THE NFL / BILL PLASCHKE : NFL Campers Get the Fires Burning

The first training camp opened Saturday night, in a Wisconsin burg of 23,000 known as Stevens Point, under the reign of a little emperor named Tom Coughlin.

At 6 p.m. sharp.

Got that, Steve Beuerlein?

“Couple of months ago, I told Coach Coughlin that my best friend was getting married that day, and I was going to be his best man,” said Beuerlein, the new quarterback of the new Jacksonville Jaguars. “I asked Coach if I could attend the wedding, catch a red-eye flight and be in camp first thing Sunday morning.”

And why not? By league rules, only rookies can be forced to begin work before July 14.

“Coach told me no,” Beuerlein said. “My friend had to change the wedding.”

The last camp will open in two weeks, in a New York burg of 40,000 known as Hempstead, where Jet Coach Richie Kotite’s timing is dictated by common sense.

If your quarterback controversy were between Boomer Esiason and Bubby Brister, you wouldn’t be too thrilled about taking the field, either.

It’s that time of year again.

Quarterbacks wearing yellow jerseys. Owners wearing Bermuda shorts. Coaches wearing playbooks down the front of their pants. Fat guys wearing their breakfast.

It’s training camp time and, if you listen close enough, you can hear the football world coming to life.

Buddy Ryan screaming through the trees in Flagstaff, Ariz. Marty Schottenheimer weeping through the fields of River Falls, Wis. Don Shula griping through the canals of Davie, Fla. Al and Georgia laughing all the way to the bank.

After an off-season of hotel fights and horse tracks, of Tagliabue and Trask, of PSLs and EIRs and two teams that went AWOL . . . are you ready for some football?

Same here.

FUN COUPLES

Everything new and exciting this year is happening in pairs.

Andre Rison and Bill Belichick in Cleveland: Rison has spent much of the last six years telling everyone he was the best receiver in the NFL. He must prove it or be thrown to the Dawgs. Belichick loves his new receiver and potential Super Bowl team so much, he might even start wearing clothes that fit.

Ricky Watters and Randall Cunningham in Philadelphia: Watters has spent the last four years whining for the ball. He’ll get it after defecting to the Eagles, where the fans hope he just shuts up and runs. As for Cunningham, if he doesn’t finally prove himself as a winner this year, he’ll also be asked to run . . . and keep running.

Derek Loville and Derrick Moore in San Francisco: One of these running backs will be asked to replace Watters’ 1,596 total yards and 11 touchdowns for the defending Super Bowl champions. The candidates’ athleticism and potential are not enough to overshadow the summer’s most compelling question: Is there a third choice?

Alvin Harper and Trent Dilfer at Tampa Bay: After this spring’s Harper hype died, fans were left wondering, what are the Buccaneers doing paying $10 million to a receiver who excels in the playoffs ? Probably the same thing they were doing trading one of the game’s top young quarterbacks in order to give an opportunity to an unproven guy with a career rating of 36.3.

Craig Erickson and Flipper Anderson in Indianapolis: Erickson is the quarterback that Tampa Bay let get away. Anderson, a wide receiver, left the Rams. Together they could become the hottest Indy duo since Penske and Unser. With Marshall Faulk and an improved pass rush, can the playoffs be far behind?

The Raiders and Oakland: The players, who will be based in Southern California during the season, are already complaining to friends about playing 16 road games. After allowing his new coaches to change the offense during the spring, Al Davis is reportedly already starting to panic. A loss to San Diego in the opener means he dusts off the three most dreaded words in the organization: “Everybody go deep.” But hey, those PSLs are selling like hotcakes.

The Rams and St. Louis: Looks like a perfect match. And you don’t know how hard it is to say that. Fans lining up to cheer moving vans. Jerome Bettis running up to meet his new $10-million guard Dwayne White. Kevin Carter lining up to rush the passer as if he’s intent on becoming rookie of the year. New backup Mark Rypien might have been the smartest acquisition of the off-season. Just because Georgia doesn’t deserve a winner doesn’t mean she won’t get one.

SPLITTING UP

Perhaps nobody realized the impact of football’s biggest off-season transaction more than President Bill Clinton. He was recently late for an important fund-raising dinner in San Francisco because he was fulfilling a previously arranged golf game with the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs.

That quarterback was Steve Bono.

Sorry Bill, Joe Montana is history. And so too are the Chiefs. They have yet to realize that while Bono closely resembles the retired Montana in form and style, any resemblance ends the minute the ball leaves his hand.

More holes, more filler:

Marc Trestman replaces Mike Shanahan as 49er offensive coordinator. Trestman was a financial broker last season. How long do you think it will take Steve Young to respond to one of his changes with, “Don’t you have somebody’s taxes to do?”

Pete Carroll replaces Ray Rhodes as 49er defensive coordinator. If they sign Deion Sanders in October as expected, you could replace Ray Rhodes.

Eric Metcalf replaces Andre Rison as Atlanta Falcon wide receiver. What the heck, he wasn’t a very good running back.

Corey Croom replaces Marion Butts as the New England Patriots’ feature running back. Coach Bill Parcells, toying with a potential champion, swears he knows what he’s doing. The rest of Boston just swears.

Robert Brooks, Mark Ingram, Terry Mickens, Anthony Morgan and Antonio Freeman replace Sterling Sharpe as the Green Bay Packer wide receiver. And it’s still not enough.

Sterling Sharpe replaces Phil Simms as a commentator on ESPN. Don’t even ask.

Garrison Hearst replaces running back Ron Moore in Arizona, Bam Morris replaces running back Barry Foster in Pittsburgh, and Lorenzo White eventually replaces Leroy Hoard in Cleveland. The three new guys will gain more than 3,000 yards among them.

Kevin Williams replaces Alvin Harper in Dallas. He’s smaller, but quicker and tougher. Harper was intimidated by Sanders in the 49er battles last year. Williams won’t be.

YOUNG INFATUATIONS

This should not be construed as an endorsement of that potentially illegal form of athletic wagering known as fantasy league football.

But dude, if you have a late pick in the first round, you better take Tampa Bay’s Errict Rhett.

Those who laugh will later pay after Rhett, perhaps the best running back in the league at the end of last year, has rushed for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Remember, we used this space last year to tell you about Natrone Means.

Other rising stars:

Quarterback Heath Shuler is finally understanding his job in Washington. With athletic Michael Westbrook on one side and ageless Henry Ellard on the other, Shuler will actually throw more touchdown passes than interceptions. Maybe plenty more.

Defensive linemen Rob Burnett in Cleveland, Marco Coleman in Miami and Chad Hennings in Dallas will bull-rush the football world’s consciousness.

And don’t forget running back Mario Bates of the New Orleans Saints. As a rookie, he broke his jaw in a bar fight and still gained 641 total yards while scoring six touchdowns. This year, he spends more time in the fourth quarter than the French Quarter.

DYING ROMANCES

With free agency and the salary cap forcing the game to grow younger, everywhere you look there is a last stand.

In Miami . . . where Shula is fighting off the specter of Jimmy Johnson while Dan Marino is one hobbled step ahead of the ghost of Fran Tarkenton. With the acquisitions of tight end Eric Green and defensive end Trace Armstrong, and the recovery of injured running backs Keith Byars and Terry Kirby, it should be a fun finale. If not, it will be a finale, period. Shula will retire after going 22 years without a Super Bowl victory, while Marino will consider it after going a career without one.

In Denver . . . where John Elway might finally grow weary of stepping around smoldering pieces of wreckage. It all depends on new Coach Shanahan.

In Minnesota . . . where, really, hasn’t Warren Moon had enough? If the Vikings win the Super Bowl, he retires. If they don’t, he retires a couple of weeks sooner.

In Buffalo . . . where the only thing that separates the Bills and years of rebuilding is one late hit on Jim Kelly. The average fan has heard of exactly six of their remaining players. Oh, Cornelius Bennett was silly enough to re-sign? Make that seven.

COLD SHOULDERS

Don’t blame Cincinnati Bengal Coach Dave Shula for using this summer to prepare his team not for their first game, but their second game. That would be Sunday, Sept. 10, when the Bengals entertain the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars could win. And, on the spot, Shula could finally be fired.

Other coaches on the edge:

Schottenheimer needs a miracle, or at least breakthrough seasons from running back Greg Hill and receiver Victor Bailey, to make the playoffs in Kansas City. Carl Peterson, the equally headstrong Chief general manager, is waiting.

Dennis Green must be playing in mid-January to ensure his Viking job.

Ted Marchibroda must at least have his Colts playing beyond Christmas.

Wayne Fontes of the Detroit Lions needs Scott Mitchell to start behaving like a real quarterback.

Jim Mora of the Saints needs to find 11 players who can be put in his new 4-3 setup and behave like a defense.

And--big surprise here--there’s probably nothing Tampa Bay’s Sam Wyche can do.

YOUNG HEARTS

When looking for the list of candidates to succeed Faulk as the league’s top rookie, it is easier to figure out who won’t do it.

Ki-Jana Carter, the running back and No. 1 overall draft pick, probably won’t even show up to camp on time because the Bengals have been too worried about stadium issues to negotiate his contract. His offensive line will make him wish he had stayed away longer.

Steve McNair, quarterback of the Houston Oilers, will play only when the coaching staff feels he can run a pro offense. Maybe 1996?

Tony Boselli of the Jaguars is a tackle. Next.

Joey Galloway, the fastest wide receiver in the draft, plays in Seattle. Next.

Michael Westbrook could really become Norv Turner’s reincarnation of Michael Irvin and steal every award in Washington. But then, he could also be the reincarnation of Willie Jackson.

That leaves receiver J.J. Stokes. With speed, skills and brains. In the 49er offense. You decide.