Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 12, 1992

I am astounded that so many people are expressing more sympathy for Mike Tyson than for the woman he raped. . . .

Tyson was neither historian nor prophet when he told a fan who wished him well in Indianapolis not long ago: “I always win.” . . .

If Tyson never fights again, where does he rank among the heavyweight champions? . . .

“He shouldn’t even be in the top 10,” said California promoter Don Chargin, who has seen them all since Max Baer. “I thought he was going to become the best. But he lost his biggest test, against Buster Douglas, and his skills eroded after that. I think Evander Holyfield would have beaten him and maybe Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis, too.” . . .

The feeling here is that Tyson was built up too much early in his career and then torn down too much. He probably would have overpowered Holyfield, who had trouble with a smaller version of Tyson named Bert Cooper. . . .

The flip side of Tyson is Floyd Patterson, who emerged from a troubled youth to become heavyweight champion under the tutelage of Cus D’Amato and today is a solid citizen. . . .

“If Cus were still alive, these things wouldn’t have happened,” said Patterson, who is training Razor Ruddock for his fight against Greg Page at the Mirage in Las Vegas Saturday night. “Tyson became his own man after Cus and Jimmy Jacobs died, and (Tyson) made some bad decisions.” . . .

Another depressing story involving a former heavyweight champion Monday was that of John Tate, who gave his address as the Knoxville, Tenn., Area Rescue Mission after being arrested for allegedly beating up a man and robbing him of $14. . . .

Larry Brown, who coaches the Clippers for the first time tonight at the Sports Arena, made his debut at UCLA in 1979 with a 82-40 victory over Idaho State. Unfortunately for Brown, the Clippers will be playing the Houston Rockets, not Idaho State. . . .

Brown and Clipper assistant coach Mack Calvin needed no introductions. Brown coached Calvin, who was a guard, at Carolina of American Basketball Assn. and Denver of the ABA and then the NBA. . . .

And who gave deposed Clipper coach Mike Schuler his first NBA opportunity? Brown, who hired him as an assistant at New Jersey in 1981. . . .

One of the reasons Dennis Rodman’s rebounding statistics are going out of sight is that the Detroit Pistons’ former sixth man leads the league in minutes played. . . .

The last NBA player to average at least 20 rebounds was Wilt Chamberlain in 1968-69 with the Lakers. . . .

Despite what you may have heard, Jim Harrick is happy at UCLA. . . .

Who is UCLA’s all-time leading basketball scorer? Denise Curry. She scored 3,198 points for the Bruins from 1978-81. Now an assistant to Dr. Gooch Foster at California, Curry will return to Pauley Pavilion Sunday. . . .

Coach George Raveling says his vote for USC’s most valuable player goes to point guard Duane Cooper. . . .

Only 3,500 tickets remain for the USC-UCLA rematch Feb. 27 at the Sports Arena. . . .

Sign of the times: “USC Basketball” T-shirts are hot-selling items in the campus bookstore. . . .

Former Dodger photographer Frank Worth says he will be forever grateful to Red Patterson, who died Monday, for making him the first full-time photographer hired by a major league baseball team. . . .

Co-host Paula Zahn is emerging as the star of CBS’ Winter Olympic Games telecasts. . . .

The network’s “up close and personal” features are even better than ABC’s originals. . . .

George Foreman has filmed a corn chip commercial with his sons George II, George III, George IV and George V. . . .

Pole vaulter Sergei Bubka is attracting most of the attention, but Suzy Favor Hamilton and PattiSue Plumer could steal the show when they renew their rivalry in the women’s mile at the Sunkist meet Saturday night at the Sports Arena. . . .

Former Cal State Fullerton and NBA guard Leon Wood is playing for the Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Assn. . . .

If Walter Davis can play in the NBA one more year, he might be joined by his nephew Hubert Davis, a hot-shooting guard at North Carolina. . . .

Wayne Lukas, who is recovering from three broken ribs, hopes to be back at Santa Anita Saturday to saddle probable favorite Twilight Agenda in the $300,000 San Antonio Handicap. . . .

Don Pierce--who won 351 stakes, including the Santa Anita Handicap four times during a 30-year riding career--belongs in the thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame. . . .

On Presidents Day, ESPN will televise the game between George Washington and James Madison.