ATLANTA — Tom Dimitroff was hired as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, leaving his job as director of scouting for the unbeaten New England Patriots.

Dimitroff, who has been with the Patriots since 2002, will direct the Falcons' football operations, including working with a new head coach on draft decisions, free agency, trades and other personnel decisions.

Team owner Arthur Blank is looking for a coach to replace Bobby Petrino, who abruptly quit after 13 games to take the head coaching job at Arkansas.

HONOLULU — K.J. Choi struggled in blustery conditions at Waialae Country Club and held off a late charge by Rory Sabbatini to close with a 1-over 71, the first Sony Open champion in 41 years with a final round over par.Choi, who finished at 14-under 266, won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour, and for the fourth consecutive season. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh are the only other players with active streaks that long.

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. — Johnny Podres, who pitched the Brooklyn Dodgers to their only World Series title in 1955, died at the age of 75.A spokesman for Glens Falls Hospital confirmed Podres' death but said he didn't know any details.The left-hander pitched in four All-Star games and was the first Most Valuable Player in World Series history. He became a hero to every baseball fan in Brooklyn when the Dodgers ended decades of frustration by beating the Yankees to win the World Series.

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State cornerback Justin King will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.One of the country's most sought-after high school prospects, King arrived at Penn State in 2005 as part of a heralded recruiting class that included receiver Derrick Williams. Their play as freshmen helped coach Joe Paterno revive a sagging program with a Big Ten title and a win in the Orange Bowl.King finished 2007 with 49 tackles and two interceptions. He completed his degree in three years, because he academically enrolled at Penn State in the spring of 2005.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia running back Steve Slaton is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft."I called the NFL about two weeks ago, and they told me that I was assessed as a second-round selection," Slaton said Sunday.After a school record with 1,733 yards rushing last season, Slaton ran for 1,051 yards this season to surpass 1,000 for the third time.