HSI having a tough year.

Byline: Ron Bellamy / The Register-Guard

THERE IS A theory of public relations that it doesn't matter what folks are reading about you, as long as they are reading something.

That's probably not a school of thought that carries much weight these days at Hudson Smith International, the Irvine, Calif.-based management company that represents some of the top track and field athletes in the world, including sprint star Maurice Greene and middle-distance runner Regina Jacobs.

When last we saw the athletes from HSI, it was at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in which Greene, caught in a war of wills with the U.S. governing body of track and field, ran only in the first round of the 100 meters to preserve his berth in the World Championships.

There were a few boos from the West Grandstand then for Greene, who has been immensely popular here - outgoing, generous, thoughtful of fans - but that was nothing in comparison with the unprecedented bad news that has followed HSI since then.

As the HSI contingent - lawyer Emanuel Hudson, coach John Smith and athletes such as Jacobs, hurdler Larry Wade and sprinter Inger Miller - returns to Eugene for the Prefontaine Classic on May 26, it's in the wake of a rough year:

On June 24, the last night of the USA meet, Eugene police were called to the lobby of the Valley River Inn to break up a fracas involving Smith and hurdler Anjanette Kirkland - released by HSI earlier in the year - plus her mother and sister.

According to police reports, Kirkland, who finished third in the 100-meter hurdles that day, was bleeding from the nose. The incident apparently escalated after Smith went to congratulate Kirkland for making the World Championships team; ultimately, no charges were filed because of the conflicting accounts.

On Aug. 3, Kirkland filed a $1 million lawsuit against Smith and HSI as a result of the altercation; Hudson told the Los Angeles Times that the claims were groundless. A hearing in the case, to report the status of any settlement negotiations, is scheduled June 14 in Los Angeles Superior Court; trial date is Oct. 1.

The episode got international attention in the track community, and more in August when Kirkland was a surprise winner of the gold medal in the World Championships. In the Pre Classic, Kirkland is among the headliners for the women's 100-meter hurdles; the Pre Classic meet headquarters, housing athletes and coaches, is the Valley River Inn.

Last fall, two HSI athletes, Miller and Ato Boldon, were cited by the IAAF for doping violations. Neither case was considered a major violation, and each came with mitigating circumstances, and HSI clearly thought each athlete got a raw deal, or at least a bad break.

In September, the IAAF said Boldon had tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine at the Mt. SAC Relays. Even an IAAF official said the violation was not intentional; on a trip, Boldon took Ny-Quil, a cold medication. The penalty was a warning, and Boldon apologized.

MILLER'S CASE stemmed from her post-race test in the 1999 World Indoor Championships, and resulted in her being stripped of her bronze medal in the 60. Her urine sample was found to contain higher-than-permissible levels of caffeine; results of the drawn-out case, with the penalty of disqualification from that race and a warning, weren't released until Oct. 13.

Hudson told Runner's World that it took the IAAF 10 months to rule against Miller's explanations - she's a coffee-drinker and was given Coca-Colas at her post-race press conference and in the doping control center - and another 13 months to conduct a "B" test.

An exasperated Hudson told Runner's World: "Do track fans really believe that the powerhouse HSI track club has a master chemist who's so stupid that he's giving Inger Miller extra caffeine even though it won't help her sprint any faster, and he's giving Ato Boldon Ny-Quil before a big meet?"

All that pales in comparison with the real HSI shocker - the Oct. 23 arrest of flamboyant sprinter Jon Drummond, on a charge of transporting seven pounds of marijuana in a backpack through Los Angeles Airport.

Drummond has been a Pre Classic fan favorite; he's not entered this year, but has competed in meets elsewhere. He's also been a major, enthusiastic participant in free track clinics for kids that HSI has staged in Eugene. A gold medalist in the 4x100 relay in the 2000 Olympics, Drummond has said through his lawyer that he didn't know what was in the backpack and entered a plea of innocent.

"I am the same Jon Drummond you all know, the same person with the same moral convictions," Drummond said on HSI's Web site. "I am devastated by the current events and truly believe that time will reveal the truth and my innocence. I solicit your prayers."

Drummond's next court date, to schedule a preliminary hearing, is June 5 in Los Angeles.

Phone calls to Hudson were not returned.