Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 11, 1993

Nobody on the Dallas Cowboy defense was good enough to be voted into the Pro Bowl, but a whole bunch might be good enough to play in the Super Bowl. . . .

Hindsight says that it wouldn’t have taken a rocket scientist to pick a team with Dan Marino at quarterback over one with Stan Humphries in a playoff game. . . .

It is difficult to believe that the Miami Dolphins, led by Marino in the prime of his career, failed to reach the playoffs from 1986 through 1989. . . .

The Chargers should not have to apologize about a season during which they won 12 games, only one fewer than the two other Southern California NFL teams combined. . . .

How lopsided were the playoff games Sunday? Even before halftime, the announcers saw fit to remind us about what happened in the second half last week at Buffalo. . . .

The mud at Candlestick Park made the San Francisco 49er-Washington Redskin game closer than it should have been, and the rain at Joe Robbie Stadium made the Dolphin-Charger game less competitive. . . .

Those amazing Bills have come from behind to win two consecutive weeks. In case you forgot, they trailed the Pittsburgh Steelers, 3-0, in the first quarter. . . .

Both Super Bowl XXVII franchises will be well-acquainted with the event. This would be the sixth appearance for Dallas, the sixth for Miami, the fifth for San Francisco and the third in a row for Buffalo. . . .

The Chargers are one of nine teams that never have reached the Super Bowl. . . .

Among the reasons for the ease of the Dolphins’ victory was the punting of Reggie Roby. . . .

Does Cowboy tight end Jay Novacek ever drop a pass? . . .

The theme of the Dallas-Philadelphia telecast was, “These teams don’t like each other.” I would certainly hope not. . . .

Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson is 0-2 against San Francisco but hasn’t faced the 49ers since the bad old days of 1990. . . .

Look-alikes: Bobby Ross and Knute Rockne. . . .

It is no longer simply “Hi, Mom,” every time a player gets a close-up on the sidelines. Even a bright veteran, such as Dolphin tight end Keith Jackson, went into a monologue after one of his touchdown catches. . . .

Only two of the last eight NFC championship games have been decided by fewer than 17 points. . . .

Raider fans must have been delighted to hear Al Davis insist on CBS that he has been an advocate of free agency in the NFL all along, and that he has been “inundated” with calls from potential free agents who want to join his team. . . .

The Coliseum might be a relic, but it has a grass field, something that should appeal to free agents who have risked knee injuries on artificial surfaces. . . .

Mike Ditka was more opinionated on the Chicago Bears’ sidelines this season than he was in the NBC studio Sunday. . . .

Anyone who remembers those oh-so-wild-and-crazy offenses Bo Schembechler had at Michigan laughs when he is mentioned as a candidate for the Bears’ job. Of course, so far, he has been mentioned only by himself. . . .

Most candidates for football coaching jobs who have “removed themselves from consideration” actually have been rejected. . . .

So much for those foolish enough to think that Duke, with its tough ACC basketball schedule, could go unbeaten. . . .

The Pacific 10 race is supposed to be wide open, but Arizona, which swept UCLA and USC, now must be given a chance to go wire-to-wire. . . .

If he continues to play as he did against the Bruins and Trojans, Wildcat forward Chris Mills will give the conference another All-American candidate. . . .

Viewers who kept switching channels from the football games Saturday know that college basketball announcers are up to their old trick of not giving the score after a lot of baskets, even when it isn’t flashed on the screen. . . .

Why is it that so many college kids can make three-point shots, but not free throws? . . .

The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic is being moved from Pittsburgh to Detroit and renamed Magic Johnson’s Roundball Classic. . . .

A surprising statistic is that Reggie Jackson played as many years, five, for the Angels as he did for the Yankees. . . .

Weekly, updated Super Bowl tournament predictions: Sunday--Miami over Buffalo, San Francisco over Dallas. Jan. 31--San Francisco over Miami.