Zip Watcher

Updated to reflect the announced signings this week. Go Zips!

A big congratulations to Hilltopper for receiving the Fan of the Year award at the Men's Basketball Celebration last night. The only unfortunate thing is that there weren't more people there to see it. Great job Hilltopper .. well deserved & excellent sentiment expressed by you. Go Zips!

Back when I worked up the previous theme .. there were lots of sites with free themes out there. Not sure how it is today. If I recall, there's an official skins site, and CK would have the ability to log in and download the themes to start with. You likely want to concentrate on the simple things, like picking a skin that's close, and then making the ZN.O images fit the size set by the theme itself. Then you don't need to go digging around in the CSS or HTML templates .. etc. It becomes an exercise in matching up sizes and then renaming the files. I'll be happy to help with the install of the base theme whenever it arrives .. but unfortunately I can't pitch in on the images and more time intensive aspects this time. Go Zips.

Sorry, but I stopped reading right there. The Zips won by 19 didn't they, and held the Bobcats to 20 points less than their season average? There was not an escape in any regard. It was an old fashion @$$ kicking the likes of which haven't been seen too often in the MAC Title Game. When Melo drew the charge on Cooper at about the 10 minute mark in the 2nd half, the Bobcats were done .. had given up. It was a big play .. he played a good game. He's got some growing and improving to do, but let's not forget he was the starting PG on a team that won the MAC Tournament in dominating fashion. B) Go Zips!

+1 on the above points with some add-ons: - The VCU game illustrated that while our bigs were good enough / quick enough to switch every screen/pick outside against the MAC, not so against A-10, or High Major talent. Also, once Burgess made a few mid-range jumpers, it took the footer away from the rim. To me, the takeaway there had more to do with our half-court D than any PG problems. - I think we'll be fine with our PG's .. it might not be our most productive position points wise, but it'll be fine. Already we're better defensively at that position than we've been in a while. - Abreu was an upper level PG when he was on his game, but Rashon Brown was the best I've seen in a Zips uniform, no disrespect to the Cricket, or McNees (who won as much as any Zips guard). B) B) Go Zips!

Bump.

Somebody name me 17 MAC players you'd rather have than Nick Harney. Heck, name me 7.

Nice!

has DA ZIPMAN been among us all this time, but we just didn't recognize it?

They were the best uniforms of the NCAA tournament last year. I hope we see them used as the primary uniform. I love Love LOVE the use of the Z as the primary brand. B) B) B) Go Zips!

+1 on this. Go Zips!

It is amazing what a cell phone camera can do these days.

Crown Royal Amstel Light Coors Light

That was my first time back to the big house since 1996. Back then, it wasn't really much of an environment, but with the upgrades over the past decade or so, it's become a pretty cool venue. 5 Quick hit thoughts: The Zips belonged: We will debate the end and what might have been until the Zips win one of these. But the controversies aside, my biggest takeaway Saturday was that the Football Zips belonged on the big stage. The sense watching the game, and backed up by the box score and replay was that the Zips went toe-to-toe with a B1G team on the road and more than held their own. Especially in the trenches, which is where these money games are usually lost, the Zips did very well. I was telling my UM buddy at the tailgate that in 3 sports (Soccer, Mens Hoops, and also now Women's Hoops), I believe the Zips can take the field against any team in the country and have a chance to win. They won't win every game certainly, but those 3 teams have grown to the level where they have a puncher's chance and in some cases can take it to the BCS school. It's been a long time since I felt I could say that about Zips FB. Heck, we haven't had the expectation that they could compete with CONFERENCE opponents, let alone top 25. Saturday was different. I hope it's evidence of progress and not a one time event. Gotta make your breaks & take advantage: For the most part, the Zips did a great job of making their own breaks and taking advantage of them. The exception being clock management late in both halves. If time were managed a bit better in either end of half situation, we're all still hung-over from a huge victory. As it's game 15 of this regime, I imagine these things will continue to improve. Next 9 games: Are all winnable games for these Zips. If they can do what they did Saturday, they can beat anyone on their remaining schedule. It will of course take the complete effort and execution we saw Saturday, but none of the remaining teams are as good as Michigan or even close. The New Helmets: I really love the new lids. The use of the Z on a helmet has been a long time coming, and I dig the zipper stripe down the middle. My only real qualm about the design is the lighter blue inside the zipper .. don't really understand that. But anyway I think it's a really sharp look. FWIW the UM fans around us on Saturday agreed it was a cool look. Also dug the all white threads. Advertising: There's not a single square inch of corporate advertising within the playing area of big house (meaning, concourses don't count in this comment). None. Not on scoreboards, press boxes, suites .. etc. None. There's basically 2 huge press towers, each a level or 2 bigger than the one at the Big Dialer, and they may go deeper into the endzone than ours. One contains the pressbox, media and coaches areas in addition to some club areas and suites. The other one, which is just as big, is ENTIRELY big $ seating, suites, clubs, loges. There's some serious coin to be pulled in when folks are willing to pay up for the upstairs perks. A similar albeit scaled down opportunity exists for UA if Terry can pull this ship around the corner. Go Zips! Win the next 9. P.S. The following was Watcher's View on Saturday:

That + Chromecast should do the trick. Won't be able to record the games, but should be pretty watchable.

I believe it's based on total Z-Fund donation level across all sports.

I like it. My kids and I give it the rock on the way in and out of the JAR every game. It's like the holy water entering church.

This.

Updated with the incoming classes, and recent departures. Also added Josh Williams who verbaled today. Go Zips! B) B) B)

= banned again.

Fenway's a dump.

Regarding the NBA, the only team I watch is the Spurs when they're deep in the playoffs. I think it's about the only franchise built around basketball as a team game. Great finals series btw. I think San Antonio is the kind of place that Zeke would thrive. They have had success rotating centers in and out over the past 15 years, and won with lots of different bigs next to Timmy. The past few weeks have shown a little bit of a weakness defensively when Tim's not in the game. Fact is, the guy is 37. His game is more like he's 32 .. but he can't be playing 40 minutes a night anymore. For Zeke to be a big guy to come off the bench and defend the rim for the Spurs seems to me to be a good fit. The franchise is known for concentrating on what their players CAN DO rather than what they can't. That being said, I'm not sure how he lands there. Seems to me that he'll climb to the middle of the 2nd round. I can't see him dropping all the way to the bottom of the 2nd round. I figure he goes somewhere in the 40's. Good luck to Zeke this next week. Zips got next. B) B) B)

Close .. but it isn't Tom.

Then why was he sick against VCU?