It's Friday!

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

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Today is Cow Appreciation Day.

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Jay Feaster, former Lightning G.M., joins Calgary as Assistant G.M.

Shea Weber named Nashville captain.

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Lebron James announced Thursday that he will join the Miami Heat this fall. (I was never more thankful NOT to have cable than I was last night. This whole where will he play garbage was just that. Garbage. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted this open letter to Cavs fans last night. See if you notice any bitterness. You think Alex Rodriguez was booed lustily the first time he returned to Seattle after signing with Texas? You ain't seen nothin' 'til you see the reception James is sure to get the first time he returns to Cleveland with Miami. THAT will be big news for sure!)

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Today in Sports History:

1968 - The first All-Star baseball game to be played indoors took place at the Astrodome in Houston, TX.

1985 - Herschel Walker of the New Jersey Generals was named the Most Valuable Player in the United States Football League (USFL).

1985 - Joe Namath, signed a five-year pact with ABC-TV to provide commentary for "Monday Night Football".

1997 - Mike Tyson was banned from the boxing ring and fined $3 million for biting the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield.

2000 - Pete Sampras of the United States set a record when he won the men's singles tennis championship at Wimbledon. It was his 13th Grand Slam title.

2002 - The major league baseball All-Star game ended in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig called the game after both team managers informed him that they had run out of players.

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Police in Dublin, Ireland, say a penguin stolen from a city zoo was tracked using a microchip and recovered from a city street. (Dublin? I would have guessed this story came out of Pittsburgh.)

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Riders add Montez Murphy to practice roster.

Rider dynamic duo friends on and off field.

The Riders travel to Vancouver to play the BC Lions tomorrow night at Empire Stadium. Kickoff is at 10:00pm EDT. Listen links are to the right on this blog.

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The last PT Cruiser will roll off the production line today (Friday) in Mexico. The car won the North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit auto show in January 2001.

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Carl Crawford homered twice and drove in four runs last might, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to their sixth straight win, a 5-2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians, before an intimate gathering of 16,892 at Tropicana Field.

Michael Brantley led off the game with his first major league home run, putting Cleveland on top 1-0. The Rays responded in their half of the first, as Crawford's first home run of the night also brought home Ben Zobrist, putting Tampa Bay on top 2-1. Andy Marte tied it for the Indians with a one-out homer in the second, making the score 2-2. The Rays then mounted the winning rally in the third. Crawford homered with Zobrist on base again, putting Tampa Bay on top 4-2, then Carlos Pena swatted a two-out homer to left and the Rays cruised from there to the 5-2 win.

Wade Davis put together a good outing for Tampa Bay, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, with 4 strike outs and 4 walks in 7 innings, to improve to 6-9, his first win since May 29th. Dan Wheeler got the final four outs to record his first save of the season. Jake Westbrook went 6 innings for Cleveland, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits with 7 strike outs and 0 walks, but saw his record slip to 5-5.

Tampa Bay is now 52-33, 7-1 in July, have won six straight, and are second in the A.L. East, 2 games back of the Yankees. The Rays are home against Cleveland again tonight, with first pitch set for 7:10pm EDT. You can hear all the action on 620AM WDAE and the Rays Radio Network. Tonight's game can be also seen on on Sun Sports. MLB's All-Star break comes up after the Cleveland series. After this home stand and the All-Star Break, the Rays head out for nine games, starting with a huge three-game set at the Yankees beginning on Friday, July 17th. Tampa Bay will also play three at Baltimore and three at Cleveland, before returning home on Monday, July 26th for their longest home stand of the season, 11 games, with the first of a four-game set against Detroit, to be followed by three against the Yankees and four against Minnesota.

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Betty White will be inducted to the California Hall of Fame in December. The Golden State will also induct Tennis star Serena Williams and singer Barbra Streisand.

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The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 2 games over Tampa Bay and 5 over Boston. Toronto is 11 1/2 back and Baltimore is 28 games behind.

In the A.L. Central, Detroit leads Minnesota by 1/2 game, the White Sox are 2 games behind, Kansas City is 8 back and Cleveland is 14 games off the pace.

Out in the (not-so)wild A.L. West, Texas leads the Angels by 5 1/2 games, Oakland is 9 1/2 back and Seattle trails by 16.

In the N.L. East, Atlanta leads the Mets by 3 games, Philadelphia is 5 1/2 behind, while Florida is 10 back and Washington trails by 12 1/2.

In the N.L. Central, Cincinnati leads St. Louis by 3 games, Chicago is 10 1/2 behind and Milwaukee trails by 11 1/2, Houston is 13 1/2 behind, and Pittsburgh is 18 games off the pace.

San Diego leads the Dodgers and Colorado by 3 games in the N.L. West, San Francisco is 5 behind and Arizona is still last, 17 1/2 games out of first.

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A 29-year-old man in Carroll County, Georgia, held his mother hostage at gunpoint for six hours because she refused to iron his shirts. He lives with his parents and won't iron his own shirts because he thinks ironing is women's work. (Apparently, he's never heard of Iron Man.)

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Kyle Osterberg to play for USNTDP instead of Lancers.

Former Waterloo Black Hawk Michael Annett to race in Nascar Nationwide series' Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway tonight.

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Nothing like a little ice water on a hot summer day.

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Today in Elvis History:

1957 - In Memphis, Elvis Presley attended the premiere of "Loving You."

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July is Family Reunion Month.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series: Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois 7:30pm EDT

Arena Football: Tampa Bay Storm at Dallas Vigilantes 8:00pm EDT

Saturday --

Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Tampa Bay Rays 7:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series: LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois 7:30pm EDT

CFL Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions 10:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Tampa Bay Rays 1:40pm EDT

Baseball: XM All Star Futures game at Anaheim 6:00pm EDT on ESPN2

Monday --

Baseball: All-Star Break

Tuesday --

Baseball: MLB All-Star Game at Anaheim 8:00pm EDT on FOX

Wednesday --

Baseball: All-Star Break

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

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

Saturday --

CFL Football: Edmonton Eskimos at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4:00pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 4:10pm EDT

Arena Football: Tampa Bay Storm at Jacksonville Sharks 7:00pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series: Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Indy Car: Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto, Ontario 12:30pm EDT

Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 1:05pm EDT

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That's all for now. Enjoy your Friday, see you tomorrow!