Notes on a Scorecard - April 22, 1993

I’ve got a sure-fire way to take the blues out of spring football practice and remove some of the red ink from university athletic departments. . . .

Why not play an annual spring exhibition game with a natural rival? . . .

Put UCLA and USC in the Rose Bowl the first Saturday afternoon in May and at least 50,000 fans would show up at $20 a pop. . . .

“It might be fun,” said Coach Terry Donahue, who will send his Bruins into the 10th of 15 days of spring practice today at at Spaulding Field. “Sometimes, when you don’t have a game, things get a little boring.” . . .

“Certainly it would give you a great idea of how you stacked up for the fall,” Donahue said. “You have a hard time evaluating your team in the spring because you’re playing yourself. If you can’t move the ball, is it because you have a good defense or a lousy offense?” . . .

That question and others won’t be answered until Sept. 4, when the Bruins open against Pacific 10 Conference rival California at the Rose Bowl. . . .

And it probably won’t be until the week of the game that the starting quarterback is selected from among Wayne Cook, Rob Walker and Ryan Fien. . . .

“There will be open competition at that position,” Donahue said. “When Wayne comes back in good shape and can really compete, he will be a major factor. But whether he will start is uncertain.” . . .

Donahue, 131-59-8 during his 17 years at UCLA, is confident the Bruins will improve upon their 6-5 record last season and likes the progress he has seen during the spring. He is philosophical about the off-the-field problems that have brought the program unwanted publicity. . . .

“A football team is nothing more than an extension of society,” he said in the wake of the second arrests of linebacker Jamir Miller and nose guard Bruce Walker. “All the problems and difficulties that plague society plague an athletic team.” . . .

KMPC sports talk show host Jack Snow was in the ESPN booth with announcers Steve Physioc and Dave Campbell on Tuesday night at Anaheim Stadium when J.T. Snow came to bat against the Cleveland Indians with two Angels on base in the seventh inning. . . .

J.T. hit a home run. . . .

“Way to go, boy,” Jack said. “This is awesome.” . . .

Another proud papa these days is Bobby Bonds, who has had a close-up view of son Barry’s exploits from the San Francisco Giants’ first-base coaching box. . . .

*

Every time I see Oriole Park at Camden Yards on TV, I want to take the next flight to Baltimore. . . .

Add the Florida Marlins to the worst-dressed list. . . .

The UCLA-Cal game at the Rose Bowl and the USC-Houston game at the Coliseum both are scheduled for Sept. 4, but probably will start several hours apart to fit television programming. . . .

Lorenzo Orr of USC and Ed O’Bannon and Tyus Edney of UCLA have been invited to try out for the U.S. basketball team in the World University Games. . . .

More than 1,200 athletes will compete in nine sports in the Tri-Valley Special Olympic Games on Saturday at Glendale High. . . .

Alex Garcia, who stopped Eric Curry in the 12th round Tuesday night in Las Vegas, might not be the most skilled heavyweight, but he is one of the few who gets himself into terrific condition for every fight. . . .

Boxing announcers who never stop talking should listen to tapes of the master, Don Dunphy. . . .

World Boxing Assn. lightweight champion Tony Lopez is being guaranteed $500,000 to defend his title in a rematch with Dingaan Thobela in Sun City, South Africa, that will be co-promoted by Don Chargin and former WBA heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee in June. . . .

Promoter Don King will receive a $4-million site fee for the Julio Cesar Chavez-Pernell Whitaker match Sept. 10 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. . . .

*

An upset possibility in the $400,000 Californian on Saturday at Hollywood Park is Have Fun, trained by Bobby Frankel. . . .

The California Harness Racing Assn. meeting at Los Alamitos, where there are only 17 minutes between races, is up $257,000 per night in handle. . . .

A week before dropping out of the women’s tournament in Barcelona because of a virus, Monica Seles told the New

York Times that she was

fit and ready to play

again. . . .

Three-fifths of the AFC West--the Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks--probably will have new starting quarterbacks next season. . . .

During four seasons at Duke, Christian Laettner’s teams lost 26 games. During less than one season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, his team has lost 61. . . .

Tyrone (Muggsy) Bogues, the Charlotte Hornets’ 5-foot-3 guard, is averaging 3.7 rebounds. James Worthy, the Lakers’ 6-9 forward, is averaging 3.1. . . .

The Raiders should draft the best available player Sunday and the Rams the best available running back.