The Hip Zip

I like your positive thinking but do no not buy into that " beating a team 3 times is tough theory" That is one of those unfounded myths that somehow remains in the world of sports. I think that some coaches say that to keep their teams focused but it's just not true. Take a look at the last two years in the K e n t / Akron series.

It was nothing personal. Where I'm from you disagree with a guy you call him and his mama every name in the book, and an hour later your best friends again. I'm sure you're a fine fellow yourself when you aren't blinding yourself to the reality of what a good college basketball team means outside of our pathetic conference this year.Do not be surprised to see Can't bounced by 20+ in th first round of the NCAA's. You heard it here first.I will buy you a cold one if Can't State gets bounced in the first round by 20 provided that they don't play a top ten team. If that so happens to play out just PM me and I'll meet you at the pub of your choice. You have nothing to lose.

I'm the slap dick, thanks for the new moniker. I think that I'll use it myself.I never said that you are moron by the way, just said that saying Can't is not a good team is a moronic statement. I am sure that you fine guy. Yes, I do watch every game from the third row so I get a pretty good view.Can't State is a good team and was a very good team last night. I do agree with you on one thing. The basketball in the MAC is really, really bad right now. I am retired so I do get to see a ton of ton of hoops from all the conferences and I recall not too long ago when the Horizon and the MVC looked up to us, not any more.Have a wonderful weekend !

It was a whiteout...Speaking of that, loved the guy in the white Darth Vader costume. About the only thing that entertained me the whole night.Guy in the tux was our senior manager. I thought it was cool, kind of a going out in style type thing while going along with the white out. Other than Can't State, he was the only guy from UA that accomplished that.The tourney is arranged by the seed and not the team. It just worked out that way. NIU no question.

QZ, I feel the pain, I really do. I am so disappointed and I had many of the same thoughts as you for awhile. I just think that there comes a time when we have to accept that we were beat by a better team that was really on their game last night. Can we beat them in Cleveland ? Probably not, but if all our guys are on and they are not, it's a possibility. That is the beauty of sports. That is the reason that I will be in Cleveland.I have been a Zip fan for far too many years to count and one ugly loss is not going to toss me from the ship.WadsZip, Pretty much spot on. Nice to have a new and very reasonable voice here at Zip Nation.

As did all the guards. Humpty got it going a little bit late but other than that we got zero from our guards. Jimmy and Serb were terrific but two guys can't beat a very good team. I saw intensity from the three guys I mentioned, nobody else. BTW: Humpty really got in Nitro's face durring one of the time outs, it got pretty ugly in the huddle.

To say that Can't State is not even a good team might be one of the most moronic statements in Zip Nation history.

I'm sorry but Bardo being hurt will actually help this team. I've been saying all year he hurts us more than he helps, it's sad but true. He can't play defense, he can't score. He's tall but thats all. The only thing he seems to have a talent in is dating girls on the dance team...As others have pointed out on here before. Bardo is good for pretty much one thing, coming into the game for 5-10 minutes and giving some good hard fouls. You see quite a few fouls when Mike is in the game, but not a lot of and-1's. If we have the same kind of whistle happy crew we normally get tonight, that could come back to hurt us.Agree. There may be a point in the game when Bardo is needed to pound on Greene a little. Those 5 fouls were an asset that we don't have tonight.

Bumping this up. It's on now !

Can't sucks sack, they are going in the crapper tonight !!

Here are the most carcinogenic cigarettes ever produced:Quite a witty reply. I tried them once but thy tasted like Ke...err...crap

I'm so freaking jacked up... My ability to remain sane for 8 more hours is highly in doubt. The first blue hair around me that does not get very loud tonight had better watch out !! Anybody have a cigarette?

I liked some of the things on QZ's list and in particular DEFENSE AROUND THE RIM. Greene just torched us bigtime last game, both on the glass and scroring, The key to beating this team will be in keeping Mr. Greene much quieter tonight.

I did look into those very same numbers yesterday and was surprised at some of the figures. Perhaps they just save their worst for Akron games. Besides that, it's not the amount of fouls called, it's the number of bad calls that weighs most heavily in my mind.

Now that is some great timing MD !!

That was very close to my list if they stick with officials that have worked MAC games. I substituted Skiles for Boroski but the other two were the same. It is also possible that we just might get a big time crew given the fact that it is a Friday night game and there is no other action within 300 miles of us. I would not be surprised at all if JD Collins or TV Ted came in. IMO, Ted has become a better referee over the years. I have watched him do a couple of games this year and he did a very good job of letting them play.Also I want to clear the air a bit. I really believe that the bulk of the MAC refs are tolerable. I really only have a big problem with Ferrari and Scirotto. The performance of those two is far and away the worst of any officials that work our conference. I do not believe that they are biased, though Ferrari's performance at BG has me wondering. The two of them are just very inconsistant and whistle happy. I think that Quickzip nailed it well in his post.Hopefully the game will be settled by the players and we will not need to have a discussion like this again.

I don't think that its a huge deal once you get past the bye. The team that is hot and playing the best basketball will punch their ticket. I would be very happy to just hang an undisputed MAC championship banner in the JAR and grab the automatic NIT spot. Beating Can't to do so makes it all that much sweeter. Don't get me wrong, I want to win the tourney but it's a crap shoot. Just remember last year when we were just about dumped by Toledo before Humpty's late heroics saved the day.

Actually it helps the East a little by doing it this way, otherwise all the East team would draw each other in the 2-3 bracket. The only way you don't draw the West winner in the semi's is if a 7 or 10 seed upsets them. The team it really screws over is the fifth if there are at least four good teams in the East (like last year and this year), but if you're finishing fourth in the East anyway, perhaps you don't deserve the first round bye. I think it is OK the way it is.That's correct, leave it as it is

Those are very good points

Above all else I just hope Mike's injury is not too serious and the pain is tolerable. What we might miss are his 5 fouls. It is not the worse tactic to hack 'em as they go to the hole. In particular their guards do not shoot well from the stripe.

These guys make all the difference. I hope that you will at least learn to put some names to the faces.Good ref info siteI have emailed the MAC's Associate Commish Bob Gennarrelli. In a polite email I simply stated my opinion on the performance of officials Jim Ferrari and Larry Scirotto and suggested that the MAC should examine the methods that they use to review and retain their officals. I thought it best to refrain to mention that I represented Akron fans. It is clear that the time has come for a couple of these guys to be let go. All of the MAC basketball teams work far too hard to let a couple of bad officails have the ability to tarnish their season with their incompetence.I encourage that all others do the same.Bob Gennarelli Associate CommisionerBGennarelli@mac-sports.com

Good feedback, I was really curious as to how the game looked through other eyes be it either live or on TV. I have never been one to blame the results of a game on poor officiating but between Ferrari and Scirotto the game itself takes a backseat to their antics. At least we shouldn't have to look at Ferrari again on Friday. In my view, the best we could hope for is Sauder, Sanzere and Skiles.PS: Ronnie, please just lay it up next time.

Any word ? I thought it may be pretty bad when he did not return to the bench in the 2nd half.

Random thoughts.....We had a terrific time on the trip. As old and outdated as it is, Anderson Arena is a really fun place to watch a game. I'll kind of miss how that place can make two thousand fans sound like ten thousand.Once again we draw the wonderful Jim Ferrari on the officiating crew. I'll say it again, he is one of the two poorest refs in the conference and seems to love blowing the whistle against the Zips. I do not know how it looked on TV but from courtside it appeared to be a very biased crew. How we got this clown for two games in a row is beyond me.I thought we won the game on the offensive glass in the first half which let us stetch the lead out on second chance points. Nitro was also tremendous in the first half with his 3/3 and the bomb to end the half.There was probably no bigger shot in the game than Humpty's 3 ball when the Falcons closed it to four late. B McKnight was very, very good and C McKnight did a lot of good things that do not show up in the box score. He spent a lot of time checking the huge Polk down low and did a pretty good job of it.The Zip fans were louder and did a hell of a job. Mad props to Mr. McKnight who was in rare form with his quote of the day: " YOU DON'T KNOW ME" to a BG fan who suggested the he should relax a bit. Too funny !

I agree, I do not dig the confrontational approach and general negativity of a couple that post here. I just used the "ignore poster" feature for the first time. It should brighten the place up a bit.