Z.I.P.

Ahhhhh, the Cleveland Browns. The Can't State of the NFL!

I was listening to the Western Athletic Conference Commissioner on radio this morning, explain why the WAC turned down ESPN's latest contract offer -- the second time so far they've turned their back on the biggest cable sports channel.The gap in negotiations? $$S Somewhere around 4 million a year to be exact. Commish says that the Mountain West Conference's deal with the heard-of, but never seen except on satellite, College Sports TV network pays $7 mill a year! He said the negotiations with ESPN are stuck because ESPN has refused to go beyond about $3M/year. ESPN offered to add 9 men's college basketball games above what was televised last year -- which wasn't much. However the commish is interested purely in dollars -- not exposure.I know in the past, when ESPN - MAC contracts were announced, all the attention was given to how many games would be broadcast. Does anyone know if the MAC gets ANY up-front money from the network for broadcasting rights?

And speaking of holdouts...How 'bout that Brady Quinn??

I have to make a late-night (at least EST, if not here in the isles) commentary:This thread really sums up all the development that has occured at the UA since Dr Pro arrived, and a New Landscape for Learning was layed out and in no time took off. Few people in the city and area's establishment (media in particular) would have believed this then. In fact, if you told them this beautiful stadium would be in place on campus in just over ten years, they probably would have laughed in your face. You have to give credit for most of this to just a few people, with Proenza at the top, but with his biggest hire, as the new Athletic Director by his side, making the decisions and planning about the future of Zip Sports. The fact that this design reminds so many of Charlottesville makes you think that our friends, the Mikes of Cincinnati did in fact play a huge role in this design, and that their images will be forever cast on the Akron campus.Now, as Mike Waddell wrote to Cap'n Kangaroo and I just before departing, is when the plans for the large scale upgrade to JAR can begin to be discussed.I know you guys are paying attention, and I just want to say, God bless you for your trust in my hometown and alma mater. If we can find more like you, we can go much further still.Look where we've come since the Blue Board! Z.I.P.

Dude,With a name like Shaka, you oughta be in Hawai'i! Wish you were.Shaka brah!

Damn, Cap'n. I thought I was an optimist, but you take the cake! My prognostication:A 7-4 season will get us into the MACC -- IF we beat OU in the Rubber Bowl. Easiest prediction that so many "experts" can't figure out: Bowling Green and Miami will not win 10 games between them. Nonetheless, I expect the Bimmer Nation to win in Oxford... AGAIN. That could be our sole loss in the East though. We can't afford to lose more than one.And I won't be surprised to see both IU and UConn in bowl games this year -- look for at least one of them to do so. UA Postseason: Loss to South Florida in International Bowl. We pick Toronto over Mobile (wouldn't you?).

Here's my favorite prediction from this one:Eastern Michigan, 2 wins and 12 losses. How exactly are they going to play fourteen games????????????

Did you ask him if he is academically qualified? Sounds like he is at prep school because he can't get into a 4-year institution under NCAA guidelines. If that's the case, he is/would be wide open to any school after 1 or 2 years. We don't know if JD would still want him, considering the apparent adjustment in balance of athletic/academic talent at Akron.

Trimmy,Yeah, I guess Kirk's Bundeslige career was shortlived. But I'm also sure he has stories for the grandkids. You know the Croatians Manager, Bartulovic? Does he dress out for the team? I think I remember the name, he played for either UA or CSU. Would have been maybe late 70s-early 80s??

What does the term "direct admission" mean? I thought all students still had to complete General College requirements before being admitted to the "Upper College" (is that the term -- twenty-five years later and too much makes me forget!)?

I've told this on here before: That Jamie Reader played in the NFL is a credit to former coach Gerry Faust. When Reader was an unknown, who never gained more than about 200 yards in a season, Faust saw that he was an NFL quality blocking back. Long after he was gone as coach, Gerry pestered the Hula Bowl officials from his position in the AFCA, which organizes the game. Finally the coaches relented and put Jamie on the roster, where he showed the scouts he could play at the highest level.Here's to Coach Faust

Earth to Rick Chryst. Earth to Rick Chryst. Rick, don't you think your HQ-town viewers might like to see the colleges closest to them??? Over. Aloha means goodbye

My feeling is KD would enjoy looking like a former (50s-60s era) NY Knickerbocker coach. Not sure which one (Holtzman?), but I think he would look apropos in a bow tie if given the chance. Keith's a throwback anyway. But we're not throwing him anywhere!

As far as I and I'm sure, many Akron fans are concerned, the transition at quarterback is OVER. The fact that Getsy is gone means the position can only get better. We have three guys who coulod get better stats, one who can be dangerous both in the air and on the turf. I understand the preview prophets have to depend on individual player experience to make prognostications, but every year therre are players who come from out of nowhere to become stars (who is that Ball State QB again?). The MAC is still anchored in mediocrity, so a not-that-grand improvement can add up to a being Why not Akron? Why not 2007?

My local cable dictatorship put ESPNU on their digital lineup ($10 above basic I think) about 2-3 months back, and since then I find myself watching it more than any channel besides the obvious -- Fox Soccer Channel.

If anyone is awake at this hour, tune your sets to Fox Soccer Channel, where former Zip All-American defender Cameron Knowles is using his no nonsense tactics to help the Portland Timbers of the A-League to a one-nil lead over the California Victory, early in the second half. The game will be replayed once or twice during the weekend, so Akron fans can see their former hero, who was let go in the preseaon by the MLS Real Salt Lake, only to end up with what may be a better team in the "minor leagues" (Real has 11 points in the standings after 12 games, while Portland is a contender in the A-league).I'll have to see how long this season lasts, and see if I can be in the area later this year.Has anyone heard the progress of the ex-Akron player in Germany, who was on the same club that Casey Keller was in goal for?

I don't think it's just me, and I doubt I'm the only one who's noticed it: the change in UA's recruiting strategy this year (class of '08): a much higher number of the players offered are strong students, as well as players. I suspect JD & staff will offer fewer 4+ star players who are marginal students this season, and will instead look closer at the 2-3 stars who are also stars in the classroom. Well, considering the past three classes, you don't have to be a rocket scientist! (to figure out this strategy) Comments?

Well, Boise State added about $5 million to their football budget this year (assuming that pesky women's tennis program doesn't poach any of it), which is their share of the about $12M the WAC got in payout from the Fiesta Bowl. Hurry up and get us one of those paydays JD!

I would be absolutely shocked if the new stadium turf were anything but field turf. How else could you hold the 100+ events/yr that there're talking about? I'm sure a lot of HS games will be played there. No way you could do that with grass. Unless...you were stupid like the Steelers and wanted to play in a sod chunk fest every week.Even OSU is going to field turf.That's interesting Cappy. I hadn't heard any figures like that about expected use. Are they talking about music concerts in addition to ball games? What else -- gym class?

Marginally related: I tuned into ESPNU this afternoon just before the USA-Brazil U-20 World Cup match, and they were showing the NCAA Clay Target Riflery Championships! Looked like skeet shooting to me -- as little as I know about the subject. Most of the shooters they showed were from Big-12 schools, Missouri and TX A&M, and one from ColoState. I never heard of this being an NCAA sport. Anyone else catch this? It will probably replay, and they only showed the qualifying preliminaries before it was over, so must be a Pt II later.BTW -- ZR: As you can see from the thread on the Soccer board, the new stadium will not be used by UA Futbol.

Well, on the one hand, it might allow the stands to be a bit closer to the field than if it were fit for futbol. And, it increases the odds that the new stadium will have an artificial surface like field turf. Has anyone heard anything on this "ground".ZIP

Does anyone out there in the Nation know when the U dropped its men's tennis team? I remember having a classmate from El Salvador, who was a member of the team back in the early 80s. This just popped into my mind, and I couldn't remember hearing anything on this -- I do remember the men's swimming team was dropped when I was a student -- before the new natatorium was built. I think we also had wrestling about that time too. What other sports have been dropped?

ALOHA, from sweaty Honolulu. The kid knows June Jones and Co., from the days when his dad was coaching at Boise State. Good luck to him in learning the Haka. We know from history that Hawai'i kids can come to Akron, so why not the other way around? I'm trying to remember my friend from Waipahu's name who was promised by Owens that he would get to come home to play at Aloha Stadium, while the coach was working to replace Hawai'i with Howard on the schedule. Here's the local bulletin board thread, for those interested: Sportshawaii.com/hs/viewtopic.php?t=17167I believe he's a 2-star on Scout and not on Rival's radar. The fact that no one but Akron and Hawai'i have offered -- i.e., no other MAC schools -- tells me he may be a questionable D-1 prospect. The time I saw for him in the forty was 4.7, not 4.5. But, Will and Dad: If you come to Manoa for school, don't ask to borrow Colt Brennan's soap, bring your own. And if you're staying in UH dorms, you better bring a lifetime supply of B-52 roach killer. There is no Stiles Field House here, just a field behind the softball park, where you have to stay standing to keep the red ants from biting. I speak from experience, guys! But, you don't have to worry about drawing attention from the Suckeyes, as UH is the only show in town, and you are in the spotlight. Either way, I'll be following your development. Best of luck, and always remember !And BTW, Cap'n, you only beat me to this story because you have a six-hour time advantage, OK?

Caleb expects it to be in place by the start of '08 season. I hope to be there as well.

I can't believe no one on here has mentioned the feature story in Sports Illustrated this week on Zip-turned-Dolphin Jason Taylor! I would call it a major Smooch Job, the kind that pro athletes pay agents Big $$$ to get placed in Big Time pubs.I've always wondered just what position JT would be playing in his post-football career, and this story underlines the whole process (which began when he was "discovered" by an LA modeling agent, or thereabouts, while still at Akron), drawing the former MAC All-Star as some sort of cross between Lance Armstrong and Jimmy Brown. A major player on both the NFL entrepreneurial and charitable squads, with financial hooks in a juice shop chain and looking to expand ala his heroes and names-dropped friends, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, while at the same time making an entree into the world of Hollywood, not just as an actor, but producing a reality show. I suspect JT is either in or approaching the 10-figure net worth category ("with a bullet", to quote Casey Casem). I just hope when the Alumni Association approaches him again, he plays the Local Hero role over the poor shy outsider role he played when I met him at the Pro-Bowl.Jason Taylor Athletic Complex at Ohio Energy Stadium?