Captain Kangaroo

Story HereWith the recent influx of coaching names signing on with the Zips, I'm guessing Buddy Ryan will be the replacement? Is Dick LeBeau busy on Saturdays (it is only a 2hr drive from Pittsburgh to Akron)?

Who? The whole "Akron (city) kids won't play football for The University of Akron" line is as tired and inaccurate as ""Mickey (kid from LIFE cereal) died when he mixed Pop Rocks and Coca Cola." In 2009, it officially qualifies as an urban legend.The simple truth is - There are not a whole hell of a lot of D1-caliber HS football players in the Akron-Canton area. At least there weren't in the 2009 class. That's the only reason Adam Steiner was the only "local" kid in Akron's class (his dad was a coach @ Glen Oak, BTW).Look at the local signing lists - One kid went to Miami...one to BG...one went to K.e.n.t. (non qualifier, BTW). Where are the 20+ kids that eschew UA? I don't see it.In the signing day presentation I asked Coach Ferri - "What will you say if a local HS coach complains (in the Beacon) that his players weren't recruited by his 'home town' school?" He replied - "Give me their name and I'll call them. I recruit this region. We made offers to every D1 caliber kid (with grades) in the area. Sometimes kids just want to go away from home. Sometimes they're intent on playing for a BCS school. If they had grades and were good enough, we actively recruited and offered them." He also added that the 2010 talent was much deeper than '09, and he expected to see some more local names in next February's class.

I don't see that happening in any appreciable numbers. The coat-tails of the City Series Ellet vs. Garfield game aren't all that long. I just hope the wear and tear from the HS crowds doesn't trash the place. I do look forward to HS playoff games @ Infocision. I think they could be a good showcase for the U.

It's not all that common to say "nice post" to one I'm not in total agreement with, but that's a nice alternative opinion to mine. I enjoyed the perspective.

Simply $$. No one has any money at this time. Unless you're a mortician, everyone's business is in the crapper. It is tough to raise money in this economic climate. A lot tougher than anyone would have projected even 6-8 months ago. If things stay as-is for the next 4-6 months, I'll be selling my plasma across from the stadium rather than attending games inside it.

The *negativity* surrounding our AD comes from the fact that fans on this board are passionate about Zips athletics. The care, and they sometimes get pissed when they're asked to attend, donate, support...while the AD himself apparently is not practicing what he preaches.We have the largest undertaking in the history of UA athletics underway. And it is being constructed under the most difficult economic times this country has experienced in decades. We need the #1 guy in UA Athletics to be a "rock" at this time, not looking for an opportunity to bail and leave someone else to deal with it.Leaving your girlfriend is one thing. Dumping your wife, when she's 6 months pregnant, with twins, is another. In quarterback terms, and from a fan's perspective, Mack has "managed the game" since he's been at UA.He has kept the football stadium on-target. But when he came into the picture, $18 million of the $22 million-or-so in funding we presently have was already raised (by Mike Thomas). That is not a knock on Mack, it is simply a fact.The PD gave Mack credit for the indoor practice facility, but it was built 2 years before he arrived.Caleb Porter was brought in at the end of the previous administration, not under Mack. To Mack's credit, he has kept Caleb happy and let him flourish.He seems to have kept Dambrot happy. That's a good thing. He's also given the basketball program resources to charter flights and buy some home games. All that is a big plus.He didn't fire JD after last season. If you are a believer in the adage "Sometimes the best moves are the ones you didn't make," then this may have been a better move than hiring a coach. Most young AD's would have fired the guy if for no other reason than to get that "big hire" on his resume'. 2009 will tell if it was the right move.During his tenure, a 26-win Zips basketball team didn't make the post season, and a championship-caliber soccer team got a home tourney game stolen from them. Would this have happened under Mike Thomas? A fair question, but an unanswerable one.As an AD, Mack grades out as "incomplete" at this time. He needs another 2+ years to reveal how he will fill 30,000 seats and generate athletics revenue. Like Mike Thomas in football, Mack needs to get the basketball arena talk off the table and on the schedule. THEN the guy will have a legacy @ UA, and I'll give him a big kiss when he leaves for the BIG EAST.If local fans decided not to renew their basketball season tickets, football season tickets and cease donations, and spend their money elsewhere, people within UA Athletics would rightfully be disappointed. It goes both ways. I'm disappointed in Mack right now. His timing could not be worse, and it sends a bad message to the loyal fans - simple as that.

If it is shocking to ANYONE that no one is lining up to buy 2009 Zips football season tickets in January/February, those people need to be beaten with a fish.Our AD isn't focused on marketing UA football and selling seats. He's focused on getting out of town before any looming stadium issues affect his resume'.

The choice is/was his.

It would probably be somewhat less difficult for Akron to become a national power in basketball than football. For one thing, basketball is all played indoors, so the cold weather climate that affects football is not the same issue. It also requires fewer key players to become a power in basketball than football.It's good to have both short and long term goals. Before growing into a national basketball power, Gonzaga used to lose to teams with poor records like Valpo this year. They grew the program to first win the conference, and continued improving until they became a national power. So it's fair to say that being the best in the MAC is the next step toward becoming the Gonzaga of the east. Akron has already taken the first step toward becoming the Gonzaga of the east by retaining a good, stable men's basketball coaching staff that produces consistent winning seasons. The Zips also have an X factor in the form of LeBron's support. The next step is to leverage all of that to attract a potentially dominant player, and that is now in place with the signing of Zeke Marshall. If Zeke fully blossoms, the Zips could be favored to win the MAC for the next four years. That would, in turn, make it easier to recruit other quality players who want to be in a winning program.In other words, the foundation has been put in place to grow Zips basketball into a power that might be attractive to a bigger conference, if that's a goal. Another possibility is that other MAC schools might put more effort into improving their basketball programs to compete with a dominant team that routinely destroys every other team in the conference.There are no guarantees in life, and the whole thing could come crashing down. But I personally like the direction the men's basketball team is taking, and think they should be given more opportunity to continue to show progress with the building process already in place.I agree with all above. People want to plant a tree on Monday and begin eating fruit on Wednesday. It doesn't work that way.I agree basketball is making continuous progression towards making a sustainable run at "elite" mid major status (if there is such a thing). Look at the program 5 years ago, and look now. It is night and day. This season is a step backwards (from the past couple), but we still have as good a shot as anyone to win the league title and make the post season. That's not too bad for a rebuilding year? Next season we lose Linhart, and gain Zeke, Sullivan, Parish and Steward. The table is also set for football. 5 years ago we had no indoor training facility and the worst D-1 stadium on the planet. Now we're state-of-the-art across the board. It is JD's time to seal the deal. There are no more excuses. I think he'll succeed.

Bobinski hired Hipsher, but he's not the guy that let Hipsher hang around for 9 years. Hipsher was a mediocre HC with anger management issues. But he was far from Coleman Crawford.As far as Bobinski getting it right at Xavier...it is amazing how easy it is to find a great coach when you walk into a Top 25 program. As far as the final chapter on Brookhart being written - I disagree. He's won a championship. He's recovered from his early-career recruiting mistakes. He'll be the odds-on favorite to win the MAC East in 2009. It could be a lot worse.

This really hurts MAC football. I posted a statistic several months ago that showed something like 99.73% of the of Top 200 overall players from the past 5 years of D-1 football recruiting classes chose BCS schools. You win with players, and the NCAA has basically relegated half of the NCAA schools to the back of the recruiting bus. I'm still waiting for the "Rosa Parks" of the non-BCS schools to have the balls to call someone out and advocate real change.Can a non-BCS school overcome? I guess if you are out in the middle of Idaho or Utah...and you are the only game in town...college or pro...you can get something going. But in the middle of OSU and Browns/Steelers country...good luck being non-BCS.Basketball is in the same boat, but it seem like there is a better chance for success. The MVC will typically get 3-4 teams in the Big Dance. The Horizon can expect two in a good season. Schools like Gonzaga, Tulsa and Davidson make noise as do many others. If a school or conference commits to success in basketball at the mid-major level there are several examples where high-level success can be had. You always hear the OSU clown blurt-out "Ohio State doesn't compete with Akron." It is wrong on many obvious levels, but no more so than in OSU's effect on UA school pride and alumni donations. If you always treat your school as "a place to get a degree," and direct your collegiate passion to another school, you never donate to your alma mater.And to be fair to "OSU Guy," the MAC has done a HORRIBLE job of fostering alumni loyalty. And UA is probably the worst offender. UA administrators have for decades used OSU's existence as a crutch for their own lack of creativity and investment in its future alumni. The advent of the AK-Rowdies seems so minor, but it was a HUGE investment in getting students interested in Zips athletics. And subsequently getting alumni to continue supporting programs after they've received their degree and begun working.The next step is to WIN! Win freaking championships...make headlines...get people buying gear...get on the local news...capture someone's imagination!!! AK-Rowdies only care so much if the football team is going 5-7 and the basketball team is hoisting "NIT Participant" banners.Screw beating Canisius...or South Dakota...or losing in the 2nd round of the NCAA soccer tourney. W-I-N something big.

Seems like a search committee contacted Mack. And it also appears his resume' was already up-to-date when he got the phone call.Mike Thomas was interviewed at Pitt before taking the Cincinnati job. If Mack doesn't leave now, he will soon.It's funny...you hear the Akron AD say "We're thinking bigger than the MAC...we're thinking beyond the MAC..." But in reality it should read: "I'm thinking bigger than the MAC...I'm thinking beyond the MAC..."Mack is a nice person. I wish him well. But when the stadium opens in 2009, I want an Akron AD with a plan to fill those seats. Not one itching to vacate his.If I'm Luis Proenza I write my $58,000 check today and begin my search for a new AD. Mack is gone. Take it to the bank. If not to Rutgers, then to somewhere else.

Irony of Ironies?

Yes. Just because you play great D doesn't mean you have to play "Charlie Coles Style." Give me KD, and our team any day over Coles and what Miami's got.

I'll clarify one thing - The Zips played the best defense I've seen at the JAR in several years Wednesday night. Maybe the best I've ever seen. Two or three times the Zips made silly turnovers, and each time the Zips immediately got back on D and made stops. Once or twice they forced shot clock violations! On breakaways when Miami should have had easy buckets!?I love great D as much as anyone. But Miami's overall style of play and team make up is just tough to get excited about. Coles is probably doing the best with what he's got...maybe they're even overachieving...but I just don't like their team and style.

He's a cool guy...but if I were a Miami fan I'd be looking forward to his long and healthy retirement. Miami's "style" is tough enough to watch 2-3 times per season. I couldn't imagine doing it 33 times.

By MAC standards that's pretty low?

Highly Scientific, Undeniably Accurate Lunchtime Analysis:#1 – Akron (17-9)Previous Rank #2Last week:The Zips have won 8 of 9. And in those 8 wins they've trailed for a total of 15 game minutes (I made that stat up, but it has to be pretty damn close). The toe-stubbing in DeKalb looks to be an aberration, as the Zippers bounced back to suffocate Charlie Coles' RedHawks last night. To paraphrase the AK-Rowdies - I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE (#) 1! Large conference tests loom with surging K.e.n.t., OU and enigmatic BG. #2 – K.e.n.t. (15-11)Previous Rank #7 Teams rarely stay the same over the course of a given season. They either regress (like OU & Buffalo), or improve (like UA, BG and K.e.n.t.). 4-0 in their last 4 games and ran roughshod over the MAC West. New players...new coach...but shaping up to be the same ol' dangerous K.e.n.t.#3 - Buffalo (17-7) Previous Rank #1Last week:In the last Power Poll the question was posed: "Do the close wins vs. WMU and CMU signal a chink in their armor?" The answer appears to be "Yes." The Bulls looked to be hitting the wall two weeks ago eeking out skin-of-their-teeth wins vs WMU and CMU. Now they're losing. Back-to-back losses to BG and Ball State drop the Bulls from the #1 slot they've held since early January. It was a nice run by Reggie and Co., but they are reeling.#4 - Miami (15-9)Previous Rank - #4Redhawks are 2-2 in their last 4 games, including a 9-point loss to the Zips in Akron. You can only ride Bramos and "The Not-So-Gifted" Politz for so long. Miami seems to be slipping just a little.#5– Bowling Green (15-10)Previous Rank # 5What the hell is up with these guys? 3-1 in their last 4 games, including a big win @ Buffalo...their second win vs the Bulls this season. But their loss...was to EASTERN MICHIGAN? I am in no way a believer that BG is for real. Louis Orr's mojo has to wear off sometime, right? Can't move 'em up.#6 BSU (11-13)Previous Rank #61-3 in their last four games, Ball State's youth appears to be catching up with them. They're still tied for the MAC West lead at 6-6 (with WMU) and they did beat fading Buffalo. They also lost to 5-21 Toledo.#8 WMU (9-16)Previous Rank #82-2 in their last 4 games, which in the MAC West conjures up realistic visions of a #2 overall seed in Cleveland. They were crushed by Miami, but put the wood to OU and held EMU to 38 points in a 46-38 win last night. #8 – OU (13-12)Previous Rank #7Drubbed by K.e.n.t. and WMU, the BongCats appear to be intent on wasting Jerome Tillman's senior season. OU apologists will point to youth as the issue, but it is more than that. These guys are underachieving BIGTIME. If they were placed in the MAC West, they might actually DROP that division's RPI. #9 NIU (7-17)Previous Rank #91-3 in their last 4 games, but the win was a shocker against the #1 Zips. But don't let the Zips win fool you...these guys are horrible. They just have the Zips "number" for whatever bizarre reason. BTW - They followed up their big victory over the Zips with a 19 point loss to CMU.#10 Akron Women’s Team (9-15)Previous Rank #101-2 in their last 3 games. Road loss to WMU was a big disappointment. A tenuous hold on the #10 spot. #11 Toledo (5-21)Previous Rank #13Last week:1-3 in their last 4 games, including a 33-point loss to OU. Shocked Ball State by four on Wednesday night to keep them from dropping.#12 EMU (4-22)Previous Rank #12Whipped BG by 8, but could only muster 38 points in their loss to WMU. How tough is it to be an Eagles fan? Earl Boykins is wearing a brown lunch bag over his tiny head.#13 CMU (8-16) Previous Rank #13Played K.e.n.t. tough in a 4-point loss, and beat NIU by 19. They're probably playing as good a basketball as anyone in the West. But I promised to keep them in the basement and I'm a man of my word! It is personal.

Ok...should I have gone with:

Too few hours in the day! Shooting for a February 19th edition.

In a hastily called press conference, K.e.n.t. Coach Doug Martin announced the hiring of two new coaches - Coach Harris (shown left) will apparently take over the reigns as QB coach and passing coordinator, while Coach Montgomery (right) is expected to be named Offensive Coordinator.Said Martin: " This is by no means a response to the recent hirings at Akron. We've been in negotiations with Coach Harris and Montgomery for some time now. we are delighted to have them on our staff, and...what the hell...could they be any worse that what I've had to work with for the past 5 years?

UA Pro Day is His Showcase

I guarantee if you cut and paste:Patrick Nicelyyou'll get a full page of information.Note: If you spelled his name incorrectly, you'll get nothing (as your link displays).I recommend you try it again, paying attention to the spelling.

Syracuse Schedule

You say "quite a few"...I say "a couple."Viva La Cupcake!