zen

"Not being recognized as much as deserved" is something that haunts everyone almost always. Lets not get into it too philosophically or even psychologically, but your targeting of this statement as a focus of tragedy is prescient. We are not owed anything. Go back to square one and win

^ never seemed to quit /trololol No really. I have learned already never to expect anything ever again. So this season, when Michigan happened, I told myself it was a nice 'almost' but I refuse to ever believe that winning will happen again. If it does, some day, then fine. But you guys keep allowing yourselves to permit hope to creep back in, and it just gets trampled on. Don't do that. It's easier to just expect nothing and have as much fun as is possible that way. I have season tickets. I still support. I'm just not going to hope for much.

heh Anyway, I agree "back the zips" lacks creativity and has no semblance of appreciation for fan psychology. You simply don't (and can't) command people to be a fan. You must persuade them that they are missing out on a fun and rewarding experience.

Went to the James Madison game. Was just about to give up on Bowdenball. Told someone at work on the following Monday I probably watched the only win the Zips get this season. Flash forward one week. Feelin' good about the future again. Lots of Ohio State fans at the sports bar saturday afternoon to watch the Cal/OSU game were talking about the Zips. Thought they should have won. Loved the game.

I would blame the graduation rates partly on the fact that UA is still strongly a commuter school. This is not a University that a large portion of the students go away to. I quit after my sophomore year at UA to work a full time for a year. I probably wouldn't have considered this a luxury if I wasn't living so close. A lot of people said I would stay quit. I knew I would go back and finish, but I suspect that a lot don't. So, I tend to agree with some of the sentiments given by others previously, but I blame the proximity of UA to much of it's student base for the reason it's attracting enrollees who 1) may not be as serious as those going to other Universites, and 2) may be tempted to discontinue their studies because they feel it wouldn't be difficult to resume later. UA has to continue to transition towards the goals of increasing it's on-campus student population and increasing it's standards. If it doesn't, the graduation rates will continue to suffer. As per Tressel, I would maybe take the bet on him being an interim President, but not top candidate for permanent position. Why would an interim President be needed though?

Sometimes the accent throws me, but I'm almost positive that Bowie says "It's hard to write in Akron" at 2:22

This is a very good idea GP1 Football games are often on saturdays, when the student lots are mostly empty. Though there aren't a lot of student lots closer than the parking garages, it would still be nice. Basketball games are at night, when students parking is definitely not in it's peak demand. A parking pass would be an tempting buy even for alumni who only get to several games per year. Might even encourage them to come more often if it was in their mind they could park closer to the venue. Seems strange to think that such a thing would influence these decisions, but I contend it just might

Disagree. Not that I think we should be negative. I just can't support when anyone who disagrees with other's opinions tells them to "Go away and never come back.". I think that people who can't engage in a discussion with people who disagree with them and must get insulting, or attempt censorship are the one's who might want to reconsider whether they belong.

Assumptions are the BANE of my existence

Make that a few months. Everyone is overreacting. Including me. I never said he should go. I just said my faith was a little shaken. If we went down by 30 points but didn't turn the ball over, then at least we gameplanned against their strength. What did we have to lose by at least trying to not turn the ball over? Instead, we didn't coach for this game and played right into their hands.

I'll be back in a few days.

I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I was telling everyone who questioned my bracket that Akron knew the pressure would come and was going to handle the turnovers. Yes, Akron had a missing PG and flu problems. Yes, VCU shot the lights out and would have probably won anyway with that kind of shooting regardless of the turnovers and lack of rebounding. No, I can't deal with the writing being on the wall about "havoc" and doing nothing at all about it.

Brian? You mean Blair, right?

I love these players. My faith is shaken in the coach. The writing was on the wall. Know there will be pressure and control the ball. Absolutely nothing tactical was prepared for this game.

16 turnovers.

psh! I had them taking the whole damn tamale. Of course, I made more than one bracket up, but I put money on all of them. I back up my picks. lol Other teams that I extended a notable distance past their chalk lines, are St.Louis and Cal. I had Wisconsin getting past Kansas State and Colorado beating Illinois. Those are in my risk bracket. But I figure if Akron is going to beat VCU and Michigan, might as well have them getting glory against Kansas and Indiana.

Referencing stat about VCUs record over and under opponents 15 turnovers; Of course turnovers will have a huge impact on your win loss record! I would imagine that you can find a similar stat for all decent teams. They say the same thing in football. If you turn the ball over, you will lose! Of course, basketball has a lot more possessions than football, so turnovers may not seem as critical, but the impact of turnovers is usually even higher in basketball because a turnover in basketball usually results in an easier score with no set defense. A turnover is usually an immediate swing of at least 4 points.

You guys can't possibly expect these guys who don't know the Zips like we do to get on TV and predict an upset here. When Akron wins this game, these same guys will reach up their butts and pull out all sorts of rationalizations and convey just about any theory they can latch on to except saying that Akron was the better team.

The only sections that were left on Ticketmaster this morning were the nosebleeds behind the baskets. Everything else listed as sold out

I've seen our guys panic and give up turnovers as soon as a second defender closes in and causes the appearence of a trap. ... And they aren't supposed to panic when a team that has taken pressure to a new level comes at them? I think the best defense is a good offense. I think angled passing patterns should be drilled until they become second nature, and VCU starts to panic themselves when they begin to fear the ball getting past them into the hands of our big guys.

Only one thing scares me more than the zips trying to handle the ball on the dribble down court against pressure, and that's the zips thinking that they can pass down court over opponents heads. If ball handling is not an option, I surely say that trying to go over oppoents is riskier and will cause more turnovers. Can we get Porter back to Akron for a few days to concoct a court variation on passing geometry and possession death by moving triangles?

I guess some things make more sense now

Winning the MAC is a great thing and should not be taken for granted. The players and the staff worked very hard to get where they are. But to answer your question, yes, I think everyone is spoiled. I have heard KD say it numerous times, and I'm paraphrasing, 'we want to get the the NCAA tournament and get some wins there'. This is what everyone wants as well.