Spin

I was at the Aeros game last night. Hudson Little League brought about 300 people. The Norton Band brought about 200 people. And there were probably about 150 random people milling about. If you took away the freebie tickets, the Aeros would have drawn about 150 people on a beautiful June night. I can't look at one game, on a week night, middle of a 6 game home stand, 71 home games, and say this region will not support a quality football program. Summit County had the only profitable indoor soccer franchise, there were SRO nights. The Aeros draw extremely well. NEOhio broke Arena Football attendance records. We had 400+ straight sell-outs at the Jake. You put a good product on the field, sell it right, people will come. Lots of them. If these people will pay to see the Wichita Wings, New Brittain Rock Cats, or Grand Rapids Rampage, you don't need BCS opponents to draw in fans to see a quality team. In the Rubber Bowl, that would have been a tough sell. In the Info? It's just what we needed for a venue. Which is the jist of the message I was answering in the first place...

I agree with your first point. If we had any hope of being a power one day wayyyy down the road, this puts the skids to that. I disagree with your second point though. IMO a winning exciting team properly marketed would sell BIG TIME in this area. It doesn't matter who we play. Reference the Akron Aeros. Plus, the Zips play football and we know what football means in this area. If the Aeros can play Altoona and New Brittain and rank among the top minor league clubs in attendance, a well run football program could do it too. But when you have UA marketing, and the results and sideshows we had last year, fuggetaboutit.

Yeah thanks for the info. Got my DVR set in case I don't make it back home in time.

LeGone's supporting staff was so great, Danny Ferry just hit the bricks...

Do you think Jacquemain makes the cover?

I hated the CC trade and the Cliff Lee trade when it happened. But the Tribe couldn't resign them. They already have too much payroll going to poorly performing veterans. We thought CC was a good maybe great regular season pitcher who folds in the big post-season game. And he's proven that in New York. We have enough of those in Cleveland already right next door. Reference anyone not wearing "23"... Cliff Lee is average, 7 wins on a World Series team. Serviceable, but not worth the $$ he got from one good year. Philly didn't think so either, they shipped him to Seattle. I'm not abandoning the Tribe just yet. I understand how small market baseball works. You need expert talent evaluation, reference the Rays. And a lot of luck. It's not as much fun as the cap sports, but when they win, it will be that much better. I'm a lifelong racing fan, and was a big NASCAR fan, but they're recent changes, and the IndyCar series having a true management for the first time in decades, has me watching more and more IZOD IndyCar and less NASCAR...

It's business, you EARN based on what you bring in. I have more training than my partner, my rig can take more serious calls because I'm there. I EARN more than he does. You sign LeBron, you sell more tickets, you sell more parking spaces, you sell more nachos. He earned his max contract. He's worth a lot more than that, but the CBA says what he gets. Aerosmith sold out every arena they played in about 6 years ago? They got $100,000 per night. They earned every penny of it, and made promoters rich. If 20,000 people are willing to pay $100 each to watch you scream, you earned what you got. If your scream is weak one night, your name still drew the fans. The money people don't give refunds for bad nights. No, according to your logic, Darko has EARNED more than LeBron because he has a ring. Never mind the fact that he did NOTHING for it, and LeBron was the only player doing EVERYTHING to try to get one. If you knew the first thing about NBA basketball, you would know the real difference between LBJ/Charles/Mailman and Magic/Bird/Jordan is supporting cast. What did Michael do for Chicago before they got Pippen and Rodman? What did Kobe do for the Lakers after Shaq left and before Gasol arrived? What did the Celtics do in the regular season with Garnett out? I agree LeBron choked. He choked on Jamison's bricks and Mo's disappearing acts and Brownie's complete lack of adjustments. Not to mention benching players right after they do a monster play. Or getting 3 fouls. The supporting cast was not good enough. Ferry has been here five years, has made several trades and signings, and still hasn't figured out how to get a point guard here. Roker couldn't coach his way out of a wet bag. And he lost the team. LeBron choked his way to a triple double, huh? I'll have what you're smoking. If you get your way, the only choking you have to worry about next year is yourself when you see the Delonte West led Cavs...

I've already heard the transcript read to me several times. It's a shame the Tribe is so stinking bad. This area needs something else to talk about besides The Saviahh. Talk radio is comlpetely unlistenable.

It's an entertainment business. He HAS earned everything he's got. He sells more tickets, more shoes, more sweatbands, more T-shirts. Sponsors pay more dollars when a network shows his game. The Cavs are worth at least ten times as much with him on the roster. He makes other people rich, he should get his too. When Barbara Streisand signs at a concert and the tickets are over $200 each, she EARNED every penny of what she makes. It doesn't matter whether she is at her best, or the band wins a grammy. Her presence makes other people rich, she should get hers too. By your thinking, Darko Miličić should be in the hall of fame instead of Karl Malone. Shandon Anderson should replace Charles Barkley. They got the rings... Speaking of Darko, don't forget the fact that without LeBron, there is no NBA basketball in Cleveland.

Good question. If the Big Ten expansion causes the Big East or another conference to raid the MAC for a program or two, who is a worthy replacement?

The bars, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, etc in that area cannot stay open year round if all they have is basically 5 months of baseball crowds to sell to. The arena needs far less workers for small crowds. For AHL games they curtain off entire levels. Sporting goods stores would take a hit. Gas stations along the highways leading to Cleveland. The airport. We're not only talking about the 20,000 fans per night at those 50+ games per year, we also look at a huge influx of media. Sometimes there are more media reps at the games than the number of paying fans who showed up for some of the Stepien Cavs games. He is responsible for literally millions of dollars flowing into the local economy. He makes other people wealthy and generates jobs. He earns every penny he makes.

IMO unless they get Bosh in a sign-and-trade, LeBron is LeGone. Or a real point guard. I hope I'm wrong.

I understand the economic impact, emotional impact that him leaving would cause. But do we really need to desecrate the U and our stadium for this kind of crap? This will go over about as well as that song/video they made in Cleveland. We're a friggen joke to the rest of the sports world. And the U is trying to become part of it.

What else would you expect in northeast Ohio?

If this is a double post, I apologize. AKRON - After being invited to rookie mini camps on a tryout basis, University of Akron football players Deryn Bowser and Andre Jones have signed free agent contracts with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. Bowser, who has been assigned #10, and Jones, who has been assigned #32, officially signed one-year contracts on May 17. Jones will be attempting to make the team as a cornerback/special teams player. For a complete list of current Zips in the NFL, CLICK HERE. Playing professionally in the CFL are Dennis Kennedy (#32 Edmonton Eskimoes), Jabari Arthur (#88 Winnipeg Blue Bombers) and Jermaine Reid (#99 Hamilton Tiger-Cats). Bowser, who missed the final six games of his senior season (2009) due to injury, still lead the team with five touchdown receptions and ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 21, while his 307 receiving yards ranked third on the squad. Bowser was on pace for an impressive season prior to a season-ending injury during the Buffalo game in week six. He caught the Zips' lone score at Penn State to open the season, then, in week two, made his mark in Akron history by scoring the firs touchdown in InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field history. Bowser would go on to score twice more in the 41-0 victory while hauling in a total of eight passes for 86 yards. The Los Angeles native was a third team All-Mid-American Conference pick in 2008, catching 64 passes - which ranks sixth on the UA single-season list - for 785 yards and four scores. He ranked sixth in the MAC and 60th in the NCAA in receiving yards per game (65.42), while ranking eighth in the league and 46th in the nation in receptions per game (5.33). Bowser was named MAC East Player of the Week, catching five passes for 7 yards and making one of the more dramatic catches in Wagon Wheel history. Down four with a minute-and-a-half to play and the Zips' facing 4th-and-11, Bowser elevated to make a highlight reel touchdown reception to put Akron up three - a game the Zips would win in overtime. In one-and-a-half seasons at Akron, Bowser had 85 career receptions, to rank 17th on the UA all-time list - for 1,092 yards with nine TDs. Jones, one of the most versatile athletes in college football over his career, will first attempt to make the Chiefs playing corner back. In his career, Jones started at both safety spots, both corner back spots and wide receiver, while playing quarterback in the "wildcat" as well as being one of the nation's most dangerous punt and kick returners. In one game alone at Syracuse this past fall, Jones started at receiver, played corner back, played quarterback and served on the special teams. In his career, Jones scored by fumble recovery (64-yard strip and return), by reception, by rushing and by kick return. Despite playing just half of his senior season (2009) at wide receiver, Jones still tied for the team lead in touchdowns (5), led the team in receiving yards (553) and ranked second on the squad in receptions (33). He caught four TD passes and rushed for one, that coming at quarterback in the Zips win over Can't State. He was named third team All-MAC at wide receiver by Phil Steele Magazine. He had two games with over 100 yards receiving yards, a career-high 154 on six catches at Northern Illinois and 114 on eight receptions at Bowling Green. And, despite playing just six games on defense, Jones still ranked 15th on the team in tackles with 21. As a junior, Jones' first season at wideout, he was named third team All-MAC by the league's coaches catching 47 passes - 15th on the UA single-season list - for 678 yards, playing just 10 games at receiver. He led the Zips and ranked third in the MAC with seven TD receptions. He was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week for getting five receptions for 100 yards and a score in a win at Army. His first two years at Akron was spent on the defensive side, where he ranked no lower than fourth on the team in tackles. Also, he led the MAC and ranked 11th in the NCAA in punt returns in 2007, averaging 14.5 per attempt (16 attempts for 232 yards). Also that season, he did not have enough attempts to rank among the NCAA nor MAC leaders, but averaged 32.8 yards on his nine returns. One of his returns has gone down as one of the greatest in school history as he took a lateral from Alphonso Owen as part of an 89-yard, game-winning free kick return at Western Michigan (39-38). For his career, Jones caught 80 passes for 1,231 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 games at wide receiver. On defense, in 28 games at safety and corner, Jones registered 184 tackles, including 4.5 for losses and one sack, with seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. On special teams, Jones returned 36 career punts for 348 yards (9.7 avg.) and 29 career kicks for 686 yards (23.7 avg.). In 10 rushing attempts, Jones gained 85 yards for an average of 8.5 yards per carry.

just watch and learn...

Would you rather compare World Cup to Baseball World Classic numbers?

Soccer and baseball are very similar when you think about it. If you just take a glance, both look like there's nothing going on. Both are relatively low scoring in NFL/NBA land. If you look a little deeper, you see an incredible amo9unt of strategy and decision making going into every play. Every pitch. Every swing or take. Every dribble. Every pass. In both the defense sets up depending on the opponent and the situation. Soccer even has different formations depending on the situation. The kicker (no pun intended) is if you ever stepped into a set of soccer cleats, went out on a field, and played a full 90 minutes, you would see what sets soccer apart from any other sport. Science tells us it's the most physically demanding sport in the world. You have to look past your prejudices that have been socialized into you, find a team you have a "rooting interest" in, and let yourself get drawn in. Then you will understand.

Don't kid yourself. I bet the WC draws better ratings in the US than any of the baseball games on TV during that time.

I think the problem is we recruit locally for several reasons (budget, warm weather schools). Locally players are drawn away from baseball. Peer pressure. The football head coach gets ahold of them and calls them names if they play baseball instead of lifting. It's just where the emphasis is in this part of the country. High school football games on TV, on the 11:00 news, front page of the paper. Meanwhile in a school like Wadsworth, we have a great ball team, put all 8 seniors into college, and nobody talks about them. It's all about the underachieving football team. The state champ wrestlers feel their pain, trust me. We're recruiting for baseball players in a football culture. And I question the recruiting when none of the 8 Wadsworth players came to Akron. A couple went to Can't State and another YSU IIRC.

You only get better by playing someone better than you. And, if you do beat a Michigan or an Illinois, it makes your whole season. Players who wanted to go to those schools and play well against them can walk with their head held high the rest of their lives. You get on TV, your school gets it's commercials out to the whole country. It puts you on the map, especially if you don't embarass yourselves (like holding tOSU to 3 first half points a coulpe years ago). It's a good way to get on the map.

Anyone know when it will be closed?

Ya cuz that rivalry philosophy is absolutely KILLING tOSU...

At first I thought it was funny. But then I thought, well, it is Delonte...

To maintain the attendance standard, they count each fan twice. Once in the area outside the stadium, and then when they go in. The count the cheerleaders too, and the players, the band, the announcers, people in cars driving by. That was sarcasm, in case anyone wondered. They don't count people in cars. Do they?