41.   Something must force the players to loosen their grip on the game.

42.   Sometime during college, cancer loosened its grip on Mucci.

43.   That could mean trouble at the Capitol, where lawmakers have warned they would consider legislation if the judiciary did not loosen its grip on the disclosure reports.

44.   That will further loosen the grip of the federal government by replacing the current system of developing political careers almost exclusively through the federal bureaucracy.

45.   The arctic air mass that has tenaciously gripped the northern Plains this week will begin to slightly loosen its grip as Pacific air streams eastward.

46.   The blistering heat that has wrapped itself around north Texas for the past six weeks loosened its grip slightly Monday, but the death toll continued to rise.

47.   The coach has loosened the grip more than he would probably like, and Wilkins has made the best of his lucrative nightmare.

48.   The effect is a heightened realism that never loosens its grip.

49.   The lack of big runs has loosened his grip on hopes of a fifth rushing title.

50.   The legion of players limited to par or worse will attempt to loosen that grip from here on.