Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 6, 1989

Would you believe that the two Los Angeles pro football teams--the surging Raiders and fading Rams--have the same won-loss record? . . .

So much for the notion that the position of head coach is strictly honorary when Al Davis is your boss. Art Shell must be doing something different than predecessor Mike Shanahan. The Raiders are 4-1 under Shell after going 1-3 under Shanahan. . . .

As long as a dozen years ago, John Madden told writers that Shell, his All-Pro tackle in Oakland, some day would make a great coach. . . .

“Art loves to tell old Raider stories at our team meetings,” linebacker Jerry Robinson said. “We sit there and want him to go on and on.” . . .

Bo Jackson’s first touchdown run of seven yards, when he bulled his way through heavy hitting Cincinnati free safety Rickey Dixon, was more remarkable than his franchise record 92-yard sprint Sunday. . . .

Time of possession remains the most overrated statistic in football. The Bengals led the Raiders, 31:44 to 28:16. . . .

The post-Halloween weekend was more trick than treat for teams wearing orange and black in the Coliseum. Oregon State and the Bengals were outscored, 76-13, by USC and the Raiders. . . . Look for a shakeup in Terry Donahue’s coaching staff next season at UCLA. He misses former offensive coordinator Homer Smith most of all. But Smith, who left after the 1986 season, is happy at Alabama and will remain a member of Bill Curry’s staff. . . .

How Soon They Forget: On the Coliseum message board all season, Cliff “Brandy” has been listed as the Raiders’ second leading all-time receiver. . . .

Is it my imagination or are fewer quarterback in-the-grasp calls being made in the NFL this season? . . .

Easy Goer vs. Sunday Silence is Alydar vs. Affirmed all over. Like Alydar, Easy Goer has more natural ability than his rival. But, like Affirmed, Sunday Silence is the tougher competitor. . . .

Nobody fits Al McGuire’s description of an “aircraft carrier in the middle” better than David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs and U.S. Navy. . . .

If Alex Stewart can rock Evander Holyfield, what is Mike Tyson going to do to him? . . .

Junior Seau, who happens to be a junior, dominates a game like no other USC linebacker since Chip Banks. . . .

News item: Several Oregon State players say they were flat Saturday against the Trojans. Reaction: It really must have been tough to get up for still another big game after all those key Pacific 10 Conference contests the Beavers have played in recent years. . . .

Look-alikes: Todd Marinovich and Boris Becker. . . .

Marinovich should become the first freshman to be named player of the year in the Pac-10. . . .

What is so difficult about finding regular linemates for Wayne Gretzky? Robbie Ftorek never could last season and new King Coach Tom Webster isn’t doing a much better job now. Shucks, I’ll volunteer to skate on a wing opposite The Great One. . . .

The one word athletes hate to hear more than any other is “choke.”. . .

Jimmy Vaccaro, the oddsmaker at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, has established Notre Dame as a modest 57-point favorite over SMU. “It would have been more,” Vaccaro said, “but Lou Holtz probably will call off the dogs early because he has two big games at Penn State and Miami coming up.” . . .

Coach Jerry Berndt has proven that his 18-game losing streak at Rice was no fluke by going 0-9 at Temple. . . .

Honesty in crowd counts went out the door years ago when the attendance meter was taken down from the rafters above the north basket at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. . . .

Thumbs down on Cal State Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy for keeping running back Mike Pringle on the bench when he was only five yards away from the NCAA single-game rushing record Saturday against New Mexico State. If Murphy were a baseball manager, he would lift a pitcher going for a no-hitter in the ninth inning in order to give his bullpen some work. . . .

Have you ever heard anyone praise a prevent defense? . . .

Only trouble with the “Two Geezers at Caesars” line about the George Foreman-Gerry Cooney fight is that it will be held at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City Jan. 15. . . .

Among those cheering on the Clippers against the Houston Rockets from courtside seats Friday night were Tracy Austin, Danny Manning, and Ira Reiner. . . .

This is the kind of year when a superstar defensive player could win the Heisman Trophy, but there simply isn’t one around. . . .

I’ll watch anything on ESPN except the tractor pulls. . . .

Benoit Benjamin’s agent, Henry Holmes, tried to reach a couple of members of the Clippers’ negotiating team by phone at owner Donald Sterling’s office late the other night. After having no luck, Holmes asked for the name of the person on the other end of the line. “I’m the janitor,” said Donald Sterling, who then hung up.