Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 21, 1990

Say it ain’t so that the Rams are going to can John Robinson. . . .

If management is seriously interested in winning, which is doubtful, better that it sign some Plan B free agents, pay fair wages and draft wisely. . . .

The Coliseum should be rocking Sunday when the Raiders try to extend their one-game lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Well, maybe not. The Chiefs never have drawn well in Los Angeles. Shucks, they couldn’t even come close to selling out the first Super Bowl game. . . . Has anyone ever turned a corner faster than Bo Jackson? . . .

When the Raiders are running the ball consistently, Jay Schroeder is the kind of quarterback who can be trusted. . . .

I like Art Shell’s cool sideline demeanor. . . .

Max Montoya, the veteran guard from Cincinnati, has helped to make the Raiders’ offensive line one of the most formidable in the conference. . . .

The top five teams in the league--San Francisco, New York Giants, Chicago, Buffalo and Miami--have a combined record of 46-4. . . .

Johnny Johnson of the Phoenix Cardinals, the leading candidate to become NFL offensive rookie of the year, was the 25th running back taken in the draft. . . .

Don’t invite the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs to the same party. . . .

The run-and-shoot may be the ran-and-shot by next season. . . .

Notre Dame slipping to seventh and eighth is proof it’s what you’ve done lately that counts the most in the college football polls. . . .

Whitworth College quarterback Jonn Moomaw, the youngest son of former UCLA All-American linebacker Donn Moomaw, was named to the Columbia Football Assn.’s Mt. Rainier League all-star team. . . .

On Thursday, a closing night crowd approaching 10,000 will give thanks for 34 years of thrills at Ascot Park. But how depressing to think that after the final spins are taken by the mighty midgets in the Turkey Night Grand Prix, Southern California will be without the biggest little track in the country. . . .

One thing that made Ascot such a pleasure was the friendly atmosphere. Whether the late J.C. Agajanian or his son Cary was running the place, racers, pit crews and spectators always felt at home. . . .

It had to happen: Chris McCarron recently set off an airport metal detector with the steel rod that was surgically implanted in his left leg. . . .

No wonder leading money-winning jockey Gary Stevens wants to ride this weekend at Hollywood Park after suffering a broken elbow last Wednesday. More than $800,000 is being offered in stakes purses and he has a $655,000 lead over Jose Santos, who could win $900,000 aboard Alwuhush in the Japan Cup. . . .

Wayne Lukas thinks he has a Kentucky Derby candidate in Cien Fuegos, whose next test will be the $100,000 Prevue Stakes Friday at Inglewood. . . .

Mike Tyson has opened workouts to the public for his Dec. 8 fight against Alex Stewart and the word is that Tyson is lacking some of his old viciousness. . . .

Virgil Hill, the most active champion, will defend his World Boxing Assn. light-heavyweight title for the 10th time Jan. 6 in his hometown of Bismarck, N.D., against Mike Peak. . . .

Top ticket price for the Evander Holyfield-George Foreman fight will be $1,000. . . .

New York Ranger defenseman Brian Leetch, a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, is well on his way to becoming the greatest American hockey player ever. . . .

The Quebec Nordiques, who have a 14-game winless streak, just traded three regulars to the Toronto Maple Leafs. What does that say about Toronto? . . .

One of the better Clipper deals was sending a couple of second-round draft choices to Golden State last February for Winston Garland. . . .

The Utah Jazz have been even more disappointing than the Lakers. . . .

Pac-10 basketball is catching up to the rest of the nation. Fifty-nine regular season games will be televised live on regular and cable networks. First up, Arizona at LSU on ABC Dec. 8. . . .

As of today, 18 major league baseball players are making at least $3 million a year. . . .

The Dodgers are expected to get a preview of Darryl Strawberry, center fielder, during their January workouts at the Stadium. . . .

Roger Clemens will be able to pay the $10,000 he was fined for his tantrum in Oakland with some of the $50,000 bonus the Boston Red Sox paid him for finishing second in the Cy Young Award balloting. And that five-game suspension means he misses only one start. . . .

Doesn’t it seem like Jennifer Capriati has been 14 for a long time?