– Pulling the plug: The real sign that the Bulls` annihilation of Miami was complete? Maybe it came midway through the fourth period when the city`s No. 1 problem-solver left the Stadium. That would be John Kenny, of course. He is vice president of the Kenny Construction Co., which is handling the task of sealing Chicago`s flood. Kenny, taking time from Water Wars, was seated courtside with his family.
– Not a complete yawner: There was excitement at the game, but it took place off the court. Trouble with electrical wiring caused the shot clock to short- circuit and the game was interrupted for repairs in the first half. With PA announcer Ray Clay calling a countdown, the action resumed while work continued on the clock. A Bulls official was dispatched to get an air horn, but everything was in place a few minutes after the contest was restarted. Another problem: Miami`s radio struggled in the beginning with an inoperative Illinois Bell line. Maybe somebody should`ve consulted Kenny.
– In your face: At one end of the court, fast-breaking players occasionally found themselves staring face to face with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp, who has attended other Bulls games. He sat courtside with Quaker Oats CEO William Smithburg-and they were escorted by Howard Pizer, who heads the White Sox business and administrative operations for Jerry Reinsdorf. Also attending the game was Nike CEO Philip Knight.
– Pivotal point: Did the one-sided outcome overshadow some hard fouls by the Heat? No one was complaining, but Michael Jordan and his teammates did find themselves knocked harshly to the floor a few times. Will Perdue said it was no surprise. The Bulls center said he thought Miami`s players were responding to media accounts that they were too ”passive” in Game 1. Added Will:
”They`re going to pull out all the stops down there. It`s going to be a lot harder.”
– Triple crown: Chicago agent Steve Zucker, a Bulls season-ticket holder who`s regularly on hand, joked that he`d be at Sunday`s game if the three players he represented in the NFL draft were selected by tipoff. They weren`t, but Zucker can`t complain. The three were taken in the first round. Texas A&M`s Quentin Coryatt, selected by Indianapolis, was the second player taken. He was followed by Texas A&M`s Kevin Smith, picked at No. 17 by Dallas, and the Bears` selection of Alonzo Spellman a No. 22. You can figure Zucker`s going to be pretty busy for a while, but the agent probably will combine business with pleasure and bring Spellman to a playoff game.
– Bearing up: Mike Tomczak and Tom Thayer attended the game and tried to get updates on the NFL draft at every opportunity. Said Tomczak: ”I ran into Kevin Butler here. I told him I heard the Bears took a holder on the first round.”
– Up front: Magic Johnson, doing the Bulls game for NBC, bugged out of town after the blowout. But over the weekend, he made a stop at the new Timothy O`Toole`s bar-restaurant at the same time two busloads of kids were parked across the street at a Holiday Inn. The kids hung outside for nearly two hours, trying to catch glimpses and take pictures of Johnson through the window. Magic nixed an offer to leave the back way and greeted the hero worshippers as he exited. Incidentally, Magic received a standing ovation at Sunday`s game after he was introduced as ”celebrity DJ.” He selected a Michael Jackson tune to be played. Nice move. He`s in a Jackson video.
– Blue Demon: De Paul senior Stephen Howard sat behind the Miami bench and ex- Blue Demons sharpshooter Kevin Edwards, who wasn`t in an especially friendly mood. His playing time is down this year and he didn`t get into this game until the first period was nearly over. Hopefully he didn`t see the Game 1 media notes. His alma mater was listed as Syracuse.
– More Bull: If the Bulls sweep Miami, the soonest they would begin Round 2 would be Sunday at the Stadium against the Knicks-Pistons winner. . . . Wonder if the Heat will revise answers to the question of which opposing players give them the most trouble. They were polled for the playoff guide. Among those named by Miami players were Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins, but not one Bull rated a mention.
– And finally: The Stadium crews worked faster than normal to break down after the Bulls game and get ready for the Blackhawks. The media was asked to be finished by 5 p.m., but at least one sportswriter, Dean Spiros, worked double duty. Spiros wrote about both games for the Daily Herald. The second contest was a labor of love. He`s the author of ”Six Shooter,” a book about the six Sutter brothers in the National Hockey League-and all six are involved in the Hawks-Blues series.
