Notes on a Scorecard - April 8, 1992

The difference between the two sports today is that basketball is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the NHL is mourning its 75th anniversary. . . .

The Duke-Michigan championship game might have been routine, but the earlier buzzer beaters by Duke’s Christian Laettner and Georgia Tech’s James Forrest and the run of the Fab Five made this another memorable NCAA tournament. . . .

Duke became the first team since North Carolina in 1982 to win the national poll and tournament championships. . . .

Thumbs up to CBS television for picking up a segment of the last radio broadcast by retiring University of Kentucky announcer Cawood Ledford on Monday. . . .

Coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Steve Fisher also showed class by clearing their benches in the final moments and allowing seldom-used reserves to say they played in an NCAA title game. . . .

Grant Hill, son of former NFL star Calvin Hill, isn’t the only Duke player named Hill who is an outstanding second-generation athlete. Thomas Hill’s father is Oklahoma’s associate athletic director, also Thomas Hill, the bronze medal winner in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1972 Olympic Games at Munich. . . .

Domes rob Final Fours of some of their charm. . . .

CBS showed USC mercy by not replaying Forrest’s shot during the sign-off highlight segment. . . .

I prefer the lively Brent Musburger to the bland Jim Nantz. . . .

The 1994 NCAA West Regional will be played at the Sports Arena. . . .

Sports Arena management, the L.A. Sports Council, USC and UCLA deserve high marks for their staging of the women’s Final Four. . . .

David Apolskis, a junior offensive lineman at USC, is participating in non-contact drills during spring practice and should play this year after sitting out last season because of testicular cancer. . . .

The 12th annual “Swim With Mike” Saturday at the USC swim stadium is expected to raise more than $100,000 for the university’s Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund. . . .

Among those benefiting from the fund is Arthur Hemingway Jr., 31, who was a highly regarded freshman fullback prospect in 1978 when he was paralyzed after being hit by an automobile. Hemingway has returned to USC, where he is majoring in political science and minoring in cinema. . . .

Full Nelson: Three Nelsons--Craig T., Gunnar and Matthew--will compete in the Toyota Pro-Celebrity race Saturday at Long Beach. . . .

The absence of Rob Dibble already is affecting the Cincinnati Reds, who might have used him to relieve struggling Jose Rijo in the ninth inning of a 3-3 tie that turned into a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on opening day. . . .

That huge salary reliever John Franco is drawing from the New York Mets will not be earned without some sweat. Remember, new Met Manager Jeff Torborg was with the Chicago White Sox when Bobby Thigpen saved a record 57 games two years ago. . . .

With two swings on opening night, Bobby Bonilla of the Mets equaled one-ninth of his 1991 home run total with the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . .

“To win the Kentucky Derby, Arazi will have to be another Secretariat,” says Wayne Lukas. Well, Arazi, like Secretariat was, is a chestnut with a blaze and three white stockings. . . .

Jockey Alex Solis and trainer John Sadler have combined for 11 victories in 19 races at Santa Anita this meeting. . . .

Look-alikes: Cincinnati Coach Bob Huggins and Ray Knight. . . .

Who says defense wins games in the NBA? The Golden State Warriors, who have the fourth-best record in the league, are scoring the most points--and allowing the most. . . .

When the Bulls and Blackhawks move from Chicago Stadium to a new arena in 1994, they should take the old organ with them. . . .

The George Foreman-Alex Stewart fight Saturday night will be the first at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas since the one between UNLV and Utah State during the 1989-90 basketball season. . . .

Foreman on Mike Tyson: “America is the home of the second chance. After he comes out, he’ll get his.” . . .

Gorging George said he will weigh 263 for the Stewart fight “if I can stay out of the buffet line.” . . .

“This is my last year in boxing unless I win the title again,” Foreman said. “If that happens, I’ll retire at 65.”