Quickzips

Someone should tell this #@^%&$# that the Zips did win a MAC football championship in 2005. :blink:Can I be the editor for the Recordpub???

I know Can't fans will try, but it's really hard to compare Brooks and Evans.Brooks had a clean record when he got here as a walkon. There wasn't really any indication that he would have any legal troubles. He was never denied entry into or kicked out of a school. There was also never any reports of him causing problems with teamates. In addition, he was a walkon and from everything I could tell was never really in consideration for a scholarship. Evans has a long rap sheet coming into Can't. He's had at least three runins with the law. He's been denied entry to or kicked out of three division one programs and at least one of his prep schools. He's had well documented issues with teamates and has a reputation as a cancer in the lockerroom. Also, all indications are if (big if) he can make it through year one at Can't as a walkon he will recieve a scholarship.

1) I doubt it, but we don't really NEED him to be a star. Nates value is as a role player, defensive stopper who can give you enough scoring at the other end as well and who doesn't make mistakes. The bigger question for me is how much we can rely on him to fill the void in terms of senior leadership.2.) I think so. The change to SG (presuming that is what will happen) should be good for McThree's. He struggled at times last year when he was asked to do more ballhandling and initiating the offense. I think he'll be much better off away from the ball.3.) This is a big question. Either Ronnie or Humpty needs to step into that role initiating the offense. Problem is we haven't seen either of them play at the DI level yet. Hard to make any judgment yet.4.) I really hope so. I don't think Bardo is much more than a 10-15 min. a game kind of guy. I'm hoping that Swiech can step up, but like Ronnie and Humpty we just don't know what he's capable of yet. I get the feeling we are going to try and run small a lot this year though, which might be a mistake. We have 2 big C's who by all accounts should at least be able to hold their own. I think that is an advantage.5.) It will depend on their defense. Both have been totally lost at times on the defensive end of the floor. Chris has developed some D over the last couple years, Brett hasn't really had the time to work on his defense. Both are capable scorers, and will almost certainly see their fair share of playing time based on that. How much they are able to contribute will be almost directly tied to how well their defensive prowess develops.

Carducci is a hack. I love reading his "insider" posts on the Can't board. He's the biggest Can't homer I've ever seen and even he can't muster an ounce of enthusiasm over this game. Wonder why? Couldn't be because his team is a pathetic piece of rubble with no hope for short term or long term improvement? Heck their board has barely a mention of this game. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more Blue and Gold in the stands tomorow than Piss Yellow.

The real question here is how many people at Can't will actually give enough of a crap to buy into this lame ass attempt at supporting their lame ass football program? Seriously, I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see Akron fans outnumber Can't fans at Dix on Saturday. Their team is absolutely pathetic. Their fan base knows it. Noone will show up for this. Those that do won't be nearly enough to make the kind of impact that 100,000 Nittany Lion fans at Beaver Stadium all wearing white do. Has Can't ever had one original idea in the entire existence of their pathetic little institution?

I don't think anyone ever said that. Some of us who are fans of Cleveland sports are able to seperate our Akron loyalties from our Cleveland fandom.

It's so hard to figure out what is going to happen with the MAC this year. So many of the dominant frontcourt players of the last few years (Wood, Travis, Quantance, Reitz, Williams, Pollitz) are gone and despite what every one of their programs think not all of them will be easily replaced. Add on to that some of the coaching changes that we've seen at Can't, Toledo and Ohio. You never know how things will play out there. I still think the East is going to be better overall. I would rank them like this.Can't-Although I hate to do it and I don't think they have a stranglehold on the top spot by any means. They are going to miss Quantance in the frontcourt and you just have to wonder about the team chemistry at some point with them.OU-They have probably the best returning frontcourt player in Tillman and I've always felt like a coaching change would do wonders for them. We'll see if I'm right.Miami-They get Bramos back, but how healthy is he and can he stay that way for a full season? Losing Pollitz is significant. I also think their slow down, grind it out, halfcourt game is becoming more and more obsolete in the MAC every year as the conference gets more fast paced and athletic.Akron-Brings in arguably the best group of newcomers, but it is likely going to take some time for them to gel. How often determines where we end up.BG-I'm not buying all the preseason love for the Falcons. They put together a few good games at the end of last season and all of a sudden they are the sexy pick for title contention. I'll gladly eat my words if they can put together a full season, but I haven't seen it yet.Buffalo-Clearly the doormat of the East. They just haven't been able to restock the cupboards over the last couple years and it has REALLY hurt them. Witherspoon has to be concerned for his job.WMU-They are going to have to replace Reitz, but they still have a pretty decent team without them and I just don't see anyone else in the West that can compete with them over the course of a season.Behind WMU put CMU, Toledo, EMU, Ball St. and NIU in whatever order you like. It doesn't really matter. None of them are in contention in my mind to win the West or make a run in the tourney.

Took my first walk by the stadium site in a long time today. All I've got to say is WOW! This thing is impressive already, when it's done.... I have to admit, I was a little worried that maybe this thing was going to end up looking like a glorified High School stadium (read Dix). Not after walking by today. You can almost see the place rockin with 30,000 as the Zips take one in for a TD now. It has the feel of a big time college football stadium. Can't wait for it to open.

As underwhelmed as I still am with Jacq, I can't see giving Rodgers time at this point unless we are going to commit to him for the rest of the season. The LAST thing I want to get into is another one of these games of guess the QB this year. It was an absolute mess last year and it isn't going to work very well this year. I was also very surprised to see the everyone stand up and look to the sidelines for the play offense. This was the first time I've seen the team this year, but I was told we were done with that shit. Bruce in particular needs to look into transitioning to DB. That boy has TERRIBLE hands. I would hardly call it a good outing by the O-line. Acceptable maybe, but good, not by my book. A good outing by the offensive line would entail a lot less in terms of stupid focus penalties. We got away with it a lot b/c Army is so woefully bad that another 5 yards wasn't really an issue. Against Cincinnati and most of the rest of our schedule, 20 yards in false start penalties could end more than one drive and that is a BIG problem. This has been an ongoing issue for us and I don't know what it is going to take to fix it. In the end it is kind of difficult to take much of anything away from this game. Army is a mess in every facet of the game, particularly on offense.

This was the first time I've been able to sit and watch the entire game for the Zips. Honestly, I didn't see anything much different than what I've gotten used to seeing out of the Zips over the last couple years. The playcalling was questionable at times (particularly in the red zone). Jacq was his usual inconsistent self. Absolutely boneheaded fumble that he managed to get back. Got bailed out by his recievers throwing into double coverage on more than one occasion. Although I'll cut him a little slack because Jeremy Bruce has the absolute worst hands I think I've ever seen on a reciever. The running game looked effective enough. There were still WAY too many penalties. Most of them were just plain focus penalties. False Starts, offsides, etc. Those shouldn't still be happening after all this time. The defense still got handled by a mobile QB until they started to realize that Army posed NO threat in the passing game and stacked the box with 8-9 guys every down. The kicking game was a nightmare to watch. Igor had probably his worst game in a long time. Stec was unspectacular and our kickoffs aren't even up to snuff with those of an average high school team. A win is a win is a win, but I can't see us putting up a .500 season or above with this team. To me they are no better, but no worse than they have been the last couple seasons.

Those truth in labeling laws are getting REALLY strict.

Cleveland fans are sick of how Mr. James is acting lately. Cleveland fans don't like him hanging out with Dallas or USC or wearing Yankee hats. Cleveland fans are concerned with the posibility that he could skip town in 2010 and leave the Cavs realing. However, noone that I am aware of has ever questioned his commitment to Akron the University of Akron and particularly the University of Akron basketball program.

You guys are making a large assumption that I don't think we can yet make. You're assuming that students are going to be interested enough in the atmosphere around the stadium/team/etc. that they will want to stay on the weekend and that interest will be widespread. Having lived on campus for 4 years (2003/04-2006/07) I can't say I've ever seen any indication that something like that is possible from the current crop of students. I think it's going to take a few years and a few more freshman classes who are used to that stadium and that atmosphere being right there. The students that are here right now, in general, still don't care enough. On top of that, all of the "additional business" you talk about isn't going to just pop up over night. For the most part the University/Downtown bar/restaurant scene is going to look the same next year at this time as it does now. Ask yourself. With all of the success our basketball program has, how many students do you see at your typical weekend basketball game? Granted, football and basketball are different animals, but I can also argue that basketball season presents worse traveling weather, and students in general still choose to brave the weather and go home as opposed to staying and walking over the JAR to see quality mens DI basketball. I just can't see the results being drastically different for football. I don't think you will see much more in terms of student turnout than what you typically see for maybe a decent Can't State game. It's going to take time to develop a larger student fanbase than that. The stadium by itself overnight. Again, I hope I'm wrong. I'd love nothing more than to see a couple thousand students at each and every home game. I just think that expecting an instant and lasting turnaround in student attendance is unreasonable based on what I've observed.

The column lists our attendance @ 16,000 for the past two seasons. If we have a brand-spanking new $60 million dollar stadium...have our home opener vs. Indiana, + home vs. K.e.n.t, both of which will be GUARANTEED 30,000 SRO...there's no way on God's green earth we should average 20,000!! Only 4k more than at the Rubber Bowl!!?? That's lower than the most low-aiming expectation I could have expected to see in my worst nightmare.I expect 25k. Anything less is unacceptable.Regardless of first and second year attendance being driven by the newness of the facility, shouldn't Info always outdraw the Rubber Bowl? Even in down football years, given that the new digs will be on campus, where more students live every year, and near downtown, which should always bring in bodies, I'll be surprised if the crowds aren't larger and quite different. More students, many more people from the North and West sides, the ability to grab a nice meal before and/or after, entertainment venues, likely a lot less MUD on bad weather days. I'm not sure that many hard core fans of the Zips realize just how lowbrow most locals think the Rubber Bowl is. I know many around here who will definitely go downtown to watch the Zips play, given all of the tangibles and intangibles involved, who wouldn't be caught dead going to the Rubber Bowl to see a game. I also wonder what that 20K will look like. I've been at games where the announced attendance was ridiculously overstated. They may have sold that many tickets, but there sure as hell weren't that many bodies in the seats. The crowds at the Info should be large and actual. GO ZIPS!SeeTeeZipI've said it before and I will say it again. People are overestimating the effect having the stadium on campus will have on student attendance. Yes we have more students living on campus every year, but the overwhelming majority of them go home on the weekends. If they aren't here, they aren't going to attend the games. Something is going to have to convince them to stay on campus for the weekends and I'm not at all convinced that the stadium and the team will be able to do that. I would love to be proven wrong, but I doubt that it will happen. At least right away.

I know two!Nate LinhartChris McKnightI couldn't tell you who the third one is. It would seem odd to start one of the freshmen (Cvetinovic or Parrish) there and leave what is supposed to be a talented RFrosh Center in Swiech on the bench. Maybe the coaches see something in one of these two guys in practice (or a lack of something in Swiech?) that the rest of us aren't really privy too. Conyers doesn't come close to fitting the bill, neither does B.McKnight.

Could be better, could be worse. I like the Pitt game being on the schedule in that it will at least shut a few mouths around the MAC. I don't know if this years team is quite ready for that though. Plus the Legends Classic seems somewhat akin to prostitution on our part. The only way that deal works out for us is if we can somehow knock off Pitt. Love games against teams like Dayton, Winthrop, VCU and Rhode Island. All upper crust mid-major programs that we don't have to travel excessivly far (Gonzaga, Nevada, etc.) to get to. We need more of that.That Can't, YSU, Toledo 3 games in 5 days stretch is going to be a little rough. At least we open w/ what should be the toughest opponent in Can't (presuming their entire team isn't in jail by then).

What is most sickening about this whole scenario IMO is going over to the Can't board and reading Dave Carducci (Can't Record Courier Beat Writer) lay down excuse after excuse for Singletary. The way he sees it the entire Can't City Police are just out on a witch hunt for Chris. This guy has such low journalistic integrity I would expect him to be working for the Beacon Journal. He falls all over himself believing "inside sources" that he has from the Can't Athletic Department but openly dismisses official police reports and other first hand information apparently as bald faced lies. Can't State Basketball. Recruiting, playing and supporting felons, hooligans and general everyday thugs since 1972!

Any chance that Pitt game could be part of a home/home or a 2 for 1? I'm guessing not seeing as it apparently came together late, but it would be pretty sweet to get Pitt in here for a game sometime down the road.

Hadn't seen this posted yet. Scouts new rankings came out. Zeke is listed as the #40 prospect in the country. Can't remember where he was ranked before, but he's still listed as a 4-star and is the #7 C in the country (based on the looks of the list he could easily be #5 as there are 3 C's ranked within 4 positions of one another).Keep up the good work Zeke. Looking forward to seeing you in blue and gold.http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p...=88&yr=2009

Question:Does the Beacon Journal have some kind of commenting requirement that you have to be a bitter, anti-government nut job with no life in order to post in their comments section???Seriously, Akron could probably be endowed with $100 billion from a private entity to assist homeless people, refurbish urban housing, create jobs, attract industry, build a new national capital and design spaceships that can take Akron citizens to far away planets with luxirious resorts and these people would STILL be pissed off.

Yes, because those kinds of things never change. I mean AD's NEVER change their minds. Once you have job security in the athletic department you've got it for life. It's like a Supreme Court appointment in that regard. Brookhart isn't quite a lame duck coach just yet, but if this team doesn't come out of the box and show that it can compete for a MAC Championship he will be very quickly. In that regard I don't think we will let our banged up guys rest at Wisconsin and taking a big loss to try and get healthy. JD's job depends on getting out to fast start this year. Big losses to open the season will very easily snowball into more losses late in the season and JD will turn into that lame duck coach. This administration isn't stupid. They aren't building a $55 million stadium to fill it with a crap product. This is year five for JD and by the end of it he will have had plenty of time to show whether or not he is capable of building a winner. If he's not, he's gone. Big contract buyout and sunshine and puppy dog press confrences from a year ago notwithstanding.

I understand this is a 2010 target, but in 2010 Zeke will be a Sophomore, Swiech a Junior and Bardo a Senior. Are we really going to need another center at that point? Could this kid possibly play PF and be a replacement for a graduating C.McKnight? Aren't we more worried about finding that talented wing that's supposedly the last missing piece to the puzzle???

The person under center really isn't going to matter much if they don't fit the scheme we run. I'm still convinced that part of the problem with Jacq is that he's a horrible fit in the offense we run. He's a drop back, down field passer that we've been forcing to run rollouts and make lateral throws. It's like trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Would he be a good QB if we played a scheme more to his strength? Who knows. But I bet he would at least be better than he is in our current scheme. As for Rodgers and Wagner and the rest, I don't really know enough about them yet to know if they fit into our scheme or not.What I wouldn't give to see us line up in a standard I formation and start pounding the ball with our bumper crop of RB's, forcing the defense to bring 8 men into the box and setting up playaction.

Rumor on Can't's board has Dru's little brother walking on for the flushes this year. Not really sure what to make of this, or if anything should be made of this. Needless to say some of the flush faithful are making it out to be a major recruiting coup.

We've heard this same argument a lot over the last couple of years. Carlton Jackson, David Harvey, Vince Hill, Aaris Reed. I'm sure I'm missing some. They come in as some of the most highly rated players to ever play in our football program from a recruiting standpoint. Those who make it to campus don't seem to last very long. It makes some of us uneasy to see all of the same arguments coming up again with a different name attached to them. I don't think you can really fault us for that.NONE of those guys are even close to the player that Devoe is. It's not even comparable.Point--> The talent level isn't the point. It's the potential character problems that arise, seemingly every time we land a talented player like this. We've been burnt by it. A lot. I wish the kid all the luck in the world. I hope he puts the Zips on the map, in a big way. I'll be more than happy to eat a big old pile of crow in four years if he graduates with honors, holds numerous team records and is an NFL first round draft pick. But for now, I'm skeptical about how long he will stick around the program and how well he can fit in character wise and based on past experiences I think I have every right to be.