ZachTheZip

Oh all people Zach, you're missing a FOOTBALL game to watch Soccer? That's just wrong. At least the soccer team be playing for a lost cause by half time. Akron football just makes me depressed when it seems like I put more energy and emotion into being a fan that they put into preparing and playing the game.

There seems to be a lot of that happening recently.

To answer question 1, there's just something off about him and the way he handles things. Nothing too bad has popped up except for questionably firing Reno Ferri, but he didn't make coach I apologize for the texting issue and he's generally displaying the traits of someone who knows he won't be around to see the long term results of his actions and instead focuses on getting things done that reflect the present without regard to the future, such as the Lot 9 thing. It's blatant resume building and I don't see it as being good for the long term or medium-term well being of Akron athletics. I believe that this will also be reflected in his hiring choices, but we'll have to wait a few years to see me proved right on that one. Remember that coach I was hired based partially on his knowing TW from when they worked at Wisconsin and most of the candidates had the same connections. Instead of looking around for the best available person in the entire country we got the best available person within TW's circle of friends. As for question 2, I said that Ianello never apologized for his mistake, instead forcing the victim to issue a statement. It also generated more bad press nationally in one week than it would take a year to make with good press. It also could have generated a lot of mistrust between the coaches and players.

He's a TW hire, and that spells bad news to me. This list is probably right when it comes to our coach. He's never called plays in his life, never been a coordinator either. he's installing a new offense and defense, both drastically different from what the players are used to. And he's already made a simple, thoughtless mistake that had a bad consequence with his texting misadventure, and that indicates the possibility of something like that happening again. At the same time, it's bleacherreport.com which is the least reliable, most opinionistic sports "journalism" website on the net.

Glad to see it's on ESPN3. With any luck I'll be watching from a hotel room in North Carolina, on the day off between Zips soccer games.

I do expect a major contributor for next season to emerge from our recruiting class. If at least three don't step up, we're in major trouble. Abreu has to come right out of the gate and be our floor general, and we need two forwards to replace Conyers and Chris McKnight.

One, Two, Three! Three Miami sororities in trouble with the law! Ah ah ah.

It's the MAC, if OU can do it, why can't we? If they can't produce at least somewhat as a freshman, then what did we recruit them for?

http://www.uakron.edu/aux/spsale.php UA is selling off more of the old Quaker Square assets. If you're in the market for an antique brass mailroom, a UA vehicle, or an "incubator", this is the place to go. The dollar table will probably attract any students living upstairs in the silos.

We got a new verbal! Center John Clay Jr. from East St. Louis High School in Illinois. Rivals profile link. Recruited by OL coach Mitch Browning. He's 6' 3" and 330lbs.

Maybe he just wanted to play near his home and family.

"Expect a bowl bid in the future for the Zips. Just not this year. At least this preview comes from someone associated with the MAC. Of course, he goes for the homer pick in OU. I wonder if they change their prediction (4th in the East) if they knew Erick Howard bailed on us. I also question the sentiment of "they're gonna be good in the future but this year will be rough". I don't believe that getting off to a bad start means good things in the future. If you can't win 6 games playing the MAC East, an FCS team, and the dregs of the BCS with the talent we have this year, I don't think you'll ever do it. I don't want to see people waiting for the coach to recruit "his players" or to get some system fully installed. That rarely happens. It's always "wait until next year and that's when things finally click" but it never does. Hearing talk like what's in this blog is already setting up Coach I with excuses in case of failure.

I think it would be better for Akron, not Cleveland, if he left to go somewhere else but kept strong ties to his hometown. As it is right now, it seems like Akron is viewed as part of suburban Cleveland, on par with Brooklyn Heights or Eastlake, in the context of LeBron. If he left, but kept returning to events in Akron but not so much in Cleveland, it helps to differentiate us from that economic disaster. LeBron appears to understand this situation. His loyalty has been to Akron, not Cleveland, when he mentions his hometown to the press. What he thinks will help his city (and thus his childhood friends and family) more will play some part, however small it might actually be, in his decision.

Poor Zippy. What did they do to you?

Height: 6 ft - 2 inches Weight: 195 lbs Position: SS-Strong Safety And his name is actually Mark. And his last name is actually Murphy.......his dad, also Mark Murphy, played safety for the Packers. Rivals says he has offers from Arizona, K.E.N.T. and Indiana. I actually had a chance to help coach him in basketball at an early age. He is a good kid from a good family. I guess they fixed the link. It was all messed up last night. Also added a new offer today: WR Cody Latimer

Good question. If the Big Ten expansion causes the Big East or another conference to raid the MAC for a program or two, who is a worthy replacement? Western Kentucky? The MAC tried to bring them in but then backed off at the last minute and WKU had to go to the Sun Belt. They're on par with football, being one of the worst teams in the country, and they would be a major upgrade for the MAC West in basketball.

One new offer: Mary Myers of SVSM High School. This is according to scoutingohio.com. I can't find any info on Mary. I don't know what position Mary plays or even whether Mary is a girl or an unfortunately-named boy.

Your link doesn't seem to exist.

Some new offers today. DT Mark Scarpinato TE Sam Rohr DE Morgan Craig

I think letting them use the stadium is a way of earning brownie points with the mayor. Plus any press coverage will mention the university and it might bring some Clevelanders down to campus. Hopefully the pathetic-ness of it all gets associated more with NE Ohio in general and not specifically with the university, who might simply be seen as the only place in town with a venue big enough to hold the event.

And it's something that stinks of desperation.

Another offer today: CB Valdez Showers Also, DE Chris Rock verballed to Michigan.

CK's story is really unfortunate. UA athletics has no future. It only has the present. It's inconceivable to short-termers that somebody might consider donating more in the future, after that short-termer has moved on. So they do what they can to appease the people who donate the most right now, while they are at that job. They don't worry about making things better for the future because they won't be here to deal with it. I know I was critical of Hunter Yurachek during the last hiring cycle, but now I see the value he brought simply by virtue of wanting to be here for the long haul.

Three more offers: QB Reilly O'Toole OLB Devonte Snyder MLB Desmond Morgan I have noticed how Coach I has gone from recruiting four-star players to three-star players and now he's going after two-star players. Has reality set in? Did he figure out that you can't bring in top talent when the program doesn't sell itself like at ND? He actually has to work hard to recruit players now. Hopefully he overcomes this culture-shock quickly.