Let'sGoZips94

Pinky's face reddens...

What a move by Ali Ali. I don't remember him having the fake spin move during his first stint at Akron. He's done it a couple times this year and it is a thing of beauty.

The back-cut by Tribble is exactly what we weren't seeing early in the season.

I'd imagine the Enrique Freeman story is also a nice draw for CBS to highlight. There aren't many noteworthy players in the MAC this year, and Akron has 2 of them (Freeman and Ali Ali). We just changed our flight back from Florida to Sunday instead of tomorrow. 32 mph winds at landing with gusts up to 40-60 mph. Our flight tomorrow was supposed to take off right as the Browns game kicks off. Now I get to watch the Browns from paradise after watching the Zips take care of business tonight without having to worry about packing to come home.

Many MW schools are located in places where they're either the only show or one of the few shows within hundreds of miles. Especially with the disintegration of the PAC12, the Mountain West is now the premier western-USA athletic conference. Within a 45-60 minute radius of Akron are 3 other DI basketball programs (PCCC, Cleveland State, and Youngstown State). In addition to Akron and the aforementioned 3 schools, Ohio also has BUGS, Toledo, Wright State, Dayton, Xavier, Cincy, Ohio State, and Ohio. We also have the Guardians, Browns, and Cavaliers within 40 minutes of Akron. Compare that to Utah State, Boise State, Wyoming, etc. There's only so much "entertainment money" to go around for the average family, especially in this economy. There are way too many options for people to place their fandom and money for Akron to get a larger slice of the pie without 1) a conference change and/or 2) better marketing/gameday experience. @GP1 can say all he wants that a different conference wouldn't make a difference for Akron, but he also is a Wake Forest fan which literally rides the coat tails of the rest of the ACC financially while contributing borderline nothing to the conference for 1-2 decades when it comes to the revenue sports. Athletically, the MAC/CUSA/Sun Belt would make more sense for Wake Forest, but not financially which is why they won't be leaving the ACC anytime soon. And an elevated conference for Akron would absolutely do the same. The MAC's media deal is one of the best for G5 football. However, there is virtually zero incentive for a network to match or increase that deal when it expires. The American is already more lucrative and the Sun Belt has arguably surpassed the MAC. More money = JAR renovations/new arena, better gameday experience, better marketing, etc. Why would anyone in Northeast Ohio care about Akron vs. (insert directional Michigan or almost any other MAC program aside from PCCC, OU, and somewhat Toledo)? Make that Akron vs. the A10, and you get a little more interest. Akron vs. the American, and you probably get even more interest. Akron vs. American/A10/etc. + an improved gameday atmosphere/marketing, and by George, I think you've cracked the code. There are things Akron can do in the present to improve the gameday experience/marketing which would draw a certain number of fans to the games that may not otherwise attend. But as you stated, @Illini Zip, Akron basketball is pretty much at its ceiling in the MAC (aside from winning a NCAA Tourney game).

This is how that conversation would go with Akron marketing and the sponsor company's sales team... Sponsor: "Love it. How often does Freeman get a double double?" Akron: "Almost every game." Sponsor: "Make it a free milkshake with the purchase of a meal."

Can you convince the Big Ten to take us? 😉 College athletics is moving towards a more a-la-carte system. The MAC does not sponsor at least two sports that a few of their full time member schools are some of the best programs in the nation - men's hockey and men's soccer. Unfortunately, we're not quite there when it comes to breaking up basketball programs from FBS football programs. I am looking forward to that day, but who knows when that will come.

The biggest pricing issue for the UofA is their apparel. The goal needs to be do get the "A", Zippy, Roo, "Akron", "Zips", etc., onto as many bodies as possible. $30 for their shirts, $40-50 for their sweatshirts/pullovers/polos - ridiculous prices for a college that has to compete with every knock off company making stuff for Ohio State and selling it for $10-20. Apparel is how you create excitement/attachment.

Rumor has it Bill Belichick will be retaining Arth in LA after an endorsement from Peyton Manning.

Because it would be cool.

Yeah, the world has become full of 💩's. We need good people like JD in positions of power. How to play WR in 2005: See ball. Catch ball. How to play WR in 2024: See ball. Catch ball.

Wow. Good for him. Do we know if Housewright will be calling the plays? His offense at Montana State was electric.

"Punk" is their identity. They just don't have any students dating any players with talent this year (i.e. InSincere).

What happened to Fessler?

Out of likes, but this needs to happen.

The little bit I could listen, the announcers were wearing their emotions on their sleeves. The absolute dejection when we went on our 3-straight-3s run to take the lead while Freeman was grabbing every board in sight - priceless. It got worse after Freeman got his 4th foul, and they went underneath at Enrique but the refs didn't call anything. The announcers were beside themselves. Homerism is an art form. You have to toe the line of being a fan and calling a game that doesn't make the opponent's fans listening want to Van Gogh their ears. The Balls announcers made me want to do the latter. Really poor basketball IQ showing from the Muncie crowd.

This one may have been intentional, but that doesn't explain every other time he has done it. I'm not sure I've actually seen him stay behind the line this season.

Can we get Anquan Boldin Sr. to do the halftime show? Just wheel out a Jugs Machine see the fastest ball he can catch, how many 1 handed catches he can make, etc. We have Joe Flacco now so he should feel connected to NEO.

Not sure if it was mentioned in this thread, but we rank 28th in the country for DI experience. Balls ranked something like 260th or 270th. We saw the difference in the result. This team isn't flashy. They don't have that guard that lights up the scoreboard. But man, they're blue collar winners. We fold like a cheap lawn chair in a couple of the more recent seasons, despite having similar personnel. Dawson and Tribble were humongous down the stretch. My only gripe: Freeman has to learn how to stay behind the damn out of bounds like when the opponent is inbounding the ball.

As much as I hate Kowal-choke, nobody is higher than PCCC on my loathe list. I wonder if Pinky's face changes shades of pink/red depending on the temperature of his seat.

About 5 of those for Balls came on one possession where our bigs refused to leave their boxouts on the perimeter.

Ridiculous officiating, but this is the MAC. Garbage. Tribble 's ball-handling is noticeably better this year. Dawson has put together a few nice games here.

He brings intangibles that will more than make up for his "lack of recent experience". Think of the WRs that came through while he was here - Hixon, Arthur, Bowser. Akron football always competed under his tutelage. As previously mentioned, he gets Akron football. Fully expect him to be a huge positive in the locker room and on the sideline.

YEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!! WELCOME BACK JD! Can we get Hixon to mentor?

Any insight on his potential impact?