Giants-Cardinals: Matchup to Watch

Giants (2-1) at Cardinals (1-2), Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Eastern, Fox

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Giants’ secondary vs. Larry Fitzgerald

It’s impossible to put any one Giant in the matchup with Fitzgerald. Everyone will get a chance to cover him (he’s so talented that maybe they should all do it at the same time). Led by two interceptions from Aaron Ross, the Giants limited Philadelphia’s  big-play threats in Week 3. Can they do the same against the Cardinals’ biggest weapon?

NUMBER TO WATCH: 5.7

Arizona running back Beanie Wells averaged 5.7 yards per carry in his first two games before sitting out last week with a hamstring injury. He is expected to return against the Giants, and his shiftiness will challenge the Giants’ defense, which has allowed only 3.6 yards per rushing attempt so far this season.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“I don’t want them to double me. I want to get out there and hopefully get some easy catches and walk away with a victory. That would be ideal if I could script it the way I want to script it.”’
Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD, on how he hopes the Giants will try to cover him.

As usual, Anze Kopitar excels in the middle

Through all the negotiations between the Kings and Drew Doughty’s representatives, through the tense moments and final happy moments when Doughty agreed to an eight-year, $56-million deal  Thursday, one person remained above the fray.

That was center Anze Kopitar, who was thrust into the middle of an uncomfortable situation after Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi declared he would not pay Doughty more than the $6.8-million average annual value of Kopitar’s contract, then the highest on the team.

Kopitar became a benchmark in the talks, a role he didn’t want and didn’t enjoy. He also became part of the back story because he used to employ Doughty’s agent, Don Meehan, before switching to another high-powered agent, Pat Brisson.

Meehan seemed determined in these negotiations to get more money for Doughty, his current client, than the amount earned by his former client, Kopitar. To complicate matters even more, Meehan and Lombardi had a history of battles while Lombardi was general manager of the San Jose Sharks.

Stokley Is Both Out and Mum

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants receiver Brandon Stokley left practice on Wednesday with what was described as a strained quadriceps, which will sideline him for at least Sunday’s game against the Cardinals in Arizona.

Now the question is whether Stokley, who was signed Sept. 15 to shore up the receiving corps, will be out for longer than that.

Like most N.F.L. coaches, Tom Coughlin is not forthcoming about his players’ injuries, but he has been particularly circumspect in relaying information to reporters about the nature of Stokley’s injury. He said the injury happened while Stokley was running a route.

As for Stokley, he spoke cryptically about the injury when he met with reporters on Friday, saying he did not know if he was allow to publicly discuss his injury. Stokley declined to describe the play on which it occurred, to address whether he went to the hospital to have his leg examined or to speculate about when he might be able to return.

“I’ve had a bunch of things before; I’ve had pretty much everything before,” the veteran Stokley said of his injury history. “Not exactly like this. I’ve had a hamstring. But nothing quite like this.”

There was perhaps a small sign of promise: Stokley rode on a stationary bicycle during the portion of practice open to reporters on Friday.

The Giants added Stokley to fill the void in the slot left by the departed Steve Smith. Another candidate, Victor Cruz, had a breakout game in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, when he caught two touchdowns.

NBA, players end lengthy session, to resume labor talks Saturday

A nearly five-hour-long labor meeting between NBA owners and players, including superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, ended Friday without a breakthrough and uncertainty remained about whether the regular season will start on time.

Union president and Lakers point guard Derek Fisher told reporters at a New York hotel that no new proposals were exchanged during a sometimes contentious but “engaging” session that included NBA Commissioner David Stern. Talks are set to resume at 7 a.m. Pacific time Saturday.

"Today was about expressing ourselves," Fisher said.

Stern had warned earlier this week that “enormous consequences” would follow if the sides failed to make significant progress in talks this weekend. At the end of Friday’s session, Stern slightly softened, saying: “There’s no bad news. … Both sides expressed a willingness to make a deal.”

Asked if a deal to end the three-month-old lockout of players can be completed by the end of this weekend -- Fisher told reporters, “I can’t answer that.”

The NBA's regular season is scheduled to begin Nov. 1.

Bruce Bowen, Brent Mayne to be honored by Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton will induct six people into the Titan Hall of Fame Saturday night, including former NBA guard Bruce Bowen and former major league catcher Brent Mayne.

Bowen played at Fullerton from 1989 to 1993. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA, eight with the San Antonio Spurs, where he was part of three NBA championship teams. Bowen was named to the NBA’s all-defensive team eight times.

During his NBA career, Bowen was known for this and for that.

Mayne played 15 major league seasons with eight teams, including the Dodgers in 2004. He played at Fullerton in 1988 and 1989, where he was named an All-American. Mayne was taken by the Kansas City Royals as the 13th player overall in the major league draft.

Also being inducted:

Sue Lewis-Newton, who played softball at Fullerton from 1981 to 1984 and was a three-time All-American. Fullerton finished second nationally once and third twice during her career.

Lynn Rogers, who was the women’s gymnastics coach from 1976 to 2000. Fullerton won the 1979 national title and finished second three times and third five times.

Boosters Jerry and Merilyn Goodwin, who donated the lead gift to expand Fullerton’s baseball stadium, now named Goodwin Field.

-- Chris Foster

Tony Reagins resigns as Angels general manager

 

A day after saying the Angels would have to be creative this off-season to address their roster deficiencies, General Manager Tony Reagins abruptly resigned Friday.

He will remain with the ballclub as a special assistant to club chairman Dennis Kuhl.

“In moving forward, we felt a change was needed," said owner Arte Moreno, whose team has missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000-2001.

Reagins, a 20-year Angel employee, was named the 10th general manager in club history following the 2007 season. In his four years as GM the Angels won two American League West titles and compiled a record of 363-285 (.560). But the Angels finished two games under .500 last year and missed the postseason again this fall, going 86-76 and finishing 10 games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Before being named general manager, Reagins served in a variety of roles, including six seasons as director of player development from 2002-2007. Under his guidance, the Angels’ affiliates reached the playoffs 18 times while capturing 15 division titles and three league championships.

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-- Kevin Baxter

Photo: Tony Reagins. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times.

Boxing notes: Lou DiBella defends Sergio Martinez, Andre Berto

Lou DiBella is a tough talker, and when boxing's giant promoters backed him into a corner Friday, the former architect of HBO boxing matches came out swinging.

First, DiBella heard that veteran promoter Bob Arum was telling people in the sport's inner circle that DiBella's star fighter, world middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, was having trouble gathering a crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for Saturday's title defense against England's Darren Barker (23-0, 14 knockouts).

"I got a thousand people here at the weigh-in, and that's with the [nearby Philadelphia] Phillies in the playoffs," DiBella said. "I don't need to hear what this bitter old man [Arum] thinks."

The grapevine also reached DiBella with Arum allegedly saying that if Arum fighter Antonio Margarito defeats super-welterweight champion Miguel Cotto Dec. 3, Margarito would only fight Martinez if he was paid 60% of the purse compared to Martinez's 40%.

"You have to be kidding me," DiBella said. "Why even say that? My fighter's the better fighter."

While he was at it, DiBella blew off an offer by Golden Boy Promotions Chief Executive Richard Schaefer to have his former welterweight champion Andre Berto participate in a welterweight tournament Schaefer is shopping to HBO and Showtime.

Schaefer said he plans to consider former champion Victor Ortiz, ex-junior welterweight champ Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi, Kermit Cintron and Luis Colazzo as participants, hopeful that "the winner will emerge by the second half of next year as a challenger to the biggest names in the division."

Berto lost a decision to Ortiz in April, but DiBella scoffed at the list.

"You think people are clamoring to see Victor Ortiz again? Or Devon Alexander?" DiBella said. "I'm not interested in Maidana or the other various losers. If they want to offer Bert [Amir] Khan, we'll take it. Or a straight rematch with Ortiz."

Said Schaefer, who promotes Khan: "We don't need Berto. He doesn't want to be in the tournament, let him go do other stuff."

OTHER DATES: Schaefer has finalized a Khan junior-welterweight title defense against Lamont Peterson Dec. 10 in Washington, D.C., but he's waiting for a site to open after Georgetown's basketball team failed to reschedule its game that day at the Verizon Center. Now Schaefer's exploring the capital's Convention Center.

A week earlier, on Dec. 3 at Anaheim's Honda Center, Golden Boy's bantamweight champion Abner Mares will defend his new belt in a mandatory rematch against Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko.

Agbeko was deprived of points by referee Russell Mora in his August fight against Mares when Agbeko was struck by a low blow and Mora scored it a 12th-round knockdown for Hawaiian Gardens' Mares.

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-- Lance Pugmire  

Photo: Sergio Martinez. Credit: Al Bello / Getty Images.