On Arena, Fortunately, It’s Not Politics as Usual

Representing constituencies so diverse that their only shared experiences are traffic and earthquakes, L.A.’s City Council members sometimes have difficulty presenting a united front.

As the city’s most notorious gangster, the late Mickey Cohen, once said in lamenting there was no one person to bribe to assure the wise guys could operate freely, “There’s no politics in Southern California you can deal with. It’s anarchy.”

Los Angeles professional sports teams have had the same complaint, although presumably for different reasons. It has been forgotten by most that Walter O’Malley had to overcome so many obstacles placed in his path by L.A. politicians that he wouldn’t have moved the Dodgers if New York’s had been any more cooperative.

The Kings’ owners, Ed Roski and Philip Anschutz, were frustrated enough in negotiations with the city over a new downtown arena that they were on the verge several times of committing to remaining in Inglewood to build.

But the City Council, by a 13-2 vote Wednesday, finally recognized what negotiators from both sides had been advising them, that it is a win-win proposition.

Although there inevitably will be snags in finalizing the contract, the Kings and Lakers could be playing in a 20,000-seat arena next to the Convention Center in time for the 1999-2000 season.

Inglewood has been a comfortable and prosperous home for the teams and remains an attractive alternative with fewer strings attached if the L.A. deal disintegrates. At the same time, the new arena is important to the revitalization of downtown L.A.

Equally significant from a sports perspective, the vote sends a message to the NFL that it’s not impossible to do business with Los Angeles.

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After developments Wednesday involving the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, it appears the NFL will have six head coaches with USC ties. . . .

Jim Fassel, the Giants’ new coach, was USC’s third-team quarterback in 1969. Second team was Mike Holmgren. The first-team quarterback was Jimmy Jones, now coaching a high school team in Harrisburg, Pa. . . .

Steve Mariucci, expected to become the 49ers’ new coach, was USC’s special teams and wide receivers coach in 1986. He also was an assistant at Cal State Fullerton. . . .

Besides Fassel and Holmgren, the other NFL head coach who played at USC is the Oilers’ Jeff Fisher. Mariucci, the Redskins’ Norv Turner and the Bears’ Dave Wannstedt were Trojan assistants. . . .

Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon and Mike Bibby get most of the attention for the Arizona team that visits USC tonight and UCLA Saturday, but the player to watch is Bennett Davison. If the NCAA had a slam-dunk contest, the 6-foot-8 forward with the 36 1/2-inch vertical leap would be the favorite. . . .

Tonga’s lone Olympic medalist, Wolfgramm Paea, fights for the third time as a professional Friday afternoon at the Reseda Country Club. The super-heavyweight silver medalist in Atlanta has advised the media he wants to be known simply as Wolfgramm. OK. . . .

The UCLA men’s volleyball team meets the alumni Saturday night at the Wooden Center. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly is expected to appear but not in uniform after undergoing rotator cuff surgery in the fall . . .

The Bruin baseball team also plays against its alumni Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium. That includes new Dodger third baseman Todd Zeile, who will be inducted into the UCLA Baseball Hall of Fame . . .

Sign carried by a homeless man Tuesday at Chavez Ravine: “Buying Dodgers, Please Help.”

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The Fearsome Foursome comes together one more time at noon Sunday in Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium in a benefit for Lamar Lundy, who has prostate cancer.

Lundy’s original defensive line teammates with the Rams in the ‘60s, Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones and Rosey Grier, and latecomer Roger Brown organized the event, recruiting other former Rams such as Roman Gabriel, Jack Youngblood, Tom Mack, Dick Bass, Vince Ferragamo and Jackie Slater. They will give fans a chance to match skills with them in punting, placekicking, passing and receiving.

“Lamar has been sick for some time,” Olsen said. “But it’s gotten even worse lately and the bills are just mounting. This is a way to help Lamar pay those bills and bring back some of the best memories of the NFL to our fans.”

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While pondering a German justice system that prosecutes Peter Graf more aggressively than Gunther Parche, I was thinking: There is not as much difference as the 49ers like to think between them and Jerry Jones’ Cowboys, Mariucci will get a heck of a promotion for losing six of his last seven games last season, the Lakers and Suns made one of those rare trades that really is good for both teams.