31.   Nearly two years after the World Cup temporarily brought soccer to the forefront of American sports, a premier professional league begins play a week from Saturday.

32.   That deadline passed quietly, however, and the league began talking again with Houston as well as continuing discussions with interested Los Angeles groups.

33.   The league begins play in April in eight cities.

34.   The league begins play in April.

35.   The league shortly will begin a financial review of the sale.

36.   The Italian league began about a month later than usual because of Olympic commitments by players.

37.   The league already has begun working on even stricter security for the Super Bowl, to be played at the Superdome in New Orleans.

38.   The league began testing this season for Ecstasy, a mood-altering drug popular on the nightclub scene.

39.   The London Evening Standard reported that the league had begun legal proceedings and could go to the High Court to file for an injunction Thursday night.

40.   The league began enforcing those rules more in the second half of last season in hopes of opening up the ice for skill players.