Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 30, 1989

Those who believe that the Heisman Trophy will be devalued Saturday should examine the credentials of a leading candidate. . . .

What Barry Sanders was to running last season, Andre Ware is to passing this season. . . .

The Houston quarterback has completed 329 of 527 passes for 62.4%, 4,299 yards, and 44 touchdowns in 10 games. He will break two national records set by Jim McMahon if he throws four touchdown passes and nets 273 yards Saturday. That should be a snap considering that the opponent is Rice. . . .

Ware is a winner, too, having led his team to an 8-2 record. . . .

Not bad for someone who threw only 70 passes his senior year in high school in an option offense and was recruited by Texas and Texas A&M; to play defensive back before finding a place in Jack Pardee’s run-’n’-shoot attack. . . .

Andre also happens to be a solid citizen who is on target to earn his degree in business administration next year, and is in no way responsible for Houston’s being on probation. . . . And don’t blame the poor guy for all those 95 points and 1,021 yards the Cougars poured on SMU. He played only the first half. He passed for a mere 517 yards and Houston scored only 59 points. . . .

Unlike other outstanding underclassmen, this 21-year-old junior says he has no plans to apply for the NFL draft early, although he has the size--he’s 6-2 and 205 pounds--and arm to interest the scouts. . . .

You may see him get the Heisman news on the sidelines at Rice Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is at 1 p.m., Houston time. Cougar games are known to last more than 3 1/2 hours, and the awards show starts at 4:30 p.m., CST. Of course, CBS would have to make sure it didn’t show any of the game in the background. Remember, the Cougars are on probation. . . .

Get ready for a sitcom about a female sportswriter. Kathy Cohen, who has written sports for the Herald Examiner and the South Bay Daily Breeze, sold the project to the Fox network. Starring will be Julia Louis-Dreyfuss of “Saturday Night Live” fame. . . .

Look-alikes: George Seifert and Lindy Infante. . . .

At the centennial celebration kickoff luncheon Tuesday, Giant Manager Roger Craig, a former Dodger pitcher, thanked the Los Angeles organization for whatever “little success” he has enjoyed in baseball. . . .

Later in the day, Dave Anderson became the latest Dodger to switch allegiance to the Giants. Maybe the rivalry used to be more bitter. Jackie Robinson was traded from Brooklyn to New York, but chose instead to quit baseball. . . .

Willie Davis, trim as ever, looks as though he is ready to solve the Dodgers’ center-field problems next season. . . .

Happily posing for pictures was that old infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey, seemingly the best of friends now. . . .

The Pittsburgh Pirates are fooling themselves if they think Walt Terrell and Ted Power will solve their pitching problems. . . .

Although the super middleweight limit is 168 pounds, Roberto Duran will defend his WBC title at a maximum of 162 against Sugar Ray Leonard. Either would look paunchy any heavier. . . .

Bob Halloran, president of sports at the new Mirage hotel in Las Vegas, says 14,700 tickets have been sold for next Thursday’s match and that the gate has reached $7.7 million. Capacity of the outdoor stadium is 16,305. . . .

The temperature may dip into the low 50s the night of the fight, but it will be a lot warmer beneath the ring lights. . . .

Doug Kurtis, a 37-year-old from Detroit, will try to set a world record by running his 12th sub-2:20 marathon in a calendar year Dec. 10 at San Diego. . . .

I’ve never understood why the NFL doesn’t hand out official most valuable player and rookie of the year awards. . . .

Stella Madrid, a 2-year-old filly entered in the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet Sunday, was named after a French movie star of the 1940s. . . .

Hollywood Park and Santa Anita should card more long-distance races on the grass. . . .

It’s time for the heavy-hitting Ruelas brothers, Gabriel and Rafael of the Ten Goose boxing stable, to step up in class. . . .

If “The Tommy Lasorda Story” is ever made, Charles Durning should play the title role. . . .

Hockey has become a major sport in Los Angeles, but I didn’t hear a great deal of talk about the Mikko Makela trade around town Wednesday. . . .

The word defense is engraved on the Detroit Pistons’ NBA championship rings. . . .

Two Georgia newspapers have narrowed the list of possible candidates for the Atlanta Falcon coaching job to 20.