If federal spending could help the team buy votes, DeLay was willing.

"But other teams were buying players and our spending program produced a playoff team in 1998."

The team bought the kits with a £250 grant from Shell's community fund.

Ultimately the teams both bought only five of the ten items each.

Other teams, notably the Knicks, may buy into that attitude.

"The math doesn't work at the deadline when 24 teams are buying."

The real problem with this approach is that the team has rarely bought in to the project.

A pair or team can typically buy an interest in itself.

The team also bought a pitching machine that the children now use.

They see teams bought and then resold for double what the owners paid.