31.   Adams said he wants to sign as a starting pitcher and recently added he would give the Dodgers first crack if the price was right.

32.   After playing at BU, Francisco signed as a free agent last year after being waived by Miami and was on the New England practice squad.

33.   After the Sharks signed him as an unrestricted free agent last summer, Hrudey was eager to show he had plenty of puck-stopping left in his system.

34.   After two seasons in New York, he signed as a free agent with Chicago this past April.

35.   All other nations have been required to sign as countries without nuclear weapons.

36.   But certainly the most intriguing developments involved a couple of afterthought quarterbacks who signed as backups and then dramatically outplayed the multi-millionaires in front of them.

37.   But he is now pitching as the Jays hoped he would when they signed him as a free agent last winter.

38.   But Houston signed as Plan B free agent with the Jets before playing for the Falcons.

39.   But it was after signing as a free agent with the Washington Redskins that Williams made history.

40.   But Licata said he signed as a courtesy to McDermott.