MDZip

And to take it a little further, what has happened to Ohio football? Losses by Cinci and tOSU and not one other Ohio team made a bowl game? (or is that what the OH-for-bowl season in the title was supposed to indicate?) The MAC is primarily Ohio schools and all of them sat home for bowl season. The only out-of-state MAC teams that didn't make a bowl were EMU and Temple. Guess we have to be happy Mt. Union is in Ohio.

The Utah win does give some credence to the "plus 1" idea that is being bandied about. I think it would be a lot of fun to have Utah play the winner of Florida/OU which is likely what the plus 1 would get you. That way it would be a little more fair to the "lesser" schools to get a shot. But as far as the bowls go, the idea is to make money. The National Championship games crowns the "champion". all others exist to make money, that's why the name schools will usually get the nod because their fans will travel and make more money for the bowl. As far as the comment about the PAC-10 being in the upper tier of football, if so, it is only by default, after USC there isn't much left. I'd put MWC third this year behind the SEC and Big 12, solely by the results on the field.

Looking at that message board, I'm pretty impressed with the depth of knowledge displayed. Seems like they know us pretty well and it seems like they have about the same opinion of their team that we do about ours. Ought to be a pretty good game.

I'm not actually worried about getting the tickets, I'm sure at some point I will be able to, there's plenty of time. My point was that a number of people do rely on the web to do their normal transactions (whether that's shopping, banking or whatever), especially those that aren't local and the Zips web site advertised availability and didn't come close to delivering. I wasn't worried about my personal experience but as the program as a whole. As I said if someone like me who actually cares about the program gets frustrated, what about the only casually interested fan. Guaranteed that problems like this can translate into real losses (read less tickets sold) so for something like this, "academia" had best get in touch with the real world. After all, those are their real customers. The impression it gives of the program is definitely "small time".

While it was nice to get a win tonight, it still doesn't inspire a lot of confidence as the "best team in the MAC", however the MAC does look to be wide open this year, but obviously in a very down year. Here's a blurb from Kyle Whelliston:Reasons to worryThe Mid-American Conference: The best and toughest perennial one-bid league in the country got a No. 9 seed out of Can't State last season. This season has been a major step backward. With a noncon winning percentage of .364 (40-70) and no wins over power-conference opponents, the MAC has melted like cheese. Miami (Ohio), after coming close at UCLA and blowing out Temple on the road, was poised to be the league's saving grace. But the RedHawks struggled mightily Saturday in an 82-46 blowout loss at West Virginia marked with poor guard play. So the MAC looks awful this year, so it might be a year to steal one. I think Buffalo might surprise a lot of people this year for being predicted to finish so low.

Even though my brother-in-law and I both live out of state we are seriously thinking of buying Zips season tickets for next year. So I went on the web site and there is a giant ad on GoZips.com to buy season tickets. When you click on it ANYWHERE it takes you to a broken ticketmaster link. I tried briefly to find them there but could not after a few minutes of searching so I went back on GoZips and finally found another way to look for season tickets. When I tried to see where the tickets were, it gave me a section number but no idea on where the section was other than a vague "color" map. They could have been anywhere in that color map. That was on a crappy small map (that you could just barely see the sections let alone section details) that said to click on it to see a larger map. I assumed that might show the sections/row in more detail but no, it was just a slightly larger version of the same crappy map. And even though its not relevant, there is a link to show the same bad map through the name "Inficision Stadium". We use a site where they can't even spell our name right? I also tried to call a few weeks ago instead of doing it this way and simply got a recording. No one has called me back, so I figured I'd try it via the web.If fans like me who actually give a damn about the program get this frustrated trying to get tickets how in the world is the "average" fan going to feel about this ticket buying experience? Do we always have to do things second rate?

We on this board are not permitted to get involved directly in recruiting, but the easiest thing to do if any of these young men are interested in the University of Akron is have them go to the Zips official web site (www.gozips.com) and fill out the student-athlete questionnaire. They can find it at:http://www.gozips.com//quest/Questionaire....DB_OEM_ID=10800

Even though I lost complete interest in the NCAA soccer tournament after our royal screw-over, I did just go back to see who won. Seems Maryland beat UNC, blah, blah blah, but ESPN had their post-season awards and had this to say about Steve Zakuani.Best Player: Steve Zakuani, AkronAfter leading the nation in scoring with 20 goals and seven helpers, Zakuani is the clear frontrunner for the Hermann Trophy. The other finalists are quality Wake Forest seniors Marcus Tracy and Sam Cronin, but if Zakuani doesn't win in a landslide it would be a travesty. If he does, the 6-foot forward from Zaire (via London) would become just the third sophomore to earn college soccer's highest individual honor, which the Missouri Athletic Club will award in St. Louis on Jan. 9.Like Gonzalez, Zakuani is also a solid pro prospect. His seven game-winners this year suggest he has a knack for netting important goals, and he already has a more impressive pedigree than most scholastic stars: He trained in Arsenal's youth system until he was 15 and his older brother has played professionally in England since 2002.It would take a tiny bit of the sting out of the year if he won the Hermann. I'm still ticked though.

You did a nice job and by the way if you haven't fixed it already, Akron is part of the Mid American Conference not the Mid Atlantic Conference (not even sure there is one of those).

Not sure which is worse - that I didn't see this until it was too late or that you were more aware of an event that was happening 20 miles from me than I was. I thought about just giving a fake scouting report with glowing reports of future Zips but I guess now I'll just have to wait like everyone else - darn it. Was impressed by the Old Bay reference though.

I will add three things - one, I indeed had to use the punch cards for my first two years, and it was awful (we secretly plotted how to knock COBOL programmers decks to the floor) and we had no remote capability so we actually had to show up at the computer center ("you kids have it so easy" - shakes fist ). Two, I've said this on the board that I got my Masters from Johns Hopkins in CS and while a good school, Akron's program blew it away and three) Zeke Marshall, who could have gotten a full scholarship to some other very fine schools, chose Akron for its computer science department - 'nuf said.

How about YOU-EH? (UA)?That's how they pronounce us in Buffalo.

Welcome John! You'll find quite a mix of folks on this board - everyone from current freshman to us oldies (Computer Science - 1984 - yeah, they had computers then ) but the common thread is a love of Zips sports and the University. You will enjoy yourself. Glad you elected to join us.

So the reign of Bain will be mainly for no gain?

Within 8 - 12 minutes to go.

Did you also happen to follow Happy Gilmore around during a Pro-Am tournament? The price is wrong ... b*tch!

Yeah, quite easy to make fun of, but he is a University of Akron graduate - perhaps he actually still cares about the place?

Its possible it could have been a LeBron sort of situation from a few years ago where everyone just stood around waiting for the superstar to make a play but I really can't see that with this player, this team and this coach. Steve gave us two great years so if he's moving on, best of luck to him. Really would be nice for him to pick up the Hermann trophy on his way out, and he should, after all it is handed out by the MAC (OK, that stands for the Missouri Athletic Club, but still ... ). And I just saw UNC got into the final (against Maryland). I hadn't paid any attention to the tournament until now after we got jobbed, but to see UNC in the final when we could well have played them on our home field, it still just sickens me. Thank goodness Coach Porter wil be hanging around in the future, I was really worried about that one too.

The MAC has three bowl tie-ins. A few years ago we had one. I think the MAC rightly does not want to risk those tie-ins (we're already a little tenuous in the GMAC bowl) on a one year undefeated season. If it was a BCS bowl, our partners would understand, that's understood for the non-BCS conferences. But if we start taking away a major draw for our bowl partners on a year they should get it, they might reconsider for all of the other years in which the MAC is less than spectacular. We need to honor those commitments.

While the thread may be dead, there is still some interest for the league as a whole. We have 6 teams bowl eligible, 4 are projected to go. That seems about right. Neither of the 6-6 MAC teams (BGSU and NIU) are projected to go. What it means is that our game against Temple really was pretty meaningless. Buffalo is projected for the International Bowl, which is a great spot for them.

I did get a response to my note to Ms. Keller (I have to give her credit for sending a reply Thanksgiving morning). I responded to her in saying that I certainly understand the safety concern but do not understand why in four days, at least a neutral site could not be found and I do not understand how it is in any way fair to move the game to the opponents site. I do not expect a response back on that one.All of the other things people have cited against the Zips (the NIT snub, being the only team left out of a bowl in 2005) really had very little to do with NCAA decisions. This one does. That's what made me mad enough to write to complain. I wish more people would do so. I was hoping to see the game with my son and nephew while I was back for Thanksgiving. I will concede some blame on UA for the field conditions but I cannot accept the fact that it was moved to an opponents field. That is just wrong. At least her answer does indicate that when the Zips take out NW on their field, there is at least a chance that the next round will be back in Akron (of course as an out of stater I won't likely get to see it).This was Ms. Keller's response:Thank you for your email. The overall safety and experience of all student-athletes participating in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship is our utmost concern. Appendix G in the men's soccer championship handbook clearly states that if a seeded teams' field becomes unplayable then they will lose the opportunity to host championship competition. Reports from various staff including those from the University of Akron indicated that the field had become unplayable. Therefore the decision was made to move the game to Northwestern University. The goal of all preliminary round competition is that it be played at one of the participating institutions. In light that Ohio State had already arrived in Akron and the game needed to be completed as soon as possible in safe conditions was the main reason that particular game was played at the local high school on an artificial turf field. In the event Akron wins this weekend, a review of its field will be made and only then will a decision be made to determine whether or not Akron will host quarterfinal competition.

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.I got an out-of-office e-mail from both. Ms. Smith's reponse directed me as follows (Ms. Keller's said she would be out on the 27th and 28th). I will be out of the office the week of November 24 without e-mail access. You may e-mail Nicole Boles (nboles@ncaa.org) with anything that is time sensitive. I will respond to your message Monday, December 2. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving.I have also e-mailed Ms. Boles.Ditto. Keep sending those emails guys, it can't hurt.Aaaaannnndddd .... she's out until December 1st.Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office until Monday, December 1. I will not have access to e-mail during this time. I will respond to your e-mail just as soon as possible.Nicole BolesNCAA Playing Rules Administration

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.I got an out-of-office e-mail from both. Ms. Smith's reponse directed me as follows (Ms. Keller's said she would be out on the 27th and 28th). I will be out of the office the week of November 24 without e-mail access. You may e-mail Nicole Boles (nboles@ncaa.org) with anything that is time sensitive. I will respond to your message Monday, December 2. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving.I have also e-mailed Ms. Boles.

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.