Z.I.P.

Yes. 40 to Zip over highly favored Tampa featuring Freddie Solomon at QB and Leon McCray at RB (both of whom spent time in the NFL). Zips opening kickoff returned to the Tampa 4 yard line. Fumble lost on their first play from scrimmage. We score on our first play. ACME Zip game sold old crowd. Tampa drops football following year.Second place memory. 80 yard punt at end of the game against Northern Michigan. Ball disappears into the fog that had settled in forming a ceiling on the Bowl right at the top of the stands, reemerges out of the fog behind the return man.Seems to me both games happened in the early 70s, but the brain cells that contained that info in my head have shut down (also McCray might be McQuay).And that game was Tampa's first after finishing the previous season ranked in the top-20, and beating guess who -- Can't State in the Tangerine Bowl. That's proof that it was a LONG, LONG time ago!

(American) Football games? OK, I don't go back quite as far as some of you, but I did see a couple of Browns games there, which I can remember. The last one, which my brother took me to -- the last time they played an exhibition in Akron was vs the NY Giants. It must have been the final exhibition of the pre-season, and Norm Snead, then the starting QB for the Giants, a long-time non-contender at that time (1970, 71?) did everything possible to avoid injury. In fact, many times, after handing the ball off, he turned his back and RAN backwards to avoid any possibility of being tackled! That was the game that Pete Gogolak, the legendary Giants place kicker was the first one I ever saw to kick a ball completely out of the stadium, about ten feet over the entrance tower. They stuffed about 42,000 bodies in the place that night.Later, in the mid 70s, Temple played a couple times at the Bowl, when they were a decent team, even marginally top-20 possibly, and Akron beat hem at least once. However, I remember their kicker Nick MikeMayer, who would play many seasons with the Atlanta Falcons kicked two field goals over 50 yards in the same game.TV? ESPN? The 1967 Grantland Rice Bowl vs LA Tech was televised somehow, I recall watching Bradshaw beat our butts. Then the Pioneers Bowl D-2 title game vs Montana State on ABC. The first regular season game I can remember seeing televised was AT Middle Tennessee soon after we joined the OVC. All I remember was that several coeds had the identical signs -- "Pop the Zits". I bet that creative idea was ubiquitous back in the day.But of course, the greatest -- weirdest -- memory I will take shall always be the Stupid Punter Game, vs Morehead State. I have told the story of Kevin Kendall before, and don't have the time to repeat it in its entirety, but in short, the idiot (well, OK, naive freshman!) was told by Dennison before running onto the field to hold onto the ball and not kick it -- as there were only a few seconds left in the half, and it was 4th and long from the MSU 40 YL. But, no one told him what to do after the clock ran out, and that the half didn't end just because the clock was on 0:00 -- he had to fall down to end the half. So he ran around the field with the ball under his arm for at least thirty seconds in every possible direction, finally being chased 60 yards from the line of scrimmage to the corner of his own end zone, where he eventually threw up a "pass" as he was about to be tackled in the end zone. Everyone assumed he and his team had escaped into the locker room unscathed, until late in the halftime, the PA announcer came on and said that the officials had assessed a grounding the football penalty on the play, and it being from the end zone, resulted in a safety. If anyone has that on tape, it should go to the Hall of Fame -- AND Shame!

Are you serious Spin? Did that happen? I don't think so. However, I DO have a RB soccer memory that I recently shared with someone in a pm -- Zip 37 I think. The first game of freshman Pat Nash's career, Akron was playing a season opener friendly against -- wish I could remember exactly -- a national side from Asia, possibly Singapore or Malaysia. The opposition had no players taller than about 5-5. But they were so fast, they would run around with the ball and control possession for long stretches without even attempting an attack. I think late in the first half, ""Doc" Nash's boy, who I had seen for years kicking the ball around at halftimes at Lee Jackson gets the ball about 35 yards out just to the press box side of center, and unleashes a shot toward the open end of the bowl that went like a guided missile into the upper left of the net. Amazing that it didn't tear down the net or go through it!

Ha ha. That's pretty good. But no self-respecting football fan in Hawaii can give any credibility to a list of the worst coaches that doesn't include this guy, who went 5-31 including being the first coach to lose twelve games in a season, and the following season June Jones arrived and won 10 games with the same players. So, there you go -- I-Coach has something to aim for.

Apparently not. Hope it's nothing major.Something funny going on -- he's not listed as a sub, including DNP category for any of the (3) box scores I saw for this one. Assume he must have gone on IR, but it's not reported on SJEarthquakes.com (admittedly a poor site by a crummy administration) as having sustained an injury. I think he played 90 in the previous game vs NYRB played at Stanford U before >40,000. Anybody back there heard anything about our Tony?

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!

Thanks 37! I was trying to remember Leonard "Truck" Robinson. He was one of the first NBA "Bad Boys". He played for the Trialblazers, I believe. I think Larry Steele was also on the team, and played in the League a few years.Aaaahhhh! Larry Steele...Lloyd Neil... Who's paying attention to this anyway? He's a legend in PDX!

Thanks 37! I was trying to remember Leonard "Truck" Robinson. He was one of the first NBA "Bad Boys". He played for the Trialblazers, I believe. I think Larry Steele was also on the team, and played in the League a few years.

Ada knows Baltimore!

Thanks Jacob. That was awesome. Take a look at #63 -- Harlem Globetrotter futbol! Hilarious Also, watch #21 by Falcao -- reminds one of Roger Federer, between the legs!

As the L.A. Times wrote, fans just awoke from their slumber in time for two Chivas goals. I missed all but the end of this game, but I have a pretty good idea how it went, as Robin Fraser's team has been lackluster for the past three weeks. But apparently, San Jose met and exceeded their lusterlessness. I've rarely seen a player have a wider lane to shoot through than Ben Zemanski. But kudos for taking advantage! Now let's get a streak going. Blair Gavin started for CDCUSA. Didn't see Ampai, did he play for the Earthquake?

Here's to The Lone Ranger.

Well alright, I got the year wrong (GoZips confirms I was out of diapers by that time). It was 1972. But it was in Evansville, and it was Brian Westover who scored to beat Tennessee State, and their superstar, Larry Steele. Boy, I hope that was his name, or else some Old Timer will jump all over me! Was the first opponent Philly Textile (now U of Philly)? I don't think YSU ever made the post season in D-2. Didn't they ALWAYS suck?

Brian Westover was a 6-8 center from Massillon. Yes, he made the winning basket in overtime against Tenn State, completing the FAN-tastic comeback from a 12 point halftime deficit, IN Evansville. I'm almost positive the year was 1970 (but as GoZips will confirm, I was in diapers). Check the media guides available on-line. I'll Google the NCAA for the timeline.

Two cents from a guy who hasn't been to a baseball game in over a decade, but used to be a regular at the best college stadium in the Central Pacific (or America for that matter). College baseball has overgone a big transformation in the past 15-20 years. And the biggest facet of that transformation is geography. Top players are leaving Ohio -- and other snowbelt states more rapidly than ever, and sunbelt colleges have invested major $$ in their programs with beautiful facilities, while schools in the North, including I have to assume BCS level programs, have been left in the dingy grey dust of snowmelt. Akron needs to compete against MAC and similar mid-major conferences in baseball (no, not Wichita State or Creighton, major but declining teams from the MizzouValley), and that can be done for a smidgen of the cost of our soccer stadium upgrade. It seems the overall upgrade of Lee Jackson would help baseball, but yes, you have to have fan-friendly stands, even if Zach could bring a folding chair to keep his butt dry. Compare Akron with Can't State, Central Michigan or whoever is at the top of the MAC at a given time. It wouldn't seem a lot of money is needed to compete with ordinary mediocre programs. Wright State has become a respected program, how much better can their facilities be?

Losing to one team would override the Sweet Sixteen? I can't state that you're actually asking that! Here's my response.

I turned Hawai'i red!

Pretty sure Bisbee and I will be there. I will absolutely be there My first trip into the San Fernando Valley, but from looks, not much choice in Lodging. There's a HoJo Express about two miles south of campus. Cheap @ $70/nt, if I don't stay with relatives. I have to travel to Hawaii women's games in Irvine and Long Beach on Fri/Sunday.

That's amazing, as I attended both of those -- First game, I think was vs Philadelphia Textile, the second game in 1970 in Evansville, IN. The opponents were called the greatest small college basketball team ever, coming in, and left with one defeat. Amazingly, the NCAA Finals opponent, Roanoke lost their top scorer in the semis, for fighting, but used the emotion to play a great title game against a tired Akron team which played OT the night before. I have a great memory for having been a toddler at the time.

This is why I tell kids, it's really nice that you can kick the ball back to your teammate every time he kicks it to you. But can you trap the ball first? Because if you can trap those balls each time, and control possession, then you have control of both the ball, and your opponent. I'm trying to remember the other two great goals in MLS this year, on similar plays, where the player trapped, volleyed to himself, and let loose the ball into the net. I think the first was by DC United's Charlie Davies early in the season, and I think everyone's seen the goal two weeks ago by the Frenchman, Eric Hassli of Vancouver Whitecaps. One of the great all-timers in MLS, up there with Brian Ching's bicycle kick goal in 2007.

Soccer fans, here's the latest update on Z.I.P.'s plans for the 2011 season: University of Hawai'i announced their schedule this week, and as I am a benefactor I may be obligated to attend road games which happen to fall perfectly in between the Akron games vs the Cal State schools from Sept 1-4. Four games in four days! That may be too much to pass up. Unfortunately, there is no pro futbol at the Home Depot Center during this time unless I arrive several days earlier -- which I won't rule out. Is there anyone else on the board considering or planning to attend the Northridge tournament?

Wistercil has added to his resume by choosing his first new head baseball coach.Guess what? He's a former K-ent State coach. And has a LOOOONG resume of victories, before heading to the ACC. Sounds to this observer like they got the best coach available. But I don't follow the sport, so whatta I know. Let'er rip.

You be careful what you say now Cap'n. You keep spoutin' off that radical talk, some peoples on here gonna think you one o' those there Can't Staters!

At least you HAVE the NFL Network!

The party is over for the USA. Suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Germans. What does the future hold for coach Wilmer Cabrera? Time will tell.