1.   A desperate team fearful of losing its season before the year is barely a month old.

2.   A pitcher who is always expected to win, give the bullpen a rest, and keep a desperate team afloat?

3.   A team desperate to shake a loss to Miami.

4.   A team desperate for points.

5.   A truncated night of sleep, then a dogfight with a Phoenix Suns team desperate to define itself.

6.   But for a team desperate for balanced scoring, goals by Mikko Eloranta, Mathieu Schneider, Nelson Emerson and rookie Jaroslav Bednar were a good sign.

7.   Detroit is not a desperate team.

8.   Going for it on fourth down is usually the mark of a desperate team.

9.   How could it and keep a straight face while desperate teams give away blue-chip players at fire-sale prices?

10.   In this phase of the World Cup, if desperate teams should resort to cynical tactics, let them be warned.