Big Zip

If you were looking for another reason to hate the MAC, the officiating, Rick Chryst and especially Laing Kennedy this was it. I almost fell of the couch with this shit. Rick Chryst should be fired. Please oh please don't forget this next year. If he comes to games everyone needs to bring signs and let him have it. When games are on TV bring signs and let him have it. How do I buy the url www.firerickchryst.com here is Laing's e-mail. I encourage everyone to e-mail him tonight and fill up his in box -- lkennedy@Can't.eduMy guess on Rick Chryst is rchryst@mac-sports.com if it follows the form of others at the MAC offices.

Have you ever bought anything at the "Q"? Have you ever ordered food in a loge? Do you have any idea what that costs? How many people should they plan for if they don't charge money? Lets say they don't charge anything and then it costs $2,000 100 people times $20. Now lets say 300 people show up? A bunch don't get food - you'd complain about that too. I don't think there is any other way you could have done this unless you just invited everyone to a bar -- and was a pay for your own stuff. Now this does not let them off the hook for not finding a sponsor to pay for this or multiple sponsors to pay for this.

They only get 25 votes. Akron is NOT one of the best 25 teams in the country. We are, however, one of the best 65 and deserve a look for the tourney.And if the tournament was for the best 65 teams -- Akron would get in. The system instead is actually is for the top "X" amount of teams after the automatic bids.

Not sure if anyone else had an opportunity to read Bill Livingston's column in the PD today. It reads pretty decent -- kind of clunky for a professional sports writer though -- and then the end of the paper sounds insulting to me. Am I reading this too sensitively? One would think I'd be happy for the pub, but man this just seems like a back handed compliment at the best. Nor does the coach have anyone like James, who jumped all the way to the NBA as the top pick in the draft. The Zips are short on athletic ability, except for Middleton. Five years ago, Can't State -- with future NFL Pro Bowler Antonio Gates at power forward and Andrew Mitchell taking turns sinking big shots with Trevor Huffman -- reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. It's doubtful Joyce, for one, could have gotten on the floor with that team. There are also conditioning issues. Because it is the last time, Dambrot has not played his young players as much as Jim Christian has been able to do at Can't State. Travis has to log more minutes than he can handle comfortably.Dambrot knows expectations are disjointed, compared to the talent on hand. There is great balance in the MAC this season, but it is not one of strength. For that reason, the coach's dreams are not diminished. Dambrot's team goes into the MAC Tournament, when 12 will be on the see-saw, packing more heft than most. His team must win on intelligence and effort.Auld lang syne is helpful, too.

So sorry to hear about Porky -- he was fun to talk with when he worked at the University and there aren't many people cared more about the UA athletic progams than him. Would love to see a championship game at the "Q" on national TV that featured signs reading this one's for Porky!

I agree -- I can't say he was the POTY on this team.

Why would you not want to go to the Winking Lizard? God forbid we actually support an establishment that supports our team. The party should be at the Winking Lizard. We complain on this board about coverage, sponsorship, attendance etc. Then you suggest we party somewhere that doesn't support the Zips versus the one bar that does support the Zips. That's smart -- run off one of our only sponsors by telling them to F-off we'll party somewhere else. You can't be serious.

Jack's a great guy and I've fortunately had the opportunity to meet him numerous times. He hosted an Akron reception for the Akron/Navy game a few years back at the Naval Academy. It was in the boat house -- pretty nice. I've also had the opportunity to meet him at an Alumni Awards banquet. Class guy -- really has fond memories of his alma mater and speaks highly of it. It sure would have been interesting to have him serve a few years as our AD after Thomas left. I thought McConahey (sp) portrayal of him in the movie was actually pretty terrible. He should never play dramatic roles -- he's just not suited for them.

I for one am extremely excited about Steward and Sweich -- I haven't read enough about McKnight yet. I think it is very rare that you read about a PG with nearly 8 assists a game in HS. Steward could be a rare athlete and shear size and numbers of Sweich make me feel really good about him. I think this team has potential to re-load and continue without missing a beat if this next class is as strong as others have predicted.

Since the game is at 7:30 -- where is everybody pregaming?Is it possible for the Nation to gather prior to the game for some cocktails? Rays place always seems like a good place to grab a beer and run into Zips fans prior to a Can't game. By the way for all you Akron grads who attend the games Keith with help from the alumni association has put a thank you on the alumni website.Zips Thank you!

To me this is a really odd string of notes....I thought it might provide us with some perspective if we checked the real numbers.Huggins era:84-85 2,605 after a the inaugural season at the JAR with 4,179 (still the record annual attendance)85-86 3,47386-87 3,58987-88 3,60488-89 3,780Dambrodt era:04-05 3,36905-06 3,47006-07 3,593Remarkably close attendance records. The third year of the Hipsher era by comparison averaged 3,620 fans -- the year they were MAC East Champs. The 3,780 was the high water mark for Akron Basketball attendance after that initial year. I would love to see an attendance record next year, but its probably going to take scheduling someone other than Tiffin, Winston Salem State, St. Francis and Loyola Marymount. If we get Youngstown at home next year I would say that is a good start as is Duquesne -- CSU needs to be on the schedule too. Local rivalries and better selling of the games is the key. I would say a good goal for next year would be take surpas the 3,780 annual attendance from the final year of the Huggins era with sites set on the attendance record. All in all attendance has never been spectacular (factually speaking) at Akron either, but we haven't had the success Can't has -- yet!

Here's what I don't get -- the game is in hand you have a timeout. Why not use it and let your two seniors walk to the bench to a standing ovation. How freaking hard would that have been KD?

By the way -- who the hell scheduled this game? KD said it tonight that if they go through the tournament to the championship game they will have played 7 games in 14 days -- why the hell would you add OCC game late in the season. Doesn't this game just serve to distract from the task at hand? The bracketbuster is one thing, but Duquesne just for fun like you didn't think 6 games in 14 days was going to be enough?

Just so everyone here knows.....if we're supposed to give it some time -- when has enough time passed to expect a team picked to win the conference to actually win a game of consequence on the road? Can we complain in five years? How long do we have to wait before we've waited enough? Just a thought, but maybe your four posts also indicate the length of time you've waited. The rest of us - we are little sick of waiting. Why shouldn't we expect more fromr our University or alma mater? But then again you must be new because we've gone over that question 1,000 times here.

I've posted it before and I'll post it again -- if the MAC is going to continually be a conference that only gets one berth in the tournament, I don't understand the scheduling. Why wouldn't you want your team battle tested with real games that might be losses versus the cupcakes on our schedule.If you could get a list of teams perhaps, CSU, Wright State, Detroit, Duquesne, YSU and other local, but non-conference schools (Div. 1) with home and homes (flip them annually) you can then sprinkle in the Duke, UNC, OSU etc. for real tough competition. Worst comes to worse you go o-fer in your non-conference and win the MAC -- you still get to go dancing. I would love to see us get a much better schedule next year and beyond. By scheduling the big boys you could entice players who want to play against them, but didn't get the offers. Now your enticing them with Tiffin? WTF

I remeber that game with Rashon -- was at the opposite end of the court on the running track -- absolutely amazing play. I think that was the same year they went to Buffalo and lots a terrible game. George Phillips had his pocket picked on an inbound pass that Buffalo put in the hoop.It's hard to believe it's been that long since Andrick played here -- let alone he's been coaching at Springfield for four years. Wow.I enjoyed watching Mark Alberts played when he was here -- that was a good time. He could bomb them from all over. Roy Coleman during the Crawford era was fun to watch too.Basketball is a team sport and I'm not sure how much weight you can put on team accomplishments. In fact in times when Akron was terrible shouldn't a player who stood out get even more credit for still playing well despite having little help? Just a thought.

Big question -- is this the beginnig of the same bullshit way they closed out the season last year?

WTF - once again every time you think you have reason to hope this team shits down their leg!

Missed shots -- Miami drills the three -- c'mon guys WTF!

I agree foul them now -- win the game on your own terms

Foul shots killing us again-- who was hoping for OT to toughen the Zips for the Tourney?

Press.

I say Romeo down low.

Who takes the shot?

Miami for two and one -- foul Romeo -- foul shot missed Akron rebound 58-57 Miami 24.5 seconds to go Akron timeout.