Offer

It will be the story of the Lakers' off-season, they hope without anything remotely resembling "The Decision. " Will Dwight Howard stay or go? Howard said this week he deserved "the right to be happy" and he has a handful of choices to mull in free agency beyond the Lakers. Of course, the other four suitors have won a total of four NBA titles, one-fourth the Lakers' championship collection. Anyway, here's one writer's insights into where Howard ends up. Dallas Commonly known as the Mavericks, for this story they'll be The Biggest Competition For Dwight Howard's Services Other Than The Lakers (TBCFDHSOTTL)

UCLA basketball Coach Steve Alford is still trying to disentangle himself from the University of New Mexico. New Mexico says Alford owes the university $1 million, which was the buyout amount in a contract extension that was to take effect April 1, two days after UCLA hired him. Alford, in a letter to the school, has offered $200,000 under the terms of his previous contract. Alford was required to give 30 days' notice, so New Mexico officials believe he is therefore bound by the terms of what would have been his new contract.

ST. LOUIS - From being overwhelmed by the Blues' frenzied forechecking at the start to losing on a stunning misplay by Jonathan Quick at the end, the Kings know they must improve in several areas to leave Scottrade Center on Thursday with a split of the first two games of their opening-round playoff series. Speaking after an optional practice Wednesday, the morning after the team's 2-1 overtime loss at St. Louis, Coach Darryl Sutter was clear about who must step up. Asked how the Kings can counter the Blues' energetic fourth line of Chris Porter, Ryan Reaves and Adam Cracknell, Sutter was blunt: "Some of the boys that play on our fourth line have to play like big boys.

Paul Tanaka, the Los Angeles County undersheriff accused of fostering a culture of jailhouse abuse, offered a searing critique of his boss Sheriff Lee Baca, calling him a confused and erratic leader who cares more about politics than public safety. In his first extensive comments since being pressured to step down, Tanaka told The Times that Baca pushed subordinates to hire his friends and relatives and undermined public safety to settle political spats. For example, Tanaka said Baca demanded that all sheriff's deputies be removed from joint crime-fighting operations with the FBI as payback for a federal investigation of the jails - an order Tanaka said he refused to carry out. Tanaka, who is considering a run against Baca in 2014, said he was speaking out because he feels he has been made a scapegoat for many of the agency's problems.

This isn't Texas, so I know most people aren't spending day and night worrying about spring football. But in honor of those fans who can't get enough about football, here are some observations as high school teams begin to start spring drills: "Blowing up" is a term used in the college recruiting business referring to a player who suddenly gains momentum as a college prospect. Let me offer a quarterback with no scholarship offers who might soon get attention: San Fernando senior-to-be Cristian Solano.

A growing number of Indian tribes are getting into the payday loan business, saying they just want to raise revenue for their reservations while helping cash-strapped consumers nationwide. But federal officials suspect that, at least in some cases, tribes are being paid to offer their sovereign immunity to non-Indian payday lenders that are trying to dodge state regulations. So far, the tribes have prevailed over California and other states that have tried to assert authority over tribal lending operations.

Can a value-hunting traveler truly be loyal to loyalty programs? Name : CooBoutique.com What it does: Rewards you with cash back for booking luxury hotels through its website and rewards points for sharing with your social network. What's hot: Cash is hot. I liked seeing how much cash other users were getting for their bookings as I was searching for hotels in the U.S. And when I looked up the member page (free), I saw that I could earn as much as 4% on my bookings.

Why do some things catch on? How does a steak sandwich from a Philadelphia restaurant, for example, become so famous that it gets a slot on the David Letterman show? Why did Rebecca Black's whiny pop song "Friday" become a viral hit on YouTube? Why have there been more than 300 million views of a video series about a blender? And why do so many other videos, marketing campaigns and products - with perhaps more money, more creatives and even more clever ideas behind them - fail to get noticed?

One look at omnipresent Camelback Mountain and you might think the northeast Phoenix neighborhood known as Arcadia is on the outskirts of town where tumbleweeds blow effortlessly. But you'd be wrong - very, very wrong. Arcadia is where you'll find twentysomethings hanging out at recently opened gastropubs, young families walking to nearby parks, mini-malls with pizzerias and dive bars featuring Skee ball and foosball. This might sound like Los Angeles, but one glimpse of a helmet-less biker cruising down Campbell Avenue and you'll know you aren't in California.

We recently stayed at Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto. It's set in six beautifully landscaped acres, with a swimming pool, lake, ducks, blossoming cherry trees, Asian sculptures and large rooms with all the comforts you could want. Very reasonable rates and a helpful and gracious staff. Dinah's Garden Hotel, 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; (650) 493-2844, http://www.dinahshotel.com . Lee Soskin Studio City