71.   The Lakers must believe it, too, given that King was drafted ahead of local hero Tyus Edney and awarded a one-year guaranteed contract.

72.   The local heroes that turned in the strongest performances of the last five years were driven, naturally enough, by strong regional economies.

73.   The local hero of Watertown, Conn., no longer mulls over his strike-abbreviated rookie season with the Mets.

74.   The main attraction in past years was Jeff Bagwell, a local hero who was plucked from Beehive Field by the Houston Astros.

75.   The policemen were local heroes.

76.   The pregame festivities were great and the outpouring of affection for local heroes Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado was stirring.

77.   The reservists are also demanding the release from jail of Ivan Novkovic, a TV Leskovac technician turned local hero.

78.   The Russian players who seemed so mysterious when they represented the Soviet Union are now local heroes in many NHL cities.

79.   Then the starting quarterback and local hero, Trent Green, was injured just before the season began.