in Area M during the 2001 season, still clearly observable as of the summer of 2007,[89] measures approximately 1.5 m. from the pavement of the later

time.[91] In addition, since the Israelites remained semi-nomadic residents in Canaan immediately after the conquest, they did not rebuild the city either, and thus cannot be expected to have occupied Hazor.The second clue to substantiate the plausibility of Joshua’s being the destroyer of Late Bronze I Hazor is how this view allows for the veracity of the long period of time implied between the conquest of the city in ca. 1400 BC and the later defeat of the future Canaanite overlord, who is the second jabin of Hazor recorded in the Bible, during the judgeships of Deborah and Barak. The currently-popular solution advocated by Yadin and Ben-Tor, namely that Joshua destroyed and burned down Hazor in the middle or middle third of the 13th century BC, can neither account for all of the historical elements in Joshua 11 and Judges 4, nor satisfy the correlation between the archaeological record and the Bible. The usual solution is either to debunk one of the two biblical accounts as non-historical or to change the order of events through interpolation, as did Yadin.However, the view that Joshua burned down Hazor in ca. 1400 BC naturally accounts for the subsequent yet delayed Canaanite occupation of Hazor (during Late Bronze IIA-IIB/III), as the Israelites—who should not be expected to have inhabited the city anytime soon after its destruction—did not settle in cities such as Hazor. The post-conquest Israelites are well known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle,[92] ingrained in them by 40 years of wandering in the desert (Num 32:13), and for their fear of possessing the territories of their tribal allotments that were administered by Joshua (Josh 17:12; Judg 1:27–2:6; 18:1–31). In contrast to what followed at Hazor after the destruction of the Late Bronze I city, the destruction of Late Bronze IIB/III Hazor was followed by an Israelite occupation during the Iron IA Age (ca. 1200–1150 BC).[93] This archaeologically verifiable fact renders a Late Bronze IIB conflagration under Joshua inconsistent with the subsequent historical information in the Bible, which reveals that another Canaanite city succeeded the one that was destroyed in Joshua’s day.[94]VII. CONCLUSIONAn examination was made of the destruction of 13th century BC Hazor, which has become the trendy era of choice for the conquest of the city described in Joshua 11. The material evidence for the destruction of the Hazor of this period clearly points to the Israelites as the culprits, due in part to the distinct, ritualistic desecration of religious and cultic objects. However, chronologically this destruction fits into the era of the judges, and the context of Judges 4 bears out that not only was the king of Hazor killed, but the city was destroyed and, in large part, burned down by the persistent Israelites. Moreover, the narratives of Joshua 11 and Judges 4 were seen to describe two different encounters, both since their respective episodes were separated in time by over 150 years, and since “jabin” is actually a dynastic title (i.e. loan-word) meaning “king,” implying that these accounts refer to two different monarchs,



And thus two completely independent reigns.
If Hoffmeier is correct that Hazor provides the only possible evidence for a conquest in the 13th century BC, then late-exodus proponents are officially left without any conflagrated cities that lend support to their view.With all of this established, an examination of the archaeological record of the Hazor of the 15th century BC was made, in order to determine whether evidence exists for a fiery destruction that can be harmonized with the date of the Exodus and Conquest as determined by a literal interpretation of 1 Kgs 6:1. Evidence of such a great conflagration was found by Yadin in the lower city, and by Ben-Tor in the upper city, the latter of which occurred during the seasons of 2000 and 2001. Ben-Tor attributes this destruction to Thutmose III, but for several reasons this pharaoh effectively can be eliminated from contention as the actual destroyer: the epigraphical evidence both of conquests under Thutmose III and his son Amenhotep II, and of the subsistence of Hazor nine years after Amenhotep II’s final Asiatic campaign, along with the archaeological evidence both of a large gap in time between the destruction of Hazor at the end of Late Bronze I and the next occupational phase, and of Hazor’s subsistence during the short reign of Amenhotep II’s son and successor, Thutmose IV.No other rivaling nations or Canaanite city-states are legitimate possibilities for the attackers who decimated Late Bronze I Hazor, so ANE history can judge the Israelites only as a perfectly plausible option. In fact, their nomination is supported both by the chronological data in the biblical text, the post-destruction occupational gap, and the long period of time implied between this city’s destruction and the later defeat of the subsequent jabin during the judgeships of Deborah and Barak. Therefore, the only tenable solution for dating the destruction of the Hazor of Joshua 11 is to place it firmly at the close of Late Bronze I, as the biblical narrative matches perfectly with the archaeological evidence that relates both to Late Bronze I and the transition into Late Bronze II. The Israelites were the first occupants of the city after the close of the Late Bronze Age, so the destruction of the final Late Bronze Age city cannot be associated with the destruction of Joshua 11, as another Canaanite occupation and destruction followed that of Joshua’s day, which is made abundantly clear by the narrative in Judges 4. As Wood put it, “The simple (and biblical) solution is that Joshua destroyed an earlier city at Hazor in ca. 1400 BC, while Deborah and Barak administered the coup de grâce in ca. 1230 BC.”[95]This conclusion, borne out by the evidence presented in the preceding discussion, strongly supports the chronological framework of the early-Exodus position, and thus the literal interpretation of numbers such as “480th” in 1 Kgs 6:1. Biblical scholars and teachers would do well to give the biblical text its full day in court before acquiescing to the interpretations of archaeologists or other scholars who use arguments from silence (e.g. the complete lack of material evidence for the Israelite inhabitation of Canaan from 1400–1200 BC) to make claims such as the Israelites’ inability to have occupied the Promised Land before the 13th century BC, especially since such conclusions fan the flames of non-inerrantist, liberal scholars determined to undermine the historicity of the Bible. As Aharoni warned, “Don’t reject the historicity of the Biblical text so easily.”[96] The Bible should be interpreted literally, whenever possible, even though popular scholarship may tempt biblical scholars to take the easy road by reverting to allegorism when interpretive difficulties are encountered or when the pressure to fall in line with the consensus of the scholarly world seems too daunting to overcome.No cuneiform tablet has yet emerged at Hazor—nor may one ever surface, even if an archive is found—that reads, “Joshua has arrived!” But relanguage software

According to Aharoni,The failure of the first campaign

may be inferred by Amenhotep II’s setting out two years later on a second campaign in order to put down revolts in the Sharon and in the Jezreel Valley.”109 Aharoni sees in A1 an excursion that never accomplished its primary mission: the conquest of Mitanni. Grimal concurs, noting that “these two campaigns were the last to pit Egypt against Mitanni.”110The first problem with this view is its dependence on the three-campaign theory, since Aharoni assumes that a Year-7 campaign was fought two years prior to the Year-9 campaign. However, there was no Year-7 campaign, as the “first campaign” of the Memphis Stele actually occurred in Year 3. Given the six-year gap between the two campaigns, the theory that A2 was launched to rectify the failures of A1 crumbles from within, due to the longevity of the interval. Of even greater weight, the failure of A1 would have resulted in another campaign directed principally into Syria, if not into Mitannian territory further to the north, not simply a brief raid into southern Palestine that accomplished little more than the acquisition of slaves and booty.b. The Second Asiatic Campaign Launched to Replenish Egypt after Their Losses.The second theory for the motive of A2 is that it was launched to replenish the Egyptian slave base and many of the valuable commodities that were lost when the Israelites plundered and fled Egypt. According to this theory, pharaoh’s motive is related to the exodus. If the exodus and Amenhotep II’s Year-9 campaign transpired in the same year, which is highly possible given the chronological harmonization demonstrated earlier, a brief campaign into southern Palestine to recover some of his critical losses would be both logical and expected. The feasibility of this theory will be determined by a study of the details related to A2.6. The Unique, Pre-Winter Launching of the Second Asiatic Campaign.The date of Year 9, Month 3, Season 1, Day 25 (or ca. 16 November 1446 BC) recorded on the Memphis Stele represents either the Egyptian army’s launching date from Memphis or the arrival date at their first destination, though more likely the latter. Either way, in antiquity a November date represents an extremely odd time for a military campaign. “The present date would fall in the early part of November, an unusual season for an Egyptian campaign in Asia.”111 The reason for November being an unusual launch-time is that the campaign would be fought throughout the cold, rainy winter, when ancient monarchs typically remained within their borders, dealt with internal affairs, and planned for springtime military campaigns.112 The Biblical text confirms the normalcy of springtime launchings: “Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and he came and besieged Rabbah” (1 Chr 20:1).Der Manuelian comments on A1, “Hardly one to break with the blossoming military tradition of the early New Kingdom, Amenophis set out in April of his seventh year, the preferred season for embarking on such ventures.”113 Vandersleyen contrasts this with the unprecedented timing of A2: “The second Asiatic campaign began on the 25th day of the 3rd month (akhet) of the 9th year, during an unusual season for military campaigns. It was probably induced by the necessity of urgent intervention.”114 Amenhotep II’s decision to lead an attack force into Palestine in November was extremely unorthodox, so obviously the situation did require urgent Egyptian intervention, which Vandersleyen perceptively notes. But in what did Amenhotep II need to intervene? Unlike A1, which was launched to quell a rebellion, A2 had no obvious occasion.7. The Contrast between the Two Asiatic Campaigns Launched by Amenhotep II.Marked differences exist between A1 and A2. The names of the geographical sites on A1 are mostly unknown, and those that are considered known are too far apart to belong to one region. In contrast, the sites mentioned on A2 are located only in Central Palestine, between Aphek and Anaharath. When comparing the courses of both campaigns, the disproportionate nature of the two routes is striking, as the locations on A1 are distant and scattered, while the sites on A2 are nearby and closely positioned in relation to one another.115 Moreover, every early campaign of Thutmose III through his illustrious eighth campaign into Mesopotamia, which represents the maximum extent of Egypt’s expansionism, pushed further into foreign territory. In contrast, A1 and A2 followed exactly the opposite trend, going from an itinerary further away from to closer to Egypt.8. The Drastic Change in Foreign-Policy after the Second Asiatic Campaign of Amenhotep II.Another oddity of A2 is that after its conclusion, the Egyptian army—established by Thutmose III as the 15th century BC’s most elite fighting force—went into virtual hibernation. Their previous policy of unwavering aggressiveness toward Mitanni became one of passivity and the signing of peace treaties. The reason for this new policy is missing from the historical record, but Amenhotep II evidently was the pharaoh who first signed a treaty with Mitanni, subsequent to A2.116 Redford connects this event to “the arrival (after year 10, we may be sure) of a Mitannian embassy sent by [Mitanni’s King] Saussatar with proposals of ‘brotherhood’ (i.e., a fraternal alliance and renunciation of hostilities).”117 Redford adds that “Amenophis II seemed susceptible to negotiations,” and that he “was apparently charmed and disarmed by the embassy from ‘Naharin,’ and perhaps even signed a treaty.”118 Yet such a treaty is completely out of character for imperial Egypt and this prideful monarch, especially since “the pharaonic state of the Eighteenth Dynasty could, more easily than Mitanni, sustain the expense of periodic military incursions 800 km into Asia.”119 Support for Amenhotep II being the first to sign a pact with Mitanni is found in the actions of Thutmose IV: “Only by postulating a change of reign can we explain a situation in which the new pharaoh, Thutmose IV, can feel free to attack Mitannian holdings with impunity.”120 Why would Amenhotep II do the unthinkable, and opt to make a treaty with Mitanni?This mysterious reversal in foreign policy would remain unexplainable and unthinkable if not for the possibility of a single, cataclysmic event. If the Egyptians lost virtually their entire army in the springtime disaster at the Red Sea in Year 9, a desperate reconnaissance campaign designed to “save face” with the rest of the ancient world and to replenish their Israelite slave-base would be paramount. Certainly the Egyptians would have needed time to rally their remaining forces together, however small and/or in shambles their army may have been, and it would explain a November campaign that was nothing more than a slave-raid into Palestine as a show of force. The Egyptians could not afford to live through the winter without the production that was provided by the Hebrew workforce, and they could not allow Mitanni or any other ancient power to consider using the winter to plan an attack on Egyptian territories, which would seem vulnerable. If this scenario represents what actually transpired in ANE history, however, tangible proof is needed to verify its veracity.VII. THE LOSS OF THE EGYPTIAN SLAVE-BASEAccording to Num 1:45–46, the Israelites’ post-exodus, male population over 20 years old totaled 603,550, which does not include the 22,000 Levite males of Num 3:39. When women and children are added, they well would have exceeded 2,000,000 people.121 A populace of this magnitude must have provided the backbone of the Egyptian slave-force, given both their vast numbers and rigorous labors (Exod 1:11–14). To most Egyptology students, however, the exodus-narrative is considered little more than a fanciful folktale designed to impress Jewish children with grand illusions of a glorious, ethnic past. The virtual absence of historical and archaeological evidence to verify the Israelite



language learning

occupation and mass exodus from Egypt serves only to bolster this skepticism.

One prominent Egyptologist suggests that to the historian, [the exodus] remains the most elusive of all the salient events of Israelite history. The event is supposed to have taken place in Egypt, yet Egyptian sources know it not. . . . The effect on Egypt must have been cataclysmic—loss of a servile population, pillaging of gold and silver (Exod. 3:21–22, 12:31–36), destruction of an army—yet at no point in the history of the country during the New Kingdom is there the slightest hint of the traumatic impact such an event would have had on economics or society.122 But is there truly no hint of a traumatic impact on Egypt?1. The Absence of an Exodus-Account in the Egyptian Records. Redford alludes to the most popular reason for rejecting the veracity of the exodus, namely that nowhere in Egypt’s vast records is there any documentation of it. However, this dearth can be explained by the lack of Egyptian censuses and the tendency to write comparatively little about foreigners, especially slaves.123 Nonetheless, the Hebrew slaves not only exited Egypt en masse, but they were responsible for the extermination of pharaoh’s vast army, the mightiest military force on earth at the time. Yet the proud Egyptians should not be expected to have documented their own humiliating defeat, which would smear their records and tarnish the glorious legacy left behind by Thutmose III. Kitchen articulates this principle with an example from a later pharaoh: “No pharaoh ever celebrates a defeat! So, if Osorkon [I] had ever sent out a Zerah [the Cushite], with resulting defeat, no Egyptian source would ever report on such an incident, particularly publicly. The lack (to date) of external corroboration in such a case is itself worth nothing, in terms of judging history.”124Such a non-reporting of personal defeat would be standard practice for Amenhotep II. Aharoni observes, “Amenhotep [II]—more than any other pharaoh—set up monuments to glorify his personal valor, passing over, however, some of the major but less complementary events of his campaigns, especially his defeats.”125 Amenhotep II spared no effort to portray himself as a great warrior who could pierce metal targets with his bow and arrow during shooting practice.126 He combined strength with a cruelty intended to demoralize his enemies,127 which the Amada Stele affirms: “His strength is so much greater than (that of) any king who has ever existed, raging like a panther when he courses through the battlefield; there is none fighting before him; . . . trampling down those who rebel against him, instantly prevailing against all the barbarians with people and horses.”128 A king with such enormous pride cannot be expected to have commissioned his scribes to preserve the exodus-tragedy in the annals of Egyptian history for subsequent generations to read and memorialize.2. The Booty Lists from the Asiatic Campaigns of Amenhotep II and Thutmose III.Redford declares that “at no point in the history of the country during the New Kingdom is there the slightest hint of the traumatic impact [that] such an event” as the “loss of a servile population” must have had upon Egypt.129 This bold declaration must be strongly contested. At the conclusion of both campaign narratives recorded on the Memphis Stele, the scribe meticulously listed the spoils, with their quantities, that were taken as plunder. By comparing the booty lists recorded after the conquests of Amenhotep II and Thutmose III, it will be seen whether A2 is distinguished among these campaigns, and if it might attest to the exodus or the post-exodus events. The focus of A2 was upon the spoils that Amenhotep II reaped. “A record of the plunder that his majesty carried off: 127 princes of Retenu; 179 brothers of princes; 3,600 Apiru; 15,200 Shasu; 36,300 Kharu; 15,070 Nagasuites/Neges; 30,652 of their family members; total: 89,600 people, and their endless property likewise; all their cattle and endless herds; 60 chariots of silver and gold; 1,032 painted chariots of wood; 13,500 weapons for warfare.”130 Regarding the “89,600” total prisoners, the sum is actually 101,128 when the numbers are added.131 The error may be a mere mistake in addition, as the individual numbers are probably more reliable than the recorded sum.132 Therefore, a final tally of 101,128 is preferred over 89,600 for the total number of prisoners. Before contrasting A2 with other contemporary campaigns, it should be noted that the Egyptians confiscated 1,082 chariots, which, along with the 13,500 weapons, would be critical for replacing the “600 select chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt” that were lost in the Red Sea (Exod 14:7).The military campaigns of Thutmose III, which derive from The Annals of Thutmose III, also will be abbreviated: his first Asiatic campaign (T1), sixth (T6), and seventh (T7). The prisoners taken on the various campaigns are compiled as follows: T1 = 5,903 captives; T6 = 217 captives; T7 = 494 captives; A1 = 2,214 captives; and A2 = 101,128 captives.133 The most glaring detail is obviously the disparity between the number of captives taken during A2 versus the other four campaigns, which together averaged 2,207 prisoners, or 2.2% of the prisoners taken during A2. Put differently, A2 yielded 46-times more prisoners than all of the other campaigns combined! Why is there such a tremendous disparity? Is it merely coincidental that such a vast number of prisoners was taken during the last Asiatic campaign of the 18th Dynasty? If the exodus and A2 occurred in the same year, Amenhotep II would have had just cause to launch a November campaign, as he desperately would need to fill the enormous void left behind by the evacuation of the Hebrew slaves.1343. The Goal of Amenhotep II to Impress the Kings of Egypt’s Rival Empires.Other information on the booty lists may attest to the connection betweenA2 and the events of theexodus. Now when the Prince of Naharin, the Prince of Hatti, and the Prince of Shanhar heard of the great victories that I had made, each one tried to outdo his competitor in offering gifts, from every foreign land. They thought on account of their grandfathers to beg his majesty for the breath of life to be given to them: ‘We will carry our taxes to your palace, son of Re, Amenhotep (II), divine ruler of Heliopolis, ruler of rulers, a panther who rages in every foreign land and in this land forever.’135 Amenhotep II makes the fascinating statement that the King of Mitanni, the King of the Hittites, and the King of Babylon all “heard of the victories” that he had accomplished in southern Palestine. This reference to the affect of a military campaign upon kings of distant nations, all of whom ruled empires in their own right, is unique among contemporary Egyptian booty lists and annals.Why was Amenhotep II so concerned with how these kings viewed his Year-9 conquests? Not many propositions suffice, especially considering the exceedingly limited scope of A2. Yet if he needed to save face after the devastating loss of his army, a victorious campaign could convince his rivals of his continued ability to wage war successfully. Joshua notes that the Lord “dried up the waters” of the Red Sea expressly so that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty” (Josh 4:23, 24). This goal was realized even 40 years after the exodus, as Rahab of Jericho testified that “all the inhabitants of the land . . . have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea” (Josh 2:9, 10), and as the Hivites of Gibeon told Israel of “the fame of the Lord your God,” since they “heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt” (Josh 9:9). Thus news of the exodus also would have spread to the distant empires that posed a threat to Egypt’s expanded domain.4. A Summary of Egypt’s Losses after the Exodus. Thus Amenhotep II’s boasting to his rival kings, the weapons and chariots taken as booty, and the disproportion of slaves taken during A2, when considered together,


Rosetta Stone Spanish

r. Luke links the birth of the Lord Jesus with the reign of Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1). Unbeknownst to Caesar Augustus, the decree that he made for th

swaddling cloth, lying in a manger! Hardly the sign one would expect for the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who would one day rule the world. There was an interesting Greek inscription found in Priene in western Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Part of this lengthy 84 line inscription said: Since the Providence which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue [divine power] that he might benefit mankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendents, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance [“epiphany,” often used of Hellenistic rulers] (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning for the world of the good tidings [gospel] that came by reason of him (Boring, Berger, and Colpe 1995: para. 225). The Greek transcript of the whole inscription can be found in Dittenberger 1905:48-60; Inscription 458. The original is on display in the Berlin Museum and consists of two blocks of different types of stone. The upper block is blue limestone, while the lower one is while marble (Sherk 1969:329; For photographs, see Deissmann 1995; Figs. 70 and 71, between pages 366 and 367). This inscription was executed in 9 BC after “Paullus Fabius Maximus, proconsul of Asia, wrote to the provincial assembly urging the council to adopt the natal day of Augustus as the beginning of the official year in the province, and to change from the lunar to the solar reckoning of the Julian calendar. The assembly adopted the recommendation enthusiastically as a means of conferring honor upon the deified emperor. Copies of the decree were ordered to be engraved and set up in different cities” (Abbott and Johnson 1968: 331). Fragments of this inscription have also been found in Apamea (Latin fragments), Dorylaeum, Eumenia and Maeonia. My sanctified imagination chuckles at the thought of this Angel of the Lord watching the workmen at Priene chisel this inscription in the white marble and saying to himself: “You just wait! Three more years and the real epiphany will take place and good tidings will be given because Jesus will be born. He will be the true Savior of the World and also the Messiah and Lord, not Caesar Augustus!” After the shepherds were instructed as to where to find the Messiah, a multitude of the heavenly host appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). The peace that the angels spoke about was not the Pax Romana, but a peace that only God could give. Today we hear much about the “separation of church and state” in the news, but believe it or not, this so-called separation is not found in the Constitution! The angelic announcement demonstrates that God is blatantly involved in the political affairs of the Roman Empire.



These statements by the angels are a polemic against Caesar Augustus,
and his foreign policies. Jesus is LORD and one day He will rule the world with justice and righteousness and only then will true peace prevail. Almost 12 years after the death of Caesar Augustus in AD 14, the Lord Jesus identified with His Covenant People, Israel, when He went to the Jordan River and was immersed into the water by John the Baptizer (Luke 3:21, 22). [Remember this: John was not a Baptist, he was a Jew!] The Spirit of God led the Lord Jesus into the Wilderness in order for Him to be tested (Luke 4:1). Satan picked up a rock and said: “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread” (Luke 3:3). Here is a hint at what Caesar Augustus did for the people of Rome. He gave them bread and games. His policy was to feed and entertain the people so that they would like him. Jesus rebuked Satan by saying: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 3:4). Jesus points out to Satan that there is more to life than just food and entertainment. One must be obedient to the Word of God. When Jesus delivered His “Sermon on the Mount” He taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day, our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). He then goes on to give a commentary on what we commonly call the “Lord’s prayer” (Matt. 6:14-7:6). His commentary on the daily bread concept is found in Matt. 6:25-34. Jesus said not to be anxious, like the Gentiles, about what they are going to eat, drink or wear, but if they would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these things (food, clothing and drink) will be added to them (Matt. 6:31-33). For the believer in the Lord Jesus, we should be seeking God in our daily life and living for Him. Jesus is again tested by Satan when He is taken to a high mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5). Satan again tempts Jesus by saying, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomevRosetta Stone

mystery man who informed him of a fifth anchor

And a sixth anchor found off the Munxar Reef.After his investigations, the author had a problem. He had no tangible proof of the anchor stocks to show the world. The first of the anchor stocks was melted down; the second, third and fourth were in private collections; and the fifth and six had been sold. According to the Maltese antiquities law, it was illegal for the private citizens to have the anchor stocks in their possession, a fear expressed by each diver/family that told their stories about the anchor stocks in his or its possession (Cornuke 2003: 108, 112, 126). A strategy, however, was devised that would get those who possessed the anchor stocks to reveal them to the public. The aid of the US ambassador to Malta, Kathy Proffitt, was enlisted to convince the President and Prime Minister of Malta to offer an amnesty to anyone who would turn over antiquities found off the Munxar Reef (2003: 221-223). The pardons were issued on September 23, 2002. This resulted in two anchor stocks being turned over to the authorities. Now the book could be written. Thorough Research?When I first read the book, I was disappointed to find that Mr. Cornuke does not interact with, or mention, some very important works on the subject of Paul’s shipwreck; nor are they listed in his bibliography. The classic work on this subject is James Smith’s The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul. In fact, the noted New Testament and classical scholar, F. F. Bruce said this book was "an indispensable handbook to the study of this chapter [Acts 27]" (1981: 499), and elsewhere, "This work remains of unsurpassed value for its stage-by-stage annotation of the narrative of the voyage" (1995: 370, footnote 9). Yet nowhere in his book does Mr. Cornuke mention Smith’s work or even discuss the information contained therein. Nor is there any mention of George Musgrave’s, Friendly Refuge (1979), or W. Burridge’s, Seeking the Site of St. Paul’s Shipwreck (1952). There are some scholars who do not believe Paul even was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Nowhere in Mr. Cornukes’ "Lost Shipwreck" is there an acknowledgment or even a discussion of the Dalmatia or Greek sites.James Smith identifies the place of landing as St. Paul’s Bay, others suggest different beaches within the bay. Musgrave suggested the landing was at Qawra Point at the entrance to Salina Bay. Burridge places the shipwreck in Mellieha Bay. Those who reject the island of Malta as the place of the shipwreck point out that the Book of Acts uses the Greek word "Melite" (Acts 28:1). There were two "Melite’s" in the Roman world: Melite Africana, the modern island of Malta, and Melite Illyrica, an island in the Adriatic Sea called Mljet in Dalmatia (Meinardus 1976: 145-147). A recent suggestion for the shipwreck was the island of Cephallenia in Greece (Warnecke and Schirrmacher 1992).Did the sea captain and crew recognize the land? (Acts 27:39)Luke states, "When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach" (Acts 27:39a). The sea captain and the sailors could see the shoreline, but did not recognize the shoreline and where they were. It was only after they had gotten to land that they found out they were on the island of Malta (Acts 28:1).Lionel Casson, one of the world’s leading experts on ancient nautical archaeology and seafaring, describes the route of the Alexandrian grain ships from Alexandria in Egypt to Rome. In a careful study of the wind patterns on the Mediterranean Sea and the account of Lucian’s Navigation that gives the account of the voyage of the grain ship Isis, he has demonstrated that the ship left Alexandria and headed in a northward direction. It went to the west of Cyprus and then along the southern coast of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and headed for Knidos or Rhodes. The normal route was under (south of) the island of Crete and then west toward Malta. Thus the eastern shoreline of Malta was the recognizable landmark for them to turn north and head for Syracuse, Sicily and on to Puteoli or Rome (1950: 43-51; Lucian, The Ship or the Wishes; LCL 6: 431-487).Mr. Cornuke correctly states: "Malta itself was well visited as a hub of trade during the time of the Roman occupation and would have been known to any seasoned sailor plying the Mediterranean" (2003: 31). Any seasoned sailor coming from Alexandria would clearly recognize the eastern shoreline of Malta.He also properly identified two of the many ancient harbors on Malta as being at Valletta and Salina Bay (2003: 32). The ancient Valletta harbor was much further inland in antiquity and is called Marsa today, and is at the foot of Corradino Hill (Bonanno 1992: 25). Roman storehouses with amphorae were discovered in this region in 1766-68 (Ashby 1915: 27-30). When Alexandrian grain ships could not make it to Rome before the sea-lanes closed for the winter, they wintered on Malta (see Acts 28:11). They would off load their grain and store them in the storehouses of Marsa (Gambin 2005). Sea captains coming from Alexandria would be very familiar with the eastern shoreline of Malta before they entered the harbor of Valletta.The city of Melite was the only major city on Roman Malta, there were however, villas and temples scattered throughout the countryside. Today Melite lies under the modern city of Mdina / Rabat. The main harbor for Melite was Marsa, not Salina Bay (Said-Zammit 1997: 43,44,132; Said 1992: 1-22).Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian who lived in the First Century BC, states regarding Malta: "For off the south of Sicily three islands lie out in the sea, and each of them possesses a city and harbours which can offer safety to ships which are in stress of weather. The first one is that called Melite [Malta], which lies about eight hundred stades from Syracuse, and it possesses many harbours which offer exceptional advantages." (Library of History 5:12:1-2; LCL 3: 129). Note his description, "many harbors." Many includes more than just two; so where are the rest?Knowledge of Arabic can give us a clue. The word "marsa" is the Arabic word for harbor (Busuttil 1971: 305-307). There are at least three more harbors that can be added to the list. The Marsamxett harbor within the Grand Harbor of Valletta; Marsascala Bay just north of St. Thomas Bay; and Marsaxlokk Bay in the southeast portion of Malta all would be Roman harbors. The last bay was a major Roman harbor / port that served the famous Temple of Juno on the hill above it and was also a place for ships to winter.Any ancient Mediterranean Sea captain, or seasoned sailor on the deck of a ship anchored off the Munxar Reef, immediately would recognize the eastern shoreline of Malta with these Roman harbors and anchorages. Malta was the landmark for sailors traveling from Crete and about to turn north to Sicily. The eastern end of the island would be what they saw first and it would be a welcome sight.There are at least four recognizable points that could be seen from the outer Munxar Reef had this been the exact spot of the shipwreck of Paul as Mr. Cornuke argues. The first was the entrance to Marsaxlokk Bay where a Roman harbor / port was, the second, the entrance to Marsascala Bay where another Roman harbor was located. The third point would be the dangerous Munxar Reef (or small islands or peninsula in the 1st century AD) that any sea captain worth his salt would recognize because of its inherent danger. The final point, and most important, was the site known today as Tas-Silg. This was a famous temple from the Punic / Roman period dedicated to one goddess known by different names by the various ethnic groups visiting the island. She was Tanit to the Phoenicians, Hera to the Greeks, Juno to the Romans, and Isis to the Egyptians (Trump 1997: 80, 81; Bonanno 1992: Plate 2 with a view of St. Thomas Bay in the background).In preparation for my January 2005 trip to Malta I studied this important temple. It was a landmark for sailors coming from the east. Could this temple be seen from the outer Munxar Reef? On the first day I arrived in Malta, Tuesday, January 11, a fellow traveler and I went to visit the excavations.

Rosetta Stone Greek

10 Mar 11 Two Excellent Films With Oscar Nominations

Two Excellent Films With Oscar NominationsBy: Ed Bagley .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet A Man for All Seasons poses the question: What would a man sacrifice for his principles?When Henry VIII seeks approval to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, the Pope stands in his way, and his new Chancellor and Cardinal--Sir Thomas More--stands in his way as well, leading to England's split from the Roman Catholic Church and the creation of the Anglican Church, the Church of England.Henry VIII wants Sir Thomas More's blessing in his action, but does not get it as Sir Thomas feels pelled to stand upon his principles and do the right thing.Henry VIII gets every person of any consequence in England to sign an oath (the Act of Supremacy), endorsing his action, except Sir Thomas, who will not sign, and remains silent as to the reason why he will not sign.This movie (made in 1966, the year I graduated from Michigan State University) won 6 Oscars in 1967, among them Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. A Man for All Seasons is a period piece with exacting details of the day and time. Sir Thomas More is a scholar and statesman who bees the leading humanist of the Renaissance Era.A Man for All Seasons is a story about everything that is right in England and life (Sir Thomas More's integrity to his principles) and everything that is wrong in England and life (greed, avarice, lust, lying, cheating, stealing, the corruption of power, and the corruption of religious leaders).In the end, Sir Thomas is the only person in England who will die for his principles, and mit himself to God's hands for judgment. He is betrayed by an ambitious, lower level appointed attorney general, Richard, whose outright lie condemns Sir Thomas to be beheaded.Sir Thomas More loses his head (no pun intended) but most importantly, not his soul. Sir Thomas is later canonized as Saint Thomas More by the Roman Catholic Church. Henry VIII subsequently dies of syphilis, and the evil Thomas Cromwell (who orchestrates Thomas' demise) is himself judged a traitor to England 5 years later and is beheaded.This movie does not deviate from the truth of Sir Thomas More's stance, and as such provides a role model for acting with right thinking and right motives, even at the cost of one's life.The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has to be the best pirate movie ever made, earning 5 Oscar nominations, and Johnny Depp (as Captain Jack Sparrow) delivered the best pirate performance ever.Depp earned a Best Actor nomination following release of the film in 2003, but did not win, of course, because he chooses not to live in Hollywood and practice the art of kissing up, sucking up, and putting on a public display of importance, like I care what actors think about politics.Johnny Depp looks and acts like a pirate you could like, and his wearing of the costume and persona is second to none (Savvy, Mate).This story is really about Captain Jack Sparrow losing his ship (The Black Pearl), and then embarking on a quest to find and win The Black Pearl back from his rival Barbossa (played by Geoffrey Rush) while helping save the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly) from fellow pirates along the way.Also chasing Elizabeth is the dashing Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who enlists the aid of Captain Jack Sparrow to find her kidnappers.This film is littered with interesting characters who collectively help make this film great entertainment under the direction of Gore Verbinski. The Curse of the Black Pearl has great writing, directing, acting, photography, suspense, action, surprise and a musical score to match.And the end? A man finding his freedom with the ship he loves. What could be better?The Curse of the Black Pearl became the 22nd highest grossing film in USA film history, pretty improbable for a pirate flick, but then there is Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. I have seen this film three times and would see it a fourth, which is really saying something for me.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!

5 Mar 11 How Being Nice To Customers Will Boost Your Business Sales

How Being Nice To Customers Will Boost Your Business SalesBy: Brian Wynn .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet As with running any business, you have to treat the customer with respect in order to maintain a solid business relationship. Even though you are running anNHL Jersey
internet home business, you will still need to take care of your customers so that they will return again and again. Show excellent customer service and you will find that loyal customers will tell their friends and family about your web site, which could mean even more sales. But how to do you interact with customers online? Start with an email list and work from there.Once your email list has grown, you should begin by sending everyone on the list a 'thank-you' email. This will not only remind people that they signed up on your list, it will also make them feel appreciated and cause them to visit your web site again. Acknowledging people is a good selling tool. You can do this by simply sending a short email using the customer's first name and signing it with your name, company name, and web site address.In order to make money online, you will have to connect with those who are visiting your web site. Newsletters or a short email that lists what's new on your web site is usually enough to generate more traffic. By sending your customers free information that they can use is a way of promoting your web site without being rude or obnoxious. If your email list is small, you could send personalized product lists to your customers that highlight products that are the same or similar to what they have purchased before. This is another way that you can provide good customer service online.But what if you want to reach those who have not signed-up for your emailing list? The answer is to create web content that is informative and interesting to those visiting the web site. If you provide good content with pictures in a way that is logical and easy to follow, you will create customer loyalty. You have the ability to make customers feel comfortable by providing them with a web site that is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes, and updated often. Neglect your web site and you will be neglecting your customers.If you provide a page where customers can ask questions, another way to improve customer service is to answer all questions within a day. Quick Washington Capitals jersey
responses will tell customers that you are interested in their business and that you want to make them comfortable when buying from the web site. Even if the question can be answered by looking on the web site, you should still take the time to answer it in a professional and casual manner.Customer service is one of the best ways to stand out from your competition and create an internet home business that you can be proud of. Catering to your customers will improve sales and increase return business. Even though you cannot stand face to face with your customers, you can still make them feel comfortable and safe buying goods and services from your web site.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com The Millionaire League, founded by Brian Wynn, is the only millionaire's club that shows you how to become one! Just imagine waking up to $1,000+ every morning! Stop dreaming about making money and make money while you sleep instead! Visit www.TheMillionaireLeague.comNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Brian WynnRetargeting 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 Marketing - True or False?- By : chad buistMoney Creating Capitals jersey
Tips For Individuals Involved In An Online Affiliate Marketing Home Business- By : Johnny BarrellGlobal Success Club And How To Make Money Online- By : Don SeanMake Cash Over The Internet With Affiliate Marketing- By : Leroy WheelerWhich Affiliate Networks To Look Out For When Promoting ?- By : Elsa Braxton Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

24 Jan 11 Oklahoma State-Texas Aamp;M: Cowboys and Aggies Have a Showdown in Stillwater

Cowboys bring out the big stick.Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesThursday night brings a big game in the Big 12 South division. By now, the news of Texas' loss to UCLA has reached all regions of the U.S. Add the fact that the University of Oklahoma looks average at best and you get a South Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
division that is up for grabs.In fact, we will know more this coming weekend when the Red River Rivalry fires up at the Cotton Bowl.But before OU and Texas go head-to-head, Oklahoma State and Texas AM face off in a nationally televised game. Both teams are in the South and both teams realize by now that a win Thursday night could potentially put them in the running to be the South division champion.Granted, a lot needs to happen for both teams in the future, but a win on Thursday night would set up the season to come.Oklahoma State CowboysMike Gundy realized this past offseason that it was time for him to hang up play-calling on offense and hand it off to someone who can focus all of their time on it.That brought in Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen has spent several years in two of the nations most prolific offenses. Texas Tech, under Mike Leech, and the University of Houston. His creative, offensive mindset makes the OSU offense, which was good in the past, even better.The Oklahoma State Defense has come under the control of coordinator Bill Young. Young is in his third year as the defensive mind for the Cowboys. Thursday night will be the first real test of his defense with Texas AM's quick offense. It's been good so far, but the season is young.Texas AMHead coach Mike Sherman has a great senior quarterback in Jerrod Johnson. Johnson is a dual-threat quarterback who has developed his game well over his tenure at Texas AM. But Johnson isn't the only offensive weapon the Aggies have. Christine Michael and Cyrus Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
Gray are two running backs who can break ankles down the field. I would expect to see them get quite a few touches.The Aggie defense has gotten better. Tim DeRuyter has turned up the heat a little making AM no easy task. Look for the Aggies to put major heat on Brandon Weeden.If the Big 12 South interests anyone, make sure and watch this game. It could possibly hold the South division champion.

22 Jan 11 Making Mean Green Lemonade Out Of The Ruins Of The UNT Offense

Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesAnother week, another QB lost.Army intimidated, frustrated, and eventually broke the leg of talented UNT sophomore QB Derek Thompson on Saturday. UNT was forced to go with last year's starter, Riley Dodge, for most of the game.In a hugely discouraging moment for fans (and probably the players as well), the coaching staff appeared to throw their hands up in despair as they lost their 7th, 8th, and 9th players to likely season ending injuries.Third team QB Riley Dodge looked rusty, timid, and without much strength forMinnesota Vikings
most of the game. He completed 8 out of 17 passes for a dreary 63 yards.Only late in the game when UNT appeared to run the Todd Dodge spread (complete with gopher-like looks to the sidelines for instructions) for a few plays did Riley seem to show any competence.He completed 4 of 6 passes for 39 yards with 1 run for 8 yards and2 sacks for -11 yards on UNT's final drive.While it is entirely likely Riley Dodge would look a lot sharper with a week of reps as the starter, I think it is actually the wrong move for Todd Dodge and company.Ultimately Riley's arm is shot. It was quite apparent vs. Army that his arm strength comes and goes and that he limits UNT's offense too much in the Canales system. Be it due to Canales not trusting Riley's arm deep or Riley not trusting it, the game creeps up to the line of scrimmage when Dodge is playing.I have an alternate proposal that I think would help out UNT a lot more in the next few games.What is neededUNT needs an offensive identity.Army and Rice have exposed how to attack the UNT defense. If a team runs on UNT consistently they can wear out the UNT defense at thethe defensive end andoutside linebackerspots.For UNT to win, the Mean Green has to control the clock, keeping their defense off the field, their defensive ends from tiring out, and allowing their star DTs to come in fresh and play a big role in disrupting the opponent's running game. The UNT offensehas to roll up first downs.Their offensive identity needs to be that of a chain moving, clockchewingoffense that occasionally breaks big touchdown runs.Proven Assets availableUNT has an All-American RB in Lance Dunbar. He is the rare cutback runner who doesn't give up yardage angling for a better lane. He has elite game breaking ability, but is not a strong short yardage runner.Backup RBs James Hamilton and Brandin Byrd are aggressive runners who finish their runs well. They are good short yardage runners.UNT has 3 offensive linemen who were discussed as possible all-sunbelt players prior to the season in Tackles Victor Gill Esteban Santiago, and Center turned Guard Kelvin Drake. They also have goodproven players around them with good sizeinT/GJeremy Bean, G Coleman Feeley, and GMatt Tomlinson, and C Aaron FortenberryUNT has a trio of good TEs in Draylen Ross (the big blocker), Jamize Alawale (the raw deep threat), and ConorGilmartin-Donahue (the do it all guy).Finally the team has a receiver for most situations. They have two raw burners atreceiverwho have occasional concentration lapsesin Jamaal Jackson Tyler Stradford,a slightly slower receiver with much better hands and concentrationin Darius Carey, two reliable and polished receivers in Alex Lottand Breece Johnson,three hit ormiss guys with a history of mistakes ofvarying degreein the toughMichael Outlaw, the speedy BJLewis(if he is healthy now), andoccasional playmaker Willie Taylor, and last but definitely not least freshman Brelan Chancellor who's redshirt year was wisely burned by the staff vs. Army when Chris Bynes was injured.Chancellor is a very polished receiver for his age.Like Dunbar, he has ordinary speed for his position buthas the same knack for running away from people.I am sorry, this is still far more talent than all but the most elite teams in the Sun Belt. Does any teamin the Sun Belt have a better trio of linemen and a better RB? Heck no!Is UNT's receiving corps still in the top third of the Sun Belt ranks? Heck yes!Is this UNT offense still more talented than last year's? Absolutely.So you coaches quit your bellyaching, pullyourselves out of your tear-filledbeers, and go with what you got.Play personnel to optimize the talent on hand.UNT has 3 QBs available to lead the ship. Last year's starter Riley Dodge, last year's third string QB Chase Baine, and freshman Derek Teegarden.We can eliminate Teegarden. Although he looks pretty solid in his high school films, he is 17 lbs LIGHTER than Riley Dodge.There is no sense in repeating the Riley Dodge fiasco and destroying this guy's body beforeit is ready to New England Patriots jersey
play FBS ball and endure that pounding.I think the team should go with Chase Baine at QB with occasional spot work from Riley Dodge in the red zone.It is certainly out of the box, but you have already lost your first and second string QBs andthe difference between the third and fourth team QBs is not that pronounced. Riley Dodge is more polished and knowledgeable, but frankly Baine is more talented and likely far, far more durable at this point.The facts are Dodge's arm is too limited at this point and he is not physical enough running the ball.He gets ragdolled. Compounding the problem Dodge seems to have lost a lot of the instinct of when to hold on to the ball and when to hand off. He has been keeping the ball a lot this year to poor results and when he has handed off his handoffs haven't beensharp.Moreover, Dodge looked very timid playing against Army. UNT cannot afford that from their QB.Like most freshmen starters in offenses where the QB owns the ball, Riley Dodge was a turnover machine in most games last year. I think in ordinary situations one would expect him to outgrow that with work, but he hasn't had a ton of work this off-season. The bad habits he developed getting pounded last year are still there.Playing Riley Dodge every down is not a luxury the team can afford right now at the start of their run ofmore manageablegames. This team will fall apart if Dodge has a 4+ turnover game against one of these teams.Chase Bain is about 15 lbs heavier than Riley Dodge and appears to my vantage point 1-2 inches taller. He doesn't have any of the trauma screwing up his game that Dodge does.Whatever QB UNT starts is going to have to run. He is going to have to take a pounding.That QBis going to have to run options with Lance Dunbar and roll outs.Does the coaching staffreally want to risk losing Dodge to another injury? Even another shoulder injury?Given Riley Dodge's history it is unlikely he will last more than a game or two anyway as a full time starter behind a line that has lost confidence in it's ability to pass block at an elite level. I have long suspected that the move of Riley was in large part to allow the kid a full year to properlyheal up and see what he is next year. You are just inviting the injury gods to permanently finish him as a QB torole him out there as a full time starter behind a line with shaken confidence after seeing two future NFL DEs in the first 3 weeks.Riley Dodge is one of the greatest winners in Texashigh schoolfootball history. He won his games at the 5A level, the highest level of play in Texas. He may not have the skills anymore to be an effective every down starter, but he still knows how to execute a game winning play under pressure.At some point in the next 5 weeks there is a fairly good chance that UNT will be down by less than a touchdown with the game clock running down and Lance Dunbar or Tyler Stradford will break a big play that gets UNT to the 7 or 8 yardline.When that occurs do you want Riley Dodge ready to fill in and play his accurate short yardage game, or do you want him standing next to the coaches with ice wrapped around his shoulder or in street clothes holding a clipboard?This team needs Riley Dodge available for game winning situations and to play inside the 10 yard lineif the situation merits it in the next 5 weeks. The coaching staff needs every possible edge to secure wins. They shouldn't start him if it diminishes the chances he will be available for those situations.Plus, if Dodge were to start and togo down again, at that point New Orleans Saints jersey
UNT is going to have to run out Chase Baine anyway to finish out a game - and that would be a Chase Baine who would not have been given any reps!That is just a recipe for another give away loss.Getting Baine ready to go is a smart pre-emptive move.Baine plays the game similarly to Riley Dodge, but is more physical and has a better, undamaged arm. Baine is 6'0" and 210 lbs.Baine plays the game like an option QB who has learned to pass well enough to be functional in a spread. He also plays with some moxy. The thicker Baine is far more likely to get a first down running the ball than Riley Dodge would be.While I don't thinkBaine could be as accurate as Dodge, I do think he could complete 55% of his passes, throw a 35 yard pass with consistency, maybe run for 70 yards in a game without getting injured, show the strength to get a first down on a dive or QB sneak, and maintain a plus TD to turnover ratio. That I have seen he plays within his limits-like Nathan Tune.Modifying the offenseWith Tune and Thompson out,the valuegained byall those snaps inthe Canales offense over the off-season is largely lost.Riley Dodge's skillset (and most of the offensive skilled players' skillsets)are not suited for the Canales offense. They have talent and speed, but largely lack the polish, attributes,and precision to make it function right.James Hamilton -more of a straight line runner- is more effective in the Canales offense than All-American Lance Dunbar. Jamaal Jackson and Tyler Stradford are fish on bicycles trying to run precise routes, work the sidelines, and hold on to passes.Today, the Canales offense minimizes the best talents on the UNT offense. With reps and strength training that may not be the case next season, but it is this season - and this season is the one that matters.On top of that as a fourth stringer Baine has probably had little work in the Canales offense, but he did get some in the old Dodge offense last year as a third stringer and occasional backup.The Canales offense spreads teams horizontally with the run and the pass. Without a QB who can throw the ball30 yards down the field, the defense squeezes forward, minimizing what the Canales offense can accomplish. Runner and receivers moving horizontal don't have the space toturn vertical and finish their runs and get stopped short of first downs. This team has to be a little more vertical in it's attack to get any benefit out of Stradford and Jackson.That just isn't happening.Additionally, and moreimportantly, the Canales offenselimits Dunbar as a runner.Regardless of who they go with, UNT effectively has to squeeze in an off-seasonof QB preparation into a week. You can't do that with an offense as complex as the Canales offense.I think there is a crying need for both of UNT's offensive coaching minds to sit down with Riley New York Giants jersey
Dodge and Chase Baine and come up with a short list of offensive plays that fit thetwo QB's and theteam's skillsets.Go throughthe Dodge and Canales playbooks and select the best handful of playsfrom both for the team to practice this week.Watch the films of every TD Lance Dunbar scored last year and make sure those plays are in your truncated playbook and starred for heavy rotation.Put together a skeleton list of plays short enough to allow the players to work on them and get them down in time for the next game.In general, Iwould suggest running the Todd Dodge Gopher spread offense on most plays between the 20s and then shifting into a limited version of the Canales offense (with no shotgun plays) in short yardage and goalline situations as it is far better for those situations.The plain facts are Canales has been unable to utilize Dunbar effectively in the Canales offense. Putting a TE on the field forces a CB off the field to be replaced by asafety or even a linebacker.That doesn't help Dunbar and frankly increase the odds of one of UNT's QBs getting knocked out of the game on a bootleg.You can't afford that.Dunbar is a non-red zone weapon. He can break a TD run from anywhere outside of the red zone at any minute. He is a huge threat and a great decoy.He is only being used as a decoy this year. He has to be used more than he is in the Canales offense and more effectively. He is a huge reason UNT rolled up so many yards between the 20's last year. His ability to beat average to poor defenses is hugely needed now.You have to get Dunbar going if this team is going to win. He has to carry this offense. He has to break some TD runs. Dunbar's skillset is much more effectively utilized out of the Dodge offense.There can't be any sacred cows with everyones' jobs on the line. Canales needs to bite his tongue and take a perception hit for his boss. (Frankly this will make him a better OC down the road anyway.)Baine can run the option with Dunbar as well if not better than Riley Dodge did last year. Baine is a similar runnerbut one with more power. He can handle the ball well in the handoffs. He is probably a little less likely to fumble than Riley Dodge as unlike Riley,Baine was weightlifting rather than being pounded into goo last year.With the depth UNT has at receiver they can send 4 receivers down the field on every down if they want to try to clear space underneathfor Dunbar to work. Baine has a good enough arm and is accurate enoughto be somewhat credible as a passer.The team can shift into the Canales offense in the red zone or in short yardage.In those scenarios, they caneither throw underneath to Dunbar orbring inJames Hamilton or Brandin Byrd- backs far more suited to running in the Canales offense and picking up short yardage.Play selection goals.UNT has to become more of a running New York Jets jersey
eam. Through 3 games they have run the ball 38 times per game (14 by QBs) and passed 35 times per game.They need to start focusing onmoving the chainsby running the ball to allow their defense a better chance to record stops and keep the team in games.They need goals of having 60 rushes and 35 passes a game. Hitting something closer to 50 rushes per game and30 passes (what UNT did vs. Clemson, a good BCS defense) would be good.Nathan Tune had 15 carries vs. Clemson. I think Chase Baine can handle 10-15 carries.I think in an average game for the next 5 weeks, the goal should be to generate a stat line line like this:RushingDunbar 25 for 150 yards 1 TDBaine 10 for 40 yards Hamilton 7 for 35 yards 1 TDByrd 4 for 15 yardsDodge 4 for 10 yards 1 TDPassingBaine 15 of 27 for 190 yards 1 TD O INTsDodge2 for3 for 10yards and 1 TD O INTsReceivingCarey 3 for 30 yardsDunbar 3 for 30 yardsChancellor 2 for20 yardsLott 2 for15 yardsLewis 2 for 20 yardsJackson 2 for15 yardsJohnson 1 for 8 yards 1 TDStratford 1 for45 yards 1 TDOutlaw 1 for 17 yardsThat totals out to 250 yards rushing and 200 yards passing. If thecoaching staffreally focuses on making the strategy changes that are needed to getDunbar going, I think thepassing game,scoring,and time of possession will take care of itself.These stats are not unreachable by any team with a good OL and a top RB. Dunbar consistently had games of this magnitude or betterlast year against average to poor defenses in the Sun Belt. This year he is just not getting the touches and is not being utilized well as a runner.I think with the talent on hand and the marginal defenses coming up (I say marginal only in comparison to Clemson's defense), this can be a regularlyachievable stat line goal.Dunbar, theoffensive line,and the defense can save ToddDodge's job. Dodge needs to let them.UNT's Coaching staff needs to be creative and visionary...Two things they absolutely were not vs. Army.UNT is sitting on a stack of offensive talent.It is coached by two alleged offensive geniusesin Mike Oakland Raiders jersey
Canales and Todd Dodge.It is time for the coaching staff to put away their preconceptions of what they thought the offense should look like this year, look at what they have, acknowledge what they need to win, and put this team's talentto optimal good use to meet those needs.

18 Jan 11 Are MAC Invites Coming Down the Pike For Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee?

The next member of the MAC?Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesI want to freely admit thisis an entirely speculative editorial fueled by a very interesting article I came across this morning.Eastern Michigan's AD Derrick Gragg dropped the following bomb.I think the MAC is going to try to extend invitations to one or two institutions Reebok Chicago Bears #6 Jay Cutler Realtree camo Jersey
in the next year or two, Gragg told the EMU Board of Regents Athletic Affairs Committee.FromOct. 11 to 13 the MAC will meet. Among other things they will reportedly discuss realignment strategies.Gregg also speculated that Temple Universitywill likely leave the MAC for another conference at the end of their currenttwo year football-only contract.I mentioned specifically this chain of events as a scenario that could hobble the Sun Belt in a previous article.The MAC is generally pretty travel cost conscious. Their member schools recognize they are working with a limited budget as members of one of the lower level FBS conferences, so they tend to stay within a region. (Temple, as a football only add, was deemed enough of a value to allow in.)Would the MAC add Louisiana Tech as an all-sport member?I am going to say probably not. LA Tech adds a lot of travel and little market or esteem at this point, after years of bleeding in the WAC. Their basketball program is very disappointing in terms of fan support.Who else does that leave?Maybe the MAC would consider an FCS upgrade like Youngstown State, but in general FBS conferences don't like adding FCS schools unless conditions are dictating realignment terms to them(as is happening in the WAC today).AD Gragg is suggesting up to two teams are on Reebok Dallas Cowboys #82 Jason Witten Realtree camo Jersey
the MAC radar...Who else is out there?I think the obvious choices are Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. Both were rumored to have initiated talks with the MAC in the past. (If you look at the geography and stabilityof both conferences it is pretty clear why they would be interested.)Both are strong basketball programs - Middle Tennessee draws about 4,000 a game, while W. Kentucky draws about 5,000 - and Middle Tennessee is an emerging football power. Both schools look like MAC schools in terms of their athletic programs.If such an invitation were to be offered and accepted, where does that leave the Sun Belt?There is certainly a lot to consider for schools like Arkansas State and UL-Lafayette.The WAC Could Figure in To ThisIt also could make some sense out of the WAC expansion strategy. The teams being mentioned most often frequently seem to add up to a niggling 10 football members with two non-football members in Seattle and Denver.It has been bothering me for weeks that the numbers do not seem to add up to a division-allowing 12 members in all sports.Well, the WAC could go to 10 in football, add two basketball only schools and have their division play-fueled travel cost savings in all the other sports.That would give the WAC some flexibility to wait for schools with a little more immediatefootball Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
credibility (ie. current FBS members) that the current WAC membersmay want more, instead of going whole hog with the FCS additions now.Is it possible that the WAC is making moves in anticipation of stealing ULL and Arkansas State a couple years down the road? After years of unrequited love for North Texas, is the WAC putting together a strategy to bypass the Mean Green and stabilize the WAC's central front?It is certainly an interesting comment open to a number of interpretations.

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams Jay Cutler Michael Huff

With the NFL draft nearly three weeks away, the St. Louis Rams should have solid grasp on what positions they will target with the 11th overall pick. Here's my take on what they should do come April 29th.SAFETYThe Rams' most pressing needs are on defense. With the loss of safety Adam Archuleta, who signed as a Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
free agent with the Washington Redskins, the safety position could use an infusion of young talent. Corey Chavous was recently signed from Minnesota but O.J. Atogwe is inexperienced and therefore, he could be a liability. At the 11th spot in the draft, some intriguing prospects should grab new head coach Scott Linehan's attention. Michael Huff from Texas would be a huge upgrade and provide much-needed speed in the secondary considering he ran a 4.34 second 40 yard dash at the NFL combine. The other player who will likely be available is safety Jason Allen. The former Tennessee star was at one time thought be a top-10 pick but a dislocated hip derailed many believers. However, at the NFL Combine, Allen impressed many with his 4.39 second 40 yard dash. Allen might be viewed as a reach for the Rams at the 11th spot, but could still be available in the second or even third round.OUTSIDE LINEBACKERLast year in free agency, the St. Louis Rams signed two well-known linebackers in Dexter Coakley and Chris Claiborne. Both proved to be disappointments. Claiborne has already been released and Coakley, who suffered a broken leg last year, will most likely be a backup this season. The Rams did sign Will Witherspoon from the Panthers who will play middle linebacker. Regardless, St. Louis will still Reebok New York Giants #27 Brandon Jacobs Realtree camo Jersey
need a young talent to compete for the outside linebacker job. Manny Lawson from N.C. State and Kamerion Wimbley from Florida State may both be available when the Rams pick at number 11. Although Manny Lawson might be reach, he would be a great fit in defensive coordinator Jim Haslett's 3-4 defense. Lawson has an amazing combination of size (6-6, 241) and speed (4.43) and after a great senior year (10.5 sacks) his stock is moving up. Kamerion Wimbley also could be on the Rams radar. Again, with Jim Haslett working in the 3-4 defense, a fast athletic linebacker such as Wimbley would compliment DE Leonard Little well as someone who can effectively rush the passer. Wimbley played defensive end at Florida State, but considering his size (6-3, 248) he may be better suited at outside linebacker in the pros.QUARTERBACKThis is where it could get interesting. With Marc Bulger coming off a significant, but not very serious injury, there still may be some concern with the quarterback position, especially with a new head coach. With the 11th overall pick, the Rams stand at a great position in the draft, should one of the top QB's fall. Vince Young is a big mystery in this draft. He could land anywhere from the 1st pick to the 13th pick. He arguably put up one of the greatest performances in the National Championship game. He also has amazing athleticism for a quarterback. However, some scouts may be scared off by his low Wonderlic score. Still, if he were to fall to the Rams, Scott Linehan might not be able to pass on such a rare talent. Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
Jay Cutler is the other QB who may also fall to the Rams. Cutler is probably a better all around QB than Young is. Therefore, the Rams might be interested in him because it wouldn't be as much of a gamble. The former SEC star has good size (6-3, 226) and would walk into a great situation in St. Louis where he could learn under Marc Bulger and be surrounded by weapons at all the skill positions. (0)

14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks "Draft: Why did they do that?"

Tim Ruskell, the Seattle Seahawks' president, and his scouts obviously know their craft when it comes to the draft -- a fact that has been proven with the savvy selections of starters like Chris Spencer, Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill and Rob Sims over the past two years.So -- especially at this early juncture, just days after the draft -- it seems folly to question their picks. Certainly no one knows better than Ruskell whether certain players would fit the team's schemes; but, for the sake of argument, it's worth posing some possibly foolish questions. 1) With bigger needs at guarReebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
d and defensive tackle, why did the Seahawks pass on USC center Ryan Kalil and N.C. State tackle Tank Tyler and take Maryland cornerback Josh Wilson with the 55th overall pick?Kalil was considered a high second-round value, so when he slid down the round and was there when the Seahawks were picking, it looked like a very fortuitous fall for Seattle. But Ruskell decided to continue to upgrade his secondary by adding a cornerback with the team's top pick for the second straight year.The Seahawks obviously had Wilson rated higher than Kalil, but why? Perhaps it was because they felt Kalil would not make a good guard in the NFL. At 291 pounds, he would be a little light for the position. And with Spencer set to start at center, Kalil would have had to make the move to guard. Of course, in light of the news that Spencer's shoulders could hinder him all the way to training camp, passing on Kalil still looks like a questionable move. Kalil didn't last much longer than the 55th pick; Carolina took the center four selections later.The Seahawks already like the man they got at 55. Wilson showed well in the recent mini-camp and is expected to replace Kelly Herndon immediately as the nickel back and could challenge Kelly Jennings, Seattle's first-round pick in 2006, for the starting gig at right cornerback.Tyler was rated as a second-round talent by non-NFL evaluators, but he ended up going in the third round -- just three picks before the Seahawks grabbed California defensive tackle Brandon Mebane. So why wasn't Tyler worth Seattle's second-round pick? Because Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
he failed the character test -- he carried the baggage of off-field issues and lack of maturity and motivation. Ruskell has made character and integrity a prime requisite for anyone the Seahawks sign or draft, and Tyler didn't pass muster.2) Mebane did, but the question is: Why did Seattle rate him higher than Ohio State's Quinn Pitcock, who was generally rated a better third-round value? Because the Seahawks ignored Mebane's lack of height (he's just 6-foot-1) in favor of his production -- another typical Ruskell strategy. Pitcock was considered an unathletic underachiever, while Mebane is not as strong but is more explosive and appears to be a better fit as a run stopper in Seattle's scheme.The Seahawks obviously had Mebane rated higher than any of the remaining guard prospects; Marshal Yanda and Andy Alleman went in the next three picks, and Manuel Ramirez was picked in the fourth round. The Seahawks probably had little interest in any of them for various reasons.3) Why in the heck didn't the Seahawks draft a tight end?Delaware's Ben Patrick was lined up as a potential third-round pick for the Hawks, but the non-NFL evaluators apparently had him rated way too high because he was not drafted until Arizona took him in the seventh round.If Zach Miller had fallen to the 55th spot, the Seahawks surely would have taken him. But he was picked by Oakland at 38. And the Seahawks obviously didn't like any of the remaining tight ends enough to grab one until after the draft was over, when they signed Oregon State's Joe Newton. Thus, the tight end spot is in the 35-year-old hands of Marcus Pollard in 2007.4) When the Seahawks finally did draft a guard, they chose a big-time project in Mansfield Wrotto over a more established blocker in Josh Beekman. Why?Wrotto, a former defensive lineman, played right tackle as a senior at Georgia Tech, and he will require some major coaching to become any good at guard. Beekman, meanwhile, had started 39 games at Boston College, and his only shortcoming seemed to be the fact that he comes up a little short for a guard (6-2). The Seahawks probably thought Beekman was purely a center type in the NFL and apparently prefer the potential (and maybe the funky name) of Wrotto.In the end, the Seahawks stocked up their defense with their first three picksReebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
(Wilson, Mebane and defensive end Baraka Atkins) and basically have the same unresolved future at tight end and guard that they had going into the draft. And it won't be until the future that we know whether the Seahawks' answers to the above questions are the right ones.Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.

13 Jan 11 Atlanta Hawks' Jamal Crawford Deserves All-Star Status

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter beating the Boston Celtics last night on the road, the Atlanta Hawks are now 3-0 against the Eastern Conference leading Celtics. With four games left until the halfway mark of the season, the Hawks are 24-13 and just one game back of the Orlando Magic in the Southeast Division.Jamal Crawford deserves to be on the Eastern Conference All-Star team simply because he has been the Hawks most valuable player up to this point of the 2009-2010 season.Do not get this column wrong, Joe Johnson is still by far the Hawks' best St. Louis Rams jersey
player, but Crawford has been the driving force behind Atlanta's ascension into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Last year, it was the Big Three in the East and everyone else. The Hawks are dangerously close to crashing that party.Crawford probably will not get on the All-Star team because he does not have the eye-popping statistics, but as often is the case, the statistics do not tell the whole story for what Crawford has meant to the Hawks and Coach Mike Woodson.Crawford is averaging more than 16 pointsper game with almost three assists in only 30 minutes of action. Those numbers are solid, but he only ranks as the 14th best scoring guard in the East; however, when you start breaking down the players ahead of him, Crawford should be an All-Star.Jamal will not be voted onto the team, but here are three reasons he should be a roster selection after the voting concludes:1. Crawford plays minutes at both guard positions. He runs the Hawks second unit on most nights and in the fourth quarter he is always on the floor in crunch time. He can play with pg Mike Bibby or he can play the point and run the high screen and roll like he did last night versus the Celtics.2. Crawford is instant offense off the bench. He definitely is one of the top candidates for NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In the past two years or so, the Hawks have struggled in their half court offense. Crawford has given them a penetrator who will find the open man. Admittedly, he likes to shoot first, but he has been more unselfish this year because he is playing with a winning team.3. Crawford appears to be so hungry to make the playoffs that his energy is rubbing off on a team that goes through ridiculous and disturbing stretches of poor play. The Hawks looked terrible losing to the Orlando Magic this past weekend. Dwight Howard intimidates the Hawks bigs like no one else in the NBA.Crawford is hungry to win and he is a dangerous scorer every night. He gives the Hawks a player that can create his own shot on the opposite side of the floor from Super Joe Johnson.Joe Johnson Tennessee Titans jersey
is going to be an All-Star. The way that the Hawks have played this year the team deserves one other selection. Al "the Boss" Horford has been playing well lately and the mercurial Josh "J-Smoove" Smith played well in November.Smith seems to be falling back into some bad habits, while Horford still struggles some nights playing the undersized center position. Crawford has been more consistent and had more impact on the team and the Eastern Conference to this point in the season.

12 Jan 11 Is This the Second Wave of the NBA's Next Great Point Guards?

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesThe 2005 NBA Draft heralded a new generation of elite point guards. Deron Williams and Chris Paul were respectively selected third and fourth overall, and both immediately entered the select elite of NBA point guards (it took Williams until his second season).It was a much needed invigoration, as, at the time, the standing crop of elite point guards, including Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Chauncey Billups, were deemed to be entering later stages of their careers. the glories of John Stockton and Gary Payton had long since faded. Buffalo Bills jersey
A new guard of point guards was required.The magnified importance of great and visible point guards cannot be understated. The point guard position is so visible and so scrutinized because point guards are not just the leaders and orchestrators of their teams, but also quick, crafty, and imaginative, akin to artists of the game and the court. Point guards supply the aesthetic appeal of basketball (watching Nash and Paul play is always a treat), but are also revered as gritty winners, as with Isaiah Thomas and his Bad Boys Pistons.In this sense, the emergence of Paul and Williams was nearly as important to the restoration of the league's positive image as was the class of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony.A few short years later, there appears to be a new wave of uber-talented guards, who intriguingly bring a diverse set of skills.Derrick Rose, hailed and praised since the eighth grade as the next great Chicago point guard after Thomas, hailed as the NBA's next elite point guard, is the old man of the new wave. Drafted last year first overall, Rose, with his all-world athletic abilities, met expectations and won Rookie of the Year. Rose, however, still has enormous questions to answer. Neither a great shooter or distributor nor a fiery leader, Rose has yet to form a definitive character, and one is left wondering if he is overly reliant on his exceptional athleticism.Once thought to be THE next great point guard, Rose has company alongside. Tyreke Evans, Rose's replacement as Memphis point guard and the odd-on-favorite to be this season's Rookie of the Year, is already making waves in the pro game.With the body of a pro tight end, Evans is the rare point guard made in the Magic Johnson mold, an advantage he uses to bully opposing guards and get into the lane at will. In just this, his rookie year, Evans is Carolina Panthers jersey
averaging stunning rookie-year averages of 20.8 points per game and nearly five rebounds and assists per game, respectively. His leadership skills and winning edge are apparent too as he helped the previously woeful Kings to a respectable record; this in contrast to Rose, whose Bulls have not met expectations.Brandon Jennings is the most surprising of the lot of the new wave of point guards. Under-performing in Italy a year ago and considered a showman and a poor shooter, expectations and commentary for Jennings were largely cynical leading up the June draft. His rookie season has thus far defied such cynicism and reaffirmed the high praise Jennings received as a high-schooler. Jet-quick, occasionally dazzling, and demonstrating an eye for the pass, Jennings forms the closest approximation to Paul in the new batch of point guards. Much like Evans, Jennings has helped his team, the Bucks, to a mini-resurgence, although both him and the Bucks have met a cool stretch.While the aforementioned three have been busying plying their trade professionally in Chicago, Sacramento, and Milwaukee, the last of the new wave of point guards is logging minutes in Lexington. John Wall, thought by many to be the best player in college as a freshman, is the unquestioned star of No. 1 Kentucky. Drawing comparisons to Rose, Wall is able to dominate by sheer athleticism. His game, though incomplete, bears signs of polish, and he has the look of a winner, making a plethora of clutch plays this season. Though almost certainly the first overall pick this coming June, Wall's impact on the NBA point guard scene is speculation at this point.The point guard hierarchy is ever-evolving and will be a storyline to watch the coming seasons. How long will Nash, Kidd, and Billups stay on top of their games? Will and Paul and Williams be the behemoths of the coming years, or will Rose, Evans, Jennings, and Wall reach the same, if not higher, point in the hierarchy? Which of the new wave will be the best: Rose, the beefy Evans, the speedy Jennings, or the Chicago Bears jersey
young Wall?Right now, the league is gifted with two batches of great young point guards, and their development will be exciting to follow over the coming years. Such developments will impact the league tremendously, affecting both the NBA's marketing appeal and, let's hope, changing the playoff landscape, as nothing is quite so exciting as seeing dueling point guard wizards deep in the playoffs.

10 Jan 11 NBA Free Agency May Be a Huge Bust This Offseason

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesDon't look now, but all of these cap-clearing moves by NBA teams at the trade deadline may prove to be much ado about nothing if the top tier free agents decide the grass isn't greener on the other side.In this case, the "grass" refers to money. Both are green, and despite what many NBA stars may tell you about their desire to win, it's the almighty dollar that usually dictates their future.Plus, most of them play in situations that wouldn't automatically be improved by moving to another team anyway.Is LeBron James, for example, assured of San Diego Chargers jersey
a title if he goes to New York? Likewise, Dwyane Wade if he moves to Chicago?Of course not. And that leaves only two other potential reasons for a player to change addresses this summer.One reason could be better marketing opportunities. But in the case of LeBron, he is The Man in Cleveland. Do the bright lights of the Big Apple guarantee more exposure?Ditto for Wade and some of the others. Sure, a guy like Joe Johnson may be able to get more exposure, but is he really one of the top-tiered players that teams think of when clearing cap space?The second reason is money, and none of the top players would be in a position to benefit financially if they move to another team, barring a sign-and-trade.Assuming they will be offered a max contract by their current teams, these players will be better off staying put.Sure, LeBron's expiring Nike contract may net more dollars if he goes to New York, but until the Bird clause kicks in, nobody can pay him more in straight salary than the Cavs can over the next three years.The Cavs can offer LeBron a six year contract, while New York (or any other team with cap space) can offer only five years. And since they would be offering the absolute max deal, Cleveland would not be able to renegotiate with LeBron during those five year.New York, if it signed LeBron San Francisco 49ers jersey
as a free agent, could extend his deal after three years and help make up the difference.So it seems that if anyone leaves, it could be LeBron, though again, I don't see it happening. Meanwhile, Wade isn't leaving Miami in my opinion.Still, teams like the Bulls continue to clear space. But Chicago's best hope may be Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, or Amare Stoudemire. Not bad, but not exactly LeBron, Wade, or Bosh.So this free agent class, much hyped and much bally-hooed over the past couple years, could turn out to be very disappointing.And where will that leave the teams who sold out to obtain these players?

9 Jan 11 The Dallas Mavericks Are Poised For a Championship Run

The Dallas Mavericks have been a consistently good franchise this past decade. Perhaps the saddest thing about that statement, is that, the franchise and city alike know the Mavericks have been capable of greatness.Unfortunately their inability to turn their strong regular season performances into consistently deep playoff-runs has Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
hindered them, making them an afterthought behind dominant franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.They've come close, like at the 2006 playoffs where Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericksunfortunatelyran into the emerging legacy of Dwyane Wade. However, since then, nobody has really believed they could truly win a championship.It's not like they helped their cause either, losing to the lowly eighth seeded Golden State Warriors in the post-season just the following year.This year is different.A sudden change-up at the trade deadline has seen the Mavericks come out with a straight-up scary lineup. Lead by perennial cornerstone Dirk Nowitzki and future Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd, the Mavericks finally look poised to claim that ever elusive championship.This is the time to deliver asReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
Nowitzki in particular, has all the help he could need. Gone are the days where Maverick fans could complain about the supporting cast, or the fact that at times Nowitzki has been so heavily scrutinized by the media despite carrying a proud Dallas franchise and city on his shoulders.Caron Butler is capable of taking over a game, and hitting clutch shots. With Shawn Marion he gives the Mavericks two of the games most versatile forwards, and best defenders. Brendan Haywood has already shown what he's capable of doing, averaging 11.1 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 2.9 BPG since arriving in Texas.With Erick Dampier hopefully at full strength come post-season, Haywood and Damp will create a physical, intimidating two-headed monster in the middle; a more than capable defensive presence against any team in the NBA.Add in the leadership and instant offense of Jason "The Jet" Terry in addition to key role players like J.J. Barea and rookie point guard Rodrigue Beaubois and the lineup is terrifying.With these added weapons comes a great deal of expectations, but with Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
recent wins against the Magic, Lakers, and Hawks the Mavericks have shown they are more than capable. Especially when considering this team isn't even near their ceiling in terms of team chemistry and operating together on the court at full potential.Opposing teams should be terrified, as all the pieces are present, and the Dallas Mavericks are poised to play until June.

8 Jan 11 Cleveland Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao: Is the Wild Thing Too Wild?

Sam Greenwood/Getty ImagesThe case of Anderson Varejao is definitely an interesting one. He is this era's Dennis Rodman without the flair. He is one of the most hated players in the NBA, but to most Cleveland fans he is beloved.Now I have heard all of the complaints about Varejao; he is overpaid, a flopper, Atlanta Falcons jersey
a dirty player, and a whiner. I agree with all of these complaints, at one point in his career he was, or still is all of these things.Before he became more than a flopper, he was overpaid. Now that he has honed his defensive skill to more than just jumping in front of a player charging toward the hole, he is no longer overpaid.He still is a dirty player, but all contenders need at least one player to do the dirty work on the hardwood. Without a player that will grab, push, pull, punch, kick, and shove his way to a loose ball or a rebound, a team does not have the physicality it takes to intimidate other teams. (And he is nowhere near as bad as Reggie Evans who...well...Chris Kamen knows what I'm talking about )The Wild Thing, with the help of Shaq down low showing him how to throw his body around, has become the Cavs' most intense, physical player. His intensity also allows him to get under the skin of every player he defends and every player that defends him.This reached its peak during the season against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. C's coach Doc Rivers Baltimore Ravens jersey
described Andy as "frustrating" about 37 times during the press conference after their loss to the Cavs.Varejao came off the bench in that game and ignited the team while scoring 15 first-half points, allowing the Cavs' to outpace the Celtics and further show their dominance of the Eastern Conference.Varejao has become much more than the flopping ball of energy he was at the beginning of his career. In the 2009 postseason he was given a $42.5 million six-year contract extension, which at the time was too much for the player he was.Varejao is a different player now. He has a jump shot like he never had before in his career. He has become an effective NBA big man, a potential future All-Star, and a perennial NBA All-Defensive team candidate.The Wild Thing is as wild as ever, but he is combining it Buffalo Bills jersey
with a shooters touch comparable to Zydrunas Ilgauskis and a physical presence under the basket comparable to Shaq. He will still step on your toes and flop around once every now and then, but now he is an effective NBA player and a force to be reckoned with.