Rule Makes It Through Bertka Process

One of the proposed NBA rule changes, which are being voted on today and Thursday at the Board of Governors’ meeting in New York, is that illegal screens will be called more closely by officials.

That’s a rule Laker assistant coach Bill Bertka has been lobbying for, completely unofficially, since 1971 when he was on Bill Sharman’s staff. On numerous occasions every game, Bertka yells, “Moving pick!” to the officials as he sits on the bench.

He is unsure how many times he has shouted his trademark phrase.

“I’ve stopped counting,” Bertka said.

There is one thing of which Bertka is certain, though. The new rule should be called the Bertka rule.

“I guess if you holler long enough, somebody hears you,” he said.

Trivia time: What NBA team has won at least 37 games in a season a record 20 times?

That old Oregon trail: If USC loses to Oregon State on Saturday in Corvallis, it will be the first time since 1957 that the Trojans have lost to both Oregon schools in the same season. USC was 1-9 in 1957.

Bad field position: As it turns out, the longest drive involving either the Falcons or the Rams happened before their 8-5 snoozer Sunday.

The Falcons’ bus driver got lost on his way to Anaheim Stadium and a 10-minute trip took an hour and 10 minutes.

Yeah, that’ll work: Cracking down on violence, the NBA plans to change the fine for technical fouls from $100 for the first and $150 for the second to $500 for each one. Do you think the players can afford it? The average NBA salary is only $1.6 million.

The turnstiles: For what it’s worth, 23,701 watched Bishop Amat defeat Bakersfield in a high school football game Saturday at Bakersfield College. The Ram-Falcon game Sunday afternoon at Anaheim Stadium drew 34,599.

Still kicking: Under the headline “Soccer in U.S. Appears Headed For Great Year,” a newspaper story began: “American soccer . . . is heading for its greatest season in history, according to an announcement by the U.S. Soccer Assn.”

The newspaper was “Stars & Stripes.” The date was Dec. 4, 1946.

They owned him: If Rick Dempsey eventually becomes a major league manager, don’t look for him to hire Jim Gantner as his base-running coach.

Every member of Dempsey’s family with professional baseball experience has thrown out Gantner: Dempsey, brother Pat, son John and nephew Greg Zaun. John and Greg caught the former Brewer second baseman trying to steal while Gantner was on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

Trivia answer: The Portland Trail Blazers.

Quotebook: From Dallas Cowboy Coach Barry Switzer after Cleveland Gary signed with the Miami Dolphins instead of the Cowboys: “It’s no different than recruiting. Somebody outbid us, I guess.”