To get a better handle on how big a loss this represents, a team led by Tero Harkonen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, in February conducted an aerial survey of the ice field on which the seals overwinter.
When the world track and field championships are held from Aug. 3 to 12 in Edmonton, Alberta, the United States will be represented by a team of deceptive quality.
But barring a last minute settlement, West Indies — which continues to be plagued by disputes between its players and its Cricket Board — will be represented by a team of replacements.
The Strasbourg hearing, at which El-Masri will be represented by a team of lawyers from the Open Society Justice Initiative, is also a vindication for the many other groups and individuals who took up his cause and helped shed light on his story over the years.
Each represents a real team of the era.
The family were represented by a team of two barristers and solicitors, compared with the 10 barristers and several solicitors representing the police.
Mr. Lieberman is overseas and is represented by a team of lawyers.
The first two women who brought claims were represented by a team of lawyers that included Gloria Allred, the prominent Los Angeles attorney.
He is represented by a team of lawyers and one lioness who now gives speeches, raises funds for her father's defense, exhorts his lawyers, meets with civil rights groups and cajoles or browbeats reporters.
In urging the court not to hear the case, Troy King, Alabama's attorney general, wrote that Mr. Maples had been represented by "a team of attorneys from a multimillion-dollar law firm" who should know that rules are rules.
The event is organized like a World Cup (forty-eight nations competing, each represented by a team of two, a chef and a deputy) and run like a dog show, with dishes paraded through a stadium in front of twenty-six judges.
