Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 14, 1990

Among those who believe the Mike Tyson mystique is not dead is Jimmy Vaccaro, oddsmaker at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. . . .

Vaccaro says he will post Tyson as an 18-1 favorite over Buster Douglas once the rematch is signed. . . .

“I could be wrong, and there might be some big bets made on Douglas that will lower the odds,” Vaccaro said. “But I definitely will open it at 18-1.” . . .

That would be one of the highest prices ever for a heavyweight championship fight. The highest, of course, was the 42-1 in favor of Tyson over Douglas last weekend in Tokyo. . . .

Funny how Don King dropped his protest of the knockout and the WBC and WBA immediately followed suit. . . .

This was one time that King was forced to bow to public opinion. . . .

Most surprising result of The Times’ poll the other day was that only 29% said they followed the Dodgers closely, compared to 39% for the Lakers. Of course, it’s partly a matter of what have you done for us lately. . . .

The good news: The Rams will play the New York Giants for a second consecutive season at Anaheim Stadium. The bad news: The Rams also will play the Phoenix Cardinals again. . . .

In a change of format, the Los Angeles Athletic Club will present the John Wooden Award to the nation’s outstanding collegiate basketball player on the Sunday between the NCAA semifinals and final in Denver. A one-hour national television special, a la Heisman Trophy, is in the works. . . .

Don’t invite Wooden to any slam-dunk contests. He thinks reliance on that maneuver has limited the skills of many players. . . .

Dawn Sowell will try for her second consecutive female athlete-of-the-meet award Friday in the Times/Eagle Indoor Games at the Forum. Winner of the 60 meters in the American-record time of 7.15 seconds last year, she will run in both the 60 and the 200. . . .

My apologies to Brett Hull. The high-scoring St. Louis Blues wing is showing that he’s more than half the player his dad, Bobby, was. Maybe even three-quarters. . . .

The reason for those relatively small hockey salaries that were revealed recently is simple: No lucrative national television package. . . .

When the bad boys from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks collide, they’re calling it a “Chuck Norris” Division matchup. . . .

Now that the figures have been taken out of figure skating, the name of the sport should be changed. Something simple like free skating. . . .

I’ll miss the figures because watching the Zamboni machine clean the ice won’t seem so exciting now. . . .

Saturday will be bargain day for USC sports. For a total of $4, you can watch swimming, against UCLA; baseball and tennis, both against Arizona State, all on campus, and basketball, against California, at the Sports Arena. . . .

With Artesia High star Ed O’Bannon in the stands, the Trojan basketball team is 3-0. . . . If safety Mark Carrier turns pro, it might be a more damaging blow to USC than the loss of linebacker Junior Seau. Taking over for Seau will be Craig Hartsuyker, who started ahead of Seau two years ago and recorded nine sacks last season. . . .

Eclipse Award-winning jockey Kent Desmoreaux has been displaying terrific athletic moves in pickup basketball games at the Santa Anita YMCA in Monrovia. About the only thing he can’t do is dunk. . . .

With boxing so much in the news, Ali’s Song would have been a good hunch bet Monday at Santa Anita. She won the first race and paid $8.80. . . .

The only ballplayers to be hurt by a shortened spring training would be pitchers. . . .

Four reporters actually voted La Salle No. 1 in the latest Associated Press basketball poll. . . .

Her male counterparts should take lessons on playmaking from Stanford guard Jennifer Azzi. . . .

Watching Villanova’s two upset victories over Syracuse, you got the idea that the coaching of Rollie Massimino over Jim Boeheim was the difference. . . .

Utah Jazz President Frank Layden, on John Stockton: “I’ve been in basketball almost 50 years, and it took me awhile to realize that he is the best pure point guard that I’ve ever seen.” . . .

Sorry, but I don’t think many Americans are going to pay to see events like kayaking, judo, bicycling and track and field preliminaries on TV during the 1992 Olympic Games. You can be sure NBC isn’t going to farm out any of the bigger attractions. . . .

Steffi Graf might be extended to three sets if she played left-handed while her broken right thumb heals.