Captain Kangaroo

What I want to believe is:JD saw how badly Luke got stiffed by Walt Harris when he left Pitt (Harris strung Luke out until the last possible second, then wouldn't grant him his release) and JD didn't want to do the same to one of his guys.He knew Hakes wasn't going to wn the job so he told him early, to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere while camps are still ongoing (1-AA, maybe?).True? Beats me…but it kinda makes sense.

The oddest comment I saw was: If I were Kennedy, I would be ecstatic with the "commercial" he tendered.

Apparently your recollections of the Hipsher era are a bit cloudy.

I disagree. The 2006-7 JAR crowds were about double what is had been only a couple years prior. 4,500+ crowds are getting to be pretty common. And the place only seats 5,500.If UA doesn't screw up and blow what they have going in Dambrot, the JAR will be outgrown very shortly. Look at the University now. It in no way resembles what it was 20...15...even 10 years ago. The JAR is only 25 years old, but it is a cracker box. It may offer the worst game-day experience in the MAC with it's terrible sight lines, lack of quality seating (wooden bleachers are about all you can get now-a-days), horrid concessions, a team shop that you can't walk into and browse, etc. Overall, even K.e.n.t. has a better facility (club-level where you can watch the games, tons of lower-level student and GA seating, decent concessions, nice team shop, etc.).We don't need a Wolstein Center in Akron, but if we'e committed to being a solid basketball school for the next decade+, it is definitely time to start talking about life after the JAR.

Makes entirely too much sense. A downtown arena is a no-brainer, and WAY overdue.Plusquellic has been pushing for a downtown sports arena since the 80's (the vaunted "Don-Dome").

Click for Media Guide

Here is Nate's 2006 Highlight Video:Click for Highlights

JD coached Latif Grim, Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant. He also converted a safety (Hixson) into a 4th round NFL draft pick. We will be fine at WR this year.

Looking at the roster on GoZips.com the unknown name that popped out most was a transfer QB from Sacramento State. KC Patterson was on Sac State's roster as late as their spring game on May 7th, 2007.Click for a little info

Just wanted to bring this to the top. It is fast-approaching.

The Zips recently nabbed their first commitment ever from the Youngstown-area's Inter County League (at least that's what the league was called back in my day) when Springfield Local LB Nate Schuler verballed to the program. He runs a 4.6 and impressed the staff at summer camp. "Hits like a freight train."Still awaiting the first recruit from McDonald HS. ;)BTW -- Larry Dawson is looking very promising, as is a safety from Warren JFK named Jared Province! Stay tuned...BTW Part 2: Curtis Brown, who was in that horrible auto accident last year, is in camp. Paul Simkovich, who had the hunting-related gunshot wound, is also on campus.BTW Part 3: Forget Jarvis Givens ever coming to Akron. It ain't happenin'.I doubt this info makes up for my Vince Hill gaffe, but I'll keep trying....

It was fun to watch him at the game last night. And to see all the other guys that had played at the Rubber Bowl against the Zips over the years (R-berger, Young, Batch, etc).Click for Column

I was thinking the same thing!

Hurt, but Practicing

Goin' Back to Cali...

Click - Now if we could only recruit a guy named "Tippacanoe" Jones, THEN we'd have a WR combo!

Click for CampbellIf you have any questions like that, use ZipsNation's "search" function. Enter "Campbell" in the box and you'll get all previous posts that contained the name. Or could it be this guy:Tyler Campbell Preferred Walk on

That's why I continue to feel we'll be arond 8-4 this year. Not because we're a juggernaut, but because we're decent and the competition is terrible. If we went 4-8 this year as some have predicted, I would be aghast. 4-8 with a 2007 MAC East schedule is like 0-12 in any other conference.

Ooops! I wonder if it is too late to cancel my "Hill #2" jersey order from athlete-tech.com? Me and David Lee Morgan...two peas in a pod...

I don't know about Harvey, but I did find a photo of Lindsay:

$1,000.00 per stadium brick.WOW

Click for CampbellIf you have any questions like that, use ZipsNation's "search" function. Enter "Campbell" in the box and you'll get all previous posts that contained the name.

Word on the street is the Zips Stadium Press Conference will be broadcast around 11:30am Wednesday on 1350AM.

Both these guys (Irwin and McClanahan - below) have been offered by the Zips. A COUPLE of levels down from the aforementioned, the summer basketball circuit is confirming what the scouts and recruiters sort of figured when the high school season ended in March.Poca rising sophomore guard Noah Cottrill is the state's best college prospect long term, but among those in the Class of 2008, Bridgeport's Bryant Irwin is getting the most attention. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Irwin, Nitro 6-5 wing forward Brett McClanahan and Capital's 6-2 Malik Witten are considered the best rising senior hoops prospects in the state -- although the versatile and talented Witten might go with football.Right now, Irwin is considered the state's top prospect, and he has about 15-16 schools that have expressed significant interest, said his AAU coach, Phil Miron of the East Coast Scholar Athletes.Miron's team has been rooted in Roanoke, Va., but is moving its base to Charleston. Prior to Irwin, state players who have summered for East Coast include Division I players or signees Patrick Patterson, Adam Williams, Josh Daniel, Chris Long, Adam Fletcher, T.J. Douglas, Josh Sowards and Josh Yeager.Miron said Irwin has offers from at least 10 mid- to low-major programs, and the Bridgeport star at this point is most interested in Marshall, Akron and James Madison. Others who have offered include Duquesne, Richmond, Appalachian State and UNC Greensboro. Davidson, American and Lehigh have also stepped up contact, Miron said.

I disagree that the GMAC bowl...or any other bowl gives the University negligible recognition. I travel very frequently, and when the Zips Motor City Bowl game approached I got a ton of props in airports from LA to Charlotte. When the Zips beat NC State in football last season, a guy in Myrtle Beach told my vacationing buddy "I never even HEARD of Akron until last week." Look how Boise State has become a prominent name on the national scene. It can happen in Akron too.It can also happen in hoops. Bryce Drew's three point shot put Valpariso on the national hoops map. You'd never have heard of Winthrop if their hoops program weren't so good.I hope we get to find out what exposure an NCAA bid would give to the Zips. To do so, we'll have to quit blowing games versus inferior teams at The Q at some point.