SPORTS DIGEST || MVRC cancels live racing program

MVRC cancels live racing program

Austintown

Due to expected cold weather and high winds forecast for the immediate area, Mahoning Valley Race Course has cancelled its live racing program scheduled for Wednesday. Live racing is scheduled to return on Saturday with its regular starting time of 12:45 p.m. Full card simulcasting, which is conducted daily, will be available.

This is the first cancelation for MVRC, which began live racing in November, 2014. Officials stated that the lost racing day will be made up at a future date during the winter-spring meet which is scheduled to run through April 25.

Connor is 15th on NHL Draft List

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Phantoms forward Kyle Connor is ranked 15th in ISS Hockey’s January ratings for the top prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Connor is the highest ranked player in the USHL. Three Team USA players (Colin White, Jordan Greenway and Jeremy Bracco) are 16th, 19th and 20th.

Ohio State title game footballs for sale

Ohio State title game footballs produced by Wilson are aviliable for $99. The ball will include the score of every Ohio State game this season and multiple offical logos. Proceeds will go to the Extra Yard For Teachers charity. Footballs can be purchased at 1-800-345-2868 or at www.nikcosports.com.

Springfield boosters to hold fundraiser

NEW MIddletown

The Springfield athletic boosters is having an Outback Steakhouse dinner fundraiser on, Jan. 24 from 3:30-6 p.p in the Springfield high school cafeteria. Dine-in and take-out dinners will be available. Tickets are $15 each. Dinner tickets, along with game admission to our boys and girls JV/varsity basketball games that same day, are also available at $20 per ticket.

For further details or to purchase tickets please call the Springfield athletic department at (330) 542-3626 x128. Proceeds benefit Springfield athletics.

Poland boys basketball tickets on sale Monday

Poland

The Poland high school athletic department will be pre-selling tickets to the Poland boy’s basketball game at the Covelli Centre on Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will take on West Middlesex. Presale tickets can be purchased in the high school athletic office starting on Jan. 12 through Jan 23 from 8-2. Adult tickets are $6 and students are $4. All tickets at the gate are $8.

Obama: I’d be upset if I were a Lions fan

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama says he’d be “pretty aggravated” if he were a Detroit Lions fan after the team lost an NFL playoff game to the Dallas Cowboys after a disputed penalty call.

But since he’s a long-suffering fan of his hometown Chicago Bears, which had a losing record and missed the playoffs, Obama says he can’t have “too much sympathy for the Lions.”

Obama tells The Detroit News in an interview Tuesday that he couldn’t remember a case in which a referee’s “good call” is “reversed without explanation.”

Detroit led 20-17 in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game when the call was made. The reversal helped Dallas come from behind to win 24-20. Says Obama, “I can tell you if I was a Lions fan I’d be pretty aggravated.”

Jon Jones entering drug treatment

LOS ANGELES

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has entered drug treatment, the mixed martial arts promotion says.

The UFC announced Tuesday that Jones failed a random drug test last month.

The Nevada Athletic Commission says Jones tested positive for the main metabolite of cocaine, according to Yahoo Sports. Benzoylecgonine is not banned by the commission for out-of-competition use, so Jones wasn’t penalized or suspended.

Staff/wire reports