41.   Parcells respects Johnson and also feels an allegiance to a team whose culture he changed from perennial loser to playoff contender.

42.   Picked to finish last or next to last in most preseason predictions, they have established themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.

43.   Rams Coach Rich Brooks called his team a playoff contender before the season, but Monday he accused them of giving up.

44.   Rousseau salvaged the season, turning it into a near playoff contender.

45.   Seattle and Tampa Bay suffered for a decade or two before they qualified as playoff contenders.

46.   Sergei Brylin and Neal Broten scored against Carey, who has been vastly responsible for the transformation of the Capitals into a playoff contender.

47.   Silas picked up the pieces of a shattered season and created a playoff contender.

48.   Simply put, Dallas beat the other playoff contenders in most tie-breakers, such as head-to-head competition and winning percentage in the division.

49.   Sooner or later, though, the Bucs know they need to score to be a serious playoff contender.

50.   Spurs fans had a right to wonder about entrusting a playoff contender to a guy who had never won a playoff series.