It's Friday

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

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Today is October 31st, the 303rd day of 2014. There are 62 days left in the year.

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Around the League notebook for Thursday, Oct. 30.

Watch: Molson 'What's on Tap' for Fri., 10/31.

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

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Juliette Low, the founder off the Girl Scouts, was born on this date in 1860.

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Tampa, FL. -- Steven Stamkos scored two goals to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Amalie Arena.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to join the U.S.

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Regina, SK. -- A five-game losing streak has led to the inevitable excoriation of prominent strategists within the Saskatchewan Roughriders' organization.

Read the rest here.

Coming up next for the 9-8 Riders is a week 19 bye, followed by a week 20 home game against the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday, November 8th, which wraps up the regular season. Game time at Regina's Mosaic Stadium is 7:00pm EST. Catch all the action with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri on 620 CKRM, the Rider Radio Network and 620ckrm.com. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. on ESPN3.com. Calgary next hosts Winnipeg on Saturday, November 1st.

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On this date in 1868, Postmaster General Alexander Williams Randall approved a standard uniform for postal carriers.

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2014 CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at Week 19.

REDBLACKS hope to give fans a show in last home game.

Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca.

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COMING UP - Halloween: October 31; Daylight Saving Time ends: November 2; Veteran’s Day: November 11.

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Tampa, FL. -- When Lovie Smith thinks about what he can do to try to get the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers on track, a quarterback change is not high on the coach’s list.

Read the rest here.

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Mount Rushmore was declared complete on this date in 1941 after 14 years of work. At the time the 60-foot busts of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were finished.

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Corvallis, OR. -- The preseason excitement surrounding the Oregon State women’s basketball team continued Thursday, as the Beavers made their way into the AP rankings for the first time since 1996, coming in at No. 20. The ranking matches Oregon State’s highest ever in the AP preseason poll (1995).

Read the rest here.

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Britain's Princess Margaret announced on this date in 1955 that she would not marry Royal Air Force Captain Peter Townsend.

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Kansas City, MO. -- Though the Giants clinched the World Series on the road in Kansas City, fans will have an opportunity to celebrate the 2014 title today when the club returns home for a victory parade.

Read the rest here.

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Rear Admiral G.J. Dufek became the first person to land an airplane at the South Pole on this date in 1956. Dufek also became the first person to set foot on the South Pole.

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Jimmy climbs the slide.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as the Lightning beating the Flyers, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History:

1960 - Elvis Presley ended his first lengthy gospel music session. He had began the session the day before. Much of the work appeared on the 1961 album "His Hand In Mine." 

1962 - The Elvis Presley film "Girls! Girls! Girls!" had its world premiere in Honolulu, HI. It opened across the United States on November 21.

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Wal-Mart Discount City stores were incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc on this date in 1969.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" and "The Beatles' Story" were certified gold by the RIAA. 

1983 - Paul McCartney released the album "Pipes of Peace." 

1988 - Paul McCartney released the album "Back in the USSR."

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Antiqua and Barbuda became independent of Great Britain on this date in 1981.

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Today in Sports History:

1968 - The Milwaukee Bucks won their first game. They beat Detroit 138-118. 

1995 - The NHL's New Jersey Devils announced that they would stay in New Jersey. 

1999 - Bryan White sang the National Anthem at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville prior to the game between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams. Following the game, White gave his second annual Howl-O-Ween concert at the north end of the coliseum. 

2001 - In Miami Beach, FL, Jose Canseco was involved in a nightclub brawl. Canseco later violated his probation and was sentenced to two years of house arrest and three years probation. 

2010 - For the first time in major league history, two former presidents attended the same World Series Game. George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush both attended Game 4 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX. 

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The play "Wonderful Tennessee" closed on this date in 1993 after only 9 performances.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway 3:30pm EDT

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 5:15pm EDT

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EDT

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers vs California Golden Bears 10:30pm EDT

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 9:30pm EDT

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EDT

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns 1:00pm EST

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 3:00pm EST

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow.

It's Thursday

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

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Today is October 30th, the 302nd day of 2014. There are 63 days left in the year.

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Around the League notebook for Wednesday, Oct. 29.

Blackhawks' Hossa on brink of 1,000-point milestone.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Henry Winkler (Here Comes the Boom, Happy Days) is 69. Harry Hamlin (L.A. Law) is 63. TV host Ben Bailey (Cash Cab) is 44. Matthew Morrison (Glee) is 36.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Callahan has not played since leaving midway through the Edmonton game because of a lower-body injury.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1735, John Adams, the second President of the United States, was born in Braintree, MA. His son became the sixth President of the U.S..

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U.S. Roster Announced for 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Tournament to be Held Nov. 2-8 in Sarnia and Lambton Shores, Ont. ANN ARBOR, Mich. - USA Hockey announced today the 22-player roster for its 2014 U.S. National Under-17 Team, which will compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Nov. 2-8, in Sarnia and Lambton Shores, Ontario. The roster includes 20 full-time members of the 2014-15 U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A complete Team USA roster can be found here. The U.S. won its fourth World Under-17 Hockey Challenge this past January after claiming the title previously in 2001, 2002 and 2010. Team USA has placed in the top three at the tournament eight consecutive times (2006, 2008-2014). No event was held in 2007. Notes: The preliminary round and quarterfinals will be streamed live on FASTHockey.com and the official tournament website, which can be found here ... The semifinals, third-place game and championship contest will be broadcast live on TSN ... The U.S. will skate in a pre-tournament game Friday (Oct. 31) against Canada White at RBC Centre in Sarnia ... The 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge includes two groups of four teams. Group A features Canada Black, Canada White, Finland and Russia, while Group B includes Canada Red, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States ... Follow@USANTDP and @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for tournament updates and join the conversation on social media by using #WU172014 ... Danton Cole (Pontiac, Mich.) will lead the U.S. National Under-17 Team in the event for the third time, having previously coached the U.S. to a second-place finish in 2011 and a third-place showing in 2013. Joining Cole on the bench will be assistant coach John Gruden (Virginia, Minn.), goaltending coach Kevin Reiter (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and intern assistant coach Tyler Walsh (Lansing, Mich.). Team USA Schedule - 2014 World Under-17 Hockey ChallengeNov. 2-8 | Sarnia and Lambton Shores, Ontario Date Opponent Location Time (ET) Fri., Oct. 31 Canada White Sarnia, Ont. 7:00 p.m. Sun., Nov. 2 Sweden Lambton Shores, Ont. 3:00 p.m. Mon., Nov. 3 Slovakia Lambton Shores, Ont. 3:00 p.m. Tues., Nov. 4 Canada Red Lambton Shores, Ont. 7:00 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 6 Quarterfinals TBA TBA Fri., Nov. 7 Semifinals Sarnia, Ont. TBA Sat., Nov. 8 Third-Place Game Sarnia, Ont. 3:30 p.m. Championship Game Sarnia, Ont. 7:30 p.m.

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The constitution of Missouri was ratified by popular vote on this date in 1875.

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Regina, SK. -- Regina’s skyline has had a significant change in October with the addition of the third and fourth tower cranes at the Regina Revitalization Initiative – Stadium Project construction site.

Read the rest here.

Coming up next for the 9-8 Riders is a week 19 bye, followed by a week 20 home game against the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday, November 8th, which wraps up the regular season. Game time at Regina's Mosaic Stadium is 7:00pm EST. Catch all the action with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri on 620 CKRM, the Rider Radio Network and 620ckrm.com. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. on ESPN3.com. Calgary next hosts Winnipeg on Saturday, November 1st.

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On this date in 1894, the time clock was patented by Daniel M. Cooper of Rochester, NY.

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Nye: Riders get time to work things out before playoffs.

Irving: Willy the centre of debate as Bombers close 2014.

Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca.

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COMING UP - Halloween: October 31; Daylight Saving Time ends: November 2; Veteran’s Day: November 11.

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Tampa, FL. -- Wednesday Notes: The Bucs' offense needs a spark in the second half of the season, and it could come from rookie wideout Mike Evans, who is improving each week...Plus, practice squad moves and more.

Read the rest here.

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The town of Westminster, Massachusetts wants to ban the sale of tobacco, but convenience store owners are upset. [I don’t know why they’re upset. They can still kill people with that beef jerky.]

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Corvallis, OR. -- The Oregon State women’s basketball team has been picked third in the Pac-12 Media Poll, the conference office announced today. The third-place projection is the highest OSU has ever placed in Pac-12 media polling, which dates back to 1998. The Beavers received 162 points, including one first-place vote.

Read the rest here.

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An X-ray on a sickly tortoise showed something rather unusual in its belly — a tiny metallic turtle. Lola the tortoise was examined by a vet in Miami, Florida, because he’d had stomach problems for a month and wasn’t eating. The vet says when he saw the X-ray he thought his staff were playing a joke on him. Lola is now in good health the vet says the small turtle pendant should be digested soon.

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Kansas City, MO. -- The names roll smoothly off the tongue, for they have become legendary. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Barry Bonds. Juan Marichal. Christy Mathewson. Carl Hubbell. Mel Ott. Each occupies a hallowed spot in the pantheon of Giants franchise greats. Add another to this assemblage: Madison Bumgarner.

Read the rest here.

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A woman who was dressed as a zombie for an Upstate New York Halloween party was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated twice within three hours. Catherine Butler was driving with her headlights off after leaving a party on Saturday. After pulling her over, police took Butler into custody for DWI. A friend came to pick Butler up, and less than three hours later, police arrested her again for DWI.

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I know....I'll play on my playground.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as the Giants winning the World Series, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History:

1960 - Elvis Presley began his first lengthy gospel music session. Much of the work appeared on the 1961 album "His Hand In Mine." 

1960 - Elvis Presley recorded "Crying In The Chapel."

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ABC is bringing back “The Great Christmas Light Fight.” Each of the six one hour episodes features 4 families from across America who work harder than the elves themselves in order to out-deck the halls of their competition and possibly win $50,000. The show premieres December 8.

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Today in Beatles History:

1963 - Work finished on "With the Beatles." The album was the second by the Beatles. 

1973 - John Lennon released the album "Mind Games."

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THROWBACK THURSDAY _ One year ago this week we learned of a new study which found men look at women’s bodies more than their faces. Researchers also found that women do it too — as in women check out other women’s bodies.

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Today in Sports History:

1919 - The professional baseball association ruled that spitballs and shineballs were illegal. 

1974 - In Kinshasa, Zaire, Muhammad Ali regained his heavyweight-boxing title by knocking out George Foreman in the eighth round. 

1988 - The New York Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time. 

1992 - Magic Johnson played his last game in the NBA before retiring for the second and last time. 

1997 - Violet Palmer became the first woman to officiate an NBA game. The game was between the Dallas Mavericks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. 

2001 - In New York City, U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

2001 - Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards after a 3 1/2 year retirement. The Wizards lost 93-91 to the New York Knicks. 

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Orson Welles' "The War of the Worlds" aired on CBS radio on this date in 1938. The belief that the realistic radio dramatization was a live news event about a Martian invasion caused panic among listeners.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers 7:30pm EDT

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway 3:30pm EDT

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 5:15pm EDT

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EDT

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers vs California Golden Bears 10:30pm EDT

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 9:30pm EDT

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EDT

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns 1:00pm EST

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 3:00pm EST

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow.