This deal - and Washington's opposition to it - proves what we all knew all along.

This deal proved to be against the run of play.

But the deal has proved advantageous in other, more political, ways.

That deal proved to be the turning point for those Knicks.

But, as before, a deal for a larger theater proved elusive.

In the end, he mentioned, the deal might well prove barely profitable for his firm.

It is far too soon to tell whether this particular deal, valued at as much as $33 billion, will prove to be money well spent.

I hope that this deal, and others, will prove a bonanza for American industry.

That would allow the investors a greater return, should the deal prove successful.

But even if the big deal proves elusive, at the very least the films actually get seen.