Links, tunes and live blogs

I'll be live-blogging the B.C. Lions - Toronto Argonauts game here and at Out of Left Field at 7:30 Eastern/4:30 Pacific. Until then, here's some links to the other stuff I've been writing and some of the best stories from around the web, as well as some tuneage to get you all pumped for the game.

My pieces:

- Here's the story of Canucks' prospect Sergei Shirokov and his quest to escape the KHL [Canuck Puck].

- Here's a link to the newest edition of The Whole 110 Yards, my weekly CFL column over at The Rookies.

- The Vancouver Olympics are now only six months away. I have a story on one local group's Olympic preparations in The South Delta Leader, where I'm working for the next few weeks.

- My weekly Phoenix Pub column took aim at the lack of proper standards and treatment around concussions in sports.

- As part of those aforementioned Olympic preparations, the Richmond-Vancouver-Vancouver Airport SkyTrain line is opening on Monday. It will see heavy use during the Olympics, especially transporting athletes, journalists and officials downtown from the airport. I have a story (and a video) talking to some local transit users about their thoughts on the line [The South Delta Leader].

Best of the Interwebs:

- Shakey gives us Landon Donovan's real backstory [Style Points].

- The Pirates Fan on the worst members of Steeler Nation [The Phoenix Pub].

- Weed Against Speed on an upcoming Toronto charity soccer game featuring members of Great Big Sea, Broken Social Scene, Weezer, Bedouin Soundclash and More [Sportress of Blogitude]

- Duane Rollins on Canadian international striker Simeon Jackson's potential Premiership move [The 24th Minute]

- Chilltown on why Tim Wakefield is The Most Interesting Knuckleballer In The World [The Rookies]

- A very painful injury to the Mariners' Adrian Beltre [Gunaxin]

- Adam Best on 30 sports figures who could be aliens [Fan Addict]

- Jason Davis on Landon Donovan apparently contracting swine flu before the U.S. national team's game against Mexico [Match Fit USA]

- Brian Wawryshyn on why football is, after all, just a game [B.C. Lions Den]

Tunage:
Here's a classic most appropriate for a game in Toronto. See you shortly for the live blog!