For White, the Choice Is Forever Young

So who will be the first quarterback selected in this weekend’s NFL draft? Will it be USC’s Matt Leinart, Texas’ Vince Young or Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler?

The opinion of USC running back LenDale White might surprise you.

“I would never trade away the three years with Matt as my quarterback,” White told the Denver Post. “But if I was an NFL team, I don’t know how you could not take Vince Young.

“A quarterback’s job is to control the game. When a guy throws for 260 [yards] and runs for 200 in the biggest game of the year, he doesn’t just control a game, he shows he can completely take it over.

“Nothing against Matt, but Vince has to be the No. 1 guy.”

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Trivia time: It was 20 years ago this month that Elgin Baylor was hired as the Clippers’ general manager and given the title of director of basketball operations. Who did Baylor replace?

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That’s a lot of bull: Terrell Owens might be able to learn something about touchdown celebrations from Alecko Eskandarian of Major League Soccer’s D.C. United.

After the first of two goals Eskandarian scored in United’s 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, he had a teammate toss him a can of the energy drink Red Bull. Eskandarian took a gulp and spat it out.

Red Bull bought the New York MetroStars in March and renamed the team.

Eskandarian on Tuesday was fined $250 by MLS.

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No bull about ex-Bull: TNT commentator Doug Collins at one time coached the Chicago Bulls, who traded Elton Brand to the Clippers in June 2001.

Here’s what Collins had to say Monday about Brand and the Bulls:

“You think the Chicago Bulls would still like to have him on their team right now? Can you imagine him on Chicago with that young group of guys. All Elton Brand has done is ... be as consistent as running water.”

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Keys to victory: The newest MLS franchise will be known as the Detroit Ignition, prompting Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times to write that the name will “give the sports world its first true starting lineup.”

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It’s a wacky business: “Major League Baseball has denied a Forbes magazine report indicating 25 of 30 teams were profitable last year,” wrote Greg Cote of the Miami Herald. “What other business but baseball encourages a perception it is failing financially?”

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Looking back: On this day in 2002, the Dodgers’ Odalis Perez faced the minimum 27 batters in a 10-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs’ only hit was a bad-hop single by Corey Patterson in the seventh inning, and he was erased on a double play. Perez threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes.

Trivia answer: Carl Scheer.

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And finally: Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News, on why it’ll be an early Christmas for the team that drafts Vanderbilt’s Cutler: “His hometown is Santa Claus, Ind.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.