Rest Assured, There’s No Love Lost

San Diego Padre General Manager Kevin Towers says he doesn’t hate the Dodgers, but it’s obvious that there’s a strong dislike:

“I don’t hate anybody on their team. It’s just that I don’t see the need for all the arrogance and cockiness in their organization.

“I will admit that I sleep a lot better at night when I watch ESPN and find out the Dodgers lost. But I don’t have anything against Kevin [Malone, the Dodger general manager].

“Would I invite him to my wedding? Probably not.”

Comment: Do the Dodgers care? Probably not.

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Trivia time: What is the oldest record in the UCLA-USC track series that resumes Saturday at Cromwell Field?

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Boo hoo: Miami Heat forward Marty Conlon on the pressure of playing 50 NBA games in 90 days:

“Just to get errands done is mind boggling. I have no time to do anything, even things as simple as cashing a check, You have to be at the airport or at the game.”

All working stiffs with long hours and unpaid bills commiserate with you, Marty.

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Too mild: Mark Gerberich, commissioner of the Pro Bowlers Assn. tour, told Phil Mushnick of the New York Post that the sport has difficulty attracting advertisers.

“In pro bowling, no matter how intense the competition, if one guy converts a difficult spare, the other guy rises in admiration and gives him a high five, a touch, a handshake.

“Based on what I’m hearing from advertising people, this is no good. Advertisers would be far more attracted to us if the guy walked over and punched the other guy in the mouth. Corporate America wants the Extreme Games, stunts, danger, blood, craziness.”

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Clank, clank: Shaquille O’Neal has the free-throw touch of Bill Sharman compared to Detroit Piston Eric Montross, who had made only 11 of 32 from the line, 34.4%, before the weekend.

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Not worth hurting: Luc Longley has been sidelined because of a knee injury that he contends Karl Malone purposely caused. Advised of the Phoenix Sun center’s charge, the Mailman said:

“Luc should be proud he can come into our league and steal for as many years as he stole. Why in the world would I try to hurt Luc Longley?”

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Classic prediction: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “And finally, an oldie-but-goodie from the quote file: Former Colt owner Bob Irsay after trading [John] Elway to the Broncos in May of ‘83: ‘He’ll never be any good.’ ”

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Trivia answer: UCLA’s Bob Day’s time of 4:00.2 in the mile in 1966. The 1,500-meter run has replaced the mile.

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And finally: In trashing the Lakers, Glenn Nelson of the Seattle Times has his own name for them:

“The Fakers . . . have been reduced to a team of Shaq and Kobe and little else. Even Michael [Jordan] and Scottie [Pippen] needed a talented supporting cast around them in Chicago.”