Z.I.P.

Has anyone seen the pre-season predictions? Gozips.com has the story of SA's placing Ampai on their Second Team All-America team. What no Zemanski? No Kofi? No Blair? No Teal? No Nagbe, Barson, Caldwell, Speas?I'm expecting a top-three ranking from this most respected of US soccer pubs. They rated our recruiting class #1 earlier, and had a nice write-up.Go Zips

Has anyone seen the pre-season predictions? Gozips.com has the story of SA's placing Ampai on their Second Team All-America team. What no Zemanski? No Kofi? No Blair? No Teal? No Nagbe, Barson, Caldwell, Speas?I'm expecting a top-three ranking from this most respected of US soccer pubs. They rated our recruiting class #1 earlier, and had a nice write-up. A high pre-season ranking would help get the word out to those who didn't recognize the name "Zakuani" as the nation's best player.Go Zips

There are now two survivors who can remember Eastern Michigan's Golden Years, which ended in 1930.

Those are some interesting insights into that process, which those of us here haven't been privy to previously. My mistake about McNally/Atkinson. I recall the discussion with Hipsher, and I was under the the impression that McNally was the same one who had interviewed at UA. I did notice after my post that she came to UH-Hilo from Gannon College in Erie. Let us just thank heavens we got the right man, er, uh, person -- which was the gist of what I wrote.

Linky: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/...e=rss_localnewsIn brief, the fired UH-Hilo AD filed a $10 Million suit against the university alleging bias against the school and five administrators.

Link to Honolulu Advertiser story Lawsuit alleges gender, race bias.Back in 1999 or 2000, after Mike Thomas was hired as AD, I was sitting in the end zone seats at Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu between games of a college basketball tourney, and reading the newspaper. I saw a story about this lady -- Kathleen McNally, becoming the new Athletic Director at the University of Hawaii in Hilo, a D-II program. Without naming names (snicker, snicker), I turned to the head coach of the Akron basketball team, seated next to me, and mentioned to him that the lady in question had been a finalist for the AD position at Akron, coming from her position as AD at either Lehigh or Lafayette University (forget now which it was) in Eastern PA. I asked said head coach if he had ever met Ms McNally. That set off the coach a-rockin' in his flimsy chair, as he rose up and said words to the effect of "Holy Cow! I was on the search committee that interviewed her. If we had hired her, she'd be sueing everyone in the university for sex discrimination now."So, apparently, on one subject at least, Coach was a seer. I think he may have also seen the future when he hired Keith Dambrot as his assistant.

The folks at UBuff sound like they've never heard of petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. In fact, most cases of injuries like Starks' are given the extra year. The exception would be if he had lost a year to injury already, rather than just a redshirt freshman (academic) year.

Interesting statement -- especially since she looks to have hired her replacement already this year. One winning season at Akron, and she'll get her BCS job. Will it be this season or next?

Going a bit off-topic, everyone should be prepared for the first Zip in World Cup competition, when Zarek Valentin plays in the U-20 WC starting Sept. 26th in Egypt. Also, I see that Malawi has qualified for the U-17 WC, which is in Oct-Nov in Nigeria. Mwila, our frosh f-lash MAY be eligible, but then again, chances are he's beyond the age group limits for that one. I don't know when camp will start for the U-20s, so its hard to tell if Zarek will be around Zip City for key games in September. In any case, we DO have depth...to say the least.

He coordinated the operation which brought Tubby Smith from Kentucky to Minnesota as men's BB coach. THAT is a great accomplishment by itself. His background at Wisconsin was in property rights management and marketing. I think at first blush that this is a good pick -- especially his BCS connections. Only small question is how he will handle a national title contender in a non-prime sport. Zips soccer is the engine that could propel the athletic department. Best of luck, Tom!

From the City Stars website. They won their first game in a couple months this past weekend I think over nearly-as-bad Minnesota. Pair of clean sheets for Evan.http://www.clevelandcitystars.com/slides/6...eam-of-the-weekhttp://www.clevelandcitystars.com/slides/6...-with-vancouver

Very impressive. Valentin and Barson starting on back line -- Caldwell came off the bench. How do you tell a guy with that much international experience he's a reserve -- only thing is there are three like that, and Kofi and Korb are the experienced guys. Matt Dagilis, as great as he is, looks like odd man out? What a defense! Don't worry about Meves. This kid is the highest rated GK in club history -- by far. And I still feelin it for Evan Bush.The crowd seems like it would have been one of the largest of last season -- is that an omen, that the new stadium needs say 4-5k seats?There was no info this summer in Gozips.com about any UA players in the PDL. Does that mean they forgot, or that no one played? How about the Big Norwegian?

Five is good. But Cleveland State got ONE! Holy Ali Kazamaini, Batman!

Ever been to k-ent, Washington? Something's very fishy.

Is Sweich coming back? His reappearance will surprise some.

Ah yes! Zekius Marshavicius

Maybe they could use it as a drive-in movie during the week.

Stevie Zakuani took the Seattle Sounders 314 minute scoreless drought on his shoulders tonight at the building known as the Tool Box, The Home Depot Center at Cal State Dominguez Hills and scored the game-winning goal, his fourth of the season in the twenty-second minute tonight and was named Fox Sports Northwest Man of the Match as the Seattle Sounders won their biggest road game of the 2009 season, 2-0 over the LA Galaxy, who hadn't lost a game in a couple months. I hope that is not a run-on sentence.Announcer Jim Watson gave a shout out to the former #1 draft choice from the University of Ack-ron. With this performance, Zakuani put himself back atop the MLS Rookie of the Year ladder, ahead of Galaxian fullback Omar Gonzalez of Maryland. It was a joy watching my favorite MLS team beat my least favorite, and seeing England's gift to American soccer get the Tarjeta Roja, the red card for his cleats-up tackle in minute 17. Seattle dominated most of the following 73 minutes between the clubs, with Brad Evans slotting a perfect service across the box to an unmarked #11 for the winning goal in the 22nd minute. This game, played without the ill Sounder forward Freddie Ljungberg, may be the one that turns Seattle's season around, after playing sick as a team for a month, they showed some passion and used their aggression positively on both ends of the pitch. Freddy Montero put SSFC on top 2-0 with a roof-of-the-net-finding right boot on a looping ball into the box that the Galaxy stood and watched. That was the story of this night, as LA was surprised to find an opponent prepared to play hard and winning soccer. The kind #11 learned at Lee Jackson Field.

I'm glad to hear that the scarf is sweet. Going strictly by the online graphic I was a little bit concerned it was too simple/generic looking.Got my scarf yesterday also. It IS indeed very nice. It has TWO sides, and the rather plain side shown on the website can be turned over to show a cruel side, with Zippy on the ends that I have pinned across the back seats in my car. It looks totally cruel! I'm glad I came up with this idea, and am available to take mahalos from Zips fans from Utah to Tampa Bay to the islands of Hawai'i and Akron. Here's my collective, "You're welcome!"

I guess I missed that. What did he write about Akron? I remember him on the WZIP pre-game show where he did a weekly prediction of I-AA games, and couldn't pronounce "Weber State", instead asking I think if it was named after the backyard grill.(edit) Sorry -- I just saw the thread about the book and JT's contribution. Does he mention his "Weber Grill" comment?

Just shows how much Todd Mollautt lurks on here!

Thanks, I'll shoot that address an e-, and see what happens.

I know that originally many players on the roster were from the local Christian High School CVCA. I think that the mission of the team started out as such, but they have since changed up a bit as far as I can tell. I could be mistaken though. I do believe at some point you were correct though.I know they have a number of non-profit connections to charitable organizations in Africa, but I don't think, and certainly hope there is no denominational requirement for participation with the team. Though this year they seem to be members of the Church of Sucking Football. What I can't figure out is how Cleveland City (like "the city's team") got pushed out to Bedford. They've been on Fox Soccer Channel 3 or 4 times this year, and I think lost every one.

I finally went to UAKRON.EDU to see if I could provide my newest address, in hopes I might once again get on the mailing list for the alumni magazine, and other "stuff". It has Fall 2007 listed as the "latest" issue of the magazine (it was a nice issue with the stadium on cover -- which I hadn't gotten either). Did they stop sending it out after that, or are they (the website)just that far behind? Is there a good e-mail to contact the Alumni Office that I might start getting mail again?

Which is to say the rest of us will be paying for their tax write-off!