Blue & Gold

We need to pay JD as much as we can possibly afford and then some. JD can turn Akron into the best non-BCS program in the country! We'd go .500 in the Big 10 this year and we've only just begun turning this program around and rebuilding our football tradition!

I like the Panini's idea... we should support businesses that televise our team! We need to drop cash at Panini's and not just watch the game in someone's living room!

About as insightful as the ABJ's cut-n-paste article on the Akron Zips in today's paper.

Hey Zipdad... could you tell us a bit about the plans you saw while they were recruiting your son?Also, the dire necessity of a new stadium was impressed on me once again just this past weekend. Last Saturday I went to Fawcett Stadium to see a high school game and the revovations that they've made to Fawcett make it a pretty nice facilty and a much nicer, fan-friendlier (?) facility than the Rubber Bowl. I grew up about 5 minutes from the Rubber Bowl, but darn it, the facility is a downright embarassment. When people from Canton come to a Zips game, they have to be thinking, "Man, my high school kid plays in a nicer facility than this!" We desperately need a new facility!

4 if you count Temple. Temple, Buffalo, Can't State & Eastern Michigan. Those guys really drag down the rest of the conference. I think I'm the only person on this board who liked admitting Temple into the MAC. I just think it's a good move to get the Philly tv market into the MAC. Also, I believe Temple is to play many MAC schools in basketball too, which will be nice. Buffalo is also a decent sized market, so I think we may be wise to also be very patient with their program. But Can't State & Eastern Michigan? Man, can we just kick them out of the conference right now? The more quickly the MAC disassociates its' member schools with those programs, the better!

I love bobbyake's passion! Man, could you imagine if all of Akron rallied around the Zips like he does and found their drive in Zips athletics and not Columbus? Wow. Akron would then really be a community with it's own identity! I must agree with bobbyake. Columbus State is absolutely in a marketing war with not only the Zips, but every single large university in the state. In fact, if we simply reason together, why wouldn't Columbus State not want to retain complete and utter state dominance? CSU has been in underhanded legal battles with OU for decades, trying to erase the "Ohio" from OU's name. This has been a long and documented struggle - you'd want to get a passionate and knowledgable OU fan to let you know all about that. Here's just one example - why isn't OU's stadium named Ohio Stadium and OSU's stadium named Ohio State Stadium? If you stop and think, it quickly dawns on you that OSU's stadium actually is not Ohio Stadium, but is actually Ohio State Stadium. Well, it goes back to this long struggle. (OU's stadium is now named Peden Stadium.) This is the main reason I find so much humor in OU's smart@$$ Gang Green slogan - "THE State university of Ohio." It's an intelligent mockery of Columbus' insistence upon pronouncing "The" before their name as well as a slap in the face of Columbus State lawyers and administrators who have attempted to erase the name "Ohio" from OU! It's ALL marketing strategy and $$$ my friends. To think otherwise is to either be naive about the capitalistic system in which we live or to be an ostrich with your head in the sand. OU - OSU would be a natural football rivalry (Michigan-Michigan State; Colorado-Colorado State; Kansas-Kansas State; Iowa-Iowa State, etc., etc.) but OSU won't have it, for they don't want anyone to possibly ever view them as having any athletic peers in the state. They truly want to keep the other state universities relegated to the rank of second-class citizens. This is just factual and common sense - why wouldn't Columbus State think this way? They may be evil, but they're not stupid! This is what we have to fight. Columbus State refused to play Cincinnati in basketball while Huggins had the BearCats at the top of the Ohio basketball food chain. Why? Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. In fact, I'm more than sure that Columbus State administrators probably had a cow when Cincinnati was invited to a BCS conference! It goes on and on. What would really help the Zips, as well as other state universities build a fan base would be for OSU to tank it bad for about 5 years! This would help in recruiting, in sales and marketing, and in the over-all perception that yes, Akron is a valid alternative to Columbus State. However, what would help our cause even more would be for the Zips to build a consistently strong program. If the Zips could build a program which consistently finishes in or near the top 25, I'd be willing to bet Zips fever would spread through the greater Akron area and we'd be through seeing so much Columbus State clothing in our territory. Honestly, it may take a generation of Zips success to truly see a change in heart among Akron area sports fans. But then again, it may not. Perhaps people in our area would LOVE to support the local team. We can't really tell because 1) people love to be associated with a winner, but 2) we've only been "a winner" ONE year!!! So give us about 10 years of winning football and top 25 ranking and we may be surpremely surprised!!!B.t.w. I'm using a friend's computer to log this in and guess what his screen saver is? I'm sad to say it's Ohio Stadium. MY FRIEND WAS BORN IN AKRON!!! We've got a long way to go.

Yeah, what's Robinson's problem?! Maybe he's just a big fat slob?

We're awfully stacked at QB for the next few years as well. We've got two pretty good RS freshmen battling for the backup QB spot, and we've got a true frosh who's being redshirted this year, Sean Hakes, who it seems, most on this board think will win the starting job next year.I saw your QB Cochran play in high school and he's the real deal! The fact that someone is giving him a battle for the starting position speaks well of your depth at QB!

1000 tickets? Or 1000 season ticket packages? Which, if they're family plan packages, would be 4000 tickets.

Can explain the 3-3-5 defense? I'm more accustomed to the 4-3-4 or 3-4-4. Is the 3-3-5 simply a nickle package?Thus, I'm more accustomed to thinking of the DL as DT's and DE's, and I generally think of linebackers as either Inside LB or Outside LB.How can we have a NG (nose guard) without running a 5-2? We've got a DT, NG and one DE? How's that work?And what on earth is a "Bandit", a "Sam" and a "Mike"?!If someone with a little more football IQ than myself could explain this defensive philosophy, I, and I expect many others, will be able to enjoy watching the D play this year!Thanks!Go Zips!

I'm worried about week 3's trip to Central. They lost their QB but they've got a decent team. The top of the MAC is tough! (The bottom of the MAC is downright awful and drag the rest of us down - btw, isn't it great considering Akron "the rest of us?!?!") These are the MAC schools I'd want in a new conference:AkronToledoOhioN. IllinoisC. Mich.(NOT Miami - screw Miami!)How's that sound? After the Big East breakup, add Pitt, Cincy, USF & Louisville.(I like 'Cuse but I'm afraid they may be a dying program.)Next move: Add UCF, Marshall and MemphisNew conference: AkronToledoPittCincyOhioN. IllinoisC. Mich.USFUCFMarshallMemphisLouisvilleDude, that's a nice conference!

Great group! We've got to continue telling our friends about The Nation and get to as many football and basketball games as we possibly can! And bring friends!!!

AMEN!!! It would be absolutely delicious to see that quote in the ABJ!

I don't know. Toledo's new QB - Cochran - is awfully tough. He played at Wadsworth and is the real deal. I was hoping he'd sign with the Zips out of high school, so when he picked Toledo it was a dagger through the heart! Sure, he's probably no Gradowski (?), but he very well might have an outstanding year.Anyway, I actually hope he does! I'm for all of the MAC schools when they play out of conference. I hope Northern Illinois upsets OSU! Any out of conference victories for the MAC is good for the Zips. I just hope we beat Toledo when we have to travel to the Glass Bowl! Ouch. We've got a killer schedule.

I had no idea that DJ Henderson didn't make it. That pretty much does it with most of our highly touted recruits. We've still got Reed and Harvey. But D.J.'s gone, Mark Jackson - the Center from Columbus is gone, Stoudemire - who looked like a beast on video is gone, Boone is gone. In the past we've also lost out on Antwon Hight, and another DL from Buchtel - can't remember his name. Tough.

I had to subscribe to Rivals to read the story on the above link. With Aaron Boone not working out and Alex Allen going down with a knee injury, perhaps we'll need Brinson at RB afterall? He's a little undersized though. More natural fit is probably corner? Though I guess Aaris (?) Reed isn't a big back either.

Great reply GoZips! I clicked the link UADavid supplied and sent a reply. It read, and I quote, "In one sentence, we need to dramatically increase coverageof The University of AKRON football and basketball programs. Thank you."I dream of the day The Akron Beacon Journal will be a paper for Akron!

Yeah. He was one of our big recruits last year! And with Alex Allen apparently going down, who will Kennedy's backup be?

This isn't the real world. Even though Zippy has a pouch, Zippy is definitely still a guy! What would a kangaroo mascot be without the pouch?!?! Zippy is most definitely a boy!!! Stop insulting and emasculating him!

Sweet! But Captain's right - should we be seeing FEAR THE ROO billboards absolutely EVERYWHERE right about now?!?! We shouldn't be able to go down a major street in the Akron-Canton area without being reminded to fear the roo!

Okay gozips19, help me out. Obviously I've got very little short term memory. Who is Peyton?And Brinson would be included in this year's recruiting class? Along with Vincent Hill, Pride & Royal. Right, or wrong?

Excellent Captain! But what makes you believe he will enroll at UA?

Yeah, rocketfootball added a great post. Thanks! It was intelligent and well written. I'm excited about the direction Akron football is headed (it's been a long time coming) and I'm excited about a great rivalry between Akron and Toledo - 2 of Ohio's "6 Big Cities!" And 2 great universities! Whenever any MAC school is playing out of conference, I'm most definitely for the MAC school, so I loved seeing Toledo absolutely pound UTEP in their bowl game last year!!! It was great for the MAC! But watch out rocketfootball... the Zips are on the threshold of MAC dominance!!! Be afraid. Be very afraid! FEAR THE ROO!

I think Dennis Kennedy will be a 1000 yard back. He's big, strong and fast. I wish he had gotten the ball a bit more last season.I think Getsy will get 3000 yards. But he was inconsistent last season. And with mostly new receivers it may be a bit tougher go for him than last year?Jabari Arthur has tremendous physical attributes. In the Motor City Bowl he was clearly the best receiver in the game and was a sure NFL caliber player. But Jabari was awfully inconsistent too. I remember more than a few groans when Jabari would drop passes last year. People have called the MCB a "coming out party" for Jabari. Hopefully that's exactly what it was, and not merely a fluke.If the pieces fall together again this year, and we avoid injuries, we should have another great year! I can't wait!!!Go Zips!

Absolutely yes!!! Zips on the front page the day before the game, on gameday, and the day after the game. We are also in much need of opponent analysis - position breakdowns, players to watch for, etc. The BJ has not properly educated or informed the Akron area on Zips athletics in years. It's been absolutely emabarrassing, demoralizing and downright infuriating! Absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable. Hopefully the new ownership will actually make the Beacon Akron's paper!!!