11.   Boulden said his union, which represents members of the school police force, also was unhappy that the contract offer was made to teachers before the other unions.

12.   Bowden said Young and Reese were targeted for trades because both failed to respond to multi-year contract offers and both expressed desires to leave.

13.   A year ago, Jerry Buss was scribbling zeros all over his contract offer to Rick Pitino.

14.   After rejecting a USC contract offer, she sued.

15.   Browning said he was not likely to accept a minor-league contract offer just to be able to start working out with a team.

16.   But Forgione said that when a Blackwell Sanders lawyer faxed a contract offer Tuesday, it included far less compensation.

17.   But he injured an ankle covering first base, received a reduced contract offer and decided to go home.

18.   But should its arrival prove to be as tardy as that contract offer, Wetteland can live with that, too, as long as he has his memories.

19.   But to that end, the initial contract offer Nero was expecting from the Yanks did not come when he spoke with GM Brian Cashman.

20.   By early Friday morning, both negotiating teams unanimously endorsed the contract offer.