Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 14, 1991

Al Davis ought to count his blessings that he didn’t trade the heart and soul of his football team, Marcus Allen. . . .

Without Allen, the Raiders never would have marched into the AFC championship game. . . .

He has produced week after week, giving nothing less than his best, which is considerable. . . .

After Bo Jackson went down early in the third quarter Sunday, old reliable merely got stronger, kept spirits up and finished with 140 yards rushing in the 20-10 victory over Cincinnati. . . .

And who was seen consoling the injured Jackson on the bench? Allen, of course. The same guy who has been the first to congratulate Bo after his long runs. . . .

Old Raiders might not recognize the sportsmen who now wear silver and black. They weren’t assessed a penalty all day. In fact, an illegal procedure call against Cincinnati before what would have been the third play from scrimmage was the only penalty assessed either team. . . .

It was difficult to understand the strategy of the usually imaginative Sam Wyche late in the first half when the Bengals nursed a 3-7 disadvantage by running out the clock. . . .

Parking lot operators on Figueroa Street were charging $25, or $10 more than the cheapest ticket. . . .

Gusts of up to 20 m.p.h. reduced the windchill factor to 70 degrees. . . .

I know this will devastate you, but the lifting of the TV blackout hurt ticket scalpers. . . .

Steve Beuerlein made a rare appearance on the Coliseum turf--in shorts, throwing balls to Mike Alexander two hours before kickoff. . . .

How come the low-scoring Chicago Bears never give the ball to William (Refrigerator) Perry near the goal line any more? . . .

Jeff Hostetler might give the New York Giants the spark in Candlestick Park that Phil Simms didn’t the first time. . . .

The advantage is supposed to go to the receiver over the defender when field conditions are lousy, but I never believed it until the Bills and Miami hung up all those points in Buffalo Saturday. . . .

Stat of the weekend: Between them, the Bills and Dolphins punted three times. . . .

What makes Buffalo so formidable is balance--passing, rushing and, in decent weather, defense. . . .

The difference between the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins is quarterbacking. . . .

With Joe Montana, who needs a running attack? . . .

How nice to see Mike Sherrard, the former UCLA wide receiver whom doctors thought might never play again after crippling leg injuries, catch a touchdown pass from Montana. . . .

I was surprised CBS had enough time to show the entire replay of Michael Carter’s 61-yard return of an interception for a touchdown. . . .

Great work by Terry Bradshaw at halftime at Candlestick Park, showing Joe Montana scrambling and finally completing a pass to his fourth option while his three other receivers were covered. . . .

Too many instant replay reviews are being made. . . .

It amazes me when an all-pro, Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith, says what really got him inspired for a playoff game were the critical words uttered by a rookie, Miami offensive guard Keith Sims. . . .

Good thing the Raiders are well stocked in wide receivers. Otherwise, they would be second-guessed for letting James Lofton go. . . .

Along with offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker and defensive coordinator Floyd Peters, the Minnesota Vikings should have canned overall coordinator Jerry Burns. . . .

The Arizona-UCLA game was worthy of the Final Four. . . .

Tracy Murray acts insulted if he misses a three-point shot. . . .

Every time I see Magic Johnson chew out a teammate, such as Vlade Divac, I think he would make a good, tough coach. . . .

The Clippers’ two-point loss to the Larry Bird-less Celtics in Boston on Friday seemed impressive until the Bullets beat the Celtics by 17 points Saturday in Washington. . . .

Embarrassment of the new year: Carl Lewis getting arrested on a drunk driving charge the same day that rival Ben Johnson returned to track. . . .

That NCAA convention sure solved all the ills of intercollegiate athletics, didn’t it? . . .

The USC-Todd Marinovich split was inevitable. . . .

Ray Mercer still isn’t my idea of a legitimate heavyweight contender, but he showed plenty of courage and a big punch when he knocked out Francesco Damiani with a left hook to the jaw in the ninth round while trailing on points and bleeding. . . .

My opinion of Fay Vincent tumbled considerably after his apparent role in the Pete Rose-Hall of Fame sham. . . .

If you want to buy a minor league baseball franchise, the Houston Astros are available.