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Oh, please don't go there. When I see the "blue hairs" with their canes getting assistance to their seats at basketball games, I suddenly feel pretty darn young.

Although I think this was a quasi-rhetorical question, I'll bite. In no particular order and certainly not an exhaustive list: Learning teamwork Being focused on and dedicated to something bigger than self Server others Gaining an appreciating for hard work Setting, working toward, and (hopefully) achieving goals Coming to understand how discipline impacts performance How to face and overcome adversity I understand your cynicism and share some of those frustrations regarding the complicated and sometimes nefarious system surrounding student athletes. I just want mine to enjoy his time playing this game, give everything he has to his team and his teammates, and to get his education so that he can go on to enjoy life after football; whenever that may come.

I feel like I'm "liking" skip's posts too much recently....not sure what has gotten into me.

If you are a homer that wants to just say I am trolling, then please don't read any further. If you only want rah rah and say how great everything is, then please don't read any further. if you want to have an open and rational discussion, then let's do it. NIU beat Beat Nebraska today. other MAC teams have beaten big time programs every year. When is Akron just going to be competitive with a major program? Not that ISU is major, but they are above the MAC. Before you want to call me a troll, until I moved out of state I was at nearly every home game and at least 2 road games every year. What some call trolling, I call being a passionate fan. I am sure certain mods will delete this thread because they don't want real discussion, so be it. I know some hate me here because I happen to have graduated from 2 different schools, but I can guarantee you that I have been to many, many, many more Akron games than to my other Alma Mater. I am tired of the lack of discipine of Bowden and his teams. I am sick of the lack of discipline. I lost count of how many stupid personal fouls there were in this game. And most were well deserved. Woodson whines non stop. Bell facemasks when a guy is wrapped up in a pile for 4th down, Kato comes in down by a ton and actually taunts a down player on the side line. Then after a nice pass, he throws a horrible pick and then starts crap on the ISU sideline. If he can grow up, he could be a real player in the MAC. That's a big IF. I doubt TB even says anything to him. Every time they show TB he is just standing there. He isn't talking to his team, his assistants or anyone. He is just watching like a fan. I did see him clap after an ISU first down though. Our recruiting is below average and there is no sign of it getting better. I don't want to hear how many verbals we have when most have Akron as their best offer. If the others have great senior seasons and get other offers, they will be gone too. Then of course, I would guess less than 2/3 of the current verbals actually ever show up on the game day roster. Best facilities and stadium in the MAC, yet we aren't better than when we were in the Rubber Bowl and didn't have the Stile Field House. The really sad thing is I don't know if we can get better than TB. SMH. Now go ahead and attack. i could not care any less.

Wisdom from one of the ancients.

This format is actually very similar to the one I laid out when the program was cancelled. What's missing is to get other schools to join in so there's competitive balance. What it needs is a conference of cold weather baseball programs from the same area, some MAC East teams, YSU, a revived Clevaland State and Duquesne, and maybe some other programs that don't want to spend millions chasing the dream of a Superregional asskicking. Play less games, or play more games per week and start later in the year (April). No long travel trips to the Sunbelt. No shovelling money into the program (like the other sports) chasing a dream of someday competing against the powerhouses. And you're playing other D1 schools. All it takes is a change in how college $port$ are run. If this "self sustaining" method does come into play, I bet other schools will be watching closely. If it works, this idea might just happen.

Ok. No. You are right. Let me rephrase. There are lists of coaches that pundits are professing worthy of a shot at being a D1 head coach. Some are sitting head coaches deemed worthy to move up, some are coordinators poised for a first time HC job, some are HC guys out of the game looking to get back in. Do you think Bowden's name will appear on any of these lists if he is terminated? I think this question can't be skirted by technicality. Perhaps I am wrong because maybe if Bowden was fired he will miss the publishing deadline. It was a rhetorical question anyway. If you are fired from a MAC school you are pretty much done as a HC. Doug Martin got another D1 HC job after Kent fired him, but I can't think of another off the top of my head. Bill Cubit went to Illinois as the OC after WMU. I am a loss to even think what happened to most former MAC HCs after they are done. Ianello resurfaced in D1 again, I guess. Go figure. Bowden is just the next Akron coach who will meet the same fate as all the rest of 'em. He will be fired. Hopefully the next coach will be good enough to do what no coach before him ever did; be poached by another university for a better paying job. Here's a totally rhetorical question that doesn't require an explanation as to why it is untrue. It is for entertainment purposes only. . . Does Bowden wear a ski mask when he picks up his paycheck?

Kangaroo milk maybe?

As we all know today, the media can create a public frenzy about anything they choose, and put fuel on a fire that may not have started otherwise. And too many people will believe whatever they are told, without considering any of the other points that some of you guys have mentioned. Football will be the target for now....until the public's interest in the topic fades, and the media moves on to something else that generates paper and magazine sales, and Website visitors. Maybe it will be the impact of Soccer Headers. Maybe it will be the impact on your body as a basketball player from increasing your Vertical Jump by almost a foot in 6 months. Who knows.

Historically, baseball only has 11-12 full scholarships to give out in order to fill a 35 man roster. Those would be split up with partials given to multiple players. Those players were still on the hook to pay for the remainder of tuition and sometimes, board.

Which life lessons are those? That adults with something to gain personally; will manipulate, scheme and otherwise rig things in order to guarantee the personal benefit? Not to be a downer, but I have personally witnessed the, frankly, immoral manipulation/bending of academics and rules/standards held to other students; by adults in order to give byes to student athletes (mostly basketball and football). I too am supporter because I can see the benefit, however I do think it's important to be cautiously vigilant

The idea sure seems half assed... I get the endowed schollys or coaches etc.. lots of Athletic Depts have them... but you either are a legit d1 school or not. The Athletic Dept bleeds cash....nearly every cent cut from bb ($700,000) went to cost of attendance stipends which were added... the Dept doesn't seem to be in a position to maintain costs, but probably still should be cutting things. If they see this as a positive cash play, then it should be put into play across the board-- right? To build on Spin... I don't get the need to recruit Ohio kids -- unless that is just a fundraising pitch.. If the athletic program is now working off a D3 model, where sports exist to attract students, then I would be interested in the walk-on from Florida paying out of state tuition... god forbid an APS good student or one of LeBron's foundation kids (both of whom get to go to school for free) is a recruit...that will screw the finances up!

Baseball will be back starting in the 2020 season.

Funny because true The first step in correcting a problem is admitting you have one.

Big announcement today at noon. Going to a lot of happy people. Keep your eyes on gozips.com.

Milwee is a joke. Until we demote him or get rid of him all together we will continue this pattern of horrible offensive football. Our offense hasn't been consistently good game in and game out since Bowden stopped calling the plays years ago.

Losing Alvin sucks as I still think that call is a joke, but his replacement (Featherstone) is a starting caliber player as well so I do not expect it to be an issue.

Recruiting has been a eff'n train wreck ever since Bowden got here. Ray Charles can see it and he is blind and dead. You cannot win with players that no other program in the country was interested in and that is what we have here. The conventional wisdom on this board was that the ratings services are worthless and that the staff knew what they were doing getting diamonds in the rough. How's that working out?? This roster is talent deficient. Who are the playmakers? You have one running back, one linebacker and a safety on this team that would start for any other MAC squad. Truth hurts. The complete whiff that was the recruiting class of 2015 is coming home to roost in a big way. Those kids should be juniors who contribute bigly and they just aren't there. Ulysees Gilbert can't carry an entire recruiting class. I was a big Bowden supporter when he arrived and hoped he would turn the program around. That ship has sailed and he is getting fired after this season and leaving the cupboard absolutely bare for the next staff. I could be wrong, of course and if I am, I will come on this board and eat a huge helping of crow. Prove me wrong Terry.

You're right. (and yes sometimes you can be a troll, but in this instance I think you're right). I debated even visiting the forum today, but I'm willing to say publicly that I'm no longer happy with the direction of Zips football. I talked up this game to my best friend...the one game we go to every year as alumni...she brought her new BF and we invited a couple of other friends...only to have an embarrassing team on the field. I'm losing my interest. What is there to be excited about? I try to hold the positivity line...but when I want to watch a good game with my friends...and instead get "Matt I thought you said this would be an interesting game..." Kinda lose the heart a little.

I haven't gone on the Iowa State thread yet, just stopped here first, but my number 1 point was going to be so similar to BuckZip, I had to post. Season after season, game after game, the Zips can be counted on to destroy any chances they have by stupid stupid penalties. It is unbelievable, and BuckZip is right. Hey, an offsides, a motion, a holding while trying to hold off a rusher....those can be lived with. Penalties caused by hustle, okay. But Personal Fouls, time and again, 15 yards at a crack, either stop a Zip drive or keep an opponent's drive alive. And it is every week. Every freakin' week. I was always taught and I have always believe these type of penalties are a lack of discipline, and it's either going after the wrong type of player recruit-wise, or lack of coaching. BuckZip hit it on the head. Kato Nelson, what an idiot. Not that it mattered in the game score, but why did you think, being down 41-14, and you in a clean-up role, to taunt an opponent after a run against their second team....on their sidelines. The Defensive stop earlier, when it mattered, on 3rd down and the face mask in a scrum no less....these are unbelievable. And guess what? It's not like it's something new. Watch every season for the last five and you'll see game after game after game where we self-destruct with this kinda crap. We beat ourselves a helluva lot.

Seems like TV is more important to the MAC than actual attendance at the games.

In your opinion, is playing that many matches a week a good thing?