72 Roo

Tonight Amani was non-existent. Cleveland is very simple. If Amani comes to play we win going away. Cut out the stupid passes, TO's, stupid fouls and defend the paint for rebounds and put backs and we are golden.

We did see him for a couple of minutes, no more. i do not understand why Groce doesn't get him minutes whenever he can. He will be needed this season and next. There were plenty of minutes available in the second half, especially after we were up by 20 and Armani was having a bad game by his standards. Let Chabi get some experience.

I was against this deal, but it is clearly set up as a stop gap for Sac State while they find a better fit. To be honest, I've changed my mind. I'd take the deal. Nonetheless the underlying issues for the MAC remain: leadership, identity, quality. Until we get football to the Toledo level this is the best fit for Akron.

This is a bad decision. Does anyone really believe Sac State wants to be in the MAC beyond a few years? The money is not worth the continued degradation of the MAC rep. We only gets teams that are desperate and we whore out to them. They then leave. Find a new commissioner, set an identity that you can build on and attract new blood that will benefit the conference, not drag it down. Think WKU, JMU, Marshall. If we were to lose OU and Miami, as the rumor has it, we are toast. Akron also has to think of its future. If the MAC goes thru major turmoil we need to make ourselves attractive to another conference. The continued improvement in football is the key.

Ridiculous!

I wish the Captain wouldn't publicize the extravagant lengths he is going to impress his wife. Before my wife saw his post she was willing to settle for a Klondike bar at the Speedway on Exchange near campus. Sheesh! Thanks Buddy!

This game magnifies fundamental weaknesses in the Zips this season. I do not believe they can get any W's after the MAC tourney. Here's why: 1) Turnovers 2) Turnovers 3) Rebounding 4) Refusal to play physical (Take a God damn charge once in a while rather than say ole) 5) Inconsistent focus (No team is good enough to turn it on when needed and win against good competition. Hell EMU was bad and they took us to the buzzer)

I'm coming from Franklin County where there is a level 3 snow advisory yesterday and today (no going out except for emergency). I hope the advisory is eased and NE Ohio is OK with its roads. Toledo is one team I love to hate. Right up there with OU, but not even close to the emotion Kent generates.

The rich will get richer. An Akron patch will go for little compared to what a P4 top 20 team patch will cost. I see the gap between the G5 and P4 just got larger.

I'm sure he prefers the academics at Texas Tech than what Virginia could offer him. 😉

This needs a deep ZNO investigation. Could H.R.Pufnstuf be positioning himself to replace Zippy? Could this signing be the avenue in which H.R. weasels into UA? I smell conspiracy.

Will he have any line to protect him? The game is still won on the OL and DL. If we improve those two areas I believe Cibastian Broughton would be enough lead us to a bowl next season.

You are right that we don't need to pay two coaches. Our reality is that this program is in the dumper. I can tolerate losing if they are playing good basketball, but perhaps facing better talent. The talent will come if they play good fundamental bball. That is not the case. They are so difficult to watch. It's painful. Gensler is by all accounts a very good guy, but in athletics you are judged on performance and that is not there.

I hate to lose this young man, but I am not as concerned as others. I question whether he had the speed to play today's LB position. We are losing players and it is saddening. Still we aren't alone. Toledo is headed for a major rebuild. Recently I touched base with an operations staff member formerly at UT. Candle asked him to join him at UConn. The pay raise was nearly double. Anyway he told me Candle has taken 22 UT players with him. Obviously Candle would not take any player that couldn't help, so these 22 were scholarship players who were expected to start or get significant PT at UT. Candle is following the plan that Cignetti executed at IU: take the best players, who you know, and build around them. Despite all this I expect UT to be good. They have a great MAC brand in football.

FWIW, I have heard that Cibastian Broughton is the player that the staff is most excited about. He has been under the radar but has all the talent to get the job done with both his feet and his arm. If true that gives Joe a new dynamic at QB that we haven't had for years and one that he has longed for.

More addition by subtraction.

Being highly regarded for developing players to transition to P4 programs is not an accolade that excites many of us. I'd prefer being known for winning.

If I had tuned into this game I would think Akron is good, but nothing special. 19 TO's is enough to explode over. Groce said in his radio comments that a lot of them were due to CMU's pressure. That is not true. They were due to laziness, lack of discipline and lack of patience. Players were trying to make things happen that were not there. Many times trying to penetrate when a fellow player was open in the backcourt. This is on Groce. He is tolerating it and it is time to use playing time to get his message across. The 15 TO's were had against Miami cost us the game. Cut those in half and we win going away. I love John, but it is on him to fix this because it can be worse against the better teams. Everything we do from here on out is preparation for the MAC tourney and the NCAA's. We have to get better.

I thought Jake would stay primarily because he has something to prove and last season he was not a real factor at the TE position. He has all the physical tools to have a good year and I wish him well. I also hope he stays injury free. That was not the case this past season. His leaving the program does not impact us that much.

You are definitely a glass half full kinda guy. This program is teetering on the train wreck classification. There appears little hope, especially seeing the conference games are now here.

Merry Christmas to all on this board, even those who I have blocked! I am very grateful for this forum. Thanks to the creators, moderators and thoughtful posters. I look forward to accessing this site each day. I believe the best is yet to come. And yes, Virginia, there is a winning football team coming to Akron.

Yes, this was coming but I hate to see that it is finally here. However this occurrence reminds me of the exceptional ability Joe and his staff have in uncovering and developing talent. When I see that we are in a serious rebuild again I take heart in the fact that we are in the same boat as other G5's and that we have a staff that can get us to a competitive level. Joe deserves credit for that. Even when I know Joe will have his annual unbelievable game losing decisions I still feel he will find a way to put a team out there that I can support. For that I thank him and the staff. Now about those decisions.....

Thanks for passing this along TennZip. Rarely do you read an article where the interviewed athlete has such mature and articulate comments. Jason is another example of the exceptional quality of young men who come thru the Akron soccer program.

Well stated TennZip. UW has traveled an impressive road to the championship. Still, they did not face us. I think we are that good and would have given them the best test of all.

The championship was played December 6 at First Energy Stadium. The best team lost. Damn!