Blue & Gold

I'm not a huge fan of hockey arenas either, but to be fair, that 35-foot side differential would be divided by two, so that the sideline seating would be pushed back 17.5 feet on each side. Frankly, that doesn't bother me that much. In a hockey arena, it is the baseline and corner seats which are so atrociously far from the action when watching basketball. (Especially since we're not talking 15,000-person crowds as in the NBA & some -definitely not most- major college crowds.) Even in an 8,000-seat hockey arena, that 4,000-person VCU crowd would have appeared awfully sparse and you would have been able to hear a pin drop in there.

Believe it, or not, it was actually George Thomas who scooped that! Way to go, GT!!!

Done! Thanks!!

Good catch! Dumb spell-correct on my iPad. Can I turn that function off?!

If you're willing to do the work, Zach, I enjoy it as well. And with most schools going after the same recruits, we should expect to not get most of the players who we offer. Wonder what an average ratio would be? Maybe a school would land one-out-of-20 players they offer school lies to? It really shines a light on the strategery[sic] of recruiting.

Gorgeous facility!

+1. Less B-Mac, please. (Though, just as I say that, we really might need a great game from Brett vs the BGSU zone.)

Now that's a MLB that I could see blowing plays up behind the LOS!

Yeah, personally, I dislike hockey arenas for basketball. I'm hoping for a national-class basketball arena. Here is another beautiful basketball arena - Southern Cal's Galen Center.

I'll go ahead and add UMass to that list. I'll be crossing my fingers, though, for both K-ent & Buffalo the way both those teams handled us this year.

Ugly game, but BIG win. Winning on the road in the MAC is TOUGH. Winning in Oxford has been especially tough for the Zips. This was a typical UGLY Miami game. I love taking friends to both the K-ent and Ohio games. The rivalries are incredibly intense and the basketball is a very exciting brand. I have, however, stopped taking friends to the Miami games. The rivalry is intense, no doubt, but the basketball is just SO UGLY and NO FUN TO WATCH! I remember being a little embarrassed by the Miami game a few years ago. The Zips won the game, but it was ugly, slow & boring (boring for the casual basketball fan, i.e., my guests). Miami's been like that for years now. Oh, and btw, I've grown so accustomed to HD, that anymore, anything less is simply uncivilized. Watching last night's game on ONN looked like watching Atari basketball graphics. And one more, btw, Harney is going to be SICK!

I thought Hazime was supposed to come back for another year?

+1. I was completely surprised by many of their comments. How can they honestly think such things? I used to think it would make for a fun, geographically convenient rivalry, but after reading those comments, I actually want to stop playing them even in basketball. Not to "avoid" them, but to simply send the message that they're not worth our time. We've definitely got bigger fish to fry than freaking YSU. What a joke.

Good, no... GREAT news! Everyone cross your fingers that the Beacon will make MB the Zips beat writer!

Isn't Payne a senior this year? If not, 'Stone would be a stae title contender with Payne added to that team next year. And maybe Bowden can get those football players you mentioned to stay home & represent! Go Zips!

Terrell Buckley is now official. Courtesy of The ABJ.

I know! I posted the link in the hope that most of us here would click the link & give them a hit on their website. If they know people are reading the articles, they'll keep them coming! Disclaimer: this is just an Associated Press article, but, none-the-less, the Rep has it on their website.

Canton Repository article.

Sammy does appear to be in a considerable amount of pain.

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. That was a great football game. Has a Zip defense EVER played better? I believe the Va Tech DE was Cornell Brown. B&G, my memory is that we were down by around ten (more than one score) when Spencer hit the TD pass on the very last play of the game. I think we might have even went for two and converted (even though there was no time for any onside kick), making the final deficit 2 points? I seem to remember (with no time left) we scored on a ridiculous series of laterals to apparently win. Except there we a flag on us... I'm senile though. Anyone else remember that? I remember the play you're referring to. I don't remember precisely when, in the game, it occurred, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't the final play of the game. I think this was the blocked extra-point attempt someone referred to earlier. IIRC JT recovered the blocked kick, returned it about 90-yards down the VT sideline & lateralled it to George Cameron for the final 5-10 yards & the score. But it didn't count for some reason that I can't remember.

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.

+1.Probably my favorite Zip all time. He was the team stud when I first really started passionately identifying with UA football. I remember being so proud watching JT play (on Christmas Day, IIRC) & wear the Akron helmet in the Army All-American Bowl. Scouts were always concerned with his lack of bulk, but he was clearly the best player on the field that day.

Well this comes from a person who thinks U@B is a "scrub team" I just think they are a Canadian team. Seriously, though, they have arguably the best player in the league in Javon McCrea. McCrea will probably struggle against Zeke's length, much like Justin Greene of K-ent. I'm also very interested in seeing how Tree matches up with McCrea.

Whatever. It's West Virginia, afterall. When we have our full contingent of players, we'd beat them 7-out-of-10 times. Maybe 8. They don't have the athletes to run with us.

Here are three facilities I really covet. They are basketball/multi-purpose not hockey/multi-purpose. The hockey-style arena (or NBA arena) is definitely more flexible in being able to host hockey, indoor soccer, ice capades & motorcross as well as concerts. However, the seats for basketball are pretty far removed from the action. The basketball arena gets you right on top of the action on a basketball court, and can also host concerts. No hockey or motorcross though. So, you know, pick your poison. Pitt's Peterson Events Center Peterson Events Center #2 University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center URI's Ryan Center #2 University of Miami-FL's BankUnited Center Miami's BankUnited Center #2