Captain Kangaroo

Exactly my point. How or why would anyone know he went to Akron? All he talked about was tosu...Guys like CB need to get in front of the media and promote UA. It would go a long way to validating our program and then maybe he wouldn't be asked such a question...I think a lot of the problem also stems from our constantly changing Athletics Department staff.If you recall under Mike Thomas' administration we had a spring game where Frye, Blackburn, Taylor and a bunch of other former Zips attended. I guess they put a big effort into getting football alumni back into the UA "loop."I recall one administrator telling me - "I called Jason Taylor and asked if he'd like to make a donation. He said 'sure,' and then said...'no one's ever asked me before?"In the short time Thomas' group was here they did more than build the practice facility and get the stadium off the blocks. Look in the JAR. All those coaches murals in the corners were installed during that time. All the championship banners hanging from the rafters were raised during that time. Eric McLaughlin's jersey was retired during that time. Thomas' group did a great job of bringing former Zips back into the fold, and also promoting the history of Zips athletics that had been forgotten in some Memorial Hall closet for a couple decades.Then Thomas left, and it all stopped. UA needs to be in Blackburn's face. Give the guy t-shirts and caps. Invite him back for the golf outings and spring practices. Ditto Hixon. And Frye. And others. And if they can't make it in one season, you call them back in 6 months and try again. It's pretty simple.If you see Chase Blackburn wearing an OSU shirt underneath his jersey, I blame UA, not Chase.

Is OZoner this guy, or not?

Did Butler sit around and wait for the rest of the Horizon to get better?Did Boise State football sit around and wait for the rest of the non-BCS football programs to get better?We need to improve ourselves. What Eastern Michigan or Ball State choose to do should have no bearing on the Zips. Unless they are the ones who make the investment required to dominate the MAC, and we luckily knock them off in the MAC finals every once in a while.Like Butler's done to the rest of the Horizon, we can make the MAC our bitch if we make the investment to do so. If we don't, we won't.

I think the guy is dead-nuts on.If Gonzaga slips up in their post season tourney, their conference gets 2-bids.If Northern Iowa slips up in their conference tourney, their conference gets 2-bids.If Butler slips up in their conference tourney, their conference gets 2-bids.If a MAC leader slips up in the MAC Championship...it gets an NIT.It hurts the MAC that no one dominates. In the only recent period where someone did dominate (K.e.n.t.), they won it all anyhow.

GoZips -You're a pretty knowledgeable hoops guy, but I have to disagree with you on the Butler slight. Butler can 'ball, and no one in the MAC is close to their accomplishments this season.* Butler has won 16-in-a-row, and 18-of-their-last-19* Butler is 24-4* Butler has beaten Davidson, Northwestern, UCLA, Ohio State and Xavier.* Butler's losses include: Minnesota (by 9), Clemson (by 1), Georgetown (by 7) and UAB (by 10)Note: I have no idea how they'd fare against Malone or St Francis.Dambrot would have a heart attack if he was presented with an OOC schedule 1/2 that tough. And I would be shocked if ANY 2009-2010 MAC program, not only the Zips, could win TWO of these marquee games, let alone five.Butler is a high-mid major.Gonzaga is a high major (2009-10 wins over Colorado, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Washington State, Davidson, Oklahoma and Illinois). They quit being a mid major hoops program about 5 or 6 years ago.Butler and Gonzaga have 5+ regular season "marquee" OOC wins in 2009-10. The Zips haven't had one since Mississippi State three or four years ago.

I think the "Crapped Down Their Leg" tag line can be put to rest for the remainder of the 2009-10 season.In succession -- Won a tight game AT Ball StateWon a tight game AT Central MichiganWon an OT game vs. OUWon a tight game AT MiamiVery impressive win streak for the Zippers. We are starting to peak at the right time.VCU is critical to us remaining on a roll. For Mid-major recognition, and for our own confidence going into the Buffalo and K.e.n.t. games.

I did this last year with my son. $200 is a pretty good deal for a Zips die-hard. Hopefully the 'Nation can get the bidding up a little bit and help our Hoops Program.

Is the writer suggesting we didn't deserve to be there, or we "stole" Buffalo's chance?I think he means - In the 2009 Horizon tourney, if lower-seed CSU won, the Horizon was getting two teams in the NCAA. In the 2009 MAC tourney, regardless of who won, the MAC was only getting one team in the Dance.

The Gonzaga…errr...Butler of the East

Everything you ever wanted to know...

Same with Brett McKnight. If he were 6' 11", he'd be at UCLA.

The last 4 years @ Miami -2006: Miami 63 / Akron 60 2008: Akron 56 / Miami 522007: Miami 64 / Akron 62 (OT)2009: Miami 64 / Akron 51 (OT) - Getting out-scored by 13 in OT, while only scoring 51 points in an OT game is a real oddityZips 71 Miami 63Chris McKnight is starting to hit "Romeo Travis Mode," elevating his game as the conclusion of his senior season draws nearer. Road Warrior Zips break out after several consecutive close shaves. Steve McNees charges like a bull when he sees those red jerseys.

Cut me some slack...it's been 20 years since I last solved for f(x).I don't think I can spell dy/dx anymore.

But he leads the nation in Time of Possession.

Why would anyone be excited about a home and home with Marshall? They are a shell of the program that they were in the MAC and nobody really came out to watch those games. I just dont get it.+1-1How can anyone say no one came out to the games...unless you want to lie? Every Marshall game a the Rubber Bowl drew GREAT crowds. Every game was exciting. Their fans travel great.Marshall beat a 9-3 OU program in the Little Caesar's Bowl in December, so obviously they are not a shell of their former self. They would have won the MAC East in 2009.C-USA is head and shoulders above the MAC in football. Home-Home vs. Marshall is a great "get" for the Zips schedule. The game will sell out. Easily.

Just curious if anything interesting was gleaned from last night's show.

Do you post Steve McNees threads on the Cavs' blogs?

So it's either "stats" or "emotion?" How about "stats," and "having a free-thinking bone in your head to decide on one's own what one just witnessed?" If games were played by computers, then reading stats would be the perfect way to follow a team. Hell...there'd be no need to watch a game. The stats would be a 100% perfect representation of the competiton. But...sadly for Stat Guy...the games are played by human beings. Coaching decisions are made by human beings. Fatigue comes into play. Mental toughness comes into play. Crowd noise effects the game. Referees decisions affect the outcome. Things occur late in a game that don't occur at the 10-minute mark of the first half. Hustle-plays can win games, but cannot be quantified by statistics. And on and on and on...Some fans have the ability to blindly trust every move a player or coaching staff makes, accept those moves, applaud them and walk away from the game with no desire to kibitz about how the game played-out. To take the game at face value.Other fans value the human element of the games over statistics. Which team competed harder...which player shined over the others...which coaching decisions were puzzling and which were dead-nutz on, which player obviously didn't come to play on a given day...etc. They enjoy discussion of the game's ebb & flow. Of speculating how things may have turned out differently under alternate scenarios.I learn WAY more from reading this board and seeing how other human beings viewed the game I just witnessed than I ever could by evaluating a +/- sheet. People who need such stats to tell them what they just witnessed first-hand wasted their money on a game ticket.Viva the post-game kibitz - be it @ BW-3's, or the Internet!

It was lacerated last season against Boston College. When the doctors went in to fix it, they found he was born with only one kidney.

ok there comes a point in time where you have to look at this and say "it's just a game" YOU HAVE ONE KIDNEY!!! no need to risk the other in a football game. I know it's important to him and he's put a lot of work into it, but honestly whats more important playing a game or protecting your last freakin kidney by not playing a 6th year of college ball. you've had your five years now thank the fans and fade into the sunsetEspecially when you're playing football for K.e.n.t. State. You risk your life to play for a team that will probably win 3-4 games in the MAC next season? Crazy...The ideal scenario for Eugene would be that Doug Martin holds him out of the OOC games where he stands a great chance of getting injured, and plays him only in MAC games where he's going up against D-linemen that are essentially his size. Eugene benefited greatly from schemes like the 3-3-5.

Some people watch the game, and others watch stats, I guess.Say a player plays 40 minutes per game, and in the last minute of every critical game that player throws the ball away. Otherwise, that player has a clean slate.Stat Guy can spin the statistic angle to say "Hey - He's great...he only has one turnover per game." Baloney.Crunch time is when players either wilt or shine. There's no stat for guys that are clutch, and those who aren't. Their box scores can look identical.How were Alex Rodriguez's stats when the pressure was off, vs. the playoffs for over a decade? You can give me all the A-rod stats you want...until he delivered in the clutch, he was a liability.How about Robert Horry? By statistics, a pedestrian journeyman. But who do you want to take the shot when you need to win an NBA game? Robert Horry.There are certain players who you want to have the ball when you need a bucket. There are others who take mysteriously begin taking ill-advised shots and turning the ball over in crunch time.I like McNees. I just don't like him handling the ball in crunch time. He should be running off screens, looking for the ball.

One Kidney, but he's going to risk it.When the Zips beat K.e.n.t. next season, he'll have lost 5 of his 6 games vs. the Zips, I believe?

The ability to take Steve McNees off the dribble hardly qualifies him for the NBA. And it also seems that the Zips defense (not only McNees) is making a lot of NBA prospects out of our competition lately. It used to be unheardof that an individual would go for 25+ against the Zips. Not anymore.Cooper had a nice game. He does remind you of a Spud Webb/Earl Boykins type-player. But he has a hell of a long way to go.I'm sure Miami thought Steve McNees was going to be an unstoppable force when he torched them for 6 threes two seasons ago. Ditto Brett McKnight his Freshman year against K.e.n.t. One MAC game does not an NBA star make.The book will be out on Cooper. Teams will be ready for him in Cleveland. We'll see if he can back it up.

I saw this kid named Chris McKnight today. Flat-out awesome. Has NBA written all over him.

McNees went Freddy Brown, tossing a bullet pass to absolutely no one with 30-something seconds remaining in regulation. We were in the driver's seat and it was a totally unforced error. It very easily could have cost us the game. He also hoisted an unnecessary 30-foot three pointer in OT with way too much time left on the clock. It too could have cost us the game.McNees has his strengths and his weaknesses. Being the off guard is his strength. Being the point guard in a tight game is not his strength. What's the stat that quantifies late game hyperactivity? If you figure it out, let me know. Please call it "The Ali Kart Percentage."