 Select Team. The squad will compete at the 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament Aug. 7-11, in Chomutov, Kadan and Klasterec, Czech Republic.

The U.S. roster features 11 forwards, including Shane Gersich (Chaska, Minn.), who led the Boy's Select 16 Player Development Camp with seven assists and 12 points in six games. The seven-man defensive corps for Team USA includes Jack Dougherty (Cottage Grove, Minn.), Keegan Ford (Waunakee, Wis.) and Robert Nardella (Rosemont, Ill.).

Sharing goaltending duties will be Chris Birdsall (Glen Rock, N.J.), who allowed just three goals in six games at the development camp, and Eric Scheirhorn (Anchorage, Alaska).

For the complete roster, click here.

Notes: The 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament will include teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States ... Barry Smith (Whitefish, Mont.) will serve as head coach, while Pat Mikesch (Hancock, Mich.) will fill the role of assistant coach for the 2012 U.S. Under-17 Select team ... The 20 players on the U.S. roster represent 12 different states. Minnesota leads the way with five players, while Michigan and Illinois each have three ... The U.S. will face off with the Czech Republic in an exhibition game on Aug. 5 ... The annual USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp provides top young players with concentrated on- and off-ice instruction as well as the opportunity to compete at the national level against other players from their age group. For a full stat breakdown from the event, click here.

Team USA 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament Schedule
August 7-11 - Czech Republic

Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT) Location
Sun., Aug. 5 Czech Republic (Exhibition) 5:00 p.m. / 11:00 a.m. Chomutov
Wed., Aug. 8 Germany 6:00 p.m. / 12:00 p.m. Chomutov
Thurs., Aug. 9 Switzerland 6:00 p.m. / 12:00 p.m. Chomutov
Fri., Aug. 10 Czech Republic 6:00 p.m. / 12:00 p.m. Chomutov
Sat., Aug. 11 Slovakia 12:00 p.m. / 6:00 a.m. Chomutov

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It's small, dark and maybe a bit morbid with its body slab still in place, but the local council which owns building is eager to find it a new lease on life. The building is a 19th century mortuary in Saltburn-by-the-sea in North Yorkshire, England -- and it's for sale. Having stopped being a mortuary in the 1960s, it was most recently a small shop.

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Back on track: Esks earn convincing win over Bombers.

Dunk: Ticats defence better than record indicates.

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

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The primacy of Thomas Edison's lamp patents was upheld in the court decision Electric Light Company vs. U.S. Electric Lighting Company on this date in 1891.

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions meet in a battle of unbeatens this afternoon at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Kickoff is set for 3:00pm EDT. Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri call all the action on 620 CKRM and the Rider Radio Network. Listen link is on the left side of this blog. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. online on ESPN3.com.

The view from Regina: Riders' Chris Milo tutors coach on kicking game.

The view from Vancouver: Morris: Harris turning into 'The Dude' in BC.

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

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Kristen Chenoweth was injured on the set of The Good Wife. [She'll soon be starring in The Really Good Lawsuit.]

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Playing ball is fun!

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....watching Rider football. How 'bout you?

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St. Petersburg, FL. -- Not exactly the way the Rays wanted to kick off the second half -- more of the same.

Which meant no offense.

That lack of offense by the Rays added up to a 3-1 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

Read the rest here.

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Facebook has begun rolling out a new weddings and celebrations feature. Now, special events starting with engagements and weddings will be displayed along with friends' birthdays when you log into Facebook.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Solid pitching and small-ball run production were at the core of the Giants' first-half success, and coming out of the All-Star break, the Giants stressed adding more power-hitting to that winning formula in the second half.

The Giants capitalized on all three components in Friday's 5-1 win against the Astros to return from the break, combining a mammoth Buster Posey two-run home run with nifty base-running to aid a solid outing from starter Madison Bumgarner.

Read the rest here.

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AMC has some good news for Dish Network customers who are being denied their Breaking Bad season premiere this weekend: They will be streaming the show as it airs for the low, low price of $0.00. Here is their statement: "Every cable, phone and satellite company other than Dish carries AMC. AMC wants its loyal Dish viewers to experience the excitement of the Breaking Bad premiere at the same time as their friends and neighbors, and we want to give Dish customers an extra week to switch providers so they can enjoy the rest of the season."

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Today in Elvis History

1988 - The Nashville radio station WYHY offered $1 million dollars to anyone who could produce Elvis Presley alive.

2003 - Lisa Marie Presley peformed her new single "Sinking In" on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

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Harry N. Atwood landed an airplane on the lawn of the White House to accept an award from U.S. President William Taft on this date in 1911.

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Today in Beatles History:

1966 - The Beatles song "Paperback Writer" was certified gold by the RIAA.

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Robert H. Goddard patented liquid rocket-fuel on this date in 1914.

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Today in Sports History:

1951 - The first sports event to be shown in color, on CBS-TV, was the Molly Pitcher Handicap at Oceanport, NJ.

1967 - Eddie Mathews (Houston Astros) hit his 500th career home run.

1968 - Hank Aaron (Atlanta Braves) hit his 500th career home run.

1969 - U.S. President Nixon signed a baseball from the baseball Hall of Fame that had the signatures of nine other U.S. Presidents.

1970 - U.S. President Nixon threw out the first ball at the major league baseball All-Star Game.

1981 - The All-Star Game was postponed because of a 33-day-old baseball players strike. The game was held on August 9.

1981 - U.S. President Reagan met with Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh Pirates) to discuss sickle cell anemia and funding for the National Institute of Health.

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IN THEATERS - Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- F.W. Webb 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 2:30pm EDT

CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders vs BC Lions 3:00pm EDT

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

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Houston Astros 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at 12:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Houston Astros 4:05pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians 7:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians 7:10pm EDT

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

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians 7:10pm EDT

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

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians 12:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves 12:10pm EDT

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

Friday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies 7:05pm EDT

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

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies 4:05pm EDT

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

Sunday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies 12:35pm EDT

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

Nascar Nationwide Series -- STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway 2:00pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Edmonton Indy at Edmonton 2:45pm 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!