Defend [against]

[FRITZ JUENGLING]

Yes, absolutely.  Know it from years and years of playing basketball.  When you match up at the beginning of the game, you might say 'I'll defend #5'.
Fritz

>>> JJJRLandau at AOL.COM 12/19/04 01:28PM >>>
One of the announcers for today's Dallas-Philadelphia game said (I'm quoting
from memory and this is probably not word-for-word) "The Cowboys are defending
 Donovan McNabb the way other teams defend Peyton Manning".  Is this common,
to use "defend" to mean "defend against"?

    - James A. Landau