JUST ANOTHER NFL SONG AND DANCE.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

The NFL returned to Los Angeles Thursday, all pomp and circumspect. Alas, it was sans the actual football.

In Los Angeles these days, you take your NFL where you can find it. Normally that's on your wide screen, but Thursday it morphed into sort of a mini-Super Bowl pregame party.

Instead of brewskies with friends, and the crashing in-laws, this was with thousands of hot people you don't know outside the Coliseum.

There was no Randy Moss nor Tom Brady but pop stars like Kanye West, taking a break from bringing the heat on President George W. Bush, and Rihanna, who is actually a singer and not a Brazilian soccer star.

Just to tease L.A. and remind it that Thursday started the 11th season without NFL in the City of Angels, there were plenty of painful reminders roaming the Coliseum grounds.

Fourteen former NFL greats were on hand. Former Packer Willie Davis, who played in the first Super Bowl here, was there. Raiders Super Bowl MVP Marcus Allen played something like the emcee. Jack Youngblood, once the tremendous heart of the Rams, still looked like he could suit up.

There was also Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, on a sudden sports roll, who addressed the crowd, announcing: ``Today we get to celebrate football in Los Angeles.''

That it was a celebration without actual football made for one odd celebration.

But the NFL spent considerable time and expense to utilize Los Angeles as part of its three-city, ``Road to Forty'' pregame party before the opener later in the evening between the Patriots and Raiders, the last NFL team to play in the Coliseum.

The free concert, also including Maroon 5 and Good Charlotte, drew a fairly light crowd of approximately 5,000.

That shouldn't deter the NFL from returning to Los Angeles, what with almost everyone there to see and hear the music. None were probably born when the first Super Bowl was played at the Coliseum in 1967.

That the NFL would want to include Los Angeles as part of its kickoff night can't be a bad thing, but neither should too much be read in to its quasi-return.

``As a fan, I want to read a lot into it,'' said Pat Lynch, the Coliseum general manager. ``But being on the inside of negotiations and knowing their (Super Bowl) theme, I can't read a lot into it.

``They originally wanted to have it at Hollywood and Highland, but they couldn't get the permits to close the streets as long as they needed.''

The Coliseum remains the favorite site for the NFL's return here, but Anaheim is still a serious contender and league executives spent their early afternoon flirting with city executives down in the O.C.

Villaraigosa, however, apparently believes Thursday was a more positive sign for Los Angeles and the NFL to finally kiss and make up.

I say apparently because when I asked him if it should be viewed as an indication of the league's intent, he said ... nothing.

``Just write that I had a big smile on my face,'' he said.

Villaraigosa, of course, normally wears a big smile. He is one happy mayor. Pressed to the league's intent, he only said:

``We all know what it means.''

That the NFL wanted to tap into the talent pool of the entertainment capitol of the world for its pregame show?

Davis, who's lived in Playa del Rey since he retired in 1970, said he expects the NFL to return, but then like most, has been expecting it for awhile.

``Every time I thought I'd figured out what the NFL was going to do ...,'' Davis said, his voice trailing.

``I thought they were going to get the team when it went to Houston.''

Youngblood figures it's one good sign for Los Angeles that the NFL included it in its pregame show, but then he lives in Florida.

``I think it's indicative of what they're thinking,'' he said. ``They realize that - especially those teams in the `70s - there was tremendous support and tremendous fan following here. As all good business, they want to return to that. They know it can be done here.''

Youngblood said he would love to be part of the management team that returns the NFL to Los Angeles.

``The issue comes down to the same thing that when the Rams left and the Raiders left - the stadium.''

Which looks almost exactly like it did when the Raiders and Rams left it.

Thursday there were three giant flags that flew atop the Coliseum press box - the NFL, American and Saints.

Safe to assume the Saints flag was as a tribute to New Orleans and all it's gone through with Hurricane Katrina, and not some overture.

The Saints have long been discussed as a potential tenant when the NFL finally gets around to placing a team here, but the disaster probably makes it less likely now. Who wants to take from New Orleans now?

``It's a bad thing to even speculate about,'' Lynch said. ``I don't want to cause any more grief for those people right now. It isn't the right thing to do.''

Speculation about the NFL and L.A. seems a never-ending proposition. For one afternoon, the NFL was back, just without the football.