Daily News from New York, New York • 330

1. DAILY SPORTS NEWS Wednesday, November 15, 1989 Rocky night for Mercer, Morrison By MICHAEL KATZ Daily News Sports Writer Ray Mercer, a serious fighter, was surrounded on an ESPN card last night by the full spectrum of boxing's clowns from Rocky Balboa to George Foreman. With ABC ready to give the 1988 Olympic heavyweight champion his first network exposure since Seoul, a Feb. 3 bout against Carl (The Truth) Williams, Mercer had to take care of business at the South Mountain Arena in West Orange. He was matched with Jerry Jones, the Hillerest, southpaw who knocked out Michael Bent in the New York Golden Gloves champion's pro debut.

Bent was the guy Mercer edged in the Olympic Boxoffs. Mercer, 10-0 with nine knockouts going into last night's bout, is scheduled to meet Jerry (Wimpy) Halstead, 64-7-1 with 47 KOs, Dec. 7 on the Sugar Ray Leonard-Ro- during serving Without 0'Brien's safety patronize Said na, and on, it's What gether impressions EN O'BRIEN is one tough son of a gun. End of discussion. But Joe Walton's scolding of the media his defense of O'Brien on Monday was selfrubbish, typical of the football mentality.

even reading newspaper accounts of ill-fated, goal-line collision with Miami Louis Oliver, Walton seized the chance to every nonplaying observer in the world. the coach: "Unless you've been in the are- been in those situations with your helmet pretty tough to pass judgment on anyone." nonsense. We may not know how to put toa clock, but we know how to tell time. And fans or reporters get from watching a JET INSIDER By PAUL NEEDELL Did he look like a wimp for one most members of the media let ton, always afraid to knock the over Oliver's rantings and killed instead. Walton should've defended his attacking Oliver.

But maybe he the nerve. Late second-guesses LT ON THE SLY: Sylvester Stallone takes on the Giants' Rambo, Lawrence Taylor, at the China Club, discussing football and the upcoming 'Rocky V' movie. By the way, in real life Taylor is 6-3 and Stallone is well, he is a big-screen star. DOMININCK CONDE STARFILE berto Duran Las Vegas before Truth. Foreman, undercard in heavyweight champion who facing The retired in 1977, shortly after and returned 10 the former years later in time for "Rocky Walton's talking nonsense IV," was giving a four-round exhibition as part of his' buildup for a Jan.

15 date with Gerry Cooney. Duke it out Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, was working the corner of Tommy (Duke) Morrison, who has secured a role as a fighter trained by Balboa in "Rocky "Why is Stallone working the corner?" Kevin Rooney asked Bill Cayton, Morrison's co-manager. "I need the money Mike Tyson's ex-trainer blew his chance with Morrison, 19-0 with 17 KOs before his scheduled bout against Lorenzo Canady, by insulting the Kansas City youngster's handlers. Evander Holyfield, undisputed No. 1 challenger for Tyson, was offered a role by Stallone that entailed beingbeaten up by Morrison.

Morrison also is scheduled LeDoux's wife dies at age 42 Sandy LeDoux, 42, wife of former heavyweight contender Scott LeDoux, died Monday in Minneapolis after a 10-year struggle against cancer. She leaves LeDoux, whom she married 20 years ago next month, and their two children, Joshua, 13, and Molly, 11. "If I'd been half the fighter Sandy was, I'd have had the belt," said her husband, who was stopped by Larry Holmes in a 1980 title bout. The funeral will be today in Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for contributions to "Sandy's Battle," in care of Bob Dolan, 565 North Star East, 608 Second Ave.

South, Minneapolis, Minn. 55402. Katz to appear on the LeonardDuran card, facing Jeff Jordan (18-7, 12 KOs). "sometimes we can't get (the players') attention." Aren't they coached to look at the sideline in such a situation? "They're aware, but it's not always that easy." Is it any wonder those outside the arena don't think this is a well-coached team? Defensive smoke Dan Marino is the world's most dangerous quarterback, granted. But Walton acts as if Marino scorches everyone else just like he does the Jets.

Some perspective: The Dolphins have averaged 32 points in two games vs. the Jets. In their eight other games, they're averaging 18.4. Even though the defense was burned for three more passing TDs that's a league-high 24 for the season and 37 in 12 games vs. Marino Walton came away encouraged by "a lot of good He said the young defensive linemen "really got off the ball" and the secondary "did a pretty good job in bump-and-run." player over the haul should be summarily dismissed and ridiculed just because they come outside the "arena." Is O'Brien a wimp? No way.

play? Maybe. But Oliver say it. Walopposition, glossed the messengers quarterback by just didn't have The 0'Brien-Oliver saga helped bury some awfully strange coaching decisions Walton made during the 31-23 loss to the Dolphins. Settling for a 22-yard field goal down by 11 with 10:02 left was a head-scratcher, especially since Walton eschewed a field goal earlier in the drive on fourthand-5. "I made the decision, right or wrong, to take the three points," Walton said.

"I felt we could get a couple of more shots and possibly get a touchdown in one of those other shots." The Jets did get the ball twice more: First, O'Brien was intercepted on third-and-19 from the Miami 23. It was a terrible pass, but the Jets needed a field goal and a TD. They were already in field-goal range, so why force a pass on third-and19? And the last time the Jets took over, it was at their own 26 with 1:01 left. They had no timeouts. Why? Walton's use of timeouts continues to be abominable.

The Jets wasted one in the third period. O'Brien called another midway through the fourth before the interception. And then the Jets who don't seem to grasp the concept of the two-minute warning signaled, for, their final timeout with 2:03 I GRE SLOW GOING: Dave Cadigan got in for two key plays Sunday, and managed to break a finger. That saved, oh, three whole seconds. At the end of the prevous play, about 2:20 showed on the clock.

Why not call it then? Walton said 'he tried to call it right away, but I 30 TOAS More funny things It looks like we're beating up on Walton here, but sometimes, he just says the darnedest things. FS Erik McMillan made a silly losing gamble on a 65-yard TD by Scott Schwedes Sunday, going for the interception when he knew there was no one to back him up. Said Walton: "That was a very good play by Marino. He threw it to the right. If it had been a little more over to the other side, Erik might've gotten it." Aggressive play is one thing.

Bad judgment is another. This isn't horseshoes. Almost doesn't count. And CB Bobby Humphery, a standup guy who has been getting burned deep a bit too often, was beaten for a 78-yard TD by Mark Clayton and a 30- yard pass by Freddie Banks to set up another score. Walton's assessment? "Bobby played well in the game; he just got beat a couple of times.

But if you look at the tape, he very nearly knocked (Clayton's pass) Cadigan update In case you were wondering about the progress of 1988 No. 1 pick Dave Cadigan, the second-year guard was in for two third-and-one plays Sunday, lining up as the third tight end. He was called for holding on the first and missed his block on the second. And he broke a finger for his trouble. End quote DE Marty Lyons volunteered to "put Louis Oliver at 20 yards and Kenny O'Brien at 20 yards, and we'll see what happens Told he might want to run this idea past O'Brien first, Lyons grinned and said: "We'll get Kenny ready.

We'll get Kenny ready. Pig 8,.