Colts attempting to sign Bosworth

With Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde signed, sealed anddelivered to Tampa Bay, NFL draftnicks have focused their attentionon Indianapolis, which owns the second pick over all. The Colts, whofailed to persuade John Elway to join them in Baltimore four yearsago, reportedly are trying to woo Brian Bosworth, the outrageous linebacker from Oklahoma.

The Buffalo News, citing a source in the Colts organization thenewspaper did not identify, said the team wants Bosworth to sign afour-year, $2.2 million contract before a Monday deadline. Bosworthmust decide by then whether to forgo his senior year and declarehimself eligible for the April 28 draft.

Bosworth has said he does not want to play on artificial turfand wants to work in a high-profile city, such as New York or LosAngeles. But it could be Indianapolis or nothing, since Oklahomacoach Barry Switzer has made it clear Bosworth, who had to sit outthe Orange Bowl after testing positive for steroids, will not bewelcomed back to the Sooners.

The Colts' decision to pursue Bosworth came after weeks ofdiscussion about him and Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett. Thenewspaper reported that the Colts' player personnel departmentbelieves Bosworth would better fit the team's needs for an insidelinebacker, as opposed to Bennett, who played outside in college. IfBosworth signs with the Colts, the Buffalo Bills could draft thehighly rated Bennett.

END OF THE RAINBOW: Baseball souvenir collectors spent more than$36,000 for the rainbow Houston Astros jerseys the team wore in '86.The entire set of jerseys was donated to the United Way of the TexasGulf Coast and auctioned Wednesday evening. The Astros are wearingwhite uniforms this season.

The prize of the night - Nolan Ryan's jersey - was worn out ofthe auction by 11-year-old Chad DuBose, after his father, Houstonattorney Tracy DuBose, paid $8,000 for it. Pitcher Mike Scott'sjersey fetched $5,000.

RELUCTANT KING: Former NBA scoring king Bernard King said he hasmixed emotions about asking friends and family to come to MadisonSquare Garden tonight when he makes his first appearance for theKnicks since major knee surgery more than two years ago.

"I've always played at a level commensurate with the betterplayers in the league, so I don't want them to come and then not playwell," King said. "I think I'm in pretty good shape, but you get in agame and those guys get going 50 miles an hour."

The guys he'll face tonight are the Milwaukee Bucks. Knickscoach Bob Hill said King would enter the game after four to sixminutes.

On the practice court, King displayed much of the explosivenessand the quick release that made him one of the NBA's most fearedscorers. But questions have arisen about his lateral quickness.

"The position I play, small forward, has some of the greatestscorers in the league," said King, who is expected to spend much ofthe night matching moves with defensive specialist Paul Pressey."Some of them can't be stopped whether you're healthy or not."

THE LIST: The last three No. 2 picks in the NFL draft: 1986 -Tony Casillas, Oklahoma nose tackle, by Falcons. 1985 - Bill Fralic,Pittsburgh offensive tackle, by Falcons. 1984 - Dean Steinkuhler,Nebraska offensive tackle, by Oilers.