Notes on a Scorecard - Dec. 13, 1989

Leave it to the Rams to keep you guessing wrong every time. . . .

Just when you think they’ve beaten the 49ers in Anaheim, the Bills in Buffalo and the Vikings in Minnesota, they blow it. Just when you think they’ve lost to the 49ers in San Francisco, the Saints in New Orleans and the Cowboys in Dallas, they pull it out. . . .

So here is one team approaching NFL crunch time secure in its knowledge that it can win the close ones--or lose them. . . .

“I’d hate to have to play the Rams in the playoffs,” said Dan Dierdorf on the ABC telecast Monday night. Well, first they have to qualify for them. The New York Jets, coming into Anaheim after being shut out by the Steelers, should be easy Sunday. But who knows what dangers lurk in December in Foxboro, Mass., where the New England Patriots invented the snowplow trick. . . .

Thumbs up to John Robinson for showing some imagination with his fake field goal call. And besides, it almost worked. . . .

Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow used to keep Chicago fans away from Soldier Field on Sunday. Now the Bears do. The no-show count for the game against the Lions was 14,296. . . .

Have you noticed that rookie David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs is leading the NBA in rebounding? . . .

USC has a 6-foot-10 tennis player, Bjorn Zikarsky from West Germany. A few years ago, it had a 6-10 pitcher, Randy Johnson. What it really needs is more 6-10 basketball players. . . .

Both the Kickoff game in East Rutherford, N.J., and the preseason Freedom Bowl in Anaheim have expressed interest in the Trojans. . . .

Kansas is ranked second in the nation but might be only the third-best basketball team in the Big Eight Conference, behind Missouri and Oklahoma. . . .

Another book about a certain Big Ten basketball coach--”Playing For Knight,” by Steve Alford with John Garrity (Simon & Schuster, $19.95))--has hit the stands. . . .

Dick Schaap is negotiating to do a Bo Jackson book. . . .

The all-time sports best seller, though, would be an Al Davis autobiography. . . .

Nearly one-quarter of all Heisman Trophy winners have either played for or been drafted by Los Angeles NFL teams. Charles White, Terry Baker, John Cappelletti, Glenn Davis, Tom Harmon and Les Horvath played for the Rams. Billy Cannon, Gary Beban and Mike Garrett were drafted by them. Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, Marcus Allen and Jim Plunkett have played for the Raiders here. Cannon played for them in Oakland. . . .

Joaquin Andujar was signed to a minor league contract by the Montreal Expos because he has developed a forkball and is burning up the seniors association in Florida. . . .

I can’t blame Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres’ seventh-highest paid player, for wanting to renegotiate his contract. . . .

Steffi Graf has won more money on the tennis circuit this year than any man except Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker. . . .

Julio Cesar Chavez will risk a lucrative March 17 date with Meldrick Taylor by defending his WBC super lightweight title against Alberto Cortez of Argentina Saturday in Mexico City. Cortez is unbeaten in 44 fights but isn’t supposed to be much of a puncher. . . .

Gil Clancy is being paid $150,000 to train Gerry Cooney for his Jan. 15 bout against George Foreman in Atlantic City, N.J. . . .

Burton Gilliam, the referee who disqualified Edgar Castro on “Low Blow Night at the Forum,” is a familiar character actor who has appeared in “Blazing Saddles” . . .

Sometimes the betting in Las Vegas creates some crazy odds. You had to lay only $110 to win $100 at the Barbary Coast Sports Book if you thought the Leonard-Duran fight would go the distance. But if you liked Leonard by decision, you had to lay $120 to win $100. . . .

The Clippers could use Debbie Fischer, a senior at Edison High School who sank 10 three-point shots in a game against Corona Monday. . . .

Look-alikes: Chuck Daly and Dale Robertson. . . .

Three of his King teammates--Luc Robitaille, Bernie Nicholls and John Tonelli--have scored more goals than Wayne Gretzky this season. . . .

Memorabilia from most of the local sports teams will be auctioned off today in a benefit for the Oralingua School for Hearing Impaired Children at 4 p.m. at the Stouffer Concourse Hotel. . . .

Jim Trotter covered the San Diego Marathon for the San Diego Union. . . .

When you yell at Bill Laimbeer tonight at the Sports Arena during the Piston-Clipper game, be kind enough to use the proper pronunciation. It’s LAME-beer, not LAM-beer. . . .

Just once, I’d love to hear a free agent say he signed with a team only because of the money.