St. Louis Rams owners have a buyer for NFL team

Rumors that the St. Louis Rams were being sold have been rampant the last couple of years, raising concerns that the franchise would end its recent sad-sack run with a move out of town.

The Rams announced Thursday that their majority owners have indeed agreed to sell their stake, but to a potential buyer within driving distance -- and one who doesn’t want to relocate the once-proud franchise.

If they receive approval by a 75% vote of NFL owners, Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, the children of the late Rams owner Georgia Frontiere, will sell their 60% stake to Shahid Khan, the 55-year-old president of an auto parts manufacturer, Flex-N-Gate, in Urbana, Ill.

“Today is a tremendously exciting day, I think, for the organization,” said Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ executive vice president of football operations and chief operating officer. “Whether or not the sale to a prospective buyer goes through, I think it reaffirms to everybody the commitment this club has to St. Louis and our belief in this marketplace.”

Demoff said the sale could be completed as early as May.

BASEBALL

Angels, Quinlan reach a deal

The Angels and free-agent utility player Robb Quinlan have agreed to terms on a minor league contract, the club announced. Quinlan, the longest-tenured Angel after reliever Scot Shields, has been with the organization since 1999, spending the last four full seasons in the majors. Last season he batted .243 with two homers and 14 runs batted in, playing five positions

The terms of Quinlan’s contract were not announced, but the Angels said it includes an invitation to the team’s major league spring training camp. Thursday’s agreement leaves only shortstop Erick Aybar and catcher Jeff Mathis unsigned. Both players have filed for arbitration.

-- Kevin Baxter COLLEGES

Calhoun returns from leave

Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun returned to his basketball coaching duties after a medical leave of more than three weeks forced him to miss seven games.

A news release issued by the school said Calhoun has no restrictions on what he can do, and the 67-year-old Hall of Famer said he was looking forward to Thursday’s practice.

School officials have not said what was ailing Calhoun.

The Huskies were 3-4 in his absence. They are 14-10 overall.

Central Florida has been put on two years’ probation after the NCAA said it committed major football recruiting violations.

TENNIS

Roddick moves on at San Jose

Andy Roddick reached the quarterfinals for the eighth time in nine tries in the SAP Open at San Jose by defeating Leonardo Mayer, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round.

The top-seeded Roddick is on course to become the fourth player to win the tournament at least four times.

Roddick will face Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. The other quarterfinals will include sixth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber playing Denis Istomin and seventh-seeded Sam Querrey facing Michael Russell.

PASSINGS

Schaus, 84, coached Lakers

Fred Schaus, a former Lakers coach and general manager who mentored Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley at West Virginia, died at age 84.

The former Mountaineers coach and athletic director died Wednesday night in Morgantown, W.Va., said Dan Hastings, a funeral director at Hastings Funeral Home. Obituary, AA8