The Mystery Is Solved, the Chief Just Slipped Up

Visions and revisions.

* Norm Stamper, San Diego’s executive assistant police chief, broke two ribs a few weeks ago and he’s been fending off inquiries by joking that it happened while he was arresting a robber in his home.

Now it’s time for the truth: He was listening to the stereo and watching television simultaneously when the “Wayne’s World” segment came on “Saturday Night Live.”

A heavy “Wayne’s World” fan, Stamper leaped up to turn down the stereo, slipped on an Oriental rug and banged his body on a love seat.

Lots of fun. Not.

* Bigot watch.

In a fund-raising letter, mayoral candidate and County Supervisor Susan Golding says that “intolerance has no place in our community” and adds:

“We cannot allow drugs in our schools, discrimination in hiring, hate crimes in our neighborhoods, bigots appointed to city commissions, police improprieties or other injustices.”

Let’s take drugs, discrimination, hate crimes and police improprieties. Check the files and you’ll find arrests, court cases and judgments.

But what about “bigots appointed to city commissions”? Does Golding believe the San Diego City Council has been appointing bigots to commissions and, if so, could we have the names of the bigots (and their sponsors), please?

In a written response, Golding says she believes no such thing:

“I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the citizens who give selflessly of their time and talents in service on city boards and commissions. I was referring to the media controversy that has surrounded one appointment to the city’s Human Relations Commission.”

As for that one controversial appointee, conservative Gary Kreep, Golding says she is “not making any judgment one way or the other.”

* After the arrest of her boyfriend on drug charges, Barrio Station youth center director Rachael Ortiz has withdrawn as a nominee for the city Civil Service Commission.

Now, for a Few Fast Jabs

Notes left from the Terry Norris-Carl Daniels fight:

* The roughest looking guy at the Sports Arena?

Was it Norris? Daniels? Ken Norton? Mr. T? Muhammad Ali? Various ex-pugs and hangers-on?

My vote goes to a guy in his 30s, 6-foot-5-ish, bald head, dressed all in white, shoulders that could fill a doorway, laser visage that said, “Don’t even think of causing trouble, buddy.”

He may have had the day’s most hazardous duty:

Escorting the swimsuit-clad Pure Platinum (strip joint) ring card girls into the ring between rounds and keeping the howling/stomping/drooling crowd at bay.

* Mr. T to a 7-year-old boy asking for an autograph: “You 7? You should be cool by now. I was cool when I was 6. I was cool because I didn’t have any socks.”

* Mark Gastineau, the ex-NFL star turned boxer (sort of), has a manager/promoter, one Rick Parker, who looks like a character from the World Wrestling Federation (which often uses “managers” to signal villainy).

Sunglasses, flowing hair, multiple chins, faint beard, baggy suit. He kept saying Gastineau is trying to make the “transgression” from sparring to real boxing.

* Daniels, battered and his left eye puffed and closed, was gracious at the post-fight news conference. And he proved himself adept at compression of phrasing.

He explained that his left-hand delivery had kept Norris off balance in the first two rounds (which Daniels won). But Norris kept working at getting close and finally knocked out the challenger in the ninth round.

“I guess what he worked on,” Daniels said, “worked.”

Pay Attention, Dozo

If the Japanese are beating us silly in business, maybe it’s because they pay attention to details.

Take the media center set up by the America’s Cup Organizing Committee at the America Plaza high-rise. For several weeks, the Australian flag painted on the wall (along with other flags) lacked the Southern Cross.

Did the international press corps, ACOC or the Aussies themselves spot the goof? Nope.

It went undetected until a visit by an official of the Tokyo-based Shimizu Land Corp., which owns America Plaza and is donating space for the media center.

The Shimizu official noticed the error immediately and ordered/suggested a correction.