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The Islanders Are Back! What Can We Expect in 2013?
ChrisTriants | Jan 07, 2013 | Comments 3
That happy feeling we all got after the NHL announced they had a deal for a new CBA has not worn off. Today's a great day, and I didn't have to do a single thing to make it that way. It's just nice looking forward to hockey again. It's nice being able to talk about the New York Islanders.
NHL fans are buzzing, and are excited to watch their team back on the ice. With very little time to prepare for opening night, there is much to talk about. Who will be on the roster? Who's injured? What are the line-ups?
Like most hockey fans, these are all questions Islanders' fans are seeking answers to. We're craving hockey, and want to know what's next. Well, I don't have all the answers, but I can definitely make some predictions, and provide some predictions for the start of the shortened 2013-season. Islanders' fans: Here's what we should expect after the lockout.
First off, all fans are probably going to see a lot of injuries. I remember the last lockout, and the effects it had on play when the game came back. A lot of players missed time with groin injuries. Only a handful of the Islanders' roster players have been active during the extended off-season, and as I'm sure plenty of the others were "staying in shape," it's not the same as in-game action.
With the anticipation of a plethora of injuries, Islanders' fans can at least be thankful for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Nino Niederreiter, who I did not anticipate to be in the Islanders line-up in October, will most likely see plenty of NHL action. Other young players, such as Casey Cizikas, David Ullstrom, and Matt Donovan, will also be seeing some time in the NHL. Consequently, this could give the Islanders an advantage. Although it isn't the case with all teams, some organizations around the league will be seeing a lot of rust from their guys. Seeing that the Islanders have plenty of players down in the AHL who were expected to see time in the NHL, the Islanders may have an early jump at the beginning of the season.
Speaking of rust, Evgeni Nabokov (I missed typing these names) was also inactive during the lockout. In my opinion, that's kind of scary news because I believe our playoff hopes ride on him. Nabby can be stellar, but seeing that he was hurt several times last season should be a concern. It's possible the Islanders invite a goalie to camp (not John Grahame), but the Islanders may have to ride one of their young netminders for parts of the year. Kevin Poulin had a great December, so one would have to assume he would get the green light if something happened to Nabby. The Bridgeport kids deserve a shot at this point anyways, and the fact that they're in game shape may also be favorable for the Islanders during the 2013 season.
What about the players who are of real concern? Three players come to mind right now: Travis Hamonic, Jesse Joensuu, and Michael Grabner. I know Jesse Joensuu may not be the biggest concern for Islanders' fans, but I pegged him to be in the Islanders' line-up in October over Nino Niederreiter. Jesse had a great start in Finland's SM-liiga, but fell to an injury in November. The injury occurred on November 19th, and he was expected to have a two-month recovery. He might be back in time.
The other two players have big roles on the Island, though. One surprise for fans came this morning: Michael Grabner has an abdominal tear. There is no timetable on his return, and he hasn't played in Austria since November 30th. As I've said, Michael could score 50-goals in any given season with the chances he gets, so he could be a huge loss for an Islanders team that was anemic on offense outside of the team's first line. He is also a solid penalty-killer, and his 4-on-4 play could boost the Islanders to several overtime wins.
Travis Hamonic suffered a concussion at the beginning of December and has not been on the ice since. He's expected to start skating this week, though, which would be huge for an Islanders' defense that could use all the help it could get.
And if you thought the Islanders were just missing a 6th-defenseman, you're wrong. It never ends, but apparently, Lubomir Visnovsky wants to stay in Slovakia. He's currently mulling an offer from Slovan Bratislava of the KHL. The Islanders gave up a 2nd-round pick for Lubo at the 2012 NHL Draft, and has been a pain in the ass ever since. He's probably writing ways to fake his own death as I write this.
Either way, it's his choice, and if he doesn't report, the Islanders will have a huge hole to fill. Training camp invites will probably be sent to a few defensemen in the mean time, as the Islanders desperately need some players outside of their AHL-affiliate. They'll have to make due regardless, though. No team is going to cry for us, so they just need to play well and get it done. Someone needs to step up. The only guarantees on defense for this organization right now are Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, and Matt Carkner.
On offense, Islanders' fans should expect John Tavares to continue to improve. JT leaves Switzerland as the highest NHL point-scorer at this time (17-25-42 in 28 games), and looks to be playing well on both sides of the ice (+16). Tavares will be the key to this offense, so expect him to be prepared to see the scoresheet a lot. Matt Moulson will be the main benefactor. The newly signed Brad Boyes should be expected to play as well as PAP did last season, too.
Also, expect the Islanders to look into a true #2 centre. Ryan Strome might get some time in the NHL, but don't count out Brock Nelson in the mean time (currently injured). True, both are very young, but Frans Nielsen plays better in his #3-centre role, and Marty Reasoner is not an option. Depending on whether or not the Isles feel Strome is ready, or better off on the OHL, the Islanders will be looking at Strome or Nelson for, at least, a few games.
As I mentioned before, I also did not have Nino in my starting line-up if the season started on time, but that may have changed. Nino has been great in Bridgeport. There are many who would say he should be in Bridgeport all year, but if the Islanders are going to bring up Ryan Strome, or better yet, his line-mate Brock Nelson, Nino will probably come with him. Nino, who scored 1 goal last season, has 17 goals and 33 points in 33 points. Yeah, the same Nino that everyone labeled a bust is playing at a point-per-game ace in the AHL right now. Expect him to be in the NHL, and expect him to be given the keys this time.
The rest of the offense has been sketchy at times, but have been unstoppable at others. Obviously the numbers won't be as high as they usually are because of a shortened season, but we must see improvement from Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey in 2013. If not, expect some trades, although KO may not be involved in any of them.
If the Islanders fall out of the hunt at any time, expect expiring contracts to be moved. This includes the contracts of Evgeni Nabokov, Brad Boyes, Mark Streit and Josh Bailey. If there's any reason why the Islanders' really need Lubo, it's to add him to this list as well. The Islanders will be looking to prepare their team for 2013-14 early if they flop at the beginning.
So…now we have some hockey to look forward to. Whether the schedule's 48-games or 50-games, it doesn't matter. The Islanders have a chance to make the playoffs this year. Any team could get hot, and in a shortened season, that's all it takes to get in. I know it's been forever since we have seen the Islanders win 5-in-a-row, but it can obviously happen. The team needs to put together 60-minute efforts, and they need to play for each other. One thing I've noticed in Bridgeport is that the players there stick up for each other through all 4 lines. The Islanders need to play for each other this season, and if they can do that, these guys have a shot.
Hockey's back. Support your team. Let's go Islanders.
Filed Under: New York Islanders
About the Author: Writes at Islanders Op-Timism. Islanders Season Ticket Holder who tends to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hofstra Graduate currently working at Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates. I definitely want to end up working within the world of hockey. Blog: www.IslandersOptimism.com E-Mail: email@example.com Twitter: @ChrisTriants
Comments (3)
I guess I was right about Lubo all along. He never wanted to be an islander and he will fight tooth & nail to avoid it. Garth really should've done something as soon as this guy showed his dissatisfaction.
Like your site. Thanks for doing such a good job. I will definitely return to this site to find out more and recommend my people about this website.


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Help to make the Art & Art History Department extraordinary! Give online or call Amy Kirschke, Dept. Chair. 910 962-3440
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The Department of Art and Art History offers majors in art history and studio art which prepare students for advanced study in their chosen field.
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Tuesday, 03 July 2012 09:00
COLLEGE STATION — With Independence Day celebrations drawing near, Texas Forest Service officials are reminding residents to remember that just one spark can cause a devastating wildfire.
About 90 percent of wildfires in Texas are human-caused, which means they can be prevented. As residents enjoy building a campfire, shooting off celebratory fireworks in approved areas or cooking on the grill, they're asked to take a few safety precautions to ensure their homes and families are protected.
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Two amazing comeback stories
AOL and The New York Times are finding ways to weather the online storm and silence the naysayers.
Whither traditional online? We got a terrific read last week of two media companies weathering the online storm and I have to tell you, both were pretty darned impressive. I'm talking AOL (AOL) and The New York Times Co. (NYT), although only one, the former, gets any recognition from the marketplace.
Both companies -- one an Internet pioneer and the other perhaps one of the most Internet-challenged companies -- are coping with the challenges in different, yet commendable, ways.
For AOL, the challenge is the hideous legacy of the company, one that grew like a weed, and then fooled Time Warner (TWX) into a horrendous bid that made the company into a laughing stock.
For The New York Times, the challenge is an expense structure designed for the days when display ads were king and The Times was the best vehicle for advertisers to reach wealthy New Yorkers.
It's been three years since AOL became its own separate reporting entity, and after some initial fits and starts that included an expensive acquisition of Huffington Post and a local online news startup called Patch, the company reported one of its biggest beats of the quarter.
It was truly an impressive year for AOL, with breakouts on many fronts, including decent revenue growth and the first year-over-year revenue growth in eight years. That's unbelievable. Plus, the company is a gigantic cash generator and plows that capital right back to the shareholders. In three years of being public, the company has returned an astounding $1.3 billion to shareholders, about 50% of the market capitalization. The share count has been reduced by 30%, giving the mastermind behind this turn, CEO Tim Armstrong -- one of the nicest guys in the business, I might add -- a greater than 5% stake in the business, and making him the single-largest shareholder. Now there's some motivation.
The AOL he retained after the spinoff was filled with fat that he is still trimming. That's helped produce a pristine balance sheet with $467 million in cash, despite the aggressive buybacks.
The growth is coming from all sorts of products, legacy, such as MapQuest and Moviefone, video, and, most important, the once-mocked Huffington Post acquisition, which now looks like quite a bargain. Who would have ever thought that at the time?
AOL's become a must-buy for many advertisers because of its tremendous reach, which includes HuffPo, and while Patch isn't yet at the run-rate AOL wants, I suspect that as it gets entrenched it can produce bountiful ad dollars, too.
We all hear that online media companies are increasingly challenged by the glut of copy that has given advertisers the upper hand, but AOL's doing incredibly well and gaining steam even in display ads. The model it pioneered is alive and well, generating great gains for the company.
Unfortunately, it's not doing the same for The New York Times Co., which is why the stock didn't react well to this quarter's numbers. I think that looking at the ad business, however, is a huge mistake. After trying for years to figure out how to capitalize on its tremendous content, the company has created a pay wall that is the envy of the industry and is growing enough to offset display ad losses. No other media company can claim such a distinction. Put simply, the copy is too good, the articles and graphics too compelling, and the competition too pathetic, that you almost have to pay for The Times if you want serious news.
It is a tremendous success story and one that doesn't get nearly the recognition it deserves. Perhaps that's because the marketplace demands to see better display ads because subscription revenue is always being denigrated by analysts and the venture capital community, even though it is the only hope for survival for most online publications. Just consider Time and Newsweek. The former's plummeting yet can't afford to charge. And the latter? Well, R.I.P.
Both AOL and The New York Times are beneficiaries of secular trends in their own industries. AOL can continue to win because it has developed mass content that draws an increasing number of viewers that might have otherwise gone to print or even television. The Times is wining because all of the other newspapers in the country can't afford to construct a pay wall and are experiencing terrible declines in display ads as bad, or worse, than The Times is.
While there have been multiple cutbacks in The Times' newsroom, it is common wisdom in journalism circles that Jill Abramson, the executive editor, is putting out the best journalism in the world today -- journalism that is becoming indispensable and, therefore, worth paying more for. Now, if the company would just listen to me when I suggest that it charge more for real estate ads -- most real estate in New York is now sold through The Times -- I think digital dimes could convert to digital dollars, and the display weakness won't even matter.
One other thing, through some shrewd cash management and divestitures, NYT has fixed its balance sheet and been able to build up a nice cash hoard. I have to believe that if it keeps turning around as well as it has and the stock stays around $8.70, it will get a bid -- perhaps from outgoing Mayor Mike Bloomberg -- simply because the Sulzbergers, like the family behind Dow Jones, would like to be paid for their efforts and, unlike the old days, there's no dividend to make good for the years of pain they have suffered supporting the institution. Even with an assumption of all debt, this would be chump change for Bloomberg.
It's because of the improved balance sheet and the takeover possibilities that I believe the stock of The New York Times should be bought. AOL's moved up too much for me to say buy it here. The stock has a history of pulling in when no one's looking. You should look next time, as the trends are getting stronger, not weaker, and the year-over-year revenue growth is going to allow the stock to appeal not just to deep-discount value investors, but to growth investors as well.
Two amazing comebacks. One is getting the kudos it deserves because of its astounding turn and resurrection from the dead, and the other still not being acknowledged because people don't really believe good content can pay for itself. As long as the content stream on the Web declines and the content of The Times continues to improve, it's just a matter of time before The New York Times Co. becomes a growth vehicle, too.
Jim Cramer is a co-founder of TheStreet and contributes daily market commentary to the financial news network's sites. Follow his trades for Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer co-manages as a charitable trust and has no positions in stocks mentioned.
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Then commercialism and the media took over and turned it into a giant, all consuming marketing and sales device, effectively eliminating the richness and diversity that fed the soul instead of the corporate coiffures. How sad such a wonderful venue has been reduced to a money grab =(
Anyone figure out why the banks are pumping up the market today? Good show for the SOTU? No pulse so-- might as well? Three twenty-somethings talking about jobs last weekend. One flew in to 4 locations for various parts of the interview process. Never told if he/she got the job or not. Last night he/she found out that the company will file for bankruptcy protection this month. Second one works for a big business with more than 500 internal job postings. Applied and was told-- there are no job openings. Asked about the postings-- told that HR fills those jobs before they are posted. Why? No response. Third one got the annual Slave At Will Contract-- read it (guess you're not supposed to). Found out his/her base wage was cut by 10% and the bonuses on hitting objectives can be stopped without pre-warning up to 24-hours before the capture date for payment.
Keep investing in this crap, people. You may not know how it will impact you until after it does and you will get upset. Only YOU can stop this. We have no Founders in charge, just inheritors and hired-in morons at large. This isn't business, it's assimilation for a return to indentured servitude. I choose not to be assimilated. Pretty sure that's where the Don't Tread On Me Flag idea came from. Are you American or just in it for the cash?
You know... I vividly recall the WTF? article about AOL being a lucious opportunity. Now that it has risen from the ashes by assses of control and manipulation... what is it? The whole world sees brand after brand being assimilated into the Wall Street collective of matket gamblers that aren't real businesses at all. They are gambling adjuncts. I actually do care, because it will be gruesome when billions of people have to take Earth back from financial tyranny and mush financiers into shark food. All that crushed Kobe-like office suite beef will stink like Hell when stacked up. AOL means nothing to anyone. The New York Times? Great crossword puzzle, slanted opinion and now ripe for the same assimilation as AOL.
"The Internet Used to be a fascinating and original resource filled with information (obscure and otherwise) with topics and viewpoints not found anywhere else; it belonged to it's audience."
Good to see I'm not the only one to recognize this. This morning's radio news was about drones. The development of drones removes the concept of force against force to solve apparent issues and gives the wimp, geek, jerk and fool a viable tool. We have recognized that which will end the world, but will we have the ability to stop it before it does. A reminder that it will gain strength as commonsense and character disintegrate.
The NY Time puttng out the best journalisim in the world today? So Cramer is also on the Obama/Democrat spin machine payroll. The NY Times stock price should be at half price because it only writes half truths. AOL is recovring subscribers because other services such as ATT and Verizon are beginning to become unaffordable to the middle and lower middle class user that Obama is spuppose dot care about (not!)
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Duncan Johnstone on Scotland
Wallabies back to No.2 on world rankings
Duncan Johnstone It's the All Blacks first and daylight second on the world rugby rankings.
Brisbane loss spurs All Blacks
Duncan Johnstone THE All Blacks are itching to stamp their champion status on the Wallabies in Brisbane next weekend.
Marshall and Umaga back Sonny Bill to shine for the All Blacks
David Long and Duncan Johnstone SONNY BILL WILLIAMS has received ringing endorsements from New Zealand rugby great Tana Umaga and Kiwis league skipper Benji Marshall as the code-swapping giant awaits an All Blacks call-up tonight.
Sonny Bill Williams to play for Crusaders against Waratahs
Duncan Johnstone Sonny Bill Williams will make his long-awaited Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders against the Waratahs in Nelson on Friday night.
Mealamu to call on McCaw for some tips on how to beat the Boks
Duncan Johnstone PORT ELIZABETH: Stand-in All Blacks skipper Keven Mealamu plans to call Richie McCaw for a few pointers to plotting a victory against the Springboks this weekend, which he says would be ''a huge...
Scots call up top troops to go on attack
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz The Scots have defied most expectations and named a strong and experienced side - including returning some old warriors to their ranks - to confront the All Blacks at Murrayfield on the weekend.
Carter owes NZ a fitting farewell
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz Dan Carter's personal rehabilitation programme has restricted him to just 31 minutes in the No 10 role in the past eight weeks and placed pressure on the All Blacks maestro to get things right...
Barnes back to haunt ABs
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz English referee remains off-limits to New Zealand media ahead of this weekend's test at Murrayfield.
Japan can host, but can they play?
Duncan Johnstone, www.stuff.co.nz Japan has 10 years to get its act together as a rugby nation.
ABs sure Scots will bring plenty of passion to the table
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz The All Blacks have arrived in Scotland with assistant coach Wayne Smith talking the locals up, predicting a "tough outing" from their passionate hosts in the test at Murrayfield on the weekend.
Brits link NZ to Lions' latest 'injustice'
Duncan Johnstone, www.stuff.co.nz Tana Umaga's alleged spear tackle on Brian O'Driscoll has raised its ugly ahead again as the British media question the latest injustice and New Zealand's influence on it hitting the 2009 Lions in...
South Africa declare: We are sticking with SANZAR
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz South Africa have emphasised their commitment to Sanzar amid speculation the rugby republic could abandon New Zealand and Australia and take their game to Europe.
Hansen calls for two referees in tests
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen called for two referees to be tried in test rugby, believing the speed that the game is now played at has got too quick for one whistleman to handle it.
'Scratchy' Carter set for a kick start
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz All Blacks sharpshooter Dan Carter is backing himself to break out of a rare goalkicking slump hopefully in time for Sunday's test against Wales here.
All Blacks prepare for in-your-face approach from Wales
Duncan Johnstone in Cardiff, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz Wayne Smith has been on the telephone to New Zealand coaches Ian Foster and Shane Howarth seeking advice over Warren Gatland's trademark rush defence which will be a key to Wales' chances against the...
Springboks keen to play NZ Maori in Soweto
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz The New Zealand Maori team could be about to get a lifeline from South Africa with Springboks coach Peter de Villiers keen to play them in Soweto as a warm-up match for the test series against the...
Could Munster unleash their own haka?
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz The ultimate call will probably be left to Rua Tipoki but don't rule out Munster replying to the All Blacks' haka with a version of their own next week.
Marathon man McCaw is a modern miracle
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz Lost in the rich praise that has deservedly been dished out to Richie McCaw recently has been his herculean feat of appearing in nine games of top-class rugby in seven and a half weeks.
Kidney tells team to settle down
Duncan Johnstone, www.rugbyheaven.co.nz New Irish coach Declan Kidney has told his squad not to get carried away with their thrashing of Canada as they knuckle down to the task of trying to beat the All Blacks for the first time this...
Boks target All Blacks in World Cup plans
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE Springboks coach Peter de Villiers will use this year's Tri Nations tests in New Zealand as a trial run for the World Cup and sees it as a crucial opportunity to gain a psychological edge over the...


text:
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Sunday's coverage of the Blues.
The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.
EVERTON bolstered their hopes of European qualification with an assured 3-1 victory over Reading at Goodison Park.
David Moyes' side had too much attacking prowess for the relegation-haunted Berkshire outfit, as they secured back to back wins in the space of four days following their progress into the FA Cup quarter finals on Tuesday.
Neither side had their first choice goalkeeper available so it was a contest which was always likely to feature goals, and Everton took their chances in timely fashion to close the gap on fifth-placed Arsenal to two points.
The Blues started brightly; with Steven Pienaar's cross creating a prime opportunity for Nikica Jelavic to score in the opening seconds but the Croatian skewed his header badly wide.
Reading were still half asleep when Everton went close again; this time Jelavic turned provider and the South African scooped a close range effort over the bar.
Everton's momentum wasn't helped when Adam Le Fondre's clumsy late challenge on Phil Jagielka meant the Blues captain could not carry on, and had to be replaced by John Heitinga.
The hosts lost their early momentum for a while then, and Brian McDermott's side almost took advantage when Mikele Leigertwood flicked on Ian Harte's corner and Le Fondre seized on the ball to strike the post with a venomous dive.
If it was something of a let-off for Moyes' side, at least they responded in the correct manner, cranking up the pressure and carving out a string of chances.
However, as had often been the case this season, they failed to convert any of them. Jelavic had his effort on goal well saved by Stuart Taylor, Pienaar wastefully shot wide when well positioned and then Kevin Mirallas forced an excellent stop from Taylor with his ambitious attempt from outside the box.
In the dug-out, Moyes shook his head ruefully. He has seen his side pay for such wastefulness too many times this term.
Fortunately Marouane Fellaini hadn't read the script. The Belgian swopped passes with Seamus Coleman who was pushing forward menacingly and the Republic of Ireland international's cross was perfect allowing Fellaini to leap easily above Jobi McAnuff and head home at the far post.
Everton's top scorer almost doubled his side's lead with a thunderous strike from an acute angle just before the break which Taylor was forced to tip over the angle of the bar.
They maintained that pressure after the break, with Jelavic again probing. It seemed like his presence had earned a penalty hen Stephen Kelly shoved him over in a goal-mouth scramble, but Anthony Taylor somehow decided otherwise.
Mirallas wasted a useful chance in the aftermath, but the Blues were looking likely to build on their lead as Reading dropped deep.
Fellaini headed yet another chance over the bar after smart work from Pienaar, and Everton's midfield dominance was total.
Pienaar might not have convinced with his gilt-edged chance in the first half, but he more than made amends on 59 minutes. The midfielder picked up the ball 45 yards from goal and burst forward. The nearest Reading player Harte appeared to turn his back, and the Toffees schemer unleashed an unstoppable shot which scorched past Taylor.
The visitors were bedraggled and demoralised, and pretty soon Everton rubbed it in.
The ball broke to Pienaar off Kelly and the playmaker slipped a defence-splitting pass to Mirallas who confidently beat Taylor at the near post.
On his first Premier League start Jan Mucha had largely been untroubled, but Tim Howard's deputy played his part, making a fine reflex save from McAnuff as Reading attempted to hit back.
With 15 minutes remaining Moyes decided to further up the ante, replacing Osman with Victor Anichebe.
It had been a near perfect afternoon, but there was to be no clean sheet to make it complete. Harte was allowed too much time to cross from the edge of the area and substitute Hal Robson-Kanu rose practically unchallenged to score with a powerful header. It was disappointing, but not enough to marr an otherwise assured performance.
Anichebe went close after some nifty show-boating from Mirallas set him loose on goal, and Jelavic continued to take up dangerous positions in the area.
Everton continued to probe but were equally content to see out the remaining minutes secure in the knowledge that their much-needed surge in momentum may have arrived just in time.
EVERTON: (4-4-1-1) Mucha, Coleman, Jagielka (Capt) (Heitinga, 5), Distin, Baines, Gibson, Osman (Anichebe, 74) Mirallas, Pienaar (Hitzlsperger, 81), Fellaini, Jelavic.
Subs not used: Springthorpe, Oviedo, Naismith, Neville.
Bookings: Coleman
Goals: Fellaini (42) Pienaar (59) Mirallas (67)
READING: (4-4-2) Taylor, Pearce, Mariappa, Leigertwood, Hunt (Blackman, 75) McAnuff (Capt), Kebe (Robson-Kanu, 19) Harte, Kelly, Akpan, Le Fondre.
Subs not used: Henly, Gunter, Karacan, McGleary, Morrison.
Bookings: LeFondre
Goals: Robon-Kanu (84)
Ref: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 35,244
Everton have had their noses bloodied by lesser mortals in recent weeks so were grateful for the arrival of the Premier League's worst travellers to maintain their pursuit of Champions League football. A routine victory kept them within six points of the top four but a deep cut to their captain Phil Jagielka's ankle left them fretting after the final whistle.
Two minutes had passed in what turned out to be Everton's second league win since 2 January, when Reading striker Adam Le Fondre's over-zealous challenge felled the England defender. Jagielka was unable to continue and, according to David Moyes departed the ground in need of a hospital visit. "Jags is going to get surgery on his ankle to stitch it up. It's a bad, bad gash," the Everton manager said. "I don't mind robust challenges but I do mind one that puts out one of my best players. He might be out for a couple of weeks."
Brian McDermott absolved his player of blame. "Adam is not that type of player, he's a very honest player," the Reading manager said. "There is no way that Adam is a player that would 'do' anybody."
Having relinquished a winning position in the dying embers of the previous week's match at Norwich and also unexpectedly dropped points at home to relegation-threatened Aston Villa this year, it appeared the latest in a catalogue of setbacks might further disrupt Everton. They were already without the goalkeeper Tim Howard, whose jarred back in the FA Cup replay victory over Oldham terminated a sequence of 210 consecutive league appearances, three shy of Neville Southall's club record.
It meant a league debut for the Slovakia international Jan Mucha almost three years since his arrival from Legia Warsaw. But aAfter shaking off their early lethargy, Everton ensured it was Reading's Stuart Taylor who was the busier of the two goalkeepers. An ankle sprain in training on Friday ruled out Adam Federici and presented the perennial No2 Taylor with his 69th appearance in league football since signing professional forms with Arsenal in the summer of 1997. The 32-year-old's previous one had come in April 2009 for Cardiff at Preston. Ominously, he had been on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline.
However, Taylor acquitted himself admirably until the returning Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini's unruly barnet brought order to the contest by connecting with Seamus Coleman's inviting right-wing cross three minutes before the break. Only Taylor's fingertips kept out Fellaini's audacious volley from the most acute of angles in first-half injury time.
"He has got a lot of really good attributes, he can get better but he has an awful lot going for him and on his day he can be a handful," Moyes said.
Perhaps preoccupied with Fellaini's burst forward, Reading backed off Steven Pienaar on the hour with calamitous consequences, as a searing drive left Taylor helpless. By the midpoint of the second period it was game over as another Belgian, Kevin Mirallas, seized on Pienaar's pass, flashed his eyes one way and sent the ball the other to beat Taylor at his near post.
To their credit, Reading, who had struck the upright through Le Fondre with the scoreline goalless, refused to throw in the towel, and were rewarded when the substitute Hal Robson-Kanu nodded in an Ian Harte centre slung in from the left six minutes from time.
Even harder away fixtures are on the horizon for the Premier League new boys, with trips to Manchester United and Arsenal up next, but McDermott believes memories of last year's promotion campaign allied to their togetherness can inspire a successful survival fight. "We have finished the last three seasons very strongly and if we can do the same again it will give us a real chance. There's nothing in it if you look at it," he said.
David Moyes insists Everton can fight for Europe on two fronts – so it appears they have found their shooting boots at the right time.
Recognised striker Nikica Jelavic may have extended his goalless drought to ten games but the supporting cast did more than enough yesterday.
With another home league win in the bag – it is now one Goodison Park loss in 18 – Everton can concentrate on reaching the FA Cup semi-final.
Moyes insists he can juggle the Toffees' dual ambition by earning a European spot from a league position as well as going for the cup he craves.
Remarkably, this turned into the battle of the reserve goalkeepers as Tim Howard was ruled out for Everton because of a back injury. That was the first time the American had not started a Premier League match since September 2007. An astonishing 210 games – just two short of Neville Southall's club record.
Jan Mucha came in for his league debut while Stuart Taylor was in goal for Reading, his first start in more than three years.
Injuries kept on coming as Phil Jagielka was forced off less than five minutes in, after a crunching challenge from Adam Le Fondre. Jimmy Kebe also pulled up as he tried to take the ball around Mucha.
Marouane Fellaini rose above Reading's defenders to head home his 12th goal of the season and set Moyes' men on the road to victory.
Seamus Coleman skinned Jobi McAnuff on the right and Stephen Kelly and Alex Pearce were no match for man-mountain Fellaini's charging header.
Then Pienaar's stunning left-foot drive into the top corner just before the hour settled any nerves.
The South African then turned provider with a fine pass for Mirallas, who clinically slotted in the third as he scored for the second successive match.
Everton boss Moyes said: "Marouane Fellaini did well. He has lots of good attributes. He can get better but has a lot going for him and can be a real handful. We played well but it took us a while to settle after the injury. Reading were always a threat but that's the way the Premier League is.
"Pienaar's goal was a great goal and I'm pleased for him as one of the things that gets levelled at him is that he doesn't quite score enough.
"But he's beginning to get a few goals and he's an important player for us."
Reading kept going and Hal Robson-Kanu was given too much space to head home Harte's cross.
Reading boss Brian McDermott said: "They've got major quality but had Adam Le Fondre's shot that hit the post gone in, it would have been a different game.
"But they scored first and what can you say about the second goal?"
With pessimism being encountered across the corridors of Goodison Park, Everton really needed a result like this.
Not so long ago, there was a belief that David Moyes had a squad capable of contending for a place in the Premier League's top four. Although they still might, Everton have recently fallen away; Moyes's future is uncertain and the despondency caused by both factors has meant that even the prospect of a potential appearance in an FA Cup semi-final if Wigan Athletic are dispatched in the sixth round next weekend, has not roused the levels of anticipation on Merseyside that it usually would.
There was certainly 42 minutes of angst among the majority of supporters inside this famous old ground against Reading. Until the moment Marouane Fellaini headed Everton into a lead that was just about merited, there was a palpable sense that this was going to be another one of those afternoons where the home team ended up drawing or, on current form, without any points at all.
Then in the second half and after another three missed goalscoring opportunities, Steven Pienaar was repositioned from the left to the right of midfield. The South African cut inside and lashed in a shot from 25 yards with an exceptional left-foot strike as spectacular as any the Gwladys Street has seen this season. Finally, Everton were comfortable.
Before all of that, it did not go according to plan. Within five minutes of kick-off, Everton's stand-in captain, Phil Jagielka, was substituted with an ankle injury following a tackle by Adam Le Fondre, for which the striker was correctly booked.
Moyes, though, felt the tackle deserved a greater punishment after revealing that Jagielka faces an operation and probably a minimum of three weeks out to heal an open wound.
"I don't mind robust challenges but it's one that puts out arguably one of my best players," he said.
Jagielka's early exit made the host's nervous defensively. Everton had conceded 13 headed goals in the league this season, the equal worst in the division; and would later surrender a 14th with substitute Hal Robson-Kanu's late consolation.
Jagielka has been in the team when the majority of those goals have been scored but his absence only served to make Everton more anxious when possession was flung towards the box, which Reading tried to do whenever the opportunity presented itself.
From one Ian Harte corner, Le Fondre was unfortunate not to volley the away side into the lead but his attempt thumped off the angle of the post and the crossbar.
"If that goes in, maybe it's a different result," Brian McDermott, the Reading manager, pondered.
Both sides started without their established goalkeepers. While Slovakian Jan Mucha made his Premier League debut after Tim Howard failed a pre-match fitness test, Reading were forced to field third-choice Stuart Taylor following Adam Federici's late withdrawal. At 0-0, Taylor, who was appearing in only his 70th league match in a 16-year professional career, was quick off his line to deny Nikica Jelavic. But he could do nothing to prevent either of Fellaini or Pienaar's goals, nor a third from Kevin Mirallas, who coolly dispatched Pienaar's precise pass.
Match details
Everton (4-4-1-1) Mucha; Coleman, Jagielka (Heitinga 5), Distin, Baines; Mirallas, Gibson, Osman (Anichebe 74), Pienaar (Hitzlsperger 82); Fellaini; Jelavic.
Subs Springthorpe; Oviedo, Naismith, Neville.
Booked Coleman.
Reading (4-1-3-2) Taylor; Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Harte; Kébé (Robson-Kanu 19); Akpan, Leigertwood, McAnuff; Le Fondre, Hunt (Blackman 75).
Subs Henly, Gunter, Karacan, McCleary, Morrison.#
Booked Le Fondre.
Referee A Taylor (Greater Manchester).
When all is said and done in May – the last ball kicked, the last referee derided and the final variation of "Sloop John B" butchered – David Moyes will sit down with a pad of paper to reflect on a season which at this stage could still go either way. In the negatives column will be the amount of points lost from winning positions, the number of headed goals conceded and a misfiring Nikica Jelavic. Under positives there will be a name right at the top – boldly underlined twice and probably accompanied by an exclamation mark or two: Marouane Fellaini.
The summer fight to keep hold of their coveted performer is certain to be labour-intensive and chairman Bill Kenwright will find it tricky not to accept offers upwards of £25million from Europe's elite. For now, though, Fellaini is an Everton player and a pleasure to watch. Scoring one and making another, he rarely seemed to break sweat and oozed the confidence to drive the hosts on.
With 11 League goals and four assists this season, Fellaini is invaluable. Without his consistency, Arsenal would certainly not be under the amount of pressure they are in today's London derby against Tottenham. The Merseysiders are just two points behind in the Champions' League scramble.
"He has got a lot of really good attributes. He can get better but he has an awful lot going for him and on his day is a real handful," said Moyes, who was without Tim Howard for the first time since 2007 and lost Phil Jagielka early to an ugly Adam Le Fondre tackle. The lunge incensed the manager, with Jagielka suffering an ankle injury which will keep him out for at "least a few weeks".
"He's going to need surgery," Moyes said. "I'm not happy with the challenge. I don't mind robust challenges but it's one that puts out one of my best players."
Reading played their part and were unfortunate not to stay in the game longer. Seamus Coleman was given plenty of time to attack the space by Jobi McAnuff in the 42nd minute, floating a wonderful ball across to Fellaini whose header was watched in by Stuart Taylor, deputising for Adam Federici who injured himself in training on Friday.
Fellaini in the hole behind Jelavic is a Moyes masterstroke. Above all else, he gives the side an increased physical presence higher up the pitch. That's especially crucial when the Toffees are behind the eight ball. See the last home match, a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa, for reference.
Le Fondre shuddered a post and Alex Pearce scooped over the bar, but it was over as a contest in the 59th minute. Leon Osman won a header in midfield and set Fellaini away. He found Steven Pienaar cutting in from the right and with Ian Harte inexplicably backing off, the South African rifled home the sort of fabulous 25-yard strike that he has available in his locker but is not seen nearly enough.
Reading are the only team in the Premier League not to have kept an away clean sheet. Manager Brian McDermott knows if they are to escape the clutches of relegation the sort of goals Everton scored need to be eradicated. The visitors lacked a depth in midfield when the ball broke and Pienaar was afforded ample opportunity to pick out the onrushing Kevin Mirallas, who wasn't being tracked, to coolly send Taylor the wrong way for number three.
"A clean sheet would be good," McDermott smiled. "We have to make up one or two points. Can we do that? We think we can. We've finished the last three seasons really strongly. If we do that again that will give us a real chance."
Hal Robson-Kanu headed in a late consolation – remarkably the 14th header conceded by Everton this season – but the points were already safe by then. Over to you, Arsenal.
Phil Jagielka's FA Cup hopes were left dashed – and gashed – after an Adam Le Fondre challenge marred Everton's cosy victory.
Everton's Jagielka was forced off yesterday after Le Fondre's clumsy third-minute tackle left his ankle needing surgery.
Toffees boss David Moyes saw his side finish comfortable winners against struggling Reading.
But Jagielka's injury left a sour taste – and a hole in the Everton defence – ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Wigan on Saturday.
Moyes was furious and blasted: "It's a bad, bad gash and I'm not happy with the challenge that caused it.
"Jags needs surgery to stitch it up. I'm unhappy about losing a centre-half for a couple of weeks."
But Reading manager Brian McDermott defended striker Le Fondre, saying: "No way would he 'do' anybody. He's not that kind of player. He's a very honest type."
For the rest of the game, big-haired Belgian Marouane Fellaini gave Reading the real short back and sides treatment.
His first-half strike cracked open the rocky Royals, and his second-half set-up allowed Steven Pienaar to put home an absolute belter.
And as the visitors wilted under pressure, Fellaini's fellow Belgian Kevin Mirallas put the game to bed with another text-book finish.
A Goodison victory ended the Premier League stutter being experienced by David Moyes' side and put back on track Fellaini's dream of playing Champions League football with the Toffees next season.
If that doesn't happen, predators could lure away the £30million-rated talisman, with both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Real Madrid said to be targeting him.
The 25-year-old Belgian seems to have everything in his locker, from scoring goals to getting back in defence to play a vital role there. Moyes added: "Fellaini made a great return and was a great influence.
"He's a fine player to watch and has a lot of attributes. He can get better, but on his day he's a real handful. The cross for his goal from Gibson was a real peach and Fellaini finished it well."
Fellaini's opener – his 12th of the season – was a classic header that followed a great run by Darron Gibson. His tee-up cross to the far post gave Fellaini the chance to power the ball past Reading's third-string keeper Stuart Taylor.
Then Fellaini took the ball forward from the centre circle before laying off to Pienaar, who cut inside to hammer in a blockbuster.
Pienaar then turned provider as he set up Mirallas, who kept his cool to strike cleanly past Taylor.
But as Everton kept alive their hopes of a top-four spot, Reading could only manage a late consolation goal by substitute Hal Robson-Kanu.
The Royals gave their all — Le Fondre also hit the woodwork early on – but it wasn't enough to tame Moyes's side, who are still aiming at FA Cup glory as well as that Champions League qualifying place.
McDermott said: "We didn't do an awful lot wrong and it could have been a lot different if Le Fondre's shot had gone in. We have to stick together and if we keep the spirit we can make it out of trouble."
Everton defender Phil Jagielka faces two weeks out with a badly gashed ankle, manager David Moyes confirmed.
The England international was injured in a challenge from Adam Le Fondre in the opening minutes of Everton's 3-1 win over Reading on Saturday at Goodison Park.
Jagielka will certainly hope to be fit to take his place in England's squad for their next World Cup qualifiers, against San Marino on March 22 and Montenegro four days later.
When pressed, Moyes later said Jagielka could be out for 'a couple of weeks, maybe'.
Le Fondre apologised after the game, saying via Twitter: 'Fans were brilliant today! Shame about result! Everton were class! Thoughts with jags never meant to catch him,caught him late an apologised.'
Jagielka had to be immediately replaced, and Moyes said: 'I genuinely haven't seen it again but I thought on the pitch it didn't look good.
Jagielka knew about it and it is a bad one. He will have surgery tonight to stitch up his ankle.
It is a bad one because he is a key player for us.'
Moyes said he did not know how long Jagielka would be out but the 30-year-old must now be doubtful for next week's FA Cup quarter-final against Wigan.
The incident also reminded Moyes of some of the treatment goalkeeper Tim Howard received in the two previous cup matches against Oldham.
Howard was unable to face Reading after suffering a knock in the fifth-round replay win over over the League One side on Tuesday and was replaced by back-up Jan Mucha.
'I'm not happy with the challenges on the goalkeeper in the last two games that have put him out and I am not happy with the challenge today that puts Phil Jagielka out,' said the manager.
'I'm not one who minds challenges. I like a bit of that, if that's what it is.
'I don't mind robust challenges but not one that puts out arguably one of my best players.'
Howard's absence ended the American's run of 210 consecutive Premier League appearances.
Moyes said: 'I thought Jan did very well but it came about because the goalkeeper wasn't protected in the first game against Oldham and they felt it was right they could do that again in the second game.
'In the end the goalkeeper has been injured because of decisions which should have been deemed free-kicks long before.'
Reading manager Brian McDermott also said he did not get a clear view of Le Fondre's challenge on Jagielka but defended his player.
McDermott said: 'Adam Le Fondre is not that type of player, no way. He is a very honest type of player.
'I don't know what they are saying but there is no way Adam Le Fondre is a player that would `do` anybody.'
Striker Nikica Jelavic may have extended his goalless drought to 10 matches, but the supporting cast did more than enough yesterday.
Marouane Fellaini rose above Reading's defenders to head home his 12th goal of the season and set David Moyes' men on the road to victory.
But most pleasing of all would have been the sight of Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas also finding the net.
Seamus Coleman skinned Jobi McAnuff on the right and Stephen Kelly and Alex Pearce were no match for man-mountain Fellaini's charge on 42 minutes.
Pienaar's stunning left-foot drive into the top corner on the hour settled any nerves as Reading threatened in patches.
The South African then turned provider with a fine pass for Mirallas, who slotted in the third as he scored for the second successive match.
With another home league win in the bag – it is now one Goodison Park loss in 18 – Everton can concentrate on the FA Cup quarter-final against Wigan next week. And even Jelavic's barren spell can be forgiven. Yesterday was certainly a case of bad luck rather than bad play.
Moyes insists he can juggle Everton's dual ambition by earning a European spot from a league position as well as going for the FA Cup.
However, ever the pragmatist, he was adamant that he would place more on qualifying for the Europa League through where Everton finish in the table rather than a Cup final win.
He wrote in his programme notes: "For me it's always been more important to be a good league side than a good cup side. Over a Premier League season you have to earn what you get an tend to finish where you deserve." Remarkably, this turned into the battle of the reserve goalkeepers as Tim Howard was ruled out for Everton because of a back injury.
It was the first time the American had not started a Premier League match since September 2007. An astonishing 210 games – just two short of Neville Southall's club record.
Jan Mucha came in for his league debut, while Stuart Taylor was in goal for Reading – his first start in more than three years, back when he was at Manchester City.
Injuries kept on coming as Phil Jagielka was forced off less than five minutes after a crunching challenge from Adam Le Fondre, and Jimmy Kebe pulled up as he tried to take the ball around Mucha.
Moyes was furious about the challenge that left Jagielka with a badly-gashed ankle that is almost certain to keep him out of the cup tie against Wigan.
"It's a bad, bad gash," said Moyes. ''I'm not happy with the challenge and I'm one who doesn't mind challenges. I'm just disappointed we are losing a centre-half because of it.''
Reading boss Brian McDermott claimed he had not seen the Le Fondre incident and said: "Adam is a very honest player. I don't know what they're saying, but Adam is not a player that would do anybody."
McDermott's side had started brightly as Mucha was first into action by claiming Ian Harte's goal-bound free-kick.
Then Le Fondre smashed the post on 19 minutes when Harte's corner was not cleared.
Le Fondre and Noel Hunt were a pair of pests up front, but Everton eventually cranked-up the pressure and Reading eventually cracked.
Fellaini's opener allowed Everton to cut loose and Taylor had no chance when Pienaar cut in from the right and lashed a shot into his top corner.
Even before Mirallas' goal, Fellaini and Jelavic conspired to spurn a golden chance while the eventual goalscorer saw a shot drift wide.
It was game over but Reading kept going, and Hal Robson-Kanu was given too much space to head home Harte's cross from close range.
However, the Royals are in dire danger of going straight back down. The chances of points from their next two away trips look slim – they head to Manchester United and Arsenal.
- Previous Article Moyes: Goals Were Top Quality
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Ian BuffelGreat performance all round boys, hope jags comes back fighting fit soon. Lets take all the positives from this game and put us back where we need to be in europe and at wembley. COYB IMWT :)Monday 4th March 10:06 Report Comment
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stig shimellsFellaini,Mirallas.Piennaar,Coleman were class the rest were just average but still a comfortable win keep it up lads !!Sunday 3rd March 19:58 Report Comment
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BRENDAN DALYI knew once mirallas got back in form we would pick up again hopefully the blip is over and when jelavic starts scoring we can finish the season the way we started and maybe some silverwareSunday 3rd March 13:34 Report Comment
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It would be easy to get all excited about Mike Bobo's recent comments indicating he might use A.J. Green in some new ways this season.
Talking with the Macon Telegraph, Bobo said he was considering sometimes using Green as a running back or having him take direct snaps in what some call the "Wild Dawg" formation.
"That's what you do as offensive coaches — you identify who you think the playmakers are and then you find a way to get them the ball, and obviously he's our No. 1 guy," Bobo said. "Really every game we go into it, we think, 'How do we get A.J. the ball out of this set? Is there something new that we can do?'"
But we should keep in mind that all during the 2009 preseason, Bobo kept teasing us with comments about special offensive packages that we might see, including some involving Logan Gray and the Wild Dawg offense.
As it actually played out, Gray's "special packages" consisted of being inserted into the game a few times for quarterback option runs so obviously telegraphed that everyone in the stadium knew they were coming. And while Branden Smith had a couple of scintillating touchdowns as a running back, Bobo never really did much with the Wild Dawg last year.
It's possible that having an inexperienced redshirt freshman quarterback this year might mean Bobo mixes it up a bit more to take some of the pressure off Aaron Murray.
And, certainly, moving Green around on the field would be a smart move, especially considering the double coverage he pulls in his usual spot.
Since this likely will be the last season the Dogs have him, I'd love to see some special plays for A.J. out of the backfield.
But considering Bobo's past record of talking a more varied game than he actually calls, I'll believe it when I see it. How about you?
Find me on Facebook.
And who'll be the 1,000th follower of the Blawg? As I write this we're getting close, so come join us on Twitter.
July 20th, 2010
11:00 am
July 20th, 2010
11:11 am
July 20th, 2010
11:14 am
Recipe for getting A.J. a knee injury. Simply too tall a guy to be running around in the Wild Dawg (really? Wild Dawg?).
If Bobo has a clue, I'll give him another clue: Get the ball to Green IN SPACE. You're welcome.
July 20th, 2010
11:17 am
Give the ball to Ealey 25-30 carries/game and UGA wins 11 with relative ease.
July 20th, 2010
11:22 am
Had to feel sorry for AJ Green last year. Cox kept throwing off target, over the middle passes to him that he really had to stretch for. I am surprised he was not seriously injured. Better hope that Bobo and Murray realize that or UGA might lose their best player.
July 20th, 2010
11:30 am
I'm with Dawg Trainer. This sounds like a 12 year old sat down after a round of grab a$$ with his buddies and started drawing out plays in the sand box…
July 20th, 2010
11:32 am
I say use AJ HOWEVER we can!!! It's clearly his last season, so I'd rather go this season knowing what we could do with him as opposed to forever wondering.
This is what we need to do to compete!! Enough of the conservative play calling!! Take some chances, and not only could Wins result, but some big time recruits may as well!!
GO DAWGS!!!! 47 Days!!!!
July 20th, 2010
11:33 am
AJ the best in the conference, He's set to have a stellar season.
July 20th, 2010
11:41 am
AJ may be our best weapon but he is not the only one. This team has multiple go-to guys. So yea, open up the offense, create some plays and show these weapons off!!!!
July 20th, 2010
11:49 am
Man I hope this is BS, if not this is not the way to receive a contract extension.
July 20th, 2010
11:55 am
Dawg Trainer stole my thunder. Completely agree. I'm all for getting Green the ball more in space but direct snaps in traffic for a guy that tall and lean is just asking for an injury. Not worth the risk at all.
July 20th, 2010
11:57 am
please don't call any "special formations" the wild dawg. that's terrible. anything else would be better.
July 20th, 2010
11:58 am
I agree that AJ should get as many touches as possible. He is your main guy on offense…well Orson Charles is a close second…but I would be afraid of some LB really teeing off on him coming out of the backfield in the Wild Dawg. He's not as thick as some WRs his height…see CJ, DT.
I hope AJ stays healthy all year…and can play in Game 12.
July 20th, 2010
12:03 pm
If you are going to use the wild dawg, I would much rather see Brandon Smith do it.
July 20th, 2010
12:23 pm
I'm telling you, Bobo now sees that Richt is serious (see Willie Martinez) about getting the ship righted. We will see a whole new Bobo this year. And that makes me happy!!!
July 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
Since when does height have anything to do with someone running from the "Wild Dawg" formation? These dumb comments are unbelievable. Just more of an indication that some people need to shut up and just watch the game vs. commenting on them.
I guess Vince Young is too tall to be running from the snap too, right?
July 20th, 2010
12:29 pm
GADawg in Iraq – Branden Smith (spelled with an "e") is my preference as well, for the record.
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
First off, Dawg Trainer ain't a Georgia fan. I AM a big fan of A.J. Green since his days at Summerville High coached by the legendary John McKissick. I simply don't want to see him hurt running a gimmick offense. A.J. is your prototypical long, lean WR. Vince Young could play linebacker if he wasn't a QB…completely different body types.
I will admit that A.J. could be effective as a dual threat if he could actually pass out of that formation, which makes Vince the threat he is. Nice try though, Tex…the Dawg Trainer has been involved in football since 1975. I have a LITTLE bit of knowledge.
July 20th, 2010
12:49 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Tucker and AJC Junkyard Blawg, Gordo. Gordo said: DawgFan A.J. Green in the Wild Dawg or is Bobo just teasing us again?: Is Mike Bobo serious about direct snaps to … http://bit.ly/cXuSEQ [...]
July 20th, 2010
1:04 pm
Yep, I'm pretty sure the ills of the last few years have been because there weren't enough gimmick plays.
July 20th, 2010
1:07 pm
Not only put AJ in the wild dawg, but Smith, Ealey, King and just pound them a few times. Then run some trick formations later with AJ in the back field just to keep the defense wondering.
July 20th, 2010
1:15 pm
I just heard GT rents their cheerleaders is this true? OMG, just to funny if so.
July 20th, 2010
1:36 pm
Remember the Kifins, "UGA is the easiest team on our schedule to prepare for. They've been doing the same thing for 10 years now."
Anyone expecting Mike Bobo to be creative is delusional.
July 20th, 2010
1:37 pm
yeah good call Will… 11 wins, easy. hahahahaha
July 20th, 2010
1:49 pm
TXDawg – height along with a lean build makes someone more injury prone due to the length of his stride. His body is more exposed and open to big hits vs. someone that runs with a short, choppy stride. Vince Young also has a much thicker build than AJ Green. Stop calling out others for voicing their valid opinions when you're apparently quite the idiot yourself.
July 20th, 2010
1:55 pm
Your stupid, no your stupid…..
July 20th, 2010
1:57 pm
Yeah, Joey. And the 45-19 result underscores the easy part. Of course, Willie did his part for the D.
July 20th, 2010
1:58 pm
No, "you're" stupid, Scott.
July 20th, 2010
2:00 pm
And just for the record, "1st" and "2nd" folks are stupid, too.
July 20th, 2010
2:00 pm
Nope, I used your specifically.
July 20th, 2010
2:02 pm
Did the "Lame Dawg" work against anybody other than Tennessee Tech? Scrap that BS. At least set it up so there is a chance that the single wing may do something other than run. don't announce to the world that we are putting Logan Gray in to run the Wild Dawg because, you see, then everyone knows what the dang play is going to be. As far as AJ running it, if you are afraid he will get hurt returning kicks, why on earth would you put him in this situation?
July 20th, 2010
2:03 pm
No way you use him in that formation. Risk of injury is much higher. He's the best reciever in the Nation – throw him the ball and let him do his thing.
July 20th, 2010
2:05 pm
Even if he does it will be 3 plays which will have been used up and known by the mid point of the season like Logan last yr.
July 20th, 2010
2:09 pm
Tick… tick… tick. Tuesday afternoon, and not a single UGA athlete has been arrested this week. The tension is almost unbearable.
Tick… tick… tick…
July 20th, 2010
2:22 pm
I would love to see AJ get the ball as much as possible. With an experienced O Line, great skill players, and a new QB, it seems we should keep things as simple as possible. I am the only one concerned about Murray getting hurt early?
July 20th, 2010
3:07 pm
Makes about as much sense as putting Logan Gray at linebacker.
July 20th, 2010
3:24 pm
Crackhead – that was good. When you have Smith, Ealey, King plus a QB who can move in the pocket keep your star WR doing what he does best – catching the ball. No need to waste him with some risky gimmick play.
July 20th, 2010
3:34 pm
Anyone remember Charles Grant? Donnan put him in the backfield and he left the field with a serious injury.
End-around, reverses, flee-flicker, that's gimmicky enough, you start with a direct snap, where Green is in the middle field where he could end up on the bottom of a big pile. That could spell disaster.
July 20th, 2010
3:35 pm
AJ needs 10 touches a game.
Olson needs 6 touches a game.
Ealey needs 20 touches a game.
Get the ball to playmakers. Compare how Bama uses Ingram (21 touches a game), Hernandez was used at Florida (6 touches a game), Percy was used at Florida (10+ touches a game).
That's how you win, stop the rotation garbage, it's NOT best practice, it's not what the champs are doing, Bobo's "rotate playmakers for weaker players" philosophy is not working, it's not averaging 40 points a game like Florida & Bama. Follow the leaders. Stop being so stubborn.
July 20th, 2010
3:38 pm
No way! Keep Green close to the line – not out of the back field. I would do nothing to jerpardize his health and running out of the back field can result in a hellaceous colllisions. No, No, No!
July 20th, 2010
3:56 pm
Freida tick tick tick..Nov is coming prepare to assume the position ! Bug!
July 20th, 2010
4:02 pm
I love the Wild Cat. I want more touches for AJ. but the guys that seem to thrive in that package are shorter and stockier- natural running backs(Ronnie Brown, Mike Vick, Ricky Williams, etc.). It helps if there is at least the threat of a pass or the point is moot. Does any one think Florida is worried about Green throwing on them? And to who? Dump to a TE for 8 yards? His talent is catching. Put some one els in at QB for any wild dawg stuff. If Green still draws double coverage, it will open the run which is what the Wild Cat is all about any way. If the defense stacks against the run, dump to A.J. and let HIM make a play. If we just have to have a gimmick for him, let's try a "hook and ladder".
July 20th, 2010
4:11 pm
Bobo is blowing smoke with this idea. You may see it in the first game just to give SOS something to think about. Wooten or Rambo along with Smith are actual weapons in the wilddog. Smith has the speed and Rambo and Wooten actuallt ran versions of the wilddog at times in high school.
July 20th, 2010
4:17 pm
I don't see why so many DCs semm confused by the "wild" formations. It seems to me that you could just blitz the hell out of them and maybe make some big defensive plays. Then again they don't pay me six figures to x and o defenses. Sorry about the typos, the key board and I don't seem to be getting along today.
July 20th, 2010
4:38 pm
Frieda is a rented Tech cheerleader… not many girls at GT… and some of 'em aren't girls !!!!
July 20th, 2010
4:57 pm
@ Will……..You are on the Money………Run the ball…..and we win out……its just that simple.
AJ is Great and we need him, but we have lots of good receiver's WR & TE. Now we need a defense that can finish the tackle. Athens Georgia……there is nowhere better for college football PERIOD ! ! !
July 20th, 2010
5:02 pm
I agree. Don't get crazy.
RUN the ball with your two star RB's!
July 20th, 2010
5:16 pm
How about hitting Green Down field on the stride AFTER handing it to Ealey a few times.
July 20th, 2010
5:23 pm
Wild Dawg, returning punts, end-around…how about some spread option?
July 20th, 2010
5:44 pm
Razzle Dazzle has been hit nad miss with the dawgs in the past few years. Dawgs just need to toughen up and play smash mouth football. Thats how its done in the SEC.


text:
Presenting one of my unique designs i have designed recently.It is a beautiful theme developed for all kinds of blogs.Developed on wordpress 2.7 framework.
It works beautifully with all the plugins available for wordpress.Simple forums have been tested on it and it works beautifully.
Theme has been tested on all modern browsers like
IE6,IE7, FF3, Opera,Flock,Chrome & Safari
Hope you all will like it.


text:
The incredible story of young film makers Bob Angell and Arthur Wooster, as they experimented with the technology of the future, using a pioneering 3D camera rig to film a remarkable 3D colour newsreel they named 'Royal Review'.
Their incredible footage includes the Queen attending a variety of Royal engagements in the weeks leading up to and after the Coronation in 1953: a very Royal Epson Derby in which the Queen's own horse competed; a trip down the Thames on the Royal Barge; a visit to Edinburgh; and the glittering Coronation Procession itself, with the Queen in her golden coach making her way to and from Westminster Abbey.
While Bob and Arthur reveal the story behind their film, historians, royal biographers and eye-witnesses give a sense of what it was like be there as they recall their poignant and often humorous accounts of the events.
And Bob and Arthur shoot new 3D footage of the Queen today using state-of-the-art video 3D cameras. Bob is invited to Buckingham Palace to film Her Majesty at a Royal Garden party and it turns out to be just as rainy as Coronation Day itself. And Arthur does some bird-watching, following the Queen to the historic swan-upping ceremony on the Thames, more than 50 years after he first filmed her in 3D on the river for 'Royal Review'.


text:
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Julie Bourguignon's curator insight, July 9, 2:34 AM
A variety of skills are needed to become a well-rounded individual. This supposes learning approaches tailored to facilitate acquisition of these skills.
Julie Lindsay's curator insight, September 1, 4:03 AM
We need to be considering multi-pedagogical learning as a consequence of integrating technology with learning.
Beth Dichter's curator insight, August 19, 6:36 PM
Here is a quick tutorial to teach you how to insert questions into eduCanon. You will need to have a video in mind.
* You can crop videos
* You can group videos together for lessons
* You can monitor student progress
"Watch the rest of 3 Minute Teaching with Tech Tutorials on this web page, or by opening this YouTube Playlist."
Gary Harwell's curator insight, August 19, 11:17 PM
Instead of putting on a video and relaxing, why not put in a quiz or some questions.......
Kelly Christopherson's curator insight, August 20, 11:37 AM
I like the idea of being able to insert questions and comments into videos that will be used with students, either large group or individual. It provides for formative quick checks to ensure students are on track and can generate discussions amongst groups or with the whole class. I also think that, giving students this option, they could create reactions by asking questions and direct their own learning through adding questions or comments to what they are viewing.
Frédéric DEBAILLEUL's curator insight, August 19, 7:09 AM
A essayer de toute urgence... Cet Illustrator Like est une véritable tuerie...
Willemijn Schmitz's curator insight, August 20, 12:56 AM
Ik ben benieuwd, ik heb al met diverse mensen een weddenschap lopen over de ondergang van Adobe. Dit ziet er uit als een serieuze bedreiging voor Adobe Illustrator!
niftyjock's curator insight, August 24, 3:16 PM
Once upon a time... Narratives are a great way to get information across.
Jo Blannin - The Know Tech Teacher's curator insight, August 25, 5:00 PM
Do you work with older students? Then you will enjoy this article about storytelling in learning. Great for introducing studnets to the need to structure online presentations as well as traditional, writing tasks.
Reading a good online presentation (from TED maybe) and then asking students to map the presentation to the story outline in this article will reinforce this learning for them.
Let me know if you give this a go - I've done similar activities with videos and story structures in primary schools and the students loved investigating the hidden structure!
Cindy Riley Klages's curator insight, July 31, 8:42 PM
Beth Dichter's insight:
Blendspace is joined Wikispaces and TES and now offers their premium services for free to educators! Why use Blendspace?
* It is easy to organize and share materials.
* The format is visual (which appeals to many learners).
* You pick the topic and you pick the materials: videos, links, images, files, etc.
There are additional features and you may use Blendspace to assess and track student progress. You might consider using Blendspace as a component to introduce blended learning into your class.
This post from Richard Byrne also includes a video that teaches you the basics of Blendspace as well as Flipping and Blending the Classroom.
Betty Skeet's curator insight, August 1, 9:11 AM
Possible dramatic changes in how lessons are prepared.
Stephen Bright's curator insight, July 29, 3:06 PM
Analysis from MIT about the features of online videos used in MOOCs that online learners prefer. Interesting analysis for MOOCs but these features could be applied to videos used in any implementation of blended learning.
Also shows that the slick, production theatre videos with a highly professional look may not be the ones that students prefer to watch.
Nigel Robertson 's curator insight, July 31, 5:04 AM
What we already knew and any academic should intrinsically understand this if they are in tune with the people they teach,
María Dolores Díaz Noguera's curator insight, September 11, 8:33 AM
Seven Ways to Increase Student Engagement in the Classroom
Lee Hall's curator insight, September 12, 12:52 PM
I plan to use the 3-2-1 method in my very next class. Great ideas.
Mary Starry's curator insight, September 13, 6:38 PM
Great graphic that summarizes things we've all heard before, but helps keep them in mind so we really do utilize them with students.
Manuel Mühlbauer's curator insight, November 14, 2013 3:09 AM
what might happen during your lifetime ???
Javier Antonio Bellina's curator insight, August 5, 10:56 AM
Interesante y original línea de tiempo futurista, iniciada en 2012.
Helen Teague's curator insight, August 3, 6:36 AM
Do students retain more information when they read from books rather than from digital devices? Does reading online present challenges due to distractions? Do students need to be taught skills to become better online readers?
Ruby Day's curator insight, August 3, 2:21 PM
Studies show we are not reading as effectively online as we are with hard copies. This highlights the need for tools to help us read deeper online - e.g annotation type tools. This links to an interesting stuy of year 5 students using collaborative annotation software demonstrating higher performance than the control group's' paper based annotation.
Bruno Winck, Kneaver's curator insight, August 1, 2:42 PM
You can't be good at everything, in some domains any hint for design is desirable. For me it's design.


text:
While I'll admit that I am easily excited (ahem, in the stamp/papercrafting arena), i was OVERJOYED beyond words when Jody forwarded THIS to me!
HERE is what she's talking about, in full, for your enjoyment and information. Amy did an AMAZING job, and we are so thrilled to have her!


text:
To perform a search, enter a keyword, phrase or item number in the search field and click "search."
We offer two ways to locate information:
Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.
Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.
Wines where earthy and/or spicy dominate the flavors – typically medium to full body.
Full bodied wines that have concentrated fruit and are higher in alcohol and/or tannins. Some need age.
All our vines are grown using biodynamic methods. We add no outside products to our wines, no acid, no cultured yeast, nutrients, enzymes or sugar. Enjoy seductive aromas, sublime flavors and a supple texture.
"The Potel 2006 Bonnes Mares is another case of truth in terroir, as it leads with a site-typical savagery of tart red fruits, pungent herbs, and smoked meats. Red currant, raspberry, sage, wormwood, sassafras, licorice, black tea, white pepper, and ham hock are all contributory to the rich, dense-packed, invigorating display, culminating in a finish that practically gangs up on your palate. This is not where to look for the gentle or subtle side of 2006 Burgundian Pinot, and it may never shed a certain rusticity of tannin. I would anticipate at least a dozen years of excitement from bottles. The wine was actually a bit reduced and needed time to gather its formidable forces before it really landed the first punch. "
94 Points
The Wine Advocate
"Bright red-ruby. Wild, briary red berries, mocha and licorice on the nose, accented by heady spices and herbs. Sweet, suave and pungent in the mouth, with a terrific peppery lift to the dense, palate-dusting flavors. Finishes broad and rather airy, with superb lift and perfume."
94 Points
International Wine Cellar
Nicolas Potel is one of a new breed of vinificateurs who are redefining the meaning of negociant. His father, the highly respected Gerard Potel, began a negoce house in the mid 1990s while manager of Domaine de la Pousse d'Or. Upon Gerard's death, Nicolas left the Domaine to take over the negoce business and his philosophy remains unchanged from when he worked with his father at...Read More About Nicolas Potel
The region of Burgundy is the fairytale land of vines. There are stories of kings, conquerors and commoners recounting the seductive effects of a Burgundian wine. Even now, many wine aficionados and lovers will pinpoint their most memorable wine moment at that first taste of an aged Burgundy. Much of this can be related to the terroir of Burgundy. Centuries of winemaking have...Read More About Burgundy
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Pinot Noir is a finicky grape. It only grows in
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it is so difficult is why it is so loved. Pinot Noir hails from Burgundy, a region known for crafting the most collectible and sought-after wines from this varietal.
Not only does Pinot reign in Burgundy, it is also...Read More About Pinot Noir
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text:
No, Chris isnt the sort of person who randomly walks out in the middle of class. Instead, while the rest of his classmates ponder the nuances of object-oriented programming, Feehan makes his way to Manitou Field for a different kind of challenge executing a defensive scheme as complex as the most convoluted computer code. As the lone computer science major on the football team, Feehan is an exception to some surprising trends when it comes to the academic preferences of St. Olaf athletes.
According to recently released 2006 data, the 423 majors that have been declared by St. Olaf athletes do not conform to patterns observed in the general student population. Ole athletes tend to forsake the fine arts (music, dance, theater, art) and humanities (languages, religion, history) in favor of more practical majors such as the natural sciences, mathematics and social sciences (such as economics and political science).
In some cases, these trends are extremely pronounced. For example, a male athlete on the Hill is twice as likely to be an economics major as an average St. Olaf male; a female Ole athlete is also nearly two-thirds more likely to be a math major than your average St. Olaf woman.
For Feehan, a four-year member of the football squad, some of these trends have been easy to identify, even as he proved an exception to the rule.
Starting football three years ago, I did notice that many of our guys were economics majors [nearly one-fourth of the current squad has declared the major], but it never really affected what I wanted to do with my life, said the Ole starting linebacker. Computer science and football are two of my main passions in life, and Ive stuck with them.
However, this calls to mind an important question: What might be some of the underlying reasons that those who participate in sports together have similar study interests? Sean Goldsworthy 94, a former two-sport athlete and current mens hockey coach, presents an interesting take on the phenomenon.
The business world is highly competitive, and thats going to attract a lot of Type A personality people, said Goldsworthy, whose squad also boasts over 25 percent economics majors. And most of these natural science kids enter medicine, which is probably the most competitive field there is today.
It makes sense that someone who thrives in a competitive environment, like athletes, would be lured into environments like business and medicine very challenging and hard-driving fields.
Kelly Dolan 07, St. Olafs top distance swimmer and an academic all-conference honoree, is one of eight (including all four seniors) math majors on the womens swimming and diving team. She echoed Goldsworthys sentiments that the competitive nature of sport helps funnel athletes into certain fields of study.
A lot of the athletes I know tend to gravitate towards competitive and challenging classes, Dolan said. Areas like the fine arts could be seen as more passive, and you could see a highly energized person getting bored in classes like that.
Dolan also did not discount the possibility that fellow teammates help influence the academic choices of certain athletes, such as those on her own team. "There are a lot of kids who come here undecided as to what theyre going to study, and because [athletes] spend so much time together, you talk to your teammates a lot and find out what theyre interested in, Dolan said. Someone might say I really liked this class or This professor was really great, and one class might lead to another until you become a major.
St. Olaf Associate Professor of Physical Education Gary Wicks has studied the academic preferences of Ole athletes in the past. His 2002 CILA (Center for Innovation in the Liberal Arts) presentation dealt with a recent book by James Schulman and William G. Brown entitled The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values, which makes a number of observations about the role of sports at academically elite colleges and universities.
While I think St. Olaf falls in line with some of the national trends, were also different in other ways, Wicks said. Were such a selective institution that most athletes come here for academic reasons rather than athletic ones. I also think the nature of our curriculum forces people to explore many different areas of study.
Wicks also discussed some of the potential pitfalls of athletes conforming too much into the same mold.
The authors of The Game of Life discussed how other extracurriculars can fall by the wayside [for athletes], creating what we might call a jock culture, Wicks said. Even though I dont think this is a huge problem at St. Olaf, athletes here tend to live together, eat in the Caf together and take many of the same classes. Yet Schulman and Browns exhaustive study found that although athletes at selective schools tend to do worse academically (i.e. grade-wise) than their non-athlete classmates, they also benefit from a consistent post-graduate earnings advantage over students at large. Oles such as Feehan confirm that even if St. Olaf does contain an element of jock culture, this isnt necessarily a bad thing.
Football is as big a draw as academics for many of our players, so it makes sense that they would find things in common with their teammates off the field, Feehan said. These guys are their best friends at school, and over four years you can grow very close.
In a society where sports clichés are ubiquitous in areas like business or sales, it appears that college athletes may already be primed for success in the outside world. Feehan, for one, sees many parallels between his studies in the computer lab and those on the gridiron.
Football and computer science are each taught in a very black and white sense, said Feehan, who worked for a San Francisco Bay Area software company this summer. If one little parenthesis is off in your code, the whole program might not work. In the same way, one misstep on the football field might lead to a blown coverage and a touchdown. Both activities require perfect precision.
Athlete or not, once the doors of St. Olaf close after four years, the real game of life truly begins. In todays competitive job market, those students hardened by the rigors of athletic competition may be the ultimate winners.


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Easy, Low-Maintenance Houseplants
5 Houseplants to Cure Your Black Thumb
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5 Houseplants to Cure Your Black Thumb
If you yearn for houseplants but don't have the best track record for keeping them alive, then 2014 might be the year to turn a new leaf. In honor of black thumbs everywhere, we've rounded up five (very) low-maintenance options that can withstand a little neglect.
Source: Zeke Ruelas for Emily Henderson


text: Posted Online: April 19, 2013, 7:23 pm AlWood schools consider building improvements Comment on this story By Sherrie Taylor, firstname.lastname@example.com WOODHULL — AlWood District school board members this week discussed what work will be done on district buildings, now that a one-cent sales tax to benefit Henry County schools has been approved. Superintendent Shannon Bumann said a priority project will be the gymnasium roof. "That project will be a couple hundred thousand dollars, a big ticket item," Mr. Bumann said. The sales tax, approved in a referendum April 9, will bring in an anticipated $3 million annually. The money will be divided among the nine school districts servicing the county, with each school's share to be determined by how many of their students live in Henry County. Passage of the tax "shows people in AlWood and Henry County care about their schools," Mr. Bumann said. The tax goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, and school districts should receive their initial distribution about three months after that, he said. The board also: — Transferred $125,000 from working cash to the education fund. — Accepted the resignations of Justin Miller as freshman boys basketball coach and Sara Humphrey as Middle School math teacher.


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Four miles northwest of Ambleside, the village of GRASMERE consists of an intimate cluster of grey-stone houses on the old packhorse road that runs beside the babbling River Rothay. Pretty it certainly is, but it loses some of its charm in high summer thanks to the hordes who descend on the trail of the village's most famous former resident, William Wordsworth (1770–1850). The poet, his wife Mary, sister Dorothy and other members of his family are buried beneath the yews in St Oswald's churchyard, around which the river makes a sinuous curl. There's little else to the village, save its gift shops, galleries, tearooms and hotels, though the lake is just a ten-minute walk away, down Redbank; tremendous views unfold from Loughrigg Terrace, on its southern reaches. A four-mile circuit of Grasmere and adjacent Rydal Water takes around two hours, with the route passing Wordsworth haunts Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage.Read More
Dove Cottage
Dove Cottage
Dove Cottage, home to William and Dorothy Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808, was the place where Wordsworth wrote some of his best poetry. Guides, bursting with anecdotes, lead you around the cottage rooms, little changed now but for the addition of electricity and internal plumbing. In the adjacent museum are paintings, manuscripts (including that of "Daffodils") and mementos of the so-called "Lake Poets", Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, as well as "opium-eater" Thomas De Quincey who also lived in the cottage for several years.
Rydal Mount
Rydal MountAt Dove Cottage Wordsworth had been a largely unknown poet of straitened means, but by 1813 he'd written several of his greatest works (though not all had yet been published) and had been appointed Westmorland's Distributor of Stamps, a salaried position which allowed him to take up the rent of a comfortable family house. Rydal Mount remained Wordsworth's home from 1813 until his death in 1850, and the house is owned by descendants of the poet. You're free to wander around what is essentially still a family home, as well as explore Wordworth's cherished garden.


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Kia's Optima T-Hybrid is an efficient diesel-hybrid we're itching to get in North America
Kia's Sorento gains evolutionary design changes and an all-new platform for 2015
Kia is introducing a new diesel-hybrid variant of its Optima midsize sedan at this year's Paris Motor Show
This funky electric hatch definitely has Soul
The full-sized family sedan segment is only getting better and sportier, so here's your go-to guide on how they stack up
Minivan blues got you down? With fresh style and new toys inside, Kia's Sedona is the adventure vessel for you
There's very little to dislike about mid-sized hybrid sedan
We've sourced out which CUVs offer the most "trunk" space behind the rear seats
Fun-to-drive hatchback is big on entertainment and easy on the wallet
If you're in need of an affordable way to get around and need the convenience of your own wheels, look no further
Ottawa man seeks a sporty-driving crossover to replace his Subaru Forester
For as long as cars have existed, drivers have sought to be informed and entertained while on the road
Third-generation three-row SUV gets a streamlined new look for the 2016 model year
Kia's incredibly frugal Pro_cee'd SE hatchback would be a perfect fit for Canada
You don't have to be young to appreciate Kia's funky, fun-to-drive hatchback
J.D. Power has revealed its Initial Quality Survey results for 2014, and here's a look at this year's winners.
Calgarian finds substantial improvement in completely redesigned car
These cutting-edge prototypes turned a lot of heads when they made their auto show debuts
Kia is considering a new plant in Monterrey, Mexico to meet increased demand in the U.S.
Is the Kia Sorento the station wagon for the modern era?