He chuckled when asked if he had heard talk about New York's early-season struggles.

The Eagles also respond to Reid, a low-key, no-nonsense coach who never panicked during the early-season struggles.

Tottenham reached the group stages of the Uefa Cup but again failed to convince that their early-season struggles will soon end.

Some of the Nets have been much more casual than Mourning about the team's early-season struggles because they remain certain they can turn it around.

But, Valentine said, a player of Bell's status has earned the right to continue playing despite early-season struggles.

There were other factors besides his mother's phone call that helped Thornton overcome his early-season struggles.

Although the Red Sox recovered from their early-season struggles, the pitching staff was plagued by injuries and underachievement throughout the year.

"It reminds me a little of that," Torre said, referring to Gooden's early-season struggles.

In the midst of their early-season struggles, the Nets have had few such opportunities for fun in the middle of a game.

"With the amount of pressure I put on myself before, I really couldn't think on the mound," he said, referring to his early-season struggles.