Blue & Gold

We haven't mentioned this in quite some time, so, has anyone heard whether or not we are going to get new, tweaked uniforms to open the Info? Speaking of new uni's, I haven't seen VMD on the board in a while. Where you at, bro?

Yesterday I received an invitation to a private party for Foundation Members (I think that's what we season ticket holders are called, right?). It's on Friday night, September 11th from, oh, I forget, 7-11, or something along those lines. It's going to be on the roof of the bomb shelter.It costs $50 per person; you can invite a friend.Is anyone from ZNO planning on going? I wouldn't want to go and just be around a bunch of big $$$ donors. I'd feel like a fish out of water. But if there is going to be considerable showing of ZNO, I'll probably most definitely go!

I walked around the stadium sight yesterday afternoon and noticed a few things.1. If you look @ the renderings of Gate #1 - the main gate located in the SW corner - there is a small building to the east of the gate, opposite to and a mirror image of the Team Shop, which sort of creates a walkway into the gate. This building has been scratched. It still looks great, but a bit more empty than in the original rendering.2. The FirstMerit Club Level sign looks really nice. Someone mentioned they thought that's where a "The University of Akron" sign would look appropriate. No argument there, but the FirstMerit sign does look nice.3. It doesn't look as if there will be glass enclosing the rear of the east grandstands. There are simply blue metal crossbars in some of the sections now. Some of the sections have nothing in them. I'm not as disappointed as I thought I'd be having seen that - it looks pretty good actually; rather industrial.4. The scoreboard looks good the way it is. Not that a brick enclosure wouldn't look great, but there is already so much brick, that the blue metal looks pretty good. The only drawback is that the south side of the facility is a bit barren - especially when all you can see to the south is the shame and blight of E. Exchange Street. Detractors are sure to pounce on that. You can definitely tell that the facility is designed for the future addition of a southside grandstand.

After only ONE day of class?!?!

Lol. The last post on the above link mentions his verbal w Akron. I can't wait to read their responses to this! We are the next Boise State!Fear the Roo! Go Zips!

<br />Nice! Guys back on the roof of our favorite buildings too. I think they are waxing it.<br /><br /><br />Wax on? or Wax off?<br />Mr. Miyagi wax off.

The ABJ blog Varsity Letters just reported that Painesville Riverside WR Lawrence Smith is now a verbal for the Zips. Smith is listed @ 6-0, 190.

Lol, I had the exact thought. He's gonna be the only person alive who's less-than-blown-away by The Info. Lol.

<br />Wrong on all three counts. Can't is our rival and it is good for us to play them every year.<br /><br />BG and Toledo have a long standing rivalry that is good for the MAC so they stay.<br /><br />EMU is a Ohio/Michigan school and geographically makes sense.<br /><br />The three to go are Buffalo, Temple and NIU. <br /><br />I'm not sure why one MAC Championship makes Buffalo a good long term program for the MAC. As soon as the coach leaves, the winning will follow.<br /><br />NIU is not part of th Ohio/Michiagan group. They go. They aren't really a good fit for the MAC geographically. Sorry NIU.<br /><br />Temple. They don't really want to be here anyhow so they can be gone. They are an eastern school that needs to find an eastern conference to take them. The MAC takes schools that nobody else wants and Temple was one of those schools. Given the choice between A-10 BB or MAC football, they would take BB.<br /><br />None of these schools have a rivalry either so they can go. Then we still have the Akron vs Can't, BG vs Toledo, OU vs Miami, Michigan schools vs each other and well there's poor BSU out there, but they are a good fit for the conference.<br /><br /><br /><br />My BlackBerry's gonna make the above quote look goofy. Sorry. GP1, you and I have very divergent opinions on which schools to drop. You like the Ohio-Michigan flavor of the MAC, but I actually think there are too many schools from Ohio and Michigan (especially Ohio.) I said to drop Can't & BGSU precisely to thin out the Ohio representation. I think 4 MAC schools from Ohio are more than enough. Akron in the NE, Toledo in the NW, Ohio in the SE and Miami in the SW. IMHO that's plenty. Then the same reasoning for EMU. Plus they are only 5 minutes from Ann Harbor - they have Mission Impossible job of drumming up much community support.I could def see dropping Temple. No qualms there. I do kinda like Buffalo simply d/t the fact they're also an urban U from a rust belt city, much like us. They've sort of also have a Big East sort of flavor, much how we fancy ourselves.

Yup! We need to drop Can't, BGSU & Eastern Michigan. That would leave us a leaner, meaner, tougher conference consisting of AkronBuffaloTemple (make them join all-in)OhioMiamiToledoCentral MichiganWestern MichiganNorthern Illinois &Ball State

I know. I was just kidding. Normally I'm pretty bitter about the ABJ's lack of Zips coverage, so my suggesting a Beacon subscription was purely tongue-in-cheek. Lol.But you're right, that was a pretty good article! Keep 'em coming on a daily basis, ABJ!

Concerning the D & O-lines.Tom Gaffney

That's kind of vague? How about some specifics? Who looked good? What defense were they playing? Who was getting the snaps? The closer the PSU game is the more hungry I am for information. Help.You obviously need to read the Akron Beacon Journal!

I was able to watch the videos on my laptop last night (I had previously been relegated to watching them on my BlackBerry) and the routine truly is great! I love how you move through seemlessly through the songs. It gives you an adrenaline rush and then doesn't give you a chance to catch your breath till yhe break for the National Anthem! It's fantastic! Once it starts cranking it's a go and you don't give the audience any breaks where they might be tempted to daydream, turn away, or start talking with a neighbor.I am also absolutely thrilled on how you have incorporated the Leat 'em up, eat 'em up, go Zips, go" cheer. I've been torn on that selection for a number of years now because I just find it so strikingly hokey. But... It is tradition, and you want to give careful consideration to disbanning a tradition, even if some may find it dated. But the way you rock through it one, single time, I think, is fantastic! You incorporate the cheer into the show, yet don't dwell on it for too awful long. The way you have it arranged now I think that even I can bring myself to cheer "eat 'em up, eat 'em up, go Zips, go!" a single, strong time.Can't wait!

Hey, he asked someone to tell him it wouldn't be cool, and I did. Personally, I think it would be Pimptastic to have the championships at the Info.It would be great to hosts the State HS Championships.A win, win for UofA and City of Akron.I don't see any negatives at all and I hope UofA outbids Canton and Massillon for the games.Does anyone know what a said "bid" entails? We don't guarantee any $$$, do we? Maybe we do, and then hope to turn a profit? If that's the case, then who is fronting the $$$ for the games to currently be in Massillon & Canton? Stark County Visitors Bureau? Idk, I'd feel kinda bad taking those games away from Massillon & Canton - those poor towns have nothing going for them whatsoever. But, man, the Info is just so freaking gorgeous that we've just gotta show it (& the rest of campus) off to as many folks as possible. And man, if I were a high school kid, I'd die to play in a stadium like the Info. That would have been one of the highlights of my life!

LeBron wants to "put Akron on the map."Bron-Bron Linky Link

I can't believe they've been able to keep it this hush-hush. This is unprecedented in the history of committees! Except, of course, for the Roswell alien crash-landing, the lunar landing hoax and the JFK assassination. Lol.Actually, I'm surprised they feel the need to keep it so hush-hush. Good grief. We knew when Mack was being interviewed for two different jobs.

Yeah. He's the kind of player that Walsh, Malone or Mount would have killed to get, but probably will just help the Zips on special teams. Who knows, he might pleasantly surprise some people. I'm kinda surprised he didn't get an offer from YSU, or a program on that level. Who knows, maybe he did & just wanted to try it @ the D-1 level. Anyway, he's talented, has ok size and isdefinitely a winner. Having Tyler as a walk-on sure can't hurt anything!

<br /><br />Hey, he asked someone to tell him it wouldn't be cool, and I did. <br />Personally, I think it would be Pimptastic to have the championships at the Info.<br /><br /><br /><br />Fo pimp-shizzle!

SWEET!!! I so hope it's buzzing the Info @ every home game, let alone our home opener!

Right. That number (what was it? 47K-ish?) Is for all 6 state championship games spread out over two days. For the smaller divisions, everyone could fit in the lower bowl. For the bigger divisions we could utilize the remainder of the stadium. The Info is PLENTY big enough.

Bandzip, that was AWESOME!!! You guys look and sound amazing!!! I just got SERIOUS goosebumps watching that - and I'm watching it on my tiny, little BlackBerry screen!!! Honestly, the picture frame is about 1-inch-by-1-inch! Lol! I can't wait for our home opener!!! Keep the band's inrensity level up, cause you guys are rockin'!!! You guys are gonna rock our new house!

The Info is going to be the nicest college stadium in the state and would be an ideal environment for those kids to play in. I would hate to "steal" the games away from Canton and Massillon (which is undeniably how they'd feel - even though the bidding is open), but the Info is soooooo darn beautiful that she couldn't help but add a HUGE "WOW!" factor to the state championship games. Also, big time advertising for the university. I believe they televise the state championship games, don't they?

Yeah, I thought I had heard that/read that somewhere before. I was excited when I heard it, because he's a very good football player and, I think, could really help the Zips on special teams, if not carrying the rock. But if this is true, why isn't he listed on the roster?

Very true! As I sit here I'm planning on going to some of the high school games just so I can walk around & bask in the glory of The Info!