Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 25, 1994

Do I have any sympathy for Bruce McNall, who seemed like such a nice guy? . . .

Heck no. . . .

McNall charmed people into losing millions of dollars. . . .

This is the best week of the NFL exhibition season--the last week. . . .

Two exhibition games, not four or five, would be about right. In contrast, a lot of college teams open the season with a conference game. . . .

Denver quarterback John Elway summed it up well when asked why he won’t play tonight against Arizona: “This game means absolutely nothing.” . . .

The most important thing for teams this week is to stay away from injuries. . . .

No NFL player will be shadowed closer than Darryl Henley this season. . . .

Consistency is the San Francisco 49ers reaching double digits in victories 11 consecutive years. . . .

Does Jerry Markbreit referee every other game on TV or does it just seem that way? . . .

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Larry King came dressed for the occasion Tuesday when he interviewed Donald Fehr and Richard Ravitch on CNN. Old-time ballplayers were depicted on King’s suspenders. . . .

I still wish the Clippers would make a trade with Miami for Harold Miner, who would bring some excitement to the Sports Arena. . . .

An Oscar De La Hoya-Genaro Hernandez nontitle bout is a possibility for early next year. . . .

The question is whether Meldrick Taylor has anything left, but he reportedly is in terrific physical condition for his rematch against Julio Cesar Chavez Sept. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden. . . .

Don Chargin reports that his unbeaten Yory Boy Campas, who has 51 knockouts in 56 bouts and challenges Felix Trinidad for the International Boxing Federation welterweight title on the Chavez-Taylor card, has joined the growing list of fighters training at high altitude in Big Bear. . . .

Bob Arum, who is staging a personal campaign to keep boxing alive, will promote nine shows the next 30 days beginning Saturday night at the Grand Olympic. Three will be in L.A., two in Atlantic City and others in Las Vegas, Bushkill, Pa.; Upper Marlboro, Md., and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. . . .

On Zachary Padilla Day in Azusa on Saturday, a city street will be named in honor of one of boxing’s most exciting and hardest-working performers and he will be presented a plaque at a dinner at the Manresa Retreat. . . .

One of the finest prospects in any division is Lou Duva’s unbeaten middleweight, Raul Marquez, who has scored eight first-round knockouts in 16 fights. The southpaw from Houston knocked out Alex Rios with a powerful right hook Tuesday on the USA network. . . .

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UCLA coaches believe the most underrated player on the team is 6-foot-8, 315-pound left tackle Jonathan Ogden, whose most important responsibility is to protect quarterback Wayne Cook from blindside hits. . . .

Ogden, a junior who finished fourth in the NCAA indoor shotput competition, is a preseason All-Pacific 10 Conference choice, but the Bruins think he deserves All-American billing. . . .

Among UCLA’s most talented true freshmen is cornerback Javelin Guidry, younger brother of starting safety Paul Guidry. . . .

I just hope Javelin doesn’t get called for any spearing penalties. . . .

Fresno State beating Ohio State in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic at Anaheim Stadium Monday night would surprise me more than the Bulldogs did when they upset USC two years ago in the same stadium. . . .

That was USC’s last game of the season, an anti-climatic bowl game. This will be Ohio State’s first game of the season. The Buckeyes will be psyched up. . . .

Besides, Fresno State no longer has Trent Dilfer. . . .

The more the USC coaches see Delon Washington, the true freshman tailback from Dallas, the more they like him. . . .

Plans call for a state-of-the-art press box to be built at the Coliseum in time for the 1995 season. This year, the broadcasting booths will be moved to the first floor and the writers sent to a temporary facility that will occupy the last nine rows directly east of the box that was damaged by the Northridge earthquake. . . .

USC offensive guard Phalen Pounds weighs 310 pounds.