YSU

YSU
Tennis team loses
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Youngstown State men's tennis team suffered a 7-0 loss Wednesday to the No. 1 Division II team in the country, West Florida.
The Penguins' Tom Barth and Scott Kathery pushed the Argonauts to three games at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, but both players came up short in the super tiebreakers.
AREA
Spartans qualifyfor indoor event
COLUMBUS -- The Boardman High girls indoor track team qualified for the first state indoor championships in five events at last weekend's Ohio State Indoor Track and Field Classic.
The 4x800-meter relay team of Jenna Agnew, Cecilia Velazquez, Katie Stoll and Alix Yetter placed third. Agnew also qualified in the 400. In the field events, senior Brooke Katzman (shot put), sophomore Candace Golubic (high jump) and sophomore Carrie Mavrikis (pole vault) also qualified for the state meet.
Phantoms homethis weekend
BOARDMAN -- For the Youngstown Phantoms to make the North American Hockey League North Division playoffs (NAHL), they essentially have to win four of their last seven regular season games.
The fifth-place Phantoms (24-23-3, 51 points) host the fourth-place Cleveland Barons (25-25-3, 53 points) at The Ice Zone tonight at 7.
The last-place Toledo Ice Diggers will look to play spoilers on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the regular-season home finale.
"[Tonight's] game will be our biggest test of the season," Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said. "They want to prove to themselves and everyone that we should be in the playoffs. They don't want their season to end next week."
Browns sign RB Taylor
CLEVELAND -- Running back Chester Taylor signed a one-year, $3 million offer sheet with the Browns, a move that could signal the end of William Green's time in Cleveland.
Baltimore has until Wednesday to match the offer for Taylor, a restricted free agent, Browns spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz said. If the Ravens decline, the Browns would owe the Ravens a sixth-round draft pick.
Taylor was selected in the sixth round by the Ravens in 2003 when Browns general manager Phil Savage was Baltimore's personnel director.
As Jamal Lewis' backup last season, Taylor ran for 714 yards, two touchdowns. He had 100-yard games three times while starting in Lewis' place.
Giants ink Burress
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress reached an agreement with the New York Giants on a six-year, $25 million contract Thursday, a football source said.
The deal includes an $8 million signing bonus, the source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The agreement comes a week after the Giants said they were no longer interested in signing the speedy former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver, and just days after Burress switched agents.
Burress met with the Giants eight days ago and rejected an offer that was almost the same as the one he agreed to Thursday. He then fired agent Michael Harrison and signed with Drew Rosenhaus.
Burress had also visited with the Minnesota Vikings and other teams.
Burress, who spent the last five seasons with Pittsburgh, brings considerable size and big-play ability to a Giants offense that sorely needs both.
At 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds, Burress has the size and speed to get down the field and catch the fade pattern in the end zone, which no doubt is attractive to Eli Manning heading into his first full season as a starter.
Burress had 35 catches for 698 yards and five touchdowns last season. His finest season was in 2002, when he had 78 catches.
Cavaliers fineCoach Sila
CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers coach Paul Silas was fined $10,000 by the team Thursday for a derogatory comment he made about Utah forward Carlos Boozer.
Silas made the remark to reporters Monday, one day before Boozer was to return to Cleveland after leaving the Cavaliers as a free agent last summer. Boozer didn't travel with the Jazz because of a foot injury.
Silas apologized Wednesday before Cleveland's game in Milwaukee.
"We cannot accept these kinds of comments from anyone in our organization," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said in a statement. "I have spoken to Paul. He understands our philosophy and feels badly about it. Paul also spoke to Carlos Boozer about the incident to express his regret. The comments were inappropriate and unacceptable."
Bonds undergoesknee operation
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds pushed his surgically repaired right knee so hard that the San Francisco Giants became concerned he might be doing too much. Yet, after 19 major league seasons, the team trusted Bonds knows his body best.
But on Thursday, Bonds underwent a second operation on the knee -- a setback that makes it unlikely the slugger will be ready for opening day.
Staff/wire reports