Scorecard

IT FIGURES
The selection of USC over UCLA as Purdue's opponent in the Rose Bowl didn't look any better after the Notre Dame-USC game. But UCLA wouldn't have been much of an improvement. What the AAWU should have done was pick the University of Santa Clara, which neither proselytes nor gives aid to football players. After all, Santa Clara beat San Francisco State. San Francisco State beat Cal Poly of San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly of San Luis Obispo beat Los Angeles State. Los Angeles State beat Long Beach State. Long Beach State beat University of the Pacific. University of the Pacific beat San Jose. San Jose beat California. California beat Washington. Washington beat UCLA. UCLA beat USC.

AGH

When Johnny Longden rode his last race at the age of 59 we were duly impressed; of course, at the time we hadn't heard of Khodagholi Agh, the champion jockey of Iran. Agh is 85.

Agh has been race-riding for 65 years and has earned $100,000. He wears a beard and false teeth, has never smoked and drinks nothing stronger than black tea. Agh has fallen off a horse six times in his life, the first time when he was 7. He once fell off in front of Reza the Great, the father of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, but was given a horse as consolation. "I have not tried the present monarch's generosity," says Agh. Agh has no use for automation and believes horses are the only reliable power for empires. Nonetheless, he owns two tractors, with which he has his cotton farm plowed. Agh has three wives and 70 children and grandchildren, and he says he would marry again if women nowadays weren't so insistent on going to the movies. When asked last week which he prefers, horses or women, Agh replied, "Women," adding, "I could probably ride the same horse for years, but I cannot put up with only one woman."

During a race at the October meeting at Tehran, Agh twice held his horse back in order to give a chance to Prince Ali, the son of the Shah's late brother, Prince Ali Reza. A devoted subject, Agh believes he should never precede royalty. Despite the fact that he pulled his mount on this occasion, Agh was again the leading rider, with 11 wins and $2,000. At the end of the meeting, Agh rode past the Shah, Empress Farah and Crown Prince Reza. "See you next year," Agh said, waving. We sincerely hope so.

PUBLIC DISSERVICE

ABC-TV was criticized for its coverage of last month's election returns, but compared to the job it did on college-football scores this season, the election night show deserves an Emmy. There are only two things to get right in reporting a football score: 1) who won and 2) the score. With dismaying frequency, ABC got one or the other—or both—wrong, although it often played safe by not announcing final scores, despite the fact that many of the games in question had been over for more than two hours. This goes for scores given during televised games as well as those reported on College Football Today, the postgame show in which Kyle Rote and Jim McKay were evidently in over their heads. We recall particularly Dartmouth's 14-13 victory over Harvard, Tennessee whipping Alabama 10-8, Wyoming's 25-8 win over BYU, Southern Mississippi beating Mississippi State 10-9 and Harvard leading Yale 10-7.

Arty closeups of Ara Parseghian, dual isolated cameras and interminable reminders that college football is a pleasant and colorful way to spend an autumn afternoon don't make up for the carelessness.

UNKINDEST CUT
The ways of TV are, indeed, wondrous to behold. On Thanksgiving night in New York, Channel 11 showed that grand old film, Knute Rockne—All American—or some of it. So what did they cut? Rockne's exhortation to win one for the Gipper, that's what they cut.

OFF AND RUNNING (CONT.)
What has 556 legs and is bushed? The mob of 278 zealots who completed a five-mile run sponsored by the country's newest college, the College of Artesia of Artesia, N. Mex. (SI, Oct. 24). Olympic Champion Billy Mills ran as guest of honor, matching his pace to that of Rich Hotze of Artesia's cross-country team, who won in 27:39. Students ran. Faculty wives ran. Doctors" and lawyers' wives from Artesia ran. Guests from Socorro and Carlsbad ran. Even the working press ran. One student covered the five miles skipping rope. Fourteen students ran pulling a float. Artesia's athletic director, Charles R. Solberg, ran and finished fifth. Artesia's president, Dr. Thomas C. Stevens, ran and finished 138th. Solberg plans to repeat the race next year. He says he won't be satisfied until everyone in New Mexico runs.