The Dallas Cowboys, like all the playoff losers, could find a play here or there - a dropped pass that broke momentum, a poor tackle attempt, an interception, a fumble or a penalty - that helped boot them from the postseason.

Third stage: double round-robin, in which all teams play each other home-and-away games, with the winners of second stage playoffs, plus the playoff loser with the best overall competition record.

A third of the way through this season, the Knicks looked exactly like what they were the last three years: second-round playoff losers.

Atlanta, with 101 victories, and Arizona, with 98, were playoff losers.

Stadler, a playoff loser last week in Hawaii, was informed of the action after he had completed play today with an erratic 68 that included six birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a double bogey.

Each of the three playoff losers took away $52,266.67.

The aging Celtics of the late 1980's - first-round playoff losers the past two seasons - are no more.

Coach Jeff Van Gundy went even further, saying his club is playing like a first-round playoff loser.

Once again Norman was a playoff loser, this time with David Frost of South Africa and Ken Green of Connecticut on the first hole.

For better or worse, these are your Knicks, second-round playoff losers three years in a row.