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Akron Zips Discussion

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Steve_424

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Instead of starting multiple Zips-related threads, I figured I'd start this one for all discussion concerning Akron. I enjoy discussing basketball, football, and soccer with my fellow Zips, so we can continue that here.

To kick things off, a video entitled "This Is Akron"

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NGC_8CLLuYw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
In other news, Jim Tressel is preparing for the beginning of his 2nd tenure at The University of Akron.

Jim Tressel won’t start his new job at the University of Akron until May 1, but he showed up this week for what he cheerfully called “fact-finding.”

On Thursday, he wanted to get the lay of the land, literally, and toured campus at the side of four enthusiastic student orientation leaders under postcard-blue skies.

“I couldn’t have envisioned this,” he said at one point as he struggled to orient himself to the new campus, which has undergone more than $600 million in improvements over the past decade. “This is unbelievable.”

The former Ohio State football coach already had some familiarity with campus: He earned a master’s degree from UA in 1977 and was an assistant football coach and physical education instructor from 1975 to 1978.

Those were the olden days, Tressel recollected to his tour guides, when dinosaurs seemingly roamed the earth.

UA’s new vice president of strategic engagements shared many stories with his guides.

How he and the other coaches treated prospective players and their parents to a deluxe spread of glazed doughnuts, orange juice and milk.

How he lived at the Buchtel Field House because he couldn’t afford more.

How his father ordered him to go to UA for his graduate degree when he already had an offer from Penn State’s Joe Paterno and really, really wanted to go there.

“He said I’d have more opportunities here, and I did,” Tressel told the students.

He led his tour guides on an impromptu walk off campus to the old field house on Wheeler Street — once home base to the university’s football team. After 35 years, not surprisingly, he couldn’t quite remember which streets to turn on.

But Tressel did remember that they didn’t have much equipment to train with, dumbfounding students used to rock-climbing walls and lazy rivers.

Times were tough in those days, he told them.

“The only excuse you had for missing class was a death in the family,” he said. “Your own.”

At the Student Center, he remembered teaching bowling (he was awful) and at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, swimming (again, awful).

“I was going to be a high school math teacher, but one thing led to another,” he said. “All of a sudden life took a different turn.”

It could happen to them, too, he suggested.

He peppered the students with questions — the hours for the rec center, where they sat at soccer games, if parking is still a problem.

Matt Garvin of Cuyahoga Falls, sophomore Rana Barghouty, originally of Lebanon, and freshmen Markel Croston of Columbus and Mallory Kennedy of Kent had the answers.

Other students seemed to recognize the ex-coach in their midst and smiled broadly at him.

But only one student had the temerity to walk up to Tressel and introduce himself.

Andrew Kurt, a freshman finance major from Toledo, shook his hand, not once but twice. The two shared stories about the guidance counselor at Kurt’s high school.

Tressel was wearing his trademark vest — this one with a UA insignia — and tie with, you guessed it, a UA insignia. During a tour of the UA bookstore, he said he just stocked up on other UA gear — one sweatshirt and two hoodies — and said his wife has ordered gear from there as well.

Tressel spread his “wow-has-this-changed” message at President Luis Proenza’s regular meeting for vice presidents Thursday.

“I told him, you have to go away to appreciate this,” Tressel said.
 
I know it's just a Spring Football game but Dalton Williams has impressed today at Akron's spring game

34/52 300+ yds and 2 TDs

Looks like he could be giving Clayton Moore a run for the starting job
 
Former Ohio State recruit Jamel Turner will be playing for the Zips this fall.

Former four-star Ohio State recruit Jamel Turner will apparently be suiting up as a Zip this fall. According to his Facebook, the former Youngstown-Ursuline defensive end will attempt to resurrect what was once a promising football career.

Turner made headlines a few years ago when he was shot in two unrelated incidents in a span of two months, the second of which left him in critical condition. Amazingly, in both incidents he was shot multiple times but somehow escaped with his life. However, the second shooting rerouted Turner from his original plan to attend OSU and things have been quiet for him since.

Prior to the shootings, Turner had been declared academically ineligible to finish at Ursuline, and enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy. In his one season there he recorded 66 tackles and two interceptions, finishing his prep career still high on OSU coach Jim Tressel’s radar. Still, the shooting left him weak from his time spent in the hospital and in an attempt to get back into top shape, he enrolled at Butler Community College in Kansas. He didn’t appear to see the playing field for the Grizzlies however, and not much else is known of how and where he spent his time prior to the recent commitment to Akron.

We’ll surely learn more in the coming weeks, but for now it seems like Terry Bowden got yet another top athlete in Turner. And though he may seem like a project and perhaps has a rough past, it must be noted that he was not charged in either incident and was apparently just in the wrong place at the wrong time…twice.

Scout.com combine results (2009):

40 yd: 4.55
Short Shuttle: 4.42
Vertical: 32″
 
Kent State baseball two games away from the College World Series.
 
Kent State baseball team one game away from College World Series
 
Kent State baseball team one game away from College World Series

South Carolina is one game away also. Looking for the three-peat this year!


Edit: Sorry about the off-topic post.
 
Kent State baseball team one game away from College World Series

Awww...look who came out of hiding. Poor guy, Can't is somewhat relevant and all of a sudden he decides to reappear.

If we are going to let fringe sports determined how great our two schools are, well...

Akron-establishes-itself-as-mens-soccer-power-BTA39KS-x-large.jpg


Scoreboard.

Game, Blouses.
 
Awww...look who came out of hiding. Poor guy, Can't is somewhat relevant and all of a sudden he decides to reappear.

If we are going to let fringe sports determined how great our two schools are, well...

Akron-establishes-itself-as-mens-soccer-power-BTA39KS-x-large.jpg


Scoreboard.

Game, Blouses.
Soccer.

Chardon 1
You 0

Baseball isn't a fringe sport. Apologize.
 
I think Kent State's run is very cool, especially since Tom Hamilton's kid is on the team. Unlike Chardon, I'm going to give them props on it. I'm not sure why he posted it in "Akron Zips Discussion", but whatever.
 
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.

Globally, yes. However, in the US it's:

Football
Basketball
Baseball (might reverse basketball and baseball, but I think basketball has taken over)
Hockey
Soccer

To go off on a somewhat related tangent....Honestly, one could argue on the collegiate level that there's more interest in women's basketball, softball, men's lacrosse, and women's volleyball than men's soccer. Quite frankly, the general US population does't care about soccer, and the top soccer players never go through the american collegiate system. Even the most well-known current player from the US, Landon Donovan, never played a single game in college. In general, the most overall skilled athletes in the US always wind up playing football or basketball, with baseball mixed in. If soccer was as popular in the US as it is in the rest of the world, you might see a few guys with the athletic ability of a LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Allen Iverson, Victor Cruz, Calvin Johnson, etc. on the soccer field for the US. Until you start getting those types of athletes playing soccer for the Red, White, and Blue, it'll never be as popular in the US as it is in the rest of the world.
 
Globally, yes. However, in the US it's:

Football
Basketball
Baseball (might reverse basketball and baseball, but I think basketball has taken over)
Hockey
Soccer

To go off on a somewhat related tangent....Honestly, one could argue on the collegiate level that there's more interest in women's basketball, softball, men's lacrosse, and women's volleyball than men's soccer. Quite frankly, the general US population does't care about soccer, and the top soccer players never go through the american collegiate system. Even the most well-known current player from the US, Landon Donovan, never played a single game in college. In general, the most overall skilled athletes in the US always wind up playing football or basketball, with baseball mixed in. If soccer was as popular in the US as it is in the rest of the world, you might see a few guys with the athletic ability of a LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Allen Iverson, Victor Cruz, Calvin Johnson, etc. on the soccer field for the US. Until you start getting those types of athletes playing soccer for the Red, White, and Blue, it'll never be as popular in the US as it is in the rest of the world.

The college model in general is an outdated model for aspiring professional athletes. Unless I'm totally wrong, we are the only country in the world that actually uses a college as a place to develop professional athletes.

Also, I suggest reading about what Jurgen Klinsmann is trying to do. He very much agrees with you and is trying to recruit the young and poor intercity kids rather than trying to cater to the College system. All that being said, Akron soccer has produced some excellent prospects in American Soccer, like Teal Bunbury and has probably the 2nd best American coach in soccer with Caleb Porter.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
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