WASHINGTON — Mike Rizzo has taken over as the Washington Nationals' general manager, 20-plus years after becoming a scout.

Rizzo has been serving as Washington's acting GM since Jim Bowden resigned March 1.

Now Rizzo is the team's full-fledged GM and senior vice president of baseball operations.

Rizzo joined the Nationals as assistant GM in July 2006, after seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, primarily as director of scouting. He was a minor league player from 1982-85, and soon thereafter began an 11-year stint as a scout.

NEW YORK — Facing the prospect of spending at least 3 1/2 years behind bars, one-time Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress accepted a plea bargain with a two-year prison sentence for accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub.The former New York Giants wide receiver pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a lesser charge than he had faced. He will be sentenced Sept. 22, and lawyer Benjamin Brafman said he expects Burress to begin serving his sentence immediately after.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chicago Blackhawks star forward Patrick Kane and his cousin have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges that they beat up a cab driver over a fare.Patrick and James Kane appeared before Buffalo judge Thomas Amodeo, a day after a grand jury indicted them on misdemeanor assault and theft charges. The panel dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery.The Kanes were arrested Aug. 9 after cabbie Jan Radecki told police they attacked him when he said he didn't have 20 cents in change for the fare. The driver had bruises and broken glasses.

LAS VEGAS — Nevada could start using instant replay in boxing and mixed martial arts within a month to help referees review crucial or controversial moments of fights.The Nevada Athletic Commission approved limited use of the technology to help referees rule whether hits like low blows or head-butts are accidental — if they cause a fight to end because of injury.Commission executive director Keith Kizer said that instant replay would be used at the sole discretion of referees. Kizer says the new rule could be in effect within 30 days.