Captain Kangaroo

We will soon be upgrading our board. Hopefully this fixes the appearance problems, and adds some additional options. Plus stability. CK

@GP1 - Sometimes elevated numbers can appear to be of high value, but it is the point of numeric reference that determines worth. Is 80 high? In hockey, certainly, but not basketball. Likewise, a boy with $80 is rich, yet that sum is not sufficient to fill up his father's gas tank. So things ebb and flow...no one can ever say with absolute certainty that something "is," or something "isn't." Why is it knit one, pearly two? Is pearl worth twice as much as knit? One can debate the merits of knit vs. pearl in tremendous passionate detail, but does it truly make any difference to the sweater produced? So in the end GP1, I think we are all saying the same thing. I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

I don't know if replacing Freeman, or replacing the guy that coached him, is a bigger concern. I still have faith that Bowden, and to a lesser but still useful extent Tressel, have put some far-reaching feelers out for a new Zips Secondary coach. Between those two guys they should be able to uncover a solid replacement for Buckley. But I am getting a tad anxious as I await the announcement.

Blade Column

Can he build it?

Bowden has earned my trust. His recruiting classes don't yet fit the Rivals/Scout format (5th year transfers, etc). We will be fine. F Scout and R ivals.

To me, this game shows what the Zips are capable of doing when getting even mediocre PG play. Betancourt had a serviceable game, and the Zips were dominant against a solid team, on the road. Kudos to KD for riding his horses, and straying from his script. I miss Zeke whipping Riley's butt. Riley still sucks. Can't wait to see if Betancourt can back up this performance.

Like how to smoke a turkey?

Really? I would like to see him next to the orange Igloo cooler.

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

The Zips have played a lot of their "worst games" in recent losses. Going back to the VCU games, our L's have been abject butt-whuppin's. We've been highly non-competitive. We will live and die by Kretzer and McAdams this season. If they can hit big shots, the middle will open up and we can make some hay. We can even overcome our PG play, which typically nets more turnovers than assists....and points...combined. I wonder how much PT Betancourt, Ibitayo and Evans would see on Toledo's team? Or any D1 team. If Kretzer and McAdams aren't hitting their shots, we're completely screwed. I hope they get hot in Cleveland.

Bill Livingston says it may happen??!! Another interesting tidbit: Didn't know that? Wonder who got that scholarship?

IMO - He wants to cover a big time conference, and he's stuck with the MAC and Horizon. So he's bitter, old and cranky. If the Zips, or any other MAC program really turned into the "Gonzaga of the East," he'd be all over it. He's also old enough to remember when Ball State, Miami, K.e.n.t. etc were legit Top 25 teams. He Thinks Bigger, and is bitter that the MAC ain't what it used to be. So my diagnosis is: "Bittercrankyelderitis." The only cure is a Zips run in the NCAA's.

The Zips' advantages: The Zips know how to win. The Zips are at home. Big crowd. Toledo's defense isn't anything special. The Zips outside shooting percentage is very high when they don't have a hand in their face. "Harney 20 Rule" is in effect. Forsythe continues to play with energy. No one at the mid-major level has been able to counteract Tree. Toledo's Advantages: They have a star that can pile up a ton of points. The Zips historically let opposing big-time scorers do what they want. Anyone's press ruins the Zips and creates buckets of turnovers. Toledo's will do the same. When Betancourt or Evans are on the court, it is 6-on-4 in Toledo's favor. The Zips will struggle in a close game due to the well-discussed FT shooting and turnovers. Winning in double OT at OU is no fluke. If Diggs can slow Pearson down, the Zips should win.

If that were true, there'd be a lot of fines handed out on St Patrick's Day.

And, Joe Dunn would have reported it by now.

Tressel to be a Lion. Proenza to be a Cryin'.

USA Today

More understandable than losing him to a bale of weed. If they lose two more PG's, I think the Zips should ask for a re-rematch.

Hey, they did whip fellow cup cake BGSU by 3 points this year.

Every school schedules cupcakes

@1981grad, some players perform better and contribute more to the team as starters and some coming off the bench. Coaches experiment with different lineups to see how each player responds under different conditions and how team performance is affected. Carmelo Betancourt has a long track record of producing his best results when starting, as demonstrated by his MAC Sixteenth Man of the Year Award. The winning formula with CB has been to sit him on the bench about 3-4 minutes into the game, after he’s made more turnovers than anyone in town except Hostess. I don't think that Coach Dambrot is going to mess with this proven formula this deep into the season, but I've been surprised by coaching decisions before.

11 am start = Pajamas

The Zips advantage in the MAC seems to be - "They know how to win, and expect to win." The other suddenly-competitive MAC programs have improved talent, but are still trying to figure out how to consistently win. I wonder which of them will mimic the Zips football team and ascend from preseason laughingstock, to contender at mid-season?

Coincidentally, since he's returned to the mainland, he's 9-11 from the free throw line? Get out the butter 'cause Pat's on a roll!