Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 14, 1991

There is hope for John Robinson. The Chinese are ushering in a new year--the Year of the Ram. . . .

I always thought the Lakers’ winning streak would end before Nevada Las Vegas’. . . .

Just think how productive the Dodgers’ farm system would be if they scouted their own back yard half as well as they do the Dominican Republic. . . .

Ramon Martinez already is dry-washing his hands in anticipation of opening the season April 9 at Atlanta. Martinez is 5-1 against the Braves and struck out 18 of them June 4 at Dodger Stadium. . . .

Houston baseball fans should be delighted that they won’t have to watch the Astros play at the Astrodome for a month during the 1992 season because of the Republican national convention. . . .

“This is the most wide-open year that I can remember,” Wayne Gretzky said Tuesday night after the Kings’ 4-4 draw with Calgary at the Forum. “Usually, you can count on Calgary or Edmonton out of the West and Montreal or Boston out of the East in the Stanley Cup finals. This year, six, seven or eight teams have a chance.” . . .

Gretzky on the Kings: “It’s character-building time for us. The guys are being taught what it’s like to be here, competing for first place in the division. Calgary and Edmonton have been through it every year.” . . .

Gretzky on the NHL’s five-minute overtime: “In most cases, it doesn’t settle anything. If we’ve got to have overtime, I guess we should play to a sudden death. But I’m old-fashioned. I’d rather have no overtime.” . . .

Sitting next to the Great One during his postgame interview was the Cute One, his daughter Paulina Mary Jean. Your 2-year-old should only be so well behaved, especially at 11 p.m. . . .

Every time I walk into a locker room, I’m reminded that hockey players are the most cooperative interviewees of all professional athletes. . . .

Calgary would be even more formidable if it hadn’t traded Brett Hull in 1988. . . .

Best rule adapted by the World League of American Football for its first season is that a team must win by at least six points in overtime. . . .

A sleeper among the Plan B free agents could be Bobby Houston, a talented outside linebacker who was an underachiever with the Atlanta Falcons. . . .

Ty Detmer fans will be able to see the Heisman Trophy winner and his Brigham Young teammates Aug. 29 against Florida State in the Disneyland Pigskin game at Anaheim Stadium and on Sept. 7 against UCLA in the Rose Bowl. . . .

Among those impressing NFL scouts at the recent combine in Indianapolis were running backs Nick Bell of Iowa and Eric Bieniemy of Colorado, offensive lineman Antoine Davis of Tennessee and quarterback Brett Favre of Southern Mississippi. Fastest man was Florida wide receiver Ernie Mills. . . .

George Steinbrenner delivers a realistic portrayal of an overbearing, obnoxious, deposed New York Yankee owner tonight on “Good Sports” at 9:30 on CBS. . . .

The Forum will have six more shows in Inglewood before promoting the Virgil Hill-Thomas Hearns fight at Caesars Palace on May 17. Included are championship matches involving World Boxing Council bantamweight Raul Perez and WBC light-flyweight Rolando Pascua. . . .

I wonder if Hearns knows who will be celebrating a birthday May 17? Answer: Sugar Ray Leonard. . . .

The difference between the fifth-ranked college basketball team and the surprise team of the World Cup soccer tournament is that one plays in Cameron Indoor Stadium and the other in Cameroon Outdoor Stadium. . . .

Wasn’t it just the other day that Nancy Lopez, 34, was burning up the LPGA tour as a rookie? . . .

George Raveling says East Tennessee State is the most underrated team in the nation and point guard Keith (Mr.) Jennings will have as much impact in the NBA as Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson. . . .

Arizona State forward Jamal Faulkner is the best of a mediocre crop of Pacific 10 Conference freshmen. . . .

Saddest story of the season is that of Seton Hall guard Marco Lokar receiving threats after refusing to wear an American flag on his jersey and then quitting the team and returning to his native Italy. . . .

So much for the notion that a lot of NBA stars wouldn’t be interested in playing in the Olympic Games. Of the 25 surveyed, only one said he definitely didn’t want to compete in Barcelona. . . .

USC guard Robert Pack bounced the ball 11 times before sinking a free throw against Arizona. . . .

Nevada Las Vegas makes a stop at Jerry Tarkanian’s home away from home, Long Beach, Monday night against the 49ers. . . .

Remember when you were amazed by basketball salaries? . . .

Former heavyweight Larry Holmes, after purchasing a property in Easton, Pa., that is being used as a federal courthouse: “Now I finally own the judges.”