Notes on a Scorecard - March 5, 1992

News items: Evander Holyfield signs $18-million contract to fight Larry Holmes. Ryne Sandberg signs $30.5-million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. NHL players threaten to strike. Reaction: What recession? . . .

Remember those predictions that the Chicago Bulls would set an NBA record for best record? They will have to go 22-0 the remainder of the season to surpass the 69-13 record of the 1971-72 Lakers. . . .

Lawler’s Law: Clipper announcer Ralph Lawler says the first team to 100 will win an NBA game. . . .

International rules, which allow roughhouse play, could make Karl Malone the most effective U.S. Olympic basketball player in Barcelona. . . .

Among the oldest players in the NHL is Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Mark Howe, 36. His father, Gordie, was 52 when he retired from the Hartford Whalers after the 1979-80 season. . . .

San Jose Shark Coach George Kingston is a dead ringer for actor Dennis Weaver. After Kingston arrived in Norway to coach a club team a few years ago, a man approached him and said: “McCloud?” . . .

Most teams pass too much on the power play. . . .

Whatever happened to the Calgary Flames? . . .

There will not be an unsold seat for an NHL game in California this season. . . .

Culture shock is the Pittsburgh Penguins going from the late Bob Johnson to Scotty Bowman. . . .

Jeremy Roenick of the Chicago Blackhawks has moved into the top echelon of NHL players. . . .

Yogi Berra is celebrity captain of the New Jersey Devils. . . .

Ray Mancini celebrated his 31st birthday Wednesday at a news conference for his latest comeback fight, April 3 against Greg Haugen in Reno. . . .

Last year, Jim Colbert, who was a few days away from becoming eligible for the PGA Senior Tour, was in the broadcasting tower for the GTE West Classic. This year, he is the leading money winner on the tour and will be among the favorites for the tournament Friday through Sunday at the Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club. . . .

Nadia Comaneci and Olga Korbut will be among those performing at the Hilton’s Superstars of Gymnastics exhibition March 28 at the Forum. . . .

Look-a-likes: Miami Heat Coach Kevin Loughery and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. . . .

USC Coach George Raveling says: “We used to find a way to lose. Now we find a way to win.” . . .

Christian Laettner of Duke may become the next Kevin McHale. . . .

Bobby Knight’s Indiana teams set the best screens. . . .

Jimmie Heuga’s Mazda Ski Express--a fund-raiser for the Jimmie Heuga Center, a nonprofit research center that develops health and fitness programs for persons afflicted with multiple sclerosis--will be held Sunday at Snow Summitt. It is part of a 33-event series in 22 states that raised more than $1 million last year. . . .

In a graphic on ESPN’s late night “SportsCenter” Tuesday, a certain college basketball team from the San Fernando Valley was identified as “Cal State No. Ridge.” . . .

Cleveland Brown safety Eric Turner is spending the off-season at UCLA completing work on his bachelor’s degree in history. . . .

SportsChannel’s “The Sports Reporters”--featuring Rick Telander, Bill Gleason, Bill Jauss and host and moderator, Ben Bentley--is a joy. Unlike similar shows, these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. . . .

Pete Rose will begin a nationally syndicated radio sports talk show Monday and is looking for a Los Angeles outlet. . . .

The $1-million Santa Anita Handicap Saturday is an important leg of the nine-race, $7.7-million American Championship Racing Series. Last year’s 1-2 finishers in the Big ‘Cap, Farma Way and Festin, wound up 1-2 in the Series. . . .

Most underrated power hitter in the National League is San Diego Padre first baseman Fred McGriff. . . .

Thumbs up to the Dodgers for signing nice guy Darrell Evans as batting instructor for their San Antonio farm club. He knows a thing or two about power hitting. . . .

If you want to be prepared for your rotisserie league draft, buy the Elias Baseball Analyst. . . .

Few people ever loved numbers more than Allan Roth, the former Dodger statistician who died Tuesday at 74. . . .

I don’t know who are more spoiled: USC football fans or UCLA basketball fans.