Daily Dozen is starting in the All-Star Game

News:

• Hey look, it's a 6'5, 276 pound dog. Yikes.
• A juror in Britain was arrested for listening to music during a murder trial.
• More wackiness from the British Isles: A Scottish bride attacked her groom with a stiletto shoe. Crazy broads and their shoes...
• A bird in Colorado is being blamed for igniting a 2-acre wildfire.

This day in history:

• 1778: Louis XVI of France declares war on Great Britain during the American Revolution.
• 1890: Wyoming is admitted as the 44th state. To this day, I question Wyoming's existence.
• 1925: The infamous Scopes Monkey Trial begins.
• 1940: The Battle of Britain begins as the German Luftwaffe begins air raids on British convoys.
• Happy 27th birthday Jessica Simpson...*swoons*

Sports:

• Ronald Johnson, aka RoJo, aka Dead to Me, has arrived in Southern California. I like Pete Carroll, I don't mind USC...but TroJo is one player I will wish doom upon.
• So apparently the Red Wings still want another player...like Sergei Fedorov or Peter Forsberg.
• MLB All-Star Game tonight, 8:25 EST, Fox.

Daily Dozen dislikes the lawn police

News:

• A French official suggested that President Bush was behind the 9/11 attacks. Um, yeah...the French are idiots.
• The Apprentice hasn't been fired from NBC...yet.
• Happy Anniversary, Roswell conspiracy!
• A black bear in California scaled a 100-foot power pole, stopping traffic.

This day in history:

• 1776: The Declaration of Independence was read aloud in Philadelphia.
• 1947: Reports are broadcast that a UFO has crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico. (See ab ove)
• 1982: Assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein. Too bad they missed.
• 1990: German national football team wins the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy against Argentina.

Sports (All Tigers):

• Slightly outdated, but Tigers' infielder Neifi Perez was suspended 25 games for using banned stimulants.
• Placido Polanco is out of today's lineup vs. Boston after injuring himself last night.
• The Tigers are one of five teams that have contacted Texas about Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka.
• Marcus Thames and Curtis Granderson own my soul. I'll hopefully be dedicating a blog post entirely to those two later today.

Daily Dozen

News:

• Police in Ohio have found the body of the 9-months pregnant woman who was missing. God, people make me sick.
• An airport in Beijing is declaring war on pigeons.
• Robots look for life in Arctic Ocean. ...Why?
• A blind baseball tournament on Long Island. Unknown number of ejections for arguing balls and strikes.

This day in history:

• 1664: The colony of New Jersey is founded.
• Holy CRAP.....1913: Joseph Cook becomes the 6th Prime Minister of Australia.....WHAT?!
• 1948: Start of the Berlin Blockade.
• Happy 49th birthday to Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella. He gets special mention because of this.

Sports:

• Blue Jays' pitcher Dustin McGowan lost a no-hitter in the 9th inning today.
• Former major league closer Rod Beck has died at age 38. I'll update this one throughout the day.
• Jermaine Dye looks to be headed to the DL for the White Sox.
• Baseball Tonight (The Jon Miller and Joe Morgan Edition): Tigers (44-29) @ Braves (38-37); Andrew Miller (2-1, 3.63 ERA) vs. Chuck James (6-6, 4.11 ERA).

Daily Dozen (The Odd News Edition)

(Odd) News:

• There is a new World's Ugliest Dog.
• A black lab in Idaho drove its owner's car into a river.
• A woman in North Carolina has married a man on death row. ...I've gotta say it: Til death do they part.
• According to a survey in London, young Britons would rather give up sex than give up their mobile phones. See, this is why I don't trust the Europeans. It's not political, it's common sense.
• A man in West Virginia bit off part of another man's nose in a fight.

This day in history:

• 1972: President Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the CIA to obstruct the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-in. On a related note, I am considering changing my official title to "B.L. Kudron".
• 1993: I can't bring myself to actually type out the words, so I'll just link it: Lorena Bobbitt.
• Happy Birthday: Felix Potvin (36), Zinedine Zidane (35), LaDainian Tomlinson (28).

Sports:

• Braves come up snake eyes vs. Gambler: Kenny Rogers was brilliant in his season debut last night vs. Atlanta.
• Reigning American League MVP Justin Morneau of Minnesota went to the hospital last night in Miami after suffering a bruised lung in a collision at home plate vs. the Marlins.
• The Kansas City Royals have voided the trade that brought Milton Bradley (yes that's his name) to KC, due to injury Hey, guess what Royals? That's the same reason Oakland dumped him.
• Baseball Today: Tigers (43-29) @ Braves (38-36); Justin Verlander (8-2, 2.90 ERA) vs. Kyle Davies (3-6, 5.65 ERA).

Daily Dozen (The "Yay Sports" Edition)

• The Atlanta Braves are interested in White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.
• Adam "Pacman" Jones surrendered to Las Vegas police.
• New York Yankees 1st baseman/designated hitter Jason Giambi has agreed to meet with George Mitchell, head of MLB's steroid investigation.
• Kevin Garnett isn't going to Boston.
• Cool story on Magglio Ordonez at ESPN.com.
• This is Sparta: Interesting article on MSU football coach Mark Dantonio. I'm not gonna lie; the UM-MSU game this year already has me a bit sketchy. Dantonio's putting a LOT of emphasis on it (see picture for proof).
• The Big House gets bigger: When Michigan Stadium's renovation is done in 2010, the capacity will exceed 108,000.
• I think this is a little old, but nevertheless: Michigan WR Adrian Arrington is making progress toward returning to the team. Arrington's been a bit of a trouble maker during the offseason, but he's cleaned his act up. I guess someone reminded him he goes to Michigan, not Michigan State.
• Nice article about Terry Hoeppner.
• It's basically a blurb in a lengthy read, but don't rule out Sergei Fedorov returning to the Red Wings.
• Nate Robertson threw 6 no-hit innings with 6 strikeouts in his first rehab start at AA Erie on Thursday.
• Baseball Tonight (The Chicken Roaster Edition): Tigers (42-29) @ Braves (38-35); Kenny Rogers (season debut) vs. John Smoltz (8-3, 2.84 ERA). KENNY?.....KENNY?!

Daily Dozen

News:

• Poultry workers in South Carolina have tested positive for TB.
• John Edwards is returning to his "Two Americas" theme from 2004. Tell me, how did that work out for him last time?
• The video game "Manhunt 2" has not only been banned in Ireland and Britain, but it's been given an "Adults Only" rating in the U.S.
• A woman in Washington tied a blood alcohol level, registering a 0.50 when she was arrested for drunk driving.
  

This day in history:

• 1898: Guam becomes a U.S. territory.
• 1940: France surrenders to Germany in World War II.
• 1964: Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner are murdered in Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan (the basis for the movie Mississippi Burning.)
• Happy 22nd birthday Anthony Morelli, Penn State QB. Michigan fans should fondly remember this guy.

Sports:

• The Tigers traded reliever Wilfredo Ledezma to the Braves for reliever Macay McBride. More moves may be on the way, too.
• Robert Lang won't be back with the Red Wings next season. Thanks for tying Game 4 in San Jose Langer...but good riddance.
• Marty Mornhinweg is shooting his mouth off. I can't believe he defended his infamous "Taking the Wind" decision. Good old Marty. Total moron.
• No Tigers tonight. Kenny tomorrow!

Daily Dozen (The P.O.B. Edition)

News:

• An Israeli newspaper is, appropriately, I might add, calling Jimmy Carter "Father of the Iranian Revolution."
• For some reason I didn't find this until today, but it still applies: The Space Shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station will be visible from space tonight.
• Firefighters in West Virginia rescued a cat...by flushing it.
• Meanwhile, in Idaho, firefighters rescued four cats and a rat from a charred apartment.

This day in history:

• 1863: West Virginia is admitted into the U.S. as the 35th state.
• 1963: The "red telephone" is implemented, linking Moscow to Washington.
• 1991: German parliament decides to move the capital back to Berlin from Bonn.

Sports:

• The Los Angeles Angels have inquired about obtaining Adam Dunn from Cincinnati or Miguel Tejada from Baltimore.
• At the NHL Draft this weekend, Red Wings' GM Ken Holland will meet with the agents of free agents Dominik Hasek, Todd Bertuzzi, and Mathieu Schneider.
• Terror in our nation's capital: The Tigers put on an offensive display last night, beating the Nationals in Washington, 15-1.
• Schilling on the shelf? The Red Sox ace pitcher is getting an MRI on his shoulder.
• Baseball Tonight, the "Capital Punishment" Edition: Tigers (41-29) @ Nationals (30-41); Jeremy Bonderman (7-0, 3.92 ERA) vs. Mike Bacsik (1-4, 4.59 ERA); please sweep, Tigres.

Daily Dozen

News:

• Rosie O'Donnell is meeting with The Price is Right execs to explore the possibility of becoming Bob Barker's replacement. God help us all.
• A restaurant in North Carolina linked to an E. coli outbreak has been shut down after it was discovered that a goat was slaughtered in the kitchen.
• A fire in a South Carolina warehouse killed 9 firefighters, making it the deadliest incident involving firefighters since September 11th, 2001.
• Someone broke into a Pennsylvania man's home, and stole a salad out of the fridge.

This day in history:

• 1862: Congress prohibits slavery in all U.S. territories.
• 1939: Lou Gehrig is diagnosed with ALS on his 36th birthday.
• 1953: Julis and Ethel Rosenberg are executed for spying for the Russians.
• 1978: The first Garfield comic strip is published.

Sports:

• VERY sad news: Indiana University football coach Terry Hoeppner has died at 59. Hoeppner was expected to miss the upcoming season due to a brain tumor, and had already had two brain surgeries in the last 18 months. RIP, Coach.
• The exodus from the Nashville Predators has begun.
• The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing to go after Chauncey Billups.
• Baseball Tonight: Tigers (40-29) @ Nationals (30-40); Chad Durbin (5-3, 4.60 ERA) vs. Jason Simontacchi (4-4, 4.84 ERA).

Daily Dozen

News:

• Kilmer Middle School in Virginia has banned physical contact of any kind between students.
• I actually AGREE with Al Gore...well, sort of.
• Salman Rushdie has been granted knighthood by Britain. Oh, where is the Ayatollah when you need him?
• An 8-foot alligator was removed from the basement of a home in Buffalo.
• Seriously...can't Castro just kick off already?

This day in history:

• 1812: The U.S. declares war on Great Britain.
• 1815: The Battle of Waterloo.
• 1940: Winston Churchill's "finest hour" speech.

Sports:

• The Baltimore Orioles have fired manager Sam Perlozzo.
• The Evil Empire is considering reaching its tentacles to the West Coast to acquire Shea Hillenbrand.
• The Wings have two months to to exercise their 20 year option on Joe Louis Arena.
• Baseball tonight: Tigers (39-29) @ Nationals (30-39); Mike Maroth (4-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Matt Chico (3-4, 4.66 ERA).

Daily Dozen

News:

• In a fitting conclusion to the Duke lacrosse saga, Mike Nifong has been disbarred.
• 35 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew up a bus in Kabul, Afghanistan.
• A hare-raising ordeal: Excessive mating and growing numbers of wild hares are blocking arrivals and departures at an airport in Milan.
• A man in Washington was arrested twice in one day...for stealing the same car twice.

This day in history:

• 1972: Five men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee, beginning the Watergate scandal.
• 1987: The last Dusky Seaside Sparrow dies, rendering the species extinct.
• 1994: O.J. Simpson is arrested for murder following the infamous chase in the white Bronco.

Sports:

• Ken Griffey, Jr. hits career homeruns number 580 & 581.
• Atlanta's Chipper Jones gets his 2000th career hit.
• Joe Dumars says the Suns' asking price for Shawn Marion is too high.
• Tigers minor league pitcher Roman Colon is a bit of a thug.
• Kenny!...Kennyyyyyy!!

Daily Dozen

News:

• Someone is murdering dolphins in California.
• A man in Philadelphia claims to have found the head of a snake in his can of green beans.
• A 13-year old girl in Washington went on a profanity-laced tirade in front of a concert audience at her school.
• The Brits are cracking down on waste management...to the point of espionage.

This day in history:

• 1858: Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" speech; Remember, a George divided against itself CANNOT stand!!
• Birthdays: Phil Mickelson (37), John Cho (35), Kerry Wood (30), Rick Nash (23); no word on if Wood injured himself carrying a birthday cake or not.

Sports:

• Four were ejected in today's Cubs-Padres game after Padres pitcher Chris Young hit Chicago's Derrek Lee in the upper arm with a pitch.
• In true Cubs fashion, Carlos Zambrano then took a no-hitter into the 8th inning before losing it...and then losing the game.
• Sad news for me: The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired Sergei Samsonov from the Montreal Canadians. Long live the Detroit Vipers!
• Apparently Kobe Bryant wants to be traded...again.
• MORE bad news for me: The Arizona Diamondbacks place Randy Johnson on the DL.
• Baseball tonight: Tigers (38-28) @ Phillies (35-32); Andrew Miller (2-0, 3.18 ERA; 22 years old) vs. Jamie Moyer (5-5, 4.55 ERA; 44 years old).

Daily Dozen

News:

• North Carolina district attorney Mike Nifong, infamous for his mishandling of the Duke lacrosse case, has announced his intent to resign.
• A 73-year old man in India failed his 10th grade high school exams for the 39th time.
• A 2-year old in California was accidently served a margarita in his sippy cup at a restaurant.
• A woman in New Hampshire chased down and restrained a rabid fox that had bitten her daughter. The woman kept it restrained for 10 minutes before police arrived and shot it.
• China has censored part of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie for "villifying and defacing the Chinese."

Today in history:

• 1752: Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity.
• 1775: George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
• 1836: Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.

Sports:

• After being swept in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a renewed interest in Sacramento's Mike Bibby.
• For the 5th time, the Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.
• Rocket Watch: Roger Clemens will start tonight's game for the Yankees against the Mets. The Yankees are looking for their 10th straight win.
• Baseball tonight: Tigers (37-28) @ Phillies (35-31); Jeremy Bonderman (6-0, 3.63 ERA) vs. Jon Lieber (3-4, 3.72 ERA).

Daily Dozen (The -1 Edition)

News:

• A 100,000 square foot ad of a naked pole dancer is causing a stir in Britain.


• A sixth grade boy and his family are upset after he received the "Most Likely Not To Have Children" award at his school...from his teachers.


• A judge in Canada has ruled that a 24-year old man cannot have a girlfriend for the next three years.

This day in history:

• 1777: The Stars and Stripes are adopted by Congress as the Flag of the United States.
• 1900: Hawaii becomes a U.S. territory.

Sports:

• MLB commissioner Bud Selig is leaning toward suspending Yankees' DH Jason Giambi.
• The Calgary Flames will reportedly hire Mike Keenan as head coach.
• The New York Knicks are planning on targeting Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, and Rashard Lewis.
• Grant Hill may be headed to the desert.
• Troy Percival walked three and allowed a run in his first AAA outing this year.
• Kenny Rogers' second rehab start will be tomorrow at Class A West Michigan.

Daily Dozen

News:

• The city of Seattle is considering banning microwave popcorn.
• Iran is seeking to pass a bill that could lead to the death penalty for anyone convicted of working on the production of pornographic movies.
• Berlin, Germany: A possibly rabid squirrel attacks three people before being killed by a crutch.
  

This day in history...

• 1934: Mussolini and Hitler meet in Venice; afterward, Mussolini describes Hitler as a "silly little monkey."
• 1970: "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last #1 song.
• 1971: The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers.
• 1997: Timothy McVeigh is sentenced to death for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Sports:

• The Spurs take a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, beating the Cavaliers 75-72 in Game 3.
• According to the Windsor Star, Dominik Hasek is leaning toward returning to the Red Wings next season.
• The Nashville Predators are exploring the possibility of relocating to Hamilton, Ontario.
• Notre Dame emu/QB Jimmy Clausen had a medical procedure on his elbow.
• Baseball tonight: Brewers (34-30) @ Tigers (37-26); Chris Capuano (5-5, 4.35 ERA) vs. Mike Maroth (4-2, 5.29 ERA)