Israel has opposed the idea of a binding U

envoy Yahya Mahmassani told reporters after a day of negotiations. Palestinian representative Riyad Mansour said, "Yes, we have a deal". Several Western diplomat confirmed agreement on the text.The Security Council went into closed-door consultations on Gaza late on Thursday afternoon but it was unclear if there would be an immediate vote.Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the council would vote on the draft on Thursday, but Western diplomats, who asked not to be identified, said the vote could be delayed until Friday.A European diplomat said France, which holds the council presidency for January, had promised Israel there would be no vote until Friday. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner declined to comment to reporters on the issue.The resolution "stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza," according to a text obtained by Reuters.Israel attacked Gaza on December 27 in a bid to stamp out rocket fire by Palestinian militants against southern Israel.Arab countries, many facing strong anti-Israeli sentiment at home, had insisted the 15-nation Security Council must issue a binding resolution that would force Israel to end its military campaign in the Gaza Strip immediately.More than 750 Palestinians and 11 Israelis have been killed in the 13-day offensive aimed at halting rocket attacks from Hamas militants on southern Israel.Israel has opposed the idea of a binding U.N. resolution.VIOLENCE CONTINUESThe United States had backed its ally Israel but diplomats said it dropped its objections and agreed to back a cautiously worded text.U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Kouchner negotiated through much of Wednesday and Thursday with Arab diplomats at the United Nations on a compromise text.As they did so, violence continued on the ground Israel pressed its offensive, a U.N.

aid agency said it was suspending operations in Gaza and a rocket salvo from Lebanon slightly wounded two people in northern Israel.Libya, the only Arab country on the council, had earlier presented Western countries with a revised version of a resolution it drafted earlier this week.Until Thursday, Western countries had pushed for a nonbinding presidential statement by the Security Council. and French delegations to accept wording that might be unpalatable to Israel.But a Western diplomat said there was something for both Israelis and Palestinians in the resolution."You need to give the Israelis something which responds to their legitimate security concerns about smuggling, and the balancing element of that for the Palestinians is to find a sustainable way of opening the crossings" into Gaza.(Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau, writing by Patrick Worsnip; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) World. Despite their recent slump, I have always had an infatuation with the mystique and history of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. They have Hall of Famers at nearly every position from secondary to linebacker to defensive line on defense. And on offense, they have Hall of Fame busts at tight end, receiver, quarterback, guard, center, tackle, and running back.

With so many dominant players in their storied history, it’s remarkable that there may be a few more on the way now. The Hall of Fame announced its semifinalist list a few days ago and out of 25 names, four were lifetime members of the Raiders. Lester Hayes was the 1980 Defensive Player of the Year and a talented cornerback with the team, winning two Super Bowls with them in the 80s. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro once. He picked off 39 passes over his career and was the reason that stick'em (a glue-like substance put on gloves to help get a better grip on the football) was outlawed. Ray Guy is, to me, the most dominant punter of his era, if not all time.

His powerful kicks would have five-second hang times and few return men ever had a chance to run with the ball. Guy had only three punts blocked and never had a return taken back for a touchdown in his 14-year career. The seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, was so dominant the NCAA’s annual award for best punter is named after him. Tim Brown is third on the all-time receiving list behind Jerry Rice (also a candidate) and Isaac Bruce.