Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 29, 1990

It’s still early, but I hereby nominate Chris McCarron for “Sportsman of the Year.” . . . McCarron and his wife, Judy, have been tireless in their efforts on behalf of the Donald MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund that raises money for injured and disabled jockeys. Chris was barely out of a hospital bed himself when he organized and participated in a fund-raising event at Hollywood Park this summer.

And what remarkable durability, courage and desire this 115-pound giant showed last week when he returned to the races at Del Mar 80 days after suffering broken legs and a broken arm in a spill. He might not win any riding titles in 1990, but nobody fits the description of sportsman any better. . . .

Somebody should explain the value of the Rams’ Kevin Greene to Georgia Frontiere, who isn’t much on her X’s and O’s. . . .

The Rams, whose pass rush will be anemic until they sign Greene, are fortunate that they will face Anthony Dilweg instead of Don Majkowski in the season opener against the Packers at Green Bay on Sept. 9. . . .

Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles on ABC, Indianapolis Colt rookie Jeff George looked like a quarterback with a bright future. . . .

In contrast, missing most of training camp may set another rookie, Andre Ware, back a full season in his bid to unseat Rodney Peete as starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions. . . .

An eight-page pamphlet entitled, “The NFL Drug Program and You,” has been distributed to players throughout the league. . . .

The New York Giants were impressed by former USC tailback Aaron Emanuel but cut him because of neck and shoulder problems. . . .

Look for Lawrence Taylor to walk into the Giants’ camp any day now. . . .

The Kickoff game is played at a neutral site, but Syracuse will have the crowd advantage over USC Friday night at the Meadowlands. The Orangemen played two “home” games there in 1979 while the Carrier Dome was being built. . . .

Of course, it will also be payback time for the Orangemen, who lost to the Trojans, 16-0, in their last meeting in 1924. . . .

Willie McGinest, the Trojans’ 6-foot-6, 220-pound freshman linebacker from Long Beach, plans to report to the basketball team after football. “He’s one of the finest all-around athletes to enroll here, and that’s saying something,” basketball Coach George Raveling said. . . .

Stanford opens the season on Sept. 6 against Colorado at Boulder. “When I scheduled Colorado, they weren’t very good,” Athletic Director Andy Geiger explained. . . .

Football must seem tame to California guard Sam Sagapolu, whose hobbies include boxing and spear hunting for sharks. . . .

Circle the weekend of Sept. 7-9 on your calender: Dodgers vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium Friday through Sunday, UCLA vs. Oklahoma at the Rose Bowl Saturday, and the Raiders vs. the Denver Broncos at the Coliseum Sunday. . . .

Among the reasons the Dodgers didn’t build a museum for their 100th-anniversary season as planned is that much of their important memorabilia have been lost. . . .

Don’t look now, but George Brett is making a run at the American League batting title. . . .

If the New York Yankees are serious about their youth movement, they’ll trade Dave Righetti while his value is still high. . . .

Steve Sax has gone from the penthouse to the outhouse, from No. 1 in the Yankee batting order to No. 9. . . .

Paul Gonzales, a natural flyweight who couldn’t even make the bantamweight limit the other day for a fight he lost at the Forum, should get more serious about boxing or seek other work. . . .

Boris Becker wore 11 shirts during his opening match at the U.S. Open, leaving you wondering if he had any more in case the match lasted longer than three sets. . . .

The selection of Dave Peterson to coach the 1992 U.S. Olympic hockey team is not a popular one. His 1988 team finished seventh in Calgary and he finished last in public relations. . . . At least nine new arrivals from Czechoslovakia will play in the National Hockey League this season and most of them are young prospects, not the veterans of the old cloak-and-dagger days. . . .

New assistant coach Ken Hitchcock of the Philadelphia Flyers has lost 116 pounds, meaning he’s down to 284. . . .

Look-alikes: Jack Clark and Sal Maglie. . . .

Napolean Kaufman of Lompoc High School, who scored 39 touchdowns and rushed for a 9.4-yard average last season, is ranked as the third-best running back in the nation by Super Prep magazine. . . .

The Clippers are waiting to see what some of the higher draft choices are paid before they start serious negotiations with eighth pick Bo Kimble. . . .

Indiana Pacer Coach Dick Versace, substituting for KLAC talk show host Gabe Kaplan, said Isiah Thomas volunteered to play this season for a salary of one dollar so the Detroit Pistons could dip under the salary cap and sign John (Hot Rod) Williams. . . .

I wonder what Wayne Gretzky really thinks of Peter Pocklington.