Football stats are needed by noon

Football stats are needed by noon

High school football coaches are encouraged to send their updated statistics to The Vindicator by noon today to be included in this week’s Blitz section.

Statistics may be emailed to sports@vindy.com or faxed to 330-747-1471.

Football Hall of Famers threaten boycott

A group of Pro Football Hall of Famers led by Eric Dickerson is demanding health insurance coverage and a share of NFL revenues or else those former players will boycott the induction ceremonies.

In a letter sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and Hall of Fame President David Baker — and obtained by The Associated Press — 21 Hall of Fame members cited themselves as “integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue.”

Among the signees were Dickerson, who is listed as chairman of the newly created Hall of Fame Board the group has formed; Jim Brown; Joe Namath; Lawrence Taylor; and Sarah White, the widow of Reggie White.

There were questions, though, about how well-organized the group was. Two players whose names are on the letter said they were not part of the boycott effort.

Another name on the list of 22 signees was Carl Ellard, but no one by that name has played professional football. Former Vikings defensive end Carl Eller, however, is a Hall of Famer.

Pens fall to Sabres; DeSmith stops 26 shots

Buffalo

Jake McCabe and Jack Michael scored 7:38 apart in the second period to help the Sabres beat Pittsburgh.

Vladimir Sobotka also scored for Buffalo.

Carton Hutton started for the Sabres and made 14 saves in two periods. Scott Wedgewood stopped 10 of 12 shots in the third.

Casey DeSmith made 26 saves for the Penguins, who got late third-period goals from Will O’Neill and Juuso Riikola.

Blue Jackets defeat Blackhawks, 4-1

Columbus

Goaltenders J-F Berube and Joseph Raaymakers combined for 21 saves to lift the Blue Jackets over Chicago, 4-1.

Berube, who started, made 14 saves on 15 shots before being replaced by Raaymakers in the third period. Raaymakers stopped all seven shots he faced.

Zac Dalpe, Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson and Liam Foudy scored for the Blue Jackets.

Chicago led 1-0 on Alexandre Fortin’s goal 53 seconds into the game.

The Blackhawks’ Cam Ward made 13 saves before being replaced by Collin Delia, who finished with 14 stops.

Former Pen Sheary has upper body injury

BUFFALO, N.Y.

Buffalo Sabres forward Conor Sheary is in jeopardy of missing the start of the regular season with what the team calls an upper body injury.

Coach Phil Housley didn’t go into much detail Tuesday, saying Sheary was injured while being checked during the first day of training camp on Friday. Sheary is listed week to week.

The injury is a setback for the Sabres, who were counting on Sheary playing on one of the top two lines after acquiring the forward in a trade with Pittsburgh in June. Sheary is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and has 48 goals and 93 points in 184 games.

Forward Sean Malone will miss up to six weeks after hurting his knee in the second period of Buffalo’s 4-1 preseason win at Columbus on Monday.

The Sabres also announced defenseman Matt Hunwick will be out indefinitely with a neck injury. He has been out since missing the start of camp. Housley didn’t reveal how or when Hunwick was hurt.

Hunwick was acquired in the trade with Sheary from Pittsburgh.

Staff/wire report