Blue & Gold

I like hearing about Chauncey Gilliam's "perimeter marksmanship." Just by eyeballing him I would have simply pegged him as an athletic slasher. Hearing he can spread a defense by filling it up from the outside really makes him seem like a complete player.Go Zips!

People don't care about this sort of thing. Should we? Can't can have all the Reese's Cups they want, nobody cares about those either (even less than the Director's Cup).People care about:1. Football2. basketball (a distant second)3. soccer, baseball, hockey (all close, and probably in that order)4. Nothing else

Two cents from a guy who hasn't been to a baseball game in over a decade, but used to be a regular at the best college stadium in the Central Pacific (or America for that matter). College baseball has overgone a big transformation in the past 15-20 years. And the biggest facet of that transformation is geography. Top players are leaving Ohio -- and other snowbelt states more rapidly than ever, and sunbelt colleges have invested major $ in their programs with beautiful facilities, while schools in the North, including I have to assume BCS level programs, have been left in the dingy grey dust of snowmelt. Akron needs to compete against MAC and similar mid-major conferences in baseball (no, not Wichita State or Creighton, major but declining teams from the MizzouValley), and that can be done for a smidgen of the cost of our soccer stadium upgrade. It seems the overall upgrade of Lee Jackson would help baseball, but yes, you have to have fan-friendly stands, even if Zach could bring a folding chair to keep his butt dry. Compare Akron with Can't State, Central Michigan or whoever is at the top of the MAC at a given time. It wouldn't seem a lot of money is needed to compete with ordinary mediocre programs. Wright State has become a respected program, how much better can their facilities be? Actually, CMU's stadium is gorgeous. Linky.

Romeo Travis' and Dru Joyce's Senior Night where Rome went off for about 25 points & seemingly single-handedly won the game.

Touche'.

What happened to what's-his-name, our very promising starting TE last season. A true freshman, I believe?

Why in the world is Dennis Rodman in Akron? Why not?

At least Ohio basketball has some wins to show for it.

You guys are in a fantasy alright! It is one thing to play in the same division as the teams that play in the bowl games, and play for the highest national title, but it is something completely different to actually compete seriously against those teams. No MAC school will be competing for a football national title in our lifetimes. Period. I'm sure someone could easily say that. But, I don't think any of us have expectations of national titles as a D-1A football program. I want to be competitive, and be good. I want to see the top teams have to treat Akron as something more than a patsy. That will undoubtedly create more excitement for me than having a chance to win more games in a lower division that gets little or no attention from the general sporting world. But, being somewhere in the national championship picture certainly isn't the impossibility that you suggest. Boise, Marshall, TCU, Ball State, NIU and Utah are just a handful of those who have been highly ranked, and right on the edge of a magical season, just in the last decade or so alone. I'd rather have a shot at making the Top 25 than win a national championship in a lower division. I've got no BCS National Championship-esque delusions of grandeur, but I do think we could build a 20-25-type program.

I'd be half-way to dying a satisfied Zips' fan. I've always wanted to see the basketball team make the Sweet 16 and the football team crack the Top 25. (No football jokes, please )

Love him, or hate him, he is cashing in off your attention. Here is an article that compares his Akron & Coconut Grove mansions. Good article about how Akron supports LBJ & reciprocates his loyalty. "It was very interesting to note how feelings towards James had changed so significantly after a mere 40 minutes of freeway driving."

I find it refreshing when an athlete says what they all think but will not say. The losing was worse for his brand than what he said. The NBA will sell a ton of LBJ merchandise next season. Exactly. His comments were spot on last night. He pulled a Jesse "The Body" Ventura and decided to "Tell it like it is." He essentially pointed out that all the "haters" will wake up tomorrow and go on with their little, pathetic lives, same problems as the day before. Lol. That was awesome. When you're from Akron, it's us against the world.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizar...LFKH_story.html ["We're a different place," says Keith Dambrot, an Akron native who won two high school state titles at St. Vincent-St. Mary High with James and is now the head coach at the University of Akron. "It's not like Akron is a suburb. It's separate, and I think it is different in a lot of ways. I don't think anyone from Akron says, 'I'm from outside of Cleveland.' We're from Akron."] I couldn't agree more, Coach. Precisely, Coach. Even if the ABJ doesn't ( ), KD sure gets it.

Coach KD will be on Mike & Mike - ESPN2 this a.m. around 9:00. Talking 'Bron, of course. But Akron is sure to be mentioned a handful of times. Listen Here

Even if we do absolutely nothing at all but add chairback seating, it would be an enormously positive step. I am "only" 38, but can hardly stand up straight after a game on those bleachers.

+1 Btw, good find, Scott. Thank you.

YesterdayI talked with two players on this year's team and they both think letting Bangston go was the right move.

I agree concerning lacrosse. It's another up-and-coming sport with which Akron could get in on the ground floor & possibly become a national player. I work with kids & quite a few middle school boys are involved in lacrosse leagues. In fact, a family I know recently made the trip to see the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four. It's also becoming quite popular at the high school level. It's a fun, tough, spectator-friendly sport.

Per the ABJ.

Good ABJ post from Rasor's blog.

Bingo... Oh and check this out when you get a chance (around 3:08). University Park Master Plan It was shown at the UPA luncheon on Wednesday. I also was thrilled to see the rendering. We haven't heard much about an arena lately, but it's still obviously a huge blip on the radar of both the city and university.

Per today's ABJ: Buchtel star WR Corey Smith has used up his high school athletic eligibility and must attend JUCO next season. Wow. ABJ link

The Cavaliers from last year would have destroyed this years tired old Celtics just like the Heat did. Not in a million years. The Cavs, other than LeBron, are/were absolutely HORRIBLE. As Mike Greenberg said this morning concerning last year's Cavs' team, other than LeBron they were a "D-League team." yeah thats why they had the leagues best record two years in a row. Precisely... with LeBron. Without him? Exactly.

The Cavaliers from last year would have destroyed this years tired old Celtics just like the Heat did. Not in a million years. The Cavs, other than LeBron, are/were absolutely HORRIBLE. As Mike Greenberg said this morning concerning last year's Cavs' team, other than LeBron they were a "D-League team."

Here is a link to the University Park Alliance's website & breakdown of the plan. I found humor in a couple of the ideas. Concerning the University Square District, "Said Ectus: 'What I would love to do is blur the distinction between the campus and the city.'" Also, concerning the Main Street Distict (Canal Park, Lock 3 Park area), " If there were to be a new University of Akron arena, it could also be located nearby." No doubt Jake will be riled up. And finally, an idea we on ZNO have been suggesting for years: '''We must get the Mayflower redeveloped,' he said, referring to Mayflower Manor, a downtown residential building that was built as a hotel."