Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 5, 1991

“Nineteen is enough!” That will be the battle cry of the Clippers tonight at the Forum, where they are 0-19 against the Lakers in the intra-city series that began in 1984. . . .

And just how bad has it been? The average margin of Clipper defeat in Inglewood has been 15 points. The closest they have come is six points. The franchise has lost 27 consecutive games at the Forum since the San Diego Clippers won, 138-129, Nov. 27, 1981. . . .

Only one Laker-Clipper game ever has sold out the Forum and tickets for this Magic-less one tonight are available. Laker home openers seldom are boffo at the box office. Only three have drawn capacity crowds since the move to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960. . . .

The Clippers would love to rewrite the history books, something they did on Page 85 of their media guide. The individual statistics of the 1986-87 NBA champion Lakers, from Magic Johnson all the way down to Mike Smrek, are listed by mistake under the heading of the Clippers, who went 12-70 that season. . . .

Among other things the Rams seem to be lacking these days is emotion. That is what happens to losing, underpaid teams. . . .

Did you ever think you would live to see the day when a California running back who was not academically qualified to attend USC ran for 229 yards against the Trojans and the Golden Bears were accused of pouring it on? . . .

Don’t look for a USC-Michigan State rematch in the John Hancock Bowl. . . .

My choice for horse of the year is Dance Smartly, the 3-year-old Canadian filly who finished the season unbeaten in eight races, won stakes on turf and dirt and beat males and older horses. . . .

Ralph Wilson, who owns the Buffalo Bills and bred Arazi, has an even better chance of winning the Kentucky Derby than the Super Bowl. . . .

Bertrando, who didn’t give up after Arazi’s breathtaking move in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, may be the Sham of his generation. . . .

Bertrando was one of six Southern California horses that finished second in the seven Breeders’ Cup races. The only winner was Pleasant Stage in the Juvenile Fillies. . . .

Trainer Randy Winick has done a terrific job with La Spia, the surprise runner-up to Pleasant Stage. . . .

The $8.5-million National Pick Seven pool was disappointing. Maybe the bet should be lowered from $2 to $1. . . .

Louisville basketball Coach Denny Crum would like to own and train a few horses after he retires, and trainer Wayne Lukas, a former high school basketball coach, has extended him an invitation to learn the business at Lukas’ Santa Barbara training center. . . .

Churchill Downs does such a good job staging the Breeders’ Cup that sometimes you forget it’s only 40 degrees. . . .

The trouble with watching pro football on Sunday on TV in the East is that the first game doesn’t start until 1 p.m. . . .

In this era of specialization and the success of the Hail Mary pass, can a 7-foot defensive back be far away? . . .

Marvin Powell has joined the Beverly Hills law firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman. The former USC, New York Jet and Tampa Bay Buccaneer tackle will specialize in sports, entertainment and tax law. . . .

Houston Oiler defensive lineman William Fuller, a former Ram, has become known as “the Fuller Rush Man.” . . .

Best rookie defensive back in the NFL may be Aeneas Williams, the Phoenix Cardinal cornerback from Southern University. . . .

Gaston Green, John Stephens, Lorenzo White, Brad Muster and Craig (Ironhead) Heyward are running backs who were picked ahead of Thurman Thomas in the 1988 NFL draft. . . .

The Buffalo Bills have the shortest time of possession of any team in the NFL. . . .

The Indianapolis Colts haven’t scored a touchdown for Coach Rick Venturi in five games. . . .

That was a gutsy move Golden State’s Don Nelson made, trading a proven young star, Mitch Richmond, to Sacramento for a potential star, Billy Owens. . . .

Pat Riley’s patience may be wearing thin already. The New York Knick coach has benched Mark Jackson, Charles Oakley and Xavier McDaniel for lack of production during stretches of the first two games. . . .

The Chicago White Sox didn’t show much loyalty when they refused to exercise the option on Carlton Fisk’s contract. . . .

Jeff Fenech should do a job on World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Azumah Nelson in Fenech’s hometown of Melbourne, Australia, March 1 in the rematch of their disputed draw last June in Las Vegas. . . .

I grew up reading Sid Ziff’s column in the old Los Angeles Mirror News. Ziff, who died Monday at 86, was always topical and often provocative. He caused a sensation in 1962 when Dodger Stadium opened and he revealed that there were no public drinking fountains. . . .

Final thought on the World Series: Atlanta fans should have chanted, “Beat AL! Beat AL!”