A couple of early email reactions to this morning's column about Marvin Harrison wearing John Mackey's old number, have pointed out the long-running speculation - taken as fact in many places, apparently - that John Steadman is the one who kept Mackey out of the Hall of Fame for so long. As Baltimore's representative to the Hall of Fame voting committee for many years, Steadman has been blamed for convincing his colleagues not to vote for him.

Steadman is no longer with us and I never got to really talk to him (I met him very briefly about 15 years ago, at an Orioles game), so he can't speak for himself and I can't speak for him. However, in Mackey's 2003 autobiography, Blazing Trails, Mackey addressed that, admitting that there was "bad blood'' between them that dated back to a confrontation his rookie year when Steadman was working for the Colts. But, he continued, he spoke to Steadman about it, Steadman insisted the talk of him blocking Mackey's induction was not true, and Mackey said he believed him. "Whether he held me back or not, I never held it against him,'' he said in the book.

Works for me. By the way, the only places in the area, apparently, in which you can walk in and buy the book, rather than order it, are the museum stores at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Sports Legends at Camden Yards.

Meanwhile, here's where you can get info about the John Mackey Fund.

One more clarification: Ted Hendricks' number also is not retired by the Colts, but while he played on the Super Bowl team, most people identify him as a Raider. - David Steele