72 Roo

Z.I.P. don't count me as one of the critics of this hire. I feel he is a very good fit. The only downside would be if the fire doesn't burn anymore in his gut and he is here to get one more gig before he rides into retirement. That's alwways a risk, but I think he probably asked what was the vision for the program. My guess is that TW said he wanted to compete and he would slowly drive more resources into the program to give him the opportunity to win. TW would probably pick up if Coach R was out tp bide his time. So I believe he is here to make a statement with his alma mater's program. This is a good move. Thanks TW. Welcome coach R. Your school needs you. Go to it!

Does it make you feel as wierd as it does to me to be actually rooting for Can't State in this one? Ford will lose and he should.

Yeah, by all means someone has to post what's going on here. I have high hopes for the Lone Ranger and see him winning the QB job. If his head s on straight he will better us at that position, which is sorely needed if we are to win more than 3 games. Please someone fill us in!

I believe we are poised to pass Maryland for the third best venue in collegiate soccer. The recent announcement of a 300 seat expansion of our grandstand and the addition of permanent restrooms, concessions and team spirit shop makes our place fantastic. Also at Maryland the fans are so far away, being outside a track, that they pale in comparison to the atmosphere our AK-Rowdies and other fans create. Keep this in mind too. We are not done with expansion. The grandstand will be further expanded all the way out to the edge of the three rows of chairbacks in front of it as soon as the administration and Caleb are sure those seats will be filled regularly. They are very careful not to delute the pressure atmosphere they have created by adding more seats that may go empty. Our situation is indeed great but I don't think we will ever surpass Creighton or UCSB. I'll settle for that.

ZIP37 ... duly noted Newt deserves to be up their with the other coaches who get it. I have a feeling you made Rifle very happy. Newt does great things with little support for a sport that does not draw much attention. Go Newt!

This is worth your time. What impressed me the most is he set clear expectations that athletes come to Akron to earn a degree and win championships. He is unapologetic about that. He believes in this area, the university and our ability to win the right way. Despite repeated chances to leave, he wants to stay here. I love coaches who want to be here and take us as far as they can. He will leave one day, but only after he has given us more than we have given him. Dambrot and Mitchell get it. let's hope the other coaches are listening.

"We have a coach". That is a statement that is yet to be proven. While I would not hire Tressel, his coaching ability is monumental compared to Ianello.

One of the finest and most insightful analysis of our upcoming year I have seen in a long time. You win the award for saying the most with the fewest words. I'll add this: our talent will be less than last year's altho' we will win more games, at least 2. Now there's a shocker. O-line, wide-outs and coaching still scare the hell out of me. Very little reason to have confidence in any of the three. Can't will be a better team than us again. That really sucks!

I agree that we are a decade away from a new or significantly renovated facility. The problem is that a renovation will cost somewhere near $30 million. So do we renovate or build a new facility that will cost at least as much as the Info. The problem is further compounded by the fact that we do not fill the JAR. You are absolutely dead on with your statement that the JAR was a bad design from the day it was conceived. Dr. Guzetta hired an architect who had never designed or built an arena. He did a horrible job. Shame on the board of trustees for accepting the design. I was a wrier on the Buchelite at the time it was built. Our editor got wind of the design. Several of us reviewed it and the consensus was that it would not meet our needs. I met with Guzetta and told him so. But who listens to students. There is a lot of ignorant talk on this board about a new facility. The facts are that we need to start filling what we now have and the university will not go into deeper debt to float bonds to build a new one now. Our best bet is to renovate the JAR piecemeal and hope to build a huge following that will pay for a new facility. Without new donors it will not get built in the near future. I get a big kick out of how many posters on this board want a new facility, but no one has a real-world plan to finance it. If the money was there we would have it being built now.

Captain .... Go stand in the corner. You deserve a time-out for that one. can you hear the giant groan radiating from Zip Nation?

GZGZ, Thanks for the deeper reporting of our ladies magnificent league championship. Makes all the more proud of them. I hope the university continues to increase the resources made available to them with the kind of commitment to excellence they have given all the Zip faithful. We are proud of you ladies!

Let me add my congratulations to the ladies of out tennis program. It was so cool to see them take on Miami, stay tough and winn it at the end. We are all so proud of you.

When all is said and done I believe Moore will emerge as our signal caller. Nicely does not make good decisions under pressure and that is his greatest liability. Moore, to me, has the ability to make better decisions and execute under pressure. Either way, we will be better at QB than last year.

Well done Zip golfers! More evidence that good things are happening here at Akron. Keep it up guys and kick ass in the MAC tourney!

Zach and Nation, we will see at the end of this season is UA is serious about a winning program or just treading water in a pool of apathy. If Bangston is fired you will know they are serious about competing. Same could be said for softball. Both sports are under-performing. That being said, I hear coach Bangston and coach Jones are good people. Too bad, I wish they could win.

The playing surface will be called Cub Cadet Field but the stadium has yet to be named. One major Akron company is interested. The odds of additional seating for this upcoming season are very low. The big focus is to secure funding for restrooms. concessions and a team shop that could also be used by softball, baseball and track. Look for the facilities to be positioned behind the east goal and alongside the softball field fence. A proposal for funding support is on the desk of several companies of which one is said to be interested in supporting. Maybe we good sell naming rights. How about the Zipsnation.org Crappers?

After what I saw last season, I'd give serious consideration for starting the Lone Ranger. We know what PN7 can do. His decision-making is his greatest liability. The Lone Ranger has a greater upside and he should be given an opportunity.

I know too...it means that Zips fans know nothing about this upcoming team. Seriously...did anyone learn anything from the last 77 second Ianello video? 77 seconds of generalities is all I have to talk about regarding Zips football. I could have written Ianello's sonnet. "We had a really spirited practice...guys were flying to the ball...the practice facility is really nice, but we hope to get outdoors...hope to see you at the Tap House." WTF is THAT? Zips fans are unfortunately WAY more informed about the lying, weasel Jim Tressel. Thus they spend time discussing his situation more than the Zips spring. Is Moore a legit competition to Nicely? Beats the hell out of me...I haven't seen Moore, and I have no idea how he's doing. No one from UA has anything to say about him. Is B. Alexander fully recovered from his knee injury? Beats the hell out of me...I have no idea how he's doing. How's the transfer DL from Michigan State looking...I'm expecting him to dominate this fall...is he tossing our incumbent OL's around like rag dolls? Is he out of shape? Beats the hell out of me...I have no idea how he's doing. Zips Athletics has absolutely no clue what it's like to be a fan of the Program. The awesome information packet of 77 second Ianello videos and a Spring roster .pdf makes me want to replay old Zips soccer and basketball games on my DVR. It doesn't get pumped, or informed about football. Tressel's a weasel. I feel your pain and moreso your frustration. I am thoroughly amazed at the optimism that appears on this board regarding our football program. It points out to me again and again that there are truly diehard fans here who are searching for anything to cheer about when it comes to football. Now reality sets in. There is no substance to the program. We were lousy under Ianello last year and any optimism is based solely on hope, not any evidence of performance. Ianello sees and end product but has no clue as to how to get there. That is why he can't be specific because he doesn't know himself. But he's a great recruiter

Didn't we sign two JC linemen who I thought were going to be on campus? Wasn't one named Rizzo?Could they have stayed in JC to finish out their academic year? Please enlighten me. I need some hope to get through this upcoming year.

For the most part the players can not stand iCoach - so much so that they are willing to forgo scholarships to go somewhere else. As I have been saying all along, education is the most important thing for these kids and being miserable participating in Akron football will not help their mental attitude in the classroom. I heard Shrock may be going to D2 Ashland. What has to happen for everyone to realize that these kids are not responding to iCoaches methods??? The sooner he is out the better. Every year will just set us back further. When the players don't respect the coach, the program has no future. At least we have Men's Ball, Women's BBall, Tennis, Track, Men's and Women's soccer to take pride in and follow. Forgot rifle too.

Too bad about Anthony. I thought he had talent and could have contributed after his redshirt and Freshman years. I still see few positives under Ianello. Trouble is it looks like the recruits he brought in this past signing period feel the same way. It was a decidedly unexciting class. If we are relying on his coaching to improve their performance, I can only say one thing, 1-11. Go Zips roundballers

Is there ever going to be any good news about this program, or is that asking too much?

On another thread I criticized coach Kest and even said I hoped her contract was not renewed. From what i have seen of the team lately, I am dead wrong. They played tonight like champs against the toughest of opponents. Coach has got this team believing and executing. She is due more credit than i ever gave her. I was wrong. My apologies coach Kest. We have a hell of a future.

But the house would be PACKED every night, I guarantee it! I'd go. Right now I'm not renewing. Ianello has yet to show me any evidence he knows what he is doing or that he can coach. He was hired to do that, wasn't he? I really struggle with that issue. I love my Zips...love the stadium...love football Saturdays...love the tailgating...but I hate the vibe of the football program right now...not just the losing, but the whole all-encompassing vibe. Wistersil jerking me around with his 5k Donor lot thing still irks me. I hate that my AD was so stupid. I hate that the golf outing was cancelled...and if they bring it back this season, I'll probably skip it. I hate that good people are abandoning the Zips in year #3 of a brand new stadium. But they're being driven away. I can't blame them. There's no excuse for Saturday's in Akron not being an absolute Party...and instead there's about 39 of us who kept the place from looking like a complete morgue last season. I feel if I stay away, I'm quitting on UA. And that's not fair to the players. So I'll be there again this fall. But my heart's not in it like it has been in the past. I've endured 1-win seasons before. I can deal with them. But getting s&%t on during a 1-win season...that sucks. I feel your angst and understand your loyalty to Akron. I don't necessarily see it the same way. I feel the program has stopped being loyal to me, the average fan. They make a terrible hire, get terrible results, build a staff of all fired coaches that can't get jobs anywhere decent and they give no reason to hope for better results. What hurts the most is that guys like you, GP1 and most others on this board hold fast to a vision that we should be the class of the MAC with an exciting future in all sports. The only way to bring change is to show I won't support this type of program. What hurts the most is to see the quality of the team on the field. They are below Akron standards and show little hope of playing good football, under i Coach, let alone win.

But the house would be PACKED every night, I guarantee it! I'd go. Right now I'm not renewing. Ianello has yet to show me any evidence he knows what he is doing or that he can coach. He was hired to do that, wasn't he?