y go on a long journey to the Cedar Mountain to find and destroy the monster who sent the Flood. Gilgamesh finds him and finally succeeds in cutting off the head of this creature whose name is “Huwawa” (“Humbaba” in the Assyrian version; see Heidel 1963: 34ff).Is there a connection with the Gilgamesh epic and Genesis 10? Note what Gilgamesh says to Enkidu the half man, half beast, who accompanied him on his journey, found in Tablet III, lines 147-150. “If I fall,” Gilgamesh says, “I will establish a name for myself. Gilgamesh is fallen, they will say, in combat with terrible Huwawa.”But the next five lines are missing from all tablets found so far! Can we speculate on what they say? Let’s try...We suggest that those five lines include: “But if I win,...they will say, Gilgamesh, the mighty vanquisher of Huwawa!” Why do we say that? Because Genesis 10:9 gives us the portion missing from the Gilgamesh tablets. Those lines include... “it is said, Nimrod (or Gilgamesh) the mighty vanquisher of YHWH” This has to be what is missing from all the clay tablets of the Gilgamesh story. The Gilgamesh Epic calls him Huwawa; the Bible calls Him YHWH.Part of Nimrod’s kingdom (Gn 10:11), Nineveh along the Tigris River continued to be a major city in ancient Assyria. Today adjacent to modern Mosul, the ruins of ancient Nineveh are centered on two mounds, the acropolis at Kuyunjik and Nebi Yunis (Arabic “Prophet Jonah”). Pictured is Sennacherib’s “palace without rival” on Kuyunjik, constructed at the end of the seventh century BC and excavated by Henry Layard in the early 20th century.Heidel, speaking of the incident as it is found on Tablet V says: All we can conclude from them [the lost lines] is that Gilgamesh and Enkidu cut off the head of Humbaba (or Huwawa) and that the expedition had a successful issue [ending] (1963: 47).The missing lines from the Epic are right there in the Bible!Because of the parallels between Gilgamesh and Nimrod, many scholars agree that Gilgamesh is Nimrod. Continuing with Gilgamesh’s fable, he did win, he did vanquish Huwawa and took his head. Therefore he could come back to Uruk and other cities and tell the people not to worry about YHWH anymore, he is dead. ‘“I killed him over in the Lebanon mountains. So just live however you like, I will be your king and take care of you.”Often attributed to Nimrod, the Tower of Babel (Gn 11:1-9) was not a Jack and the Beanstalk-type of construction, where people were trying to build a structure to get into heaven. Instead it is best understood as an ancient ziggurat (Assyrian “mountaintop”), as the one pictured at ancient Ur of the Chaldees, Abraham’s hometown (Gn 11:31). A ziggurat was a man-made structure with a temple at its top, built to worship the host of heaven.There are still other parallels between the Bible and the Gilgamesh epic: “YaHWeH” has a somewhat similar sound to “Huwawa.” Gilgamesh did just as the “sons of god” in Genesis 6 did. The “sons of god” forcibly took men’s wives. The Epic says that is precisely what Gilgamesh did. The Bible calls Nimrod a tyrant, and Gilgamesh was a tyrant. There was a flood in the Bible, there is a flood in the Epic. Cush is mentioned in the Bible, Kish in the Epic. Erech is mentioned in Scripture, Uruk was Gilgamesh’s city. Gilgamesh made a trip to see the survivor of the Flood. This was more likely Ham than Noah, since “Nimrod” was Ham’s grandson! Historically. Gilgamesh was of the first dynasty of Uruk. As Jacobsen points out (1939: 157), kings before Gilgamesh may be fictional, but not likely. The fact that the Gilgamesh epic also contains the Deluge story would indicate a close link with events immediately following the Flood, S.N. Kramer says: A few years ago one would have strongly doubted his (historical) existence...we now have the certitude that the time of Gilgamesh corresponds to the earliest period of Mesopotamian history. (Kramer 1959: 117)What a contrast Psalm 2 is compared with the Gilgamesh Epic!
The Dating of Hazor's Destruction in Joshua 11 Via Biblical, Archaeological, and Epigraphical Evidence
I. INTRODUCTIONOn the side of the former view, biblical archaeologists such as Bryant Wood argue that the Exodus must have occurred in the middle of the 15th century BC, since the ordinal number “480th” in 1 Kgs 6:1 only can be understood literally (contra allegorically, as late-Exodus proponents suggest). Wood, who mainly presents archaeological evidence to support his case, even declares that “the 13th-century Exodus-Conquest model is no longer tenable.”[3] Thus the battle over the proper dating of the Exodus and Conquest continues to wage.While this debate cannot be settled in the present article, nor can space be devoted here to the issue of the alleged Ramesside connections with the store-city of Raamses or the problem of archaeology not being able to “provide any trace of Israelites [in Canaan] before the Iron Age (shortly before 1200 B.C.E.),”[4] an examination of one aspect of this issue is in order: namely, the destruction of Hazor that is recorded in Joshua 11. The importance of Hazor’s contribution to the debate on the timing of the Exodus cannot be underestimated, as “Hazor provides the only possible evidence for an Israelite conquest of Canaan in the late 13th century” BC.[5]The initial Israelite conquest of Canaan under Joshua included three cities that were destroyed and put to the torch: Hazor (Josh 11:10–11), Jericho (Josh 6:21–24), and Ai (Josh 8:18–19).[6] Hazor—strategically located on the Great Trunk Road, which is the main commercial highway that cut through Canaan and was part of the principal military route throughout the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 BC)—thus is at the center of the debate over the timing of the Exodus, since it was both destroyed by Joshua and destroyed in the 13th century BC. The biblical text requires that the former is true, while archaeology requires that the latter is true. The matter that will be discussed here, however, is whether these destructions are distinct or one and the same. This study may go a long way toward determining whether or not the Exodus and Conquest transpired in the 13th century BC.II. THE DESTROYER OF THE FINAL BRONZE AGE CITY1. The Destroyer’s Nationality. Ancient Hazor consisted of a large, rectangular lower city (170 acres) and a bottle-shaped upper city (30 acres), essentially an elongated mound called a tel, which rises about 40 m. above the surrounding plain.[7] Yigael Yadin, the archaeologist who excavated at Hazor from 1955–1958 and 1968–1969, documented the great conflagration that accompanied the total destruction of the final Late Bronze Age city, which he believed to have occurred by ca. 1233 BC.[8] Evidence of this destruction consists of layers of ashes, burnt wooden beams, cracked basaltic slabs, mutilated basaltic statues, and fallen walls. Yadin’s findings in the lower city confirm that public structures such as the Orthostats Temple and the Stelae Temple were violently destroyed, while the renewed excavations in the uppelearn french
2011年3月17日星期四
Tags: amenhotep, exodus, hatshepsut, moses, thutmosis, rameses, 1 kings 6, plagues, amarna, memphis stela, karnak stela, apiru, hazor--> I. INTRODUCTIONFew disciplines related to Biblical inerrancy are scrutinized more intensely than historicity. Accordingly, questioning the Bible’s historicity is nothing new to Biblical studies, as evidenced by Ladd’s remark, “It is the author’s hope that the reader may be helped to understand that the authority of the Word of God is not dependent upon infallible certainty in all matters of history and criticism.”1 A more extreme recent trend, popular in the study of ancient Israel’s storied past, is a revisionistic version of Biblical history.2 A prime example is seen in the words of Finkelstein, who speaks of “the rise of the true national state in Judah [in the eighth century BC]. . . . That national state produced a historical saga so powerful that it led Biblical historians and archaeologists alike to recreate its mythical past—from stones and potsherds.”3 Such attacks on the inerrancy of the Bible’s historicity necessitate a reasoned defense of its historical accuracy. As Lindsell writes, “When inerrancy is lost, it is palpably easy to drift into a mood in which the historicity of Scripture along with inerrancy is lost.”4 The danger of compromising the inerrancy of Biblical historicity became vivid to the present writer when he learned that a transfer student who entered the seminary where he teaches was taught in another theological institution that Biblical inerrancy does not even extend into the realm of history. Such a position is unacceptable, and it must be opposed rigorously. The present work examines the trustworthiness of Biblical history by using the Hebrew exodus from Egypt (hereinafter, simply “exodus”) as a test case. More specifically, an examination of the exodus-pharaoh’s life will reveal whether Biblical history can be harmonized and synchronized with Egyptian history, and whether Biblical chronology is clear and trustworthy when relevant passages are interpreted literally. The need for evaluating the former premise is that many Egyptologists are leading the charge to deny the veracity of the exodus, attempting to persuade Biblical scholars and the Christian populace at large that the exodus never actually occurred. Renowned Egyptologist Donald Redford concludes, “The almost insurmountable difficulties in interpreting the exodus-narrative as history have led some to dub it ‘mythology rather than . . . a detailed reporting of the historical facts’ and therefore impossible to locate geographically.”5 Redford then betrays his affinity with this fraternity, stating that “despite the lateness and unreliability of the story in exodus, no one can deny that the tradition of Israel’s coming out of Egypt was one of long standing.”6 The need for evaluating the latter premise is that many Biblical scholars who affirm the historicity of the exodus now date it to the 13th century BC, a step that requires a redefinition of concrete numbers in Biblical passages that, if taken literally, would indisputably place the exodus in the 15th century BC. The eminent Egyptologist and Biblical scholar Kenneth Kitchen is foremost among them: “Thus, if all factors are given their due weight, a 13th-century exodus remains—at present—the least objectionable dating, on a combination of all the data (Biblical and otherwise) when those data are rightly evaluated and understood in their context.”7 While Kitchen is a vital contributor in the field of OT history and chronology, the accuracy of his conclusion here is disputable, along with whether he has evaluated “all of the data” correctly. Wood rejects the theory of a 13th-century-BC exodus, originally propagated by Albright, appealing to a reevaluation of the archaeological evidence pertinent to key Palestinian cities in question.8 Young also opposes this trend: “A date for the exodus in the mid-fifteenth century BC has been much maligned because of favorite theories that identified various pharaohs of a later date with the pharaohs of the oppression and exodus. . . . It is hoped that the present study has strengthened the case for the accuracy of the chronological numbers as preserved in the Masoretic text, and at the same time has helped to discredit theories which put the exodus anywhere but in the middle of the Fifteenth Century BC.”9 Just as Young established a 15th-century date for the exodus by chronological means, the present writer seeks to accomplish this goal by historical means, namely by examining the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep II (ca. 1455–1418 BC),10 which coincides with that of the exodus-pharaoh if adhering to conventional views of Biblical and ancient Egyptian chronology. By answering the following questions, it will be seen whether Amenhotep II remains a viable candidate for the exodus-pharaoh, and whether Biblical history can be exonerated under the scrutiny of synchronization with Egyptian history. Does Amenhotep II qualify as the pharaoh who lived through the tenth plague because he was not his father’s eldest son? Could the eldest son of Amenhotep II have died during the tenth plague, which must be true of the exodus-pharaoh’s son? Did Amenhotep II die in the Red Sea, as the Bible allegedly indicates about the exodus-pharaoh?11 Can any of Amenhotep II’s military campaigns be related to the exodus events? Can the loss of over two million Hebrew slaves, certainly Egypt’s “slave-base” at the time, be accounted for in the records of Amenhotep II’s reign? Is there any evidence to confirm that Amenhotep II interacted with the Hebrews after they left Egypt? If Amenhotep II is the exodus-pharaoh, could the obliteration of Hatshepsut’s image from many Egyptian monuments and inscriptions be attributed to backlash from the exodus events? II. THREE INTRODUCTORY BACKGROUND MATTERS 1. The Reason for Moses’ Omission of the Exodus-Pharaoh’s Throne-Name. Every time Moses wrote the dynastic title of the exodus-pharaoh, it was devoid of the pharaoh’s throne-name (e.g. Sesostris, Amenhotep, etc.), which is known in Egyptology as the praenomen.12 This, however, was not the practice of later Biblical writers—especially writers of the historical books, who routinely transliterated each pharaoh’s praenomen— beginning with the reign of Pharaoh Shishak. For example, Shishak is named in the OT seven times, though never is he referred to merely as “pharaoh.”13 The same is true of Pharaoh Neco, whose name appears nine times.14 The only exception to this rule—apart from the 21 references in the prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, where the Egyptian monarch is referred to only as “pharaoh”—is when the Hebrew authors retrospectively write about the exodus-pharaoh, always leaving him unnamed.15 The question that arises is why Moses consistently omitted the throne-names of pharaohs, especially in the historical book of Exodus. a. Omission of Pharaoh’s Throne-Name not Theologically Motivated. The absence of pharaoh’s praenomen in the biblical history of the second millennium BC is often used either to support the assertion of the legendary nature of the exodus narrative, or to demonstrate that the Hebrew writers were not truly interested in history. These criticisms, however, dissipate under a closer examination of the practice of Moses’ day. Hoffmeier nobly suggests that “the absence of pharaoh’s name may ultimately be for theological reasons, because the Bible is not trying to answer the question, ‘Who is the pharaoh of the exodus?’ to satisfy the curiosity of modern historians; rather, it was seeking to clarify for Israel who was the God of the exodus.”16 To support this idea, Hoffmeier appeals to Exod 5:1, which he uses to suggest that pharaoh not only rejects Moses’ petition to allow the Hebrews to worship Yahweh in the desert, but rebuffs Yahweh by denying knowledge of him,
Rosetta Stone Spanish
Rosetta Stone Spanish
suggesting that both references may be a divinely-overseen
updating of an earlier place-name.31 Whether or not Exod 1:11 is anachronistic, there is no guarantee that Pi-Ramesses is biblical Rameses. Scolnic warns, “The truth is that there are very few sites indeed that yield the kind of evidence required to make the site identifications that we, especially we who are openly interested in religion, yearn to make.”32 Yet the presumption that Biblical Rameses could not have been inhabited before Rameses II has driven the movement to advance the date of the exodus forward by two centuries, with the view’s proponents interpreting “480th” in 1 Kgs 6:1 as being merely a symbolical number.Two options exist for allegorizing “the 480th year.” The first option is that the number 480 is the sum of 12 eras consisting of 40-year generations: 20 years for one generation to live to child-bearing age, then 20 years for their children to do likewise. When totaled, these 12 eras of 22–25 actual years supply the 288–300 years needed to support the late-exodus theory.33 By counting back 300 years from 967 BC, the exodus dates to ca. 1267 BC, which falls within the exceedingly long reign of Rameses II.34 The second option for the number 480 is what Kitchen calls “the nonoppressions aggregate theory.” Here, the 480 years consist of nine periods of 40 years (=360 years), the third of which is actually 80 years (2 x 40), plus five aggregate periods of varying lengths. When totaled, the sum is a neat 480 years.35c. The Inadequacy of Interpreting the 480th Year of 1 Kgs 6:1 Allegorically.One weakness with any allegorical interpretation is that in 1 Kgs 6:1, the author used an ordinal number, not a cardinal, making a figurative use even more inexplicable. Another weakness is that the exodus-pharaoh followed an exceedingly lengthy reign, not boasted one, as does Ramses II. Moses fled from pharaoh, who sought to execute him for killing an Egyptian (Exod 2:15), departing from Egypt when he “was fulfilling 40 years of age” (Acts 7:23). Only “after 40 years had passed” did the angel speak to him at the burning bush (Acts 7:30), which immediately follows the statement that “in the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died” (Exod 2:23).Thus the pharaoh who preceded the exodus-pharaoh must have ruled beyond 40 years, a criterion not met by the modest reign of Seti I (ca. 1305–1290 BC), Rameses II’s predecessor. In contrast, Thutmose III, the father and predecessor of Amenhotep II, who ruled just under 54 years, is the only other pharaoh of the 18th or 19th Dynasty to rule over 40 years. This factor, combined with all of the other evidence, causes one writer to declare, “Thutmose III must be the ruler whose death is recorded in Exodus 2:23.”36Finally, if “480th” merely represents a collection of equally or non-equally divisible components, what is to prevent the subjective periodization of other numbers within Scripture? In Exod 12:40–41, Moses notes that “at the end of 430 years—to the very day—all the hosts of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt.” Does 430 also represent a compilation of time periods? If so, are they divided into 10-year spans, since the number is indivisible by 20? Is the inclusion of the qualifier, “to the very day,” simply to be dismissed as a later scribal gloss? Moreover, who is to be trusted to correctly allegorize the number, which otherwise is shrouded in mystery? Opponents of biblical inerrancy even recognize the folly of such allegorization, with one calling it the devising of “ingenious solutions. The most common trick has been to reduce time spans to generations: thus the 480 figure must really represent twelve generations.”37 Simply put, no such creative ingenuity is necessary.d. The Preference for Interpreting the 480th Year of 1 Kgs 6:1 Literally.Cassuto studied ascending and descending Hebrew numbers.38 As Wood notes from this study, a number written in ascending order—as with “eightieth and four-hundredth” in 1 Kgs 6:1, where the smaller number (80th) is followed by the larger number (400th)—is always “intended to be a technically precise figure.”39 Moreover, no subjectively allegorical use of “480th” justifies the rejection of its natural use. Since the advocates of a late exodus are more driven by arguments from silence about the Israelites’ habitation of Canaan before the 13th century BC than by textual evidence, this number should be taken literally, reinforcing 1446 BC as the exact year of the exodus.3. Egyptian Chronology: Precisely Dating the Pharaonic Reigns of the 15th Century BC.The final step before determining whether Amenhotep II is a viable candidate for the exodus-pharaoh is to synchronize the date of the exodus with Egyptian history. While inspiration does not extend to extra-Biblical literature or ancient inscriptions, many extant writings do possess a high degree of trustworthiness.a. The Astronomical Date in the Ebers Papyrus.The Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian MS that dates the heliacal rising of Sothis to Year 9, Month 3, Season 3, Day 9 (ca. 15 May) of Amenhotep I’s reign (ca. 1550–1529 BC), records this astronomical event that fixes its composition to an identifiable time in the 18th Dynasty.40 Since astronomers can pinpoint this event by charting the positions of stars in antiquity, the papyrus can be dated to ca. 1541 BC, making his initial regnal year ca. 1550 BC. This dating, accepted by numerous Egyptological scholars, is based on the ancient capital of Memphis as the point of observation, despite the Theban provenance of the papyrus. A Theban point of observation, which is accepted by other Egyptologists, dates the papyrus to ca. 1523 BC.41 While the Egyptians never stated from where they observed the Sothic rising, Olympiodorus noted in AD 6 that it was celebrated at Alexandria, after having been observed at Memphis.42 Therefore, Memphis is taken to be the correct point of observation for the rising recorded in the Ebers Papyrus.b. The Reliability of the Dating of the 18th Dynasty.Even without depending on astronomical dating, the chronology of Egypt in the mid-1400’s BC remains sure. Ward notes that “New Kingdom chronology can be fairly well established on the basis of the monuments and synchronisms, without recourse to the astronomicalmaterial.”43 As for the 18th Dynasty, he adds that the 25-year gap separating current theories on its starting date narrows to a scant three or four years by the middle of the dynasty, meaning that most mainstream Egyptologists consider the dating of Egypt’s exodus-era history to be fixed and reliable.44c. The Regnal Dates of the 18th-Dynasty Pharaohs from the Time of the Ebers Papyrus to the Exodus.With firm regnal dates for Amenhotep I, the reigns of the subsequent 18th-Dynasty pharaohs down to Amenhotep II are fixed with relative certainty: Thutmose I (ca. 1529–1516 BC), Thutmose II (ca. 1516–1506 BC), Queen Hatshepsut (ca. 1504–1484 BC), Thutmose III (ca.1506–1452 BC), and Amenhotep II (ca. 1455–1418 BC).45 With these reigns chronologically ordered, the evaluation of Amenhotep II’s candidacy for the exodus-pharaoh may proceed.III. THE SURVIVAL OF AMENHOTEP II DURING THE 10TH PLAGUEThe tenth plague upon Egypt specified that the firstborn of all classes of people, from pharaoh who sat on the throne to the lowest slave girl behind the millstone, along with the firstborn among the livestock, would all die at the hands of the Death Angel (Exod 11:5). Being that the throne was included in this edict, one might expect that pharaoh himself—if he actually was the firstborn son of his father, which was the normal protocol for succession under Egypt’s dynastic rule—would have died during this last and most terrible plague (Exod 12:29–30). However, since the exodus-pharaoh obviously lived through the final plague, he could not have been “the king’s eldest son,” a title the Egyptians liberally used of pharaoh’s eldest son, who stood in
first published एडिन्बुर्घ
A. & C. Black, 1885; German original, Berlin: G. Reimer, 1878] 272). See the remarks of Rodger C. Young in “When Did Jerusalem Fall?” JETS 47 (2004) 28–29, n. 13 regarding the artificiality of Wellhausen’s construction. Other authors who have followed Wellhausen in his faulty reasoning include Bernhard Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel 1 (Berlin : G. Grote, 1887) 89; Emile F. Kautzsch, Abriss der Geschichte des alttestamentlichen Schrifttums: nebst Zeittafeln zur Geschichte der Israeliten und anderen Beigaben zur Erklärung des alten Testaments (Freiburg: J.C.B. Mohr, 1897) 65; Jeremy Hughes, Secrets of the Times: Myth and History in biblical Chronology (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic, 1990) 2. [15] Wellhausen, Prolegomena 272. Wellhausen’s attack on the historical validity of the regnal data in Kings and Chronicles was very effective in destroying faith in the integrity of the Scriptures. Liberal scholarship was quick to press the argument. “Wellhausen has shown, by convincing reasons, that the synchronisms with the Book of Kings cannot possibly rest on ancient tradition, but are on the contrary simply the products of artificial reckoning (Rudolf Kittel, A History of the Hebrews 2 [Oxford: Williams & Norgate, 1896; German original Gotha, Germany: Perthes, 1892] 234). “Wellhausen is surely right in believing that the synchronisms in Kings are worthless, being merely a late compilation from the actual figures given” (Theodore H. Robinson, A History of Israel [Oxford, England: Clarendon, 1932] 1.454). Yet, by one of the ironies of history, the same chronological data that these scholars cited as showing the fallibility of the Scriptures have been demonstrated by conservative scholarship to have all the earmarks of authenticity, once the presupposition-based approach of liberal scholarship was replaced by a careful study of the chronological methods used in the ancient Near East. These later findings are therefore consistent with a high view of the inspiration of Scripture. “[T]he apparent authenticity of the chronological details of Scripture is precisely what would be expected if the doctrine of limited inspiration is false and that or inerrancy is true” (Rodger C. Young, “Tables of Reign Lengths from the Hebrew Court Recorders,” JETS 48 [2005] 244). There is also a pragmatic side to this: the Thiele/McFall chronology that is based on a conservative approach to the Scriptures has been widely accepted as reflecting the true history of the times, whereas no chronological consensus has ever been attained by starting with the various theories that postulate artificiality in the records of Kings and Chronicles. [16] “Propositions” 36. [17] Kings 60. The rationale for choosing this particular timespan to insert in 1 Kgs 6:1 is not explained by Burney. Hawkins, however, provides a reason, as given earlier by Nahum Sarna. Sarna suggests, “the biblical writer [of 1 Kgs 6:1] wanted to place the Temple at the center of biblical history” (Nahum M. Sarna “Israel in Egypt: The Egyptian Sojourn and the Exodus,” in Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple [ed. Hershel Shanks; Washington DC: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1999]) 42). Hawkins understands Sarna’s “biblical history” to mean “Israelite history,” and he writes, “Israel’s history on either side of the construction of the Temple is summarized as having encompassed 480 years, thereby placing the construction of the Temple in the center of history” (“Propositions” 36). This concept is not found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible and it assumes that Israelite history ceased with the first return from exile. If the historical data had been manipulated in the way theorized by Sarna and Hawkins, the authors of Kings would be writing propaganda, not history. Such an approach to the authorship of the Scriptures destroys all confidence in anything presented in the written text, whether it be matters of history or of doctrine. But imaginative theorizing of this sort has no explanation of why sound scholarship has shown that the reign length data have all the characteristics of authenticity, so that a coherent and rational chronology has been constructed from them. [18] Non-accession reckoning means that the calendar year in which the king came to the throne is reckoned as his “year one,” while at the same time it is reckoned as the last year of the king he was succeeding. When reckoning is by the non-accession method, a year must therefore be subtracted from the given reign length when calculating elapsed time. Under the accession method, the calendar year in which the king came to the throne is counted as his “zero” year, and consequently elapsed time can be calculated by a simple addition of reign lengths. [19] “Propositions” 36, esp. n. 25. Hawkins writes, “If the number is literal, then they returned 53 years after Cyrus’s accession to the throne.” But there is no record, biblical or otherwise, of any return of exiles in 487 bc, 480 years after the start of Temple construction in the spring of 967 bc. (Hawkins takes 966 for the start of Temple construction and ends the 480 imaginary years in 486.) [20] Young, “Tables of Reign Lengths” 225–48. After the division of the kingdom, Judah continued its practice of using accession reckoning, whereas Israel made a deliberate break from Judean practice by adopting a Nisan-based regnal year, non-accession reckoning, and a non-canonical festival in the eighth month. Later, both kingdoms changed from their initial choice regarding accession or non-accession reckoning, and the lack of understanding of these important principles is one of many reasons why Wellhausen and those who followed him were incompetent in determining a chronology from the data given us by the Hebrew court recorders. [21] In the present paper, the authors use dates for Solomon and the other kings of Judah taken from ibid., 246 (Table 2). [22] William H. Barnes, Studies in the Chronology of the Divided Monarchy of Israel (Atlanta, GA.: Scholars Press, 1991) 146. [23] S. Olam 11. Rabbi Yose assigned this period to seventeen Jubilees, yet the 850 years are seventeen years more than seventeen Jubilee cycles of forty-nine years each. Rabbi Yose then asks how it is possible that there is an excess of seventeen years over the 833 years that he apparently expected for the seventeen Jubilee cycles. He gives no answer. The reason is evident: his 850 years is an artificial number that does not represent real elapsed time, similar to the artificial constructs of Wellhausen and Barnes, and there is no reason to try to correlate it with the seventeen Jubilee cycles that Rabbi Yose states as terminating fourteen years after Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Neither is there any reason to relate Judean reign lengths to the 479 years between the exodus and the building of the Temple. When artificial arrangements such as these are imposed on the data, it creates confusion in any chronological scheme and leads to wrong conclusions. [24] Heinrich W. Guggenheimer, Seder Olam: The Rabbinic View of biblical Chronology (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005; first published Northvale, NJ, 1998) 117–18. [25] Edwin R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings (3d ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983); Leslie McFall, “A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles,” BSac 148 (1991) 3–45. Thiele’s book should be the starting place for anyone seeking to understand the methods of the Hebrew court recorders and scribes whose figures are recorded in the chronological notes of Kings and Chronicles. These methods were not understood by Wellhausen, Burney, and some others even to the present day. Thiele’s problems with the chronology of the eighth-century kings of Judah are entirely resolved in McFall’s article. [26] Jack Finegan, Handbook of biblical Chronology (rev. ed.; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998) 246, 249; Kitchen, On the Reliability 83; T. C. Mitchell
2011年3月9日星期三
10 Mar 11 An Iranian Foreign Film Fails To Promote Real Understanding
An Iranian Foreign Film Fails To Promote Real UnderstandingBy: Ed Bagley .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet ? 2006 Ed BagleyChildren of Heaven is an Iranian movie with subtitles about a boy who accidentally loses his sister's worn out shoes after being sent to get them repaired, and must share his own worn out sneakers with her in a sort of relay while each attends school at different times during the day.He bargains with his sister not to tell his father that he has lost her shoes, as the father will beat both of them.This is a family literally living hand-to-mouth in a one-room rental with no, and I mean no, amenities, except a tea pot and television. There is no visible kitchen, no bathroom (one assumes they share a bathroom in the building), no beds (they sleep on the floor), and no apparent heat. Jeez, this is living in poverty in parts of the war-torn Middle East.If you were born in America, you may have no idea how fortunate you are to be the one child among every 50 children born into the world who lives in a relatively free, democratic society, in the most prosperous nation on the face of the earth.We have so much more of everything in America that even our less fortunate people live better than the majority of the people in undeveloped and underdeveloped nations around the world, but back to Iran and these particular children.The shoe exchange in Children of Heaven goes on for days with predictable results, the boy is continually late for school and reprimanded, his sister longs for a pair of shoes, and she even suffers the humility of seeing one of her classmates wearing her missing shoes (a street vendor inadvertently picked up the repaired shoes while picking up refuse at a vegetable shop).The same classmate then gets a brand new pair of shoes, and his sister must suffer the indignity of hearing that her old, repaired shoes were thrown away.Alas, all is not lost, as the boy learns of a 4 kilometer foot race (approximately 2.5 miles), and the 3rd place prize is a pair of new sneakers. He knows he can run fast (he has been unknowingly practicing by having to run each day to school to get there on time) and decides to beg his way into the race, finish 3rd, and give his hard-earned prize to his sister.Imagine the start of this race among his peers, it looked like the start of the Boston Marathon in America with 10,000+ petitors. The race footage is well done. In the end, the boy does not finish 3rd, he wins the race, but not the sneakers.Now get this, because this is important: At the end of the story, the father is able to finally buy his daughter a new pair of sneakers, the boy feels like a failure for not winning the sneakers, and his sister is sorely disappointed that he could not get the job done. The film ends on this note.There is no resolution in this film, it is like I imagined the Middle East culture and mentality all over again, no consensus on anything, no meaningful result to anything, and negative to the end.If it were not for this terrible ending, this film would have a 3-star rating rather than 2, however, I am not about to reward poor story telling.Children of Heaven has some touching moments, and is instructive because it reminds us that no matter what the politics are, children are children; and they act like children, everywhere, and in every corner of the world. This film is worth the look, but brace yourself for an unsettling ending.The postscript to this film from NETFLIX says "Children of Heaven is just that-heavenly." It is absolutely not, despite having some heavenly moments. Be advised that NETFLIX has some descriptions that belie the film's actual presentation.NETFLIX has lulled me to sleep once too often. I have rented NETFLIX films that are characterized as a "romantic edy" when, in reality, I have been given a film with two funny scenes and a very heavy dose of disturbing human conflict with raw emotions and passion.Article Source: abcarticledirectoryEd Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . .edbagleyblogMovieReviewArticles.htmledbagleyblogLessonsinLifeArticles.htmledbagleyblogInternetMarketingArticles.htmlNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Ed BagleyRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Movies Film via RSS!Additional Articles From - Home Arts Movies FilmWhy Calibrate your High Definition TV?- By : Robert ShefferSweet Phone - By : Tim Webb.Find out Home Theater Methods! What You have Been Missing in Your TV and Movie Encounter.- By : Joesph MellbergPreparing and Setting up a Home Theater system is Easier Than you Think!- By : Zachariah DivensGrown Ups 2010 Movie In Review- By : Elenor CherryCamera Crew Hire- By : Mark A. WilsonReview of Drive Angry Movie- By : Gursel BatmazReturn Of The Horror Legend: Scream 4- By : Gursel BatmazMovie Review: Clash Of The Titans Leaves Audiences Wanting- By : Elenor CherryRed Riding Hood The Movie- By : Gursel Batmaz Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!
2011年3月5日星期六
5 Mar 11 Make More Money Selling Info Products With Resale Rights or Master Resale Rights
Make More Money Selling Info Products With Resale Rights or Master Resale RightsBy: Dipak Patel .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet If you have an info product, you can sell it with or without resale rights. However, you can make more money by selling the resale rights to your product. By offering your product with resale rights or master resale rights, you can bring in extra cash as customers will find it more attractive since they can make money from your product too when they resell it.When it comes toNHL Jersey
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about selling easy to create ebooks about travel destinations that are close to home. Basically all you have to do is find out the hottest destinations people who are travelling to for short breaks, write guides for them all, setup a simple website and affiliate program, and you are set. If you include many affiliate links in your info product so you can make additional money residually, choose to include those affiliate programs that are two-tiered. This way, your customers can join those affiliate programs under you and then they can brand your product with their affiliate link. Your customers can generate some cash from their affiliate links inside your product and you earn some more from their sales.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com WA is an excellent program for internet or affiliate marketers of beginner to advance levels to earn their dream earnings to the next level. It provides you the top level personal coaching, full support, tools, and learning resourceswww.successwealthsolutions.comNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Dipak PatelRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Affiliate Programs What Cloth Diaper Provides The Top Match For Newborns?- By : mirtagaylWhat is Affiliate Marketing and Why You Should Do It?- By : James A AndersonEarning Money Quickly With Email Red Wings jersey
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pricing your product, you can command a higer price for your product that comes with resale rights or master rights. In fact, if you sell a product with resale or master rights, you can sell it for twice as much as you are selling the same product without the rights. You can even allow customers to brand the info product they buy from you. This simply means that while you remain the creator or author of the product, your customers can insert their own name or links to your product before selling it to their own customers. This is a win-win situation for both you and your customers.You do not have to create your own products, though, if you think this is too laborious a process. To get started in the info product resale business, you can buy products that come with master resale rights or private label rights from others who have created them. Take note, too, that if you buy products that come with private label rights, this means you can change them anyway you like, put your name on them, compile them into an entirely new product and then sell your new products with resale rights.You can encourage customers to become your affiliate by giving them their own affiliate link to promote your other products and then placing their affiliate link inside the product with the rights. Your customers will be encouraged to promote and sell your product because they know that they can make residual income from the your back end sales.If you love to write yourself then you can make small reports on anything. Everybody wants to get away for a weekend or long weekend every once and a while but no one really knows where to go or what to do and by the time they figure out what their plan is, they have usually run out of time and decide to do it at a later date. This is where you come in. This business idea is allDetroit Red Wings jersey
about selling easy to create ebooks about travel destinations that are close to home. Basically all you have to do is find out the hottest destinations people who are travelling to for short breaks, write guides for them all, setup a simple website and affiliate program, and you are set. If you include many affiliate links in your info product so you can make additional money residually, choose to include those affiliate programs that are two-tiered. This way, your customers can join those affiliate programs under you and then they can brand your product with their affiliate link. Your customers can generate some cash from their affiliate links inside your product and you earn some more from their sales.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com WA is an excellent program for internet or affiliate marketers of beginner to advance levels to earn their dream earnings to the next level. It provides you the top level personal coaching, full support, tools, and learning resourceswww.successwealthsolutions.comNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Dipak PatelRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Affiliate Programs What Cloth Diaper Provides The Top Match For Newborns?- By : mirtagaylWhat is Affiliate Marketing and Why You Should Do It?- By : James A AndersonEarning Money Quickly With Email Red Wings jersey
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2011年1月24日星期一
24 Jan 11 Big Ten Football Preview, Week 5: Big Ten Play Begins
Leon Halip/Getty ImagesIn golf, they call the preseason the "silly season" because the guys really don't practice. They just go to a couple of tournaments, play okay, and cash a few checks.For somecollege football teams, they just finished the silly season. For others, Big Ten play is their only hope of having a successful year.This week starts the second, or real season, for Big Tenschools. I also like it because I don't have to preview 11 different games. So it works out for all of us! Big Ten Game of the Week Wisconsin at Michigan Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
StateWhen the season began, I would have bet a dollar that thePenn State at Iowa game would be this week's BTGOTW (Big Ten game of the week), but with Mark Dantonio's mild heart attack (isany heart attack mild?) and return to coaching in the press box, and with both teams undefeated, this is clearly the better game.Both are power teams that like to run the ball. Both have good running backs and good non-conference wins (ND and ASU). I think this will be a very close game, and believe it or not, MSU is a home dog, getting two points.I usually sidewitha home team in a close game, but I have a strange feeling that Wisconsin is the better team. Wisconsin 24, MSU21 More Big Ten PlayNorthwestern at MinnesotaThe Golden Gophers really need a win, and Northwestern is quietly undefeated this year. Could Tim Brewster be gone before the end of October? He could if the Golden Gophers don't start playing better football. This is another home dog scenario where Northwestern is giving 5.5 points. It won't be that close.Northwestern 28, Minn 14Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
Ohio State at IllinoisIllinois has given Ohio State fits in the past, but this team led by Ron Zook doesn't really have much to offer to stop Terrelle Pryor and company. Ohio State always has a Big Ten sleeper game on the road (last year it was Purdue), but not in this game. Guess what? Another home dog game: OSU is favored by 17 points. Seems about right.OSU 31, Illinois 10 Penn State at IowaBoth teams have high hopes for a Big Ten championship. Iowa's schedule sets up nicely for them, being able to hostPSU, MSU, and OSU during Big Ten play. Both teams havealready lost a game on the road in 2010. Penn State got manhandled by No. 1 Alabama, and Iowa got down quickly to Arizona and wasn't able to recover.Penn State's offensewill struggle against Iowa's defense. I see thisgame as a defensive battle with not a lot of points scored. Iowa is favored by seven points.Iowa 17, Penn State 7 Purdue has abye. I will preview the Michigan-IU game on Friday. A Thought to Ponder on a Thursday AfternoonHow big would next Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
week's Michigan-MSU game be if both teams were undefeated? Storylines: Dantonio's heart condition, Rich Rodriguez trying to beat his in-state rival for the first time, two really good running teams, MSU's first time in the new Big House, and I'm sure there will be a little brother reference or two. (Note: MSU does not play OSU this year.)This article is also featured onThe BIG HOUSE Blog
StateWhen the season began, I would have bet a dollar that thePenn State at Iowa game would be this week's BTGOTW (Big Ten game of the week), but with Mark Dantonio's mild heart attack (isany heart attack mild?) and return to coaching in the press box, and with both teams undefeated, this is clearly the better game.Both are power teams that like to run the ball. Both have good running backs and good non-conference wins (ND and ASU). I think this will be a very close game, and believe it or not, MSU is a home dog, getting two points.I usually sidewitha home team in a close game, but I have a strange feeling that Wisconsin is the better team. Wisconsin 24, MSU21 More Big Ten PlayNorthwestern at MinnesotaThe Golden Gophers really need a win, and Northwestern is quietly undefeated this year. Could Tim Brewster be gone before the end of October? He could if the Golden Gophers don't start playing better football. This is another home dog scenario where Northwestern is giving 5.5 points. It won't be that close.Northwestern 28, Minn 14Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
Ohio State at IllinoisIllinois has given Ohio State fits in the past, but this team led by Ron Zook doesn't really have much to offer to stop Terrelle Pryor and company. Ohio State always has a Big Ten sleeper game on the road (last year it was Purdue), but not in this game. Guess what? Another home dog game: OSU is favored by 17 points. Seems about right.OSU 31, Illinois 10 Penn State at IowaBoth teams have high hopes for a Big Ten championship. Iowa's schedule sets up nicely for them, being able to hostPSU, MSU, and OSU during Big Ten play. Both teams havealready lost a game on the road in 2010. Penn State got manhandled by No. 1 Alabama, and Iowa got down quickly to Arizona and wasn't able to recover.Penn State's offensewill struggle against Iowa's defense. I see thisgame as a defensive battle with not a lot of points scored. Iowa is favored by seven points.Iowa 17, Penn State 7 Purdue has abye. I will preview the Michigan-IU game on Friday. A Thought to Ponder on a Thursday AfternoonHow big would next Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
week's Michigan-MSU game be if both teams were undefeated? Storylines: Dantonio's heart condition, Rich Rodriguez trying to beat his in-state rival for the first time, two really good running teams, MSU's first time in the new Big House, and I'm sure there will be a little brother reference or two. (Note: MSU does not play OSU this year.)This article is also featured onThe BIG HOUSE Blog
2011年1月22日星期六
22 Jan 11 Auburn Football Report Card: Grading The Tigers' Win Over Clemson
Eric Smith celebrates with fans after Auburn beat Clemson. (Hal Yeager/Birmingham News)Last night, Auburn trailed Clemson 17-0 after a diving catch by Jamie Harper. A field goal to end the half made it 17-3 in favor of Clemson.If Tommy Tuberville were the coach, there is no way Auburn comes back to win. But this is the Gene Chizik era. Halftime adjustments were made, and the second half belonged to the SEC Tigers. A few penalties and overturned calls later, No. 16 Auburn won in OT, 27-24.Auburn fans have to admit, ClemsonI will have to give multiple grades for some of the units, because the game itself was definitely a tale of two halves.Offense: First Half: D- Second Half: B+In the first half, Auburn had just over 110 yards of total offense, a turnover, and didn't pick up a first downReebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
until there was under nine minutes left in the second quarter. So what keeps it from being an F? Well, Auburn moved the ball quickly late in the half, and a Wes Byrum field goal as time expired put Auburn on the board at last. As it turns out, that field goal could have been the difference between an overtime victory or a regulation defeat.In the second half, Auburn's offense looked completely different, especially in the third quarter. After scoring just three points in the first half, Auburn caught on fire. Auburn moved the ball on the opening drive before a great interception by Clemson. After Auburn held them in check, they got the ball back and Onterio McCalebb scored Auburn's first touchdown of the night. Cam Newton then found Darvin Adams from eight yards out and Terrell Zachery from 78 yards. Auburn picked up over 300 yards of offense after halftime and ended with 424. Auburn's offense came alive in the second half and got Auburn back in the game and, eventually, gave Auburn the lead and the points needed for victory.Defense: First Half: C- Second Half: A-In the first half, Auburn's defense made a few plays, such as stopping Clemson on 4th-and-1,but they for the most part were picked apart. Clemson had 17 first downs in the first half and scored 17 as well. Auburn luckily made halftime adjustments.The second half and overtime were a completely different story. Auburn gave up just seven points and 10 first downs in the second half and overtime combined. Stopping Clemson on 3rd-and-5 inside the Auburn 10-yard line in OT was Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
the biggest play of the season for Auburn's defense, who turned in a pretty solid effort last night.Special Teams: AOutside of a shanked punt by Ryan Shoemaker in the fourth (Auburn's defense would push Clemson backwards anyways), this unit was solid. Demond Washington had some terrific returns. Wes Byrum went 2-for-2 and made the eventual game-winner in OT. Clemson missed their overtime field goal. Clemson never had a big returnon punts or kickoffs. Carr did not even come close to muffing a punt. A great night for the special teams.Coaching: First Half: C- Second Half: AIn the first half, coaching was definitely not a strength on Auburn's "off night." Dabo Swinney outcoached Chizik in the first half, and Auburn trailed 17-3.Now, I don't know what Chizik said to his players at halftime, but it worked. Auburn rebounded to win the game in overtime, and Chizik's ability to make adjustments was a big reason for that.Officiating: D+This ACC crew was not very good at all. They called stupid penalties on Auburn. They came close to calling offsides on Auburn in OT, but one ref saw the illegal snap. I'm not taking anything away from Clemson, they have a great team and the game was exactly what it looked like. But these refs...basically...sucked.Clock Mechanics: First Quarter: F Rest of Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
Game: A+The clock had some serious issues in the first quarter, but that was eventually cleaned up.Overall: A-Folks, the heart and character of this team is unbelievable. Down 17-0 in the second quarter, Auburn shows heart and bravery and comes all the way back to win a huge game thatis featuredby ESPN's College GameDay. It was a classic matchup between two good teams, but in the end, Auburn wins with the nation watching.
until there was under nine minutes left in the second quarter. So what keeps it from being an F? Well, Auburn moved the ball quickly late in the half, and a Wes Byrum field goal as time expired put Auburn on the board at last. As it turns out, that field goal could have been the difference between an overtime victory or a regulation defeat.In the second half, Auburn's offense looked completely different, especially in the third quarter. After scoring just three points in the first half, Auburn caught on fire. Auburn moved the ball on the opening drive before a great interception by Clemson. After Auburn held them in check, they got the ball back and Onterio McCalebb scored Auburn's first touchdown of the night. Cam Newton then found Darvin Adams from eight yards out and Terrell Zachery from 78 yards. Auburn picked up over 300 yards of offense after halftime and ended with 424. Auburn's offense came alive in the second half and got Auburn back in the game and, eventually, gave Auburn the lead and the points needed for victory.Defense: First Half: C- Second Half: A-In the first half, Auburn's defense made a few plays, such as stopping Clemson on 4th-and-1,but they for the most part were picked apart. Clemson had 17 first downs in the first half and scored 17 as well. Auburn luckily made halftime adjustments.The second half and overtime were a completely different story. Auburn gave up just seven points and 10 first downs in the second half and overtime combined. Stopping Clemson on 3rd-and-5 inside the Auburn 10-yard line in OT was Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
the biggest play of the season for Auburn's defense, who turned in a pretty solid effort last night.Special Teams: AOutside of a shanked punt by Ryan Shoemaker in the fourth (Auburn's defense would push Clemson backwards anyways), this unit was solid. Demond Washington had some terrific returns. Wes Byrum went 2-for-2 and made the eventual game-winner in OT. Clemson missed their overtime field goal. Clemson never had a big returnon punts or kickoffs. Carr did not even come close to muffing a punt. A great night for the special teams.Coaching: First Half: C- Second Half: AIn the first half, coaching was definitely not a strength on Auburn's "off night." Dabo Swinney outcoached Chizik in the first half, and Auburn trailed 17-3.Now, I don't know what Chizik said to his players at halftime, but it worked. Auburn rebounded to win the game in overtime, and Chizik's ability to make adjustments was a big reason for that.Officiating: D+This ACC crew was not very good at all. They called stupid penalties on Auburn. They came close to calling offsides on Auburn in OT, but one ref saw the illegal snap. I'm not taking anything away from Clemson, they have a great team and the game was exactly what it looked like. But these refs...basically...sucked.Clock Mechanics: First Quarter: F Rest of Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
Game: A+The clock had some serious issues in the first quarter, but that was eventually cleaned up.Overall: A-Folks, the heart and character of this team is unbelievable. Down 17-0 in the second quarter, Auburn shows heart and bravery and comes all the way back to win a huge game thatis featuredby ESPN's College GameDay. It was a classic matchup between two good teams, but in the end, Auburn wins with the nation watching.
2011年1月18日星期二
18 Jan 11 Make Or Break Weekend For Alabama and Auburn As Well As Their Opponents
Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThere is a lot on the line this weekend for all involved in two key SEC match-ups.In Fayetteville Arkansas the winner of the Alabama vs Arkansas match-up will likely go on to win the SEC west.A loss for Alabama could cost the Tide plenty in the BCS polls due out on October 17, as well as the Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
SEC west race.A loss for Arkansas could throw the Razorbacks into a tail spin because they have placed so much emphasis on this game. In fact, it seems as though their whole season is riding on this one game at least in the minds of their players and fans.Down in Auburn this weekend's game with South Carolina will be pivotal for Auburn's season and will go along way toward legitimizing their team. Auburn has been living on the edge in their last two games and also appears to be living on borrowed time. Auburn won their last two games by the narrowest of margins and unless the Tigers play better this Saturday their season could take a sudden turn for the worst.In South Carolina case the Gamecocks cannot afford to lose this game and have a realistic chance of making to Atlanta in December. I believe South Carolina must Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
roll into Gainesville undefeated on November 13 in order to have clear shot of winning the SEC's Eastern Division outright. That is unless Florida drops a couple along the way which isn't likely.So, September 25 is a very crucial day for all four of these teams, and will go a long way toward determining who will play for the SEC Championship in Atlanta on December 4, 2010.The winners will be sitting pretty and the losers will be left to pick up the pieces.
SEC west race.A loss for Arkansas could throw the Razorbacks into a tail spin because they have placed so much emphasis on this game. In fact, it seems as though their whole season is riding on this one game at least in the minds of their players and fans.Down in Auburn this weekend's game with South Carolina will be pivotal for Auburn's season and will go along way toward legitimizing their team. Auburn has been living on the edge in their last two games and also appears to be living on borrowed time. Auburn won their last two games by the narrowest of margins and unless the Tigers play better this Saturday their season could take a sudden turn for the worst.In South Carolina case the Gamecocks cannot afford to lose this game and have a realistic chance of making to Atlanta in December. I believe South Carolina must Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
roll into Gainesville undefeated on November 13 in order to have clear shot of winning the SEC's Eastern Division outright. That is unless Florida drops a couple along the way which isn't likely.So, September 25 is a very crucial day for all four of these teams, and will go a long way toward determining who will play for the SEC Championship in Atlanta on December 4, 2010.The winners will be sitting pretty and the losers will be left to pick up the pieces.
2011年1月15日星期六
15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams Scott Linehan Torry Holt Marc Bulger Mike Martz
It wasn't that long ago that the St. Louis Rams were known as the 'Greatest Show on Turf.' Kurt Warner was airing it out, Marshall Faulk was running wild, and Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were catching passes and streaking to many a touchdown. Led first by one white-haired guy, Dick Vermeil, and then another, Mike Cincinnati Bengals jersey
Martz, the Rams went to two Super Bowls in three years, winning in 1999 and coming up just short in 2001. Martz was the man behind it, with his innovative offensive schemes taking advantage of all of the talent that he had at his disposal. How quickly things change. Since that Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, the Rams have missed the playoffs in two of the last four seasons (and failed to get past the divisional round when they made the playoffs in '03 and '04), and a number of things have gradually changed. Marc Bulger has since replaced Warner, who was beset by a number of injuries and then ineffectiveness that led him out of St. Louis. Time, age and injury took its toll on Faulk, whose status as the NFL's best all-purpose back dropped with dwindling production. Martz began to gradually wear out his welcome in St. Louis, and a health scare last season gave both he and the Rams the perfect opportunity to make a change. Martz is now in charge of trying to make offensive magic in Detroit, and the new man in charge in the STL is another offensive guru, Scott Linehan, who was offensive coordinator under Nick Saban in Miami last season. It's plainly obvious now that the 'Greatest Show on Turf' is no longer what it once was. And that might not be bad news. It looks like the Ram front office took a little advice from Sheryl Crow, about how good change might be for you. The speedy Faulk has been replaced by the bigger, more physical Steven Jackson, who in his third season has a chance to flourish with Faulk out for the season and possible done for his career with knee problems. Faulk was the perfect back for Martz's offensive scheme; Jackson is the perfect back for Linehan's power-based running attack. Even with the new offensive scheme that will make things far more balanced than they were under Martz, that doesn't mean that the receivers will be neglected, in the least.Remember, Linehan was the man behind Daunte Culpepper's monster 2004 season, and that be nothing but good news for the aerial attack. His last two teams had 552 (2004 Vikings) and 556 (2005 Dolphins) pass attempts, compared to 580 (2004) and 599 (2005) for the last two Ram teams. Before I go too far, you might be wondering why the Rams' new head man is so well-renowned. Looking Cleveland Browns jersey
at the differences in both rushing and passing numbers for the 2004 Vikings and 2005 Dolphins, your perspective on Linehans's skills may be a little skewed, but a) the 2004 Vikings didn't have a capable run game to complement Culpepper (not like he needed much of one with the receivers he had), b) the 2005 Dolphins weren't a passing juggernaut, as judged by the much lower numbers they put up with less attempts than those '04 Vikings. Considering that the Rams have a) a talented quarterback and deep receiving corps and b) a talented running back, then the real potential of Linehan's schemes has a chance to show itself, with the right personnel at his disposal. The one-two punch of Bruce and Holt could see a little change, with the emergence of a new talent in the ranks. The new No. 2 to No. 81 looks like it could be former Utah State Aggie Kevin Curtis, who caught 60 passes last season and should see plenty of balls thrown his way this year. Bruce will still be a productive receiver, but he is 34 and may have more value to the team as a slot or possession receiver than a primary guy. The new gameplan will ensure that the Rams' depth (Holt, Curtis, Bruce, Shaun McDonald and the rookie tight end duo of Joe Klopfenstein and Dominique Byrd) is utilized, much in the same way the Colts make use of Harrison, Wayne, Stokley and Clark. While that may mean a slight downturn in individual numbers, there won't be much (if any) drop-off in Holt's production. While the ball is going to be spread around relatively evenly, there won't be any questions about who the number one target will be. The only offensive question mark is about who'll be throwing all those passes this season, and it's not a talent-related issue. Bulger can be a fantasy leaguer's best friend, but that's only when he's healthy, and that's not a certainty. He missed the last six games of 2005 and eight games total due to shoulder problems. While the Rams were known for an extremely high-powered offense, they were also known for having their issues on defense (remember the Super Bowl where they went into prevent mode against the Pats, which allowed Tom Brady to lead the game-winning field-goal drive). The Ram defense was 30th in the league last season, but addressing those issues was a priority in the offseason. They signed defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, who's looking to rediscover his All-Pro form that was lost in his time in Dallas. To strengthen their linebacking corps, they signed Will Witherspoon, formerly of the Panthers. Witherspoon is one of Dallas Cowboys jersey
the top young linebackers in the league, and he could be a star in St. Louis. To improve the defensive backfield, the team signed veteran safety Corey Chavous from the Vikings and drafted Clemson cornerback Tye Hill with the 15th overall pick in the draft. To bring out the best in your players, you need the right coach, and Linehan made it happen, bringing in former Saints coach Jim Haslett, who is one of the league's top defensive coaches. The new Ram defense may not hit the top 10 in the league, but getting above the 20s would be a great improvement. They've been replaced by the high-flying Colts as the 'Greatest Show on Turf,' and it may take a little while for them to regain that title, with some growing pains inevitable. But if you're a St. Louis Rams fan, you have to hope that Ms. Crow is right. (0)
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15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams Alex Barron Kyle Turley
内容: After a two-week holdout, St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Alex Barron has inked a five-year deal with the team. Because of the holdout and the time it takes to learn blocking schemes, Rams coach Mike Martz said he doesn't expect Barron to be an opening day starter for the Rams when they begin their regular season on September 11th against the San Francisco 49ers.In recent days, Martz had been highly critical of Barron's agent, Roosevelt Barnes for not getting a deal done so that Alex Barron could get into camp. Towards the end of last season, Martz got into a physical confrontation with the man that Barron is hoping to replace at right tackle, Kyle Turley. Turley missed all of the 2004 season with a back injury, but Martz felt that Turley wasn't really hurt as much as he claimed.Alex Barron was a standout on Denver Broncos jersey
the offensive line at Florida State before he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 19th overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy in his senior season with the Seminoles. He was also a consensus All-American selection, as he average eight knockdowns per game. Scouts say he has great balance for a man his size, but they also noted that he lacks aggressiveness at times. He struggled early on in Rams mini-camp, which played a part in Martz decision to move him down on the depth chart. Grant Williams will begin the regular season where he ended 2004, as starting right tackle. (0)
Martz, the Rams went to two Super Bowls in three years, winning in 1999 and coming up just short in 2001. Martz was the man behind it, with his innovative offensive schemes taking advantage of all of the talent that he had at his disposal. How quickly things change. Since that Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, the Rams have missed the playoffs in two of the last four seasons (and failed to get past the divisional round when they made the playoffs in '03 and '04), and a number of things have gradually changed. Marc Bulger has since replaced Warner, who was beset by a number of injuries and then ineffectiveness that led him out of St. Louis. Time, age and injury took its toll on Faulk, whose status as the NFL's best all-purpose back dropped with dwindling production. Martz began to gradually wear out his welcome in St. Louis, and a health scare last season gave both he and the Rams the perfect opportunity to make a change. Martz is now in charge of trying to make offensive magic in Detroit, and the new man in charge in the STL is another offensive guru, Scott Linehan, who was offensive coordinator under Nick Saban in Miami last season. It's plainly obvious now that the 'Greatest Show on Turf' is no longer what it once was. And that might not be bad news. It looks like the Ram front office took a little advice from Sheryl Crow, about how good change might be for you. The speedy Faulk has been replaced by the bigger, more physical Steven Jackson, who in his third season has a chance to flourish with Faulk out for the season and possible done for his career with knee problems. Faulk was the perfect back for Martz's offensive scheme; Jackson is the perfect back for Linehan's power-based running attack. Even with the new offensive scheme that will make things far more balanced than they were under Martz, that doesn't mean that the receivers will be neglected, in the least.Remember, Linehan was the man behind Daunte Culpepper's monster 2004 season, and that be nothing but good news for the aerial attack. His last two teams had 552 (2004 Vikings) and 556 (2005 Dolphins) pass attempts, compared to 580 (2004) and 599 (2005) for the last two Ram teams. Before I go too far, you might be wondering why the Rams' new head man is so well-renowned. Looking Cleveland Browns jersey
at the differences in both rushing and passing numbers for the 2004 Vikings and 2005 Dolphins, your perspective on Linehans's skills may be a little skewed, but a) the 2004 Vikings didn't have a capable run game to complement Culpepper (not like he needed much of one with the receivers he had), b) the 2005 Dolphins weren't a passing juggernaut, as judged by the much lower numbers they put up with less attempts than those '04 Vikings. Considering that the Rams have a) a talented quarterback and deep receiving corps and b) a talented running back, then the real potential of Linehan's schemes has a chance to show itself, with the right personnel at his disposal. The one-two punch of Bruce and Holt could see a little change, with the emergence of a new talent in the ranks. The new No. 2 to No. 81 looks like it could be former Utah State Aggie Kevin Curtis, who caught 60 passes last season and should see plenty of balls thrown his way this year. Bruce will still be a productive receiver, but he is 34 and may have more value to the team as a slot or possession receiver than a primary guy. The new gameplan will ensure that the Rams' depth (Holt, Curtis, Bruce, Shaun McDonald and the rookie tight end duo of Joe Klopfenstein and Dominique Byrd) is utilized, much in the same way the Colts make use of Harrison, Wayne, Stokley and Clark. While that may mean a slight downturn in individual numbers, there won't be much (if any) drop-off in Holt's production. While the ball is going to be spread around relatively evenly, there won't be any questions about who the number one target will be. The only offensive question mark is about who'll be throwing all those passes this season, and it's not a talent-related issue. Bulger can be a fantasy leaguer's best friend, but that's only when he's healthy, and that's not a certainty. He missed the last six games of 2005 and eight games total due to shoulder problems. While the Rams were known for an extremely high-powered offense, they were also known for having their issues on defense (remember the Super Bowl where they went into prevent mode against the Pats, which allowed Tom Brady to lead the game-winning field-goal drive). The Ram defense was 30th in the league last season, but addressing those issues was a priority in the offseason. They signed defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, who's looking to rediscover his All-Pro form that was lost in his time in Dallas. To strengthen their linebacking corps, they signed Will Witherspoon, formerly of the Panthers. Witherspoon is one of Dallas Cowboys jersey
the top young linebackers in the league, and he could be a star in St. Louis. To improve the defensive backfield, the team signed veteran safety Corey Chavous from the Vikings and drafted Clemson cornerback Tye Hill with the 15th overall pick in the draft. To bring out the best in your players, you need the right coach, and Linehan made it happen, bringing in former Saints coach Jim Haslett, who is one of the league's top defensive coaches. The new Ram defense may not hit the top 10 in the league, but getting above the 20s would be a great improvement. They've been replaced by the high-flying Colts as the 'Greatest Show on Turf,' and it may take a little while for them to regain that title, with some growing pains inevitable. But if you're a St. Louis Rams fan, you have to hope that Ms. Crow is right. (0)
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15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams Alex Barron Kyle Turley
内容: After a two-week holdout, St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Alex Barron has inked a five-year deal with the team. Because of the holdout and the time it takes to learn blocking schemes, Rams coach Mike Martz said he doesn't expect Barron to be an opening day starter for the Rams when they begin their regular season on September 11th against the San Francisco 49ers.In recent days, Martz had been highly critical of Barron's agent, Roosevelt Barnes for not getting a deal done so that Alex Barron could get into camp. Towards the end of last season, Martz got into a physical confrontation with the man that Barron is hoping to replace at right tackle, Kyle Turley. Turley missed all of the 2004 season with a back injury, but Martz felt that Turley wasn't really hurt as much as he claimed.Alex Barron was a standout on Denver Broncos jersey
the offensive line at Florida State before he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 19th overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy in his senior season with the Seminoles. He was also a consensus All-American selection, as he average eight knockdowns per game. Scouts say he has great balance for a man his size, but they also noted that he lacks aggressiveness at times. He struggled early on in Rams mini-camp, which played a part in Martz decision to move him down on the depth chart. Grant Williams will begin the regular season where he ended 2004, as starting right tackle. (0)
2011年1月13日星期四
14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks "Still looking around, but it's not September yet"
The Seahawks struck out in their offseason attempts to acquire a veteran guard and had to settle for 35-year-old Marcus Pollard at tight end, but they might get a few more swings at those positions before the season starts.As they showed last year -- when they acquired fullback Josh Parry just before the season and New England Patriots jersey
receiver Deion Branch after Week 1 -- the Seahawks aren't afraid to step up to the plate and make deals to enhance their roster in September. And they've certainly gotten a few pitches to look at recently.As far back as April, the Seahawks were reported to be interested in San Francisco guard Justin Smiley; and, in the last week or so, the team has been rumored to like Chicago defensive end Alex Brown and Detroit guard Damien Woody. The problem with Smiley and Brown is that their teams want second-round draft picks for them. In addition, both would like new contracts. Smiley would have cost the Seahawks about $7 million per year. The Seahawks expressed interest in Smiley in April, but there has been no further talk of a trade since then. And it doesn't look like there will be. The interest in Brown was probably just a result of casual talks between Seahawks president Tim Ruskell and Chicago General Manager Jerry Angelo, who once worked together in Tampa Bay. Brown is a steady player who seems to be a younger version (28) of the Seahawks' Bryce Fisher (30), whose contract is up after the 2008 season. Brown is a good rotational player who plays the run and pass well; he had seven sacks in 2006, when Seattle got a good look at him as it played the Bears twice.Brown asked the Bears if he could seek a trade because he wanted to see if he could find a better contract than the one that is scheduled to pay him $595,000 this year, $550,000 in 2008 and $670,000 in 2009. The Bears prefer not to trade Brown, their fourth-round pick from 2002, which is why they are asking such a high price of any potential suitors."It's not the Bears. They don't want to get rid of me," Brown told reporters last month. "It's just that I want to see what else is out there."But as long as the Bears demand a second-rounder for him, no team "out there" is going to be interested.While the Bears don't want to get rid of Brown, the Lions might end up dumping Woody even if they can't find a trade partner. The Lions allegedly were talking to the Seahawks about sending New Orleans Saints jersey
Woody to Seattle for a seventh-round pick, but the Seahawks don't have such a pick next year because they sent it to Philadelphia for fullback Josh Parry last September. If Seattle did decide to get Woody, it would probably be for a conditional pick or a seventh-rounder in 2009. Woody was a first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 1999, but his performance has not matched the six-year, $31 million deal he signed with the Lions in 2004. In fact, this offseason he checked into Duke University's famed weight-loss center and dropped about 30 pounds. At 347, he is still about 20 pounds heavier than he wants to play at in 2007. And weight is not the only thing he will have to reduce. Whether he stays in Detroit or goes to Seattle, Woody surely will have to rework his contract, which is slated to pay him $4.5 million this year, $4.75 million in 2008 and $5.75 million in 2009.If the Seahawks could get him cheap -- both in compensation to the Lions and in salary -- Woody would be a low-risk gamble to add depth to a line that is currently plagued by injuries and instability.Another guard on the potential trading block is Pittsburgh All-Pro Alan Faneca, who has expressed his displeasure with the Steelers for not extending a deal that will pay about $3.4 million this year and expire after the season. Faneca, a six-time Pro Bowl guard, will command top dollar, which means at least $7 million per year. And the Steelers surely would want a high pick for him as well, which is why he probably is not even a gleam in the eye of the Seahawks. One guy who could be available is Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks, who has been demoted by coach Mike McCarthy in the wake of Franks' worst NFL season (25 catches in 2006). It wouldn't be surprising to see Franks traded or cut, and the Seahawks could use another pass-catching tight end to go with Pollard. Of course, age (29) and salary ($1.4 million) could deter Seattle from considering Franks -- assuming the Seahawks even thought the seven-year veteran could still play. All of the aforementioned New York Giants jersey
players are merely rumors and speculation at this point. But the Seahawks showed last year that they aren't averse to making deals late in the offseason, and even though all of the recent trade rumors don't seem to be going anywhere at the moment ... it's not September yet.Where there's never an offseason for NFL football! Tell your friends about us
receiver Deion Branch after Week 1 -- the Seahawks aren't afraid to step up to the plate and make deals to enhance their roster in September. And they've certainly gotten a few pitches to look at recently.As far back as April, the Seahawks were reported to be interested in San Francisco guard Justin Smiley; and, in the last week or so, the team has been rumored to like Chicago defensive end Alex Brown and Detroit guard Damien Woody. The problem with Smiley and Brown is that their teams want second-round draft picks for them. In addition, both would like new contracts. Smiley would have cost the Seahawks about $7 million per year. The Seahawks expressed interest in Smiley in April, but there has been no further talk of a trade since then. And it doesn't look like there will be. The interest in Brown was probably just a result of casual talks between Seahawks president Tim Ruskell and Chicago General Manager Jerry Angelo, who once worked together in Tampa Bay. Brown is a steady player who seems to be a younger version (28) of the Seahawks' Bryce Fisher (30), whose contract is up after the 2008 season. Brown is a good rotational player who plays the run and pass well; he had seven sacks in 2006, when Seattle got a good look at him as it played the Bears twice.Brown asked the Bears if he could seek a trade because he wanted to see if he could find a better contract than the one that is scheduled to pay him $595,000 this year, $550,000 in 2008 and $670,000 in 2009. The Bears prefer not to trade Brown, their fourth-round pick from 2002, which is why they are asking such a high price of any potential suitors."It's not the Bears. They don't want to get rid of me," Brown told reporters last month. "It's just that I want to see what else is out there."But as long as the Bears demand a second-rounder for him, no team "out there" is going to be interested.While the Bears don't want to get rid of Brown, the Lions might end up dumping Woody even if they can't find a trade partner. The Lions allegedly were talking to the Seahawks about sending New Orleans Saints jersey
Woody to Seattle for a seventh-round pick, but the Seahawks don't have such a pick next year because they sent it to Philadelphia for fullback Josh Parry last September. If Seattle did decide to get Woody, it would probably be for a conditional pick or a seventh-rounder in 2009. Woody was a first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 1999, but his performance has not matched the six-year, $31 million deal he signed with the Lions in 2004. In fact, this offseason he checked into Duke University's famed weight-loss center and dropped about 30 pounds. At 347, he is still about 20 pounds heavier than he wants to play at in 2007. And weight is not the only thing he will have to reduce. Whether he stays in Detroit or goes to Seattle, Woody surely will have to rework his contract, which is slated to pay him $4.5 million this year, $4.75 million in 2008 and $5.75 million in 2009.If the Seahawks could get him cheap -- both in compensation to the Lions and in salary -- Woody would be a low-risk gamble to add depth to a line that is currently plagued by injuries and instability.Another guard on the potential trading block is Pittsburgh All-Pro Alan Faneca, who has expressed his displeasure with the Steelers for not extending a deal that will pay about $3.4 million this year and expire after the season. Faneca, a six-time Pro Bowl guard, will command top dollar, which means at least $7 million per year. And the Steelers surely would want a high pick for him as well, which is why he probably is not even a gleam in the eye of the Seahawks. One guy who could be available is Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks, who has been demoted by coach Mike McCarthy in the wake of Franks' worst NFL season (25 catches in 2006). It wouldn't be surprising to see Franks traded or cut, and the Seahawks could use another pass-catching tight end to go with Pollard. Of course, age (29) and salary ($1.4 million) could deter Seattle from considering Franks -- assuming the Seahawks even thought the seven-year veteran could still play. All of the aforementioned New York Giants jersey
players are merely rumors and speculation at this point. But the Seahawks showed last year that they aren't averse to making deals late in the offseason, and even though all of the recent trade rumors don't seem to be going anywhere at the moment ... it's not September yet.Where there's never an offseason for NFL football! Tell your friends about us
2011年1月12日星期三
13 Jan 11 Oklahoma City Thunder Enjoy Success Away from Home
The Ford Center is home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Each home game, nearly 18,000 fans travel downtown to support the team. From Loud City to the Thunder Girls, attending a Thunder home game is a great experience.But watching them on the road is even better.In the NBA, the success of teams is not Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
only measured by how well they play at home, but also by how they fare away from the comfort zone of their local arenas.As of Monday, the Thunder were 11-8 at the Ford Center. But more importantly, they are 10-8 on the road, winning by an average of 9.1 points per game, including five double-digit wins. Four of the eight road losses have been by six points or less, including a three-point loss to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.The team's success on the road has led to a boost in confidence, better performances, and a chance at a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Should they continue their current level of play, the Thunder may earn a lower seed in the playoffs.However, the way they have played on the road this year to date will prove to be beneficial, as they will not have the luxury of Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
playing the majority of playoff games on their home court.You may be saying, "Big deal. 10-8 on the road. Who cares?"Consider this: The Thunder won eight road games all of last year, but they won their eighth road game in 15 tries this year. That's a significant improvement, and half the season hasn't even been played yet.Let's look at the road records of the top eight seeds in the Western Conference to date:Los Angeles: 8-5Dallas: 13-6Denver: 8-11Phoenix: 9-10San Antonio: 6-7Portland: 9-9Houston: 10-13Oklahoma City: 10-8Five of the eight teams have a road record of .500 or less. Last season, four teams from the Western Conference (and five teams from the Eastern Conference) made the playoffs with a road record of .500 or less. This is an alarming trend, considering how crucial it is for an NBA team to Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
be successful on the road.Although winning in front of your home fans is a great feeling, there is an equal satisfaction of going into someone else's house and beating them on their home court, especially in the postseason.Note to the Western Conference: The Thunder look forward to meeting you in the playoffs.Oh, you say it's at your place? No problem; we'll meet you there.
only measured by how well they play at home, but also by how they fare away from the comfort zone of their local arenas.As of Monday, the Thunder were 11-8 at the Ford Center. But more importantly, they are 10-8 on the road, winning by an average of 9.1 points per game, including five double-digit wins. Four of the eight road losses have been by six points or less, including a three-point loss to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.The team's success on the road has led to a boost in confidence, better performances, and a chance at a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Should they continue their current level of play, the Thunder may earn a lower seed in the playoffs.However, the way they have played on the road this year to date will prove to be beneficial, as they will not have the luxury of Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
playing the majority of playoff games on their home court.You may be saying, "Big deal. 10-8 on the road. Who cares?"Consider this: The Thunder won eight road games all of last year, but they won their eighth road game in 15 tries this year. That's a significant improvement, and half the season hasn't even been played yet.Let's look at the road records of the top eight seeds in the Western Conference to date:Los Angeles: 8-5Dallas: 13-6Denver: 8-11Phoenix: 9-10San Antonio: 6-7Portland: 9-9Houston: 10-13Oklahoma City: 10-8Five of the eight teams have a road record of .500 or less. Last season, four teams from the Western Conference (and five teams from the Eastern Conference) made the playoffs with a road record of .500 or less. This is an alarming trend, considering how crucial it is for an NBA team to Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
be successful on the road.Although winning in front of your home fans is a great feeling, there is an equal satisfaction of going into someone else's house and beating them on their home court, especially in the postseason.Note to the Western Conference: The Thunder look forward to meeting you in the playoffs.Oh, you say it's at your place? No problem; we'll meet you there.
12 Jan 11 NBA Trade Rumors: How Gilbert Arenas' Suspension Affects Trade Deadline
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesThe jury has spoken, literally, on the fate of Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas. The impact on the team is evident, but with the impending trade deadline, his actions may have opened new avenues for teams to pursue players.The Wizards may have a fire sale on their hands.The decision has yet to be made, as the ownership of the Wizards is still in question, but it is a foregone conclusion that the team will attempt to void Arenas' contract.The move would relieve them of the substantial financial burden his contract has become and allow them to wheel and deal a bit before the deadline on Feb. 11.The availability of Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler changes the direction of trade winds substantially.The biggest names that have been thrown New Orleans Saints jersey
around in trade talks are Amar'e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns, Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets, and even Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers.There are plenty of potential trades on the table, but everyone knows those are just appetizers to see who is willing to part with what for some sort of return.The most prominent teams looking for deals are: the Chicago Bulls, who want to build around point guard Derrick Rose; the Rockets, who are trying to get rid of Tracy McGrady; and a handful of other teams trying to part ways with players who just don't fit in.Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks has been discussed in trade rumors this season because of his recent injury problems and substantial drop-off in production. The versatility and steady play of Shawn Marion makes Howard much more expendable.The Jazz could make a move for Butler and Jamison and dump Boozer in D.C. It may not be the best option for Boozer, but the Jazz have a great point guard and plenty of role-players to be a contender now.The Wizards could finally make a real effort at defense, with Boozer giving some much needed toughness at the power forward position.The potential return for both teams is great.The amount of names being mentioned as potential trade bait is long and illustrious, as usual.Arenas being suspendedand agreeing to extend that suspension for the remainder of the seasonmakes it more likely that the Wizards will entertain offers from anyone in the league for anyone on their roster.The Wizards are far from championship material, but the team is made up of players who could immediately help another, more established team.Cleveland would like to hold on to LeBron James any way possible, and the best way to do that would be to surround him with better players than he has now.He has Mo Williams as his proverbial Scottie Pippen, but doesn't have a consistent enough cast beyond that. It isn't out of the realm of possibility to think the Wizards could package Brendan Haywood with Jamison for odd-man out Shaquille O'Neal and another player.The Wizards get Shaq's expiring contract, and the Cavs get a younger center with good production in Haywood and a great scorer and rebounder in Jamison. Cleveland becomes a much more appealing place for James to stick around, instead of taking the money and running to New York.Butler seems to be the centerpiece of any deal the Wizards could make because he is young and seems to fit in well no matter where he is. He averaged double-digit scoring in both Miami and Los Angeles before settling into his role with the Wizards.The package of Jamison and Butler could net the Wizards' Stoudemire, another player, and maybe a pick.The value of New York Giants jersey
both Butler and Jamison gives Washington the advantage in any trade involving the two of them. They could get Boozer, Bosh, or at the very least McGrady, and a good pick.McGrady seems like the most available player out of everyone.He has been deactivated by the team in hopes that he won't re-injure himself, and maybe teams will remember the two-time league scoring champion and not the increasingly frail star of yesteryear.The Wizards have a ton of young players that no doubt hold some value. Randy Foye has become a good scorer and has shown he can run the offense since Arenas was suspended. JaVale McGee is an explosive athlete who is hungry to prove himself. Nick Young can be a great scorer, but remains inconsistent.But what isn't inconsistent in Washington these days?The potential for three-team deals expands greatly because the Wizards have a wealth of talent up for grabs, but can't be too picky about what they get back.The Nets have shown interest in Stoudemire, and have been rumored to be willing to part with Devin Harris and standout center Brook Lopez. The Wizards could somehow throw Jamison and Butler into the fray and get a young, talented player for the future out of it. The possibilities are endless.To look at things from a different perspective, the Arenas suspension may have closed a few doors for the trade deadline.Many players seek trades or are included in trade talks because they are unhappy or have expiring contracts. Any team that takes on one of those players has to be aware of the risk involved. The Wizards signed Arenas to a huge contract in hopes that he would eventually lead them to a championship in the future.Teams are much less likely to shell out $100 million for a player who shows even the slightest discontent with their situation.That puts players like Stoudemire at risk for long-term deals. He has had major knee surgery in his career, and despite showing no ill effects, it is another excuse not to trade for him and invest too many millions in a future that is less certain every season.An interesting wrinkle in the Arenas situation is the potential for the Wizards to attempt to trade him.Team President Ernie Grunfeld was as vague as possible in a press conference regarding Arenas and Javaris Crittenton's suspensions. Reading between the lines, the Wizards are not going to be in the Arenas business beyond this season, let alone past the trade deadline.There is very little that can be done with Arenas because of his aforementioned contract, but that doesn't mean someone wouldn't be willing to reach for a potential star. Arenas can still play; he is simply a behavioral concern now.But that didn't stop anyone from wanting Ron Artest.Arenas could bring in a slew of young players and expiring contracts, but more importantly, draft picks. He commands so much money that the likelihood of a trade is slim, but that is where three- and four-team deals come into play.Someone has to be interested in Arenas and may be willing to give him a chance to prove he is not the antagonist the New York Jets jersey
media has portrayed since his firearm incident.In a market that will soon be flooded with big names come summertime, there is less need to make the blockbuster trade right now.The trade deadline is always an eventful time in the typical NBA season. This time around, teams may be more discerning buyers and sellers with the lesson hopefully learned from the poor investment the Wizards made in Arenas.
around in trade talks are Amar'e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns, Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets, and even Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers.There are plenty of potential trades on the table, but everyone knows those are just appetizers to see who is willing to part with what for some sort of return.The most prominent teams looking for deals are: the Chicago Bulls, who want to build around point guard Derrick Rose; the Rockets, who are trying to get rid of Tracy McGrady; and a handful of other teams trying to part ways with players who just don't fit in.Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks has been discussed in trade rumors this season because of his recent injury problems and substantial drop-off in production. The versatility and steady play of Shawn Marion makes Howard much more expendable.The Jazz could make a move for Butler and Jamison and dump Boozer in D.C. It may not be the best option for Boozer, but the Jazz have a great point guard and plenty of role-players to be a contender now.The Wizards could finally make a real effort at defense, with Boozer giving some much needed toughness at the power forward position.The potential return for both teams is great.The amount of names being mentioned as potential trade bait is long and illustrious, as usual.Arenas being suspendedand agreeing to extend that suspension for the remainder of the seasonmakes it more likely that the Wizards will entertain offers from anyone in the league for anyone on their roster.The Wizards are far from championship material, but the team is made up of players who could immediately help another, more established team.Cleveland would like to hold on to LeBron James any way possible, and the best way to do that would be to surround him with better players than he has now.He has Mo Williams as his proverbial Scottie Pippen, but doesn't have a consistent enough cast beyond that. It isn't out of the realm of possibility to think the Wizards could package Brendan Haywood with Jamison for odd-man out Shaquille O'Neal and another player.The Wizards get Shaq's expiring contract, and the Cavs get a younger center with good production in Haywood and a great scorer and rebounder in Jamison. Cleveland becomes a much more appealing place for James to stick around, instead of taking the money and running to New York.Butler seems to be the centerpiece of any deal the Wizards could make because he is young and seems to fit in well no matter where he is. He averaged double-digit scoring in both Miami and Los Angeles before settling into his role with the Wizards.The package of Jamison and Butler could net the Wizards' Stoudemire, another player, and maybe a pick.The value of New York Giants jersey
both Butler and Jamison gives Washington the advantage in any trade involving the two of them. They could get Boozer, Bosh, or at the very least McGrady, and a good pick.McGrady seems like the most available player out of everyone.He has been deactivated by the team in hopes that he won't re-injure himself, and maybe teams will remember the two-time league scoring champion and not the increasingly frail star of yesteryear.The Wizards have a ton of young players that no doubt hold some value. Randy Foye has become a good scorer and has shown he can run the offense since Arenas was suspended. JaVale McGee is an explosive athlete who is hungry to prove himself. Nick Young can be a great scorer, but remains inconsistent.But what isn't inconsistent in Washington these days?The potential for three-team deals expands greatly because the Wizards have a wealth of talent up for grabs, but can't be too picky about what they get back.The Nets have shown interest in Stoudemire, and have been rumored to be willing to part with Devin Harris and standout center Brook Lopez. The Wizards could somehow throw Jamison and Butler into the fray and get a young, talented player for the future out of it. The possibilities are endless.To look at things from a different perspective, the Arenas suspension may have closed a few doors for the trade deadline.Many players seek trades or are included in trade talks because they are unhappy or have expiring contracts. Any team that takes on one of those players has to be aware of the risk involved. The Wizards signed Arenas to a huge contract in hopes that he would eventually lead them to a championship in the future.Teams are much less likely to shell out $100 million for a player who shows even the slightest discontent with their situation.That puts players like Stoudemire at risk for long-term deals. He has had major knee surgery in his career, and despite showing no ill effects, it is another excuse not to trade for him and invest too many millions in a future that is less certain every season.An interesting wrinkle in the Arenas situation is the potential for the Wizards to attempt to trade him.Team President Ernie Grunfeld was as vague as possible in a press conference regarding Arenas and Javaris Crittenton's suspensions. Reading between the lines, the Wizards are not going to be in the Arenas business beyond this season, let alone past the trade deadline.There is very little that can be done with Arenas because of his aforementioned contract, but that doesn't mean someone wouldn't be willing to reach for a potential star. Arenas can still play; he is simply a behavioral concern now.But that didn't stop anyone from wanting Ron Artest.Arenas could bring in a slew of young players and expiring contracts, but more importantly, draft picks. He commands so much money that the likelihood of a trade is slim, but that is where three- and four-team deals come into play.Someone has to be interested in Arenas and may be willing to give him a chance to prove he is not the antagonist the New York Jets jersey
media has portrayed since his firearm incident.In a market that will soon be flooded with big names come summertime, there is less need to make the blockbuster trade right now.The trade deadline is always an eventful time in the typical NBA season. This time around, teams may be more discerning buyers and sellers with the lesson hopefully learned from the poor investment the Wizards made in Arenas.
2011年1月10日星期一
10 Jan 11 2010 and Beyond: Evaluating the Chicago Bulls Trade Deadline Moves
Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesKudos to the Chicago Bulls.As a Bulls fan, I haven't recently been able to say that too often. However, today, I clap for the Chicago Bulls' effort.At the potential risk of hurting playoff chances this year, the Chicago Bulls successfully dealt SG/SF John Salmons and perennial underachiever SF/PF Tyrus Thomas inseparatedeals.The players they received in turn are entirely irrelevant (I will go into more detail later in the article), as general manager Gar Forman and the Bulls achieved what should have been their one and only goal. Cap space in 2010. In acquiring Acie Law, Ronald "Flip" Murray, Joe Alexander, and Hakim Warrick combined with the expiring big money contracts of Brad Miller and Jerome James, Chicago has guaranteed them an opportunity at signing a max free agent this Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
offseason.Enough blabbering, let's talk about the deals from the Bulls' prospective.John Salmons to Milwaukee for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick Chicago receives: Joe Alexander, Hakim Warrick Milwaukee receives: John Salmons, Chicago 2011 Second Round Draft Pick, Chicago 2012 Second Round Draft Pick, and the right to swap 2010 first round picks with Chicago (top 10 protected)Overall, a great deal for the Bulls. While they do lose Salmons, who will be missed in the immediate (+0.1, 12.9 PER, 12.7 PPG), the long-term ramifications of the deal are nothing but positive.Obviously, Salmons was a definite disappointment for the 2009-2010 Bulls after averaging a little over 18 PPG for the Bulls after being acquired in a deadline deal with the Sacramento Kings.Again, while losing him hurts the team (very slightly) in the short-term, Salmons brought a very big x-factor to the table. A 2010-2011 opt-in clause. The one-year opt-in at $9 million would have made things very difficult for the Bulls this offseason and may have made it impossible for the Bulls to land a max free agent.Losing two second-round picks has no real barring on the Bulls. Second-round picks can bring good value (Milwaukee as an example), but it has not been a strength for the Bulls, especially for a team looking to content going forward.Alexander and Warrick (+2.7, 15.7 PER, 10.2 PPG) do not hurt the Bulls much in the short term. Both are at least serviceable. Alexander has been a giant disappointment and may not even see significant time but Warrick can come off the bench and provide some slight rebounding and scoring. His defensive shortcomings are well documented, but I do not think he'll really hurt our chances of grabbing one of the low seeds.Lastly, Milwaukee acquired the rights to swap 2010 first round picks with the Bulls. This will not mean much as both figure to be relatively close in the standings at the end of the year. The Bulls do have protection if they were to happen to get into the lottery and get a top 10 pick; however, I do not see that occurring. If anything, the Bulls may lose a few spots, but I do not see this being a major problem at all.Grade: B+Again, as I mentioned an overall great trade for the Bulls. While both Alexander and Warrick are not great players, they'll more than fill-in in theinterim. Both give us some more depth in thefrontcourtwhich depending on Joakim Noah's health may be extremely important. More importantly, ridding themselves of the potential of Salmons' opt-in guarantees the chance at a top-tier Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
free agent.Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte for Acie Law and Ronald "Flip" MurrayChicagoreceives: Acie Law, Flip Murray, future first round pick Charlottereceives: Tyrus ThomasI cannot express how much I love this deal. You must remember this is Tyrus Thomas. This player was set to have his rights renounced at the end of the season. To be able to get value, no matter how small, for a player that is essentially a two-month rental cannot be praised enough.Thomas, while having stellar peripherals (+5.3, 16.7 PER, 8.8 PPG) was a giant headache for Bulls fans and coaches alike. Between unfulfilled promise and clashes with head coaches, the whole package of Thomas had run its course in Chicago.While this move does not necessarily affect the Bulls salary cap all that much, it is still compensation for a player the Bulls were all but ready to let walk at the conclusion of the year. Earlier in the week, I was content with JUST acquiring a first-round pick for Thomas, however to get a pick and two expiring deals is icing on the cake.Acie Law (-11.5, 7.8 PER, 1.8 PPG) and Flip Murray (-4.9, 11.7 PER 9.9 PPG) are both terrible. No really way to say otherwise. They will provide depth to the Bulls backcourt, but do not significantly upgrade over Jannero Pargo. If anything, it is about a push.The real plus in this deal is the future draft pick. The pick starts at 2012, but has top-10 protection meaning that if Charlotte were to receive a top-10 pick in the year the Bulls select, Charlotte would maintain the rights.Still, I am not too worried; Charlotte has the makings of aperennialmiddle of the road in the East, so I feel we will get a decent value out of the pick (12th-16th).While it won't make up for the lost promise of a top 5 pick and the trading of LaMarcus Aldridge, it goes a long way in making this deal more than worth it from the Bulls standpoint.Grade: B-This was not a slam-dunk only because neither of the players the Bulls received are even nearserviceable. However, to get those players (and their expiring deals) combined with receiving a first round pick makes this deal a definite plus for the Bulls.Now to the future.Because of these two deals, the Chicago Bulls have officially placed themselves in position for one max free agent. Max free agents this offseason include Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, and possibly Yao Ming. The Bulls now have the opportunity to make a push towards one of these players (preferablyJoe Johnson or Chris Bosh).While the Bulls were unable to move Kirk Hinrich Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
or Luol Deng to clear up space for potential two max deals, Forman and the Chicago Bulls have placed themselves in a very favorable spot going into theoff-season.Adding a player like Chris Bosh to an already above-average lineup featuring all star Derrick Rose and elite rebounder Joakim Noah would make again make Chicago contenders in the Eastern Conference. As always, don't forget to check out my radio show 643 Sports LIVE Mondays 7 PM CST/8 PM EST.- Rich Kraetsch
offseason.Enough blabbering, let's talk about the deals from the Bulls' prospective.John Salmons to Milwaukee for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick Chicago receives: Joe Alexander, Hakim Warrick Milwaukee receives: John Salmons, Chicago 2011 Second Round Draft Pick, Chicago 2012 Second Round Draft Pick, and the right to swap 2010 first round picks with Chicago (top 10 protected)Overall, a great deal for the Bulls. While they do lose Salmons, who will be missed in the immediate (+0.1, 12.9 PER, 12.7 PPG), the long-term ramifications of the deal are nothing but positive.Obviously, Salmons was a definite disappointment for the 2009-2010 Bulls after averaging a little over 18 PPG for the Bulls after being acquired in a deadline deal with the Sacramento Kings.Again, while losing him hurts the team (very slightly) in the short-term, Salmons brought a very big x-factor to the table. A 2010-2011 opt-in clause. The one-year opt-in at $9 million would have made things very difficult for the Bulls this offseason and may have made it impossible for the Bulls to land a max free agent.Losing two second-round picks has no real barring on the Bulls. Second-round picks can bring good value (Milwaukee as an example), but it has not been a strength for the Bulls, especially for a team looking to content going forward.Alexander and Warrick (+2.7, 15.7 PER, 10.2 PPG) do not hurt the Bulls much in the short term. Both are at least serviceable. Alexander has been a giant disappointment and may not even see significant time but Warrick can come off the bench and provide some slight rebounding and scoring. His defensive shortcomings are well documented, but I do not think he'll really hurt our chances of grabbing one of the low seeds.Lastly, Milwaukee acquired the rights to swap 2010 first round picks with the Bulls. This will not mean much as both figure to be relatively close in the standings at the end of the year. The Bulls do have protection if they were to happen to get into the lottery and get a top 10 pick; however, I do not see that occurring. If anything, the Bulls may lose a few spots, but I do not see this being a major problem at all.Grade: B+Again, as I mentioned an overall great trade for the Bulls. While both Alexander and Warrick are not great players, they'll more than fill-in in theinterim. Both give us some more depth in thefrontcourtwhich depending on Joakim Noah's health may be extremely important. More importantly, ridding themselves of the potential of Salmons' opt-in guarantees the chance at a top-tier Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
free agent.Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte for Acie Law and Ronald "Flip" MurrayChicagoreceives: Acie Law, Flip Murray, future first round pick Charlottereceives: Tyrus ThomasI cannot express how much I love this deal. You must remember this is Tyrus Thomas. This player was set to have his rights renounced at the end of the season. To be able to get value, no matter how small, for a player that is essentially a two-month rental cannot be praised enough.Thomas, while having stellar peripherals (+5.3, 16.7 PER, 8.8 PPG) was a giant headache for Bulls fans and coaches alike. Between unfulfilled promise and clashes with head coaches, the whole package of Thomas had run its course in Chicago.While this move does not necessarily affect the Bulls salary cap all that much, it is still compensation for a player the Bulls were all but ready to let walk at the conclusion of the year. Earlier in the week, I was content with JUST acquiring a first-round pick for Thomas, however to get a pick and two expiring deals is icing on the cake.Acie Law (-11.5, 7.8 PER, 1.8 PPG) and Flip Murray (-4.9, 11.7 PER 9.9 PPG) are both terrible. No really way to say otherwise. They will provide depth to the Bulls backcourt, but do not significantly upgrade over Jannero Pargo. If anything, it is about a push.The real plus in this deal is the future draft pick. The pick starts at 2012, but has top-10 protection meaning that if Charlotte were to receive a top-10 pick in the year the Bulls select, Charlotte would maintain the rights.Still, I am not too worried; Charlotte has the makings of aperennialmiddle of the road in the East, so I feel we will get a decent value out of the pick (12th-16th).While it won't make up for the lost promise of a top 5 pick and the trading of LaMarcus Aldridge, it goes a long way in making this deal more than worth it from the Bulls standpoint.Grade: B-This was not a slam-dunk only because neither of the players the Bulls received are even nearserviceable. However, to get those players (and their expiring deals) combined with receiving a first round pick makes this deal a definite plus for the Bulls.Now to the future.Because of these two deals, the Chicago Bulls have officially placed themselves in position for one max free agent. Max free agents this offseason include Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, and possibly Yao Ming. The Bulls now have the opportunity to make a push towards one of these players (preferablyJoe Johnson or Chris Bosh).While the Bulls were unable to move Kirk Hinrich Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
or Luol Deng to clear up space for potential two max deals, Forman and the Chicago Bulls have placed themselves in a very favorable spot going into theoff-season.Adding a player like Chris Bosh to an already above-average lineup featuring all star Derrick Rose and elite rebounder Joakim Noah would make again make Chicago contenders in the Eastern Conference. As always, don't forget to check out my radio show 643 Sports LIVE Mondays 7 PM CST/8 PM EST.- Rich Kraetsch
2011年1月9日星期日
9 Jan 11 Dear Donnie Walsh, ...
Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesDear Donnie Walsh,As you already know, this upcoming summer called "The Summer of LeBron" features a lot of high profile NBA players who areeligible to become free agents and sign with the New York Knicks. We have the popular LeBron James, New York's dreamacquisition. Sadly, that is all heHouston Texans jersey
is, a dream acquisition. I find it very hard to leave a basketball team that has the best record in the NBA, plays in their home state, and are favorites to head to the NBA Finals.Next, we have the 2006 NBA Finals MVP in Dwyane Wade. Now even though Wade has more reason to leave his team than LeBron since Wade wants championships and Miami at best is a .500 team. Well as of today, Miami is (.492/29-30) which is one game under .500 and last place in the Eastern Conference. Now this doesn't mean that Miami can't make moves during the summer, but Wade can also go to Chicago (his hometown) and play alongside All-Star Derrick Rose. They also have a good solid core with Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and the captain Kirk Kinrich.Last but not least, we have Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors. Before Bosh was saying how he wanted to come back to the US and leave Toronto, but know he's been saying good things about his team. Miami hasa 31-26 record which is fifth in the NBA, most likely if Toronto continues to play the way they're playing, they'll be in the Indianapolis Colts jersey
playoffs.The point I am trying to make here is that all three of these players are playoff teams. Why would they want to leave their teams to come to New York who hasn't made the playoffs since 2004 and haven't won a playoff game since 2000.Now if (when) these players don't come to New York what are you going to do with all of the money you've saved up for these past couple of years? Are you going to blow all of the money on a player who doesn't deserve a max contract? I hope you've thought about thisscenario because it is a very likely one. These are not the only three players available, their are also other good/great players available this summer such as: Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Carlos Boozer, Amar'e Stoudemire, etc; etc;The Knicks don't even have to worry about 2010, In 2011, Eddy Curry's contract is finally off the books and can go after superstars like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. I honestly believe that Kevin Durant would leave Oklahoma City for New York if New York could give him good players to play with.Well, In conclusion Donnie Walsh, you are Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
a very smart man, I hope you know what you are doing. You've made a lot of risky moves to place yourself in this position and New York's future lies in your hands. I believe in you, and you have what it takes to bring New York back torespectability, don't blow it.Sincerely,Travis Greene
is, a dream acquisition. I find it very hard to leave a basketball team that has the best record in the NBA, plays in their home state, and are favorites to head to the NBA Finals.Next, we have the 2006 NBA Finals MVP in Dwyane Wade. Now even though Wade has more reason to leave his team than LeBron since Wade wants championships and Miami at best is a .500 team. Well as of today, Miami is (.492/29-30) which is one game under .500 and last place in the Eastern Conference. Now this doesn't mean that Miami can't make moves during the summer, but Wade can also go to Chicago (his hometown) and play alongside All-Star Derrick Rose. They also have a good solid core with Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and the captain Kirk Kinrich.Last but not least, we have Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors. Before Bosh was saying how he wanted to come back to the US and leave Toronto, but know he's been saying good things about his team. Miami hasa 31-26 record which is fifth in the NBA, most likely if Toronto continues to play the way they're playing, they'll be in the Indianapolis Colts jersey
playoffs.The point I am trying to make here is that all three of these players are playoff teams. Why would they want to leave their teams to come to New York who hasn't made the playoffs since 2004 and haven't won a playoff game since 2000.Now if (when) these players don't come to New York what are you going to do with all of the money you've saved up for these past couple of years? Are you going to blow all of the money on a player who doesn't deserve a max contract? I hope you've thought about thisscenario because it is a very likely one. These are not the only three players available, their are also other good/great players available this summer such as: Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Carlos Boozer, Amar'e Stoudemire, etc; etc;The Knicks don't even have to worry about 2010, In 2011, Eddy Curry's contract is finally off the books and can go after superstars like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. I honestly believe that Kevin Durant would leave Oklahoma City for New York if New York could give him good players to play with.Well, In conclusion Donnie Walsh, you are Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
a very smart man, I hope you know what you are doing. You've made a lot of risky moves to place yourself in this position and New York's future lies in your hands. I believe in you, and you have what it takes to bring New York back torespectability, don't blow it.Sincerely,Travis Greene
2011年1月8日星期六
8 Jan 11 The Los Angeles Clippers Are Broken: Here Is The Fix
My mom never said it to me personally, but I still remember growing up aware of the old adage that "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Maybe that will help explain my week or so of silent Clippers treatment. It's not for lack of wanting to write about the Clips, but another Blake Griffin and/or LeBron James article seems odd now. Sort of like writing about a possible Beatles reunion in 1975. Sure, it could happen, but chances were slim. Instead, I'm forced to focus on the team. The team that was once so close to reaching . Minnesota Vikings
500, so close to getting its top draft pick on the floor, so close to reaching the Western Conference Finals. The "so-close Clippers" have returned to form sadly and are now, well, pathetic again. Like Marlon Brando's character in "On the Waterfront" who could have been a contender, the Clippers were close.No, really, they were.Now they are hoping that four steps backwards equal one giant leap forward. They still have several attributes that should have free agents at least kicking the tires on the club. A solid core of players, state of the art practice facility, sunny L.A., and enough money to be competitive. On the downside there is a history of loss, the shadow of the other team in L.A., an owner with a shady past, and a team with a shady present. That's the part that really frustrates me about what appears to be the Clippers' grand plan. Mike Dunleavy positioned the Clippers to be buyers this offseason. The club, when it dismissed Dunleavy, made it clear it intends to win now!It's no secret that the Clippers are going to go hard after a free-agent; they have to! That's the plan. So, doesn't it make sense to make themselves as attractive to possible free agents as possible? In an effort to be positive, I present the following plan to make attracting and signing a quality free agent a tad more feasible. Some of the aforementioned negatives the Clippers can't change, but they can present them in a positive light; they can "pretty them up." One negative in particular, however, has to change. The team can't do anything about the lousy history, New England Patriots jersey
but you can explain it away by presenting it as a challenge for the newcomer. Highly-paid basketball players love a challenge. I can't think of a bigger one than to bring the Clippers to respectability. The team likewise can't do anything about the shadow that emanates from its very arena. Again, I wouldn't hide from the fact that the Lakers exist, but I would point out that Kobe Bryant is on the downside of his career. The time is now to prepare to fil the eventual vacancy the superstar will leave behind. In regards to the owner's shady past, well, even Marilyn Monroe had a mole. The team's recent play, however, has to be addressed, and addressed now. It's really the only negative about the club that doesn't have to be prettied up or glossed over. The team can play better and needs to. With that goal in mind I present the team motto starting today: P-cubed. In arithmetic and algebra the cube of a number n is its third power. In Clipper Nation we are cubing the letter PPersistence, Passion, and Placate. P-cubed, get it? Persistence relates to how the team plays. Every player that hits the court wearing the red-white-blue must play with persistence. Push the ball on offense, press the opponent on defense, play with persistence. Failure to do so brings you back to the bench. Passion relates to how the team does everything off the court. Practices are passionate. Bench players are passionate as they root on their team. Interviews with the media are passionate. Make it clear you love being here and love playing the game here. Placate relates to the overall New Orleans Saints jersey
goal of the team, from the players to the person who answers the phone. Let's let LeBron, um, I mean all free agents, know that this is the place to be, recent firings and poor play aside. If the free-agent signing period is Christmas, this is the time to start wrapping the present. I'm confident the they can get it done. If not, I'll return with another article in a few months.
500, so close to getting its top draft pick on the floor, so close to reaching the Western Conference Finals. The "so-close Clippers" have returned to form sadly and are now, well, pathetic again. Like Marlon Brando's character in "On the Waterfront" who could have been a contender, the Clippers were close.No, really, they were.Now they are hoping that four steps backwards equal one giant leap forward. They still have several attributes that should have free agents at least kicking the tires on the club. A solid core of players, state of the art practice facility, sunny L.A., and enough money to be competitive. On the downside there is a history of loss, the shadow of the other team in L.A., an owner with a shady past, and a team with a shady present. That's the part that really frustrates me about what appears to be the Clippers' grand plan. Mike Dunleavy positioned the Clippers to be buyers this offseason. The club, when it dismissed Dunleavy, made it clear it intends to win now!It's no secret that the Clippers are going to go hard after a free-agent; they have to! That's the plan. So, doesn't it make sense to make themselves as attractive to possible free agents as possible? In an effort to be positive, I present the following plan to make attracting and signing a quality free agent a tad more feasible. Some of the aforementioned negatives the Clippers can't change, but they can present them in a positive light; they can "pretty them up." One negative in particular, however, has to change. The team can't do anything about the lousy history, New England Patriots jersey
but you can explain it away by presenting it as a challenge for the newcomer. Highly-paid basketball players love a challenge. I can't think of a bigger one than to bring the Clippers to respectability. The team likewise can't do anything about the shadow that emanates from its very arena. Again, I wouldn't hide from the fact that the Lakers exist, but I would point out that Kobe Bryant is on the downside of his career. The time is now to prepare to fil the eventual vacancy the superstar will leave behind. In regards to the owner's shady past, well, even Marilyn Monroe had a mole. The team's recent play, however, has to be addressed, and addressed now. It's really the only negative about the club that doesn't have to be prettied up or glossed over. The team can play better and needs to. With that goal in mind I present the team motto starting today: P-cubed. In arithmetic and algebra the cube of a number n is its third power. In Clipper Nation we are cubing the letter PPersistence, Passion, and Placate. P-cubed, get it? Persistence relates to how the team plays. Every player that hits the court wearing the red-white-blue must play with persistence. Push the ball on offense, press the opponent on defense, play with persistence. Failure to do so brings you back to the bench. Passion relates to how the team does everything off the court. Practices are passionate. Bench players are passionate as they root on their team. Interviews with the media are passionate. Make it clear you love being here and love playing the game here. Placate relates to the overall New Orleans Saints jersey
goal of the team, from the players to the person who answers the phone. Let's let LeBron, um, I mean all free agents, know that this is the place to be, recent firings and poor play aside. If the free-agent signing period is Christmas, this is the time to start wrapping the present. I'm confident the they can get it done. If not, I'll return with another article in a few months.
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