Captain Kangaroo

Nice video. I like Rossi's size. He'll be a load to bring down...if our OL can get a push. I see him doing some damage in goal line situations.

One of, if not our first actual game vs. a (now) BCS opponent. All the Zips players who were recruited to play for the Zips and compete against the likes of Morehead State and YSU were suddenly facing the Auburn Tigers. The game was on local TV, and I vividly recall the camera panning through the crowd and finding a lone Zips fans holding a sign that read "Just Let Us Score!" Note: I increased the number to 4 memories, since I know a few of you are chomping at the bit to post one or two more.

Ok. Brandon Payne busting into the Penn State endzone, closing the score to 14-9. As soon as he breaks the plane, Payne places his pointer-finger to his lips, "shhhh-ing" the suddenly silent crowd.

Ricky Coble intercepts Ohio State's Scott McMullen, and races 87 yards to paydirt. Zips pile up 303 yards of offense against Michael Vick's Hokies...in the FIRST HALF! Brandon Payne's game-changing punt return TD against the Naval Academy (edit - Not BCS, but one of our more nationally noticeable wins).

Got my season tickets on Monday. Consistent per the last decade, they were screwed up. Because my credit card number was incorrect, they elected not to include my Ohio State tickets. Although they have 3 phone numbers and two email addresses for me...no phone call or email was deemed necessary. The credit card number didn't work, so they canceled my Zips/OSU order. Nice. We'll see if they arrive as promised. Update: Tickets arrived today. The ticket guy wrote a very nice apology letter. Next update: Basketball season tickets. Stay tuned...

Can Zippy give the The Wallpaper of a Lifetime on Saturday?

Awesome image, Wags.

I still say there is a 9 percent chance this "anger" or whatever ever sports page writer is calling it, may work against them. We need Columbus to make an early mistake due to this "anger" and see how the new coach & QB react to it. Put a gun to my head and I agree with Columbus covering, but I am just hoping that they somehow implode and blame it all on the tattoos, Pryor, the NCAA, ESPN, losing their hypocrite coach, and whatever else excuse they can muster up. I think the Zips will struggle against most angry opponents that have Parade All-Americans at pretty-much every position. Not even close. My bad. I think the Zips will struggle against most angry opponents that have tattooed Parade All-Americans at pretty-much every position.

I still say there is a 9 percent chance this "anger" or whatever ever sports page writer is calling it, may work against them. We need Columbus to make an early mistake due to this "anger" and see how the new coach & QB react to it. Put a gun to my head and I agree with Columbus covering, but I am just hoping that they somehow implode and blame it all on the tattoos, Pryor, the NCAA, ESPN, losing their hypocrite coach, and whatever else excuse they can muster up. I think the Zips will struggle against most angry opponents that have Parade All-Americans at pretty-much every position.

What people need to remember is - If Zach posts anti-Ianello stuff 500 times, 500 people are not against Ianello. Only Zach is. And all you people that respond ad nauseum to that crap need to stop it. Our site is getting clogged with a ton of absolute worthless petty garbage, and the person that starts it is just as equally as guilty and all those who respond. I really do not know what to do about this, but I'll figure it out. Somehow this site needs to return to the quality is once possessed.

Ohio State 65 Akron 7

Some of you may not know this, but I have it on good authority CK as spent tens of thousands of hours in the Cleveland Sports Media Hall of Fame pouring over Terry Pluto articles. Anyone else remember Pluto's column on Colman Crawford: "He's Always Been an Underdog." Vintage Pluto. Crawford was something like 3-23...and Pluto's championing the guy for a contract extension. And to be fair - Crawford was a GREAT guy. GREAT family man. The column gave fantastic insight to his wife's health struggles and how their family fought to overcome the adversity. But that's not what should be discussed when you're 3-23. And players are breaking each others bones in the locker room and getting arrested with guns. You can keep Pluto's monthly, cookie-cutter "underdog" stories...I'll take an on-the-court winner any day of the week. Being clear on the original post - Marla's article is fine. No problems with it. But I've seen it too many times in the past. I want articles about the guy winning football games. I've seen too many human interest stories on coaches in the past, and too few wins on the field. This is really a watershed season for me.

A nice story....but I've heard all the nice stories before. JD Brookhart buying Slurpees for Mike Shanahan's midnight film sessions... Lee Owens staying up 28 hours per day with John Cooper... Gerry Faust's connections with George Stenbrenner... Ianello needs to win. Period. All coaches have connections to famous people. All coaches read books and attend seminars. But reading the book of a guy that went from 2-14 to 14-2 doesn't do squat. If it did, all coaches would be able to read a book and win championships. Ianello need the internal drive, and he needs a knack for identifying talent, and putting that talent in the best position to succeed. The knack cannot be taught...you have it or you don't. I didn't see anything special from Ianello last season. No knack. Just by-the-book decisions. That's my biggest concern with the guy. I hope he shows me a ton more in 2011. Nice, well-written column. Nice story. But I've heard it all before. Write me a story about how the guy out-strategized an opposing coach and won a game for the Zips. That's way more interesting to me.

Walsh and Gilliam have yet to play even a minute of basketball for the Zips, and you're already thinking about their replacements? That's hard-core.

How will UA make up the $149.97 from the 2010-11 paid subscriber base?

I don't believe a QB change does anything to rejuvenate fan interest. Poll 100 people in Summit County and ask them "Who is Clayton Moore?" If one says - "The starting QB for the Zips" I'll wear a K.e.n.t State Basketball orange jumpsuit for a continuous week. I was, and continue to be in Nicely's corner. He was pressed into service as a true Freshman in the train wreck that was Brookhart's final season. And if anyone want to blame the 3-9 season on Nicely...just stop it. Seriously. Year #2 Nicely has to learn an entirely new offense, under a new coach, with a swiss cheese OL, and WR's that couldn't catch a ball or run a route to save their lives. Nicely was great in the Buffalo finale. He through some awesome passes into a tough wind, on a ridiculously cold day. And the WR's did a nice job of getting open and catching the ball. People questioned Nicely's leadership...I've seen the season-ending games between 2 horrible teams in year's past. "The Who Gives a Damn Bowls." Nicely lead his team to a "W" in a game where he easily could have tanked it. It showed his capabilities and moxie. I've never seen Moore throw a pass. Maybe he's great? I hope so. But Nicely was dealt an impossible set of circumstances in his initial 2 years @ UA. I would like to have seen what he could do now that the UA football "drama tornado" has seemingly stabilized. Hope he doesn't transfer.

Pete was the best. As a kid I used to take my transistor AM radio to bed, with my ear phone plugged in my ear (so my parents couldn't hear it) and listen to Pete until he went off the air. Many times I'd wake up for school with the earphone still in...and the WWWE morning news playing. The callers were the best. A bunch of entertaining wing nuts. Pete had a great balance of real sports substance, coupled with entertainment. If callers were uninteresting, he hung up on them. If they were idiots, he hung up on them. Kids? Hang up. He had a great knack for what was really interesting, and what was worthless. You can do that when you're confident, have a great show, and aren't begging for listeners. No one hangs up on idiots anymore. That's why I don't listen to radio sports talk today. It's time has passed. This guy (Czabe) is a close to a listenable, knowledgeable, interesting sports talk host as I've found in the post-Pete era. Too bad he's no longer on the air locally.

I think the chance that lot 9 is more than 50% full any time after game 1 is really slim. Unless it is loaded with University employee vehicles. However, nice gesture by UA. Take good pictures for us on the field, Keener.

How long can 1350 continue to exist? The last time I listened, they had no paid commercials...only the public service types.

Hate the Bobcats all you want...those people do a nice job with promos. They have for many years.

"The thing that's depressing about tennis is, no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall. I played a wall once... the wall is relentless." Mitch Hedberg

Your lunch time was not spent in vain, ZW. Thank you!

I'm glad that you were banned from ZN.o (one of maybe 3 bannings in 10 years), changed your board name, and returned. You hate ZN.o...but you just can't leave it. Welcome back, Dougie!

I am glad we're giving him a real look at RB (not necessarily FB). The easiest thing in the world to do is make the white kid a linebacker. It takes a rare, free-thinker to give him a chance to run the ball. He could be Peyton Hillis or Toby Gerhart? He could be lethal inside the 5 yard line? He could be the money back that gets us 4 yards on 3rd and 2? Maybe he's a bigger Bobby Hendry? I want to see him play RB before I stereotype him as an LB. My thought process had nothing to do with race. Sorry that you think that way. I guess you have to assume he is a Hillis or Gearhart type. I'm surprised you didn't say TD Tommy Vardell. You appear to be the one stereotyping here. We seem to have a decent stable of RB. We need more LB's. The kid was a star as a LB moreso than as a RB. I stated my reason in my post. Race's role is slotting football players is a fact. Ask any coach. Ask ITZ or GP1. If you are uncomfortable discussing a reality...we'll just pretend it isn't true and I'll discuss fairy tale stuff. Who comprises "decent stable of running backs?" Chisolm, who's never run the ball in college Staten, who's never run the ball in college. Alexander, who's coming off major knee surgery. Truth is -- We are as unproven at the RB position as you could possibly be. And we need the best RB's in the backfield, or Nicely/Moore are going to get creamed. And Rossi could be the #1 guy as easily as any of those 3. So I'm stereotyping by saying Rossi could be a power back, like Hillis, a true tail back like Gerhart, or a speed back like Hendry? How is that stereotyping? Only in your warped world... Damn, it is impossible to discuss anything with you. You are such a victim, BuckZip.