Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 23, 1989

Depending upon the source, Lou Holtz either is just settling in at Notre Dame or about to coach his last regular-season game for the Fighting Irish. . . .

Holtz calls his job the best in America. So why leave? A desire to return to the NFL. Burnout. Possible fallout from accusations that he gave money through a third party to a player at Minnesota. A difference in philosophy with the Notre Dame administration. The wanderlust of someone who has been head coach at six different places. . . .

Home-field advantage is the reason seventh-ranked Miami is favored over top-ranked Notre Dame Saturday at the Orange Bowl. . . .

At least two local coaches, Ram assistant Artie Gigantino and Cal State Fullerton’s Gene Murphy, are expected to be considered for the opening at Nevada Las Vegas. . . .

Oregon State may have overachieved this season, but it seemed a bit strange that a man with a losing record in the Pacific 10 Conference, Dave Kragthorpe, was named coach of the year by his colleagues. . . .

Don’t underestimate the importance of the loss of Tim Brown to the Raiders. . . .

Under John Robinson, the Rams have dropped six of their last eight games to the New Orleans Saints after winning the first five. . . .

Best linebacker you never hear about is the Saints’ Pat Swilling, who already has set a team record for most sacks in a season. . . .

Physical fitness buff George Allen attended the Kings’ reception in Century City the other night and looked as though he could skate a regular shift. . . .

I’ll tune in the Texas-Texas A&M; game Dec. 2 just to listen to the Aggie band play the “War Hymn.”. . . .

No matter what the true issues, fans reading about the huge salaries of baseball players will offer them no sympathy if they strike. . . .

Bay Area newspapers claim the Giants are thinking about trading the National League MVP, Kevin Mitchell, for a pitcher. . . .

Carl Scheer, the Charlotte Hornets’ general manager who used to work for the Nuggets, says Denver would draw 3 million fans its first season if it ever landed a big league baseball franchise. . . .

How did the Cubs and Indians even think of the Mitch Webster-Dave Clark trade?. . . .

The Hot Stove League will warm up when the winter meetings are held Dec. 2-7 in Nashville, Tenn. . . .

Now that the United States has qualified for the World Cup, soccer officials are expecting as many as 50,000 fans to watch the national team play the Soviet Union in February at Stanford Stadium. . . .

Have the Lakers clinched a playoff berth yet?. . . .

The new dressing rooms at the Sports Arena are strictly state of the art, but the press room for Clipper games leaves much to be desired. . . .

It’s difficult to get excited about the college basketball polls when the national champion is decided by the postseason tournament. . . .

Steffi Graf has become big box office in New York, where a record 94,850, including a packed house at Madison Square Garden for the semifinals, watched the Virginia Slims tournament last week. . . .

A sure sign of the decay of the Boston Celtics is that they no longer can win on the road. . . .

Optimism has returned to Los Alamitos, where the 107-night harness racing meeting will open Friday under the leadership of President-General Manager Lloyd Arnold. Four major Eastern stables will be represented, and Roger Stein is back with a 10-horse stable. Also making a comeback is Len Corbosiero, who once had the audacity to name a pacer Allan Malamud. . . .

Candid Bobby Beathard has been the surprise hit of NBC’s “NFL Live.”. . . .

The problem with ESPN’s “SportsCenter” is that you never know who’s going to be the show’s host. CNN, meanwhile, brings heavy hitters Nick Charles and Fred Hickman to the plate just about every night. . . .

Remember when Thanksgiving Day meant the Lions vs. the Packers on the tube from Briggs Stadium in Detroit?. . . .

A shooter who is fouled while attempting a three-point shot should get three free throws. . . .

Look-alikes: Vinny Testaverde and Rony Seikaly. . . .

Tom Kite says the biggest weakness of most weekend hackers is their short game. He suggests spending 15 minutes a day working on chip shots in your back yard. . . .

Somebody should tell the graphics people working local sportcasts that it’s unnecessary to put “OT” next to tie games in the NHL. . . .

News item: Chicago Bear defensive tackle Dan Hampton undergoes “successful” surgery on his right knee. Reaction: Have you ever read about “unsuccessful” surgery?