He May Have Speed to Burn, but Conway Has Lots to Learn

Joel Buchsbaum writes in Pro Football Weekly that USC’s Curtis Conway and California’s Sean Dawkins probably will be the first two wide receivers selected in the NFL draft next week. While acknowledging that Conway has “great speed and return skills,” and “God-given ability,” Buchsbaum has some doubts about him, too.

“He lacks big hands, drops too many passes and does not have a good understanding of how to run pass routes, read coverages and set up defensive backs.”

Trivia time: Which school had the most players selected in the first round of an NFL draft?

Hoop tragedy: In perhaps the greatest victory for French basketball, Limoges defeated Benetton Treviso of Italy, 59-55, Thursday in Athens to win the European Basketball Championship.

Benetton Coach Peter Skansi wasn’t a gracious loser.

“I think basketball died tonight,” Skansi said. “Maybe I’m just in a terrible psychological situation, but I feel this at this moment.”

Color crisis: Columnist Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, on the teal uniforms worn by the Florida Marlins:

“A century of baseball uniform research and design, trial and error, innovation and experimentation, and you get a uniform that looks like it was painted by Earl Scheib.”

Regrets: Ron Blomberg, baseball’s first designated hitter, on his injury-shortened eight-year career:

“I can’t watch baseball, even though I still love the game. My career was too brief, too unfulfilling. Baseball was what I was supposed to do, and I wasn’t able to do it long enough.”

Makes sense: The wife of Marlin relief pitcher Richie Lewis recently gave birth to a girl, McKenizie Marlina K. Lewis. Why the K? “Because I’m a strikeout pitcher,” Lewis said.

Century club: “Stats 1993 Baseball Scorecard” speculates on how many games the Marlins will win this season.

“Judging by the records of 10 previous expansion teams, they’ll go 59-103. If they’re good, they’ll challenge the record of 70 wins set by the best expansion team, the 1961 Angels. “If they’re bad, they’ll challenge the record of 120 losses by the 1962 Mets. Every expansion team has lost at least 90 games; five of the 10 have lost more than 100.”

How about the pets?The recession must not be hurting the DeBartolo Corp. At the recent NFL owners meeting in Palm Desert, the Sporting News reported that 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo took three of the $750-per-night suites, one for himself, one for his kids and one for his exercise equipment.

Trivia answer: USC, with five in 1968: Ron Yary, Mike Taylor, Tim Rossovich, Mike Hull and Earl McCullouch.

Quotebook: Philadelphia Phillie first baseman John Kruk, on spring training: “Spring training should last one day. We’d have the team golf outing and head north.”