Like Taking Candy From a Baby...

Our correspondent was called away to an urgent assignment in Europe and was unable to file this report until today. We apologize for depriving le bon publique of the results of the latest Rochester "Best of Nine Series" until today.

However, the results in Rochester are getting downright monotonous. Team LaChance Integrale chalked up yet another Best of Nine win, winning the latest series in just eight rounds, with the final result being 5 games to 3. The two opponents, Mr. Zajac (now famously of Team Z Obut) and Mr. Chance (of LaChance Integrale) met at high noon on the Rochester piste. The two opponents entered the match at 4 games won for LaChance and 3 for Team Z. LaChance stopped at the piste even as he was rushing to the airport, for an international appearance. Because of the impending airflight, LaChance was rather distracted, even rushed, in his play. Despite this, LaChance scored a hotly contested 13-12 victory to win this latest Best of Nine during first round of the day.

Team Z had started in the latest series ahead 1 games to 2, scoring on a dizzying volley of final boule shots. In those first three matches, Zajac shot successfully with his final boule on seven separate occasions, taking away 7 points from LaChance and scoring nine for himself. This reporting agency has never seen such an impressive display. LaChance, we have to report, left the piste with visible frustration after such a profound demonstration from Zajac. He was heard muttering to himself and was seen gesticulating. "The god's of Petanque will punish Monsieur Zajac for such hubris! Shooting with the final boule - it is against nature..." Chance was heard to say.

Zajac, deciding to push his advantage with his play at sundown and his final boule shots challenged LaChance to a second set of games - this time on a chilly, drizzling evening. He certainly thought that he was adding yet another confounding environmental factor to the mix, remembering that darkness before had worked to his advantage. And Zajac had been observed to be practicing under the adverse conditions of wet and cold. But in this, there was a miscalculation. The drizzle had made the ground soft - optimal for a pointer like LaChance, but highly disadvantageous to a shooter. Zajac's boules often were finding their mark, but they could not dislodge the heavy Integrale Inox boules from their sunken positions close to the couchonnet. This set of three was a rout 3 games to 0 in favor of LaChance Integrale (The scores were 13-4, 13-2, and 13-3 - ouch!!). In an interview after the match Mr. Chance commented that this set of rounds had been like "taking candy from a baby."

And as has already been mentioned, the final set ended in favor of LaChance.