CHARGER UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Season-Ticket Sales Drop

The Chargers said they have sold 38,500 season tickets this year, a decrease of a little more than 1,500 from 1990.

Season-ticket sales had fallen five years in a row after a club-record 56,600 were sold in 1984. However, the slide stopped in 1990, when the team sold 38,124.

“I think a little bit of that was attributable to Bobby Beathard’s arrival,” said Bill Johnston, the team’s director of public relations. “Last year we didn’t obviously finish as well as we would have liked, and after the record of the team the past three seasons, I think people are taking a wait-and-see approach.”

The Chargers have finished 6-10 in each of the past three seasons and have not enjoyed a winning season in a non-strike year since 1981. They finished 8-7 in 1988 with the aid of three replacement-game victories and 6-3 in 1982 in the strike-shortened season.

The Chargers have the fourth-lowest average ticket price ($22.77) in the NFL and have not raised prices since 1988.

However, the club announced previously that prices will be raised next season.

“The amount has not been determined,” Johnston said.

The Chargers were prepared to reclaim H-back Terry Orr and place quarterback Bob Gagliano on injured reserve but learned Tuesday that Orr had been grabbed by the Washington Redskins.

“Terry had just sold his house in Washington and his wife had arrived Monday,” Coach Dan Henning said. “That’s the nature of this business.”

Gagliano has been listed as questionable on the team’s injury report with a knee injury. It appears to be the kind of injury that will likely go away when the Tolliver trade is completed.

The Chargers reclaimed safety Martin Bayless, H-back Craig McEwen and cornerback Darren Carrington, and then placed tight end Duane Young, safety Floyd Fields and guard Mike Zandofsky on injured reserve. Young, Field and Zandofsky will not be eligible to play for the team until after the fourth game.

The Chargers also looked into putting in a claim for Washington defensive lineman Darryl Grant, but discovered he had practiced only three days this exhibition season.

General Manager Bobby Beathard said the team has signed center Mike Heldt and linebacker Andy Katoa to its developmental squad and will add running back Chris Samuels.

Linebacker Galand Thaxton has been ruled out of Sunday’s regular-season opener with a knee injury, while tight end Arthur Cox (foot), running back Ronnie Harmon (lower back) and linebacker Henry Rolling (knee) have been listed as questionable.

Linebacker Billy Ray Smith practiced Monday and has been listed as probable with a knee injury that sidelined him for much of the preseason. Offensive lineman Eric Floyd (elbow) and cornerback Donnie Elder (shoulder) are also listed as probable.

Steeler linebacker David Little ended his holdout and rejoined the team, but Pittsburgh will be without cornerback Delton Hall (knee), cornerback Sammy Walker (knee) and safety Gary Jones (arm).

Tight end Eric Green, one of the Steelers’ most impressive performers last season, is listed doubtful with a knee injury. Running back Tim Worley (knee) also is expected to miss the game and is listed as doubtful. Barry Foster will start in place of Worley and Mike Mularkey for Green.

Guard Tom Ricketts (groin) is listed as doubtful, and tackle Tunch Ilkin (hamstring) and linebacker Greg Lloyd (ribs) are probable.

George Schultz, the former agent for running back Marion Butts, has said he was knocked from XTRA radio’s “The Business of Sports” because of pressure exerted by the Chargers on host Rick Amato.

Amato could not be reached earlier for his comments, after reading of Schultz’s remarks, he responded.

“The things I read in this morning’s paper are not the conversation I recall having with George Schultz,” he said. “I told George that we would delay having him on because there were issues he did not want to discuss. He told us he’d be able to discuss them later on down the road.

“He drew a correlation between the Chargers’ security visiting Marion Butts and him being dropped from XTRA, since the Chargers are their clients. I told him that never entered into it, and whatever correlation was in his own mind. I never said by bringing him on, I might lose the show.

“It’s somewhat obvious to me why he had a problem communicating with the Chargers, and why he lost a client.”

Schultz said, “I stand by what was said.”