Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation since 08/19/2018 in all areas

  1. Thank you very much for the kind words. I think is was roughly 18 years ago that we began ZipsNation.org. Seven of us met outside Porky's Shop and pitched in some money to get the site started. @Zip Watcher did the original heavy lifting to set up the server and work with Invision. He's also the guy that came up with the "ZipsNation.org" name. Now-a-days "XYZ Nation" is everywhere. Back then is was more novel...and pretty perfect. Although he doesn't post much anymore, he continues to help with the server updates and issues. And keeping the domain name valid. And probably some other stuff I'm unaware of. Beyond participating, @ZZZips helps fund the site, paying for the server. This is greatly appreciated. In addition to his stellar photography skills and posts, @Dr Z has taken over the technical side of things, installing the updates to keep the site modern and running smoothly. This is not his specialty...he has learned this side of the internet on his own and the site would not exist if he hadn't stepped up and volunteered to do this. I pay the bi-yearly Invision fees. And I am the "heavy" when things occasionally get out of control, or improper content gets posted. I'm happy that doesn't happen too often anymore. Which ties into the closing thoughts - At the recent March MAC tournament two different people whom I, at best, casually know approached me to say how much they enjoyed the ZipsNation site. And what a great community of members we have. This is a "community"...with are scores of "regulars" that keep the site fresh, informational and interesting. And there are several hundred "lurkers" who check-in daily. Keeping the discussions on a high/professional level is what I want. No "professional" like everyone should write like Grantland Rice, but that everyone should be civil and respectful. The class exhibited by this site's members allowed me and Dr.Z being able to work with UA on the athletics stories and photography up through the COVID era. Several coaches over the years have told me "I don't read ZipsNation, but I have people that do. And they tell me you run a nice site." Of course, when I asked newly-hired Rob Ianello if I could stop by his office and interview him, he stuck his open hand in my face and stated - "We had FIVE fans sites covering us at Notre Dame...FIVE!" In conclusion - thanks to everyone in this community for making the site fun and informational for 18+ years. Who knows how long it will continue, but those of us that fund and run it are grateful that so many of you enjoy it, and contribute to making it great.
    21 points
  2. Hello Fellow Fans! I thought I would update you on Kwan. This past year has been crazy, but despite the craziness Kwan has became a father to a little boy named Kyler James Cheatham. He also got married on Aug 7th to Emily Rose Correal. Lastly, Kwan will be playing in Israel this season. We are so proud of the man Kwan grown into. His career as pro baller has afforded him to see the world. God is good and we truly blessed!
    19 points
  3. Good Day Zips Fans! A quick update on Kwan. He's having a GREAT season over in Spain. He's expecting another son with his wife Emily
    19 points
  4. Here's what I learned Groce says we have 2 more players that will be committing in the next 2 weeks. Once they clear the compliance process announcements will be made. That will bring us to 13 players on scholarship. 4 more football players will be added through the transfer portal in the next few weeks. JoMo is very optimistic about seeing real improvement this season but is realistic about how far the program needs to grow to be a consistent force in the MAC. He totally understands how important it is to beat Kent! Every practice ends with a drill focused on making that happen. Embick says we should see improved scoring this season but we have a young backfield that will need to improve. The rifle team signed 2 freshmen that placed in the top 10 at the junior Olympics recently. Womens golf had their best ever MAC finish this season taking 3rd overall. Track and Field is getting ready for the regionals next week. They feel confident the Zips will be represented at the NCAA meet in Oregon.
    17 points
  5. I'm dusting off an old thread based on quotes on other threads and my observations of Jimond this year. I have come to senior days of many seasons and stood to cheer the players I thought represented my alma mater in an exemplary manner. I won't cheer any player louder than Jimond. From that awkward out of control freshman to being a senior leader, Jimond has given 100% every minute he has been on the floor. He stuck with UA when KD left and others bailed. Last year, I watched him try to counsel and temper Virshon. This year, I have watched him taking younger players under his wing and offer them advice or words of encouragement. His impact on the team has gone far beyond his basketball talents. He has done the Zips proud. Good luck Jimond in wherever life leads you.
    17 points
  6. We most likely should have been anticipating our seed and matchup for the NCAA Tournament today. Instead, the sports world shut down and the world in general is shutting down. I caught myself realizing this team didn't get the proper recognition from the fans at the end of the season. Not because the fans didn't show up, but because a special season like this is usually capped off with a community celebration at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on a Saturday night in March, maybe followed by a NCAA Tourney watch party at the JAR for our seed/matchup. I wanted to let Coach Groce know how much Zips Nation (not this site but the fans) appreciated this group of guys and the season. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Groce, I am not an Akron alum. I was born in 1994, and I'm pretty sure I learned the Akron Blue & Gold fight song before I learned to even breathe. My dad and grandma are both Akron alumni, and I bleed Blue & Gold because of them. Two quick stories before I continue. My parents tell this story where after an Akron basketball game in the mid-late 90s, I fell asleep in the back seat instantly. My dad would whistle the fight song, though, and apparently I woke up just in time to say, "Go Zips," at the end before passing back out. One year, my mom asked me who I wanted to be for Halloween, fully expecting me to say Batman or a firefighter like every other kid in the world. I said I wanted to be Bruce Weinkein, a former Akron 7' Center from the 90s. She made me a custom #00 Weinkein jersey that I would wear to every game, and it eventually got me on the news and got Bruce's attention. One Christmas, he had us meet him after the game and gave me a game-worn Weinkein jersey (I still have it), while also inviting me into the locker room for the next couple of years on Senior Night to get the autographs of the seniors on a basketball (I still have that as well). My roots are Akron, which is why I had mixed feelings when Akron hired you - not because you aren't a great coach, but because we had to get the bad taste out of our mouths from all the butt-whoopings you gave us and the success you had at our rival Ohio U. I remember the first game of your tenure against Cleveland State. We had some raw skill, but I was already impressed with the style of play you preach and practice. It's very fun basketball, and not just because of the faster pace with fluid motion on offense. It's fun basketball because it's fundamentally sound. Thank you for bringing that back to Akron. I love the emphasis on defense, effort, rebounding, and FREE THROWS. The Kent game to end the year was the PERFECT example, with that game being won because of our clutch free throw shooting and effort on BOTH ends of the floor. The 2019-2020 Zips Men's Basketball team was an easy group of guys to get behind. They put the effort in during the off-season to take the program back to a level we're accustomed to at Akron. LCJ was incredibly special, and everyone around him was fun to watch. Most importantly, though, the character on this team was incredible. These are good people, first and foremost, and I want to thank you for recruiting them to Akron. On top of that, thank YOU for being a good man as well. I have heard nothing but great things about you and am proud to say you're the Head Coach of the Akron Zips Men's Basketball program. Thank you for choosing to come to Akron. Team 119 will always be remembered not because of how the season ended, but because of how much joy it gave us as fans. This team won a lot of people over, and we all appreciate the effort from the program to deliver that joy. Who knows what the future has in store, when basketball/sports will resume, etc. I'm excited for the future of the program with you at the helm, and thank you & the team again for such a special season. Go Zips.
    16 points
  7. Bobcat fan here. Just wanted to say good luck out west. Bring that win share back to the MAC!
    15 points
  8. On Thursday December 20th, new Zips Head Football Coach Tom Arth was kind enough to allow me a 30 minute interview. While I would have loved to garnered details such as recruit names and a detailed list of staff candidates, unfortunately neither was possible. Trust me, I tried. Until things are official, and contracts are signed, we all simply need to put the puzzle pieces together ourselves from Twitter and other similar sources. That said, I though he provided some great insight into his personal life, his football mindset and the DNA that will make up Akron Zips Football in the Arth Era. I hope you enjoy it. Note to Dr. Z: Regarding photography at scrimmages - Coach Arth was quoted as saying “Still photography is great.” Unlike the Bowden scrimmages, where only the initial 15 minutes of warm ups were open to photography, you should now be able to take plenty of action shots. Hope Santa got you a sweet new sports lens for Christmas this year! Coach Arth Q & A
    15 points
  9. Went down to the lower area to near the tunnel to watch the celebration. I couldn't be more impressed by our guys. A few took pictures with my son, who was on cloud nine. If there was any doubt he's going to grow up a die-hard Zips fan, that's gone. He's a lifer like his dad. 🙂 Some stories while we were down there: There was a little girl who asked Mikal to sign her Zips poster she made - he took it, said "I'll be back", and went and had all of the team sign it. Was chasing down each player so this young fan would have them all. Just won a championship and thinking of others. Sammy asked a young boy near my son if he was going to grow up and win a MAC Championship for the Zips. He also took a ton of pictures with kids and fans nearby. Enrique actually went into the stands to take pictures with the students who came. Took his shoes off and gave them to someone. Probably spent a good 10-15 minutes signing and taking pictures with fans. He also went over to the band and celebrated/took pictures. We saw one band member ask him for his gamertag (basically his screen name on Playstation to play online with). I think he may have had some sort of disability, but I don't want to assume. Anyhow, Enrique took the student's phone, typed his gamertag in, and took a picture with him. Literally minutes after winning a championship. This group is one we can be very proud of for more than just being a fantastic basketball team
    14 points
  10. Hello Zips Nation. I am a St Bonaventure alum from the dark ages who has lived in the Akron area for 35 years. Big MAC hoops fan here, who tries to attend several Akron and Kent games a year. The Bonnies fan base really is looking forward to Saturday’s matchup at RM Fieldhouse. It should be a good one. Zips have a great roster with Ali back in the mix. Here’s some insight on the Bonnies: we started slow the first month, with a 3-point home loss in game 2 to rival Canisius that sent the fans into a sky-is-falling frenzy. Our other two losses are to top 30 teams Auburn and FLA Atlantic. Hopes are very high this season with all five starters returning from last year’s 14-18 season. It was the Bonnies first sub-500 record in more than a decade but we were very inexperienced. Now with three key transfers the Bonnies are the oldest team in D1. Go figure. Bona has been playing great D the last month while shooting much better. In a recent 10-point loss the Bonnies held FAU to 64 points … 23 below FAU’s average. Our downfall was 21 turnovers when FAU turned up the pressure. The Bonnies are lead by two grad transfers who have emerged as our best players. Mika Adams-Woods (6-3 PG from UCincy, 15 ppg) and Chuck Pride (6-5 wing from Bryant, 12 ppg) are experienced, solid guys who are childhood friends from Syracuse. Bonaventure gave them a chance to play together this season. It’s been a great fit. Exactly what the Bonnies needed. Woods is an excellent floor leader, defender and scorer … exceeding all expectations and stat lines from his 4-year Cincy career as a starter. Woods is shooting 60% from the field and 50% from deep. In one 3-game stretch Woods made 19 shots in a row including 10 three-pointers. He has 48 assists to 19 turnovers. Pride has deep, deep range. He’s a solid rebounder and passer who gets to the basket when healthy. He missed several games with a high ankle sprain this month and has been getting back up to speed. He was averaging 16 pts, 6.5 rebs before getting hurt. We are hopeful that Pride will benefit from having the holiday week off. The Bona big men, Venning and Brown, both are 6-10, 250+ lbs, — very physical dudes which is the MO for the Atlantic 10. They can score when not hurt by foul trouble which is about half the games. Unlike the Zips front-court players, our centers like to work inside and can bog down the offense if they don’t see double teams. How we match up on D with Freeman and Ali will be a key to the game. The Bonnies go 9 deep. We start four guys between 6-3 and 6-6. Barry Evans, a 6-8 high-energy athlete off the bench, likely we be our best option to control Ali or Freeman. Evans is a solid defender and rebounder … he can fill any role off the bench. Moses Flowers (6-4 win) is a dangerous outside shooter as our 6th man. Flowers is coming off of a career-high 25 vs Binghamton. Other starters are Darryl Banks III of St Peter’s NCAA fame two seasons ago, and Assa Essamvous (formerly Yann Farrel) are streaky shooters. Both have had games with 5 threes made in the last year. Banks has been struggling and losing minutes to Flowers. Despite a solid roster and some solid stats, the Bonnies have feasted on bad teams. Bona is prone to scoring droughts and sometimes too dependent on the three. The Zips will be a good test and it should be the best of the 3 games Saturday.
    14 points
  11. While I am certainly no GT, I'll do my best to pass along a few things gleaned from a Zips football event held last evening at Café Arnone in Fairlawn.😀 The event was for boosters-only, until the last minute when they opened it up to the public. So I just went on my own. I may have been the only person in attendance that wasn't a former player or administrator. The main purpose of the event was to kick off a booster group composed primarily of former Zips players. Most of the guys seemed to be from the Dennison era. A few from the Faust era. Buchtel coach and former Brookhart RB Bryan Williams was in attendance. There will be a big push to get former Zips back into the fold, supporting the program. They'll be arranging road trips, fund raising and a lot of other things. Joe probably spoke for an hour. The most important thing discussed his adamant statement that he was at Akron for the long haul, and 100% committed to turning the ship around. He mentioned the offers he's had both before and since coming to UA...paraphrasing - "I could be a Power 5 head coach right now...I could be a Power 5 coordinator right now...I could be in the NFL right now...with a lot more commas and zero's on my paycheck...but I'm at Akron because I chose to be here, and I WILL turn this thing around." It was a pretty powerful and honest statement. In no particular order, here are some tidbits (I'm going off memory here) - There are two 2023 scholarships left to give The Zips expect two more 2024 freshman commits by next week. I think one is an OL from Florida? Future recruiting classes will likely be 60-70% from the portal (it depends upon what talent is available in a given year). The rest will be freshman. The preference is the portal guys will be like Alex Adams, mature kids with 3-or-so years of eligibility remaining. From the tone of the QB discussions, DJ and Taj are the top 2. But Billy Fessler said "We've only seen Taj in shorts so far, so we'll see what happens in August." Joe mentioned it was nice to have a guy like Undercuffler in the mix, as "he won a game last year, and was a minute away from winning another." Joe addressed the two late-game fumbles from last year - "I think the guys looked up at the scoreboard and said "Holy crap...we can actually win!?" And then, we folded. He said "regardless of how much you simulate those late-game scenarios in practice, the game is just different." He doesn't feel those situations will be repeated in 2023. 😀 The kicker from Oregon State can consistently put a ball 6-7 yards deep in the endzone on kick offs. Joe thought last season may have been his best coaching job ever considering the program's talent level when it was handed to him. On 2022, he said the Zips were "1 deep" at most positions. Now they are 2-3 deep. That's going to create some great competition and raise the level of play appreciably. "We look like a Division 1 team this year...last year that wasn't the case." Coach Tibesar said he has no idea who's going to start on the defensive line, but he likes the numbers and talent they have on the roster. He said the linebackers look like D1 linebackers. Joe Dunn was at the event. He expects to return for another season of broadcasting. The boosters seem like a good group of people. Older, professional guys who seem more than capable and motivated to make the group effective and grow it. I think 16 people joined last night, at $100 each. Nice start! They're appreciative that Joe and the staff have reached out to them. If you're a former player and want to find out more, contact Reno Ferri or Tom Freeman. Joe said the difference between the Fordham team he inherited in "Year 1", and the Zips team he inherited in "Year 0" was buy-in. The Fordham team won the 1-score games the Zips lost because they universally bought in to what his staff was implementing. That universal buy-in wasn't there for the Zips last season. But it is now. He expects great things now that players know they are being held accountable, and so many returning players have a year of Joe's system under their belts. Overall, a very nice, small-venue event. Definitely worth $30 to hear Joe speak. I'll leave the rest to GT. 😀
    14 points
  12. 1,583 days ago, Greg Tribble and Ali Ali suited up for their first regular season game for Akron, against Malone. Was Freeman with the team yet? He played later that month. Anyway, Ali started and played 19 minutes, Tribble played 14 minutes and both made an impact in the box score. Today, all 3 will play at the JAR for the last time. The last home game is always bittersweet, but this one is far and away the most I’ve ever felt that before. These 3 guys have been in my life longer than some of my close friends. I’m going to enjoy every second of tonight. Hopefully a comfortable win. These guys have done so much, and still have a lot on the table. Go Zips!
    13 points
  13. Warning: I got long-winded late at night, sorry. When it comes to recruiting, there are few better than Groce. A saying at Illinois was "Mothers love Groce" for the way he was able to alleviate their concerns during the process. And the guy's work ethic is off the charts. Also, I think he (and Dustin Ford) have proven to be solid at player development as well as game planning at each of their stops. As long as the Akron administration continues to meet him half way the sky is the limit. I believed that on day one and nothing has changed. Groce has the ability and the patience to continue to grow this program incrementally. And I believe we would be even further along if not for COVID. It's my opinion that injuries and the unethical side of the business is why Groce failed at Illinois. Nothing more. You lose your 4 star point guard 2 years in a row to season ending injury it's going to have ramifications. And today, if Illinois gets into that 2 way battle vs. Villanova for Jalen Brunson they would send in the CEO of the NIL Collective to try to seal the deal. Groce didn't want any part of that crap. I don't have first-hand knowledge, but the evidence was clear then. Groce ended up the "recruiting bridesmaid" way too many times on the high level recruits for it to be pure misfortune. Groce always talked about "not taking any short cuts". I took that statement to mean he had no intention of buying a championship. Now thanks to NIL, all of those seedy dealings are legal and part of the standard operating procedure. The other aspect of the P6 racket that I don't think people quite appreciate is the pressure to win immediately. I know from following Illinois that P6 fan bases can be entitled and insufferable. And their donors can be even worse. I don't see any of that appealing to him anymore. There are many factors that motivate a student athlete to attend a university; prestige, promises of going pro, immediate cash payouts, specific educational goals, family legacy, other relationships such as girlfriends, favorite team growing up, etc. Some of those might not apply to Akron, but here are a couple that might. Guys from the Cleveland area can play for their local team and their friends / family can attend many of the games. Freeman's family is a great example. And this is the pitch I believe Groce is using more than any other; come to Akron and you can be a part of building something special, something bigger than yourself, create your own legacy and the players that follow you will stand on your shoulders to reach even higher. This approach appeals to a certain personality and it's not for everyone. But Groce can sell that. I truly believe Groce is just getting started. Go Zips!!
    13 points
  14. Hello My fellow Zips Fans! Just wanted to share a picture of Kwan from the Fiba Europe Cup 2019-2020.
    13 points
  15. I have not posted or logged on to this site for a few years. I have no real football knowledge as many posters here appear to have. My wife and I have purchased season tickets for many years. If we went to a game in the last years, we always left after the band played at halftime. This year we have stayed till the end for all three games. As I said, I am far from a football guru, but I see tremendous improvement with this team. I believe Joe Moorhead is the real thing. He has a plan for this team and is going to try like heck to execute the plan. Give the man some time.
    12 points
  16. I talked to Chad Welker today at the golf outing and the web cam should up and running in the next day or two.
    12 points
  17. 12 points
  18. Yes. But we have a life, and sometimes we misplace trust that our members will act like adults. Jut so everyone knows - when I cut the check to Invision every 6 months to keep this site going it comes out of my pocket. I do it because I feel Zips fans need a nice place to discuss their teams comings and goings. 97% of you "get it," and I appreciate your contributions. If you are a cyberbully looking to inflate your ego, you're in the wrong board. Start your own Zips site and run it as you please. But here, you play by the house rules. It's as simple as that.
    12 points
  19. Don't blame Groce for Mark's lack of ability to compete at the D1 level....disingenuous to suggest it was on Coach's back, if you ever watched him play at UA. No disagreement on Mark being a great kid, etc. but just wasn't a D1 baller. Walsh and mark will compliment each other.
    12 points
  20. If I were to take a poll, I would bet that every Zip on this board was waiting for Undercuffler to throw an interception on that last drive. He threw some nice balls in the 4th quarter and needs to get credit for this win.
    11 points
  21. I remember looking at Arth's 2021 team and schedule and wondering "How will this team win more than one game?!" (they won 2). We've come a long way. Sep 2 (Sat) 2:00 PM Away Temple Prediction - Zips offense surprises the Owls. Zips win 34-31 (1-0) Sep 9 (Sat) 6:00 PM Home Morgan State No messing around...Zips win 51-9 (2-0) Sep 16 (Sat) 7:00 PM Away Kentucky Lexington, Ky. Zips keep it close at the half, but a couple explosive second half plays carry Kentucky to a 41-24 win (2-1) Sep 23 (Sat) TBA Away Indiana Bloomington, Ind. WKY took these guys to OT last year. Hoosiers aren't very good. I think the Zips lose in a tight one. 27-24 (2-2) Sep 30 (Sat) TBA Home Buffalo Akron, Ohio We should have beaten Buffalo last year. We will this year. Zips win 45-24 (3-2) Oct 7 (Sat) 3:30 PM Home Northern Illinois Akron, Ohio Pounded these guys last year. We'll do so again. Zips 51-16 (4-2) Oct 14 (Sat) TBA Away Central Michigan Mount Pleasant, Mich. Gifted the Chipps a win last season. History doesn't repeat itself. Zips win 35-20. (5-2) Oct 21 (Sat) TBA Away Bowling Green Bowling Green, Ohio Who knows which BG team shows up? Tough to figure the Falcons out. Zips lost by 3 last season. Bullish that Joe schemes hard to prevent back-to-back BG losses, and the JoMo Zips round into form. Zips win 30-27 (6-2) Nov 1 (Wed) 7 or 7:30 PM Home Kent State Akron, Ohio (InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field) No way the Zips lose this one. Arth was #heretodevelop. Joe is #heretopoundkent. Zips win 39-20 (7-2) Nov 8 (Wed) 7 or 7:30 PM Away Miami University Oxford, Ohio Zips due for a letdown, and Miami always seems to have their number. Miami wins 20-19. (7-3) Nov 14 (Tue) 7:00 PM Away Eastern Michigan Ypsilanti, Mich. How did EMU get good at football? If they can play winning ball, anyone can. Unfortunately, the improved Eagles win 42-31. (7-4) Nov 24 (Fri) Noon Home Ohio Akron, Ohio (InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field) OU is down to their 4th string QB. Zips eek out a 19-17 win and look forward to their bowl game. (8-4) Offensively, the Zips should be able to hang with anyone. OL will be improved. RB is MUCH improved. WR should be as good, or better than last year. I expect a lot from Banks at TE. DL should be passable. Lots of size and mature bodies to choose from. Fingers are crossed a couple unknowns step up and make an impact. LB scares me. None of the returning guys made much of an impression last year. Hopefully a year in the system and in the weight room yields a big improvement. Secondary should be a strength...IF the DL can generate some QB pressure. 8-4 is a crazy prediction considering we've won 8 total games since we beat Northwestern in 2018. But I believe we're a MUCH better team that the one Jo inherited last year. Crazy goal...but definitely possible.
    11 points
  22. Enjoyed the spring game today. I thought it was a great idea to open up the lounge/box seats. There were not many people in that area until halftime, when it became flooded with fans and recruits that were guided to free food. Well done and way to show off the amenities of the stadium, which otherwise may not often be seen. The game itself flew by. A few things really stood out to me. 1) This team is way ahead of where they were last spring. They look disciplined (minus a few penalties), physical, and know their assignments. 2) The athleticism and maturity was noticeable. 3) The secondary is much improved. It seemed like last spring game WRs and RBs were running free in the passing game nearly every pass. Not the case this year. 4) Tackling was outstanding. I think there were only two missed tackles the whole game. Last SG I remember coming away thinking Wiley had more lower body strength than what he showed on film due to his ability to break tackles. Turned out our defense was just terrible (as a whole) tackling at that point. Position Takeaways: QB - Undercuffler looked confident and in command. He also had the benefit of playing behind what looked like the first string OL. There are still some passes Undercuffler struggles to complete. That being said, he can get the job done. The offense should be in good shape if Undercuffler has to play meaningful snaps this year. Jennings and Wasel received the rest of the snaps. Both did some good things and also looked like young QBs at times. Jennings throws a nice ball and is clearly a solid athlete, but listing him as 5’11” might be generous. Wasel has a big arm and forced a few throws today. He also made a few that gave reason for excitement. His mechanics need work and he seems to realize that as he was focused on the sideline going through step by step motions before the 3rd quarter began. (Irons and Jankowski were sidelined). RB - Lingard is good. He didn’t break any big runs today, even though it felt like he might a couple of times. Not sure what happened at Florida, but the guy has “it.” He did have a nice touchdown run and is the number one back. Lingard will be a weapon for this offense barring injury. Kellom looks ready to contribute when his number is called and Hester also had a nice run. It’s unfortunate Price is out for an extended period, but I have no doubt this group will provide more production than last year. WR - Might as well mark down George for All-MAC. The guy looks the part in every way. It was good to see some of the other guys get substantial playing time today with Adams out and SJL gone. Like @LZIp mentioned, Walker had the best day catching the ball. Thomas, Golden, Anderson, and Gathings were all noticeable. TE - Banks and Ognenovic took most of the snaps. Nothing substantial to report here. OL - My biggest takeaway is that T. Williams and K. Davis look ready. I can’t place who the other guard was, but the lineup blocking for Undercuffler was LT Chambers, C T.Williams, G K Davis, RT N. Williams. Takeaway from the opposite OL was freshman OT Jayvin James. James is huge, has long arms, and moves well. He’s going to be a good one. I locked in on him for a number of plays and came away excited about what he could become. (Landers and Robarge were on the sideline). DT - Terray Jones is a force. It’s unfortunate Holt left because those two could have been dynamic. Robinson seems to have come a long way and will challenge for a starting spot. Nothing stood out about the other DTs, but they did not make it easy on the OL. (Murphy was on the sideline). DE - Pass rush from this position is still a concern. Rabah and Johnson look like the starters for now. We need the incoming players to step up and provide more. (Richardson was on the sideline). LB - This position looked great. Bubba was Bubba. McCoy is physically impressive even though he surprisingly missed a tackle. Fish looks like he knows what he’s doing this year. I noticed him around the ball often. Griffin and Behm also had their moments. CB - The coverage was solid today despite often not having much of a pass rush. Golden-Nelson and Terence Thomas look ready to cause other teams some serious issues. Those two kept popping up over and over. I believe it was Judson Tallandier who also looked good here. All the DBs seem to have added muscle mass. (Joey Hunter was sidelined and I don’t recall seeing Cam Threatt). S - So many of these guys are built and move so similarly now it was hard to tell them apart at times (that’s a good thing). Martin saw plenty of time and Johnson chased down a miscued pass for an interception. This group was solid against the pass and came up well in run support. (Nate Thompson was sidelined). ST - Some good and some not so good. As a group they struggled at the start, but found their groove as the game progressed. Im sure there is more that I missed or forgot to say. It’s late and I wanted to report as much as I could while I had it on my mind.
    11 points
  23. A great week to be a Zip! It's finally here! Thursday is going to be special, I've got high, high hopes. Which scares me to death in a program and stadium that has done everything to beat the hope out of me for nearly its entire existence. I know nothing about SFpa. and will not pretend to. Looking at their season last year, they weren't much of a match for EMU to open the year, and they weren't as fortunate as Mr. Arth's Zips as they lost to the Bryant Bulldogs. A look at their schedules from previous years, and they along with 2021 opponent Bryant have also just recently begun playing FBS teams. They were on Buffalo's schedule in 2020 before it was canceled, and of course the EMU game last year. In the UA game against Bryant last year, which was an incredibly painful experience, it was obvious how much of a physical advantage the Zips had, but it didn't matter until the final quarter. They were much tougher than Akron despite the lack of size, speed, and skill. We don't have an official 2-deep, but we've got a lot to be intrigued by. I loved Irons' potential last year, but once he got hurt against Ohio he was never the same. Perhaps saving him from getting killed the last 8ish games will be good for his future. I have all the faith in the world in JoeMo + Fessler and the offensive staff to help with his decision making and ball security. He's one of the most athletic QBs in the league, and made plays against the likes of Auburn and Ohio State. I feel good-not-great about the UA QB situation going into week 1. I like opening against a team like this to ease into the new season and new system. Word out of camp is that Cam Wiley looks the part in the backfield. I loved what I saw from Norrils last year. Will Akron have a consistent rushing attack (sans Teon Dollard year) for the first time in decades? Wait to see! The thing I'm most excited for are the receivers--including the TE. Replacing Mumpfield, Mathison, Qualls, and Williams was no easy task, but this staff did that and then some. Daniel George has been phenomenal in camp, Alex Adams may be one of the best prospects to ever wear a Zip uniform, and Shocky Jaques-Louis is a seasoned vet who has done a lot of winning. Throw in Brank and TJ Banks and you've got options all over the place. What does this all mean if the O-Line continues to be swiss cheese? Not a damn thing. Joel Rodriguez is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. He's had a great young career with JoeMo and got his college football start with one of the best teams of all time at Miami back in the early 2000s. The line is big and experienced. They've also got the potential to take the next step. Defensively? I'm hopeful, but not as sure. This will be an experienced unit with a lot of nice transfers sprinkled in, which I'm quite excited about. It will be so nice to see Bubba back out there on Thursday, that in itself is something to be pumped about. Overall, I see this as a vastly improved team already, simply based on the improved coaching staff. They put together a phenomenal recruiting class including a lot of transfers to get this thing turned around fast. JoeMo talks a lot about the seismic transformation that's going to take place. As the season has approached, I've started to feel the same way. I mean, how can it not work out this time? It's a perfect storm for Akron football to go where it wants to go. And the journey begins Thursday. Can't wait! Go Zips!!!!
    11 points
  24. I have yet to meet the new AD. One seemingly small, yet impressive thing he's implemented is displacing some lower-reserved season ticket holders in the JAR and creating a lower-reserved student section. That idea was suggested here years ago and was dismissed as impossible. Likewise, selling beer at the JAR was suggested here years ago, and dismissed as absolute lunacy. Now we have a basketball student section as engaged and full as I've seen it in decades. And during a pandemic, no less? And I can have a $6 beer at my seat and watch the game, and shockingly...nobody has died because of it. There was a General Electric commercial a few years ago which contained the phrase "Ideas are frightening because the threaten what is known. They're the natural born enemy of the way things are." There are way too many people within UA that had clung to "the way things are" for decades. And believed issues like football game day attendance is just "the way things are." Why? It is a lot easier to say "I wouldn't have built that stadium" than it is to fill it. You're off the hook scot-free...it was the fault of the guys preceding you. It seems like UA may have finally lucked into an ambitious, engaging AD who can pull it out of it's decades-long death grip on the past. He made a great hire with Joe Moorhead. He's implementing changes that are seemingly simple, but on UA's conservative scale, are groundbreaking. I look forward to seeing InfoCision butts-in-seats increase appreciably over the next several years. Based upon the student involvement at the JAR this winter, I expect an immediate uptick in student attendance at football games this fall. Great things are going on at UA. Thanks to Guthrie for pulling us Zips fans off the ventilator. After a 3-24 three year stretch, I was ready to flat-line. Now I'm ready to party! 😁
    11 points
  25. I hope this works. Zippy Video.mp4
    11 points
  26. Keith’s father Sid passed away yesterday. It was always a cool to see him around and to see their father/son relationship and the influence it had on Keith as a coach. Check out this cool photo of them that was posted on social media
    11 points
  27. I got a late call into the Dan Patrick show today during the best and worst of the week(end). I mentioned Jackson having back to back 35 pt games being the best. The worst was the loss to BG. Dan Patrick followed it up with the appreciation of the update on MAC basketball!!
    11 points
  28. Last year, 4-8 Bowden beat - Northwestern Morgan State (4-7 FCS) Kent State in OT (2-10) CMU (1-11) We lost 9-of-11 starters on defense, and that defense carried the 2018 team. Due to the timing of his hire he completely missed out on the initial signing day. We lost our best returning WR, Jonah Morris, before the season even started. Shocking that we're bad in 2019. Who knew? Arth is a good person, and a hard worker. He's legitimately focusing on NE Ohio recruits, which is something Akron fans have bemoaned for years. Everyone here should support the guy. Against a lot of odds, his staff and team are busting their ass to bring Akron a winner. If you repeatedly post on ZipsNation bitching about Arth, you're just trying to bring the program down. And bring the supporters down. And that is not why I pay the money, and spend the time, to run a nice site that represents UA well. People that repeatedly bitch make ZipNation toxic and drive good, interesting, fun fans away. That won't fly.
    11 points
  29. Thank you Freeman and Tribble for spending your entire collegiate careers at Akron. Thank you to Ali for coming back, and thank you to Hunter for choosing Akron.
    10 points
  30. What went Right and what went Wrong? Quarterback: Unbeknownst to much of the fanbase, DJI had offseason shoulder surgery and was not the same QB coming into 2023. He finally settled into a groove against Indiana, but even during that game it was DJI’s running ability that stood out as opposed to what would he considered a prolific passing day. JU was put in a tough position and expected to do more than he was capable of with the exception of 3 games (Kent, EMU, and Ohio). In those 3 games, the offense used more max protects in the passing game and relied heavily on the run. JU was 58 of 92 (63%) for 624 yards and 2 touchdowns versus 1 interception during that span. The biggest difference in those 3 games was the limited amount of turnovers as he still completed around 60% the rest of the season. Bullock simply was not ready and it seemed his accuracy issues stemmed from processing too slowly. He has all the tools physically to be a premier QB in the MAC, but he is not where he needs to be mentally at this point. Running Back: Lorenzo Lingard was as good as advertised and criminally underused during the first half of the season. This year’s offense needed a big back who could break tackles and potentially provide an explosive play at any given time. Lingard was that back. Despite the lack of touches earlier in the season, Lingard still finished close to 1,000 yards total (rushing and receiving combined). Drake Anderson was underutilized to some extent as well. The better offenses figure out ways to get players like Anderson the ball on the perimeter and in space, whether that be moved into the slot, screens, sweeps, etc. Something we did not do much of this year. Wide Receiver: Adams never seemed quite right and it was later confirmed he attempted to play through an injury. Losing one of, if not the best, WR in the MAC will hurt any offense. Gathings really came into his own and if he can keep his emotions in check, should continue to develop and become a legitimate weapon in the future. George was unable to improve on his 2022 season statistically, but a lot of that had to do with the issues at QB. Same could be said about Caleb Anderson, just to a lesser extent. Walker and Golden provided solid options from the slot, while Adrian Norton seems like a star in the making and will be exciting to watch in the coming years. Tight End: It was thought TJ Banks would take a larger role in the offense and provide a threat across the middle of the field. Although Banks was solid, it was Newell who really surprised. Newell continued to improve as the year progressed and he has the potential to be as good as any TE in the MAC. This year’s offense was most effective when Banks and Newell were on the field at the same time. Offensive Line: Although the OL showed improvement by end of year and gave up less sacks than 2022, they were still subpar as a unit. Blanchard, Kindred, and K. Davis missed substantial time due to injuries. All started at points in the season. Chambers was shifted from the right side and ended up receiving the most starts at LT. Frank nailed down LG and is now out of eligibility. T. Williams was inconsistent at C, which is to be expected from a redshirt freshman. The RG spot saw a number of different faces before Lyons became the starter in the last few games. Nate Williams was moved back to RT and played really well the last 3 games. This unit had more depth this year, but unfortunately not enough quality depth to lose starters for significant time. The 2022 and 2023 classes brought in a substantial upgrade in athleticism. Unfortunately, outside of T. Williams (2022 freshman) and Frank (transfer portal), we didn’t get to see much of that improved athleticism this season. Interior DL: There was some concern coming into the year with Holt and Harper moving on. Terray Jones stepped in and was just as good as either player. He was also the only pass rush threat on the interior. Lavea was a load against the run and provided a solid combo with Jones. Robinson never lived up to his 3 star rating coming out of high school, yet became a key contributor as a backup. Freshman Marcus Moore looks to be another star in the making and should only get better from here. JUCO Tyler Carter (I believe he should be listed as a redshirt senior, not redshirt sophomore) did not contribute much and his claim to fame as a Zip will be getting ejected on back to back penalties with under a minute to go to finish out the season. Kiawan Murphy did not show much and will need to improve in the offseason to at least provide depth going into 2024. Edge: Ryan Johnson was the only for sure starter heading into the season and he transferred out after 4 games. CJ Nunnally burst onto the scene from the JUCO ranks and was one of the MAC leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. It’s not easy to find a lineman that is equally strong against the run and pass rush, but Nunnally is. LaJoshua Jackson and Antonio Smith were also JUCOs who flashed some pass rush ability in backup roles. JUCO Kabbash Richards was hurt for a portion of the season and did not contribute much. Bennett Adler came on as the year progressed and became more than just a run stuffer. He displayed a bull rush against Ohio, exhibiting some pass rush ability. Linebacker: Despite losing Bubba before the year began, linebacker proved to be the strongest position on defense. Former JUCO Antavious Fish flashed his hard hitting prowess in 2022 and the lightbulb came on in 2023. He and sophomore Bryan McCoy finished the year with just under 100 total tackles a piece. Transfer Shammond Cooper proved to be the best blitzer of the bunch and graded out the highest amongst the LBs. Jaharon Griffin moved into a bigger role with the injury to Andrew Behm and may not relinquish that role going into 2024. Cornerback: While not considered a top unit in the MAC, this group was much improved from 2022. Durant again made it difficult for anyone to beat out him out and ended up starting 10 games. Judson Tallandier had an up and down season in pass coverage, but was excellent in run support. Joey Hunter and Golden-Nelson had their moments and also missed substantial time with injuries. Cam Threatt did not play much of a role and may be moving on as it sounds like he already has his degree. Safety: I expected this unit to take a significant leap and become one of the better units in the MAC. That did not happen, yet this group was still solid. Nate Thompson was inconsistent, but did finish the season strongly. Although KJ Martin does not have the stats to back up, I thought he had a better year than 2022. Corey Thomas was the biggest surprise and proved to be extremely versatile. Thomas also finished the year as the highest rated player on defense. Lewis was one of the reasons why the defense was improved in 2023 as he was a major factor at the nickel position. Special Teams: The punting unit was strong and Dante Jackson was an upgrade over the previous punter. Kickoff and kickoff return were also solid. Field goal kicking was a disappointment until the final few games and part of that has to be placed on the coaching staff. It’s difficult for any kicker to be replaced from game to game and in some cases kick to kick. There has to be some consistency with the unit. Coaching: The offensive play-calling was maddening for most of the season. As much as the staff deserves credit for last year, they also deserve just as much criticism this year. The majority of the season it felt like round pegs were being forced into square holes and the staff did not adapt to their personnel until the end of the season. On the other hand, the defense was much better than some probably realize as they were forced into bad positions time after time. Tim Tibesar and his staff did an excellent job on that side of the ball. Recruiting and Wrap-up: I still 100% believe this staff is recruiting at a high level and had the best class in the MAC this past offseason. I also 100% believe the offensive staff badly underperformed with the talent at hand as mentioned above. I was wrong in that 2023 would be the turnaround year. There were 7 games decided by one score. This program is close to turning the corner and should have already done it. I expect another strong recruiting class will be brought in, which will finally give the program several strong classes stacked. That being the case, 2024 must be the turnaround year. Talent gap will no longer be an excuse and it probably shouldn’t have been an excuse this year outside of Kentucky, Miami, and Ohio. There was enough talent in place, with good coaching, to make a bowl game. Portal opens in December and I think our last commitment came in June, so we have about 7 months of roster transition ahead.
    10 points
  31. The NCAA opened the gate to allow transfers. They need to stop picking who can pass through.
    10 points
  32. With the recruiting period soon to kick into high gear again, here’s a look at the past two recruiting classes and how they’ve performed (scholarship offers only). Keep in mind we have one more game to play so the final 2023 stats will change. The 2022 class brought in a few impact players and a wealth of upgrades throughout the roster. SJL, Anthony Whigan, and Alex Adams were all-conference players, while Victor Jones, Curtis Harper, Ravontae Holt, Tim Terry, Cam Wiley, Max Banes, Daniel George, KJ Martin, Nate Thompson, TJ Banks, and Ka’Marii Landers all became quality starters. STEPPING IT UP: 2023 saw former JUCO Antavious Fish and sophomore Bryan McCoy have breakout years at linebacker. Redshirt freshmen Tyler Williams and Keylen Davis (before injuries) became starters on the offensive line. Sophomore Bobby Golden, sophomore Jaharon Griffin, and senior Devon Robinson saw their roles increase. Sophomore Charles Kellom was a key special teams player. KJ Martin and Daniel George’s stats may not reflect it, but I thought they took a step forward this year as well. An argument could also be made for Jeff Undercuffler, but that probably depends on which game is being discussed. STATUS QUO: Nate Thompson wasn’t bad, but may have taken a step back as he was surpassed by KJ Martin and Corey Thomas on the depth chart and in production. TJ Banks was about on par with his 2022 year. Devontae Golden-Nelson had his moments and saw more playing time, though he was not necessarily that much better than the previous season. Caleb Anderson played about as much as he did in 2022, but he was caught behind George, Gathings, and in competition with a rapidly improving Adrian Norton. Redshirt freshmen Kiawan Murphy was limited in his snaps, while Dijon Jennings did not play. Kyle Thomas shined a few times before deciding to redshirt and transfer out. GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION/MISSES: Jaden Woods seemed significantly less disciplined in his play from the 2022 season and transferred out. Alex Adams and Clyde Price’s production regressed due to injuries. Cam Threatt has been a non-factor. (Marquell Darnell and Anthony Stallworth were misses in recruiting) 2022 Recruiting: Transfers: WR - Shocky Jacques-Louis - 2022 3rd Team All-MAC. Graduated. OL - Anthony Whigan - 2022 3rd Team All-MAC. Graduated. DE - Victor Jones - Started 11 games in 2022. 52 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. Graduated. DT - Curtis Harper - Started 12 games in 2022. 17 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Graduated. DT - Ravontae Holt - Started 5 games in 2022. 18 total tackles. LB - Tim Terry - Started 7 games in 2022. 46 total tackles and highest graded player on the defense in 2022. Graduated. RB - Cam Wiley - Started 7 games. 486 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns. Transferred out. OL - Max Banes - Started 7 games in 2022. Transferred out. TE - Caden Clark - Retired from football. WR - Daniel George - Started 12 games in 2022. 67 receptions for 793 yards and 2 touchdowns. <-> Started 11 games in 2023. 48 receptions for 508 yards and a touchdown. S - KJ Martin - Started 9 games in 2022. 53 total tackles and 1 interception. <-> Started 8 games in 2023. 41 total tackles, a sack, and 2 interceptions. S - Nate Thompson - Started 11 games in 2022. 72 total tackles. <-> Started 6 games in 2023. 34 total tackles and a sack. QB - Jeff Undercuffler - Started 2 games in 2022. 58.3% completion, 791 yards, 5 TDs vs 5 INTs. <-> Started 4 games in 2023. 61.9% completion, 1275 yards, 4 TDs vs 8 INTs. TE - TJ Banks - Started 11 games in 2022. 21 receptions for 175 yards. <-> Started 10 games in 2023. 19 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown. CB - Devontae Golden-Nelson - Started 3 games in 2022. 11 total tackles. <-> Played in 11 games in 2023. 22 total tackles and 2 interceptions. WR - Alex Adams - 2022 1st Team All-MAC. <-> Played in only 7 games in 2023 and over 400 less snaps due to an injury. 22 receptions for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. DT - Devon Robinson - Played in 4 games in 2022. 5 total tackles. <-> Played in 11 games in 2023. 13 total tackles and half a sack. S - Jaden Woods - Started 2 games in 2022. 29 total tackles. <-> Played in 4 games in 2023 and Transferred out. RB - Clyde Price - Started 5 games. 349 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Missed 2023 season due to injury. JUCO: LB - Antavious Fish - Played in 10 games in 2022. 16 total tackles and 2 sacks. <-> Started 11 games in 2023. 78 total tackles and a sack. WR - Caleb Anderson - Played in 10 games. 5 receptions for 39 yards. <-> Played in 10 games in 2023. 6 receptions for 40 yards. DT - Kyle Thomas - Started 4 games in 2022. 14 total tackles. <-> Played in 4 games in 2023 and Transferred out. CB - Cam Threatt - Played in 4 games in 2022. 5 total tackles. <-> Played in 5 games in 2023 on Special Teams. Freshmen: OL - Ka’Marii Landers - Started 6 games. Went JUCO. TE - Marquell Darnell - Redshirt. Transferred out. RB - Anthony Stallworth - Redshirt. Transferred out. LB - Bryan McCoy - Started 2 games in 2022. 24 total tackles. <-> Started 4 games in 2023. 94 total tackles and a sack. Led the team in tackles. OL - Tyhler Williams - Redshirt. <-> Started 11 games in 2023. WR - Bobby Golden - Played in 7 games in 2022. <-> Started 2 games in 2023. 16 receptions for 134 yards. Also the starting punt returner. OL - Keylen Davis - Redshirt. <-> Started 6 games in 2023. Injured during the rest. LB - Jaharon Griffin - Played in 8 games in 2022 on Special Teams. <-> Played in 7 games in 2023. 14 total tackles. RB - Charles Kellom - Redshirt. <-> Played in 4 games in 2023. 4 rushes for 5 yards. DT - Kiawan Murphy - Redshirt <-> Played in 5 games in 2023. QB - Dijon Jennings - Redshirt <-> DNP in 2023. 2023 Recruiting: The 2023 class produced a number of starters and a handful of players that have all-conference potential. As far as the transfers go, Lorenzo Lingard panned out to be one of the better running backs in the MAC and may collect over 1,000 yards total (rushing and receiving) by end of season. Those numbers could have been much higher had Lingard received more touches earlier in the year. Terray Jones, Shammond Cooper, Lama Lavea, Ben Frank, Judson Tallandier, Tajh Bullock, Jacob Newell, Joey Hunter, and Josh Blanchard were all starters or started at times throughout the season. Drake Anderson was a key backup. Keon Kindred, Phaizon Wilson, and Terence Thomas all seem talented, but were not regular contributors. JUCO CJ Nunnally will surely be an all-conference selection. Punter Dante Jackson produced at a higher level than last year’s punter. LaJoshua Jackson and Antonio Smith flashed their pass rush ability and were solid backups. The other 4 JUCOs did not contribute much and will redshirt. All the freshmen will redshirt except Adrian Norton and Marcus Moore who became key rotational players this season. 2023: Transfers: RB Lorenzo Lingard - Started 11 games. 137 rushes for 612 yards and 4 touchdowns. 33 receptions for 313 yards and a touchdown. Highest graded player on offense in 2023. DT Terray Jones - Started 11 games in 2023. 40 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. LB Shammond Cooper - Started 7 games in 2023. 37 total tackles and 2 sacks. Highest graded player on defense. DT Lama Lavea - Started 10 games in 2023. 23 total tackles. OL Ben Frank - Started 9 games in 2023. CB Judson Tallandier - Started 11 games in 2023. 33 total tackles. QB Tajh Bullock - Started 2 games in 2023. 49.2% completion, 228 yards, 2 touchdowns vs 3 interceptions. 56 rushes for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns. TE Jacob Newell - Started 2 games in 2023. 13 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. RB Drake Anderson - Played in 11 games. 38 rushes for 128 yards and a touchdown. 15 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. CB Joey Hunter - Started 2 games in 2023. 8 total tackles. OL Joshua Blanchard - Started 4 games in 2023. Injured, but did come back for 15 snaps vs Miami. OL Keon Kindred - Played in 5 games. OL AJ George - DNP in 2023. WR Phaizon Wilson - Redshirt S Terence Thomas - Redshirt JUCO: DE Clarence “CJ” Nunnally - Started 11 games in 2023. 58 total tackles and 7 sacks. Highest graded defensive lineman. P Dante Jackson - Starting punter and was also 2 of 3 on FGs. DE LaJoshua Jackson - Started 2 games in 2023. 17 total tackles and 2 sacks. DE Antonio Smith - Played in 11 games. 3 total tackles and 2 sacks. DE Kabbash Richards - Redshirt DT Tyler Carter - Redshirt LB Gage Summers - Redshirt CB Silas Proby - Redshirt Freshmen: WR Adrian Norton - Played in 9 games. 9 receptions for 71 yards. DT Marcus Moore - Played in 6 games. 6 total tackles. QB Steele Wasel - Redshirt WR Paul Davis - Redshirt WR Jean Louis - Reshirt TE Conner Cravaack - Redshirt OL Jonas Mann - Redshirt OL Jayvin James - Redshirt OL Delvin Morris - Redshirt DE Kameron Cheatom - Redshirt DE Bruno Dall - Redshirt LB Melvin Spriggs - Redshirt CB Zayden Laing-Taylor - Redshirt CB Catrell White - Redshirt S Darius Owens - Redshirt S David Jester - Redshirt WHAT CAN BE GLEANED FROM THIS? There is no doubt the 2023 season was a disappointment. However, there is also no doubt the talent level has increased since Moorhead’s arrival. The team is much deeper. Unfortunately, this program is not currently deep enough at every position to overcome key losses (in-particular QB and OL). That must be addressed. The OL problem will likely take care of itself through development. QB may do the same, but a proven and steady hand must be added to the room. The staff has done an excellent job developing the freshmen and will need to continue to do so. Overall, portal and JUCO recruiting has been strong as well. We know the 2024 high school class is mostly wrapped up, so now we wait and see what the portal and JUCO ranks have in store. As already alluded to, QB is at the top of the list. Key graduation losses this year are: QB - Irons RB - Lingard WR - George TE - Banks OL - Frank DT - Jones CB - Tallandier S - Nate Thompson (?) I think KJ Martin has another year if he wants it. We will also surely lose a handful of players to the portal that will be a surprise.
    10 points
  33. If you read my posts you know I'm not a fan of Guthrie. That being said, I do believe Akron Athletics is better off now than under Larry Williams. More on my thoughts on Guthrie later in this post. Here's my "State of Akron Athletics" comments. First - Facilities. Since Guthrie arrived we've seen repairs made to InfoCision that were needed, although we still need to fix/replace the video board. The JAR is what it is, but it's not terrible, and the new floor, the addition of a "$$$ donor bar" are all positives. It still looks good, and those who do attend infrequently still think it's a good facility. FirstEnergy continues to be one of the top Soccer-specific Stadiums in NCAA soccer, and they recently upgraded the sound system to give more sound clarity and moved the speaker system to make the seating area more enjoyable before the matches (you can actually talk to your neighbors pre-game without screaming!) Ocasek is a very nice facility for swim meets, and they just added a huge, state-of-the art video system that is not only informative, entertaining and readable, but offers the swimmers and divers training assistance. Of course, basketball is getting a new training facility as well. And the new track and field complex at Lee Jackson field is fantastic, although the throws area are a little convoluted. All of these were done under Guthrie, so hats off to the AD and The U on Facilites. Coaches - Guthrie was smart enough to realize that Coaches Groce, Embick and Peresie were the most successful coaches (and programs) he had, so he's left them alone, and even has enhanced their contracts. It doesn't mean he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't criticize them in public to others, which is a big negative IMHO about Charles. He is overheard many times at games/meets/matches being very critical of his coaches to the general public, which I'm sure get back to the coaches mentioned and may tend to undermine their confidence. That being said, I believe he made positive hires in football, softball and volleyball. Baseball has been a circus. He needed to move on from Sabo but the OSU coach fiasco and then not re-signing last year's coach has to be questioned, as well as his new hire. Granted baseball hasn't started and time will tell but his pick is a little underwhelming. The Women's soccer hire was and is disastrous, not that she is a bad person or knowledgeable, it's once again a terrible hire for a D1 school with a Nationally ranked Men's program. Track and Field is another terrible hire. Some will point to the 2023 Outdoor MAC title for men as an argument, but the head coach had little to do with that, it was the throws coach and his athletes that won that title. Meanwhile the women's program is still in shambles. And she's already lost the throws coach after one season and has gone through 2 PV coaches already in one year. It's no secret Guthrie chased Coach Mitchell off, like he did Herlihy from soccer (needed). Still...Now we have a new Lacrosse coach, so we'll have to see how that goes. And I do feel the new hire for Women's basketball is a solid choice without watching one game, but once again, Guthrie's handling of the Jackson situation was pretty ham-handed. Department - The Athletic Department is not what I would call a well-run machine. Being a retired businesswoman, I understand wanting to have staff around you that you have confidence in and comfortable with. And I understand the desire to change, but change for change sake is not always a good thing. The department was already reeling from needed staff reductions, like all departments at Akron when Dr. Miller came on board. It appears from the number and quality of recent departures from Athletics that the methodology is "make life hell on them and they'll leave on their own" rather than try to work towards a different and consistent approach. They've lost a lot of good people and their replacements seem more like a hodge-podge rather than a unified front. Game Day Experience - It is abysmal. At all events. From football's thuggish music on every down instead of marching band, lack of any entertainment during time-outs, quarter changes etc. to the treatment of us fans by game-day staff, plus the cost of everything, it's not going to bring anyone to games. Basketball was so-so but once again, where are the things that make families and casual fans want to attend? They finally seemed to "get it" at the last few soccer matches with a few give-aways. Let's face it, it just flat out is terrible across the board, especially compared to the entire MAC conference, other than perhaps KSU. We do got to many away events in the MAC plus go to watch a niece and nephew who compete at other MAC schools, and hands-down we are 11th out of 12 in Game Day experience. Eastern Michigan leads the way, Miami is very good, Toledo is solid, and I can go on. So that's my "more-than-two-cents" worth. I'm sure I've given enough ammo for some of you to tear into me and tell me where I'm wrong, but the premise was to offer "thoughts" on the State of Athletics....and these are mine.
    10 points
  34. Lots of folks b-wording online about diversity and replacing a woman with a man and Jackson got screwed and BLAH BLAH BLAH Today was the first real action toward turning the page and getting back to the winning culture that Kest was able to build for a handful of years. I don’t want any more “atta boy” and “atta girl.” I want to go back to beating Kent once or twice a year—at least. I want to regularly advance in the tournament. I want to play for championships. So little of the discourse is about that. It’s all about feelings and politics and all that nonsense. The nonsense that losers and complainers like to get caught up in. I much prefer discourse about winning, recruiting, play style, etc. For those fans “leaving” that are telling the program to “enjoy not having fans,” well, we have the worst attendance in the league so nothing is changing. Instead of being divisive and whiny, let’s show some TEAMISM and be #1Akron. Go Zips!!!!
    10 points
  35. I agree Amankwaa really stood out. I hope he stays healthy the remainder of the year...we really need a capable corner. I mentioned it after the BG game, and it bears mentioning again...this Zips team reminds me of the old Kent teams that consistently made one or two bizarre mistakes that cost them a game week-in-week-out. The botched exchange between Price and Irons was definitely a tip of the cap to those bygone Kent teams. Seeing that ball laying in the turf, and Irons and Price are running towards the endzone...it's as exasperating today as it was on Saturday. Irons has had a couple chances this season to lead the Zips to 4th quarter comebacks, and each time the offense has fizzled. Somehow that's got to change. Unlike some, I don't see the rest of the season being a lost cause. Kent is 2-5, and playing poorly Miami just put up a whopping 13 points in a loss to mighty Bowling Green EMU just put up 10 points in a 29-point loss to NIU Buffalo and NIU will be tough. But those next 3 games for the Zips are winnable, if we can eliminate those bizarre, perplexing, improbable mistakes that have become the 2022 Zips calling card. I'm so incredibly grateful Joe Moorhead decided to take on the challenge of building a Zips football program. He's not some retread living off his past and milking the University for a few more nice paydays. He's not a young, unproven coach that has no clue what is needed to be successful at the G5 level. He's a proven D1 head coach, proven elite offensive coordinator, and a guy that, for some stupid reason, believes in the potential of Akron Football as much as us fans do. He's here for the long haul, and he'll get the job done. Within 2-3 years we will be at the top of the MAC, with a sustainable program that will continue at that level for years to come. Robert Irvine fixes failing restaurants in one day...it isn't so easy with a dilapidated, neglected 85 scholarship football program. Looking forward to the Kent game. Unlike last season, where the players tanked and the game was over before the halftime show began, it should be a competitive war.
    10 points
  36. Kwan is on the Magic Summer League team. Here is the NBA.com story with a blurb on him. Here is what it says to save you the click: Kwan Cheatham Jr. One of the more experienced players in this year’s summer league, Cheatham has already played on five professional teams overseas, including most recently with Fuenlabrada of the Spanish Liga ACB. He played his college ball at Akron, where in 101 games across four seasons he averaged 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists. His best college performance came on Jan. 28, 2017 against Buffalo when he erupted for 31 points and made seven 3-pointers. The 26-year-old is best known for his ability to space the floor at 6-foot-10, 235 pounds while doing all the dirty work on defense and on the glass
    10 points
  37. I became a Zips fan after moving to Ohio last year. At times, the games were difficult to watch and the incoming recruiting class didn’t provide much hope. Joe Moorhead has quickly changed that outlook. I don’t expect the Zips to win the MAC this coming year, but the 2022 class is a great start towards that goal. My thoughts on the 2022 transfers are below. I’ll give my thoughts on the incoming freshmen at a later date. Transfers: RB - Cameron Wiley = Transfer from Minnesota. Wiley was a backup for the Gophers who flashed at times. He displays patience, vision, and power when running the ball and could develop into an every down back. He may not turn into an all conference player, but should give the running game more production. WR - Shocky Jacques - Louis = Senior transfer from Pittsburgh. Shocky was a part-time starter at Pitt and is a proven receiver at the Power 5 level. He has demonstrated the ability to make difficult catches in his career and will go up and get the ball. He should slide right in as a day one starter. WR - Alex Adams = Transfer from LSU. Adams was an explosive player in high school that hasn’t lived up to his potential. If the staff can motivate and develop Adams, he’ll be an all-MAC player before he graduates. TE - TJ Banks = Transfer from West Virginia where Banks was a backup TE. He mostly played split out as a WR in high school, so learning to be an in-line TE at the D1 level was an adjustment. Banks exhibits a large catch radius and a big bodied target for the QB. If he can pick up the nuances of blocking, he’ll be a weapon at Akron. OL - Max Banes = Transfer from Houston where he was a part-time starter. Banes brings Guard to Tackle value to Akron. He has excellent size, demonstrates great feet, and runs extremely well for an offensive lineman. He should be a starter from day one. DE - Devon Robinson = Transfer from Memphis, where he did not play. Robinson was originally a scholarship player at Mississippi State and then walked on at Memphis. This is the definition of a boom or bust opportunity. It’s worth the staff taking a chance on Robinson as he possesses immense talent and could be an all MAC player if he lives up to his potential. DE - Victor Jones = Senior transfer from Wyoming. Jones played DE and DT during his time at Wyoming. He was a productive backup who will bring experience and provide immediate defensive line depth. DT - Curtis Harper = Senior transfer from Syracuse. Harper was a productive backup who will likely be a starter before the year ends. He’s strong, agile, and should cause problems for interior OL in the MAC. OLB - Tim Terry = Senior transfer from Buffalo. Terry was a multi-year starter at Buffalo and will look to claim a starting spot at Akron to close out his career. Having a player with Terry’s experience can only help the LB corp. CB - Cameron Threatt = JUCO transfer via way of Mississippi State. Threatt is a long and rangy DB that’ll be able to line up anywhere in the secondary. He’ll provide immediate depth as well as push for a starting position. S - KJ Martin = Transfer from West Virginia. Another long and rangy DB except Martin is a true S. He was mostly a backup at WVU, but did start a handful of games. Martin is excellent when coming to help from the weak side, but will need to shore up his tackling technique when facing head on. He’ll provide depth and push for starting minutes.
    10 points
  38. It is way to soon to discuss Guthrie departing UA. He just got here. His most-visible accomplishments so far are marketing some $7 beers in the JAR and filling a hundred or so otherwise empty JAR seats with students. That's Doctoral-level thinking when compared to Larry Williams or Tom Wistercill, but pales in comparison to the re-branding and stadium construction we saw in the early 2000's under Thomas and Waddell. Those guys accomplished some major stuff, and were ready to move on to bigger and better things. Credit for hiring Joe to coach the football team should be tempered. Joe's agent reached out to UA expressing his interest in the job. I do credit Guthrie for swiftly recognizing his good fortune and sealing the deal. I guarantee if Joe's agent had called Larry Williams, Williams would have hung up the phone and still paid buyout money to secure 3-win Tom. The best recent Akron AD's did something major in order to matriculate to the "next level." For Guthrie to make that leap he needs to fill InfoCision to a reasonable capacity every Saturday (17-20k = "reasonable"). If the football team wins ("wins" = 9+ wins, like Toledo has done 11 times in the past 22 seasons), a 10-12k Tuesday night crowd in November game should also expected. The days of 500 butts-in-seats has to be over. I like Guthrie. He seems hardworking, intelligent, personable and genuine. He's not the typical phony, hand-shaking stuffed shirt. He has great synergy with Gary Miller (another desperately-needed breath of fresh air @ UA). With all due respect to the tasks of keeping Groce happy, and getting soccer back to its deep NCAA tourney runs, rallying the community to support Akron Football and making the corner of Spicer and Exchange rock & roll on fall gamedays is Guthrie's measuring stick for success. I hope he can do it. I'll have a beer on ice waiting for him in Lot 9 when he does.🦘🏉🦾
    10 points
  39. With all due respect...I don't think ANY Zips fan can ever be called a "Fair Weather Fan". If we're still here, and willing to post on a Zips-Fandom Forum...we're probably not fair weather fans brother! But we, as a collective, do probably need to band together a bit. The Zips fandom always seems a little divided...
    10 points
  40. When you get home from the game at midnight, you don't feel like posting any thoughts on it. Then you drive home for 6 1/2 hours the next day, and you don't feel like posting anything either. Then on Monday, you try to catch up on all the things you didn't do around the house because you were in Evanston all weekend. And here you are... There isn't much to be said that hasn't already been said regarding the game. Some people bemoan the lack of stars in the Akron recruiting classes, but there was no shortage of stars for the Zips on the field Saturday night. Bell...Nelson...Williams...anyone with the surname Davis or Brown... it was an amazing second half. Very reminiscent of the 1999 Akron @ Navy game, where the Zips were down 20 in the first quarter and rallied back for the win. The first half penalties were maddening, but even with the late second quarter TD drive, you never got the feeling that Northwestern was going to dominate. One play that stood out to me towards the end of the first half was the Zips 4th and 1 QB run. Kato took the snap and slammed into the line as hard as he physically could. He didn't get the first down, but it really stood out how badly he wanted it. I'd never seen a small (he's no Woodson) QB hit the line with such reckless force. It showed me how badly he wanted to win, despite how horrifically the bulk of the preceding offensive possessions had played-out. The Zips clock management at game's end was baffling. The chasing of points that began in the 3rd quarter was puzzling. The 48 yard FG attempt late in the 4th qtr was ummmmm thought-provoking? But all that said, the Zips gutted out one of, if not THE greatest wins in program history. Back in 2005 the Zips beat NC State. You really thought the Program had arrived. Then we stumbled to a 5-6 season record. The apparent breakthrough 2014 win at Pitt ended up a lone highlight in an otherwise forgettable 5-7 season. But this year seems different. You always win with defense, and the Zips have their best defense in memory. Sort of like 2015, but with the addition of Dwight Smith impersonator Alvin Davis in the secondary (for you youngsters out there, Google "Dwight Smith Akron" to see my GZOAT). Iowa State will be a much bigger test than Northwestern. Back-to-back Power 5 games always are brutal for MAC schools. But the MAC has done it before. Toledo beats Power 5's with regularity. NIU too. Remember in 2003 when NIU began the season with wins against Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State? Why not the Zips? It's about time another MAC school broke through the Glass (Bowl) ceiling! As lunch draws to a conclusion, here are a few closing thoughts on the Northwestern trip - * Great to put a face to the name of @LZip and @Ham. Fun meeting them, & their spouses/families! Very nice to meet the Reinke's too. * The Zips alumni had a nice party at the South Golf Course lot...coincidentally only about 100 feet from where we were tailgating. Thanks to Willie for stopping by and inviting us over. * The Golf Course lot was awesome. Just like the old Rubber Bowl grass lot. Corn hole...footballs flying...kids running around everywhere...it was a fun time. It was a little like Lord of the Flies as the kids took control of the green on hole #13. I wouldn't want to putt on it come Sunday morning. Here were a couple of Zips tailgates - And inside the stadium, here were some of the boisterous Zips fans: Nice people in Evanston. Very gracious in their defeat. Fun college town. Couldn't have had a better weekend. Thank you Akron Zips!
    10 points
  41. This week's very very very painful advanced box score: https://collegefootballdata.com/boxscore/401520256 This one will sting for a very, very long time. Obviously, the Michigan game 10 years ago would have been far more seismic, but this one felt so much different because this Akron team, in the 2nd half, finally began to show flashes of its potential. The defense could wind up being a unit that finishes in the top third of the MAC as far as overall effectiveness. They're starting to create some turnovers too. And a couple of the huge chunks of yardage they gave up on Saturday were on great deep balls by Jackson, both at Tallandier which could be something to keep an eye on. These linebackers are a joy to watch, imagine if Bubba was still here! Offensively, though N. Williams had about 35 holding calls, I feel the OL did a nice job. Indiana didn't seem like they wanted to pressure the QB as much as most teams Akron plays, so DJ was able to stay in the pocket a little longer and make some throws. This was as close to the 2022 DJ that we have seen, for better or for worse. I still don't see him as a QB that is able to be aggressive and go out and win games with his arm, but his effectiveness running the ball was outstanding. If Jackson makes that kick, you'd probably give him the game ball. But DJ willed Akron to that position. Having an offense based on generating yardage through scrambling isn't what I want to see, but having that as a threat with the playmakers on this team could be huge. When you give the ball to Lingard, good things happen. I don't know what is so hard to understand about that. Every time he has the ball, he runs hard and finds space, like he's shot out of a cannon. You can see the 5* DNA he has. Same with Anderson, for that matter. Very disappointing that Adams dropped the big TD. Great throw, would have swung momentum like crazy. Such a big coulda-woulda-shoulda. And I really feel for Jackson. He is a great kicker and punter and I was so bummed for him and the team when that kick went wide. It's just one of those funny intangible things--not knowing how to win. The second Bowden year saw quite a bit of that. Close losses to Louisiana and Michigan, close win against an FCS, and they looked awful the first few games of MAC play. The 2023 Zips are in a similar spot. They should be 2-2, funny enough with one of those losses to Morgan State. I stand by what I said about Moorhead teams having some discipline issues. That happened at Mississippi State and it seems to be happening here as well. This teams does enough to shoot themselves in the foot during plays, getting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Indiana proved to be costly. All in all, there were again so many self-inflicted wounds and this team still had an easy win and gave it away, on the road against a bad Big Ten team. You gotta win that game. I hope this is a better lesson in urgency than the close losses to Temple and MAC teams. It's time to start expecting to not only compete, but to WIN against teams who have similar talent. They are a favorite over an FBS team for the first time since hosting Bowling Green in 2020. Before that, in 2019 they were 10-point favorites at UMass. Akron fans haven't walked through the gates of Infocision Stadium to see their Zips be a favorite over the visitors in nearly 5 calendar years. If ever there were a time to put up or shut up, it is now. Let's go 1-0 this week. Go Zips!
    9 points
  42. Who will be the backup Quarterback? It’s clear Irons will be the starter as long as he’s healthy, but who will step in if injuries hit or a change of pace is needed? At least initially, Jeff Undercuffler is the likely choice. However, Virginia Tech transfer Tajh Bullock has a big arm and brings a different dimension to the run game. The staff may devise packages for Bullock just as a way to get him on the field and take advantage of his skillset, regardless of who else is at QB. This scenario would allow Wasel to redshirt and continue to develop without the unneeded pressure of learning on the fly. Will the run game be any better? The running back position has been significantly upgraded with the additions of Lorenzo Lingard and Drake Anderson. Throw in talented redshirt freshman Charles Kellom (and eventually a healthy Price) and this group will certainly improve on last year’s numbers of an abysmal 89.6 ypg (including all 12 games). As good as the passing game was/is, a strong rushing attack will make this offense even more potent. Who will replace Shocky Jacques-Louis? Coach Moorhead confirmed wide receiver is the strength of the team at MAC media days. Alex Adams and Daniel George have two of the three receiver positions locked up and someone else will need to separate themselves for the third spot. It sounds like Jasaiah Gathings currently has the inside track. The redshirt sophomore and North Carolina native had a promising start to 2022 before an injury derailed his season. He will be pushed by Myles Walker, transfer Phaizon Wilson, and several other talented freshmen. Will the Offensive Line be able to run block effectively? The OL was adequate at pass blocking and downright poor at run blocking outside of a handful of games. That will change. Offensive linemen, especially in an offense like Moorhead employs, must display as much athleticism as their defensive counterparts. Meaning on top of the general traits OL need, they also need to be able to move well enough to seal off defenders (especially on the edge), get to the second level, and be able to run. Too many of the OL last year struggled in those areas. Incoming transfers Keon Kindred, Ben Frank, Joshua Blanchard, and AJ George will immediately help. The staff brought in Keylen Davis and Tyhler Williams in the 2022 class and they should be ready to substantially contribute as redshirt freshmen. Toss in preseason All-MAC selection RT Nate Williams along with veterans Ronan Chambers, Brian Kilbane, Alex Robarge, Tony Georges, and the OL is starting to look like a group that is ready to open some holes for the backs. Will the DL be able to create pressure on the quarterback? The defense struggled to create pressure on the quarterback without blitzing in 2022. Even with the blitzes, defenders were stonewalled way too often, leaving the back end of the defense in difficult situations. The athleticism and potential has been increased during the offseason, but the key to this year’s group is developing at a much quicker rate than last year’s DL. Returning are two of Akron’s 2022 highest rated DL (according to PFF) in DE Ryan Johnson and DT Kyle Thomas. The interior of the DL may surprise with the additions of transfers Terray Jones, Lama Lavea, and JUCO Tyler Carter. Devan Robinson has one more opportunity to make a difference and Kiawan Murphy was singled out by coach Moorhead last year as a guy that was quickly developing. On the edge is where the Zips will have far more options than in 2022. Last season Victor Jones, Zach Morton, and Ryan Johnson were the only productive options. Now a slew of players will be available. Senior Julian Richardson will be expected to provide some pass rush and will be joined by transfer Ahmad Rabah along with JUCOs Antonio Smith and Kabbash Richards. JUCOs CJ Nunnally and LaJoshua Jackson bring some versatility and stoutness against the run. Who will replace Bubba? Losing Bubba is tough, there is no way around it. Former JUCO Antavious Fish will have the first shot at filling some big shoes. Fish was inconsistent in 2022 as he was finding his way in coach Tibesar’s defense. When Fish was locked in, he was impressive. Sophomore Jaharon Griffin and JUCO Gage Summers will push Fish for snaps. At the other LB spot, sophomore Bryan McCoy will start and compete with Andrew Behm and transfer Shammond Cooper. How good can this secondary be? If there is a consistent pass rush, the secondary could be very strong against the pass. Physicality will not be a question with this group as run fits should be solid. Between the linebackers and secondary, Zips fans can expect some big hits in 2023. Transfers Joey Hunter, Judson Tallandier, and JUCO Silas Proby have been brought in to compete at CB. Returners Tyson Durant and Devonte Golden-Nelson had their moments in 2022. Transfer Terence Thomas will compete with Darrian Lewis at NB. Cam Threatt, Rishad Hence, and a few freshmen could also see time. Senior safeties Nate Thompson and DJ Martin are primed for big seasons. They will be backed by Jaden Woods and potentially Corey Thomas. Safety is the only position on offense and defense that did not have a portal addition this offseason (unless Terence Thomas is considered a safety as a NB). Will the special teams be improved? The kicking improved as the spring game wore on and JUCO P Dante Jackson was recently signed. Akron has an excellent special teams coach in Allen Tucker and all phases of special teams should take a leap. Will a 3-4 alignment be seen more in 2023? The roster is far more versatile and will allow coach Tibesar to show some looks he was not able to in 2022. Tibesar will probably display a defense more in line to his previous stops, but expect to see the 4-2-5 nickel alignment when facing 11 personnel. Can Akron win the East? Football (and athletics in general) are very much “what have you done for me lately” in today’s society. 99% of national pundits think Akron will be a doormat. If social media and message boards are any indication, the rest of the MAC fanbases also don’t take Akron seriously. Everyone is allowed an opinion, but that does not mean it’s correct. Sometimes even the loudest voices or media members with a platform are misinformed. Most are completely ignoring how competitive this team was in MAC play and the improvement that was made as the year progressed. The other key factor that has been ignored is recruiting. Coach Moorhead has used the portal as well or better than any other G5 school and is also landing some very talented players from the high school/JUCO ranks, not just at one or two positions, but throughout the roster. If the Zips are to become a dominant program in the MAC it will start on both sides of the line of scrimmage. While Akron may not have an elite OL or DL (yet), progress is being made and enough talent is in place to compete in 2023. Ohio has the easiest path to the East, but that does not mean they are a shoe-in. Expect the Zips to “upset” a number of teams and their fan bases this season. Enjoy the ride, it’s going to be an exciting year.
    9 points
  43. If Ali and his family think that going elsewhere is in his best interests so be it. It's no different really than someone taking what they perceive to be a better job. However, I think he's going to find that being a minor player playing 10 to 20 minutes on a p5 team isn't nearly as rewarding as being a major player on a competitive MAC team for a coach willing to overlook your flaws.
    9 points
  44. 🔥🔥🔥 RATED BY RIVAL DOT COM AS THE #9 DUAL THREAT QB IN THE NATION!!!
    9 points
  45. I will disagree with you on this point. There are some people who abuse their privilege of posting on ZipsNation. Just because someone has the ability to repeatedly type the same diatribe doesn't mean it's ok. It's disrespectful to the other members, and it makes for a lousy discussion forum. It also drives the interesting/thoughtful people away, because they don't feel like being cyber-hassled by someone with nothing to say and all day to type it. If you ever begin a post - "I've said this many times before, but I'm going to say it again..."... you shouldn't post it. I promise everyone read it the first 35 times.
    9 points
×
×
  • Create New...