Z.I.P.

"I will play defensive end at Akron because that's my better position," said Williams, who plans on majoring in architecture. Who's he think he is -- George Costanza? When did Akron start an architecture program -- undergrad yet??

And now they have the excellent opportunity of becoming the first team to go from DD losses to DD wins to DD losses again! Can you say, "Ball State"?

From what I understand, you are mostly correct. Had the student athlete taken a full course load (12 credits), regardless of any practice or association with the team, he would not be eligible after a transfer without losing a year's eligibility. I'll guess this kid did not take a full course load at Ball State in Fall 2010. Thus his 5-year clock has not yet begun. And he can play this fall, and three seasons thereafter. Actually, he could redshirt in 2011, and start his Freshman season @ Akron in 2012, with three years to play thereafter. I'm sure he expects to play this fall, however. The extra year's eligibility does give him the availability of a medical redshirt, should he get injured in 2011, 2012 or 2013. Well, I hope that covers everything.

Top Drawer Soccer's latest update on recruiting commitments shows Cincinnati United FB Janese Atkinson of Mason, OH commiting to play in Akron next season. She's the #16 recruit in Great Lakes region. I think this is the first recruiting class in which Coach Pfau has been able to recruit players a step above what he or his predecessor put on the field. Let's hope 2011 means a turning-point season.

I told the folks in Santa Barbara we need to establish a Firestone Cup competition between our schools -- if we win we get a case of Santa Barbara County's finest wine, if they win they get a set of four Bridgestone steel-belted radials. They didn't seem that enthused... Maybe Drew can throw in "A new car"!

A&M bought Dickerson the car thinking it would be enough to get him to sign with A&M. It wasn't. He signed with SMU and took the car A&M bough him to Dallas. First prize for disambiguation goes to GP1. However, EDick still claims that Tex A&M had nothing to do with the car -- "My grandma bought that car". Don't argue w/granma.

Is that a misprint? It's a conference basketball game, not an exhibition or a tune-up game against a D-III team. I'd expect something similar to the little presentation when Zippy won mascot of the year. Doing this during a conference basketball game is a good idea since there will already be a crowd of maybe 4,000 people, and the soccer fans should make that larger. It will increase the basketball game attendance, and the two crowds combined will create a great atmosphere for the recognition. A separate celebration wouldn't draw like this, and a good enough draw for a parade is just wishful thinking. Skip, the reason for holding a parade is not to attract a downtown crowd. It's because an accomplishment on the level of a national collegiate championship deserves a celebration that serves the entire city of Akron, not just the university community. My city of Honolulu held a parade for Brian Clay, the Olympic decathlon champion and the Little League team that won the LLWS. Not more than a couple hundred people besides the downtown workers showed, but that was not the point. This team, and the City of Akron deserve to celebrate their NCAA Champs.

Here is another fantastic interview from former Akron standout Teal Bunbury Shooting it With Teal Bunbury..... Son of Kristi Bunbury That link did not work. Hopefully, this one will do the trick. BTW -- how about that name: The Shin Guardian. Outstanding! One of the trends that needs to be seen by soccer skeptics is the explosion in soccer/football websites over just the past three or four years. It would not surprise me if there are now more websites devoted to the Beautiful Game than there are devoted to the American version of the world's favorite sport.

Ummmmm, have you seen Akron's quarterbacks?

I think that the sound of two retirees talking to themselves amid one-thousand-nine-hundred "fans" sitting quietly at the lecture, I mean basketball game, might have sounded louder than it actually was. Give the poor punk a break! (I'm just glad Gozips wasn't in the area, or the father-son might have gotten their hair singed)

Tom W. sends thanks for pointing that out.

+++ Where's that Mayor Pasquatelli guy? Doesn't he wanna be associated with a national champion? Might get him another 4 or 6 years in office!

That's kind of the attitude Modell took to the whole city of Cleveland. (Not that Mr Cox Esquire didn't deserve it)

It’s going to be neat when we play Can't State next week.” Dig it!

You should have flushed the money you gave to Can't down the toilet. I cannot think of a single program Can't has that is as good as what UofA offers. I cannot think of a single program at Can't that comes close to our Polymer Science School. UofA has a much better engineering school. UofA has a much better business school. My brother is a doctor and he says the best nurses around are UofA graduates. UofA has the nationally known Ray C. Bliss Institute. UofA yearly produces the highest percentage of first time bar sitters that pass the exam on the first try. I will give it to Can't that they have a first rate fashion museum . Let me say again. The only thing Can't is known for is the unfortunate matter that happened in the 1970s. That's pathetic. I have no respect for the president of Can't. I have no respect for the students at Can't. I have no respect for the sports programs at Can't. I have no respect for the faculty at Can't. I have no respect for the janitors who clean the buildings at Can't. They could bulldoze the whole place as far as I'm concerned. If Portage County went back to being a swamp, nobody would miss it. LMFAO! And, as Z.I.P. stated: the so-called "rivalry" between Akron and Can't is 100% emotional (and political), and has no basis in reason. I rest my case.

Well...the coach did get a trophy! And I think GP-1's comment deserves a bit of reflection: This is not a tough one for me. Beating Can't is the answer not just intellectually, but also emotionally. Actually, the so-called "rivalry" between Akron and Can't is 100% emotional (and political), and has no basis in reason. They are two fine neighboring institutions of higher learning. I have contributed to deserving programs in each, and will continue to. Now as to Akron beating the SuckNuts? I would give a nut for that one. They fall out of the palm trees here all the time.

I saw that. It was great. Thank you Men's Soccer! I missed that one, but did see a promo showing THIS year's College Cup finally (they were showing last year's final all fall). Not sure if it was Nanny or maybe Z carrying the ball. Hopefully I'll see it more times after this endless parade of crummy bowl games is over. BTW-- where did we finish overall last year? 24 pts for second in soccer, did we get any more?

Well, no doubt the charges will be thrown out, considering the black racist nature of the American criminal justice system.

Anybody still on backorder? I got my shirts today. Shipping took three days to get from Akron to Indiana, then two from IN to HI. I like it -- the gold stands out very nicely.

Or they could come back and be a placekicker for the Zips American football team. There's a former Columbus Crew player doing that for Tressel.

Please, someone tell me what we're not understanding. I see all of the Akron guys making somewhere around 50K. 50k is a hell of a lot more than most fresh grads will make in their entry level first jobs. 28-35k is the norm. GA contracts are higher than the "league min." Look at Zakuani... his guaranteed 2010 is over $160,000. I would expect that the GA guys will be making around $100,000ish. Okay, time for a little lesson on the subject of Generation Adidas contracts. (lesson plan made from Z.I.P.'s memory) #1. The contract is a "bonus" payment -- which I imagine can be paid in one lump sum, or paid out over a term. #2. Zakuani's G.A. payment was reportedly $175k -- by far the biggest ever to that point. Frankly, I would expect Kitchen to get more than that, whether he goes #1 or not. #3. G.A. players do receive a annual contract beyond the G.A. bonus check, however, in most cases, I believe the Adidas contribution is intended by MLS management to allow clubs to pay far less than what should be the going rate for talent. I wonder how much of the annual payment shown for Stevie Z is part of his G.A. deal. #4. The MLS minimum salary is set at what -- $45k now? Believe it or not, that is a vast improvement from just 3 years ago when it was the massive amount of $12,500. Although most of those receiving the bottom rung of contracts are guys who are not on the roster for a full season. I'm naturally disappointed that we will lose these seven stars. But it also helps contribute to the mystique of Akron Soccer. So let's get on the recruiting trail. As I have said, I'm told a January by-invitation-only camp at the Styles Ctr will be a large contributor to the 2011 roster for international talent. Can Root4Roo sneak in for an upcoming article?

That is my sentiment exactly.

I was thinking that I posted this earlier, but I guess not -- the first day I returned home to O'ahu from Santa Barbara, I had two strangers walk up to me while I was wearing the soccer T-shirt with just the A-Roo logo and ask me if I was from Akron! They both said they had seen the team win the championship over the weekend, and said what a fine team Akron had. So, maybe, just maybe, someone DOES pay attention to the Beautiful Game. Of course this is outside the Continental United States, so Skip-zip can claim an exemption from the rule.

I have only attended one collegiate ice hockey game in my life, first Sat in December, 1984. Sandwiched around my first visit to the horseshoe stadium for the OHSAA football finals, and the Zips meeting the Suckeyes at St John's Arena was a game between #1 and #2 -- OSU and BGSU in the amazingly tiny ice rink sitting just outside the front doors of St John's. I would say it may have seated a hundred people, but not comfortably! Playing at Value City is a bit of an upgrade for the Bucks. I seem to recall that OSU defeated #1 Bowling Green that day, but BeeGee came back, and won the national title later in the year. The rink had photos and clippings on the wall of the first black college hockey players at OSU in the 50s. It was a museum-like atmosphere, as much as a playing venue -- due to the age. I would not be surprised if it was used in the 1940s. Wonder if it's still standing.

I always thought about how tough it must be to be a player or coach of another MAC men's soccer team. No matter how hard they work they to be the best with what they are given, we are kind of an anomaly in the MAC and it is unrealistic to knock us off. I almost feel bad for them, almost. I also wonder if this would in some way hurt recruiting to those other schools. Like, if players get offers from other mid-majors where they wouldn't have to struggle trying to beat the best team in the nation, maybe they would chose that school instead. I think our presence might help. We won the national championship as a MAC school. By that alone, the MAC can be regarded as a solid soccer conference. The other schools will get to play us every year, and at home every other. We've also shown that for a relatively cheap (compared to football and basketball) investment, MAC schools can compete at the top of this sport against the big names and get national recognition for it. Agreed! And Cleveland State would have had a tough job getting second in the MAC in 2010 -- so that shows beating Akron (once at least!) isn't impossible. Looking back, I wonder how that loss effected the team. Probably had very little if any effect on their confidence -- just tighten the waistband and move on -- the goal was still weeks away.