It seems many of you think UA will face the same problems with a new stadium that it faces with the Rubber Bowl: student attendance and parking.

As a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Pitt faces similar problems at Heinz Field.

Which brings us back to winning as being the key.

Another facets that we haven't discussed though is getting good players.

Dave Wannstedt has got back to back top 12 classes to come to Pitt. (I can't wait for that to translate into wins.) And the facilities are pointed to many times by the players as one of the reasons they chose Pitt.

My new question is: Would more local kids stay close to home if UA gets a new stadium. It seems to me that they would. The practice field at the Field House seems to have helped J.D. Brookhart somewhat.

I have several questions for you all:

Do you follow University of Akron football?
Does the Rubber Bowl keep you from attending games?
Does the idea of a stadium downtown make you anticipate going to more games?
Is winning football the key?

College basketball took the first step forward (or should I say backward) in moving the 3-point line Thursday.

Here is the AP story info: Two decades after adding the 3-point line, the NCAA men's basketball rules committee approved a measure Thursday that will move the line back one foot ` from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. If approved by the playing rules oversight committee on May 25, it would mark the first major change to 3-pointers since their adoption.¶ The change would not take place until November 2008.¶

I think it would be great to make the shot a little more difficult, and it might help us in international basketball, as well. Plus it might bring the mid-range jump shot back to the game.

I received this memo recently from a local college as a reminder about football.

Please remember, the NCAA has new terminology for its football playing schools in Division I

So, this is what the NCAA does with all of its money. The top teams from the FBS play in the BCS to win the NCAA title. Imagine if there were more than 26 letters in the alphabet.

As I said I hope to point folks from this blog to well-done articles on Ohio.com, here are a couple of Sunday's best.

Patrick McManamon has two one on the risks/reward factor of taking a quarterback early in the draft.
He points out in is weekly NFL column , sad to say, that the defense actually might be in worse shape than the offense.

Marla Ridenour gets an indepth look at Adrian Peterson, whom the Browns could call their own in the NFL Draft, which, by the way, is less than two weeks away now.

Sheldon Ocker talks about the scheduling problems baseball has.

David Lee Morgan reminds folks that U. of Akron coach J.D. Brookhart has given up some of his offensive play-calling to coordinator Joe Moorhead.

Brian Windhorst has game coverage of the victory over the Hawks, and Terry Pluto looks at Larry Hughes in his column the View from Pluto.

The University of Akron football program seems to be getting more and more fan friendly. Mike Rasor points out on his blog a couple of ways new information director Mike Cawood has helped. And he also gives a couple of positions to watch going into the spring game Sunday.

I can't help but think that J.D. Brookhart will get this program where 8 wins is normal but a new stadium sure would help with local recruiting.

Welcome to my blog. As the Deputy Sports Editor for the Beacon Journal, I hope that this is a place where we all can discuss issues with the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com sports coverage and the teams and leagues we cover and care passionately about.

So to get started here is where I am coming from. I like nearly all sports (although I don't get some of the sports in the Olympics), but with my Pittsburgh upbringing, I lean toward pro and college football and hockey with a fondness toward baseball (I think that is what the Pirates play).

I think college sports in Ohio is more than Ohio State football. … I think that Jeff Gordon should have knocked Jimmie Johnson into the wall to win in Martinsville two weeks ago. … I think the Browns would be crazy to pass on Calvin Johnson and would be crazier to take Brady Quinn. … I expect them to take Quinn.
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