GARRETSON'S POSITION AS NBA CHIEF OF OFFICIATING LOOKS SAFE

          During halftime of last night's Bulls-Hawks game on the
     "NBA on TNT," Ernie Johnson said, "Earlier tonight we aired
     a report that speculated that NBA chief of officiating
     Darell Garretson might not have his contract renewed. 
     League sources have informed us Garretson's contract was
     indeed renewed by Commissioner David Stern two months prior
     to the end of the season" ("NBA on TNT," TNT, 5/13).  In DC,
     Anthony Cotton writes, "there was a report circulating
     through United Center [last night] that the NBA had ...
     fired" Garretson, "in part because of the [Dennis] Rodman
     controversy and also because he hadn't told NBA vice
     president Rod Thorn that he'd had surgery recently." 
     Garretson: "The only thing that was true is that I had
     surgery last November.  I have a job -- hopefully I'll
     continue to have a job" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/14).