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LEFTOVERS: Walker believes he can still run

Herschel Walker was one of the greatest athletes to play pro football. There’s no disputing that.

But is it possible that the legendary running back may have taken one too many shots to the head when he claims he could play in today’s NFL at age 52?

“I can play in the NFL today,” Walker told USA Today. “I couldn’t take every snap. But running backs nowadays don’t play every down. Now they send in the choir section. Physically, I can still do it.”

Walker, interviewed about the possibility of Donald Trump becoming owner of the Buffalo Bills, last played in the NFL in 1997. He said Trump, who owned the New Jersey Generals of the long-defunct United States Football League, for whom Walker starred in 1984 and 1985, said Trump would make a good owner.

“He may rub some people the wrong way, but you can’t argue with his success as a businessman,” Walker said. “You want an owner with some flair. He knows how to promote.”

As for Walker returning to the field, that’s not going to happen. Remember his ill-fated mixed martial arts career when he thought he could compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship? He was 48 then and how did that work out?

■ BACK TO ‘THE CITY?’ — With the Golden State Warriors planning to move back to their roots in a new 18,000-seat arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay district, the team is contemplating a name change.

Team president and CEO Rick Welts says the Warriors plans to canvass their loyal fan base about dropping “Golden State” and returning to “San Francisco.” The franchise was known as the San Francisco Warriors after moving from Philadelphia in 1962 and played at the Cow Palace, then became Golden State in 1971 after moving to Oakland.

“We’re very curious what our fans think of that,” Welts told ESPN.com. “I couldn’t imagine making that decision in the very near future, but we definitely want to see what our fans prefer.”

The Warriors have time to figure this out. Their arena isn’t expected to open until 2018. But as long as they permanently bring back the great “The City” uniforms with the numbers imposed on a “cable car to the stars” on the backs, they can call themselves whatever they want. Those are among the coolest uniforms in the history of basketball.

■ JOE JESTS — In the wake of the Michael Pineda pine tar incident in Boston on Wednesday that cost the Yankees pitcher a 10-game suspension, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked his thoughts about pitchers and pine tar.

Maddon, whose team plays in the same division as the Yankees and whose own pitchers may be doctoring the baseball, was tongue-in-cheek in responding. Maddon took to Twitter and said to his 153,000 followers: “I’m in favor of legalizing pine tar, but its usage may have to begin with the Rockies and Mariners.”

Maddon was obviously referring to Colorado and Washington, where the use of marijuana is legal. But don’t look for Major League Baseball to “de-criminalize” pine tar for pitchers. The sport has enough sticky situations to deal with.

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

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