72 Roo

Next recruit up. Good luck to David. meanwhile we are building something special.

Sounds like you get your information the same way I get mine to post on ZNO i.e. from a guy in a bar who knew someone who was the second cousin of a girl who dated a guy who hung out with the guy in question.

Without being able to put pressure on the QB we can be picked apart, even by MAC QB's. If our returning DLine players and incoming frosh can do that then we will be much better than last year. I'm doubtful the improved LB's and DB's can compensate for a DLine that gives the QB too much time though. I desperately want to have the optimism that many posters on this subject have. But for me I don't see us having an offense that can score at will which can also compensate for a D that struggles to shut down opponents. Recent seasons have me skeptical that this is a turnaround year for us. I like TB and I am rooting for him to prove me wrong.

I think you look at our situation with rose colored (or Zip colored) glasses. The coaches who handle our D line have a lot to prove as far as I am concerned. Their work during last season was poor. When injuries hit they could not find " the next man up". That does not lead me to regard their competence very highly. Make no mistake in what I say. i want to believe they are the very best, but performance tells me otherwise. Amato is not among those I question. He is a good coordinator. I'm focused here strictly on the coaches of the D line.

Thanks for the encouragement. When it comes to football we need all we can get. I am worried about this team even breaking .500. Keep the good news coming Doctor.

Unfortunately I couldn't agree more. We have more "ifs" than the past three seasons and it is the height of folly to think they will all work themselves out before the season starts. The coaches know this. That is why they have been very low keyed and promised little. They know the team and staff, as currently constituted, can't deliver the season we want. The lack of hype for this team speaks volumes.

Damn right.They work every time. When confronted with their awesome power recruits are helpless. Rumor has it that they are the main reason JG came to Akron.

From what I heard all the baseball jerseys were your size but they all shrunk in the laundry. The twerps paid off the equipment manager.

Welcome to Akron indeed. Mark is a very good signing but let's not put too much on his shoulders right away. He will still have to adapt to the college game and even in the MAC it will be quite a challenge for a freshman. He needs time to develop his game, strength, and BBall intelligence. But make no mistake I sure as hell am glad he's a Zip. Nice going coach Groce!

In addition to the "ifs" you mention there are many more such as if we find a QB, if the new LB's work out, if the DL can be rebuilt, if a legitimate TE shows, if Milwee can use what the O talent gives him effectively (my favorite which I thoroughly doubt), etc. A respected, experienced football coach once told me that when faced with a lot of "ifs" in the pre-season you can only count on 50% of them, at best, working out. The rest will be problem areas. This is realistic and I don't feel we can reasonably expect all our "ifs" to be solved. I wish it was otherwise. Every Fall hope springs eternal.

If we are counting on Milwee to be creative and use what team can give we are in deep, deep trouble. There is little hope he can be the OC we need. I pray Bowden steps in and calls the plays and Milwee "tries" to develop QB's. If not we will be lucky to win 5 games.

Hell, do more than that! Feed him Zip cookies, then we got him.

Yeah get to it and stop thinking about what most men are thinking .... sex and beer, altho' maybe not in that order.

All would be lost if we got the wrong coach. That is not the case. JG will get the job done and have a higher ceiling than KD. The road there will not be smooth and perhaps the rockiest phase is what we are going thru now. But we will emerge as a better progrum and we will reach higher levels. He needs time. Support him and let him do his job.

I think we lost more than you state. But I'm pretty much on board with the rest of your post. If we keep Antino and find some rebounding help we can have a decent, not great, year. Grace will not lose the game KD lost because the team wasn't prepared or able to play with discipline.

I now like the guy!

I'm a tweener, I enjoyed Western Cult and hated Eastern Civ. Got good grades in both. Keep after those cookies. The fate of the world depends on your success in unlocking the secret.

The fate of western civilization depends on your success! Speaking of Western Civ did anyone have Dr. David Reide for that class? I'm sure he must have talked about the immense contribution of Zip cookies to the betterment of our lives.

Skip, I can't think of a higher calling than to discover the source of these cookies. God speed you in your mission. You are carrying the hopes and dreams of our ZNO community and generations of Zips now and in the future. FWIW I have it on good authority that Pope Francis is trying to find these cookies for the Vatican coffee shop.

Thanks for the perspective brought to this thread regarding my comment on Antino's actions at the presser. Many of you are right. I do not know the circumstances and have been quick to judge. This transition has been different than any coaching change I have ever experienced. Some stupid things have been said on this thread I believe more out of frustration than insight. My comment can be lumped in the former category also. I regret it. I'm going to trust that Groce has a plan and he is working on it. That's all we can ask of a new coach. The rest is just guessing and that can get us all into trouble and not help the progrum.

I understand the desire to keep him here, but if he really passed thru Groce's presser and left then he made his actions all about him. That's disrespectful to our coach and we are not so desperate that we need him, and that attitude, for only a year. The negative chemistry that could result is not worth the risk. Next year will be tough with or w/o him. If he can't be all in we don't want him.

When last season imploded there was great talk of much needed change, however you saw it. It seems the change we got was more eye-opening than most of us wanted, but I believe it will be the absolute best for us in the long run. Groce is putting together a kick-ass staff and that is the most important factor. Those guys know how to find and recruit talent. We all wanted an easier transition but it's not to be. Let's face it, we lost a lot of under-performing talent (Josh, Hughes, Noah maybe) or yet-to-be-proven talent (TDM, Hughes). Groce will do better. Unfortunately it will take him time, 1-2 years, but it will be worth it. We weren't going any higher with KD. He admitted it by leaving. So let Groce do his thing and set a higher standard. I wish KD and all the leaving players well, but once you are gone you are out of my mind. I follow people who want to be here, not those who want to leave, coaches and players included.

Obviously a slow day so I'll offer this. Most, if not all, of us do not know just how good the education is at Akron. I work with the College of Business Administration and the Fisher Sales Institute in preparing our students for sales competitions. Teams are sent to NIU and Kennesaw (sp ?) State, two nationally highly regarded sales competitions. We are regarded as one of the giants in these competitions. Our students are so well prepared that companies go to these competitions and offer career jobs on the spot to our students. It is not uncommon for each Akron student to come back with a job offer. The training Akron students get is outstanding, better than the training my own company gave its sales recruits. Take a little pride in our school. There are more examples of excellence than we can ever know. Now how about Boals ability to recruit or where we will place any arena?

I never thought I'd be so eager to see the football season come. BBall has left such a sour taste in all of our mouths that I want to turn my attention to football and let coach Groce begin building a better progrum. I have no doubt he will do it, but next year may be tough for us to take. After that I think he will have the progrum rocking.

I would not beat yourself up for going to other suites to eat Zippy cookies. the way I look at it is you are keeping those cookies from falling in enemy hands who may be prowling our suites, press box and reception areas. That's your story and you should stick to it. It's very unselfish of you. Pardon me, in the face of such heroics I'm ready to cry.