Captain Kangaroo

Go Vikes!!

Back from Thanksgiving at mom's and reviewing people's posts, I'll offer the following: * It was great to see the Zips drill Can't like they should. No pussyfooting around, just a beatdown. * Ditto the OU game the previous week. * Yes, our defense has given up single-digit points 4 times this year. That's awesome. * Despite the naysayers, we deserve to be in Detroit. We beat the big dogs. And, despite the naysayers, we'll have a very nice showing attendance-wise in Detroit. * Ironic that NIU fans were cheering for us in mid-October to help their strength of schedule, and it was their record that put us over the edge and into the Championship game. * Memo to Zips Students: Go to the game. Soak this one up and have fun. Back in the mid-eighties (yes, I'm dating myself hard here) the Zips were runner-up in NCAA soccer, made the NCAA's in hoops and were a playoff 1-AA football team. It seemed like Zips athletics was destined for a long run of success. It has taken 20 years for the athletics department to again reach that collective level of success. The foundation is there for the Zips to continue this type of success for many years, but you never know...so enjoy it now! * Despite the naysayers, the Thanksgiving Day game was a HUGE success. The weather was absolutely BRUTAL, but there were at least 8k at the game...with little if any help from the Can't fans. I think it is worth doing again. With decent weather I bet 15k is possible. * Regarding playing Can't in August: We shouldn't. Our program is now at the point where we'll draw 20k for the season opener regardless of who we play. If, that is, we keep our existing Marketing group in-tact. Everyone forgets we were drawing 600 fans to good-weather November games only a couple years ago. People look at the 8k crowds in blizzards and cry that there were only 8k. It is absurd. * We need to win on Thursday night if we want to go bowling. * I saw the BG/Toledo game the other night. We could beat either of those teams. Their defense was horrific.

Back from mom's house in Warren, I'll add the following: * YSU is better than in year's past. They played hard the entire game and hit some difficult, clutch shots. Give them some props. * We got some home-cookin' refereeing last night. Several calls that went against YSU were baffling. * Chocolate Falknor missed from 3-point land and the free throw line. He had one point more than the St V scrimmage...so he had 1 point in the game. We have to get more than a couple points out of him per night if we're going to make any noise in the MAC this year. He did have a nice 13 rebound effort. * Dials looks fine. Hitting that 3 at game's end shows he's got some legs underneath him, and draining those FT's was clutch. * Joyce is a clutch FT guy too. He handled the ball well all night and had a decent game. * Travis was unstoppable in the mid/late going. I really fear what this team will do if he ever gets into foul trouble. * I agree with Z-P that the on-court chemistry seems really good with this group. I also like Dials trying to pump up the crowd. Unrelated note: I wish our football team played to the crowd like that a little more. Overall...it looked like a game where one team was pretty decent and had 2 contests already under their belt, versus a team that hadn't played since March. We eventually woke up and pulled it out. Questions for the future: How can the Zips free up Bubba or anyone else if the opponent smothers us like YSU did? Can we ride Travis inside for 35 minutes a game? Will Travis get any help inside this season? Will Milum get some semblance of offensive game going, or will every night for him be "Senior Night" where he gets the token 2-minutes to begin the game, then sits? We need Milum to step up if we want to make a run this season. Futch is a senior...what you see is what you'll get out of him. Milum has the ever-overused term "upside." If Milum can develop a Ryan Andrick-like inside money move, I think it would make a word of difference on our team. Freeing Bubba up on some screens would't hurt either. Conyers...Buehler...Buehler...?

Is this the year The University of Akron basketball team finally knocks off a major basketball opponent? All other MAC schools have baskets full of marquee wins over the past two decades. We have nothing. IMO the barometer for how good we'll be this season is our performance vs. the big OOC opponents: Cal (who lost to EMU in Ypsalanti already), Mississippi State and Louisville. These are the games that put you on the national radar...the ones that get you into the NIT or considered for an at-large to the NCAA's. On an unrealted note: Sorry to see Can't lost their home opener to Delaware State.

Toledo lost the previous week to CMU. They aren't exactly rolling. Tough choice tonight: Cavs/Celtics NCAA Soccer vs. WVU at Jackson Field Toledo/BG on TV What to do?

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I'll take the following out of Saturday's scrimmage: * Based soley upon that game, you's thing Goddard may be the worst 3-point shooter on our team? All kidding aside, I think it will be tough for a guy like him to get much PT when there are so many other capable 3-point bombers on the squad who also can play defense. * If Daryl Dawkins was "Chocolate Thunder" then Matt Futch is "Chocolate Falknor." The dude simply can't resist the lure of the 22-footer! With Wood officially out for 2005-6, I hope KD gets C-Falk's keester in the paint. We have Travis, Preston and Milum to crash the boards and defend the paint if C-Falk is hanging out between the top of the key and center court. That won't do. 5 fouls for the young man from Buchtel too...bad night. * Dials looks good. He's a good passer and anticipates well on D. He needs to get his legs back to hit the long jumpers, but he has a really nice stroke. * Peterson played well. * Joyce seemed the same as ever. Quietly had a nice game. * Milum put on about 15 lbs, to bring him up to around 165. He plays well on D and runs the court well. He needs to work on his free throw shooting if he's going to help us on the inside. His arms are really long and he can jump out of the gym, so he plays like a 7-footer when he's in the paint. * Bubba was off the hook. He can flat-out bury a team when he's "on." I wonder how MAC teams will defend him in 2006 now that the word is out? * We have 4 guards that really can play. They're smurfs, but they can all ball. * Nice to hear KD move on after Wood was declared out for the year. A refreshing change for the "Gosh darn it we'd have had such a great season if it weren't for Andy's back..." excuse machine. * AK-Rowdies were absolutely stellar. If they can maintain that intensity throughout the regular season, we will have a HUGE home court advantage. * We officially have a successor to the horrid, slo-mo "Give me an "A"....Give...me...a..."K"...etc." cheer! An AC Slater look-alike in drywaller garb casually leads the "Z-I-P-S Let's GO Zips" cheer via his on-court microphone. Absolutely horrible. Memo to the cheerleaders: Kill the microphone cheers. They suck. The Z-I-P-S cheer that rotates around the JAR is a good one, but most of the fans are college grads who can figure it out without AC's "help." Please kill the microphone stuff. * Love the new sound system! Clear as a bell! Finally, after 20 years!! * New announcer rules.

Ay least Charlie Frye can now say he's beaten Miami.

In the worthless ABJ, Dambrot says that Wood won't play this year. Word on the street is he could play fine, but his knee would swell for 2-3 days after he played. Word also is he wasn't/isn't the world's most dedicated rehabber.

I love it! Why would a Steelers fan want the Browns to start their best QB?

Unlike Owens/Winters, who were so very "clutch" when the game was on the line. I'm sure Winters' patented 3rd-and-8 draw play would have gotten us at least 45 points vs. Ball State and Owens' D would have held BSU to only 5 or 6 TD's...or 7. Dude...to get 6 wins this year with the players we have is a good coaching job. 90% of the best recruiting class in the MAC was redshirted. We are ok. Relax.

See you there you K-ent black squirrel hugging anti-tailgating Huskie shill.

Then the thread would end. What fun is that?

You aren't wrong. We beat Can't and Toledo beats BG, we are in. Miami could beat OU 100-0 and it won't matter.

* Getsey played probably his best 4 consecutive quarters of the season. It is a shame that such a performance couldn't have happened one or two times more this season. * The defense was stellar all night long * How the hell did OU beat Pitt? Man, Pitt must suck. * BG and OU: Two great wins that will affect recruiting. We bump heads with those guys pretty frequently for talent. * Please spare me the whining about the attendance. It is laughable that people sitting on their couch last night, with two able legs, can complain that the Bowl was empty. * Furthermore, regarding attendance: Did any of you myopic attendance whiners see the radar screen yesterday afternoon? Did you see the weather forecasts? Thunderstorms. Hail. Heavy winds to 30MPH. Did you see the freaking downpour that happened all morning and into the afternoon in NE Ohio? Despite all that, and the fact that people could find the game on television or the local sports bar, and that is was held on a work/school night, 7k showed up. Yeah, it is a real shocker there weren't more people in attendance. * I heard a rumor that the Miami/OU games has no effect on the championship tie-breaker? If Toledo beats BG, and we beat Can't, we're the champs. Can anyone else verify this? * Great game by Biggs and the OL. * Very very conservative playcalling in the first half. We ran middle way to frequently, when the outside was there for the taking. * What's the deal with icing the opposing kicker when he has a dead-center 31 yarder and there's 1:50 left in the half? That extra time out sure would have been nice to have on our last drive of the half. * Frank Solich - The Gerry Faust of the 2000's? * No mention of the game in the PD today. Nice job, Elton. * I hope JD goes for the jugular aginst Can't. This is a team we should beat 52-6.

Apparently some OU fans have already pulled up their tailgate RV's at the newly installed ZipsFest Swimmin' Hole? See you there in about 2 hours...bring your trunks!!

It is true. They'll be available at the start of the hoops season. Also good to see Rasor frequents this site. He should forward the link to DL Morgan.

Rumor has it Jeremiah had a 21 pt 17 rebound effort in a scrimmage the other day. Although he hasn't been the most aggressive rehab patient...to say the least...it appears he will be ready to go this season. Also caught on the rebound...Bubba needs to pick up his defense if he wants to get major minutes this year. The Dials/Joyce backcourt seems to be favored at this time. DP put on some weight in the offseason. Not muscles either. Conyers has some HS transcript issues holding up his eligibility. He has yet to practice with the team.

Pneumonia Bowl 2005! Game Slogan: "If you didn't get pneumonia at the Army game, here's your second chance" Tuesday night: Showers and thundershowers in the evening, then overcast overnight with steady rain - a thundershower is possible. Low 47F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. We can't catch a break with the weather this season. See you in the tailgate lot around 2:30pm. Anyone else insane enough to go?

I agree with you 50%. We aren't on Miami's radar. BG wasn't asleep. Their defense is AWFUL. How does Biggs get "lucky" and rush 38 times for 180-something yards or whatever he had? OH-VER-RAY-TED...that's BG. Omar, Schmomar. Their defense absolutely stinks. That's why Miami is going to kill them this week and put to rest all this 4-way tie malarkey.

These guys are our rivals??? Funny how they tried to make fun of our close game with Buffalo on bbs. WOW They are rivals in hoops, volleyball and track. In football they are not...it's Miami and BGSU now. We are as much Miami's rival in football as Can't is our rival in football.

Please elaborate Sorry. I don't elaborate on faculty contract issues. Maybe you can check the Beacon archives if it is that interesting to you.

Z-P: Ok, we're 4-5, but don't lump us in the "crappy" bin with K-ent! K-ent would give their left nut...probably from a black squirrel...to have the type of season the Zips are having! We're going to have 5-6 D1-A wins in a rebuilding year...Can't needs a decade to get such numbers. Akron: Mediocre Can't: Re-defines "crappy" (on an annual basis) As far as the tailgate section, my little corner of Lower Derby Downs will look sweet. I can't speak for the others. Getting to the Rubber Bowl to tailgate a 7am will certainly be rough for all involved. In general, I will say this positive thing regarding the Thanksgiving game: If the Zips one day do get to be a good overall team, they will fill the stadium for the Aug/Sept home opener every year. The trick to having good attendance for a MAC team isn't to draw well the first couple good-weather games, it is to draw well the last 2-3 games. Playing for championships will draw bodies in November. So will tradition. If this Thanksgiving game does work out, it will ensure us a 10K-20k crowd for November on a bi-annual basis. Some of you oldtimers like me know that November games in the Rubber Bowl traditionally draw in the 500-2,000 range. This is a good opportunity to see if the idea has a chance to succeed. Maybe one day we can "opening day crowd" in November. If the weather's good, there will be a solid 10k. And I will geat a beer from the notoriously cheap Z-Pouch.

Please elaborate There will be no stadium plans announced before the faculty contract issue is finalized.

This was a mark that the athletic depatment favored a couple years back, but it was shot down but those outside U of A athletics. Those same folks who love the University sunflower license plate seal? Probably. Hope to see more of it. It is cool. What will happen if the Zips face the Terps in the soccer finals? Fear the Roo vs. Fear the Turtle!! I am told the "Fear the..." campaign was initiated by Walt Disney Corp a few years back as "Fear the Mouse." Maryland adopted it with their "Fear the Turtle" campaign. They do a lot of neat things with it. It will be fun to see if U of A takes the "Fear the Roo" and accompanying logo to the next level? Click Me for Fear the Turtle Stuff if You're Interested