Miller-Elder Bout Is Headline Act at Circus Charger : Pro football: Chargers endure another scuffle. Butts to start Sunday against Seattle.

Anthony Miller threw punches at teammate Donnie Elder.

Marion Butts will start for an injured Rod Bernstine, and Eric Bieniemy might finally carry the ball for the Chargers.

Dan Henning continued to speak in riddles.

Leslie O’Neal said, who knows, owner Alex Spanos might step forward and keep the team from fining him for his attack on linebacker coach Mike Haluchak.

Yes, it was business as usual Friday in Chargerland, albeit circus central.

The Chargers (1-7) appear frayed by frustration, and now are faced with the noisy task Sunday of playing the favored Seahawks in the Kingdome.

“It’s gut-check time to see how we’re going to respond amidst adversity,” said cornerback Gill Byrd. “I think it’s going to tell a lot about individuals and what’s their motivation for playing.”

In Friday’s non-contact practice, Miller made like Evander Holyfield and began pitching haymakers at Elder, who had been assigned to cover him. Elder tried to strike a truce a short time later, but Miller brushed him off.

“I don’t know if they like one another,” defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said. “I think that’s probably part of it. There was also some concern who had the better left jab; in fact, they were discussing it before practice. Heck, I don’t know. That happens. How do I know why?”

Henning was asked what had ignited the fight. “I don’t know,” Henning said. “I didn’t ask them.”

Although the Elder-Miller bout took place in front of reporters, Elder denied it had happened.

“There ain’t (expletive) to tell because there ain’t (expletive) that happened,” Elder said, while a group of teammates applauded his response. “I wanted to get my name in the paper so I had to do something. . . . If you want to see something happen, watch Sunday.”

If you’ve been waiting for Butts to return to the starting lineup, watch Sunday. Butts set a team rushing record last season with 1,225 yards, but lost his job to Bernstine after missing training camp in a salary dispute.

Bernstine has rushed 120 times for 583 yards, but he’s been unable to practice this week because of a sore back.

“It’s like someone had a blow torch and was pointing the fire at me,” said Bernstine. “It’s real disappointing because now you guys get to write that I’m the oft-injured running back.”

Butts has gained 304 yards on 69 carries; he ran for 128 yards on 28 attempts against the Seahawks in Seattle’s 13-10 overtime victory in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium last season.

“I’m up to par and don’t feel I really lost anything,” Butts said. “It’s just the fact that I’m the type of back who thrives on repetitions. If you look at the stats last year, the majority of my big gains came in the fourth quarter.”

Henning was asked if Eric Bieniemy, the team’s second-round pick, will make his running debut for the Chargers.

“He would get put in that role that Butts has been in behind Bernstine and Bernstine behind Butts before,” Henning said.

So will Bieniemy relieve Butts, as Butts has relieved Bernstine this season?

“He will be in the position behind Butts as Butts has been behind Bernstine and Bernstine behind Butts in the past,” Henning said.

OK, but does that mean Bieniemy will play?

“Bieniemy will be behind Butts the way Butts has been behind Bernstine this year and Bernstine behind Butts in the past,” Henning said.

Forget it--watch Sunday to see if Bieniemy will play.

O’Neal, meanwhile, refused to confirm that he grabbed Haluchak by the throat during halftime of Sunday’s loss to the Browns.

However, he said, “I’ll put it to you like this--I am frustrated with not winning, and if anything happened because of that, then it’s because of my frustration with not winning.”

General Manager Bobby Beathard has confirmed that O’Neal was involved in a scuffle with Haluchak, and said Henning has dealt with the matter.

“They mentioned something about a fine,” O’Neal said. “But I’m not sure. . . . A lot of people can say anything. What someone tells you might not be the truth; you never know until it actually happens.”

O’Neal said he won’t know if he’s been fined until he picks up his check, and since his pay has been deferred to January for tax purposes, he won’t know until then if management was telling the truth.

“What if Alex Spanos heard about it?” O’Neal said, “And came to my aid, and said, no, this is not true. I’m not taking the fine out of his check.”

Someone suggested to O’Neal that he would have a better chance of becoming president.

“Yeah,” he said, “but that’s a possibility.”

What? Becoming president or receiving a financial reprieve from Spanos?