Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 23, 1993

All those field goals on Sundays and Mondays are boring me. If I wanted to see a kicking exhibition, I would watch a soccer game. . . .

Maybe the widely known motivator Buddy Ryan can light a fire under Jim Everett. . . .

College game of the week: Miami at Colorado. . . .

Most unlikely battle of unbeatens: Wisconsin at Indiana. . . .

USC will play a rare Coliseum night game against Washington State on Saturday at 7, out of respect for Yom Kippur. . . .

John Robinson on Trojan wide receiver Johnnie Morton: “He’s the best pass catcher I’ve ever been around. Pete Holohan could make a catch almost anywhere and Morton can, too. Johnny McKay could catch almost any ball, but he didn’t have the athletic ability that Johnnie does.” . . .

The Orange County Notre Dame Club is selling T-shirts saying, “The Decade of Dominance,” in recognition of the Irish’s 10 consecutive victories over USC. . . .

The question at Palo Alto on Saturday will be whether UCLA’s improving defense can contain a Bill Walsh-designed offense. . . .

Former Southland prep star quarterback Perry Klein is finding Division II football to his liking after transferring from California. He has passed for 778 yards and seven touchdowns in two games for C.W. Post in Brookville, N.Y. . . .

For the record: San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk is a junior. . . .

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My choice for National League most valuable player remains Barry Bonds. Without Bonds’ hitting and fielding, the San Francisco Giants wouldn’t be in the West Division title race. In the American League, make it Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas over Toronto Blue Jay first baseman John Olerud. . . .

Too often, Jim Abbott finds a way to lose. . . .

Hall of Fame shortstop Rabbit Maranville had a career batting average of .258--15 points lower than Phil Rizzuto, who is still shut out of Cooperstown. . . .

Bob Tewksbury on the possibility of leaving the St. Louis Cardinals: “Their M.O., so to speak, has been to not pay people.” . . .

Davey Lopes has been hired to manage the Tucson Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. . . . Three members of the 3,000-hit club--Dave Winfield, George Brett and Robin Yount--are active for the first time since 1979, when Pete Rose, Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski were playing. . . .

One of the best pitching prospects in Southern California is Jaret Wright of Anaheim Katella High. Unlike his father, Clyde, who pitched a no-hitter for the Angels in 1970, Jaret is a right-hander. . . .

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General Manager Elgin Baylor has sent a form letter to Clipper season ticket-holders, offering them refunds on all unused tickets if they are not “fully satisfied” after the opening game against Portland Nov. 5 at the Sports Arena. . . .

Thumbs up to the wealthy American and European golfers for getting so excited about the Ryder Cup, even though they are paid only $5,000 plus expense money. . . .

There could be a lot of bigger names in the semifinals of the Infiniti Champions senior tennis tournament than there were at the U.S. Open. The four seeded players for the event Sept. 29-Oct. 3 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks are Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas and Vitas Gerulaitis. . . .

Toast of the town: Pernell Whitaker’s popularity has increased tenfold since his disputed draw with Julio Cesar Chavez. The welterweight champion is making several radio and TV appearances this week in L.A. and will conduct a news conference Friday. . . .

A young heavyweight to watch is Garrard Jones, 21, of Detroit. He is 6 feet 1, 205 pounds and growing, has a 12-0-1 record and is trained by Eddie Futch and managed by Rock Newman. His next bout will be a six-rounder on the Gerrie Coetzee-West Turner card Oct. 1 at Sacramento. . . . Jones’ stablemate, Riddick Bowe, will be ringside to scout Coetzee as a possible future opponent. . . .

News item: Don King proposes that fight judges’ scorecards be revealed to the crowd after each round. Reaction: Great. Now we can have 12 riots a night instead of one.