Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 19, 1992

Just say no, Clippers. . . .

They should decline the Philadelphia 76ers’ tempting offer of Charles Barkley for Charles Smith, Ken Norman, Bo Kimble and two first-round draft choices. . . .

What makes the call so tough is that Barkley is one of the great players in the NBA. . . .

But what about the possibility that Barkley, who has a thousand opinions and is never afraid to express any of them, could be a disruptive force?. . . .

Would a big scorer who always has been the focus of his team’s offense fit into the Larry Brown style of constant motion, plenty of ball movement, and equal opportunity? . . .

Isn’t the Clippers’ strength the forward position--Danny Manning has become the best basketball player in town, Smith was off to an exceptional start before being injured, Loy Vaught is a hard worker and Ken Norman has come alive since the coaching change--and isn’t their biggest need in the backcourt? . . .

Why shake up things now that the team is unbeaten in four games under its new coach, would make the playoffs if they began today and can move to within two games of the Lakers with a victory at the Sports Arena tonight? . . .

Funny, but I didn’t hear any demand for a Barkley trade at the Sports Arena on Monday night. The 14,404 fans were too busy cheering the Clippers to a 124-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on the kind of night that sparked memories of the Lakers’ early days in Los Angeles. . . .

Wayne Gretzky is looking more like his old self and the Kings are 4-1-1 since Gretzky’s father was able to return home after a long hospital stay. . . .

King announcer Bob Miller, who broadcast Badger games when the late Bob Johnson was coach, will be inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame next month. . . .

Swedish forward Mats Naslund, who checked U.S. defenseman Greg Brown into the boards at the Winter Olympic Games and created an international incident, had a total of only 107 penalty minutes during his eight seasons in the NHL. . . .

The bigger ice surface, lack of fighting and absence of the red line often make the Olympic version of hockey more pleasing than the NHL version. . . .

I prefer the Jiggs McDonald-Bill Clement announcing team on TNT to the Mike Emrick-John Davidson team on CBS. . . .

Gold medals have been won by a 16-year-old ski jumper and a 39-year-old cross-country skier. . . .

Of the old-time jerseys being worn occasionally by the six original teams during the NHL’s 75th anniversary season, the Boston Bruins’ are the best looking. . . .

Look-alikes: Jim Courier and Phil Simms. . . .

Four of the nation’s top 12 ranked men’s teams will compete in the Paul Mitchell/UCLA Gymnastics Invitational on Feb. 29 at Pauley Pavilion. . . .

You are a veteran Los Angeles sports fan if you can remember when the only pro basketball games in town every year were played by the Harlem Globetrotters at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium. . . .

Now that the San Diego Padres have traded Martin and Lewis--Steve Martin and Jim Lewis--will they no longer be a joke? . . .

Among other things unusual about Detroit’s double-play combination of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker is that both players were called up by the Tigers on Sept. 9, 1977. . . .

Some major league teams are trying to save a few dollars by signing veteran free agents to minor league contracts. . . .

New York Met pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre failed to recognize Sid Fernandez when they met recently for the first time since Fernandez dropped 45 pounds. He is being called El Slim, instead of El Sid. . . .

The Mets are bullish on Bobby Jones, a right-handed pitcher who starred for Fresno State in the 1991 College World Series and is expected to make rapid strides within their system this season. . . .

Former Boston shortstop Rico Petrocelli has returned to baseball as manager of the Red Sox’s Pawtucket, R.I., farm team in the International League. . . .

World Boxing Council champion Julian Jackson’s 50-second knockout of Ippsmael Negron on Saturday was the second fastest ever in a title fight. The fastest was former WBC welterweight champion Lloyd Honeyghan’s 45-second victory over Gene Hatcher in 1987. . . .

It should be noted that Desiree Washington, the woman who was raped by Mike Tyson, is not getting paid for her appearance on the cover of People magazine or her “20-20” television interview. . . .

I wonder what the Portland Oregonian is going to call Cherokee Parks. . . .

Prairie View A&M; men’s basketball team is 0-26. The women’s team is 0-21. In other words, not much has changed since football season when the team went 0-11.