Blue & Gold

It is literally dumbfounding. There is no excuse. Perhaps a hidden agenda at the Beacon? Since I do not know any of the Beacon editors personally, I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt and thus I don't believe their sub-par Zips coverage is a calculated insult (they do advertise the BJ at the J.A.R.) But I can say that they are unintentionally undermining UA athletics. However, they are professionals and you'd like to believe they are intelligent enough to see this. Well, as I stated... it's just literally dumbfounding. TODAY'S GAME HAD BETTER BE THE FRONT AND CENTER STORY ON TOMORROW'S SPORTS PAGE! THERE ALSO HAD BETTER BE A NICE LITTLE NOTICE ON THE TOP OF PAGE A-1! ANYTHING LESS WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY INCOMPETENT AND INEXCUSABLE!Go Zips!Hey BJ, give us some love!

Hey, I didn't see the ABJ today. Can someone tell me whether or not the Zips-Can't State game was preveiwed on the front page of the sports section?

The Rowdies kept the faith and kept the spirit high when everyone easily could have been drained after that less-than-stellar 1st half! You guys were awesome (though I didn't hear the 'Fear - the - Roo!!!' chant much). You kept the faith & our players really responded to you guys! Wow!

I don't think there's much to say. I believe everyone was expecting this move and that everyone is disappointed by it. I believe everyone truly appreciates what UAM has done here at the U and we love him as much as he loves us. This was a rational move for UAM, and though he has a new job now, I hope that in his heart he remains a Zip! Hopefully we'll see UAM in blue & gold again one day!

Bobby Knight, while at Indiana, didn't like the idea of a conference tournament. He believed it devalued the goal of winning the conference regular season. He's right. And he was speaking from a Big 10 perspective, where @ least 5 teams usually get NCAA bids. This idea is even more true in a conference such as the MAC, who this year will, unfortunately, be a 1 bid conference. No one should take away anything from the regular season champs - this would only serve to make most of the regular season relatively pointless and boring (and besides, we Zips fans will be loving it next year when we run away with the MAC regular season title.) But really, the only thing Can't has won thus far is the #1 seed in the main event - the MACC. Next week, as much as it hurts me and I cringe when I say it, is all that ultimately matters.

Hmmm... I didn't google him, but I'll take your word that he's pumped as one of Michigan's finest, and if that's true that really does mean something - A LOT of good ballers come out of MI. But we've already got a commit from Darryl Roberts - a Toledo-area 5'11" point guard. I know that KD is definitely THE MAN and what he thinks is INFINITELY more important than my 'less-than-2-cents-worth,' but I just don't know if we need another guard in the 6' range?

Is he a TALL point guard? We've got Rydell Brooks right here in the city, I doubt this guys any better than Rydell. Besides, I just don't think we need another 'smallish' guard - not with Dru @ 6', and Dials & Middleton @ 6'1". Rydell's an explosive player, but is listed @ 6'2" - not a tall guard either. Unless this Jonathan is a 6'3" or 6'4" point I think we probably need a JUCO big man - in the 6'9" range. What does The Nation think?

I was at the Turkey Day game... for as long as I could manage (I only lasted about 1 & 1/2 quarters!) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WORSE CONDITIONS than we experienced this past Thanksgiving. If the weather would have been ANY worse AT ALL, it would have been immoral, if not illegal, to send the players out into the elements to play that game!!! I was bundled up as if I was on an arctic expedition AND I STILL ONLY LASTED 1 & 1/2 QUARTERS!!! It was just flat unimaginably BRUTAL!!!

Monday afternoon, 2:00... less than 90 tickets!Go Zips!

Ah-hem. Uh, how do I say this? I started this thread & UAM just sent me a very polite private message telling me that almost all of the information I posted regarding the new stadium project is incorrect. Sorry. In my defense, though, I got all that info from a UA staff person helping run the party @ Panini's!?!? So I don't know if he was a bit 'tippsy,' or what? But, for the sake of integrity I thought I should let you all know.And thanks, UAM, for not making me look like an idiot on the board & ruthlessly exposing my ignorance!!!But anyway... Go Zips!!!

Yeah. Generally I don't much like the JUCO quick fix, but I believe we'll only have one player over 6'7" next season, and that being 6'9" FRESHMAN Mike Bardo. Going by Bardo's h.s. stats alone, I don't think he'll be ready to contribute much next season. 6'7" Chris McKnight is the real deal, but again, only 6'7". I love Rydell Brooks (Buchtel shooting guard), but I just don't think we need another 'smallish' guard. What do the rest of you think? Do we have any additional scholarships to offer?

Sowers impressed me with his athleticism during the Midnight Madness-like thingy @ the JAR to open the season. We need more athleticism @ the 2 spot. and Peterson, I was under the impression that it was only his back that was holding him back, but last night I heard that last year KD felt he was a little lazy & so Peterson got in KD's doghouse. Apparently this off season he rededicated himself, but when he didn't get as much pt as he thought he should, he kind of got into a mental funk. (?) But I agree, Peterson should be getting more pt - and Sowers never sets foot on the court, though he may be our most athletic player.

Okay, I'm pretty much a nerd & can't ever get enough of the new stadium talk. So, here's the latest I've heard while @ Panini's last night:Location: just where we've been expecting - NE corner of Exchange & Brown - entire block. All the old ratty eyesore structures are going to be bulldozed under!!! Entire block starting from scratch!Groundbreaking: THIS SUMMER!!! What is pending is whether current property owners are going to sell or whether UA must take eminent domain actions.Capacity: opening w/ 25 - 30k; expandable up to 60k!!!Seating: chairback seating in lower reserved. Bleacher seating above.Style: "Classic. Red brick. First class. Beautiful!"Cool Feature: A Winking Lizard Restaurant built into the stadium off Exchange Street!Cool Feature II: Just like we've heard, new student dorms are part of the project, with many rooms overlooking the football field - ala, the warehouse overlooking right field @ Camden Yards.Cool Feature III: Jason Taylor is donating a ton of $$$ for an alumni party balcony.Proximity to the Field House: connected.I'm completely amped about this project! I'm a college football junkie & can't wait to have a marquee program here @ Akron!!! The foundation is being laid for a future of dominance!!! I feel this new stadium will be of more significance to downtown re-development than even the beautiful Canal Park was!!! If anyone has any more information, I'd love to know what you've got! Keep me & everyone in The Nationl posted on any future developments!!!

Nevada was tall, athletic, and just absolutely ON FIRE. There was really nothing we could have done. We ran into the proverbial 'buzz saw.' KD should really let the Zips players know that we're not gonna face another team like that unless we make the NCAA FINAL FOUR!!! Good grief was Nevada on last night!!! Actually, in retrospect I'm glad that our game was NOT on ESPN2!!! Thanks ESPNU! No one but us hardcore Zippers witnessed that butt-whipping!Go Zips!

That was an amazing team! Ball, Bosley, Phillips, Andrick (currently the head coach @ Springfield - he was HILARIOUS!!! The dirtiest, trash-talkingest player I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! If he wasn't a Zip, I would have HATED him!!!) But man, Hipsher always found a way to alienate his players, didn't he. By the ends of their careers, it just seemed like they wanted the season to be over. And watching the gradual REGRESSION of Jimmal Ball's game was particularly painful for me.

The Wolfpack was definitely the better team. We would have had to shoot the lights out to beat them; unfortunately, last night it was the Wolfpack shooting the lights out. On top of that, it was a killer trip - took 12 hours to get there.On top of that, it's a 1-mile elevation - not to be dismissed.On top of that, we're a thin team. Losing Jeremiah Wood for the year hurt tremendously. Jimmy Conyers being ineligible hurt tremendously. And, I feel, losing Bubba cost us a warm body to absorb some minutes (but I also feel losing Bubba is addition through subtraction.)Just my opinions. I'm no expert, just an admittedly biased Zips fan! I'm worried about the trip to Miami. Traditionally, we've seldom played well in Oxford.I think we'll go 3-0 against Buffalo, OU & Can't.I think, due to our lack of depth, we'll get upset in the MAC tourney & settle for an NIT bid - which will be disappointing but WHICH IS ACTUALLY A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THIS PROGRAM!!! Let's not forget where we've come from and how far KD has brought us!!!I think next year we're going to be absolutely amazing! We won't be touched in the MAC & we'll finally knock off some of the "big-name" opponents we face.Adding Wood & Conyers. Incoming freshmen Bardo & McKnight (McKnight is absolutely the real deal! He's easily one of the best players in the state.)Growing tradition. Growing reputation. Yeah, last night hurt, but in a year from now when we return the favor @ The JAR, no one will remember last night!Go Zips!

Just an observation, but have you guys noticed that just over the last few days the football discussions have finally tapered off (not that I minded them!) and everyone is now beginning to get settled in & focussed on basketball? Man, I think we were all on a MAJOR HIGH from this past football season! Hopefully the last 1/3 of our basketball season will be just as exciting!!!Go Zips!

Um, hey Z-P... it's not like gas is THAT expensive!!! Make the 10 minute trip up 77 and GET YOUR BUTT DOWNTOWN to Panini's!!! I've got myself & 6 of the fellas coming - maybe more!What time do you think we should get there? Go Zips!

I was wondering that myself for about 2 weeks - there's a lot of presuppositional knowledge tossed around on this board. I've figured out that whenever someone refers to UAM, I believe they are referring to Associate Athletics Director Mike Waddell. If I'm wrong, please let us know - so we know what/who you guys are talking about!!!

I agree with Zipper's comment regarding the ABJ just not grasping the potentially HUGE benefit of a successful Zips athletics program to them as a publication. It's absolutely perplexing to me. It is just a no-brainer concept that a newspaper naturally cover and emphasize coverage of a D-I college in your own city. I'm with Zipper in seeing that their lack of coverage is just wrong and non-sensical on so many levels that one just doesn't even know what to think or say.

With people all over Ohio being brainwashed Suckeye fans, and people in NE Ohio being in love with the Browns (go figure that out?!) I just think it's gonna take time to build a fan base here in Akron. It'll take maybe 3-5 years of consistent winning in the MAC plus knocking off a "big-name" opponent once in a while (remember, we still have yet to beat a BCS school in football) and the b-ball win over Ole Miss somehow wasn't broadcast much. I think greater Akron still has a 'loser' mentality. And, lets face it, the Plain Dealer and Canton Repository have A LOT to lose if Zips athletics get hot & grow in popularity. Now the BJ, I just can't figure them out - they really have everything to gain, but don't treat the Zips w/ a lot of repect. Terry Pluto's general take is that Akron is worth watching because they play fundamental b-ball & get floor burns. Not that the athletes are excellent and the ball is fantastic - something to behold! Which, is true if you realize how difficult it is to get a D-I athletic scholarship!!! These athletes ARE elite!!! The Canton Rep must realize that if the Zips played the McKinley Bulldogs, the Zips would win "One hundred billion" (Dr. Evil) to NOTHING!!! The community as a whole must realize that watching the Zips is a QUANTUM LEAP over watching St.V/M, or McKinley, or Hoban, or Massillon.I'm beginning to rant & get off the point. I'm out.

I've got 4 of my friends coming, and hopefully more!Go Zips!

Old news? I hadn't heard! I was looking forward to seeing what he could do. Tall receivers are the current rage, and we could have had 3 of them - 6'4" Jabari Arthur; 6'5" D.J. Henderson and 6'5" J.Sharps. Oh, well, we've still got 2 of 'em plus burners in Harvey & Lindsey plus a quality possession receiver in Johnny Long. We're fine. We have more depth than at any time since I've been closely following Zips football - about 12 years now!!!

Excellent!!! I'm gonna make some calls & try to bring a crew!

Sweet! Stupid question, but are you guys televising the game? Do you get ESPNU? You know we got bumped from ESPN to ESPNU, right? Bummer. Probably the marquee matchup of the Bracketbuster weekend and we got hosed.