Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Angels general manager Bill Stoneman retired Tuesday and was replaced by player development director Tony Reagins.
The 63-year-old Stoneman became the Angels’ GM in November 1999 and helped build the team into a perennial contender. He will remain with the team as a senior adviser.
Choking back tears at times at a news conference, Stoneman said he was leaving the GM post — which he called a 24-hour, seven-day-week job — so he will have time for other things.
“I’m getting older. You have to face that, and this job requires a ton of energy,” he said. “The main thing is, I was worn down and I didn’t think it would be right to continue.”
So he handed the reins to the 40-year-old Reagins, who joined the Angels as an intern in 1992.
“I’ve known Tony since coming on the job here,” Stoneman said. “This is one of the brightest, most energetic and dedicated guys I know. He’s able to get things done.”
Owner Arte Moreno said the change in GMs should be an easy transition for the organization.
“Bill will be a direct adviser to me,” Moreno said. “I’ve always felt it’s important to keep our brain trust together.”
Reagins said the job carries “extreme responsibility, and I’m ready for the challenge.”
“I think Bill’s done a great job of laying the foundation for where were are now,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “I know Tony has the same vision for where we want to go. The continuity will be there.”
After making the playoffs only three times previously, the Angels advanced to the postseason four times after Stoneman came in. They won their only World Series championship in 2002.
Los Angeles won the division this season for the third time in four years but was swept in by Boston in the first round.
Among Stoneman’s significant moves was hiring the relatively inexperienced Scioscia as manager before the 2000 season, signing pitcher Bartolo Colon in December 2003 and slugger Vladimir Guerrero in January 2004.
Guerrero was the league MVP in 2004, and Colon won the Cy Young Award in 2005.
Stoneman drew some criticism over the past several seasons for his inability to land a power hitter to protect Guerrero in the lineup.
Stoneman pitched for eight years in the majors, compiling a 54-85 record and 4.08 ERA and pitching two no-hitters in stints with the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, and the Angels. He retired in 1974.
Reagins, who did not play pro ball, spent the last six years as the player development director.
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“Tony has a lot of similarities to Bill, his sense of duty and diligence,” Scioscia said. “He’s not afraid to go out there and take chances. He’s going to be great in that position.”
Stoneman thanked Moreno, practically everyone on the club’s front office staff, and got choked up again when he thanked several players, including Garret Anderson and Justin Speier, for coming to the news conference.
Stoneman had special gratitude for his wife.
“She didn’t know when she married me that I would have a mistress,” he said, alluding to the demands of his baseball job. “Right now, I’m leaving my mistress.”
Abe Flores, manager of baseball operations, replaces Reagins as director of player personnel.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
