72 Roo

I hope we use this as motivation and come out with a gigantic chip on our shoulders. Sure we have been disrespected, screwed, what have you so let's use it for motivation and adopt an attitude we play well with…. and that is us against the world. Zips come out with a vengeance and destroy Indiana. Then pound Marquette and any other team that stands in our way. This is a good team and if the NCAA selection committee thinks we have something to prove let's do just that. And give them the finger as we pull away the winner in each contest. I've got my tickets and I am psyched. Let's create an impossible place for IU to play in!

My biggest disappointment was Harney. I was hoping his game would grow with maturity and he would think team first rather than himself first. That was not the case. His shot selection was reflective of a guy who is selfish. He forced things off the dribble to the basket, many times losing the ball as he jumped in the air and had no one to dish off to. He dribbles too much under pressure and doesn't seem to realize that if he is double or triple teamed some teammate is wide open. Find him. Harney can make the big shot but he looses much in defense, rebounding, and turnovers. Besides that I love the guy Most of all, though, we need a point guard.

Zips - 24 Golden Felons - 21 Crowd - 12,000 Me - Happy Beat the damn Flashes! This can make our season (it's that bad)

ZIP… Stuart is the best GK coach Akron has ever had and possibly the best in the country. I will be surprised if he stays very long because he belongs in MLS. He was responsible for Meves having such an outstanding senior year when he was well below his potential as a junior and soph. To illustrate that point, I attended a coaching course that evaluated an Akron game. The overwhelming conclusion of the 15 coaches in the class was that Meves was the weak link in a potentially strong defensive line. He was physically up for the job but lacking the mental confidence a GK on a great team needs. Stu came in the next year and changed that all around. David was prepared for the pros once Stu was done. I hope all is well for you and you still have a cold one waiting at the beach bar at Hickam. Mahalo.

Now I'd be swayed by that ratio any day.

Zesty, are you having a bad day today? Or perhaps I hit too close to home in calling the band dull? When you attack back please be accurate. I never said our band had to dance. I said stop being dull, have fun, show some life and connect with the crowd. What's wrong with that? You shame yourself by attacking rather than listening. The fact of the matter is that there is not one rival MAC school that has shown any respect for our band. They don't have to dance if you don't want that. Ohio State's band doesn't dance but they connect with the crowd thru their musicianship and lively performance. They have fun and it shows. Have you ever been to a skull session? After they come into St. John's they are so fired up they can't sit still. That energy is pretty cool. Don't think that because someone disagrees with you the only response is to attack them. Save that for the K.E.N.T. board. We deserve a better halftime. Hope your day improves.

No way BG's campus is nicer than NIU's or Akron's. Have you ever walked that place? The architecture is horrible and the landscaping is early 1960's state mental institution-esque. We need to stand up for what we have. It is better than most and getting improved all the time.

Props to OU's band once again. They seem to be the opposite of our band..... they have fun, play interesting music and do more than stiff, geometric marching. Our band has been pretty dull for a long time. They have no traditions that connect with the crowd, OK, the 100 people in the stadium. Get some life guys! Find something that engages the crowd and keep giving it to them. You are on a college campus for God's sake! Find a director that allows you to have fun!

Would love to see EKU replace Akron as we move to something better. Now back to reality. Until football wins regularly we are not going to any better conferences. For now we need to be a football winner in the MAC.

New helmet is a joke. Just somebody's mistaken idea that a gimmicky marketing change will actually matter to anyone. This is just another reason why our detractors will have more ammunition to make fun of us with. There is no basis in tradition for this. No one at Akron calls themselves the Zippers, so having a zipper on the helmet is pathetic. Are we that desperate for attention or does this signal we have no real brand to offer? Is our brand now losing football and desperate marketing schemes. Please spare me. We stand for more than this. This is what I would expect from K.E.N.T. But lately they are taking the high road from us when it comes to football.

Problem is it is out of the 80's and always will be. Replacing the JAR is a huge issue because we need $60 million and that kind of money is not out there. If it was the development dept would have found it. Those men and women are working hard to try to find it.

Zips put up great effort but lose 38-17.

DAMN! I didn't see or talk to him either today. I can't believe how much we all have in common.

I bought three tickets in section 117. Any preferred watering holes that Zip nation will be warming up at? I've got a great feeling about this game. We are confident and have overcome the shock of losing Alex. No excuses! Go Zips!

Jupiter, Nothing but praise for the game Ohio put on. The Convo was magnificent and the fans were totally behind your team. The atmosphere was something we will rarely see in the MAC again. The Zips will not see that type of event until we trade in our high school gym for a true college arena. So far we have had lots of talk but no action. It is a shame that the best team in the MAC plays in a place like the JAR. We can only hope that the success of last night propels our leaders and community supporters to get us an arena equal to a top 25 team. I am jealous of the Convo and what you put on last night. It was first class and worthy of the top two teams in any conference.

Great discussions. I like the 7,000-8,000 minimum. I'd also like to suggest that our architect-in-waiting design future expansion in the arena. If were Prez I'd pay the extra cost to have an arena that can grow with us in the future. This idea would be different, maybe even unusual, but i believe it can be done with a creative enough design. A good architect could do it. Now get going!

Put me solidly behind Frenchy. Despite the times when he doesn't exactly describe the play and just says "Oh my!", I like what he does and the quality of his broadcast. Does anyone else remember Bob Wylie from the Tony Laterza era? He was truly horrible. I once heard him call a TV game in which he mistook Billy Turner (6'8" black guy) for Bobby Smith (5'10" slow white guy) . I thought the guy who replaced Wylie was pretty good though. His name was Jerry Healey. He came to Akron to announce the Akron Vulcans CFL games and stayed to become somewhat of a mainstay on WAKR in the morning. But I support Frenchy and enjoy his calling games. Don't mess with him.

I'm right there with you. That was a magical time. Memorial Hall was packed every night and the Bleacher Bums were fantastic. The introductions, no longer allowed, has our opponents psyched out before play ever started. I hope other young Zips are feeling the same thing about this team. It is exceptional.

Sadly I have heard similar thought is taking hold inside the university regarding Hilltopper's post on the size of any new arena. The higher-ups who I have talked with actually have praised BG for building the Stroh center with only 5,000 seats. It is maddening to settle for so little an arena size. They support their thinking by talking about the traditional lack of attendance wherever we play, the possibility of raising ticket prices (and Z Fund required donations) with high demand for limited seating and the fact several big programs have small arenas ala Duke, Temple, both of which put our top design to shame. Additionally, the lack of any funding seems to be consistent in any conversation about an arena. They would gladly partner with the city if the city money. Putting the arena on the edge of campus or further away is no concern if the city provides money. The problem is that the city has higher aspirations regarding seating (10,000 +) and no money to make it happen. A major or foundational donor was sought. I think First Energy was being worked hard but with their puchasing the naming rights of Brown's Stadium it appears that hope is fading fast. Renovating the JAR is out of the question and is seen as throwing money down the drain because it will take too much to achieve basic improvements. It appears we are stuck for now as DIG has said. Without a big time donor don't expect any betterment of the situation. Especially with layoffs looming if the enrollment doesn't improve and a freeze on new positions, even replacement hires, in effect. What pisses me off is that many in athletic administration are talking about how we could join the Big East if we wanted because they need new membership. Our people are living in a fantasy world when they think we are welcome after going 1-11 three years in a row, having no attendance and a high school gym. Let's get real folks and stop treating the Zip faithful as a bunch of idiots who believe everything you say. End of rant.

Very encouraging. I'd love to see more development on Exchange in this style of architecture. I've always felt a Panera would be perfect for opposite Jackson Field. I hear the franchise fee to open one is very steep. My daughter goes to OSU and the Panera on Lane Avenue, opposite St. John Arena is packed from morning to closing. Regardless, more restaurants are needed on Exchange.

Bottom Line is he got more money, more resources, a greater commitment to soccer and worse weather. WMU does not care about taking its soccer program to a higher level. That also is generally true of WMU athletics. They are quite happy to be a middle of the road MAC program. Good God, I hope the Zips never settle for that.

Trapp, and possibly other Zips, but especially Trapp, are making a mistake. Signing with the Crew is a dead end as long as Warzycha is the coach, Brian Bliss is the technical director and McCulloughs is the President. None of those three know how to develop talent. Just ask Ben Speas or Kurt Grossman, two great talents who are buried on the bench. In the coaching circles I move in Warzycha is considered one dimensional and incapable of handling the creative aspects of the game. Bliss has yet to develop any local talent and has seriously misjudged international talent. McCulloughs is a former stadium manager who does not know soccer or marketing. His main asset is he keeps things running smooth so owner Clark Hunt and Hunt Sports Group can make money elsewhere. They have no plan to invest in the Crew. I live in Columbus and the Crew is slipping in sature every year in MLS. It is not a good place for a young talent, who needs nurturing, to start a career. Trapp and Serna and Yedlin would be better off staying another year. At least Gallego will be under Porter's wing. That's a good thing.

Sarge, So what did TW say he would do? He must have made some comment. What was his reaction to the #5 seed?

I also am shocked. His team did not get any better and lost several games they should have won. Worst of all the team is split on his coming back. He lost far too many to be given the job permanently.

Did we beat out the Akron club football team? I hear they are coming back and Anthony was to be their first recruit.