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Barker honored at Cy Young Days Festival
NEWCOMERSTOWN -- The Cy Young Days Festival luncheon featuring former Cleveland Indians pitcher Len Barker will be held June 29 at Newcomerstown High School.
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Reservations are required by calling (740) 227-1544 or emailing chaney.janet8@gmail.com.
Five full-sized numbered Louisville Slugger wood bats engraved the the name of the festival and date and home of CyYoung will be auctioned at the luncheon.
Barker also will be the marshal of the parade starting at 6 p.m. After the parade, Barker will be at the Olde Main Street Museum for autographs.
Cy Young -- who holds the major league record with 511 career victories -- was born and raised in Tuscarawas County, pitching for teams from Carrollton and Canton before making his major league debut in 1890. He lived near Newcomerstown until his death in 1955.
Beaver Local Athletic Hall of Fame
CALCUTTA -- The reorganization of the Beaver Local Athletic Hall of Fame will include the next induction in the fall of 2025. The organization plans to continue awarding two $1,000 scholarships each year.
To raise money for the scholarships, committee members are selling $10 tickets for a chance on four tickets to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Cleveland Guardians baseball game on Aug. 31 plus $500 cash. There's a second chance drawing for a 65-inch Smart TV.
Tickets are available with Eric Lowe at Beaver Local, Shelley Roberts at The Upper Ohio Valley Museum at the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame and at Campbell Signs & Apparel or from any committee member.
Nomination information is available at https://forms.gle/b5TcnLb43kYKRrVf7 or on Facebook.
NFL players union seeks offseason change
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Across the NFL, teams wrapped up their mandatory minicamps this week leading into about a month-long break before the start of a grueling season that could approach seven months for the teams that make the Super Bowl.
The timeline of spring practice followed by a break and then training camp has been a familiar one for years, broken up only by a lockout in 2011 and a pandemic in 2020, but could be in for a change.
The NFLPA is contemplating proposing a major upheaval to this schedule, replacing spring practices with a longer training camp in what would provide a longer break after the season and a more gradual buildup to training camp in hopes of possibly reducing some injuries.
It's a plan that has not been met with wide acceptance, with several players and coaches decrying the elimination of OTAs and minicamps in May and June.
"I think we need it," Saints tight end Foster Moreau said of the current offseason program. "You cook your steak in the offseason and then training camp is like a microwaving period.
"You could go to training camp and you could microwave your steak on high for two minutes and we'll see how much football you like watching the first four weeks."
Colts center Ryan Kelly, the team's player representative to the union, sees both sides of the issue, believing the time off breaks up continuity but starting training camp early could make for too long of a season.
Utah Hockey Club will be the name
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Hockey Club will be the name of the NHL team playing its games in Salt Lake City beginning this fall, with a long-term identity still to come.
Smith Entertainment Group announced the move Thursday and unveiled the initial logos and jerseys that will be used in 2024-25 in concert with the $1.2 billion sale closing. Ryan Smith's company, which also owns the NBA's Utah Jazz, bought the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes in April.
"Today is a monumental day for the state of Utah as we officially close on the establishment of a new NHL franchise," Smith said. "The NHL has been incredible to work with throughout this process, providing us with invaluable guidance and support. We have a ton of work to do -- training camp starts in less than 100 days -- and could not be more excited about what's to come."
Commissioner Gary Bettman on behalf of the Board of Governors said he was delighted to welcome Utah to the league.
"Congratulations to Ryan and Ashley Smith, their entire organization, the state of Utah and the fans as the club continues its exciting march toward puck drop in October," Bettman said.
The puck drops in October, but there is no timeline on when permanent branding and logos will be revealed. After 20 initial options, the six finalists are Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, Yeti and keeping the name Utah Hockey Club, or Utah HC. Fan voting runs through June 20.