Captain Kangaroo

Once again, we see mention of Andre Jones playing on both sides of the ball. This brings up a question in my mind. Will Andre still be returning punts given this increase in workload? And if he does, I sure hope he has the most endurance on the team.Dwight Smith saw spot action at WR, returned kicks and played full-time DB. The best players on your team can do that stuff. The more Jones is on the field, the better.

I've never seen someone directly copy what I wrote on our own board before. That's a first.

I made my 2nd consecutive golf outing. It was a GREAT time! Thanks to the U and staff for making is such a great event!All the coaches were out and about during the event...I ran out of questions to ask them...and I didn't think that was possible?The golf itself would have been a lot better if I didn't f-up my back earlier in the week. Playing with a wrenched back for 18 holes sucked. But I don't think anyone cares about that but me...Regarding the incoming freshman, KD really couldn't say all that much. There's no practice until October 15th, so other than hearing general scuttlebutt regarding some open gym performances, October 15th is going to be kinda like Christmas for him. It isn't until then that he has a real good idea what he's got under the tree.Steward is 100% healthy and doing great.The entire team is a lot bigger. Serious weight training has occurred since the end of the '08 campaign.The 2008-9 schedule is expected to become clearer this week. As some have already stated, there are too many tourneys, and not enough teams to fill them. Thus it is a game of chicken to see which ones will fold first. Then there will be a scramble to scoop up the newly-found "free agents." The existing "Eastern K.entucky" tourney is great, on paper, because the Zips would be guaranteed 3 neutral court games against solid mid-majors, plus Mississippi State. If that tourney falls through...and it may...the Zips schedule balance might get screwed up. Neutral court games vs. like-level opponents are eminently more appealing than playing away games vs. "major" or "high mid-major" opponents. Especially with the Zips being so young. We'll see how it all shakes out shortly, but schedule balance will dictate where and whom the Zips play. Wright State is in a similar situation as the Zips. If no tourney matches up with our needs, you might see them on the Zips schedule.The Zips all time leading scorer...former leading scorer in the nation...showed up at the Zips golf outing in...a North Carolina hat??!! To me, that's more egregious than LeBron wearing a Yankees hat. C'mon Joe...go to Lidz and spend the $20.00 on a nice Zips hat. Don't wear another college's logo on your dome at your alma mater's alumni golf outing.The only worse clothing faux paux than Joe's was the guy inexplicably in a K.e.n.t. golf shirt??!!KD thinks the downtown arena will happen. But no idea when. He said "I'm not going anywhere anyhow, so I'll be here when it ultimately arrives."There was a Nate Schindewolf sighting. He's teaching in Manchester.Nick Dials left Sunday to begin his pro career in Germany.Futch is back on campus finishing his degree.I won the silent auction to sit on the bench during a game. Get to go in the locker room, rub elbows with the big donors like ZipWatcher in the Tommy Evans lounge...pre-game warm up and locker room access...should be pretty sweet.Nice steak and potato lunch and all the beer you could drink. Unfortunately I can't drink all that much at 7am! Maybe that's for the best?Generally speaking, the ZipsNation relationship with the staff and University seems to be approaching the level of cooperation we had with Mike Waddell. There was definitely a feeling-out process during the first couple years of the Mack-era, but the Nation seems to have earned everyone's trust. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Next year's outing is the 3rd Saturday in August. Mark it on your calendars...it is the only place where you can discuss "Kirene Johnson or George Phillips? Scott Patterson or Ken Cullifer? and get 10 different, educated opinions!

One glaring mistake: Zips punt and KO returners, Jones and Williams, are two of the best in the nation.

Thanks for checking in. That's great stuff. I'll be in Madison Friday afternoon. Hope you guys stocked up on beer..the local supply will take a hit Friday night!Conversely...the 11am start time puts a real crimp on Saturday tailgating.

If this is Jeremy Bruce, then I foresee some NCAA sanctions in our future.

You didn't see the entire shirt. It really wasn't all that bad?

Kids will always grouse about playing time, coaches & trainers will always leave if there's an opportunity for career advancement and there will always be family-type disagreements that erupt when you combine the testosterone and competitive drive of 20 athletes+coaches into close quarters for months at a time. It is no more complex than that. It's the same in the work place, its the same with any family.It was interesting to attend the post season banquet for the first time a few months ago and heartening to see the genuine love the guys had for the program and their time at UA. I think all 5 seniors have graduated, or will graduate very soon. Ced has returned as a grad assistant. That's all pretty awesome.I'm actually a little disappointed in myself for extending this thread by commenting on the topic, but it seemed to merit a response.

I can't wait until they begin installing the giant field-level lighting poles. They did keep that innovative design from the old Rubber Bowl, right?

I was told last night that his availability for Wisconsin "is still up in the air." Ditto Bowser.As much as I want to give Wisconsin our best shot, if there's any chance either of these two could aggravate their injuries in Madison, JD can't play them.

So if Ryan Bain is injured...the cornerstone of our 3-man front, you can't say anything because it is an "excuse." Lively is out...that's now 2/3rds of our starting DL out...but JD is supposed to ignore it? Gheez...Bowser being out is also a killer because he's one of our top 2 WR's. But that's no big deal...sour grapes if he mentions it.If everyone were healthy and JD were really grousing about Kennedy's injury, then I'd say it's a big joke...Kennedy hasn't been a factor for 2 years. But losing Bain, Bowser and Lively sucks. Bain by himself is worth two extra wins this year, IF he's healthy. DL's like him come through the MAC only a few times a decade.If you want to throw out hyperbole, then say JD has brought the program down to the level of Faust's last season. Or if you choose, you can pine for the mediocrity of Owens. The simple fact is Faust and Owens had 9 years. JD has had FOUR. I'll reserve my coach evaluation for the seasons end. It's really tempting to cry for the guys head after 3 weeks of summer camp and a few excerpts from and ABJ column...but call me a shill...I'm going to hold off until I see what we've got on the field this season. August 21st is a bit too soon to call for the coach's head.Our QB situation is as bad as I can remember. But what if Frye was hurt in his Junior or senior year? How would Owens' Zips have fared with Micah Fahler or Jonathan Gill leading the team for multiple games? It would have been a freaking train wreck. Matt Cherry would have been #15 on the Zips all-time WR list instead of #2.How would Owens have fared if Dwight Smith blew out his ACL in his senior season? I'll tell you...we'd have been lucky to win 2 games. But it would just be making excuses if Owens mentioned such injuries in an interview. Injuries to key players suck. And they inpact a team tremendously. Especially a MAC team, where depth is much thinner than a BCS program. Discussing major injuries with the ABJ beat writer isn't making excuses, it is stating facts.Unlike ITZ, I think this team is WAY better than the later Faust era squads. Like ITZ, I agree that the MAC East is pretty pathetic, and 5 years into any coach's tenure, if he's any good, he gets things rolling. Sub .500 would be unacceptable. Even .500 may be unacceptable depending upon the losses, and the trend at year's end.Time for bed.

How do you get excuses out of his comments? How much more straightforward can he be? Man, if the guy blew anymore smoke up our butts it would be coming out our ears!

As a Vikings fan...I'd take Frye in a heartbeat.

Thanks, Kim.

Look for Stephon Fuqua to stretch the field in 2008!

Cover the teams and I'll be interested. Don't cover the teams and I could care less. Hope you like their wire report on the Wisconsin game.BTW - I'm heading up to Wisconsin. I'll write about it. And I won't ask the ABJ for a dime.

Say you are a battered wife. For 10 years you are beaten with regularity. Your husband won't acknowledge there is an issue. He won't attend counseling. He just beats on you for 10 consecutive years.You decide enough is enough. You terminate the relationship.Two weeks later the husband says "Honey...I've changed. Trust me. Please come back. Look at these chocolates I bought you."Sorry -- One shitty box of chocolates doesn't make up for 10 years of being a jerkwad. See ya.I'll make a deal with the ABJ -- The Zips have a game against a Big 10 opponent to open the 2008 season. BIG TIME game vs a Top 15 opponent. Direct flights into Madison can be had for less then $250 round trip. Hotels are less then $100.00. If the ABJ is serious about their coverage of Zips athletics, they'll send a writer to the game. Not rent some freelance clown...not a blogger...they'll spend the $450.00 it takes to send a reporter like Gaffney (Zips Beat Writer) to Madison to give an eyewitness report of the game. If they do that, I'll ease up, and admit things may be changing at the ABJ. If they don't send a writer to the Zips opener against a Top15 team, then they still suck.

If this has to happen,this is actually a good time to happen. He will have all season to get healthy and be 100% for next fall.Hey...if you're looking for silver linings, it drops the chances of a de-commit (to a bigger school) too.

Whatever happened to "Ratfink?"

The Beacon said "Screw the Zips" several years ago. In just about those same words. I wish I still had Larry Pantages original email. Class 1, Grade A jerkwad. 10 years of ignoring the hometown Zips. Now they're "back," and writing Zips stories. Forgive me if I don't re-subscribe.

F the Beacon in the skull. The reason they want the stories is because they haven't covered the Zips for a decade!! They have no Rubber Bowl history in their files!. Maybe they should reference their AP wire stories? I'm not doing the Beacon's work for them. I've done it for a decade. That's enough.

Can someone please print the listing of the "thugs" JD has recruited. I'll define "Thug" as someone who's been convicted of a crime.I follow the program pretty closely and I just must have missed something. Igor punched a kid two years ago. Pace (Owens recruit, BTW) got busted for weed and a gun. Who else?The kids from a couple recruiting classes ago were basically kids that had no business being in college. Good athletes, but bad students. Some were absolute jerks. But where's the arrests and thuggery? Please list.When I see a school with the "Thug U" moniker, I see Barry Switzer's OU teams, Miami U's teams...the Zips are as much "Thug U" as CVCA is "Thug HS." Recruiting is like a 401k. You can't go balls-out on "aggressive" funds, or you'll lose your ass. JD's recruiting 401k was to heavy on "aggressive" athletes for two seasons, and he lost. Now, Zips recruiting is more balanced. But you still need to have around 10% in "aggressive." If you don't, you'll lose all-the-same (does it really matter if you lose because your players flunked out, or because you recruited 3.0 GPA RB's that ran 4.85 40's?). No. It is still a loss.

BG is the comeback win. 72-71. BG's defense is so bad they're trying Bryan Hipsher out at nose tackle.Bryan Williams scores 4 defensive TDs to go along with a KO return and punt return TD. Sets the NCAA record for most points in a game by a non-offensive player.

Looks like there will be a long list of suitors?

Difficult to improve on 2007’s 4-8?