Why no one cares about Akron

[bobbyake]

Everyone complains about Akron having horrible fan support. I 100% believe this is because everyone in the area would rather root for OSU. I went to the Winkling Lizard in Fairlawn and everyone in there including the workers were wearing OSU clothes. I decided to leave and went to Brubackers which I found the same. It's pathetic that people in this area were rooting for OSU to beat Akron. Stupid frontrunners will continue to root for them until they start losing.I hope some of you will join me in rooting against them every week. Go Washington.

[Big Zip]

Bobby if you were at the Winking Lizard in Fairlawn and the staff was wearing OSU gear there is something really wrong. If you are going to be the official home of Akron Athletics including the Thursday night call in show -- you just can't do that. I hope someone Akron talks to the people at the Lizard.

[Let'sGoZips94]

My daughter, a buddy of mine, and I stuck it out at the Lizard. As I said in another post, pathetic but civil. It's going to take time and a lot of winning to build critical mass here in Akron.

[bobbyake]

OSU is going 7-5 this year.

[zip81]

Guys....people do care about Akron..just look at this board.Many, many more people care about the Zips, than say, when I went there in the D II days.We've only been DI since 1987...a blip on the radar screen. Plus, we're in a major-league market, which makes it all the more difficult.I see a good foundation building.A couple of winning seasons in combination with the new stadium, will take us to another level....and one day we may see restaurant staff wearing blue and gold.

[RACER]

zip 81 where do you see a foundation? the offense scored 0 points,and had negative yards rushing.the ap write up pretty much made fun of the zip offense.we had three first downs.i thought the defense played great.the offensive play calling and offense in general were a joke.

[zip81]

zip 81 where do you see a foundation? the offense scored 0 points,and had negative yards rushing.the ap write up pretty much made fun of the zip offense.we had three first downs.i thought the defense played great.the offensive play calling and offense in general were a joke.

I was talking more about the fan base than the talent on the field...attracting a following.Just the same...the offense WAS a joke today. Having said that...OSU's defense is pretty good.I'm holding out hope that they'll put something together as the season goes on and the opposition not as stiff.However, you have to hand it to the D and the special teams today.The D just ran out of gas....special teams pinned the Bucks deep in the own territory.Are you saying that just because one element of the team needs work we should throw the baby out with the bath water?I'm watching Indiana WMU tonight. the Hoosier offense is not going to do against us what they're doing against the Broncos.I don't think things are as dark as you make them sound.

[Cicero]

What do you expect? Your a small time mid major football school with no sustained track record of winning. You are in a state with an elite football program that people have supported for generations. This false sense of superiority will not change that, it only makes you look bitter and as small in the mind as yoru team is in the landscape of college football. This isn't smack, just reality. Calling the fans of the elite team losers, front runners and so on will not win you a lot of sympathy.

[Lone Zip in Col]

The foundation is building for a larger fan base. When I attended UA, a student based fan organization such as the Rowdies was a foreign thought. Certainly, they have a lot of pride for their school. UA students with school pride, that is a huge start in and of itself. By the way big props to the Rowdies today. They were giving it to the Buckeye nation even before they entered the stadium.Everybody knows the formula for more fan support; better recruits = more wins = more fans = bar and restaurant staff wearing blue and gold. With more on-campus residential units, upgraded facilities, and most importantly new stadium that will hopefully be ready by start of 2009, JD is bound to get better recruits this off season. A lot of local talent that passes on Akron as they do not see the prgram as a serious player based upon the RB alone.

[zip81]

What do you expect? Your a small time mid major football school with no sustained track record of winning. You are in a state with an elite football program that people have supported for generations. This false sense of superiority will not change that, it only makes you look bitter and as small in the mind as yoru team is in the landscape of college football. This isn't smack, just reality. Calling the fans of the elite team losers, front runners and so on will not win you a lot of sympathy.

Cicero...I would agree with the spirit of what you say...we are a mid-major...yes, but calling us small time is just insulting.If we're small time, then why are we on Ohio State's schedule.I know the tone of some of these posts may be difficult for an Ohio State fan to take, but try to rise above.I don't expect everyone to bleed blue and gold. But when you go into an Akron area bar and you see people rooting against the local team...people who have no connection to Ohio State...it's a little difficult to take.I don't think inferiority complex is the right term here.It has just always been my nature to root for the underdog.

[zipsbandman]

Come on guys.....what's with the constant pity parties? I'm more pissed off at our offense than the buckeyes. Akron is going to be fine. Student support is getting better and better which will translate to more alumni support in the long run. I'm sure the community will embrace the new stadium as it will be a nice place to watch a football game. Like the buckeye said, OSU has been good and famous for a long long time and they got the traditions to prove it. Lets get some championships under our belts and our own traditions and things will come together full circle.

[Buckzip]

Cicero, a little harsh there. That is some of the arrogance that a lot of people don't like about OSU. I get what you are saying, but calling UA small time is a little low.The problem here is that many fans think something is owed to Akron. They don't understand that respect is earned. I think Akron earned a little bit of respect today. Well, at least the defense did.

[skip-zip]

I already commented about Cicero's idiotic comments in another thread, so I won't repeat much of it here. But I will just way this...YOU and every other Suckeye faithful was DUMBFOUNDED at halftime of this game. You were thinking "oh no, not us", and everything else you can imagine, thinking of what happened to the Wolverines last week.Don't believe me? I have dozens of Ohio State friends that felt that way. Don't tell me you felt any different. A MAC school beat up your offense, PHYSICALLY. Going into the Washington game, and your Big 10 schedule, I'd be VERY CONCERNED about that.Good luck. You're going to need it.The Red and Silver look poised to have many, many struggled trying to stay afloat this year.

[Buckzip]

I already commented about Cicero's idiotic comments in another thread, so I won't repeat much of it here.  But I will just way this...YOU and every other Suckeye faithful was DUMBFOUNDED at halftime of this game.  You were thinking "oh no, not us", and everything else you can imagine, thinking of what happened to the Wolverines last week.Don't believe me?  I have dozens of Ohio State friends that felt that way.  Don't tell me you felt any different. A MAC school beat up your offense, PHYSICALLY. Going into the Washington game, and your Big 10 schedule, I'd be VERY CONCERNED about that.Good luck.  You're going to need it.The Red and Silver look poised to have many, many struggled trying to stay afloat this year.

I hope you aren't talking to me there......BTW, I think OSU loses at least 3 games this year...

[skip-zip]

Buckzip. Based on what we saw today, and everyone's less-than-impressive viewpoint of the way they performed against YSU last week, I'd say that at least 3 losses is a pretty objective and accurate analysis.

[Zippysgotagun]

Forgive me for dissenting, but giving up nearly 200 yards on the ground hardly seems like we beat up OSU's offense. I will give kudos for the safety, and maybe a couple hits here and there (hartline's fumble comes to mind), but beating them up? I dunno...And as a zip fan at halftime, I felt bad for the team, because it was painfully obvious to me that even if OSU didn't score again, they would still win.

[Buckzip]

You know, the worst part about all this is that many Akron fans are not respecting Akron.Some are acting like wow, OSU is going to lose a bunch of games this year because they only beat Akron 20-2. Why are so many people discounting that there is a possibility that Akron may just be a pretty darn good team?Well you know what, Think about how much better it would look for Akron if OSU went undefeated and won the NC. They only beat Akron 20-2. I think that is prety cool.We look much better if OSU goes undefeated than if OSU loses 5 games.Also, I said I think they will lose "at least 3 games"

[bobbyake]

They're going to struggle from these 5: Washington, Purdue, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan. I say Michigan because Carr will need it bad or he's gone.

[Buckzip]

They're going to struggle from these 5: Washington, Purdue, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan. I say Michigan because Carr will need it bad or he's gone.

Carr is already gone. He was 1/2 out before the season started. He was 9/10 of the way out after last week. He is 100% gone after today.I agree though. I think scUM wins this year. They are due.

[Cicero]

What do you expect? Your a small time mid major football school with no sustained track record of winning. You are in a state with an elite football program that people have supported for generations. This false sense of superiority will not change that, it only makes you look bitter and as small in the mind as yoru team is in the landscape of college football. This isn't smack, just reality. Calling the fans of the elite team losers, front runners and so on will not win you a lot of sympathy.

Cicero...I would agree with the spirit of what you say...we are a mid-major...yes, but calling us small time is just insulting.If we're small time, then why are we on Ohio State's schedule.I know the tone of some of these posts may be difficult for an Ohio State fan to take, but try to rise above.I don't expect everyone to bleed blue and gold. But when you go into an Akron area bar and you see people rooting against the local team...people who have no connection to Ohio State...it's a little difficult to take.I don't think inferiority complex is the right term here.It has just always been my nature to root for the underdog.

Perhaps I was a little harsh, but being called front runner, loser, etc. will do that to you. All the blister about the "classless suckeye" fans didn't really pan out. Noone from any Buckeye board has rubbed it in and I was rather complimentary of your team in my post game remarks. I realize that it is the vocal minority we are talking about, but it still gets under the skin after a while.

[urbanpreppie05]

Perhaps I was a little harsh, but being called front runner, loser, etc. will do that to you. All the blister about the "classless suckeye" fans didn't really pan out. Noone from any Buckeye board has rubbed it in and I was rather complimentary of your team in my post game remarks. I realize that it is the vocal minority we are talking about, but it still gets under the skin after a while.

Understood. And I think some of us will conceed that some of the comments have been rather, um, classless.But on a sidebar, keep in mind that it's not just because of very little fan support, it's not just because we dont get support from our OWN hometown newspaper, It's not because regardless of how UA tries to make itself a bigger, modern and better school, we're constantly criticized and derided in our own community, It's ALL Of these thing put together which may make some of a bit irrtated by the OSU slant in Akron.But that's how I see it..:-)

[skip-zip]

Lots of comments here. Good stuff.Cicero, the classless nature in which Ohio State fans treat visiting fans at a game is what I am referring to. And it's not a great secret. Besides what I've been told BY OHIO STATE FANS THEMSELVES, I only have one personal experience (yesterday), and the numerous incidents I witnessed certainly do more to support the claim, rather than refute it.I have no knowledge of how they talk about other schools on their chat board. I've never been there, so I can't comment on that.Buckzip. I certainly understand your point that if Ohio State wins out, it makes Akron look better since we hung with them for over 3 quarters. However, I've never been of the opinion that a strong Ohio State program helps Akron in the long run. We compete with Ohio State for athletes, students, professors, fan support, media attention, etc. Over the years, history seems to indicated that when Ohio State is having success, it turns into a major publicity boost for their entire University, and pulls more attention away from what we are doing here in Akron. Zippysgotagun...I understand your point about how you felt at halftime. I also was feeling as if we may not be able to score, at least offensively. But in a game like that, where your defense is keeping you within a touchdown for the better part of the game, you always have a chance to win, which is exactly the situation you want to be in when you are in a game like that. I'll stick by my "physical" comment. For more than a half, our defensive starters vs. their offensive starters was nearly a stalemate. In fact, I was quite surprised at our ability to attack their blocks, and make good, clean, physical tackles, and the nature of most of those turnovers supports that. The only thing that stopped us was the fatigue from the extreme length of time they spent on the field. Sure, they broke some longer plays on a few occassions because teams like them still have an athleticism/speed advantage. But, if you've been around the Zips as long as I have, you would have never seen that happen 20 years ago against a ranked team. Back then, our opponent would have knocked us around a bit, scored several times in the first quarter, put their backups in the game, and it would have turned into a practice workout.I know Akron players from back in that era. Believe me, they didn't enjoy it.

[Zipmeister]

Please Zip fans, refrain from referrring to front running, loser osu fans as classless. Bad class is still a type of class.

[ZippyRulz]

The foundation is building for a larger fan base.  When I attended UA, a student based fan organization such as the Rowdies was a foreign thought.  Certainly, they have a lot of pride for their school.  UA students with school pride, that is a huge start in and of itself.  By the way big props to the Rowdies today.  They were giving it to the Buckeye nation even before they entered the stadium.Everybody knows the formula for more fan support; better recruits = more wins = more fans = bar and restaurant staff wearing blue and gold.  With more on-campus residential units, upgraded facilities, and most importantly new stadium that will hopefully be ready by start of 2009, JD is bound to get better recruits this off season.  A lot of local talent that passes on Akron as they do not see the prgram as a serious player based upon the RB alone.

I think you nailed it. That should be next year's marketing slogan: "Zips Football...laying a new foundation". We're now going into recruiting with a stadium announcement including pictures. The next recruiting class will redshirt in 08 and play all 4 years in the new stadium. We'll have a much better gameday college FB experience, on campus, which will allow us to recruit head to head with BCS schools on some good players who want early PT rather than sitting & waiting, who before would have avoided our less-fun off-campus RB atmosphere. Our home game visitors this fall will play their last game in the RB, starting w/Can't in 2 weeks. Land clearing for Infocision should be underway before the end of this season. They should take a team photo (including alumni players) standing on the vacant lot before construction begins, that would be one for the history books. Early prediction: on our next trip to Columbus in 2011 our defense will be at least as good as now and we'll score at least 21 points

[skip-zip]

ZippyRulz...I hope you are right.I've been talking about yesterday's game for quite some time. What you never know, when you have a game scheduled that far in advance, is the stage that both teams will be in at the time of the game.In this case, it was evident that both teams would be strong defensively, and rebuilding offensively. And that's exactly how it played out.Who knows what kind of team each of us will have in 2011.