BANNING TYSON NOT THE ANSWER.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL

Mike Tyson must be allowed to make a living. The question is: How can he best be controlled?

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will meet Tuesday to decide whether to grant the troubled boxer a license to fight Lennox Lewis on April 6 in Las Vegas.

The commissioners shouldn't deny his request.

Such behavior as he displayed at a news conference last week - including a punch thrown at Lewis' bodyguard and profane language - is increasingly commonplace at such events.

Tyson shouldn't be banned when others who have behaved in a similar manner weren't.

``You saw this with Lewis and (Hasim) Rahman in August; you saw it with (Oscar) De La Hoya and (Fernando) Vargas; and now you saw it with Tyson and Lewis,'' Nevada commissioner Dr. Tony Alamo said.

``I'm not condoning it, but I also don't want to hold it against Tyson when others are doing the same thing.''

And even if Tyson were alone in his guilt, the question remains: Is it right to prevent someone from earning a living because his behavior is objectionable?

Not for throwing an errant punch and swearing, not when law-enforcement officials deem it acceptable - with few exceptions.

This isn't to say Tyson's behavior - now or in the past - isn't abhorrent. It is. He has shown an utter lack of regard for others his entire life.

That should've been a tipoff for those involved in his career.

Fully aware of his tendencies, promoters of Tyson-Lewis arranged for them to be face-to-face at the news conference, hoping a few nasty words or a shove would help sell the fight.

And then it spun out of control. SURPRISE!

Clearly, those who have and continue to put Tyson in a position to fail must take part of the blame. One can't put a cat in a bird cage and then say, ``Bad cat!'' when he eats the bird.

That's why an exasperated Marc Ratner, the respected director of the Nevada commission said, ``It should never have happened.''

Gary Shaw, Lewis' promoter, suggested that ``maybe we shouldn't have faceoffs?''

Maybe?

Had Erik Morales not been within Marco Antonio Barrera's reach at another recent news conference, Barrera couldn't have punched him. And if Tyson and Lewis weren't face-to-face last week, Tyson couldn't have sparked the melee.

Ratner already has banned faceoffs and other commissions should follow suit.

Shaw suggested the possibility of satellite hookups, in which the fighters would be beamed in from different locations. That would work with the typical fighter but not Tyson, who undoubtedly would say something inflammatory and get himself into trouble.

No, the best way to handle Mad Mike is to keep him behind closed doors until fight time. That way, he'd make his money and avoid problems - at least in front of the cameras.

Nevada officials might decide the best way to handle Tyson is deny him a license, which means he would have to fight elsewhere. Officials in Detroit and Denmark already have said they'd welcome him back.

The commission is under considerable pressure to ``do the right thing'' and deny Tyson a license Tuesday. At the same time, it has obligations to Nevada, which would reap a fortune from what certainly will be the richest fight in the history of boxing.

Alamo promised an impartial hearing.

``The guy's career is on the line,'' he said. ``As a commissioner, I'll look at all the data slowly and carefully.''

And all of this might be a colossal waste of energy. Clark County prosecutors are reviewing the results of a four-month investigation into allegations Tyson raped a woman.

If they file charges and he's convicted, we will have seen the last of him in the ring. The court system won't have a problem deciding what to do about him.

--More Tyson: Tyson allegedly bit Lewis on the leg as they wrestled at the news conference last week.

That could seal his fate with the Nevada commission, which would have to deny him a license if it can be proven after he was suspended once for biting Evander Holyfield in a fight.

However, it probably won't be a factor. Lewis' handlers made the accusation but backed off presumably because they don't want to jeopardize the fight.

--Jones follies: Roy Jones Jr. is showing another opponent little respect.

Jones will perform selections from his rap album at a club in Miami, five days before he defends his light heavyweight title against Australian Glenn Kelly on HBO.

Jones, who once played in a basketball game the morning of a fight, said he's bored.

``I've got to reach down and find things to push me,'' he said on a conference call. ``I'm not as hungry as I used to be. I had a point to prove. Now I'm just trying to maintain.

``... If it wasn't for this performance and other things, I don't think I'd have prepared as hard for this fight as I did.''

Jones' album is set for release Feb. 26. He also has a part in the movie ``The Matrix II.''

Coming up: Vassily Jirov will defend his IBF cruiserweight title against Jorge Castro on Friday in Phoenix on ESPN2.

Saturday on HBO, on the same card in Miami as Jones-Kelly, Winky Wright will defend his IBF junior middleweight belt against Jason Papillion.

Also Saturday on HBO, but from Reading, Pa., Bernard Hopkins will defend his middleweight titles against Carl Daniels.

On Saturday, on Showtime, Johnny Molnar will face Hercules Kyvelos in a 10-round welterweight bout in Atlantic City, N.J.

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Mike Tyson should not be denied a Nevada boxing license for doing what many others have done.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press