By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

As soon as Hans Blix, the United Nations chief weapons inspector, finishes ferreting out all those Iraqi secrets, have we got a job for him:

Separating truth from fiction as director of June Jones rumor control.

And, if you have to ask "what rumors?" then you've been out of touch.

Yesterday's breathless rumor du jour was that the University of Hawai'i's football coach was headed to the San Francisco 49ers to replace Steve Mariucci. The San Francisco Chronicle even reported yesterday that, "June Jones, or at least someone by that name, was checked into a South Bay hotel near the 49ers' Santa Clara facility."

"I can't anticipate what might come out of those discussions (with the 49ers)," Leigh Steinberg, Jones' agent, was quoted as saying in a masterful bit of timing.

Never mind that the "real" June, Our June, was in Oregon, said he hadn't talked to the 49ers and maintained he wasn't a candidate for the job. Forget that the 49ers were poised to announce Oregon State's Dennis Erickson as their new coach, this rumor was just too thick to pass up. And, apparently, not many did.

Indeed, the rumor offered something for everybody to chew on, linking the NFL team with the biggest following here with a coach often in the spotlight.

It played on the worst fears of Jones' army of admirers, who have been concerned since the day he took the UH job, that he would eventually be lured back to the NFL just when things were getting good for the Warriors.

On the flip side, those who, for various reasons, would just as soon see Jones move on were sure the moment was at hand.

And, theorists, who have long believed UH can screw up anything, saw it as dead-solid affirmation based upon the pace of two years of contract extension talks.

So, as soon as the Chronicle report hit the Internet, it touched off a flurry of e-mails and spirited speculation around town. Simple morning greetings were accompanied by the question: "Have you heard the latest about June Jones?"

There are few better conversation starters than a celebrity rumor, and in four very public seasons at UH, Jones' high profile has launched almost as many of those as spirals.

Which means that while the latest rumor didn't hold up, hang on and another one is bound to be along soon.

Let's see now, if Jones was up in Oregon, where his family lives, and Oregon State is now without a head coach. You don't imagine...

Nah.