Major League Soccer today announced that FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja has been added to the MLS All-Star team. Toja joins teammate Kenny Cooper, who was selected to the All-Star First XI last week. In July 2007, Toja started and scored for the MLS All-Stars in a 2-0 win over Celtic FC in his first all-star appearance. The 2008 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game between the MLS All-Stars and West Ham United takes place on July 24, 2008 at BMO Field in Toronto (Live on ESPN, Telefutura and on CBC in Canada at 6 p.m. CT). Toja, 23, was selected as an alternate by All-Star head coach Steve Nicol along with Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein and New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston to replace Sacha Kljestan, Michael Parkhurst and Robbie Rogers who were named to the U.S. Olympic Team roster today and will miss the All-Star game. The versatile Toja, in his second season with FC Dallas, has played as a withdrawn forward, a wide-left midfielder, and as a holding midfielder this year, scoring one goal and adding two assists. The complete list of 2008 MLS All-Stars follows; players are listed in alphabetical order by position. 18-Player Game-Day Roster: Goalkeepers (2): Pat Onstad& (Houston Dynamo), Matt Reis* (New England Revolution). Defenders (4): Jonathan Bornstein& (Chivas USA), Jim Brennan& (Toronto FC), Jimmy Conrad* (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk* (Columbus Crew). Midfielders (8): David Beckham* (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtémoc Blanco* (Chicago Fire), Dwayne De Rosario+ (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez& (Colorado Rapids), Shalrie Joseph* (New England Revolution), Pablo Mastroeni& (Colorado Rapids), Steve Ralston& (New England Revolution), Juan Toja& (FC Dallas). Forwards (4): Juan Pablo Angel& (forward, New York Red Bulls), Edson Buddle+ (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kenny Cooper* (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan* (Los Angeles Galaxy). * First XI Selection & Coach’s Selection + Commissioner’s Selection

The 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Watch List was released today by the Davey O'Brien Foundation and its National Selection Committee. The Watch List spotlights 31 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) quarterbacks who will vie for the award honoring the nation's best quarterback for the 2008 football season. In addition to the Watch List, all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks are equal candidates for The O'Brien until semifinalists are selected. Watch List candidates were selected by a subset of the National Selection Committee and approved by the Davey O'Brien Executive Committee. Semifinalists will be announced October 27; finalists November 24. This prestigious award focuses on accomplishments both on and off the field. The Selection Committee is asked to evaluate all candidates on their quarterback skills and athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship.   The 2008 winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN December 11. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth.

The Dallas Stars will open the 2008-2009 National Hockey League regular season schedule at home against the Western Conference rival Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, October 10 (7:30 p.m.). The Stars will host nine of the 15 Eastern Conference teams, up from the five inter-conference games the last three seasons. The Stars’ television schedule will be released later this summer. The schedule is attached to this email in both a Microsoft Word and PDF file. The Stars are scheduled to play 82 games during the 2008-09 campaign, with 41 contests at home and 41 on the road. The home schedule features 20 weekend contests (six Friday, 10 Saturday, four Sunday). The Stars will host four Saturday matinees: Oct. 18 vs. Colorado (2 p.m.), Jan. 17 vs. Los Angeles (2 p.m.), Feb. 21 vs. Chicago (2 p.m.) and Feb. 28 vs. Anaheim 2 p.m.). The Stars will also host four Sunday afternoon games: Nov. 30 vs. Edmonton (5 p.m.); Feb. 8 vs. Nashville (5:00 p.m.); Mar. 1 vs. Pittsburgh (2 p.m.) and Mar. 8 vs. Montreal (5 p.m.). The busiest home week night for the Stars is Thursday (nine times). Most evening games at American Airlines Center will begin at 7:30 p.m. The NHL schedule remains heavily structured around conference play, especially against the team’s respective division. Dallas plays in the NHL’s Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and will play 24 divisional games against rivals Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Jose (a total of six times each -- three home, three away). The Stars will play a total of 40 games against non-division Western Conference foes in the Central Division (Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis) and the Northwest Division (Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver), with four games against each opponent (twice at home, twice on the road). Dallas will play a total of 18 games against Eastern Conference opponents, skating against all 15 Eastern teams once and facing off against three Eastern clubs (Florida, New Jersey, New York Rangers) both home and away. The eight Eastern Conference teams that the Stars will host are: Carolina, Washington, New Jersey, Buffalo, Atlanta, NY Rangers, Pittsburgh and Florida. The Stars’ longest home stand this season will be a six-game stretch from Feb. 19 to Mar. 1 (Edmonton, Chicago, San Jose, St. Louis, Anaheim, Pittsburgh). The club also has a four-game home stand from Feb. 6-13 (NY Rangers, Nashville, Phoenix, Vancouver). Dallas’ longest road trip is a five-game road swing from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11 (Chicago, Boston, Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles). Notable games at American Airlines Center include: home opener versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (Oct. 10); Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (Oct. 25); two games during the Thanksgiving week (Nov. 28 vs. San Jose and Nov. 30 vs. Edmonton); two games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings (Dec. 12 and Jan. 12); the New York Rangers (Feb. 6); Sidney Crosby and the defending Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins (Mar. 1); Guy Carbonneau’s Montreal Canadiens (Mar. 8) and New Year’s Eve vs. the New Jersey Devils (the 11th consecutive season for the Stars to play at home on Dec. 31). Dallas Stars Season Seats are on sale now. Full and split season plans are available, as well as 6- and 12-game packages that allow fans to choose the games they want to go to. Individual game tickets for October and November games go on sale to the public on September 20, but fans can pick the games they want before the public by purchasing 6- or 12-game plans today. Fans can call 214-GO-STARS for more information or go to DallasStars.com.

From the Associated Press -- Ricky Green wandered into this town some months ago, a stranger just a bit stranger than most. He had shed his middle-class respectability — a job as a graphic artist in the 'burbs — strapped a guitar over his shoulder and landed here on what he told people was "a spiritual journey." Bolinas seemed like a good fit. The unincorporated town of 1,600 on the Pacific coast is Marin County's most blatant throwback to the Summer of Love, a hippie haven that is bent on stopping tourists from spoiling its laid-back groove. The 33-year-old Green, prone to age of Aquarius-speak about the moon and the stars, already looked sort of like a local. As one resident, Bill Boman, put it, "He had this Jimi Hendrix vibe." But Green never quite meshed with the Bolinas social fabric. The night of June 23 proved how much he remained an outsider, in a liberal enclave stubbornly averse to strangers. Six young people — including two juveniles — allegedly attacked and stabbed Green with a viciousness that is forcing Bolinas to search its soul for meaning. The attack also underscores what advocates for homeless people say is a growing problem across the country: attacks on society's most vulnerable members, almost as sport, especially by young people. "I'm not surprised that an incident like this happened in Bolinas," said Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. "We have found that these kinds of incidences happen everywhere. There was an incident just last month in Cleveland. It's no longer a big city thing." The typical attack involves a mob of youths that beats a homeless person with blunt objects, sometimes setting the person on fire, Stoops said. In the first six months of this year, 13 homeless people have been killed across the country, he said, a pace on par with last year's, in which 28 homeless people were killed, up from 20 in 2006. Nonfatal attacks also are rising, Stoops said, up from 142 in 2006 to 160 in 2007. "Why are these attacks happening?" Stoops said. "The main reason is that you can't go anywhere in society without coming across homeless folks. And there is this antipathy or scorn towards them." Add the boredom young people face in the summer, drugs or alcohol and a group mentality, Stoops said, and the mix becomes dangerous, if not lethal. Detectives are still investigating the Bolinas attack. But by all accounts, Green confronted a group of young people that had been drinking. He was angry about an altercation another homeless man had the day before with some youths. The attack happened on the beach. Green was stabbed multiple times and pummeled with a skateboard, flashlight and bottles. While he was down, the mob kicked and jumped on him. Sheriff's investigators said up to 20 witnesses watched the beating, but no one stopped it. Green, found semiconscious and bleeding profusely, was airlifted to a hospital in Santa Rosa, 50 miles away. He spent nearly two weeks there recovering from lacerations to the head and body. Five people have been charged with attempted murder. In Bolinas, where everyone knows, or knows of, the victim and the suspects, the attack is raising hard questions. Bolinas wears its xenophobia proudly. For decades, a group known as the Bolinas Border Patrol has torn down all signs pointing the way to the enclave from Highway One. But now, some wonder whether Bolinas' inbred hostility to outsiders exploded the night of Green's attack. Others are pondering whether the attack means that Bolinas, despite its barefoot youth, loose-roaming dogs and ponytailed, tie-dyed 60-year-olds, is more like the rest of society than it wanted to admit. That thought is especially jarring. Bolinas fancies itself special. The town keeps a "free box" outside the natural foods store for anyone to donate or pick up clothes or household items. A few years ago, it passed a ballot measure officially declaring itself "a socially acknowledged, nature-loving town" that likes blueberries, bears and skunks. The town saloon has the word "peace" outside, written in seashells. "I knew of Bolinas as a peaceful place," said Boman, a musician who moved to Bolinas several weeks ago. "What has happened to the children of the revolution?" Almost no one else approached for this story wanted to talk, be quoted or have their name used. Still in shock, Bolinas is trying to understand what happened and make amends. Anguished town meetings are taking place, with discussions focused on finding solutions to disaffected youth. But there are some hard feelings for Green here, too. Derek James, a bartender at Smiley's saloon, approached a reporter to say Green had been causing trouble in town for months. He had been barred from Smiley's for harassing people, James said. "He was getting into people's business," he said. "I really felt like something was going to happen." The other day, fresh out of the hospital, Green was spotted back in town. (He proved elusive, always a step ahead of visitors trying to find him. The Associated Press was unable to reach him.) Many were relieved to see him back on his beat. But James could not believe the news. "I know a lot of people in this community," he said, "are not really happy to see him back."

Scot Drucker struck out a season-high eight batters as the Grand Prairie AirHogs completed a three game sweep of the Shreveport Sports, 5-1, on Wednesday evening. Drucker (7-3) threw eight quality innings and allowed just one run on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Edwin Maldonado got the AirHogs on the board in the bottom of the first with a moon shot. Maldonado crushed a three-run homer into the parking lot in left field, giving Grand Prairie a 3-0 cushion. He finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBI's. Grand Prairie opened up their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning. With runners on first and second, Mike Conroy scorched an RBI single down the first base line that hit off the mitt of Richard Quihuis-Bell. Drew Holder smashed a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the seventh to put Grand Prairie on top 5-0. The Sports broke up the shutout in the top of the eighth. Justin Humphries knocked a ground ball down the third base line that was inside the chalk for a base hit. Wade Robinson came into score the first run, while Ron Fenwick was gunned out at home plate on a strong throw in from left field. Daniel Welch (2-5) was the losing pitcher for Shreveport. He lasted seven innings and allowed five runs, all earned, on 11 hits with three walks and three strikeouts. The AirHogs open a three-game road set against the Sioux Falls Canaries on Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM.

It looks like the Cowboy secondary got a little more firmed up with the news that the team reached a six-year, $39 million deal with safety Ken Hamlin. There were some slight doubts, at least, whether or not Hamlin would report to camp, but those concerns have been eliminated. The only question now is who will play the other No. 1 safety spot. Will Anthony Henry move from corner to safety, or will Roy Williams be able to hold on to his spot? We start getting the answers in a little more than a week as Cowboy training camp starts.

It's easy to dismiss the Home Run Derby as silly-ass midsummer filler. And normally it is. But last night, Josh Hamilton exploded into the nation's consciousness with an unreal 28-home run performance in Round 1. The crowd was going crazy. The announcers were going crazy. Hamilton looked like The Natural out there, bombing 500-foot moon shots and making New Yorkers fall in love with him. Yeah, it was just a Home Run Derby, but it felt like a lot more, especially in Yankee Stadium. Hamilton made a national impression not seen from a Ranger since Nolan Ryan threw his last no-hitter and reached the 5,000-strikeout milestone.