Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 8, 1994

The Coliseum scoreboard, which didn’t work in the first half of the USC-Washington game Saturday and sputtered in the second half, better be prepared for the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. . . .

So many points were scored in the NFL the opening week that you would swear the balls were manufactured in Costa Rica. . . .

Rick Mirer last season became the third rookie quarterback since the NFC-AFC merger in 1970 to start each of his team’s games. . . .

The others were Jim Plunkett of the New England Patriots in 1971 and Joe Ferguson of the Buffalo Bills in 1973. . . .

In fact, Mirer sat out only 28 of the Seahawks’ 1,019 offensive plays. . . .

The Raiders, who used to have a losing record against Seattle, have won the last eight games in the series. . . .

There is a possibility that the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, if they overcome the Joe Montana crusade Sunday in Kansas City, both will be unbeaten when they meet Nov. 13 at Candlestick Park. . . .

The NFC East apparently isn’t nearly what it used to be, and that should help the Cowboys’ chances. . . .

Look-alikes: Dan Marino and actor David Hasselhoff. . . .

An NFL news release lists Buddy Ryan’s hobbies as none. . . .

Barry Switzer says the Rams were his favorite team when he was a kid. . . .

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You can scout Nebraska, which plays UCLA a week from Saturday in Lincoln, on ESPN tonight when the top-ranked Cornhuskers play Texas Tech. . . .

Among the recruits who watched the Bruins beat Tennessee at the Rose Bowl was Chris McAlister, a quarterback-defensive back at Pasadena High whose father is former Bruin running back James McAlister. . . .

Three of the last four games between Notre Dame and Michigan at South Bend, where they play Saturday, have been decided by a total of seven points and the other was a tie. . . .

USC will have to take a two-hour bus ride to State College, Pa., late tonight after landing in Harrisburg for Saturday’s game against Penn State. . . .

It seems that the Trojans’ chartered plane is too large to land at the small airport in the college town. . . .

The USC basketball team was 6-3 on its recent Asian tour. Guard Stais Boseman showed marked improvement, but he won’t be eligible to play during the fall semester. . . .

New Trojan track Coach Ron Allice would love to sign Venuste Niyandgabo, a 20-year-old miler from Burundi who was the find of the international track and field season. . . .

At least 16 NBA players will compete in various events to determine which is the best all-around athlete Sunday in the fourth annual Battle of the Basketball Stars charity event at Pauley Pavilion. . . .

A car parked outside the hotel where a boxing press conference was being held Wednesday had the vanity license plate, GOLD BOY. . . .

It didn’t belong to Oscar De La Hoya, but, rather, the original Golden Boy of Southland boxing, Art Aragon. . . .

Aragon was born and raised in Albuquerque, N.M., hometown of Danny Romero, the exciting flyweight who fights Manuel Jesus Herrera Friday night at the Grand Olympic. . . .

Someone mentioned that Aragon used to get booed every time he was introduced, but that nobody actually hated him. . . .

“Nobody except my four ex-wives,” Aragon said. . . .

Promoter Bob Arum believes Romero can do for the flyweight division what Michael Carbajal has done for the light-flyweight. . . .

Unbeaten Pomona lightweight Shane Mosley, who also appears on Friday’s card, celebrated his 23rd birthday Wednesday. He hopes to get a title fight before he turns 24. . . .

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Negotiations for a third Carbajal-Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez bout apparently are moving very slowly. . . .

Gonzalez will stay busy Saturday by defending his World Boxing Council title against Juan Domingo Cordoba of Argentina at Caesars Tahoe. The dynamic duo of Rich Marotta and Doug Krikorian will be mike-side on Channel 9. . . .

Mike Tyson has never a lost a decision in a professional fight, but he sure keeps losing them in courtrooms. . . .

You realize NHL salaries are skyrocketing when Pat LaFontaine, who is coming off knee surgery, signs a $22.5-million, five-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. . . .

Andre Agassi and Michael Chang will be rematched in an exhibition Sept. 22 at the Forum. . . .

License plate bracket spotted downtown: “Chicago Cubs, 1908 World Champs.” . . .

Prediction: The baseball strike will be settled by Sunday.