News, notes and comments:

I don't blame quarterback Kevin Craft for transferring out of San Diego State. He has a chance at Mt. San Antonio College to play for his father, Tom Craft, the team's offensive coordinator.

By spending a year with his dad, the former Valley Center High star will be in a better position to transfer to a real NCAA Division I program.

Tom Craft was the head coach at San Diego State but was fired by athletic director Jeff Schemmel after compiling a 19-29 record in four seasons. Craft was making progress with the program and should not have been fired.

Given those circumstances, why should the younger Craft have any loyalty to the Aztecs? The answer is, he shouldn't.

- The more I see SDSU's underachieving programs, the more I think the Aztecs should seriously think about dropping Division I football.

The Aztecs are the only team from the Mountain West Conference not to go to a bowl game since the conference was formed in 1999. They have had nine winning seasons since 1980. Despite wonderful facilities, the Aztecs have not been able to recruit successfully against Pac-10 schools and conference foes Brigham Young and Utah.

They might be better off playing Division I-AA football against such schools at UC Davis and Cal Poly in the Great West Conference.

The other schools in that league include North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado and Southern Utah.

It would save the school a ton of money, and SDSU would have a better chance of being competitive.

- Last week's issue of Sports Illustrated is one of my favorites of the year. No, it is not the swimsuit edition; it's the "Where Are They Now" issue, profiling former athletes.

Julie Moss and Ed Marinaro, individuals with North County connections, are mentioned.

Moss, a Carlsbad High graduate, put the Ironman Triathlon on the map when she collapsed near the finish line during the 1982 race. She crawled the last few feet but finished second in an event that was filmed by ABC's "Wide World of Sports." More than anything, she lifted a sport into the public consciousness.

Today, Moss and her son, Mats, live in Santa Cruz, where she occasionally runs triathlons and does television commentary for races.

Marinaro's roots in the North County aren't as deep.

The former Cornell running back finished second in the 1971 Heisman Trophy balloting (to Auburn's Pat Sullivan) and went on to star in the television series "Hill Street Blues." Today, he splits time between his home in Hollywood and Fallbrook, where he is a member of the California Golf Club.

- This may come as a shock to Dodger fans, but Hall of Famer Duke Snider says Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is his favorite player.

"I love the way he plays the game and the way he handles himself," Snider said. "For him, the won-lost record is first and any individual achievements are secondary."

Snider said he had a long conversation with good friend Don Zimmer, a former Yankees bench coach, and Zimmer confirmed his opinion on Jeter.

- Race promoter Kathy Kinane reports that more than 600 people have signed up for the Nov. 22 Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, a 5-kilometer road race event along the beach in Oceanside.

For every $25 adult entry fee, Kinane is donating $5 back to the Oceanside school of the participant's choice. So far, more than $3,000 has been earmarked for local schools. Oceanside High leads with 175 entries, followed by El Camino High (113) and South Oceanside Elementary (75).

This is another one of those grass-roots events that is positive for all. You can register by going online at osideturkeytrot.com.

- Did you know that Trevor Hoffman has as many singles as doubles in his career - two each? The last time he batted was in 2001. His career batting average is .121 (4-for-33). No wonder the former shortstop switched to pitching.

- Steve Scholfield is senior sports columnist for the North County Times. He can be reached at (760) 740-3509 or stevescho@cox.net.