This story has been updated to reflect Nick Chubb has signed with the Texans.By now the blue-collar mentality associated with Northeast Ohio is beyond cliché and not as accurate as it once was.Still, every so often something or someone comes along to remind those who are native to the area and old enough to remember the seemingly endless number of factories — whether it was related to rubber, steel or the cars that used both — of that hard-scrabble work ethic that typified the area.Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb was that person.

With Chubb signing with the Houston Texans, he will be missed. Below are five moments that show why:

Nick Chubb announces his presence with authority in loss to Oakland Sept. 30, 2018

To open his rookie season, running back Nick Chubb started the year by splitting time with teammate Carlos Hyde. Amazingly, that lasted for more than a few games.

With Baker Mayfield struggling through a four-interception game in his first start, Chubb announced his presence with authority. The second-round pick scored touchdowns of 63 yards on his first regular-season carry and later 41 yards in a 45-42 loss to help keep the Browns close.

“In the second quarter, Chubb ripped off a 63-yard touchdown run to give the Browns a 9-7 lead with 12:35 remaining in the first half,” then-Browns beat reporter Nate Ulrich wrote in his story of the back-and-forth game.

Moments later he chronicled another Chubb run: “Chubb broke loose for a 41-yard rushing touchdown to give the Browns a 42-34 lead with 4:20 left.”

Mayfield’s debut as a starter was the story, but Chubb was on an equal plane as he began to write his Browns legacy.

Nick Chubb runs into the record book with the longest TD run in team history on Nov. 11, 2018

The Browns beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-16 with Chubb scoring on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield and a glorious 92-yard run at 8:45 of the third quarter.

“[He]took a handoff from quarterback Baker Mayfield on second-and-10 at the Browns 8-yard line and dashed off right tackle virtually untouched for a touchdown — the longest run in franchise history (Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell had a 90-yard run in 1959),” according to the Beacon Journal. “His 92-yard touchdown was also the second-longest run by a rookie in NFL history (Pittsburgh’s Bobby Gage had a 97-yard run in 1949).

The play led to one of Jim Donovan’s iconic Browns calls:

Chubb gave most of the credit for the run to his teammates, which was always the case with him.

“[It was] just a great job up front. Those guys blocked hard the whole game, and it was wide open,” Chubb said. “I remember running through and seeing the safety left, and then after that, I see [rookie wide receiver Antonio] Callaway blocking the corner, which he did a tremendous job of that. He always does. After that, I am just wide open to the house.”

For the game, Chubb ran for 176 yards on 20 carries, at that time the best Browns rushing performance since Peyton Hillis ran for 184 yards on 29 carries against the New England Patriots Nov. 7, 2010.

The Browns, Nick Chubb and Denzel Ward boat race the Cincinnati Bengals Nov. 7, 2021

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward got the show started with a record-setting interception return of 99 yards for a score, but Chubb put in work as well with a 14-carry, 137-yard rushing performance that included a touchdown runs of 1 and 70 yards.

On second-and-10 from the Cleveland 30-yard line, Chubb broke loose off the left side and ripped off a 70-yard rushing touchdown with eight minutes left in the third quarter.

Beacon Journal beat writer Ulrich called it a body blow to the Bengals, giving the Browns a 31-10 lead in a game they eventually won 41-16.

Nick Chubb showed the Baltimore Ravens he could take over a game Sept. 29, 2019Chubb scored three touchdowns against the Ravens in a 40-25 win. The game was close at halftime, with the Browns holding a 10-7 lead. Then Chubb showed he could absolutely take over a game if necessary, scoring all of those touchdowns in the second half. They came from 14, 2, and 88 yards, with that final one salting game away with 9:35 left.

“Chubb isn’t flashy. He’s not a quote machine like quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. or free safety Damarious Randall. He doesn’t get caught up in any drama. He’s just a relentless competitor who’s always working and never stops fighting,” Ulrich wrote in his game story. “That’s why Chubb is a fitting hero for the Browns’ 40-25 road victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Browns desperately needed to tap into new levels of focus and determination to rebound from their sluggish start to the season and to respond to their critics as well as the Ravens.

“The big answer came when Chubb delivered a backbreaking 88-yard touchdown run off the right side, giving the Browns a 30-18 lead with 9:35 left in the fourth quarter.”Chubb finished with 165 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries (8.3 average) to go along with three catches on four targets for 18 yards.”I do what I can to help us win. Today it showed a little more, just the determination,” said Chubb, the first Browns player to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Hillis on Nov. 28, 2010. “I wasn’t going to let anyone tackle me.”Honestly, I had nightmares last week [against the Los Angeles Rams] when I got hit on fourth-and-9 because one man tackled me, and that kind of drove me this week to not let one person tackle me.”Gamblers probably weren’t happy but Nick Chubb proved to be a team player Nov. 15, 2020, against the Houston Texans

With the Browns hanging on to a 10-7 lead over the Houston Texans, Chubb broke free for a 59-yard gain with 1:07 left in the game and promptly ended the run by walking out of bounds with 56 seconds left, allowing the offense to down the ball twice and claim the win.

“That is the natural instinct to get into the end zone,” Chubb said in his postgame news conference. “Something came in my head and said, ‘let’s go out of bounds.’ I should have just taken a knee or slid to keep the clock running, but it was a split [second] decision.”

It was also the right decision and indicative of Chubb’s football smarts and respect for his teammates.

George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal

LA CRESCENT, Minn. (WXOW) – The Girls Flag Football State Championship Tournament is taking place Monday at the Viking Headquarters in Eagan. 

There are 12 teams fighting for the top prize, including the No. 2 seed La Crescent-Hokah. 

The Lancers took to the field at 4:00 p.m. Monday in the quarterfinals against No. 10 seed Two Rivers, where they won and moved onto the semifinals.

After winning the 6:00 p.m. semifinal, La Crescent-Hokah eventually lost to Mahtomedi in a matchup of undefeated teams for the state championship.

This year’s tournament highlights the growth of the sport in the state, which now has 51 schools now playing. 

SIMILAR: La Crescent-Hokah hosts first girls flag football games in Minnesota history

This story has been updated following the conclusion of the tournament.

Monday, ESPN released the trailer for its latest 30 for 30 documentary film, Empire Skate.

“Empire Skate chronicles the colorful rise and enduring influence of New York skateboarding culture–through the global phenomenon of Supreme–while highlighting intimate portraits of the characters who breathed life into that world,” reads ESPN’s release. “From the highs of breakout film success and the creation of a brand and movement, to the lows of fractured families and the loss of close friends, it is a style-and-substance trip through a unique moment when multiple trends converged on one city to create something timeless.”

The film features Tony Hawk, Alex Corporan, Steven Cales, Chris Keeffe, Jeff Pang, Mike Hernandez, Peter Bici, and Ryan Hickey.

The film is directed by documentary filmmaker Josh Swade, who is perhaps best known to 30 for 30 audiences for his work on There’s No Place Like Home, about Kansas Jayhawks basketball, One & Done, about John Calipari’s Kentucky run, and Arthur & Johnnie, about Arthur Ashe and his younger brother.

“Skate shops have always been sacred spaces for me—places of creativity, community, and culture,” said Swade. “When I moved to New York in the mid-90s, Supreme wasn’t just a store, it was a magnet for a movement that reshaped downtown and radiated far beyond. With Empire Skate, we wanted to honor that energy and tell the story of how a small skate shop helped fuel a global cultural shift. This film is as much about identity and expression as it is about skating, and I’m proud to help bring that story to the screen.”

The film will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 12 and then on ESPN on June 30 at 9 p.m. ET. Following the linear premiere, the film will be available to stream on ESPN+, as well as on Disney+ and Hulu.

Here’s a full synopsis via ESPN:

“Empire Skate” tells the story of 1990’s New York City skate culture that inspired the global brand Supreme. It is the scene of a rare, energetic convergence of hip-hop, street art, dance, and culture. Kids who grew up in the 1980s as outsiders, going against the grain, bring their own element to this culture: skateboarding. Many of them fleeing hard lives of dysfunction and family desperation, they turn the forbidding landscape of the city into their own personal skate park – setting the stage for a movement that would grow to transform fashion and sports. 

While Southern California remains the mass-market capital of skateboarding, this New York City crew creates their own style. Bolstered by charismatic kids like Harold Hunter and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, fledgling skate shops begin to appear across the city. They tap into a NYC skating vibe that is faster, more dangerous, and more improvisational than its West Coast counterpart, and the style echoes that difference: SkateNYC and Zoo York set the tone for this rise, and then another brand is birthed that changes the scene forever. 

Supreme, fronted by the mysterious businessman James Jebbia, takes NYC by storm. Playing by its own rules of marketing, store design, and customer service (including refusing to serve those who don’t seem to fit its image and vibe), Supreme becomes a status symbol on the streets of Manhattan – and beyond. It becomes a global phenomenon, with buyers arriving from as far as Asia, pockets bursting with cash, eager to buy a piece of the lifestyle. 

The rise pulls the NYC skateboarding crew into other areas of pop culture. The Larry Clark and Harmony Korine indie film Kids is a surprise hit that features several NYC skateboarders including an aspiring young actor named Justin Pierce. They find themselves on a rocket ship of fame that is impossible to navigate, and Pierce commits suicide.  

Tragedy and camaraderie, changing trends in fashion and entertainment, and the constant evolution of culture continue to transform the NYC skateboarding landscape. Through it all, Supreme maintains a powerful hold, and those for whom skateboarding was an indispensable part of their lives, the bonds remain forever.

In the latest edition of ‘The Valley Today,’ host Janet Michael sat down with Andy Gail, CEO of United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley, and Holly Roberts, founder of Love To Nic, to discuss their impactful and collaborative efforts to support the homeless and needy communities in Northern Shenandoah Valley and beyond.

Holly shared that Love To Nic was founded in memory of her late son, Nic, who struggled with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder before dying in a car accident a decade ago. The nonprofit primarily focuses on providing shoes but has since expanded to include winter jackets, boots, and other essential items like non-slip shoes and steel-toed boots to help the homeless secure jobs. Holly’s heartfelt story included her travels to NFL stadiums. During these trips, the organization hands out numerous pairs of shoes, socks, hats, and gloves to the homeless.

Janet remarked on how powerful and touching Holly’s mission is, particularly the ripple effect that one act of kindness can provoke. Holly recounted a poignant story about a recipient who reached out to his mother after receiving shoes, which led to a cascade of donations from various states.

The discussion then shifted to the collaborative aspect of their work. Andy explained how United Way emphasizes collaboration among nonprofits through their impact grants, requiring partnerships among applicants to address community needs more holistically. He noted that they had received over $800,000 in requests from 50 nonprofits.

In a surprise announcement, Andy revealed that United Way had received an additional grant to support basic needs in rural counties. Holly was overjoyed to learn that Love To Nic would be receiving $5,000 from this fund to continue their important work in providing shoes and meals to the needy.

Holly also discussed the logistics of her operations, highlighting partnerships with companies like Bombas for socks and various brands for affordable footwear. Despite the challenges, Holly’s determination and her support network have allowed Love To Nic to make a significant impact.

Andy talked about how United Way leverages community connections and data to secure funding and support for various initiatives. He emphasized that their success is a community effort, showcasing how collaborative efforts can drive meaningful change.

The discussion ended on a high note with Holly thanking United Way and the community for their support, while Andy promised continued backing for her vital work. Janet encouraged listeners to engage and support such initiatives.

Learn more about Love to Nic: https://lovetonic.org/

Learn more about United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley: https://www.unitedwaynsv.org/

The Indiana High School Athletic Association state track and field meet was held at North Central High School in Indianapolis on Friday, June 6. Among the talented athletes in the field were Masson Heiny from Richmond High School competing in the discus, Maddox Pritchett from Centerville High School competing in the long jump and Jacob Lindahl from RHS competing in the shot put. The top nine finishers in each event climbed the podium at the conclusion of their event to receive a medal. Only Lindahl reached the podium. 

Heiny placed 27th in the discus with a throw of 147 feet, 5 inches. The state champion was Kaleb Rasheed from Avon High School with a winning throw of 191 feet, 10 inches. 

Pritchett placed 29th in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 5.5 inches. The state champion was Jaylen Ramsey from Merrillville High School with a leap of 23 feet, 8.5 inches. 

Lindahl placed seventh in the shot put with a toss of 58 feet, 2.5 inches. The state champion was Benjamin Brown from Southport HS with a toss of 63 feet, 2 inches. 

Lawrence North won the meet with 47 points, Bloomington North was second with 45 points and Merrillville was third with 40 points. Lindahl scored 3 points for Richmond.