InTheZone

A hint for some of you: Every D1 football player in America was offerred alcohol on their visit, and 99 percent of them partook. A good number probably get a little noggin too if you catch my drift. The NCAA should get a clue. No school should be punished just because someone had a grudge and decided to send an anonymous letter. This could happen at any school in America, including our own.

You're insane. This one won't even be close. If it is, then I'll come back and eat my words, but Austin Peay coming into the JAR doesn't have a prayer.Zips 81AP 63

I've seen some pretty shady things done by C Frye in person...and no, not a fan. Say what you will about his talent as a QB, but Charlie's a great guy. What in the world makes you think otherwise I have no idea. Maybe you'd like to share.

It appears that after last year's disaster JD Brookhart decided to clean a little house within the program and get rid of a few bad apples. Not returning to the Zips in the Spring are:Jamal Benjamin LBMickey Baker LBDeAndre Descott CBDelvin Davis CBDantley Cline DTJerrell Stoudemire DTNow, regardless of fall grades, no one ever fails out going into spring because you can always have a chance to earn enough hours in the spring and two summer sessions to get yourself eligible. With these guys not coming back for the spring this tells us that they were dismissed.

I know a lot of you shudder at the mention of the name of our former and my former head coach but i thought some of you might find this interesting....http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/p...010325/0/NEWS01ASHLAND -- A multi-million dollar stadium is in the planning stages at Ashland University, but the school doesn't have to break ground on such a project for football coach Lee Owens to feel like he's moved into the high-rent district.By vote of his peers, Owens was named along with Mack Brown of Texas and National Coach of the Year Jim Grobe of Wake Forest to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees. The announcement, made at the AFCA national convention in San Antonio last month, left Owens dumbfounded. "I don't make enough money to sit with that group," he joked, referring to Brown, Grobe and fellow board members like Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez. "It's a great honor and a great reflection on our school." The board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, whose founding fathers include Amos Alonzo Stagg and John Heisman. The organization has more than 10,000 members from all levels of the profession.Owens is one of only two NCAA Division II coaches on the 17-member board. The other is incoming president Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman College. Third vice-president is Larry Kehres of D-III power Mount Union."For me to get a chance to be around Larry Kehres and Jim Tressel ... if I can win half as much as those guys, it will be good for (AU)," Owens said, modestly. "I think our league (the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, home to reigning national champion Grand Valley State) has a lot of credibility."While joining one exclusive fraternity, Owens is also helping to establish another.Ashland has formed a Gridiron Club of former Eagle players, alumni, coaches and friends of the university who share a common interest in advancing the football program through a variety of activities, including:Financially supporting the program with annual gifts.Planning and promoting social events, such as Alumni Day, tailgate parties, an annual football banquet and alumni golf outing.Assisting current players and alumni in obtaining internship and employment opportunities.Serving as a role model for current players by advocating good sportsmanship, academic excellence and social responsibility.Willard resident Donald Graham, Class of 1969, has been selected as the organization's first president. Colonel Crawford graduate Matthew "Bubba" Harris, Class of '97, is secretary and former All-American and Northmor graduate Bill Royce, Class of '93, is one of the officers. Hall of Fame coach Dr. Fred Martinelli is an honorary officer."I think it's important for us as a group to do everything we can to help Ashland University football players be successful on the field and in their lives after football," Graham said in a statement. "The club is made up of members from different eras of Ashland football and through our members we can help provide perspective to the players, coaches and administrators."Our goal is to help Ashland's football program reach the championship level."Membership in the Gridiron Club is $250, which includes special parking at home games and other perks. The club is also sponsoring alumni football lockers for $1,000, payable over three years. A plaque will be displayed on each locker occupied by a current player with the alum's name, number, position played and years of participation. Each benefactor will receive a miniature locker to display in home or office.The funds generated through the locker sponsorship program will be set aside for capital expenditures. The annual dues of the Gridiron Club will support the operating budget of the football program."Ralph Tomassi (associate vice president for development) is always looking for ways to support the program and we had a Gridiron Club when I was head coach at Akron, so we put our heads together," Owens said. "The feedback has been pretty good. It's a good grassroots group to help us get up and going."Of course, Owens is always looking for ways to improve the product on the field as well. After going 9-2 in 2005 to earn Owens coach of the year honors in the GLIAC, the Eagles slumped to 4-6 last season. A defense that went from being one of the best in D-II in scoring defense two years ago (107 points) gave up more than twice as many points last season (244).In hopes of halting that slide, the fourth-year head coach has shuffled his staff. One of the new faces is defensive coordinator Nick Toth, who filled the same role last season at GLIAC rival Mercyhurst. The team will keep the 3-4 defense, which Toth has both played and coached in.Key returnees, with local ties, will include guard Reggie Gamble (Mansfield Senior), wide receivers David Ziegelhofer (Lexington) and Brandon Gilmore (Madison), linebacker Josh Ohl (Ontario), tailback Ryan O'Dell (Crestview) and kicker Ryan Jung (Clear Fork).Although national signing day isn't until Feb. 7, the roster has already grown with the addition of three D-I transfers: linebacker Brandon Butler (Akron), son of former NFL linebacker and ex-Cleveland Browns assistant Keith Butler; defensive back Dre Ratliff (Marshall), brother of Cincinnati Bengal Keiwan Ratliff; and cornerback Chance Smith (Illinois State).The Cleveland Plain Dealer has also reported that former Ohio State recruit and Glenville product Darius Hiley will enroll at AU. The wide receiver/safety spent one year playing junior college ball and last year at Columbus State after leaving the Buckeyes."The great Division I-AA and Division II programs always get a handful of transfers because they recruit Division I guys," said Owens, who reeled in linebacker/end Chad Hoobler (Ohio State) and quarterbacks Billy Cundiff (U Conn) and John Ferguson (Akron) by going that route. "A couple of Grand Valley State's top players this season were transfers."But Owens also acknowledges that bringing in some transfers in the middle of fall camp last season messed with team chemistry."With some guys coming in late, underclassmen lost their jobs and that created some morale problems that we've addressed as a team," Owens said. "No promises have been made. We're still going to play the best players, but (the transfers) need to get in here in the spring."We've learned a lot of lessons from last season and aren't going to make the same mistakes. We were talking playoffs and national championships before we had even won the conference. We might have had more talent top-to-bottom here last year than ever, but we underestimated chemistry. And you can never lose sight of how important it is to be tough, especially on the defensive side of the ball."

If Poindexter could put on 15-20 lbs I think he'd make a great DE. I don't think Brookhart's going to do it though, especially considering he was more productive at TE than Kasparek last year. You've also got to remember that JD's a pretty offensive minded guy (his first move as head coach was to switch the best defensive player to WR) so it'd be my guess he'd want to keep Poindexter as a weapon in the offense.

Neither of those guys have the athleticism needed to play d-line at a D1 institution. That's the hard part about finding guys for our scheme. They have to be big enough to take on alot of double teams and athletic enough to execute and number of stunts.

With the football offseason here and not much to talk about, I thought I'd post something I stumbled upon online today, a kind of "remember when" for the old school zips around here.....1997 Zips Football Weekly Press ReleasesAugust 25: Zips Open '97 Campaign at Sixth-Ranked NebraskaLee Owens Optimistic About MAC Race; Recognizes Difficult Noncon Opponents--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Game Day InformationDate: August 30, 1997Site: Lincoln, NebraskaStadium: Memorial (72,700)Kickoff: 12:30 CDTTeam Records: First game for both squadsRadio: WHLO 640-AM, WTIG 990-AMTV: No live TV. Highlights replayed Sept. 1 and 8 as part of Zips' Monday Night Football.Series: First meeting--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Akron Zips will have waited 326 days for this game.Since UA's date with the powerful Nebraska Cornhuskers was announced last Oct. 8, players, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans alike have eagerly anticipated this opportunity.The Akron contingent is not naive about the challenge or for that matter the odds against winning the game, but excited to test its program against one of the nation's best. The Cornhuskers won back-to-back National Championships in 1994 and '95 and finished 11-2 and ranked sixth last year. Nebraska begins its 1997 season in the exact same spot -- No. 6 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Zips, meanwhile, closed their '96 season, winning three of their final four games to finish 4-7."It's like a preseason bowl game," says UA coach Lee Owens, a former Ohio State assistant (1992-94). "We're going to play lights out against one of the best, if not the best program in the country."Akron gave up a season-opening home game against Youngstown State to play at Nebraska. The Zips have four home contests and seven on the road."If there was any hesitation from our players or there was not 100 percent commitment on the part of our University administration, coaching staff or players, then we would not have agreed to play Nebraska," said UA Director of Athletics Michael A. Bobinski. "To have this game be our opener and the focus of all of our off-season efforts, and then to have a week off before starting conference play, made it a much more appealing scenario for us."JOHNSON DECLARED ACADEMICALLY INELIGIBLE: Zip junior strong safety Nate Johnson (Steubenville) will sit out the 1997 season to concentrate on his studies. UA's fourth leading tackler (73 total, 46 solo) a year ago as an outside linebacker, Johnson needed to improve his overall GPA with two summer school classes, but did not reach the required minimum to play.MEDICAL UPDATE: Junior defensive back Jon Eaton (Wheelersburg) will miss the Nebraska game with a severely sprained left ankle. Eaton was hurt playing in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament before camp began. A two-year starter and a member of the GTE District IV Academic Team, he ranked fifth on the team in tackles last fall (65 total) and played a key role in UA's secondary being among the nation's top 25 units against the pass. Eaton is considering a medical redshirt for 1997.Shoulder injuries will sideline junior TE Shane Ladner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) and sophomore DB Mike Hughes (New Middleton/Cardinal Mooney) for the Nebraska game. Neither player participated in contact drills during camp.SECONDARY DEPTH TESTED: With the loss of Nate Johnson, and the pending medical redshirt of Jon Eaton, the Zips are fortunate to be deep in the secondary. The starting unit will include Jerome Cargile (Cleveland/Chanel) and George Germany (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) at the corners, Julius Lancaster (Canton/McKinley) at strong safety, and 1996 All-MAC selection Andre McCray (Akron/Buchtel) at free safety. All four players are battle tested; however, the same can not be said for the Zips' second-string defensive backfield which includes four players who have never played a down of college football. True freshmen Rich Reliford (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Kevin Vaughn (Akron/Ellet), along with redshirt freshman Shauntel Lodge (Canton/McKinley) and sophomore Richard Jones (Columbus/Beechcroft) will be seeing their first action in Lincoln.Last fall, Akron's secondary ranked 25th among Division I-A school in pass efficiency defense and second in the MAC in passing yards allowed.The Zips also are minus sophomore DB Mike Hughes, who should return from shoulder rehab for the Miami game Sept. 13 in Oxford.AKRON'S NFL PERFORMERS: In five preseason games, former Zip star Jason Taylor has shined for the Miami Dolphins. A third round draft pick (73rd overall) and a starter in all preseason games, Taylor has racked up 12 tackles (10 solo) and four QB sacks for 35 yards in losses. He also has two special teams tackles and one pass deflection. A first-team All-MAC DE last fall, Taylor had 18 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks.Victor Green, a Zip letterman from 1990-92, led the NFL in tackles last year as a DB for the New York Jets.BOYD TABBED: UA senior football star Nate Boyd is Street & Smith's 1997 Mid-American Conference preseason Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-MAC selection, according to The Sporting News.The Zips' rambunctious middle linebacker heads the list of 42 returning lettermen. Joining Boyd on the TSN All-MAC team is junior free safety Andre McCray. The Akron Buchtel product racked up 109 tackles last fall and earned second-team All-MAC accolades from the league's coaches. Akron returns nine defensive starters from a unit which ranked third in the MAC and 26th nationally in total defense (317.4 yards per game average yield).McCray also gained preseason All-MAC honors from the Football News, Athlon and Bob Griese's College Football Preview. The Sporting News also listed Boyd among the nation's top Division I-A players "In The Shadows." The former East Liverpool High School standout logged a team-high 140 stops a year ago to rank third among MAC tacklers and was twice selected league Defensive Player of the Week. He was UA's Vern Smith Award nominee (MAC Player of the Year).GREAT BACKS: The Zips face four of the nation's top 20 returning backs in 1997. The group includes Can't's Astron Whatley (3,113 yards in 3 years), Central Michigan's Silas Massey (2,633 yards in 2 years), LSU's Kevin Faulk (2,134 yards in 2 years), and Nebraska's Ahman Green (2,003 yards in 2 years). It would have been five if Toledo's Wasean Tait had returned from a severe knee injury.UNDERDOG: The Zips were huge underdogs twice in 1996 and played exceedingly well in both games. Akron fell to 15th-ranked Virginia Tech, 21-18, on Sept. 7 and defeated Miami (Ohio), 10-7, on Oct. 19. Both games were at the Rubber Bowl.HIGH-PROFILE OPPONENTS: After reaching the Division I-AA playoffs in 1985, Akron stepped up to the I-A level in 1987. Since that time, UA has played numerous high-profile opponents, including Virginia Tech four times ('89, '91, '95, '96), Auburn ('88), Florida ('90), Tennessee ('89), Kansas State ('95), Oregon State ('87) and Illinois ('96). UA is 0-10 in these games (nine on the road), but last year was tied at halftime vs. Va. Tech and Illinois.ERIC ANDERSON VS. ERIC ANDERSON: Zip defensive lineman #48 Eric Anderson (Woodburn, Ind./Woodlan) will go head-to-head against Nebraska's RT #70 Eric Anderson of Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast High School). (No relation). Nebraska's Anderson averaged 7.5 "pancake" blocks per game in 1996.MILFORD ACADEMY: Husker star DT Jason Peter played for Milford (Conn.) Academy in 1992. Two Akron Zips, TB Bo Hunter and DT Jamie O'Neill, played for Milford in 1995.SCRIMMAGE UPDATE: The Zips' defensive unit, third in the MAC a year ago, picked up where it left off last season when UA held its first scrimmage of '97 Aug. 16 at the Rubber Bowl. Junior Jerome Cargile raced 100 yards for a score with an interception for the day's long play. True freshman Rich Reliford also registered an interception and returned the ball inside the 10-yard line. Tailbacks Greg Lomax (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold) and Bo Hunter (Wilmington, Del./Milford (Conn.) Academy) had TD runs. Offensive linemen Kevin Kuntz (Steubenville/Edison) and Steve Hale (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry) flip-flopped positions with Kuntz now lined up at quick tackle and Hale at quick guard. Sophomore defensive end Ron Smith (Reynoldsburg) strained a knee ligament, but is ready to go for Nebraska.The Zips' second scrimmage (Aug. 21) saw true freshman OT Paul Ondrusek (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) elevated to the second unit. Another rookie, Kevin Vaughn, intercepted two passes. All three Zip tailbacks showed flushes of brilliance, including Lomax, who sat out most of the first scrimmage ill. The offensive coaches continued to use six different wide receivers with the first unit in an effort to identify a rotation for game day.THE PRIDE OF KEARNEY: Akron strength coach Dan Bailey is a Kearney, Neb., native and former walk-on Cornhusker lineman from 1983-86. Bailey, 32, is in his third season at UA and was the associate strength coach at Tennessee for seven years.HIGH POWERED OPPONENTS: Nebraska and Louisiana State were ranked sixth and 10th, respectively, in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Zips also face 1996 I-AA champion Marshall, 1996 MAC champion Ball State and 1995 MAC champ Toledo -- all on the road.ROAD WARRIORS: The Zips play just four home games in 1997, after adding the Nebraska road trip and losing the Youngstown State home game. Senior DE Corey Christian (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) says four home games isn't so bad. He had only two his senior year at Pittsburgh Penn Hills High School, waiting for a new stadium to be completed. The Princeton Tigers thisyear play all 10 games on the road while their new stadium is being constructed. Akron home dates are Sept. 20 vs. Bowling Green (7 p.m., Acme-Zip game), Oct. 4 vs. Central Michigan (7 p.m.), Oct. 25 vs. Ohio (3:30 p.m., Homecoming) and Nov. 8 vs. Can't (3:30 p.m., 40th Wagon Wheel Game)."LUNCH WITH THE COACH" MOVED TO MONDAYS: UA's popular "Lunch With The Coach" program has been switched to Mondays at noon at the Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill Street. The first luncheon will be Aug. 25 when Zip head coach Lee Owens previews the '97 season and UA's opener in Lincoln. Tickets are priced at $7.50. Joe Dunn again will serve as emcee.Mid-American Conference commissioner Jerry Ippoliti will be in Akron Aug. 25 for "Lunch With The Coach." Ippoliti will discuss the MAC's "New Era" with the league's championship football game slated for Dec. 5 in Huntington, W. Va., and the bowl tie-in with the Dec. 26 Ford Motor City Bowl in Pontiac, Mich. The commissioner is undertaking a tour of all 12 MAC schools this fall.MAC'S NEW ERA: The Zips are in the East Division of the new Mid-American Conference format. Marshall and Northern Illinois have rejoined the league, bringing to 12 the number of schools in the 51-year-old all-sports conference. At the MAC Media Day on July 23 in Pontiac, Mich., the Zips were picked to finish in fifth place in the East, ahead of rival Can't. Akron won three of its final four games last fall to finish 4-7 and 3-5 in the MAC (tied for sixth).The MAC will stage a Championship Game, pitting East and West champs, Dec. 5 in Huntington, W. Va. The winner will advance to face an at-large team in the first Ford Motor City Bowl, Dec. 26, at the Pontiac Silverdome.The Zips have been picked as high as third in the East by one preseason magazine (MSM) and as low as sixth by Preview Sports. Athlon picked Akron eighth among the 12 MAC schools.DREAM TRIP: Five freshman walk-ons are a part of the 70-man travel roster for Nebraska. The list includes: WR Lavel Bailey (Cleveland/Kennedy), TB Carlos Humphries (Canton/GlenOak), OL Marc Saunders (Wadsworth), DB Kevin Vaughn (Akron/Ellet) and DT Jermaine Williams (Akron/Central Hower).NONCON: UA's Oct. 18 date at Eastern Michigan is a non-conference game. The Zips play five games within the East Division (BGSU, Can't, Marshall, Miami, and Ohio) and three cross-over games (Ball St., C. Michigan and Toledo). The EMU game will not count in the league standings.ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TRIPS: The University of Akron Alumni Association is sponsoring trips to Nebraska and Louisiana State. The trip to Lincoln is priced at $365 per person and includes air fare, two nights lodging and game tickets. Cost for children 2-12, sharing a room with two adults, is $249. The LSU trip is priced at $679 per person and includes air fare, three nights lodging and game tickets. Cost for children is $415. For further information, contact the Alumni Association at (330) 972-7270.RADIO COVERAGE: For the sixth straight year, Akron radio station WHLO 640-AM will be the flagship station for University of Akron football. Massillon station WTIG 990-AM has reached agreement for a third season to form the Zips' Football Radio Network. WHLO's 5,000-watt daytime signal covers 66 of Ohio's 80 counties in addition to western Pennsylvania and into West Virginia.Returning for his ninth season as the "Voice of the Zips" will be Steve French. He will be joined in the broadcast booth by Clint Scroggs, who last year served as UA's sideline reporter. The UA network is on the air 15 minutes before kickoff with the pre-game show, featuring Zip head coach Lee Owens.AKRON ZIPS' MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: For 12 consecutive Monday nights, beginning Sept. 1, Zip football fans will be able to see UA game highlights on WAKC-TV Channel 23 at 8 o clock. The one-hour show, hosted by Joe Dunn, will feature head coach Lee Owens evaluating game highlights from the previous Saturday. Coach Owens also will preview the Zips' upcoming opponent. The Nebraska game will be replayed twice: Sept. 1 and 8. The Miami game will be shown Sept. 15 with the final show Nov. 17 following Toledo.SEASON TIX / MEDIA GUIDES: Zip season tickets are priced at $36 (4 home games) and $18 for seniors citizens and UA faculty and staff. For details contact the Zip Athletic Ticket Office at 1-888-99-AKRON or (330) 972-6920 ... 1997 Akron Football Media Guides are for sale at JAR Arena. Books are priced at $10 apiece. Checks should be made payable to University of Akron Athletics and mailed to the attention of the Sports Information Office, 76 JAR Arena, Akron, Ohio 44325-5201.44TH ACME-ZIP GAME: The 44th annual Acme-Zip game is slated for Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Rubber Bowl when the Zips entertain Bowling Green.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------(From Saturday, Aug. 30 Game Notes)The sixth-ranked Cornhuskers are the highest ranked Division I-A football team the Akron Zips have ever played. Last September 7, UA was a 38-point underdog to 15th-ranked Virginia Tech and lost 21-18 at the Rubber Bowl.Akron battled 12th-ranked Auburn in 1988 (lost 42-0), No. 11 Tennessee in 1989 (lost 52-9), 17th-ranked Florida in 1990 (lost 59-0), and No. 19 Kansas State in 1995 (lost 67-0).To understand the significance of this game in Akron's football history, you should know:In 1893, John Heisman was UA's first paid football coach and athletic director Akron played in the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl against Terry Bradshaw-led La. Tech The Zips played for the NCAA Division II national championship in 1976 Akron qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 1985 In 1987, the Zips were the first university to upgrade from Division I-AA to I-A with former Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust leading the transition Ohio State assistant Lee Owens was named UA head coach in December, 1994 Zip Captains: Akron captains for today's game are seniors (#48) DL Eric Anderson (Woodbrun, Ind.), (#41) DE Corey Christian (Pittsburgh, Pa.), (#39) FB Chris Rooney (Sioux City, Iowa) and (#15) PK Jamie Stidham (Independence, Kan.).Quotable Owens Quotes: Says Zip head coach Lee Owens: "Unbelievable depth is what sets Nebraska apart from other college teams." "I am concerned about heat and humidity (on game day). We had a very cool month of August in Northeast Ohio during out camp." "We're not only representing our athletic department and The Univerrsity of Akron, but the Mid-American Conference as well. We hope to be a worthy representative of our league." (On being a huge underdog) "We've probably been the underdog in 21 of the 22 games we've coached here, so this role is nothing new for us." Rooney is Ready: Zip fullback Chris Rooney (Sioux City, Ia./Bishop Heelan) sat out practice Wednesday with a sprained ankle, but is expected to be full go today.You Can Get There: The UA Football Parents Group is sponsoring bus transportation to and from five upcoming Zip football games: Sept. 13 at Miami, Oct. 11 at Marshall, Oct. 18 at Eastern Michigan, Nov. 1 at Ball State and Nov. 15 at Toledo. Round trip fares range from $15 to $28. Contact Monica Gromek at (440) 729-4140 for further information.Zippy the Kangaroo: Zippy, Kasey, Moe and Katy. What do they have in common? They are the only four college kangaroo mascots in America. The University of Akron has Zippy, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has Kasey, Virginia Military Institute has Moe, and Austin College in Sherman, Texas, has Katy. UA's Zippy originated in 1954.

What really irks me is that radio add I hear all the time on 94.9. Sure it's great that we have an ad on a popular akron station, but that little "Fear the Roo" jingle at the end makes my skin crawl. "Fear the Roo" should be said with some some umph and in a deep raspy voice (like that guy that does the action movie previews), not sung 80's jingle style by some fairy.

Yes but under the NCAA's new guidelines we're going to start losing scholarships if we keep having kids flunk out and leave.

Dantley Cline did not return to campus for the spring semester. He has transferred to a junior college.

I've responded to everything you had to say.Maybe you missed the last part of my last post too. But that's cool, instead of apologizing to those kids and helping your group you can be a little ignorant prick. You're welcome to do that too.

And oh yeah, I checked that little facebook site, and it looks like these students have quite a bit of support from the athletes:Members:Meghan Olberding (soccer)Jacque Pitchford (soccer)Tim Zetts (football)John Martin (football)Charlie Allen (baseball)Billy McKinney (baseball)Quade Milum (basketball)Jessica Fix (soccer)Jimmy Conyers (basketball)Chris Jacquemain (football)Dru Joyce (basketball)Mike Ward (football)Will probably grow the more and more you guys alienate their friends and attack someone who works hard for their program.sgm, all of this is to say that if you're truely the leader of the Rowdies, then best thing you can do right now is first of all apologize to Holly, and secondly to apologize to all of the students who have been put out by this mess and invite them all into your group and to sit in the seats with you guys. The people in the athletic department will listen if you go to them and tell them that's what you want to do. But you, not as an individual but as a representative of your group, owe her and all the other students an apology.

1) How do you know she has more love and dedication to athletics than any of the Rowdies? Because she worked for athletics that makes her a bigger fan than the rest of us? Give me a break. I'm sure she loves the Zips, and I think that's great. But I've also been supporting these teams for 7 years as a die hard fan...just because I don't get a paycheck from them doesn't mean I don't love the Zips just as much if not more? 2) Who made fun of her appearance? Please, quote the person...I don't see it. 3) I have no problem with her starting her own student group. But wouldn't it be better to not start a war against fellow fans/students and come up with a different name for her group? 4) She is a pretty girl, I'd def. agree with that...but out of everyone's league? C'mon dude...first of all, I've yet to meet a girl in Akron that I felt was out of my league...and second, how can you say something like that without even knowing a thing about anyone here? Just a pretty stupid comment to finish your post on. 1) Because I've talked to her on a number of occasions and she's been very helpful in everything I've asked her to do, she's close with many of the athletes, she attends sporting events like it's her job, and she helps make the football office run. Have you attended as many athletic events as her over the past few years? Probably not. Are you close with as many athletes as her? Probably not. Do you make the football office run? No you don't. I'm glad you're a big fan but the fact of the matter is making stupid ass comments about her only being a casual fan compared to some of you "the alpha fans" is just stupid and ignorant.2) The comments about her appearance have been deleted, thanks to the mods, except for this classic by hoopla " from her business hanging out, did you mean from the top, bottom or the sides?" Shows the childishness of many in your group who come on here and talk about a girl "hanging out on the sides" when she's no where close to being fat. Like I said, she's a knockout and idiotic comments like that are what skew girls' self images.3) When a bunch of dedicated students who love the Zips just as much if not more than you get shut out of a student group, a student group that I'm sorry but sucks to begin with, then yeah I'd say that's grounds for starting your own group.4) Dude she could have athletes. None of the "rowdies" would have a prayer. 1) I didn't say she was a casual fan. Please, quote me in saying that. Again, you put words into people's mouths to try to support your argument. I said it was silly to claim that WE weren't as big of a fan as she was. And FYI, I've been to all but about 6 or 7 basketball and football games in 7 years...I've attended many road games, including Central Michigan, Ohio State, and BG...I went to Detroit for both the MAC Title game and Bowl game...I've been to every MAC tournament game the Zips have played in 7 years. So yes, I'd match my attendance at athletic events to most people. Finally, what does her being friends with the players have to do with being a fan? My dad had been a die-hard Indians fan for 50 years...he doesn't hang out with Grady Sizemore though...so by your logic, that would mean he's not a die hard fan? 2) I didn't happen to see any remarks about her appearance, but if there were some I agree that it was wrong to say. But again...why generalize? Because one person said something, that means everyone is childish? 3) Define "shut out". I believe they had an opportunity to sign up to join the group, did they not? And seeing as how they worked in the ticket office, they knew that the lower sections would be reserved for only those who signed up to be AK-Rowdies, correct? Heck, according to the wall on the group's page, the girl that started the "Anti-Rowdies" didn't want to join. And that's fine...but that was her choice, she wasn't "shut out".4) Your 4th comment shows how idiotic you truly are. Do you think Akron is like Friday Night Lights or something? Jesus dude, time for a reality check. "She could have athletes"...well that's great. Maybe it's a big deal at USC or Ohio State or Florida to be able to date the top athletes, but who cares at a mid-major school? I love our players, I really do...but how are they any different from the rest of UA students? None of them (bball players) are going pro, none of them have any endorsements coming. When their four years are up, they'll go into the career of their choice just like the rest of us and start normal lives, just like the rest of us. If you want to treat them like Gods, that's cool...but to the rest of us, they're guys just like us who happen to be good at basketball. "She could have athletes"...that just made my day, thanks lol.As for her being out of my league, again...she's a very pretty girl, but personally, I don't see any Akron girl of my league, her included. And I'm not even on the team! 1) I'm talking to all of you baffoons in general. Many said something about these people "only coming to one game a year". Dead wrong. And thanks for your support of Zips athletics, but yes, the fact that she's close to the team and helps the whole thing operate as a secretary is pretty meaningful. The point was that as an individual she is more important to the athletic department than any of you, so stop with all the idiotic comments about your superiority as "fans" (again, all of you in general, not just you sgm).2) Multiple people made comments. A few were deleted, some remain. It wasn't an isolated incident and it shows a lot of immaturity.3) When your student group sucks, the last thing you want to do is try to act like it's some elite club and not let other students sit with you. That's what the group have obviously done, you pissed off a pretty large percentage of students, and thus your membership will never grow and the group will probably die. Congratuations.4) Where to begin man, other than to say that you're obviously in denial. Sure, at places like OSU the athletes are a bigger deal, but starting in junior high football and basketball players always get whatever girls they want and the rest of the student population is left with the rest. Most junior high and high school athletes aren't going pro, but they sure get the girls. Even at D2 and D3 colleges the athletes are in pretty high demand. Just face it my man, if you had a girlfriend and Luke Getsy or Romeo Travis wanted her, you can kiss her goodbye. It was that way when I was at Akron and I could only imagine its moreso now. The point: don't make fun of a girl's appearance just because she's got her pick of the big boys and you can't have her.That's all. Thanks for supporting Zips athletics, but please don't ever personally attack a beautiful young lady who works in the athletic department again. Good night.

1) How do you know she has more love and dedication to athletics than any of the Rowdies? Because she worked for athletics that makes her a bigger fan than the rest of us? Give me a break. I'm sure she loves the Zips, and I think that's great. But I've also been supporting these teams for 7 years as a die hard fan...just because I don't get a paycheck from them doesn't mean I don't love the Zips just as much if not more? 2) Who made fun of her appearance? Please, quote the person...I don't see it. 3) I have no problem with her starting her own student group. But wouldn't it be better to not start a war against fellow fans/students and come up with a different name for her group? 4) She is a pretty girl, I'd def. agree with that...but out of everyone's league? C'mon dude...first of all, I've yet to meet a girl in Akron that I felt was out of my league...and second, how can you say something like that without even knowing a thing about anyone here? Just a pretty stupid comment to finish your post on. 1) Because I've talked to her on a number of occasions and she's been very helpful in everything I've asked her to do, she's close with many of the athletes, she attends sporting events like it's her job, and she helps make the football office run. Have you attended as many athletic events as her over the past few years? Probably not. Are you close with as many athletes as her? Probably not. Do you make the football office run? No you don't. I'm glad you're a big fan but the fact of the matter is making stupid ass comments about her only being a casual fan compared to some of you "the alpha fans" is just stupid and ignorant.2) The comments about her appearance have been deleted, thanks to the mods, except for this classic by hoopla " from her business hanging out, did you mean from the top, bottom or the sides?" Shows the childishness of many in your group who come on here and talk about a girl "hanging out on the sides" when she's no where close to being fat. Like I said, she's a knockout and idiotic comments like that are what skew girls' self images.3) When a bunch of dedicated students who love the Zips just as much if not more than you get shut out of a student group, a student group that I'm sorry but sucks to begin with, then yeah I'd say that's grounds for starting your own group.4) Dude she could have athletes. None of the "rowdies" would have a prayer.

Before you guys keep ripping on this girl, maybe you should know that she's been an athletic department employee for going on 4 years, first at the ticket office and now as a secretary in the football office and she has more love, dedication, and closeness to zips athletics than any of you "Rowdies". So she wants to start her own student group because she and a number of others have been shut out for a group that struggles for members to being with. So what? Who's fault is that? Making fun of her appearance is also pretty low, especially considering that she's a pretty attractive girl and well out of any of your leagues.

Disagreed and here's why. I think a big problem JD has run into with recruiting SO MANY kids from Florida is that they come from a different world and many times (not all the time) have discipline and attitude problems. From players I've talked to the unity that used to exist on this team is just not there anymore. I think a big reason is that when you bring in so many Fla kids a schism develops in the team, because the Ohio/Pennsylvania kids come from such different worlds (more disciplined worlds) and can't understand the behavior and the coaches' tolerace towards some of these kids out of Florida, and it creates resentment. Now you may say that all national programs mix kids from all over, but this isn't necessarily true. Sure Ohio St brings in a few kids from Fla, but they are mostly the best of the best from the Midwest. Sure, Tennessee bring in a few kids from up north, but they are almost exclusively Southern kids. Florida recruits Georgia/Florida almost exclusively. When you just bring in a few kids from outside your region, they are forced to mesh and conform to the rest of the team. When you bring in almost half and half, seperate cultures exist. So what JD is running into with getting half of his recruits from down that way is a unique mixture of personalities that I don't think is working out too well for him, as was evidenced with all the team problems of last year. An Ohio school should recruit 90% midwestern kids. It may be tempting to take shortcuts and go grab some of that Florida speed (which most of the time mysterioiusly no other Florida schools wanted...), but what you gain in talent you kill in team discipline, chemistry, and unity. Just my opinion.

Out of last year's "travelers" along the D-line (guys I saw at away games, maybe I'm missing somebody)Jared Cecchetti- Coming back. Marginal starter.Nate Robinson- Gone, I won't say to the draft because he won't be drafted, but goneClarence McPherson- Gone to FAMUEric Lively- Coming back, solid in reserve, can't see him starting.Kiki Gonzales- GraduatedJermaine Reid- GraduatedBrandon Butler- Gone to AshlandDantley Cline- Coming back, but with serious eligibility questions. I'd put his chances for 2007 at 50/50.Wallace Pendleton- Coming back, can't see him having a significant role.So, returning on the line we have a grandtotal of four guys. Without Cline, we have three, only one of which is a legitimate starter, and borderline at that. Whose going to be other two starters, and who in the HELL is going to back them up??? JD better really start hitting the JUCO's, or the Zips are in trouble up front. Might have to take Kevin Grant and put his hand down, or move Doug Williams back.

Or maybe he's blossomed in the increased minutes he's seen? Come on, there's no reasonable argument you can make to say you're better just because a guy who didn't start for you starts for us. Wood probably wouldn't start over Leon and Jerome. Does that mean we're better? Funniest post of the year right there. OU would be shitting their pants to get Wood.

Believe it, Nate 'wheremymoney' Robinson has already hired some sleazy agent who convinced him he could get drafted. Here's a hint big Nate: unless you're a QB, pro teams aren't real keen on guys who couldn't even start in college.

Foolish. That's all I can say to describe that post, and anyone saying Harvey as a freshman was better than a senior Hixon.Harvey was a one trick pony. He went deep, and went deep well, but JD used his incredible speed to exploit matchups with the safeties from the slot. Other than that, Harvey ran sloppy routes, he took plays off, and didn't block anybody in the running game. He has ALOT of growing up to do before he's on the level of Hixon or even Matt Cherry. Teams will look at what he did last year and will not give him those kinds of favorable situations again next year. The kid has a lot to work on, and if you talk to JD, he'd say everything I just said. I agree with whoever above said Lindsey was the most complete reciever physically, but while Harvey needs to grow up on the field, Lindsey needs to grow up off of it. The reason he probably wasn't more involved in the offense last year is that his discipline level is at about 0 from what I've heard. Here's to hoping he gets his head on straight, because he could be one of the best WR's we've had here.

This is not a joke. Can't confirm this for sure, but have heard from some pretty reliable sources that Nate Robinson has declared himself eligible for the NFL draft!!!

Alleman was invited to the Hula Bowl, but declined.

Akron 68Ohio 59

Can't give any "kharma", but I will send my prayers to her and all of our fine Akron-area service men and women over there, doing a great job for a worthy cause, no matter what Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi say.