Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 30, 1990

Not even the newly expanded playoffs are going to be big enough for the Rams. . . . They put it all together Monday night--lousy offense, lousy defense. . . .

Cleveland Gary would be a more effective running back if footballs had handles. . . .

Is this the Steel Curtain defense all over again in Pittsburgh? Well, maybe aluminum. . . . Chances of a new NFL labor agreement increase with every report that Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is going to force out Jack Donlan, the hard-line executive director of the Management Council. . . .

NBC commentator Bill Walsh had Coach Bud Carson of the Cleveland Browns fired in the third quarter of the San Francisco 49er game Sunday and re-hired in the fourth quarter. . . .

The great teams, like the 49ers, somehow manage to win on some of their worst days. . . .

When Minnesota got Herschel Walker from Dallas, I wrote that it was a terrible deal for the Vikings. It has proven to be worse than that. . . .

The Los Angeles Raiders will play the Chiefs in Kansas City Sunday, but Paul Revere and the Raiders will be in the Coliseum Saturday for a concert after the USC-California game. . . .

How can the Cincinnati Bengals be so good one week and so awful the next? . . .

The best thing the unbeaten New York Giants do is play consistently and without errors. . . .

Beg to disagree with NBC commentator Will McDonough, who thinks NFL officiating is marvelous. . . .

Johnny Johnson, the Phoenix Cardinals’ rookie-of-the-year candidate, should forget about passing and stick to rushing. . . . John Schulian has written a piece about new Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy’s wardrobe for the December issue of GQ magazine. “He’s a great dresser,” Schulian said. “Much more conservative than Pat Riley. Remember, Dunleavy spent time on Wall Street.” . . .

Last season, it was forwards. This season, trades for guards may help change the balance of power in the NBA. Jeff Malone, Danny Ainge, Fat Lever, Dennis Hopson, Kenny Smith and Paul Pressey all will be playing for new teams. . . .

Sacramento’s Dick Motta describes rookie guard Travis Mays from Texas as the “hardest-nosed, most single-purpose ballplayer I’ve ever coached.” . . .

Wonder how long it will take Wayne Gretzky to reach No. 3,000. . . .

Unbeaten King goaltender Daniel Berthiaume is regaining the form of his rookie season of 1986-87, when he was 18-7-3 with a 3.17 goals-against average for the Winnipeg Jets. . . .

No matter how many goals Brett Hull scores in a watered down league, I still don’t think he’s the hockey player his dad Bobby was. . . .

The Toronto Maple Leafs should have hired Jacques Demers, instead of Tom Watt, to replace Doug Carpenter as coach. . . .

Former UCLA basketball players, coaches and managers gathered for a reunion on campus Sunday. My all-time Bruin team with one notable position change: Center--Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Forwards--Bill Walton and Marques Johnson. Guards--Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich. Coach--John Wooden. Assistant Coach--Denny Crum. Manager--

Dennis Minishian. . . .

The Arizona varsity recently played a couple of pickup games against alumni Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Anthony Cook, Tom Tolbert and Judd Buechler, and beat them. . . .

Vida Blue has signed a contract with the San Bernardino Pride of the senior baseball league, and Anthony Davis also expects to be at the opening of training camp Nov. 7. . . .

USC is fortunate it doesn’t have to play Oregon and Bill Musgrave, who play host to UCLA Saturday in Eugene. . . .

Hundreds of letters have poured in to the Colorado athletic department, 90% of them critical of the Buffaloes’ refusal to forfeit their fifth-down victory over Missouri. . . .

Look-alikes: Referee Mills Lane and Robert Duvall. . . .

Stars of NBC’s Breeders’ Cup telecast were race caller Tom Durkin and host Dick Enberg, who has become a horse racing aficionado. . . .

Saturday was another example of why the Breeders’ Cup should be anchored in Southern California. . . .

The ill-fated Go For Wand raced in the Distaff because trainer Billy Badgett thought the Classic would put too much strain on her. . . .

Switch-hitter Orestes Destrade, a former New York Yankee and Pittsburgh Pirate first baseman, would like to become the next Cecil Fielder. Destrade hit 42 home runs to lead the Japanese Pacific League. . . .

Salt Lake City is one of six cities bidding for the 1998 Winter Olympics. But don’t hold your breath for the decision, which won’t be announced until June. . . .

Alex Ramos, who became a leading middleweight contender after making the U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics, continues his comeback tonight in Reseda against Ali Sanchez. Promoter Danny Goossen would love to see Ramos fight Michael Nunn some day. . . .

George Foreman should be voted manager of the year. . . .

They could stage a Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas rematch in a phone booth--if Buster could fit into one.