Z.I.P.

My guesses, UCSB away on October 5th and Wake Forest at home on October 29thAgreed. Only thing that might make it different is that FSC likes to broadcast Friday night games and the UCSB game is on a Wednesday.Heard from FSC directly that they plan to do the Santa Barbara game, despite the date. Since it's a West Coast game, it likely wouldn't interfere with possible MLS broadcast -- might even make for double-header action. No idea bout the WFU game. They don't really advertise their college schedule in advance, so it could be hard to tell. I'll try to find out for sure.

I was thinking about this last night. I'd have to look up the number of I-A teams and the number of bowl games, but I'm not feeling that motivated today. It seems to me that half of all I-A teams make a bowl game. At the rate teams are going on probation, there could bea chance the NCAA would have to revise rules to allow sub.500 teams to go to a bowl.The move to another division isn't far off. I don't see how it will do anything other than help college football. Ohio high school football has six divisions and a playoff in each. Good competition is created at each division and the playoffs are fun. If Ohio can have six divisions for high school, I think the United States can have five divisions for college football. When I was in high school in the mid 80s, there were only something like five divisions and we were in the middle division. We didn't petition the state to move up to the highest division because we couldn't for one thing and we couldn't compete even if we could. The OHSAA did us a favor by making a division for us. The NCAA would be doing schools in conferences like the mac a favor by making them play in another division. The mac has been in business since the 1940s. It is obvious at this point MAClike conferences can't save themselves so the ncaa has to step in and save them.All I can say is this would be great if you want to turn (MAC and other non-BCS) college football into a version of high school football. I wonder how SkipZip and others who think Akron can be a big-time player feel about that. From my perspective, there's really not much lower our program can go -- we might as well create a HS schedule. But, if that happens, would we be able to save the money going down the "Big-Time" rat hole? Somehow I doubt it. I'm starting to understand what Huggins felt 25 yrs ago, when we started down this path.

All I can say is, anyone good enough to PG Stu Vetter's team is good enough for my Zips! He has probably sent more players to D-1 than any HS coach in America.

Pardon me for getting caught up in the machismo machine someone was operating!Can you ask the rookies why they chose Akron -- particularly the (what three?) young ladies from the Las Vegas Valley. And try asking coach Pfau if he would like a future trip to the 50th state. There are people out here who could arrange that!

I don't know who we will be playing, but I hope we schedule Carleton, Saskatchewan, and Dalhousie or teams of their caliber. I fear we will instead schedule teams like Chabot, Ohlone, and Siskiyous. Regardless, the extra practice time should be beneficial.Just out of curiosity, ZM, why would Akron travel to Canada to play three California community college teams? Maybe we could get scouting report from Derrick Tarver.

I'll be damned if I'm drinking anything named after Phyllis Schlafly! Although that DOES explain a thing or two.

Your first guess was 40% correct!Did you try Goggling "glscl"?Come on, you are a sports nut and a computer wizard.Your vote should have been in days ago.The pole will be closing soon and so far only one vote separates first from second place.Here's my guess: Zipmeister fixed the results of this poll far in advance to ensure he would be the only possible winner. Meister may now send his resume' directly to the Rupert Murdock News Network. He is rated "Highly Qualified" for positions in management.

Actually there has been just one Akron soccer player who played a year and left for the MLS. But you're right, women could not play on the men's soccer team or in a men's professional leagueWell, I don't think we'll be able to definitively answer this one, simply because Don Garber will never allow it to be answered. Could Abby Wambach play in MLS? How about Hope Solo? I think Abby would make Chivas USA a better team right now -- sheez, do they need scoring! And, she's as big as many MLS forwards, taller than Darlington Nagbe, e.g.As far as personal knowledge goes, I have seen one US Women's National Team player, two-time Olympic gold medalist Natasha Kai (now with Philadelphia in WPS) play practice and friendly games with the Hawaii women's team against older men players from the Oahu Island Soccer league -- many of whom have college experience, and Tasha more than held her own -- she was the best player on the field. Not exactly MLS caliber, but good men's ballers nonetheless. I think Tasha could compete against US minor league men's players. And I think the other USWNT players could too. And for that matter the WNBA all-stars or an Olympic team could give a team of NBA D-League players a run for their money. Would probably lose out on account of pure size, but if there were a height limit, it would be a close one.

Apparently you went passed too quickly to discover the skills on display!

I would disagree. At 6' 5", and judging from is Jr season stats, being from Dunbar, the kid isn't a project. He's ready to rebound now.6' 5" is a really common size in the MAC. For him to commit in July means we really wanted him. I'd expect a double-double average from him in his upcoming senior HS season. I know KD has been searching for "The Next Wood/Travis" for a couple years. Akbar looks to fit the bill.The MAC has a tradition of small 4-spot players. Coach Jim Larranaga, when he was at BG had one of the toughest guys I can remember under the boards. If Akbar can be as tough as him, the Rowdies might be chanting "Allahu Akbar!"

Damn, I wanted to be the firstY yo ha discubrido que esto es (As I have discovered, this is one half of our continuing PuertoRican connection).

The real question is: Does he have Monster Hands?? I nominate Moe to be the next Dreal1Scout.

Lucky Z.I.P. In Paradise, what "2 guard"? Brian Walsh is a true point guard. And, at six-foura dimension in Zips basketball here to fore never seen.Not on this roster he's not.I see Rico starting most games at the point. But in KD's offense, there'll be plenty of minutes to go around. Here is another Katz piece on Bobinski. This one can start another scheduling thread!

I always thought Mike Bobinsky was a positive influence on our athletic program, though I think he left in fairly short order. How do people feel his sitting at the head of the NCAA BB Committee will impact Akron and the MAC? It sure can't hurt! The Muskies are coming to Hawaii for the first time this year for the Diamond Head Classic. Hope he makes the trip. I wanna thank him for the 2-guard.

Now we know why Zach Portillo wanted to come to Akron. He'll learn about Akron's ambivalence shortly. GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why? ZP: "Lebron James so he could teach me how to be a baller."

"because of his inflammatory language, Harrison lost any opportunity to make his point about the fairness of Goodell's system or to try to persuade Goodell to change it."Someone provide this lady a copy of the Bill of Rights, please.

Teal Bunbury is a bench player for Sporting KC. He might as well try to play for Canada's NT, his USMNT days look bleak.Your post should be placed on Bunbury's locker at Livestrong Stadium! He needs some motivation.

The Yanks Abroad blog has projected their USA team for the London Olympics next Summer. Perry and Zarek are listed as starters. But, what REALLY impresses the Zip in Paradise is: 19 y.o. local boy Bobby Shou Wood getting the start at forward ahead of people like Teal Bunbury and Jack McInerney. Is Lletget a forward or AM? I also can't help thinking the name "Barson" has to be in contention at CB. Remember, the Olympics is a U23 event for men (no age restriction for the women's teams).

Sixteen new players? 9.5 scholarships? Caleb Porter may not have earned any caps with the US National Team, but he's now wearing more caps than I can count. One of them is an academic and financial aid counselor. It's a great juggling act, but with star student-athletes (e.g., I believe Andy Chiu is a 4.0) you are able to secure competitive scholarships that most programs don't have the same juggling ability with. I know there was a lot of talk on BigSoccer a year ago about how many Akron players had academic scholarships -- and the inference that that was because of lower academic standards at Akron. I think most of our kids could easily get into Duke, Michigan, or any university they wanted. They know they can get the combination of education, futbol, and professional opportunities at Akron that competes with anywhere else.Looking forward even more now to seeing the team early on in the City of Angels.

That's gotta be the best prepared interviewer in history! Some history I wasn't aware of -- for example Bob Rupert being KD's high school coach (did he play bb in HS?) at Firestone. I vaguely remember Rupert coaching in the area before getting the Baldwin Wallace job prior to being the worst coaching decision I can recall UA making. It's fascinating that without that coincidence, he may have never entered coaching.Can anyone remember Keith's baseball history? I thought he was a catcher, but the story says he played 3rd. I may have seen 3 or 4 games during our undergrad years together, but have no memory of him. I do remember that I went to the games to see the best pitcher in the OVC, Mike Birkbeck.

OVACOkay, but your documentary evidence still doesn't beat out the faulty memory in my hard head! Wonder how that happened?

Well here's more proof I'm losing my mind. I don't remember either of these games being played at the Rubber Bowl.Rubber Bowl? What was the topic again? (BTW -- thanks for not counting the third one)

Party ended for the USA. However the home fans are still celebrating. Watch the bicycle goal by the bandaged Gomez vs Germany that sent Mexico to finals vs Uruguay. WOW! Mexico plays the finals at Azteca Stadium, which seats, what? 150 thousand, or something like that? There won't be an empty seat.

Someone check my trivial memory! Wasn't Sweitzer the QB who also returned kicks? He was, I think, in the top 5 in the nation in kickoff returns (#!?). Though I don't think I ever saw him play, I met his girlfriend, who was a cheerleader with Coleman Crawford's BB team, which visited the isles in 1990. Ahhhh, the legendary headless Zippy trip! You're probably right about that and I know he had a gun for an arm throwing out runners from third base as a baseball Zip.Sweitzer was from Indianapolis area. His brother played (DB, I think) for Miami (O). I think it was 91 that his GF was in Hawaii. Coleman, I think is still coaching in Dallas.