Dave in Green Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 I've been a basketball fan for more years than most of you. I've followed a lot of teams over the years. I like the Akron Zips and Coach Dambrot a lot, and follow all the games pretty closely from up here in the frozen north.I think that Coach Dambrot has the Zips just on the edge of attaining consistent excellence. But the mark of true excellence is that it does not depend on getting good breaks. Excellence creates enough of a margin that it doesn't have to depend on the vagaries of getting the breaks to fall your way.The Zips showed glimpses of excellence this season. But not consistently enough to escape the clutches of the bad breaks that can ultimately spoil an otherwise outstanding season. Think in terms of a missed free throw, a careless turnover, a silly foul. A handful of those kinds of mistakes are all that stood between the Zips and an NCAA or, at worst, an NIT bid.You can't really fault being close to excellence, because so many coaches and teams are so far away from consistent excellence. You can't really fault those who aren't willing to give the Zips a break, either, because there are so many in search of a break and so few breaks to be given.Only a few teams consistently control their own destinies. That's the final step that Coach Dambrot and the Zips have to make -- controlling their own destiny and not leaving it in the hands of others.Toledo's blowout by FSU will not help the argument that the MAC deserves more respect. You could argue that the Zips would have done better than Toledo, and you'd probably be right. But that's not going to improve the Zips chances of catching a break.They're just going to have to try a little harder just like all of the other teams that have had to claw their way from the bottom of the heap to respectability. And, by the way, they have the potential within themselves to make that happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zip81 Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 That is the most accurate thing I've read all week.nuff said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valpo Zip Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 No one here is saying that the Zips have reached excellence... and Akron would have considered to catch a break if they received an NCAA at large bid. But the NIT bid wouldn't have been considered a break at all. We are not begging the committee to favour us and give us a bid above people with better RPI or more wins... we deserve the NIT bid and we earned it. Not catching a break and being screwed are two different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 skhorbotly...you are absolutely correct.Who in the world said we'd be getting a "break" if we got into the NIT? Ask the other teams with lower RPI's that got in ahead of us.THOSE are the teams that got a "break". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZips Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 The Zips should come out next year with a HUGE chip on their shoulders. Us versus the world mentality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyZip Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 The Zips should come out next year with a HUGE chip on their shoulders. Us versus the world mentality. Hmmm...perhaps we'll lead the league in free throw shooting next year? I'm thinkin ced will more than likely never miss a ft again. Incidently...just watched cleveland rants on FSN and they showed that damned replay about two dozen times. On the good side...they've said just about what we've been saying all along. It's not a snub, not a mistake, not an exclusion of the zips from the NIT, but rather a heinous CRIME that these washed-up former major conference coaches could leave us out. OK. now i'm upset again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 There you go being rational again! What am I going to do with you Dave? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipseuph Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 UAZIP, where did you get the 26 ribbon thing because I absolutly love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmyboy Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 UAZIP, where did you get the 26 ribbon thing because I absolutly love it I second that....... it will become my new facebook pic ha ha if its ok with you uazip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted March 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 In the case of the NIT, the bad break was that the Zips were the unlucky ones with the unfortunate timing to be in just the right place with just the right record to publicly expose the senility of the NIT selection committee. Chances are that the Zips' bad break will result in some kind of correction by the NIT/NCAA to avoid future public humiliation. Point is, just a little more consistent excellence for the Zips would have transferred that bad break to some other unfortunate mid-major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZips Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Lol go for it. I threw it together the other night while I was still being pissed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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