Notes on a Scorecard - May 17, 1994

Let me be the first to suggest the following candidates to fill the latest Clipper coaching vacancy:

Madonna, who relates well to NBA players. . . .

George Raveling, who has a 50-7 record at the Sports Arena since March of 1990. . . .

Gene Shue, who could prove that the third time around is the charm. . . .

Bill Bertka, who had the best won-lost record of any L.A. pro basketball coach last season. . . .

Randy Pfund, who had the second-best record. . . .

Bill Walton, who knows every player’s weaknesses. . . .

Ron Harper, who would keep the inmates in the Sports Arena prison in line. . . .

Quinn Buckner, who needs a new challenge. . . .

Nick Nolte, who is the only coach ever to get Shaquille O’Neal to win a big game. . . .

Jerry Tarkanian, who is eager to see if he can win with less talent than he had at Nevada Las Vegas. . . .

Randy Woods, who needs something to occupy his time on Clipper game nights. . . .

Matt Guokas, who is the designated former coach-future coach at NBC. . . .

Billy Crystal, who is a good friend of Larry Brown. . . .

Larry Brown, who has been at Indiana far too long. . . .

The lucky winner will be welcomed with open arms by owner Donald Sterling, who said of Bob Weiss in the 1993-94 Clipper media guide: “Our long-term commitment to him can only bring success.”

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Anyone who believes Chicago Bull Coach Phil Jackson should have suspended Scottie Pippen for the rest of the New York Knick series after Game 3 is way off the mark. Why penalize the rest of the team, which would have had no chance to beat the Knicks without Pippen, because of the stupidity of one player?. . . .

A rising star in the NBA is Denver Nugget forward LaPhonso Ellis, who is doing an outstanding job against Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz. . . .

The shortage of quality pitching is illustrated by the fact that three of the top five selections in last June’s amateur draft are pitching in the major leagues. . . .

No. 2 choice Darren Dreifort of Wichita State is with the Dodgers, No. 3 choice Brian Anderson of Wright State with the Angels, and No. 5 choice Jeff Granger of Texas A&M; with the Kansas City Royals. . . .

Star of the 1992 draft class could turn out to be Paul Shuey, the Cleveland Indians’ closer from the University of North Carolina who struck out four in an inning last week. . . . At the opposite extreme, there is also room now for older pitchers such as Goose Gossage, 42, of the Seattle Mariners. . . .

As if Greater Gotham doesn’t have enough teams in the hockey and basketball playoffs, the Yankees have swept five series and are 26-10 for the first time since 1958. . . .

“I don’t think you can play better than we are,” former Angel outfielder Luis Polonia said after the Yankees’ 10th consecutive victory. . . .

When Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 1,930th consecutive game Saturday, it put him 200 games away from Lou Gehrig’s record. . . .

Toronto General Manager Pat Gillick is going to have to make even better moves than usual to bring the Blue Jays into playoff contention. . . .

Derek Stingley, son of paralyzed former wide receiver Darryl Stingley, is an outfielder in the Philadelphia Phillies’ chain. . . .

Another Brian Hunter will be in the majors soon. This one is a highly regarded outfielder playing for the Houston Astros’ Tucson farm club in the Pacific Coast League. . . .

The crazy thing is that George Foreman would have a chance against Michael Moorer and his brittle chin. . . .

Foreman is also an actor, but HBO will not cast him in the lead role of its Mike Tyson movie. A heavyweight named Coley Wallace portrayed Joe Louis on the big screen. . . .

I’ll have a rooting interest in the next golf tournament in which Paul Azinger plays. . . .

A performance of the play “Coaches” Saturday night at the Freud Theatre at UCLA will benefit the California Special Olympics. . . .

Ottawa Senator executive John Ferguson calls 18-year-old Russian defenseman Oleg Tverbvosky, who will be eligible for this year’s draft, the next Bobby Orr. . . .

One-word description of the New Jersey Devils: pesky. . . . One year ago tonight, the Kings lost to the Maple Leafs at Toronto in the opening game of their Campbell Conference championship series, 4-1.