i'm fred roggin. >>> have you ever heard why george w. bush refused to honor harry potter author j.k. rowling? your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. >>> plus a 7-year-old teaches us all a little bit about civic involvement as well as a little about duck safety. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back to "early today." i'm meteorologist ginger zee. we're beginning with a strong storm out in parts of the plains and great lakes heading towards chicago. if you're on the east coast you're saying what does that mean to me? it means your sunshine in charlotte with a high of 75 today and new york 65. for the weekend, means rain for almost all of pus. so we'll have to be tracking that storm. but for now, we are tracking our eastern event of the day and if you're watching us on wxia 11 alive in atlanta experience the civil war through the eyes of the soldiers and civilians at turning point the american civil war exhibit at the atlanta history center. that is your eastern event of the day. christina? >> thanks, ginge

here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. >>> good morning. the tigers and twins played an entire season and it still was not enough to decide the a.l. central. avoided a total meltdown by beating the white sox. the second put the tigers up 5-0 and they went on to win it 5-3. so it was up to the twins. they employed the royals. twins won 13-4. after 162 games, the a.l. central will be decided by a one-game playoff. twins ask tigers tomorrow in minnesota. football, cowboys and correct me if i'm wrong kobroncos. he started the season in the dog house. could get the key to the city after that. zigzag 51 yards for the score. denver up, 17-10. last chance for tony romo and the cow boimpts romo's pass fell incomple incomplete. they remain undefeated. to new england, pats and ravens. randy moss caught his fist touchdown pass of the year. pats won 27-21. mark sanchez, worst game of his brief career. three interceptions, this one in the second quarter. returned 99 yards. second behind hall of famer rod woodson who had 12. now in pittsburgh, steelers me

here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. >>> good morning. on june 4th, the rockies were 12 games under 500. after a remarkable turnaround, they're back in the playoffs. they got it done playing small ball against the brewers. colorado up 1-0 after one. more of the same in the third. atkins sliced one into the corner. rockies put up four in the inning and won 9-2. they clinched a lot least the wild card and are two back of the dodgers in the west. they play a three-game series in l.a. tonight. cabrera gave minnesota a 7-1 lead with a double that scored three. college football, eighth ranked oklahoma will be without quarterback sam bradford without a week. he is nursing a strained ac joint. he will be sidelined against number 17 miami. opening night in the nhl. reigning mvp ovechkin put on a show against the capitals. he made boston pay for the mistake. caps up 2-0. bruins learned their lesson and were all over ovechkin in the third. scored a second goal of the night. caps won it 4-1. overtime in the extra frame. josh picked up the loose puck

fred roggin has highlights. >>> it was just a matter of time before the defending champs clinched the that time was last night. against the astros, raul ibanez rounded into a fielder's choice. i don't think he chose to do that. past second into centerfield. allowed chase utley to trot home and tie the game at 3. phillies running away with it. raul ibanez smashed his 34th homer of the year into the cheap seats in the second deck. brad lidge ended the game with two outs in the ninth and received a standing ovation. phillies win their third straight division title. tigers add to the lead in the a.l. central with a win over the twins. ramon santiago with a bloop double and scored a pair. detroit up 4-2 after two. magglio ordonez break the game wide open in the fifth with a double of his own that scored three. tigers win 7-2. they now have a three-game lead over the twins. to say the dodgers are struggling is an understatement. kevin kuzmanov put the padres up. the magic number remains at one after dropping their fourth straight. >>> dodgers continue to lose, and the rockies keep on winnin