Hermes

Like the old gray mare, the House of Hermes ain't what it used to be. In the freewheeling, fad-mad '70s, when designer jeans and message T- shirts were the universal uniform, the venerated Hermes label was ignored by fashionable young trendies. Let Princess Grace of Monaco sport her beloved Hermes satchel handbag (aptly nicknamed "the Kelly bag"). Let Queen Elizabeth wear a hand- printed Hermes scarf. Annie Hall clones could care less. Ah, but fashion is nothing if not capricious, and it was inevitable that the nearly 150-year-old French leather goods emporium that began as a harness shop would be "rediscovered.

"He was a tireless worker, self-motivated," Frank remembered yesterday. He also remembered his father as a "fearless man who didn't back down from anyone. " He shared a story about his father putting one of the Washington Redskins in the hospital after being called an Italian slur in the 1950s. Frank wasn't sure of the player's name but swears it is a true story. "He leaped across the table and laid this guy out," Frank said. He said his dad was proud of his and Sly's accomplishments, though his father recently teased Frank about getting a real job. Frank said that he and Sly visited their dad on June 12 at his Florida home and that Frank Sr. said it was the happiest day of his life.

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Oprah kisses and makes up with Hermes IT'S NOT quite up there with the NAACP boycott of South Carolina, but Oprah Winfrey has ended her boycott of Hermes. Halfway through Monday's "Oprah," Winfrey addressed the June incident when she was turned away from the chic Paris boutique after arriving 15 minutes past closing time - even though others shopped inside. "I just want to say shame on anybody for thinking that I was upset for not being able to get into a clothes store and buy a purse," said Winfrey.

FOR HERM ROGUL, basketball was like a religion. His brief playing career ended on the playgrounds of West Philly, but he became a chronicler of those who went on to greatness in the eras when Philadelphia basketball was stalked by giants. He wrote about them, befriended them and cheered them on. But as a sports columnist for the old Philadelphia Bulletin for 21 years, Herm also chronicled the doings of the lesser lights, the ones who rarely got their names published anywhere but in his column.

She spends many a sleepless night sifting through ancient myths and treatises, uncovering their meanings as she translates from Greek, Latin and Sanskrit. Just as often, Gaby Salick beats the sunrise to speak a language that cannot be transcribed, driving an hour from Princeton University to Califon, N.J., to commune and work with Cassandra and Cashmere, her German Holsteiner mares. The two jumpers will accompany Salick to the Devon Horse Show, which starts tomorrow at the show grounds and runs through June 4. Last year, about 112,800 people paid to attend the event.

Herman Edwards had a great day, all from the comforts of his couch. Earlier Sunday, the former Eagles cornerback associated with the 1978 Eagles-Giants "Miracle at the Meadowlands," saw the ever-popular Coors Light commercial spoof of his "You play to win the game" postgame press conference when he was coach of the Jets. Then, after DeSean Jackson and his 65-yard dash down the right sideline after a muffed punt evolved into a game-winning touchdown, it immediately drew comparisons to Edwards' 26-yard return of a Joe Pisarcik botched handoff.

We continue our top-10 baseball rankings with the best catchers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. This subjective list, compiled with the help of area coaches and scouts, is based on defensive skills, including receiving and throwing; hitting abilities; and potential to excel at the next level. Please note that we did not overlook La Salle's Chris Melillo. While the senior might end up being an everyday catcher at Notre Dame, he has played mostly first base for the defending PIAA Class AAAA state champs.

Two men who came in the pre-dawn darkness to repossess a car whose owner was behind on payments got more than the 1991 Plymouth Laser they came to collect. The repo men got into a shootout and took a trip to the hospital. One of them, and the boyfriend of the woman who owned the car, was seriously injured. Here's what happened, according to police: At about 4 a.m. yesterday, Edwin Simmons, 25, drove the Laser out from behind the Fishtown rowhouse occupied by Jack Galin, 36, and an unidentified girlfriend.

A routine repossession of a car erupted into a wild gunfight in Fishtown early yesterday, leaving two men seriously wounded. Repo man Edward Simons, 25, was shot six times, including twice in the chest. Jack Galin, 36, who police said tried to stop Simons from taking the car, was wounded in the head. Galin also suffered a fractured skull when he fell to the ground after being shot, police said. Police could not immediately recall the last time a repossession had resulted in gunfire.