Z.I.P.

These "workshops" are becoming commonplace across the college football landscape. My first reaction when the U of Hawaii started it several yrs ago was, "what a sexist idea" -- they exclude men from these events to make the ladies "more comfortable". Now my wonderment is elsewhere: It may be time for Coach Porter and the athletic department to begin workshops exploring the finer parts of The Beautiful Game. Unfortunately, it appears it is too late to time it in concert with the World Cup. But something needs to be done to increase interest in our national power team to the point that tickets must be purchased in advance for every game, because a sellout is likely. Go Zips. in waiting.

I'll bet the same post (with a different President's name) is on the Toledo Rockets' BB this morning!

I like the way you envision it. Did you pick that up somewhere or make it up yourself? Actually, that's the same "conservative center" rhetoric that you get to hear and read every day from the so-called "mainstream media". The owners of that media work very hard to ensure that as few truly "outside the box" ideas as possible ever hear or see the light of day, regardless of whether they come from the right or left (though the right is very much better represented on network news, and that one cable hole). Sorry for my skepticism, but I've been paying close attention to this subject since my days of specializing in "sociology of knowledge" at Olin Hall. Yes, there is a connection between access to power and access to information. Both are controlled by the same forces, and that is not a conspiracy theory, just reality.

Well, in part this is a perceptive statement on GP's behalf. After a quarter-century of liberalism and neo-liberalism (from both parties, but especially the GOP), Democrats have been shaken awake by the grassroots of their party to realize that the gap between rich and poor is the greatest it has been in over a century of wealth and opportunity maldistribution. The last time that inequality was this great, we had a progressive era (led in part by that icon of Republicans, Teddy Roosevelt), and a populist movement that was brutally opposed by fed troops. But on the other hand, one of my favorite (comedic) statements from American "conservatives" is the deadpan remark, "The US is a center-right nation". Well of course it is dummy! There are only two political parties allowed in the US, one in the center, and one on the right! America will change if and when it is permitted to have a full political spectrum, instead of two thirds of one. And don't get me wrong, I'm not personally a supporter of "left-of-center" (by international standards) politicians. But, the influence and impact of having the involvement of a real left would be huge. Even a "tiny" and relatively irrelevant left-of-center party like the New Democrats puts Canada to the left of the US, even though their other two parties are center (Liberals) and right (Tories). This lack of a "real left" is what allows out-of-this-world rhetoric like calling middle-of-the-road Democrats, like the current POTUS the 'S' word. The other effect of that is to legitimize some of the elements of the far left who are often as loony as their opponents on the Tea Party right.

Thanks Carman, George is one of the Good Guys!

THEY didn't.

Hey LA Zip, How's about joining me on August 14 at the Tool Box? The Sounders and Steve Zakuani are in town to face Chivas USA and their two Zips, Blair and Ben. Not positive yet, but I may be there. Let me know if you're interested. Maybe we can get tix via the Zipvine.

I was on-line this morning, shopping for my official World Cup vuvuzela when I came across this. Steve, Blair and Sinisa jerseys on sale from BigSoccer. What, no Ben Zemanski? We gotta correct that, he's playing better than any of them right now.

I like Jozy's better!

Oh all people Zach, you're missing a FOOTBALL game to watch Soccer? That's just wrong. Welcome, fellow subversive!

Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast the New York Red Bulls home game against Chivas USA on Saturday at 7:30 EST from the new Red Bulls Arena in lovely Harrison NJ. Sinisa Ubiparipovic starts at LW for the Red Bulls, while Blair Gavin and Ben Zemanski start across the center midfield for los chivos de Chivas. Both teams are in big-time slumps. I believe CD Chivas a four-game losing streak in league, and Red Bulls three-game losers (though they did beat lowly Juventus in a friendly)? Both sides are frantic for a 'W'. Over-under on attendance? 10,000 anyone?

Agreed, but apparently MU(OH) is all about letting people see their absolute worst. Just ask those 3 sororities. I think it was 1999 when Kansas State made a field goal on the last play to make the score 56 to 0 over Northern Illinois. Then they went to the locker room to prepare for the second half. This game should be similar. But looking at that sked, the Redsk, er, uh, Redhawks have a serious shot at four wins this season. Can the I-team say that?

Well, that's what happens when you downgrade athletics!

Can anyone Cut-n-Paste? That site isn't working for me.

Do we need any further proof of the priority of the New Akron Athletics? However, our old friend Barb would have booked a flight back home, then driven to NC with a stop to see the Rifle team in between!

No, I don't care. But thanks for the notice, I wouldn't miss it for my life! What interview are we talking about again?

You can "aspire" and "want" until the cows come home...if no one wants to offer a scholarship, you either accept being a walk-on, or give up the dream. Seems to me he would be a coveted recruit. To the Penguinis of YSU!

I do. Every MAC team was excited about making the road trip to Florida. It was a lot more attractive than Muncie or Ypsalanti. I know every Zips player during that era had the Florida trip marked on their calendar. Spot on. Hey, ITZ! Just noticed your new address. Congratulations on the venture! So, did you have a chance to watch Nottingham Forest's grand collapse from certain promotion to playoff losers? Forest just happens to be my team in the FA. My Dad served in the USAAF/RAF in Stone village, just West of you. How's the pub life where you are?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...he's moved up in income bracket, but also his workplace is Downtown Cleveland, rather than the title of that old Pretenders' song.

The pathetic focus of "LeBron Day In Akron" is that the guy left Akron back in -- I may be off by a year or so here so forgive me, I forget exactly -- 2003. But, as they say, you can take LeBron James out of Akron, but you can't take the Akron out of LeBron James. Will the city's "image" somehow be harmed if James plays in New York or Chicago, rather than Cleveland? Gimme a break, folks. Akron might be better off, meaning it would gain greater acclaim, if LeBron played in Tokyo or Paris or some other world capitol, rather than in the insular empire. Maybe Bron can get that agent from the United commercial with Mark Cuban? "LeBron only wants to play in Zurich...Amsterdam...Beijing...!"

The only network I'm aware of that televises college soccer is Fox Soccer Channel. They have a Friday night game of the Week, so only the UNC game would fit of the two in NC. Not sure if the stadium there can accomodate TV. But, usually the games are in the NE -- so if Bucknell plays Lafayette that night, well, just forget it.

Even before I read this article I can tell you, the Great Decline of Midwest, or Big-11 football, or um, athletics, is one of the great and persistent blog headlines that won't go away. I see no similar evidence showing such a bottoming out. Yes, the Southeast Conference has increased what advantages they have had in certain sports (i.e, football) as these sports have increased in size (i.e., $$), and the ACC has grown, in large part through expansion, but interestingly, the conference that has also increased it's influence and power is the Big-12, which last time I checked was a Midwestern conference (though I could repeat the findings of a survey I took for a geography class in 1981 showing a majority of UA students believed all Midwestern states were East of the Mississippi!). But, if you want to focus in on the Big 10/11/qualquiero, I see no hard evidence that it's relative position in major or Olympic sports has declined over the past decade or two. However, if I am off-base, I know that Dave From Green will present graphic testimony using conclusive RPI evidence that will put me in my place. Give it your Bulldog best Dave. BTW, folks, please don't get me going about the PAC-10's "dominance" in college athletics. Oh, well, maybe if you live outside the West coast you don't have to put up with that shameless self-promotion.

These projections are rated in part not so much on skills or working within the team, but on simple individual athleticism. Ownsby is generally considered the fastest player in collegiate football/soccer. But using those standards, Zemanski and Gavin wouldn't be starting in MLS now.

Or any of his time.... The guy is an absolute do nothing. I figured GP-1 was with the group calling for him to nationalize BP. Now we know!

This is not the "official" MLS projection of the 2011 MLS Superdraft. But it's a pretty good approximation. Three Zips are projected to go in the first round. Personally, I think Kofi will go much higher than this. And a couple of others could go and make the first round also. As they say, "Nothing succeeds like success".