Notes on a Scorecard - Dec. 31, 1992

The phone kept ringing Wednesday morning. Most of the calls were from USC alumni. The subject was not the women’s basketball victory over Pepperdine on Tuesday night. . . .

“What does Pat Haden have to say about this?” a caller asked about the Trojans’ humiliating 24-7 defeat to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl. . . .

Haden is head of the committee searching for a new USC athletic director, who probably is going to have to make a decision on the future of Coach Larry Smith. . . .

“I just heard the score this morning,” Haden said from Jacksonville, Fla., where he will be the analyst on the Gator Bowl telecast tonight. “It was very disappointing. But I’m not going to comment on the football situation. Our job is to present some candidates for the athletic director’s job to Dr. (Steven) Sample. We hope to by Jan. 15.” . . .

If the university is willing to buy out the two years remaining on Smith’s contract and a change is made, the best guess is that John Robinson will return as coach. . . .

Robinson compiled a 67-14-2 record at USC from 1976-82 and is available. . . .

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this year’s young team was its lack of improvement. . . .

During their last five games, the Trojans played well consistently only against Arizona. . . .

Now that six college football bowl and all-star games have been played, it means there are only 17 more to go. . . .

The San Francisco 49ers are the logical choice to win the Super Bowl, primarily because of their depth at quarterback and playoff experience. . . .

Some teams will enter the playoffs without a reliable, healthy quarterback. The 49ers have three. . . .

Thumbs down on Dallas Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson for releasing Curvin Richards after he fumbled twice during the last game of the regular season. . . .

Most predictable firing of the year was that of Ray Handley by the New York Giants. . . .

Among those mentioned as successor to Handley is Dallas defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, who was an assistant at USC from 1983-85. . . .

ESPN is plugging its UC Santa Barbara vs. Alabama Birmingham telecast Monday night as the debut of the “biggest announcer in basketball.” It will be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. . . .

Oscar De La Hoya won’t be the only prospect fighting on the card Sunday night at the Hollywood Palladium. Scheduled six-rounders will showcase 19-year-old Samoan heavyweight Sampson Pouha, a 235-pounder with a big punch, and U.S. Olympic Games super-heavyweight Larry Donald, who will be making his pro debut. . . .

If Rudy Zavala of Costa Mesa defeats Jerome Coffee in the main event, he will get a World Boxing Council super-bantamweight title shot against Tracy Patterson on ABC. . . .

Among those who failed to win gold medals in the 1984 Olympic Games were future professional world champions Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Jeff Fenech, and John-John Molina. . . .

Corporate sponsorships for the 1984 Los Angeles Games were sold for $4 million each. “Top Tier” sponsorships for the 1996 Atlanta Games are being offered for $40 million each. . . .

How can anybody, even the Dallas Mavericks, lose to the Sacramento Kings by 58 points? Of course, the same night the Kings almost lost by 58 goals to the Philadelphia Flyers. . . .

If an award were given to the racehorse of the year--thoroughbred, harness, or quarter--it would have go to pacer Artsplace. He won all 16 of his races, set a record for the mile, and became the second pacer to reach career earnings of $3 million. . . .

Don Monkman, the second leading trainer-driver in Canada, has informed the California Harness Racing Assn.’s Fred Kuebler that he will send a stable of 21 horses to the Jan. 22-April 14 meeting at Los Alamitos. . . .

Gary Stevens says Likeable Style, who won her first race last week at Santa Anita, is the best filly he has ridden since 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. . . .

The Toronto Blue Jays have broken up much of their World Series championship team by losing Dave Winfield, Candy Maldonado, Manny Lee, Jimmy Key, Kelly Gruber and Tom Henke, but a strong farm system should help to keep them winning. . . .

The Angels or Dodgers could do worse than giving a spring training tryout to Ellis Burks, the outfielder who was cut by the Boston Red Sox. . . .

Longtime members of baseball’s disabled list might like to know that Chicago Blackhawk winger Jocelyn Lemieux expects to play today despite 120 stitches sewn into his lower lip after getting hit by a stick Tuesday.