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zippy-claws

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Posts posted by zippy-claws

  1. What a great day at First Energy Stadium!  First trip back North in a while, and we timed it so we could see the women/men double-header.  Not sure why the two matches couldn't have been scheduled closer so more people might have come early to watch the women, but at least gave us time to hit our Fave Swenson's - and WOW!  Who knew?  There's a Swensons now by the funeral home on Exchange!!  Anyway, a pretty sizeable crowd for the women's game, and we got to meet some of the players at the autograph session afterwards.  A nice bunch of women, and so many are YOUNG!  lots of freshmen and sophs.  As for the match itself, pretty good action!  Adison Hall, a freshman scored first on a very solid goal.  The second goal was a PK, and it was warranted, by another freshman Fineen Creegan, and she didn't mess around.  Emma King's goal was a slow roller past a charging GK out of position, but it was still a heads up play by King.  The defense was a little porous, but the women didn't quit or hang their heads when the opponent scored.  Nice tempo, nice pace, some spacing needs to be addressed, and a little worried about the GK position, but a win is a win and Coach Kuhns was into it the entire match.  I'm sure she knows she's being judged, but I found her approach and management refreshing.  I'll leave the men's game analysis to the others to discuss.

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  2. Since there seems to be some common sense now re: transgenderism and womens sports, and especially since Penn just agreed to revoke their trans-swimmer's records and send letters of apology to the women affected, I am hoping that either Coach Peresie himself or the new administration would decide to revise the Ocasek record board to reflect the real record holders for the 500 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle and 1650 freestyle events.  Maybe some of the "movers and shakers" on ZipsNation could quietly suggest to Coach Peresie or Dr. Goodrich that this be done.  It doesn't need a lot of fanfare, just a correction.  I hope common sense prevails at U of A too.

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  3. Hey there @ZipsBBjunkie,  thanks for your response.  I appreciate your teasing, really.  I agree the "jousting" part is all in play.  And I agree, all of these athletes deserve their due and recognition.  They did accomplish something major, and a win is a win no matter when or where.  They are truly champions.  Thanks for reminding me of that.  Please remember when Coach Mitchell won many, and also lost a few MAC titles there were 8 teams competing, which made it a little harder.  And your point on XC is well taken as well.  Coach Lab and Scotty were the XC coaches in reality but none the less, it was under Mitchell's watch.  

     

    I don't "have anything against" the head coach as a person, and I admit I am biased because of the stature and respect that the Akron program had for so long in the 21st century.  I've had some "up close and personal" time with her, and I scratch my head in wonder afterwards.  When Coach Mitchell left, there were plenty of his coaches that were more than qualified to take over the program on a seamless basis.  But then-Ad Guthrie decided to gut the staff and went this route.  She was touted on her experience producing 'multis" champions, combined-event athletes, decathlon, pentathlon, heptathlon.  During her tenure so far, Akron has not had a single combined-event athlete.  Not one has competed in the Outdoor or Indoor MACS, and to my knowledge not one at the Akron Invitational.  Her biggest accomplishment, IMHO, was to hire Randy Overby as her sprint coach.  His success was followed by Tom Bojalad being hired for throws.  These two are the driving force behind the recent successes.  A good manager knows how to hire good assistant managers, I get it.  

     

    You are right, my negativity should not gravitate to the fact that these athletes have won titles, both individually and as a team, in an NCAA DI program in a good solid Conference.  They should be applauded and should get the recognition they deserve.  I stand corrected, if it came across I was anti-Zips Athletes.  It is, as you said, always a good thing when the Zips Win!  Go Zips!  

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  4. I'm right here.  You can post all the glitzy photos on Instagram you want, but winning the men's MAC T & F title, which is a good thing, isn't as prestigious as you might think.  Beating 3 other full-roster teams and a team featuring only distance runners is like winning the NEO Quad meet.  I respect the athletes ad their accomplishments, but let's face it, Bismark, Garretson, a few throwers.  That's it, and Garretson was a Mitchell holdover.  Go on out to the TFFRS page and check out how the UA men's times and marks correspond to national ranking.  Bismark is at #7, Garretson is up there.  But there is only 4 marks/times in the top 150.  Not saying the title isn't an accomplishment, but if you really believe this coach is the way to make T & F the Gold Standard it used to be, with 14 to 20 athletes qualifying for Nationals every season, then you are delusional.

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  5. I'd hate to see Markus go, but since he was either not considered for the AD job, or interviewed and didn't land it, I wouldn't blame him.  Candace had already left for a better gig at the end of basketball season.  I certainly hope we see a move as far as Women's Administrator goes.  Someone who takes a full-time job then dedicates herself to getting a law degree on the U's dime is not needed.  An administrator who actually shows up at women's events would be refreshing!  And I agree with @72 Roo, Camden was the driving force towards some marketing efforts at the end of the basketball season.  Meanwhile the marketing department of 2 was "out to lunch".

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  6. 3 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

    The Sun & The Townhouse... which changed names to Dr. Feelgood's.  

    I.

    Am.

    Old.

    Now we're talking!  The Sun!!!  The old "original" B-Dubs was a great place after they tore up the Sun's side of Exchange.  I.

    Am.

    Ancient.

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  7. 4 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

    Except for perhaps the NCAA Top 10-to-15, who in their right mind could survive the workload of being a head college football coach if this trend continues?

     

    You have to re-recruit your entire team every year?

    re-recruit your current players...

    recruit high schoolers...

    recruit the Transfer Portal...

    retain your staff...

    find replacements for departed staff...

     

    Not only is rebuilding a program now virtually impossible but the job responsibilities of the head coach have become, IMHO, literally overwhelming.

    The "system" has drained whatever interest I've had for NCAA football completely from me.  I'm hanging on by a thread to NCAA DI basketball, men's and women's.  Two threads for college soccer.  @Blue & Gold is right, how do you do your job as a head coach - why do you want to do the job of a head coach - even at a MAC level school?    I've always poo-pooed the comments made here regarding dropping football, dropping back to lower level football, etc.  But maybe there's a point where you say, "why not?"  Especially while we are in the "budget crisis" we've been in since God knows how long?  Maybe there's a point where you just say "Enough!", tell the MAC see you later, and explore dropping down?  It's not like it's going to hurt attendance at games, maybe season tickets and sponsors money, and seat holders that want to say they belong to a DI program.  Maybe the Good Ol' Days of seeing your team in a FCS or DII, DIII Championship race would bring in at least the same number of fans and make it fun again.   This post-season of NIL and Transfer portal news is simply insane and unsustainable.  When it all collapses, and it will, where will the Zips stand?  Just like @Blue & Gold, this is just my humble opinion....

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  8. Ran into former Kent State track coach at the airport this week.  He mentioned the MAC Indoor Championships had been moved from Akron to Eastern Michigan?  I know it shows on GoZips.com that it is at Stile Fieldhouse on Feb. 28 and March 1, but the MAC website says it's to be hosted by Eastern.  EMU website says it's in Ypsi.  Anyone know what's going on here?  He thought it had something to do with Akron not having an AD yet.  

  9. Glad to be back in chilly FLA, but not freezing in Akron.  Saw the results on-line of the Zips first home meet, and a few standouts popped up.  Joy Nwokike, I'm assuming the sister of Adaeze,, popped the 3rd fastest indoor time in school history in the 400 and the 5th fastest in the 200, and this is really early in the season.  Can't wait to see how she progresses as the year unfolds.  Also Brook Boes had the 5th best weight throw in school history.  Coach Bojalad and Overby producing results so far.  Looked at the schedule, and just like my un-answered question about who the Haynes Lancaster Open is named after, I ask this question:  No dual meet on the schedule with Kent State?  That's a first....

  10. 16 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

     

    Offer to OL Isaiah Cook of Delaware State. Only play in 2 games this season, but was a starter at C and RG in 2022 and 2023.

     

    Where is this "Akron University" he speaks of?  If he doesn't know the proper name of the institution, I don't want him!!!  

    😉🤪

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  11. On 11/28/2024 at 9:41 AM, Hilltopper said:

    I'm hearing the professor to student ratio is way out of whack in the polymer program.

     

    22 hours ago, adzip said:

    Guess is the students are not there because of the drop off in international students nationally. The graduate programs in Polymer Science are heavily made up of foreign students. Without them, many classes would be literally empty.

     

    I concur with both of these posts.  Being retired from the plastics and polymer business as a chemist in my "previous life" I have witnessed a steady decline in the original intent of this department and program.  What was originally designed to train not only PhD candidates but undergrads and associate degree seekers to help populate a need for engineers, chemists and technicians slowly changed to a highly PhD driven program with most candidates from overseas.  My company, as well as several other prominent Polymer companies donated cash and equipment, plus co-op opportunities and internships, hoping to see a return in employable, polymer science trained candidates for our industry.  Even the American Chemical Society and it's Rubber Division, as well as the local Rubber Groups professional societies endorsed the programs and also provided financial support.  But that supply dwindled as did support, as a lot of the rubber, plastics and polymer companies left the area.  When we attended our daughter's graduation 5 years back the Polymer Science doctoral stoles were awarded, and reading the abstracts of their doctoral theses I was bemused at the subject matter and research, and thought how far away from the original intent they had strayed.  And Hilltopper is right, it was a school top-heavy in Profs.

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  12. Trust me, The MAC has no desire to re-add Men's soccer, and I believe Men's Swimming and Diving and probably Track will be "un-sponsored" real soon.  Wrestling too.  I have a hard time with the affiliate teams on the wone's side for Lacrosse.  This season Championship match featured two non-legacy teams.  And why would we leave a solid conference with great competition and a dozen teams, which gets multiple NCAA bids for a 5-team league, where we either have to play 4 home-home matches to fill the schedule or find 10 out-of-conference matches.  It's a blessing, as @ZippyRulz and @Reslife4Life mentioned above, that the MAC dropped men's soccer.

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  13. 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

     

    The zero noisemaker object policy by the NCAA in the tournament is and has always been insanely dumb. Yes, let's nerf the atmosphere at a college soccer match. We wouldn't want the event to be too cool and fun to attend/watch. 

    It appeared like the NCAA tried to take away some of the home team excitement at the match, as even the announcer's introductions were very muted and no excitement shown on the goal.  No "GOOOOAAALL Akron!"

  14. My take on tonite is that the coaching staff did a marvelous job in game prep and game plan.  Most I’ve seen the fullbacks push up all season.  Kamden and Josh were a presence offensively.  And Wan Kuzri and Matt Dreas haven’t been this aggressive all season.  I believe Jared knew they’d be keying on Emil, so he changed the look and style.  They seemed more direct and centered rather than wide and crossy (is that a word? 🤪).

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