Columnist Ron Kantowski: Staley cuts bad ‘Deal’ coming out early

Tuesday, April 23, 2002 | 8:36 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's insider notes column appears Tuesday and his Page One column appears Thursday. He can be reached at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

All in all, it had to be the worst decision since a guy on "Let's Make a Deal" traded what was behind Door No. 3 for what Jay had in the box.

Brigham Young running back Luke Staley, who would have been a Heisman Trophy candidate had he returned to health and the form he displayed as a junior, instead declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, where he wasn't selected until the next-to-last round Sunday. By the Lions.

Geez, where do I sign?

The injury-prone Staley was more versatile than a Swiss Army Knife last fall when he rushed for a school record 1,596 yards and scored 28 touchdowns before breaking his leg against Mississippi State.

That ugly injury resulted in Staley's 11th surgery, tying him with Cher for the record in that category.

"Hopefully, that will help motivate me to make the team," Staley told the Salt Lake Tribune about not being selected until it was dark outside. "It's not where you start, it's where you finish."

Staley was one of 15 Mountain West Conference players selected in this year's draft. BYU had five players chosen and UNLV had four but Colorado State, which either wins the MWC or comes in second every year, had none.

That only goes to show what kind of coach Sonny Lubick is.

Thomas, according to reports, was timed with a calendar instead of a stopwatch at the recent NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, which he blamed on the airlines for losing his luggage. Thomas said he had to run the 40-yard dash in what amounted to clown shoes -- his roommate's borrowed size 13s.

Somehow, I can't believe that of the hundreds of players who were timed in the combine, none wore a size 11. Or that there wasn't a Foot Locker on the way to the RCA Dome.

"Sam Brandon might be too small to be a safety and too slow to be a cornerback, but that only means he shall fit right into the defensive backfield."

That, of course, would be a good thing for Brandon. At the same time, I don't think Lincicome was trying to praise him.

Sophomore-to-be Eric Osmundson over the weeked became the fourth Ute this spring to leave or announce he would be leaving Majerus' program. Osmundson, who played in 29 of Utah's 30 games, joins center Lance Allred, forward Cameron Goettsche and walk-on guard Chris Huber on the list of disgruntled/less than satisfied.

"Eric Osmundson came in and requested a transfer. It was granted," Majerus said in a statement that should have come with mittens, it was so coldly worded.

The only problem was that the race was held two weeks ago -- and one week later Force picked up win No. 100 at Houston.

After the race was over, the station switched to this week's episode of "The Shadow."

"We haven't taken anything out of the Palms to subsidize one penny (of the Kings)," Maloof told me, perhaps taking my reference to hanging any championship banners the Kings might win from the rafters of the Palms a little too literally.

But it was cool that he was concerned enough to call and give me his cell phone number, in the event I made it out to Sac Town for the NBA playoffs.

Somehow, I can't imagine Steinbrenner or Jerry Jones making the same kind of offer.