Hilltopper

Looks like a photoshop to me.

CK, That was written better than anything DLM put out when he covered the Zips for the ABJ.

Hunter works for Mack. The Ad sets policy, the Assoc Ad does the work.

GP1 GP1 GP1

Looks like williams will have to catch on elsewhere.Williams

I just logged onto the stadium cams. Its 8:45 Sunday night and there are some workers doing something to the side of the press box. That is dedication!

After I selected my seats today, I asked about the alcohol situation. I was told the Club and loge seats will have alcohol. The rest of the stadium, not likely.

My source tells me that Howard has gained between 30-50lbs since the season ended and we're not talking muscle. It seems that being "Mr Football" has gone to his head,Err stomach.

Just got back from selecting my seats. All of the last 6 rows of section 110 are gone and all the first 2 rows of section 210 are taken. It appears that most are chosing the upper rows of the lower deck. I'm thinking this is to avoid having to walk u.p 2 flights of stairs to the upper deck. This seams to be the trend for all of the lower level. I didn't see any seats taken in the first 5 or so rows of any section in the lower level. My seats, row 2 upper deck on the 50 yd line.

I think that after they add the crumb rubber fill, it will darken up and look more uniform.

It's the coaching staffs job to turn around a "Losers mentality". When a player comes here he doesn't bring it with him, most who make it to this level have been "Winners". We have had three different coaches in the past 20 years. None have been able to turn it around. At what point is it no longer the coaches fault and the fault of the players?Coaches show players how to play and they call the plays. Each player on this team individually needs to play better at critical times in games. Coaches get the blame, and that is part of the job, but the real blame falls on the shoulders of the players. Players get coaches fired. There is too much talent on this team to continue to lose. "Enough is enough!" In fact, teams love year slogans, "enough is enough" should be the slogan this year.OK, it must be something in the water then.

Anybody going to the open house tonight? It looks like everyone will have to use the visitors side to get an idea of the views from the grandstands. I hope the weather cooperates, because tonight is the only time I can make one of the tours.

It's the coaching staffs job to turn around a "Losers mentality". When a player comes here he doesn't bring it with him, most who make it to this level have been "Winners".

There was a cleanup on Aisle 3, just look away so you don't throw up!

Well, I wasn't around in the 60's so I can't help you there, but I do remember in the early 90's during a HS football game when a meteor rolled down across the sky. I lived near Sandusky and I figured it landed in Lorain county somewhere. It actually landed in New York, it was HUGE!My timeline with Zips football starts in 1969 so I don't remember that one, but I did see the one in the early 90's also. It was huge and took several minutes to streak across the sky. What a sight!

It would be too much taking into account how much billboard advertising returns.Here is a better idea. Take half the money they spend on billboards and flush it down the toilet. Take the other half and spend it on scholarships for students. No matter what, half of the money will be spent wisely in lieu of ALL the money being flushed down the toilet on billboards.While I love the idea of the scholarship, I don't think a $450 scholarship will build the brand awareness that the football team desperately needs at this time. It pains me that we finally have a brand to market, and let an economically sound opportunity slip away. I know you like to see cash in the drawer at the end of the day from your marketing, but building a brand is not about that, you have to see the forest through the trees when measuring brand awareness.What else is there for marketing other than cash in the in drawer at the end of the day? Marketing results are ultimately measured in money. It is a business and they have to function on money...not wishes. Reminds me about an old saying about wishes, "Make a wish or $#!+ in your hat. See which one fills up first." Billboards have not and will not work. Can't State wishes that billboard on Rt8 would work. You are wishing that a billboard somewhere in Akron will work at raising brand awareness (see below for MAC brand awareness). Is the fact that UofA has a football team a secret? I doubt that.MAC schools individually have brand awareness and the league has a brand awareness. The exposure on ESPN, early season beat downs by BCS schools and disgraceful performances in bowls the past couple of years have given them increased brand awareness...although not a brand awareness they would like to have. Here is the MAC brand: a third tier D-1A conference (Dollar General). Sane people are not willing to pay to see third tier conferences play (we on this board are all actually a bunch of idiots for paying to go see it). Change that with a billboard.?.I have had Wake Forest season tickets the past two years. They play in the ACC (second tier conference) and they have a 32,000 seat stadium (around the size of UofA's and some ACC teams play in 80,000+ seat stadiums). They have been historical losers (remind anyone of a team we all love?). The past three seasons they have had winning records, an ACC championship, a couple of first team All-Americans getting drafted in the first round, three straight bowl appearances (the last two they won) with a BCS bowl appearance. Their games are NOT sold out when my wife and I go. They play Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, Vandy, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia, VA Tech, Miami, etc. Does everyone in NC know they have a football team and a good one? Of course. Will a billboard increase brand awareness? Barely.The point is this. I spent years in the forest believing there was some magical marketing "trick" that could get people to come to games. The new stadium is the "trick". MAC schools are playing "trick or treat" with their advertising and only marketing the "trick" end of it because there is rarely a treat when you get to a game. The people of NE Ohio are not stupid and they know a crappy product when they see it. Most have a good understanding of football with the exception of Browns fans. The problem the MAC has now is they are selling a crappy product and people know that; meaning the brand awareness is there. Never assume your customers are stupid. Fans have had too much TV exposure with the MAC to continue to fool people. MAC schools can't run adds saying, "Don't believe your own eyes. Listen to what I say. Our product is great."Since we should not spend all of our time complaining, I will offer solutions. The MAC and MAC schools don't need more brand exposure, they need less if they are planning on tricking people to come to games. ESPN games with empty stadiums are not helping the brand. Getting killed by BCS schools is not helping the brand. Getting killed in bowl games by CUSA teams is not helping the brand name. Some say adding more bad teams to an already bad conference will somehow make it a better brand (the logic behind this is almost insane...... 13 bad teams + 2 horrible teams = good football ). The MAC either needs to take the step of moving to I-AA to save itself, or the following:1. Ditch the ESPN week night games.2. Only one BCS pay day per year.3. Stop adding teams and actually reduce the number of teams to 10 with nine conference games per year.4. Ditch the MAC Championship played in front of 50,000 empty seats at Ford Field.Who pissed on your Wheaties this morning?

We now return you to your regular scheduled program, you have been in the Twilight Zone.

It seems to me that GP1 lives somewhere on the east coast(Virginia?). The fact that Ohio does require front plates may be the reason they don't have one at the team shop. You might be able to find someplace online that can custom make one for you.

Here is a nice story about Green. Sounds like he will fit right in with the Zips.Green is a marked man

Good for Dan Hipsher. Even though he wore out his welcome here, I'm sure he's a fine bench coach for a major D-1 program. He was the master of drawing up a play to score on an inbounds after a time out.

You need to check the info on his mom. It was printed in the Canton Rep his mother left North Canton to help Erick's sister in Washington State. He went with her and was going to stay out there but he wanted to come back in NC. His teammates paid for a one way ticket so he could come back. He missed a lot of summer ball and did not being the season as a starter. His mother gave the coach permission for him to live there while she was out of state. You also left out the part where his father was killed in an industrial accident a few years ago. I am sure that playes a big part in his getting into trouble.Link to StoryThanks for filling in the blanks. I forgot to Mention the accident with his father, I'm sure it did have an effect on him. I think he would be a great recruit for the Zips.

Here are some highlights of Howard.Erick Howard

Some info from a friend of mine who is a Hoover football fan and season ticket holder. Howard has tons of talent as a running back, but his true position would be inside linebacker where his size and speed made him a devistating tackler. He didn't play every down on defense during highschool, just the ones that counted. He has been in alot of trouble during his HS career and currently lives with his HS head coach. His mother is a real piece of work. She moved to Vegas for a while and left him with the coach. Since the move things have improved academic wise, but maybe not enough to graduate. He has an older brother who is currently attending Akron.

At the party last night someone asked coach if that was true, KD said they were not adding any players other than Zeke.

Nice writing GoZips. I'm not sure that I would call out Jeff Boals just yet on looking only for the $$$. Nothing wrong with learning how another program does things, he still might end up being a KD type of coach.