Notes on a Scorecard - June 23, 1994

The summer game--basketball--and our new national sport--soccer--made for some wonderful television Wednesday. . . .

How bizarre, Houston winning a championship and the United States a World Cup game on the same day. . . .

Hakeem Olajuwon is to the Rockets what John Elway is to the Denver Broncos, the difference being that Olajuwon soon will be fitted for a championship ring. . . .

Pat Riley--who joined another former Laker coach, Fred Schaus, as a four-time NBA finals loser--really had no other option than to stick with John Starks and hope that he would regain his shooting touch. . . .

My NBA title choice for next season is Chicago, led by Michael Jordan. . . .

Draped in the American flag, Tony Meola reminded me of another goaltender named Jim Craig. . . .

The most spectacular play of the game at Pasadena was not a goal, but Marcelo Balboa’s near-miss bicycle kick in the second half. . . .

Switzerland’s upset win earlier in the day over Romania, which had beaten Colombia, must have been a huge boost to the Americans’ confidence. . . .

Can there be a better setting for football of any type than the Rose Bowl? . . .

Most surprising soccer statistic: Brazil and Germany have never met in a World Cup game. . . .

Astute comment by an ESPN announcer on the theatrics of German star Juergen Klinsmann: “It looks like he’s been hit by a bomb, doesn’t it?” . . .

Never have so many stretcher cases recovered so quickly. . . .

*

If I’m the manager, I issue Tony Gwynn an intentional walk even if he does represent the winning run with a man on third, one out, and the Dodgers leading the Padres, 3-2, in the 13th inning Tuesday night at San Diego. . . .

Ismael Valdes, the rookie relief pitcher just called up by the Dodgers, has a strong presence on the mound. . . .

How is Darryl Strawberry, who never has been considered a great outfielder, going to cope with the winds at Candlestick Park? . . .

So young San Francisco Giant right-hander Salomon Torres says he can’t pitch at this level. Don’t worry, Salomon. Neither can a lot of other National League pitchers. . . .

I can think of teams who needed Ron Gant more than the Cincinnati Reds. . . .

How can the Kings even consider not re-signing Rob Blake, who becomes eligible for free agency July 1? Who knows what you’re going to get as compensation. Blake is the team’s best defenseman and he’s only 24. . . .

Sorry, Sam McMaster, but the addition of Bob Probert wouldn’t make up for the loss of Blake. . . .

Jerry West and Mitch Kupchak have new titles with the Lakers, but their job descriptions sound a lot like their old ones. . . .

Kupchak, the general manager, is one of the most respected young executives in the NBA--and West, the vice president in charge of basketball operations, one of the most respected older ones. . . .

The Clippers could do worse than to hire Rick Adelman, the former Portland Trail Blazer coach who played at Pius X High in Downey and Loyola Marymount. . . .

If Jerry Ball really has trimmed down to 300 pounds, he could give the Raiders some quality depth in the defensive line. . . .

UCLA Coach Bob Larsen believes he could have the next great American miler in Mebrahtom Keflezighi, who won the national scholastic mile in 4:05. Well, maybe the next great 1,500-meter runner. The mile is rarely run anymore and the Bruin school record remains Bob Day’s 3:56.4 in 1964. . . .

Major sporting events in the L.A. area contributed approximately $2 billion to the local economy in 1993, according to a study conducted by a team of students from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. . . .

The three headliners on the Forum boxing card Friday night--bantamweight Marco Antonio Barrera, welterweight Jose (Shibata) Flores and featherweight Chico Castillo--are a combined 67-1 with 43 knockouts. . . .

Jeremy Williams’ chin will be tested at the Grand Olympic Friday by Bert Cooper, who appears to be in good shape. Cooper knocked Michael Moorer down twice and nearly put away Evander Holyfield, but there is always the question of his conditioning. . . .

A win over Vinny Pazienza Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas would do wonders for the drawing power of Roberto Duran, who needs the money despite all the millions of dollars he has made during a career that has spanned 28 years. . . .

News item: NBA rejects sale of Minnesota Timberwolves to group that includes boxing promoter Bob Arum. Reaction: With all the fighting in the league, Arum would have been a natural.