Struthers basketball tickets on sale

March 4, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

STRUTHERS

Presale tickets for both the Struthers girls district final Saturday at Austintown and the boys district semifinal vs. Mooney on March 7 at Boardman are on sale in the high school office today until 3 p.m. They will also be sold from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday in the high school lobby.

Hills to appear

niles

Peyton Hills of the Cleveland Browns will appear at the Eastwood Mall on Saturday to sign autographs.

He’ll be appearing in the Sears Concourse from 2-4 p.m.

Autographs will be available for $50 per item.

Hillis was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2008 and then traded to the Browns at the end of the 2009-2010 season.

Last fall he rushed for 1,177 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.

NFL, union agree to deadline extension

WASHINGTON

America’s favorite sport is still in business — for another day.

The NFL and the players’ union decided Thursday to keep the current collective bargaining agreement in place for an additional 24 hours so that negotiations can continue.

“The parties have agreed to a one-day extension,” federal mediator George Cohen said in a one-sentence statement after the sides met with him for about eight hours. The CBA was set to expire at midnight, which would likely have prompted the first work stoppage since 1987 for a league that rakes in $9 billion a year.

Said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as he left: “We are working as hard as we can.”

Levin leads windy Honda Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.

Spencer Levin would have needed a 9-iron to reach the decorative fountains in the lake near the 18th fairway, and yet as he walked toward the green he could feel their mist.

It was that windy Thursday at the Honda Classic. Pins rattled, putters shook and scores soared as the PGA Tour began its annual Florida swing in breezes blustery rather than balmy.

Levin handled the conditions best, shooting a 3-under 67 for a 1-shot lead over five others. The first round was suspended because of darkness with 12 players still on the course.

Even by the standards of the Sunshine State, where wind is par for the course, the gusts of more than 20 mph at PGA National were unusual.

Malaysia Open

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

Defending champion Alisa Kleybanova and Dinara Safina were knocked out of the Malaysian Open on Thursday.

Kleybanova lost to Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, while Safina lost to fifth-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Kleybanova’s serve became more erratic and Krajicek broke twice in the second set to force a third.

Safina is returning after a back injury sidelined her part of last year.

San Antonio to host WNBA All-Star game

SAN ANTONIO

The San Antonio Silver Stars will host the WNBA All-Star game for the first time.

The league announced Thursday that its 10th All-Star game will be played July 23 at the AT&T Center and be televised on ABC.

WNBA basketball operations head Renee Brown and Silver Stars coach and general manager Dan Hughes were in San Antonio for the announcement.

Olympic officials visit 1972 Munich stadium

MUNICH

Munich officials used flag-waving children at the 1972 Olympic stadium to help convince international Olympic officials that it should host the 2018 Winter Games.

Munich is seeking to become the first city to stage both summer and winter games. Plans call for much of the 1972 Olympic park to be used in 2018 should the Bavarian capital win the bid.

Vindicator staff/wire reports