MUSIC: Grammy Award–winning pop band Maroon 5 is playing tonight. Joining them are pop group The Counting Crows, and some chick named Sara Bareilles who had a song in a Rhapsody commercial. If you go, make sure to encourage all the teenyboppers around you to cheer extra loudly; maybe they'll get invited backstage by Adam Levine! Molson Amphitheatre (909 Lakeshore Boulevard West), 7:30 p.m., $28.50–$126. SPORTS: The Blue Jays are back in Toronto this evening......

Toronto's latest dalliance with the National Football League is underway—and while yesterday's Buffalo Bills/Pittsburgh Steelers game was a predictably tepid affair, we're guessing the organizers will be reasonably happy with the way things played out. First, the game. Preseason NFL games are frequently dire, and yesterday's wasn't much of an exception. Buffalo rookie Leodis McKelvin briefly brought the Rogers Centre to life with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but for the most part......

Toronto's favourite YouTube personality is at it again. Over the past year, Raptors star Chris Bosh has campaigned for all-star votes as a self-promoting used-car salesman, he's started his own YouTube channel, and he's been Jay Leno's correspondent at the NBA Finals. Now that he's a US Olympian, CB4 is still finding time to flex his comedy muscles as a reporter for AOL Fanhouse. In his first video segment, released last weekend, Bosh's long......

Raptors Guard José Calderon is in something of a bad spot. He and fellow members of the Spanish Olympic Men's Basketball team posed for a full-page ad that ran in Marca, Spain's largest newspaper, for courier company Seur. In that ad (pictured above), every team member pulls their eyes into slits. (The women's team has an identical ad.) Get it? Cause the Olympics—sorry, Orympics—are in China! Amazingly, none of the grown white men thought......

MUSIC: The Edge 102.1's monthly new music showcase is on tonight at the Horseshoe Tavern. Tonight's line-up features upcoming Toronto indie bands Invasions, The Speakeasies, and The Rivals. The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West), 8:30 p.m., FREE. DISCUSSION: Simpsons co-executive producer (and York University graduate) Joel Cohen is moderating a debate and discussion via live video chat at Future Shop tonight called "The Future of Computer Technology." The panelists are Microsoft IT Pro advisor......

Toronto's NFL experiment begins this Thursday—and while we still don't know where it'll lead, we do know it's beginning not with a bang but a whimper. Not that the Buffalo (Toronto?) Bills are an awful team; neither are their inaugural Toronto opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who've actually won more games than anyone else since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. The problem isn't the teams—it's the format, as well as how it's being marketed. The......

LECTURE: United States presidential candidate Ralph Nader is in town. This evening, he'll be giving a lecture on the trading floor of the old Toronto Stock Exchange building, remarking on the upcoming election and discussing what's at stake for Canada. His lecture also includes a Q & A and clips from his new biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man. Design Exchange (234 Bay Street), 7 p.m., $10. BENEFIT: The second annual ONEXONE Redken Cut-A-Thon kicks......

SPORTS: Are you sick of taking your baby or toddler to a sports event and hearing the aggravated spectators around you groan every time your kid cries? The Rogers Centre sympathizes, which is why today is their monthly Babies at the Ballpark Blue Jays game. Parents with young children can buy discounted tickets and sit together in a special 200 level section. Diapers and wipes will be available at no extra cost, and there......

FILM: As the summer continues, so do Toronto's weekly outdoor movies. Tonight, the Harbourfront Centre is screening 1998 Tom Tykwer thriller Run Lola Run in German with English subtitles. Just three subway stops away, 1987 Rob Reiner fantasy The Princess Bride is showing at Yonge-Dundas Square. Both films begin at 9 p.m., and both are FREE. SPARTS: What do you get when you cross baseball and the needle arts? A crocheted baseball, for one.......

MUSIC: San Fransisco melodic indie duo Mates of State are playing tonight at Lee's Palace. Joining the husband and wife team are Oakland progressive string-metal group Judgement Day. Lee's Palace (529 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $15. FILM: For those of you who don't feel like dishing out another $15 to see The Dark Knight in IMAX again, The Revue is screening two films tonight. The first, at 7 p.m., is Jon Favreau's clever......

WORDS: Breaking Dawn, the final installment of author Stephenie Meyer's vampire/romance book series Twilight, is being released at midnight. A masquerade-themed party at Indigo this evening celebrates the book launch, with Breaking Dawn-inspired activities, music, and prizes for the best costume. Plus, you get to buy the book—which will certainly suck—as soon as it goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Indigo Books (55 Bloor Street West), 8:00 p.m., FREE. SALE: Vintage boutique Marylou Flamingo is......

MUSIC: Coldplay's in town. If you're looking for tickets, look no further than the friendly scalpers who will undoubtedly swarm the ACC around 6 p.m. tonight. Make sure you've made a hefty cash withdrawal beforehand, though—even on Craigslist, it's hard to find a nosebleed ticket selling for less than $100. I guess some people still really like "Clocks." Air Canada Centre (40 Bay Street), 7:30 p.m., $49.50–$97.50. SPORTS: The Jays take on the Tampa Bay......

SPORTS: After a four-day stint in Baltimore, the Toronto Blue Jays return tonight for their first home game in two weeks. The Jays take on the Seattle Mariners tonight. The Mariners are in last place in the West Division, and the Jays are in second-last place in the East Division! This is shaping up to be an exciting series. Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jay Way), 7:07 p.m., $9-$57. MUSIC: The record release party for folk......

READING: Before his band's show tonight at the Music Gallery, Drew Daniel of electronic duo Matmos will be reading from his tribute to Throbbing Gristle's album 20 Jazz Funk Greats (as part of the 33 1/3 book series). This Ain't the Rosedale Library (86 Nassau Street), 1 p.m., FREE. MUSIC: The Eagles are a cover band. They cover songs by a 1970s rock group, also named The Eagles (weird!). The two bands are very similar,......

If there's an oasis of calm at Christie Pits, among the kids tearing by on their bikes or laughing at the splash park, it's the back-to-back baseball games taking place in the northeast corner of the park. In Intercounty Baseball League action—essentially an independent version of single 'A' ball—the Guelph Royals are taking on the defending league champions, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs, now in their 40th season since Jack and Lynne......

The Rogers Centre is beginning to show its age—yet despite its advancing years, it's still lacking what we'd call "authentic" ballpark atmosphere. Which is probably inevitable, since the Stadium Formerly Known as SkyDome is a sorta-generic, poured-concrete monstrosity with a cool-looking ceiling; when compared with some of baseball's classic stadiums, its shortcomings are plainly evident. Given the circumstances, the Rogers Centre's employees are vital to making a baseball game in Toronto a more enjoyable experience.......

FILM: Tonight, as part of Yonge and Dundas Square's summer film screenings, Baz Luhrmann's version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will be showing. Spoiler alert: sad ending, apparently. Also, definitely check out the official website for the film, ostensibly made in 1996. Yonge and Dundas Square, 9:00 p.m., FREE. SPORTS: Over at BMO Field, Argentinian footballers Independiente are in town to play Toronto FC in an exhibition match. Can't find tickets (and don't feel......

MUSIC: It's a slow night for music in Toronto, unless you're a fan of some band called "Led Zeppelin." If this is the case, you should head over to the Molson Amphitheatre, where singer Robert Plant will inevitably play mostly new songs with vocalist Alison Krauss, and Zeppelin fans will regret having paid the outlandish $40 to sit on the Amphitheatre's lawn. With T Bone Burnett. Molson Amphitheatre (909 Lakeshore Road West), 7:30 p.m. $39.50–$99.50.......

At Friday's Jays-Yankees game, Alex Rodriguez got hit where it hurts when a pack of Jays fans—one who looks conspicuously like Seann William Scott—teased him with photos of Madonna. (Cynthia Rodriguez had just filed for divorce, her lawyer saying that she was "emotionally cheated" on by her husband with the singer.) Unfortunately, Rodriguez struck back by exploiting the Jay's only weakness: getting many runs scored against them. Toronto Public Health wants kids and teenagers to......

The Toronto Maple Leafs won't play a meaningful hockey game for another three months, yet we've already begun steeling ourselves against the impeding overexposure. During the past few weeks, Canada's sports media have begun ramping up their hockey-related coverage. We were horrified to discover, for instance, that TSN ran an hour-long "preview" of NHL free agency last week; we were equally appalled to find ourselves watching it in its entirety. Not surprisingly, the Maple Leafs......

It’s been (warning! understatement alert!) an interesting week in Toronto Blue Jay Land. Seven days ago, they were floundering under a lame duck manager. This week, the team is still floundering—but at least they're showing signs (albeit tentative ones) of turning things around. One week—six games—is a negligible sample size; it’s barely sufficient to draw any sorts of conclusions, let alone meaningful ones. Still, as fans, we’re cautiously optimistic. Cito Gaston was bound to......

Photo by John Griffiths. The CFL is a league of second chances. And, more than most teams, the Argonauts are willing to grant an opportunity to players who've discovered how unforgiving other leagues can be towards injuries and indiscretions of personal conduct. With the new season kicking off this evening, the Argonauts look to improve on last year, when the team finished first in the East, but fell apart in the playoffs. Despite an......

Many of you have sat behind, beside, adjacent to, or perhaps even in front of (on a particularly unlucky day) that one doofus at the ball game who will not shut up, constantly exhorting his precious "team" to "win the game." He is only able to continue this abominable behaviour due to a combination of the celebrated Torontonian reserve and mild inebriation of his fellow fans. You've probably seen him at the Leafs or......

Today, to the surprise of absolutely no one, the Toronto Blue Jays fired their manager John Gibbons. Three other coaches, including the ever-popular Ernie Whitt, were also let go. Gibbons's replacement, at least for the time being, is none other than Cito Gaston, the man who led Toronto to back-to-back World Series championships in the early 90s. We’re still absorbing this announcement—and while we'll have plenty more to say about it in the coming weeks,......

Photo by Andrew Z. There are few emotional highs like watching your horse galloping down the homestretch to win by a nose in a blur of colour and kicked-up dirt. Even losing money when your wing-and-a-prayer long shot leads the race only to falter badly in the final turn isn't so disappointing when you consider the entertainment value of riding an emotional roller coaster. Once a sporting and cultural institution, horseracing has lost some......

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. 1979 Topps Rico Carty, 1978 Topps Jesse Jefferson and 1978 Topps Jim Clancy baseball cards Stories about the early days of the Toronto Blue Jays tend to focus on their debut in 1977, highlighted by a snowy opening day. Despite a mixture of cast-offs, free agents, and untested rookies that landed the......

It's halfway into Bike Month, and Mother Nature's unpredictable weather has already tempted you to take the TTC. Starting today, ditch the bike for the weekend and take the ferry to Toronto Island instead to watch other people pedal for the 16th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships. Unlike traditional bike tourneys, the various events—including skids, bike jumps, and a cargo race—seem designed to test adrenaline as opposed to endurance. Testing the true skills of......

Last week Gothamist reported on Major League Baseball's plan to place forty-two 8-1/2 feet tall Statues of Liberty covered in the logos of past and present teams around New York City in preparation for the All-Star Game on July 15th at Yankee Stadium. As this is the final season for "The House that Ruth Built," the MLB brain trust figures this campaign will provoke excitement for the game and provide spinoff revenue in the......

We're as intrigued by "The Hockey Theme" saga as any Canadian sports fan—but with the story becoming increasingly surreal (not to mention trivial), we've decided it's time to focus our attention elsewhere. Like Switzerland and Austria, for instance, where Euro 2008 kicked off last weekend. We're big soccer fans (or "football supporters," if you'd like), and so naturally we're well-chuffed about the tournament. However, we're also of the opinion that those of us who are......

Hey, CBC—you wanna come over to Torontoist's house and play a little Texas Hold 'Em sometime? CBC got called on their Hockey Night in Canada bluff today as rival CTV announced that they've struck a deal for the rights to the HNIC signature tune. The news comes four days after the kind-of public broadcaster announced they were pulling out of negotiations for the storied 40-year-old theme, and mere hours after they suggested that they......