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Wednesday, June 12, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Next up, Terance Mathis.

Herman Moore passed his audition yesterday for the job as veteran No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver. Today, the Steelers will take a look at Mathis.

Both players seem eager to join the Steelers for what will be a minimum contract of one year for $750,000, so it's up to Coach Bill Cowher and Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations, to pick one.

"I thought it went well," Moore said. "I had the opportunity to run, catch some passes, run some routes. I basically had the chance for Coach Cowher and a few other people look at me. It was a pretty long day taking physicals, though."

He passed those physicals, watched the team practice in the morning, caught some passes from quarterbacks Tommy Maddox and Travis Cole, had lunch and talked to reporters.

He said the Steelers are the only team interested in him at the moment, that he'd like to play for them because he wants a Super Bowl ring and he understands he would not be competing for a starting job.

The Steelers told him they want to check out Mathis before they do anything else.

"I think Coach Cowher would like to get it wrapped up by the end of the week, the beginning of next week," Moore said.

"I know camp is going to be over with, and they need to move on and get done what they need to get done. For me, it would be great to know. It's been great for them to just invite me out. I told them I appreciate the opportunity to come in and just be looked at."

Triple agent

Agent John Hamilton of Houston might have accomplished a Pittsburgh first -- he represents one Steelers draft pick and two for the Pirates.

"It's the first in my years of doing this," he said. "I thought that was kind of interesting."

He said he has made no progress in negotiations with the Steelers for wide receiver Lee Mays, a sixth-round draft choice. He has not started to negotiate with the Pirates for pitcher Wardell Stallings, the first pick in the fourth round, or outfielder Joseph Hicks, the first pick in the ninth round.

He could not determine which team has the tougher negotiators.

"We're about to see what the Pirates have up their sleeve," Hamilton said.

Golf match

Although he shot 105 and Bill Cowher had a 104 Friday in the Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational, Jerome Bettis took issue with someone who said he lost in golf to his coach.

"I didn't lose to him. It wasn't a head-up competition. I can call him out and we can go head up. He just shot one less than I shot. Now, for a guy who has been playing golf a lot longer than I have, I think that is a moral victory. I've only been playing three years and he's been playing upwards of 10."

It was suggested that television might be interested in a Bettis vs. Cowher golf match.

"We could," Bettis said. "The Bus against the ... I can't say that."

The Jaw?

"I'm not going to say that one," Bettis replied. "It's not going to be my quote. Ah, the Bus against the Coach. See how safe that was. I had another thought, but I figure we still have another practice to go. I'll take that one after minicamp."