[zips4ever2008]

Since the soccer team has a couple of international players on the roster, how about having flags representing the country where they are from? There's the Serbia flag for Nik in basketball. I think it would be cool to see flags from the countries where our international Zips came from. I don't know where you get them or how much they cost, but I wanted to pass on my suggestion and see what people think.

Keep up the great job Ak-Rowdies! I was a member from the very start and am impressed with how far the student organization has come.

[skip-zip]

Since the soccer team has a couple of international players on the roster, how about having flags representing the country where they are from? There's the Serbia flag for Nik in basketball. I think it would be cool to see flags from the countries where our international Zips came from. I don't know where you get them or how much they cost, but I wanted to pass on my suggestion and see what people think.

Keep up the great job Ak-Rowdies! I was a member from the very start and am impressed with how far the student organization has come.

My question would be....would you really want to add to the negative stigma of soccer in American as an insignificant Euro-sport? As I've run around bragging about Akron being national champs in soccer since December, this is normally the response I get from people outside of the Akron soccer community. Wouldn't european flags just add fuel to that fire, and place a major obstacle in front of our efforts to make the sport, especially at the college level, more appealing to American sports fans?

[Blue & Gold]

Since the soccer team has a couple of international players on the roster, how about having flags representing the country where they are from? There's the Serbia flag for Nik in basketball. I think it would be cool to see flags from the countries where our international Zips came from. I don't know where you get them or how much they cost, but I wanted to pass on my suggestion and see what people think.

Keep up the great job Ak-Rowdies! I was a member from the very start and am impressed with how far the student organization has come.

My question would be....would you really want to add to the negative stigma of soccer in American as an insignificant Euro-sport? As I've run around bragging about Akron being national champs in soccer since December, this is normally the response I get from people outside of the Akron soccer community. Wouldn't european flags just add fuel to that fire, and place a major obstacle in front of our efforts to make the sport, especially at the college level, more appealing to American sports fans?

Now I find this very interesting, because it's almost the exact opposite of what I've experienced! My experience has been that, basically, Americans think that anything European is cool & so soccer is considered quite cool - almost as if it's cool to say you like soccer, even if you really don't. Thus, for a while now I've thought that having flags of internationals would be a great idea; it would just really make you feel cosmopolitan.

I've also had the thought that flying flags in front of the Info - flags of the various nations represented by students at UA - would be a great way to advertise that this is now an honest-to-goodness international university; quite gone are they days of "hilltop high."

[fknbuflobo]

An interesting discussion…..

I see your point, skip-zip.

True, the sport is rooted in Europe, and some of our players are foreign born. But our identity and style, though arguably derivative (Barcelona), are American, and unequivocally Akron.

Flying foreign flags serves no purpose. We are not the United Nations. Would you propose the same for Basketball or Baseball? I believe we have foreign bred players on those teams as well.

Please do not interpret my sentiment as xenophobic or jingoistic. I simply am confused at the notion of other county’s flag flying here. I doubt a European university (name one) would fly a US flag just because one of the Basketball players is from Ohio.

[Yaznasty]

An interesting discussion…..

I see your point, skip-zip.

True, the sport is rooted in Europe, and some of our players are foreign born. But our identity and style, though arguably derivative (Barcelona), are American, and unequivocally Akron.

Flying foreign flags serves no purpose. We are not the United Nations. Would you propose the same for Basketball or Baseball? I believe we have foreign bred players on those teams as well.

Please do not interpret my sentiment as xenophobic or jingoistic. I simply am confused at the notion of other county’s flag flying here. I doubt a European university (name one) would fly a US flag just because one of the Basketball players is from Ohio.

That is actually where the idea came from. We have a Serbian flag that we wave for Nik during basketball games.

[trimmy10]

I think this is a great idea. Just another thing to add to the already glorious culture of the soccer matches.

It could be extended to include a tailgate type setup featuring food from one of our player's countries prior to a match.

[Jalapeño Zippy]

I think this is a great idea. Just another thing to add to the already glorious culture of the soccer matches.

It could be extended to include a tailgate type setup featuring food from one of our player's countries prior to a match.

Love it!

[AkronZip54321]

I think this is a great idea. Just another thing to add to the already glorious culture of the soccer matches.

It could be extended to include a tailgate type setup featuring food from one of our player's countries prior to a match.

Love it!

I'd love to see the cut-out "big heads" of players like some college basketball teams do.

[Zip_ME87]

I think this is a great idea. Just another thing to add to the already glorious culture of the soccer matches.

It could be extended to include a tailgate type setup featuring food from one of our player's countries prior to a match.

Love it!

I'd love to see the cut-out "big heads" of players like some college basketball teams do.

Like the AK-Rowdies do at Akron.

[headaviatorrowdi...]

to be honest Nik is the one who got us the flag. if the players want us to wave their flag during the games i dont think thats a problem, they just got to get that for us

[headaviatorrowdi...]

the big heads were actually something marketing did for us. we have asked for soccer but nothing yet. not sure on that status of those.

[ZachTheZip]

That is actually where the idea came from. We have a Serbian flag that we wave for Nik during basketball games.

We're definitely going to have to grab a Puerto Rican flag next season with Abreu and 'Melo.

[fknbuflobo]

That is actually where the idea came from. We have a Serbian flag that we wave for Nik during basketball games.

We're definitely going to have to grab a Puerto Rican flag next season with Abreu and 'Melo.

Zach, please expound. Who are these guys?

[Jacob M]

That is actually where the idea came from. We have a Serbian flag that we wave for Nik during basketball games.

We're definitely going to have to grab a Puerto Rican flag next season with Abreu and 'Melo.

Zach, please expound. Who are these guys?

I'm not Zack, but I know the answer. Abreu and Melo are on the basketball team. Abreu played a great deal last year as a freshman and Melo will be coming in this coming year although I think it might be the year after. Both are from PR.

As to the thread, I love the idea. Nik has seemed to really appreciate the Serbian flag. I have to think that the other players would appreciate the gesture as well.

[Doug Snyder]

Because I was living in California I kinda adopted St. Mary's as my team to watch, I know they have an active and strong pipeline to Australia. After most buckets they chant something "Aussie" and have Australian flags and kangaroo stuff on t-shirts and hats. The Australians love it and I am sure it helps them recruit down under. So...I am all in favor of displaying support for a Zip's players homeland ..whether it is a flag or something else. But I don't think it is appropriate that we HANG those flags with the US flag.

One thing that is a little comical and maybe should be investigated by our marketing department...St. Mary's uses "Fear the Roo" on some t-shirts and stuff (or at least they did last year). Did we trademark that saying?? I guess the Roo just follows me around. All my friends in Bali are Australian too. When I wear my Zips hat and t-shirts (A and Roo..like on FB helmet) they are confused because they think the A is for Australia and well the roo is native to down under.