Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 3, 1993

The scary thing about the Dallas Cowboys is that nobody in the NFC, let alone the AFC, seems to be in the same class with them. . . .

What makes the Cowboys such a good bet to repeat as Super Bowl champions is that they have arguably the best quarterback, Troy Aikman, and not-so-arguably the best running back, Emmitt Smith, in football. . . .

I can’t recall the NFL ever having more mediocre teams. . . .

Can hardly wait to see the Carolina Panthers. . . .

The Panthers and the other expansion team might be allowed to pick two players on each round of the 1995 draft. . . .

The Raiders should have traded a wide receiver to the Chargers for a running back. . . .

Sunday at Soldier Field, the Raiders will be facing a Chicago Bear offense that hasn’t scored a touchdown in 10 quarters. . . .

I hope UCLA isn’t caught looking past Washington State Saturday and ahead to Notre Dame on Oct. 21, 2006. . . .

The first Coliseum football crowd of more than 50,000 this season is expected for the USC-Stanford game Saturday. . . .

John Robinson is 2-0 against Bill Walsh in the Pac-10 and Walsh 8-4 over Robinson in the NFL. . . .

Stanford’s leading tackler is linebacker Coy Gibbs, son of Joe. . . .

The Trojans lost to North Carolina in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic at Anaheim Stadium, but got $713,000 for their troubles. . . .

Florida State would be unwise to risk further injury to Charlie Ward against Maryland in the Seminoles’ final tuneup for Notre Dame. . . .

Most improved football analyst on TV is probably ESPN’s Mike Gottfried, the former Pittsburgh and Kansas coach who has become more comfortable and candid. . . .

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The Seattle SuperSonics, already an NBA title contender, will be even tougher with Detlef Schrempf. . . .

The Clippers will be honored by the Chamber of Commerce and the L.A. Sports Council at a luncheon today at noon at the Biltmore. . . .

A Clipper weakness figured to be the bench, but not so anymore with the drafting of Terry Dehere, acquisitions of Mark Aguirre and Tom Tolbert, and re-signing of Gary Grant. . . .

The annual UCLA basketball fan appreciation day will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. Both men and women will participate. Jim Harrick’s team will scrimmage for 20 minutes and have a dunk contest. Admission is free. . . .

If you’re looking for horses bred to like Santa Anita on Breeders’ Cup day, consider that the fathers of Bien Bien in the Turf (Manila), Bertrando in the Classic (Skywalker), Bigstone in the Mile (Last Tycoon), and Ferrara in the Juvenile (Capote) all won Cup races here in 1986. . . .

One of the supporting races Saturday, the $100,000 Smile, has attracted 1991 Kentucky Derby runner-up Casual Lies. . . .

Winner of the first Breeders’ Cup race was Chief’s Crown, ridden by the late Don MacBeth in the Juvenile at Hollywood Park in 1984. . . .

Rated seventh among NHL draft prospects by at least one scout is Brett Lindros, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right winger on the Canadian Olympic team who is a brother of Eric. . . .

Dwight Stones, who will turn 40 on Dec. 6, is back in training in Irvine and plans to go after the masters’ world record of 6-9 in 1994. He also will compete in the open class at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden. . . .

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Trainer Lou Duva, who was fired by Evander Holyfield, still gives the former heavyweight champion a shot to reverse the decision against Riddick Bowe Saturday night at Caesars Palace. “With all the upsets in the heavyweight division lately, how can the prognosticators not give him a chance?”. . . .

The salaries of Tony Gwynn and Andy Benes were higher than the total of the rest of the San Diego Padres’ closing-day roster. . . .

News item: Dodgers lose series to Taiwanese professional all-star team, two games to one, in Taipei. Reaction: There is the answer to the question about whatever happened to all those Taiwanese Little League championship players. . . .

According to sports historian Rick Obrand, Fremont High has had more alumni play in the major leagues, 24, than any other high school in the nation. Second is Long Beach Poly with 22. . . .

This week’s headline: “Holtz Fears Bye.”