Scorecard

THE GAMES INCH FORWARD

The 1988 Summer Olympics approach slowly, not by days but by deadlines. The latest comes from the International Olympic Committee, which last week set a June 30 deadline for North and South Korea to agree to an IOC proposal that would allow North Korea to host a small portion of the 1988 Seoul Games. The North Koreans have been demanding that they be allowed to host 50% of the Games, but the IOC proposal, made last week in Lausanne, Switzerland, after negotiations with both sides, offers them only table tennis, archery and part of the cycling and soccer competitions. "This is the final proposal by the IOC," warned IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

There are indications that North Korea may accept the terms, at least for now. Although president Kim Il-Sung insists the country still wants to be co-host, there are reports that other communist nations don't want to have to boycott the Games over a North Korea-IOC dispute. South Korean officials are also expected to approve the plan, which assures them of all of the Games' major events and doesn't significantly undercut Seoul's position as host.

If both Koreas approve the IOC proposal, they will sit down with Samaranch next month and start negotiating the details. Ung Chang, secretary general of the North Korean Olympic Committee, has already implied that his side may at that point press for further concessions. That, of course, will lead to the next deadline.

PUCKISH WIT
The latest bumper sticker to be seen around Boston: BE KIND TO ANIMALS—HUG A HOCKEY PLAYER.

IDAHO BLUEGRASS
Boise State University has never had a football game televised nationally, and if the viewing public is lucky, that tradition will continue. Boise's Bronco Stadium is being renovated at a cost of $600,000, but the color of dubious choice for the new artificial-turf field will be royal blue. And this fall, so they won't clash with the rug while clashing on it, the football players will forsake their blue jerseys for orange ones with blue and white trim. Sounds as if the Broncos should hire a design consultant.

MAKE THAT ONE HOMER, TO GO

As Yankee third baseman Mike Pagliarulo was leaving Mamma Leone's restaurant in New York two weeks ago after dinner with his wife, the restaurant's manager, Joe Montalbano, came up to him. "I've got tickets to the game tomorrow," Montalbano said. "Hit a home run for the boys at Leone's."

"Sure, I'll hit one for you," Pagliarulo assured him with a grin.

In the sixth inning of the next afternoon's game against the Orioles, Montalbano was sitting in the lower rightfield seats at Yankee Stadium when Pagliarulo came to the plate. On a pitch from Baltimore's Ken Dixon, Pags launched a drive to right. It soared. Montalbano looked up and saw the ball coming right at him. This can't be happening, he thought. But it was.