Marv Marinovich

Marv Marinovich must have been relieved when the white powder found in his son Todd's waistband purportedly was cocaine. He was afraid it was sugar. MARK J. SILVERMAN Beverly Hills

Technically, the plaques and trophies in Marv Marinovich's office belong to his son Todd, a rising star quarterback at USC. But they are a shrine to the father as well. After all, it was Marv who knew which vitamin supplements he and his wife should take to conceive a perfectly healthy child. It was Marv who applied Eastern Bloc training techniques, insisting that Todd discipline his mind and body and forgo Big Macs, sugar and hanging out at the beach. It was Marv who caught flak from in-laws critical of punishments such as forcing the 9-year-old Todd to run alongside the car from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach after the boy had not played his best in a basketball game.

After watching USC in the John Hancock Bowl, this trivia question: What do Marv Marinovich and Dr. Frankenstein have in common? They both created monsters. JOHN PAUL WHITE, Moreno Valley

The photograph of Andre Agassi on the cover of "Open," his just-published autobiography, was taken by Martin Schoeller, an Annie Leibovitz disciple. The book begins with a quote from Vincent van Gogh; Barbra Streisand is thanked in the acknowledgments. The ghostwriter is J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who formerly worked for The Times. In other words, "Open" is not your typical jock-autobio fare. This literate and absorbing book is, as the title baldly states, Agassi's confessional, a wrenching chronicle of his lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court.

Technically, the plaques and trophies in Marv Marinovich's office belong to his son Todd, a rising star quarterback at USC. But they are a shrine to the father as well. After all, it was Marv who knew which vitamin supplements he and his wife should take to conceive a perfectly healthy child. It was Marv who applied Eastern Bloc training techniques, insisting that Todd discipline his mind and body and forgo Big Macs, sugar and hanging out at the beach. It was Marv who caught flak from in-laws critical of punishments such as forcing the 9-year-old Todd to run alongside the car from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach after the boy had not played his best in a basketball game.

I was disappointed to read that Marv Marinovich lost his control and temper over remarks made about his son, Todd, during the USC-Oregon game. I thought Marv was tougher than that. Over the past 40 years I have been confronted with similar situations and could have reacted as he did. The need for emotional control was never more necessary than when my son, Bill, played basketball for his dad at USC. My unsolicited advice to Marv is: Enjoy the highs of success and quietly absorb the painful lows.

Position wanted as pro quarterback: Robot-like passing accuracy, self-rated nation's best high school quarterback in 1987, appeared on cover of Sports Illustrated, comes with options, but requires minimum of five-six seconds pass protection for best results. Game film references available--with exception of Illinois, Notre Dame, UCLA and 1990 Washington games. Teams with noisy stadiums and/or new footballs need not respond. Original asking price for three-year contract reduced for quick sale.

A year ago, Marv Marinovich believed he had silenced critics of his controversial athletic training methods. His son Todd, custom-coached from infancy with Soviet Bloc techniques, had turned into a star quarterback at USC, a lucrative future in pro football ahead of him. Marinovich's other son, Mikhail, had been analyzed at the age of 2 as possessing "fast-twitch muscle fiber" and was already jogging two miles. Parents continued to bring children into his Anaheim gym for training.

USC is looking into complaints that Marv Marinovich, father of quarterback Todd Marinovich, berated a fan during last Saturday's game at the Coliseum, a USC athletic official confirmed Friday. Marv Marinovich allegedly lashed out verbally at the fan, who had derided Marinovich's son and called for a backup to replace him.

This is a story about a high school football player. Perhaps you've heard it before. He's a quarterback. A left-hander. He's Orange County's top-ranked passer. He has followed a strict training regimen since he was young, preparing him for one thing--throwing the ball. When he was 14, his parents pulled him out of public school and enrolled him in a private, two-days-a-week school. It gave him more time to train with his strength and conditioning coach. He swears by acupuncture.

Sometime after 1 p.m. Sunday at the Coliseum, the Raiders will break out of their huddle for the first time to face the Cleveland Browns. A tall figure with red hair sticking out from under his helmet will hunch over center and a crowd in excess of 40,000 will cheer. Todd Marinovich will start barking signals in his new role as starting quarterback. It will be the beginning of an era.

Would Todd Marinovich do it again? Upon reflection, the backup Raider quarterback said he would. "How could a kid be deprived, growing up at the beach in Newport and playing sports?" he asked. "That's more than I could ever ask for at a young age." Marinovich, 22, and his father, Marv, 52, have discussed his unorthodox upbringing, which paved the way to athletic success. Much of their conversation has focused on another Marinovich, Todd's half brother, Mikhail.

A year ago, Marv Marinovich believed he had silenced critics of his controversial athletic training methods. His son Todd, custom-coached from infancy with Soviet Bloc techniques, had turned into a star quarterback at USC, a lucrative future in pro football ahead of him. Marinovich's other son, Mikhail, had been analyzed at the age of 2 as possessing "fast-twitch muscle fiber" and was already jogging two miles. Parents continued to bring children into his Anaheim gym for training.

Marv Marinovich, speaking about his son, Todd, is quoted as saying, "I have not advised him. He has to make his own decisions that affect his life. He has to stand on his own two feet." I think part of Todd's problem must be his father's attitude. Marv just doesn't seem to want to take an active interest in Todd's life. WILLIAM HOMANN San Marcos

The photograph of Andre Agassi on the cover of "Open," his just-published autobiography, was taken by Martin Schoeller, an Annie Leibovitz disciple. The book begins with a quote from Vincent van Gogh; Barbra Streisand is thanked in the acknowledgments. The ghostwriter is J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who formerly worked for The Times. In other words, "Open" is not your typical jock-autobio fare. This literate and absorbing book is, as the title baldly states, Agassi's confessional, a wrenching chronicle of his lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court.

Marv Marinovich, father of USC quarterback Todd Marinovich, said Tuesday that his son's options are open in regard to his future. Todd's options are remaining in school, making himself available for the NFL draft or transferring to another school, the elder Marinovich said. Todd Marinovich was suspended indefinitely Friday by Trojan Coach Larry Smith for missing a team meeting and not registering for spring semester classes.