Captain Kangaroo

UA Grad golfs in Connecticut since there's no Football Golf Outing in Akron this year....

So the Zips would turn down a Big East conference invite if the Big East didn't also offer K.e.n.t.? And the Zips would feel that they were in a position of power to make the Big East cave to such a demand? Good Lord...

Vaulter Commits to Zips

More McKnight

When was the last time a Division 1-A Zips program won 9 games in a season? How long has Temple been in the MAC? How long has Akron been in the MAC? Temple has passed the Zips. And most other MAC football programs. And, in a ridiculously short time period. It shows you how easy being a top-level MAC football program is to accomplish, if you have the right leadership.

I disagree on both counts. The MAC needs to dump Temple at whatever cost (there is no cost, they don't bring in anything that improves the MAC's finances or reputation). They are not worth the money spent feeding another mouth or travelling to and from Philly. They don't help attendance when MAC schools play them at home, they don't get us a better TV contract, and they screw up our scheduling so we can't play rivals that people actually care about seeing us play. And how can they be our best program? They haven't even won their own division, let alone the conference, since joining. They don't even have enough support to have their own football stadium, instead they have to rent one from the NFL. There is so little support for football that their fans are willing to go independant or drop down to 1-AA, or drop football altogether, instead of bringing their hoops program to the MAC. If football was important to them, they would bring hoops instead of risking getting kicked out. Why should the MAC allow them to continue to leech off us with nothing in return but a few token basketball games? Temple football was 9-4 overall last season. They beat Navy. They were 6-1 in the MAC, losing only @ Athens. They were up 21-7 vs UCLA in the 3rd quarter of their bowl game. They ran out of gas, but they had a good showing. The cost to travel to/from Philly vs. any other place the Zips would travel is negligible. No opponent helps the attendance of any MAC program. MAC attendance blows regardless of the opponent. No opponent helps us get a better TV contract... and who the hell wants to watch MAC football on the TV anyhow? The support for Temple football grows at the program experiences success. That's not unique to Temple. You'd see the Zips attendance rise if we'd go 9-4 for a few seasons. What "rivals" do you want to see play in lieu of Temple? Would you have rather watched a crappy Miami OH team play the Zips in 2009 than a quality Temple program? I liked watching Temple kick our ass last year (56-17). They thoroughly out-classed us at every position. It gives me hope that we can do the same (in the MAC) one day soon. Temple was no better than us a couple years ago. It doesn't matter what Temple has done, overall, in MAC football since they became a member. What matters is the direction they are headed. And since they have joined the MAC, they have headed one direction -- up. Playing in an NFL stadium is a plus, not a negative. That stadium is awesome. Didn't they schedule a home game with Penn State? That beats the hell out of Gardner Webb. People on the MACbbs board are, for the most part, idiots. You will figure that out one day. Temple is a top MAC football program. They are talented and fun to watch. They are one of only a thimble full of MAC football programs who can not only escape embarrassment when stepping up in competition, but actually have a shot at winning. And the fact that they give the MAC 5 basketball games per year is a gift from the Gods. It allows MAC fans to see Top 25 programs in their own venue. That would never happen otherwise.

The MAC needs to keep Temple at whatever cost. They are our best football program, and the MAC gets 5 hoops games per year that would otherwise go to NC A&T, Hillsdale, Walsh, Grand Valley State and Belmont. Temple would be foolish to join the MAC for hoops. There's no benefit. Seeing as how Ianello like to recruit New York / New Jersey, I think having a MAC presence in eastern PA is a good plus for football recruiting too.

ZipWatcher gets one last chance to see Jimmy Conyers in action

Your link and this one both say he will be a defensive end. Sorry...I must be misinterpreting this quote (below). My mistake:

Playing in WVa all star game...and also moving to LB

The University decided NOT to hold a decade's-old event that would allow fans, alumni and former players to meet with the new staff. They decided "YES" to hold a "Women's Football 101" event instead. Does this count as a GP1-described "land mine?" Somebody shoot me. ...and then spread my ashes in Lot #9.

Are you certain this event won't be canceled in lieu of a "Women's Basketball 101" extravaganza? That seems to be the wave of the future of Zips men's athletic events.

Since K.e.n.t. has pounded our ass in basketball for the last 2 seasons, and our football team went a K.e.n.t.-esque 3-9 last year in a horribly weak MAC, I'm not puffing my chest out all that much.

The PD listed James Bullock of Collinwood as a Zips recruit playing in the East/West all star game this weekend. I don't know whether he's playing football or running track. Wide receiver. 6' 2".

Two days later, after Zach breaks this highly important story, The Rasor's Edge picks up on it. Can ESPN be far behind? Can we start a poll comparing Ianello text messages to Kest tweets?

Jeff Sweitzer

Apparently Tim Chambers will not be fixing Zips baseball.

I'm not ready to crown him savior and star, but I would at least crown him starter. The raw material is there to be a good MAC player if not the best QB in the MAC. While I didn't see the spring game, my biggest concern about him last year was accuracy...second was lack of touch (maybe they go hand in hand). Nicvely acquitted himself very well last season under horrible ciscumstances. His line played awful. He had to deal with three conflicting offensive coordinators (JD, Montgomey and Walt Harris all trying to call plays), he had no running game, no WR's (Bowser was gone by the time he started), and he was a true freshman. It is easy to wait until a kid throws for 27 TD's and say "He's really good." It is like buying stock in Apple Computers in 2010. I like the people that tell me to buy stock in Apple in 1978. Those people are visionaries. Take my insiders tip -- Nicely's stock will soar in 2010. Dude has "it." If the o-line is swiss cheese and no one besides LaFrance can run a route and catch a ball, maybe it take until 2011 to become all MAC, but he'll be there.

Seems like there is enough interest to pull something off? I will look into things a little deeper and toss out a date and location proposal within the next week or so.

I thought Rock still had eligibility remaining?

With Nicely at QB, I doubt any decent QB transfers will want to join the Zips in 2010. Or 2011. Their eligibility would parallel his, and they'd just be waiting for him to get injured. PN7 is our QB for the next 3 seasons. Anyone who says otherwise drank waaay too much last season. We had a similar scenario with Frye -- Sparks moved to WR, and the best back ups we could muster for three seasons were Micah Faler and Jonathan Gill.

I was at the Aeros game last night. Hudson Little League brought about 300 people. The Norton Band brought about 200 people. And there were probably about 150 random people milling about. If you took away the freebie tickets, the Aeros would have drawn about 150 people on a beautiful June night.

Akron?! Interesting recruiting strategy by Miami.

Glad I could give someone a chuckle!