Zip_ME87

By the way, I seem to remember a discussion on ZipsNation.org some time ago centered around controversy with Infocision. There were some articles about Infocision keeping a significant percentage of donations they raised through telemarketing for charitable organizations and maybe otherr things. I don't recall all of the details, but it seemed that numerous posters on this board were concerned about how that made UA look with Infocision's name on our stadium. Is the controversy with Jimmy Haslam and Pilot/Flying J completely settled? I know it's died down, but is there anything more there? I sure would hate for the university to get bad publicity from a questionable relationship. I hope unversity officals considered this.

I hear you Dave, but my experience is that hope is not a good strategy. Agreements like this potential one with the Browns should only be entered into after diligent and thoughtful planning. I won't make any more assumptions but request the evidence from the university that shows a real, viable plan to benefit from this and to not damage any program at the university at the expense of some university officials' whim. It could very easily be that UA enter into this with good intentions, but once signed, have no way to implement ideas beyond the first year due to funding realities and additional financial losses. Marla's article is informative but falls short on details that she could obtain under public records laws if she were to ask.

I agree. I posted in this thread in response to others and started the 3rd thread to be sarcastic. In retrospect, that was stupid. I should have stuck to my original thread and not allowed others to provoke me. I'll look for it.

I should have questioned that. I don't see anything in the NCAA transfer guidance about that and yes I've seen transfers play their old school now that I think about it.

It's amazing that this could happen again. I guess those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it. Maybe every college coach should consider showing this game and/or our Gardner-Webb game as a teaching moment at the beginning of the season.

“I told Moody’s and Fitch that we would be a disciplined organization with disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and action,” he said. The university would become more strategically focused and more efficient and would stop doing some things we can no longer afford, “not because we want to, because we have to,” he told the Roundtable. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/new-university-of-akron-president-outlines-aggressive-program-in-talk-with-roundtable-audience-1.511609 Does President Scarborough really believe that putting together a proposal for the Browns in 2 weeks is being "a disciplined organization with disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and action." I wonder what Moody's and Fitch would think. I hope Zips alumni, students, and fans realize how badly this could affect UA if all of these attention getting things don't work and UA's bottom line bleeds even more.

I have been in the past, but I had a really bad feeling about this. Now that Marla Ridenour's article is out, and Tom is quoted saying they put the proposal together in 2 weeks, I have an even worse feeling about this. I don't believe the university will be getting compensated well by the Browns, if at all. They couldn't have done proper due diligence in 2 weeks. This wreaks of wow factor, smoke, and mirrors. I'm going to have to think about what I can request under the Ohio public records law that will either confirm or alleviate my fears. As an alumnus who has season tickets for multiple sports and loves no other teams like the Zips, this really sucks. I wish so much they would have put their efforts into working with the city and county on a downtown arena/Akron entertainment venue that Zips basketball could use and maybe bring the Charge to Akron and get the CAVS to play a preseason game or 2 in Akron. Tie it all in neatly with Akron's hometown sports hero, LeBron James, and it seems like such a neat package. Instead they're doing something else with as much thought as they put into hiring Rob Ianello if not less.

How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life

Thanks. I didn't know that.

Perhaps they got rid of the zipper on the helmets because the other team thought our crotches were on our heads implying the Zips were a bunch of d![k heads. After they saw RI walking the sidelines for 2 years with the playsheet in his pants, I can't imagine how anyone would get that idea. Purdue's looks more like railroad tracks or a cow catcher on a train as opposed to a zipper. (referring to the black helmets they're wearing against ND tonight.) EDIT: Before anyone gets pissed at me, I didn't come up with that. Alum of another university I know asked me if that was a zipper and then made that comment. I never liked the zipper and especially don't like it after that comment.

+ infinity x infinity

Wistrcill said UA put together its proposal in two weeks. Here we go again ... lots of thought went into that. I'm sure Tom gave it the same due diligence that he gave to Rob Ianello's hiring. Damn well better have a real plan for this to be no more than a 1 time use of FES-CCF. I'm sure that has as much thought behind it as any decision he's ever made. @JohnnyZip ... Do you stiil have that avatar of yours with the clown hair & clown nose? If so, can I borrow it?

I'd prefer some use of our blue & gold like this with our fonts and logos. Perhaps Z's on the sleeves and ARoo on the helmets.

"Spin", it is! 'The grounds crew is so inept' within your question indicates you think that any competent grounds crew can easily repair the soccer field for the season. Ok by interpreting that I guess I did put words in your mouth in the strictest sense of doing so. But, that sure seems to me that you think a football team practicing on the soccer pitch is no big deal because it can easily be repaired. Yes it can be repaired, but properly such that it lasts in good condition through the Fall? And, in years when we have too much rain. No. I don't know how else I'm supposed to read that. That was an actual attendance number. If you mean average attendance numbers, no I don't have them. As far as putting down another UA program, I did no such thing. I made a "better" comparison. I did not put down another program. You're putting words in my mouth.

One person's sarcasm is another's immaturity. The use of "clowns" in the title of this thread was referring to multiple groups, not just the precious NFL team of a city that many posters on this board were bashing as LeBron jerseys went up in flames.

They certainly wouldn't have been afraid of us under RI, but they've had enough close calls with MAC teams, that they could have been worried about paying us big money to upset them on their own field under TB.

I think we had them on the 2015 tentative future schedule, but I've forgotten for sure. When did we last play them? I think we were on a 5-year cycle. @GJGood, you may be right. I never made the connection with Tressel, but it could have been.

As I said, "I created this thread in response to a totally irrelevant thread..." (which has actually become relevant since posting this thread). Please point out where I demeaned and insulted a "favorite sport". As far as a favorite team, the Browns happen to be my favorite NFL team. However, you can't deny they've been clowning around ever since they returned to the NFL. If they ever get serious about the draft and getting to and winning the Super Bowl, then I'll take them seriously again. I wish I could change the facts because I'd love to see an NFL championship for the Browns and their deserving, die-hard fans, but the facts are what they are.

Kudos to the Ak Rowdies and their leadership. The hill looked great last night, at least 3/4 full. I hope they can keep that up and bring sizable crowds for football (at least 2 sections) and basketball.

I'm not sure what is wrong with a thread going "nuclear hyperbolic" on this forum as long as posters are not personally attacked. Opinions and ideas are all open for debate and attack. Everyone has different experiences and passions. I'd rather debate or support opinions on this website as well as read things that I may not have seen about my alma mater than to have limited information like before ZipsNation.org was created.

I agree DiG with modifications: If the soccer pitch is not in the equation, and UA has properly analyzed the offer being made and seen a realistic net benefit which will not bleed more red ink from an already hemorrhaging bottom line and further drive up tuition The AD has made previous rash decisions, and UA's new president is unknown. I just don't have your confidence.

Does anyone know why Ohio State dropped off our future schedules after TB became our head coach. Was it UA's doing, or was blOSU afraid they might lose to a TB-coached team once he had time to build the program?

I didn't attribute words to you that weren't already there. Your statements as a whole lead one to believe that a football team practicing on our competion soccer pitch is no big deal to you. Are you interested in a debate or just poking at this and that and not realizing how the words you're typing can be interpreted whether or not that was your intent? This means enough to me that I will respond to you or anyone else who has such an opinion as much as it takes. Whether or not I change yours or others opinion, I won't stand by and have the soccer program that Caleb Porter built at UA degraded by having a football team practice on its competition pitch. I know that I may not have been clear that I don't care if the Browns come to UA, as long as they stay out of FES-CCF. Caleb may no longer be at UA and may be completely focused on his MLS team, but he respected and still respects UA like few other UA coaches I've seen. As long as I'm around, I'll defend what he built to the best of my ability. As far as stats, I used the most recent figure. If you look at attendance numbers when Caleb Porter was here, even after winning the National Championship, they fluctuated from game to game and exhibitions didn't draw large crowds. I'm not going back and digging up attendance figures for all of Jared's games as head coach. I'm sure the team has yet to draw a crowd of 5000+ under him, but the AK Rowdies haven't been as organized as they used to be under Ian Tayek, either. The student attendance at the football game vs Howard wasn't what I thought it should have been either. I was encouraged by their numbers last night. Hopefully we see that again Sunday and beyond as well as better student attendance at football games.

I agree CK and hope that focusing on winning the MAC is the reason TB didn't open up the offense more against PSU, wanting to come out of there with no significant injuries. I hope the Zips are on the path of lose big, lose small, win small, win the MAC, win big.