Class of 82

Point well taken. It's just that it's never too early-- or too late, for that matter-- to hate on Can't. P.S. Nice that you voiced your objection in appropriate haiku form. Well played, zippy5.

Zips Nation rocks, man. I love you guys! Black squirrel roadkill The eagle carcass rotting All Can't fans crying

Haiku - three lines, with the first and third consisting of five syllables, with the second having seven syllables. Can't, oozer of slime It's just a matter of days Til Akron stomps you This has been fun before. So get creative, if you're of a mind. Class of 82

Thanks for posting that. I think we can already see that philosophy at work.

We would be saying that it's commendable that Can't is willing to give a young man... with a college degree, mind you... a second chance to pursue his dreams on the gridiron. At least, that's my best guess about what we'd be sayin'.

Sure. I was responding to a poster who expressed concern about Amato's illness negatively affecting his coaching. If there is an affect (the "So if anything" part, right?), I'd guess it would be positive as opposed to negative. You implied my meaning to be something else entirely and made a tasteless joke to boot. I took offense. Still do, frankly. Anyways... how 'bout that Buckley hire, eh?

That hire can't hurt. The credibility quotient for Akron football seems to be growing geometrically.

Nice. Thanks for making the most cynical possible interpretation of my comment. My late dad was a fine surgeon and a terrific husband and father before he developed lymphoma many years back. While he wouldn't have wished that experience on anyone, he felt it gave some new perspectives on life that made him both a better doctor and a better person. Perhaps that's too difficult for some people to get. I don't know.

Totally tasteless jab at humor.

FWIW, the people I've known who've battled cancer have a unique appreciation for life and the things that matter most. What's so easy for most of us to take for granted, they do not... ever. So if anything, having been sick will make Chuck Amato a better football coach.

Great hire. Seems that this truly is an "all-in" type of effort both by TB and the administration.

http://akronsportsnow.com/despite-up-and-d...-battle-tested/

We have two decent road wins, and Middle Tennessee is now sitting at 58 and getting some votes in some polls, so that RPI hit is diminishing. And the close loss to VCU is probably an RPI wash. Suspensions and injuries notwithstanding, without those back-to-back losses at the Valpo tournament, especially the neutral-courter with Duquesne, our RPI would probably look a lot better.

Ah, perhaps my favorite Zips football memory outside, of course, of the MAC Championship game -vs- Northrn Illinois. I don't even remember the name of 14th-ranked Virginia Tech's All-American DE that JT completely out-classed. I also remember the crowd erupting when Willie Spencer threw a last-minute TD to bring the Zips to within 10 (IIRC). Even though the Zips still had no chance of actually winning the game, the pride & tangible sense of community in the Rubber Bowl that night was epic. One of the neat things I also remember about that game was the weather, with wind-driven sleet flying in from the open end. The wind direction ensured abject misery on the visitors' sideline, while the Zips' side was pretty well protected by the mass of the building. Huge advantage, and along with Taylor's epic night, it helped keep the game at least close.

Two things I'll forever remember about Jason Taylor's time in Akron: 1) That game at the Rubber Bowl against a ranked Virginia Tech team where he had a bushel of tackles, several sacks, an interception (I think), a forced fumble (and recovery) on kick-off coverage, and a blocked kick (extra point?). Don't remember the exact stat line, but it was the most impressive performance by a Zips defender probably ever. NFL scouts were there to watch a highly-touted VT DT, and Taylor absolutely stole the show and got him the national notice he so richly deserved. It was a miserable November night, weather wise, but I am so glad I was there to see what he did. Only a win could have made it sweeter. (EDIT: Found the stat line from the 1996 VT game: 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety. Named AP's NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.) 2) The fact that he agreed to play basketball (as a junior, I think?) on an absolutely awful Coleman Crawford team because he wanted to help his school. He wasn't a great b-ball player, but he was better than any of the big men Crawford (worst Zips bb coach ever?) had. I think I admired that genuine sense of school pride and loyalty that Jason showed more than just about anything. A big and great athlete. But an even bigger and greater person. Congrats to him on an amazing NFL career.

VCU's a good team, and it would have been nice to win. But do you really think it would have done much for Akron's resume? Their RPI is 74.

And there's people here who think that the "we should expect more than a MAC title" viewpoint is pessimistic?? THIS is a pessimistic viewpoint. My response to posts like this will always be the same. Why would we jeopardize our chances at a MAC title by trying to build something bigger? If anything, making us stronger nationally should increase our chances at winning the MAC. The MAC tournament title opportunity will ALWAYS be there, no matter what risks we take to make a greater impact on the national scene. Well, I wasn't intending to be pessimistic... just realistic. And only in this sense. The only chance you have as a MAC program to "build something bigger" is 1) to beat some major programs in the regular season and 2) follow it up with tournament performances that are more than one and done. Historically, no MAC school has ever been able to do that on any consistent basis. Not one. A big part of that is that good MAC coaches tend to build programs and then leave for greener pastures, forcing schools to start all over again. (Look at Can't's revolving door, which has pretty well kept a good program in neutral.) Akron, though, has a real chance over time to do it with a guy like Dambrot, who I think will be our coach for the foreseeable future. And at any rate, I think this team, this year, can still deliver on the second part of that building process. Over the long haul, as somebody else pointed out, getting top programs to visit the JAR is a pretty tall order, hence its rarity. And winning the MAC to get IN the NCAA is not at all easy, especially with a tournament format where arguably the best team with the most talent does not always win. Making things harder still, I think the MAC is generally a lot better top to bottom than its conference RPI usually indicates. "Quality wins" for MAC teams, if their going to get them, generally need to come against majors on the road. Couple that with virtually any conference loss, especially at home, and you'll almost never see a MAC champ with a season-ending RPI worthy of a single-digit seed. In short, MAC schools have an incredibly low margin of error and every misstep is magnified. Call that pessimism if you want, but that's just the way the college basketball world turns. Now, after the MSU win, Akron had that rare chance this year to turn this typical scenario on its head. We all know what's happened, and we all know why. It's disappointing, but it's water over the dam now. It's time to move on, win the MAC and get in the tournament. I still think this team has more talent than just about any we've had before and enough talent to beat a low-digit seed on a neutral court. I still think Dambrot will have them playing at the level they need to be playing in February and March. And then, anything can happen.

I don't have to respect the point of view if it's pessimistic and foolish, which I think this is. Go Zips! Please explain what is foolish? What I have posted are facts. Skip Zip added points that I hadn't brought up, and he is 100% correct about the raised expectations. Some people call it pessimism, others call it realistic. I'm happy for you that you are content with winning a few MAC titles and losing in the 1st round pf the tourney. I don't think the high praise for Dambrot here is either unwarranted or settling for anything. The coaching job he did last year to get a MAC title after the horrendous start was arguably the greatest in school history. This year's team is missing three key guys from a year ago and trying to integrate several new faces, all the while facing some stupid and critical suspensions and an injury to one of the guys we absolutely need to be healthy. The VCU loss sucks, but at least we now know Abreu can be close to 100-percent from here on out. So even if the OOC record is disappointing, which it is, I think we have a lot of reason for optimism entering MAC play. Mostly because A) we have talent on this roster as good as anyone else's, and Keith Dambrot is the coach. P.S. As far as settling for MAC titles, I'll take a MAC title any time! It's virtually the only way we're going to get in the NCAAs. And keep in mind that a MAC team that can make noise in the NCAA tournament is a pretty rare achievement, mostly because of crappy seeds. The lowest seed for a MAC school since 1980 is 9, twice. (Can't was a 10 in 2002). So, not surprisingly, since 1980, a MAC school has won a tournament first-round game only 12 times in 32 tries. Only four of those 12 teams won twice to reached the Sweet 16. One, Can't, won three to reach the Elite 8 in 2002. Those aren't exactly what I would call great odds for any MAC champion.

The most unlikely name on that list has to be Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, who a lot of people don't know was a truly great college BB player for Creighton University in the mid-50s. It's one of the great trivia answers of all time. Gibson has to be the only Hall of Fame baseball player who also played professional basketball. (I bet going to the Trotters for a year was probably a way to get a better signing bonus from the Cardinals.)

Very insightful analysis of, well, pretty much everything... and a really enjoyable and informative read. Perhaps its wishful thinking, but I have to believe that the powers that be are showing adequate appreciation and attention to KD and his program. That new lounge is pretty cool.

The perfect example of the fruits of leadership being so much more than success. Best wishes, Paul. And God bless.

Wow. I'm trying to get my head around the idea that a head coach could literally afford to buy the university that hired him. The implications of that scenario are nearly endless. Some of them are even a little scary.

I'm not ready to call for his head; he's done incredible things for UA. But with all due respect, he shouldn't be above criticism, either. The football program has been in utter free-fall since that MAC championship season. A $70 million investment is being frittered away. Blaming ADs is fine, but at some point the guy who hires the ADs needs to stand up and be counted, and exert the leadership required to get this frigging boat turned in the proper direction. Just sayin'.

Thought a lot about this very thing last night. I think the lesson is this... there is no substitute for leadership. Sports, especially football, are lessons in the kind of teamwork and camaraderie that define the human condition. Anyone whose been a part of a winning team, at any level in athletics or business, knows that there's no better feeling in the world than the sharing of success among your brothers (and sisters, too, as the case may be). But every winning team, at any level, has leaders, and ideally a leader who creates the vision, sets the tone, defines the standards of behavior and dedication, and holds their self and others accountable to the whole. It's true in every human endeavor, really, but it's especially true in football. We always say things like "This guy can really coach," or, "Wow, he's a great recruiter," when looking at coaches, but those are secondary attributes, in my view. Fundamentally, great coaches and great recruiters are great leaders first... and last. So ultimately, facilities don't inspire players or recruits, or even fans for that matter. Real inspiration requires leadership... period. We haven't had it, and we won't see any sustained success until we get it.

No.