"I don't think I did anything different in this past off-season," Bonds said, "except maybe run some hills higher and more often."

Williams spent the past off-season working to stretch and strengthen his hamstrings.

The Jets were uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency this past off-season.

He spent the past off-season enhancing his image without uttering a word.

This past off-season, he turned away chances to act on soap operas.

He had an internship this past off-season with Smith Barney.

But in the past off-season, his life changed.

Baseball began expansion initiatives in Asia and Africa this past off-season.

The past off-season mirrored the Marlins' roster demolition of 1997.

That the next two would be in a Knicks uniform was by no means a certainty this past off-season.