The NFL cannot afford to appear soft on player safety.

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The company has also created controls for an MP3-player on the sleeve of a jacket and a soft keyboard, which can be connected to PDAs and cell phones.

CNN: From chemistry to catwalk

"The last time I played it, it was maybe a little soft but the fairways have firmed up and the greens are fantastic, " said the Clandeboye player.

BBC: McIlroy magnetism

Until recently a passive player in Coca-Cola's marketing efforts, 7-Eleven is changing the soft-drink game.

FORBES: Gone Flat

"Our clients are increasingly wealthy, " says Schwab's co-CEO, David Pottruck, 52, a former University of Pennsylvania football player who is as pugnacious and combustible as the founder, Charles Schwab, 63, is soft-spoken and laid back.

FORBES: Charles Schwab, Version 4.0