g-mann17

Ouch. I know Martin's a common last name, but didn't Dale go to Bolingbrook?He certainly did, along with the enigmatic Ryan Bain if I recall.

First thing that needs to be done is to analyze the definition of professional and amateur. Up until now, the generally accepted definition is that professionals earn their living by being paid to do something and amateurs just do it for fun.Pee wee football, high school football and college football have generally been considered amateur, and the NFL professional. But it's true that many college players get monetary reimbursement through athletic scholarships, and many colleges make money on football. So the lines have already been blurred.The next question is how far to blur the lines? Can we legally get the money down into high schools? How about pee wee football? How about paying parents who have the genes to potentially produce good football players?Where does it all end?Wherever some fast-talking promoter and enough true believers want it to end.Good questions.I believe that an adult should be able to earn some income for their services. College football players are providing a service to their schools that in the top 40 schools earns those schools millions each year. It isn't like high school where a small number of people go to games, buy a five or ten dollar ticket, eat a hotdog, watch a game and go home....very little money is spent. When someone goes to a big time college football game, tickets are much more expensive, donations in the thousands of dollars have to be given for some seats, parking lots are full of thousands of cars that had to pay to park, merchandise is sold with the players numbers on them, etc.I find it almost immoral that college football players at the highest level don't get paid. We are talking about adults here, not children. I think people lose sight of that when they watch college football. The players are sometimes referred to as "kids". They aren't kids, they are grown men participating in an event that is making millions for someone else. The pressure is tremendous, especially from the coaches who are getting paid to coach.In reality, $12,000 a year is at the poverty level in the United States. Some college football players have children. While they can't support them on $12,000, it probably helps. Moralists shouting......."But GP1, if they can't afford kids, they shouldn't be having sex." Riiiiiiiight. How many of us were having sex in college? Many of us could have easily had a kid had some things gone differently. Moralist guy needs to stay away. If moralist guy had any real morality, he would see the inequity and demand the players get paid on some level beyond the scholarship.You really think they aren't getting paid? Really, you can look a person in the face and say that $40,000 worth of classes, $40,000 worth of rent, $20,000 worth of food, and $15,000 worth of clothes, books, computers and school supplies isn't payment for services rendered? At 5 years that is $23,000 a year, tax free, in fact at your "tax expense" (90% of Universities are public). I love how many people think that schools make "millions off these kids" a few schools make money (OSU, Texas, Florida) most don't. Most of those millions are pumped back into the program and other programs at the school. Even in your "top 40" most don't even get to do that. Most require students to pay a fee so that athletics exist. Even though those students never get to use any of that equipment or fields. So, what is the equivalent to 5 years of an entry level job, and coming out of the deal debt free, you think they deserve extra money. For what? Playing football? You realize that only 2.1% of the 10,200 scholarship players in FBS get a shot at the NFL, let alone a contract. But these guys are "professionals"?

Well having the best bookie undergrad program in the nation helps a lot

Wow all done as of 10:40That was quick.

Q27: Don't you hate it when g-mann17 kills the buzz?Q28: Don't you think he should refrain from thread-killing?Q29: Don't you sometimes want to call him RICHARD CRANIUM?Yes, yes and yes. :CK_brew:Yep I killed the thread, not the person bringing up a pointless not going to change decision.Here I'll change question 26Q26:

Q26: Did you have problems finding Beer before or after the game or are you such a lush that you have to have it 24-7?

Yes I heard the quote in question.

Not all fans are you Cap. You just did what you criticized Dambrot of doing.You know as well as I do, that many students, and common non season ticket holding fans look for that one excuse to say "oh well, they suck so I won't go." Dambrot was referring to that as much as the area press. And look at the reaction on here. People who care turned because we lost to EMU. Yeah we should win that game, we should sweep the West every year. But you know what. Games are played because this stuff can happen. Hell we can can create a bunch of paper champions and save everyone the torment of watching several flat performances each year. Yes everyone has the right to be mad at a loss. It doesn't mean you turn your tickets over (like some people) and it doesn't mean you start throwing in the towel. How do you think Buffalo fans are feeling right now?So yes Dambrot was right, and you CK are taking things much too personally.

GP1 in 3.....2......

Without a doubt.....no matter what happens, we'll always have a chance to win the MAC tournament.But, I really believe the frustration from most people today stems from the idea that we were returning almost every player, and landing a big-time recruit. And we soooo wanted this to be a year where we had an opportunity to move "above the MAC". Instead, it seems to have turned into a season where we are going to struggle to keep pace with the rest of the MAC.But....that doesn't mean that I am going to stop using my tickets. I'll be there.This is actually a good point. Expectations? What should the expectations have been? Last year we finished where we had to play every game of the Tournament. That means, the MAC regular season didn't go to well for us. So we returned a bunch of players that struggled during the regular season and got hot come MAC Tournament time. Yet I believe I saw people calling for a "sweep of the MAC". The expectation for me, was a first round bye (still very much an option) and a MAC Tournament win (still very much an option). Can't and Buffalo are extremely vulnerable and we hit a trap game. We were flat against Toledo (taking a break) and thought we could take a break against EMU. Dambrot has to light a fire and the come the second MAC East play through you will likely see a change in intensity.

Wow, Dambrot was right.All you complainer fans better not be the first celebrating if we do manage to repeat as MAC Champs.

The University of Cincinnati is simply referred to as Cincinnati or UC. The University of Michigan is called just Michigan. You really have a very skewed look at things.The heart of where you come from is something I agree with, (pushing the Universyt of Akron up and improving the image) but the means are flawed.You don't win over Joe Akron with your approach.

He seems like a middle linebacker to me, but I bet he can be successful at both.I think he is too skinny. I am going to send the athletic department a few vats of peanut butter to his attention.thank you..watched him closely in the emu game..he had problems covering their tight end,working in space...might be a big safety in a 4-3 IF he can roam the field..The lbs were in zone against emu. The td was a flag route i think. the lbs were covering hooks and seams. I thought he did well in coverage for a frosh.wasn't just referring to one play...he stands out because he runs around but seemed to consistently have some problems with decision making when he had to stay home with a receiver on his side...he just seems more like a safety in a 4-3...let him run around and head hunt...I have a better idea. Keep him in the middle and put a D-Line in front of him that doesn't get knocked off the ball and protect him. The middle LB is the most important player in a 4-3. Wagner could go down as the all time tackle leader in the history of the school. His ability would be wasted at safety and he doesn't have the speed to play the position...he has very good speed for LB. Wagner is a perfect example of why this team should win in the near future. He is one of many talented players on the team. He has two of the best gifts, size and speed. If the new coach can just change the culture of the program, we will see winning in the very near future.I remain very bullish about the near future.If he hits the weights and the dinner table, no reason he can't bump up to 240 and maintain his current speed.I'm with GP1 here, you have someone with his nose for the ball playing middle, you have a lot of options on defense.

Heck some of those qualifier kids could just as easily be the next Jacquemain.I say welcome Erick, and here's to you being the next Chester Taylor.I agree. Let's welcome the kid to the Zips and wish him the best for a knockout spring semester @ Hoover so that he has the opportunity to begin his career with the Zips uninterrupted by paperwork and eligibility delays.Go Zips!Can we offer tutoring services? I'll take the first shift Yeah I thought about that last night. I don't know if there are NCAA regulations that prevent it (sure they have rules about it somewhere) but if he signs an LOI before hand, it couldn't be considered recruit tampering.

Heck some of those qualifier kids could just as easily be the next Jacquemain.I say welcome Erick, and here's to you being the next Chester Taylor.

Because this program is not very good right now. We need to take at least one or 2 chances a year on a kid that we normally have no chance of getting. This kid is at a BCS school if his grade were good.Am I the only one having flushbacks to a couple years ago. Seriously, it is like de ja vu all over again around here.Yeah, you are.A couple of years ago we didn't have the academic support structure we do now. And the other benefit is he is still within a car drive of anyone who has helped him while at North Canton.

Wow, that Arizona sun must finished off what was left of that raisin you call a brain.If Caleb wanted to be gone, he could have been gone this year. To any level he wanted to go, Clemson (in you super fabulous south)IU (his alma mater, where everyone wants to be), to DC United (to follow the money baby). Then with Dambrot, after taking a do nothing team to 5 consecutive winning seasons, 3 post season tournaments, 3 MAC finals, a MAC Championship, I'm pretty sure if he wanted a job at a "better school" he could have taken it. You are an absolute sham and the fact that anyone gives you Kudos for anything is sad. But then in a nation where people hold the opinions of highschool/college drop outs, and people who have never done anything other than talk on the radio or TV, in higher regard than college educated "worked in the business" individuals what should I expect."Those that talk the loudest are the ones that get heard"

Who was defending Kool last night?I think the idea was "let Kool shoot, don't let anyone else shoot, see what happens".Does it scare anyone that both Pierce and Kool torched the Zips for 30+? That was almost unthinkable two weeks ago?Not as much as if they were on the same team. I believe Pierce had a teammate with 18+.

Who was defending Kool last night?I think the idea was "let Kool shoot, don't let anyone else shoot, see what happens".

I will admit i was a little upset when she dismissed all them players from the team, and maybe i was wrong for it. But i was also one of the very few there supporting them when they were losing to. When i seen the plaers she dismissed, i seen her getting rid of her best players at the time. Just didnt seem like a very good move when your trying to build a program an win games. But i will admit, with her recruting and the new core of players she has now and incoming, she has turned the program around. Lets just hope the winning continues and soon we can he holding that MAC championship trophy.Well as people in construction will tell you, sometimes it's easier to knock it all down and start over than it is find ways to fix it and make it work.

Wow winning sure changes a lot. I remember many members crying foul when Kest came in and said goodbye to a lot of lazy, babied, ladies that were on the team.Wonder how many who complained are willing to admit they were wrong about the direction Kest wanted to go.

TV Ratings are far from hypothetical, very well studied due to the all powerful advertising dollar. Look up what share a prime time network first round ncaa playoff game pulls, then look up the other two scenarios. You'll be surprised. I realize this isn't the intention of the original post, but for the sake of knowledge for those who aren't aware, it's a nice research project.But TV ratings have nothing to do with the "guaranteed .01% of Akron population caring about soccer, or the guarantee fan preferences. TV is a whole different ball game and part of the reason football is more popular than soccer in America is because TV and the media tells us it is. This thread is like asking if you'd want a Indians National Title vs. Cavaliers making (only) the first round of playoffs vs. the Browns beating the Steelers in regular season. A title, championship, being THE winner overall is the highest honor. Nothing else comes close.NO the comparison is asking whether you want the Indians making the playoffs as a wild card or seeing the Gladiators win the championship.Soccer is NOT on the same level of football or basketball....period.RootforRoo44, you're right. Soccer is not on the same level as football or basketball; however, if I had to pick between a national championship or a playoff appearance, I would have to say that I would choose the national championship because that will forever be there...no matter what the sport is even though it may not seem as important as football or basketball, being able to say "National Champion" can be said forever, people won't remember outside of Akron in what basketball or football does unless they win it all...Wow, that is the most untrue statement I have ever heard. And this is still the dumbest topic I have ever seen. Each sport right now has a different expectation of success. Football - MAC Championship or Bowl game (winning season)Basketball - NCAA Tournament bid (wins would be excellent)W. Basketball - a solid winning seasonSoccer - National TitleW. Soccer - NCAA Tournament appearance MAC championshipRifle - National TitlesTrack - National TitlesWhy (other than for a stupid argument) would want to pick one over the other. If you don't think people outside of Akron don't remember the MAC Championship you are fooling yourself (ESPN Classic plays that game regularly). If you don't think that playing Gonzaga was more exposure than playing in the College Cup Final, you are fooling yourself. Every paper in the state talked about Akron, CSU, Dayton, Xavier, and OSU being in the tournament (one of the greatest Ohio Basketball years ever). I want the Soccer NC because that is the expectation. I would not give up a level of success for any other sport to get it, that is just plain idiocy. Nor would I give up the Soccer NC for success in any other sport. You take what you get. We are a nationally dominant soccer program, track program, rifle program, that is what we want for every sport we have. It's just more difficult in the major sports (Men's & Women's Basketball & Football) because there is a barrier of history that has to be broken in order to get the people we need to win.

Thought about this a little, and maybe Ianello knows the importance of not burning bridges. You come in and pull a bunch of offers what is remembered? "Akron pulled their offer" not a specific coach, just the program. You honor the offer, then people remember that. It builds trust in the program from the families and coaches.Let's face it, JD didn't always pull the top recruits but he had some contacts in some football hot spots. Atlanta, LA, Illinois and Florida. Recruiting is as much about close contacts and schmoozing as possible. All it takes is one bad experience and it can cut you off from that area for years.

Not sure what to make of them, hard to find any solid information. ESPN gave Staten a 40 grade. Can't find much on Blake. Temple did offer Staten though so Golden saw something in him.

Well if there is a kid that knows about making up his mind on something it's the kid.