Wednesday, April 30, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Raptors, Spurs Take 3-2 Series Leads; Rockets Avoid Elimination, Cut Deficit To 3-2

Three games were played on Wednesday as the NBA Playoffs continued.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Toronto:

Kyle Lowry scored a playoff career-high 36 points while DeMar Derozan added 23 as the Toronto Raptors took a three-games-to-two conference quarterfinal series lead over the Brooklyn Nets following their 115-113 game-five home victory.  The Raptors can close out the series with a game-six victory at Brooklyn on Friday.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At San Antonio:

Tony Parker scored 23 points and dished out five assists while Tiago Splitter scored 17 and grabbed 12 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the visiting Dallas Mavericks 109-103 in game five of their opening-round series, despite 28 points from Dallas' Vince Carter, 26 from Dirk Nowitzki, and 21 from Monta Ellis.  The Spurs, who now lead three games to two, can finish off the Mavericks with a game-six victory in Dallas on Friday.

At Houston:

Dwight Howard scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Jeremy Lin added 21 and Chandler Parsons 20 as the Houston Rockets smothered LaMarcus Aldridge, holding him to eight points en route to a elimination-averting 108-98 game-five home win over the Portland Trail Blazers.  Wesley Matthews scored 27 points and Damian Lillard added 26 to pace the Blazers, who still lead the series three games to two and can still finish off the Rockets with a game-six victory at home in Portland on Friday. 

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Rangers, Wild (In OT), Kings (Who Overcome Three-Games-To-None Deficit) Advance To Conference Semifinals At Opening Round Ends

Three games were played on Wednesday as the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs concluded.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At New York:

Daniel Carcillo and Benoit Pouliot each scored a second-period goal while Henrik Lundqvist saved 26 of 27 shots as the New York Ranges held off the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in game seven of their conference quarterfinal series, which they won four games to three.  The Rangers will open their conference semifinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday on the road.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Denver:

Nino Niederreiter scored his second goal of the game at 5:02 of overtime as the Minnesota Wild upended the Colorado Rapids 5-4 in the seventh and deciding game of their opening-round series.  The Wild, who won the series four games to three---their first playoff series triumph since 2003---will take on the defending Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.

At San Jose, California:

Drew Doughty (Power Play), Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli, Dustin Brown (Empty Net), and Tanner Pearson (Empty Net) each scored a goal while Jonathan Quick stopped 39 of 40 shots as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-1 to complete only the fourth comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a seven-game series in Stanley Cup Playoff history.  The Toronto Maple Leafs (1942), New York Islanders (1975), and Philadelphia Flyers (2010) were the only other teams to do the trick.  The Kings will now get ready for their first-ever playoff encounter with the Anaheim Ducks in the conference semifinals.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Clippers (Despite Distractions) and Grizzlies Take 3-2 Series Leads; Wizards Eliminate Bulls In Chicago, Get Pacers-Hawks Winner Next

The NBA Playoffs continued on Tuesday with three games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Chicago:

John Wall scored 24 points and Nene added 20 as the Washington Wizards finished off the Chicago Bulls with a 75-69 road victory in game four of their conference quarterfinal series, ousting the Bulls four games to one.  After only their third playoff-series victory since 1979, the Wizards will next take on the Indiana-Atlanta winner in a conference semifinal series.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Oklahoma City:

Mike Miller scored 21 points (15 of them on five three-point buckets) while Zach Randolph added 20 (to go with his ten rebounds) as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-99 in overtime on the road in their first-round series.  Russell Westbrook scored 30 points to pace the Thunder (to go with his 10 rebounds) while Kevin Durant, whose desperate three-point attempt with 2.9 seconds remaining proved unsuccessful (and Serge Ibaka's tip-in, originally called good but then reversed after video review), scored 26 points.  The Grizzlies, who now lead the series three games to two, can close out the Thunder with a game-six home win in Memphis on Thursday.

At Los Angeles:

DeAndre Jordan scored a playoff career-high 25 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while Chris Paul added 20 as the Los Angeles Clippers, hours after owner Donald Sterling was banned for life from the NBA, outlasted the visiting Golden State Warriors 113-103 in game five of their conference quarterfinal series and took a three-games-to-two lead.  Klay Thompson scored 21 to paced the Warriors.  The Clippers can close out the series with a game-six victory in Oakland on Thursday.


Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flyers Dominate Rangers, Force Game Seven In New York

At Philadelphia:

In the lone Tuesday Stanley Cup Playoff contest, Wayne Simmonds delivered a hat trick, with two of the goals coming on the power play, as the Philadelphia Flyers leveled their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the New York Rangers following their 5-2 home domination in game six.  The series will be decided at New York's Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, with the Pittsburgh Penguins awaiting the winner of this series.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Penguins Hold Off Columbus Rally, Eliminate Blue Jackets; Wild, Kings Force Game Sevens

Three games were played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Columbus, Ohio:

Evgeni Malkin delivered a hat trick (one of the goals on the power play) as the Pittsburgh Penguins nearly blew a four-goal third-period lead but held on to hold off the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 and win their conference quarterfinal series four games to two.  The Penguins will face the winner of the New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers series.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At St. Paul, Minnesota:

Zach Parise scored twice (once on a power play) as the Minnesota Wild scored thrice in the third period and put away the visiting Colorado Avalanche 5-2 to square their first-round series at three games apiece.  The series (and the second-round opponent for the Chicago Blackhawks) will be decided in game seven in Denver on Wednesday.

At Los Angeles:

Justin Williams scored twice as the Los Angeles Kings, who once trailed their conference quarterfinal series three games to none, defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 at home in game six and squared the series at three games apiece.  The Kings are aiming to become only the fourth team in Stanley Cup Playoff history to come back from a three-games-to-none deficit and win a best-of-seven series.  The series will be decided in San Jose on Wednesday with the winner to face off against the Western Conference's top seed, the Anaheim Ducks.

NBA Playoffs: LeBron Helps Heat Complete Sweep Of Bobcats; Hawks Put Pacers On Brink Of Elimination; Spurs Square Series With Mavs At 2-2

The NBA Playoffs continued on Monday with three games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Charlotte, North Carolina:

LeBron James scored 31 points as the Miami Heat completed a four-game conference-quarterfinal series sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats with a 109-98 game-four road victory.  Kemba Walker scored 29 points for Charlotte, who played their final game as the Bobcats.  Next year, they become the new Charlotte Hornets.  This marked the ninth consecutive playoff series won by the Heat, who will face the winner of the Toronto-Brooklyn series, and who have won 20 straight games against the Bobcats, whom in two playoff appearances over ten years, are 0-8 in playoff games.

At Indianapolis:

Shelvin Mack scored 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks knocked off the Indiana Pacers 107-97 in game five of their opening-round series.  The Hawks, who lead the series three games to two, can finish off the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference with a game-six win at home on Thursday.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Dallas:

Manu Ginobili scored 23 points and Boris Diaw, who added 17, hit a go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute as the San Antonio Spurs squared their conference quarterfinal series with the Dallas Mavericks at two games apiece following their 93-89 road victory in game four.

Jack Ramsey, Hall Of Fame Basketball Coach; Coached Blazers To 1977 NBA Title; Longtime ESPN Analyst, R.I.P.

Jack Ramsey, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame who coached the Portland Trail Blazers to their only National Basketball Association title, and in recent years was an ESPN analyst, passed away on Monday at age 89.

Coach Ramsey, known as "Dr. Jack," went through a prolonged battle against cancer.

He spent 20 years as an NBA head coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, Buffalo Braves, Portland Trail Blazers, and Indiana Pacers.  Before that, Jack was men's head basketball coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, where his Hawks played in seven NCAA Tournaments (including a Final Four appearance 1961).

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Timbers Battle Dynamo To 1-1 Draw In Houston; Remain Winless

At Houston:

Gaston Fernandez delivered the equalizer in the 33rd minute as the Portland Timbers gained a 1-1 road draw with the Houston Dynamo in the lone Sunday Major League Soccer contest.  Will Bruin scored for the Dynamo in the 16th minute.

The Timbers, still seeking their first win, at least got their first road point of the season.  The will begin a three-game home stand this coming Saturday against resurgent DC United at 7:30 PM Pacific Time (ROOT Sports Northwest).

NBA Playoffs: Wizards, Blazers Take 3-1 Series Leads; Raptors Square Series With Nets; Warriors Top Clippers To Level Series At 2-2

The NBA Playoffs continued with four games contested on Sunday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Brooklyn:

DeMar DeRoszan scored 24 points while Kyle Lowry added 22 as the Toronto Raptors squared their conference quarterfinal series with the Brooklyn Nets at two games apiece (and reclaimed home-court advantage) following their 87-79 road win in game four.  Paul Pierce paced the Nets with 22 points.

At Washington:

Trevor Ariza scored 30 points as the Washington Wizards defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 98-89 in game four of their conference quarterfinal series despite 32 points from the Bulls' Taj Gibson.  The Wizards, who now lead the series three games to one, can close out the series with a game-five victory in Chicago on Tuesday.





WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Oakland, California:

Stephen Curry scored 33 points while converting a playoff career-high seven three-point shots as the Golden State Warriors leveled their conference quarterfinal series with the Los Angeles Clippers at two games apiece following their 118-97 game-four home domination.

At Portland, Oregon:

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Nicolas Batum added 25, Damian Lillard 23, and Wesley Matthews 21 as the Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the visiting Houston Rockets 123-120 in overtime to win game four of their conference quarterfinal series.  James Harden scored 26 points, Chandler Parsons 26, and Dwight Howard 25 (to go with his 14 rebounds) for the Rockets.  The Blazers, who lead the series three games to one and can finish off the Rockets (and advance beyond the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000) with a game-five victory in Houston on Wednesday night.




Stanley Cup Playoffs: Rangers Take 3-2 Series Lead; Blackhawks, Ducks Advance To Second Round

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with three games played on Sunday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At New York:

Marc Staal, Brad Richards, Dominic Moore, and Brian Boyle each scored a goal Henrik Lundqvist stopped 24 of 26 shots as the New York Rangers defeated the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 to take a three-games-to-two conference quarterfinal series lead.  The Rangers can close out the series with a game-six victory on Tuesday in Philadelphia.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Chicago:

Johnathan Toews (Power Play), Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw, and Duncan Keith each scored a third-period goal while Corey Crawford stopped 35 of 36 shots as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-1 in game five and won their conference quarterfinal series four games to two after dropping the first two contests.  Next up for the defending Stanley Cup champions, a second-round series against the winner of the Colorado-Minnesota series.

At Dallas:

Nick Bonino, who had scored in the third period (at 17:50), scored the game and series-winning goal at 2:47 of overtime as the Anaheim Ducks came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars 5-4 on the road in game six and won their opening-round series four games to two.  Devante Smith-Pelly's equalizer with 19:36 expired in the third period for the Ducks, forced the overtime period.  The Ducks, who closed out the Stars four games to two, will next take on the San Jose-Los Angeles winner in a conference semifinal series.

Thunder Knock Off Sharks In Jacksonville For First Win

At Jacksonville, Florida:

The Portland Thunder (1-5) picked up their first win of the Arena Football League season on Saturday, 69-62 on the road over the Jacksonville Sharks (2-4).

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins Finish Off Wings; Penguins, Avalanche Take 3-2 Series Leads; Kings Stay Alive

Four games were played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Boston:

Loui Eriksson (Power Play), Zdeno Chara (PP), Milan Lucic, and Jerome Iginla each scored a goal and Tuukka Rask stopped 31 of 33 shots as the Boston Bruins defeated the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-2 in game five and won their conference quarterfinal series four games to one.  The Bruins will take on the Montreal Canadiens in the conference semifinals.

At Pittsburgh:

Marc-Andre Fleury saved 23 of 24 shots while Chris Kunitz (Power Play), Jussi Jokinen, and Kris Letang each scored a goal as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 in game five of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Penguins can close out the series with a game-six victory in Columbus on Monday.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Denver:

Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning goal at 3:27 of overtime as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-3 in game five of their opening-round series.  The Avalanche, who lead the series three games to two, can close out the series with a game-six victory in St. Paul on Monday.

At San Jose, California:

Tyler Toffoli, Anze Kopitar, and Jeff Carter (Power Play) each scored a goal while Jonathan Quick saved all 30 shots as the Los Angeles Kings again avoided elimination with their 3-0 road domination of the San Jose Sharks in game five of their first-round series.  The Sharks, who still lead the series three games to two, can close out the Kings with a game-six victory in Los Angeles on Monday.

NBA Playoffs: Lebron Places Bobcats On Brink Of Elimination; Pacers, Thunder Square Respective Series; Mavs Get Home Win Over Spurs, Take 2-1 Series Lead

The NBA Playoffs continued on Saturday with four games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Miami:

A 30-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance from LeBron James carried the Miami Heat past the Charlotte Bobcats 98-85 in game three of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Heat, now leading the series three games to none, can close out the series (and Charlotte's NBA Team's days as the Bobcats) with a game-four victory in Charlotte on Monday.

At Atlanta:

Paul George scored 24 points and grabbed ten rebounds as the Indiana Pacers leveled their conference quarterfinal series with the Atlanta Hawks at two games apiece following their 91-88 game-four victory on the road.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Dallas:

Monta Ellis scored 29 points while Vince Carter connected on a three-point shot at the buzzer as the Dallas Mavericks pulled out a 109-108 game-three home victory over the San Antonio Spurs and take a two-games-to-one first-round series lead.  Tim Duncan scored 22 points for the Spurs.

At Memphis:

Reggie Jackson became Mr. April as he scored 32 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder leveled their opening-round series with the Memphis Grizzlies at two games apiece following their 92-89 game-four overtime road victory.  Marc Gasol paced the Grizzlies with 23 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.

Friday, April 25, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Bulls, Rockets Cut Respective Series Deficits To 2-1 After Road Wins; Nets Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Raptors

The NBA Playoffs continued on Friday with three games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Washington:

Mike Dunleavy scored 35 points as the Chicago Bulls held on to outlast the home-standing Washington Wizards 100-97 in game three of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Wizards still lead two games to one.  Bradley Beal scored 25 points and John Wall added 23 to pace Washington.

At Brooklyn:

Joe Johnson scored 29 points while Deron Williams added 22 as the Brooklyn Nets held off the visiting Toronto Raptors 102-98 to take a two-games-to-one advantage in their opening-round series.  DeMar DeRosan paced the Raptors with 30 points.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Portland, Oregon:

James Harden scored 37 points while Dwight Howard added 24 (to go with his 14 rebounds) and Troy Daniels converted a three-point shot with 11.9 seconds remaining in overtime as the Houston Rockets outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers 121-116 on the road in game three of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Blazers still lead two games to one.  Damian Lillard scored 30 points to pace Portland (whose overall winning streak ended at seven games) while Nicolas Batum added 26 and LaMarcus Aldridge 23 (to go with his 10 rebounds). 

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Blackhawks, Ducks Take 3-2 Series Leads; Flyers Square Series With Rangers At 2-2

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Friday with three games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Steve Mason stopped 37 of 38 shots while Matt Read and Jakub Voracek (Power Play) each delivered a goal as the Philadelphia Flyers squared their conference quarterfinal series with the New York Rangers following their 2-1 game-four home victory.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At St. Louis:

Jonathan Toews scored the winning goal at 7:36 of overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks took a three-games-to-two first-round series lead over the St. Louis Blues with a 3-2 home win in game five.  The Blackhawks can wrap the series with a home victory in game six on Sunday.

At Anaheim, California:

Four power-play goals (one each from Nick Bonino, Richard Rakell, Matheiu Perrault, and Corey Perry) carried the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-2 home beat-down of the Dallas Stars in game five of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Ducks, who lead the series three games to two, can finish off the Stars with a game-six road win in Dallas on Sunday.

Earl Morrall, Longtime NFL Quarterback; Helped Keep '72 Dolphins Unbeaten While Filling In For Injured Bob Griese, R.I.P.

Earl Morrall, a quarterback whose highlights during his 21-year carrer (1956-76) included helping the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins into the playoffs after filling in for the injured Bob Griese, passed away on Friday at age 79, accoring to the Naples (Florida) News Daily.

Mr. Morrall was selected in the 1956 National Football League draft out of Michigan State by the San Francisco 49ers, who traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers the following year, only to be traded during the 1958 season to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne.

After a reasonably successful stint with the Lions, Earl wound up with several bad New York Giants teams.

He signed with the Baltimore Colts in 1968, and when Johnny Unitas was injured, Earl stepped in and helped lead the Colts to their first NFL title in nine years, only to see him and his team knocked off by the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.

In Super Bowl V, after Johnny U was injured, Earl stepped in once again and the Colts defeated the Dallas Cowboys in an error-filled contest.

In 1972, Earl rejoined Don Shula, his coach from the Colts' days, this time with the Miami Dolphins.  When Bob Griese was injured during a regular-season contest with the San Diego Chargers, Earl stepped in and remained quarterback for the rest of the Dolphins' undefeated regular season.  But Bob returned to his starting position for the AFC Championship Game (then Super Bowl VII as well, when Miami Dolphins held off the Washington Redskins to complete what remains the NFL's only perfect campaign).  Neverless, Earl was named American Football Conference Player of the Year and NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins Take 3-1 Series Lead Over Red Wings; Wild Square Series With Avs At Two Games Apiece; Kings Top Sharks To Avoid Elimination

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with three Thursday contests.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Detroit:

Jerome Iginla scored the winning goal at 13:32 of overtime as the Boston Bruins came back from a 2-0 deficit to upend the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on the road in game four of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Bruins, who now lead the series three games to one, can close out the Wings with a home win in game five on Saturday.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At St. Paul, Minnesota:

Jared Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle (power play) each scored a goal as the Minnesota Wild squared their opening-round series with the Colorado Avalanche at two games apiece following their 2-1 home victory in game four.

At Los Angeles:

Justin Williams (one of his on the power play) and Marian Goborik each scored twice as the Los Angeles Kings averted elimination by doubling up the visiting San Jose Sharks 6-3 in game four of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Sharks, who still lead the series three games to one, can finish off the Kings at home on Saturday.

NBA Playoffs: Hawks, Grizzlies, Clippers Take 2-1 Series Leads

Three games were played on Thursday as the NBA Playoffs continued.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Atlanta:

Jeff Teague scored 22 points while Kyle Korver added 20 as the Atlanta Hawks knocked off the visiting Indiana Pacers 98-85 in game three of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Hawks now lead two games to one.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Memphis:

Mike Conley scored five of his 20 points in overtime as the Memphis Grizzlies took a two-games-to-one lead in their opening-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder following their 98-95 game-three home victory despite 30 points each from the Thunder's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (who also grabbed 13 rebounds).  Zach Randolph added 16 points and 10 rebounds to the Grizzlies' coffers.

At Oakland, California:

Blake Griffin scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers held off the visiting Golden State Warriors 98-96 in game three of their first-round series and grabbed a two-games-to-one series lead.

Here's A Blast From The Past

Here's an ABC Television Network identification bumper from 1955.


Hey, Fran! Where Are Kukla And Ollie?!

1955 commercial for Swift Premium Brown n' Serve Sausage with Fran Allison, sans puppet sidekicks.

Yummy!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Gooooooooooooooooooooood Cracker!

1977 commercial for Nabisco's Ritz Crackers with Andy Griffith.

Hungry For Pizza?

1974 commercial for the Shakey's Pizza restaurant chain.

Still Thirsty?

1985 commercial for Luzianne Iced Tea Mix.

Tired? Droopy?

Well, friends and neighbors, be sure to drink your OVALTINE!!!

Here's a commercial that aired during the 1951-52 television season, originally on the syndicated Captain Midnight's Adventure Theater, which featured Verne Smith as Captain Midnight, in effect, introducing edited Republic Pictures serials from the 1930s and 1940s as well as pitching Ovaltine during commercial breaks.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Mavs Level Series With Spurs At One Game Apiece; Heat, Blazers Extend Respective Series Leads To 2-0

The NBA Playoff continued with three games played on Wednesday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Miami:

LeBron James scored 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists while Chris Bosh added 20 points of his own as the Miami Heat stretched their conference quarterfinal-series lead to two games to none after holding off the visiting Charlotte Bobcats 101-97, despite 22 points and ten rebounds from the 'Cats' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At San Antonio:

Monta Ellis scored 21 points while Shawn Marion added 20 as the Dallas Mavericks squared their opening-round series with the San Antonio Spurs at one game apiece after their 113-92 game-two road victory. Manu Ginobili paced the Spurs with 27 points.

At Houston:

LaMarcus Aldridge became the first player in franchise history to have two 40-point playoff games after his 43-point performance as the Portland Trail Blazers head back to Oregon with a two-games-to-none conference quarterfinal-series advantage following their 112-105 game-two road win over the Houston Rockets, despite 32 points and 14 rebounds from the Rockets' Dwight Howard.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Stars Square Respective Series At Two Games Apiece

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Wednesday with three games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Columbus, Ohio:

Nick Foligno's game-winning goal 2:49 into overtime enabled the Columbus Blue Jackets to overcome an early 3-0 deficit and knock off the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in game four to square their conference quarterfinal series at two games apiece.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Chicago:

Patrick Kane scored his second goal of the game at 11:17 of overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks leveled their opening-round series with the St. Louis Blues at two games apiece following their 4-3 game-four home victory.

At Dallas:

Jamie Benn and Vernon Fiddler each scored a second-period goal and Cody Eakin and Alex Goligoski each tallied a third-period score as the Dallas Stars overtook a 2-0 deficit and upended the visiting Anaheim Ducks 4-2 in game four to tie their first-round series at two games apiece.

49ers 2014 Schedule

Here's the 2014 San Francisco 49ers regular-season schedule as released on Wednesday.

All times Pacific.

Sunday, September 7 at Dallas, 1:25 PM (FOX)

Sunday, September 14 vs. Chicago, 5:30 PM (NBC)

Sunday, September 21 at Arizona, 1:05 PM (FOX)

Sunday, September 28 vs. Philadelphia, 1:25 PM (FOX)

Sunday, October 5 vs. Kansas City, 1:25 PM (CBS)

Monday, October 13 at St. Louis, 5:30 PM (ESPN)

Sunday, October 19 at Denver, 5:30 PM (NBC)

Sunday/Monday October 26/27, Bye Week

Sunday, November 2 vs. St. Louis, 1:05 PM (FOX)

Sunday, November 9 at New Orleans, 10:00 AM (FOX)

Sunday, November 16 at New York Giants, 10:00 AM (FOX)

Sunday, November 23 vs. Washington, 1:25 PM (CBS)

Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving) vs. Seattle, 5:30 PM (NBC)

Sunday, December 7 at Oakland, 1:25 PM (FOX)

Sunday, December 14 at Seattle, 1:25 PM (FOX)

Saturday, December 20 vs. San Diego, TBD (TBD)

Sunday, December 28 vs. Arizona, 1:25 PM (FOX) 

Time For A Visit From The KING OF THE COWBOYS!

Here's a commercial from many moons ago for Nestle's Quik with Roy Rogers.

At Least It Isn't Chicken And Waffles

1960 commercial for Aunt Jemima pancake mix which included the idea of having waffles and ice cream.

Yummy!

Let's Take A Train Ride With Porky

From 1937, here's Porky Pig starring in a Leon Schlesinger production, "Porky's Railroad," theatrically released by Warner Brothers as part of the Looney Tunes series.  In this one, engineer Porky and his train "Toots" are seeing their futures threatened by a new streamlined train.  With animation by Joe D'Igalo and Robert Bentley and musical direction by Carl W. Stalling (and the uncredited voice characterization by Mel Blanc, in one of his earliest efforts as Porky's voice), this cartoon was supervised by Frank Tashlin.


And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

Looks like a 1970s commercial for Bromo Seltzer with Jack Klugman.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Habs Complete Sweep Of Lightning; Sharks One Win Away From Doing Same Thing To Kings; Rangers, Bruins Take 2-1 Series Leads

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with four games played on Tuesday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Montreal:

Max Pacioretty scored the winning goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation time as the Montreal Canadiens completed a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in their conference quarterfinal series with their 4-3 home victory in game four.  The Canadiens became the first team to advance to the conference semifinals and are awaiting the winner of the Boston-Detroit series.

At Philadelphia:

With Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, Dan Giraldi, and Daniel Carcillo each scoring a goal, and Henrik Lundqvist stopping 31 of 32 shots, the New York Rangers dominated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on the road in game three of their opening-round series to take a two-games-to-one series lead and reclaim home-ice advantage.

At Detroit:

Dougie Hamilton (power play) and Jordan Caron each scored a first-half goal and Patrice Bergeron added an empty netter for good measure while Tuukka Rask saved all 23 shots for the shutout as the Boston Bruins dominated the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on the road in game three of their first-round series and took a two-games-to-one lead in the series, in which they reclaimed home-ice advantage.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Los Angeles:

Patrick Marleau scored the winning goal at 6:20 of overtime as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on the road in game three of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Sharks, who lead the series three games to none, can finish off the Kings with a road win in game four on Thursday.

NBA Playoffs: Wizards Knock Off Bulls In Chicago Again; Pacers Bounce Back To Square Series With Hawks; Raptors Likewise Against Nets

Three games were played in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, all in the Eastern Conference.

At Chicago:

Bradley Beal scored 26 points while Nene  six of his seventeen in overtime as the Washington Wizards took a two-games-to-none lead over the Chicago Bulls in their conference quarterfinal series following their 101-99 road victory.  Joakim Noah scored 20 points to pace the Bulls, who find themselves in trouble after dropping the first two games of the series at home.

At Indianapolis:

A 27-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance from Paul George lifted the Indiana Pacers to a 101-85 home win over the Atlanta Hawks in game two of their first-round series, now deadlocked at one game apiece.  Luis Scola came off the bench to add 20 points to the Pacers' coffers.

At Toronto:

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points as the Toronto Raptors squared their opening-round series with the Brooklyn Nets at one game apiece following their 100-95 game-two home win.

At Least The Cereal's Pretty Good

Here's a commercial from the late 1950s featuring character actor William Fawcett for Post Grape Nuts Flakes.

Gosh, I Didn't Think That Cat's Eye Marbles Would Look So Good In Black and White

Here's a 1956 commercial for the Post-Tens collection of miniature cereal boxes, with an offer for six----count 'em----SIX free cat's eye marbles.


Monday, April 21, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Grizzlies Outlast Thunder On Road In OT Thriller To Square Series; Clippers Level Warriors, Level Series At One Game Apiece

Two games were played in the NBA Playoffs on Monday, both in the Western Conference.

At Oklahoma City:

Zach Randolph scored 25 points while Mike Conley added 19 points and dished off 12 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies squared their conference quarterfinal series with the Oklahoma City Thunder at one game apiece following their game-two 111-105 overtime victory on the road, ruining a 36-point, 11-rebound performance from the Thunder's Kevin Durant and a 29-point effort from Russell Westbrook.

At Los Angeles:

Blake Griffin scored a playoff career-high 35 points as the Los Angeles Clippers avenged their series-opening defeat with a 138-98 game-two home demolition of the Golden State Warriors as the teams' first-round series is now squared at one game apiece.  Stephen Curry scored 24 points (20 of them in the third quarter) to lead the Warriors.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Penguins Erupt In Third Period, Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Blue Jackets; Wild Blank Avalanche, Avert 3-0 Deficit; Blackhawks Cut Blues Lead To 2 Games To 1; Ditto Dallas Against Anaheim

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Monday with four games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Columbus, Ohio:

Brandon Sutter, Lee Stempniak, and Jussi Jokinen each scored a goal during a span of 2:13 in the third period as once again, the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a two-goal deficit and upended the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on the road in game three of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Penguins now lead two games to one.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Chicago:

Jonathan Toews scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 4:10 of the first period while Corey Crawford saved all 34 shots in his third career postseason shutout as the Chicago Blackhawks cut their opening-round series deficit against the St. Louis Blues to two games to one following their 2-0 game-three home victory.

At St. Paul, Minnesota:

Mikael Granlund scored the only goal of the game at 5:08 of overtime as the Minnesota Wild blanked the visiting Colorado Avalanche 1-0 in game three of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Avalanche still lead two games to one. Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper, in his first playoff start, stopped all 22 Avalanche shots while his Colorado counterpart, Semyon Varlamov, played a great game, stopping 45 of 46 Minnesota shots, only to end up as the hard-luck loser.

At Dallas:

Kari Lehtonen racked up his first career playoff victory by saving all 37 shots as the Dallas Stars defeated the visiting Anaheim Ducks 3-0 in game three of their first-round series.  Jamie Benn, Valeri Nichushkin, and Ryan Garbutt each scored a goal for the Stars, who cut the Ducks' series advantage to two games to one.

Dude Sounds Like Snagglepuss

Actually, that's Bert Lahr (best remembered as the Cowardly Lion from "The Wizard of Oz") starring in a circa 1961 commercial for Blatz Beer.





Want Some Log Cabin With Your Ice Cream?

Here's a mid-1950s commercial for Log Cabin Syrup.

Maybe Phil...........

Should consider coaching the Knicks.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

NBA Playoffs: Heat, Wizards, Spurs, Blazers (In OT) Take Series Openers

The NBA Playoffs continued on Sunday with four games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Miami:

LeBron James scored 27 points while Dwyane Wade added 23 as the Miami Heat held off the visiting Charlotte Bobcats 99-88 in the opening game of their conference quarterfinal series.  Kemba Walker paced the Bobcats with 20 points.

At Chicago:

Nene scored 24 points while Trevor Ariza added 18 as the Washington Wizards seized home-court advantage in their first-round series following their game-one 102-93 road victory over the Chicago Bulls.  John Wall, in his playoff debut, added 16 points to the Wizards' coffers.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At San Antonio:

Veteran Tony Duncan scored 27 points while Tony Parker added 21 as the San Antonio Spurs took the opening game of their opening-round series with the Dallas Mavericks 90-85 at home.

At Houston:

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a franchise playoff single-game record 46 points and grabbed 18 rebounds before fouling out late in the overtime period while Damian Lillard added 31 in his playoff debut as the Portland Trail Blazers seized home-court advantage following their conference quarterfinal series-opening 122-120 road win over the Houston Rockets.  Dwight Howard scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds before he, too, fouled out late in overtime, to pace the Rockets.  James Harden added 27 and Chandler Parsons 24 for Houston.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Habs Place Lightning on Brink of Elimination; Flyers, Bruins Square Respective Series At One Game Apiece; Sharks Devour Kings, Take 2-0 Series Lead

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Sunday with four games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At New York:

Ray Emery stopped 32 of 34 shots while Jakub Voracek, Jason Akeson (power play), Luke Schenn, and Wayne Simmonds (PP/empty net) each tallied a goal as the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a 2-0 deficit and upended the New York Rangers 4-2 on the road in game two of their conference quarterfinal series, which is now deadlocked at one game apiece.

At Boston:

Tom Rask stopped 34 of 35 shots while Justin Florek, Reilly Smith (power play), Milan Lucic, and Zdeno Chara (PP) each delivered a goal as the Boston Bruins leveled their opening-round series with the Detroit Red Wings at one game apiece with their 4-1 game-two road victory.

At Montreal:

Tomas Plekanec scored what proved to be the winning goal 5:43 into the third period as the Montreal Canadiens held off the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in game three of their first-round series.  The Canadiens, who lead the series three games to none, can finish off the Lightning with a home win in game four on Tuesday night.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Mike Brown, Raffi Torres, Justin Braun, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Joe Thornton (power play) each delivered a goal as the San Jose Sharks overcame an early 2-0 deficit with seven unanswered goals en route to a game-two 7-2 demolition of the visiting Los Angeles Kings and a two-games-to-none series lead.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Timbers Still In Search Of Victory After Dropping 1-0 Decision To RSL On Road

At Sandy, Utah:

In Saturday Major League Soccer action, Ned Grabavoy scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute as Real Salt Lake kept the visiting Portland Timbers winless 1-0.  RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando secured his 111th career MLS shutout with a scintillating four-save performance.

The next Timbers contest will be at Houston against the Dynamo next Sunday (12:00 Noon Pacific Time, KPTV, Channel 12, Portland and Timbers TV Network).