They Simply Can’t Lose With Manning or Leaf

Driving from Atlanta to Augusta one night last week, I tuned in to a radio sports-talk show from Nashville.

Most callers talked about the NFL draft, and, as in the Heisman Trophy voting, no one could believe there was even a remote possibility that someone would be chosen ahead of Peyton Manning. To them, Ryan Leaf might as well have been a brand of garden mulch.

As Tammy Wynette advised them, Tennesseans stand by their man.

Then the San Diego Chargers’ general manager, Bobby Beathard, said this week it looked to him like Indianapolis would take Leaf with the No. 1 choice in Saturday’s draft. Many Charger fans were devastated, having believed Leaf would be available for their team with the No. 2 choice.

Who would have thought football fans anywhere would ever complain they were getting stuck with Peyton Manning?

Well, I’ve got good news for Charger fans. They can’t lose.

There has been a tendency to compare these two quarterbacks with the last two who went first and second in the draft, Drew Bledsoe to New England and Rick Mirer to Seattle in 1993. NFL scouts considered both Super Bowl caliber. They were right about Bledsoe.

Leaf and Manning are both Bledsoes.

Either would be able to prove that in San Diego, where the Chargers have two of the NFL’s more respected offensive minds in Coach Kevin Gilbride and quarterback coach June Jones.

Indianapolis, on the other hand, has a coach in Jim Mora who specializes in defense and a quarterback coach in Bruce Arians who has better college than pro credentials. Also, the Colts’ offensive line was the AFC’s worst last season at protecting the quarterback.

Leaf would fare better in Indianapolis because he, at 6 feet 5 1/2 inches and 250 pounds, can withstand more punishment than Manning while the team rebuilds.

If the Colts are smart, they’ll draft Manning. If they’re very smart, they’ll draft Leaf.

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USC officials admit Athletic Director Mike Garrett has made mistakes but say the media now are piling on. . . .

Regarding an ESPN report Tuesday about the revocation of basketball player Claude Green’s scholarship in 1995, they say it was Garrett who persuaded Coach Henry Bibby to allow Green to return to the team last season. . . .

Despite reports to the contrary, they add that Garrett wasn’t aware AM 1150 was pressured to uninvite a “New Times” reporter to appear on a talk show after he wrote an article critical of the athletic director. . . .

AM 1150 is a sister station of USC flagship XTRA 690. . . .

Among the prep players for one team Sunday night at the Great Western Forum in the Eddie Jones All-Star Classic are JaRon Rush of Kansas City, Mo., and Jerome Moiso of Milford, Conn. . . .

They may be UCLA teammates next year if the 6-10 Moiso, originally from Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, scores high enough on his SAT. . . .

Teaming with them Sunday will be 6-7 Sam Clancy Jr. of Lakewood, Ohio, Bibby’s USC recruit who was coveted by national powers. . . .

Guadeloupe’s most famous athlete also is competing here Sunday, when three-time Olympic gold medalist Marie-Jose Perec runs in the 100 and 200 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays. . . .

Marion Jones, 100 world champion from Thousand Oaks, will run the women’s 400. . . .

Bud Furillo, former Herald Examiner sports editor and now a Palm Springs radio talk-show host, was instrumental in the successful campaign to get the U.S. Postal Service to issue a Rocky Marciano stamp next April. . . .

Gary Stevens hopes he was right when he chose to ride Indian Charlie in the Kentucky Derby instead of Halory Hunter. . . .

But Stevens knows, perhaps better than anyone else, that jockeys don’t always have the best horse sense. . . .

In 1995, Mike Smith chose Talkin’ Man over Thunder Gulch. Stevens took Thunder Gulch and won the Derby. . . .

Last year, Chris McCarron couldn’t make up his mind between Hello and Silver Charm. Stevens took Silver Charm and won the Derby. . . .

Gold medalists Janet Evans, John Naber, Kristine Quance, Bruce Furniss and Brad Bridgewater will conduct a clinic Saturday at 10 a.m. at USC in conjunction with the annual “Swim With Mike” benefit for physically challenged athletes. . . .

Tiger Woods and Glenn Frey, founder of the Eagles, will announce Friday in Beverly Hills the details of a concert to benefit the golfer’s foundation. . . .

Where were the eagles when Woods needed them last week?

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While wondering if Wayne Gretzky is still happy about leaving the Kings for a contender, I was thinking: The team that drafts Randy Moss won’t regret it, Nick Van Exel needed the time off anyway, I liked Halory Hunter in “Broadcast News.”