LSU coach Les Miles will meet Alabama coach Nick Saban for the first time on Tuesday afternoon at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla.

I've talked to him on the phone a few times, but I've never met him in person," said the LSU coach. "There won't be any bumping into. It won't be anything but us both showing up at the meetings and being cordial and taking care of business that we'll be in Destin to do."

Several incidents have angered LSU fans and caused some friction between the coaches since Saban became Alabama's new coach on Jan. 3.

Miles has been guilty of using expletives in mentioning Alabama while addressing Tigers gatherings.

"We're looking forward to playing Auburn," said Miles in addressing a few thousand fans at the Bayou Bash signing day party last Feb. 7 at the Baton Rouge River Center. "We're looking forward to playing Auburn, but we have a new rival in (expletive) Alabama." The coach's voice was loud when he mentioned Alabama.. The thought of playing Saban had the crowd in a frenzy.

Miles apologized for what he said in an E-mail to the Daily Reveille student newspaper that asked him for a response.

"I apologize for the inappropriate remark I made at the Bayou Recruiting Bash," said Miles in the E-mail. "This private booster function that was closed to the working media, but that's no excuse for my remarks. That remark was out of character for me. I got caught up in the emotion of the day and the excitement of the moment, but I should have used better judgment."

Before the Bayou Bash verbal slip, Miles was listing the states his new signees were from and got a roar from the crowd when he said "and two from Alabama." Recognizing the crowd reaction, he said,"You bet your (expletive)."

Miles said later he was caught up with the excitement of recruiting and the fact Saban went hard after several players from Louisiana who had already committed to LSU or were close to it. Saban signed defensive end Luther Davis, who had committed to LSU

"There was some negative recruiting going on out there," said Miles at his signing day news conference. "There appeared to be much more breaking of rules in recruiting.. It was rampant, but I wouldn't want to say that it was from any one school more than any other."

The past Thursday Saban was accused of secondary NCAA rules violations concerning illegal contact with prospects in April and May in a story by the Miami Herrald. While at LSU, Saban was reprimanded for similar recruiting violations concerning illegal phone calls."

Last recruiting season, there were reports Saban was criticizing Miles and his LSU assistants while recruiting players interested in LSU.

"I don't have any proof of that happening," said Miles.

Saban made Tigers fans, media and some LSU coaches angry the day he was introduced at Alabama as its new coach on Jan. 4 with his reference to LSU's 41-14 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 3 in the Sugar Bowl. Saban asked by a sportswriter, "If I was a recruit on the fence, what would do to woo me to stay here at Alabama for the next four years?"

"I think we have a pretty good track record of recruiting," replied Saban' "I think recruiting is all about attention and relationships with people and developing trust. Michigan State, I think they were 3-8 (actually 5-6). We ended up 10-2 in the fifth year there and were the first Spartans team to beat Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan  and Penn State in the same year since 1965. LSU was 3-8 when I went there. In the second year, we won the SEC championship. In the fourth year (2003) with a team of players we had recruited we won the national championship. I think that the players you saw last night for LSU were primary players that  we were recruiting when I was there. JaMarcus Russell, Early Doucet, Buster Davis, Dwayne Bowe, LaRon Landry. They were all players that we recruited when I was there."

Saban also drew LSU fans' ire when (he thought he was off the record) shared a humorous story and used the word "coonass."

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette, who worked under Saban from 2000-2004 and has been with Miles for two years, was one of many that did not like Saban bringing up the Sugar Bowl win. But he does not foresee any arguments or altercation between the two coaches at the spring meetings.

"I think they will be cordial," said Bonnette, who spoke to Saban a few times when he was coaching Miami. "They represent their universities as they should. I don't expect anything other than professional behavior by both of them will take place. I don't expect anything to come of it. Having worked for both of them, they will go to the meetings together and act accordingly."

RUNNING OFF AT THE TYPEWRITER: If only ex-Saints and Dolphins running star Ricky Williams was an alcoholic, he'd still be playing for millions in the NFL. If only he'd shown up for games haggard and hung over, he'd still have a job. If only he'd been arrested for DWI mansalughter, he'd still be earning millions on the football field...

But Williams is seemingly just a harmless and hopeless pothead on the verge of being drug-tested out of the NFL. I can picture the NFL lords as they as they sit at the big mahogany bars at the owners meeting ordering scotches and martinis and lamenting to each, "Why in the world does Ricky Williams need marijuana to get through the day?"

True, it's sad and pathetic that Williams is so dependent on pot that he has allowed it to virtually ruin his career. But, the grand scheme, is he really any worse that St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little, who drunk a few years ago, drove through a red light into the side of a car driven by a wife and mother and killed her?

Little pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, he got 90 days in jail and was suspended for just half-a-season. He was arrested again for DWI a few years later, but was acquitted on a technicality. He is about to enter his 10th year in the NFL. In contrast, Williams has been suspended for more than a season and may be suspended yet again because the NFL, like Major League Baseball, considers marijuana a banned substance.

Baseball players can be suspended for smoking pot, but it it all right for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock to drink himself senseless and then kill himself behind the wheel of a car last month?

The NBA has the right idea. It tests players for pot and counsels them against using it, but rarely suspends them.

Marijuana is no worse for you than alcohol. In fact, a prominent football coach said that legality not withstanding, he'd rather have a player who smoked a lot of pot than one who drinks heavily. His reasoning: The heavy drinker is more likely to compound his dependency with other problems such as fighting, DWIs. spousal abuse, etc.

Which brings up the question: Don't sports leagues have enough to worry about in policing performance-enhancing drugs without worrying about performance-diminishing ones?

For what it's worth: Saints coach Sean Payton loves un-drafted quarterback Tyler Palko, who was inconsistent at Pitt and. at 6-1, lacks ideal height -- but so does starter Drew Brees. The coach likes the rookie's football IQ and passion for the game...The Saints think they have landed another small-college gem in cornerback Usama Young  of Kent State who drew praise from Payton for showing up in excellent shape and making great breaks on the ball. Not bad for a guy who didn't get invited to the Combine...Terrell Owens says he got "nothing" out of his one season at Dallas under Bill Parcells, RB Julius Jones says he felt like he was running "like a robot" at times and suggested the coach may have controlled him too much. It's a wonder Parcells was able to walk away with all that love...

Rams backup defensive tackle Claude Wroten of LSU has the quickness and athleticism to provide push inside, but those abilities didn't often translate into production as a rookie. The Rams hope that will change now that he has a better grasp of the defense under Jim Haslett. If Wroten improves, that would allow the Rams to lean less on for Saints DT La'Roi Glover, who turns 33 in July...Even with the addition of former Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson, ex Tulane star Meweide Moore figures to play a key role for the Vikings. He's the team's best receiver out of the backfield and has good hands and open-field running ability...The Bears are moving CB Devin Hester to offense. The plan is for him to get time as a lot receiver and perhaps in the backfield, where he would be used in a similar way to how the Saints deploy Reggie Bush...Former LSU DE Jarvis Green excels in as a pass-rush specialist by using  swim. rip, spin and bull-rush moves, and also play inside in the 4-3 and fight through guards and centers to get to the quarterback...And whatever became of former Tigers RB ..

Don't blame Alan Faneca, Sellers  guard out of LSU and John Curtis, for being upset about his contract. If you were the second-best player in the NFL at your position and saw guards such as Derrick Dockery and Eric Steinach getting long0term deals with guarantees of $18 and $17 million, you'd be miffed, too. Faneca needs to play out the final year of his contract and shoot for a big payday next off-season...

John Jones will take a leave of absence for personal reasons rather than become the new chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers. Bob Harlen will delay his retirement because of Jones' decision.

The Packers announced that Jones' indefinite leave of absence was because of "management concerns. "It's been a very difficult year. but also a wonderful year in many respects," said Jones,  56, a native of New Orleans native and a former sportswriter and Loyola journalism professor. "I need to step back and recharge my batteries."

Jones had open-heart surgery  June 2006. but has appeared to be in good health in recent months. He represented the Packers at NFL meetings last week. Jones' surgery came less that two years after Mark Hatley, the Packers vice president of football operations, died at his home July 27, 2004 of a heart attack at the age of 54.

Harlan picked Jones. a journalist for 13 years before joining the league and becoming  am administrator for the NFL's management council, to become his eventual successor.. Jones was editor of Gridweek while I took at leave of absence to join the Tulane Athletic Department.