At Least They’re Keeping a Roof Over Their Heads

Los Angeles will have a team, the Avengers, in the Arena Football League next year--whether or not there’s an NFL team in our future.

Know the difference?

The minimum salary for an NFL veteran player is $400,000. The average salary for an entire AFL team is $360,000. The average AFL player salary is $24,000 for four months.

The average ticket price is $12.50.

And no one has to worry about rebuilding the Coliseum.

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Trivia time: When was the last time Los Angeles had an Arena Football League franchise?

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Choose your winner: “There is nothing ‘Major League’ about an MLS [Major League Soccer] system that allows corporations to own more than one team within the league,” writes Mike Bendel in the San Jose Mercury News.

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Mute, almost: Denver Bronco tight end Shannon Sharpe says he will continue his silent treatment of the media--except for his own radio show.

“I just think the best thing for me right now is to go out there and play football and not have anything smart to say or not say anything about anything,” Sharpe said on his show.

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Changing times: When the St. Louis Rams got off to a slow start last year, players blamed it on Coach Dick Vermeil’s intense summer practice, claiming he wore them out.

This year Vermeil eased up, shortening workouts and cutting back on scrimmages.

“One of our objectives was to leave training camp with some enthusiasm and excitement about going back to St. Louis,” Vermeil said. “Last year, I drained the enthusiasm out of them.”

What would Vince Lombardi have thought about that?

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Sorry, Dad: Freshman Texas quarterback Chris Simms is the son of NFL veteran quarterback Phil Simms, but the youngster’s favorite player is Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. He even wears Aikman’s No. 8.

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All lined up: Brian Bohanon, the former Dodger left-hander now with the Colorado Rockies, is pitching with five bone chips in his elbow.

“I think the chips are in the right location right now,” Bohanon said after winning his 10th game. “I hit 87 [mph] pretty much consistently. When I’m doing that, I can make mistakes and get away with them. If I’m throwing 81 or 82, I struggle.”

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Man versus machine: In 1997 after the Colorado Rockies’ Larry Walker had won the National League most-valuable-player award with a .366 average, 49 home runs and 130 RBIs, the Canadian native was noticeably upset when race driver Jacques Villeneuve was named Canadian athlete of the year.

“I lost to a car,” Walker said.

Villeneuve won Canada’s first Formula One championship that year.

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Poor timing: According to Baseball America, the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers recently held an “Umbrella Night” promotion . . . and got rained out.

That’s bad: Cincinnati relief pitcher Scott Sullivan, on being overworked: “My arm is so heavy, I feel like I can touch my ankles without bending over.”

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Trivia answer: In 1988, the L.A. Cobras played in the Sports Arena.

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And finally: Offense sells tickets, Baltimore Raven Coach Brian Billick insists in Playboy:

‘That’s by design. That’s why we’re the No. 1 sport. That’s why the entertainment value is as high as it is.

“The fans ar going to shell out $50 and $60 and $80 a pop, they don’t want to see a titanic 10-7 defensive battle. They want to see offense.”

Tell it to soccer fans, who think 0-0 is just about perfect.