71.  But his biggest aid is having Mark Messier as a teammate because no longer can opposing coaches always counter Gretzky with their best defensive players.

72.  But instead of resorting to slapping around teammates, the Ravens defensive players vowed to play harder while patiently waiting for the offense to work out its problems.

73.  But it was such a change that there was an air of confidence among the offensive players and excitement among the defensive players Sunday.

74.  But Marino has not made it back, in large part because the Dolphins failed to complement him with championship-level running backs or defensive players.

75.  But McRae said there were better defensive players on the team.

76.  But once we got a chance to evaluate the defensive players, they jumped ahead.

77.  But Patterson rotated defensive players for the entire year, so almost everyone has significant playing experience.

78.  But Peppers chose football, becoming the most dominant defensive player for the school since Taylor.

79.  But remnants of the episode followed Lewis all year, despite having a sparkling season that earned him honors as league defensive player of the year.

80.  But poor performance has not deterred the Yankees from pursuing Ventura, a patient hitter with power and a solid defensive player.