72 Roo

Ham, You are definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy. Keep it up. We need more like you. The thing you have overlooked is that last year, against MAC teams, our OL could not get holes for our backs. This has nothing to do with the QB injuries or Ball being out. Morgan and Edwards can hit holes if they are there. So the situation continued in our first game against a good, but rebuilt PSU DL. There was not one ray of hope the whole game long. That's quite an indictment as to their quality in run blocking. If they have character they will work harder and come back. ISU and Troy will be big challenges.

Like many on this board after a frustrating game I have to post some thoughts so here goes. No one expected us to win, but no one expected us to play so poorly My biggest concern was the OL. They could not run block. The announcer on the sideline even said it was striking how bad our OL was being pushed back on obvious running downs. This by a rebuilt PSU DL. Run downs are where our big nasties should be firing off the line. I've said in the spring that our OL pass blocks OK but does not open any holes when a run is obvious. That was very apparent against MAC teams last year. Let's get real and accept that just because they have been together for several seasons they are not skilled. Too many people believe they have to be because they have been around for so long. They aren't. Start working the future in and let them learn. Our RB's will be good if the OL can learn to block. Again, I 'd make changes there TW is healthy but he lacks timing, arm strength, the ability to be a run threat and leadership. His whining on TV was pathetic. I hope we have a plan to gradually work Kato in. The college game today demands a QB with a strong arm or the ability to be a dual threat. Our DL and WR's will be OK. They were over-matched but will improve I am the biggest critic of Milwee on this board. Also in the spring I called him incompetent. I did not see that this Saturday. His play-calling, while still not creative , was OK considering the opponent. We just never executed Our DB's were exposed as over-rated. I think they can improve but they also have a lot of work to do. Same as regards the LB's. I thought they were regularly out of position. I predicted 6-6 this year. I am revising that to 5-7. This is based on the strong showings Ball State and WMU had against Illinois and USC respectively.

I couldn't agree more Buck. My only hope is that PSU doesn't back out of the game.

Agreed. I think the team has more respect for TC than TW. They know they need TW to have a good year but they have never seen him as a leader. Many players have voiced that opinion. They like him but don't see him as their leader. Ball on the other hand commands respect and attention. TC is respected for his level of sacrifice.

A 10 inch increase in vertical jump is nothing short of incredible. If coach can increase every player's performance like that we are making the big dance for sure.

Dr Z, you make a good point here. It seems Sam is getting a lot of press this pre-season. For our sake I hope he lives up to it. I am also of the opinion that Stuart when healthy is one hell of a weapon. He seemed to be more of a natural scorer than Sam. Of course Stu has got to learn to stay healthy. This could be a great year for the Zips if both are in good form.

This is a huge get for us. I've seen RJ play many times and he is a superior lineman. He has the size, strength, speed and smarts to be a a three year starter for us. I could even see him starting four years if he redshirts his freshman year. Congrats to our coaching staff. We will have to work hard to keep him from decommiting as he is the type of kid we need to upgrade our talent level. Thanks coaches. Keep at it.

Captain, thank you for the interview. You do excellent work. I'm more and more in favor of ZNO developing its own content since we don't have enough coming from the ABJ or local media. I can't get enough info on the Zips and I know there are many on this board who feel the same way. Can we explore this?

ZZZips, I have no access to "Zipsnation". That question need to be answered by the guys who created this site.

And if you two are buying, I'll stop by and write a personal interest article on you two for our first edition of our ZipsNation Sports Magazine/Webzine!!! Zips Voice, you are on! We'll drink to the Zips and the new magazine/webzine.

Balsy, We old Buchtelite scribes need to share stories, experiences and achievements, real and imagined. I'd like to meet too. Let's PM each other when we can attend a football or soccer game where we can meet for a brew. I'm sure we can solve all Zip challenges in one or two beers

I remember a TE by the name of Kelly who played several decades ago and even played a game or two with the Browns when the owners went with replacement players during a strike. I have no stats to offer, but I do recall he was one of the best TE's the Zips have ever had. That is to someone who has been watching Zip football for nearly 50 years. He even played one season at center for Huggins. I loved his subbing in against Middle Tenn and seeing their thugs go flying out of the lane as he sent a message not to f--- with the Zips.

Please tell our OC that TE's do indeed exist. I think he likens them to unicorns or good Kent State football .......they are not for real

To add more fuel to the fire, I will be driving from Columbus for the exhibition and will have a guest. I can't wait to see this team. That being said I don't get why we are starting at 1:00. Curious decision.

Normally I get everything TB is doing, both tactics and strategy. But I gotta admit I don't understand why he answers questions about TW's injury the way he does. TB does not ever directly answer a question. I'd rather him pull a Lou Holtz and describe disaster than say TW is doing well, but not playing. What is that? We will not take Penn State by surprise no matter how well TW is. The next team is Arkansas PB and we don't have to hide players' status for them. If the team wants to build excitement for the season and put fans in the stands tell us the truth. If TW is passing how far? How much speed on the ball? Can his shoulder take a hit? Personally, until TW recovers, I have no problem with going into the season with one of our backup QB's. Thank you Dr. Z for all your information. At least you asked the hard questions. We are starved for something to believe in and you gave us hope. Much appreciated.

For GT this article is deep. Compared to other journalists it's pretty shallow. George got quotes but didn't ask any probing questions. Typical. He once again did not serve his readers.

The natatorium was not part of the plan for the arena that became the JAR. The fault for the debacle that became the JAR lies strictly with Guzetta, the president and his chief advisors and board of trustees. They were not patient. They hired an incompetent architect, who had never deigned an arena. They did not work the legislature or strong arm the local representatives and senators to gain support. They panicked and took what the state offered rather than play the game and possibly wait for the next biennium if they did not get what they wanted (State capital budgeting, which includes state educational institutions had payment for capital projects budgeted over a two year period of time) Guzetta had a low opinion of the role of athletics in a state institution and he had no vision to see how this arena design would hurt the progrum. Forget the fallacy that Gov Rhodes helped us or was honored by naming it after him. Neither was true. His name on the building was a political payoff to keep him from campaigning against it in the legislature. I was sports editor of the Buchtelite at the time and we ran a four installment series written by Mark Maloney outlining the present need, the future needs and what solutions could be available. Mark did a fabulous job. He got a meeting with Guzetta. When Mark saw the plans he told Guzetta not to build it. Mark laid out all the reasons we now cite for not commencing construction. He was regarded as an ignorant student who could not see the big picture. History shows otherwise. Poor leadership can cripple an institution for a long time. The JAR and Ianello are perfect examples of that fact.

This is an interesting topic. As said previously you have to go back many years to understand the naming of the JAR. Rhodes deserves very little credit for it. He only agreed to support it when he learned his name may go on the arena. Previously the university was under much pressure to name it after former Zip star athlete, coach and AD Kenneth "Red" Cochrane. Rhodes saw himself as a great builder and he wanted his name on as many projects as possible because he thought that would cement his legacy for decades to come in the state of Ohio. Remember the JAR was originally to seat 10,000. It's budgeting was cut twice as seats decreased. The only way it got thru the state legislature was because the architect, who was horrible, added three classrooms, at the direction of UA, so the building could then claim an educational mission. To uninformed legislators on the state capital budget committee that sounded easier to swallow than a new gym. The whole project was a lesson in incompetence on UA's part. A few years later both Cleveland State and Wright State got their arenas funded by the legislature. Both seat near 13,000. Both are strictly for sports and campus activities. Both got neat $30,000,000 each. We got less than $10,000,000 originally with a second funding of a few million. Akron could have, and should have, done better. Rhodes was a dynamic governor, but one who made poor decisions at times. His worst decision was to send in untrained, scared national guard troops to Kent State under an incompetent leader, General Del Corso. The results were tragic as we all know. Personally, I'd change the name in a heartbeat.

I think there are many of us who would contribute just as you are willing to do. On a related note, what the hell is going on with information about this year's preseason. There is absolutely nothing. That can't be doing the progrum any good, even if TB wants to keep TW's shoulder issue a mystery. After one game everybody will know what our status is at QB. I have long felt that Akron has the worst sports information dept in the MAC. They are horrible in content, creativity and quantity. Williams has got to correct that. The ABJ has shown it will not get the word out to its readers so we need to try something different. This is truly unbelievable that a DI progrum has put out such minimal information on the sport that is considered No.1 by most of the public.

We've got a top ten team again. I'm content with this ranking for now. In fact, I like it. I want this year's version of Zip soccer to be hungry and fight for everything they want. We have the season to show what we've got. I believe the boys will do just that. See you at First Energy for the 1:00 game vs Penn State on August 16. That will be a good glimpse of what we have. C'mon boys, let's return to the top!

Oh boo hoo. I feel so horrible for offending our rival. What an injustice! Oh the inhumanity of it all! Wait, this is Kent and I could care less. Hell, I'd take the Wagon Wheel to Sunday Mass if it would pee Kent off. If it's up to me we take the Wagon Wheel to every public event we can. If they don't like it, take the trophy away from us. Finally, I think the Record-Courrier reporter was correct. We will beat Kent again and the damn Wagon Wheel will be at the 2018 MAC Football Media day. At our table. Count on it!

Thanks for the post. Whether you believe the Zips will go 3-9 or 9-3 this has to get you fired up. Have a great season boys!

Thank you for your interview post. TB seems very optimistic w/o going overboard. It seems to me that he clearly knows he has to produce this season. I hope he does. I appreciate you going the extra mile. I hope you are credentialed for all Zip sporting activities. When you represent ZNO you carry a lot of clout.

Z.I.P. are you tweaking my Columbus nose? The transfers have to be for roundball cuz TB struck out this year in football, at least in graduate transfers. BTW, bring us some island healing for our sore arm (shoulder) QB. We need it. Mahalo

We are good. You were having fun with my typo and I probably would have done the same thing had I read a post like mine. The good news is we can see better days ahead for UA and it's fall!That means football. Hope springs eternal for all Zips, even though I do not have confidence in this team. I want to be proven wrong and enjoy admitting I was wrong. C'mom TB, gives us something to cheer about. C'mom TW, get your arm back! I wish!