Now Rumor Has Norsemen Setting Sail for Southland

As for my columnist colleague Mike Downey’s suggestion in Tuesday’s Times that Los Angeles pursue the Minnesota Vikings, it appears as if someone else had the same idea.

According to a source, a representative of New Coliseum Partners, the group headed by Ed Roski and, maybe, Philip Anschutz, was in Minneapolis recently to discuss a possible sale with Viking owners.

Roski, usually forthcoming on his plans to bring an NFL team to a renovated Coliseum, wouldn’t admit it Tuesday. But neither would he deny it.

If it’s true, it suggests a more aggressive approach by Coliseum proponents, who seemed to be committed to the less tumultuous pursuit of an expansion team for Los Angeles.

But when the NFL made it clear last month that it would no longer deal exclusively with the Coliseum, New Coliseum Partners apparently decided to adopt a different, more proactive strategy.

Does this mean Los Angeles is closer today to having an NFL team than it was last week?

Or last year?

Probably not. Even if Roski bought the Vikings, I’m not sure where he would move them. The creative financing plan for the Coliseum has to win approval from the state Legislature, which, by all accounts so far, is not enthusiastic about it.

Maybe Roski can sell it in Sacramento. Maybe not.

Meantime, the Coliseum is facing competition from Inglewood’s Hollywood Park, the only site that can come close to guaranteeing a suitable stadium for the 2000 season.

Quiet since they demolished the hotel on their property to make room for the NFL, Hollywood Park officials are about to become more assertive. But not even they know whether the league considers their plan as anything more than a fallback in case the favored Peter O’Malley continues to remain above the fray and out of the picture.

The only thing certain, it seems, is that Los Angeles will be mentioned prominently each time a team is looking for a better deal at home.

Two years ago, it was Seattle.

Last year, it was Tampa Bay.

This year, it’s Minnesota.

Next year, Arizona?

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Accentuating the positive, Kris Johnson is in the best shape of his life and meeting all the conditions that would enable him to return this season to UCLA’s basketball team. . . .

The word on Jelani McCoy, even before ESPN’s report Monday, was that he hasn’t been visible around Pauley Pavilion. . . .

One of California’s best prep shooting guards, Ray Young, gave an oral commitment this week to UCLA. . . .

If he signs with the Bruins, that would be a blow to California Coach Ben Braun. . . .

He has been optimistic that he could keep the best players in the northern half of the state at home. . . .

Cal figured it had an even better chance with Young than most because he attends Jason Kidd’s former high school in Alameda. . . .

Antonio Fargas, who played Huggy Bear on “Starsky and Hutch,” told USA Today: “I went to an audition recently, and the producer said, ‘Hey, aren’t you Justin Fargas’ father?’ I’m hearing that a lot lately.”

Justin, of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, was considered one of the nation’s best running backs even before he had 404 yards and six touchdowns Friday night. . . .

Fargas initially was leaning toward USC, UCLA or Michigan. . . .

Recent reports are that he has expanded his list to include Stanford, Notre Dame and Northwestern. . . .

David Simon and Rich Perelman will represent Los Angeles at today’s U.S. Olympic Committee bid seminar in Orlando for cities campaigning for the 2012 Summer Games. . . .

Promoter Al Franken has called a news conference for Friday morning at the Sports Arena. . . .

Would he do that to announce he’s not going to have an indoor track and field meet there this winter? I don’t think so. Circle Feb. 7 on your calendar. . . .

Don’t look for a sprint relay when Houston’s Serge Zwikker is on the court in the Sports Arena tonight against the Clippers. . . .

Suggesting that Zwikker and Washington’s Gheorghe Muresan race, Charles Barkley said, “You guys would give a whole new meaning to the term ‘anchor leg.’ ” . . .

Eddie Jones insists the Lakers told him he wouldn’t be traded to Sacramento. . . .

What the Lakers told him is not to waste his energy worrying about a trade. . . .

There is a difference.

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While wondering if Marcus Allen will still be running and passing for touchdowns when the NFL returns to Los Angeles, I was thinking: Octavio Zambrano deserved the Galaxy job even if Bora is available, I guess Mark Messier wasn’t the answer for Pat Quinn, surely no team here would make as big a deal about rookies of the year as Boston and Philadelphia did.