he unified effort throughout Egypt to fulfill this defeated pharaoh’s commission vigorously. A precedent even exists for Amenhotep II’s de

fact, none of Amenhotep II’s sons claimed to be his firstborn, and one prominent Egyptologist theorizes that the eldest son died inexplicably during childhood. Did Amenhotep II die in the Red Sea, as the Bible allegedly indicates about the exodus-pharaoh? No, he died in typical fashion, and his mummified body is still preserved. Yet despite popular belief, this conclusion does not conflict with the Bible, since no Biblical text actually states that the exodus-pharaoh died there with his army.Can any of Amenhotep II’s military campaigns be related to the exodus events? Yes, his second Asiatic campaign coincides extremely well with the exodus events, and many of the details related to it and Egypt’s post-exodus future cannot be explained without these connections. Can the loss of over two million Hebrew slaves, certainly Egypt’s “slave-base” at the time, be accounted for in the records of Amenhotep II’s reign? Yes, the loss of the Israelite slaves can be accounted for by Amenhotep II’s acquisition of 101,128 slaves in Canaan during his second Asiatic campaign, the only such campaign of its era that was launched in late fall and took so many captives. Is there any evidence to confirm that Amenhotep II interacted with the Hebrews after they left Egypt? Yes, Amenhotep II captured 3,600 “Apiru” (Hebrews) during his second campaign, which was launched just under seven months after the exodus. Despite many futile attempts to disprove the association of the Hebrews with the Apiru of the New Kingdom, far more evidence exists that favors their being one-in-the-same.If Amenhotep II is the exodus-pharaoh, could the obliteration of Hatshepsut’s image from many Egyptian monuments and inscriptions be attributed to backlash from the exodus events? Yes, Amenhotep II surfaces as the only logical candidate for the pharaoh who ordered this nationwide campaign of desecration. If Hatshepsut indeed was Moses’ Egyptian stepmother—and she is the only legitimate candidate—Amenhotep II and all of Egypt had adequate motive to remove her image from Egypt and her spirit from the afterlife. These answers prove not only that Amenhotep II is the only legitimate candidate for the exodus-pharaoh, but that the Biblical chronology of that era functions as a canon against which Egyptian history may be synchronized.It is hoped that the principal purpose of this article has not been lost in the extensive historical detail contained within it. In this analysis of the exodus-pharaoh and ancient Egyptian history, the arguments of those who compromise Biblical historicity proved unable to undermine Biblical inerrancy. Compromising the Bible’s inspired historical framework invariably will lead to the demise of its reliability as an accurate source for determining doctrine and enhancing spiritual growth. Conversely, to connect the book more directly with ancient history can only enhance its theological meaning.181 Unfortunately, however, even the strongest argumentation cannot remove presuppositions or persuade readers of the Bible’s life-impacting truths.Douglas Petrovich is former academic dean at Novosibirsk Biblical-Theological Seminary in the city of Akademgorodok (Siberia), Russia. He has a BA in Evangelism at Moody Bible Institute, and both an MDiv and a ThM from The Masters Seminary. He also has an MA in Ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology from the University of Toronto, where currently he is enrolled in the PhD program. This article was first published in the Spring 2006 issue of the Master's Seminary Journal. Posted with permission.Footnotes:1. George Ladd, The New Testament and Criticism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967), 16. 2. William G. Dever, What did the Biblical Writers Know and When did They Know It? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 4. 3. Israel Finkelstein, “City-States to States,” in Symbiosis, Symbolism, and the Power of the Past, ed. William G. Dever and Seymour Gitin (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2003), 81. 4. Harold Lindsell, The Battle for the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 206. 5. Donald B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992), 408–409. 6. Ibid., 412. 7. Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 310. 8. Bryant G. Wood, “The Rise and Fall of the 13th-Century Exodus-Conquest Theory,” JETS 48:3 (Sep 2005), 476. 9. Rodger C. Young, “When Did Solomon Die?,” JETS 46:4 (Dec 2003), 603. 10. Both here and throughout the present work, any dating that follows the formula, “ca. xxxx–yyyy BC,” signifies the regnal years of a given monarch, unless otherwise noted. The reason for settling on these dates will be discussed subsequently. 11. It is probably more accurate to refer to the Red Sea as the “Sea of Reeds,” but the traditional designation will be used here for simplicity. For an excellent study on this topic, see Hoffmeier’s chap. 9, “The Problem of the Re(e)d Sea” (James K. Hoffmeier, Israel in



The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus
Tradition [New York: Oxford University Press, 1996], 199). 12. While any given pharaoh of Egypt’s New Kingdom received a throne-name (praenomen) upon his accession—either as the sole monarch or as the coregent for a senior pharaoh who wanted a smooth regnal-transition at the time of his imminent death—he merely appended this praenomen to his nomen, the birth name that had always been with him. Each name was enclosed in a cartouche. 13. See 1 Kgs 11:40, 14:25; and 2 Chr 12:2, 5 (twice), 7, and 9. The fact that this new trend began during the reign of Shishak (Shoshenq I) should be of no surprise to the student of Biblical history, since Shishak’s reign signaled both the beginning of a new ruling dynasty, the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt, and the beginning of foreign rule under pharaohs who hailed from Libya. 14. See 2 Kgs 23:29, 33, 34, 35; 2 Chr 35:20, 21, 22; 36:4; and Jer 46:2. Pharaoh Hophra is named once as well, though his name appears only in a prophetic writing, where God calls him, “Pharaoh Hophra, King of Egypt” (Jer 44:30). 15. Any temptation to doubt the historicity of the Biblical text on account of the presence of an unnamed pharaoh should be avoided vigorously, since “surely historians would not dismiss the historicity of Thutmose III’s Megiddo campaign because the names of the kings of Kadesh and Megiddo are not recorded” in the ancient Egyptian accounts (Hoffmeier, Israel in Egypt, 110). 16. Ibid., 109. 17. Ibid. 18. James K. Hoffmeier, “The Memphis and Karnak Stelae of Amenhotep II,” in The Context of Scripture: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World, vol. 2, ed. William W. Hallo (Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2000), 21. 19. Hoffmeier, Israel in Egypt, 87, 109; Wood, “The Rise and Fall,” 478. 20. Hoffmeier, Israel in Egypt, 109–110. Hoffmeier incorrectly identifies these enemies of Egypt from the first Asiatic campaign of Amenhotep II as “Nubian tribes,” and “Nubian chieftains,” thus attriblanguage learning

Among other things, the hill country of Judea is hardly a desert

The pressure in both texts to have the birth take place outside of Bethlehem may be theological, as we will observe). Thus, having judged the outside-the-village tradition as textually inaccurate and historically unreliable, and having found no objections to the cave, we turn to an examination of the internal evidence of the text itself. All of the internal cultural evidence from the story points to a birth in a private home. This data is of two kinds: the make-up of the Middle Eastern extended family, and the physical structure of the Palestinian peasant home. In Luke 2 we are told that Joseph was returning to the village of Bethlehem from whence his family originated. The Middle Easterner is profoundly attached to his village of family origin. Indeed, though he himself may not have been born there, his home village is an integral part of his identity.9 Even if he has never been there before he can appear suddenly at the home of a distant cousin, recite his genealogy, and he is among friends. Joseph had only to say, “I am Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Matthan, son of Eleazar, the son of Eliud,” and the immediate response must have been, “You are welcome. What can we do for you?” If Joseph did have some member of the extended family resident in the village, he was honor-bound to seek them out. Furthermore, if he did not have family or friends in the village, as a member of the famous house of David, for the “sake of David,” he would still be welcomed into almost any village home. Yet, if we reject both of these alternatives and assume that Joseph did not have family or friends, and did not appeal to the name of David, even if he was a total stranger appearing in a strange village— still he would be able to find shelter for the birth of a child. Indeed, the birth of a child is a special occasion in any culture anywhere in the world. The idea that a woman about to give birth cannot find shelter and assistance from the village women in a Middle Eastern village, even if she is a total stranger, staggers the imagination. We are pressed to affirm on the basis of everything we know of Middle Eastern village life that Joseph most likely sought out and found adequate shelter in Bethlehem. This shelter, we assume, was an occupied private home, for it had a guest room that was full (as we will discover). What then of the manger? The text tells us, “She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.” The traditional understanding of this verse in the Western world moves along the following path. Jesus was laid in a manger. Mangers are naturally found in animal stables. Ergo, Jesus was born in a stable. However, in the one-room peasant homes of Palestine and Lebanon, the manger is built into the floor of the house. The standard one-room village home consists of a living area for the family (Arabic mastaba), mangers built into the floor for feeding the animals (mostly at night), and a small area approximately four feet lower than the living area into which the family cow or donkey is brought at night (Arabic ka’al-bayt). The family animals were kept in the one-room house at night, but taken out early each morning. The text of the New Testament itself alludes to the one-room peasant home in Matthew 5:15 where it states that a lamp is put on a lampstand so that it “gives light to all who are in the house.” Obviously, the house must have one room if a single lamp shines on everyone in it. Furthermore, the one-room house with a lower end for the animals is presupposed in Luke 13:10–17. The family ox and/or donkey was brought into the house at night and taken out early each morning. Thus, everyone knew that every family with any animals carried out this simple domestic chore at the start of each new day. To leave the animals in the house during the day was socially and culturally unthinkable. All of this is presupposed by the text. Jesus knew the head of the synagogue had untied his animals that very morning and led them out of the house. With calm assurance Jesus could announce to his face that he did, in fact, lead his animals out that very morning, confident there would be no reply. Were animals kept in a separate stable, the head of the synagogue could have saved face by asserting firmly, “I never touch the animals on the Sabbath.” But if he tried to claim that he leaves the animals in the house all day, the people in the synagogue would ridicule him with laughter! In short, no one would believe him. Thus the debate ends simply, “As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame” (v.17). Thus, in the case of Luke 2:7, any Palestinian reading the phrase, “She laid him in a manger,” would immediately assume that the birth took place in a private home, because he knows that mangers are built into the floor of the raised terrace of the peasant home. This assumption is an important part of the story. The shepherds were told that the presence of the baby in a manger was a sign for them. Shepherds were near the bottom of the social ladder and indeed, their profession was declared unclean by some of their rabbis.10 Many places would not welcome them. In many homes they would feel their poverty and be ashamed of their low estate. But no—they faced no humiliation as they visited that child, for he was laid in a manger. That is, he was born in a simple peasant home with the mangers in the family room. He was one of them. With that assurance they left with haste. The details of the one-room peasant home with its manger in the floor have not gone unnoticed. William Thomson,long- term Presbyterian missionary in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, wrote in 1857: It is my impression that the birth actually took place in an ordinary house of some common peasant, and that the baby was laid in one of the mangers, such as are still found in the dwellings of farmers in this region.11 The two leading 20th century authorities on Palestinian life and the New Testament are Gustaf Dalmann and E.F.F. Bishop. Bishop comments on Luke 2:7 and writes: Perhaps...recourse was had to one of the Bethlehem houses with the lower section provided for the animals, with mangers “hollowed in stone,” the dais being reserved for the family. Such a manger being immovable, filled with crushed straw, would do duty for a cradle. An infant might even be left in safety, especially if swaddled, when the mother was absent on temporary business.12 Dalmann, in his study of the same verse, records: In the East today the dwelling place of man and beast is often in one and the same room. It is quite the usual thing among the peasants for the family to live, eat, and sleep on a kind of raised terrace (Arab. mastaba) in the one room of the house, while the cattle, particularly the donkeys and oxen, have their place below on the actual floor (ka’ al-bet) near the door.... On this floor the mangers are fixed either to the floor or to the wall, or at the edge of the terrace.13 Dalmann himself has nearly 100 pages of photographs and scale drawings of a wide variety of such peasant homes, all of which fit his two-level description given above.14 Thus a peasant home is the natural place for the Holy Family to have found shelter and the expected place to find a manger. In the case of Luke 2:7 the home which entertained the Holy Family presumably was not expecting a baby and did not have a cradle, but with a manger built into the floor there was little need for one.15 So why has this rather obvious alternative remained obscured? In some cases it would seem that the cultural assumptions of the exegetes have set it aside. In spite of the above quotation, Dalmann defends the traditional “lonely birth in a stable” for culturally revealing reasons. Dalmann feels Joseph could have had space in the inn, but “no room for them” means “no suitable room for the birth” (italics mine).16 Dalmann argues that neither “inn,” nor “guest house,” nor “private home” would have provided the necessary privacy, and thus Joseph must have sought out and found an empty stable.



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chapter 4: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finishe

;s the same object because the stone coffin is embedded in the layer of the Theodosian basilica.” An earthquake in A.D. 433 caused the collapse of portions of the building. Subsequent renovations raised the level of the floor and the sarcophagus was buried and covered by a marble tombstone.The main altar of the modern church, named the Papal Altar, was erected atop the concrete and debris left by the 1823 fire that had buried the original sarcophagus and tombstone. The excavations revealed an inscription on the marble tombstone bearing the Latin words “Paulo Apostolo Mart,” which translates to“Apostle Paul, Martyr.” Archaeologists further opened up a window measuring 70 cm. wide and 1.00 meter deep to reach the side of the sarcophagus. An ancient hole in the cover about 10 cm. wide was discovered which, according to Filippi, was used to dip pieces of fabric inside the coffin in order to produce relics out of the pieces themselves. Earlier this year Pope Benedict announced the finds from an inspection of the contents of the sarcophagus. A tiny hole drilled
in the coffin revealed: traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color, laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with filaments of linen. It also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone. There were also tiny fragments of bone, which, when subjected to Carbon 14 tests by experts, turned out to belong to someone who lived in the 1st or 2nd century.While these results fall short of proving conclusively that the Apostle Paul’s remains are entombed in the church, they are consistent with the traditions and leave open the opportunity for further investigations. The modern basilica is a massive construction consisting of a large central nave flanked by two side aisles divided by 80 enormous columns. It reputedly replicates the grandiose Basilica Ulpia of the Emperor Trajan, built early in the 2nd century A.D. The Roman basilica was an architectural form initially used for monumental public buildings and later adopted by Christians for sacred structures. The discoveries at the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls coincide with the announcement of further findings related to Paul at the Catacomb of St. Thecla in Rome. Workers conducting cleaning activities there discovered a 4th century fresco believed to depict St. Paul. The image, the oldest of the apostle known to exist, shows a man with a pointed black beard on a red background, inside a bright yellow halo with a high, furrowed forehead. According to officials of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, lasers were used to remove layers of clay and limestone that covered the painting. The early Christian practice of burying the dead in catacombs became common in the late 2nd century, when they became the official cemetery of the newly established church in Rome. They were carved into the soft tufa rock under the city and were often decorated with devotional images in a style similar to those found at Pompeii. Bodies were wrapped in plain white sheets and placed in rectangular niches cut into the tunnel walls, and then closed with marble or terracotta slabs.The catacombs today are a main attraction in Rome along the famed Via Appia Antica south of the city. Only 20 km. of the estimated 300 km. of tunnels have yet been explored, which themselves contain the sepulchers of some 500,000 individuals in addition to the tombs of seven popes who were martyred in the 3rd century. The Catacombs of San Sebastian were reputedly where the remains of St. Peter and St. Paul were hidden during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian (A.D. 69-79).



A Universal Flood: 3000 B.C.
Tags: mabbul, kataklusmos, genesis 6-9, sumerian king list, gilgamesh, flood--> This article was first published on Dr. Livingston's website, www.ancientdays.net. Imagine:A flatter Earth... 40 days of steady, pouring rain...Hundreds of volcanoes exploding all at once...Thousands of new, large springs gushing out huge amounts of water...Definitions and Language UseThis was the Flood of Noah's day. It was a worldwide cataclysmic Flood sent by God to destroy all living things except for eight people who survived on the Ark. In addition to the Bible, many very early historical records also document this Flood.Two problems about which there are great differences are: the date of the Flood, and whether it was local or universal. Critics of the flood narrative consider it either a myth, or a local flood story. There are apparent conflicts between the Bible and some areas of science relative to the date of the Great Flood. Both biblical and extrabiblical literature, being eyewitness accounts, should control the datingRosetta Stone software

10 Mar 11 SEO Tips

SEO TipsBy: Ralph Nunes .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet What does SEO stand for? Search Engine Optimization; a necessary method to allow search engines to access your website by honing in on your meta tags. You must ensure your tags are properly worded and placed, i.e., using a specific number of characters for your title, keywords, and description, on every page of your website. Ultimately, this will increase your traffic flow. Here are some SEO tips to increase your website's efficiency.As stated earlier, meta tags are very important for search engine optimization. In order to determine what type of meta tags to use will require extensive research into each search engine to discover how they obtain their content and what meta tags they require. For example: If you choose Google as your first search engine, check their site to determine how they arrive at keyword results; ranking; and the criteria for deciding page ranking based on consumer inquiries. It's important to note that search engines websites are based on the content found on each page of the website. Your main goal, therefore, is to have your website on a search engine's first or second page. This will not increase your traffic flow, but garner you a successful enterprise as well. NHL Shop
It is impossible to predict when and if your site will reach number one status on any search engine, the best you can hope for is a list on the first 100 pages. Neither do you need to have your website on every search engine in existence. If you take the top four search engines and add your website using AdSense or AdWords, this can account for more than 80% of traffic on the web. There are many search engine optimization panies who may either seek you out, or are available for you to contact to employ their expertise in managing your site for you. Some panies claim they can have you on the first page of every major search engine site within 100 days at a rate of $1800.00 or more. They perform a plete analysis of your site, make remendations, add all of the necessary and appropriate meta tags, and follow up to ensure they achieve the goals set out for you. However, not everyone who has just ventured into internet marketing can afford this type of service. There are other panies who are affordable, but the search engines they use are well-below the Toronto Maple Leafs jersey
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5 Mar 11 5 Ways to Boost Your Affiliate Checks

5 Ways to Boost Your Affiliate ChecksBy: Jeff Casmer .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet Promoting affiliate programs is one of the most rewarding and easy ways to earn money online. Regardless of your knowledge or experience in internet marketing, you can easily earn money with affiliate programs. Promoting affiliate programs allows you to work part time or full time, earn money online and build an attractive residual income.Although marketing affiliate programs is the best way to earn money online, many people fail to earn NHL Shop
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24 Jan 11 College Football: Lindsey's 10 Most Important Week 5 Games, USC on Upset Alert?

USC Coach Lane KiffinStephen Dunn/Getty ImagesThe cupcakes have been devoured and now it is time to get into the meat of the seasonwith conference games in which each win moves you closer to at least six wins, a possible bowl bid, or a conference title and a shot at a BCS bowl game.Last week, I felt like the Joker picking Kentucky to upset Florida; of course, I also did not have enough faith in UCLA, who put a beat down on Texas.On the season, I am now standing at 25-8 so I can still afford to take some risk to pick the occasional upset. Is USC on upset New York Giants jersey
alert?No. 16 Miami (Fla) v. ClemsonRecent history would suggest that this game is going to be extremely close; since Miami has joined the ACC, all three of the games between Miami and Clemson have gone into overtime.Last year, ClemsonKyle Parker threw a career-high 326 yards and three touchdowns in engineering a 40-37 overtime upset of then No. 8 Miami (Fla). Parker is coming off a solid road game against No. 16 Auburn on September 18, in which he played through bruised ribs.Miamidefense is looking for a little revenge and they appear to be up for the challenge.The Hurricanes are eighth in the nation in total defense, allowing 252.0 yards per game, and two of the three touchdown drives they've yielded came on drives of 19 yards or less.Prediction: The road team in this series has won the last three games, the trend continues as the Hurricanes win a hard fought game over Clemson 28-20.No. 21 Texas v. No. 8 Oklahoma The winner of the Red River shoot out has gone on to claim the Big 12 championship, four of the past six yearsthe loser won the other two titles.This year, however, might be differentboth teams have struggled.Last weekend, Oklahoma just got by Cincinnati 31-29 and three of their four wins this season have been decided by seven points or less.The vaunted Oklahoma defense is giving up more than 420 yards a game and has surrendered 41 fourth-quarter points on the year.Texas was embarrassed last weekend by UCLA 34-12 at home. Texas never threatened in the second half and was frequently booed by the fans in Austin, leaving Mack Brown "embarrassed" after his worst home loss in 13 seasons as Longhorns coach.The Longhorns offense has been almost as bad as Oklahomadefense. Texas has failed to crack 400 yards of total offense in a game this season and in the last two games, the Longhorns committed nine turnovers while averaging only 89 yards on the ground.Michigan State's Kirk CousinsJonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesPrediction: Oklahomaquarterback Landry Jones will likely be the difference; Jones has nine touchdowns and 1,221 passing yards on the season. Oklahoma 31-13 over Texas.No. 11 Wisconsin v. No. 24 Michigan State If you like smash mouth football, where teams grind it out on the ground with an occasional well executed play-action fake to keep you honest, then this is the game for you.Michigan State has running backs Edwin Baker and LeVeon Bell to chew up yardage. Baker is averaging 7.9 yards a carry and Bell is averaging 8.3. Baker and Bell have 12 rushing touchdowns between them.Executing the play-fake is Junior Kirk Cousins, who has connected on 67% of his passes.Wisconsin has Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year John Clay and James White to carry the rock. Clay is coming off of his 10th straight game in which he has rushed for more than 100 yards; White had a nice coming out party last week with 145 yards and four touchdowns.Scott Tolzien has been better than Cousins, completing 76% of his passes.Prediction: Tough to root against Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio in his first week back with the team after suffering a mild heart attack, Spartans 27-24.Can Tech's Tyrod Taylor get the Hokies back on track.Elsa/Getty ImagesTennessee v. No. 12 LSUHow bad is LSUpassing attack?Quarterback Jordan Jefferson has 419 passing yards on 79 attempts; Jefferson has an anemic quarterback passer rating of 97. Running back Stevan Ridley has 434 yards on 75 rushes.Fortunately for LSU, Tennessee has been porous in stopping opposing teamability to run the ball as they are allowing 142 rushing yards a game. LSU will likely start running the ball once they step on to the field.Tennessee played a very inspired first half against Oregon before the game got out of New York Jets jersey
control in the second half; in the next game, Tennessee played uninspired ball and almost was upset by UAB 32-29 in overtime.Which Tennessee team will show up against LSU?Prediction: The Tigers are too tough to beat at home, 27-10.Virginia Tech v. No. 23 North Carolina StateThe North Carolina State campus is in a frenzy over the Wolfpack's unexpected 4-0 start.The 23rd-ranked Wolfpack find themselves in the Top 25 for the first time since 2003.Of course, getting ranked among the top teams is only half the battle; the second half of the battle is staying there such that it becomes a tradition. Which ranked team is likely to be upset this week by an unranked team?Which ranked team is likely to be upset this week by an unranked team?Miami (Fla)14.7%LSU 5.9%North Carolina State38.2%USC29.4%Michigan11.8%Total votes: 34North Carolina State has to be careful to avoid getting caught up in the hype that playing in the ACC championship game is now a foregone conclusion.Virginia Tech is coming to the game looking for some redemption and to reestablish themselves once again among the top ranked teams in the country after being upset by FCS School James Madison earlier in the year.Prediction: Virginia Tech partially redeems its season with a big win 30-17 over the Wolfpack.No. 9 Florida v. No. 1 Alabama The last two seasons when these teams played in December, the winner went on to claim the National Championship.Losing this game tends to stay with the players on the losing team."Ever since that game, it's unexplainable. I wanted it back so bad," Florida linebacker Brandon Hicks said of last December's meeting. "That game hurt so bad because we felt we were good enough, we had the team to win. But we didn't execute everything that we were supposed to and we took it on ourselves that our preparation wasn't right.""I just remember the year they beat us," said Tide running back Mark Ingram. "All we could think about for an entire year was getting back to that game and playing them again. I'm sure they have the same type of attitude since we beat them. They don't have to wait until the SEC championship. We have them halfway through the season. It's going to be a real intense game."Coaching Legend Joe PaternoKevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesPrediction: Florida will likely have the bitter taste of defeat to deal with for the rest of the regular season as Alabama takes care of business at home, 31-21.Washington v. No. 20 USC This will be the toughest game to this point for USCLane Kiffin, who worked with Washington coach Steve Sarkisian with they both were with the Trojans on former coach Pete Carrollstaff. Sarkisian earned a marquee win in his first season with the Huskies with last year's upset, and is aware that USC is eager to return the favor."I'm sure there are a couple of other teams on their schedule that they circled too from last year," Sarkisian said. "To me this is the Pac-10 opener and why we play the year and what we are striving for. It's a tremendous challenge."The challenge for the Huskies will be to forget what happened in their last game.Jake Locker, Washingtonquarterback, had the worst game in his career connecting on only 4 of his 20 passes for 71 yards in Washington 56-21 loss to then No. 8 Nebraska.Prediction: Washington an experienced senior quarterback and an extra week of preparation, the Huskies upsets the Trojans 27-24No. 23 Penn State v. No. 18 Iowa Stanford's Jim HarbaughJonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesIowa bounced back from a painful non-conference loss with an easy Oakland Raiders jersey
victory last week, while Penn State had its hands full for four quarters against Temple, an opponent it has traditionally dominated.Coach Kirk Ferentz showing deference to coaching legend Joe PaternoNittany Lions said earlier in the week, "I'm not sure why they'd be considered the underdog, I'm looking at a team that's won 51 games over five years, one that doesn't give up points."Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Ferentzteams are 7-1 against Paterno since 2000.Or maybe it is because of the strength of Iowadefense and the lack of Penn Stateability to run the ball. Penn State is averaging 160 yards a game on the ground; Iowadefense is only allowing 66 yards on the ground and just 228 yards.Prediction: Penn Stateoffensive tackle Lou Eliades is out with a knee injury which means Adrian Clayborn and Iowadefensive line is going to have a big game, Iowa exposes Penn State and wins, 31-14.No. 9 Stanford v. No. 4 Oregon This match-up will likely be the most entertaining game of the weekend, as both teams feature high powered offenses.Oregon is averaging a ridiculous 57.8 points a game, generating 560 yards of total offense and 322 yards of rushing.Michigan's Denard RobinsonLeon Halip/Getty ImagesStanford need not make any apologies for its offense, as the Cardinal are averaging 48 points a game with a balanced attack that is resulting in more than 220 rushing and passing yards a game.StanfordAndrew Luck passed for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions as Stanford ended their seven-game skid against Oregon with a 51-42 win last year.OregonLaMichael James is second in the nation with 475 rushing yards this year. James ran for 125 yards and a TD while catching four passes for 89 yards in last season's meeting.While everybody is going to tune in for the offensive fireworks, donforget the defensive side of the ball.Oregondefense is only allowing 11 points a game; Stanforddefense is only allowing 14 points a game.Prediction: The winner is positioned well to get to the BCS Championship game, Oregon gets the benefit of doubt being at home in close one 31-27.No. 19 Michigan v. IndianaMichigan Quarterback Denard Robinson has been cleared to play and is expected to start against Indiana which is bad news for the Hoosiers.Robinson leads the nation in rushing with 688 yards and has accounted for 10 touchdowns.The Wolverines have won the last 16 meetings against Indiana by an average of 21.5 points; though they needed a late TD pass from Tate Forcier to pull out a 36-33 win in Ann Arbor last Philadelphia Eagles jersey
year.While Robinson's rushing has sparked the Wolverines' hot start, Ben Chappellpassing has done the same for the Hoosiers. The senior has thrown nine touchdowns without an interception, and his 296.7 yards per game through the air are tied for 10th in the nation.Which defense will rise to the occasion? Indiana is allowing 177 rushing yard a game and Michigandefense is allowing their opponents to tally 400 yards of total offense a game.Prediction: Upset? Michigandefense will be tested but Robinson should be able to finish off Indiana, 31-21.

22 Jan 11 College Football Talking Points: Spartan's Little Giants, SEC and Pac-10's Place

Brian A. Westerholt/Getty ImagesAs week four of college football rolls around our job at College Sports Matchups is to make sure you are the best informed fan around so you can keep the college football conversation going. Here is what you need to know this week.Michigan State drops Notre Dame in overtime with little giantsHopefully you have seen the replay by now. With Notre Dame holding a 31-28 lead in overtime Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio made a brilliant call on 4th down and his team lining up for a 46 yard field goal attempt by Dan Conroy. If the kick was good the Spartans and Irish would play a second overtime period. If not, the Spartans would suffer another tough loss to Notre Dame. Get the MOST Michigan State football news online from BigTenmatchups.comIf you were watching Baltimore Ravens jersey
the game on television the first thought you probably had when you saw holder Aaron Bates roll out was the snap had been botched. Then you got it. There was no mistake. This was a fake. Looking down-field Bates saw Charlie Gantt all by himself. Bates tossed a great pass to the tight end who made the catch and had an easy path to the end zone for a 29 yard touchdown reception and a 34-31 win over Notre Dame.Here is what you need to know:Michigan State calls the play little giants and practiced it the week of the game. They ran the same fake in the Alamo Bowl last year against Texas Tech to pick up a first down.Notre Dame can complain all they want, but the Big East says there should not have been a delay of game penalty on the play. It is accepted practice in college football that from the time the clock reads zero there is lag time that occurs while the back judge moves his eyes from the clock to the football. If the ball is snapped when he sees it there is no penalty.Analysts are calling the play call by Dantonio gutsy, but confident and smart would be more appropriate. This was no fluke moment. The Spartans had practiced the play on Wednesday and planned to run it if there was a right time.Dan Conroy had the leg to make the kick. The week prior against Florida Atlantic the sophomore made field goals of 50, 44 and 41 yards. All during fall camp he has shown a strong leg.Charlie Gantt is a third year starter at tight end, but is thought of more as a crushing blocker than a game breaking tight end.Holder Aaron Bates is also a Ray Guy candidate as the punter for Michigan State. Bates is no stranger to throwing the football. He was a high school quarterback and completed 50 of his 110 passes. He is also a 4.0 student.Alabama and Arkansas is the game of the weekIt will not only be SEC fans that turn their attention to Fayetteville, Arkansas where number one Alabama will play tenth ranked Arkansas. This pairing of undefeated teams is the game of the week in college football. Here are some items for you to kick the conversation off with your buddies.Alabama key to the game: Controlling the outstanding Arkansas receivers. Alabamayoung secondary has shown they can be beat on inside moves. Alabama only allows 4.3 yards per pass attempt. Arkansas averages 10.4 yards when the ball goes in the air. Arkansas key to the game: Stopping the powerful Alabama rushing attack. Arkansas only gives up 2.8 yards per carry. Alabama picks up 6.8 yards on average with every rush. Something has to give.Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returned for the Tide against Duke last weekend. He rushed for 101 yards on his first three carries. This was Ingramfirst action since a knee injury in August.Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is the national player of the week after he led the Hogs to a last second win over Georgia with a forty yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs.Some numbers to consider.Alabama and Arkansas are ninth and tenth nationally in total defense. In scoring defense the Tide is second nationally, while the Razorbacks are fifth.The surprising defensive stat is tackles for a loss. Arkansas ranks as the number four team in the nation, while Alabama is not even in the top one hundred (115th).A surprise on the other side of the ball is that Alabama is the SEC leader in both total offense (542 yards per game) and scoring offense (44.7 points per game). Arkansashigh powered offense is ranked third in each category generating 35.3 points per game off of 483.7 yards per game. Get the most news online for Alabama and Arkansas at SECMatchups.comWhere does the Pac-10 rank in college footballhierarchy?Nationally eyes turned west this past weekend to measure how much of a player the Pac-10 will be on the national stage. Looking back now it looks as if the question has not been Buffalo Bills jersey
completely answered yet, but fans of teams out west should be encouraged a bit. Here are some observations for your consideration and conversation. Get more Pac-10 news than anywhere else at Pac10matchups.comThe league won four games against teams from BCS conferences. They lost two.Against teams from conferences that donautomatically qualify for BCS bowls the results were two wins against two losses.The biggest win against an automatic qualifier was Arizonaupset of number nine Iowa (34-27). Arizonadefense was a concern coming into the season, but they have been solid all season. As in earlier games the Wildcatdefense stepped up to shut down the Iowa offense at key moments. When the Hawkeyes tied the game with 8:57 minutes left in the game Arizona responded with a 73 yard touchdown drive to take the lead back.Washington provided the biggest loss of the weekend at the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraskadefense embarrassed Husky QB Jake Locker. The former Heisman trophy candidate was a dismal 4-20 passing on the day with two interceptions. This loss canbe blamed on Locker alone though. It was a total team effort. Anytime a defense gives up 56 points there is work to be done.Against non-automatic BCS bowl qualifying conferences the results were very mixed. On the extreme end of bad losses was the one Cal suffered on the road at Nevada. Cal was thumped 52-31 on their trip to Reno. They may have found better odds at the cityslot machines.UCLA completed one leg of their Texas matchups by defeating highly touted Houston. While a win is a win it occurred with Case Keenum out for much of the game. The prolific Houston QB was knocked out of the game (and season) in the second quarter with a knee injury following an interception.So, where does the Pac-10 rank among college footballconferences? Visit Pac-10matchups.com to vote in our poll and to get the most Pac-10 football news on the web.We will get the rest of the question answered this weekend with three high profile road games:Stanford at Notre Dame; UCLA at Texas; Oregon State vs. Boise StateQuick KicksWithout the fake field goal by Michigan State the play of the week would have been the touchdown pass Arkansas QB Ryan Mallet threw to Greg Childs to give the Hogs a win at Georgia. Overlooked in the conversation is the 68 yard touchdown MissouriT.J. Moe scored against San Diego State. With just :51 seconds left QB Blaine Gabbert made the toss to thrill the Tiger faithful.Houston we have a problem. Prior to Saturdaygame with Ole Miss, Vanderbilt had only scored five touchdowns in the previous forty quarters of SEC play. They scored four Saturday as they beat Ole Miss 28-14. An article in the Wall Street Journal looks at the results of games played between Carolina Panthers jersey
schools that play in conferences that automatically qualify for a BCS bowl berth and those that dont. In 2010 the big guys have won 63 times and lost 6.While the feel may be that the little guys are coming out on the better end of the score more frequently than in the past the facts show things are really just about the same. It is a good read.We have done our job to help you be informed. It is now up to you to keep the college football conversation going. Why not help your friends out by forwarding this along to them.

18 Jan 11 Iowa Hawkeye Football: OL Film Review: Arizona Wildcats

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesThis unit hit a rather large bump in the road on their trip to Tuscon. They gave up 6 sacks, allowed almost constant pressure on Stanzi, and failed to control the line of scrimmage on the few running plays Iowa ran. Individually each of them had stretches of the game where they were solid but as a unit they never got on the same page. Towards the end of the second quarter Arizona started to bring LB's and DB's on Stanzi and Iowa was just unable to consistently handle the pressure. After falling behind Iowa had no choiceSt. Louis Rams jersey
but to air it out in this contest and their offense clearly wasn't prepared to have to rely on the pass. The final series was just painful to watch. Blown assignments and mental mistakes abounded on that drive. Granted Stanzi took a sack when he shouldn't have but this unit let at least 1 guy come free on every snap of that last series. Even after the false start when Arizona tipped their hand with the safety blitz they failed to step up and give Stanzi time to survey the field. Adam Gettis returned in this one, at RG for 4 series that I saw, and was playing fairly well until the last drive when he was caught in pass protection in space and was totally unable to stay with his man. He seems ok when he's in a phone booth but as soon as his man can spin or move laterally he losses them almost instantly. Reiff played a very poor game by his standards and really seemed to wear down as this game wore on. He was constantly having to pass protect with the DE having no fear of the run and it was a tall task to stay with Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore in this one. Arizona was rotating on their DL to keep their guys fresh and it definitely had an impact in this contest. Reiff gave up a 1 on 1 sack to Reed in this contest and I believe that was the first one I've seen him give up at LT. I expect him to bounce back from this and improve going forward. Vandervelde didn't make any mental mistakes in this one but made a fair number of physical ones. He wasn't able to consistently control his man in the running game and gave up a sack on a twist stunt. He'll really need to provide some stronger leadership for this unit after this contest. Ferentz struggled big-time in this contest as he was matched up with a 300lb+ NT for most of this one. Arizona had a rotation at DT in this game they wore down the Iowa lineman. He was solid in pass protection most of this one but had a few mishaps there as Iowa was in pass first mode in this game. Zusevics had a couple of big mental mistakes on blitz adjustments in this one but looked quite good in 1 on 1 pass protection against Ricky Elmore. He probably had the best individual effort this week, but still needs to be more consistent in the run game. He should be better week by week. MacMillan held his own in this one but still made a couple of mental errors in blitz pickup. He split time with Gettis in this one and it probably helped him stay fresh and be a little sharper. He has been improving week by week so far and should continue to only get better. Reiff +1 Tennessee Titans jersey
Very nice job handling the inside stunt by the DE here. Maintains contact and finishes his block. D1 Play 2 +1 Good work handling the cross stunt here as he rode the DE into the inside and quickly shuffled back out with the crossing DT. Solid job here. D4 Play 3 +1 Pass blocking was great here. Rode the DE wide and well out of the play. Good footwork and agility here. D2 Play 4 -1 Misses his reach block here and his man has a shot to break up the play. D2 Play 5 -1 Poor block in space here as he tries to cut his man and ends up missing him and his man helps make the TFL. D3 Play 2 -1 False start D3 Play 4 -1 Doesn't turn out on pass protection here and lets the DE just split he and Reisner D3 Play 4 +1 Great job in 1 on 1 with Reed here as he easily stays with him and just rides him way out of the play. D3 Play 7 +1 Excellent job anchoring against the bull rush here against Reed. Just stoned him here. D4 Play 4 +1 Great job in pass protection against Reed 1 on 1 again as he easily stays with him and keeps well away from Stanzi. D4 Play 9 +1 Great job anchoring against the bull rush again here as he resets himself and drives the DE back after digging his heels in. D6 Play 2 -1 Just gets beat around the edge for the sack by Reed. Not a good job on his kick-step here as he looks sluggish out of his stance. S8 Play 2 -1 False start D10 Play 7 Overall: Push Vandervelde +1 Great cut block on the LB here as he opens up a big seam in the middle. D2 Play 5 -1 Misses his block on his head up DT here and he almost brings down Robinson for a loss here. D3 Play 3 +1 Vandervelde Nice work on the reach block here as he drives the DT across the seam and out of the play. D4 Play 2 +1 Good job on his run block here as he opens up a lane to the outside. D5 Play 1 -1 Poor job maintaining contact here on the draw and his man gets away and brings down Hampton. Seam was there other than his man. D6 Play 3 -1 Vandervelde blows his assignment here as he doesn't chip off the double team and lets the MLB just walk right by him. D9 Play 1 -1 Failed to pickup the twisting DT here and he makes the sack. D12 Play 4 Overall: -1 Ferentz +1 Nice work on the reach block here as he drives the DT out of the seam and opens a lane. D2 Play 5 -1 Fails to get his cut block on the LB in space as he pulls around on the run play. D3 Play 2 -1 Poor job giving inside help on the DT in pass protection here. He lets him split the double team as MacMillan tee'd him up for Ferentz and Ferentz was late helping. D7 Play 6 -1 Lets the DT get loose in the double team again here in pass protection. Needs to get his hips around on these plays. D8 Play 3 Overall: -3 Gettis -1 Just got beat by the DT there in pass protection. Very poor footwork to stay with his guy. D12 Play 2 -1 Lost the DE here very quickly as he just doesn't maintain contact in pass protection. D12 Play 3 Overall: -2 MacMillan -1 Misses a blitzing LB who comes through untouched right over him and makes the TFL D1 Play 1 +1 Nice job taking his man across and maintaining control of Washington Redskins jersey
his man in pass protection. D7 Play 3 -1 Just got torched by the DT here slanting to the wide side again on the stretch play. D10 Play 3 +1 Nice adjustment here on blitz pickup there as he steps down to the A gap blitzing LB. D10 Play 5 Overall: Push Zusevics +1 Good job staying with the DE here and finishes the block with his man on the ground in pass protection. D2 Play 4 +1 Nice job sealing the edge on Elmore here as Iowa Rolls the pocket to his side. D4 Play 5 +1 Good work in pass protection here as he handles Elmore in space. D4 Play 9 +1 Good work in space here against the Reed as he just stones him with the initial punch and then shuffles and mirrors easily here. D7 Play 6 -1 Totally misses his block on the LB here and he makes the play on Robinson. D10 Play 6 -1 Mental Mistake by Zusevics here as he turns outside to the LB and leaves his head up DE totally unblocked and he gets a free run at the QB

15 Jan 11 New Orleans Saints Anthony Simmons Tommy Polley Scott Fujita Jay Foreman Sean Payton Seattle Seahawks

Anthony Simmons has been gone a long time -- an eternity, by pro football standards.It was November 14, 2004 when Simmons, then playing linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, badly injured his left wrist against Arizona. Ironically, it happened during what was shaping up as one of his better games of the season, seven Carolina Panthers jersey
unassisted tackles and a forced fumble.The injury shoved him to the sidelines for the rest of that season. He had surgery, but when the wrist remained tender through the winter, the Seahawks cut him. There were, no doubt, cap considerations, as well as the fact that during 2004, the 6-0, 240-pounder out of Clemson had been involved in several run-ins with linebacker coach John Marshall.Unlike most major sports, there are no guaranteed contracts in the NFL, and Simmons had become 240 pounds of extra baggage. It didn't help his mood that the Seahawks released him right before he would have received a $500,000 payoff for being on the roster.After three seasons of over 100 tackles in Seattle, Simmons was still marketable -- albeit bitter -- but he decided to take 2005 off. He spent time with his family, he worked with his foundation -- LIFE (Leaders in Football and Education) back in Spartanburg, SC. Eventually, he got into kickboxing as a way to get back in shape, but he was careful not to make much use of his left hand.Even after rehabbing the wrist and signing with the New Orleans Saints last spring, Simmons wasn't completely sure he was all the way back. Spring OTA drills answered the question for him."I didn't really know if I could lift heavy weights," he told NewOrleansSaints.com, "But from day one I was able to get in the weight room, put 315 pounds on the bar and push it up."Now, Simmons is part of a radical makeover of the New Orleans linebacking corps, and expected to start at one of the outside positions."He's done well," Chicago Bears jersey
said Saints head coach Sean Payton. ""He's in good shape, and we're giving him a lot."Ironically, for a guy constructed like a concrete outbuilding, Simmons has been plagued with injuries in recent years -- the wrist, a shoulder that required arthroscopic surgery, a badly sprained ankle, a neck injury.There was also considerable criticism of his attitude and work ethic in Seattle, despite impressive stats and a 2003 contract extension. A locker room malcontent, they said. Not a good practice player. And given the fact that he's one of the faster linebackers in the league, how come he wasn't getting more sacks?Perhaps the year that Simmons put between him and football was healing, on all counts. He says he likes his current position coach, Joe Viti. At age 30, he has the opportunity to mentor a younger linebacking corps that also imported Tommy Polley, Jay Foreman and Scott Fujita via free agency.One of the first things Simmons did after signing with the Saints, he said, was to take a ride around the city and view the devastation from Hurricane Katrina."Parts of Cincinnati Bengals jersey
it were like a ghost town," he said.Perhaps appropriately, because Anthony Simmons is a football ghost. But he is seeming more real to the Saints day by day.- Liked what you just read? Leave a comment below and let us how you feel about the article...Get more original New Orleans Saints coverage

14 Jan 11 Carolina Panthers "Panthers tackle offensive line aggressively"

It looks like the Carolina Panthers will have both tackles back next season.Just a couple of days after cutting linebacker Dan Morgan and guard Mike Wahle to gain salary-cap space, the Panthers cemented a deal with Travelle Wharton that will keep the left tackle in Carolina for the next six years. The deal Arizona Cardinals jersey
reportedly is worth $36 million, with $12 million in bonuses and $19 million due to Wharton over the first three years.That takes care of one tackle. And the franchise tag should take care of the other if the team can't get a deal done with Jordan Gross by Thursday. The Panthers would prefer to sign their former first-round pick to a long-term deal, as they just did with Wharton, but if they can't by Thursday, they certainly will slap the $7.45 million franchise tender on Gross.It was a busy week for the Panthers, who also re-signed defensive tackle Damione Lewis and safety Chris Harris as they try to keep their most productive defenders in place. They still have decisions to make on some of their defensive linemen, particularly Mike Rucker.But the offensive line looks like it will remain in good shape. While the team had to let Wahle go so it could keep its tackles, Carolina has several young linemen who could take Wahle's spot at left guard. Ryan Kalil, Carolina's second-round pick in 2007, is ready to play, and there is thought that the team could move center Justin Hartwig to left guard to make room for Kalil at center. That bodes well for running back DeAngelo Williams, who appears set to take over as the main rusher. The Panthers reportedly are shopping erstwhile starter DeShaun Foster and haveAtlanta Falcons jersey
several teams interested. Foster is entering the final year of his contract and is due to count $5.8 million against the salary cap, so the Panthers are ready to let him go so their 2006 first-round pick can take over.Meanwhile, Williams surely will be happy to know that both of Carolina's tackles will be back.

13 Jan 11 San Antonio Spurs Discover Diamond in the Rough as Dejuan Blair Crushes OKC

Harry How/Getty ImagesThis isn one of those typical advice pieces that we all normally do, rather, a simple and short piece highlighting what happens when we take a rare chance on a player who filling in for a resting starter.DeJuan Blair has seen some extra playing time since Tim Duncan has been resting up a San Diego Chargers jersey
bit, and although the rookie hasn really done anything special thus far, last night manhandling of OKC was enough to make people do a double take as they wake up this morning.Blair finished his one man drubbing with 28 points, 21 rebounds, two steals, and a pair of blocks while going 11-17 from the field; if you happened to pick him up off of waivers or in your Salary Cap league youre probably one happy camper right about now.Those are correct stats by the way.Duncan could be back Friday which means Blair will get another chance to shine before his return, but perhaps moving forward, the rookie will see some added minutes if he can prove last night wasn just a fluke.Still, moving forward, keeping an eye on Blair for now would be a wise idea just in case he shows himself a quality Fantasy pickup.Quick NotesBrandon Roy : Roy has re-strained his hamstring, and it is being reported as a strain that has Roy concerned. The likelihood of him playing Friday is not very high.Jameer Nelson : The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Nelson has admitted his knee isn close to 100 percent. Nelson had the knee surgically repaired, but has been seen favoring it as of late. His speed and cunning style of play haven't returned, and he should be avoided at all costs.Dwyane Wade : It appears that Wade has a wrist injury that he has been paying through. That nice, because he still scored 35 points with seven assists and three steals to go along with his injured wrist. The guy is on fire and healthy as an Ox.Paul Pierce : Pierce is expected back tonight after muffing up the same knee that got minor surgery not too long ago. He seems fine, and there been no concerns over it, but keep an eye out for reoccurring issues in the next week.Andris Biedrins : Don Nelson said recently he is going to open up the old San Francisco 49ers jersey
playbook to help out Biedrins, who has been slumped as of late, reports The San Francisco Chronicle . That an interesting notion, but I wonder how far hell have to go back.I mean, it not like last year he was setting the world on fire and this year is not all that great either. Steer clear of Biedrins, heck at this point you could get more production out of Marcus Camby now that Blake Griffin is out.

12 Jan 11 NBA Soup Rumor Mill: Portland Trail Blazers Looking for Inside Help

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesAfter Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla went down with season-ending knee injuries, it was no secret that the Blazers were hurting in their inside game, as they were forced to rely almost solely on LaMarcus Aldridge.However, it's become clear that they are in Green Bay Packers jersey
the market for a short-term replacement to help keep them competitive for the remainder of this season while freeing up a roster spot for next season, enabling both Oden and Przybilla to return to the rotation in 2010-11.This thought gives Portland two solid, reasonable options, as both Brendan Haywood (Washington Wizards) and Brad Miller (Chicago Bulls) are capable veteran big men who can play at the four or the five. Each can give a boost to a playoff contender and then go off the books when the 2010 summer hits.However, both Chicago and Washington know how desperate Portland is for a decent big man, and they have their own reasons for holding on to their respective players.Neither Haywood nor Miller are doing any real damage in their rotations, but both still hold solid value for their teams, with their ability to help their team this season along with the cap relief they bring at the end of the year.Because of this, Washington has extended an offer for Haywood to Portland that would bring Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum to Washington. Houston Texans jersey
To put it simply, this is far from a fair trade.Fernandez and Batum are both young, athletic, and versatile components of Portland's rotation, and they'd be shifting the make-up of their rotation, simply to acquire a one-year fix that, quite arguably, wouldn't fix a thing.In other words, Washington can forget about it.Now, with Chicago, Portland is extremely interested in Miller, but as it turns out, despite Miller getting inconsistent minutes, the Bulls don't have a strong interest in shopping him, as he will give them major cap relief at the end of the year.Instead, they're trying hard to get the best possible deal for Kirk Hinrich and/or John Salmons.Chicago's goal is to bring in solid players with expiring contracts, or picks, so they can remain competitive, but also put themselves in position to make a play for LeBron James and/or Dwyane Wadeand possibly even Chris Boshwhen those respective stars become free agents.Another factor for Chicago is that Miller just dropped 25 points in a game earlier this week in place of an injured Joakim Noah. If the Bulls, who are in the thick of the playoff race, lost one of their post men due to injury, the craft veteran (Miller) would be a great asset to have.This rings especially true after Chicago traded away little-used center Aaron Gray.Portland is nowhere close to a resolution to their issues in their post-game, and with less than three weeks to go before the trade deadline, they'll need to make plenty of calls to close a deal.*We'll keep you updated with any other trade rumors and/or moves involvingIndianapolis Colts jersey
these three teams, but, for now, take a look at what other rumors/stories are flying around the Web:Denver Nuggets interested in Jeff Foster?No one "untouchable" in Philly?Mavericks not dealing Dampier?Jermaine O'Neal for Amare Stoudemire?Antawn Jamison not worried about trade rumors.For all of your NBA news, rumors, and fantasy needs, go to NBA Soup.

12 Jan 11 Kobe or LeBron? The Answer Is Easier Than You Think

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty ImagesKobe...or LeBron? It has only become a legitimate question over the past few years, and it has already worn me out.Throughout the playoffs last year, and through most of the season this year we have been forced to watch the slightly less than humorous Kobe and LeBron sock puppets Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
commercials by Nike. The fact is, in today's era, we all reminisce about the Jordan days, the Magic/Bird days, and even back to the years of Dr. J. We all wish we could watch those players in their prime today, but the time has come and passed. Before that happens to these two spectacular athletes, maybe we should start appreciating them both now while we can.Enough about how LeBron is a better passer, or Kobe a better clutch shooter. The fact is, these are two of the best players that have ever played the game, and instead of watching with dropped jaws and smiles all around, we are tearing them down with every argument of why the other is better. Let's enjoy them while they are here, we will have plenty of time to talk about this stuff after they have both retired and taken their rightful places in the Hall of Fame.Kobe is the veteran, and LeBron still has his entire career ahead of him. If these two were closer in age, we could probably compare them more easily, but the fact is, they are in different stages of their careers. LeBron hasn had the same amount of time to achieve the things that Kobe has.To say that LeBron will have better numbers when it all said and done is so ridiculous. We don know how Kobe will finish his career and how many titles he will end up with. We have no idea if LeBron will even Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
win a single one, let alone what team he is even going to be playing for next season. God forbid one of these players actually suffers a serious injury on or even worseoff the basketball court.So the question...LeBron or Kobe....the answer is indeed, both.

12 Jan 11 Kobe or LeBron? The Answer Is Easier Than You Think

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty ImagesKobe...or LeBron? It has only become a legitimate question over the past few years, and it has already worn me out.Throughout the playoffs last year, and through most of the season this year we have been forced to watch the slightly less than humorous Kobe and LeBron sock puppets Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
commercials by Nike. The fact is, in today's era, we all reminisce about the Jordan days, the Magic/Bird days, and even back to the years of Dr. J. We all wish we could watch those players in their prime today, but the time has come and passed. Before that happens to these two spectacular athletes, maybe we should start appreciating them both now while we can.Enough about how LeBron is a better passer, or Kobe a better clutch shooter. The fact is, these are two of the best players that have ever played the game, and instead of watching with dropped jaws and smiles all around, we are tearing them down with every argument of why the other is better. Let's enjoy them while they are here, we will have plenty of time to talk about this stuff after they have both retired and taken their rightful places in the Hall of Fame.Kobe is the veteran, and LeBron still has his entire career ahead of him. If these two were closer in age, we could probably compare them more easily, but the fact is, they are in different stages of their careers. LeBron hasn had the same amount of time to achieve the things that Kobe has.To say that LeBron will have better numbers when it all said and done is so ridiculous. We don know how Kobe will finish his career and how many titles he will end up with. We have no idea if LeBron will even Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
win a single one, let alone what team he is even going to be playing for next season. God forbid one of these players actually suffers a serious injury on or even worseoff the basketball court.So the question...LeBron or Kobe....the answer is indeed, both.

10 Jan 11 Heat Have Hands Full in Dallas Without Wade

Eliot J. Schechter/Getty ImagesUS sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) for Miami chances in the NBA weren that great with Dwyane Wade in the lineup, and the Heat failed to land Amare Stoudamire before the trade deadline. But now Wade is hurt, and theyre headed to Dallas to face a Mavericks team that made their own trade before the deadline, and they have always play well against the Heat.Heat vs Mavericks odds Saturday, February 20, 8:30 PM ETThe Heat (28-27 as of Friday) beat New Jersey 87-84 on Wednesday, but theyll have to find a way to Miami Dolphins jersey
win Friday game in Memphis without their All-Star and leader as Wade said he felt a pop in his calf. Right now, Wade is day-to-day, but those words didn sound good for the Heat. Against the Nets, Michael Beasley stepped up to notch 23 points and 11 boards, while Quentin Richardson had 16 points to go with an unlikely 14 boards. Those are the type of performances that the Heat need if they want to keep up in the East until Wade returns.The Mavericks (33-21 as of Friday) play in Orlando on Friday night, but on Wednesday, they got their first win with their new teammates in a 107-97 win over Phoenix at home. Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points, while Jason Kidd added 18 points, 10 assists, seven steals and seven boards for the Mavericks, who picked up Caron Butler and Brenden Haywood from Washington for Josh Howard. Butler had 15 points against the Suns, while Haywood posted 10 points, nine boards and five blocks, and he could be the most important piece of this trade in respect to Dallas NBA betting odds. Erick Dampier is out for at least a month with a finger injury, and Haywood is the perfect replacement, probably even an improvement.The Mavericks would have probably been favored at home anyway, even with Wade in the Miami lineup. Dallas has won seven in a row over Miami since falling to the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, which was controversial for the amount of foul-line trips Wade made. The Mavericks are also a good team at home, where they are 16-9, and Miami has lost nine of their last 10 in Dallas. Both teams are Minnesota Vikings
playing back-to-backs on the road, but the Mavericks have a couple of advantages. For starters, theyll be playing this game at home after a road game, and any fatigue they have can be lifted by the fans. Second, barring any injuries on Friday night in Orlando, they should have a stacked lineup. Meanwhile, the Heat are without their star, and Miami was terrible when Wade was hurt a couple of years ago. If he out for a while, kiss the Heat goodbye.NBA betting odds pick: Dallas

9 Jan 11 Michael Redd To Have Knee Surgery, but Do Bucks Fans Even Care?

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesMichael Redd will undergo knee surgery Tuesday to repair the torn ligaments in his left knee, an injury suffered Jan. 10 against the Lakers.This will be the second surgery on the knee to repair the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. The first procedure was performed on Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
March 3, 2009, almost a year prior to the same operation Redd faces tomorrow.Unlike last season, the Bucks went out and found a replacement for the 30-year-old shooting guard. John Salmons was acquired from the Bulls at the trade deadline. Salmons has been the catalyst for the team's recent success, vaulting them to the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, only a game-and-a-half out of the fifth seed.Redd was slowed earlier this season, coming back from the injury as well as a patella tendon strain that caused him to miss an additional 16 games prior to the season-ending injury.Never fitting in with rookie point guard, Brandon Jennings, Redd only averaged 11.9 points a game when he was healthy this year. He was a very likely candidate to be traded before the trade deadline this year had he not hurt his knee again.Next year, Redd will enter the final year of his six-year, $91 million deal he signed in the summer of 2005. It would appear almost impossible for him to ever start for the Bucks again with the success of Salmons, and the lack of success he had playing with Jennings.If he can come back from this second surgery, he'll likely see a role coming off the bench. The days of him playing big minutes and being a 20-plus point-a-game scorer are over. It's just too hard for a player to come Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
back from two severe injuries on the same leg.No one can ever say a bad word about Michael Redd off the court. He has done great things for the city of Milwaukee and their youth. He is a model citizen in a sporting world that is becoming increasingly filled with thugs.Unfortunately, that counts for very little when you make a huge salary and are unable to stay healthy.

8 Jan 11 Chris Bosh Vs. LaMarcus Aldridge: Not Who's Better, but Who Really Fits?

In response to a recent post explaining why I elected not to renew my season tickets largely due to the trade of Travis Outlaw, I was asked what I thought of the LaMarcus Aldridge for Chris Bosh trade rumors . In some respects it is an intriguing question, and one that is difficult for me to be objective about. Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
I freely admit to being a huge LaMarcus Aldridge mark. I am tired of the oft-cited and remarkably inept criticisms that Aldridge is "soft"; that his post-up game is not good enough; that he relies too much on his jump shot; that his defense is inadequate, and his rebounding borderline incompetent. I also recognize the skill Bosh brings to the table. There is a lot to compare in their games. Both players have silky smooth mid-range jumpers. Inside his range, I actually think Bosh is the superior shooter, though that is merely anecdotal evidence. Due to his playing in Toronto, I have only ever seen a handful of his games, and as a result I must base most of my opinion on statistics, which often lie. Based on statistics, the team of Tom Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, and Dale Ellis was awesome, when in truth they scored a lot but gave up a lot of points too. Their scoring numbers say nothing about their individual or team defense, their cohesiveness, or those little things teammates do to improve each other. So I must base my analysis of Bosh on the games I have seen live in Portland, for the most part. Bosh is a genuine pleasure to watch in warm-ups. His jumper is silky smooth and sometimes you wonder if he will ever even hit the rim. Shot after shot brings that delicious snap of the net as the ball comes through on the precise trajectory to demonstrate the purity of a perfect shot. Step-back, side-shuffle, face-up. Shot after shot after shot goes swish, swish, swish. His movement is crisp, his motions sure and effortless. He is a skilled player indeed, and this does not change when the game starts. If a defender gives him the slightest space, he rises up and two points go up on the board for the Raptors. Crowd him, and he puts the ball on the floor and gets inside. I have rarely seen him do back-to-the-basket post-up moves, but that does not say he is not a post player. I actually cannot honestly answer that question due to the paucity of coverage the Raptors get in Portland. I can say I have repeatedly seen him face up his man, get to the rim, and finish strong. On defense, Bosh appears to me to be better than average. He is strong enough to avoid getting run down, quick enough to help out when his guards get beat, and is an excellent rebounder. He has a very well-rounded game and would be an instant upgrade to almost any team that acquired him. You can count on two fingers the number of power forwards who are anywhere near his production and skill level. Aldridge, meanwhile, has slightly better range than Bosh and, while not Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
as high-percentage a shooter, is still very good. He does have a post game which is oft-maligned, and there is some merit to that. Of course, part of the problem with the criticism is it represents a poor analysis of Aldridge's game. He is still developing his post play, and while it has shown vast improvement in the last couple of years, it is not yet the strength of his game. There are certain defenders against whom Aldridge simply has not yet been able to develop an effective move. He recognizes this, and instead of continuing to put himself in a bad match-up, he drifts out to the perimeter where he has the advantage. Not continuing to force up tough, contested shots in bad situations is an intelligent basketball play. Unfortunately, too many fans give the knee-jerk "Aldridge is soft" answer. I have a suggestion to those fans: Stick a sock in it and watch his game. Aldridge plays down low against the big guys, and while his rebounding numbers are not huge, take a look at the timing and manner of them. Game after game I watch him come away with key rebounds when seven, eight, maybe nine guys are clustered inside the key trying to get the board, and somehow Aldridge rips down what I like to call "man-boards". He is not afraid to match up with players like Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and so forth night after night. He works hard, stays in the team concept, and does his job. I genuinely believe part of the reason his rebound numbers are "low" is due to the guys next to him. Joel Przybilla, Greg Oden and Marcus Camby are all superior rebounders. An example would come from the Portland-Washington game of March 19, 2010. There were precisely 100 available non-free-throw rebounds available. Camby came away with 19 of those, a staggering number that means nearly one of five times there was a ball caroming off the rim, Camby snagged it. Assuming teams will garner approximately one half of the available rebounds and each player will contribute, that means the remaining nine players have roughly thirty rebounds to share among themselves. Guards are generally good for two to three apiece and the Blazers run four. Forwards should get roughly four to five apiece in the Portland system, and the Blazers essentially have three forwards other than Aldridge, so there are roughly forty-nine of the rebounds available accounted for. That is without Aldridge. Naturally, part of the statistical analysis is average, and on any given night a guy who averages five boards might go without, while a guy who averages two might get seven. Aldridge checks in at a fairly steady seven to eight a night. He seldom has less, but often has more, such as the dozen he tallied against the Wizards. Even more notably, when the Blazers were starting Methuselah...err, Juwan Howard...at center, or even rookie Jeff "Li'l Bit" Pendergraph, Aldridge was dialing up double-digit boards seemingly every night. In short, his deflated rebound numbers are partially a product of the players he plays with. As Aldridge's biggest defender, I also think his defense is unfairly maligned. I am not nervous when he gets caught on the perimeter against smaller, quicker players because he is quick enough, agile enough, and long enough to contest their shots. Of course, sometimes they score because that is what the Chris Pauls and Tony Parkers of the NBA world dothey score against bad defense, average defense, and good defense. Aldridge is at his best coming off his man to contest a shot, but he is also a decent man-to-man defender. He is often accused of lacking intensity, and this is accurate. He also likes to slap at the ball low a bit much for my liking, but he also pokes away a lot of balls.He is definitely not an All-NBA defender, but he is improving every year.Off the court, there is little to complain about from either player. In many ways, Bosh has certain advantages in that regard. Chris Bosh has a great sense of humor , though it is flawedhe seems to find Will Ferrell funny despite stuff like Semi-Pro.Bosh is Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
also noted for his work in the community and has a lot going for him as a potential player.Let me emphasize again that I am a huge Aldridge fan, and since everyone else jumped on the Roy bandwagon, he is probably my absolute favorite player.With that said, I believe Bosh is the superior overall player. Bosh is better defensively and offensively, he seems to get along with his teammates better than Aldridge, who is often criticized by local media for being standoffish (which may have more to do with media perception than actual truthI am not privy to the internal workings of the Blazers organization).Bosh very well could improve the Blazers to the point where a championship goes from being a realistic, but somewhat longshot, possibility next season to a favorite if he were traded for some package such as Aldridge, Martell Webster, and whatever spare parts were needed to make the salaries match up.Of course, there are several problems with the above scenario, and just to save the people who hate my article time, let me present a couple: Bosh may not want to leave Toronto; he may not want to come to Portland; and the deal might not make sense from Toronto's standpoint, as they may not feel the value in return is sufficient.I, of course, feel Aldridge and Webster would be far too much to give up. And this has nothing to do with their respective abilities.I love Aldridge's game, I love that he has been a Blazer since draft day, and I hope that he retires a Blazer. I do not want to see him in a Raptors uniform. In fact, you can replace the word "Raptors" with any team in the league not named "Blazers".I hate any trade that sends Greg Oden, Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, Brandon Roy, Jerryd Bayless, or Martell Webster away. Shrewd drafting has given the Blazers a roster that was "born" together, has grown up together, and it is time to watch them roll the league together.I want to see the home-grown, home-developed players take their shot. Yes, I know about the problems.I know that Batum's development is limiting Webster's role. I know that Fernandez wants more playing time, a bigger role, and more money. I know the criticisms of Bayless as point guard and Oden as injury-prone, of Roy as a weak defender and Aldridge as a soft player.I also know that I love watching these guys play together. I love knowing they started their NBA playing careers as Blazers, and they are good enough to take a run at a couple of titles.No, I am not a complete and total homer. I recognize how much acquiring Marcus Camby has improved the team this year, regardless of how much I hate the cost of losing another personal favorite, Travis Outlaw. I recognize that with all the injuries and the surprisingly poor play before the injuries started, Portland is not as good this season as the Cavaliers, Magic, Nuggets, Celtics, Lakers, and maybe even teams like the Suns, Hawks, Spurs, Jazz, and maybe one or two others.But they will be, if and when they get healthy.The fact that the Blazer teams of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth, and Jerome Kersey never won a title never made me love watching them any less. If Portland could have traded Kersey for Pippen in their primes and won multiple titles, I would have loved them less because Pippen would be an import.Yes, I grew to love the game of Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
Buck Williams, but he was never as cool to me as our home-grown guys.Yes, I love watching Andre Miller play, and his expanding gametwo dunks this season, which I believe is probably a career high, and possibly a career total, is entertaining.Watching Camby block shot after shot and pull down rebound after rebound is cool. But I still like watching "my" guys more.And the same would hold true for an Aldridge-Bosh trade. On a basketball level, depending on who they gave up, I think it would be an improvement for Portland. But on a personal level, I'd hate it.And that gets to the root of fandom. Am I a fan of the player or the franchise? The real answer is both. I admit I turned on Drexler a bit when he more or less quit on Portland, when it became obvious their run at a title was over, only to rejuvenate his career in Houston. I did not want to see him win a title there.Kersey in a Laker uniform is a crime against humanity I will never get free from. I was sad to see him in Warriors, Spurs, and Bucks gearbut I might have shed a tear when he wore that hated uniform.Porter played with the Timberwolves, Heat, and Spurs. That also makes me sad.Not because I did not want Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Cliff Robinson, and so forth to have long, meaningful careers, or that I did not want the Blazers to move forward. It was more because my development as a basketball and sports fan coincided with the careers of the players.One reason I do not particularly follow college basketball is because of the rampant player change. Great college players are typically there for one or two years, good ones for three, and pedestrian players for four. Yes, there are exceptions, but that is pretty common.That means to follow college basketball and have any real in-depth knowledge of what is going on, I have to learn four, five, six new players and their styles every year.By contrast, even before this season ends and offseason moves take place, I have a pretty good idea of how the Blazers will play. For that matter, I can tell you what the typical Spurs, Nugget, Clipper, or Warrior game will look like next year.I know their offensive concept and where players should be on any given play. I know who should get the most shots and where those shots should come from. Sure, there will be adjustments. Of Patty Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
Mills, Dante Cunningham, Jeff Pendergraph, Marcus Camby, Martell Webster, Andre Miller, and Rudy Fernandez, there are likely to be anywhere from three to six new names in those places.But I also expect the opening night Blazer lineup, barring injury, to have Oden, Aldridge, Batum, and Roy for sure (and most likely Miller, but who knows?). I expect Aldridge to be posted up on the first two to three possessions, with Oden getting a couple of those and Roy driving at some point in the first five minutes or else taking that gorgeous pull-up jumper.I would hate to see that broken up too soon even for a player such as Bosh. That is personal preference...but it is a strong one.This article is also featured onDarth Weasel and the Blazer Blog