Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 15, 1990

The World Series was a sweep. The NBA Finals was a sweep. And now there is little reason to believe that the nation’s other major pro championship event, the Super Bowl, will be much closer. . . .

Jimmy Vaccaro, oddsmaker at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, has established the San Francisco 49ers as an 11-point favorite over the Denver Broncos for the Jan. 28 game in New Orleans. . . .

The Rams put together one of their best seasons, but have the misfortune of belonging to the same division and conference as perhaps one of the greatest football teams ever. . . .

Take away Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig, Brent Jones, Tom Rathman, and John Taylor, and the 49ers really aren’t very dangerous. . . .

On a day when Jim Everett and most of his teammates were off form, the Rams lost all chance early in the first quarter when they had an opportunity to score 14 points and came away with only three. . . .

One reason the 49ers didn’t fall behind by a sizable margin is that Ronnie Lott came out of nowhere to bat down a pass headed for Flipper Anderson’s hands inside the San Francisco 10-yard line. . . .

It’s difficult to remember a defensive back who has made more big plays over the years than Lott, the heavy hitter from USC. . . .

The slow track at Candlestick Park had about as much to do with the Rams losing to the 49ers as the earthquake did with the San Francisco Giants losing to the Oakland Athletics. . . .

There must be something to the theory that the change in coaches made it easier for the 49ers to reach the Super Bowl a second consecutive year. George Seifert brought freshness and a new challenge to the franchise. . . .

If NFL scouting is so sophisticated, how come Montana wasn’t drafted until the third round in 1979 after bringing Notre Dame from 22 points back midway in the fourth quarter to defeat Houston in the Cotton Bowl? . . .

Against the Cougars that day, Montana looked for all the world like a guy who would be able to deliver a decent two-minute drill in the pros. . . .

In three Super Bowl appearances apiece, unbeaten San Francisco has outscored the opposition, 84-53, and winless Denver has been outscored, 108-40. . . .

It’s probably a good thing, though, that Cleveland didn’t advance to its first Super Bowl. Just image what Montana would have done to that secondary. . . .

I would have laughed if you had told me that the Rams wouldn’t score a touchdown Sunday. . . .

Best quarter of the day was the third quarter of the AFC championship game when the Broncos and Browns exploded for 35 points after scoring only 10 in the first half. . . .

Bernie Kosar was the victim of bad hands--his own and those of his receivers. . . .

However, the catch of the day was Brian Brennan’s second touchdown in the third quarter. You’ll see it on highlight films for years. . .

Four of the six teams in the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals of the 1989 season--the 49ers, Athletics, Giants and Lakers--hail from California. . . .

The Rams’ 13 victories equaled the club record set in 1975 under Chuck Knox and tied in 1978 under Ray Malavasi. Including playoffs, it took Knox’s team 16 games, Malavasi’s 18 and John Robinson’s 19. . . .

I second Mike Ditka’s motion that Dan Reeves deserves to be coach of the year. . . .

Ditka should make a good commentator when his Bear coaching days are over. He wasn’t afraid to sound off at halftime Sunday on CBS, saying the Rams had to switch from their zone pass coverage after getting burned in the first half. . . .

The NBC halftime guest, Al Davis, was candid about a lot of things, but not the future of his football team. . . .

Pinch-hitter of the day was Dick Enberg, who filled in capably for the ailing Bob Costas on the pregame show. . . .

How come TV announcers can make instant-replay decisions quicker and more accurately than the officials in the press box? It happened again on a play Sunday when the officials refused to overrule a call although it appeared that Cleveland receiver Webster Slaughter had both feet in bounds. . . .

Worst plays of the day: John Elway’s option pitches to Sammy Winder. . . .

I would like to have heard the AFC postgame interviews, but the Rams and 49ers were under way by then because there was only 3 1/2 hours between kickoffs of the championship games. . . . The 49ers made two excellent pickups in ex-Giant Jim Burt and ex-Raider Matt Millen. You never have enough players with Super Bowl experience. . . .

John Madden says nobody is better than Montana at throwing the ball on the run. Elway will get the chance to refute that statement in New Orleans. . . .

Prediction: San Francisco 42, Denver 17.