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... However, I was also there in 2011, and watched you guys throw your tortillas AT players during the run of play. I don't get that. No problem with your tortilla celebration but not throwing them at players during play. ...

Borderline hooliganism. We should all appreciate passionate fan support. But there are lines that shouldn't be crossed in any sport in any civilized society. I guess UCSB fans get credit for throwing soft tortillas rather than this:

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I haven't forgotten anything about 2010. I appreciated your hospitality while we were there, and you have a beautiful campus and good fans. However, I was also there in 2011, and watched you guys throw your tortillas AT players during the run of play. I don't get that. No problem with your tortilla celebration but not throwing them at players during play. It was a rough midweek trip that isn't worth it during the regular season, especially when you don't have the courtesy to return the visit. You're being happy that Akron is visiting doesn't mean anything to me. Have some courtesy, and balls, like UCLA, and come to Akron.

EDIT: BTW, UCSB benefits from Akron coming to UCSB much more than Akron benefits from the trip. If your 8,000 materialize, which they didn't in 2011, you will bring in some serious revenue besides playing a ranked team that is not nearly as rested as your team on your field. The only benefit Akron gets is RPI bump.

 

You must have me confused with someone else as I haven't thrown tortillas at players nor do I create the UCSB schedule :)

I'm not sure if you've ever hurled a tortilla before, but I can tell you that hitting anything that you're actually aiming at is incredibly difficult, especially when your target is moving. IOW, UCSB fans who throw them are about as likely to hit our own players as they are the opposing player. It's just a fun and quirky tradition. My preference is that they are only thrown to celebrate goals, but my middle-aged ass isn't going to judge 18-22 year olds from getting a little overexuberant. Plus, there are no known injuries caused by a tortilla and they're composted as well!

Regarding the schedule, Akron isn't forced into playing us. Your coaches (or whoever makes your schedule) should be just as much to "blame" (if not moreso) for agreeing to play us. And in terms of practicality, Akron has more to gain than we do. And when I say practicality, I mean adjusted RPI. I was careful to include "adjusted" b/c Akron will likely receive a hefty RPI bonus for beating us at our home (and a more modest one with a draw). If we win or draw, however, we get no such bonus.

Yes, the RPI I linked is very accurate. In fact, GauchoDan has found a mistake in the NCAA calculation in a prior year. And the benefit of Dan's RPI sheets is that he updates them in near real time, provides all the calculations, and also provides other goodies like conference RPI, tournament projections, daily scoreboards, etc. If you're a stat junkie like me, it's fun to look at your remaining schedule and see what possibilities the future holds. I notice in other thread how this board focuses on the various polls, but in the end, those are meaningless when it comes to NCAA at-large and seeding considerations. For better or worse (I say worse), the adjusted RPI is what informed college soccer fans should focus on.

No, I'm not related to GauchoDan unless you count the Gauchos as a family. I have known him for many years, though.

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Borderline hooliganism. We should all appreciate passionate fan support. But there are lines that shouldn't be crossed in any sport in any civilized society. I guess UCSB fans get credit for throwing soft tortillas rather than this:

Thanks Dave. I realize the tortillas are soft but many of them were coming from high up in the stands. Unfortunately, even engineers at NASA forgot that kinetic energy is 1/2 x mass x velocity squared. [shuttle Columbia was lost because it was thought that a very light piece of foam couldn't do significant damage.] Also, not sure how even a soft tortilla in one's eye might feel. As I said, I don't mind the UCSB tortilla celebration after a goal. In fact, I think it's pretty cool. But, don't throw anything AT players. I don't understand why the referees allowed it.

I don't want Gaucho Mike to get the wrong impression. I like UCSB. I just think that if we're willing to make that trip, they should man up and be willing to counter. Come in September or early October. The Fall colors are beautiful in Ohio and the weather is comfortable for playing soccer. I don't expect anyone to come in November like UCLA is doing. But, I give UCLA every credit for not only taking the challenge of playing on our pitch but also that late in the season.

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You must have me confused with someone else as I haven't thrown tortillas at players nor do I create the UCSB schedule :)

I'm not sure if you've ever hurled a tortilla before, but I can tell you that hitting anything that you're actually aiming at is incredibly difficult, especially when your target is moving. IOW, UCSB fans who throw them are about as likely to hit our own players as they are the opposing player. It's just a fun and quirky tradition. My preference is that they are only thrown to celebrate goals, but my middle-aged ass isn't going to judge 18-22 year olds from getting a little overexuberant. Plus, there are no known injuries caused by a tortilla and they're composted as well!

Regarding the schedule, Akron isn't forced into playing us. Your coaches (or whoever makes your schedule) should be just as much to "blame" (if not moreso) for agreeing to play us. And in terms of practicality, Akron has more to gain than we do. And when I say practicality, I mean adjusted RPI. I was careful to include "adjusted" b/c Akron will likely receive a hefty RPI bonus for beating us at our home (and a more modest one with a draw). If we win or draw, however, we get no such bonus.

I don't recall blaming you in any of my posts for scheduling this match or personally throwing tortillas. I didn't ask you to comment on my original post which was blaming our coaches for scheduling a long trip that doesn't buy us anything and stating it was especially stupid given that UCSB hadn't returned our trip from 2011. Also, it doesn't matter what anyone is targeting or how bad their accuracy, it's hazardous to be throwing anything onto the field during play, especially from high up in the stands. BTW, funny, how the throwing inaccuracies favored landing near Akron players. Given the Zips' schedule this year, I don't believe our RPI will hurt UCSB, and I wouldn't complain anyway if you really expect to draw 8,000 tomorrow night.

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Thanks Dave. I realize the tortillas are soft but many of them were coming from high up in the stands. Unfortunately, even engineers at NASA forgot that kinetic energy is 1/2 x mass x velocity squared. [shuttle Columbia was lost because it was thought that a very light piece of foam couldn't do significant damage.] Also, not sure how even a soft tortilla in one's eye might feel. As I said, I don't mind the UCSB tortilla celebration after a goal. In fact, I think it's pretty cool. But, don't throw anything AT players. I don't understand why the referees allowed it.

I don't want Gaucho Mike to get the wrong impression. I like UCSB. I just think that if we're willing to make that trip, they should man up and be willing to counter. Come in September or early October. The Fall colors are beautiful in Ohio and the weather is comfortable for playing soccer. I don't expect anyone to come in November like UCLA is doing. But, I give UCLA every credit for not only taking the challenge of playing on our pitch but also that late in the season.

I would also think that NASA engineers know about something called terminal velocity and wind resistance :)

I like soccer, a lot. And I've had occassion to see some Columbus Crew matches where fans throw streamers at opposing players on corner kicks. I don't think anyone has gotten injured or lost an eye from that.

The fact that UCSB has not visited Akron doesn't mean we're pansies (as I've read in this thread) or that we "should man up". I doubt anyone here is privy to the scheduling arrangements between the two schools. But if you look at UCSB's OOC schedule going back to around 2003, you will see how many challenging road games we play every year. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that Akron really wanted to return to SB in 2011 and that Akron wanted to do so so badly that it wasn't in a position to demand a return trip from UCSB. I further guess that UCSB will travel to Akron next year, but we'll see.

Anyway, brace yourself for a tortilla onslaught tomorrow. As I've said, students should only hurl them only after we score, but this is the first match with freshman, and they're probably going to overdo it. It's not a malicious act and it won't hurt your players. Compared to head injuries, torn ligaments, or broken bones, the risk is infinitesimal. If we thought it was dangerous, we wouldn't risk our own players' health. In fact, our players sometimes run to the student section after a goal to willingly receive a tortilla shower.

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You must have me confused with someone else as I haven't thrown tortillas at players nor do I create the UCSB schedule :)

I'm not sure if you've ever hurled a tortilla before, but I can tell you that hitting anything that you're actually aiming at is incredibly difficult, especially when your target is moving. IOW, UCSB fans who throw them are about as likely to hit our own players as they are the opposing player. It's just a fun and quirky tradition. My preference is that they are only thrown to celebrate goals, but my middle-aged ass isn't going to judge 18-22 year olds from getting a little overexuberant. Plus, there are no known injuries caused by a tortilla and they're composted as well!

Regarding the schedule, Akron isn't forced into playing us. Your coaches (or whoever makes your schedule) should be just as much to "blame" (if not moreso) for agreeing to play us. And in terms of practicality, Akron has more to gain than we do. And when I say practicality, I mean adjusted RPI. I was careful to include "adjusted" b/c Akron will likely receive a hefty RPI bonus for beating us at our home (and a more modest one with a draw). If we win or draw, however, we get no such bonus.

Yes, the RPI I linked is very accurate. In fact, GauchoDan has found a mistake in the NCAA calculation in a prior year. And the benefit of Dan's RPI sheets is that he updates them in near real time, provides all the calculations, and also provides other goodies like conference RPI, tournament projections, daily scoreboards, etc. If you're a stat junkie like me, it's fun to look at your remaining schedule and see what possibilities the future holds. I notice in other thread how this board focuses on the various polls, but in the end, those are meaningless when it comes to NCAA at-large and seeding considerations. For better or worse (I say worse), the adjusted RPI is what informed college soccer fans should focus on.

No, I'm not related to GauchoDan unless you count the Gauchos as a family. I have known him for many years, though.

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/mens-preview:-separating-the-contenders_aid37616

Gaucho Mike, thanks for info on RPI. That RPI is actually linked in the wake Forest-clemson writeup on the top drawer web site.

I am blaming the zips coaches for scheduling a long one game road trip so soon after playing a home match. It is not easy to get from Akron to Santa Barbara and the players lose a lot of time away from the classroom. I would rather play Indiana or Notre Dame or Louisville than have a long plane trip and then a long bus ride in congested So Cal traffic.

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I would also think that NASA engineers know about something called terminal velocity and wind resistance :)

I like soccer, a lot. And I've had occassion to see some Columbus Crew matches where fans throw streamers at opposing players on corner kicks. I don't think anyone has gotten injured or lost an eye from that.

The fact that UCSB has not visited Akron doesn't mean we're pansies (as I've read in this thread) or that we "should man up". I doubt anyone here is privy to the scheduling arrangements between the two schools. But if you look at UCSB's OOC schedule going back to around 2003, you will see how many challenging road games we play every year. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that Akron really wanted to return to SB in 2011 and that Akron wanted to do so so badly that it wasn't in a position to demand a return trip from UCSB. I further guess that UCSB will travel to Akron next year, but we'll see.

Anyway, brace yourself for a tortilla onslaught tomorrow. As I've said, students should only hurl them only after we score, but this is the first match with freshman, and they're probably going to overdo it. It's not a malicious act and it won't hurt your players. Compared to head injuries, torn ligaments, or broken bones, the risk is infinitesimal. If we thought it was dangerous, we wouldn't risk our own players' health. In fact, our players sometimes run to the student section after a goal to willingly receive a tortilla shower.

Gaucho Mike,

I will be watching the video stream tomorrow night, praying that the inevitable tortilla shower does not crush the video camera. :rofl: But seriously, never throw anything at a player, in any sport, anywhere. :nono:

I am pleased to learn that all Gauchos are related. ;) I have always suspected as much.

Gaucho Dan's RPI is the stuff of PhD dissertation in Statistics. I actually understand Statistics better from following his RPI over the years. (Which is quite a statement coming from an English major.)

UCSB needs to travel to Akron one of these seasons. Make it happen! Lobby TVS! He will do it.

Zips faithful throw a righteous tailgate! You are invited!

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I am blaming the zips coaches for scheduling a long one game road trip so soon after playing a home match. It is not easy to get from Akron to Santa Barbara and the players lose a lot of time away from the classroom. I would rather play Indiana or Notre Dame or Louisville than have a long plane trip and then a long bus ride in congested So Cal traffic.

I would share your concern if I were a Zips fan. I'm doing quite a bit of guessing here regarding the scheduling, but I'm thinking that UCSB really pushed for Akron to play us this Friday as it provides us a marquee matchup on a historically well-attended match (first match of school term). Maybe Akron coaches saw some benefits like testing the team in front of a big and loud crowd while keeping focus when tortillas might come from the stands. It's also possible that UCSB is making it worth the Zips' while in some kind of revenue share. Whatever the case, I'm glad Akron appears to be accommodating us, and I think Akron could realize some benefits from it as well.

We had a return trip earlier this year at Yale and were looking to play another school in the area. Our coach approached UConn and asked if they were interested in hosting us. Not only were they interested, but they also paid us. It's highly possible that UConn will not do a return trip to UCSB, and that's ok as we received a benefit from playing there.

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Gaucho Mike,

I will be watching the video stream tomorrow night, praying that the inevitable tortilla shower does not crush the video camera. :rofl: But seriously, never throw anything at a player, in any sport, anywhere. :nono:

I am pleased to learn that all Gauchos are related. ;) I have always suspected as much.

Gaucho Dan's RPI is the stuff of PhD dissertation in Statistics. I actually understand Statistics better from following his RPI over the years. (Which is quite a statement coming from an English major.)

UCSB needs to travel to Akron one of these seasons. Make it happen! Lobby TVS! He will do it.

Zips faithful throw a righteous tailgate! You are invited!

If you're watching via video, you are in luck, my friend. The school finally made some much needed improvements to the video feed this year. Plus, it's free!

Before schedules were released, I thought I heard that we would do a return trip to Akron next year, but I might be making that up. If such an agreement was reached, your coach would know, so you can always ask him if that's the case.

Oh, time for a shameles plug. If you're on the twitter and like to two-screen, consider giving me a follow (even if only temporarily)... @GauchoSoccer.

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If you're watching via video, you are in luck, my friend. The school finally made some much needed improvements to the video feed this year. Plus, it's free!

Before schedules were released, I thought I heard that we would do a return trip to Akron next year, but I might be making that up. If such an agreement was reached, your coach would know, so you can always ask him if that's the case.

Oh, time for a shameles plug. If you're on the twitter and like to two-screen, consider giving me a follow (even if only temporarily)... @GauchoSoccer.

Aloha to my friend Big Mike! Damn, I wish I were in Isla Vista -- or on my way to Los Olivos to enjoy my friend Mike Sigouin's Kaena Syrah. Meanwhile, I will be heading straight over to watch the broadcast. Thanks for the alert. I'll have to be rooting for a Gaucho loss though -- and the same next Friday night when your gals visit my Rainbow Wahine home! And PLEASE -- Do NOT throw tortillas at footballers. The only place for tortillas is in my gullet along with that lovely Santa Maria tri-tip! Cheers! Go Zips!!

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After the Penn State match last night, I came to the conclusion I was wrong about the trip to UCSB this season. I still think the Gauchos owe us a visit to Akron, and I hope they will come next year or within the next few years. But, the timing of this one was not over burdensome on our players, as I feared it might be. I think it was a good change of scenery at a good time. Of course, I heard that the travel was flawless...flights on time, etc...which was a huge help to making the trip successful.

Of course, we were all pleased with the result, but I was happy to hear last night that it was a good change of scenery of which they took advantage, including a team trip to the beach. When I mentioned to one of our current players that USCB will always be special because we won our National Championship there, he said something to the effect...Yeah, there was a sign in our locker room 'Home of the 2010 College Cup'. Seeing that, we all felt we had to find a way to win there knowing that was the Zips' National Championship. :thumb:

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