It's Saturday!

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

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Today is August 28th, the 240th day of 2010. There are 125 days left in the year.

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New regime in Tampa as Yzerman takes over.

Kariya to miss season with postconcussion syndrome.

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Today is Race Your Mouse Day.

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Lancers exhibition to be at Tranquility.

Black Hawks unveil new slogan.

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Today is Crackers Over The Keyboard Day.

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No mercy.

Roster set for tonight's game.

It's football time in the Prairies tonight, as the 5-2 Saskatchewan Roughriders, trailing Calgary by 4 points in the CFL West, visit Commonwealth Stadium to face the 1-6 Edmonton Eskimos, in what is shaping up not only as another opportunity for the Riders to catch Calgary in the standings, but as a must-win game for Coach Richie Hall and his Eskies. Kickoff tomorrow night is set for 7:00pm EDT on 620CKRM and the Rider Radio Network. Listen links are to the right on this blog. A huge crowd is expected, with over 45,000 tickets already sold for Saturday's game at Commonwealth Stadium.

Check out Riderville.com for the latest on "Canada's (And Clearwater, Florida's) Team."

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Today is the Feast of St. Augustine.

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Today in Sports History:

1922 - The Walker Cup was held for the first time at Southampton, NY. It is the oldest international team golf match in America.

1941 - The Football Writers Association of America was organized.

1972 - Mark Spitz captured the first of his seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He set a world record when he completed the 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes and 7/10ths of a second.

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St. Petersburg - The Boston Red Sox pounded out 11 hits last night, on their way to a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, before 29,461 at Tropicana Field.

Boston scored first, as Victor Martinez belted a two-out homer in the first, taking a 1-0 lead. With two outs in the fourth, Jed Lowrie singled home David Ortiz for a 2-0 Red Sox lead. Tampa Bay responded in their half of the fourth, when Jason Bartlett scored on a Jon Lester wild pitch, drawing within 1, at 2-1. Boston would regain a 2-run lead in the seventh, as Martinez homered again. The Red Sox held on from there, for the 3-1 win.

Jon Lester grabbed the win for Boston, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, with 10 strike outs and 5 walks over 7 innings, improving to 15-6. Jonathan Papelbon struggled a bit in the ninth, walking 2 but striking out 3, notching his 33rd save of the season. David Price took the loss for the Rays, allowing 3 runs on 10 hits, with 8 strike outs and 0 walks in 7 innings. He's now 15-6.

The Rays, losers of two straight, are 78-50, and still tied with the Yankees, who have also lost two straight, for first in the A.L. East. Boston trails by 4 1/2 games in both the division and Wild Card races. The Rays continue their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox tonight at 7:10pm EDT, on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. After tomorrow's game against Boston, Tampa Bay hosts Toronto for three games beginning Monday. All games through Friday, September 3rd, can be seen on Sun Sports.

Notes: Reliever Grant Balfour reports that he's "coming along good" from the intercostal strain that put him on the disabled list on July 31 and hopes to join the team September 1st....Carl Crawford was scratched from Friday's game with a stomach virus. He could be back on the field Saturday....The Rays signed outfielder Brad Hawpe to a Minor League deal before Friday's game. He will report to Class A Charlotte.Matt Garza(13-7, 3.62) will start tonight's game one of the Rays' three-game series with Boston. He'll be opposed by the Red Sox' Clay Buchholz(15-5, 2.26)....Boston's Adrian Beltre leads all Major League third baseman with 87 RBIs this season and is seven short of becoming the sixth active third baseman with 1,000 career RBIs....The AL East rivals will meet one more time in the regular season, September 6th through 8th, at Fenway Park.

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The Ferret Buckeye Bash is today in Columbus, Ohio. (Linkying linksterbles)

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The Yankees and Tampa Bay are tied for first in the A.L. East(Both teams have lost 2 straight and are 6-4 in their 10), Boston is 4 1/2 back(The Red Sox trail by 4 1/2 games in the Wild Card chase), Toronto is 11 back and Baltimore is 32 1/2 games out of first.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads the White Sox by 3 1/2 games, they're 10 games ahead of Detroit, with Kansas City 19 1/2 back and Cleveland 21 1/2 games behind.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads Oakland by 9 1/2 and the Angels by 9 1/2 games, with Seattle trailing by 23 games.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 2 games(The Phillies lead the Wild Card race by 1/2 game), Florida trails by 7 1/2 (They're 5 1/2 back in the Wild Card race), the Mets are 9 behind(7 back in the Wild Card race) and Washington is 19 1/2 out.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati is 4 games up on St. Louis(The Cards are 1 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card race). Milwaukee is 14 behind, Houston is 16 back, the Cubs are 20 1/2 behind and Pittsburgh is 31 games off the pace.

San Diego leads the N.L. West by 6 games over San Francisco(The Giants trail the N.L. Wild Card chase by 1/2 game). Colorado and Los Angeles are third, 10 games out(They're both 4 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race), with Arizona behind by 26.

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Someone woke up too early.









And someone didn't.






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San Francisco - Tim Lincecum's disastrous August ended Friday night with more of the same: incremental improvement, and another defeat.

Lincecum lasted six innings for the first time in four starts and allowed only one run in his final five innings. But that didn't count the first, when Adam LaRoche launched a three-run homer to propel the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-0 triumph.

Read the rest here.


Notes: Barry Zito(8-9, 3.78) goes against Arizona's Daniel Hudson(4-2, 3.10) in tonight's 9:05pm EDT game....The Giants close out their three game set tomorrow at 4:05pm EDT. Colorado comes in for a three-game set starting Monday, after which the Giants hit the road for 10 games, beginning next Friday, September 3rd. The Giants will play 3 at Los Angeles, 3 at Arizona and 4 at San Diego.

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Today in Elvis History:

1958- The Elvis Presley film "King Creole" opened in London.

1962- Elvis Presley reported for pre-production work on "It Happened At The World's Fair."

2002- A taped interview with Lisa Marie Presley was aired on NBC's "Dateline."

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Lions fall to 1-7 in loss to Calgary.

Lions' Passmore hurt in collision with sign.

Calvillo released from hospital.

Visit the league's official website: CFL.ca.

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Today in Beatles History

1964 - The Beatles appeared on the cover of "LIFE" magazine.

1976 - The Wings single "Let 'Em In" hit #2 in the U.K.

2007 - Ringo Starr's "Photograph - The Very Best of Ringo Starr" was released.

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Today is World Sauntering Day.

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Former Beaver shortstop Darwin Barney made Major League debut with Cubs on August 12th.

Men's basketball announces 2010-2011 schedule.

Here's the 2010 Oregon State Beavers' football schedule.

The Beavers begin the 2010 season against TCU next Saturday, September 4th at Cowboys Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45pm EDT, with TV from ESPN, online video stream at ESPN3.com and radio from the Beaver Sports Network.

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The oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida was established on this date in 1565.

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In that other football league Thursday, St. Louis beat New England 36-35 and Green Bay beat the living daylights out of Indianapolis 59-24. Last night, Atlanta beat Miami 16-6, Washington edged the Jets 16-11, Philadelphia topped Kansas City 20-17 and New Orleans beat San Diego 36-21

Tonight, Cleveland is at Detroit, Cincinnati is at Buffalo, Jacksonville is at Tampa Bay, the Giants travel to Baltimore, Dallas is at Houston, Seattle plays at Minnesota(When did they rename the Metrodome Mall of America Field?), Tennessee is at Carolina, Arizona visits Chicago and San Francisco crosses the bay to meet Oakland(Think the Niners will bus, or fly? Why not fly? I actually flew from one side of the bay to the other, about a zillion years ago).

Pittsburgh plays at Denver tomorrow night.

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WEAF in New York City aired the 1st radio commercial (Queensboro Realty-$100 for 10 minutes) on this date in 1922.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

CFL Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Edmonton Eskimos 7:00pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Joiliet, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

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

NFL Preseason Football: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec 2:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 4:05pm EDT

Baseball: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 8:00pm EDT

Monday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 9:15pm EDT

Thursday --

NFL Preseason Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans 8:00pm EDT

Friday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 6:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Kentucky 300 at Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

CFL Football: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 8:00pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 7:30pm EDT

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That's it for today. See you tomorrow.

This just in....

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo announced this morning that pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg will probably require "Tommy John" elbow ligament replacement surgery.

Strasburg left his last start on Saturday with what was was initially diagnosed as a strained tendon in his forearm. But on Thursday he had a second MRI exam that showed a "significant tear of his ulnar collateral ligament," according to Rizzo.
 
Read the rest here.

It's Friday!

It's Friday. Thanks for stopping by. Here's what's happening....

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Today is August 27th, the 239th day of 2010. There are 126 days left in the year.

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McDonough says Blackhawks will be ready to repeat.

Report: Stall has setback with foot.

Blues hope Halak will lead way.

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Today is Global Forgiveness Day.

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2010 Preseason schedule set.

Race is on to finish Dubuque arena.

Phil Falcone's riskiest trade ever?

Force return just nine players.

Gopher Freshman Spotlight: Erik Haula.

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Today is Just Because Day. (Finally, you have a chance to do something without a rhyme or reason. Most often in life, we do things because we have to, or we want to, or it's expected of us. None of those reasons apply today.)

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Riders' Morgan a lifelong student of the game.

Eskimos will have fresh start on offensive line.

It's football time in the Prairies tomorrow night, as the 5-2 Saskatchewan Roughriders, trailing Calgary by 2 points in the CFL West, visit Commonwealth Stadium to face the 1-6 Edmonton Eskimos, in what is shaping up not only as another opportunity for the Riders to catch Calgary in the standings, but as a must-win game for Coach Richie Hall and his Eskies. Kickoff tomorrow night is set for 7:00pm EDT on 620CKRM and the Rider Radio Network. Listen links are to the right on this blog. A huge crowd is expected, with over 45,000 tickets already sold for Saturday's game at Commonwealth Stadium.

Check out Riderville.com for the latest on "Canada's (And Clearwater, Florida's) Team."

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Today is Oil and Gas Industry Appreciation Day.

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Today in Sports History:

1889 - Boxer Jack Dempsey was defeated for the first time of his career by George LaBlanche.

1921 - The owner of Acme Packing Company bought a pro football team for Green Bay, WI. J.E. Clair paid tribute to those who worked in his plant by naming the team the Green Bay Packers.

1986 - Nolan Ryan, while with the Houston Astros, earned his 250th career win against the Chicago Cubs.

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The Rays are 78-49, and are tied with the Yankees for first in the A.L. East. Boston trails by 5 1/2 games in both the division and Wild Card races. After having yesterday off, the Rays are back home tonight to begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox at 7:10pm EDT, on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. After three games against Boston, Tampa Bay hosts Toronto for three games beginning Monday. All games through Friday, September 3rd, can be seen on Sun Sports.

Notes: David Price(15-5, 2.97) will start tonight's game one of the Rays' three-game series with Boston. He'll be opposed by the Red Sox' Jon Lester(13-8, 3.26).

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State fairs in Maryland, Nebraska and Oregon begin today. All three run through September 6th. (Our state fair is a great state fair, don't miss it, don't even be late. It's dollars to donuts that our state fair is the best state fair in our state.)

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The Yankees and Tampa Bay are tied for first in the A.L. East, Boston is 5 1/2 back(The Red Sox trail by 5 1/2 games in the Wild Card chase), Toronto is 12 back and Baltimore is 33 1/2 games out of first.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads the White Sox by 3 1/2 games, they're 9 games ahead of Detroit, with Kansas City 18 1/2 back and Cleveland 21 1/2 games behind.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads Oakland by 8 1/2 and the Angels by 9 1/2 games, with Seattle trailing by 22 games.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 3 games(The Phillies trail in the Wild Card race by 1/2 game), Florida trails by 8 1/2 (They're 6 back in the Wild Card race), the Mets are 10 behind(7 1/2 back in the Wild Card race) and Washington is 19 1/2 out.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati is 4 games up on St. Louis(The Cards are 1 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card race). Milwaukee is 14 behind, Houston is 15 back, the Cubs are 19 1/2 behind and Pittsburgh is 30 games off the pace(They trail in the Wild Card by 27 1/2 games. Go Pirates!).

San Diego leads the N.L. West by 6 games over San Francisco(The Giants lead the N.L. Wild Card chase). Colorado is third, 10 games out(They're 4 games back in the Wild Card race), the Dodgers in fourth, 11 games out(They're 5 back in the Wild Card race), with Arizona behind by 27.

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Hi everybody. It's good to see you!

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The Giants had Thursday off. Tim Lincecum(11-8, 3.72) goes against Arizona's Barry Enright(4-2, 2.73) in the opener of a six-game home stand. San Francisco plays 3 games each with Arizona and Colorado, before hitting the road for 10 games, beginning next Friday, September 3rd. The Giants will play 3 at Los Angeles, 3 at Arizona and 4 at San Diego.

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Today in Elvis History:

1965- The Beatles spent the evening with Elvis Presley at his home in Bel-Air, CA.

1977- Ten Elvis Presley albums re-charted.

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Team retro profile: BC Lions.

Solid season a long time coming for Franklin.

Visit the league's official website: CFL.ca.

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Today in Beatles History

1965 - Elvis Presley played host to the Beatles at his home in Bel-Air, CA.

1967 - Brian Epstein was found dead in his home from an overdose of sleeping pills. Epstein was the manager of the Beatles.

1992 - John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "A Day In The Life" sold for $87,000 at an auction.

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The British defeated the Americans in the Battle of Long Island on this date in 1776.

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Beavers Sports Radio Network expands for 2010 season.

Here's the 2010 Oregon State Beavers' football schedule.

The Beavers begin the 2010 season against TCU on Saturday, September 4th at Cowboys Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45pm EDT, with TV from ESPN, online video stream at ESPN3.com and radio from the Beaver Sports Network.

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The battleship USS Iowa was launched on this date in 1942. In 1943 it became the only U.S. Navy ship with a bathtub; which was installed to accommodate President Roosevelt who would have had difficultly using a shower.

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In that other football league last night, St. Louis beat New England 36-35 and Green Bay beat the living daylights out of Indianapolis 59-24. Tonight, it's Atlanta at Miami, Washington at the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets, Philadelphia is at Kansas City and San Diego is at New Orleans.

Tomorrow night, Cleveland is at Detroit, Cincinnati is at Buffalo, Jacksonville is at Tampa Bay, the Giants travel to Baltimore, Dallas is at Houston, Seattle plays at Minnesota(When did they rename the Metrodome Mall of America Field?), Tennessee is at Carolina, Arizona visits Chicago and San Francisco crosses the bay to meet Oakland(Think the Niners will bus, or fly? Why not fly? I actually flew from one side of the bay to the other, about a zillion years ago).

Pittsburgh plays at Denver on Sunday.

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The Bare and Ye Cubb is performed on this date in 1665 by three local residents of Virginia, becoming the first play performed in America. They were fined for performing in public.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

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

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

CFL Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Edmonton Eskimos 7:00pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Joiliet, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

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

NFL Preseason Football: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec 2:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 4:05pm EDT

Baseball: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 8:00pm EDT

Monday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 9:15pm EDT

Thursday --

NFL Preseason Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans 8:00pm EDT

Friday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 6:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Kentucky 300 at Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

CFL Football: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 8:00pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 7:30pm EDT

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That's it for now. See you tomorrow.

It's Thursday!

It's Thursday. No better way to start your day than with the Johnny Blog. So, here's what's happening....

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Today is August 26th, the 238th day of 2010. There are 127 days left in the year.

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Bettman says NHL aiming for better things in 2010-2011.

Bettman: No new Kovalchuk contract submitted yet.

NHL unveils 2010-11 national broadcast schedule.

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Today is National Dog Day.







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Has a Tri-City Storm jersey ever looked so good?

Oshie developing into big-time playmaker for St. Louis Blues.

Craig Sarner returns to Sioux Falls as Director of Player Personnel.

Blue liner Hartwick bound for Quad Cities.

Gamblers introduce new Head Coach/G.M. Eric Rud.

Saints forward Riley Barber helps USA win Five Nations Tournament.

Volunteers put icing on the rink.

Force release tentative roster, hire assistant coach.

Gopher freshman spotlight: Nate Condon.

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Today is Women's Equality Day.

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Tampa Bay Junior Hockey Season Kick-Off

Ellenton, Florida - The Tampa Bay Junior hockey clubs, formerly the Jacksonville IceDogs, officially began preparations for the 2010-2011 season last night at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Center. Players from both Junior teams participated in off-ice work outs, followed by a parents' informational meeting, hosted by Head Coach Brett Strot and General Manager Kevin Wolter.



This is the entrance to the Ellenton Ice and Sports Center.









Head Coach Brett Strot leads players in stretching exercises.









Players also participated in stick handling drill.









This is the ice sheet the teams will play their home games on.









Head Coach Brett Strot (Blue shirt, just left of center) addresses players, staff and parents in the team's locker room. The man in the yellow shirt to the left of the picture is Brian Bradley, the Tampa Bay Lightning's Director of Fan Development, who will also be the Lightning's liason with the Tampa Bay Juniors.



The opening home weekend will be September 11-12th, with the full schedule to be released this week. Prior to the home opener, the Tampa-Minor team will be playing in a four-game Southeast Showcase at the Skatium in Ft. Myers on Labor Day weekend. Tickets will be $5.00 at the door, kids 12 & under Free.

For information on the Tampa Bay Junior program and the Hockey International development model, please visit HI's new website, which is under development, at http://www.tampajr.com/ ….content will continue to be added weekly.

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The World's Fair in New York was the catalyst for the first ever Major League Baseball telecast on this date in 1939, a double-header between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds.

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2011 U.S. Women's National University Team Roster Announced

Squad to Compete in 2011 Winter World University Games,
Jan. 27 - Feb. 6 in Erzurum, Turkey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced the 22-player U.S. Women's National University Team roster, as well as six alternates, for the upcoming 2011 Winter World University Games that will take place Jan. 27-Feb. 6 in Erzurum, Turkey. This marks the first time that the U.S. will be sending a women's team to the biannual event.

The U.S. team is comprised of players from collegiate ice hockey teams affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

"It's pretty exciting to be a part of the first U.S. women's team at this event," said Mo Stroemel, head coach of the U.S. Women's National University Team. "I think our expectations after the tryout are pretty high. We have a diverse group of players who create synergy as a team."

Seven seniors highlight the U.S. roster, including defensemen Shea Crawford (Selbyville, Del./Lindenwood University) and Lindsay Reihl (Cheshire, Conn./Penn State University); forwards Tiffany Juha (Cape Coral, Fla./California University of Pennsylvania), Emily Nelson (Ann Arbor, Mich./University of Michigan), Terra Payne (Gaylord, Mich./Michigan State University) and Ashley Rumsey (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University); and goaltender Heather Rossi (Kunkletown, Pa./Penn State University).

A full roster can be found here.

NOTES: Eleven different states are represented on the U.S. roster, with seven players coming from Michigan. Other states represented include Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia ... Lindenwood University leads all schools with five representatives, while Michigan State University and Penn State University each have four players on the U.S. roster and Grand Valley State University and Robert Morris University Illinois have three ... All members of the U.S. Women's National University Team were selected following the USA Hockey Winter World University Games Evaluation Camp Aug. 6-8 in Grand Rapids, Mich. ... Mo Stroemel (State College, Pa.), who is beginning his fourth season as head coach of the Penn State University Lady Icers, will serve as head coach of the 2011 U.S. Women's National University Team ... Vince O'Mara (St. Louis, Mo.), head coach of the Lindenwood University women's ice hockey team, and Cory Whitaker (Caldedonia, Mich.), head coach of the Grand Valley State University women's ice hockey team, will serve as assistant coaches for Team USA ... For more information on the 2011 Winter World University Games, click here.

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The Nevada State Fair runs today through August 29th in Reno. (Linky link)

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Lightning resign Downie, add Jones to blue line corps.

Lecavalier surgery successful.

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The Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul runs today through September 6th. (Linkity linkables)

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The 5-2 Saskatchewan Roughriders, 2 points behind first-place Calgary in the CFL West, get back into to game action this coming Saturday, August 28th at Edmonton against the 1-6 Eskimos, with kickoff set for 7:00pm EDT on 620CKRM and the Rider Radio Network. Listen links are to the right on this blog. A huge crowd is expected, with over 45,000 tickets already sold for Saturday's game at Commonwealth Stadium.

Check out Riderville.com for the latest on "Canada's (And Clearwater, Florida's) Team."

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The trapped miners in Chile have been told to stay thin. The escape tunnel will be just 26 inches in diameter. By comparison, the average American male's waistline is 39.7 inches.

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Today in Sports History:

1947 - Don Bankhead became the first black pitcher in major league baseball.

1961 - The International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto opened. The project had been approved on September 11, 1943.

1998 - In east Bohemia, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek was fined $30 for speeding when he ran his Ferrari off the road and hit a tree.

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ANAHEIM -- Talk about navigating troubled waters. The last thing any team wants to do while in the midst of a pennant race is to travel west.

The Rays did so, and despite losing, 12-3, to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon, they boarded the team charter back to the Tampa Bay area having completed the road trip to Oakland and Anaheim with a 4-3 mark.

Read the rest here.

The Rays are 78-49, and are tied with the Yankees for first in the A.L. East. Boston trails by 5 1/2 games in both the division and Wild Card races. The Rays have today off, then begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox tomorrow night at 7:10pm EDT, on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. Tampa Bay is home for six games, with three against Boston and three against Toronto. All games through Friday, September 3rd, can be seen on Sun Sports.

Notes: Carlos Pena, who spent time on the disabled list recently, DH'd yesterday as a precautionary measure to rest his sore foot....David Price(15-5, 2.97) will start tomorrow night's game one of the Rays' three-game series with Boston. He'll be opposed by Boston's Jon Lester(13-8, 3.26).

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Remember the British lady who texted her way into the Guinness Book of World Records? Brian Sweet of Texas has posted a video of himself apparently breaking the record - typing the same message in 21.8 seconds. Check out the video.

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The Yankees and Tampa Bay are tied for first in the A.L. East, Boston is 5 1/2 back(The Red Sox trail by 5 1/2 games in the Wild Card chase), Toronto is 11 1/2 back and Baltimore is 33 games out of first.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads the White Sox by 3 1/2 games, they're 9 games ahead of Detroit, with Kansas City 18 back and Cleveland 21 1/2 games behind.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads Oakland by 8 1/2 and the Angels by 10 games, with Seattle trailing by 22 1/2 games.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 2 1/2 games(The Phillies are tied for the Wild Card lead), Florida trails by 9 (They're 6 1/2 back in the Wild Card race), the Mets are 9 1/2 behind(7 back in the Wild Card race) and Washington is 20 out.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati is 3 1/2 games up on St. Louis(The Cards are 1 game behind in the Wild Card race). Milwaukee is 13 1/2 behind, Houston is 15 1/2 back, the Cubs are 19 1/2 behind and Pittsburgh is 30 games off the pace.

San Diego leads the N.L. West by 6 1/2 games over San Francisco(The Giants are tied with Philadelphia in the N.L. Wild Card chase). Colorado is third, 10 1/2 games out(They're 4 games back in the Wild Card race), the Dodgers in fourth, 12 games out(They're 5 1/2 back in the Wild Card race), with Arizona behind by 28.

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Here's Jimmy, checking out the type of equipment he'll have to wear in his future Hall-of-Fame career with either the Detroit Red Wings or Tampa Bay Lightning.










Jimmy and Daddy watch the hockey boys.










Jimmy's discovering how much fun coloring can be.










Want pizza! Want pizza!

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San Francisco -- It could have been remembered as one of the most impressive games in franchise history.

Instead, San Francisco's 12-11 extra-innings loss will go down as one of the rare times players in a Major League clubhouse will openly take the positives out of a loss.

After the Giants posted the largest comeback in team history -- fighting back from a nine-run deficit in the fifth inning to take an 11-10 lead in the eighth -- Reds first baseman Joey Votto drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the top of the 12th inning to cap a record-setting three-game series at AT&T Park.

Read more here.

Notes: San Francisco's offense racked up 38 runs on 53 hits in their three-game series with the Reds....The Giants are off today, and hit the road Tim Lincecum(11-8, 3.72) goes against Arizona's Barry Enright(4-2, 2.73). San Francisco plays 3 games each with Arizona and Colorado to wrap up their 9-game home stand.

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Broderick Thompson, a senior at Indiana University-Bloomington, is organizing what he hopes will be the world's largest dodgeball event this weekend on campus. He needs more than 1,200 people to break the record and says, so far, over 1,750 have signed up. He's turning it into a charity event, too.

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Today in Elvis History:

1961- Elvis Presley's album "Something For Everybody" hit #1 in the U.S.

1969- Elvis Presley's single "Suspicious Minds" was released.

1969- In Las Vegas, Elvis Presley began laughing during a performance of "Are You Lonesome Tonight." The performance was recorded and was released on several RCA releases.

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It's a family affair for Stamps' Raymond.

Eskies need to get mad against Riders.

Visit the league's official website: CFL.ca.

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Today in Beatles History

1963 - The The Beatles played at the Odeon Cinema. The supporting acts were Tommy Quickly, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Cilla Black (who were making their first major appearance on stage.)

1997 - Yoko Ono's "It's Alright (I See Rainbows)" was released.

1997 - Yoko Ono's "Season of Glass [Remaster]" was released.

1997 - Yoko Ono's "Starpeace" was released.

2003 - John Lennon's album "Imagine" was released on a gold disc.

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James Cameron's added nine new minutes of footage to the re-release of Avatar, but will we see a re-re-release in a few months? We say maybe, since Cameron says a total of 45 minutes of film was cut from the original release. (Altogether now: YAAAAAAAAWN!)

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DAY 15 - Double days are in the books; Catchings catches eyes Wednesday.

Jacquizz Rodgers on Doak Walker Award list.

Here's the 2010 Oregon State Beavers' football schedule.

The Beavers begin the 2010 season against TCU on Saturday, September 4th at Cowboys Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45pm EDT, with TV from ESPN, online video stream at ESPN3.com and radio from the Beaver Sports Network.

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Bill Cowher says Ben Roethlisberger is finally showing signs of maturing. (What does that mean, that he's now only sexually harassing women his own age?)

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' doin'

Friday --

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

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

CFL Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Edmonton Eskimos 7:00pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Joiliet, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

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

NFL Preseason Football: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec 2:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 4:05pm EDT

Baseball: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 8:00pm EDT

Monday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 9:15pm EDT

Thursday --

NFL Preseason Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans 8:00pm EDT

Friday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 6:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Kentucky 300 at Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

CFL Football: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 8:00pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 7:30pm EDT

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That's it for now. See you tomorrow.

It's Wednesday!

It's Wednesday. Wake up, fry the hash browns, scramble the eggs, brew the coffee and catch up on the latest with the Johnny Blog. So, here's what's happening....

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Today is August 25th, the 237th day of 2010. There are 128 days left in the year.

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Keeping games fun for kids a concern.

Summit panel analyzes Europe to CHL pipeline.

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Today is Kiss and Make Up Day.

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St. Cloud assistant Rud lands job in Green Bay.

Mike and Mike a boon for UNO's Blais.

Jacks holding tryouts for anthem singers.

No off-season for Force's Johnson.

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Today is National Second-hand wardrobe day.

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Tampa Bay Junior Hockey Season Kick-Off

Ellenton, Florida - The Tampa Bay Junior hockey clubs, formerly the Jacksonville IceDogs, will be starting their first season at the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex as practice begins this week. Hockey International(HI), the parent group of the Tampa Bay Junior teams, will have two teams competing as USAH Tier-III Jr-B squads. The Tampa-Major team will be in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League (MetJHL) with the Tampa-Minor team playing in the Southeast Junior Hockey League (SEJHL).

Regardless of the league, the HI objective is to continue to build on it's successful model which allows players to develop the skills to have the opportunity to compete at upper-levels AND remain in Florida.

The opening home weekend will be September 11-12th, with the full schedule to be released this week. Prior to the home opener, the Tampa-Minor team will be playing in a four-game Southeast Showcase at the Skatium in Ft. Myers on Labor Day weekend. Tickets will be $5.00 at the door, kids 12 & under Free.

Over the last few years, the former Ice Dogs teams have had great team success, having participated in the USAH Tier-III Junior National Championships the past 2 seasons - as a junior team playing in the MetJHL and, the USAH U14 Nationals Championships – prior to becoming a junior team. HI stresses developement of individual player skills as a way to foster team success. The HI teams in Jacksonville have helped advance several players over the past two seasons. Those players include:

(From 2009-10)

Jared Lenner G NAHL Owatonna Express

D.J. Thomas F NAHL Coulee Region Chill

Kevin Mansolill F NAHL Coulee Region Chill

David Ripple D NAHL Coulee Region Chill

Cam Hampson D EJHL New Jersey Hitmen

Taylor Vincent F AJHL Northern Cyclones

Justin Jiminez F AJHL Philadelphia Jr. Flyers


(From 2008-2009)

Brian Ferlin F USHL Indiana Ice/NCAA D-I Cornell University

Sam Calahan G AJHL Boston Bulldogs

Eric Drapluk D EJHL Philadelphia Revolution

Darin Eguchi F WSHL Tulsa Rampage

Greg Gozzo F Avon (Massechusetts) Old Farms 2010 New England DIV- Prep Champs


For information on the Tampa Bay Junior program and the Hockey International development model, please visit HI's new website, which is under development, at www.TampaJR.com ….content will continue to be added weekly.

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It's National Banana Split Day.

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Tampa's Prechae Rodriguez: Slowly working his way in.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, 5-2 in the West, 2 points behind first-place Calgary, get back into to game action this coming Saturday, August 28th at Edmonton against the 1-6 Eskimos, with kickoff set for 7:00pm EDT on 620CKRM and the Rider Radio Network. Listen links are to the right on this blog.

Check out Riderville.com for the latest on "Canada's (And Clearwater, Florida's) Team."

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The NFL has fined wide receiver Chad Ochocinco for tweeting before and during a game. The league said Ochocinco's messages appeared during a prohibited time at the Bengals-Eagles game Friday night. He'll pay $25,000. (You look in the dictionary for the definition of the word idiot and you see his picture.)

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Today in Sports History:

1946 - Ben Hogan won the PGA in Portland, OR. It was his first major golf title.

1985 - Dwight Gooden became the youngest pitcher to win 20 major league baseball games in a season.

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ANAHEIM -- Wade Davis rejoined the rotation without so much as a hiccup Tuesday night and the Rays moved to 30 games over .500 in a 10-3 rout of the Angels at Angel Stadium with 43,577 watching.

The Rays hitters got busy early and, fueled by a 13-hit attack, continued to score throughout the evening to take their fourth consecutive win.

The Rays (78-48) kept pace with the Yankees atop the American League East while moving to 4-2 on the West Coast road trip.

Read the rest here.

The Rays are 78-48, and are tied with the Yankees for first in the A.L. East. Boston trails by 6 games in the Wild Card race. The Rays finish their three-game series against the Angels today at 3:35pm EDT, on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. After today's game with the Angels, Tampa Bay returns home on Friday to begin a six game home stand, with three games against Boston and three against Toronto. All games through Friday, September 3rd, can be seen on Sun Sports.

Notes: Joe Maddon was ejected in the top of the fifth inning yesterday for arguing a call at second base. The ejection was his 4th this season and 15th as Rays manager, tying the franchise record held by Larry Rothschild....Rocco Baldelli is making a strong case to become the Rays' designated hitter. Baldelli had his third consecutive two-hit, two-RBI night Monday for Triple-A Durham, making him 9-for-27 (.333) with two home runs and seven RBIs with the Bulls....Dale Thayer was sent to Triple-AS Durham after last nights game, to open up a roster spot for Jeff Niemann(10-3, 3.12), who goes to the hill tonight for the Rays. He'll be opposed by the Angels' Dan Haren(1-4, 4.39).

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A study into the dating habits of 3,000 women has found they prefer geeky, practical guys over athletic, well-groomed men. (Boy, did my wife ever hit the jackpot!)

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The Yankees and Tampa Bay are tied for first in the A.L. East, Boston is 6 back(The Red Sox trail by 6 games in the Wild Card chase), Toronto is 12 1/2 back and Baltimore is 34 games out of first.

In the A.L. Central, Minnesota leads the White Sox by 3 1/2 games, they're 9 games ahead of Detroit, with Kansas City 19 back and Cleveland 21 1/2 games behind.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads Oakland by 8 1/2 and the Angels by 10 games, with Seattle trailing by 22 games.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads Philadelphia(Because of the number of players used plus ejections in last night's 4-2, 16-inninbg loss to Houston, pitcher Roy Oswalt was forced to play left field) by 2 1/2 games(The Phillies are tied for the Wild Card lead), the Mets are 9 1/2 behind, Florida trails by 10 games and Washington is 20 out.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati is 2 1/2 games up on St. Louis(The Cards are 1 game behind in the Wild Card race). Milwaukee is 12 1/2 behind, Houston is 15 1/2 back, the Cubs are 19 1/2 behind and Pittsburgh is 30 games off the pace.

San Diego leads the N.L. West by 5 1/2 games over San Francisco(The Giants are tied with Philadelphia in the N.L. Wild Card chase). Colorado is third, 10 1/2 games out(They're 5 games back in the Wild Card race), the Dodgers in fourth, 12 games out, with Arizona behind by 27.

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Here's Jimmy one year ago today, going for a car ride.










Jimmy enjoys playtime at the library.










There's Snoopy and Smoke, enjoying a sunny day in the backyard.

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San Francisco -- When the weather is warm, weird things happen at AT&T Park.

On Tuesday, with the first-pitch temperature at 83 degrees and the crowd's patented sweatshirts nowhere to be seen, the Giants made AT&T Park's cavernous outfield look like a bandbox ballpark.

Four Giants hit home runs -- with the Reds adding three of their own -- as San Francisco put on a rare power display and outslugged Cincinnati, 16-5, to secure a tie with Philadelphia at the top of the National League Wild Card race.

Read more here.

Notes: Yesterday's 16 runs scored are the most this season, topping the 15 scored at Milwaukee on July 7th....Buster Posey hit his 10th homer and knocked in 3 runs yesterday. 7 of his last 17 hits have gone for extra bases....Freddy Sanchez Freddy is hitting .485 (16-for-33) in his last nine games....Madison Bumgarner(5-4, 3.20) opposes Cincinnati's Homer Bailey(3-2, 4.52), in game 3 of this 9-game home stand for the Giants. They'll play 3 games each against the Reds, Arizona and Colorado.

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A 56-year-old Kansas chimpanzee has given birth. She'd been taken off of birth control for health reasons and zoo officials didn't think she could still conceive.

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Today in Elvis History:

1958- In Texas, Elvis Presley reported back to Fort Hood.

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Serious soul searching in Bomberland.

Dickenson finding success calling plays.

Visit the league's official website: CFL.ca.

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Today in Beatles History

1964 - The Beatles single "A Hard Day's Night" was certified gold by the RIAA.

1965 - The Beatles' movie "Help!" opened in the U.S.

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An Old Spice TV ad has won an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. The ad, like so many Old Spice ads this summer, stars former NFL wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa. Here's the commercial.

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Day 14: Big Plays highlight team's second scrimmage.

Here's the 2010 Oregon State Beavers' football schedule.

The Beavers begin the 2010 season against TCU on Saturday, September 4th at Cowboys Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45pm EDT, with TV from ESPN, online video stream at ESPN3.com and radio from the Beaver Sports Network.

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Tiger Woods' former mistress Rachel Uchitel says she would give up everything to be back with Tiger. (She doesn't want to marry him but after he remarries she wants to be his mistress again.)

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angels Angels 3:35pm EDT

Baseball: Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants 3:45pm EDT

Thursday --

Nothin' doin'

Friday --

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

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

CFL Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Edmonton Eskimos 7:00pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Joiliet, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

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

NFL Preseason Football: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec 2:00pm EDT

Baseball: Arizona Diamonbacks at San Francisco Giants 4:05pm EDT

Baseball: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 8:00pm EDT

Monday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Baseball: Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 9:15pm EDT

Thursday --

NFL Preseason Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans 8:00pm EDT

Friday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series: Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 6:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Izod Indy Car Series: Kentucky 300 at Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky 8:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

CFL Football: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 8:00pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 7:30pm EDT

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That's all for today. See you tomorrow