Captain Kangaroo

Quick notes then off to bed: Great win. Especially after the slow start McFadden is GOD. Three straight awesome performances. Futch has been horrible recently..save the OT 5 minutes. Quade's big chance to step up! Joyce is solid. Not spectacular...but man does he do a good job running the offense. Nice to see Middleton again. I remember that guy. Nice game by Peterson. Brooks and Cruz are awesome. Niagra is as good as advertised. Why are we getting out FT'd in our own building by 20? The 20 or so Niagra fans that showed up were...at times...louder than the Zips fans. Yo students...get off your butts and get to the JAR! Nice game by Preston. Seems to be flourishing in the post Hipsher era (as do a lot of players). Good game for Collins. 8 assists. In the "Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction" Catagory: #43 for Niagara has Futch's shot selection and accuracy. Thank God he kept hoisting those 3's. Dambrot gives great post-game interviews. I don't miss Hipsher's "Well exactly Steve..." at all. Nor do I miss Joe Dunn trying to make Bryan Hipsher's minutes seem justified.

Until I can convince my bowling league to move from Thursday nights, it unfortunately ain't gonna happen. Too bad they moved the date...it hadn't been on Thurdays in the past. Have a beer for me.

Nice to know that beating the Zips means more than beating Xavier and Purdue!

You also had an NBA caliber upperclassman in Brandon Hunter and were coming off a 19 win season.

The jury is out on O'Shea. I thought he sucked...until about 25% of the way into this season. Seems like the guy may have a "clue" after all? If the MAC is ever to become a solid 2 NCAA bid conference, more than one team will need to up the level of their hoops program. OU and Akron both seem to be well ahead of 2004-5 expectations, with bright futures ahead. Bodes well for the MAC. That said, I would still take Dambrot over O'Shea. Dambrot's made a lousy program an immediate contender. O'Shea's "learning curve" was a bit slower. Lots of "L's" his first couple years at the helm.

Stupid job keeps getting in the way... :angry:

the fighting little purple pills from Viagra will likely come into the JAR with 18 wins. Assuming Akron doesn't win the MAC, but plays well the remainder of the season, this game could be the difference between getting an NIT bid, or staying home. Before you scoff at an NIT bid...remember Can't's big run began with an NIT berth. I think the post-season experience would be invaluable for us.

Amateur Bailey shocks field in Fairlawn Thursday, February 10, 2005 Burt Graeff Plain Dealer Reporter Joe Bailey has a real tough act to follow. His own. Bailey of Doylestown, Ohio, became the first amateur to lead the qualifying round of a Professional Bowling Association event Wednesday, averaging 248.89 for nine games at Fairlawn's AMF Riviera Lanes. Bailey, 23, joined five others who advanced to the field of 64 in the $232,000 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open. Bailey's 2,240 pinfall nosed out Sandusky's Jeff Lizzi, who averaged 248.56 in wiping out 2,237 pins. It was Bailey's first attempt at qualifying for a PBA event. "I am amazed," he said. "I came here just wanting to do as well as I could, but I never thought I would do this well." Bailey, who graduated from Chippewa High School, attends the University of Akron and works for UPS. He grabbed the top spot by rolling a 279 final game, striking out in the 10th frame to do it. Bailey didn't waste any time showing he was not intimidated by anyone in the field of 80 shooting for the six available spots. He opened with a 233. Bailey's 279 finale topped the nine-game set. He had other games of 278 and 269. A fifth-game 213 was his low. Lizzi, an non-exempt player with past PBA Tour experience, made it out of the qualifying tournament for the second time this year. Lizzi's high game was 280. One game later, he bowled his low - 209. Rudy Kasimakis (Tupelo, Miss.) averaged 237 to take third place (2,133 pins). Fourth went to Ken Adner (Cincinnati), who averaged 236.56. Doug Wilcox (Sacramento, Calif.) and Ronnie Horton (Chrisitiansburg, Va.), grabbed the last two spots, averaging 235.89 and 234, respectively. Liz Johnson, the first woman to qualify for a PBA event when she made the field of 64 for the Uniroyal Tire Classic at Freeway Lanes of Wickliffe in November, averaged 206.99 Wednesday to finish 41st. There were two other women in the field. Lizzi's wife, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi bowled well - averaging 225.67 to finish 13th. Jen Petrick, an amateur from Canton, averaged 204.78. It was good for 43rd. The field of 64 bowls two seven-game blocks today, with the top 32 - based on total pinfall - advancing to the round of 32 and head-to-head match play. Match play begins Friday, with the field trimmed to four. Sunday, the four finalists will bowl for the $40,000 top prize.

Random Thoughts: Great to see such a huge crowd show up. As all of us have been screaming for years...have a competitive team in Akron and the fans will show up! Suck, and we've seen they won't. BW-3's was a mob scene before the game. Right there you can see the side benefits of having competitive teams. Community businesses begin to flourish. I couldn't imagine the vitality of the Spicertown area with a winning hoops team + winning football team with an on-campus stadium! The sellout was true. My friend got turned-away at the door (he did eventually sneak in). Heavyweight battle all the way. Every other MAC team the Zips have played at the JAR got blindsided by the Zips pressure D and wilted. To Can't's credit, when Akron hit them in the face (figuratively) Can't hit them right back...and then some. I thought Can't played with poise...great spacing...dogged D...the entire night. I give them all the credit. Can't played Creighton, Boston College and Floride State this season...you could tell the big, raucous crowd was something they were used to. We weren't, as a team, nearly as prepared for a game like this. Dambrot should have begun fouling earlier. It cost us. Dambrot should not have taken Joyce out on the last play because he had 4 fouls. If Joyce is in, I doubt they get that breakaway dunk at game's end. Stupid play by Can't to dunk at game's end. It gave us a chance to tie it. Bubba is pretty ineffective when defenders play him tight. Middleton played like a Fr. Hope he grows from this one. Futch was awful. In his mind, he's Nick Goddard. In my mind, he better keep his butt in the paint and try and emulate Wood. We don't need our 6' 8" guy hanging out at the 3-point line hoisting bricks in a tight game. Travis was awesome. He's got some lightning fast moves to the hole. If he can develop any kind of an outside game, he will be unstoppable over the next couple years. Mario Collins...what were you thinking? 17 seconds left...down by 3... and a panic drive to the hole, bouncing it off your foot? I love Mario at game's end. To date he had been solid, hitting clutch shots, playing great D...he turned int Ali Kart last night. Too bad we wasted all our time outs...we sure could have used one at the 17 second mark. The "good" Mc Fadden showed up last night! We needed him. He and Travis kept it close. We never could get that "one break" to put the pressure on Can't. Joyce's layup rolls off, Peterson steps on the line, Peterson's bunny rattles out... Bubba and Middleton now know what the rivalry is all about. I hope they bring their A-games to the match up in Can't. It's obvious Can't's guards will. Overall, we played hard and fairly well. Can't played hard, and a little bit better. My son told me this morning that it was ok the Zips lost, "'cause they win next time." I said: "Sometimes you eat the bear...sometimes the bear eats you." He looked at me kinda funny.

At least you had the sense to have him educated by Can't State grads. You're a model for all Zip parents. 4-years olds seem to relate well to Can't grads for some reason?

I dressed my 4 year old son in his Zips' game jersey today and took him to daycare. I looked him in the eye and said "I want you to say 'Go Zips, beat Can't!" to your teachers (all Can't grads who seem to follow the flushes somewhat). He looked me in the eye as serious as a heart attack and said :GO ZIPS BEAT Can't!" then marched into his classroom to talk some trash with the teachers. I wish I had it on tape.

BRING IT ON!!! Who would you rather see than BG? Ball State? EMU? Lee Owens would have been disappointed about BG in the East, but not JD. I'm delighted that we have replaced Marshall with an even higher-caliber opponent!

I think it is safe to say that, if Jarvis was going to break his word to a school he shouldn't have gone to their biggest rival!!! He goes to Temple and we never hear from him again. Going to Can't? What a strategic blunder. All because he couldn't wait 4 months for his scholarship to begin...

Chooses Can't? Sucks to be him. What a mamma's boy. I guess if Can't is going to "steal" a recruit from the Zips, it might as well be the 5' 6" one that we were going to grayshirt even though we had a couple scholarships remaining. I guess that's still considered a "steal?" I look forward to him getting planted into the turf by the kids that elected to play for the Zips. Story, for those who care: Football Adds 24th Signee 02/07/2005 Can't, Ohio -- The Can't State University football recruiting class grew by one on Monday (Feb. 7) when head coach Doug Martin announced the signing of running back Eugene Jarvis (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic H.S.). Jarvis becomes the 24th student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent to play football for the Golden flushes, starting next fall. “Eugene Jarvis is a fantastic playmaker and is a great addition to our program,” Martin said. “He is a very elusive runner and can score from anywhere on the field.” Jarvis rushed for 2,196 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior, leading unbeaten Central Catholic (16-0) to a PIAA Class AAAA state championship. He rushed for more than 4,300 yards in his career. Jarvis also was honored as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Player of the Year” in both 2003 and 2004, becoming the first player to win the award twice. A two-time first-team all-conference and first-team all-state selection, Jarvis also was twice named the WPIAL “Player of the Year” and shared POTY honors from the Tribune-Review newspaper. He rushed for 1,683 yards and scored 39 touchdowns as a junior. “He has great speed, good hands and makes moves,” Martin added. “He runs tough between the tackles and down near the goalline and also excels in the return game.”

JD said Jabari will be playing QB in the spring. Regardless of what anyone says, Getsy is expected to be the starter in 2005. #2 position is up for grabs...but #1 is pretty much established.

When do the School packages go on sale?

Coming from my end of town, I think BW-3's is more likely, so I'll probably just see you at the game.

I saw that he's going to be #2 QB behind Getsy in the spring. Does that mean: A.) He's going back to QB full-time? B.) He's splitting time at QB and WR? I look at last season and I see: Jabari played "ok" at WR. As good as could be expected for a Fr. learning the position. He did get injured on a play that didn't appear to look all that violent and missed a few games. Does that conjure-up concerns that he's got a "QB build" and might not be suited to take the licks dished out to WR's on a daily basis? I look at this season and I see: We have ZERO game experience at QB. Getsy had a few passes in his time at Pitt, but sat 99.9% of his career. Shoemaker, Fergeson, Jabari and the incoming Fr.'s have hardly a game-day snap from center combined. Is Jabari at QB just to give Getsy some competition? Is he at QB just so we have a decent QB to test our #2 defense in the Spring...then he moves back to WR? Was his conversion to WR considered a failed experiment by JD or a 1-year stop gap? With the totally re-vamped and fairly inexperienced OL we'll have next season, is the chance for Getsy to get injured something that's more "probable" than "possible?" Is the staff planning for the worst...thinking that if Getsy gets injured they want a prepared, game-experienced (athough not at QB) guy to be able to step in rather than a Freshman? If JD's reading this site, I'd give a nickel for his thoughts.

Ill be there.

Monessen's Reader still an Eagle at heart By Brian Herman VALLEY INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, February 5, 2005 Monessen's Jamie Reader knows how the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans feel on the eve of Super Bowl XXXIX. It was only three years ago that Reader was Philadelphia's backup fullback when the Eagles were a win away from going to the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost 29-24 to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC title game. Reader's playing days, however, ended some eight months later when he was let go on the final cut before the 2002 season. These days Reader is being kept busy. He's the fitness professional at the Rostraver Center for Fitness and Health, runs the weightlifting program for the Monessen High football team where he's in his third year as a Greyhound assistant and is a new father taking care of his four-month-old daughter Farrah full time two days a week when his wife, Misty, is working. Now 30, Reader saw the handwriting on the wall in Philadelphia. "With Donovan McNabb they were pass first and then run." he claimed. "They wanted to go more with the pass and only keep one fullback on the roster. They ended up getting Jon Ritchie from San Francisco and cut me and Cecil (Martin)." According to Reader, an injury to fullback Correll Buckhalter -- now on the Eagles' injured reserve list as is Ritchie -- led to his departure. "I told Correll, he was the reason I got cut," he grinned. "We were a backfield combination together and it messed up the rotation when he went out." Reader had brief stints with three other NFL teams -- Arizona, Miami and the New York Jets -- before catching on with Philadelphia where he spent three seasons. "My job was blocking for Duce (Staley) and protecting Donovan (McNabb)," he recalled. Reader is glad to be back at his alma mater after going to the University of Akron, where he was a starting fullback four years. "I enjoy coaching and working with kids," he said. "I wanted to go to Pitt, but they were going through a coaching change so I went to Akron, which had three other Monessen players: Jaison and Bryan Coles and Keith Davis." Monessen football coach Andy Pacak was happy to have Reader on his first staff the past season. "He's a great influence on the kids and goes a step beyond being an assistant," he said. "He cares about them off the field and has a good rapport with the kids. They listen to him because they know he made it to the NFL." Ironically, the guy who recruited Reader to the Ohio school was Bob Junko, who's now at Pitt and helped land the Greyhounds' Mick Williams the past week. "I talked with Bob a lot last week," said Reader. "They wanted Mick real bad and I think it's a good fit for him." Who does Reader think will win the Super Bowl? "It's a tough one to call because there are two good defenses," he answered. "I'd like to see the Eagles win but I think it will come down to the wire."

Rhyne is Real Salt Lake's top pick Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake added former Clemson midfielder Steven Rhyne with the first overall pick in the Major League Soccer supplemental draft Friday. The expansion club also added defenders Michael Lookingland and Cameron Knowles and goalkeeper Noah Palmer with later picks in the draft. "We were looking for two defenders, a reserve goalkeeper and an outside midfielder, and we found all four," general manager Steve Pastorino said. Rhyne had 32 goals and 23 assists in four years at Clemson and can play either outside midfielder position. Lookingland got RSL's attention at a tryout last month and was taken with the No. 13 pick. Palmer started four years at Maryland and posted 34 shutouts. Knowles helped New Zealand to the Under-17 FIFA World Championship in 1999 and started 72 of 74 games playing for the University of Akron.

Irish win, Capital defeated at Classic From staff reports Friday February 04, 2005 Third-ranked Charleston Catholic led by just three points at the half, but pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 56-34 win over Valley-Fayette in the Class A championship game of the Coal Classic in Beckley on Thursday evening. The Irish outscored Valley-Fayette 22-8 in the final quarter. Joe Sassler led Catholic (12-2) with 14 points, while Nate Burton chipped in with 13. For Valley-Fayette (5-6), Jeremiah Thomas scored a team-high 10 points. In other boys basketball action on Thursday: National Christian 76, Capital 56 -- Capital trailed by just five at the start of the fourth quarter, but managed just eight points in the final period to fall to National Christian Academy of Fort Washington, Md., in the Coal Classic at the Raleigh County Armory. For National Christian (15-9), Neal Pitt led all scorers with 22 points, while Akron recruit Jimmy Conyers added 20. For No. 5 Capital (10-3), Josh "Cookie" Miller scored 16 points, while Chris Martin added 11 and Lawrence Thomas 10. Capital will face Class AAA top-ranked Huntington in a 5 p.m. Coal Classic matchup today. Parkersburg 89, Riverside 67 -- The Big Reds, ranked No. 3 in Class AAA, trailed after one quarter, but outscored the visiting Warriors 54-29 over the next two quarters to improve to 13-1. Sean Michael blistered the nets for 36 points to lead Parkersburg, while Chris Strcula added 15 points, Connor Louden 12 and Anthony Smith 11. For Riverside (7-7), Travis Zimmerman led the way with 18 points, followed by David Russell with 17 and A.D. Hale with 12. St. Albans 85, Hurricane 56 -- Senior center Adam Fletcher scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Red Dragons to the road win. T.J. Douglas added 20 points for St. Albans (8-7), while Jacob Miller had 18. For Hurricane (5-9), J.J. Jones led the way with 19 points, followed by Matt Brown with 10.

He didn't send in a letter. Looks like he's having second thoughts.

That IS great news! What an awesome recruiting class! My only outstanding question...Does Dustin Basch get a Zips grey shirt, or has someone offered him a scholarship?

We get no respect because we've sucked for 16 years! We haven't done squat in basketball since the era of rotary phones. Who do you want on TV if you're ESPN ? Miami? They beat Purdue, Xavier and the Zips! They're 1st in the MAC East. They are a recognized basketball school with NBA players like Wally and Newble. Western Michigan? They're the defending MAC champs. #1 in the MAC west. Buffalo? They are the favorites in the MAC East. They beat Penn State (yes, beating a "name team" counts to the folks at Big School-loving ESPN). They actually made it to the Gund last season. Can't? Wins vs. Creighton and Florida State this year. A one point loss to Boston College. A big win vs. Creighton in last year's Bracket Buster. A guaranteed packed house. I could go on. The simple point is: Miami (Sunday) was our "Marshall" game, if you want to draw a football parallel. We HAD to knock off Miami to get a TV Bracket Buster game, much like we had to knock off Marshall to get the TV "championship" game vs. Miami (football). We didn't come through. The Zips have had a "nice" season, thusfar. But we've beaten no marquee teams, and struggle on the road against any team with a winning percentage greater than .200. We have no MAC hoops history, unless you want to call losing at home in the first round "history." We have no players in the NBA. We have nothing to offer but a "nice" 12-6 record. That doesn't merit TV. Fastforward to 2005-6: We will be a favorite in the MAC East. We will have scheduled and beaten a name team. We will be coming off a nice MAC tournament run of 2+ victories and a 20 win season. THEN we will get our Bracket Buster TV games. As of right now we've got Niagra on Warner Cable. And that's pretty much what we deserved.