72 Roo

Meister, now that you mentioned it I have two impressions. My first is going to East Lansing to play on a cold day against a Spartan team that featured two Jamaican national players. How the hell they got to Michigan from Jamaica is mind boggling. They had speed and we lost. My second is getting them back at Jackson Field with 3,000 fans lining the field and lots of rain. Our keeper Stein Christiansen was incredible. That was a very heated rivalry. Now we own them and most of the Big Ten.

I for one was impressed with the quality of their players. Some were outstanding and would look good in blue and gold.

I watched Kent v. Washington. I thought Kent was better coached than us and had better talent. Based on what I saw in this first week we may have too big a gap to make up when playing the Flashes. They are the better team for now. There is much in our first game that was disappointing, primarily QB and OL. Both were terrible. Still, this is a marathon and JoMo knows that. He probably also knows he has a bigger rebuild than he thought. That's OK. We have the right coach and he will deliver. This could be a painful year, even when we get to the MAC play. Like others there were transfers I had hoped he would play. I don't know why he didn't get them in the game, but I trust his decisions despite dying to know why they weren't in. You gotta be tough to be a Zip fan......and we are. Enjoy soccer. Jared has a hell of a team that could see final four. Go Zips!

I also went with the Zips by 4 TD's. Our OL is now good, not great, but moving in the right direction. We have 3 WR's that will not be stopped and 2 RB's (Wiley and Norells) who allow us to attack all over the field with talent and depth. The offense will be kept simple for Irons so execution becomes the goal not diversity. None of this is good if we cannot stop SFU. Our D will be much improved. Every facet will be better. Improvement starts with the DL. We got better on the DL but it is the area that we improved the least. Yet if they are serviceable our LB's and DB's can carry the day. The D is going from terrible to fair. It will take time to get to the level we need in the MAC and it will not happen in games with MSU and Tennessee. But it will continue the improvement over the entire season. I'm good with that as that's when we will need it the most.

Damn! That was great. Our program is in fantastic hands. I hope we can keep him for a long while as he builds a legacy at UA.

We opened with a very good team at their place. We were the better team contrary to the idiocy of the play by play announcer. We have work to do, but we are deep and explosive. Our D was solid but lost cohesion in the last 10 minutes. That can be corrected with training and game experience together. Does anyone know why Malik not get much PT? I take to Jared last week and he said this could be a final four team if he can find leadership both on and off the field. There is a lot to be excited about with this team.

Miami seems to have the best facility in the MAC other than game day (Stadium). They have set a high standard. Congrats to the Redhawks.

I have got to echo your belief that our past failure wasn't all due to lack of talent. Our coaching staff was undeniably incompetent. Put the staff with an incompetent HC and AD and you have the makings of 3 wins over three years. Coaching makes a difference. In Jo We Trust!

I stopped in last week. They have little that has the new logo. I spoke with a manager and he said they have to move some of the current inventory before they can bring in more of the new branded items. He also said that their supply chain was very slow and he didn't anticipate a wide variety of new branded items until the beginning of the new year (2023).

Thanks. Keep the updates coming. Go Zips!

I watched this interview after returning from vacation. I was blown away. Coach Rod is a potential head coach. Coach JoMo has done a hell of a job in assembling a superior staff. Once again we have another reason as to why our program is in great hands. Can't wait for fall.

These upgrades point out that previous AD's were at best caretakers who did not want to do the work necessary to improve all our programs. Charles is a different sort of guy. He carries a chip on his shoulder because he started on the low rung of the athletic administration ladder. But talent cannot be hidden and he has moved up with every school he has been at. Enjoy him while we have him. He will get a better offer and he will be gone if it puts him closer to his and his wife's families in NY State. While he is here he will do a great job and that's all we can ask. That being said I'd still love to see what he could do with 20 years at UA.

Love this Pic. Whether or not it's true, he sure looks like he wants to be here and that means a lot to me.

Jim, I think everyone on this site hopes you are right. In the past all we had is hope. Now we have competence, experience, talent and a shared vision. I believe the Zips are destined for great things. See you at the end of the season wherever our bowl is.

The answer to your question is yes, the big boys would want a super league playing games against the top 25 week in and week out if the money is there. Money trumps everything in the world of top 25 schools. That has been a reality for the last couple of decades, but the speed at which it has accelerated lately is astonishing.

I'm not thrilled by this hire, but I believe Guthrie finds good people. Our womens program has potential out the ass while simultaneously being a dumpster fire. If Jen can put out the fire and build a team that can go deep in the playoffs I'll be happy. I know that is asking a lot, but the men have set a standard and the women should follow their lead.

I was critical on Banfield leaving and taking players with him. Your comments put those actions in a different light and gives me more to consider. Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not so negative towards him now and even somewhat sympathetic as I learn more about the head coach's style and character. I appreciate your post and am glad we are in the market for a new head coach.

He looks to be a viable candidate. I like his experience and his constant excellence in all he did.

Well done to all the people who had a hand in this project. What an incredible sight! I am excited to see the team JoMo will put in the Info. I have faith he will give us something to be proud of and I also believe the crowds will come.

I have a very technical take on our search for our new baseball coach. It is summarized in this adage "pee on Banfield! Good riddance. We will be better w/o him."

Let's Go, After leaving a smart ass reply to your post on the supposed USC-UCLA move to the Big Ten I turned on the local evening news here in Columbus to see that the lead story was the interest in USC-UCLA to move to the Big Ten. I was dumbfounded. You were on top of the breaking news. Congratulations! I think that the idea is absurd, but so is college sports today. The Big Ten cares only about money and if these two schools can bring them more money it is not out of the realm of possibility. How the dominos falling affects Akron remains to be seen. But money is everything in college sports going forward.

Why would this surprise anyone? It's logical to think that the PAC 12 would turn to Akron if USC and UCLA left. After all, we have new turf and a new logo. Plus both schools are near the Pacific ocean and we are near Portage Lakes. The similarities are astounding. The basic premise that these two schools are leaving for the Big Ten is not believable, but a great rumor. Akron may indeed be positioning itself for an invitation to move up one day. Current AD Guthrie is against that. He feels the MAC is a great fit for us. I doubt it will come under his administration.

I like putting AKRON inside the 10 yard lines. I wouldn't change a thing. It shows JoMo's confidence that we will control the red zone. Brilliant idea.

Just goes to show that Texas is not as smart as they think they are. Thank God he's gone, but damnit now that you have raised the ghost of Milwee past I'm going to have terror dreams tonight just thinking about the time he was here.

This is a plus for us. I've talked to Noreen many times in her office. She is personable and easy to like. She just was in over her head in the MAC. She knew it and she knew she had no future here beyond her last contracted year. Leaving for IUP was a smart move. She has assured herself that she will have a job for another five years. We, on the other hand, can now focus on upgrading the program's leadership. The question is will good coaches be willing to leave their current program this late in the down period before the season starts. They will inherit a mess, but they will be able to build it their way with the blessing of Guthrie, who will make the hire. We all know the program should be exceptional.