Timing

The Supreme Court plunged back into the legal fight over firefighters, test scores and accusations of racial discrimination today, this time to decide when those who say they were victims of discrimination must file a lawsuit. In June, the justices ruled for white firefighters who were denied promotions even though they had earned top scores on an exam. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was sharply criticized during her Senate hearing because, as an judge, she had ruled against the white plaintiffs.

EBay Inc., the world's largest Internet auctioneer, was sued over allegations that customers didn't receive the full amount of time allotted to sell products. Auctions may face delays of as long as several hours once they have been submitted even though consumers are paying fees for a set period of time, Houston-based law firm Williams Kherkher Hart Boundas said in a statement.

I'm often amused by the repackaged news releases that pass for feature articles at The Times. The business section has usually been the exception, save for its stupefying drivel about so-called cyberspace, cybertalk and the cyberfuture. But "Friendly Takeover" (May 26) was a real lollapalooza in the annals of Company Town backside kissing. Jeffrey Montgomery's story is not a "tale of luck, timing, an Arabian prince and, most of all, chutzpah." It is simply a tale of the luck of being pals with an Arabian prince.

I have never in my life seen the lack of class in which an exceptional football player's jersey was retired. Jack Youngblood deserves more time than when the opposing teams are coming on the field at the end of halftime. I am embarrassed by the poor display of management by the Ram organization. LENORA HOTEMA Cerritos

The day that quarterback Kevin Prince had waited for, and the UCLA offense seemed to need, arrived. A little more than three weeks after suffering a fractured jaw, Prince rejoined the first team and spent the entire practice getting reacquainted with teammates and the offense. He capped the day by completing three of four passes during a two-minute drill. "My rhythm and timing were a little off," Prince said. "I missed some throws that I really shouldn't miss and don't want to miss ever."

Mr. October is Mr. Unwelcome at Yankee Stadium, at least for a while. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, a special advisor for the New York Yankees, the team with which he reached his height of popularity as a player, has been asked by the team to stay away because of the comments he made about Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez last week. "The Yankees think that the timing is not right for me to be around the team right now," Jackson told USA Today. "When the Yankees feel that the timing is proper, I'll return.

You're about to leave for a party in a casual but elegant outfit--a testimony to your sophistication and good taste. Then your husband, whose total lack of style is often mistaken for eccentricity, appears in what you not-so-affectionately call his "uniform"--the same khaki slacks and checkered shirt he's had on for the past five days. You say: 1) "Oh my God, you're not wearing that again!" 2) "Why don't we just go to a movie?" 3) "Nice outfit. It's so . . . predictable."

New USC receivers coach Tee Martin and the man who hired him, Lane Kiffin, laughed when asked about comments Martin made two years ago after Kiffin bolted from Tennessee to USC. Kiffin's exit, after 14 months in Knoxville, sent Volunteers alumni and fans into an uproar. Martin, the quarterback for Tennessee's 1998 national championship team, told the Sporting News at the time that he was "embarrassed by the timing of it all" and that Kiffin "wanted everyone to buy into what he was selling, and then he left after one year.