SPORTS DIGEST || Fitch to host Suburban League coaches meeting

Fitch to host Suburban League coaches meeting

austintown

Austintown Fitch High School will serve as host to the Suburban Cross Country League’s annual coaches meeting.

The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Greater Youngstown Track Officials Association fall meeting Thursday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria. All Suburban League coaches should plan to attend this meeting.

Coaches who need more information should contact John Daubenspeck at John.Daubenspeck@EPSchools.k12.oh.us.

East Palestine tickets go on sale Aug. 17

east palestine

The East Palestine athletic department is selling reserve seats for football games and passes to all fall sports beginning Aug. 17 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the administrative office at the high school.

Football reserve seats at $40 with backs and $30 without backs. Adult general admission tickets are $20 and student tickets are $15. Volleyball and soccer tickets are $35 for adult passes and $20 for student passes. A family pass for the fall season is $100 and a yearly pass is $300.

Meet the team for all fall sports will also be held on Aug. 17. The parade will begin at 7 p.m., ending at John Reid Memorial Stadium. The public is invited to attend.

Texans RB Arian Foster suffered groin injury

HOUSTON

Houston Texans star running back Arian Foster has a groin injury, coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday after practice.

The second-year head coach said Foster is still being evaluated, but he would miss time, although how much was unspecified. The Texans worked out free agent running backs Pierre Thomas, Ben Malena and Joe McKnight on Wednesday, but had not officially signed anyone.

Alfred Blue is expected to handle much of the load at running back with Foster out. Foster was second in the NFL in yards rushing per game (95.8) and sixth in total yards rushing (1,246) in 2014.

Las Vegas, Quebec City NHL bids advance

Las Vegas and Quebec City have advanced to the second of three phases in their bids to land NHL expansion franchises.

Bill Foley, who heads the Las Vegas bid, made the announcement on his group’s website Wednesday. Montreal-based Quebecor announced on its Twitter account that its Quebec City bid also is moving forward.

Foley said Phase 2 will feature bidders providing the NHL additional information regarding their respective markets and arena plans. The bidders will also gain access to certain league-related information.

There is a third phase to the process, though it’s unclear when that will begin. Bids must also be approved by the NHL Board of Governors.

The league isn’t expected to expand until 2017-18. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has proposed an expansion fee of $500 million.

NBC outlines mostly live Summer Olympics

NEW YORK

Gymnastics will air on a tape delay on NBC next year during the Summer Olympics.

Host Rio de Janeiro is only one hour ahead of the United States’ Eastern time zone, allowing the network to broadcast many high-profile events live in prime time. Gymnastics will take place in the late afternoon and early evening, and the recorded competition will be shown that night with a quick turnaround.

NBC executives say the format of gymnastics makes it better-suited to be repackaged on delay. Multiple gymnasts are competing on different apparatus at the same time, and there are long delays.

Fans will be able to watch gymnastics live on streaming video but not on TV. Swimming and track and field will air almost entirely live in prime time.

Wednesday marks a year until the start of the 2016 Olympics.

Staff/wire report