11.   The Asian slump has been blamed on the flood of money poured into unprofitable commercial real estate projects and government-protected cartels.

12.   The Panthers could blame their slump on a wave of injuries, including two Wednesday when defenseman Paul Laus sprained his ankle and Martin Straka strained his groin.

13.   The slump was blamed in part on political rivalry between the two ruling political parties that resulted in the ousting of Prince Norodom Ranariddh by his co-premier last July.

14.   Hoteliers blamed the slump in the profitable summer season on the war of words which broke out in Egyptian and Gulf newspapers in early June.

15.   The West Indian slump is blamed on basketball, in England on schools giving up the game and on a torturous county circuit run by marketing men.

16.   The slump has been blamed on a combination of poor management and the fall in world mineral market prices.

17.   Wong blamed the slump on the sluggish economy as well as on illegal offshore betting.

18.   Sampson blames the slump on a lack of playing as a unit.

19.   Saab blamed the slump on bad weather, with snowstorms and flooding keeping potential buyers away from showrooms.

20.   The government has blamed the slump on bad publicity in the international media.