It's Friday

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

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Today is September 28th, the 272nd day of 2012. There are 94 days left in the year.

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CBA negotiations to resume Friday.

Davidson reportedly leaving Blues' front office.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Jeffrey Jones (Dean of Students Edward R. Rooney in John Hughes) is 66; actress-director Mira Sorvino is 45; actress Naomi Watts is 44; actress Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire) is 25.

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U.S. Women's National Team Roster Named For 2012 Four Nations Cup Twelve Olympians included on Team USA roster COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Twelve Olympians highlight the 23-player U.S. Women’s National Team roster that will compete in the 2012 Women’s Four Nations Cup in Vantaa and Kerava, Finland from Nov. 5-10. “We’ve got a terrific team assembled to compete in the Four Nations Cup,” said Katey Stone (Arlington, Mass.), head coach of Team USA. “I feel this tournament will provide an excellent gauge of where we are as a team as we continue to evaluate players and progress toward the 2014 Olympics.” Among the 12 Olympians are Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.), who has not only played in three Olympic Winter Games, but also in 10 previous Four Nations Cups. Others include defensemen Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Lisa Chesson (Plainfield, Ill.), and Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.); forwards Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.),Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio), and Karen Thatcher (Blaine, Wash.); and goaltenders Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.) and Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.). “From the veteran Olympians to the newcomers, we are confident in this team's ability to give our program a great start to the 2012-2013 season,” said Reagan Carey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), director of women’s hockey. For the complete roster, click here. Prior to the start of the Four Nations Cup, the team will participate in a training camp at the New York Rangers’ Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, N.Y., from Oct. 30 - Nov. 4. The camp will include 12 players from the team headed to the Four Nations Cup and select skaters from the 2012 U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team player pool. At the conclusion of the camp, the 11 NCAA players who complete the U.S. roster will meet the rest of the team in Finland. Team USA opens Four Nations Cup play on Nov. 6 against Sweden at 4 p.m. local time at the Tikkurila Valtti Arena in Vantaa, Finland. NOTES: Team USA is the defending Four Nations Cup champion. Kelli Stack was named the top forward in the event a year ago with seven points in four games… Members of the U.S. Women's National Team hail from 12 states, including four each from Massachusetts and Wisconsin, three from Minnesota and Illinois; two from North Dakota; and one each from Idaho, New York, Connecticut, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, and Washington ... A total of 19 players on the U.S. roster have played in at least one IIHF Women’s World Championship … The Four Nations Cup is an annual tournament featuring the four of the top women's hockey teams in the world - the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden. 2012 Four Nations Cup November 5-10 - Vantaa & Kerava, Finland Date Opponent Location Time (Local/EDT) Tues., Nov. 6 Sweden Tikkurila Valttie Arena 4 p.m./9 a.m. Wed., Nov. 7 Canada Tikkurila Valttie Arena 4 p.m./9 a.m. Fri., Nov. 9 Finland Tikkurila Valttie Arena 7 p.m./12 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10 Bronze Medal Game Tikkurila Valttie Arena 2 p.m./7 a.m. Sat., Nov. 10 Gold Medal Game Tikkurila Valttie Arena 5 p.m./10 a.m. Note: Tikkurila Valttie Arena located in Vantaa, Finland Scotty Bowman to Drop Ceremonial First Puck at Inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game Legendary Coach Spent Seven Seasons With Buffalo Sabres COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Scotty Bowman will drop the ceremonial first puck at the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game Saturday (Sept. 29) at First Niagara Center, home of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres. The legendary coach spent seven seasons with the Sabres (1979-87) and had a hand in bringing Phil Housley and Rob McClanahan, who will serve as head coaches for the event, to the organization. Bowman spent 30 seasons in the National Hockey League as head coach of five teams, including the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, where he compiled NHL records for regular-season wins (1,244), Stanley Cup Playoff wins (233), Stanley Cup titles as a head coach (9) and appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals (13). He was awarded the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach in 1977 and 1996 and has since added three more Stanley Cup titles as a member of NHL front offices. Opening faceoff for the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game is set for 7:00 p.m. (EDT) and ticket information is available by visiting AllAmericanProspectsGame.com. For complete Team Housley and Team McClanahan rosters, click here. Follow @USAHockey and @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information regarding the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game and join the conversation by using #AAPG. Notes: FASTHockey.com will provide a free-for-view stream of the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game ... Both practices prior to the game Saturday will be open to the public. Team Housley will skate from 9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. while Team McClanahan takes to the ice from 10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. ... Two youth games will precede the game Saturday and are free of charge to the public. At 12:30 p.m. the Buffalo Saints 18U will host the Amherst Knights 18U team. Immediately following that contest, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 18U team will play host to the Greater Boston Jr. Bruins 18U squad at 2:30 p.m. ... Team Housley will wear blue uniforms and Team McClanahan will wear white uniforms. Both sets of uniforms for the event were designed by Nike and can be viewed here ... Nick Fohr, assistant coach for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 Team will serve as an assistant to Housley, while Don Granato, head coach for USA Hockey's NTDP Under-18 Team, will serve at McClanahan's assistant coach ... Additional staff for the event include General Manager Jim Johannson, Director of Player Personnel Tim Taylor, Athletic Trainer Jason Hodges, Equipment Manager Jake Visser and Director of Hockey Operations Ryan Breen ... Players selected to compete in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting ... Of the 40 players competing in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, 30 are from the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in America, including 21 from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Additionally, some 34 of the 40 are future NCAA Division I college players ... Players selected to participate represent 13 different states. Minnesota leads the way with eight, followed by Michigan (6) and Massachusetts (5). Other states include California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin ... Four players from the USHL's Waterloo Blackhawks are among the players selected, including two goaltenders.

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Just out Thursday, an Angry Birds sequel is already No. 1 among all paid iPhone and iPad apps. Bad Piggies offers a twist on the simple birds-versus-pigs scenario. The new game places you on the side of the pigs to help them crack the eggs of the angry birds. Instead of the usual gameplay, Bad Piggies challenges you with a series of puzzles in which you build devices to move the pigs to each destination.

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Oregon State (2-0, 1-0 in Pac-12), ranked No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 21 in the USA Today poll, will  play its second straight conference game on the road, traveling to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats (3-1, 0-1). The game will kickoff at approximately 10 p.m. EDT tomorrow night and air nationwide on the Pac-12 Networks. You can also catch the game on 1190 KEX and the Beaver Sports Network, or through the listen link on the left side of this page.

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Saturday is Ready to Rake? Day, a day to prepare for the upcoming chore of leaf-raking by making sure your tools are good shape.

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CFL.ca Online Water Cooler: Week 13.

Moffat: Als hoping Trent's the Guy on special teams.

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

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My Miniature Schnauzer, Meggie May Meissner, would be 14 years old today. She is directly responsible for my meeting and marrying my wife Kim and for us subsequently having Jimmy in our lives. Happy Birthday Meggie May. We love you and miss you.

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Collins becoming a fixture on the Riders.

The Sunday win over Calgary squares the Saskatchewan Roughriders' record at 6-6 for 12 points, 2 points behind the 7-5 Stampeders in the CFL West. Next up for the Riders is a home game tomorrow night, September 29th against the West-leading BC Lions, a team they beat 23-20 in week #3 and lost to 24-5 in week #8. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is set for 10:00pm EDT. Hear the game on 620 CKRM, or via the listen link on the left side of this page. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. online at ESPN3.com.

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

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An Arizona ski resort will become the first ski resort to make artificial snow from sewage. [Nothing's prettier than autumn sunlight glistening on yellow snow.]

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Tampa, FL. — With Adrian Clayborn headed to injured reserve, the Bucs have brought in former Saint Jeff Charleston to shore up the defensive end position.

Read the rest here.

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Lucky Bostonians can now dine at a restaurant that is carding for an alcoholic pizza. Salvatore's Restaurant is serving up alcohol-infused creations, including a Vignola cherry pizza, where dried Italian cherries are soaked with raspberry vodka, on top of a pizza with mozzarella, Gorgonzola, prosciutto, and orange blossom honey.

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Jimmy is quite the photographer, isn't he?

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....Washing dishes, taking Jimmy to school and Rays Baseball. How 'bout you?

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Chicago, IL. -- Evan Longoria celebrated early, but he celebrated the one-year anniversary of Game No. 162 in grand style Thursday night. A day before the anniversary of the most famous game in team history, Longoria clubbed a game-winning home run in the ninth inning to break a tie to lead Tampa Bay (86-70) to a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox (82-74) at U.S. Cellular Field with 18,630 watching.

Read the rest here.

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Two cousins allegedly were shoplifting rings at a mall store in Florida while their children, ages 4 and 6, were home alone. The two children were left alone unsupervised for more than an hour.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Anybody wishing to discern the difference between the 2010 Giants and this year's club can begin by examining Barry Zito. The Giants won the World Series two years ago with a self-described collection of castoffs and misfits who repeatedly played pressurized games described as "torture." By contrast, the current National League West champions consider themselves "fighters," as players such as Buster Posey and Angel Pagan have said, who form a team with character as opposed to a team of characters. The two-year metamorphosis, which continued Thursday with San Francisco's 7-3 triumph over the Arizona Diamondbacks, is personified by Zito, whom AT&T Park fans once reviled but now embrace.

Read the rest here.

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Reese Witherspoon had her third baby Thursday. Reese and husband Jim Toth have named the little boy Tennessee James.

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Today in Elvis History

1993 - The Elvis Presley compilation boxed CD-set "From Nashville To Memphis - The Essential '60s Masters 1" was released.
 
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San Diego, CA, was discovered by Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo on this date in 1542.

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Today in Beatles History:

1976 - A&M Records sued George Harrison for failing to deliver his LP "33 1/3" on time.

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On this date in 1787, The U.S. Congress voted to send the new Constitution of the United States to the state legislatures for their approval.

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Today in Sports History:

1892 -  The first nighttime football game in the U.S. took place under electric lights. The game was between the Mansfield State Normal School and the Wyoming Seminary.

1919 - The New York Giants beat Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 in a day game that lasted 51 minutes. The time set a National League record.

1941 - Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox) hit .400 for the season. He was the last major league player of the century to achieve this statistic.

1955 - The World Series was televised in color for the first time. The game was between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1968 - The Atlanta Chiefs won the first North American Soccer League Championship.

1978 - Don Sherman, editor of Car & Driver, set a new Class E record in Utah. Driving the Mazda RX7 he reached a speed of 183.904 mph.

1991 - Michael Jordan was a guest on "Saturday Night Live."

1995 - Randy Myers (Chicago Cubs) was charged by a 27-year-old man while standing in the outfield. Myers saw him coming, dropped his glove and knocked the man down with his forearm.

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"The Boys From Boise" was shown on WABD in New York on this date in 1944 as the first full-length comedy written for television.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox 8:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 10:05pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- One Main Financial 200 at Dover International Speedway 3:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 8:35pm EDT

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers at Arizona Wildcats 10:00pm EDT

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

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox 2:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres 4:05pm EDT 

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Redskins 4:25pm EDT

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!