Captain Kangaroo

'Zone, I pretty much agreed with everything you said up until the last sentence. I just don't see this Zips' squad competing for a MAC championship. Frye's gone. Owens' two recruiting classes that constitute our Junior and Senior classes were soooo bad I can't see any level of coaching or contributions from the new guys overcoming it. We need solid Junior and Senior classes to win championships. The MAC is simply too good to win without that. And, Swiger will be solid this season. He worked very hard in the spring. He's a tough kid. I think the UCONN game is far behind him. BTW: I hear that Dennis Basch is one step away from being cleared to play this fall? Beyond the fact that he's a solid TE...probably a backup to Kasparek, but solid...it would likely allow us to redshirt someone like Cruz, who has All-MAC written all over him.

How many arrests does it take before that excuse gets old? 5? 10? 15? Hey, they're 19 year old kids...kids do stupid things..." "Hey, it was only a little pot. Big deal. Who didn't smoke a little weed in college?" "Hey, you can't watch all 85 players 24-7." "Hey, he accepted money from a booster. He's a college student and needed the money." "Hey, it happens at all the other big schools. It's just that the NCAA has it in for OSU." "Hey, so he got drunk and fell asleep at an intersection. It isn't like he killed anyone." Blah blah blah. What goes on with the OSU football players on a weekly basis is unreal. And the teams fans just make excuses. And Teflon Tressel just rolls on...

What a shocker...here's another one. Ohio State tailback cited with marijuana possession The Associated Press COLUMBUS — Ohio State running back Erik Haw was cited by police with possessing marijuana, the second time in about a week that a player on the team has been accused of a drug offense. Haw, who is competing to be Ohio State’s starting tailback this fall, was spotted Wednesday by a university police officer holding a marijuana cigarette while standing outside a dormitory, Assistant Police Chief Rick Amweg said. He dropped the cigarette from his left hand as the officer approached, Amweg said Thursday. Two others standing with Haw walked away before the officer could question them, he said. Kicker Jonathan Skeete was arrested May 11 on a warrant for trafficking marijuana and was suspended from the team indefinitely. He was later released from jail on $10,000 bond. Coach Jim Tressel, who is attending a Big Ten conference meeting in Chicago, issued a statement saying he is disappointed by Haw’s citation. “As soon as I get back to town and learn all the details, we will deal with it in an appropriate manner,” Tressel said. Ohio State will require him to enter a drug education program and undergo frequent testing. He is scheduled to appear May 27 in Franklin County Municipal Court. Calls to the campus phone number under Haw’s name went unanswered Thursday. Haw, a redshirt freshman from Columbus, is a former Division II high school offensive player of the year. He and sophomore tailback Antonio Pittman are battling for the starting job. In last month’s Scarlet-Gray scrimmage, Pittman ran for 57 yards on 14 carries for the Gray team, while Haw scored the Scarlet’s only touchdown on a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter. Haw also rushed 16 times for a game-high 86 yards.

Call me clairvoyant, but I think it might have some resemblance to The University of Virginia's stadium?

Peden and Yager are NOT what you want to model a new stadium after. In the 30k area: UCONN's is SWEET. Cincinnati's is very nice as is Middle Tennesse's. I haven't seen SMU's.

The analogy was more like: "There are about as many people who believe OSU's only football infraction was a $500 'gift' to Smith as there are people who believe OJ is innocent." To quote a popular line of Jim Rome's..."Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, OSU fans." Other than a $500 gift to your QB, everything is hunky dory in C-bus.

All the stuff about me was found to be untrue too.

I don't think we have what it takes to get a guy like Freddy Lenix. This was his mailbox the day after signing with the Buckeyes. Our Zips pockets simply aren't deep enough...

Haha, that would be nice, but the rumors have us in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium playing Tennessee. It's not a done deal yet though. I went to Knowville when we played Tennessee in 1989. Great road trip! Great environment and great football fans. Note: We were up 6-0 and 9-6 in that game...and we ended up losing something like 52-9. Chuck Webb ran wild and Carl Pickins had TD's on both offense and defense.

Just after Browns rookie quarterback Charlie Frye received his bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Akron during graduation ceremonies Saturday, he talked about how important it was for him to finish school. ``Right before I was drafted, I was going out to Arizona to work out and (University of Akron) coach (J.D.) Brookhart told me to make sure I got my degree,'' Frye said. ``He's a great man. It was a privilege to work with coach Brookhart for a year.'' After Frye's junior season, he considered entering the NFL Draft, but Brookhart, who just completed his first season as coach of the Zips, convinced Frye to stay for his senior season. Frye also had two other people who wanted nothing more than for him to earn his degree -- his parents, David and Sally. Now, with a college degree in his pocket, Frye can concentrate on playing quarterback for the Browns. ``It's one less thing (school) I have to worry about,'' he said. ``Every career is going to end, and in the NFL, you need a Plan B, and I have one.'' Frye leaves Akron as the school's all-time leading passer and holds 54 school records. ``Time flew by,'' he said. ``I still remember moving into the dorms, waving bye to my parents and being ready to start my college life. But I can truly say that when I left here, everything has been completed. ``As far as my football career goes, I don't think I could have done anything else. I left everything out on the field out at the Rubber Bowl. I'm leaving here as a member of the Browns, but I'll always be a Zip.''

I don't think that's entirely true. The same could've been said for Army, and yet they went ahead and joined Conference USA. Why? Because there's a lot more money being in a conference, whether you're going to bowl games or not. Remember, any revenues a team within a conference makes from a Bowl game after they've taken care of their travel expenses doesn't go directly to them, it goes to the conference, who splits the money up amongst all the members. CUSA was attractive to Army because they had 5 bowl bids and a lot of money flowing through the conference. The MAC wouldn't have been that attractive up until now, whereas the MAC has 3 bowl bids and will probably have 4 or 5 by the end of next year. Army dropped out of CUSA two years ago. They're Independent. I'd love Navy and Army in the MAC, but it ain't gonna happen. The service academies and Notre Dame are the only institututions where Independent makes sense. Army wouldn't have dropped CUSA if being in a conference was their best choice. They get 6 wins, the Bowls will take them. Solid national following. And, the get to keep any and all bowl money.

Is it too early for 2006 season chalkboard material? *********************************************************************** Penn State chooses easy route instead of rivaled one By Ron Bracken rbracken@centredaily.com It was as predictable as the fate of a slow groundhog on the Benner Pike and just about as ugly. You knew, you just had to know, that when the NCAA voted to allow its Division I-A football playing schools to add a 12th game to their seasons, Penn State would go looking for its long lost friend and doormat to fill that opening. Instead of breathing life into the dormant rivalry with Pitt, or going after an attractive inter-sectional opponent, Penn State looked eastward where it found a willing partner in Temple. The two schools, according to an article in Friday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have a verbal agreement in place to play three games over a four-year span with two of those in Beaver Stadium and the other in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. And doesn't that just make you want to whip out your checkbook and double your contribution to the Nittany Lion Club so you can get choice seats for those showdowns? Assuming the 2006 Temple game is slated for Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11, which is currently an open date, that would give the Nittany Lions a home schedule of Akron, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, Temple and Michigan State. If this was the verbal part of the SAT test, the question would be which one of those schools does not belong with the others? Hint: Think helmets. Or better yet, think frequency of Rose Bowl appearances. Can anyone, being in good health and sound state of mind, actually say that Penn State football is better served by playing Temple instead of Pitt? OK, there is the risk of losing to Pitt to consider. But isn't that what makes a game entertaining instead of one where the Nittany Lions pull the wings off another MAC fly? It's time to put away the tired old complaints about how Pitt used to demand that Penn State play every game in the series in Pittsburgh, about how Pitt's fans treated visiting Penn State fans shabbily when they ventured to old Pitt Stadium. Those bleatings are deader than good intentions. In the period from the 1930s through the 1950s, Pitt was the stronger program, had the bigger stadium and more national championships than Penn State. So it had the leverage to demand an unequal number of home games in the series. And for every Penn State fan who complained about how he or she was treated at Pitt there is a Panther fan who was treated equally shabbily at Beaver Stadium. Remember the "S--tt on Pitt" T-shirts or the "Under the arm, Pitt" chants? And while it's those types of things that make a rivalry what it is -- you have to have some good old fashioned animosity toward the other guy -- there also has to be someone who can see the issue clearly and understand that raw emotions and petty jealousies should never be allowed to cause the demise of something as special as the Pitt-Penn State rivalry once was. New Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt, who declined an interview request to discuss the issue, called Joe Paterno to see if the rivalry could be renewed. Nothing came of the discussion. Wannstedt played in the game when he was at Pitt and he understands its importance, not only to Pitt but to college football fans in general. Myopic Penn State fans take the stance that Pitt is in trouble with the demise of the Big East and can see no reason why the Nittany Lions should help the Panthers by playing them. Let's turn that around. Why shouldn't Penn State play Pitt and help itself by playing a better opponent than Temple, which almost lost its Division I-A status for failing to draw an average of 15,000 fans per game? Temple's last winning season was in 1990. Pitt went to a bowl game last year. You would think that Penn State would have learned its lesson during the 1970s when too many Temples, Rutgers, Ohio Universities and Can't States on its schedule cost it national respect and at least one, if not more, national championships. It's not coincidental that it wasn't until the early 1980s, when the Alabamas, Notre Dames and Nebraskas showed up on the schedule that Penn State was accepted into elite corps of programs. In 1982, it was the strength of schedule that gave the once-beaten Nittany Lions the edge over unbeaten SMU in the final poll to determine the national champion. The Nittany Lions played Temple and Rutgers that season but also played Nebraska, Alabama, N.C. State and Notre Dame in addition to their traditional eastern opponents. And while it's true that Penn State was an independent in those days and could freely choose its opponents, it took advantage of the opportunity and mixed quality opponents along with the easily-beatable teams. Once again, opportunity presented itself. But this time Penn State declined, citing a headache.

I think they're an outside shot only because all the news "leaks" thusfar involve Temple and WKy. I'd rather have MTSU because their football is already D1. However, Chryst wants to strengthen the league basketball-wise. WKy hoops is much better than MTSU, as is Temple. I have to believe Temple will be "all sports," not just football.

Are there any OSU players with a rap sheet less than 2 pages long? Is there any coach with such rampant crime/player issues who has as secure a job as Tressel. Win a national championship and everone looks the other way. Ohio State kicker arrested on drug charge Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State kicker Jonathan Skeete was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for trafficking marijuana and was suspended from the team indefinitely, the school said. Skeete was arrested early Wednesday morning by university police. He remains in a Franklin County jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning, said sheriff's Deputy Stephen Mayer. The school provided no other details about the arrest. Skeete's status on the team will be evaluated once the legal process is over, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. Skeete, a sophomore from suburban Gahanna, was redshirted in 2004. He was not expected to be the Buckeye's No. 1 kicker this year - Josh Huston, a sixth-year senior, likely will fill that role. But Tressel said Skeete had made great strides in spring practice. Skeete converted two field goals in Ohio State's annual spring scrimmage last month but missed an extra point. Tressel said he was surprised and disappointed by news of Skeete's arrest.

Navy will never join the MAC. They are guaranteed a bowl game with 6 wins and can schedule whomever they want every year. They have no need for the MAC. The only possible new MAC members are Temple, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee (outside shot).

I agree...but I think we can get even better memories.. The Marshall win #1 will always be special as it was our first win over a Top 25 team. Being there to watch the Leftwitch saga unfold was also pretty cool. The Marshall win #2 was great because Frye needed a "signature comeback win." The drama was intense. It kept our champoinship hopes alive, and did so on national TV. That said, I think there are a LOT more bigger wins in store for the Zips in the near future. Those two Marshall wins were awesome in their own ways, but are likely mid-level stepping stones along the way to beating "BCS" teams, winning MAC Championships and winning bowl games. The Marshall wins were great...hell, the Navy win was great...but they were regular season wins. I think they'll soon be overshadowed by "bigger," more meaningful wins.

Team also has a former Zips pitcher on the roster **************************************************************** Wild Things open camp By Dave Mackall TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, May 12, 2005 Rambling down Interstate 70 on the outskirts of Washington, Falconi Field glistened in the morning sun as workers groomed the infield and hosed down the grandstand. At close range, the Washington Wild Things could be seen setting up shop Wednesday for the opening of training camp with 30 players reporting, including righthander B.J. Borsa, the team's reigning MVP who led the Frontier League in saves last season with 19. "I love baseball, and the atmosphere here is better than most," said righthander Brian Burks, a former Georgia Tech pitcher who played last season for the Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds of the Northwest League. The Wild Things must trim their roster to the league maximum of 24 players by May 25, when they open the regular season against the Ohio Valley Red Coats, and manager John Massarelli, who earned Frontier League manager of the year in 2004, will get a final chance to assess his team during three home exhibition games, including a May 20 doubleheader and a single game on May 21. "I don't think it matters what level you are. Everyone's excited to get going. Everyone's excited to play," Massarelli said. "If you're passionate about something, you want to be the best you can be." The Wild Things were very good last season, advancing to the playoffs for the third year in a row by posting a league-record 62 victories, which eclipsed the old mark of 56 they set in 2002. Only eight players from last year's team, including Borsa, are back this season. Among the other newcomers is lefthander Aaron Gangi, whom Massarelli predicted has a chance to go far. Gangi, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound former Tampa Bay Devil Rays farmhand who played collegiately at Akron, made the all-star team while with Hudson Valley of the Class A New York-Penn League in 2003. But he faltered last season, partially because of a digestive disorder, at Class A Charleston (S.C.) of the South Atlantic League and was released by Tampa Bay during spring training this year. "He has all the potential and tools to pitch in the big leagues," Massarelli said. Gangi, his arms folded and his glove securely attached to his right hand, smiled at the notion. "I hope he means that. I think I've got some potential, but we'll see," he said. "I'm just happy for the chance to get back out here." Gangi said he got a call from Massarelli shortly after he was released and jumped at the opportunity to join the Wild Things, who are not affiliated with any major league club. "It's definitely a confidence-booster. I don't take anything for granted," Gangi said. A total of 15 pitchers -- half of the preseason roster -- are in the Wild Things' camp. In addition to Borsa, who, posted a 7-1 record a year ago, other hurlers back are righthanders Kyle Augsburger, Brendon Davis, Eric Holt and Jim Popp. The remaining holdovers are catcher Randy McGarvey, infielder Joel Buchenauer and outfielder Mike Arbinger, who led the team with 106 hits.

I agree he recruited a better caliber of person @ Akron than Cinci. I knew a lot of the guys on his teams because I was @ U of A from '84-'89. Most of the guys were good people. They drank beer when they were 18...and they did it with me! Usually it was at The Townhouse. How does Huggins recruit against the likes of Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, etc when he's at a C-USA school like Cincinnati? He can't...unless he takes a lot of character risks. The kids with skills + character + grades are all gone by the time Bob Huggins knocks on their door. Ironic that after taking all those risks and all those suspect players, he bows out of the tourney every year by round 2. MAC, MVC or Horizon League schools do as well as him, but with decent kids...and at a fraction of Cincinnati's budget.

For the record: You were legal to drink @ 19 during a few of Huggins' years. I was good friends with Doug Schutz (former player, now deceased) during the Huggins years. I once asked him why the team was so good at home, and so bad on the road. He said some of the guys partied too hard on their road trips.

Gee, and it wasn't but 11 moth's ago that Bob was making these headlines. Does Cincinnati have ANY standards regarding their athletic programs? When officers pulled Huggins' car over at 11:35 p.m. Tuesday night, he said, "Don't do this to me," but was cooperative, according to the report by Sgt. Jeff Bronson and two other officers. Officers said Huggins told them he was on his way home after talking to recruits and had had a "couple" of beers. He denied that he was under the influence of alcohol. The report said Huggins was stopped because his car was straying out of its lane, and he sat at a light for 10 seconds after it turned green. Officers noticed vomit on the inside of the driver's side door and reported a strong smell of alcohol, prompting them to administer the field sobriety test. Huggins had slurred speech and red, watery eyes, the report said. Officers said he "staggered" out of the car and couldn't keep his balance during the sobriety test. Asked to recite the alphabet from the letter "E" through "P," Huggins said, "E, F, G, H, I, K, L, N, Z," according to the police report. Asked to count backward from 67 to 54, he counted from 62 to 52, the report said.

Unless Temple is playing basketball at the JAR every other year, I don't like it either. It's like picking up a fat chick when you're stone sober.

I have officially pulled the trigger on reserving a tailgate spot. For $15.00 extra...what the hell is there to lose? I think our group will get two side-by-side. 60x40 should seat 20 pretty comfortably? I hope other members of the Zipsnation join me in giving this thing a whirl. I think with the right group of people we can create a pretty kick ass game day community in the lower bowl! People will be begging to get in there in 2006, so get in now while the gettin's good!

Per Hoop Scoop Dot Com: We also have done some research and want to take a minute to catch you up on a number of verbal commitments that have slipped through the crack in recent months. The list includes 6'5 Terrell Eargle from Youngstown (Austintown-Fitch) OH, who has verbally committed to Akron, but first is heading to a prep school in South Carolina

Grayshirt - Click Me

What's there to do in West Lafayette? Is Purdue a good school to hit the evening before a game? Any insider tips on where to go (good campus bars, etc.) and what to do are appreciated.