"This is a very big endorsement," said Moshe Lichtman, vice president of Microsoft TV.

The commitment from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency represents a big endorsement of such computers and is likely to speed their development.

Though the area is still emerging as a residential community, "the biggest endorsement is that people are moving from other buildings and staying here," he said.

And after the Giants' 20-6 victory over the Redskins, he got the biggest endorsement he has had lately.

While Jim Kelly, the Bills' quarterback, gets the television commercials and other big endorsements, Thomas is the player who consumes the time of opposing coaches.

- There is no bigger endorsement or honor than being asked by a living legend to step into their shoes.

But most of those who were expected to cash in with big endorsements are settling for less.

But I've had no big endorsements since the Olympics, although some are in the works.

I was hoping for a bigger endorsement than that, but one takes what's there.

"The big endorsements have just not been there," says Steve Reich, who handles the miners' publicity.