Captain Kangaroo

I didn’t grow up in the Akron area - I was born in Youngstown. Thus I was a relative late-comer to the “Acme Zip” hoopla in August 1984 when I toted my life’s possessions into Bulger Hall. While I missed Wallenda tight roping across the field, I did see the 30k crowds and game day festivities that pretty much embodied the start of fall, and football season in Summit county, pre-2000. Like locusts, the students and community came out and supported the Zips…once per year. Students snuck kegs of beer into the stadium. It was a hell of a party. Yes, once per year 30k really happened. I saw it. And in the games following the Acme Zip event, 3k (or less) happened. While some people point to the game’s erosion as a poster child for the bungling UA Athletic’s administrations of the 1980’s, 90’s and even early 2000’s, the Acme Zip game’s demise was hardly UA’s fault. And if you pine for the game’s return, at least in the form it embodied at its merciful conclusion, you really don’t know what you’re asking for.From 1900 through about 1987 Acme was the premiere grocery store in the area. And Acme would pay for big time game day entertainment. Companies like Finast, Apples and Giant Eagle were just then beginning to enter Acme’s territory and erode its market share. Fast forward to 2001. Acme’s investment level (in the Acme Zip game) started to drop significantly once Fred Albrecht stepped away from the day to day operations of Acme. The last Acme Zip game featured fireworks some two weeks after 9/11, which actually cost UA more than double the sponsorship payment. Tack on the game’s hospitality costs (hospitality for Acme and their guests exceeded $7,000) and UA was stuck with a deficit of $12,000 before Zac Derr ever kicked off!When Acme’s contract with UA expired, they were paying the Zips approximately $5,000 in cash towards the game. That’s it…one check for $5,000. For that, beyond $7k in hospitality, Acme mandated UA give them category exclusivity for grocery stores – meaning that UA could not engage any other stores for sponsorship. That’s a pretty sweet deal for $5,000!The final nail in the coffin of the Acme Zip tradition was Acme’s 2002 directive that the Acme Zip game be the Akron/Can't State football game every year. Get this -- they would give the $5k to Akron one year, and Can't State the next. Now, instead of $5,000/yr….we were down to $2,500/yr! And still, no other grocery stores would be permitted to sponsor UA athletics!Do you like the tradition of the Wagon Wheel? Acme wanted UA/Can't State to do away with it, replacing it with … the BRONZE BAG – a square, bronze grocery bag. If you dig through the bowels Buchtel Fieldhouse, somewhere between the leftover “Click it for Cricket’ clickers and “Frye for Heisman” signs you can still probably locate it. Note to UA officials – I will increase my donation to the Z-Fund by $150 if I can have this bronze piece of Zips memorabilia.Acme also slashed their media support by 50% heading into the 2001 game, which greatly affected the already heavily-discounted ticket sales. Acme also stipulated that 40% of the ticket revenue must go back to Acme to help “cover their investment.”Selling $1 tickets is not sports marketing. Running deep deficits in premier sponsorship categories is not sound business. And most of all, having a partner that takes 40% of the gate up front to cover their costs, and potentially makes money on the deal, is pretty much the sucker business deal of the century. The Albrecht’s are decent people and great benefactors of the community, but they wanted a sports marketing partnership with UA and Can't that was a flat-out bad business deal. Can't eventually signed on with Giant Eagle as well, as they could not walk away from dollars. When Giant Eagle signed the first three-year contract starting with the 2002-03 academic year, it was for a total of $165,000, NET, over three years. That’s more than the Acme Zip game had generated, net, in the previous 11 years combined!College sports is a business, and it takes real dollars to pay for the scholarships and all of the other expenses…in excess of $15 million dollars/year even at UA. That’s why $1 tickets are a thing of the past, and why we’ll likely continue to play a BCS school on the road @ $700k+ every football season for the foreseeable future. That income is critical.The Acme Zip Game was a great thing…in its day. But like a 59 year old stripper, it wasn’t a pretty sight at the end. Its time had past.

cfb_bowl's eloquent post reminded me of an old Far Side comic -

For the most part, JD's staff has remained intact. Ferri, Moorhead, Bleil, Flemming...all are pretty tenured @ UA. Pry left for Illinois. Nori left for the 49'ers. Wally left to be a head coach at a lower division. If you can appreciate a coach's desire to advance their career, those are all pretty acceptable "losses." It isn't like they left for equivalent positions @ K.e.n.t or Toledo.I don't think our staff turnover is any better or worse than anyone else over the past 4 1/2 years. It seems about average.

If the great Ronaldo were in attendance, he would have exposed #10 as a flopper.

I was at the match. Your summary is excellent. Zamanski's feet are ridiculously fast...that assist was sweet. As far as the Michigan player (#10) going down...it looked like a flop to me. He screamed like he was shot and the ref waited a couple seconds...then figured he had to call something. Shockingly, 5 minutes later, the previously near-death #10 was back on the field.Cold, fun night.

I'd like to start by saying "YOU"RE CRAZY". This is the most amazing post in board history. What big picture? Whose big picture? Why oh why would anyone post this? I'm with GP1 on this one. I wish I could top his incredulous exasperation, but I can't. The only more astonishing post I can recall was the guy that wrote "Why all the hatred of K.e.n.t. on this board? I don't understand it."

Are you sure that this game was that good ... I must have been watching some other game!If the game's quality tripled, it MIGHT have merited "Goodwill."

I wish we could afford Bill Needle. He's the best.Yes - I'm being sarcastic.

Ford said he is not concerned about Evans' character or the potential risk involved. Hey...why would Ford be concerned about character or potential risk...the kid seems pretty squeaky-clean?

I thought this was a great topic...I just never got a few free minutes to respond.About 6 years ago my wife and I were in Arizona, with ZERO access to any game information aside from the ESPN TV scroll/ticker. We were following the Miami/Akron score closely...and at games end the Zips WON! We went to a fancy local grocery store...got some nice wine and cheese to celebrate the win against the sweaters...man, we had a nice night. Until about 10pm, when the score ticker suddenly showed we'd lost?? WTF?! I called my buddy and he said "...you won't believe it..." It was the "Big Ben" game where we batted a pass into the Miami receiver's hands for a TD on the game's final play. Man, that sucked. In hindsight, at least I got to celebrate for a few hours.Fast forward to 2008 -- I was on a flight from Arizona and missed the entire EMU game Saturday. I got home and saw we'd won 42-35. Before deciding on a celebration plan, I check the score several different time! Apparently it was true?!As a starter we had an always-excellent Paraduxx Red. My son got whatever can of pop he wanted. (mugs of root beer).Had some Heinen's crab/shrimp/salmon cakes, some nice cheese and crackers...a little Port to finish it off...it was a good night. Too many people get pissed because we didn't win like we were supposed to...or didn't win by enough...or only won because the opponent gave it to us on a silver platter. You take a win any way you can get it. The MAC always has bizarre endings. Just expect it and enjoy it. Enjoy seeing the Zips winning score scroll across the national sports TV screens all evening.I guarantee the Miami fans don't grouse about their luck in getting that ricochet TD pass...nor do they whine about the bank shot that beat us in hoops...so when it's time for the sun to shine on the kangaroo's butt for a change, you gotta enjoy it. :cheers:

"BCS" schools find recruiting against "mid-majors" is no longer a slam-dunk

Per Joe Nemer -- "The Ryder Cup was over on September 21st. The European team partied in Akron for a couple weeks, then went home. I closed up shop. Wanna buy 59lbs of falafel mix?"

If the NCAA didn't do anything about the crooked refs in the Pitt/WVa Big East Championship game last season...or the Michigan State/Hawai'i game that kept us out of a bowl a few years ago... they won't do anything about this crooked ref either.

Allen has 1 more year left. Depending upon his appeal for a 6th season, he may have 2.

Post game Quote:"It was amazing," J.D. Brookhart told Joe Dunn on the postgame radio show. "Andy is a great kid. I'm always pulling for him."JD is SOOOOOOOOO dissing Hildreth. If I read it correctly a few days ago, Hildreth has a scholarship? The back up punter/holder is on scholarship and someone's grousing that the coach has it out for him? There are plenty of upper-major D1 schools that have walk on starting place kickers. We give our back up punter a scholarship and his "fans" (I never knew back up MAC punters had fans) freak out? He's the "Nick Goddard" of the football team.JD has a lot better things to do than brood over how he can mess with his back up punter...3rd string nose guard...18 year old true freshman DL...flag line girl...or whatever other inane scenario someone wants to dream up.

Former walk on. Marginal talent, at best. True freshman Redshirt Freshman True Freshman with a broken handThree freshman and a walk on aren't playing much. Man, that really sounds like grounds for a conspiracy theory to me. Why not throw in Cowles Stewart while you're at it? He's out for the season with an injury...but I hear it is all a cover up. He's healthy as a horse...there's just a vendetta against him.

The bad thing regarding our Bottom 5 ranking in rush defense is our level of competition. We ain't exactly facing Heisman trophy candidates every week...we just make every chump RB look like one.Brookhart is correct in his "short field" comment, however. If Jacq doesn't turn into Roman Gabriel when his back's to the endzone in the 4th quarter, our defensive porosity is masked a bit. We beat BG, we beat Cinci. If you're a "manage the game" QB, you need to be one for 4 full quarters...not 3 1/2. He needs to somehow gain some late-game poise over the next 2 1/2 weeks and quit putting our D in impossible (for them) situations.

What's up with Bryan Williams? He's getting one or two tackles more than me, and I'm a 42 year old guy in the stands? No solo tackles vs. K.e.n.t, 1 solo tackle & 1 assist vs. BG, 2 solo tackles and one assist vs. EMU?By comparison @ EMU: Carter had 10 solos, Cobham had 8 solo's and Thomas had 7 solos. In the turnover department, Williams has 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery on the season?And I don't want to hear any "They're running/throwing away from him" stuff. Opponents avoided Dwight like K.e.n.t. State football avoids wins, and Dwight made his presence felt in every game.Our defense is playing very poorly going into the break, and if we're going to have any chance of righting the ship we need Bryan Williams to start playing like the 3rd round NFL draft pick pretty much everyone expected (in September) he'd become.

A new CSU football program would affect Zips' recruiting as much as Hiram or Muskingum.

Flemming is injured. He will play in 2009 assuming he recovers well.Why is he not on a roster? Ask DaVon Moore.

From sunny Tuscon...and yes I was at the game yesterday...If you truly win as a team and lose as a team, the BG game was a textbook example. A total team loss.Jacq's well known two left feet killed us. He's less of a threat to run than Wally Pendleton. Took ill-advised sacks...tossed a crippling late-game INT...he was at his worst when we needed a poised QB the most.WR's dropped a ridiculous amount of passes.And no, that doesn't excuse Jacq for the above-mentioned blunders.Defense both bent, and broke.Kick coverage was terrible!Bates' snaps continue to rival the t-shirt cannon in their elevation.2nd half playcalling was terrible. Again. We can't bank on a choking kicker to win it for us every week! Kennedy has 186 yards...but there's no confidence that he can get 2 yards on 3rd-and-goal from the 2??? BG bails us out by throwing a late pass that allows us to keep a time out...and we take that time out into the locker room after the game!!??This is the second home game in a row that the offensive playcalling went "Boise State." Which is fine if you're playing Oklahoma and it is your only chance to win. But we're playing mediocre mid-majors whom we are imminently capable of beating "straight up." Bad offensive playcalling has let our opponents off the hook so many times recently it boarders on absurd.They say it is good for an army to see a dead general every once in a while. I think Moorhead should run some stadium gassers on Monday. He was as much at fault as Jacq, the D, the WR's and the special teams.I think that's what is so frustrating about this team...we play terribly...and we're barely losing. If we could just execute a solid gameplan, we obviously have the talent to beat anyone in the MAC.But we don't execute...and we're losing.And a final note to the BG douches complaining about the Rubber Bowl. If you're a BG fan and you didn't think yesterday was as good as it gets for tailgating and college football...you should admit you know nothing about college football and kill yourself.

I'm guessing if his appeal had gone well, there would have been no use in making it public. Since the appeal was denied and he was officially out for the season, it was time.

Thanks for the complement. We try pretty hard to keep things on the up-and-up. Zips fans are generally pretty nice, knowledgeable people, so it works out good for us.

Here is an overview of the Ryan Bain situation, as best I can gather. I hope you can appreciate that I made phone calls and tried to assemble the most accurate answers possible. Q: "What is the illegal substance that the NCAA flagged Ryan Bain on?" A: Despite what some seem to want…there is no conspiracy theory here. The NCAA recently updated its "banned substances" list. It added a supplement readily available a GNC, and one which Ryan Bain had been using. Unfortunately it appears the NCAA doesn't do a great job of informing players about such updates. Ryan tested positive for it and was suspended.Q: "Seems like a raw deal? Couldn't he appeal the decision?" A: With the backing of the University (they didn't leave him hung out to dry) Ryan did appeal. As with appeals of most NCAA decisions, it was denied. His only chance to successfully appeal was if a trainer or coach had recommended the supplement. And that wasn't the case.Q: "Is Ryan Bain leaving the program?" A: No. He'll be playing for the Zips next season. But the kid is pretty devastated. It will be easy for people to lump this issue in with the problems in recruiting a few classes ago. But that's unfair. From everything I can gather…and I have talked to several different people in and around the University…Ryan Bain is a solid kid who caught a really bad break. People can believe what they want, but that's about all there is to it. Right now it sucks to be Ryan Bain.Q: "What's the deal with his 'injury'? Was that just a smoke screen?" A: There's a really good chance Ryan Bain would not play this season regardless of the NCAA's decision. He has a foot stress fracture in a bad location. It is healing well, but there is still a lot of pain. If the pain persists, surgery is likely.Q: "Why'd it take so long for this story to appear on ZipsNation, or anywhere else?" A: Several reasons. On the ZipsNation side the concern was strictly accuracy, and getting the story straight. If I had posted the rumors I heard a few weeks ago, I would have been wholly inaccurate. The UA Athletic Department would have killed me, and justifiably so. Unlike a lot of you on this board, I'm not a "faceless" guy. I know all the coaches, Mack and Hunter, and they know me. They all seem to trust me, and I'd like to think that trust is earned. If I go posting every rumor I hear…especially ones that put the University or it's employees in a bad light…then the ZipsNation doesn't get the inside scoops on recruiting, scheduling, etc that are most imortant to the vast majority of you. ZipsNation does not want to be a K.e.n.t.-esque whiney rumor mill. That's lame.If you look at my posts, I'm as critical as anyone on just about all issues. And I get my share of cold shoulders from administrators and ear-fulls from players parents because of it. But it's all good, I guess. In the end people still check out the board and help us out.Bain was a Top 50 player in the nation a few years ago. In his time he's been here he's practiced hard...and for 3 years at UA it appears all he's going to get out of it is 12 or 13 games of football. And his degree. I'm sure that wasn't what he planned.It is the popular thing to do to pile on the guy when he's down, and not give him the benefit of the doubt. Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going with what I have been told by several independent sources. He got screwed by a recently enacted rule. It sucks to be Ryan Bain. I hope he can get past it, heal, practice this spring and be the bad ass nose tackle we all hoped he would be in 2009. If Tom Gaffney finds out more, good for him. I'm open to any new information. Remember - I'm an Engineer. This is my hobby. A passion for sure, but my access is only what I can shoe-horn in. I hope you understand that.Beat BG.

I vote that Akron wins by 10 or more. Why?BG is a mentally weak team. You don't lose 65-7 in a bowl game unless you are mentally weak.You don't go on the road and beat Pitt....then lose at home to Eastern Michigan...unless you are mentally weak.You don't lose half of your 2007 defense to arrests...unless you are undisciplined and weak.The only Dr Z "if" I will place is - IF we jump on them, they'll fold. People don't give K.e.n.t.'s defense much credit. Those guys played a tough game last week. K.e.n.t. lost to Ball State by the same score as Akron. K.e.n.t.'s better than their record indicates...they just have a choker kicker, and 30 years of losing to overcome every time they step on the field.K.e.n.t.'s defense gave us fits...but they have the best defense of any team we'll play the remainder of the season. We will romp on BG offensively. Even Dennis Kennedy should be good for 80+ yards rushing. Defensively - We'll be fine. BG doesn't have a big-play offense. And the Zips create a lot of turnovers. Our offense will give the D some time to rest this week. The D will do enough to win.Zips 52 BG 31