11.   An Armenian foreign ministry official attending the conference, Samuel Mkrtchian, played down prospects for a trilateral meeting.

12.   An American official, who asked not to be named, played down the significance of the phrasing on voluntarism.

13.   And it played down the bull in its logo, which many Japanese thought was a buffalo.

14.   And at the end of the day, they played down the importance of numbers, saying it would take several years for the ritual to become popular.

15.   And many prison systems play down the problem, suggesting that rape is so rare that there is no need for data.

16.   And so his White House visit Wednesday seemed choreographed as much to play down the significance of his visit as to minimize the opportunity for controversy.

17.   Andrew played down the importance of geography for where the convention will be held, saying it has become more of a television and Internet operation.

18.   Arts executives try to play down any rivalries, saying many donors are open to contributing to a variety of causes.

19.   As a result, Green said, Jackson can take some chances that other black politicians cannot, like forging alliances with conservative Republicans and playing down racial politics.

20.   At a news conference Thursday, Hostetler and Redskins Coach Norv Turner did their best to play down the possibility.