1.   As secrets go, this one is about as surprising as profanity from Charles Barkley.

2.   As surprising as it seems, Congress has apparently never confronted the issue from this vantage point.

3.   As surprising as that might seem, many trainers discussed the possibility during Belmont Stakes week.

4.   As surprising as the antiquity of the bones are the stone tools.

5.   As surprising as they have been, the Expos are so good that they have relied on their closer fewer times than any other division leader this season.

6.   As surprising as the emergence of a Cunningham or a Flutie has been, these guys did have a lot of football mileage.

7.   Because details have been leaking for a month, this deal was about as surprising as Sports Illustrated putting a pneumatic woman on its cover in February.

8.   Almost as surprising is how little known most rich people are.

9.   Almost as surprising is the change NBC is making on Sundays.

10.   But because the Rangers had so little to show for high payroll, the firings of both Smith and Muckler were not nearly as surprising as the timing.