Monday Morning Meissnervations

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

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Today is January 28th, the 28th day of 2013. There are 337 days left in the year.

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More power plays, better proficiency in first week.

NHLN, NHL.com to go behind scenes at Gretzky camp.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Alan Alda (M*A*S*H) is 77; Joey Fatone of 'N Sync is 36; Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is 33; Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings) is 32; Ariel Winter (Modern Family) is 15.

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Tampa, FL. -- The National Hockey League might want to consider issuing a league-wide memorandum to each of the other 29 teams, suggesting this:

Don’t bring a winning streak into the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Read the rest here.

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This is Bubblewrap Appreciation Day.

... "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett appeared on the cover of the July 1997 issue of Playboy magazine wrapped in Bubble Wrap.

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U.S. National Sled Team Wins USA Hockey Sled Cup; Defeats Korea 5-2 Dan McCoy Scored Twice in Championship Game INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. – The U.S. National Sled Team won the inaugural USA Hockey Sled Cup by defeating Korea, 5-2, here tonight at the Extreme Ice Center. Dan McCoy (Cheswick, Pa.) scored two goals, while four other U.S. players also had multi-point efforts in the championship game. "It's always fun to win and to do so on home ice is exciting for all of us," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. "We had to fight hard to win this game tonight because Korea gave it their all. We scored the goals and made the key plays in the game when necessary to get the victory." Team USA capitalized on its first power-play opportunity of the night at 3:21 of the first period. Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.) drove through the low slot with a defender on his hip and managed to tip a crossing pass from Greg Shaw(Merritt Island, Fla.) into the net. Midway through the second period the teams exchanged goals. Team USA took a 2-0 lead at 6:05 on a McCoy breakaway that was created by Kevin McKee's (Davenport, Iowa) long pass from the U.S. blue line. A minute and a half later, Korea scored on a deflected point shot. Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) put the U.S. ahead 3-1 with a power-play goal that he lofted in from the left circle at 9:17. At 5:20 of the third stanza, Korea cut the U.S. lead to a single goal when it scored on a five-on-three advantage. Team USA bounced back, however, with a shorthanded marker just 47 seconds later. Joshua Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.) forced the puck free near center ice, where Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.) scooped it up and cruised in alone. Page faked left then tucked the puck inside the right post for a 4-2 U.S. lead. McCoy locked up the win for Team USA with 2:29 remaining in the game when his shot from the edge of the crease hit the netminder and trickled over the goal line. Goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) made 10 saves, while Korea's Mangyun Yu turned aside 18 shots. In the USA Hockey Sled Cup third-place game, Russia prevailed over the U.S. National Developmental Team 7-0. Up next for the U.S. National Sled Team is a three-game series against Canada Feb. 14-16. All three games will be played in Ottawa, Ont. Scoring By Period Team 1 2 3 Total Korea 0 1 1 2 USA 1 2 2 5 First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Schaus (Shaw, Page), 3:21 (pp). Penalties: KOR, Park (holding), 2:52; USA, Landeros (roughing), 6:16; USA, Roman (roughing), 7:39; USA, McKee (slashing), 9:30; KOR, Lee (interference), 9:45; USA, Farmer (delay of game), 12:53. Second Period – Scoring: 2, USA, McCoy (McKee, Pauls), 6:05; 3, KOR, Cho (Jang), 7:34; 4, USA, Landeros (Pauls, Salamone), 9:17 (pp). Penalties: USA, Roman (delay of game), 3:43; KOR, Lee (roughing), 8:33; KOR, Lee (holding), 9:56; USA, Landeros (interference), 13:57. Third Period – Scoring: 5, KOR, Jung (unassisted), 5:20 (pp); 6, USA, Page (Sweeney), 6:07 (sh); 7, USA, McCoy (McKee, Salamone), 12:31. Penalties: KOR, Han (roughing), 3:05; USA, Sweeney (T-boning), 3:45; USA, Salamone (roughing), 5:12; KOR, Kim (roughing), 13:52. Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total KOR 3 4 5 12 USA 6 7 10 23 Goaltender (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total KOR, Yu, 44:18 5/6 5/7 8/10 18/23 KOR, Shin, 0:42 -- -- 0/0 0/0 USA, Cash, 45:00 3/3 3/4 4/5 10/12 Power Play: KOR 1-8; USA, 2-6 Penalties: KOR 6-12; USA, 8-16 2013 USA Hockey Sled Cup Jan. 23-26 - Indian Trail, N.C. - Extreme Ice Center Date Match-Up Result/Time (EST) FastHockey.com Wed., Jan. 23 Korea vs. Russia U.S. vs. U.S. Developmental 4-2 5-0 Live Stream Live Stream Thurs., Jan. 24 U.S. Developmental vs. Korea Russia vs. U.S. 1-5 0-4 Live Stream Live Stream Fri., Jan. 25 U.S. Developmental vs. Russia U.S. vs. Korea 1-5 3-0 Live Stream Live Stream Sat., Jan. 26 Third-Place Game: U.S. Developmental vs. Russia 0-7 Live Stream Sat., Jan. 26 Championship Game: U.S. vs. Korea  5-2 Live Stream NOTES: Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) led the tournament in points (7) and assists (5) ... Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), former men's ice hockey head coach at Colorado College and the University of Wisconsin, is the head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team, while Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.) is the assistant coach ... Mike MacMillan(Buffalo, Minn.) is the head coach of the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team, while Kip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass.) is the associate head coach ... Follow @USAHockey and @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. For additional coverage, visit usahockey.com and USA Hockey's Facebook... Media wishing to cover the event should contact Matt Trevor (mattT@usahockey.org) of the USA Hockey communications staff ... Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Sled Team, while Jeremy Kennedy (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team ... The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team for the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will be chosen this summer.

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Danica Patrick announced that she's dating fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [It's true. Even Notre Dame linebacker Mantoi Te'o has seen the two of them together.]

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Reid ready to take on mentorship role with Lions.

Marshall and Sams named Eskimo coordinators.

Visit the league's official website at cfl.ca.

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Last week the Internet went bonkers for the UpperCupper, a special iPhone case with a cup holder attached. Turns out it was a prank product made to look real with a convincing photo.

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Tampa, FL. — Few teams made the kind of collective impact the Bucs did in this year’s all-star game, as Tampa Bay Pro Bowlers Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin and Gerald McCoy combined for three TDs and a key turnover.

Read the rest here.

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The Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out Sunday night. USA Today has the winner's list.

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Merry Christmas Daddy.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as starting a new week, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley appeared on the Dorsey brothers' "Stage Show." It was Elvis' first network television appearance. 

1963 - Production began on the Elvis Presley film "Fun In Acapulco."

1970 - "From Elvis In Memphis" was certified gold by the RIAA.

2005 - Lisa Marie Presley's single "Dirty Laundry" was played on AOL's First Listen.

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A new study says morning cardio is most effective when done while really hungry. Researchers (University of Northumbria) studied the effects of an empty stomach on exercise, and found that people who exercise on an empty stomach can burn 20 percent more body fat than those exercising after breakfast.

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Today in Beatles History:

1992 - George Harrison's "Living in the Material World" was released on compact disc. The album was originally released on May 30, 1973.

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A Massachusetts woman says her 6-year-old took a jewelry box of family heirlooms because he wanted to show it off to a classmate he calls his girlfriend. But Diane DeNapoli's boy lost the box, which contained her great-grandmother's watch, her late mom's engagement ring and her grandparents' wedding rings. She's offering a reward for their return.

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Today in Sports History:

1904 - The University of Chicago awarded blankets with the letter C to all seniors that played football during the 1903 season. This event marked the beginning of the sports letter tradition. 

1922 - The National Football League franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.

1948 - Max Bentley (Chicago Blackhawks) scored 4 goals and his brother Doug assisted on all of them. Doug also had a goal in the game.

1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that circus clown Emmett Kelly had been hired to entertain fans at baseball games.

1958 - Roy Campanella (Brooklyn Dodgers) was seriously injured in an auto accident in New York. He would never return to play again.

1990 - Aaron Neville sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIV. Joe Montana got his third MVP award. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10.

1996 - Diana Ross performed as the featured halftime performer at Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. It was the fifth Super Bowl for the Cowboys.

2003 - The WNBA announced that Connecticut had been awarded a franchise for the 2003 season. The team, the Connecticut Sun, was the first WNBA team to be owned by a non-NBA owner (the Mohegan Sun).    

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The poorly reviewed action-comedy Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters debuted in first place at movie theaters over the weekend, bringing in about $19 million. Movie 43 bombed with a sixth place open.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 9:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nothin' Doin'

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

It's Saturday

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

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Today is January 26th, the 26th day of 2013. There are 339 days left in the year.

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Gomez likely to debut for Sharks on Saturday.

Flyers sign vet Knuble, lose Meszaros for month.

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

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Vicente Yáñez Pinzón discovered Brazil on this date in 1500.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to struggle in the second period. The third period is another story.

Read the rest here.

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Stanislaus I formally abdicated as King of Poland on this date in 1736.

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Brian Fishman Internship Applications Now Being Accepted 2013 Marks Beginning of Two-Year BFI Term COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Applications for the 15th annual Brian Fishman Internship are now being accepted, USA Hockey announced today. The Brian Fishman Internship, one of the most prestigious opportunities in amateur sports, is awarded annually to an outstanding college graduate pursuing a career in athletic communications. It was established in 1999 in honor of the late Brian Fishman, who served as the manager of communications and marketing for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He died unexpectedly on Jan. 7, 1999, at age 28. The Brian Fishman Internship is a two-year program, with the first year spent at USA Hockey's national headquarters in Colorado Springs., Colo., and the second year at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Brian Fishman Intern will assist with various communications projects, event promotions and publishing initiatives, including work with USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world. Applications must be received by USA Hockey no later than Friday, March 22. Those interested should forward a completed application form, current résumé, list of references and samples of work produced. Applicants must also submit a brief essay (400-500 words) in which they detail their interest in The Brian Fishman Internship and relate their personal and professional characteristics to those that were reflective of Brian, including determination, integrity and a love of hockey. Application forms are available at BrianFishmanInternship.com. Successful candidates will have gained substantial experience working in their college or university sports information office. Preference will also be given to those who have earned an undergraduate degree in journalism, English, communications, sports management or a related field. Applicants should represent the high ideals characterized by Brian in both the personal and professional aspects of his life, including determination, integrity and enthusiasm. The recipient of The Brian Fishman Internship will be chosen by a committee that includes representatives of collegiate athletic programs; print and electronic media; USA Hockey and its National Team Development Program; and the Fishman family. NOTES: Previous Brian Fishman Interns include (most recent listed first): Brian Smith (Woburn, Mass./Boston College), Alex DiFilippo (East Tawas, Mich./Michigan State University) Caryn Switaj (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston College), Matt Caracappa (Randolph, N.J./Penn State University), Carly Peters (Bloomington, Minn./Syracuse University), Chris Peters (Chicago, Ill./Iowa State University), Craig Stancher (Calumet, Mich./Michigan Tech University), Alex Clark (Glenview, Ill./Colgate University), Christy Jeffries (White Lake, Mich./Boston University), Caitlin Lazaro (Effingham, N.H./University of New Hampshire), Seth Cole (Blue Hill, Maine/St. Michael's College), Yariv Amir (Plainsboro, N.J./Colgate University), Cassy Maxton (Vandalia, Ohio/Miami University) and Jennifer Dame (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Cloud State University) ... To make a contribution to help perpetuate the internship through The USA Hockey Foundation please call 719-538-1162 or visit USAHockeyFoundation.com. U.S. National Sled Team Tops Korea, 3-0, to Remain Perfect at USA Hockey Sled Cup Team USA to face Korea in championship game on Saturday INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. – The U.S. National Sled Team beat Korea, 3-0, during the inaugural USA Hockey Sled Cup here tonight at the Extreme Ice Center. Team USA finished round-robin play 3-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) to advance to the championship game on Saturday (Jan. 26). The title game will be a rematch between Team USA and Team Korea, which suffered its only loss of the tournament tonight. "We played with excellent speed throughout tonight's win," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. "I was pleased once again with our team defense and I liked that all of our forward lines contributed offensively. We will have to be ready for a determined Korea team in tomorrow night's championship game." Team USA seized a 1-0 lead on the second shift of the game as Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) raced down the left wing and around the defense before sliding the puck into the far side of the net. Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) notched his tournament-leading fourth assist on the goal. The U.S. advantage doubled to 2-0 at 13:06 on a tally byPaul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.). Joshua Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.) corralled the puck at the right half-boards and fired it into the slot, where Schaus deflected it under the sprawling goaltender. Alex Salamone (Buffalo, N.Y.) stretched Team USA's lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 2:58 of the third period. Salamone scooped up a loose puck at the outer hashmarks of the right circle and weaved his way to the low slot to snap a right-hand shot high into the net. Goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) stopped all six shots he faced through the first two periods. Jen Yung Lee(San Francisco, Calif.) made two saves in the third period. The Korean netminders combined for 14 saves. In afternoon action, the U.S. National Developmental Team lost to Russia, 5-1. The USA Hockey Sled Cup concludes tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 26) with the championship game between the U.S. and Korea at 7:10 p.m. The third-place game will feature the U.S. National Developmental Team vs. Russia at 4:30 p.m. FASTHockey is providing live streaming coverage for all tournament games. Those interested in watching should sign up for a free account in advance at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com Scoring By Period Team 1 2 3 Total Korea 0 0 0 0 USA 0 2 1 3 First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Pauls (Farmer, Roman), 1:47; 2, USA, Schaus (Sweeney, Page), 13:06. Penalties: None. Second Period – Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Landeros (roughing), 1:08; KOR, B. Cho (contact to the head), 1:08; KOR, Y. Cho (checking from behind), 6:07; USA, Landeros (roughing), 7:49; KOR, Han (roughing), 7:49. Third Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Salamone (unassisted), 2:58 (ppg). Penalties: KOR, Park (contact to the head), 2:38; USA, Page (contact to the head), 8:01. Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total KOR 2 4 2 8 USA 6 5 6 17 Goaltender (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total KOR, Yu, 25:13 4/6 3/3 -- 7/9 KOR, Shin, 19:47 -- 2/2 5/6 7/8 USA, Cash, 30:00 2/2 4/4 -- 6/6 USA, Lee, 15:00 -- -- 2/2 2/2 Power Play: KOR 0-1; USA, 1-2 Penalties: KOR 4-8; USA, 3-6 2013 USA Hockey Sled Cup Jan. 23-26 - Indian Trail, N.C. - Extreme Ice Center Date Match-Up Result/Time (EST) FastHockey.com Wed., Jan. 23 Korea vs. Russia U.S. vs. U.S. Developmental 4-2 5-0 Live Stream Live Stream Thurs., Jan. 24 U.S. Developmental vs. Korea Russia vs. U.S. 1-5 0-4 Live Stream Live Stream Fri., Jan. 25 U.S. Developmental vs. Russia U.S. vs. Korea 1-5 3-0 Live Stream Live Stream Sat., Jan. 26 Third-Place Game: U.S. Developmental vs. Russia 4:30 p.m. Live Stream Sat., Jan. 26 Championship Game: U.S. vs. Korea  7:10 p.m. Live Stream NOTES: Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), former men's ice hockey head coach at Colorado College and the University of Wisconsin, is the head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team, while Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.) is the assistant coach ... Mike MacMillan (Buffalo, Minn.) is the head coach of the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team, whileKip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass.) is the associate head coach ... Follow @USAHockey and@USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. For additional coverage, visitusahockey.com and USA Hockey's Facebook ... Media wishing to cover the event should contact Matt Trevor (mattT@usahockey.org) of the USA Hockey communications staff ... Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Sled Team, while Jeremy Kennedy (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team ... The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team for the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will be chosen this summer.

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In a letter to his daughter on this date in 1784, Benjamin Franklin expressed unhappiness over the eagle as the symbol of America. He wanted the symbol to be the turkey.

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Riders pass-catchers will look for full season together.

Morris: Simon says he still has a lot to prove.

Visit the league's official website at cfl.ca.

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The first European settlers in Australia, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, landed in what became known as Sydney on this date in 1788. The group had first settled at Botany Bay eight days before. This day is celebrated as Australia Day.

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Tampa, FL. — The Bucs' young linebacker is a top candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after posting more TFLs than any rookie since Kendrell Bell, who won that award in 2001.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1802, the U.S. Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the U.S. Capitol.

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Coloring and eating at IHOP....A winning combination.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as enjoying a lazy Saturday, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1971 - Elvis Presley began a month-long, 57-show season at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

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On this date in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state to join the United States.

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Today in Beatles History:

1969 - The Beatles recorded covers of "Shake Rattle And Roll," "Kansas City," "Miss Ann," "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," "Blue Suede Shoes," "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Tracks Of My Tears."

1970 - John Lennon wrote and recorded "Instant Karma." 

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The Cullinan diamond, at 3,106.75 carats, was found by Captain Wells at the Premier Mine, near Pretoria, South Africa on this date in 1905.

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Today in Sports History:

1924 - Charles Jewtraw of the United States won the 500-meter speed skating. He was the first Gold Medalist at the Winter Olympics. 

1985 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 49 games.

1990 - Steffi Graf won her 48th consecutive match.

1997 - ZZ Top, James Brown and the Blues Brothers performed at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show. The Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots. It was the third Super Bowl win for the Packers.

2002 - Jennifer Capriati won Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden became the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl appearance for the Buccaneers.

2003 - In Berlin, Lindsay Benko broke the 400 freestyle world record. She became the first to go under the four-minute mark (3 minutes, 59.53 seconds).

2003 - In Berlin, Thomas Rupprath set a new world record in the men's 100 medley. He came in at 52.58.   

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On this date in 1911, inventor Glenn H. Curtiss flew the first successful seaplane.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:30am EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers 6:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 9:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nothin' Doin'

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

It's Friday

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

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Today is January 25th, the 25th day of 2013. There are 340 days left in the year.

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Benn, Stars reach agreement on five-year deal.

You decide: Better celebration ... Yakupov or Fleury?

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

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Today's Birthdays: Adventurer Kay Cottee (first woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world) is 59; Blogger John Meissner (that's me!) is 58; Alicia Keys is 32; Michael Trevino (The Vampire Diaries) is 28.

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Tampa, FL. -- During a 20th Anniversary season in which the Tampa Bay Lightning are celebrating the past, it sure is appropriate that each of the team’s first three games thus far have seemed like turn-back-the-clock night for forward Vincent Lecavalier.

The Lightning captain’s play resembles more and more of that which he put on display from 2005-06 to 2007-08, when he amassed a total of 127 goals and 275 points in a 243-game span.

Read the rest here.

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NEW IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (R); Movie 43 (R); Parker (R)

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U.S. National Sled Team Defeats Russia, 4-0, at USA Hockey Sled Cup Farmer, Pauls and Shaw combine for two goals, four assists INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. – The U.S. National Sled Team defeated Russia, 4-0, during the inaugural USA Hockey Sled Cup here tonight at the Extreme Ice Center. Team USA improves to 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) with a single round-robin game remaining against unbeaten Korea on Friday (Jan. 25). "Our strong play in all three zones led to tonight's victory," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. "We capitalized on turnovers and then kept our defensive focus once we got the lead." Following a scoreless first period, Team USA opened up a 2-0 lead during the first half of the second stanza. Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) sped through the slot with the puck before leaving it behind for an uncovered Greg Shaw(Merritt Island, Fla.), who lifted the puck high into left corner of the net at 2:46. At 6:02, Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa) scooped up a loose puck at the Russian blue line, beat two defenders around the left side and scored low on goaltender Vladimir Kamantcev. The U.S. boosted its lead to 3-0 on Taylor Lipsett's (Plano, Texas) rebound tally just 18 seconds into the third period. Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) and Alex Salamone (Buffalo, N.Y.) received the assists. Declan Farmer(Tampa, Fla.) capped the scoring with a breakaway goal at 10:24. Shaw created the chance by absorbing a Russian double team and dishing off to Farmer inside the offensive zone. Goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) racked up 13 saves for the win. His counterpart on Russia had 31 stops. Before tonight's game, NASCAR driver Joey Logano donated $15,000 to the USA Hockey Foundation. The U.S. National Developmental Team lost to Korea today, 5-1. Tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 25), the U.S. National Team faces Korea at 6:50 p.m., in a rematch of the 2012 International Paralympic Committee World Championship gold medal game, which the U.S. won 5-1. At 4:10 p.m., the U.S. National Developmental Team opposes Russia. FASTHockey is providing live streaming coverage for all tournament games. Those interested in watching should sign up for a free account in advance at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com Scoring By Period Team 1 2 3 Total Russia 0 0 0 0 USA 0 2 2 4 First Period – Scoring: None. Penalties: None. Second Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Shaw (Pauls, Farmer), 2:46; 2, USA, McKee (unassisted), 6:02. Penalties: USA, Carron (interference), 9:54. Third Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Lipsett (Landeros, Salamone), 0:18; 4, USA, Farmer (Shaw, Pauls), 10:24. Penalties: RUS, Lysov (checking from behind), 1:38; RUS, Lisov (roughing), 13:08; USA, Landeros (roughing), 13:08. Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total Russia 3 9 1 13 USA 12 11 12 35 Goaltender (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total RUS, Kamantcev, 45:00 12/12 9/11 10/12 31/35 USA, Cash, 45:00 3/3 9/9 1/1 13/13 Power Play: RUS 0-1; USA, 0-1 Penalties: RUS 2-4; USA, 2-4 2013 USA Hockey Sled Cup Jan. 23-26 - Indian Trail, N.C. - Extreme Ice Center Date Match-Up Result/Time (EST) FastHockey.com Wed., Jan. 23 Korea vs. Russia U.S. vs. U.S. Development 4-2 5-0 Live Stream Live Stream Thurs., Jan. 24 U.S. Development vs. Korea Russia vs. U.S. 1-5 3-0 Live Stream Live Stream Fri., Jan. 25 U.S. Development vs. Russia U.S. vs. Korea 4:10 p.m. 6:50 p.m. Live Stream Live Stream Sat., Jan. 26 Third-Place Game Championship Game  4:30 p.m. 7:10 p.m. Live Stream Live Stream NOTES: Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), former men's ice hockey head coach at Colorado College and the University of Wisconsin, is the head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team, while Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.) is the assistant coach ... Mike MacMillan (Buffalo, Minn.) is the head coach of the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team, whileKip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass.) is the associate head coach ... Follow @USAHockey and@USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. For additional coverage, visitusahockey.com and USA Hockey's Facebook ... Media wishing to cover the event should contact Matt Trevor (mattT@usahockey.org) of the USA Hockey communications staff ... Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Sled Team, while Jeremy Kennedy (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the U.S. National Developmental Sled Team ... The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team for the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will be chosen this summer.

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NEW ON DVD THIS WEEKEND - End of Watch (Jake Gyllenhaal); The Paperboy (Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, Zac Efron); Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren)

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Superman Simon flies to Saskatchewan.

Geroy Simon Trade Reaction from Regina.

Visit the league's official website at cfl.ca.

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HO, HO, HO - It's 11 months till Christmas.

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Tampa, FL. — Rachel Ramirez takes you aboard the 2013 Buccaneers Children's Gasparilla float with GM Mark Dominik, cheerleaders and more..

Read the rest here.

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) say that they are close to retiring most of their research chimpanzees. [Good news: they'll be replaced by TV reality stars.]

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Oh Boy! Christmas dinner at IHOP!

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as celebrating my birthday, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1958 - Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" became the first single to ever enter the U.K. pop chart at Number One. 

1965 - Principal photography began for the Elvis Presely film "Fun in Acupulco."

2005 - "Love, Elvis" was released. It contained remasted versions of 24 of Elvis' greatest love songs. An unreleased alternate take of "For The Good Times" was included. 

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Facebook is teaming up with Save.org (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) to study suicide victims' activity on the social network prior to their deaths. Save.org hopes the collaboration will help family, friends, and social networks better identify warning signs.

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Today in Beatles History:

1980 - Paul McCartney was released from a Tokyo jail where he had been imprisoned for nine days after trying to carry a half pound of marijuana through customs at the Tokyo airport. 

1984 - Yoko One donated $375,000 to Liverpool's Strawberry Fields retirement home.

1990 - Paul McCartney (Beatles) was profiled on CBS-TV's "48 Hours". 

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A 16-year-old girl Indiana allegedly drove 60 miles to beat up another girl who spread rumors about her on Facebook. The victim's mother pulled the teens apart and the attacker left, but police arrested her when she later drove by the other girl's home again.

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Today in Sports History:

1924 - The first Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Winter Olympic Festival, were inaugurated in Chamonix in the French Alps. Sixteen countries sent 294 athletes to compete in five sports and thirteen events.

1981 - The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. The Raiders won the Super Bowl after entering the playoffs as a wildcard team.

1987 - Neil Diamond sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXI.

1987 - The New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI on NBC. The game featured TV commercials cost $550,000 for 30 seconds.

1988 - Rickey Green of the Utah Jazz scored the 5 millionth point in NBA history.

1995 - The defense gave its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson trial.

1998 - The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway. The win also broke the 13 game winning streak of the NFC.

2002 - Ken Hitchcock was fired as head coach of the Dallas Stars. He had a record of 277-160-60-6, five straight division titles and two Stanley Cup finals appearances. His post season record was 47-33.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVIII in San Diego. Coach Jon Gruden, at age 39, was the youngest coach to ever win the title.

2010 - Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title.           

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY - 4.5 million: Pizzas eaten in America every hour.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Ottawa Senators 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:30am EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers 6:00pm EST

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