1.  As a brigadier general he took part in the division's deep push into Iraq during the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

2.  As a communicator, he takes a back seat to no one.

3.  Despite 13 turnovers, Bryant's early foul trouble and a 15-point burst from Kukoc, the Lakers took a 51-46 lead into halftime.

4.  Despite a similar lead earlier this week, the Clinton campaign took no chances.

5.  Despite his carefree attitude, Barber took a hit from the cornerback Dave Thomas during drills Saturday.

6.  Despite his low-key approach, Sanchez takes soccer seriously.

7.  Despite his obvious greatness, Sanders' reputation takes a hit in some corners for his stance on tackling.

8.  Despite 10 days of daily speculation in the press that Flores would be fired, the players took the news hard.

9.  Despite a renovation of the market house 25 years ago, the decline of the neighborhood took its toll.

10.  Despite admitting a bias toward group travel, Melanie Spain of Marietta took her first singles trip last summer with Adventures for Singles.