GP1

Attention ZipsNation posters and readers. The Great GP1 did not post this.....

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.Whatever you are smoking, please send some down to South Carolina.It's OK to say the Zips got their asses kicked today. It happens to everyone and it happened today. Living in a statistical fantasy world does not help.Again, the only stat that matters is point differential. VCU scored more points today than UofA.

Are you harshly saying all of the "growing" and "building" is an illusion?

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Basketball and football are completely different animals. Putting 5 or 6 power conference teams on a basketball schedule would be less of an impact on the entire season than 3 BCS teams in football.It's all about percentages. The football team plays 75% of their OOC games against BCS level teams. It is killiing the program. The basketball team should in no way do the same thing. They should in no way also continue to hide from good ooc competition by playing the Malones of the world (twice) and beef up their schedule. They can only hide for so long. Reality needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Exactly my point. How or why would anyone know he went to Akron? All he talked about was tosu...Guys like CB need to get in front of the media and promote UA. It would go a long way to validating our program and then maybe he wouldn't be asked such a question...Then Thomas left, and it all stopped. UA needs to be in Blackburn's face. Give the guy t-shirts and caps. Invite him back for the golf outings and spring practices. Ditto Hixon. And Frye. And others. And if they can't make it in one season, you call them back in 6 months and try again. It's pretty simple.If you see Chase Blackburn wearing an OSU shirt underneath his jersey, I blame UA, not Chase.UofA has a lot of blame, no doubt.We had a great alumni phone campaign going under Gary Bogue and it all stopped. One year was not enough and Gary could have always done better than working with the children in college athletics. UofA gave up on the alumni in favor of the HUGE donors. Right or wrong , that is what happened.Again, I hate to put any blame on CB, he was asked a question and just responded. While I don't agree with the way he responded, it was the answer to a questions that was never followed up on. Chase isn't a rocket scientist, he is just a guy who plays football for a living.

I agree. One thing everyone should understand is most kids don't grow up wanting to play for UofA or any other MAC school. Most kids end up in the MAC because it is where they belong and they were passed over at BCS schools because they didn't have the ability to play there. It's not a bad thing, it just is what it is.....UofA shouldn't worry about what happens at tOSU. I could really care less about them and I think what goes on at UofA has very little to do with what goes on at tOSU. The only reason people think about it as us vs. them is we live in that type of society where everything has become all or nothing. Talk radio is a lot of us vs. themes...it helps people feel at home listening to the radio because they believe they are part of something bigger. UofA should put a good product on the field and play when they want to play. Put a good product on the field and the ABJ will write about them. Put a good product on the field and people will go to games. It's really not about tOSU.I diasgree. It's completely reasonable that CB grew up in c-bus wanting to go to OSU to play football. But he played at UA and he should be supporting the Zips now, not tosu. Screw Chase Blackburn!The diehards on this board bitch all the time that attendance is poor at UA games. Well, why should Joe Akron spend his hard earned money for a UA game when the players and former players don't give a damn about UA...You are correct, what goes on at UA does have very little to do with what goes on at tosu.However, what goes on at tosu has a huge impact on all other D1 Ohio schools, UA included.I know dozens of families in my community who are UA grads. And exactly none of them ever attend UA games. Yet I see all of them wearing their tosu gear...I see what you are saying. I just didn't read any negative toward UofA in his comments. He was asked a question about growing up in Columbus and being a tOSU fan. He gave an honest answer that had nothing to do with UofA. I'm sure there are a lot of kids who grew up near one school, cheered for it then went to another and still out of the corner of their eye follow the school they grew up near. I think that is natural.If UofA won, Joe Akron would go to games. If the MAC was more entertaining, Joe Akron would go to games. If they played on reasonable days, Joe Akron would go to games. If they played at reasonable times, Joe Akron would go to games. I think Blackburn's opinions have little to nothing to do with that. In fact, I'm not sure how many Joe Akrons out there, when they watch a Giants game, know Blackburn went to UofA.

I can only hope you were drunk when you wrote this. 10:11 AM is really never too early. Believe me, I've been there.Exactly what is the ACC league procedure for making sure their best teams lose the conference championship? Make sure there are not black helicopters around your home when you respond.I don't know if Butler would win the MAC tournament since anything can happen in a one and done situation, but they would be the best team in the league.

I'm using this line at some point of my life before the end of March.It was the line of the month.

I agree. One thing everyone should understand is most kids don't grow up wanting to play for UofA or any other MAC school. Most kids end up in the MAC because it is where they belong and they were passed over at BCS schools because they didn't have the ability to play there. It's not a bad thing, it just is what it is.....UofA shouldn't worry about what happens at tOSU. I could really care less about them and I think what goes on at UofA has very little to do with what goes on at tOSU. The only reason people think about it as us vs. them is we live in that type of society where everything has become all or nothing. Talk radio is a lot of us vs. themes...it helps people feel at home listening to the radio because they believe they are part of something bigger. UofA should put a good product on the field and play when they want to play. Put a good product on the field and the ABJ will write about them. Put a good product on the field and people will go to games. It's really not about tOSU.

I can't believe these words are actually being typed on this board....and they are true.I'm simply amazed at the job JK has done at UofA. Hats off to Mack as well for sticking with her when it would have been easy to fire her. Someone in the know should put her down for a raise.

Why would anyone be excited about a home and home with Marshall? They are a shell of the program that they were in the MAC and nobody really came out to watch those games. I just dont get it.+1-1How can anyone say no one came out to the games...unless you want to lie? Every Marshall game a the Rubber Bowl drew GREAT crowds. Every game was exciting. Their fans travel great.Marshall beat a 9-3 OU program in the Little Caesar's Bowl in December, so obviously they are not a shell of their former self. They would have won the MAC East in 2009.C-USA is head and shoulders above the MAC in football. Home-Home vs. Marshall is a great "get" for the Zips schedule. The game will sell out. Easily.I totally agree. Marshall will travel well so there will be a big crowd. Since they are a shell of the team they used to be, a win in front of a big crowd with a known team will do wonders for the interest in the program.I like what I hear from the AD. One BCS level team a year is enough. That would be 25% of the ooc schedule. If we need to play more than one a year for the money, we are making mistakes in other areas of the athletic department. One 1-AA team. He can do whatever he wants with the remaining two games.

And Charlie Coles celebrates a hard earned 29-28 victory. After the game, Coles will be quoted as saying, "I was a little concerned our offense was scoring too many points, but in reality we scored just enough."

I just looked up the stats. There were 72 FTs taken in a 50 minute game. Only 59% of them were made. FG percentages were terrible. I have to give you guys credit. If you could sit through a game like that, you could probably teach the CIA a thing or two about how to survive waterboarding.

It was lacerated last season against Boston College. When the doctors went in to fix it, they found he was born with only one kidney.That's interesting. What is even more interesting is when doctors cut into the heads of Can't State graduates, students and faculty they only find half a brain.

Did he lose a kidney or did he have a laceration that was repaired?If he is down to one kidney, I find it hard to believe even a school as stupid as Can't State would allow him to play.

Looks like this isn't the only board with coachers and builders on it...

I watched this game yesterday. Several times throughout the game I caught myself laughing out loud at how bad Can't State was playing. That was a good way to spend a snowed in (5 inches) Saturday in South Carolina.I'm callling my shot! If Can't State played that bad yesterday, they can play that bad in the MAC Tournament. The Zips will win the tournament again this year. Take it to the bank.

I love the negative view of Joe Akron.....and I agree.

Maybe in fact they don't make millions for a tournament appearance.....I'd love to see somone try to put a number on it. I'm sure part of the rationale would be free advertising. OK, how much money did the advertising turn into?

I respectfully disagree and would submit this is a dodge. I've been reading the "building process" dodge on this board for how many years now and it is sickening. The fact of the matter is there is much better talent on the team now than when KD took over the program. The schedule is the same. One could argue that Malone AND St. Francis makes the schedule worse. As far as waiting to get a new arena before a better schedule, how freaking long will that take and why should they get a new arena?...Only 3.500 people show up and the state of Ohio is broke. They're so boring nobody will pay to watch and the most exciting thing that happened this week was a player getting suspended. The Rubber Bowl was falling down...the JAR is in fine condition.The issue nobody is discussing and CK brought it up in his original post is the BB program, while winning a lot of games, is not contributing as much as they could to the financial well being of the athletic department. This has to stop. The football team plays 75% of their games against BCS teams...that has to stop also and the BB program should not adopt that strategy. If the basketball team loses a few more games a year and the football team adopts a sane schedule and wins a couple more games while playing at home, the athletic department will be better off. The greatest opportunity for revenue generation is through the football program and the 25,000 seat stadium they play in, not the 3,500 per game crowds the basketball team plays in front of. The basketball team has maxed out it's revenue generation. They played an abnormally large number of home ooc games this year and they seem to be maxed out at 3,500 per game the year after a MAC Championship. If they play fewer home ooc games next year and crowds remain the same (if they don't win the MAC, the risk of a smaller average exists), they are actually in a worse financial situation than this season unless they can get a price increase in tickets. Basically, the Zips NEED to play higher level teams if they are going to contribute fully to the athletic department.The basketball team would be in no different position right now if they played UNC in lieu of Malone. They could also dump one other mid major and play a Pitt or some other Big East team. I thought Mack was a good AD, but one criticism of him I will make is he allowed the BB program to get away with not holding up their financial end. We'll see if the TW makes some changes...he needs to for the sake of the entire athletic department.Sorry, but with all due respect, Zips basketball isn't going anywhere without a complete plan that is well-conceived, well-executed and addresses all areas of the program. Simply dropping a few weak opponents from the schedule and adding a few strong ones is a bandage.The real dodge is to say you can throw a bandage on one area of the program and magically make it successful. No successful major business -- and UA is certainly a successful major business in the field of higher education -- would ever consider conducting business in such a haphazard manner.What's the complete business plan that goes along with increasing SOS?Good questions.I'm not talking about only the BB program. It is the health of the athletic department that has to be considered as well. If the Zips could bring in an extra $300,000 in ooc ATM games, it may not cover the loss, but it would help. The athletic department functions in the red every year. This has to change. The BB team needs to bring in more money because the three biggest revenue producers for the athletic department have to be football, basketball and soccer. The football team needs to start to win so they bring in more money. The soccer team has maxed out their stadium and only ticket price increases will increase their game revenue. This isn't just about basketball. If anyone can show me where the Zips are pulling as much of the financial weight as the other two big three programs, I would be glad to listen.If the business plan is to make more money and win the MAC the steps are as follows. Keep in mind I think this program has maxed out it's revenue generation in it's current form.Step 1: Dump the Malone AND St. Francis schedule. It should be St. Francis OR Malone. Playing two teams like this a year is a joke and everyone knows it.Step 2: Dump two mid major ooc games.Step 3: Add two high major games on the road.Captain Kangaroo is right. If the Zips cash in 2-3 games a year, it is not going to change their success in the MAC. The Zips have a very good MAC team with a good coach and I don't think a couple of ATM games a year are going to have a crushing impact on the team.I'm very happy with the current state of Zips basketball. Sometimes when I read this board, I think some of you still look at this team like it is a small child that has to be protected from the mean outside world. This is a mature program with a good coach and good players. It's time for them to start scheduling like a mature program. Some think there is a possibility for being a Gonzaga...I don't and I don't want to be...I just want to be UofA and we should let Gonzaga be Gonzaga. I do think we can be a great MAC team though. If anyone thinks they can be a high mid major like Gonzage, please let me know how long that is going to take and what it will look like when we get there. With the exception of winning the MAC, the Zips are in the same state they were 3-4 years ago, which is a good thing. They are a solid team that is still losing games they should not lose and losing badly in games they should not lose badly in.Here is a question. If what we are following is indeed a "building process", how far along is the building? Is the foundation poured? Is the supporting structure set? Is everything finished but the carpeting and painting? Exactly where is this program in the building process? When the building is finished, are we going to allow the place to get dirty (ie: ATM games) or are we going to continue to do what we are doing now so our building doesn't get dirty? My concern is when the building is complete, we will hear another dodge.

Please find my post after that game. I doubt you will find anything. I have been extremely complimentary of KD and the progress of the BB program under him.The one thing I do agree with is coachers are always laying in the wings. Coachers logic is a team always has to win more games the next year compared to the previous. If the don't win more, they love to throw out the comment, "Is this team moving in the right direction?" or some other bit of rubbish.

I respectfully disagree and would submit this is a dodge. I've been reading the "building process" dodge on this board for how many years now and it is sickening. The fact of the matter is there is much better talent on the team now than when KD took over the program. The schedule is the same. One could argue that Malone AND St. Francis makes the schedule worse. As far as waiting to get a new arena before a better schedule, how freaking long will that take and why should they get a new arena?...Only 3.500 people show up and the state of Ohio is broke. They're so boring nobody will pay to watch and the most exciting thing that happened this week was a player getting suspended. The Rubber Bowl was falling down...the JAR is in fine condition.The issue nobody is discussing and CK brought it up in his original post is the BB program, while winning a lot of games, is not contributing as much as they could to the financial well being of the athletic department. This has to stop. The football team plays 75% of their games against BCS teams...that has to stop also and the BB program should not adopt that strategy. If the basketball team loses a few more games a year and the football team adopts a sane schedule and wins a couple more games while playing at home, the athletic department will be better off. The greatest opportunity for revenue generation is through the football program and the 25,000 seat stadium they play in, not the 3,500 per game crowds the basketball team plays in front of. The basketball team has maxed out it's revenue generation. They played an abnormally large number of home ooc games this year and they seem to be maxed out at 3,500 per game the year after a MAC Championship. If they play fewer home ooc games next year and crowds remain the same (if they don't win the MAC, the risk of a smaller average exists), they are actually in a worse financial situation than this season unless they can get a price increase in tickets. Basically, the Zips NEED to play higher level teams if they are going to contribute fully to the athletic department.The basketball team would be in no different position right now if they played UNC in lieu of Malone. They could also dump one other mid major and play a Pitt or some other Big East team. I thought Mack was a good AD, but one criticism of him I will make is he allowed the BB program to get away with not holding up their financial end. We'll see if the TW makes some changes...he needs to for the sake of the entire athletic department.

I was wrong on the going undefeated in the MAC. Coming off of a championship, I thought it could be accomplished...difficult, but possible.I will stand by my statement that Zeke needs to play and a lot. I also stand by the hopping around on one leg comment. It's too good of a comment to back off of.

Wrong.The only thing that matters is who wins the MAC Championship Game. Use the regular season to teach these kids that they have to toe the line, play by the rules, and be coached by the coach, so that they will be there for the team (and fans) in those final couple of minutes in Cleveland in March. Because THAT'S what really matters...******BUILDER ALERT********Are you saying DrZ, Captain Kangaroo, Zip Watcher, ZipsWin!, etc. are wasting their time going to regular season games? I happen to think winning the MAC Tournament is the cherry on top to a good season. Every game matters. Every game is an opportunity to win, not experiment. People are investing their hard earned money and free time to supporting the team. It is up to the team to perform well each game, not just to be involved in some ongoing scrimmages getting ready for the MAC Tournament.If the players start to think everything is about the Tournament, they will fail to experience success during the regular season. The only thing the players should be thinking about is the team they are about to play and what their job is in that game.Did anyone ever think the rules Mack put in place might be a little too strong? Maybe I'm not following it closely enough, but I don't read about players from other schools getting suspended. I don't think we have bad kids, maybe there are too many rules to follow. I'm all for discipline and order, but how much is too much for the player to follow? Maybe the punishments are too strong. This should be looked into.