Notes on a Scorecard - April 18, 1990

How nice to have the Kings playing Edmonton instead of Winnipeg in the second round. . . . It would have been harder to work up a hate for Winnipeg, formerly known as Loseipeg. Edmonton has been a villain around here ever since the Forum crowd used to chant anti-Gretzky slogans. Besides, Winnipeg was simply murder on the Kings during the regular season. . . .

Since The Trade, Gretzky and the Kings are 10-11-2 against Edmonton. . . .

Wonder if referee Denis Morel is going to hear from the league office about his performance during the King-Calgary series. He botched the Flames’ apparent game-winning goal in the first overtime Saturday, and his calls throughout the six games were inconsistent. He would let an obvious infraction go undetected one minute and then make a ticky-tacky call the next. . . .

Keith McCants plays two great years at linebacker for Alabama, is projected as the first player to be picked in the draft and then all of the sudden his stock drops because he can’t lift weights and NFL general managers don’t like his agent. . . .

Last year, Florida safety Louis Oliver originally was rated in the top 10 of the draft. Then he was downgraded. Another case of the herd mentality. The Miami Dolphins got him with the 25th pick, and he had a terrific season. . . .

The Raiders might take a linebacker on the first round, either Houston undergraduate Lamar Lathon or Michigan State All-American Percy Snow. . . .

This will be the 21st time in 24 years that the Washington Redskins, who have continued in the George Allen tradition of trading away draft picks, won’t have a selection on the first round. . . .

Craziest game in years at Fenway Park was Milwaukee’s 18-0 rout of Boston on Patriots Day. The Brewers hit as many home runs as the Red Sox. . . .

Notice how much better the Cincinnati Reds are playing now that the Pete Rose mess isn’t on their minds?. . . .

The Dodgers are the only players in the majors who don’t wear special jerseys for batting practice. . . .

Congratulations to the Dodger Stadium grounds crew. The grass is not greener elsewhere. . . .

I’ll watch the start and finish of a marathon on TV, but skip the remainder of the two hours. . . .

The voices of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Langston will be heard next fall on an episode of the syndicated cartoon show, “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.” . . .

John Levey of Warner Bros. Television is looking to cast an ex-athlete for a major role in an upcoming NBC sitcom that will star Daphne Zuniga as a sportswriter. . . .

Thumbs up to Pat Riley for his job as host of the HBO special, “The History of the NBA.” . . .

With only a season-ending game left at the Sports Arena against the Lakers Saturday, the Clippers are averaging announced crowds of 11,498 and will set a franchise record for announced home attendance. . . .

The National called Michael Jordan “the world’s best-known athlete.” Sorry, but I don’t think he’s quite as big as Mike Tyson in Tokyo, Paris or Buenos Aires. And how about soccer star Diego Maradona, who is a household name just about everywhere but in the United States? . . .

Austria, which has beaten Spain in Malaga and Hungary, has been the surprise of the teams that are grouped with the United States in soccer’s World Cup. The disappointment has been Czechoslovakia, which was upset by Egypt. . . .

Of the 219 points scored in the McDonald’s Classic last week, few came on shots from more than 10 feet away. All most high school kids want to do these days is stuff the ball and make fancy moves underneath the basket. . . .

The World Hockey Championships lose importance when they’re staged in the middle of the Stanley Cup playoffs. . . .

The owners of Kentucky Derby contender Champagneforashley did headline writers no favors and reached the limit of 18 units allowed for the name of a thoroughbred race horse. . . .

Prized, the best grass horse at Santa Anita, won’t go in the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano Handicap Sunday because his connections fear the distance would take too much out of him before he resumes his career on

the dirt at Hollywood Park. . . .

Mills Lane is the most enthusiastic referee in sports when he yells, “Let’s get it on!” to boxers after giving them instructions. . . .

Evander Holyfield, who is waiting for the Buster Douglas-Don King lawsuit to be settled, will fight famous Seamus McDonough June 1 in Atlantic City, N.J. . . .

Why aren’t there more left-handed golfers or any left-handed catchers?