GP1

That definitely stood out to me as well. With skin cancer an increasing concern, I can certainly understand JD wearing one. But I do wonder what the "old school" coaches would do if they saw it Bobby Bowden wears one all the time. I see The Old Ball Coach in one all the time on the news here. I'd love to have one myself.

Excellent pick up DrZ!Some of the generally stupid commentary on this board this week has centered around taking risks on kids. Some would say that a guy like this should not be signed because he would not be able to succeed academically. In a twisted leap of faith, the same type of thinkers would say that he should not be signed because he had to go to a prep school and we just can't take a risk "on a kid like that". Others would say that since he did not go to Pitt, he would be a problem at UofA because he would be selfish (this is actually a potential problem, but it seems as if JD has that under control). I scratch my bald head at this thinking. Here is what we have with Williams....He is a completely unselfish kid willing to do what is best for the team. While he may not be Dean's List material, like the great GP1 was for undergrad and graduate school, he is holding his own. He has not been a single problem and is showing good leadership skills with the acceptance of this move. I'd like to take a minute to thank Mr. Williams for flipping the bird (figuratively) to the narrow minded bigots of the world. If this kid is a risk, let's take more risks.There are so many people out there who know what everyone else thinks and what they would say. I just wonder why they aren't worth BILLIONS?? Actually, if you go onto various other links on this board, you can see exactly what people say and think about this issue.

Excellent pick up DrZ!Some of the generally stupid commentary on this board this week has centered around taking risks on kids. Some would say that a guy like this should not be signed because he would not be able to succeed academically. In a twisted leap of faith, the same type of thinkers would say that he should not be signed because he had to go to a prep school and we just can't take a risk "on a kid like that". Others would say that since he did not go to Pitt, he would be a problem at UofA because he would be selfish (this is actually a potential problem, but it seems as if JD has that under control). I scratch my bald head at this thinking. Here is what we have with Williams....He is a completely unselfish kid willing to do what is best for the team. While he may not be Dean's List material, like the great GP1 was for undergrad and graduate school, he is holding his own. He has not been a single problem and is showing good leadership skills with the acceptance of this move. I'd like to take a minute to thank Mr. Williams for flipping the bird (figuratively) to the narrow minded bigots of the world. If this kid is a risk, let's take more risks.Please click here while reading GP1's post.Now that's damn good stuff!

Excellent pick up DrZ!Some of the generally stupid commentary on this board this week has centered around taking risks on kids. Some would say that a guy like this should not be signed because he would not be able to succeed academically. In a twisted leap of faith, the same type of thinkers would say that he should not be signed because he had to go to a prep school and we just can't take a risk "on a kid like that". Others would say that since he did not go to Pitt, he would be a problem at UofA because he would be selfish (this is actually a potential problem, but it seems as if JD has that under control). I scratch my bald head at this thinking. Here is what we have with Williams....He is a completely unselfish kid willing to do what is best for the team. While he may not be Dean's List material, like the great GP1 was for undergrad and graduate school, he is holding his own. He has not been a single problem and is showing good leadership skills with the acceptance of this move. I'd like to take a minute to thank Mr. Williams for flipping the bird (figuratively) to the narrow minded bigots of the world. If this kid is a risk, let's take more risks.

John Grisham has a paperback out in stores right now called Playing for Pizza. Frye reminds me a little of the main character. Basically, there is this Cleveland QB who has a disastrous performance and goes far away from Cleveland and finds himself. It is an entertaining book that really capturers the low class and thug like behavior of Browns fans and media, especially at the beginning. You guys should pick it up.I think Frye had to get as far away from Cleveland as possible to clear his head and Seattle was as good of a place as any. It would be nice to be him in a city where he can walk down the street basically unknown and enjoy himself some.

One thing you guys have to understand is that MAC schools are loaded with players who foolishly believe they are better than what they are (especially Massillon Washington kids) and believe they could start at a BCS school as a freshman. The real trick is how the coach deals with the ego. Here is how I would handle him. Make him a RB and stick him on scout team where he can have his head deflated a little for a season, but not completely as some moxy is good for an athlete. Make him sit in study hall every hour he is not in class, eating or at practice for one year (actually, they should do this with all first and second year players). From what I see, he is only 210 pounds so he needs at least 10-15 more pounds for the MAC....he needs time in the weight room as well. There are enough RBs and we don't need another this season. Let him be a good challenge for the first and second team defense during practice. This kid isn't going anywhere unless he flunks out or gets thrown out. No BCS team would touch him next year with a ten foot pole regardless of the verdict. His leaving also requires a year of sitting out which in his mind would require another year without the NFL. We get excited when we get a player of his talent and we should. A BCS school knows there is another with his exact talent in the next high school class. This kid isn't going anywhere.

Well said Captain Kangaroo!This team needs to start winning NOW. If that means taking chances, then let's take chances and let the AD figure out ways to put controls on the players (ie: 24 hour study table, 7day a week bed check, etc.). If any of you don't want to take chances, please don't come on the board and bitch when the team is losing. Please don't complain about the coaching either, because your mentality put hand cuffs on the guy. Here is a question I would love some on this board to answer. If we can't take JUCO players because they are a risk, if we can't take a kid who might have gotten into a problem of which he was found not guilty, if we can't take players because they are not from the mid west, if we can't take players because they may have come from the wrong side of the tracks, if we can't take players because they aren't smart enough to get on the Dean's List, if we can't take kids who transfered from a BCS school because they may not fit in, if we can't take a kid because he may enjoy a good party or God forbid smoking a joint every once in a while (you guys know you did in college and maybe beyond), who in the Hell do we take and how do we win with that group? It seems to me as if there would not be enough of the remaining "talent" to win anything. There is not a coach in the world who can win with a group of choir boys. You guys may think they can, but they can't and they never have.UofA is in freaking D-1A college football. The whole 1950s mentality I see on this board does not translate into winning (actually, college football was even more corrupt in the 1950s than it is now, but that is another discussion) in 2008. I can guarantee you guys one thing, fans at winning programs are not sitting around wringing their hands worrying about what players are doing when they are not winning. Winning has a way of baptizing away a lot of sins. We need to start thinking like winners and not our narrow minded grandparents. I do not believe it is impossible to build a winning program with high quality individuals. Name a winning D-1A football program that is not taking risks with players. It takes 85 players to make a football team. Not all of them are going to have perfect character.

Well said Captain Kangaroo!This team needs to start winning NOW. If that means taking chances, then let's take chances and let the AD figure out ways to put controls on the players (ie: 24 hour study table, 7day a week bed check, etc.). If any of you don't want to take chances, please don't come on the board and bitch when the team is losing. Please don't complain about the coaching either, because your mentality put hand cuffs on the guy. Here is a question I would love some on this board to answer. If we can't take JUCO players because they are a risk, if we can't take a kid who might have gotten into a problem of which he was found not guilty, if we can't take players because they are not from the mid west, if we can't take players because they may have come from the wrong side of the tracks, if we can't take players because they aren't smart enough to get on the Dean's List, if we can't take kids who transfered from a BCS school because they may not fit in, if we can't take a kid because he may enjoy a good party or God forbid smoking a joint every once in a while (you guys know you did in college and maybe beyond), who in the Hell do we take and how do we win with that group? It seems to me as if there would not be enough of the remaining "talent" to win anything. There is not a coach in the world who can win with a group of choir boys. You guys may think they can, but they can't and they never have.UofA is in freaking D-1A college football. The whole 1950s mentality I see on this board does not translate into winning (actually, college football was even more corrupt in the 1950s than it is now, but that is another discussion) in 2008. I can guarantee you guys one thing, fans at winning programs are not sitting around wringing their hands worrying about what players are doing when they are not winning. Winning has a way of baptizing away a lot of sins. We need to start thinking like winners and not our narrow minded grandparents.

Well put. As I look at our roster I really think we are quite stacked with talent - except for the all-important QB position. If we get the same QB play we received last year then we'll finish near the bottom of the MAC East; if we get good QB play then we'll win the MACC. IMHO.I couldn't agree more. There is more talent on this team top to bottom than at any other time. The talent needs to start turning into wins. Most importantly, the talent needs to start turning into wins against a very poor conference in the MAC.

This is for GP1 only. I couldn't find the "38 Direct Fake Throwback" from wild card weekend. But that one might have one the game for them too.Masterful use of trick plays to win at the highest level.Good pick up. What is another famous trick play that went 43 yards for the Steelers?The fun thing about trick plays is if you can get through the ten that don't work causing another clogged shower drain, that one that does work always feels great.

Thanks for coming around to my point. Answer this question... Why are they going to keep it simple in the first game? If you ignore two reasons, you are missing out. First reason: They don't want any other team to know what they have. Second reason: The reduction in spring practices has perhaps created some glaring deficiencies is their back up players (QB) they don't want other to notice.Lastly, claiming contradiction does not equal contradiction. Very high school debate club move. I expect better out of you. Future lawyer?

What if they run a trick play and like most trick plays, they lose yards? Should the other team ignore the trick play. Of course they should. Most coaches don't know where to run the trick plays to begin with (they should be run in the "alumni zone"...between the 40s). I have lost most of my hair watching my favorite football teams lose yard after yard with trick plays. The problem is most coaches are so stupid, they will spend hours game-planning for something that probably does not need to be planned for extensively.

I hear this alot (especially when it's posted multiple times ) . There is a problem with this logic however.What difference does it make to an established program, with an established Offensive Coordinator. That has run the same offensive style for the past 3-4 years and also has several hours of film for "real opponents" to review prior to a game.Wisconsin knows everyone knows their plays. What they don't want the other Big Ten teams to see is how they run those plays with new players replacing those that have graduated. Good coaching is much less about knowing the other teams plays and is much MORE about exploiting sub-par players on the other team. Everyone looks pretty good running the basics. Not everyone looks good running more elaborate plays. Coaches spend hours watching film not writing down different plays, but trying to find the weak link in the other team.

WI will run the same six plays all game and probably their base defense as much as possible. Unless we absolutely fall apart, they will not blow us out. In order to blow us out, they will have to open up their playbook and that's the last thing they want to show the first week of the season.

Yes it is ..... Does anyone remember what happened to the Buchtel High Science (or Math) teacher on his way to school a couple of months ago??? A concealed carry and a gun in his car may or may not have saved his life.Thankfully our founding fathers thought it was and it still is.Libs don't quite get it.Will you be voting for the liberal John McCain this election or the even bigger liberal Obama? There is almost no difference between the two guys. We are just going to exchange one liberal, Bush, for another liberal. We wouldn't be exchanging liberal for liberal if the Barr/Root ticket gets elected. Our liberty would be preserved instead of being put in jeopardy.

Those of us in the Libertarian Party will never give up our rights because people are scared. The people of this country have given up too many rights in recent decades.

in addition, you can do a towel giveaway promotion, but you can call them sham shammies These may be the two best marketing ideas in the history of the MAC. I'm not kidding either.

How is the above-listed offense to be confused with over-darkened window tint?Maybe the over-darkened windows are the equipment violation. When I think equipment violation I think more in line with a tail light or something being out.

The MAC is too busy screwing itself to get screwed by any other entity.Ryno, you shouldn't be too hard on the logo......it's a sign of our "building". The MAC has been building for years.........in a floodplain. Every few years, the building gets washed away and they go back to the floodplain to build again.

I have to respectfully disagree with this point. Teams like OSU and other BCS teams have their alumni and fans by the short hairs. They have more people who want season tickets than seats in their stadium. YSU is part of the season ticket package for OSU and anyone who wants season tickets must buy the game. Fans may buy the tickets and not attend the game or give the ticket to a friend, etc., but they must eat the crap OSU dishes out to them. I wish we had this same problem.

I always thought the last word on YSU would be "suck" as in "they suck".

Zips Make EDSBSScroll down to July 21.

I've actually thought of a good radio ad for this non-existent game. Keep in mind that I think honesty is always the best approach with a customer as it is respected. Here it goes....."Come see the University of Akron Zips take on the College X Piles of Crap at InfoCision Stadium on August #. We know this game is a sham. You know this game is a sham. We know that you know this game is a sham and you know that we know this game is a sham. What do you expect? It's the end of summer, the Indians stink and you people are starving for some football and you know it. Don't pretend you aren't. We have it. You will receive a brand new Terrible Sham Wow (variation of Terrible Towel) at the gate. See you at the game."I don't see any reason we can't get Sham Wow to make some of their product with the Zips logo on it. One of two directions can be taken with these sham games. The first is to insult customers and act like the game might be interesting. The second is to embrace the sham that these games are (like we have embraced being called the Zips and kangaroo mascot) and run with it.

Week 1 College Football ScheduleI don't like it either, but are we missing the trend? Look at the number of I-A teams playing I-AA teams week one in the above link.I think BCS teams have figured out that the loss of five spring practices has resulted in too many possible upsets the first game of the year. The BCS schools found a solution with the help of their most loyal and biased supporter, the NCAA. The solution? Add a 12th game to the schedule at the beginning of the season before taking on I-A teams so the BCS teams can get the extra five days of practice they lost in the spring. At the end of fall camp and before I-A games is a I-AA team that allows the BCS schools another payday and basically a scrimmage in front of their home crowd. Last year, OSU played their second team the second series of the game against YSU.....talk about shams and a waste of four hours for anyone going to that game. I really believe this has been a huge contributor to the inability of the MAC to surprise many BCS teams as of late.If the Zips scheduled in the following manner, I wouldn't necessarily like it, but I would understand the need for the tune up game.Week 1 - I-AA patsy. Instead of the Acme Zip Game we could call this sham of a game the Sham Wow Game and everyone attending gets a free Sham Wow.Weeks 2-4 consist of the following games in any order - One BCS payday on the road, one non-BCS school (home and home) and one BCS school (home and home).I would really like to play all OOC games before any MAC game.

That perception seems to be a really tough thing to overcome. Even the staunchest UA supporters seem to be stuck in 1989...referencing games played 20 years ago...asking for 1-AA teams on our 2009 football schedule. Does that happen at Miami? Toledo? No. It happens at places like EMU, K.e.n.t and unfortunately Akron.We are getting a 60+ million dollar football palace. The place WILL be full. The teams WILL win. The opponents SHOULD be exclusively quality, 1-A OOC and MAC opponents. If the stadium is NOT filled to capacity -- heads should roll. You don't spend 60+ million dollars and use the same techniques to garner crowds that were used in the Rubber Bowl era. The bar has been raised, both on the field and in the stands. 5,000 person crowds and 4-8 teams can no longer be accepted.The "low hanging fruit"..."the easy way out" is:* Schedule 1-AA cupcakes to inflate the team's record (this is known as the "Lee Owens Technique")* Schedule "Band Night" and get a few thousand HS bands to pad attendance* Schedule YSUThis is 2008, not 1988. The Low Hanging Fruit Days are over. It is time to expect a quality Division 1 NCAA Football experience in Akron.Personally -- I think that dawn has arrived. But to many, only seeing is believing. So we'll need to wait until September 2009 for people to forget about Jim Dennison's firing, Murray State, YSU and HS Band Nights. I can't wait.Excellent post.I'm with you as far as not playing I-AA teams every year. As far as other teams around the MAC before I get to my question, Toledo played Liberty in 2007. BSU, favorite to win the MAC West, is playing Northeastern first game of the year and WKU later in the year. Here is the question.... Are we missing a scheduling trend in college football that is benefiting other schools and we are not taking advantage of it? I don't know the answer to this, but in recent years, UofA has been late to the party on various trends happening around college football. For example, running a Heisman Trophy campaign for a player who would never win it, late to the party with the spread offense and picking up the 3-3-5 defense when everyone is running away from it. Could the trend in college football, with the addition of the 12th game, be to allow D-I teams to schedule one cupcake per year to collect money and tune up the team for D-I teams since spring practice allows for less tune up time? The goal of the team should be to win the MAC East, make the post season and then let the chips fly. Does a tune up game in August against a I-AA team hurt or help win the MAC East or is it neither?Some of the I-AA teams Owens played were mid season games. I am completely against that as there is no reason to tune up mid season. I just see the trend of I-AA teams early season for I-A teams and it worries me that we are once again going to be the last to catch on. It might be nice to tune up on someone instead of everyone else tuning up on us.I hope my questions provide some discussion.