1.   Another NFC team might be reluctant to trade with the defending conference champions.

2.   Even so, the defending conference champions sound as though they will be much happier campers once this potential first-round banana peel is navigated successfully.

3.   If the Bruins beat the defending conference champion Saturday, they can look forward to showdowns with Stanford, Washington State and Oregon.

4.   In his mind, however, the Sonics are the defending conference champs, they won the Pacific Division.

5.   More importantly, now the defending conference champions will surely begin to have doubts about themselves.

6.   Sunday, the defending conference champion Utah Jazz comes to the Forum, and on Monday, the Lakers play the Spurs at San Antonio.

7.   The defending conference champion New England Patriots lost Bill Parcells to the New York Jets and replaced him with Pete Carroll.

8.   The defending conference champions appear to have helped themselves in every area and could be poised to make a run at the national championship.

9.   The men worked for three hours, then gave the court to the women, who are the defending conference champions.

10.   To advance to their first National Basketball Association finals in eight seasons, the Lakers must beat the defending conference champions in four of the next five games.