Zip_ME87

Perhaps. While it is not a scenario that I would promote, it is possible to win the MAC Tournament without hosting it. EDIT: BGSU is about 140 miles from Akron. Is anyone going? Unfortunately, I cannot this year as I have a family commitment that evening. I sure was happy to be there in 2010 rather than watching iCoach kick off at the beginning of both halves and go on to lose to FCS powerhouse Gardner Webb.

Zips made a costly mistake and couldn't find the equalizer. Richie was 1 on 1 with the Sparty GK in the penalty area and couldn't get the ball over the keeper's foot. Best opportunity. Should have scored on that one, but there were others. One of those games where the Zips just couldn't finish. Time to forget and move on. Conference play, which is crucial, starts Saturday.

If I read the article correctly, his complaint is that they left early. Not that they didn't show up. Perhaps they were cold, tired, tipsy, etc. and figured the game was in hand...so they left. I'd be happy if our student section was filled for 3 quarters. I don't blame anyone for being too cold and tired after sitting out there for a time, especially if the game started at 8 pm.

Interesting perspective. Yet, in another thread, you got all p.o.'d about my going off on the Cleveland Browns. NFL (Nab the Fans Loot) billionaire owners and millionaire players who take great care of their fans, shaking them down weekly. It will be interesting to see if attendance figures change with the FCC ending the blackout rules.

Gotta go down to Cincinnati and bring back one of these.

At least they had a crowd of students early in the game. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio and a few Spartans players said they noticed the evaporating crowd during the fourth quarter. The noise decreased, they said, during Nebraska's late comeback bid.

Courtesy flush removed iCoach at the end of the 2011 season. However, a single flush wasn't powerful enough to pull down the top of the dung pile with it. He's switched to the fabreeze that someone else handed him to cover himself ever since.

Sorry. I misunderstood what you meant by that.

CK, (edit) most of this may be true, yet you come to games. I come to games. Balsy attends games. Dr Z is there. ...etc. After a couple of games with iCoach, I quit coming because I couldn't stand it for myself or the players. (edit: Just looking at iCoach or TW made me almost pop a blood vessel. I quickly recognized it wasn't good for my health.) I still bought season tickets to support my team. It sucked to spend money and not be there, but I knew one day someone would iCoach. I had the pride to support the program. Students get in free. Come to a game if you're not working. If it sucks, leave. But show some damn pride in your school. Winning takes effort of those on the field, but it also takes effort of those who attend and have graduated from Akron to support their team. EDIT: Attending football games is also a way to make new friends and contacts. I would think that college students who are looking to graduate one day and start their careers would be interested in networking.

In that case, I understand the lack of student attendance. I think there were about 6 peolpe "sitting" in the grass and perhaps 20 standing across the end zone. I really don't see that making much of a difference in the student section, which btw, is multiple sections (10, I think counting, upper & lower)

Akron re-enters the TDS Top 25 at #25 EDIT: But Sparty dropped to Other considered.

See you there Nate. BeatSparty!

Soccer | Crew: Players double as volunteers Lampson, Trapp lend hand as coaches at alma maters EDIT: Hopefully, with Wil volunteering at his alma mater, Gahanna Lincoln HS will feed the Zips some more Wil Trapps and Saad Abdul-Salaams.

I'll take the win over anything. The players could have had playsheets shoved down the front of their pants as long as we won. But, I must comment how much fun it was watching the Purdue Zips defeat EMU at The University of Akron. Nice branding! #BoilermakerZipsGameDay I suggest Red and Grey with chrome grey helmets might be a better choice for recruiting and drawing fans in O H I O if you want to look like some other team so that casual fans won't realize you're the Akron Zips. Don't forget the weed stickers. Those are the real kickers for this look. Love the chrome helmets. Hate the black unis. Could have done the same look with dark blue.

Back on the subject...my neice, who is a tOSU graduate, attended the game with me today and was cheering for the Zips. She grew up in Akron and likes to see the Zips win (unless they're playing her alma mater). Even she commented how sad it is that Akron students get into the games for free with their ZipCard, and they don't show up. How can you not go to a free social event? With the stadium on campus, close to dorms and off campus housing, I don't get it either. I could care less about "Joe Akron", but holy crap why aren't the student sections more crowded? EDIT: If they're working to pay for their education and make a living, I understand, but is that really the case for so many?

Really? All the soccer fans I know are students and family/friends, alumni and family, alumni who played for the Zips and family, players who played for Zips soccer but didn't graduate from Akron due to leaving early and family, parents and family members or friends/girlfriends of current and past players, UA faculty and family members, former UA faculty and family members, current UA coaches and family, UA staff and family, friends of any of the aforementioned. Perhaps there are more casual fans than I realize, but I think most of them have fallen off the bandwagon.

DC United was the first Eastern Conference team to clinch an MLS playoff spot tonight with a draw vs SKC. Perry Kitchen was out of the line up due to yellow card accumulation. The announcers interviewed him before the game and mentioned that since he's been with DCU, they have yet to win without him. If that is true, then that statistic continues.

Try Cincinnati. Unless I wasn't putting my cursor in the right places, I couldn't find where the Bearcats were even in the top 3. tOSWho Meatchicken Kenyucky No Cinscumnati EDIT: Oops, I forgot Loserville

You shouldn't beat yourself up on this one. At the time, I was nervous but hopeful. I don't like to judge someone poorly until they give me reason to do so. I suspect you're the same way. Neither of us knew him by anything other than what we read or were told. Now had you actually interviewed the candidates and reached the same decision as TW, I'd be ready to fire you from ZipsNation.

The MAC is never easy even though we've won the regular season so many years in a row. Michigan is not much of a measuring stick, in my opinion, nor is Maryland at this time. Like the Zips, unfortunately, neither are on this list.

I apologize in advance for doing this, but since buflobo brought it up: the most painful PK result for me was Blair Gavin's going over the goal at Wake Med Soccer Park, Cary, NC after David Meves had made a couple of awesome saves to keep the Zips in contention for the 2009 National Championship. Wil Trapp's and Scotty's vs Creighton were equally #2. Horrible way to close out Caleb's tenure at Akron along with the tenures of Scotty, Chad, David Meves, Thomas Schmitt, DeAndre, Wil, Dillon Serna.

I didn't intend to sound like I was writing Victor off. I was questioning whether it might be better to have more than one guy take PKs. I was told that Blair Gavin was almost automatic on PKs because he could see which way the GK started to move during his approach and then shoot the other way. Restrepo didn't move in the Virginia game, and Blair sorta froze as he approached the ball and ended up kicking it over the goal. GKs don't always guess either. They watch the PK taker's approach and sometimes pick up which way the player is going. That still doesn't always work if the PK taker can put the ball out of the GK's reach or can make it look like he's going one way then go the other. As with most things, there's no perfect answer. I just thought it might help to have multiple players take the PKs so it's a little less easy to scout tendancies.

Interesting data and video. thanks.

That's my experience, too, that teams have their one penalty taker. I've seen it also with Higuain in Columbus, and I believe he's had several blocked. That's why I think it might be wiser to go with multiple PK takers. As far as the video, I agree we shouldn't post and make it easy for our opponent but they would likely get the footage somehow anyway. If you had 3 or so PK takers, they wouldn't know as easily whom to expect. Laryea, Holthusen, Sepe, Najem, Abdul-Salaam can all score in the run of play. You'd think any one of them along with Victor could make PKs.

I agree about the concern over giving up 2 goals in 5 minutes. Breakdowns like that should not happen. As far as PKs, I think most, if not all coaches, select one player to take the PKs throughout the season. They'll often make a change when a player misses one unless he's had a good record taking a number of them. However, I disagree with the philosophy of having one "go to" PK taker. Every player has tendancies in how they take shots at the goal. PK tendancies can easily be scouted. I think that it might be wiser to have 2 or 3 "go to" PK takers. Every player should be comfortable taking PKs. It's part of the game and is often necessary to advance in tournament situations. Players at the D-1 college level should be so competitive that they want to be that guy who makes the PK needed for the team to advance. No player should say they don't want to take a PK.