Football

Bryan Williams is a second-team preseason All-American at kick returner, according to Consensus Draft Services.

Only three non-BCS players earned a similar honor.

New scholarship offerees…

Patrick Nicely, pro-style quarterback, Willoughby, Ohio
Offers: Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 209
Speed: 4.67
Notes: Nicely "dreams about" playing for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes offer, that will conclude his recruitment. For those of you wondering why Akron doesn't offer more Northeast Ohio kids, that's why. For Ohio's kids, Ohio State is the only real college football.

Sean Farr, wide receiver, Baltimore
Offers: Akron, Maryland, Eastern Michigan and Virginia
Height: 6-2
Weight: 178
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Despite the BCS offers, Akron is Farr's favorite. He does not have a timeframe for a final decision. Farr believes he can play at Akron. He also likes the college and its atmosphere.

Jack Baucus, tight end, Mundelein, Ill.
Offers: Akron, Arizona, Air Force and Eastern Michigan
Height: 6-6
Weight: 233
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Baucus will decide before his senior season begins. Akron is one of Baucus' most recent offers.

Men's basketball

The university kicked Rydell Brooks off campus, following the walk-on's serious skirmish with police officers last month.

Brooks' attorney said the former Niagara guard could be reinstated to school if acquitted in court. Regardless, it's safe to say Keith Dambrot and Co. won't be asking him to return to the basketball court.

Brooks is in Summit County Jail, awaiting a trial on charges of attempted murder, felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

Football

Another week, another softball update.

This time, my team played against a team that included Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman.

Appropriately, Edelman played left field, where he could take advantage of his laser arm. On a couple occasions, he crashed into the wall, showing off his other top attribute: toughness.

Edelman is one of 10 Kent State players on Phil Steele's preseason All-MAC team.

Our team swept Edelman's, in case you were wondering.

Baseball

Two MLB teams selected Akron players in this week's Amateur Draft.

The Minnesota Twins drafted pitcher Tom Farmer for the second-straight June. Farmer made his name in the Cape Cod league two summers ago. The Twins drafted him in the 20th round, but Farmer returned to school. This time, Minnesota selected him in the 47th round.

Two rounds later, the New York Mets drafted Doug McNulty, an outfielder/first baseman with whom I have shared several interesting conversations at local establishments. McNulty hit .321 and belted 12 home runs this season.

Track

Four Zips will compete for an NCAA Championship next weekend.

Stevi Large might be the Zips' best shot at a national champion. She took first at regionals in the hammer throw last weekend.

Auston Papay is appearing at the NCAA Championships for the third time. The discus thrower placed 15th last spring.

Cadeau Kelley is making his second appearance at nationals. The MAC's long jump champion placed fifth at regionals.

High jumper Ryan Jones earned one of 10 at-large berths to nationals. It will be the senior's first and only chance at the meet.

The NCAA Championships will be held in Des Moines, Iowa from June 11-14.

Men's basketball

Akron will add a 6-foot-4 walk-on guard from Florida.

Kyle Peterson averaged 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game at Community School in Naples, Fla.

After the fiascos with Rydell Brooks and Andrew Moss, Zips fans will be refreshed to hear Peterson has a 3.8 GPA and his high school retired his jersey, which tends to indicate high character.

Keith Dambrot praised Peterson's high basketball IQ. Akron's Honors College has already accepted Peterson. (Good luck with your final Honors project, buddy.)

His stats are not very impressive. However, Peterson should help the team practice and maybe earn some defensive minutes as an upperclassman.

Miscellaneous

The ABJ's Bob Dyer eloquently responded to an ignorant question from a UA professor: Why do high school sports exist?

You'd assume such a question would come from that annals of Kent State University, but no.

Football

A jury awarded Joe and Mona Nemer $2.7 million for their property on Exchange Street.

That means almost 5 percent of the stadium cost will go toward buying one parcel of land.

I am absolutely shocked, but one can guess that sympathy played a part. The Nemers are immigrants who started their own business. The university has millions upon millions of dollars. Also, the Nemers' attorney Warner Mendenhall is a whiz at going after the government.

The next step is for the university to appeal this ruling. Since the only issue on appeal will be the amount of compensation, it should not delay the demolition process.

An appeal, however, has a low chance of success because the jury's monetary assessment is a question of fact, which can only be reversed for clear error. If there is any evidence that supports the $2.7 million figure, the Nemers will keep that fat check.

A new scholarship offeree…

Deonte Ball, cornerback, Joliet J.C. (Ill.)
Offers: Akron, Northern Illinois and Toledo
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 180
Speed: Not listed
Notes: He also has interest in Kansas State and Wisconsin. Ball is the second junior college defensive back that Akron has targeted.

Men's basketball

Former Akron assistant coach Shaka Smart is headed to Gainesville to work under Billy Donovan at Florida.

Basketball people say Smart will be a big-time coaching prospect. He left Akron two seasons ago to be an assistant at Clemson. He knows a lot about basketball. Good luck to him.

Football

According to someone present at the trial, Joe Nemer is asking the jury to award him $3 million for his property.

The university has offered $1.038 million, which is reportedly above fair-market value.

I guess $3 million is the point where it stops being about principles.

Here are some new scholarship offerees, who might play football where Joe's bar sits…

Gary Gilliam, tight end, Hershey, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Connecticut, Virginia and Villanova
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 245
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Penn State, Pitt, Connecticut and Virginia are in Gilliam's top four. Akron's not a likely destination.

Jim Teknipp, tight end, McDonough, Ga.
Offers: Akron and Central Florida
Height: 6-6
Weight: 230
Speed: 4.8
Notes: Teknipp's family lives in Ohio. If they move to Florida, it appears UCF will win. If not, Akron has a chance.

Logan Ryan, cornerback, Voorhees, N.J.
Offers: Akron, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
Speed: 4.46
Notes: His top five are Rutgers, Virginia, Boston College, Maryland and West Virginia.

Genesis Fonoimoana, safety, Los Angeles Harbor C.C., Calif.
Offers: Akron and Nevada
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205
Speed: 4.45
Notes: One thing's for sure, he has a great name. In his first year at LAHCC, Fonoimoana grabbed six interceptions and made 34 tackles.

Miscellaneous

Put this in your "I probably don't care" category, but I'll discuss it anyhow.

Last night was the annual Mike Rasor vs. Captain Kangaroo/Dr. Z softball duel.

CK and Dr. Z run the premier Zips Web site, ZipsNation.org. If you're a Zips fan, you should have it bookmarked.

Anyhow, our teams played a doubleheader in the Stow slow-pitch league. Correct me if I'm wrong about the exact scores, CK, but I think we won by counts of 21-3 and 15-7.

Here is the wildest play of the game: I drove a liner over the left-center fielder's head. I caught up with the runner ahead of me at third base. He planned to stop there. I yelled at him to keep running. We both scored.

CK, who was pitching, claimed we scored because of a missed cut-off man. It definitely went in my team's scorebook as a home run.

Despite all that, check out ZipsNation.org if you don't already. Like I said, spare me the "We don't care" comments. I know.