sgm405

Now THAT would be a good one

You can restate it as many time as you like .. it would still merely be your opinion.Success or failure at a lower level is not necessarily a harbinger of what is to come at a higher level.UConn felated goats for decades in football at the 1-AA level. In the Yankee Conference, now A10 football I think, they rarely if ever ventured into the playoffs.Marshall dominated the MAC. The conference was their b*tch. And they're an also ran in a conference that you say is a better step.Your argument doesn't completely hold water.You need facilities and a commitment to compete to be ready to jump. IMHO that would be the productive debate regarding preparedness to move upwards.Go Zips!When did I say that it was anything other than my personal opinion?Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule. UConn would definitely be one of them, which I pointed out. Marshall dominating the MAC then making the jump and struggling (in my opinion of course), only helps my argument. If Marshall, who did dominate the MAC, and who does have a consistent fan base, can't successfully make the jump, why would we be able to? In my opinion, you can have a new stadium, the best facilities, and/or jump to a new conference...but the fans will only come (and stay) if you win and win consistently...whether it be in the MAC, Big East, Big Ten, or whatever other conference.

Let me restate...you must have consistent success as a top team to be ready to jump to a bigger conference. Cincinnati made it to a bowl game in 4 of their last 5 seasons in Conference USA before moving to the Big East. Louisville had a winning season and made a bowl game for seven straight years before jumping to a bigger conference. South Florida had winning seasons in 6 of their last 7 seasons before jumping to a bigger conference. UConn is your best case, having only one winning season before making the jump...but they also had losing seasons in 2 of their first three years in the Big East. Now look at the Zips, who are 26-30 in 4 1/2 seasons under JD Brookhart. In that time, they've had 2 winning seasons and 2 losing seasons (currently 4-4 in the 5th season), with one bowl appearance. Those regions of the country might be different than here, but in Championship-starved Northeast Ohio, WINNING = attendance, not necessarily a bigger conference. Even the new stadium will be a short term attendance fix if W's aren't put up consistently.

A few things...1) I've never understood all of the "if we move to a bigger conference everything will be better" line of thinking. I love the Zips, but let's be realistic - we're an average MAC football team. If you're we're average team in a mid-major conference, what makes us ready to go to a bigger conference? And why would the Big East want us? Do we really want losing season after losing season? And will attendance really rise just because we're in the Big East (but losing)? How 'bout we build up the football and basketball programs more, become an annual conference championship champion/contender in both, and then talk about moving up. 2) This is a Zips fans board, and it is a little silly for OSU fans to get bothered by Zips fans on a Zips board calling the Buckeyes the "Suckeyes"...at the same time, when I see it it kind of reminds me of a player scoring a touchdown with 2 minutes left and his team down 35 points, following it up by dancing around and holding up the "we're #1" hand signal. He can do it, and it probably makes him feel good, but he kind of looks silly in the process. There's a thing called "scoreboard", and we don't have it. 3) Why is everyone so worried about OSU every year? Let them do their thing in the Big Ten and lets focus on the Zips...we are in first in the MAC East with each of our remaining games being very, very winnable. We have a brand new stadium opening up next season. Our basketball team just landed possibly the biggest recruit we've ever had. And the soccer team is again among the nation's best. Forget about the Buckeyes...stop worrying about them...ENJOY the ZIPS!

I think that thinking holds true if:A.) Ohio State has numerous poor seasons in a rowB.) Akron has numerous contending seasons in a rowThat's two big "ifs" to me....First, Ohio State is not on a down right now. The past two seasons they have played for the National Title, and this season is far from a bad one. They lost twice - once on the road to USC, once at home to Penn State. Both will finish in the Top 5. They have done this with their star RB missing a few games and a true freshman QB at the helm. They're #12 in the nation and will most likely finish in the top ten...againSecond, Akron winning 4 of 4 to end the year, as much as I am hoping for it, is a bit of a stretch to me. While their loss has been to mostly good teams, they did lose to BG and squeaked by both Can't and Eastern Michigan. They've been inconsistent all year, and have been this way throughout much of the Brookhart era. I'd LOVE to see them win out, win the MAC Title game, and go Bowling...and my heart says they'll do just that...but my head says it isn't going to happen. And even if OSU loses one or two more, and Akron wins out and wins the MAC, I don't think things will change. While there are many frontrunner fans of OSU, there are also A LOT of diehards that will support the team no matter what. And as much as I love Akron and our fans (we have a great base of diehards), I'm not sure we should be ones calling others frontrunners...how many of you know someone who last went to a Zips game when they played in Detroit? I know that I know more than a few...Look, I'd love to see Akron overtake the state of Ohio in terms of on-field success and media coverage. But it's just not going to happen, anytime soon anyways. With the system college football operates in, the Zips would have to go undefeated to even sniff the top ten...and even then they'd have to have a tough schedule. Ohio State starts every year in the top 10, and can end up there with 1 or 2 losses, sometimes even 3. That's the reality of the system. Ohio State, as long as recruiting stays the same, will always get the first shot at the best recruits in the state. That's the reality of the recruiting. And Ohio State, as long as they continue to at least contend and be in the top 10-15 teams in the nation, will always get more media coverage than Akron. That's just the reality of the media.I'm sure I'll get attacked for all of this, and people will question whether or not I"m a true fan...but I'm just trying to bring some reality into the conversation, that's all...GO ZIPS!!!!!!!!!

I also made an Akron Zips fan page - become a fan!http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Ak...ips/29190364069

Well, he had another chance.http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2...e_locker_room_6"The biggest eye-opener that came out of the postgame is that Mike Holmgren seemed somewhat pessimistic about Matt Hasselbeck coming back any time soon. He said Hasselbeck will have to get more exams on his hyperextended knee this week because it does not seem to be responding the way it should be responding to treatment. He said Hass was never even an option today. While saying Charlie Frye played "OK," he immediately said that Seneca should be getting better each day and has a chance to take the reps with the first team this week."http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpag...6676&id=519"Hasselbeck hasn't responded to treatment and needs "more exams" on the knee. Holmgren revealed that his top QB was never close to facing Green Bay, despite listing him as questionable Friday. With as bad as Charlie Frye played Sunday, Seneca Wallace looks like the early favorite to start in Week 7 at Tampa. Hang onto Hasselbeck in all leagues until we know more."

Didn't see much - check that, ANY - Zips gear this morning either. And I never do. Ever. You want to talk about frontrunners? Why is it that the basketball team consistently contends for the MAC Title, yet we struggle to fill the JAR? That is, until the Can't game and MAC Tournament, when all of the "die-hard" fans come out all of the sudden. Why is it that the football team has never had good attendance, even the year they won the MAC Title? The biggest Zips crowd I saw was the bowl game, when all of the "die-hards" who couldn't travel 15 minutes to the Rubber Bowl made the trip to Detroit. This isn't to say the people on this board are frontrunners...absolutely not true. This group is the core of the Akron Zips fan base IMO, and would follow these teams no matter what.But as a whole? Zips "fans", especially the student body, might be some of the biggest frontrunners in the state of Ohio. As BuckZip pointed out, OSU sells out their games every year, regardless of how well the Buckeyes are predicted to finish or how well the season is going. Frontrunners? I call that team loyalty. But many here are bitter. Bitter that OSU's football program will always be better than Akron's. That 99 times out of 100, OSU will have first shot at the better recruit. That local media covers OSU a ton (remember too - they cover what the majority of readers want). That they consistently sell out home game after home game. So when OSU gets drilled on the road by the #1 team in the nation, many will jump at the chance with a "Ha! They got beat!". They'll bash the program for being overrated, they'll bash the fans for being frontrunners. And they'll block out that the Zips got shelled by Ball State, at their home opener, in front of 9,000 people. Maybe that "die-hard" fan base will come out again if they make it to another bowl game...who knows.In closing, remember this. For the fan base to grow, "casual" fans must attach themselves to the Zips. Many of those casual fans currently cheer for OSU, not because they are a frontrunner, but because that's what they grew up watching, and because it's the only team they've had an attachment to. And many of you bash them, calling them frontrunners as our team draws 9,000 to a home opener, or making fun of OSU losing to the #1 team on the road as Akron loses to Ball State at home.Boy..., if I wasn't a Zips fan, that'd sure make me want to join your fan base. Bitterness, jealousy, bashing someone for following a team. That'll draw em in...Instead of all of that, why not invite them to a game? Let them see our product on the field. Let them enjoy a Zips tailgate. Let them meet the great, knowledgable fans that we have. Let them get a picture with Zippy, chant Can't State sucks, or cheer and sing to Blue and Gold. THAT is how our fan base will grow...getting people to see firsthand how great of a school this is. NOT by continuing to move on with our noses in the air and chips on our shoulders.

first of all you realy can't use DA and Frye's first season stats to explain the coaching staffs decision in starting DA instead simply because DA didn't have that year as a starter when charlie got the axe and second I don't think anyone here thinks charlie is without falt in losing his job. yes his first year he didn't have any kind of line what so ever and his one game of his second year as a starter the line wasn't ready for a pukesburg D but he still held the ball far to long and didn't trust his reads. I hope that has changed some in seattle and I hope he gets a starting job again somewhere else where he can shine and also bring some more light to the good ole U of A(side rant)did anyone else get peeved watching the pro bowl game when they made no mention of Akron although they said "there are several SMALL colleges around here" and even though the redskins biggest pickup was a future HOF who graduated from Akron?I think it does factor in though, because the argument that many have is that either A) Frye didn't get a chance, The coaches/Browns didn't know what they were doing. And both arguments would seem to be wrong at this point.

I agree that the media circulates the discussion on every team. I just don't see how Frye was affected by it.Charlie Frye is holding a clipboard in Seattle because he didn't perform when given the opportunity. Had he performed, he'd be starting in Cleveland (or somewhere else). The coaches, front office, and even fans want to win ballgames. After last season's opener, the staff made the decision that Derek Anderson starting gave them the best chance to do so. And they were right - Anderson had a stellar year, was a Pro Bowler, and had the Browns on the brink of the postseason.Player A - 25 years old, 1st year starting - 16 G, 298-527, 57%, 3787 YDS, 7.2 AVG, 29 TD, 19 INT, 83 RATPlayer B - 26 years old, 1st year starting - 13 G, 252-393, 64%, 2454 YDS, 6.2 AVG, 10 TD, 17 INT, 72 RATForgetting who went to what college, which player would you take? And would that decision even be a close one? Simply put, Derek Anderson is a far better QB than Charlie Frye. And in time the coaches saw it. And if they were wrong about Frye, wouldn't QB-starved teams like Chicago, Minnesota, New York, Miami, etc been all over him? Frye is a hard worker, was one of the best Zips of all time, and can be a solid backup in the NFL. But that's as far as it goes folks...and that's not the fault of the media, fans, or anyone else.

OK, I'll bite...how exactly were Cleveland fans and media "low class and thuglike" with Charlie?

PROS------It's "good for the conference" (although Can't's last run hasn't seemed to help the MAC gain other at large bids)CONS------Helps them land better recruitsGives them local and national exposureGives them more moneyGives them more bragging rightsGives them valuable experience the further they goSoooo what are the 12 of you rooting for Can't thinking?

Told you guys we were in

Told ya guys!!!!!!!

We're in...trust me!