Feeney and Littleton replacements?

bananasnblondes said:

I think Bevis Bartlett takes the open LB spot. Potatoe and Warren battle it out for buck unless Kongbo comes here (please Allah).

I forget what coach but one of them mention DJ Beavers as a player who has "flashed" during bowl practices. He was first time all state in CA so the guy clearly has some talent.

steelheader2 said:

Bartlett at olb and Benning at Buck. Kongo would be perfect at Buck but unlikely

puppylove_sugarsteel said:

steelheader2 said:

Bartlett at olb and Benning at Buck. Kongo would be perfect at Buck but unlikely

Whats your scoop on Kongo?

Democratic Republic of the Congo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with the neighbouring Republic of the Congo.
Coordinates: 2.88°S 23.656°E

Democratic Republic of the Congo
République démocratique du Congo (French)
Repubilika ya Kôngo ya Dimokalasi (Kongo)
Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki (Lingala)
Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo (Swahili)
Ditunga dia Kongu wa Mungalaata (Tshiluba)

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Justice – Paix – Travail" (French)
"Justice – Peace – Work"
Anthem: Debout Congolais (French)
"Arise, Congolese"
MENU0:00
Location of Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark blue)– in Africa (light blue & dark grey)– in the African Union (light blue)
Location of Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark blue)
– in Africa (light blue & dark grey)
– in the African Union (light blue)

Capital
and largest city Kinshasa
4°19′S 15°19′E
Official languages French
Recognised national languages
Lingala
Kituba ("Kikongo ya leta")
Swahili
Tshiluba
Ethnic groups See Ethnic groups section below
Demonym Congolese
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
• President Joseph Kabila
• Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo
Legislature Parliament
• Upper house Senate
• Lower house National Assembly
Independence
• from Belgium 30 June 1960[1]
Area
• Total 2,345,409 km2 (11th)
905,355 sq mi
• Water (%) 4.3
Population
• 2015 estimate 81,680,000[2] (19th)
• Density 33.01/km2 (182nd)
75.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2015 estimate
• Total $61.579 billion[3]
• Per capita $753.907[3]
GDP (nominal) 2015 estimate
• Total $35.571 billion[3]
• Per capita $435.497[3]
Gini (2006) 44.4[4]
medium
HDI (2014) Increase 0.433[5]
low · 176th
Currency Congolese franc (CDF)
Time zone WAT and CAT (UTC+1 to +2)
Drives on the right
Calling code +243
ISO 3166 code CD
Internet TLD .cd
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (/ˈkɒŋɡoʊ/; French pronunciation: ​[kɔ̃ɡo]; French: République démocratique du Congo), also known as DR Congo, DRC, DROC, RDC, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply Congo[6][7] is a country located in Central Africa. From 1971 to 1997 it was named Zaïre. The DRC borders the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 75 million,[1] the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth most populated nation in Africa and the nineteenth most populated country in the world.

The Congolese Civil Wars, which began in 1996, brought about the end of Mobutu Sese Seko's 31-year reign and devastated the country. The wars ultimately involved nine African nations, multiple groups of UN peacekeepers and twenty armed groups,[8][9] and resulted in the deaths of 5.4 million people.[10][11][12][13]

The Democratic Republic of Congo is extremely rich in natural resources, but political instability, a lack of infrastructure, deep rooted corruption, and centuries of both commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation have limited holistic development. Besides the capital, Kinshasa, the other major cities, Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi, are both mining communities. DR Congo's largest export is raw minerals, with China accepting over 50% of DRC's exports in 2012. As of 2013, according to the Human Development Index (HDI), DR Congo has a low level of human development, ranking 176 out of 187 countries.[5]

Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Early history
2.2 Congo Free State (1877–1908)
2.3 Belgian Congo (1908–1960)
2.4 Independence and political crisis (1960–1965)
2.5 Zaïre (1971–1997)
2.6 Civil wars (1996–present)
3 Geography
3.1 Provinces
3.2 Flora and fauna
4 Politics
4.1 Government
4.2 Corruption
4.3 Human rights
4.4 Foreign relations and military
5 Economy and infrastructure
5.1 Mining
5.2 Transportation
5.2.1 Rail
5.2.2 Road
5.2.3 Water
5.2.4 Air
5.3 Energy
5.4 Education
5.5 Health
5.6 Crime and law enforcement
6 Demographics
6.1 Largest cities
6.2 Ethnic groups
6.3 Migration
6.4 Religion
6.5 Languages
7 Culture
7.1 Music
7.2 Sports
7.3 Food
7.4 Media
8 Environmental issues
9 Renewable energy
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Etymology[edit]
Further information: Name of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly known as, in chronological order, Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), Republic of Zaire and Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1]

The country was known officially as the "Democratic Republic of the Congo" from 1965 to 1971, when it was changed to the "Republic of Zaïre." In 1992, the Sovereign National Conference voted to change the name of the country to the "Democratic Republic of the Congo," but the change was not put into practice.[14] The country's name was restored by former president Laurent Kabila following the fall of long time dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997.[15]

History[edit]
Main article: History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Early history[edit]
Main article: Early Congolese history

Village attacked by Arab-Swahili slavers near Nyangwe, end of 19th century
The area now known as the DR Congo was populated as early as 80,000 years ago, as shown by the 1988 discovery of the Semliki harpoon at Katanda, one of the oldest barbed harpoons ever found, and which is believed to have been used to catch giant river catfish.[16][17]

Some historians think that Bantu peoples began settling in the extreme northwest of Central Africa at the beginning of the 5th century and then gradually started to expand southward.

Their propagation was accelerated by the transition from Stone Age to Iron Age techniques. The people living in the south and southwest were mostly San Bushmen and hunter-gatherer groups, whose technology involved only minimal use of metal technologies. The development of metal tools during this time period revolutionized agriculture and animal husbandry. This led to the displacement of the hunter-gatherer groups in the east and southeast.

The 10th century marked the final expansion of the Bantu in West-Central Africa. Rising populations soon made possible intricate local, regional and foreign commercial networks that traded mostly in salt, iron and copper.

Congo Free State (1877–1908)[edit]
Main articles: Colonisation of the Congo and Congo Free State

View of Leopoldville Station and Port in 1884.
Belgian exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. It was first led by Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who undertook his explorations under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium. The eastern regions of the precolonial Congo were heavily disrupted by constant slave raiding, mainly from Arab–Swahili slave traders such as the infamous Tippu Tip,[18] who was well known to Stanley. Leopold had designs on what was to become the Congo as a colony.[19] In a succession of negotiations, Leopold, professing humanitarian objectives in his capacity as chairman of the front organization Association Internationale Africaine, actually played one European rival against another.[citation needed]

Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin in 1885 and made the land his private property and named it the Congo Free State.[19] Leopold's regime began various infrastructure projects, such as construction of the railway that ran from the coast to the capital of Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). It took eight years to complete. Nearly all such projects were aimed at increasing the assets which Leopold and his associates could extract from the colony.[20]

In the Free State, colonists brutalized the local population to produce rubber, for which the spread of automobiles and development of rubber tires created a growing international market. The sale of rubber made a fortune for Leopold, who built several buildings in Brussels and Ostend to honor himself and his country. To enforce the rubber quotas, the army, the Force Publique, was called in and made the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives a matter of policy.[21]

During the period of 1885–1908, millions of Congolese died as a consequence of exploitation and disease. In some areas the population declined dramatically – it has been estimated that sleeping sickness and smallpox killed nearly half the population in the areas surrounding the lower Congo River.[21] A government commission later concluded that the population of the Congo had been "reduced by half" during this period,[20] but determining precisely how many people died is impossible, as no accurate records exist.

Belgian Congo (1908–1960)[edit]
Main article: Belgian Congo
In 1908, the Belgian parliament, despite initial reluctance, bowed to international pressure (especially that from the United Kingdom) and took over the Free State from King Leopold II. On 18 October 1908, the Belgian parliament voted in favour of annexing the Congo as a Belgian colony. Executive power rested with the Belgian Minister of Colonial Affairs, assisted by a Colonial Council (Conseil Colonial) (both located in Brussels) and the Belgian parliament exercised legislative authority over the Belgian Congo. In 1926, the colonial capital moved from Boma to Léopoldville, some 300 km further upstream in the interior.

The transition from the Congo Free State to the Belgian Congo was a break but it was also marked by a large degree of continuity. The last Governor-general of the Congo Free State, Baron Wahis, remained in office in the Belgian Congo and the majority of Leopold II’s administration with him.[22] Opening up the Congo and its natural and mineral riches for the Belgian economy remained the main motive for colonial expansion – however, other priorities, such as healthcare and basic education, slowly gained in importance.


Force Publique soldiers in the Belgian Congo in 1918. At its peak, the Force Publique had around 19,000 African soldiers, led by 420 white officers.
Colonial administrators ruled the territory and a dual legal system existed (a system of European courts and one of indigenous courts, tribunaux indigènes). Indigenous courts had only limited powers and remained under the firm control of the colonial administration. In 1936 it was recorded that there were 728 Belgian administrators controlling the Colony. No political activity was permitted in the Congo whatsoever[23] and the Force Publique, a locally recruited army under Belgian command, put down any attempts at rebellion.

The Belgian population of the colony increased from 1,928 in 1910 to nearly 89,000 in 1959.

The Belgian Congo was directly involved in the two world wars. During World War I, an initial stand-off between the Force Publique and the German colonial army in German East Africa (Tanganyika) turned into open warfare with a joint Anglo-Belgian invasion of German colonial territory in 1916 and 1917 during the East African Campaign. The Force Publique gained a notable victory when it marched into Tabora in September 1916, under the command of General Charles Tombeur after heavy fighting.

After the war, Belgium was rewarded for the participation of the Force Publique in the East African campaign with a League of Nations mandate over the former German colony of Ruanda-Urundi. During World War II, the Belgian Congo was a crucial source of income for the Belgian government in exile in London. The Force Publique again participated in the Allied campaigns in Africa. Belgian Congolese forces under the command of Belgian officers notably fought against the Italian colonial army in Ethiopia in Asosa, Bortaï and Saïo under Major-General Auguste-Eduard Gilliaert during the second East African Campaign.[24]

Independence and political crisis (1960–1965)[edit]
Main article: Congo Crisis

Patrice Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In May 1960, a growing nationalist movement, the Mouvement National Congolais or MNC Party, led by Patrice Lumumba, won the parliamentary elections. Patrice Lumumba thus became the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The parliament elected as President Joseph Kasavubu, of the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO) party. Other parties that emerged included the Parti Solidaire Africain (or PSA) led by Antoine Gizenga, and the Parti National du Peuple (or PNP) led by Albert Delvaux and Laurent Mbariko. (Congo 1960, dossiers du CRISP, Belgium).

The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30 June 1960 under the name "République du Congo" ("Republic of Congo" or "Republic of the Congo" in English). Shortly after independence, the provinces of Katanga (led by Moise Tshombe) and South Kasai engaged in secessionist struggles against the new leadership.[25] Most of the 100,000 Europeans who had remained behind after independence fled the country,[26] opening the way for Congolese to replace the European military and administrative elite.[27]

As the neighboring French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen Congo) also chose the name "Republic of Congo" upon achieving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as "Congo-Léopoldville" and "Congo-Brazzaville", after their capital cities.

On 5 September 1960, Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from office. Lumumba declared Kasavubu's action unconstitutional and a crisis between the two leaders developed. (cf. Sécession au Katanga – J.Gerald-Libois -Brussels- CRISP)

On 14 September, Lumumba was arrested by forces loyal to Joseph Mobutu. On 17 January 1961, he was handed over to Katangan authorities and executed by Belgian-led Katangese troops.[28] Amidst widespread confusion and chaos, a temporary government was led by technicians (Collège des Commissaires) with Evariste Kimba. The Katanga secession was ended in January 1963 with the assistance of UN forces. Several short-lived governments, of Joseph Ileo, Cyrille Adoula and Moise Tshombe, took over in quick succession.

Lumumba had previously appointed Joseph Mobutu chief of staff of the new Congo army, Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC).[citation needed] Taking advantage of the leadership crisis between Kasavubu and Lumumba, Mobutu garnered enough support within the army to create mutiny.

GreenRiverGatorz said:

TTJ said:

NT GAINES/Vea
3T QUALLS/McCoy
5T DISSLY/Bowman/Johnson
BUCK POTATO/Mathis
MIK VICTOR/Warren
WIL BIERRIA/Burr-Kirven
SAM BARTLETT/Eifler/Beavers

That's a really big and slow front seven. Johnson has been well ahead of Bowman in the depth, so I don't see that changing, and I don't think Mathis is going to disappear into a backup in his final season. There will probably be a lot of shuffling between the BUCK, DE, and 3T spot, but here's my front seven projection:

DE: Potoae/Johnson/Bowman
NT: Gaines/Vea
DT: Qualls/Dissly
BUCK: Mathis (I expect him to trim down this offseason)/Warren/Wooching
SAM: Bartlett/O'Brien
MIK: Victor/BBK
WIL: Bierria/Constantine

Passion said:

Looking at these names, I think Constantine better learn how to tackle...quickly.

ApostleofGrief said:

Adam Jude would love a post like this. It is just the sort of thing he spends all of his time writing about. Now you've gone and given him a prime area of the team to use for the "team is young" theme he beats to fucking death.