How about the Buccaneers' season-long puzzle of finding a productive role for receiver Keyshawn Johnson?
This is not a productive role for the world's leading country and the architect of much of the international law created over the last half-century.
The talks should focus on how Hamas can play a productive role in the peace process and gradually integrate into Palestinian political and security institutions.
So local authorities can have a productive role in education without running schools; choice and good local provision can co-exist.
In the long term, campaigners fear that rocketing child labour and school dropout rates will create a frustrated, uneducated generation that has little means of playing a productive role in society, in Syria or elsewhere.
"The riots provided a moment of clarity for us all, a reminder that a strong economy requires a strong social settlement, with stable families ready to play a productive role in their communities," he said.
Even so, after a few months I was able to carve out a productive role for myself by working with my supervisors to help them better understand the level at which I was able to contribute.
Investors who bet on declines perform a productive role in financial markets.
