Notes on a Scorecard - March 6, 1990

The West Coast Conference displayed that most uncommon virtue, common sense, by canceling the rest of its basketball tournament at Loyola Marymount after the death of Hank Gathers. . . .

Remember, NFL games were played the weekend after President Kennedy’s assassination, and the Olympic Games were resumed shortly after the Israeli massacre in Munich. . . .

The last thing I wanted to read Monday morning was that the tournament would be played to its conclusion because “Hank Gathers would have wanted it that way.”. . .

However, Loyola Marymount’s apparent desire to participate in the NCAA tournament, which doesn’t begin until late next week, is understandable. . . .

Profits from an auction of sports memorabilia and the evening’s business Wednesday night at Home Plate Sports Bar & Grill at 143 N. La Brea will be donated to the Hank Gathers Memorial Fund at Loyola Marymount. . . .

Herb Gorman, a 27-year-old outfielder for the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League, died of a heart attack after collapsing on the field during a game against the Hollywood Stars on April 5, 1953, at old Lane Field in San Diego. Gorman played for Hollywood from 1949-51. . . .

Ron Copeland Jr.--whose father, a UCLA football and track star; brother Kevin, an All-L.A. City wide receiver at Dorsey High; and grandfather all died of heart attacks--will not be allowed to run the hurdles for the USC track team this season. After Kevin’s death last October, Ron Jr. was given a battery of tests by school doctors, who then refused to grant him medical clearance to compete. Even so, the sophomore was able to retain his athletic scholarship. . . .

Jim Valvano reportedly asked North Carolina State to buy out the rest of his contract for $850,000 and was turned down. . . .

Bonehead play-of-the-year honors go to Georgetown forward Sam Jefferson for fouling Syracuse’s Billy Owens near midcourt with a second left Sunday and the Hoyas leading by two points. Even so, Georgetown would have wrapped up the game long before had Coach John Thompson not lost his cool and committed three technical fouls that cost his team 10 points. . . .

Of all the successful college or pro basketball coaches, the Lakers’ Pat Riley argues with officials the least. . . .

Washington State Coach Kelvin Sampson on the Cougars’ 17 consecutive defeats: “We’ve learned how to lose.”. . .

Returning to college coaching this season, Bob Boyd of Chapman went 3-11 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. . . .

No introductions will be necessary Friday at the Pac-10 tournament in Tempe, Ariz., when California and Stanford play for the third time in 10 days. . . .

San Antonio Coach Larry Brown belongs in the Hall of Fame if he can get a meaningful contribution from Reggie Williams, the ex-Clipper and Cleveland Cavalier. . . .

Walt Frazier is receiving good notices as commentator on the New York Knicks’ radio broadcasts. . . .

Baseball America rates catchers Sandy Alomar Jr. of Cleveland and Todd Zeile of St. Louis as the best rookie prospects. No Angel or Dodger rookie made the top 20 rankings. . . .

Larry Holmes, who should stay out of the ring for the sake of his health, will box a four-round exhibition against Bernardo Mercado March 18 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on a card to be televised by FNN. . . .

Bob Murdoch, the former King defenseman, deserves NHL coach-of-the-year consideration for the job he is doing with the Winnipeg Jets. . . .

Second-ranked UCLA will play top-ranked Stanford Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion in a rematch of last year’s NCAA men’s volleyball championship match won by the Bruins in four games. . . .

Speed horses always have a chance to break loose, relax on the lead while their competitors are being lulled to sleep and score a major upset, as Ruhlmann did in the Santa Anita Handicap Sunday. . . .

A week after Hollywood Park hiked its purse for the Gold Cup to $1 million, Santa Anita was still calling the Big ‘Cap the only $1 million handicap in the nation. . . .

You’d think some speedball would have won more races in a row on the bush league circuit, but the Thoroughbred Racing Assn. record book lists the all-time record for consecutive wins in North America as 16 by Citation in 1948-49. A victory by Mister Frisky in the Santa Anita Derby will tie the record. . . .

Smelly finished second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes Saturday, a nose ahead of the show horse. . . .

Smelly might also describe the quality of the highly touted 3-year-olds campaigning in Florida.