Roo

What I love about that article is the quote from the coach that wants to create a pipeline of players from Puerto Rico to Akron. That would be a big help for Akron and I think AA being able to come in, play significant minutes and contribute as a freshman played a big role in that. They see that Akron can compete, make the NCAA tourney and offer immediate playing time and exposure when they may not get that at the high majors. Excellent.

I don't goto many bball games because of the JAR. It is just a horrible place to watch a game. I sit in the bleachers and a portion of the court is cut off by the railing, it's uncomfortable, and it feels like a high school game. It is just a very poor experience for anybody wanting to actually watch basketball. That being said, they shouldn't tear it down. A downtown arena in a partnership with the city, would be ideal. That way, Akron could benefit by getting shows and what not in that arena, the Zips could have a state of the art arena that would help take the program to the next level. The JAR would still be used for offices and practice because of the location, but volleyball and WBB could still host their games there. Also keep in mind, the Cleveland Cavs recently lost their NBDL team and are looking to purchase a team and relocate it to the area, currently they are looking in the Youngstown area, but they not be able to accommodate another minor league team (the arena currently hosts hockey.) Building a new arena may be a good selling point to have that team housed in Akron. It only makes sense to build a downtown arena....

Be interesting to follow Dowdy, there is a lot of talk that Akron North won't even have a football team. Curious to see what team he will be with next football season.

He is going to be a player to watch for the Zips. If he explodes at JUCO, big schools may still be after him but if he is a solid recruit after two years, local ties may help us land a quality WR. Looks like he never told anybody about his time at Barberton and hoped nobody would figure it out.

I remember when Larry Shyatt was an assistant at Akron. http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/bi...mp;staff=shyatt Another quality Akron area recruit that goes to Wyoming....man, that is a terrible loss...

This kind of action by Flossie is not anything new. He has been guilty of this before and was a big reason he was fired at Barberton. He really is a mean spirited, grumpy, old man. His quote from the first article "over my dead body" showed that. But yeah, nothing new from him. You should have met his old man, Babe. I had him for health class. We watched movies everyday. I had Flossie for class, we watched movies all day. My Flossie highlight was being awakened by him hitting the floor because he fell out of his chair as he struggled to pass a kidney stone. The best part of this story? During conditioning he wouldn't let his players get water because "water is for the weak". So during this kidney stone passing, Flossie screams out, hurry somebody get me something to drink, I need some water! Antonio Pittman screams out "Hell no Flossie, water's for the weak remember!" Funny stuff, but he was obviously in a lot of pain, they had to take him out in a stretcher. I think we were watching "Patriot" with Mel Gibson that day,

His facebook post just really hits you hard in the chest...so sad. Reality sucks sometimes..

This kind of action by Flossie is not anything new. He has been guilty of this before and was a big reason he was fired at Barberton. He really is a mean spirited, grumpy, old man. His quote from the first article "over my dead body" showed that. But yeah, nothing new from him.

Maybe a replica, but not the real thing. This is real, not a "fan" ring. 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats Big East Championship Ring $1,750.00 2006 Florida Gators SEC Championship Ring $2,999.99 Patriots Super Bowl Ring $63,000.00 SF 49'er Super Bowl Ring $8,888.88 Youve listed items all listed on Ebay, which won't sell. What's that pawn shop on AE? They had a ring there for $800 from the Pats SB when I went there, real ring. Staff ring, not player, but real none the less.

LOL at anybody that would pay that much for a Zips conf champ ring. You can get Super Bowl rings for more than half that price. That person is out of their minds, but I suppose there is always one sucker.

He got an 8-year extension. I'm not sure how much it is for. But this is good for mid-major basketball. Brad Stevens also seems very happy/content @ Butler. Mark Few @ Gonzaga. Good stuff. I guess these guys are the types of guys who realize $$$ isn't everything? There is no way he sees the end of that contract. If he continues to do well at VCU, he will leave. Ask yourself, where would he have gone at the moment? What open jobs are even attractive? NC State? UNLV? Those are really not the best jobs in the world, despite the money NCState could throw up. Stevens I think will only leave for one of the top tier programs and guiding Butler to back to back national title games certainly makes him an attractive option for on of those schools.

I don't believe we should do the Miami strategy and play teams like Kansas, Ohio State, etc...etc... Those are almost sure fire losses and do nothing for the program. What we need to concentrate on doing is getting rid of games like Detroit, Bethune Cookman, Oral Roberts etc..etc.. Those games are worthless and do not make this team better. We need to add more games that compare to Temple, Dayton, Cleveland State, Xavier, etc.. Atlantic Ten should be a focus of our schedule because they are quality opponents and we should be able to get them to come to the JAR for a return game. Then we need to look at some of the middle to lower BCS teams like Penn State, Depaul, Miami FL, Vanderbilt etc..etc.. Lets stock pile our schedules with those type of teams. Splitting an OOC schedule parred with a strong conference performance should put us in the sub 75 RPI realm. The biggest thing is putting our program in winnable games but also being able to get some of those teams to come to Akron to help bolster attendance. I like to root for the Zips, but I am not going to the JAR to see them play Oral Roberts. It isn't happening. Not unless they renovate the JAR... There is no reason why we should be losing to poor programs like EMU like others have states. But I think it is fair to expect us to compete and even win against the likes of Dayton, Clevenland States, etcs...

You are very incorrect. Players are moved along much quicker and much sooner in Europe than they are here in the states. The way they develop players over there is much better than how we do it here. Players in the states are so far behind Euro's at a young age it isnt funny. Difference is, there tends to be more raw talent in the states than in Europe. But that is quickly eroding because our style of play is so poor. I cant seem to find the results, but when was the last time our u18 won the world championships? If I recall correctly, I believe we have lost? The big difference is players over there get involved with pro teams and when they turn 18, sometimes before, they start getting paid. So they aren't eligible to play here. See Kanter from Kentucky. But some that don't take pay to play college in the states can be very good, however, like others have said, the big schools generally already have well covered.

Sure, knocking the coach is common on fan boards, but very few fans have ever had to endure a season like last year for their newly-hired coach. The griping by the fans about the travesty that was the 2010 Akron football seasnon is entirely understandable. Last season was historically bad. The complaints from the fan are not "just the way sports works." Its what you get when you put out a horrid product. Akron football has been a horrible product for a long time now....what else is new? We all thought JD might be able to turn it around and we had a glimpse of hope, but it faded quickly. Let's give this guy a shot and see if it works out.

This one will stick in my mind, however it turns out, I will remember this quote: ''I think Akron is a sleeping giant. You have got to give them two or three more years. The way they can coach and recruit, this is going to be a juggernaut.'' I'm having a hard time believing anything from a guy named Lemming. Lemming is a huge Notre Dame homer. He's a moron if you have followed recruiting long enough to notice it. His credentials really speaks to why he is a moron Im not a huge fan of his, but anytime somebody says opposite of anything this board feels about the coach, he is automatically discounted. Ive been watching the Zips for the last 5-10 years, much more observant as I get a little older, and anybody that expected the talent on this team to compete is a damn fool. This team was stocked full of zero talent. There was a handful of players left on the roster that Coach I had to work with, but outside of that....what do you people expect? It's going to take time...Im not sold on him, but Im not foolish to expect more than what is happening. The talent just isnt there. He isn't going anywhere, get used to it. All this bellyaching is just going to make life miserable for you. He will be here for atleast four-five years. Rightfully so. When i call Lemming a moron, I am not referencing anything he said about Akron. My reply was just out of general frustration, you get this feeling that there are many that would love to see the football team fail just so they can say they were right about Coach I. I don't know if he has what it takes, it seems as if he is rubbing many people the wrong way, but many outside of Akron have nothing but good things to say about the guy. This is Akron. It is not a powerhouse football program, it is not even a good football program. It has no history of success and was on a downward spiral with Coach B. Im not convinced that last year was simply because of his coach or lack thereof. I am just saying I am atleast going to give the guy the opportunity to get his players and his style of play in before I judge him and write him off. It just gets tiresome reading the football forum here and the comments on Ohio.com. The only thing I am certain of is that people wanting him to go away are going to be sorely disappointed because he isn't going anywhere. Unless the AD moves on or gets fired, you can sure as hell bet he will be here for atleast his contract unless he breaks some sort of rule to get fired.

This one will stick in my mind, however it turns out, I will remember this quote: ''I think Akron is a sleeping giant. You have got to give them two or three more years. The way they can coach and recruit, this is going to be a juggernaut.'' I'm having a hard time believing anything from a guy named Lemming. Lemming is a huge Notre Dame homer. He's a moron if you have followed recruiting long enough to notice it. His credentials really speaks to why he is a moron Im not a huge fan of his, but anytime somebody says opposite of anything this board feels about the coach, he is automatically discounted. Ive been watching the Zips for the last 5-10 years, much more observant as I get a little older, and anybody that expected the talent on this team to compete is a damn fool. This team was stocked full of zero talent. There was a handful of players left on the roster that Coach I had to work with, but outside of that....what do you people expect? It's going to take time...Im not sold on him, but Im not foolish to expect more than what is happening. The talent just isnt there. He isn't going anywhere, get used to it. All this bellyaching is just going to make life miserable for you. He will be here for atleast four-five years. Rightfully so.

Id be really concerned if Moore can't win the QB battle. From all the games I saw last year, Nicely just did not look capable of being a DI QB. Granted he didnt have a good OL, but his throws are horribly inaccurate. He does good up to the ten yard mark, but anything beyond 15 is almost a certain incomplete because he has limited touch. He also doesnt seem to move through is progressions well at all. He locks in and if it's not there after staring, he seems lost. Granted, again, he was a young QB but he had plenty of experience. But with limited talent on this team, its hard to expect much of anything from either QB, so I won't hold my breath for either.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-...-?urn=sow-wp269 Thought it was neat to see him pop up when asked about the recent trial of Chad Ocho Cinco.

Looks like the Zips are after two local players, including a former Cavs legend son: http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/ Larry Nance Jr has received an offer from Akron. He is a late bloomer, he really grew in his senior year and seems to be getting better and better. And you have to like his genes. I guess the father was also a late bloomer as well. Also looks like we are showing interest in the Greater Akron Player of the Year Darius Carter. Put up over 23 PPG and 14 PPG. At 6'7'', 220, he seems like has a DI ready body. That is a great size for a wing/post player. Grades may be an issue if JUCOs are showing interest.

I think they are a better matchup for us and less emotion. I as well hope BSU wins. Great win for the Zips. I finish up my MBA tomorrow at CSU and I will be in attendance for this championship game, hopefully another NCAA tournament appearance. It would be great for this program. Especially leading into next year, which should be a great season for the Zippers.

I don't agree with this statement at all. If he couldn't recruit, he wouldn't have a program that has reached the championship game of its conference tournament four years in a row. Dambrot builds TEAMS, not one man shows. In this conference, TEAMS win, not star players. I'd also argue your point that he has never developed a player that could take over a game - Jeremiah Wood (who has had a pretty good career overseas) was pretty dominant in the 2008 MAC Tournament. I have a feeling some of you won't appreciate Dambrot until he's gone (which I hope is a long, long time from now). He runs a clean program that produces quality young men, and is doing pretty well on the court as well. With a win tomorrow, the program will have six consecutive 20+ win seasons, which is a difficult feat with any schedule. His program has reached the conference final for four straight years, winning one, being robbed of another, and going into overtime for a third. His team has an excellent chance of winning the conference title again this year. He's also shown - with the recruitment of Abreu, Diggs, Gilliam, Treadwell, and Harney, he's shown that - despite his success - he's willing to change if it means getting even better. If he's replaced, it will be a gargantuan mistake. If you are content with seasons like we have had, then yes, he can recruit to compete in the MAC. He clearly cannot recruit to take this beyond what we are now. He reeled in Zeke and he hasn't developed at all. He was supposed to be one of the best bigs out of HS and he can barely make a difference in the MAC, that's not a good sign. Certainly Keith has done great things since taking over a program that wasn't very good. But as others have said, is there somebody that can take this team to the next level? Regardless of what happens in the MAC tournament this year, the follow two years will be very critical to Keith's future. He has all these transfers and young talent, if he can't put it together with that, then you do have to look to see if there are other possibilities.

Keith has done a great job thus far, looking at his record, it would be hard to argue otherwise. However... He clearly cannot recruit. Yes, he pulled Zeke, but how many standouts have we had that can just take over a game? I can't recall any... But as the above person said, I thin Keith has realized that he needs to really upgrade how he recruits if he wants to take this team to the next level. Will this payoff? I certainly hope so.. Then the schedule is next. 20+ wins is great, but getting the wins with the schedule we have really isn't that impressive. We play an awful schedule year in and year out. Nobody wants to see the team play the crap teams that they do, so nobody goes to the games. Good conference games as well as the Can't game, fans show up. People aren't going to show up for the teams that have been visiting the Jar recently. I would hope to see a sharp improvement, because the being on the cusp thing is going to put the pressure on Keith to really perform or replacements will be an option for the new AD.

I'm going to Cincy this year, going down Friday and watching the Reds/Brewers too. Joe Siegferth the Assistant Director of ticket sales should be able to help. Phone:330-972-5986......Email: jsiegfe@uakron.edu Thanks. I emailed George Van Horne and he explained everything crystal clear for me. Since Ive only been a ticket holder since the new Info opened and Im not a big donator on the Z Fund, I am hoping some quality seats are left when it comes my turn. Hopefully we see some quality games this year, the stadium is such a great experience and worth the cost, now it's just getting some quality play.

I am renewing as well, the cost is really a drop in a bucket, so it isnt a huge burden. However, since my it is in my fathers name and he handles everything, he expects me to get all the information. I think we are going to go on the road this year to watch the Zips, obviously seeing a game in OSU would be neat but probably the Cinci game as well. can somebody tell me how I get info on requesting those tickets or do they let us know automatically when the time comes? Thanks. Nvm guys, I see an Email address for a person to contact and I will follow up with them. Thx..

While I agree with the Cap'n that we really could use a WR with some height, both Russell and Sconiers played well at times for true FR last year. In fact, as much as I am eager to see what the final 2011 recruit list entails, I am just as curious to know if Richard Hall and Antoine Russell have been reinstated. Does anybody know? What happened to Schrock? He was supposed to be a big time WR recruit. As far as talent, I am not sure. But he is working out and has Akron gear on still in his hometown. FWIW....