Captain Kangaroo

Is football the albatross, or are non-revenue producing sports the albatrosses?Football for the most funds itself. So I would say non-revenue sports. But I'm sure your question was rhetorical. Some would actually criticize Title IX. 85 scholarships for male athletes (football) must be equaled by 85 scholarships for female athletes. Now in a school where they can fund all of those scholarships through generous alumni donors no big deal, but for the most part schools are similar to us. Scholarships for 2009 alone total $6.7 million. Z-Fund contributions to date are roughly $600 thousand.But we also have to remember that sports in general were not designed to be "money makers" it was to create a well rounded student and scholarships for sports were designed to open the door to the university for individuals who were academically capable but had no other means to attend. The real problem is ESPN Hey...ESPN is the only reason we'll have TWO solid OOC opponents coming to the JAR this year!ESPNU is evil.

Guy named Jakubick was pretty good in the D-1 era.I refuse to acknowledge he even attended UA until he quits wearing UNC gear to the Zips Golf Outing.

He's an enigma. His weight could swing 40lbs over a given season. 245...then 205. He dropped a high percentage of balls tossed his way.I am surprised he still wants to play ball. We'll see if he sticks it out over summer camp.

Marcel Boyce, Eric McLaughlin and Anthony Buford - The three best D-1 players to wear a UA uniform to date.I don't think Boyce will get a number in the rafters because he only played 2 seasons. Buford left UA to play his final season as Nick VanExcel's side-kick shooting guard on Cincinnati's Final Four team. Eric McLaughlin was better than Brown (whom I liked), and did it for 4 full seasons instead of 1 1/2.Although this thread is about "aught" Zips, I'm curious what other Zips fans who have attended games from the 80's through today would think of the Linhart/Brown/Wood/Best-Ever statement.

Latina ArticleHails from the same town as Steve McNees. And Mark Mangino.

In fairness, I've never heard of Kyle Fazekas. Nick, on the other hand was a great player. I probably should have went with Marcelus Kemp. Cooler 1st name anyhow...

Nevada: 3,302Dayon: 4,059and the Dayton game was about 65-35 split in favor of Zips fans. Dayton travels well in-state.i cant believe Nevada was only 3300...it seemed like it was a bigger crowd. I can tell you that there were plenty more students at games back then.1.) Survey the first 1000 people you meet at the JAR and as them where Nevada is ranked today. The Joe Akron, Nevada basketball is about as noteworthy as Akron basketball is in Nevada. Either way 998 or of 1000 say "I have no freaking clue."2.) Ask them if the names Ramon Sessions or Kyle Fazekas ring any sort of bell. Those names are as familiar to Joe Akron as Romeo Travis and Jeramiah Wood are to Joe LasVegas.3.) How was the Beacon's coverage of the Zips during that era?4.) Was the game held during winter break? How close to Christmas?5.) What kind of a noteworthy roll were the Zips on at that point? (ie. coming off some major wins...championships...undefeated...etc)?The fact of the matter is - the Zips drew 3,300 to see Nevada play the Zips. That's 60% of capacity, during break, three days before Christmas when they had accomplished nothing of note prior to merit more than a 60% attendance mark.I don't care if Nevada was ranked #21 or whatever they were at that time. It was Nevada. And unless the Zips are undefeated going into that game, with a #32-ish or better ranking themselves, and the game is promoted as a "Clash of the Titans," it is going to draw 3.300. The Zips took a big step forward last season with the NCAA appearance. But they laid a big fat egg with the Austin Peay home loss, and failed to win either head-turning games such as NC State or Texas A&M. Thus, to Joe Akron, it is "The same old Zips."The Zips need to reel off 10+ wins in a row to get people excited. Then, when we play a high mid-major in the Bracket Buster, we need to win that game. Not lose like VCU (both times) or Nevada (both times).There is a small margin for error with Joe Akron. If the Zips continue to take one step forward, and one step back, home attendance will never improve. Regardless of the opponent.And a final note - Per Elton Alexander in today's PD - THE Ohio State University is drawing 11,000 fans per game to Value City Arena thusfar in 2009. That is pretty much 60% of capacity. State's flagship school...Big 10 conference...beautiful arena...major city population...60,000 students...60% capacity.People need to quit whining about attendance. 3,300 people raced home after work, got their kids fed, put on their Akron gear, raced down Route 8 or up Route 77, in the middle of winter, to support Zips basketball. And we get chided.

RUN FOR COVER...MOUNT SAINT CONYERS HAS ERUPTED!!Great game by the Zips tonight. Obviously Conyers, but both McKnight brothers played strong games as well. UIC's guards out-quicked us numerous times...they hit their three's and free throws...and we still won by double digits. UIC is a "MAC-level" team. St Francis would lose to them 10-out-of-10 times.Fun game to watch. Thank you Zips!

So how many Notre Dame coaches is that? 4?LatinaYoungIanelloMendoza (strength and conditioning)Grimes (GA)Powlus (?)5 and a Grad assistant (assuming Powlus actually took the job).Powlus took the job

Is this going to be an All-Italian coaching staff? Might give a hint as to what will be grillin' at the Lot #9 tailgate next season. Game #1 - Latina Cucina - A medley of latin-based dishesGame #2 - Egg Foo Young - Has there ever been an egg foo yung competition at a tailgate party?Game #3 - Portabello Ianello - Too bad I hate mushrooms...I might need to sit this one out. Maybe I'll just make Ianello Jell-O?Game #4 - Mendoza con Arroz-a - How many different uses of rice can we get cooking in lot #9?Game #5 - Grease-n-Grimes - Who can make a dish containing the most bacon?Game #6 - Kung Powlus Chicken - Two Asian-based tailgate themes in a single season?!Ok. I'm set.

Writer doesn't like exclusion of this Hurricane

Greensboro's been a decent team in the not so distant past, right? And I agree with the Malone game following a week hiatus due to finals. Like it's been mentioned, the other mid majors are mid-to-upper level mid-majors. St. Francis is the only team that "sucks." It does happen that Greensboro, UIC, and Valpo are having bad years. Makes the sched look worse than it is.On a side note, did anyone else notice Sunday in the JAR that someone on staff was on the ball when programming the abbreviation for the visitor on the center court scoreboard? St. Francis probably should be abbreviated "STFU," but was smartly listed as "SFU." :D I think a few Zips, including BMac, may have been saying the former to #40 on a few occasions.The program that might be the biggest underachiever of late has to be Ball St. With their facilities and hoops tradition, there is no reason that they should be as bad as they've been.Eastern Michigan is right up there. They went from Boykins/Head/Dials to...#321 in the nation.

A odd note from the epic St Francis game -- Elton Alexander attended it...but didn't write a column? The PD used a wire report.He did write one for the K.e.n.t. game held later that day.

Excellent quote!It reminds me of one of my favorite golf quotes, "100% of the putts that come up short of the cup don't go in."I don't think the Zips schedule is THAT far off from being attractive.The NC State, Texas A&M and Rhode Island games are good mid-to-upper level tilts. Drake, Valpo, UIC, Niagara, Wyoming and Austin Peay are solid mid-majors. Even a Malone or Walsh is ok for a tune up. That only leaves the UNCG, St Francis and extra D-III games and ones that can be improved upon.I get the fact that we need our young guys to play, and that playing a top-heavy BCS-laden Nov/Dec schedule won't allow that to happen. I get the fact that we want to get our 20-wins. I get that primo opponents want too much money to come to the JAR. What I don't get, or like, is that I see no end to the present scheduling pattern. I keep wanting to see the Zips rise up and knock off some noteworthy opponent, and instead I keep hearing how great "Niagara" is. How great UNCG or St Francis is. Give Joe Akron credit for knowing his college basketball...those programs (UNCG & USF) are terrible. When do the Zips take their game, and their scheduling, to "the next level?" Next season? The season after? The last two games have been against pathetic opponents. But the Zips played excellent basketball and beat them as they should. For the first time in quite a while, the Zips are nailing open shots. They're showing glimpses of the old Dials/Middleton/Joyce assassin-mentality from the perimeter...and that's with Humpty experiencing a pretty big slump. Inside, the presence of Zeke is absolutely a game-changer. Hell...Conyers may be playing the best basketball of anyone on the team?! This Zips team is rounding into form and gaining confidence. Hey...it could be that our progression is due to our OOC schedule's mix?In random closure, I say - Win a bunch of games and get me a sweet opponent for the Bracket Buster. Then beat the bastards. Wins against Rhode Island, Wyoming, Drake and <insert 14-3 upper mid-major Bracket Buster opponent here> will look nice at season's end. In 2010-11, kick the OOC schedule up a notch.

St Francis wouldn't win a MAC West game. There's "MAC West Bad"...and then there's "St Francis PA Bad." It's like comparing eating lima beans, or poop. Lima beans are horrible, but they ain't poop.[Note - I have not tried poop. If anyone has, and has enjoyed it, well...keep it to yourself]

You need to fix your link CK, it goes to an article about Syracuse football.Fixed!

MAC Hoops in 2009-10...blech.Over the course of time, the conference ebbs and flows. But it is hard to believe that only 8-10 years ago, the conference was putting out NBA 1st rounders?Daniels...Trent...Sczerbiak...Boykins...even guys like Brandon Hunter, Keith McCloud and Anthony Stacey were markedly better than just about anyone in the MAC right now.I think the Zips have held up their end of the bargain, and are an improved program from the early 2000's. But who else in the MAC can say they are better than they were 8 years ago? It is unreal how everyone's worse off.

Old friend Jose Cruz moves on to Syracuse after Hofstra drops football

He's a great player, but I don't think he's as good as Zakuani. It will be interesting to see where he goes in the draft.While it sucks to lose him, it is a great recruiting tool to have your team as "the fast track to the MLS."

Cleveland State's scheduling philosophy is very "Big East." Does that mean they're a Big East caliber program? No. If Saint Francis played in the MAC, they would probably not win a single conference game. Hell...they could field an all star team, combining the best of Saint Francis Pa and Saint Francis NY and still probably go "o-fer" the MAC. If they did win a game, it would certainly not be against a MAC East opponent. MAYBE they could get lucky and beat Toledo or EMU. At home. Once.To suggest a Northeast Conference doormat is a "MAC-level" team is pretty ludicrous.

You have never been so wrong. I dunno 'bout that...!

I would love to see Mitch Browning come here. Could Curt Mallory have been recommended by Vince Okruch?I would have hoped Okruch would have had a shot at the DC position. Hopefully he still gets a look as the LB coach.Browning's paycheck from Syracuse ends in 2009, so he should be ready for his next "pay" (non GA) job. He has the ties to TW, so him moving to UA from Tennessee would make sense.

Now there's a plan. Unfortunately, it is one that the basketball staff and Danny Ferry of the Cavaliershave tried to set up at least a half dozen times. Plus, it would be far more advantageous to bush whacka BCS opponent in the friendly confines of the JAR. Playing at the Q neutralizes.I think you can stop by the basketball offices and voice your opinions most any afternoon. Call aheadfirst and make sure the coaches are available as practice, workouts, scouting and recruiting sometimescause some or all of them to out of the office. This is for real. They will happy to meet you.No "high profile" team will come to the JAR.The "semi-high" profile teams that have played at the JAR recently have all beaten the Zips (Nevada, VCU, Dayton, etc.)The Zips shouldn't play and neutral/home games against high profile competition unless we're poised to beat them. The Zips have not set the table to have a successful run at a high-major program yet. If we played a high-major at The Q, it would not draw well. Everyone knows we'd get beat.Our mindset is to play the Malone's, Walsh's and bottom-rung D1's at home, then play the home MAC schedule.I don't like it. But if I stop at KD's office, it won't help. We can only hope to have a stellar record against our weak competition and hope for a Bracket-buster home game against a decent "semi-high" major.

I simply read The Science of Success. The rest was gravy.

A politically correct way of saying non-BCS.Did the yard gnome tell you that?It means that the individual did not initially meet the NCAA standard for eligibility.NCAA eligibility rulesAre you unaware of ESPN's blog on the "non-AQ" conferences? Graham Watson reports on the non-BCS conferences and she, along with the rest of ESPN, calls them the "non-AQ conferences" because the term non-BCS makes the BCS look exclusive (which it is).I checked it out and apparently UAkronkid is correct in this case. Way to go Zach. One small step for man...*crackle*...one giant leap for mankind...