OT: Cool Culture Critic thread on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . . .
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 21 Replies
Culture Critic
@Culture_CritJan 23 • 14 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
Reminder that Cleopatra lived closer in time to today than to the construction of the pyramids.
Of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid is by far the oldest - yet the only one still standing.
So what happened to the others...? 🧵
1. Colossus of Rhodes:
A war memorial built in 282 BC on the Greek island of Rhodes, marking victory over a great siege on the city.
Rhodians melted down the enemy's bronze and iron weaponry and erected a colossus of the sun god Helios - about the size of the Statue of Liberty.
After just 50 years it was toppled by an earthquake. It lay in ruin for centuries (we don't know precisely where) until the pieces were sold off.
It was so great that people still came to visit the fragments - Pliny the Elder said few could wrap their arms around its thumbs.
2. Lighthouse of Alexandria
The youngest of the ancient wonders, built in the 3rd century BC. Alexandria was then a crucial trade port - the gateway to the Mediterranean.
It was around 400 feet tall, the world's second tallest structure for centuries behind the Great Pyramid.
The lighthouse survived for over 1,400 years. It was gradually destroyed by earthquakes during the medieval period and fell into the sea.
A major discovery occurred in 1994 - some of its remains were found on the harbour seafloor, as well as several statues (pictured).
3. Temple of Artemis
Initially a Bronze Age shrine at Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). It was destroyed by flooding, rebuilt, then destroyed again by arson.
The third temple was the greatest, and it stood for around 600 years. It was huge - twice the size of the Parthenon.
Paganism was threatened as Christianity swept through the Roman Empire, and in 391 AD, the temple was closed by the Emperor Theodosius.
It was finally torn down by a mob in 401 AD. Only a single column remains today, but some fragments are kept at the British Museum.
4. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
An enormous tomb built in 350 BC for Mausolus, a ruler of Caria (then part of the Persian Empire).
Crowned by a mighty four-horse marble chariot, it was so great that Mausolus's name stuck as the generic word for funeral monument buildings.
A series of earthquakes destroyed it in the 13th century and some fragments were used to build Bodrum Castle.
You can still visit its foundations in Bodrum (modern-day Turkey) and many of its original statues and reliefs - some of which are now kept in the British Museum.
5. Statue of Zeus
A 41-foot statue of Zeus, the greatest of the Greek gods, erected inside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
It was made in 435 BC from gold and ivory, decorated with precious stones, polished bone and ebony. Zeus's head was crowned with golden olive shoots.
By the end of the 6th century AD it was lost.
We don't know for sure what happened, but the temple was closed in the 4th century when Theodosius banned pagan worship. Some say the statue was taken to Constantinople and destroyed in the fire of the Palace of Lausus.
6. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The gardens are said to date to c.600 BC, built by Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife.
Babylonian priest Berossus described them as a series of terraces supported by stone columns and irrigated by pumps from the Euphrates river.
It's the only ancient wonder that we haven't been able to locate. Whether or not the gardens existed at all has been debated for centuries.
No archaeological evidence has yet been found, but they were said to lie in the ancient city of Babylon - near present-day Hillah, Iraq.
If you enjoy threads like this you will definitely like this (free) weekly newsletter:
Subscribe | Culture Critic
http://culturecritic.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• • •
Major Applewhite sighting
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 30 Replies
The new head coach for South Alabama in Mobile was here to watch some of his former players in the Senior Bowl.
Instant WBB Analysis: Hello, 2 seed! Vic's Longhorns suffocate NO.2 KSU
- By Ketchum
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 27 Replies
Cliffs Notes: After losing in Manhattan earlier in the season, Texas picked up some revenge on Sunday in beating No.2 Kansas State 61-54 at the Moody Center.
The Participants: No.12 Texas (20-3, 7-3 Big 12) and No.2 Kansas State (20-2, 9-1 Big 12)
Pre-Game NET Rankings: Texas (No.4) and Kansas State (No. 9)
Pre-Game RPI Rankings: Texas (No.17) and Kansas State (No.12)
Game MVP: Freshman Madison Booker might have 7 turnovers and wasn't exactly efficient with her scoring, but she led the Longhorns with 20 points and 6 assists. Shout out to Taylor Jones (13 points and 8 rebounds) and Aaliyah Moore (10 points and 15 rebounds), as the "Big Three" combined for 43 of the team's 61 points and 26 rebounds.
Unsung Hero: You never know if you're going to get anything from the Texas bench, but senior Deyona Gaston scored 8 points on a perfect 4 of 4 shooting from the floor, which proved to be critical on a night when the Texas starting backcourt combined for 3 points on 1 of 10 shooting.
Key moment: Things were looking a little shaky in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as a 17-point lead dwindled to 7 points after a 10-0 run by the Wildcats, but a Jones rebound of Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda's missed lay-up and out-back extended the Texas lead back to 9 points and essentially sealed the game.
Three-point shooting...win: It's kind of hard to believe, but the Longhorns were 3 of 12 from three-point range, while KSU was 3 of 21. That's a rare three-point shooting win for the Longhorns.
Thing You Need to Know: Texas won this game before the 4th quarter ever started, as the Longhorns won each of the first three quarters and led by 12 going into the fourth quarter. A big part of that advantage was dominating on the glass, as the Longhorns won the board battle 39-30.
ESPN Bracketology: The win over Baylor put the Longhorns on the 2-seed line and the Longhorns only solidified its position with today's win.
The Participants: No.12 Texas (20-3, 7-3 Big 12) and No.2 Kansas State (20-2, 9-1 Big 12)
Pre-Game NET Rankings: Texas (No.4) and Kansas State (No. 9)
Pre-Game RPI Rankings: Texas (No.17) and Kansas State (No.12)
Game MVP: Freshman Madison Booker might have 7 turnovers and wasn't exactly efficient with her scoring, but she led the Longhorns with 20 points and 6 assists. Shout out to Taylor Jones (13 points and 8 rebounds) and Aaliyah Moore (10 points and 15 rebounds), as the "Big Three" combined for 43 of the team's 61 points and 26 rebounds.
Unsung Hero: You never know if you're going to get anything from the Texas bench, but senior Deyona Gaston scored 8 points on a perfect 4 of 4 shooting from the floor, which proved to be critical on a night when the Texas starting backcourt combined for 3 points on 1 of 10 shooting.
Key moment: Things were looking a little shaky in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as a 17-point lead dwindled to 7 points after a 10-0 run by the Wildcats, but a Jones rebound of Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda's missed lay-up and out-back extended the Texas lead back to 9 points and essentially sealed the game.
Three-point shooting...win: It's kind of hard to believe, but the Longhorns were 3 of 12 from three-point range, while KSU was 3 of 21. That's a rare three-point shooting win for the Longhorns.
Thing You Need to Know: Texas won this game before the 4th quarter ever started, as the Longhorns won each of the first three quarters and led by 12 going into the fourth quarter. A big part of that advantage was dominating on the glass, as the Longhorns won the board battle 39-30.
ESPN Bracketology: The win over Baylor put the Longhorns on the 2-seed line and the Longhorns only solidified its position with today's win.
Texas BASEBALL - 2024 Alumni Game Thread (Final Thoughts - pg4)
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 122 Replies
Here are the times and information for the 2024 Texas Baseball Alumni game tomorrow at Disch-Falk Field. Weather is supposed to be 70 degrees, so head out to the ballpark and enjoy that RF video board...and a beer or two.
If you are going to the game, give me a shout and I will try to stop by and say hi.
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
If you are going to the game, give me a shout and I will try to stop by and say hi.
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
-
Locked
The TCH War Room: "We're gonna run that shit"
- By Ketchum
- Inside the War Room
- 80 Replies
(Alex)
* As I passed along on Tuesday night, Christian Jones and T'Vondre Sweat have both had above-expectation weeks of Senior Bowl practices and have both most certainly made themselves some money. On Wednesday particularly -- the first day in full pads -- Sweat was virtually unstoppable while Jones continues to look like one of the better OTs in Mobile.
* One NFL scout actually told me that Christian Jones looks like a better pass-protection tackle than highly regarded Houston OT Patrick Paul. That was not a sentiment I came into the week expect to hear from someone working for an actual NFL team.
* I was able to talk briefly with Sweat and asked him a few questions. Like who the toughest offensive line he faced this season was, in a year where Texas faced the one voted as the best in the nation, along with Alabama and an OU line that features two players in here Mobile for the Senior Bowl. "I don't think anyone got the best of me, and that with as humble as I can be that I'll say that, but I do give kudos to Wyoming. That was the best O-line we played."
* On what the culture feels like at Texas now compared to when he got to school: "It's a lot man. I'll just say this: Texas is back. And everybody keeps saying, 'Oh, Texas and the SEC' but we're gonna run that shit."
* On how Sydir Mitchell is looking: "Great. I'm looking for them all to take the next step, because you got Alfred, you got Vernon, you have Sydir and ... listen, everybody don't know who Jarary Bledsoe is, but I can promise you, you are gonna know Jaray Bledsoe soon enough, yes sir."
* "I feel like those guys are going to tear it up just like me and Murphy did, man," Sweat said, "they have the opportunity now. They got recruited just like we got recruited. They had to grow just like we had to grow. Now, they finally have their opportunity and now everybody is going to see."
* Some scouts have just a few general worries about Sweat despite his dominant 2023 season and continued domination at the Senior Bowl. Sweat elected to not weigh in with the rest of the players to start the week, at this point, he may have weighed in later, but I have not heard about it. Some scouts early on wondered why. The concern is his conditioning and ability to stay on the field at the next level for extended periods. Also, one scout said he's only viewing him as a nose tackle and not a three-technique DT. With all this said, the overriding sentiment is that Sweat has positioned himself to where a first-round pick, while not a lock, would be perfectly reasonable to expect barring unforeseen setbacks through the process.
* Christian Jones said of the Texas culture: "The everyday grind of understanding each other and putting the person before the athlete also. Coach Sark, not introducing but enforcing a way to really be part of a real team."
* On the growth of the offensive line: "It's Coach Flood. It's Torre Becton developing us on the field and in the weight room strength-wise. Kyle Flood is a great teacher. He's patient and he's demanding. He's able to get the best out of us. I would say that if you're able to work with Coach Flood, take that opportunity because it will change your life."
* On the young players on the offensive line: "I think people know (backup RT) big Cam (Williams). He's fixing to come in and do amazing. Keep an eye out for him, I'm telling you he's going to make some major waves. There won't be much of a dropoff in talent at all. All of the young guys are doing really good, credit to Coach Flood again. The room is very deep and they're all eager and they're challenging each other."
* Jones is very polite and didn't want to single out one 2023 player who really has stood out to him electing to be very politically savvy and say that they are all doing great, but in passing the one player that he brought up as really having improved was Andre Cojoe when answering a different question about Flood's development of players in the program.
* On Arch Manning: "He's a great individual. Great upbringing and super-respectful. He knows who he is and knows how to carry himself. Great manners and such a cool guy. Really down to earth."
* On the toughest player he faced in 2023: "Bralen Trice (Washington EDGE), he has a motor. He's a great player and we had our battles."
* Former Texas CB Ryan Watts is playing in the Shrine Game this evening, and is doing so as a safety. He's making the transition to safety at the next level. I did notice that Watts was clocked for one of the highest on field speeds in his position group on Sunday. I reached out to someone in attendance to ask if this was the case -- as the knock against Watts in this process will be his speed. I was told that this person said he knew the exact play he was clocked on that speed, and unfortunately, this scout said that it was on a play where he missed his coverage against Mississippi State WR Ledeatrick Griffin and was having to really cover ground to try and catch him.
* Some Washington coaches were at the Senior Bowl to support Michael Penix and others. I sat with one for a while and asked him about Jabbar Muhammad who transferred to Oregon and why he thought he wouldn't have gone to Alabama or Texas. This was an assistant DBs coach, so obviously he has pretty good knowledge of the player. He said that Muhammad would have never gone to Texas, even if he had a cousin there, because Texas didn't show him any love as a recruit and he holds grudges very close and basically lives life with a chip on his shoulder.
* I asked the same coach what it was like having his guys go against Rome Odunze and Jeran McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk in practice all the time. He said that of course it helps and mentioned what he likes about them all -- Rome as an all-around receiver; Jaren McMillan as a mismatch in the slot and Ja'lynn Polk being the total alpha of the group. I was shocked and asked "isn't Rome the alpha? He's going to be like a Top 10 pick." This guy just laughed and said I had no idea and that Ja'Lynn Polk is the big dog of that group of receivers. Just something to file away.
* I talked to Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith after one practice and asked him what he thought of new Aggies coach Mike Elko. He said he was a huge fan of the hire then something else interesting: It's what we need. I really think he's going to come in and get that whole program turned around and on the right track." So, while it is an endorsement, it goes to show that a talented ex-Aggie is in the spot that Texas has found itself in lately all too often: hoping for a turnaround and placing those hopes on a new coach. Thankfully, Texas feels like it's in a vastly different place now.
* Speaking of Sark and the program, I talked to someone with knowledge of the goings on around recruiting in the portal with Texas and recent signees like Isaiah Bond. I asked this person about the Lamborghini photos on social media, and told him that Bond needs to not get in trouble for driving too fast. He said that Sark doesn't like players getting fast cars and that the Lambo stuff is more for show and having some fun. "He don't really like that fast car shit," the person said.
* It would make sense then, that I heard from a totally unrelated person (before even leaving town on Monday) that Matthew Golden and Colin Simmons both got new NIL-deal vehicles last Friday now that they are on campus. I asked what kind of car Simmons got and he said that Simmons just said he wanted a pickup truck. "He's a pretty laid-back guy, very polite. He looks ready to play," the person said.
*****
(Anwar)
* The staff is wrapping up their final week on the road before the recruiting dead period begins on Monday. Many of the visits were simple check-ins with high school coaches and having an on-campus presence. However, as you know, the staff did visit with recruits who were high on their priority list.
* Since the staff has been on the road, I was told they would begin to focus on winter conditioning workouts next week. This will be their first in-person opportunity to witness how strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton and his staff are preparing their players for the upcoming season.
* One person associated with the program said the workouts have been “hard as hell.” The workouts have been so challenging because Becton has a larger number of new players in the program. I was previously told, “The plan is to regress the program's complexity, become good at the foundation of lifting and running, plus teach concepts. Once the foundation is set, you can expect a return to the norm during the summer to prepare for the season.”
* I asked if any leaders are helping the new guys during their transition and was told they are in the process of building and supporting those guys. A few key players this staff intends to lean on are quarterback Quinn Ewers, EDGE Barryn Sorrell, and left tackle Kelvin Banks.
* This will be a big offseason for defensive lineman Alfred Collins. One person told me they believe Collins could be the best player in college football if he continues to progress. I was told, “When you look at this man, you sit there and say, here's a guy that's that big, but he’s still young. When you think about it, as we grow as men, things change with us. How we look at things, how we perceive things. But when we're young, it's kind of like I messed this up. You take notes of what you’re doing. I think that's the thing with Alfred. He’s taking the positive of things that he's doing, and making him better and building off of it.”
* One person told me Ethan Burke’s biggest improvement last season was his ability to embrace the mental aspect of football. I was told Burke increased his film study and is one of the most competitive players on last year’s defense, and the staff is optimistic he could have a breakout season.
*****
(Suchomel)
* We’re less than a week away from NSD2, but there’s not a ton of activity left for Texas in the 2024 cycle. Most of the focus for the UT staff is on the underclassmen in the 2025 and 2026 classes. We decided to check with some West Coast and Florida sources to get some updates on profiles in those areas.
* Five-star RB Jordon Davison, out of Mater Dei in Cali, continues to look like a very real option for Texas in the 2025 cycle. One source said it looks to be a Texas-Ohio State battle (I agree, FWIW), with Georgia and Oregon also in the race.
* Alabama was thought to be a player for Davison when Nick Saban was there but this source said Davison is looking for a certain style of offense and Kalen DeBoer’s offenses don’t really fit Davison’s style. “He’s more of a between the tackles type of runner. He can get to the outside, but he’s more of a banger. Texas makes sense there. He’s always fashioned himself after Ezekiel Elliott so Ohio State makes a lot of sense too.”
* Davison’s teammate, 2025 WR Marcus Harris, has been high on Texas for a while. A source this week said things are still up in the air for Harris, but listed Texas and Oregon as the top two. Tennessee and Ohio State were others that were mentioned.
* Offensive lineman John Mills attended UT’s junior day in January. I’m told Mills is “wide open right now” but has about eight schools that are in play. “I would say probably Michigan, Texas and maybe A&M now that they’re involved.”
* Potential five-star corner Dijon Lee Jr. has already visited Texas once, but it sounds like the Longhorns are behind with the Mission Viejo (CA) standout. “Now that Donte (Williams) moved to Georiga, I think Georgia is a serious competitor. USC will be in there. Texas might be in there, but I feel like if he’s going to leave California it would be to go to Georgia to be with Donte.”
* Texas offered wide receiver Jaime Ffrench this week. Ffrench, out of Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin, decommitted from Alabama when Nick Saban retired. Rivals.com analyst John Garcia on where things stand with Ffrench, a possible five-star in the 2025 cycle …
“I talked to him over the weekend. The good news for Texas or anyone else, he’s totally resetting. It’s not something he envisions finishing soon, even though had offers since like the eighth grade. He’s an alpha, WR1 kind of guy, so you can kind of construct the type of school that will contend with him. Texas is one of those types of schools. He committed to Bama, decommitted when Nick retired. He says Bama is still in it, but he’s going to start taking those visits outside of the region. Texas offering, I think will ultimately lead to him taking a visit there.”
* Five-star wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. committed to Colorado pretty early but then opened things up in November. Texas offered very early and Watkins is now considering all options.
“He’s similar to Ffrench in that he’s resetting things,” Garcia said. “He’s a Fort Myers kid, so when Deion (Sanders) offered him, he jumped at it sight unseen. He has since slowed down. He’s really started to look at programs and offenses. He’s a slot, a power slot, so I think the creative playcallers are always going to contend for guys like that. He’s not at IMG anymore, so that’s big for his recruitment. He’ll now see who truly covets his commitment. He told me that. I think like Jaime (Ffrench), both of those go close to the whole way.”
* While I had Garcia on the line, I asked him what Texas defensive tackle commitment Brandon Brown brings to the table.
“Every chance I have to talk about Brandon, it’s always really positive, always about him wrecking games, what he’s already done. … He’s really one of the most college ready game wreckers in the 2025 class, especially on the interior … I think that was a banner win for Texas. That would be a banner signing for Texas should they hold on. It will be contested all the way through though because of the caliber of player he is.”
*****
(Ketch)
* With the loss on Director of Player Personnel Billy Glasscock to Ole Miss on Friday, it can't be stressed enough how important a number of people feel like Director of Recruiting Brandon Harris will be a major piece of the puzzle when it comes to filling the void left by Glasscock in a number of capacities that Glasscock took on. It can't be stressed enough that Harris is viewed as the most important behind the scenes rock star on the staff.
* I was told that Glasscock going to Ole Miss is ultimately a move that Steve Sarkisian was ok with. There were no hard feelings involved. Also, don't mistake any of this as a suggestion that Glasscock wasn't an important cog in the machine because everyone has really positive things to say about what he's done here and he was described as a guy others liked to be around. Again, there's a lot of confidence in the overall infrastructure that in place.
Nice Bijan article with some good highlights
- By HornLegacy
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 0 Replies
Guy is special. Their coach was an idiot which I know is not a news flash.
www.foxnews.com
Falcons' Bijan Robinson reveals secret sauce behind explosive plays, reviews rookie season
Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson emerged as a fan favorite in the NFL in 2023 and wowed fans with some of his explosive plays.
