UofAZIPS.com Blog

MEN’S SUMMER BASKETBALL PREIVEW

Akron head basketball coach Keith Dambrot says the Zips will not only have the youngest team in the Mid-American Conference this season, but one of the youngest in the nation. That said, Dambrot still expects his Zips to win this year.

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Men’s Basketball 2008-09 Prospectus

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MAC FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS - DAY 2

The reaction to this week’s MAC Media Day continues to come in…

The Midland Daily News takes an in-depth look into the career of Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour. CMU, LED BY LE FEVOUR, PICKED TO WIN MAC…Midland Daily News

Central Michigan may now be “the man,” as The Morning Sun of Mt. Pleasant reports, but Western Michigan and Ball State are two schools that could rip that well-worn title away. MAC TO BE BALANCING ACT IN 2008.

Miami joins Bowling Green and Buffalo as the three teams “anointed” to lead the MAC East in 2008. So reports that bastion of journalism integrity, The Pulse-Journal of Liberty TWP Ohio.

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I’ll give the Pulse-Journal credit — they seem to devote a lot of coverage to the MAC, even if the story hook is old news, like the MAC produces good quarterbacks. QUARTERBACKS HAVE EXCELLED IN THE MAC.

Contact Don Olson at: donolson160@yahoo.com

AKRON’S LAST-PLACE FINISH MEANS PRESSURE ON BROOKHART

University of Akron head football coach J.D. Brookhart has plenty of bulletin board material to motivate his Zips after Tuesday’s MAC Media day at Ford Field in Detroit. Akron, coming off a difficult season, is picked to come in seventh — dead last in the East Division. My god, even Kent was picked to come in fourth.

As for the leaders, Bowling Green was picked to come in first in the East. Central Michigan was picked to win their third consecutive West Division Title.

Brookhart looking for redemption
On the surface, one might conclude that the last-place prediction means there is no pressure on the Zips. Quite the contrary. Akron has made little progress as a program since its 2005 MAC Championship. In fact, the gear shifter has been stuck in reverse since that glorious last-minute game winning Getsy to Hixson pass. Brookhart must begin caulking up successes again if he is going to regain his reputation as an upandcomer.

Last year at the Bowl

Closing out the Rubber Bowl thus setting the stage for a little mojo going into InfoCision Stadium next year is also squeezing the vice a little tighter for the Zips. The Athletic Department needs a winning season to inspire Zips fans to buy tickets, which by the way are going to be just a teeny weeny bit more expensive in the new place.

MAC PRESEASON FOOTBALL POLL

EAST DIVISION

1. Bowling Green

2. Miami

3. Buffalo

4. Kent State

5. Temple

6. Ohio

7. AKRON

WEST DIVISION

1. Central Michigan

2. Ball State

3. Western Michigan

4. Toledo

5. Eastern Michigan

6. Northern Illinois

PREDICTION FOR LAST PLACE ONLY INSPIRES ZIPS…The Akron Beacon Journal

FLASHES EXPECTING TO CONTEND IN ‘08…The Akron Beacon Journal

CMU PICKED TO WIN THIRD MAC TITLE…Sports Illustrated

CENTRAL, BGSU FAVORED TO WIN MAC…TOLEDO TAPPED FOR FOURTH IN WEST…The Blade

FALCONS PICKED AS DIVISION FAVORITES…BG News

TEMPLE’S GOLDEN TRYING TO KEEP EXPECTATIONS IN CHECK…Philadelphia Daily News

CMU, LED BY LeFEVOUR, PICKED TO WIN MAC…Midland Daily News

UB TAKES NUMBER 3 SPOT IN POLL IN STRIDE…Buffalo News

CMU’S GOAL - THREEPEAT…Traverse City Record-Eagle

POLL PUTS BALL STATE SECOND BEHIND MAC JUGGERNAUT…Journal-Gazette (Ft. Wayne)

Contact Don Olson at: donolson160@yahoo.com

THE ISSUE OF RESPECT REARS ITS UGLY HEAD…AGAIN!

Boy, you just can’t win. Can Akron ever play a team from a major conference without the “respect” issue coming up? It has happened again. At the Big Ten (11) kickoff event, Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema was put on the defense after a reporter questioned the quality of the Badgers’ schedule. This year, Wisconsin plays Fresno State, Marshall, Cal-Poly, and of course, AKRON.

“Do you want to answer your own question, or do you want me to,” Bielema snapped after the reporter’s question.

Year after year Zips fans hear the same thing. We heard it last year against Ohio State. Hell, we even heard it last year against UConn, which by the way ripped us worse than Ohio State. The one time it did backfire, was when we heard it agasint NC State. But even when you beat the big boys, you still read on their fan forums something like, “I can’t believe we lost to a team called the Zips!”

I know we’re not a top-flight D-I, Bowl Championship Conference program. But technically, we are on the same level. The best way to finally bury the respect issue is to start knocking off these BCS teams on a regular basis — earn respect.

Later in the news conference, Coach Bielema gave the Akron program some street cred calling the Zips’ offense “unique” and “very dynamic.” “I don’t feel I need to defend (the schedule). But I need to educate, I guess I should say more than anything,” he added.

Until Akron’s football program climbs to the next level, Zips fans will have to stomach the jokes, the laughs and the lack of respect. Other than supporting the program, we are virtually helpless. It is time for the Athletic Department and Football staff to step up and shut the naysayers up for good.

Full article in the Wisconsin State Journal

Contact Don Olson at:  donolson160@yahoo.com