Zipgrad01

No kidding. I wouldnt trade Jatavis Brown for another college linebacker in the state of Ohio.

This kid has some serious speed off the edge. I cant wait to see what he looks like after a redshirt year with a D1 weight trainer.

http://recruiting.scout.com/2/1353086.html Scout is saying that he only had offers from us and FAU. Either way...I dont care. Great get by Bowden and Amato. This kid is good.

That is a huge get! These are the kids I am talking about when I say that we need to build our "base" from local players. This kid had offers from Illinois, Purdue, Cincy, Toledo, etc... I am not opposed to making SVSM our pipeline like OSU has or had with Glenville.

I got that at the grocery store yesterday. I was wearing an Akron shirt in the beer section and the lady that works there said "well, lets hope the Browns win today. It would cap off a great weekend with OSU winning yesterday." I just looked at her and pointed to my shirt and her response was "oh, are you a coach?" Priceless

At Clemson I might add in a national headline game.

At the end of last season I would have agreed with you. After this season I think we have vaulted into a top 3 destination based on having a coaching staff that pulls more weight than any team in the MAC, a nice turnaround in record to prove it and superior facilities.

Great point....or academic issues

YSU = 1=AA, Akron =1-A OSU = 1-A, Akron = 1-A Apples and oranges. OSU is the benchmark where we want to be. We compete with them for players and fans. Hell, we compete with them for fans amongst our own students and alumni. We suck as a fan base because most zippers think we arent in competition with one another. I used to think the same way until I took off the blinders.

I doubt we are wasting resources on the very top guys. Probably only the price of a postage stamp, envelope and a piece of paper. I am sure they see these guys at camps they travel to. I remember Terry speaking at the breakfast with the Bowdens. He said he was going to have his guys right in there with the OSU staff looking at players because he wanted them to know we were there. Terry knows what he is doing. He has already found some diamond in the roughs (Dylan Evans, Jatavis Brown, Franshon Bickley, etc..).

You cant catch a trophy fish without casting in a line. I like seeing us at least offer these kids. I doubt we spend too much of our resources on these kids, but Terry wants to get in with these better programs and at least make a presence. If we get to NIU's level with this staff, who knows if you land one or two guys that you wouldnt expect to get.

The problem is that our alumni and students are pathetic. I got invited to a party today to watch the game and one couple was there wearing their Michigan clothes. I was the only person there wearing an Akron shirt. She saw my shirt and said "hey, I am a zip". I asked her why she was wearing a Michigan shirt if she was a Zip and she said she roots for Michigan. I asked her who she rooted for when we played them this year. Her response...Michigan. She said it would have ruined their season if we beat them. Our alumni and students have zero pride in their university and even root against us. Until we get alumni supporting us and not OSU, Michigan, etc... we will always have these attendance issues. We need Akron alums raising zips fans, not little Buckeyes.

I have told multiple people this and most think that I am crazy, but I believe that Bowden will stay here. He doesnt need the money. He cant catch his dad in victories. He can, however, do something that would cement his legacy as a coaching great.....he could turn one of the worst programs in the country into a nationally relevant program.

I definitely noticed it last year, but I did not notice the size discrepancy this year. I actually recall Michigan fans being in shock at the size of our team saying that we didnt "look" like a run of the mill MAC team because of our size. I think Bowden really upgraded this area over the last year.

After reading his twitter page, it definitely seems as though he is frustrated with basketball, his teammates, coaches or a combination of all of the above. As stated above, now is the best time for him to step away and clear his head and figure out what he needs to do. I just hope that he has the right people in his corner helping him through this rough patch that he is going through. I think we have some pretty good people here that can speak with him (ie...Jim Tressel or Terry Bowden). It probably doesnt hurt to talk to another coach that has dealt with these situations before. Sometimes you need to hear from someone besides the guy riding your ass all the time. No matter what I wish him the best. I just hope it is with him remaining in a zips uniform. He is a hero to a lot of young zips fans that would be crushed to see him go. Hell, who am I kidding? I would be as well.

I think you are off on the soccer programs national (or international) perception. People around the country know we are a powerhouse. People in Europe know we are a soccer powerhouse. We got shafted in the seeding because we are a no-name school. Of course Dambrot is going to say that winning the MAC is their #1 goal. Right now it is the only way the Zips can make the NCAA tourney. Why? Because we lose all of our big non-conference games before the MAC schedule kicks in. Right now I am not concerned with Akron's national perception. Right now I am concerned with Akron's perception in NE Ohio and Ohio in general. We need to win the hearts and minds of Joe Akron and the student body before we become Butler or Gonzaga and that is exactly who coach Dambrot wants us to become. We wont win Joe Akron or the student population until we start consistently beating name programs in our non-conference schedule and then have a little success in the tourney. The key is consistency. We always seem to poo-poo down our leg after we doing something really good (ala beat Mississippi State or get in the top 25). Every time we do something good we cant handle the success and then lose everyones interest in the mean time.

I am a tough guy because I say that beating NDSU and MAC teams means nothing? Winning in the MAC means something to us, but the rest of the country shrugs their shoulders. We need to beat nationally relevant programs. Joe Akron has relegated the Zips to small time by the start of the MAC schedule because we lose every game that may peek their interest. As for your last two sentences...sure, ok

I love internet tough guys. I will keep my "fandom" right here thank you.

Yes. They won on the largest stage. People remember that. Our big stage wins are MAC games or freaking North Dakota State. Unless it is a snow shoveling contest, beating them means nothing.

Exactly!

It is the same conversation EVERY year. I am sick of it. I am sick of "think bigger". I am sick of hearing about how great our recruits are. I am sick of hearing about how we should win games in the tourney. Win some freaking games that matter!! Everyone except the diehards move on from us having any credibility once we relegate ourselves to winning the MAC. Nobody cares about the MAC.

Toledo is putting it all together right now. It wouldnt shock me at all if they beat NIU.

I am not backpedaling. There are like 350 D1 basketball teams. An average team is bad.

Dead serious. They may rebound and win the MAC east, but this is still an average at best basketball team on a national level. The losses of Abreu and Zeke are larger than what people thought. I am trying to "think bigger". It seems like most people on here are content to get whacked against real teams and feast on the MAC.

Shouldnt be any need for a new arena. The jar will be empty after the first 10 games.