Captain Kangaroo

TB speaks at the HOF

I wonder what K.e.n.t. is doing? Pee-yellow and blue. Stupid K-bird logo? Same as always? This is one way we can separate ourselves from Ohio State a bit. They are tied to tradition. We don't have much tradition, so we can get as aesthetically creative as our budget allows. That's a good niche. I like the new stuff. Nice job UA Marketing. Keep it up.

If you believe the reports, the entire Zips staff visited him. That's showing some love. KD knows the Zips need a PG B-A-D.

I agree. Buford was able to start alongside Nick Van Excel for a Final Four UC program. And McLaughlin's number hangs from the JAR rafters.

Maybe we should have a new poll...best guard tandem in Zips history: Ball - Bosley? McLaughlin - Buford? Joyce - Dials? Betancourt - Evans?

I couldn't be more shocked and saddened. What a thoughtful, humble and solid man. Sincerest heartfelt condolences to your family.

I've sat through 10 years of crap football (oh, what a dream "mediocre" football would be), without any minor bowl success, let-alone a big bowl. The Zips in The Orange Bowl? F*ck yeah, I'd trade it. Anyone would.

Keener '92. Gone. Just read it on George Thomas' Twitter feed. He was busted in Lot 9 on what has come to be known as "5 Gallon Friday." But I will still support him unconditionally.

http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/03/former_harrisburg_cougars_stan.html

Prez has new respect for the Zips since we waxed his Bro in-Law in Hawai'i over the Holidays.

And - if you could stop cutting and pasting miles of text it would be greatly appreciated by all. Use the hyperlink option feature.

No one is missing your point. You are asking "What does 'Think Bigger' mean?" And when they tell you their opinion, you completely discount it because it doesn't match what you think it should mean. There are three "Think" options in 2014: 1.) "Think Less" - This would be what the Zips accomplished in 2013-14. We were a worse team than at any point in the past 9 years. Finished 4th in the MAC. Didn't play in the finals. Lost in round 1 of a low-tier post-season tournament. 2.) "Think the Same": If you think the same, you continue with the status quo. You win the MAC roughly every other year. Win 22+ games, albeit mostly against cupcakes. And you get beaten in the NCAA tourney bi- / tri-annually. Note: Teams like K.e.n.t., OU and CMU have proven within the past decade not a "given" with a MAC budget, MAC facilities and MAC-level athletes. 3.) "Think Bigger" - In Akron, "Think Bigger" does not mean "Dance a Jig Because We Won 20 Games." Think Bigger means you want to achieve someting bigger than you have done in the past. KD is on record as saying he wants to be the first mid-major program to win the NCAA tournament. He is on record as saying he wants to be "The Gonzaga of the East." So if you are looking for someone to chide regarding "thinking bigger," email Keith Dambrot. I have read your idea of Thinking Bigger. To me it reads exactly like "Think the Same." If you read my version of "Think Bigger" it will have absolutely nothing to do with not understanding your version. You asked my opinion, and here it is: "Think Bigger" means elevating the Program to a level is has never reached. That means winning the MAC, and subsequently winning an NCAA Tourney game. This has been accomplished by MAC, Horizon League, Summit League, Ivy League...scores of other mid-major leagues. With identical fan bases and budgets and the Zips. Until we do that, we are "Accomlishing the Same" or "Accomplishing Less."

With her hair up like that, she might measure 5' 8"? She's a fun player to watch. Best of luck to the Lady Zips Saturday! Is their mascot a male kangaroo?

Resources, schmeesources. We just got our butts whipped by a no-name team boasting a 324 lb center that plays in a Division 5 high school gym. Resources are just a great excuse. The Zips had fewer resources (no players lounge, dedicated training facility, etc.) when we won our NIT games. What I take out of this edition of the Zips is: KD felt he maxed-out what he could get from the "under-recruited, over-achiever" kids. The "team" type, unselfish, defense-first, step slow, inch-or-two-too-short, saavy four-year guys like Middleton, Roberts, McNees, McKnights, Travis/Joyce etc. He upped the anty with players much more athletic, but with baggage and/or a higher risk. He took-in multiple transfers and non-qualifiers. And we're also hearing of giving troubled talent a "second (third?) chance." And I was on-board with it. By no means am I pointing fingers at the coach. It was worth a shot. But now is the time to re-re-evaluate the plan. Maybe we've already seen the re-re-evaluation, and Plan #3 began last season. Harkening back to the mid-2000's, Big Dog, Cheatum, Gladden and Jackson are 4-year kids. But maybe due to our our sustained success, they are higher-level 4-year recruits that we could have attracted back in the early KD days. Maybe that works? We need a 2014-15 point guard in the worst way. If it weren't for the Zips being "my team" it would be comical to watch Betancourt drive to the hole for a wide-open layup, then whip the ball God-knows-where instead of taking the easy bucket. During the MAC tournament previews, they showed old clips of Abreu and McNees scoring big basket after big basket. It almost made me cry. To have a point guard that is ZERO threat to score just can't be acceptable any longer. Look how the IPFW guards tore our @ss up from the 3-point line while we were relegated to 2's. BTW - Evans is little more than a more-often-cold-than-hot, streaky 3-point shooter, so he's not the answer at the point. Or anywhere else. Talent got this team 21 wins this season. But it wasn't pretty basketball...smart basketball...unselfish basketball...cleverly-strategic basketball...all the things you need beyond raw talent...it just wasn't there this year. The good news is - we have everyone but Diggs returning next year. The bad news is - we have everyone but Diggs returning next year.

Dave in Green has been doing that a lot lately. It is getting old. Apologies to zippy5 and LZip for having to put up with it. I assure you it will stop.

Calling a time out when the opponent has successive easy dunks is a "great move?" That's pre-coaching 101. How great a move would it have been for Dambrot to play Ibitayo in the second half? "Supermegastellar Great?"

Abreu acquired 5 pounds of pot with the intent to distribute during his team's run towards a MAC Championship and an NCAA appearance. Some teammate. It is the lazy way out to take him back. Find another point guard and move on. To equate Dambrot's ignorant tongue slip with drug dealing is fairly stupid. Try an analogy with Kevin Mackey firing up a rock of crack with a hooker. Not the same, but it's closer. If Abreu is welcomed back to UA after his 5lb escapade, and his other suspensions, I'm not going to burn down Buchtel Hall. But I will be disappointed. Help the kid find another team to accept him and his baggage for a season. But time at UA should be expired. I'd rather lose with Betancourt than win with Abreu. And we won 21 games with Betancourt this season. If he could develop any kind of offensive game, we could easily win 23-25 next season. And not have to worry about him putting on 15 lbs of fat, or celebrating Cinco de Poundo Viernes.

If we are listing sports the general public could care less about, why not include Rifle? Men's football and basketball are all the masses care about. Soccer is a distant 3rd, with women's basketball an even further distant 4th. As a zealot and an alumni, I take pride in the accomplishments of all UA student-athletes. But Bill Livingston would look like a know-nothing clown if he pimped UA swimming or track. Those sports are for GoZips.com writers to pimp, not regional newspapers. And I'm with Dr. Z - Gimme a real point guard next year. Gimme gimme gimme gimme.

If Evans and Betancourt are our primary PG's next year it will be like bringing back Clayton Moore and Patrick Nicely to split duty at QB for the Zips football team next year. KD will bring in another PG. A good one. He knows the status quo ain't gonna cut it.

I wouldn't have voted for Tree. He was a no-brainer first team all MAC. But he has a lot of improving to do if he wants to be considered the most valuable player in the conference.

I think $1.2 million of that can be directly attributed to the Zips fans paying for overpriced beer and food at the Clevelander.

They should call Dan Hipsher and Roxanne Allen to get recommendations on what to do with their spare time this week.

Interesting that Elton Alexander had BG as his 5th best team in the state of Ohio earlier this season. Who knew that Louis Orr would stink up the joint? I mean, aside from everyone else?

Can't even make the "Elite 8" of the MAC anymore? My, how the smelly and mighty have fallen.

MAC Tourney tix still BOGO