The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information Recent archaeological breakthroughs in Pompeii home to the UNESCO World Heritage property ‘Archaeological Areas of Pompei Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata’ continue to unveil astonishing new insights into Roman civilization includes the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum along with notable villas such as the Villa of the Mysteries preserved under layers of volcanic ash following the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD provide an unparalleled window into the past The World Heritage Centre welcomes the recent announcement by the Ministry of Culture of Italy that archaeological research of the past months in Pompeii uncovered an opulent private villa complete with a grand bath complex and banqueting hall was undergoing renovations at the time of the eruption The bath complex stands out as one of the largest private bathing facilities ever found in Pompeii It includes a sophisticated plumbing system and a cold-water pool large enough to accommodate 30 people Researchers believe the villa belonged to Aulus Rustius Verus who likely used the space to host lavish banquets solidifying his social and political status Recognized as an exceptional archaeological treasure the property continues to benefit from dedicated efforts to ensure its long-term conservation and management in collaboration with ICOMOS International as an Advisory Body to the World Heritage Committee has been actively engaged in monitoring its preservation and supporting initiatives to enhance its protection The recent discovery provides deeper insight into the daily life and social structures of ancient Pompeii shedding light on the ways in which architecture It underscores the continuous potential for archaeological exploration to reveal new dimensions of history this discovery stands as a testament to the richness and complexity of humanity’s shared heritage It serves as a powerful reminder that history is still unfolding with untold stories waiting to be revealed Protecting and exploring these treasures remains essential to passing them on to future generations Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre LBV Magazine English Edition In a city doomed to eternity by the fury of Vesuvius, every stone, every crack, and every object tells a story. The most recent comes from the House of Helle and Phrixus a modestly sized yet richly decorated home whose final moments have been reconstructed thanks to archaeological research published in the E-Journal degli Scavi di Pompei the digital platform that documents scientific findings from the site The scene is heartbreaking—a bed placed crosswise to block the entrance to a bedroom a desperate gesture by its occupants to protect themselves from the rain of lapilli—fragments of volcanic rock—that fell mercilessly during the initial phases of the eruption have been recovered using the plaster casting technique which allows the shapes of objects to be reconstructed from the voids left by decomposed organic matter whose bulla—a bronze amulet worn by Roman boys until adulthood—lies as a silent testimony to a life cut short located near the already well-known House of Leda and the Swan was excavated as part of consolidation and restoration work on the boundaries between explored and still-buried areas Its layout includes an atrium with an impluvium—the characteristic basin for collecting rainwater—a bedroom (cubiculum) a dining room (triclinium) with walls adorned with frescoes and a covered area with an opening in the roof that forcing the inhabitants to take refuge in vain behind an improvised barrier Evidence suggests that the house was undergoing major renovations at the time of the catastrophe: torn-up thresholds and cut marks on the walls of the main entrance confirm this Perhaps they believed the thick walls would protect them The final and deadliest phase of the eruption—a pyroclastic flow of burning ash—destroyed everything The name of the domus comes from a fresco found in the triclinium depicting the Greek myth of Phrixus and Helle The masterfully rendered scene captures the tragic moment when Helle falls into the sea during their escape on the back of the winged ram Chrysomallos The choice of theme is no coincidence: by the 1st century AD these stories had already lost their original religious significance but they remained a symbol of cultural and economic status among the middle and upper classes Among the discoveries is a set of amphorae stacked in a storeroom—some containing remnants of garum the famous Roman fish sauce—and a set of bronze tableware including a jug together with the bodies and the barricaded bed Excavating Pompeii means confronting the beauty of art shows us people who tried to save themselves the House of Helle and Phrixus adds a new—intimate and devastating—chapter to the chronicle of that day Parco Archeologico di Pompei M. Rispoli, M. Tartari, G. Zuchtriegel, Disastri stratificati: nuovi dati dalla Casa di Hele e Frixo – Regio V, insula 6, civico 10. E-Journal Scavi di Pompei 30.04.25 Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Archaeologists from universities in the United States and Denmark found deep within the Actun Uayazba Kab cave in Belize two small stone tools dated between 250 and 900 AD that… men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju A team of researchers has succeeded in recreating for the first time in a laboratory experiment a phenomenon that until now only existed as a theory in the realm of… the Cantonal Archaeology of Aargau carried out a rescue excavation between early May 2024 and the end of March 2025 The Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a group of defensive structures and a system of moats that could indicate… In the southeastern area of the city of Rome archaeologists excavating inside the Triton Baths within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette… Why did some animals from ancient eras become fossils while others simply disappeared without a trace A recent study on the cave paintings of the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar Cantabria (Spain) has concluded that some of the artworks it contains could be much older… A team of paleontologists from the University of Leicester has managed to decipher one of the many enigmas of the dinosaur era—the exact moment when pterosaurs Rome achieved numerous military victories that allowed it to grow and dominate nearly the entire known world in Antiquity Receive our news and articles in your email for free You can also support us with a monthly subscription and receive exclusive content POMPEI è MUSICA SECOND SEASON OF CONCERTS AT THE AMPHITHEATRE OF POMPEII FROM 27 JUNETO 5 AUGUST 202514 live events with international and Italian artists ranging from classical music to pop  the season of musical events at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii kicks off with fourteen live concerts in the amphitheatre featuring famous artists from Italy and abroad It opens with two concerts by the tenor Andrea Bocelli and continues in late July with the concert by the conductor Riccardo Muti This is followed by the festival “BOP – Beats of Pompeii which features a star-studded line up of artists of various genres and backgrounds performing at the amphitheatre: Nick Cave It promises to be a wonderful journey through a wide range of genres and styles and brings together music The amphitheatre of Pompeii,a place that is a symbol of ancient and modern history thatPink Floyd played a historic concert behind closed doors making the amphitheatre one of the most iconic settings for live music in the collective consciousness The season of concerts is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Culture and the ArchaeologicalPark of Pompeii in conjunction with the Pompei city council andRegione Campania(the regional government of Campania) Theartistic director of the BOP festival is Giuseppe Gomez while the technical organisation is provided by two companies: Blackstar Entertainment andFast Forward " Pompei è Musica’ will not just provide the opportunity to enjoy performances by artists of the calibre of Jean-Michel Jarre whose album Oxygènemarked a watershed for me and an entire generation combining melodies and the use of synthesisers it will also represent theunion of cultural heritage and cultural activities without which these marvellous places cannot come to life and breathe I hope that Pompeii becomes a model for the whole of Italy and an icon the world over partly for this reason" This was the statement released by Gianmarco Mazzi,Undersecretary of State for Culture with specialresponsibility forthe music sector “With UNESCO we often refer to intangible heritage all cultural heritage should be considered intangible which naturally needs to be cared for and monitored simply provides the basis for their tangible their “spiritual” dimension; in other words their capacity to transform our lives and our experience of the world through the encounter with the Other bringing music to the site of Pompeii is not just a supplementary initiative but an integral part of our project designed to safeguard investigate and ensure accessibility to archaeological heritage.We hope it can provide a model for many other cultural sites which are not always experienced by the community as a whole and the public in their transformative dimension we need to make it accessible to everyone.” “The encounter between music and archaeology has always fascinated artists especially in order to understand the connection between art and sound Demonstrating that it is indeed possible to match the art of music with the art of frescoes the ancient domus and  mosaicswas also one of the theories that made the history of world music: Pink Floyd in the amphitheatre of Pompeii It was also the idea of one of the most important exponents of abstract art Wassilly Kandinsky who argued that painting is an art that closely resembles music and is therefore capable of conveying emotions in abstract form attracts the attention of the observer without necessarily narrating or describing aspects of objective reality These are the themes that underpin “Bop-Beats of Pompeii” a festival where archaeology encounters the music of international artists to give life to a unique unrepeatable performance”- stated Carmine Lo Sapio the artistic director of the festival who has plenty of experience working in Campania “is also a reflection of the vibrant cultural lifeof Naples andCampania which are becomingincreasingly important players on the international arts scene The festival offers an opportunity to promote the territory providing incentives for local tourism and supporting the local economy.” It is an opportunity not to be missed for anyone who wants to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience immersed in music The tickets for the eleven events are already available on Ticketone Vivaticket (only two events) and will soon be available on Ticketmaster  Andrea Bocelli 27 and 28 June 2025 (start time9.30 pm) The famous tenor will be the star of two concerts held at the amphitheatre of Pompeii on  27 and 28 June 2025 accompanied by the Orchestra I Filarmonici di Napoliand theThat’sNapolichoir conducted by CarloMorelliwhose public relations institutional relations and image are handled by Dr Theconcert is organised byDuePuntiEventi withKlassics MusicManagementand Almud Edizioni Musicali in conjunction with theArchaeological Park of Pompeii and with the economic support of the city council of Pompei Tickets are on sale online and in TicketoneandVivaticket sales outlets For advance ticket sales,clickHERE Maestro Muti will conduct the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini the orchestra founded in 2004 on his own initiative and made up of 130 extraordinary musicians aged between 18 and 30 years old is making a return to the Naples area after an absence of two years from venues in Campania.With hertour"Seinell’Anima- Festival European Leg 2025" Gianna Nannini will offer her audience intense emotions and her evergreen hits including timeless classics such as"Bello e impossibile"and"Meravigliosacreatura",alternating with more recent songs.Renowned for her gravelly voice and captivating charisma capable of combining rock energy and melody.This eagerly awaited concertwill bring together generations offansfora musical journey full of passion andauthenticity On Wednesday02July (start time9.15 pm)the festival continues with Dream Theater the American prog-metal band founded in Boston in 1985 After delighting Italian audiences with recent indoor concerts in Milan and Rome Dream Theater begin their summer tour by continuing the celebrations of the “40thAnniversaryTour” performing new songs taken from their long-awaited album “Parasomnia”released last February It is an unmissable opportunity for their fans who will get the chance to immerse themselves in their unmistakeable sound ranging from timeless classics to new tracks full of the intensity of rock and technical mastery This emotional journey covers four decades of history For advance ticket sales,clickHERE&HERE Saturday05 July (start time 9.15 pm) will be the turn of the French artist Jean-Michel Jarre,c onsidered one of the pioneers of electronic music and an innovator in terms of the organisation of his live concerts The concert will beaccompanied by fireworks laser beams and stunning sets that provide a fitting backdrop to his music often performed with futuristic instruments The fourth concert is on Saturday 12 July (start time 9.15 pm) with the singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti Venditti returns to live performance with the show “Notte prima degli esami 40th Anniversary – 2025 Edition” celebrating four decades of one of the most iconic hits of Italian music In the fascinating setting of the amphitheatre,Venditti will offer the audience an unforgettable evening.He will perform the most moving songs from his repertoire performing the generational anthem “Notte prima degli esami” and the hits from his album “Cuore” (1984) the StefanoBollaniQuintet will perform on the stage of the amphitheatre.The famouspianist,composer and TV personality renowned for the programme Via dei Matti n°0 on Rai 3 will give an exclusive concert with an exceptional line-up of musicians will be joined by some of the great names of international jazz: Vincent Peirani on the accordion Jeff Ballard on drums (both of whom have worked with Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau) andMauro Refosco on percussion renowned for his collaborations with DavidByrne ThomYorke(Radiohead)and the RedHotChiliPeppers The concert promises to combine virtuosity creativityand a rich repertoire of emotions for an unforgettable evening not just for jazz fans but for all music lovers marks the return to Campania of Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals one of the most iconic and celebrated artists on the blues androck sceneof the last thirty years moving voice and poetic lyricsthat address social and spiritual themes The Californian singer-songwriterwill be accompanied by the bandThe Innocent Criminals With classic songs such as “Steal My Kisses” and“Diamonds on the Inside”,the concert promises to provide a mixture of memorable emotions and melodies that also include the rhythms of reggae.In recent years BenjaminCharlesHarperhas maintained a keen interest in current issues such as human rights and sustainability The seventh concert will be held on Thursday 17 July (start time 9.15 pm) with a live performance by Jimmy Sax and the Symphonic Dance Orchestra The French saxophonist will be accompanied by the orchestra conducted by Vincenzo Sorrentino Sax has captivated audiences with his saxophone playing and a mixture of catchy rhythms He has already performed in iconic locationssuch asSt.Tropez,Cannes,Dubai,CapriandTaormina.With over 200,000 spectators attending his recent European tour Jimmy Sax has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide even performing in front of Pope Francis at Marseilles and playing a sold-out concert at Palazzo dello Sport in Rome Twenty years since his only solo concert in Naples on Saturday 19 July (start time 9.15 pm) Nick Cave will return to perform live The concert featuring NickCave,an undisputed icon of contemporary music promises to be a memorable event marked by emotional intensity The sixty-seven year old Australian musician actor and director has influenced generations of musicians with his hypnotic voice profound lyrics and a capacity to blend rock His stage presence and visionary art make him an acclaimed artist within the context of international music a band that has revolutionised modern rock On Friday 25July (start time 9.15 pm) Canadian rocker BryanAdams will perform a concert Adams will give anunplugged performance,playing his greatest hits in a more intimate The tour will give fans a unique opportunity to experience Bryan Adams’ music as they have never heard it before in an enthralling setting steeped in history.His hit songs have won over critics and audiences the world over in one of the most iconic places in the world On Tuesday 29 July (start time 9.15 pm) itwill be theturn of Serena Rossi A versatile actress and much-loved star of Italian cinema and television Serena Rossi will demonstrate her wide-ranging talent with"SereNata a Napoli" capable of embodying unforgettable characters on both the large and small screens Serena has also shown she is a vocalist of rare intensity capable of pulling at the heartstrings through her music She will provide the audience with a mosaic of stories songs and legends rooted in the heart of a territory nestled between Vesuvius and the sea The event will be a celebration not just of her art but also of the profound ties with her native land The last concert is scheduled for Tuesday 05 August (start time 9.15 pm) and features the Norwegian band Wardruna The amphitheatre of Pompeii will host the Norwegian band who have achieved worldwide fame for their ancestral spiritual music tinged with neo-folk influences evocative atmospheres are redolent of medieval northern European traditions Their concert promises to be an enthralling journey encapsulating ritual and nature where each note sounds like a call to the deepest roots of humanity will provide the perfect setting for a unique experience in which music and spirituality blend into timeless harmony Advance ticket sales click HERE  & HERE Info, Official web & Social net: https://blackstarconcerti.com/   https://www.instagram.com/blackstar_concerti/       https://pompeiisites.org/events-calendar/ Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application She was daughter to Dolores Pompei and the late Kenneth DeFusco of Johnston She graduated from Johnston High School Class of 1979 She then married Robert Hampton and became a dedicated and loving mother to Lauren Cirillo and Robert Hampton She also was a loving grandmother to Aria Cirillo She also leaves behind her siblings Ronald DeFusco and she loved hosting and decorating for the holidays Funeral from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Nokian Tyres plc Inside Information July 20 Paolo Pompei has been appointed President and CEO of Nokian Tyres plc Pompei will start in the position on January 1 Jukka Moisio will continue as the President and CEO until Pompei starts in the position.  Italian citizen) has strong experience in the tire industry he held several leadership positions in the Trelleborg Group including the position of President of the Business Unit Agricultural tires and earlier in his career he has worked at Pirelli European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association He holds a degree in Economics with a M.Sc in International Trade and has additional studies in business administration and management “I am very pleased to have Paolo Pompei starting to lead Nokian Tyres,“ says Jukka Hienonen Chair of Nokian Tyres’ Board of Directors “Paolo Pompei has very strong international experience from the tire industry delivering continuous growth and strong financial performance in his earlier positions He also has a deep understanding of the markets in Central Europe and North America which are the key growth markets for Nokian Tyres Paolo Pompei has the experience and capabilities to lead Nokian Tyres in its next phase of development toward EUR 2 billion net sales” "I am honored to be appointed to lead Nokian Tyres which is a fantastic company in an exciting transformation phase as the company is targeting strong growth in Central Europe and North America while being a global leader in the sustainability area building the world’s first zero CO2 emission tire factory in Romania a valued brand and leading position in the Nordic countries offers a lot of opportunities for development I look forward to working with the Nokian Tyres team and creating future success together with existing and new customers,” says Paolo Pompei.   Nokian Tyres’ President and CEO Jukka Moisio has informed Nokian Tyres’ Board of Directors his intention to retire from his position during 2024 Moisio has acted as the President and CEO of Nokian Tyres since 2020 “The company’s current President and CEO Jukka Moisio has guided Nokian Tyres through exceptional times during COVID-19 and through the consequences of the war in Ukraine Even though we still have months to go on our journey together with Jukka I want to thank him for the excellent cooperation for his leadership and contributions to the company,” says Hienonen Member of the Board of Directors 2017– Nokian Tyres President and CEO Paolo Pompei doesn’t mind if you haven’t heard of his company yet While the Finnish tire manufacturer headquarters North American production in Dayton employs nearly 500 people in Rhea County and makes up to four million tires there every year it actually sells very few tires in Tennessee The tires that come down the Dayton production line are primarily sold in the northeastern U.S places where winter weather often requires sturdy snow tires Tennessee is at the core of Nokian’s North American growth plan Pompei believes that his company’s Tennessee presence is insulating it from political market pressures — like President Donald Trump’s tariffs supply chain disruptions and overall lowered business confidence Trump's 25% tariff on vehicles and light trucks went into effect April 3 Trump also announced a minium 10% tariff on all imported goods Wednesday “It's really one of the most fundamental parts of our strategy today,” Pompei said we can tell our consumers that this product is made in the U.S Nokian opened its Dayton facility in 2019 with just about 60 employees it has expanded its workforce eightfold and doubled production capacity all while maintaining a 75% local workforce living within 15 miles of the facility Pompei said he plans for that growth to continue an upward trajectory during his tenure emphasizing that all Nokian Tyres sold in North America will be Tennessee-made He ascended to Nokian's top leadership role in January and made his first trip to Dayton as CEO last week the company has invested $500 million into its Tennessee production The Dayton factory is on-track to reach maximum capacity by the end of 2025 and Pompei said the company owns enough land for a factory three times the size of what’s there now “We are not here to stay as we are today.” North American Human Resources Director Blake Markham said the company actively developing a growing local workforce to facilitate these plans “We're really trying to lean into educational partnerships here locally,” Markham said “We can leverage those relationships and what resources they have." Community partners include the University of Tennessee Chattanooga State Community College and Cleveland State Community College southeastThe company especially recognized the importance of flexibility and sustainability in manufacturing when the reignited war in Ukraine forced Nokian out of its Russian factory in 2022 The plan was always to start small in Tennessee and increase production over time but the North American expansion became critical when Russia invaded Ukraine roughly 80% of Nokian's passenger car tires were manufactured in its Russia factory and the country made up 20% of its global sales it became clear that the company needed to make “a controlled exit.” That same year Nokian doubled its production capacity in Tennessee “Nokian was really exposed to Russia in terms of production source,” Pompei said “It was about deciding in very few months how to reset the company footprint in a much more stable and reliable footprint for the future.” its easy access to central supply chains in the U.S. Romania and Finland and positive relationships with governing authorities protect the company’s distribution “We provide a company that is fully dedicated locally to the local market,” Pompei said “Tennessee is also a great location in some ways because we are pretty central to reach the majority of the country in relatively one to two days It also works toward Nokian’s environmental sustainability with minimal global shipping required to distribute the tires Nokian operates as a zero-waste-to-landfill facility meaning every scrap from the factory is recycled in some way “We have the power as a company to think about it,” Pompei said “We ask consumers all the time to be responsible Pompei is closely watching these two political issues — not tariffsWhile Pompei isn’t worried about the potential impact of Trump’s tariff policies on Nokian Tyres he said there are two political issues that do concern him: inflation and the labor market Stubborn inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic has been a concern of many business leaders nationwide the consumer price index measuring the rise in cost of goods was 2.8% higher in February than one year prior and 0.2% higher than in January This is a slight ease from the typical 0.3% rise per month that the U.S Tennessee’s numbers are about the same as the national data with the consumer price index rising 0.3% in February and 2.3% over the year just 3.5% of working adults are without jobs in Tennessee while the national unemployment rate is 4.1% factory is a much different situation than hiring in its Romania and Finland factories it’s a little bit more dynamic because their unemployment is very low there is a lot of competition between different manufacturing companies,” Pompei said “It's really about putting together a policy that is keeping our employees loyal to the company.” Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed In 1982, George Halas reached into Chicago Bears history to find a head coach and hired Mike Ditka the team Halas founded needs to consider its history again There are candidates with no ties to the Bears who deserve consideration Why the Chiefs love Steve Spagnuolo: Exotic blitzes However, only one person has had a football role on both Bears Super Bowl teams. Ron Rivera was a linebacker on the 1985 champions. On the 2006 Bears that lost to the Indianapolis Colts Now he should be first in line to interview Rivera’s 2006 defense allowed the third-fewest points in the NFL they have made the playoffs three times and have a .439 winning percentage built up by Ditka and mentored by Mike Singletary He understands the organizational strengths and limitations There is no doubt Halas would have endorsed interviewing Rivera who sat across from Rivera on plane rides to and from games Ditka was not the only former Bears player to become their coach every one of their coaches except Ralph Jones was a former player for the team The other Bears players who became the franchise’s head coach were Luke Johnsos The Bears have been criticized — justifiably — for not considering former Bear Jim Harbaugh as a head coaching candidate Ignoring Rivera would be making a similar mistake History is not the only reason Rivera should be considered His coaching journey began humbly as a quality control coach for his Bears in 1997 he went to work for Andy Reid in Philadelphia as a linebackers coach before returning to Chicago to coordinate the defense in 2004 When he was head coach of the Carolina Panthers Rivera’s teams made it to the playoffs four times and the Super Bowl once which makes him one of 13 to be honored more than once Seven of the 13 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame After new Panthers owner David Tepper fired him in 2019 Rivera was unemployed for less than a month when he agreed to lead Dan Snyder’s Washington Redskins who became the Football Team and then the Commanders in Rivera’s tumultuous tenure as their coach Then he became Snyder’s frontman/shield when workplace culture transgressions and financial improprieties came to light and Snyder went underground Rivera arguably was the most sought-after coach in the 2020 cycle The four regrettable years he spent with Snyder arguably the worst owner in the NFL’s history Rivera was not the first to have his reputation diminished by the association Ron Rivera’s Commanders tenure: Winning the news conference In his tenure with Washington before Snyder the great Joe Gibbs won 67 percent of his games and three Super Bowls After retiring and returning with Snyder as owner Steve Spurrier won 71 percent of his games and a national championship who should be on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame had a .598 career winning percentage and two Super Bowl rings as a head coach before partnering with Snyder Rivera’s winning percentage before Snyder was .546 Some will question if a defensive-minded coach like Rivera is right for the Bears because of the presence of quarterback Caleb Williams as if a coach without an offensive background should be disqualified Hiring a head coach with one player in mind when 53 need to be led is an absurdity Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson have busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Almost assuredly on their way to Canton are Bill Belichick None of them had offensive backgrounds before becoming head coaches In 2011, when Rivera was hired in Carolina, there were similar concerns about his ability to handle an offense. With the first pick in the draft, the team chose a quarterback, Cam Newton Rivera sent offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski quarterbacks coach Mike Shula and offensive quality control coach Scott Turner to Auburn to meet with the school’s offensive coordinator and try to understand what Malzahn did with Newton in helping him win a national championship and Heisman Trophy Panthers coaches implemented concepts Newton succeeded with at Auburn including RPO plays that weren’t widely used at the time Newton was named offensive rookie of the year Newton was voted the NFL’s most valuable player — while playing for a defensive-minded coach these Bears need a coach who will hold players accountable The year after Newton was the league’s MVP Rivera benched him because he refused to follow a team rule requiring players to wear ties on the plane Rivera told him there would be repercussions and Newton subsequently was held out the first series of a game Rivera, who learned about aggressive strategies from Buddy Ryan and his Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson Before they called the head coach of the Lions Dan “Gamble,” they called Rivera “Riverboat Ron.” Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer in a lymph node he had 35 proton therapy treatments and three chemotherapy treatments Rivera lost 25 pounds and grew so weak he had to be brought into the office with one arm around his wife’s shoulder and one around the team trainer’s winning five of its last seven games to make the playoffs Rivera eventually rang the bell and is cancer-free the Pro Football Writers of America voted him the recipient of the George Halas Award The significance of Rivera winning the award named after the founder of the Bears should not be lost on those entrusted with maintaining the Halas legacy LIVE AT POMPEII THE FAMOUS TENOR IN CONCERT IN THE AMPHITHEATRE OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK – 27 and 28 June 2025An extraordinary encounter with two icons of the artistic heritage of humanity: operatic singing - or “bel canto” -  interpreted by the voice of the tenor Andrea Bocelli and the unique The famous tenor will star in two concerts held at the amphitheatre of Pompeii on 27 and 28 June 2025 accompanied by the Orchestra Reali Filarmonici (the philharmonic orchestra of Naples) and the That’s Napoli city choir conducted by Carlo Morelli whose external relations institutional relationships and image are managed by Alberto Terilli The concert is organised by DuePunti Eventi with Klassics Music Management and Almud Edizioni Musicali in conjunction with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and the financial support of Pompeii Town Council the mayor of the present-day town of Pompei had this to say “With the initiative 'Pompei dei grandi eventi internazionali’ the two concerts by the famous tenor Andrea Bocelli in the amphitheatre show that the city is ready to become the Italian Capital of Culture 2027 Thanks to the magical voice of Andrea Bocelli and the atmospheric setting we can guarantee that spectators from all over the world  will be able to enjoy an extraordinary cultural adventure getting the chance to experience Pompeii with the promise of an unprecedented Being a partner in a project with such intense international publicity means that the town of Pompei can justifiably become part of a story never conceived of or experienced by my predecessors as mayor”  “We are delighted to announce the launch of a summer season of events with concerts by a great artist besides celebrating Italian art in a unique setting will help to attract tourists from all over the world who only by virtue of a varied package of initiatives will be encouraged to enjoy all aspects of the territory to the full Enhancing cultural sites through a combination of different art forms also means enhancing the surrounding territory by promoting ‘slow tourism’ which is the goal we have set ourselves,” states Gabriel Zuchtriegel “The career of Andrea Bocelli is studded with performances in some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and opera houses but I firmly believe that the amphitheatre of Pompeii represents a unique experience After years of working with the tenor in some of the most important venues in Italy we are extremely proud of this new venture which has been made possible by working in partnership with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and Pompei Town Council There could not be a more atmospheric setting than Pompeii to present the voice of Andrea Bocelli to an audience who will be flocking from every corner of the planet Tickets from € 170 + advanced sales charges A funerary relief from a monumental tomb in the necropolis of Porta SarnoLife-size depiction of a couple:  a man and a woman The restoration currently underway will be on display at the exhibition “Essere donna nell’antica Pompei” (Being a woman in ancient Pompeii) which will open on 16 April 2025 A funerary relief showing the almost life-size figures of a couple – a man and a woman – from a tomb in the necropolis of Porta Sarno has been discovered It came to light during an excavation as part of the research project “Investigating the Archaeology of Death in Pompeii” being carried out by the Universitat de València in conjunction with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (scientific director: Prof have been transferred to the Palestra Grande of the excavations of Pompeii to begin restoration work and will be the outstanding exhibits of the exhibition “Essere donna nell’antica Pompei” (Being a woman in ancient Pompeii) which will open on 16 April Visitors will be able to observe the delicate procedures involved in the restoration process which will be carried out during the exhibition corresponds to a zone excavated during the 1990s for the construction of the double track of the Circumvesuviana railway The excavations undertaken in 1998 had already revealed the presence of over 50 cremation burials marked by stelae and a monumental funerary arch The recent explorations have brought to light a monumental tomb consisting of a large wall with various niches surmounted by relief figures of a man and a woman The symbolism of the carved accessories  of the woman may indicate that she was a priestess of Ceres The quality of the carving in the sculptures and their archaic features suggest that they date to the late Republican period “This campaign is a precious opportunity to extend research and enhance the area outside the city walls of Pompeii” “Thanks to the collaboration with the University of Valencia which also led to the discovery a few years ago of the tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio in the same area it has been possible to work on a multi-disciplinary project  involving a range of professionals including archaeologists Further details and analysis related to the working hypotheses can be found in the article edited by  Llorenç Alapont et al, published today in the E-Journal of the excavations of Pompeii https://pompeiisites.org/e-journal-degli-scavi-di-pompei/ Norwegian collective Wardruna have announced via a post to social media they will perform at the legendary Amphitheater in Pompei as well as the location of Pink Floyd’s infamous “Live At Pompei concert and film The band recently released their incredible new album Birna on January 24th via Sony Music and By Norse Music ALBUM REVIEW: Wardruna – Birna Einar Selvik explains: “The song illustrates a dialogue between man and bear exemplifying the various traits and abilities we humans have sought to borrow from these significant totemic animals throughout history.” Wardruna will also released the concert film “Live at the Acropolis” on Jan featuring their September 2023 performance at the UNESCO World Heritage Site along with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage Pre-orders for Birna and “Live at the Acropolis” are available now (https://bio.to/Wardruna) with the new album offered on limited-edition vinyl July 25 to 27 Red Eagle Campground (Cut Bank) photo by Tuukka Koski with artwork by Øivind A and language through the 24 proto-Norse runes the sound of Wardruna evolved and blended into the stripped down and the act of creation – the ever-interchanging prolific relationship between the skaldic poet and nature itself Wardruna has performed at multiple manmade historical locations including Odeon of Herodes Atticus Bulgaria’s Ancient Theater of Philipoppolis as well as locations set amidst natural wonders such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado Einar Selvik has composed music for large tv and game productions such as “Vikings” and “Assassin’s Creed – Valhalla,” he gives tutorials and lectures on Old Norse literature and he has worked with renowned artists such as Mari Boine Wardruna.com YouTube.com/wardruna Instagram.com/wardruna Facebook.com/wardruna X.com/wardruna Paolo Pompei officially took over as chief executive officer (CEO) of Nokian Tyres Plc on 1 January 2025. With a distinguished career spanning decades in the tyre business including leadership positions at Yokohama TWS, Trelleborg Group, and Pirelli Pompei brings a wealth of international expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation production at the company’s landmark zero-emission Romania factory has got underway And – as of the week prior to our exclusive interview – in early April Our wide ranging discussion explores the practical steps on the journey towards Nokian Tyres’ ambitious 2-billion-euro net sales target plus Pompei’s  strategies for expanding in key markets like Central Europe and North America as well as his commitment to advancing safety and sustainability The first question we asked was: With the first quarter of 2025 under your belt what is your experience of transitioning to the leadership of Nokian Tyres This article is a short preview. The full interview will be published in the forthcoming May edition of Tyres & Accessories and subsequently online. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one and website in this browser for the next time I comment If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com The national anthem plays and Chiefs guard Trey Smith looks like he’s in a dream fans at Arrowhead Stadium replace the final word Then with the smoke from fireworks still in the air the game begins and Smith hits with such force and intensity that he could create sparks he’s looking to send a message,” Humphrey says “He’s putting people on the ground and letting them know it’s going to be a physical game.” It was destined that Trey Smith would be a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion But he can’t stop thinking it almost didn’t happen Why a simple 3 x 5 notecard with two words explains Andy Reid's leadership style he decided he wanted to be a football player But as a self-described “fat kid,” he knew he had to be a certain kind of football player So he hit his knees every night and prayed he would grow to 6-foot-5 given that height did not run in his family he was close to his current height of 6-5 1/2 partly because of how he spent his weekends His grandfather owned a farm in Bethel Springs Trey was invited to a football camp at Mississippi Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze offered him his first college scholarship It wasn’t long before other universities followed Mississippi’s lead — Tennessee Artis Hicks played offensive line in the NFL for 11 seasons His patio overlooked the field where Trey’s team practiced he and Henry approached Hicks after a Sunday service at Love & Truth Church in Jackson Hicks knew most kids didn’t have the mental fortitude to be worth his time but it wasn’t what Trey expected — he took him on a run of nearly five miles “I wanted to see if I could break him,” Hicks says Hicks thought he had heard the last of Trey Trey texted asking if they could work out again the next day I knew I had something because he had the size already,” Hicks says “Once I realized he wasn’t afraid to be uncomfortable I literally opened up and dumped everything I had in me into him.” Hicks took Trey to the gym after school where they lifted and conditioned He taught him NFL techniques that he learned in Philadelphia from his line coach Juan Castillo and his teammates Jon Runyan Trey was thriving on the field when Dorsetta was hospitalized with congestive heart failure He visited her in the intensive care unit at Vanderbilt Medical Center in early 2015 but he had something he needed to say before it was too late He wanted his mom to know that he would graduate college and play in the NFL Not knowing how to let go of someone who means so much 15-year-old Trey buried his grief in sport “He channeled the sadness and frustration and released it through football,” Ashley says “Losing her motivated him to honor her legacy and fulfill his promise.” his play became fiercer and his star brighter “He became like an alien on the field,” Hicks says He didn’t look like anybody else in the nation.” announced his decision to attend Tennessee live on ESPN A marquee in New York’s Times Square proclaimed the news he was voted second-team All-SEC and was on his way to fulfilling his promise Trey was diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs He took anticoagulants for most of the offseason and was cleared to play but was told if there was a recurrence Everything was fine until a practice six games into his sophomore season when he couldn’t catch his breath dreamed of and promised seemed unattainable I failed my mom because I couldn’t keep the promises I made to her.” Trey wondered why football had been taken away from him They talked about what Trey’s future without playing might look like and Hicks offered to put him in touch with friends who might help him get on a coaching path They hung up and Hicks stepped into the shower “I saw him going on to becoming what he is now,” Hicks says that this would be a platform he uses to touch lives and glorify God.” “God didn’t bring you this far to let you down,” Hicks told him Trey drove his GMC Sierra to Knoxville from their home in Jackson The song “Something About The Name Jesus” by The Rance Allen Group played and told her God told him he would continue playing football With his university providing the financial support and Henry and Ashley providing the emotional Some of the testing cast doubts on whether he had blood clots He traveled to the University of North Carolina Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center Stephan Moll suggested an experimental plan Trey couldn’t take anticoagulants while playing because an injury could cause uncontrollable bleeding But Moll thought he could try intermittent dosing — taking blood thinners during the week while avoiding all contact drills in practice then coming off the medication the day before the game “What if I go out there and get a concussion or something?” he wondered A friend texted him the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 Trey read it and said it over and over the day of the game “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord He eventually returned to doing what he had always done — making defenders go where they didn’t want to Trey maintained the routine as a senior and thrived on the field being voted all-conference for a third time he was one of 10 student-athletes chosen for “The Big Orange Combine,” which provides behind-the-scenes experiences at major sporting events the destination was Super Bowl LVI in South Florida some Tennessee fans recognized him as he was serving as an usher/greeter and asked if he wanted to sit with them in an open seat Trey watched as Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to a 31-20 victory over the 49ers He heard the Chiefs chant and wondered what it would be like to wear that red and gold Trey had recently graduated from Tennessee fulfilling half of what he promised his mother Many scouts thought he had the qualities of a first-round pick Many general managers thought he had the medical records of a reject ESPN sent a camera to his house for the first round — the round he thought he would be taken in The network wanted to be with him for the third day of the draft thinking he wasn’t destined for the NFL after all Did he play well enough to justify a team taking a risk Did he do all he could have to put himself in the best position he could have He didn’t have any of the usual rookie homesickness given some of the friendly faces around him had been tight since they met at an Arkansas football camp when they were high school freshmen the Chiefs began the Norma Hunt Player Personnel Fellowship Program Ashley had worked in various roles at Tennessee when Trey was there starting as executive assistant to the head coach and ending up as assistant athletic director for football She applied for the fellowship with the Chiefs without telling anyone who her brother was Chiefs general manager Brett Veach interviewed her in a video conference Veach told her she was overqualified and asked if she was sure she wanted the position and she surprised the general manager by telling him if he picked her she wouldn’t be the only member of the family he chose that offseason After spending training camp with the Chiefs and her brother Ashley became a player engagement manager for the NFL Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has called the 328-pounder “the enforcer” of the offense NFL Network analyst and former guard Brian Baldinger goes further “When you’re looking at the best guards in the NFL, do they get any better than Trey Smith?” he asked in a video posted on X When linebacker Josey Jewell tried to shoot the A gap Then Trey sprinted straight at safety Justin Simmons obliterated him and cleared the space for running back Jerick McKinnon to take the ball into the end zone In subsequent seasons when the Chiefs have installed the play which invariably has gotten an enthusiastic reaction from Trey’s teammates “It’s always fun to watch it,” Humphrey says Trey finds inspiration watching tape of guards known for pushing the boundaries “I want to play the game with bad intentions but within the confines of the rulebook,” he says “I play to be violent and to release my emotions.” He tied for the team lead in snaps this season and in his career has missed only one game because of injury out of 78 He has not taken blood thinners for the most part since he’s been in the league and he feels like an adopted son of Kansas City Trey and Humphrey recently used their collective force to push a car out of a snow bank after a Sunday morning church service in town On a shelf in his downtown apartment is an impressive collection of bottles of barbeque sauce — enough sauce A plaque commemorating his championship in a wings-eating contest hangs on the wall Trey’s rookie contract will expire after the season The expectation is the 25-year-old will become the highest-paid guard in the league The question is who will be writing the checks The lens he looks through is more fisheye than telephoto so Trey says he is less concerned about where free agency may lead than he is about his next snap his next opponent and the opportunity to three-peat Trey would like a family someday and contemplates how money could enable future generations He also thinks about opportunities to make an impact philanthropically and inspirationally It’s not as if he’s planning to buy a yacht or a jet “I’m just a country boy from Tennessee and there’s not a whole lot I necessarily want I just need a little land where there is quiet space.” who are believed to be the only brother and sister ever employed by the NFL inherited their grandfather’s 150-acre farm and he plans to clear the land and use the property for turkey hunting and off-roading The Chiefs trailed the 49ers late in Super Bowl LVIII last February as they had in the Super Bowl that Trey attended when he was in college throwing dominating blocks that helped the Chiefs win in overtime as his teammates hugged and ran around like little boys But he didn’t cry the way he cries before the national anthem Trips to medical centers across the country “To be so far down and to experience all of this,” he says (Top photo: Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images) “BEING A WOMAN IN POMPEII” – The exhibition in Palestra Grande in Pompeii From 16 April 2025 to 31 January 2026Being a woman: a statement but also a question to which there are different answers depending on the moment and the context The discovery of the living conditions of women and girls the numerous aspects of everyday life and the position they occupied in the house and Roman society and even more so in a Campanian city such as Pompeii is the thread running through the exhibition “Essere donna nell’antica Pompei” (Being a woman in Pompeii) which runs from 16 April 2025 to 31 January 2026 in Palestra Grande is curated by Francesca Ghedini and Monica Salvadori and is organised in conjunction with the universities of Padua Due to its extraordinary state of preservation Pompeii represents a privileged vantage point The finds that have emerged over almost three centuries of excavations provide a precious insight into the role of women in Roman society a theme that in other contexts is inevitably neglected due to the paucity of the evidence it is possible to discern the presence not only of women who belonged to the upper echelons of society but also the indistinct crowd of “ordinary” women who were the subject of the previous exhibition “L’altra Pompei” (The Other Pompeii) The exhibition is divided into eight sections which shed light on the various categories of women - matrons freed women and slaves - during the different phases of life: birth The sections explore the various roles women played in society economic and religious significance in which high-ranking matrons and nouveau riche freedwomen were involved to trades of all kinds practised by freedwomen and slaves (spinners and weavers visitors are greeted with the names and faces of women in order to give a voice to their individuality with the aid of the exceptional material evidence – statues graffiti and everyday objects– the women of Pompeii The first rooms reveal the main aspects of private life which included the organisation of domestic activities and relations with slaves Considerable space is then devoted to the public and working lives of women It is estimated that at Pompeii up to 100 women were involved in prostitution many of them forced into it because they were enslaved although this was not the case for all of them Women were also responsible for highly prestigious activities with important social spin-offs as emerges in the room devoted to women entrepreneurs and benefactors where there are stories of women who left a mark on their era inaugurated new enterprises and initiatives The final traces of their earthly existence can be found in the necropolises inscriptions and grave goods preserve the memory of some of these women The exhibition ends with a leap into the contemporary era which presents the  profiles of several women who made their own contribution to the discovery and knowledge of  Pompeii (Carolina Bonaparte provides visitors with a selection of film clips devoted to the female image taken from classic historical films inspired by Roman antiquity and The context of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii makes it possible to extend the experience of the exhibition The exhibition does not culminate within the confines of Palestra Grande but also suggests links with a series of major buildings in order to aid understanding of the condition of women in Pompeii which are marked at different points in the exhibition help to create an immersive and interactive experience for visitors A further immersive element is provided by the thematic podcasts available on the app MyPompeii which recount stories of various women who actually lived in the city of Pompeii It is possible to explore the stories of eight women enabling visitors to meet the likes of Flavia Agatea and Eumachia at the tombs at Porta Nocera Eumachia once again at the building of Eumachia in the Forum Mamia and Nevoleia Tyche at the tombs at Porta Ercolano Eutychis in the slave district of the House of the Vettii and Amaryllis at the House of Marcus Terentius Eudoxus Visitors can also see the reconstruction of a vertical loom one of the female activities par excellence in the House of the Marine Venus (Casa della Venere in Conchiglia) The final aim is to create a complete cultural experience that combines past and present in a critical reflection on the role of women providing tools that further understanding not just of the past but of the present as well Further information is available on: https://pompeiisites.org/mostre/essere-donna-nellantica-pompei/ during the extraordinary evening openings of the site – organised as part of the ESOPOP enhancement project – there will be a series of talks and artistic performances devoted to the women who are the protagonists of the exhibition The festival is produced by Casa del Contemporaneo while the texts and the direction are by Fabio Cocifoglia and Rosario Sparno Tags a neighborhood pizzeria and taverna from Boka Restaurant Group Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Click here for details Genetic analysis of five individuals preserved as plaster casts in the ruins of Pompeii contradicts established beliefs about the people and their relationships By James Woodford Plaster casts of people who died in Pompeii DNA tests show the adult on the right was a male unrelated to the small child on his lap Pompeii’s plaster cast human figures aren’t who they were assumed to be highlighting the way idealised stories can be projected onto archaeological evidence The analysis also reveals that the demography of Pompeii was far more complicated and diverse than previously thought Before the Stone Age: Were the first tools made from plants not rocks Our ancestors probably used a wide range of plant-based tools that have since been lost to history Now we're finally getting a glimpse of this Botanic Age Many of Pompeii’s residents were completely smothered in compacted ash during the eruption and cavities formed that perfectly preserved their positions in their final moments archaeologists developed a method of pouring plaster into the cavities to make life-like casts more than 100 of these casts have been made preserving the victims’ shapes along with any remaining bones that hadn’t decayed over the centuries However, it has long been known that many of the plaster casts were manipulated into different poses and sometimes placed together to add to the drama of the Pompeii story, says Valeria Amoretti at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in Naples Keep up with advances in archaeology and evolution with our subscriber-only Amoretti and her colleagues examined 14 of the plaster casts and extracted DNA from bones in five of them What they found has completely altered the established interpretations of who they were An adult wearing a golden bracelet with a child on their lap was long believed to be the child’s mother The DNA analysis shows the adult is actually a male who is biologically unrelated to the child was also unrelated to the supposed mother and child who were thought to be sisters or a mother and daughter who died in an embrace included at least one genetic male and were also unlikely to have been related The genetic analysis further revealed that the people of Pompeii had diverse ancestry with components related to modern eastern Mediterranean Levantine and North African Jewish populations Read more How ghost cities in the Amazon are rewriting the story of civilisation Amoretti says it is no surprise that the Roman world was multicultural and that the Mediterranean and its ports united people “But it is extremely interesting to discover the extent of this melting pot even in an average provincial town like Pompeii and to have scientific proof of it from ancient DNA,” she says Alissa Mittnik at Harvard University says the study highlights the importance of applying science before interpreting archaeology at face value dramatic or sensational explanations do not always hold true encouraging us to stay aware of and question our preconceived notions,” she says Current Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.007 POMPEII TO BRING IN NOMINATIVE TICKETS AND A DAILY LIMIT OF 20,000 ADMISSIONSAs of 15 November the tickets of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii will be personalised and will have the names of visitors on them There will also be a daily limit of 20 thousand admissions subdivided into time slots during the summer This innovation comes in the wake of record numbers of visitors this summer with an influx of tourists never seen before in the history of the site and peaks of over 36,000 admissions on one of the first Sundays of the month when there is free entry to Pompeii “We are working on a series of projects designed to mitigate anthropogenic pressure on the site which is so unique and fragile,”  stated Gabriel Zuchtriegel we are working to extend the accessible areas within the ancient city and to develop other sites in the territory is spread over the whole territory around the UNESCO site which is full of cultural gems waiting to be discovered which are designed to manage the influx of visitors as well as to ensure the safety and personalisation of the visit Experience has shown that only those who focus on quality can achieve sustainable growth and we are striving to do this we are seeking to help the territory and operators in the tourism sector who are working in a context that has undergone far-reaching changes since the pandemic and will continue to change in the future These changes need to be tackled in an agreed and proactive way rather than be passively endured we shall closely monitor the situation and shall continue the dialogue with all the stakeholders in order to make any necessary adjustments.” the following measures will come into effect: Tickets can be purchased both on-site and online Nominative tickets with the holder’s name will be introduced for all types of ticket (Pompei express both online and at ticket offices upon display of ID/passport by the visitor where they watched a performance by a youth art initiative funded by the Queen of Pop (Editor’s note: This story was written before Eli Manning was not included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025.) They could be talking about who the Giants’ next quarterback should be, or what went wrong with Daniel Jones. Instead, they are talking about Eli Manning, as, it seems, they have been for most of the last two decades. They are debating whether he should be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible for the first time this year Pro-Eli guy: “He beat Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl.” but he was a .500 quarterback in the regular season Pro-Eli guy: “Only six players in the history of the NFL have two Super Bowl MVP trophies Pro-Eli guy (slams beer mug on the bar): “Did you know he had 42 game-winning drives and that he was 10-4 in overtime games?” Anti-Eli guy (voice rising now): “He threw 244 interceptions And he led the NFL in interceptions three times.” It’s possible no NFL player has ever engendered a wider spectrum of emotions from his team’s fans there is none of that noise — just two Super Bowl trophies two Super Bowl MVP trophies and a contentment about what has been and what will be Eli was the most highly regarded prospect in the draft after leading Mississippi to its first 10-win season in 32 years and Eli had misgivings about an organization that failed to make the playoffs the previous eight years struck out with Ryan Leaf and was struggling to develop Drew Brees He was intentionally unimpressive in meetings with the team and when the Chargers appeared undeterred about selecting him “But I felt strongly that I didn’t want to go there I never tried to dictate that I go to the Giants made him wear their cap for one of the most awkward draft photos in history if not completely aware of the consequences Eli was met with skepticism and resentment — and that was just from his teammates Some were not pleased that the team had cut the popular Kerry Collins for a rookie ‘Who is this spoiled brat — Archie Manning’s son Peyton’s little brother — making a big stink about what team he wants to play for,’” Giants center Shaun O’Hara says Eli failed to beat out Kurt Warner for the starting job but made his way into the lineup in late November By then he was suffering from comparisons to Peyton who was named the NFL’s most valuable player that year the quarterback chosen 10 picks after him by the Steelers who was on his way to a Super Bowl victory On the train home from Baltimore to New Jersey he sat with quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride and told him he had no excuses But he noted many of the plays the Giants were using were plays Warner favored Eli gave Gilbride eight plays that he wished the Giants would use They started using them and his career trajectory changed The next season he led the Giants to an NFC East title whose sportswriters came after him like German Shepherds after an intruder and whose customers seemed to enjoy jeering his misthrows more than celebrating his excellence Giants defensive end Michael Strahan thought Eli had more pressure on him than any player in the league “People don’t understand how tough it is to play in New York City,” Strahan says I could not have handled what he handled from the media and fans at times.” legendary cameos help 'ManningCast' redefine NFL broadcast Eli ignored what the media said about him but made it a point to know what was being said about his teammates so he could be a locker room fireman “I think in most cases I probably deserved it,” he says starting with criticism from recently retired running back Tiki Barber about Eli’s leadership Four of his league-leading 20 interceptions that season came in a 41-17 home loss to the Vikings and three of them were returned for touchdowns He was booed by his own many times but never as lustily as on that day Peyton went to one of his games every year “But he didn’t go to his room afterward and sulk and pout He said he would bounce back the next week.” Eli owns those interceptions — and all the others I knew what the read was and where the ball should be going and I didn’t want to run because I wasn’t great at scrambling,” he says “So I probably forced the ball too many times and put the ball in harm’s way.” He met with the media on Mondays only after losses the Giants won three of the next four games and earned a wild-card spot in the playoffs they beat the Bucs and Cowboys before taking on Brett Favre and the Packers in Green Bay where temperatures reached minus-5 with a minus-27 wind chill The Giants’ 23-20 victory earned them the right to be lambs for the wolves from New England in Super Bowl XLII The Patriots were 18-0 and 12-point favorites That’s when Strahan gathered his teammates on the sideline and gave an impassioned speech One touchdown and we are world champions.” Strahan looked in many of his teammates’ eyes “He had the same strange Eli look as usual kind of confused but yet confident,” Strahan says strangest look that he had on his face at times The Giants faced a third-and-5 on their 44 with 1:15 left to play Eli dropped back and somehow got away from three pass rushers who could have sacked him then threw up what seemed like an ill-advised pass in the middle of the field David Tyree made the impossible “helmet catch” over Rodney Harrison giving the Giants a first down on the Patriots’ 24 Where does the David Tyree catch rank in your all-time Super Bowl plays 📺: #SBLVIII – Feb. 11 6:30pm ET on CBS📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yDEBYJ8VoP — NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2024 Eli connected with Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard touchdown pass that made the Giants Super Bowl champions When Eli and Strahan embraced on the field afterward Strahan remembers a different look on his teammate’s face “It was as if he had all the years of holding these emotions in and he could finally breathe.” Eli’s expressions could be difficult to read his position coach for three years and offensive coordinator for seven initially wondered how much Eli cared based on the faces he made “His competitiveness is not readily discernable,” says Gilbride who now does research for Eli and Peyton’s “ManningCast.” “He never looks like he gets angry But his desire is as good as I’ve ever seen Gilbride felt the fire when he apologetically called Eli at 10 p.m on many Wednesdays to go over unusual defensive looks they could face that week Eli had already considered the problem and potential solutions The fire was evident again on Fridays when some players were looking forward to enjoying an afternoon off He had prepared teaching tapes for each position group and expected every player to review the tapes with him who was part of the same draft class as Eli sat next to him on airplane trips and always shared a Bud Light on the team bus after games says Eli worked harder than anyone in the organization “I prided myself on being one of the first guys in Four seasons after Eli led the Giants to his first Super Bowl win the NFL locked out players in the offseason because of a collective bargaining divide he stayed in New Jersey for the entire offseason He scheduled team workouts at high schools and scripted practices for the offense and defense and that’s not always the case in the NFL,” Eli says “I probably worked the hardest I ever worked that offseason.” the 27th-ranked defense and an overwhelmed offensive line But Eli led eight game-winning drives and passed for a career-high 4,933 yards as wide receiver Victor Cruz — Eli’s special offseason project — broke out with a career year Victor Cruz & Mario Manningham on Eli's greatness Watch 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑰𝒏 𝑵𝒀𝑮 Ep. 5: https://t.co/EHgo320Sq6 pic.twitter.com/Y1wjJACA6d — New York Giants (@Giants) September 25, 2021 In the playoffs, Eli won again at Lambeau Field, this time by outdueling Aaron Rodgers. Then came the NFC Championship Game at the 49ers, which some consider Eli’s most remarkable performance He was sacked six times and threw 58 passes in a 20-17 victory that tested the limits of human endurance “He got physically assaulted all game,” says Snee who apologized to Manning for his performance on the bus afterward “We were peeling him off the ground numerous times and he was never rattled or started yelling.” He played through a separated shoulder in 2007 and plantar fasciitis in 2009 and his streak of 210 straight starts is the 10th-longest in league history the underdog Giants trailed the Patriots by two points Eli began a possession on the Giants’ 12 with a perfect pass perhaps the most perfect in the history of Super Bowls Mario Manningham ran a sideline route and Eli placed the ball where only Manningham could catch it before stepping out of bounds The 38-yard completion was the spark to the game-winning drive On a recent “ManningCast” NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said he never saw a better throw It was one of Eli’s four most impressive games along with Super Bowl XLII and the conference championship games that preceded both Super Bowls his friends called him “Easy” or “Easy E.” The nickname Eli cannot recall a time in a football game when he felt nervous In those fight-or-flight moments in which heroes are discovered his heart never raced and his eyes never darted side to side “I’m only thinking about scoring a touchdown and winning a Super Bowl.” the Giants failed to do what was necessary to protect their quarterback and began an organizational struggle that continues to this day Eli was watching tape on a Tuesday by himself in the quarterbacks room as always when coach Ben McAdoo came in and told him his plan was for Eli to start the next game that week but Geno Smith would replace him during the game Eli suspected McAdoo was starting him just to keep his streak of consecutive starts alive he went in early and asked McAdoo if the streak was the reason he was starting “That’s not what this is about,” Eli told him “You don’t play someone because of a streak Eli started four more games that season and 16 the next before becoming a backup to Jones in 2019 Duggan: An appreciation of Eli Manning in his final days as a Giant He wanted to talk about what to do when he’s out with friends and fans ask to take photos and the photo of him holding a beer and making a funny face made the rounds Everyone had a laugh at “drunk Eli.” From then on he told fans that he had to follow a team rule that prohibited him from taking pictures where alcohol was served Eli had concocted the team rule and suggested Arch take the same approach As the quarterback in the city of overreactions He rejected repeated invitations to appear on “Saturday Night Live” until after winning his second Super Bowl and turned down multiple endorsement opportunities “I was always very conscious of how the media would portray me in this market,” he says “I never wanted people to think I was silly or not focused.” Eli understood the responsibility of being the face of the Giants “So many quarterbacks have come and gone in the New York market in the last 20 years but this good old boy from New Orleans somehow figured out Da Vinci’s code,” says O’Hara who has long considered Eli one of his best friends One of his secrets was he liked to have a good time — like “I’ve seen Eli dancing on tables,” Strahan says Strahan also has been a victim of Eli’s practical jokes Eli often changed the language on teammates’ mobile phones to Chinese The defensive end picked up his mobile phone to see the wallpaper had been changed to a photo of a teammate’s private parts Before the Giants left to go to Super Bowl XLII in Arizona Players had their dress clothes in their lockers so they could change before heading to the buses When Eli’s offensive linemen looked for their dress shoes they couldn’t find them — in their place were new shoes painted bright purple And so they headed to the Super Bowl looking like clowns as their quarterback cracked up taking early morning high-intensity interval training classes at a local gym He has had only one surgery in his life — an ankle cleanup in 2015 which he does often when he plays with his four children One of the reasons the “ManningCast” appealed to him more than a traditional broadcasting job is he does it from his basement Eli’s priority is being there for his family as it was for Archie when the boys were young wants to do it all like Eli did at her age She is a competitive swimmer and lacrosse player and also plays field hockey and basketball School comes easy for 9-year-old Caroline — his joke is she takes after Mom has learned all the NFL teams by their helmets He can tell you his father played for the Giants his uncle played for the Colts and Broncos and his grandfather — “Red,” they call him — played for the Saints basketball and flag football for two teams — both are the Giants After their first three children were girls Eli did not yearn for something he didn’t have partly because she dreamt of a son who would treat her as sweetly as Eli treats his mother Eli and Olivia always had a special connection It grew during the five years he was the only kid in the house after his brothers went to college Eli accompanied her on search missions and became a collector himself “You think Peyton was going to go antique shopping with his mother?” Archie says he breaks out a special bottle from his cellar thrower of interceptions and master of perspective into the smell of autumn and the beautiful chaos of a young family Eli never had his sights set on the Hall of Fame “All my goals were about team-oriented success,” he says “Trying to win championships — that was my goal.” though he acknowledges being inducted would be very meaningful it’s not going to impact how much I’ve appreciated the game or what I’ve taken from the game or the friendships “I feel so grateful to have been with the New York Giants organization for 16 years.” And now Charlie wants to toss around a football with his father Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries looms over the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii Pompeii – the mere word conjures spine-chilling scenes of apocalyptic skies and frantic, panicked streets. Despite the passing of nearly 2000 years since Mt Vesuvius’ fateful eruption in 79 CE this catastrophic disaster continues to grip the world’s imagination what makes Pompeii most intriguing today is not its destruction but its fortuitous preservation chariot-grooved streets lead to once-bustling squares theaters and the fabulously frescoed villas of Pompeiian VIPs they offer an unparalleled glimpse into a world frozen in the midst of its final moments the following guide will set you up for an unforgettable visit Pompeii is engrossing year-round, but May and September are the sweet spots. Crowds are manageable and the weather idyllic for exploring both the ruins and the nearby Amalfi Coast. May is also a great time to visit Naples Pompeii is at its hottest and busiest in summer (June to August). Shade is limited, and the relentless sun can make it a tough experience for some. As this is high season across much of Italy Pompeii sees fewer crowds (with the exception of Christmas holidays) the quieter atmosphere offers a more tranquil experience expect large crowds on the first Sunday of the month when entry is free for all You’ll need at least three to four hours for a general overview of the park, but it’s worth dedicating a whole day to explore in more detail. If you’re short on time, opt for an afternoon visit and enter from Piazza Anfiteatro working your way toward the Forum rather than the other way around – it’s cooler and you’re less likely to hit a crush of large groups Journey time from Sorrento is around 30 minutes The Campania Express tourist train also operates on this line with limited stops including Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri the little time saved isn’t worth the significantly higher ticket price the ruins are about a 30-minute drive from Naples or Sorrento Car parks are clearly marked and vigorously touted Close to the quieter Piazza Anfiteatro entrance Parcheggio Santuario di Pompei offers excellent-value The ruins themselves are explorable on foot and include a decently sized itinerary for visitors with limited mobility Pompeii abounds with rare archaeological treasures Pompeii’s 70 BCE anfiteatro (amphitheater) once thundered with the roars of thousands as gladiators and wild animals clashed in bloody combat You can still spot frescoes depicting gladiatorial battles on the parapet as well as the rings used to secure the velarium (canopy) that shielded spectators from rain or beating sun the amphitheater hosts a series of concerts featuring world-renowned music acts its artworks having inspired artists and poets for centuries Pompeii’s most titillating relic, the Lupanare brothel is famous for its erotic frescoes which served as a veritable menu for clients Snoop around cubicles equipped with stone beds and scan the walls for the millennia-old graffiti of smitten clients the first floor most likely housed the brothel owner and sex workers Around one-third of Pompeii remains unearthed – a fact worth pondering while watching excavations from an elevated walkway above the Insula dei Casti Amanti (Block of the Chaste Lovers) archaeologists patiently sift their way to more clues of Pompeii’s backstory their work has yielded some fascinating finds at this site The Terme del Foro weren’t the only public baths in Pompeii but they were the only ones in use after the damaging earthquake of 62 CE The venue was popular with town authorities who hopped between baths in the frescoed frigidarium (cold room) tepidarium (warm room) and caldarium (hot room) The latter harbors a beautiful marble labrum (basin) from which patrons scooped cold water to cool down along with the property’s spectacular mosaic of a warring Alexander the Great and King Darius of Persia Some believe the Casa degli Amorini Dorati belonged to the family of Nero’s second wife What is certain is that this house is exquisitely decorated with a tablinum featuring a well-preserved mosaic and wall paintings of the ill-fated Hellenic protagonists Paris and Helen with its fine cocciopesto (ancient building material) floor leads to an entertainment hall adorned with intricate mythological paintings including Tethys visiting Vulcan’s workshop in search of weapons for Achilles and the dramatic escape of Jason and Medea There’s nothing more magical than Pompeii in the late afternoon, when the crowds clear and an eerie stillness sweeps through the site. You can practically feel the presence of its ghosts, drifting through their abruptly abandoned homes. To heighten the haunting atmosphere, I wander the park listening to the works of Synaulia archaeologists and palaeontologists who use historical research to recreate music from Roman times There are several ticket options for visiting Pompeii The cheapest is the one-day Pompeii Express which costs €18/US$18.68 (€2/US$2.07 for EU citizens aged 18 to 24) A better option is the one-day Pompeii + ticket (€22/US$23) which includes admission to the park’s Villa dei Misteri particularly from April to October when time slots are in place Circumvesuviana train ticket Naples–Pompeii (one-way): €3.30 (US$3.42) Circumvesuviana train ticket Sorrento–Pompeii (one-way): €2.80 (US$2.90) Prioritize your comfort when exploring the park pack layers – Pompeii can get surprisingly chilly Large bags (over 30x30x15cm) are prohibited Pack some panini (sandwiches) and snacks to dodge the busy cafe onsite or driver’s license) – you now need it to enter the site Pompeii attracts its fair share of scammers at the station and around the entrances to the park Avoid people trying to sell tickets of any kind – buy train tickets using the station ticket machines or from station staff Never buy tickets for Pompeii itself from anyone selling them outside the venue and ignore people telling you that the site is closed That’s how Sewell played as a child in Samoa. While some of his future Lions teammates trained with virtual reality goggles under the supervision of $200-an-hour coaches Penei and his brothers used a water bottle filled with a mixture of sand and water for a ball they left marks in the sand and on one another Their games didn’t test skill as much as mettle “It was more like rugby style than actual football,” he says it was as if Sewell was back where he began Tropical Cyclones Ofa and Val hit American Samoa devastating the small island chain located roughly halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand The Malaeimi village house Gabe Sewell lived in with his parents but all that was left of the other half was wood planks tin roof decking and other building materials Gabe and the boys cleaned up the debris and used it to build a second house on the property but they fortified and expanded it over time They called it “The Shack,” and it later became the home of Gabe The Shack didn’t have a sink in the area they called the kitchen so the boys took the dinner dishes with them in the shower they didn’t turn on the water because the rusted roof above them leaked so much and to get reception they usually had to slap the back of it but it was designated as the holding place for clothes so no one slept in it they put down a large mattress a few inches thick Gabe and Arlene lay in the middle with the kids surrounding them They frequently were joined by a cousin and other kids from the island — with as many as 11 people at a time sleeping on that mattress we didn’t think anything of it,” Gabe says The village kids would come and stay for a couple days It was always nice having all the kids around.” in their yard and cut their grass with a machete They jumped off massive rocks into the Pacific and used wires and hooks without poles to catch fish who was a Samoan chief or “matai,” prepared kalua pig — cooked in the earth He brought it to Sunday get-togethers with other villagers A conversation with Dan Campbell ignited his unlikely comeback Samoa was introduced to football after a wave of investment in the islands in the 1960s more than 40 players born on the islands have played in the NFL and players of Samoan descent — like Hall of Famers Junior Seau and Troy Polamalu — have become some of the league’s brightest stars According to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame there are more than 60 current NFL players of Polynesian descent And even though Polynesians comprise only .003 percent of the U.S they made up 5.1 percent of the players selected in the 2024 draft In 2011, Steelers great Polamalu visited Samoa with other football players Shaun Nua and Domata Peko — “One of the biggest things I can remember,” Gabe says The three-day camp was for high school kids was able to participate because Gabe coached at Marist High School The pro players brought cleats for more than 600 high school players and uniforms for seven teams The kids performed a Siva Tau war dance in Polamalu’s honor Gabe started looking for better medical care after experiencing chest pain He and Arlene also knew their children would have more opportunities in the United States But when the family planned their move to Utah asking if he could stay in Samoa with his auntie Sewell was one of the most highly recruited linemen in the country at Desert Hills High School in St He chose Oregon from 23 scholarship offers then started at left tackle in his first game he became the first Polynesian to win the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football But then he heard a voice calling his name “It was Isabelle,” he says of the Oregon cheerleader who had been an acquaintance for about a year And then I had to snap back out of it and go play the game.” Sewell’s devastating blocks helped Oregon beat Wisconsin 28-27 Then he walked away with the roses — and the girl He opted out of the next season and declared for the 2021 draft Sewell became the first draft pick of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime in Detroit and has thrived since being moved to right tackle where he is widely considered the best in the NFL says he might be the best athlete in the NFL who used Sewell on a hook-and-ladder play this year And given Sewell’s passing assignment last week he might be the only offensive lineman in history more likely to be sacked than to give up one he’s one of one.” Ragnow also says Sewell is one of the hardest practicing players on the Lions which makes him the embodiment of Campbell’s “bite a kneecap off” mentality Some — including ESPN’s Mina Kimes and Mike Greenberg and NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal — have suggested Sewell should be a candidate for offensive player of the year an award that has never been won by an offensive lineman 'He was laying the brickwork': How Aaron Glenn built the Lions defense into winners Goff asked him to take over the weekly pregame speeches on the field but put him on the field and he becomes a grizzly bear that wants you out of his territory,” Campbell says Calling him a cornerstone piece is selling him short — he’s the slab under it all.” The morning after the Lions’ Monday night victory over the Seahawks in Week 4 Arlene was preparing to leave Penei’s house for the airport near 5 a.m when she found him still awake reviewing tape of the 13-point win Arlene works in Hawaii as the chief information officer at Brigham Young Hawaii and whenever she travels to the mainland to watch one of her sons play she brings a Ti leaf lei —an “ula” in Samoan “It symbolizes our love and prayers of protection,” she says “I also pray that our ancestors are with them.” On Penei’s right shoulder and arm is an ornate tattoo that pays homage to his heritage Waves represent the power that lies within as well as the calm necessary to weather life’s storms A centipede serves as a reminder of all creatures’ significance Birds symbolize messengers from a greater being who can guide us through worldly challenges On his right inner biceps is the word “Samoa.” Sewell was struck by the Steeler great’s gentleness after seeing fierceness on the field He might have been the nicest guy on earth,” Sewell says “Now I feel there are kids out there who feel the same way about me as I felt about him so I try to live my life as a good example “I see him as an inspiration because my family’s done the same thing as his making the great migration to America and going through trials and tribulations,” Manu says and it motivates me to hopefully be in his shoes one day.” Penei and his siblings have not been back to Samoa since they left They have talked about returning as a family someday and hosting the kind of gathering Polamalu did $112 million contract extension with the Lions that made him the highest-paid lineman in the NFL he bought a new home — one with about 6,000 more square feet of living space than The Shack the cheerleader and the football player became Mrs Penei takes Malaki to the park almost every day Malaki likes it when Penei chases him and cries when his father leaves for practice Penei gives both of his children baths before bedtime he sings a song his parents sang to him — and their parents sang to them Samoan students start their school day with it Moms and dads like Arlene and Gabe sing it before athletic events Penei sings “Fa’afetai I Le Atua” to his children (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photos courtesy of the Sewell family The casts of two people who died about 2,000 years ago in the house of the cryptoporticus in Pompeii A new DNA analysis found that one individual was biologically male but the sex of the other could not be determined The cast of a person who died in the villa of the mysteries in Pompeii in A.D An ancient-DNA analysis of victims in Pompeii who died in Mount Vesuvius' eruption reveals some unusual relations between the people who died together Ancient DNA taken from the Pompeii victims of Mount Vesuvius' eruption nearly 2,000 years ago reveals that some people's relationships were not what they seemed For instance, an adult who was wearing a golden bracelet and holding a child on their lap was long thought to be a mother with her child. But the new DNA analysis revealed that, in reality, the duo were "an unrelated adult male and child," study co-author David Reich a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School a couple who died in an embrace and were "thought to be sisters were found to include at least one genetic male," Reich said "These findings challenge traditional gender and familial assumptions." In the study, published Thursday (Nov. 7) in the journal Current Biology Reich and an international team of researchers looked at the genetics of five individuals who died during the A.D 79 eruption that killed around 2,000 people in which he filled in the human-shaped holes left after the bodies had decomposed to create casts of the victims Related: Pompeii victims died in 'extreme agony,' 2 newfound skeletons reveal The casts allowed scholars to study the victims in their last moments and make hypotheses about their identities based on details such as their locations was that their interpretations were influenced by modern-day assumptions — for instance that the four people at the house with the golden bracelet which included the adult holding the child when in reality none of them were genetically related Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox "Our findings have significant implications for the interpretation of archaeological data and the understanding of ancient societies," study co-author Alissa Mittnik an archaeogeneticist at Harvard Medical School and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany "They highlight the importance of integrating genetic data with archaeological and historical information to avoid misinterpretations based on modern assumptions." It's possible that past misconceptions led to the "exploitation of the casts as vehicles for storytelling," meaning that curators may have manipulated the victims' "poses and relative positioning" for exhibits —Scroll charred in Mount Vesuvius eruption partially deciphered, earning researchers $700,000 prize —Remains of man who was 'vaporized' by Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago discovered —Razed city that rebelled against Rome 'remained uninhabited for over 170 years,' excavations reveal Sex misassignment is "not uncommon" in archaeology, Carles Lalueza-Fox a biologist at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona who specializes in the study of ancient DNA but was not involved with the study "Of course we look at the past with the cultural eyes of the present and this view is sometimes distorted; for me the discovery of a man with a golden bracelet trying to save an unrelated child is more interesting and culturally complex than assuming it was a mother and her child," Lalueza-Fox said Margherita BassiLive Science ContributorMargherita is a trilingual freelance writer specializing in science and history writing with a particular interest in archaeology She earned her BA from Boston College in English literature and her journalism MA from L'École Du Journalisme de Nice in International New Media Journalism Pompeii quiz: How much do you know about the Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon The dome lantern of the Pompei Church in Rabat Our Lady of Pompei sanctuary said that many glass of the lantern were broken while pieces of stones ended inside the church It said that repairs and cleaning of the church are currently underway It was the second church which suffered damages during the night due to lightning strikes that affected Gozo following the damage caused to the Xewkija belfry Colossal When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E., the enormous explosion buried the city of Pompeii in an astonishing 19 meters of ash and debris. (A recent study concludes that in the neighboring town of Herculaneum, the blast was so intense that it vitrified a young man’s brain.) Since excavations of the area began in 1748 discovery after discovery has revealed lavish and complex details about what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago in the Roman port town the ash provided an extraordinarily protective covering for delicate frescos and structures like an expansive fresco recently excavated in a banquet hall that “sheds light on the mysteries of Dionysus in the classical world,” says a statement from Italy’s Ministry of Culture The large-scale painted frieze archaeologists are calling “house of Thiasos” shows the procession of Dionysus along with satyrs and bacchantes—also known as maenads—who are portrayed simultaneously as dancers and hunters In the center of the composition, a woman is accompanied by Silenus an elderly companion and tutor to Dionysus The woman “indicates that she is an initiand,” the Ministry of Culture says “a mortal woman who through a nocturnal ritual is about to be initiated into the mysteries of Dionysus the god who dies and is reborn and who promises the same to his followers.” Spanning three walls of a building—the fourth had been open to a garden—in the so-called Regio IX district the painting depicts a frieze known as a “megalography,” derived from the Greek for “large painting” and comprising a cycle of paintings with nearly life-size figures Archaeologists date the fresco to around 40 to 30 B.C.E. nearly 100 years old already by the time Vesuvius erupted Archaeologies typically categorize Roman and Pompeiian painting into four chronological periods or styles: incrustation (structural) Each style adapted elements of the previous period to generate new motifs and trends The new banquet hall example is thought to be indicative of the second style in which figures or tableaux are framed within faux architectural niches and trompe-l’œil compositions all of the figures are depicted on pedestals “as if they were statues,” the Ministry of Culture says “while at the same time their movements and clothing make them appear very alive.” Investigations into the Regio IX district, which covers approximately 3,200 square meters, began two years ago. So far, the excavation of the entirely buried block has revealed two atrium houses—already partially explored in the 19th century—plus two workshop houses, some residential rooms of a large domus, a black hall with scenes from the Trojan saga, and a shrine with a rare blue background More than 50 new rooms have been identified Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now Join more than 200,000 subscribers and get the best of art and visual culture from Colossal Copyright © 2025 Colossal. See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy four generations of the McCaskey family gathered in the early evening of Jan She wore her mother Min’s fur coat, looking every bit like the first lady of the NFL that she was. The Bears — her Bears — had just defeated the Saints in the NFC Championship Game for the right to advance to play the Colts in Super Bowl XLI Chicago Bears,” Terry Bradshaw and Tony Dorsett handed her the trophy named after her father — the George S McCaskey — everyone except family referred to her that way — died Thursday at the age of 102 we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” the family said in a statement “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players family and football — in that order — were her north stars and she lived by the simple adage to always ‘do the right thing.’” With an 80 percent ownership stake in the Bears But that doesn’t begin to describe her place in the league’s hierarchy “She’s an icon,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen once said She had a better seat to watch more of the history of the NFL unfold than anyone pic.twitter.com/T2uZMi8Rg1 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 6, 2025 McCaskey had been alive for all but 36 games in the Bears’ 105-year existence and attended most of them She witnessed eight of the franchise’s nine championships and had a personal relationship with each of the 30 Hall of Famers associated with the Bears She watched the NFL go from a struggling start-up — at one point during her childhood her father went into her piggy bank and borrowed between $300 and $400 — to the most powerful sports league in America And she became the leader of a multibillion-dollar company that carries the hopes of millions of fans “It’s been an amazing journey from playing in Wrigley Field and having to open the league season with away games because we couldn’t get into Wrigley Field until the baseball season was over,” she said according to “Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook.” “Dad had an office downtown but if he wanted to really impress somebody coming in from out of town he would move to the hotel across the street and pretend that’s where he was doing business.” She attended her first Bears game when she was 2 years old and attended her last at the age of 101 her mother and aunt Lil took her along on the historic Red Grange barnstorming tour that opened America’s eyes to pro football Virginia attended the first 13 games of the 19-game tour across the country Wearing a red velvet coat and matching bonnet made by aunt Lil there were so many people waiting to see him they decided I could be his camouflage,” Mrs McCaskey said in the NFL Films documentary “A Lifetime of Sundays.” “If he wore a hat and carried me off the train Pompei: The complicated relationship of George Halas and Vince Lombardi One of the highlights of her football life came during her college days at Drexel University traveling by train from Philadelphia to Washington to watch her Bears defeat the Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 championship game fans tore down the goal posts and she was given some of the splinters When she attended the 1956 NFL championship game at the Polo Grounds in New York and it was so cold she said her nylon stockings disintegrated except for the seam in the back and she frequently was frustrated with the Bears Nothing rankled her more than falling to the Packers She said she grew up waiting for Don Hutson to retire She died waiting for Aaron Rodgers to retire She was the one constant who was there for all of it Her father and his wife assumed the baby in Min’s womb was a boy who would be called George Stanley Halas Jr. according to Halas’ autobiography “Halas by Halas.” They didn’t even have a name picked out for a girl she never thought of herself as the successor to Halas McCaskey majored in secretarial studies with the idea of becoming her father’s secretary She devoted her early adult years to raising a family She now has more than 42 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the plan was for him to succeed their father in charge of the Bears McCaskey took over the team with help from her husband at age 60 I started a whole new life,” she said She said selling the team never was a consideration and it was a duty she intended for her heirs to carry “What would we have if we didn’t retain ownership of the Bears?” she said It just doesn’t measure up as far as I’m concerned.” but her title was unpretentious sounding — secretary of the board of directors who died in 2003 after 60 years of marriage McCaskey had the least ostentatious lifestyle of any NFL owner She and her husband raised their children in a modest house in the working-class suburb of Des Plaines later downsizing to a ranch home around the corner Her essence could be better captured by looking at what she gave away rather than what she possessed A devout Catholic and daily communicant who for decades sat in the front pew for 6:15 a.m mass in the chapel at Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines McCaskey took pleasure in gifting people rosaries with beads that were orange and navy blue — Bears colors She also gave away thousands of lawn nativity scenes “No one knows how generous she’s been to churches and other faiths,” said her son George McCaskey whom she named chairman of the board in 2011 or the crucifix for this church or that church to the point that she wore off the color from the navy blue beads and they became white featuring religious programming involving the Catholic church McCaskey was an outlier in the NFL’s cutthroat culture She was irritated by the phrase “next man up,” which describes what happens when a player is injured getting the proper treatment and rehab and whatever is best for him.” she removed her son Michael from his role as team president after a botched attempt to hire David McGinnis as head coach She made Michael chairman of the board and promoted Ted Phillips to team president When George McCaskey fired general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman in 2014 he indicated she was on board and told the press she was “pissed off.” Virginia later said those were not the words she used but she made it clear she had been agitated not only by losing but also by the Bears’ lack of toughness She also was given the credit — or blame — for getting rid of the Honey Bears cheerleaders after the 1985 season ‘How would you feel about eliminating the Honey Bears?’” she said in “Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook.” “To me It was past what goes on in high school and college situations I always hope our fans would be football fans and interested in the team rather than the trimmings.” McCaskey will be remembered more for the bonds she created rather than those she severed It was her personal touch that made her distinct She was a favorite at NFL functions and was especially connected with members of the Mara McCaskey was close with generations of Bears players and their families When the team practiced at Wrigley Field during her childhood she played Red Rover under the stands with Jo Ann and Artis Lyman She called him “Uncle Link.” She remembers Jack Manders the NFL’s last player to play without a helmet who led the league in rushing in 1939 and was named to the all-decade team of the 1940s She and her husband and children attended Fourth of July barbeques at the home of Bill George and the Hall of Hame middle linebacker cultivated her backyard garden she said it was the only time in her life she questioned God’s will “He was such a good person and he was doing so much good in his own special way,” she said in a 2016 interview with The Athletic Her favorite players of all were Piccolo and Walter Payton Matt Suhey blocked for NFL legend Walter Payton McCaskey never called Charles Tillman “Peanut.” He was always Charles to her When Brian Urlacher threw a party in Canton for his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after watching every down of a Bears preseason game She stayed at the party for more than an hour taking photographs with anyone who asked and charming all she encountered McCaskey never was involved in day-to-day decisions at Halas Hall She put her sons in charge and got out of the way She was visible around the team as she attended almost every game “I try to realize the limitations of my football expertise and that has led me to try to put the best possible people in place to make the right decisions,” she wrote in the forward to “Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook.” “I have to be careful to do things the way my dad and mother and brother would want them to be done.” she thought of her father when she made decisions The Pro Football Hall of Fame tried to honor Mrs make enduring contributions to her team and her league “She has set such a great example of how owners of professional teams should conduct themselves with a quiet dignity and a love of their teams,” Giants president John Mara told the Chicago Tribune “Too many of us have not followed that example.” The renovated Halas Hall features a chapel where players and employees of all faiths reflect believed to be the only one of its kind in the NFL “God has been very good to our family,” she said in a 2019 interview with The Athletic The Bears present an award every year to a team employee who demonstrates the values of grace (Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) Joseph DiSeta cherishes the fact he has been a parishioner of Our Lady of Pompei in Highlandtown for all his 43 years He’s the great-grandson of an Italian immigrant and his children are the fifth generation of his family to be baptized and confirmed there outreach to immigrants has been a hallmark of the southeast Baltimore faith community – first to the Italian community and now mostly to the Spanish-speaking community that make up about 90 percent of the parishioners.  During a special June 2 Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Mass inside the completed church Lori highlighted the faith community’s long history of welcoming others and its commitment to the Eucharist this parish community has had its ups and downs its moments of triumph and its moments of hardship but one constant has remained: the presence of the Lord received here at the altar,” he said in his homily the story of this parish at its founding seems to have come full circle as more recently arrived sisters and brothers have come to this parish and their food – and above all their holy Catholic faith And this parish has offered to our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters the same treasure offered to those first Italian parishioners: the Bread of Life calls Our Lady of Pompei a communal congregation made up of about 200 registered families.  “Most of them have the key to the parish,” said Father Piccololongo an extern priest of the Diocese of Lamezia Terme who lives around the corner and has been a member for 50 years She said: “When I first walked through those double doors years ago ‘This is the one.’ It was just like the Blessed Mother said “They were all wonderful priests and I could go to them and ask about anything.” But you don’t want to go to church looking like a ragamuffin.” Under the Seek the City to Come plan for revitalizing the Catholic Church in the city Our Lady of Pompei is scheduled to merge with Our Lady of Fatima in East Baltimore It will mark the end of more than 100 years of ministry at Our Lady of Pompei that originally began with the priests of the Congregation of the Mission conducting missionary work among the city’s Italian immigrants commemorated by a bull roast last November The founding pastor of Our Lady of Pompei was Vincentian Father Luigi Scialdone He came to Baltimore after devoting 17 years to missionary work in China Curley charged him with uniting a scattered Italian flock.  The first graduating class of elementary school students consisted of seven pupils in 1929 at the parish school founded by the Religious Teachers Filippini Parish leadership in recent decades has included diocesan priests and then priests of the Italian-led mission group Operation Mato Grosso – Spanish-speaking clerics who have done work in Peru.  DiSeta thinks the parish’s original missionary spirit “has never left the church.” That includes “going out into the community and doing service for people in need” and “keeping the young folks in the church past confirmation when they’re in high school” and those vulnerable to drifting away from their faith roots Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media  Print Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media Catholic Media Assocation Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association The Associated Church Press In the first game of the NFL season, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy pursued Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a potential sack when he got too low With his body prone and his arms at his sides and the top of his helmet came down over his eyes Then Mahomes fell on Van Noy’s head and Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike fell on both of them Van Noy’s eye socket took the brunt of the weight but his orbital socket fractured in two places The result was excessive bleeding through his nose Season-ending surgery was recommended by doctors but dismissed by the patient Van Noy refused to miss a game because of the fractures If you look closely at the 33-year-old’s eyes you will notice the area around his right eye still doesn’t align perfectly with the left But what you mostly see in those eyes is resilience the Ravens were the only team that expressed interest in signing him Van Noy has the fourth most sacks in the NFL and his 11 hard seasons could be a case study in how the league fails to take advantage of players’ gifts Kyle Van Noy is up to 11.5 sacks on the season! #NFLonNetflix#BALvsHOU on @Netflix pic.twitter.com/ndk7xQXeDa — NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2024 he was widely considered the best 3-4 outside linebacker in the draft The Detroit Lions chose him with the 40th pick had him play strongside linebacker in a four-man front meaning he wouldn’t be rushing the passer very much It was kind of like telling a concert pianist to play electric guitar One of his coaches told him they didn’t know where to play him Core muscle surgery during his rookie season was another obstacle and injured reserve looked like a certainty but after a week of rehab with an outside trainer The frustration led him to consider retiring Van Noy finally became a starter for the Lions he was crushed to learn they were trading him — giving up on him All they were getting in return was a sixth-round pick he was motivated like Bruce Banner after gamma radiation won two and established himself as a starting-caliber player Ravens feel their defense has come full circle after early-season struggles Van Noy still wasn’t being used the way he wanted Patriots coach Bill Belichick saw him as a jack of many trades Versatility revived Van Noy and restrained him ‘the more you can do,’ and they have you do everything,” Van Noy says “But then they use it against you and devalue you that way his former linebackers coach in New England brought him to Miami a year after he became head coach of the Dolphins “It was that dream you have of a young kid of not just making the NFL but getting that huge contract that you know is going to change your family for generations,” he says It was a setup for the biggest comedown of his career Van Noy injured his foot so badly that it still bothers him today There were fractured ribs and a hematoma the size of a mango on his side But he gutted it out and somehow played 14 games meaning he wouldn’t be paid most of the $51 million He believes he was caught in a “civil war” between Flores and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier There were intimations they thought he was a locker room lawyer who was trying to undermine quarterback Tua Tagovailoa “I’m super proud of the way he’s battled through injuries and started a family Van Noy says he no longer has a relationship with Flores Getting cut by the Dolphins was his lowest point Retirement became a real possibility for a second time The Patriots took him back in March of 2021 had played eight NFL seasons and was about to change teams for the fifth time What was most important to him was taking control of his career narrative Van Noy wanted to be an edge rusher for the first time where his family could attend his games more frequently Van Noy says he had to almost beg the Los Angeles Chargers to sign him to a one-year $2.25 million deal Coach Brandon Staley saw pass-rush potential in him but Van Noy ended up playing various roles Van Noy had five sacks in the final five games of the 2023 season It seemed as if the rest of the league might be as well While he waited for the phone to ring — and waited and waited — he thought seriously about retirement for a third time he might have filed his papers and called a press conference A Miss Utah USA who gave up her dreams of modeling and acting Marissa would not allow him to give up his the Ravens stamped themselves as legitimate contenders the preseason and three games of the regular season — before Van Noy had an NFL offer He had spent his spring and summer devoting himself to pass rush and working up an attitude Coach John Harbaugh felt the heat of his fire “He could thrive here because he loves football,” Harbaugh says Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith appreciates the way Van Noy has approached the latter stage of his career with what Smith calls a “learning heart.” Instead of wanting to do things the way he’s done them in the past or thinking he knows more than his coaches rare growth in a player who is closer to the end than the beginning Van Noy never had more than 6 1/2 sacks in a season before having nine last year with the Ravens He is averaging 10.2 sacks per season in two years as a Raven after averaging 3.7 in his previous nine years And then someone like Van Noy exposes the lie “This is not New England Kyle Van Noy,” Smith says who has worked with hundreds of pass rushers as a personal trainer and is known as “Dr Rush,” has helped Van Noy expand his repertoire adding spin moves off both feet and stealing T.J varied his alignments and honed his head fakes Van Noy makes Smith think of the Transformer Optimus Prime because of his ability to modify in response to a challenge “If he’s against a tackle who is a soft setter Smith says Van Noy is a master of pass-rush games The Ravens entrust him with calling games at the line Several of Van Noy’s sacks have been sneaky sacks where the quarterback is going to end up,” Harbaugh says It ultimately doesn’t matter how he gets sacks — it’s that he gets them “I know he gets put in a box because of his past but Kyle is one of the best pass rushers out there,” Smith says they chip him like they do the best ones in the league Look at how many people have doubled him.” An unmistakable difference between then and now is respect It comes from those he does battle against and those he does battle with Van Noy says Harbaugh has empowered him to lead “It’s brought out a different side of me because it hasn’t been like that in my career,” he says The coach asks him for his opinion on scheme is a member of Harbaugh’s leadership council and isn’t shy with his thoughts Van Noy told Harbaugh and the other team leaders that the Ravens could benefit from a team dinner Harbaugh told him it was a great idea and wanted to know when and where Van Noy told him it would be at Ruth’s Chris that night — but coaches weren’t invited “He called the shots on that and helped bring a lot of camaraderie,” says Madubuike who split the bill with Van Noy and a couple of others It was the third dinner Van Noy initiated this season He also arranged dinners for the front seven and another for the defense when it was struggling What if Van Noy had been a Raven from the start That back injury that crushed his spirit when he was with the Lions led him to Dave Daglow of DAG Athletic Group who introduced him to an alternative way of training that has served him well he uses bands and dumbbells and mostly goes high rep he and Daglow FaceTime regularly to address imbalances and Van Noy says Daglow is a significant reason why he is doing what he is Being minimized and criticized in Detroit and traded for nearly nothing gave Van Noy an indignation that he repurposed into drive and focus Derrick Henry has been everything the Ravens hoped for — and he's just getting warmed up Van Noy wasn’t thrilled about how he was used in New England But he came away from the experience with a worldview of playing defense that he would never have had without Belichick Playing for the Patriots helped him understand pressures stunts and the responsibilities of those around him in a way most never do And it led to the most significant healing a performance-based psychologist he had known since his time in Detroit “She kind of put me together after my Miami situation because I wasn’t doing very well mentally after that fiasco,” he says “She helped me keep my stress levels down and just be in that Zen feeling playing football like when you were a kid.” He started questioning himself after being cut for the second time in a year this time by the Patriots who had been so good for him a life coach and Feng Shui master he first encountered early in his career but had lost contact with Diamond helped him let go of the past and taught him to have compassion not only for others but himself Being unwanted for six months after the Chargers was awful But the feeling of having nothing left to lose So it’s likely none of this would have happened without all of that hearty laugh that almost makes the room vibrate It’s a laugh they wouldn’t recognize in Detroit (Top photo: Vincent Mignott / DeFodi Images via Getty Images) An ornate tomb likely belonging to a high-ranking soldier who served on the front lines in Spain under the Roman emperor Augustus (reigned 27 b.c.–a.d After the soldier retired from military service he withdrew to the Bay of Naples and received the promise of a commemorative monument on public land “Being awarded a public funerary monument was far from common,” says classicist Maria Chiara Scappaticcio of the University of Naples Federico II “This distinction represents a formal recognition by Pompeii of the man’s prominence.” Workers discovered the tomb while renovating Pompeii’s modern library they unearthed a semicircular complex known as a schola tomb These tombs resemble stone benches with carved lion’s feet at either end and were reserved to hold the urns of only the most prominent Pompeians An inscription carved into the bench’s backrest indicates that the tomb was dedicated to a man named Numerius Agrestinus Equitius Pulcher by order of the city council The text lists the offices that Numerius earned The Autrigones were a Celtiberian tribe from the Spanish region of Cantabria who were conquered by Augustus during the Cantabrian Wars (29–19 b.c.) Scholars believe that Numerius was an important military leader who was given responsibility for supervising Cantabria during or after the war “The recently discovered funerary inscription finally provides proof of a prefect overseeing the Cantabrians,” Scappaticcio says “While the inscription’s brevity leaves much about the role uncertain it confirms that Numerius Agrestinus held an important Augustan political office in Spain and this discovery sheds light on an underexplored aspect of Roman provincial administration.” A trip from the UK in search of late-season sun leads to fresh discoveries in Pompeii as well bonus trips to Procida and Paestum The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. When the Mediterranean makes its first appearance I spot the not-very-blue waters between the buildings of Marseille as my train from Paris pulls in By the time we reach Nice the skies are still grey and I’m starting to wonder how far south I’ll have to go before I get some late-in-the-year sun The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Back in the autumn of 1820 a sickly John Keats took the same decision His heartfelt line in Ode to a Nightingale but I have been drawn by recent stories of new discoveries at the ancient site is that stalwart of the tourist circuit changing An out-of-season visit seems like a good opportunity to see one of the world’s tourist honey pots without the crowds point to an increasing demand for slow travel – the type railways offer with opportunities for diversion and digression If the noughties had Fomo (fear of missing out) not some tourist-powered gentrification experimentAs the train curls through Rome’s outer suburbs there is a definite feeling that I’ve reached a warmer climate zone including to the Spanish Steps where Keats took lodgings that he was destined never to leave unchanged except that when you look out of his window you see TikTok influencers doing silly dances on the steps I take the train south to Naples on a Saturday where I arrive in time to watch Napoli play Juventus on TV amid much excitement while eating pizza at a street cafe On Sunday it seems half the city’s inhabitants troop down to the port and head to the nearby islands hopping on a ferry to Procida (Ischia and Capri are other day-trip options) not some tourist-powered gentrification experiment Colourful tumbling buildings at Marina di Corricella on the island of Procida Photograph: Kevin RushbyThe locals drive as hard and fast as Neapolitans many heading for the waterfront restaurants where they tuck into seafood dishes among them spaghetti al pesto di limone (the island’s large sweet lemons are famous and appear in lots of dishes) The beaches have become equally famous through the films Il Postino and The Talented Mr Ripley labyrinthine back streets and tumbles of colourful houses that count many still occupied by fishers’ families rather than Airbnb customers Pompeii was a newly rediscovered site and archaeology had barely risen above the level of treasure-hunting Tunnels were dug into the pumice and ash layers to retrieve valuables and cart them 15 miles back to Naples Some excavations undoubtedly destroyed more than they found The 20th century saw the site become a major tourist attraction and there was a sense of stasis: the story of Pompeii had been worked out and catalogued The tourist circuit was soon equally well established: you caught the Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Centrale to Pompei Scavi Someone in the group would ask to see the brothel; another would demand to see the bodies then someone would sing in the theatre and everyone would ignore the old chap reminiscing about Pink Floyd playing the amphitheatre in 1972 Maradona’s portrait oversees street life everywhere in Naples Photograph: Kevin RushbyBut something has changed “It’s a very exciting time to work here,” he tells me “We have the artefacts from old excavations but now we are digging new areas and getting the untouched context That is helping us reinterpret the areas previously excavated.” where the team are shovelling pumice out of rooms before the more delicate work of uncovering the spectacular wall-paintings the colours apparently as vivid as in AD79 A gantry overhead means that visitors can watch this happening Alessandro points to a portrait of a young girl possibly of a real child.” She gazes back at me the place where an 18th-century explorer had smashed a tunnel through the tons of pumice and rubble narrowly missing the unnoticed precious portrait featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays Archaeologist Alessandro Russo showed the writer around in Pompeii Photograph: Kevin RushbyFurther inside the building the skeletons of six horses in the positions that they died “This will probably be on show by the end of the year,” says Alessandro He leads me up on to the top layer of ash that still covers one-third of Pompeii This is what hid the town for about 1,700 years a greyish-white landscape dotted with scrub and trees pointing out the oven and even a wall painting of what looks vaguely like a pizza “They were actually doing construction work when Vesuvius erupted.” Here there are still fallen roof timbers and piles of volcanic dust hiding but around the corner is an exquisite blue room and a huge black-painted dining chamber Pompeii dominates the Neapolitan tourist scene so completely it’s easy to forget there are other sites worth visitingThe sensation of being there at the moment of discovery is not entirely left to the archaeologists One of Pompeii’s best new developments is to allow visitors to sign up for a tour of the current archaeological work At the moment it’s the only way to view new treasures like that blue sacrarium One other great treasure that should soon be back on view is the Alexander the Great mosaic This four-million-tile depiction of Alexander’s battle with the Persian king Darius III was found in the House of the Faun in 1831 and taken to Naples it is now undergoing vital preservation work but should be back on view in Naples’s National Archaeological Museum next year Read moreFrom the moment I step off the train Paestum was founded by the Greeks in about 600BC and has three spectacular temples among other buildings In the museum the real gem is the Tomb of the Diver: five painted panels from a tomb found outside the city in 1968 one of which depicts a youth diving from a great height into a river or the sea Nothing similar has yet been found and archaeologists are not even sure which culture produced this masterpiece Some regard it as a symbol of the dive into the unknown that death represents; others believe it may be a yet more complex allegory But I know exactly what it means: it means the water wasn’t too cold And there is a sandy beach less than a mile away I set off on the last leg of my journey to the sun A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science has revealed the discovery of a new color in the chromatic repertoire of the Roman world: Pompeian Gray the result of collaboration between the Parco Archeologico di Pompei and various Italian universities represents a significant advancement in understanding the painting techniques used in ancient Rome The study was conducted by researchers from the Department of Science and Technology at the University of Sannio and the Department of Earth and Resource Sciences at the Federico II University of Naples Its objective was to analyze the composition of the pigments used in Pompeii from the 3rd century BCE until the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE Using a non-invasive analytical approach that combines microscopy with spectroscopy scientists were able to identify a broad palette of colors used in Roman mural painting It was discovered that artists of the time mixed natural and synthetic pigments with a sophisticated technique One of the most remarkable findings of the research was the identification of Pompeian Gray a previously unknown color in the Roman world This particular shade is distinguished by the presence of barite and alunite providing the first evidence of the use of barium sulfate in ancient Mediterranean mural painting The mixture of these minerals gave the pigment a grayish tone with a singular chromatic depth possibly used to enhance realism and volume in pictorial compositions The discovery also has key implications for the conservation of Pompeian frescoes director of the Parco Archeologico di Pompei highlighted the importance of these studies for the restoration and preservation of mural paintings It is an essential study for the conservation of frescoes which require detailed knowledge for proper restoration This advancement is part of an ongoing effort to analyze and document the pigments used in Pompeii, including recent findings in the House of the Thiasos and the Dionysian Megalography recently discovered The combination of scientific research and heritage restoration reinforces Italian excellence in the field of archaeology and historical heritage conservation Parco Archeologico di Pompei Celestino Grifa, Chiara Germinario, et al., Pompeian pigments. A glimpse into ancient Roman colouring materials. Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 177, May 2025, 106201. doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106201 INSULA/HOUSE OF THECHASTE LOVERSDiscovery of drawings of gladiators made by children before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 New mythological paintings found in a room within the same insula Two victims of the eruption discovered by the main entrance of the house Gladiators and hunters, painted by small children with charcoal on the walls of a service courtyard in the House of the Colonnaded Cenaculum in via dell’Abbondanza at Pompeii, help to shed light on childhood in ancient Rome. As reported by the authors of an article published today in the E-Journal of the excavations of Pompeiihttps://pompeiisites.org/e-journal-degli-scavi-di-pompei/ even among very young children (estimated to be between 5-7 years old) does not seem to be a problem related exclusively to our own era surrounded by video games and social media with the difference that in antiquity the blood splattered in the arena was real and few people regarded it as a “problem” with all the possible effects on the psychological and mental development of Pompeian children In the insula(block) containing the House of the Chaste Lovers where the discovery took place as part of a project aimed at restoration excavation and improving accessibility and which can now be visited “from above” thanks to a raised walkway the Archaeological Park of Pompeii is involved in an interdisciplinary research project designed to enhance the wealth of new data The Park of Pompeii has entered into a partnership with the Department of Child Neuropsychiatry of Federico II University of Naples in order to study the children’s drawings were discovered in the lapilli from the eruption of Vesuvius in front of the closed door of the House of the Painters at Work (the name stems from the fact that the house was being repainted at the time of the eruption); a small cubiculum(“bedroom”) came to light inside the house It wasfurnished as a small study close to the tablinum (reception room) of the house The mythological scenes include an unusual small painting which has no parallels withing the repertoire of Vesuvian art As from today- 28 May2024- it is possible to visit the excavation every day from 10.30 amto 6.00 pm by following a completely “accessible” route withan itineraryfree from architectural barriers (in keeping with aims of the “Pompei per Tutti”–“Pompeii for all” -project) The tour includes a lift that enables people with special needs to reach the raised walkway The raised walkway will offer visitors an innovative view from above of the whole insula as well as the architecture of Roman houses with the alternating series of rooms with their different functions ranging from productive and commercial activities to residential use It will also enable them to watch the activities involved in the excavation as part of a process of a new and improved form of access to the public which is situated alongvia dell’Abbondanza,will be restricted to a set number of visitors in order to ensure the best possible and safe access also taking into account the ongoing activities of the excavation “On a regular and increasingly frequent basis Pompeii is throwing up a series of wonderful new discoveries and confirms its status as an extraordinary treasure chest of information,” stated Gennaro Sangiuliano “This is why we have decided that the budget should expressly include funding for the excavations at Pompeii where numerous digs are being carried out that are bringing to the attention of the general public new wonders on an almost daily basis After the completion of the Grande Progetto Pompei (Greater Pompeii Project) organised structure to this incredible site which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every day” “With the facilitated “Pompei per tutti” (Pompeii for all) tour launched in 2016 and since then the subject of gradual implementations and development together with the new excavation campaigns that have brought to light incredible discoveries over the last few years inclusiveapproach has been adopted to the enhancement of the site,”addsMassimo Osanna the achievement of an important and complex excavation launched as part of the Grande Progetto Pompei(Greater Pompeii Project) It offers the added value of accessibility and the inclusion of all visitors including the whole set of activities that take place behind the scenes such as the main activities of excavation and restoration which have now become visible to all without any barriers.” Among the various rooms unearthed during the excavations elegant frescoed walls painted in the Fourth Style have emerged in the House of the Painters at Work The upper part with a white background is decorated with mythological figures (centaurs sirens and griffins) which frame the image of a deity on each side.It is possible to identify Aphrodite Apollo andDionysusand a fourth deity (very likely a female figure) who is hard to make out due to a crack in the wall concerned was entirely destroyed by the pyroclastic flow After the mechanical removal of the cinerite (the sedimentary rock formed of ash) the painted surfaceswere cleaned and stabilised byrestorers.The middle register featurespanels on a red background with small paintings that were painted directly onto the surface Perseus and Andromedaare depicted on one side while the purification of a heroappears on the other a highly unusual smaller painting depicts a young boy wearing a traveller’s hood and cloak,surrounded by large bunches of grapes and pomegranates; beside him is a puppy Situated close to the entrance that looks onto the triporticus (a garden with a portico arranged in three wings) the scene creates the illusion of perspective with the garden Another room in the House of the Painters at Work which had been partly explored in previous excavation campaigns has been identified as the main entrance of theHouse of the Painters at Workvia the western lane The excavation has led to the discovery of twoelderly victims,a man and a woman who once they had entered the door on the lane had sought shelter in the fauces(access corridor) a small space still free from the lapilli that had fallen during the first phase of the eruption subsequently meeting their deaths due to the grey lapilli that inevitably piled up later on During the excavations and work designed to remove volcanic material in theHouse of the Colonnaded Cenaculum several charcoal drawingswere found on one of the walls of a corridor near the service courtyard about 1.50 metres above floor level the naivety of thestrokes and the simplification of the iconography they appear to have been done by a child who may well have climbed up onto the scaffolding mounted for the work being carried out on the house The drawings in this room depict two scenes in the parts that have been preserved:a scene of gladiatorial combat with two gladiators facing each other and a venatio (animal hunt) with twobestiarii (beast fighters)holding long spears facing what are probably intended to be a pair of wild boars To the right there is the head of a bird of prey "Together with psychologists from Federico II University of Naples we have reached the conclusion thatthe drawings of gladiators and hunters were almost certainly based on first-hand viewing and not from pictorial models,” statedGabriel Zuchtriegel playing in this courtyard amongst the kitchens toilet and flowerbeds used for cultivating vegetables had probably witnessed fights in the amphitheatre,thus coming into contact with an extreme form of spectacularised violence also including executions of criminals and slaves The drawings show us the impact of this on the imagination of a young child who had obviously experienced the same developmental phases that children have today figures with arms and legs that emerge directly from the head are a characteristic way of drawing the human figure employed bychildren to this day It is clearly an anthropological constant,irrespective of artistic and cultural fashions." In another space identified as an area used both for the storage/draining of amphorae and for productive purposes another series of drawings have emerged on several walls between 0.20 and 0.50 metres from floor level They consist of three small hands outlined with charcoal a drawing that seems to depict two figures playing with a ball an animal that can probably be identified as a wild boar and a boxing scene in which one of the two boxers is lying on the ground Besides containing a drawing of another boxing scene which once again immortalises the “knock-out” of one of the two athletes the east wall also has a more complex scene painted by another person in a period pre-dating the (still ill-defined) period of existence of the room since the drawing is partly covered by cream-coloured whitewash which may have been done to conceal this drawing The earlier drawing was not done using charcoal featuring two large ships surrounded by fish objects that relate to fishing (fishpot?) and below a largerfish with long jowls The insula of the House of the Chaste Lovers (IX 12) is part of the central district of the ancient city ofPompeii (Regio IX) (70 x 37 m),about half of which has been excavated The core of the project –divided into two separate parts–involved the following phases:the testing designand construction of a new roofing system; archaeological excavations; re-profiling of the excavation face; securing the walls; restoration of the surfaces and the archaeological elements.A team of professionals (architects and archaeologists) initially took part in an exploratory fact-finding study of all the specific aspects and features of the area (architectural survey mechanical features and structural deterioration etc.) in order to get an “overall picture” of the area and the structures within it prior to excavation including the use of in situ instrumental analysis (geognostic survey structural survey etc.) and laboratory analysis (analysis of samples).Once the pre-existing roof was shown to be ineffective for protecting the structuresin their currentstate of preservation a study was carried out to design a new roofing systemthat freed the insula of any elements that would restrict access to the areas and was only supported along the two side alleyways.Following thorough archaeological surveying the position of the foundations of the 12 columns supporting the structure was located with complete precision The first phase of work has now been completed.It began with the programme funded by the ‘Grande Progetto Pompei’(Greater Pompeii Project) and was entrusted to a temporary consortium led by the firm B5 srl (which under the supervision of the architect Francesca Brancacciowas responsible for directing works during the first part Head of the Park’s Technical Office acting as project manager) The work involved shoring up the excavation faces and the complete renovation of the roofing with the construction of a reticulated spatial structure that covers the entire surface of the insula for over 2,000 sq.m. as well as the creation of a raised walkway that has an overall length of about 240 linear metres The first part of the work was undertaken by RTI Fratelli Navarra / Icores / Cassisiand cost an overall sum of about8 millionEuros largely financed with National Operational Programme(NOP) European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Culture and Development 2014-2020 The activities currently underway concern the second phase interventions designed to secure and restore the structures and decorative features that have emerged The second part of the work is being carried out by the architect Paolo Mighetto and the architect Arianna Spinosa,the Director of Works and the Contractors: Consorzio Officina and Forte Costruzioni The roof was made using a steel reticulated spatial structure which was seismically isolated at each column head with a grid that is oriented and arranged by being adapted to the position of the building fabric of the insula Special attention was focused on the impact of the roofing on the landscape of Pompeii and the existing relationship between solids and voids in relation to courtyards Glass panels were specially designed for the exposed areas in order to have sunlight from above The skylights were made with special glass panels with integrated solar cells designed to capture solar energy and produce sufficient electric energy to make the complex self-sufficient both in terms of nocturnal lighting and for the lift a solution was designed to improve accessibility for visitors to the “Pompei per tutti”(Pompeii for all) tour The three artificial excavation faces underwent re-profiling and were protected using systems of soil bioengineering to ensure the safety of the whole area with regard to potential risk of instability of the said excavation faces The re-profiling operations led to the discovery of major archaeological finds and parts of frescoes or architectural structures either still in situ or swept away during thecollapse phases Several portions of the geological sections related to the stratigraphy resulting from the eruptions discovered during the excavations were left visible Specificsupport systems for the walls were designed to ensure the stability of the structuresand to make a significant contribution to increasing space to allow improved access to the area A complex project has been devised that involves the restoration of all the surfaces of theinsula (about 200 façades) and the enhancement of the floors and internal itineraries gauged according to the effective forms of dilapidation recorded and their extent which is the subject of a further contract The project also includes an archaeological excavationaimed at improving our understanding and the accessibility of the residential units that have already been identified Design and Direction of Works: Temporary Team of Professionals: B5 s.r.l (agent) represented by the architect Francesca Brancaccio (who also supervised the Direction of Works) the engineer Ugo Brancaccio Carlo Serino (restorer) and the consultancy of the following experts: the architect Giovanni Carbonara EconomicOperator: Temporary Group of Firms with agent Italiana Costruzioni (subsequently Fratelli Navarra) Static Testing: the engineer Armando Santamaria with the assistance of the engineer Prof Technical-Administrative Testing: the architect Arianna Spinosa Design:Temporary Team of Professionals: B5 s.r.l (agent) Economic Operator: Temporary Group of Firms Consorzio L’Officina with Forte Costruzioni Direction of Works: Director of Worksarchitect Arianna Spinosa with chief operating archaeologist Giuseppe Scarpati chief operating restorer Manuela Valentini and Ludovica Alesse coordinator of security during the execution phase assistants of the Director of Works the surveyorAngelo Capasso and the architect Mariapia Amore https://we.tl/t-vG9MIEcIc4?utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_05&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&trk=TRN_TDL_05 https://we.tl/t-VX2gnvI4Fg LINK VIDEO roofing and Park Director Zuchtriegel https://we.tl/t-racCf2lvxn pompei.ufficiostampa@cultura.gov.it Direct link with the excavation of the Insula of the House of the Chaste Lovers The Restaurant Café in the Casina dell’Aquilais due to open in autumn The project designed to increase refreshment facilities within the Archaeological Park of Pompeii is taking shape visitors will be able to enjoy wine and food experiences thanks to tasting tours held in the newly opened cafés and stands situated in the inner courtyard of the eighteenth-century building known as the Casina dell’Aquila at the end of the tour of the insula of the House of the Chaste Lovers in Via dell’Abbondanza A Cafè & Wine Bar will enable visitors to taste seasonal and local products such as cold cuts breads and pizza and authentic dishes from Campania The important opening of the cafés and stands will increase the quality of services that the Archaeological Park of Pompeii aims to offer those who visit the site every day The cafés and stands also offer visitors a splendid view of the whole park of Pompeii Vesuvius and the bay of Castellammare di Stabia This opening is part of a broader project which the Archaeological Park of Pompeii is implementing with the firm CIRFOOD the winner of the tender for refreshment services which will also open the Restaurant Caféin the Casina dell’Aquila in autumn daniela.fabbi@cirfood.com Laura.bagnoli@cirfood.com OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The prized acquisition of the Baltimore Ravens walks in Derrick Henry’s shoulders seem wide as a chin-up bar Even in an environment teeming with abnormally proportioned human beings Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart says he’s a “mutant,” trainer Melvin Sanders calls him a “freak.” The former Tennessee Titan is different in other ways he just came off the field after a June practice with his new team But Henry will think about it until he sleeps And his glower explains why he may be the best offseason addition for any NFL team Henry’s fascination with running the football started as a child He was inspired by two older cousins — Justin Glover who ran the ball for Bolles High in Jacksonville on a 2A state championship team who earned a scholarship from Boston College Convinced being a running back was his calling He was a fan of Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor who played not far from Henry’s home in Yulee There were fascinations with Barry Sanders 4,261 yards in a season and 12,124 yards in his career he had more rushing yards in a season than any player in the history of the SEC breaking a record that had been held for 34 years Henry also won the Heisman Trophy and helped the Crimson Tide to a national championship that year Derrick Henry's 'traveling road show' and the greatest high school football season ever The Titans didn’t plan to draft him but when he was available 14 picks into the second round in 2016 They had recently traded for DeMarco Murray who led the league in rushing just two seasons earlier Henry was more of an annoyance to Murray than he was to opponents When coaches tried to send Henry on the field to spell Murray This was a challenge unlike any Henry had experienced the one everybody counted on to do it all at Alabama to maybe seeing the field five minutes a game,” says Adrianna Rivas Henry made teammates wonder why he was second string When he was sent in during mop-up time to eat up clock Titans center Ben Jones Jones became many things to Henry — blocker Henry returned home and called Jones to review his performance Through the first seven games of this third season Henry was averaging 3.25 yards per carry and had one touchdown this time behind free-agent signing Dion Lewis That’s when he asked former Titans star Eddie George what he was doing wrong George told him he was trying to score on every carry instead of taking what the defense gave him He said he needed to play to his strength — literally — and wear defenses down with contact Over the last four weeks of the 2018 season Henry rushed for 585 yards and seven touchdowns Henry led the league in rushing in each of the next two seasons he has had 1,757 more rushing yards (1,136 after contact) 37 more broken tackles and 27 more rushing touchdowns than any player in the league NFL Network named him a top-25 player four times and a top-10 player twice It wasn’t just the adjustment in his running style Henry takes care of his body better than anyone Jones has known estimates Henry spends $240,000 yearly on body maintenance which includes employing a personal chef who prepares all of Henry’s meals he doesn’t eat his first meal until 4 or 5 p.m he consumes nearly enough for a pride of lions an avocado or a banana to get something in his system he takes IV fluids that contain a shot of vitamin E Henry begins two-a-day workouts at SandersFit Performance Center in Dallas a couple of days after every season ends it probably will be a gym because that’s what I love doing,” he says he does up to 10 sprints on a 100-yard hill doing hammer curls with 80-pound dumbbells doing Bulgarian split squats with 120-pound dumbbells massage therapy and bodywork to come back stronger Sanders said he believes Henry is stronger than he’s ever been Henry competes with the league’s other running backs with middle linebackers lined up across from him with the player he used to be and the player critics say he is becoming Henry works up a sweat at Dave & Buster’s and Topgolf He and Rivas stayed at an Airbnb in Orlando for the Pro Bowl earlier this year In the first drive of a 2019 game against the Raiders Later it was discovered that nearly half of his muscle was torn rushing 18 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns adding 86 more yards before being forced to sit out one week I’m still gonna try to go until somebody stops me.” In 2021, Henry broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the first quarter of a game against the Colts Henry felt awful pain but gave no indication he was injured other than asking for more tape on his foot at the end of the drive so he played nearly four full quarters with a broken bone Henry had surgery that week and missed the next nine games Titans trainer Todd Toriscelli says he isn’t sure how Henry kept playing “He would come in on Monday after 30 carries on Sunday and deny any soreness,” Toriscelli says “Then he would go lift weights for two hours He would then come into my office and hit a few poses and say ‘Does this look sore?’ He actually got upset if I asked him if he was OK.” with Henry in the final year of his Titans contract there were rumblings he would like to play for the Ravens Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was listening when Henry played for Baltimore coaches and DeCosta experienced Henry’s humility and magnetism Then he thought about Henry carrying 12 times for 97 yards against the Ravens a couple of weeks prior and how he crushed them with 133 rushing yards in 2020 “If you believe in your team and an opponent torments you DeCosta agreed to the framework of a trade with Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon — a fourth-round pick that could have become a third had Henry reached certain production levels others in the Titans hierarchy apparently were not on board with the deal so Henry played out the season in Nashville he rushed for 153 yards in an upset over the Jaguars then took a microphone onto the field to express his appreciation to the fans for the greatest eight years of his life three members of the media relations staff two members of the cleaning staff and three people responsible for website content — 25 people in all "@Titans fans… Thank you for the greatest 8 years of my life." 👑💙 @KingHenry_2 pic.twitter.com/3CpEHq4PiC — NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024 The Ravens were very interested. The Texans called. On the second day of the negotiating period, after Aaron Jones agreed to terms with the Vikings Henry became the eighth running back to find a new team when he accepted a two-year What DeCosta saw was an 18-wheeler with the acceleration of a Tesla Henry ran 21.68 miles per hour after taking one handoff last season — faster than any of the backs who signed ahead of him and tied for the seventh-fastest speed in the NFL Four of the faster players were wide receivers and no one in the top seven weighs near 252 pounds second in the NFL) and more rushing touchdowns (12 seventh in the NFL) than any of the backs who signed before him And while his 4.2 yards-per-carry average tied for the lowest of his career who noted the Titans’ offensive line inconsistencies The teams that valued other backs more highly probably were focused on two of Henry’s numbers — 30, his age, and 2,030, his carries, which is more than any active running back except Ezekiel Elliott Rivas gave birth to the couple’s second daughter The plan was for Henry to skip a week of OTAs about a month later and spend the time with his family in Dallas But after the last practice of the prior week Henry told Rivas he couldn’t take the week off Henry eventually took a week to stay home — but only after redeeming himself at practice he repeatedly called and texted Taggart with questions from his tape study often accompanies her father to his second workout of the day One of his first priorities after moving into a new house in Dallas was building a play area for her in the yard — Valentina’s Park He and Valentina pretend they are monsters Henry says Nashville and its people — especially his teammates — will always hold a special place in his heart Henry plans to play for as long as his body will allow though he says a Super Bowl victory could change his mind And he believes a ring is possible with his new team about how he can blend into John Harbaugh’s vision of offensive football and how he’s ready for any amount of carries that offensive coordinator Todd Monken wants to give him The idea of playing out of the shotgun more frequently excites him because he believes he can get more explosive runs against a spread-out defense. He thinks Lamar Jackson is the type of quarterback who can bring out the best in all his teammates — including him Harbaugh and Taggart have made him feel he belongs The look on his face says more than his words And it explains why Derrick Henry may be the best offseason addition for any team (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images) The Athletic has live coverage of Texans vs Bears in the NFL Hall of Fame preseason game HOUSTON — The last of the Houston Texans takes a seat the morning meeting — a gathering of all players and coaches at 8 a.m And then DeMeco Ryans walks to the front of the room wearing red opening eyes like a bugle playing “Reveille.” “GREAT MORNING!” he says again It’s always a great morning with the second-year head coach of the Texans It’s a great afternoon and a great evening “He has a lot of joy in his heart,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio says and that emotion pours out and it’s sincere and it’s genuine.” You can see it when he’s jacked up about a big play during a game You can also see it when it’s less expected If the injury report from the trainer was ominous Even if the Texans have a tough loss and a turbulent plane ride home what is there to mope about and be down about It’s a blessing to be here and enjoy the day.” The way the Texans played in Ryans’ first year reflected his energy. After 38 losses over the previous three seasons, the Texans won 10 games and became the first team in NFL history to finish first in its division with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback What did NFL learn about S2 after CJ Stroud 'People in our league can't help themselves' Ryans and Kevin Stefanski of the Browns tied with 165 points in the Associated Press coach of the year voting (Stefanski won with one more first-place vote than Ryans) In the Pro Football Writers of America voting What voters saw was a stunning turnaround in the record What his players saw was his ability to inspire “Everybody feeds off his energy,” Harris says “It makes you want to go out there and play for a guy like that but I think he’s definitely going to be one of the greats forever.” when the 39-year-old Ryans will face new challenges Defenses will scheme for Stroud in new and diabolical ways And they understand what the person at the front of the room can do Ryans stood in front of a room for the first time It was the Bessemer 24th Street Church of Christ in Alabama Cash was an army veteran who showed Ryans what leadership looked like and it was like a young leadership class,” Ryans says Ryans’ youth coaches also saw something in him He had to tell pitchers what to throw and infielders how to align His leadership wasn’t just about telling teammates how to play He was a team captain twice at Jess Lanier High School and once at Alabama where he objected when teammates left tape from their ankles on the locker room floor It’s no wonder they called him “Coach.” As a rookie with the Texans in 2006 he took over the defense before he buckled the chinstrap on an NFL helmet for the first time Ryans was not technically a team captain as a rookie but he was voted a captain in his five subsequent years with the team they still call Ryans “Cap.” Co-workers have followed suit When the Texans drafted J.J. Watt in 2011 he was so impressed with how “Cap” operated that he bought a house on Bend Creek Lane in Pearland “Houston’s a gigantic area with so many different places you could live but I assumed DeMeco did the right research and he knows what he’s doing,” Watt says The future Hall of Famer is one of many former teammates who have reconnected with the Texans since Ryans became head coach the fans — everybody was back on the train,” Watt says For Watt, that meant offering to come out of retirement this season at 35. To be clear, after sitting out the 2023 season, Watt believes a comeback is a long shot, but he would consider an in-season return only for the Texans or Steelers I would absolutely do that and it would be awesome,” Watt says In the cabinet beside his desk are 15 books about leadership During his playing days with the Texans, Ryans’ position coach was Johnny Holland, a 1987 second-round pick by Green Bay and an inductee to the Packers’ Hall of Fame Holland taught Ryans about more than how to take on a pulling guard but he also invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner,” Ryans says He teaches players to close gaps while opening their hearts Ryans focuses on the millimeters that make a difference in hand placement and the eye-blink moments that decide games But he doesn’t lose sight of life beyond the game “Everything we’re doing is geared toward winning but if I can help a young man outside of here — maybe it’s in a relationship with his wife or being a father — that’s something that can last a lifetime,” Ryans said “I didn’t get into coaching for the wins and losses … I got into this to help these guys become better players and better men.” When he was the 49ers defensive coordinator The struggles were part of something bigger The player admitted to Ryans that he was having problems with his significant other Ryans gave him a book he had found beneficial: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts.” A coach’s ability to connect is more important than ever Ryans relates to his players partly because he was one of them “The way his words hit the players’ ears is different,” Houston special teams coach Frank Ross says and it definitely sounds like an ex-player who sat in their seats ‘I understand what you’re seeing and how hard that might be but I’m not going to let you skid on the standard.'” Coach and quarterback found common ground shortly after the Texans selected Stroud with the second pick of the 2023 draft Stroud asked Ryans about the book on his desk — “The 5-Minute Bible Study.” Ryans told him he reads it every morning before he starts work They discussed the devotional he had read that day And I truly believe that God has guided my steps and blessed me to be in the position I’m in It’s his grace that has lined things up to allow me to be where I am today.” Ryans was drawn to Stroud in pre-draft evaluations partly because Stroud had overcome He wasn’t a silver-spoon college prospect; Stroud’s father was incarcerated when C.J So Ryans knew he could handle adversity on the field Ryans tested Stroud in practice early in training camp when the offense was sluggish in getting plays off Then he threw for a first down on the next rep Ryans adjusts his approach to the nascent superstar Ryans tries to make every message positive He tells his assistants to avoid demeaning players Instead of “don’t do it that way,” it’s “do it this way.” he paired a veteran coach with a younger coach at most positions so players could hear different perspectives defensive backs coach Dino Vasso leads the team meeting It gives the players a fresh voice while also furthering Vasso’s development his playing weight in the later stages of his career His arms look like they were inflated — or overinflated — by an air compressor He never misses a workout; his assistants joke that they have an in-house replacement if they need a linebacker “He was out there on the scout team in practice today playing L5 on the kickoff team,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke says ‘Look at Meek — he looks like he can still go.'” his defensive coordinator Joe Kines put him on the spot in front of the defense while watching tape He walked out of the meeting thinking he could never not know again Ryans made it a point to be familiar not only with his responsibilities but also with the responsibilities of the 10 players around him as well as with what offenses were trying to do to them Ryans knows everything possible about every front “He has an unbelievable grasp of every aspect of the game,” Watt says On a third-quarter fourth-and-2 in the Texans’ playoff victory against the Browns last January “You just hang right there and play the quarterback,” Ryans told him Harris stepped in front of Harrison Bryant, intercepted Joe Flacco’s pass and brought it back for a touchdown “One thing I’ve always tried to do is anticipate what plays are coming,” Ryans says I knew there were only a certain amount of plays they were running who attended Ryans’ meetings the week before the Texans played the Steelers in Week 4 (a 30-6 victory) “What we saw in the Cleveland game is basically what all these meetings are like,” Watt says “I was sitting there fascinated by it because he pulls up very specific plays from practice the day before and points out exactly what was good about it and what was bad He can talk about it in such depth and knowledge — not just about where you’re supposed to be but what’s actually going through the player’s head It helps him make his own game management decisions most of which he tries to anticipate before games begin He recently showed up for Watt’s charity softball game and worked as well as played Ryans peppered former Texans defensive tackle Antonio Smith with questions about what drills he found most beneficial what he sees in certain alignments and footwork in various situations He approaches the draft the way he approaches a game Caserio estimates Ryans studied at least 150 prospects before the draft “He wants to be hands-on with everything we’re doing here,” Burke says On the wall to the players’ right is the acronym in large red letters Ryans wanted an inspirational slogan when he was hired to be the 49ers’ defensive coordinator He asked his old Alabama teammate Todd Bates now the co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma One was S.W.A.R.M.: special work ethic and relentless mindset “It fits perfectly in what I believe in for how we’re going to play and act,” Ryans says (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Wesley Hitt MARIETTA, Ga. — When Montez Sweat was coronated as a Pro Bowler The defensive end had just completed the 2023 season having accomplished the unprecedented — leading not one but two teams in sacks with 6 1/2 for the Washington Commanders and six for the Chicago Bears And there was impact beyond the measurable he transformed the Bears defense with what his coach Matt Eberflus called “The Tez Effect.” Sweat also became the highest-paid Bear in history $98 million contract with $72.5 million guaranteed Sweat reveled in the Pro Bowl games with his family, including his grandparents Charles and Deborah Sweat, sister Yvetta, and his son, Shiloh, now 2. He and Shiloh sat on the field with Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell and his son He talked pass rush with Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware At an outing to Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando Sweat and his family rode the Caro-Seuss-el — a merry-go-round from the wild imagination of Dr Seuss that features elephant birds from “Horton Hatches the Egg,” Milligatawnies from “If I Ran the Zoo” and Wumps from “One Fish and he was kind of freaking out,” Yvetta Sweat says ‘Are you more afraid for yourself or the baby?’” Sweat asked the ride operator to stop so he and Shiloh could get off Firm footing and awareness of what’s coming is what he needs She was afflicted by disease and drug addiction and got by with welfare while living in Section 8 housing in Kentucky Yvetta was five years older than Tez and cared for him like another mother changing his diapers and tending to his needs he and his siblings moved to Georgia to live with their grandparents Michelle remained a presence in their lives and eventually rejoined the family when Tez was in high school On their frequent five-hour car rides back and forth to Kentucky Charles and Deborah played R&B classics Tez listens to Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye on his headphones “Even if Anthony had a doctor’s appointment called Anthony “my big little brother.” It was Anthony who led him to football Basketball was the more powerful draw for Tez He quit football as a junior at Stephenson High School to devote more of himself to basketball He played both sports again his senior year averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in basketball and becoming one of the top tight end recruits in the country Football injuries nearly destroyed Jim McMahon Sweat was moved to defensive end as soon as he arrived He played in two games as a freshman and redshirted the next year But he admittedly smoked weed and failed drug tests leading to his departure from the university At Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi, he atoned for his missteps and eventually was given new life at Mississippi State “Everybody doesn’t get a second chance,” he says he had 28 1/2 sacks and was named first-team All-American as a senior Washington chose him with the 26th pick of the 2019 draft and he thought she would keep blowing up his phone for many years Anthony was shot and killed three days after Christmas “He was in and out of jail a lot,” Tez says He says he questioned God and couldn’t understand his purpose Jaylon Johnson was defined by what he didn't have; now he has more than enough Sweat went into 2023 hoping for a contract extension as his rookie deal would expire after the season caught in the politics of an ownership change The Commanders defense just finished a tape review of a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a Monday in October, and the players were making their way to the practice field. That’s when Sweat’s phone lit up. Bilbo told him he had been traded to the Bears for a second-round pick asking him to come to his office to talk about the trade Sweat didn’t want to talk about it — he wanted to yell about it “I was angry and probably said some things I wanted to take back He didn’t realize a different climate would produce more his family lives and he trains in the offseason at DSA Performance Sweat was disappointed the Commanders wanted a draft choice more than they wanted him “It felt like somebody kind of gave up on you like you aren’t good enough anymore,” he says The Bears thought — maybe knew — he could be better than ever and were prepared to say so with their checkbook “I’m not getting on the field until something is worked out.” The contract was signed four days after the trade Montez Sweat has 3.5 sacks in 5 games for what has been a top-five @ChicagoBears defense since he was acquired before Week 9 Difference maker 😤 pic.twitter.com/zlB04HgMva — NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2023 His new teammates embraced him. Sweat was given a locker next to middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and they bonded quickly In a four-game stretch from mid-November through mid-December His burst was quicker than the TV cameras that tried to follow him let alone the feet of the blockers who attempted to impede him he got close enough to the ground to duck beneath a limbo bar He freed himself with arms that go on and on like rainforest vines his power sometimes tipped opposing linemen as if they were sand-bottomed tackling dummies Sweat weighed 260 pounds with 5.9 percent body fat (he’s between 5 and 10 pounds heavier now) and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash — a record for a defensive lineman His 7.00 three-cone time beat some defensive backs His arms measured 35 3/4 inches and his hands 10 1/2 Jennifer King saw how different he was in Washington when she was an assistant running backs coach Then she saw it in offseason workouts with the Bears he was running our running backs down in practice in Washington,” she says Sweat tapped into his gifts in a way he had not previously the scheme called for Sweat to read and think more while reacting to what teammates were doing his only concern on most snaps is getting to the quarterback and the coaches have tried to force opposing offenses to divert blocking attention away from him “It’s kind of based around me,” Sweat says everyone was kind of like an alpha male and they are great players but it was hard for guys to make sacrifices for all of us to be of one accord asking him whether he thought the team should practice inside or outside on certain days last season Having a valued voice made Sweat feel like more than just another private in an NFL army “He was great in the building in Washington but he’s a leader of the line here,” King says On the left side of his torso is a tattoo that reads “Hebrews 11:1 Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” His mother often shared her faith with him On his right torso is a tattoo of Anthony’s face from when he was a child “What happened with my mother and brother is definitely a motivation for me to be a better person for them and pursue all my dreams,” he says He didn’t find his football position until after high school and he didn’t become a draft prospect until his fourth year of college It flows that he didn’t become an NFL star until he was 27 who recently held the first Montez Sweat Football Camp at the park in Stone Mountain where he played football for the first time he felt gratitude as he reflected on the journey that led him to where he is — even if it sometimes felt like an amusement park ride Sweat bought a house in Chicago and has discovered the decadence of deep-dish pizza He placed an order for a dog at a counter recently Sweat laughed deeply and accepted the hot dog with mustard only ketchup on his dog might be the only thing he wants but can’t have (Top photo: Frank Jansky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) — They came in droves to say goodbye to the daughter of George Halas The wake for Virginia Halas McCaskey — Mrs McCaskey to all who were not kin — was open to the public on Tuesday and there were so many mourners that they had to park a block away at Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center so they were directed to a holding area in a tent where the line snaked around like airport security on a Monday morning The wait was two hours as soon as the doors opened There were men wearing necklaces with crosses around clerical collars working people with calloused hands and dirt under their fingernails die-hards wearing Bears jerseys and Starter jackets and some of their heroes Her father’s game can do to relationships what butchers do to chickens coaches and players who left the Bears with bitterness returned with hugs and memories Lovie Smith and Ben Johnson were in the congregation at St Emily’s Church for the private funeral mass the next day McCaskey to share her experiences for the first time in the early 2000s and she began a tradition of addressing the players annually with stories about the team’s history It is Johnson who is willed to carry her hopes of a return to glory friends and the NFL community came together yesterday to pay their respects to the remarkable life of Virginia Halas McCaskey — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 13, 2025 Some of the players who heard her speeches were there The 2006 Super Bowl team was represented by Mike Brown From the iconic ’85 Bears were Richard Dent Even the ’63 champions had a representative Connie Payton and Joy Piccolo O’Connell were there It was fitting given she touched every generation of the team the Bengals architect who drafted Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase He was a ball boy for the Bears when his late father Among the NFL owners who paid respects were Michael Bidwill There must have been 31 floral arrangements from NFL teams And there were many more wreaths and bouquets so many that even the vestibule smelled like springtime Chicago Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey dies at 102 Then there was the family — eight sons and daughters 40 great grandchildren and even four great great grandchildren Hardly anyone could tell them apart without nametags Each started with the word “Favorite” and then said who they were as in “Favorite granddaughter Michelle.” She made every one of them feel that way who spoke at the funeral of Grandma attending his high school homecoming football game They wore custom-made pins in the shape of hearts and it was replicated from her handwriting which she used in many personal notes For someone who actively avoided attention she never sought praise; she only sought grace Whenever she made a charitable donation — and she made hundreds many of which were exceedingly generous — she insisted it be anonymous She will not be known for sporting innovations or conquests as her father was What she will be remembered for is humanity The game she was associated with can be vile As the NFL drifted further and further from compassion Mostly by example but with words when necessary she showed how to maintain priorities and perspective she demonstrated the power of a gentle spirit McCaskey came from an era when players carpooled to practices and games and the team held luncheons for players’ wives on off days so the men could stay home with the children She was a reminder that some values should be perpetual Virginia Halas McCaskey’s legacy is her love for family & the Chicago Bears. pic.twitter.com/NFG5S3jU1j — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 8, 2025 She was bothered by the prevalence of the word “I.” It shouldn’t be about her I tried to convince her that “I’s” were necessary but eventually conceded to remove 11 “I’s.” She had her father’s persuasiveness she gave a speech about faith and family in the basement chapel of a church Gracious but determined that her wisdom would be shared only intimately you know I’m not here as a public figure.” there’s a new place for ‘hail marys’ at Halas Hall stood in line for more than an hour at the wake In front of her was a pack of high school kids Behind her was a group of patients who had bused there from a rehab center for drug and alcohol addiction She was much more — a queen among commoners So death brought us together again this week it struck me that she lived the way many of us would like to Her family members knew the time was near and had the opportunity to say what was in their hearts McCaskey lived for 102 years and one month — not long enough for those who knelt before her but almost certainly long enough for her the world she was departing was decidedly better than the one she came into A lightning strike has hit the lantern of Church of Our Lady of Pompei in Rabat The lightning shattered the lantern’s glass windows No one was injured in the lightning strike the parish said that the church is currently being cleaned and repaired the Church of St John the Baptist in Xewkija was also hit by lightning and damaged in the storm We 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