Scorecard

And so, once again, is Ballesteros. His career was in a coroner's drawer two years ago, but now it's back. He made 13 birdies on Thursday in poleaxing David Frost 8 and 7 and played even better against Els.

Was it his fault somebody matched him against a god?
—RICK REILLY

Bad Call

Last week in Chicago, Darell Garretson, the NBA's chief of officiating, was asked by a Chicago Tribune writer to comment on the controversial call made by Hue Hollins in the waning seconds of Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks. "All I can say is it was a terrible call." said Garretson, who was also working the game.

The call in question was, of course, Scottie Pippen's foul on the Knicks' Hubert Davis with :02.1 left and the Bulls leading 86-85. Pippen did nick Davis's forearm as Davis took a jump shot, but the contact clearly came after the ball was released. Davis's two free throws then gave New York an 87-86 victor)'. The Bulls won Game 6, but the Knicks won Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Garretson's comment was way out of line. First, he accomplished nothing except to besmirch the reputation of a respected veteran official; there must have been a way to suggest that the call was a questionable one without embarrassing a colleague. Then, too, Garretson himself was a zebra of limited talent. His greatest contribution to improving the quality of NBA officiating came when he retired from active duty at the end of last season. He shouldn't be blowing the whistle on anyone.

No-Kick Coach II

It's time for an update on Steve Baca, the first-year football coach at Santa Fe (N.Mex.) High, and his I-won't-kick-the-ball-no-matter-what philosophy (SCORE-CARD, Sept. 26). On Sept. 30, Baca's Demons beat Los Lunas High 12-7 to snap a 37-game losing streak. True to his word, Baca attempted two-point conversions after both Demon touchdowns—and both failed. The no-kick coach must have been sweating a little when Los Lunas, trailing by five, had a first-and-goal at Santa He's three-yard line with 1:07 left, but the Demons held on for their first win since Nov. 16, 1990.

Alas, things have returned to normal in Santa Fe. The following week Baca's Demons lost to Gallup High 35-6 (one TD, failed two-point attempt), and last Friday they succumbed to Albuquerque Cibola High 49-0 (PATs not a factor). Said Baca, "We have a lot of work to do. We hit a lull after the win."

Getting a Let