Z.I.P.

For anyone from out of town, wanting the jersey (hint to L.A. Zip, Kangaroo Craig, etc.), just give a call to Nicole at the UA Bookstore, 330-972-6706, and she'll hook ya up! I hope to be wearing mine around the isles next week. Stylin'!

I updated the link to show the parentage of the idea. I want some credit here, considering that I got none for "Fear the Roo!" Oh -- BTW -- I got my tickets in the mail today -- but no scarf. I hope I don't have to fly to Akron to pick up my scarf this time. That would make it a pretty expensive purchase.

I updated the link to show the parentage of the idea. I want some credit here, considering that I got none for "Fear the Roo!"

I don't know much about Hartwick, except -- they ARE the only MAC opponent that has won a national championship (late 70s), though there student body was not yet alive.

Zach and company, How would you rate the goalkeepers? I read they played a half each. Does freshman Alex Luevano have a chance to unseat the veteran keeper?

Has anyone seen a complete schedule of televised college soccer games? Please send link when you do!

If your a fan of the greatest game in the world, check it out. OOOOhhhhhhhhhhh! I thought we were going to see the real Jet of New York, Thierry Henry. Oh, well...

Next up: Sports Illustrated Pop Culture Grid! Standing by stage right. Athletes in the mix: Kristy McPherson LPGA golfer. Q: My verdict on LeBron's Decision: "Good by me. Sorry, Akron!" Dear Kristy, no reason to express your sorrow to the Rubber City, we didn't "lose" His Eminence, Cleveland did. And, for the umpteenth time...Akron is NOT Cleveland!!! Not!

Does the fact that the time was moved up from 7:30 mean the lights aren't functioning yet, or that these are the green Zips?

Nick Harney 6'7" combo-forward from Benedictine? If so that news broke months ago. He's greyshirting this year to work on academics and hopefully become eligible in 2011-12. If this is who you are refering to we still have one scholarship left to use on a PG. If you are refering to someone else I am honestly quite puzzled. We have a wealth of forwards on the team in the long term with Gilliam, Diggs, Egner, Green, Euton, Cvetinovic and Harney and are glarringly thin at PG. I suppose if we are talking about a stud like Jakarr Sampson (who is from the Cleveland area despite attending St.V's in Akron) or Anton Grady from Central Catholic it would make some sense, but we would probably need to pull a scholarship from someone else in order to make room for a PG then. that is not who I am referring to...new name...high level talent I am exceedingly confused by this then. If he truly is "high level talent" from "Cleveland" who "will be on campus this fall" I am truly stumped. It would almost have to be a transfer or a de-commit from another school. Nobody shows up on searches of rivals, scout or espn that isn't already committed. this is certainly a unique situation...unless you're from the Cleveland area, you might not recognize the name...but, be assured, he is a Big East/high major caliber of a player...academics were an issue and other schools backed off and Akron will pick themselves up a very nice little prospect if he keeps his head on straight I don't like being played, and I think that's what's happening here. This fella has Big East talent, but no one outside Cleveland is aware of it. Yeah, and you should see the real estate I got for sale in Kansas. Plenty of room to anchor your yacht behind the outhouse.

Hello, Mr Athletic Director? Puulllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!?! Get us ready for the run to Santa Barbara!

That means they had to have at least 194 popcorn fires (@2k per call) last year for this to balance out $$-wise. Maybe they should create a hemp fire-alarm system if they REALLY want to save money in Athens! Wonder how long it took Todd Mollautt to put this story up on Miami HawkTalk?

If you go back over twenty years, our biggest rivals from the old Ohio Collegiate Soccer Conference were Cleveland State and Bowling Green. But both of these have, as they say, "fallen on hard times". We really have no rivals in our own conference, so I have to say without a bit of doubt in my mind, that the one team we have to stay on top of in our region are the hated Yeagleys of Cutter Town. Considering our own coach's pedigree, this rivaly will make some uncomfortable. But not we "old-timers". We still remember being torn apart by the play of Angelo DiBernardo, the greatest collegiate baller of my youth, and coach Yeag I's inclination to sub 10 players at a time. I'm here to school anyone who needs background on the past 35 years of Zips Soccer. Anything I don't know, that guy in Franklin County can answer -- he has even more experience than me!

Well, like CJ, he should have a pretty good view of the action from the Akron bench.

You assume that money would have been readily available to "improve academics". How much did us having a D-1 program play in Proenza wanting to come here? How much does D-1 mean to donors? People talk about the "glory days" like they were glorious. They weren't, we had heavy win seasons and averaged 14,000 fans. Our losing seasons average over 15. How much has being 1-AA helped YSU academics? How much has not spending $$$ on football helped Cleveland States academics. Understand that Academics are tied to history, that's it, nothing more, nothing less. Pitt is an "academic school" because of the polio vaccine. Miami(OH) matters because it's old and that is pretty much it. We could have spent our entire athletic budget for the last 30 years (I believe the latest number was 27.4 million) and you know what? It would not even equal 2 years of operating budget. It would barely pass up what we have spent on academics over the last 14 years. And even spending 822 million (which it would be less if we factored in the actual athletic budget over the last 30 years) you know what we would be? Akron University that wasn't even a state university until 1967. And if we only did the football budget (something around 9-10 million) the investment would be half that. But again you are assuming that money would be there (and no football, or lower tier football, and that money isn't there, it doesn't exist at all). We have received far more alumni investment, far more attention from being a mediocre D-1 football program then we ever did being 1-AA or D-II. The move to D-1 was made based off of what the growing student body wanted and a look at the academic investments that D-1 programs receive. Maybe the lackluster record is disheartening, but it took us 20 years just to get an on campus practice field. I know you old timers don't have much of it left, but give it some time. So you see, my comment did -- as I intended -- foster discussion. The point was forced on me by the lingering, and for now hopefully, bottoming status of Akron football. This pointed discussion is made at every university in America. I imagine everyone agrees that college athletics receives far more attention than it deserves in comparison to the academic mission of higher education. It is not a simple phenomenon to understand or resolve, and so simplistic solutions sometimes proposed from purely anti-athletics perspectives are not just unrealistic, but possibly counterproductive. As g-mann17 points out, in this nation (and particularly with public universities) failure to compete in intercollegiate athletics can have a detrimental effect on alumni and community support. But, administrators still must balance competing interests, many of whom are rightfully envious of the $$ that go to programs whose purpose is stroking the egos of wealthy alums and not-so-rational sports fanatics. Irrationality as a given, on balance, I'd rather be in our position than YSU's or CSU's, but we shouldn't be limiting our range of options to "competing" with minor league universities. This discussion ain't going away -- and the more football struggles, the more it will be repeated here and elsewhere in the community. Maybe a bigger concern is, if dreal1scout gets his Akron pole dancing team, how are we going to keep the Monster Hands to themselves?

Maybe you should pull your head out..! (just kidding, hehe) Read any of my posts and make that your poll. 2010 On another pole note, I know several lovely Cant cheerleader lasses moonlighting as Pole-dancers if anybody has an upcoming birthday/bachelor party. After last year, I just don't have faith! Now I was there in the time of Danny Ruff and Jack Beidelman. And the Grantland Rice Bowl and some guy named Bradshaw. Glory is possible, but fleeting. akzips71, You bring up a fascinating truism. Forty-plus-years have passed since those days, and Akron would like to believe it has moved up to "Big-Time College Football", but the truth is, we are at basically the same relative spot in the pecking order that we were in during the College Division, and later Division I-AA days. How much energy and $$$ have we spent to keep running in place on this rat trap? And what effect could that $$$ have had, if it had been spent to better the academic standing of the university?

If you think Zarek was an omission you have to count it Barson. Started every game as well and had a Goal and Assist. He also is with the U20 national team. An oversupply of All-America type players. I guess they will have to soothe their egos by going on the pitch and bringing back a ring.

Good article by Dohrmann. Next year is the U-17 (and I think U-19) World Cup, in Mexico. A good chance that future Zips Will Trapp and Bryan Gallego will be part of the U17s, as well as recruiting target Andrew Souder of Premier Academy -- now playing for Crew Academy. Zarek Valentin will be a star at MLS level, and will be quickly replaced by another star. Anyone who saw Perry Kitchen plan in last year's U17 WC saw what a fantastic long passer he is out of the back. Look forward to seeing him lead counterattacks beginning in mere weeks, if he can earn a spot in the lineup.

I hope they don't hire Bob Bradley. That would start the "Porter to head USMNT" speculation!

Hmmmmmm...So I take it Dreal isn't heading to North Carolina for the start of soccer season???

Zach, I think you should register for that site, just to ask this dipwad how he can stand to work so close to such a pit. And to express sympathy for such low self esteem. You think he's a Wake alum? Maybe the Great GP1 can offer therapy -- or at least some insight to his thinking.

How does this Examiner blog work anyway, with regard to the city cited? Every time I've ever seen it, it has "Examiner Birmingham" displayed to me -- whether I'm at work or at home (I did just open the Examiner Akron, and that's what it read). I usually use it to find info on the Seattle Sounders, in fact the best Sounders blog -- put together by their PR Dept Director is on Examiner (Birmingham, that is). Welcome to Bama?

Is Rossi from the same high school as Joe Tuzze? Tuzze was from either Riverside or Lakeside HS -- and near Scranton. Carbondale I think is the name of the town -- I have a friend in San Diego from there.

"...Tailback Alex Allen is almost fully recovered..." Damn, I thought he was 100 percent?!? I might have to take one of my wins away from my prediction. IMO having a healthy AA this season is important in the win/loss column. I felt that way last year too. How is Bain's back feeling?

Yes, but how do you REALLY feel Cap'n?? Please show us your inner-most emotions about the Golden flushes potential to become road kill for eguins and company!