When a life gets snuffed out prematurely the way Sean Taylor's was by some cowardly thug in Florida, everybody takes notice.

The Wizards, preparing for a meeting with the Suns today, took time out from practice yesterday to express their sympathies.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Sean's family, friends, teammates and the entire Redskins organization," forward Antawn Jamison said. "While I did not know Sean personally, I felt a connection because we represent the same community. I was a big fan of his and thought he was a tremendous football player. This is something that is very hard to swallow. This is going to be difficult to move on from, so we are going to have to continue to pray for him and his family."

Caron Butler also expressed his sympathy.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family, his teammates, the Redskins organization and the fans," Butler said. "He was a very talented player and a really good person. He always had a smile on his face on the couple occasions that I saw him. This is a terrible tragedy, and I am really saddened by this loss."

-- John N. Mitchell