31.   It was an emotionally charged situation that grew even more desperate when the Hurricanes started sliding out of the playoff picture.

32.   Just last week, the Jets all but cropped themselves out of the playoff picture by losing at home to the Indianapolis Colts.

33.   Just as his teammates and his opponents have had to make adjustments, so, too, has the National Basketball Associaton playoff picture.

34.   Never in the history of the National Football League has the playoff picture been so muddy so late.

35.   Now, both teams are scratching their way back into the NFL playoff picture.

36.   Only one other team with a losing home record, the Minnesota Twins, remains in the playoff picture.

37.   Phoenix moved to within two games of the Los Angeles Clippers for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

38.   Right now, the Mariners are trying to muscle their way back into the American League playoff picture.

39.   Since Modell announced the team was moving, the Browns have dropped four straight games and have fallen out of the playoff picture.

40.   The AFC playoff picture is an entirely different story.