1.   Boosters often form the financial backbone of a program and can influence how a school picks its coach.

2.   But its vision of serving as the financial backbone of France and of Western Europe has been largely shattered.

3.   The banks have the financial backbone.

4.   The horse-racing industry, once the financial backbone of the entire complex, has fallen on hard times.

5.   The players have more financial backbone than traditional, larger unions like the United Auto Workers or the Teamsters.