Road Runners Celebrate 50 Years

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Road Runners Club (YRRC) is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special celebration on July 27 at the Slippery Rock Pavilion in Mill Creek MetroParks. This milestone event honors five decades of running, walking, and building a vibrant, welcoming community in the Mahoning Valley.

The celebration kicks off with an optional run or walk at 8:30 a.m., followed by a picnic brunch beginning at 9:30 a.m. Guests will enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with good food, great company, and exciting giveaway prizes generously provided by Second Sole of Boardman.

This event is free and open to the public – you do not need to be a member of the club to attend or participate. Whether you’re a long-time runner, a casual walker, or simply interested in joining a supportive fitness community, everyone is welcome.

Founded in 1975 and affiliated with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), YRRC has been a cornerstone of the running community in Youngstown. Club members benefit from a wide array of offerings, including:

¯ RRCA Certified Coaches and free personal training

¯ Personalized training programs

¯ Discounts at select local businesses and club events

¯ Weekly club runs–including heated cabins for winter months

¯ Picnics, dinners, and social gatherings

¯ A welcoming atmosphere for all ages and paces

As we mark this golden anniversary, we reflect on our rich legacy, including the founding of the Peace Race, which celebrated its own 50th anniversary in 2024. Our members have run thousands of miles together in one of Ohio’s most scenic parks — Mill Creek MetroParks, established in 1893. With its 15 miles of trails, rolling terrain, and peaceful lakes, the park provides a perfect backdrop for runners and walkers of every level.

Join us to commemorate 50 years of passion, perseverance, and community. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner, just starting out, or simply curious, you’ll never run alone with YRRC.

Clippers sign Beal after Suns buyout

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers have signed guard Bradley Beal after the final two years of his contract were bought out by the Phoenix Suns earlier this week.

The team announced his signing on Friday.

He averaged 17 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 32.1 minutes while starting 38 of 53 games for the Suns last season. Beal shot 50% from the floor, 39% from 3-point range and 80% from the foul line.

“Players of this caliber are very rare, and they’re hard to come by,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’s been the best player on his team. You can put him in so many different spots and he’ll find ways to score: out of pick-and-roll, coming off screens, catch-and-shoot. He can create his own or he can play off the ball. He’s a great cutter. He’s also a great playmaker who is going to make everybody else better.”

The 32-year-old Beal is a three-time All-Star and 13-year NBA veteran.

Howell steps down from NFLPA

Lloyd Howell has resigned as executive director of the NFL Players Association, citing distractions his leadership has caused in recent weeks.

“Two years ago, I accepted the role of Executive Director of the NFLPA because I believe deeply in the mission of this union and the power of collective action to drive positive change for the players of America’s most popular sport,” Howell said in a statement released late Thursday night. “Our members deserve a union that will fight relentlessly for their health, safety, financial futures, and long-term well-being. My priority has been to lead that fight by serving this union with focus and dedication.

“It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day. For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”

Howell has come under scrutiny since ESPN reported he has maintained a part-time consulting job with the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that holds league approval to seek minority ownership in NFL franchises.

That followed the revelation that the NFLPA and the league had a confidentiality agreement to keep quiet an arbitrator’s ruling about possible collusion by owners over quarterback salaries.

The latest issue was an ESPN report Thursday that revealed two player representatives who voted for Howell were not aware that he was sued in 2011 for sexual discrimination and retaliation while he was a senior executive at Booz Allen.

“I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish at the NFLPA over the past two years,” Howell said. “I will be rooting for the players from the sidelines as loud as ever, and I know the NFLPA will continue to ensure that players remain firmly at the center of football’s future.”

Manning, Texas picked to win SEC

Texas, with Heisman Trophy candidate Arch Manning set to take over as starting quarterback, is the preseason pick to win the Southeastern Conference championship.

The Longhorns received 96 of the 204 votes cast from media members covering the SEC media days this week to be crowned SEC champion on Dec. 6 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Georgia, with 44 votes, received the second-most votes.

If that scenario plays out, it would mean a rematch of the 2024 SEC championship game, which Georgia won in an overtime thriller. The SEC championship game pits the two teams with the best regular-season conference record against one another.

Alabama was third with 29 votes, while LSU got 20. South Carolina was next with five, while Oklahoma received three and Vanderbilt and Florida each got two votes. Tennessee, Ole Miss and Auburn each received one vote.

Since 1992, only 10 times has the predicted champion in the preseason poll gone on to win the SEC championship.

The 2024 SEC title game averaged 16.6 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, the fourth-largest audience on record for the game. The overtime win for Georgia, which peaked with 19.7 million viewers, delivered the largest audience of the college football season.