IN BRIEF

FOOTBALL

Boating accident result of improper anchoring

An agency investigating a deadly boating accident involving two NFL players and their friends in the Gulf of Mexico has concluded it was caused when the vessel was improperly anchored and the boat capsized after one of them tried to throttle forward to pry loose the anchor.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's investigation also cited carelessness and operator inexperience as contributing factors. The combination of errors came at the time a storm front was moving in, making conditions on the water very rough.

Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Florida football players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler departed from Clearwater Pass, Fla., early on Feb. 28 to go offshore fishing.

Schuyler, found clinging to the boat two days later, was the lone survivor. The other three men were not found.

Also: Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace for separate incidents involving women at nightclubs last year.

A Kansas City (Mo.) Municipal Court judge sentenced Johnson to two years probation. His guilty plea will be removed from public record if he finishes the probation without further incidents.

The San Francisco 49ers released offensive tackle Jonas Jennings after four injury-filled seasons with the club.

Jennings was the first major free agent signing of former coach Mike Nolan's tenure in 2005, leaving the Buffalo Bills for a seven-year, $36 million deal. But the lineman played in just 23 of the 49ers' 64 games, finishing three of his four seasons on injured reserve.

Free-agent defensive tackle Rod Coleman has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

The 32-year-old former Pro Bowl selection did not play last season after being released by the Atlanta Falcons, for whom he had some of his best seasons under current Saints defensive line coach Bill Johnson. The 6-foot-2-inch, 285-pound Coleman led all NFL defensive tackles in sacks in 2004 (111/2) and 2005 (101/2) while Johnson was a Falcons assistant.

Fullback Naufahu Tahi is staying in Minnesota.

The Vikings matched Cincinnati's offer of one year and $1.4 million, meaning they will keep the restricted free agent.

The Green Bay Packers and offensive lineman Duke Preston agreed to terms.

Preston spent his first four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. The free-agent lineman has started 20 career games, including 11 last season.

Joe Paterno was back, no cane in sight, and putting Penn State through its paces during the second day of spring drills.

The 82-year-old Hall of Fame coach paced the Nittany Lions' practice field wearing his usual thick glasses and black Nike sneakers.

Four months after hip replacement surgery, Paterno pronounced himself back at 100 percent, with the continued goal of returning to the sideline when the season opens this fall. Paterno spent the last eight games of the 2008 campaign coaching from the press box.

LOCAL COLLEGES

UNLV baseball loses at Long Beach State

Starting pitcher Jeff Urlaub surrendered six runs -- three of them unearned -- over the first 2 2/3 innings as the UNLV baseball team dropped a 7-4 nonconference decision to Long Beach State at Long Beach, Calif.

Ryan Thornton went 2-for-4 with an RBI to pace the Rebels (13-11), who lost their fourth straight game and eighth in their past 10 outings.

Also: The UNLV women's tennis team won its Mountain West Conference opener, beating New Mexico 4-3 in a neutral-site match in San Diego.

The Rebels (10-6) swept doubles play and picked up singles victories from Nikoi Dimitrova, Adrienn Hidvegi and Rumyana Terzieva.

The UNLV men's tennis team's Mountain West opener against San Diego State in Colorado Springs, Colo., was postponed because of a snowstorm. No makeup date was announced.

Neither of UNLV's two entries in the NCAA men's swimming championships in College Station, Texas, advanced past their heat races.

Akos Molnar was 23rd (53.82 seconds) in the 100-yard breaststroke, and the 200 medley team of Charlie Tapp, Molnar, Steven Nelms and Thomas Andolfsson finished 22nd (1:29.48).

Chasen Shreve pitched a three-hitter in the opener and Gabe Weidenaar followed with a two-hitter in the second game as the College of Southern Nevada swept a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader from Salt Lake Community College at Morse Stadium, 1-0 and 2-0.

Chasen (6-0) walked two and struck out six for the Coyotes (22-12, 14-4 SWAC), and Weidenaar (5-1) struck out 11 and didn't walk a batter.

MISCELLANEOUS

Russian team claims ice dance gold medal

Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin don't mess around. Their first medal at the world championships and the Russians make it a gold.

Domnina and Shabalin's powerful yet composed free dance was just enough to hold off training mates Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, giving the Russians the ice dance title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles. Domnina and Shabalin finished with 206.30 points, 1.22 ahead of the Americans.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada won the bronze.

Earlier, South Korea's Kim Yu-na won the short program, practically sprinting her way into the lead with a record score.

The two-time Grand Prix champion blew away a strong field to build a stunning 8.2-point lead over Canada's Joannie Rochette. Her 76.12 score was the best ever for a woman.

Defending champion Mao Asada of Japan was third heading into today's free skate, and her countrywoman Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion, was fourth.

American Rachael Flatt was seventh and U.S. champion Alissa Czisny 14th.

Also: Olympic officials meeting in Denver agreed to a system to help resolve their contentious revenue-sharing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said the USOC has agreed to negotiate a deal to pay a greater portion of the cost of running the Olympic Games.

In exchange, talks on the core part of the deal -- the USOC's 20 percent share of sponsorship money and 12.75 percent of TV revenue -- will take place in 2013.

Eddie Chambers landed solid straight punches all night, outboxing former heavyweight champion Samuel Peter, to win a majority decision at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Chambers (34-1, 18 knockouts) turned it up in the ninth round, landing several hard shots and cutting Peter (30-2, 23 KOs) on his lower lip, in winning his fourth straight since a loss to Alexander Povetkin.