Blue & Gold

I did slightly edit my post. Instead of calling GT a "loser" (I shouldn't have done that) I referred to him as a person with a "loser-complex/mentality". But my re-post didn't post. I may have been banned from posting on the Varsity Letters blog? Jeez. I was literally one of the only people who ever commented about anything on that blog.

He removed my post. I thought he might. I'm glad I copied and pasted it to this thread. I may slightly edit and re-post it again.

good for him for showing some school pride. who cares? he's an alumni showing support for his school. +1 That was pretty cool of him. I'm glad he's so passionate. Great rivalry.

I actually think they gave up versus OU. It looked like they were looking to high-tail it out of the Convo even before halftime. (Perhaps KD sensed that as well and thus, as GP1 pointed out, called those late time-outs so the team couldn't just run off into the locker room?) I'm afraid that if the going gets tough @ Can't they may do the same. Can't is an athletic team who can pressure our guards and guard the 3-point line, generally not a good combo for us. Our team really seems to be composed of a bunch of friendly, upstanding guys that the community (not to mention their parents) can & should be proud of. However, they've really got to be able to flip a little bad-ass-switch once the game starts. So get angry, Zips! Get mean! Get aggressive! Look to abuse somebody out there! Beat that hippie-school down! Go Zips!

That guy truly is an ass, and perfectly illustrates the very real and deep image/self-image problem Akron has. Get over there and leave a reply to let him know we have higher aspirations for our city and university than he does. I just added a reply. I'll paste it here (the quote is from one of George Thomas' earlier replies): "The reality is I have a better chance of gaining super powers than the University of Akron football program does of becoming any type of national football power." This is exactly the loser mentality that universities such as Boise State, Hawaii, TCU, Utah, Brigham Young, Eastern Carolina, UCF and any other non-traditional power very likely also had to overcome. It's just sad that a loser like this has a voice at our local paper. This wrongful, damaging, and self-loathing perspective – that the Akron area and it's university are hopeless losers – has now been shown to be the underlying presupposition from which his articles will all spring. This comment betrays a very serious and troubling disposition against the University of Akron. Our city desperately, and may I repeat, desperately, needs less people like George Thomas and more people like Caleb Porter; people who firmly believe that Akron can excel and that the Akron area can cultivate and experience success. Please do the Akron area a favor, George, and move away… again. Go Akron! Go Zips!

This link is to the Ohio.com Varsity Letters blog, where the ABJ keeps tabs on potential scholarship recipients. This response, from ABJ sports columnist George M. Thomas, regarding two Buchtel football players, perfectly illustrates the very real trouble Akron has in both being taken seriously and in taking ourselves seriously. Akron has a deep inferiority complex. Linky What disheartens me most is that this is coming from an ABJ reporter. I know, I know, I'm showing my age when I'm concerned about the printed media, but, in the past, the printed media has been very influential in shaping a regions self-identity. It is very troubling when our city's own chosen voices don't believe in us. Our city needs more Caleb Porters.

Four of us are heading over against my better judgement. Many a wretched drives home from that place over the years. I wonder if CK made the trek to Athens. If so, can't wait to read his take - long way to go for that mess. Last week I was planning on making the drive down tonight, but I came down with the flu a couple of days ago so didn't make the trip. Man, am I glad I got the flu!

This is like every other Zips game against a more athletic team. Our offense completely breaks down. Typical. Second half prediction: pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-launch a contested 3.

The teams didn't shake hands before tip-off. I love it!

Just checked the OU url, and they have a link up to "listen" to the game but not to "watch" the game. Hope this doesn't mean a radio feed only. The video feed usually comes up by game time. I'm sure it will be up. The link to watch is up now.

I'm a Zips fan, please schedule times that are best for me and other Zip fans. I don't give two squirts about Columbus. 3 pm games are best. Gives us maximum time for pre and post game tailgating. You might get a 100+ more fans by scheduling around Columbus games, not thousands. +1 I don't tailgate, but the 3:00 kick-off gives my friends and I the best time slot to hit the downtown restaurants both before and after the game! It really makes an entire-day event out of the Zips' game. And I get to show off the revitalizaions of both downtown and campus.

Gold is sweet... when it's gold. Not yellow.

Exactly. This is spot on. I think many of us have dreams of a meaningful late-season rivalry game w/ K.e.n.t; last game of the year, MAC East title & trip to Detroit for the MAC Championship game on the line, bowl implications. But after being an avid Zips fan for 20 years now, and still waiting for that scenario to materialize... Our best crowds are certainly when we play them right-off-the-bat in the MAC.

Interesting stat on Brett McKnight, per ABJ website. Games played: 117 Career starts: 19 I was surprised to see that Brett has only been in the starting five 19 times in his UA career.

Yup. This spread the word to... umm, everyone who's already planning to be there.

+1 I think there was a lot of excitement during the early KD/Romeo/Dru years that we were laying a foundation & building a program that would be recognized on a national level. However, since Rome & Dru graduated we've pretty much been treading water. We really haven't taken the program to the "next level," however one may define that. Additionally, our gameday experience is total crap. As much as I hate to say it, UA needs to go to a Cavs game to learn about creating an atmosphere. Someone previously noted that what's lacking is an attention to details. There are a million small things wrong w/ the gameday experience. It's almost impossible to define, but from top-to-bottom, from A-to-Z, from beginning-to-end, UA athletics simply emit a bush-league vibe.

+1 I think there was a lot of excitement during the early KD/Romeo/Dru years that we were laying a foundation & building a program that would be recognized on a national level. However, since Rome & Dru graduated we've pretty much been treading water. We really haven't taken the program to the "next level," however one may define that.

My wife and I always talk about what we would do if we were still living in Akron. We lived in the city around Stan Hewitt. We talked about it Saturday in fact. Going to BW3, the game and Crave for a snack after the game (because the "food" at the JAR is terrible) was the answer. I know we joke about the benches, but it is no laughing matter. The benches were the #1 reason we did not attend many games the last couple of years we lived there. Even if it means fewer potential spectators, they need to eliminate the benches and put in seats....with rows of steps leading a fan up to their row. I also like order so every fan could be assigned a seat. It cannot be that expensive. I injured my lower back in college. Nothing serious, just a compressed disk. But it can be annoying and quite painful at times. For me, the JAR's wooden bleachers are a KILLER! After 15-20 minutes of sitting on those things I have to stand up very slowly and deliberately. It honestly takes me about 30 seconds before I can stand up perfectly straight. I lift weights about 4 times a week, jog, use an eliptical, play full-court basketball once-a-week, bike & swim - so it's not like I'm fat & out of shape. But sitting on the JAR's bleachers is BRUTAL!!! Those things make me feel twice my age.

I've seen this around the city, first hand. This is a generalization - so don't nit-pick over this admitted generalization - but if you go to a City Series basketball game, the student fans are pretty lame. Not a strong turn-out, most students more concerned w/ their texting than w/ the game being played, and it seems "uncool" to get excited or to show emotion about the game being played. I went to last week's Garfield-Buchtel game. GREAT game!! Mediocre atmosphere. LOUSY student-led atmosphere. However, if you attend a Hoban or St.V/M game, the student section is all wearing school colors, have their faces painted, have chants, rarely (never?) sit down, etc., etc. Maybe we're seeing a dichotomy of cultures coming together @ The University of Akron basketball games? It is pretty annoying when you're sitting near some people who obviously try to be "too cool" to get into the game. Is it jealousy, that they don't want to give better athletes props?

Good move.

A net-and-cable backstop costs $45,000?!?! And "100-150 chair-back seats behind the new backstop." My, my. Aren't we aiming for the stars?

Bump. Any updates?

I'm going to renew. I'm also buying my brother a season ticket. He's, I'm sad to say, a Columbus fan, so he'll appreciate the opportunity to get an Akron-Columbus ticket. I'm trying to turn him from the dark side. Last year's season didn't help matters.

I heard that too. It was Mix. I just figured he hasn't seen B-Mac play often enough to realize that the last thing B-Mac needs is to be a little less unselfish. He probably just doesn't realize that Brett's struggling w/ his shot right now.

Amen. It's starkly clear to anyone who pays attention, or who has paid attention over the last who-knows-how-many-years, to how Cleveland uses the ol' "Northeast Ohio" tag. Most anything popular and beneficial is tagged "Cleveland" or "Cleveland area." Screw that and screw them. How was the Zips v. WMU coverage on the Cleveland news last night? Exactly. Screw them. We in Akron have to fight for our own & LBJ's keeping Akron in the culture's consciousness. Frankly, LBJ's the only thing keeping Akron in the public consciousness. Akron would cease to exist if the Cleveland media had it's way. Keep representing 330, 'Bron! Edit: How's about "Cleveland +"? Edit #2: That website probably got a million hits... yesterday! Thanks, 'Bron!