Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 9, 1995

What a difference four years do not make. . . .

For the first time since the spring of 1991, a Mike Tyson fight news conference was held in Los Angeles on Tuesday. . . .

It turned into another Don King monologue. . . .

The promoter almost did something that Peter McNeeley will have virtually no chance of doing on Aug. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas--put Tyson to sleep. . . .

King spent more than an hour hyping the pay-per-view telecast and introducing undercard fighters, trainers, managers and business associates. . . .

Tyson rested his head on his hands once, tapped his water glass and wrote notes to co-manager John Horne. . . .

Finally, McNeeley was introduced. . . .

“When I wrap Mike Tyson in a cocoon of horror. . .,” the prohibitive underdog said, causing Tyson to roll his eyes and grin. . . .

Then King introduced Tyson as “not only a former heavyweight champion, but a dynamic and great human being.” . . .

“I’m just glad to be here,” Tyson said. “I’m just anxious to show my skills in the ring. I guess Don and these guys have said it all.” . . .

Questions then were taken from the audience, but Tyson had summed it up well. . . .

*

I’m picking Corey Pavin to win the PGA Championship and become the first American to win two majors in the same year since Tom Watson took the U.S. Open and British Open in 1982. . . .

Ben Crenshaw and John Daly will also be trying to accomplish the feat. . . .

However, the advantage belongs to Pavin because Riviera Country Club is his home away from home. . . .

“Riviera: Magnificent Moments,” a half-hour special with Tom Murray as host and featuring Ben Hogan’s exploits, will air tonight at 10:30 on Channel 9. . . .

Spectator suggestion: Stay at one hole most of the day instead of trying to follow a threesome around the course. . . .

You have to wonder what roles Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 33, and Carl Lewis, 34, will be able to play in the Olympic Games next summer at Atlanta. . . .

Ruth Wysocki, who stunned the 1,500-meter field in the World Championships by qualifying for the finals as a last-minute, 38-year-old substitute, long has been a favorite of L.A. promoter Al Franken. . . .

It was Wysocki who called Mary Decker Slaney a crybaby after the 1984 L.A. Olympics and helped to draw a sellout crowd at the Sunkist meet the next winter at the Sports Arena, where Slaney easily won what was billed as a grudge match. . . .

Boston Red Sox first baseman Mo Vaughn is most likely to win the American League most valuable player award, but Angel outfielders Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon both deserve consideration. . . .

Gary DiSarcina’s replacements at shortstop, Spike Owen and Rod Correia, made a total of five errors during a three-game stretch. In 88 games before his injury, DiSarcina made five. . . .

Anaheim Stadium has the edge over Dodger Stadium in at least one category--the posting of out-of-town scores. . . .

Suggestion to Peter O’Malley: Above the center field fence, install a scoreboard that shows the score of every other major league game. . . .

The occasional updates on DiamondVision just don’t do the job. . . .

In retrospect, the San Francisco Giants should have re-signed Will Clark instead of Robby Thompson. . . .

The St. Louis Cardinals did Joe Torre a favor by firing him. . . .

*

A note about the Pacific 10 Conference’s biggest football players neglected to mention Ken Bowen, a 6-foot-8, 320-pound USC redshirt freshman tackle. . . .

Rick Talley, a former L.A. Daily News and Chicago sports columnist, died Tuesday in Las Vegas of brain cancer. He was 60. . . .

O.J. Simpson still holds the NFL record for most yards gained rushing on an opening day, 250 for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots in 1973. . . .

The Minnesota Vikings are 11-0 since 1983 in games at which gospel singer Tom Tipton has sung the national anthem. They ought to use him more often. . . .

Who do you want to win Saturday’s exhibition game the least, the St. Louis Rams or the Oakland Raiders? . . .