ABJ Spring Practice Article

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hopefully the first of about 10 - 15 installments?

[Blue & Gold]

Here is a link to yet another interesting story in the ABJ about the new coaches @ spring drills.http://www.ohio.com/sports/40694842.htmlAs an aside (perhaps I should start a separate thread for this next point & question) but the Beacon's coverage has been what I would consider excellent for quite a while now. I've been upset with the BJ for years for lack of Zips coverage. But I'm a softy and they've won me back. However, to the more cynical out there, am I being naive and will I have my heart broken again, or has the BJ truly changed their philosophy and are they really focussing on Akron as opposed to Columbus and Cleveland as we had all hoped they would?

[Blue & Gold]

Oops, I see the Captain beat me to posting a link to this article! Sorry for stepping on toes!

[Dr Z]

No problem B&G, I merged them for you.Keep the articles coming Tom. Can the headline to your next article be 'Zips move on from the 3-3-5' Get me some quotes from coach explaining why the switch, and try to get him to say "Dr Z was right all along" Is there no print/statement saying the team is switching defenses because it seems like admitting a mistake, or is it not interesting enough to make an article about?

[g-mann17]

As an aside (perhaps I should start a separate thread for this next point & question) but the Beacon's coverage has been what I would consider excellent for quite a while now. I've been upset with the BJ for years for lack of Zips coverage. But I'm a softy and they've won me back. However, to the more cynical out there, am I being naive and will I have my heart broken again, or has the BJ truly changed their philosophy and are they really focussing on Akron as opposed to Columbus and Cleveland as we had all hoped they would?

Well there are two possible answers to this. One, is that the staff of the Beacon has actually listened to what several modern media experts have said about how newspaper will survive. That is to focus on local news. Though information flow has increased because of the internet, truthfully the only news that easily filters through the internet are the huge global stories. If your paper focuses on huge global stories, and you can get that same information on the internet for free (and I mean exact same since most are AP stories) why would anyone bother to pay for a paper. But if you provide information that is not easily accessible (because it's not international news) and focus on the niche that is local news, what the Canton Mayor said about how the former steel yard will be utilized in the future, or what the hometown team is doing to prepare for the upcoming season, then that is worth paying for to people.However, I did say two possible answers. The second and more likely (because I doubt the intelligence of all newspaper leaders) is that last year the Rubber Bowl was closing and that is big news, so you cover the team that plays there, and this year Infocision Stadium opens (again big news) so you cover the team that plays there. If for some reason the team falters, and doesn't win a MAC championship or have a Ball State type year, we will again be thrown to complete obscurity in the eyes of the hometown rag. I subscribe to the Beacon for local coverage. Unfortunately they still seem to think that local means half a page on local High School Sports and then 3 pages of AP articles on the seasonal professional sport (stuff I can get by logging onto ESPN or CBS sportsline.)

[Buckzip]

There is no talk about spring ball. Even Go Zips.com only mentioned a scrimmage. They don't even have a spring perspectus. Does anyone have any info?

[gozips19]

spring ball is split up.....they took last week off due to spring break. they start back up monday.

[Lee Adams]

so...what about the defense!?...is the JC coming in going to play the corner? who are the safeties going to be?...is Fleming's kid going to play?...the D will determine how far this team goes...anybody got anything?

[InTheZone]

spring ball is split up.....they took last week off due to spring break. they start back up monday.

I've always thought that was a stupid schedule. Basically, the players never have a chance to go through a long heavy lifting cycle in the Spring semester because JD chooses to start winter conditioning and spring practice so early. They pretty much lift for a 4 weeks when they get back from winter break, then have winter conditioning for two solid weeks where not much heavy lifting is happening, go through 2 weeks of spring ball, go on spring break drink their asses off and lose any conditioning they may have had, come back for the last two weeks of spring practice, and then have about 4 more weeks of lifting to gain back the little bit they gained and then lost in spring ball. In my humble opinion, it'd be much better to lift for 10 weeks, in which guys will make SIGNIFICANT gains, maybe conditioning a couple days a week during the week to gradually get the guys into shape (instead of two "hell weeks"), and then get the 4 weeks of Spring practice the last 4 weeks of the semester before finals.