72 Roo

WVU electing to join the MAC for soccer would be a big gain for the MAC and us. It would give us another competitive game along with NIU and Buffalo. Altho' WMU can play OK at times. It then allows Caleb to use his out of conference schedule to book the highest profile opponents he can get. This move also makes sense for WVU too. If they do it we will instantly have a fierce rivalry on our hands that will help us get ready for the post season. WVU plays on the edge of being cheap and dirty, but that is exactly what teams must do to beat us. Get us out of our rhythm and possession game and expose our weaker side. Hope it happens.

Watcher, I think this is the only realistic outcome for Akron if we are going to join a better conference. We will not get into the Big East and C-USA as it now stands is not a good marriage. But take some of the schools as you have suggested and join them to a few MAC schools and you have a conference we could get excited about. Any conference realignment that will be advantageous to Akron will have to follow this path IMHO. Nice idea Watcher!

I think any thought of Akron joining the Big East is pipe dream. Having said that I would love to see us receive an invitation and I am super-impressed with your argument and research. I'd like to buy you a beer and dream on together. Well done! One day we will be in a better conference.

This is great news if the legislature approves Slaby's bill. I would like to see the university tear down the building and put up on that space exactly what it needs whether it is a new college of education building, an extension of Summit College, a teaching high school for our students, more health related buildings to be close to Summa or a new arena with tennis stadium. I know this may be too expensive, especially if the Central Hower building is sound and efficient to run. But I love the idea of us continuing to extend our architectural theme to all campus buildings, not renovating them only to tear them down in 10-15 years. That property could help become an impressive eastern entrance to the university off Market Street and help enhance the health sciences corrider that is forming over there. That would be a welcome addition to our already beautiful and growing campus. I hope this idea is practical. Dr. P is on a roll.

Nice thought, but Title IX ain't ever going to allow a men's team to appear.

I didn't see his commitment today. Did he get an offer that he considered better?

This is an early candidate for ignorant post of the new year. Brian did everything he could for us. He is a class act. He did not let Akron down, Akron let him down by putting him in a pathetic program for the last 3 years. I'm a lifetime member of the Varsity A and I would welcome him with open arms. Best of luck 34 in Arizona.

Dennis is doing the best that he can and your claim that the team's performance is all due to the passion and commitment of Newt undercuts the job Dennis is doing. Meister ... I don't get how my praise for Newt Engle and what he has done over decades with the rifle team undercuts my high praise for our track program's Dennis Mitchell. I said he is nationally respected, having been a U.S. head coach, and I want to keep him forever. If that is somehow misleading I'm sorry I have not been able to convey my praise and respect for both. I think both program's are headed in the right direction with their leadership.

Zip 13 I gotta agree with you. TW gets the credit here. I don't know why Keener took a jab at you. It wasn't deserved and he generally has good posts that don't go personal. I'd also like to add to our list of outstanding coaches and toss out the name of Dennis Mitchell and Newt Engle. Our rifle team does a hell of a lot with limited support. It is all because of the passion and commitment of Newt. Mitchell is a fantastic coach. He has been tabbed as the head U.S. national coach when we had a dual meet with the UK a while back. He is the real deal. When you talk of coaches you want to keep forever his name is up with the best. It's great to be able to say once again "It's good to be a Zip!" Happy New Year!

Dave ... Thanks for your post on coach Bowden. I can't believe how this hire has raised my spirits. We now have hope where there previously was none, nada, zip. We also have someone who wants to be here and that means a lot to me and I bet others too. He's someone who can look past the crap he is inheriting to see the potential that we present which is far greater than any team in the MAC save Toledo. What I hope is that after building a league leading program here he comes to value his legacy more than jumping to a bigger, better program. Coaches who continually jump to greener pastures make more money but leave nothing else. The coaches we truly remember are the ones who build programs and lasting legacies. Not those who make the most money. Am I getting the cart before the horse? Damn right. But I'm so high right now I claim the right to dream. Pardon me for waxing poetically, but I feel good. What do ya'll think?

ITZ, there is a lot of pain that is felt by ZipsNation now. We have been rejected for no obvious reason. Nothing makes sense now and we are all feeling low. But let's get over it. The right guy can turn this around. We could be on the cusp of moving this program to a higher level, one above the MAC. Remember to achieve it you first have to dream it. We will get better and rise above being a program Paul Winters would easily turn down. I'll never know why Paul turned us down, but we will be better soon. Hang in there, TW or LP will right the ship of football.

Can anyone tell me why Perry Kitchen is not in this camp? He has to be one of our best U23 defenders. I probably missed something and if you could help me out I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

I have a solution for you... http://www.case.edu/provost/ugstudies/enteringtransfer.htm http://www.mountunion.edu/admission YOU can join the OAC Case Western is not a member of the OAC. They are part of the Western Athletic Conference. They are a major science and research University though which comes to show you do not have to be some small liberal arts school to be D-III. To the guy who posted the soccer link, I bet OSU fans really lose sleep over Akron beating them in SOCCER. Case is not a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which is referred to as the WAC. The Wac features mostly Rocky Mountain and west coast teams of which not one is academically the match for Case. All would, However, beat the hell out of Case in any sport. Boise came from the WAC. Maybe you have heard of that school? Case is part of the University Athletic Association which is made up of academically superior D3 schools such as Washington University in St. Louis, The University of Chicago, etc. It seems this post is as well thought out as your original suggestion.

There's a lot of truth in this article. If the locals feel we are not giving them a fair shot we will continue to lose talent and fans. I feel very few sports fans in Stark county identify with Akron because we have not developed relationships in that market. There are many kids who want to stay home and play for their local university. Unfortunately we have not made them feel that they we are there local university. They don't feel connected. If they can help raise our talent level we have to find a way to let them know they are welcomed at Akron.I don't see this changing until we have a change in coaching leadership and I am someone who wants Ianello to succeed. Realistically I now feel he doesn't have the ability.

This guy can't understand football if he wants Nicely back, but then again he is "Akron Football" and unfortunately that name is beginning to be regarded as total ineptitude. Come on iCoach, turn this thing around.

I gotta agree with Zach. TW's body of work is good and getting better. Every program is on the rise or about to be made-over to get it there. Tom knows he has a huge problem with football. I predict he will give Ianello another year before pulling the plug. But Ianello will have to achieve 6 or more wins to stay after his third year. If Ianello goes it will be with one year left. We don't have the money to eat two years. He has four years guaranteed, that's why I feel he will be given another year. I think we need to take a deep breath. The season is not over. Strange things can happen, like wins. If we win four I would be happy with the direction of the program. But the next year I expect a winning program despite the schedule or whatever. Let's revisit this discussion at the end of the season. He's our coach and this is our team. I want them both to do well.

While a game that ends in a tie is often held akin to kissing your own sister, this game tells us that once again Caleb has put forth an amazing group of young players. Not only is Creighton ranked tenth they are a veteran side that only lost two players from their NCAA tournament caliber program. The Zips need a huge turn out of AK-Rowdies for the Cleveland State match next Saturday. Be there or transfer to cant. What a horrible thing to say to someone

I understand your sentiments but I may not have described my position well enough. Although I may think Moore is better....that is based on Nicely's track record and what Moore has done at levels below D1. I have seen very little of both to actually make the call. That is why I hoped he would have made the debate moot by now. Since he has not...there is no real proof that he better and since Nicely has done all that he is asked and has been the started for more than a year...I believe he should be the starter in game 1. I don't think he will quit if he is not the starter...but he may mentally check out if he loses a job to someone who did not earn it on the field. We may need him this year. Lack of depth is my major concern this year. I also think it is important to establish the culture that you win and lose positions on the field and in practice. That said...there is still 2 weeks for one of them to step up. But my guess is that Nicely will be the starter and Moore will take over by game 2-3. I agree with that also.

Thanks JZ84 for taking the time to answer my question. If Bice is better prepared and the best we have I am all for him taking the spot. As you said it will be nice to have depth on the O-line for once. We will no doubt need it.

Gotta Agree.

Thanks JZ84. Your report was like water in the desert for those of us outside of NE Ohio who are starving for Zip news. Got a question. Wasn't Rizzo brought in as a starter on the O-line? Is he that good and possibly hurt? Or was he beat out by better linemen who emerged better than we thought? I have no confidence in Nicely as a leader or as a productive QB. The sooner we go to Moore the better the team will be. With the talent level up, the morale and spirit high and the coaching staff coming together we could have some hope this year.

I love your enthusiasm and would kill for a 7-5. But my brain over-rules my heart and says 4-8. I hope I'm proven wrong.

I've enjoyed the posts on this thread, but I've got to take exception to GP1's view of the short interviews with coach Ianello at the end of each day. I think he has told us something. It is what he reveals about himself. I see confidence, enthusiasm, team motivation and a plan to make us better. True, only wins will prove he is effective with all this, but I nonetheless like that he is reaching out to the Zip football community and trying to give us something to believe in. I have been very critical of icoach, but I am impressed with what he is doing. It's working on me. I'm getting excited for the season and hope has returned that we may be on our way to a much better season. Is 4-5 wins possible? Maybe.

Did 72 Roo say "Mahalo"? De nada! Have another Diamond Head lager Me ke Aloha I'll have more than one! How about a six pack?

I like your truth. Top 75 sounds good!