Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 6, 1992

The Raiders should feel fortunate they didn’t have to play in Buffalo on Sunday. . . .

Once again it is time to mark the Cowboys down from America’s team to Dallas’ team. . . .

Best game plan of the weekend was devised by Detroit Lion offensive coordinator Dave Levy. . . .

This could be the year of Washington in the NCAA and NFL, but I am pretty sure the Redskins won’t have to share their championship. . . .

When the Denver Broncos got the ball on their two-yard line with a little more than two minutes remaining Saturday, John Elway had the Houston Oilers just where he wanted them. . . .

Warren Moon, who played a terrific game, should not be labeled a loser. . . .

Houston’s timeout when Denver didn’t have any left and was faced with a fourth-and-10 situation on its 35-yard line with 59 seconds remaining ranks among the dumbest ever. . . .

All four quarterbacks who started NFL playoff games Saturday come from Pacific 10 Conference schools--Elway from Stanford, Moon from Washington, the Redskins’ Mark Rypien from Washington State and the Atlanta Falcons’ Chris Miller from Oregon. . . .

Washington is No. 1 over Miami in the Malamud ratings for a simple reason. The Huskies are a better team. The job Washington did on Michigan’s massive offensive line convinced me. . . .

Michael (Roxy) Roxborough, the oddsmaker for most sports books in Nevada, says he would make Washington a two-point favorite over Miami on a neutral field. . . .

Upset of the week was the normally unemotional Don James breaking down in tears at a news conference after the announcement that the Huskies had been voted a share of the national championship. . . .

Next year, Washington will become the first team to have two quarterbacks who have won Rose Bowl player-of- the-game awards--Billy Joe Hobert and Mark Brunell. . . .

If playoffs are so impractical, how come every other college sport decides its national championship that way? . . .

The three Florida schools that finished in the top 10 in football--Miami, Florida State and Florida--are also rated in the top 10 in the preseason baseball poll. . . .

It developed that the Sugar Bowl knew what it was doing when it invited Notre Dame. The Irish not only upset Florida, they drew high TV ratings. . . .

Artie Gigantino, who was an assistant coach at California before joining John Robinson at USC and later with the Rams, would be a good choice to succeed Bruce Snyder in Berkeley. Among Gigantino’s strengths is his ability to recruit. . . .

UCLA’s 6-3 victory over Illinois in the John Hancock Bowl was boring enough, but Southern California radio listeners had to put up with the cliches of the network announcers who worked the game instead of the outstanding KMPC team of play-by-play man John Rebenstorf and commentator David Norrie. . . .

There is more coaching talent in the NFL broadcasting booths and studios--Bill Parcells, John Madden, Bill Walsh, Dick Vermeil and Hank Stram--than on the sidelines. . . .

Bobby Beathard’s best move since becoming general manager of the San Diego Chargers was hiring Bobby Ross. . . .

Reader Len Kaufman wants to know the definition of a Plan A free agent. . . .

One of the greats of Chicago sports journalism, Sun-Times columnist Ray Sons, retired New Year’s Eve after 42 years in the business. . . .

Evander Holyfield’s promoter, Dan Duva, has guaranteed Holyfield and George Foreman $12 million each and the winner an additional $5 million for a proposed rematch March 20 at Caesars Palace. . . .

Lon Kruger of Florida has been mentioned as the successor to Jerry Tarkanian at Nevada Las Vegas. . . .

Never underestimate the importance of free-throw shooting. UCLA forwards Don MacLean and Tracy Murray combined to make 18 of 19 shots from the line Saturday night and that was the difference in UCLA’s 87-80 victory over Georgia. . . .

Several of Georgia guard Litterial Green’s seven three-point baskets in the second half were from NBA distance. . . .

Bruin Coach Jim Harrick on Ed O’Bannon, who took part in pregame warm-ups for the first time: “I was glad to see him suit up. He was running out of clothes.” . . .

USC finally should beat Notre Dame at something-- basketball--tonight at the Sports Arena. . . .

Those heavy checks Wayne Gretzky threw at his old Edmonton nemesis Esa Tikkanen last Thursday at the Forum were exactly what the Kings needed. . . .

Justice finally will be served today if Maury Wills, whose base stealing revolutionized baseball, is voted into the Hall of Fame.