Spin

Who enters campus this way??? Doesn't everyone walk on from dorms, or parking decks? Or crossing the tracks in the old Union Station from downtown? Complete waste of money and valuable land. Which is exactly why this ass hat will do it.

Dang. If that's the talent the U is putting out, we're in a lot more trouble than I thought.

You know that's how the media (especially the BJ) will play it up.

And the next unpopular move, http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ua-to-close-last-remaining-stores-inside-quaker-square-general-store-and-newsstand-comics-1.617164 Quaker Square 1975-2015

Not sure about this hire. But then again, he doesn't have far to go to be better than his predecessor.

When was there ever good marketing? Acme/Zip maybe. I've seen 18,000+ at off-the-wall (pun intended) sports in Summit County and Cleveland. I've seen the Aeros set attendance records. Marketing is the first step. And given the current climate at UA, will probably never be addressed. We were among the thousands of fans who drove to the Little House on the Prairie in a snowstorm to watch soccer on a hockey rink. Or as Pete Franklin called it "Human Pinball". And to watch football on a hockey rink. Using good basketball in a lousy arena vs. lousy football in a good arena doesn't change that fact.

I've been out to eat three times since the announcement, and all three restaurants had Zips baseball jerseys on the wall. There's no point (like most of my posts lol) just sayin'. I wonder if there's a way to buy one off the U, since they don't need them anymore.

I'm afraid this position is poisonous because of all the crap going on, and the sudden dumping of one of the sports. Even as a fan it's hard to be optimistic of the future.

Understood, but everyone on here keeps throwing up "attendance". as the only factor. I could discuss Scar's excuses, but who here cares? In the end this is a forum for three Zips sports. There are other places to discuss the rest.

So, when did the purpose of college athletics change from building healthier better-rounded adults to being an important entertainment medium for everyone else? When we were shoved into Division I? And I'l, ask again, why aren't Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Rifle, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, and Men's and Women's Track & Field held under the same standard? Why is nobody on this forum calling for the end of these money wastes? Students and taxpayers are subsidizing these sports (as well as the "revenue producing" sports). Unless those questions are answered, then all this anti-baseball chatter is baseless opinion.

Shap and Alto successfully corrected four of their mistakes by dumping $45 million from the payroll that netted 17 home runs this year. Next up, Santana ($6.2 million for .225 and 11 HR). Once their done cleaning up their disaster, they need to be fired and replaced by someone who can find power hitters in free agency and know the amateur draft from a hole in their head. In the meantime, it's a lot of fun watching Lonnie Chisenhall (our five year failed project at 3B) floundering around right field like a 50 year old beer league softball player.

I don't think it's necessarily they're writing the negative ABOUT UA, it's more this guy comes in from out of town and doesn't understand how important these things are that he's taking away. They don't understand (or don't care, pandering to public perception and trying to sell papers/hits) that the board is making, or at least helping decide on these cuts. Or that it was the beloved Luis who got the univ into this mess. Or that the beloved Tress was a VP at the time, charged with increasing contributions, and seemingly failing.

I was good at that sport back in the day...

I liked its Facebook page. Along with 750 other people at the moment. This shit storm is going to get worse before it gets better. If the Prez wanted to garner more attention to the University, he accomplished that.

So now we're back to the tired argument that a college team HAS to draw fans and HAS to make money. While only 6 of the 18 sports even sells tickets and none break even. How many of those 18 sports draw as many fans as baseball? Or club hockey for that matter? Why isn't golf or rifle or swimming or track or the rest held to the same standard? If tennis or cross country were cut, how much opposition would that create, besides the affected student athletes?

I'm facing that decision already with the ball team. Dumping or downgrading football would certainly be the last straw...

http://www.savezipsbaseball.com/ http://www.gofundme.com/zfte69s https://twitter.com/hashtag/savezipsbaseball https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Akron-baseball-program-since-1879/1450842635221049?fref=ts

Antiquated yes, but still the best source of local high school, college, and (maybe to a lesser degree) pro sports news and talk. They also stream, but if you're at the game the delay will drive you nuts. They don't podcast, I've brought that up several times. The audio quality isn't on par with satelite radio or streaming, or even FM radio (although unlike FM you can still follow a weak signal, which is why aviation still uses AM). But you're not going to get the local content or news from the Cleveland or satelite stations.

Under Wistercill's watch the Zips would have been outside the Top 25 in the FCS (according to Jeff Sagarin), and the attendance was just about FCS average. This season will go a long way to climb out of that funk. Personally I trust Phil Steele and used his guides exclusively when I was covering the MAC for sports websites. He has Akron listed #2 on his list of most improved programs in all of FBS, and predicts the Zips will play in a bowl game and the BG game will determine the East Div champion. The OT is about Spin worrying about the state coming down on all money losing FBS programs forcing them to go FCS. Others brought up good points on why that will never happen, and Scar himself has said he sees the value of a competitive FBS football program in the image of the university, including prospective students. Nobody here is advocating dropping down, especially me, I was just concerned the choice might not be ours. BTW what's the dig with AM radio? Do we have a broadcaster on FM radio? I do like Joe's radio show, nobody else covers the MAC or the Suburban League. I just don't buy into the FCS thing, we have too much potential with TB and a real AD.

OK so what big name acts were there that played in that time period? I got the shirts, the schedules, saw the ads plastered everywhere, and don't remember any big names on the order of those the place hosted 20-30 years ago. You don't have to go to the JAR to see there was nobody there to see. Now I did see a lot of classmates wearing concert tees from the Q, Blossom, Jacobs Pavilion, Hard Rock, HOB, etc. What the hell does baseball have to do with a concert venue/playhouse? If you want to compare apples to apples, let me know.

Just out of curiosity, those who talk about the big shows that students couldn't get tickets for, when was that? because I attended main campus between 2010-12 and never witnessed that. They were giving away T-shirts and crap to try to get people to show up for whatever was there. Five years at the U full time, and I would have never been within a quarter mile of that building if my wife hadn't talked me into attending graduation.

So, because Akron has a AA baseball team, the college can't have baseball too? But but but, Cleveland State has basketball. And the Cavs are a few blocks away!!!! The Buckeyes have hockey and soccer, even while Cbus has the Blue Jackets and the Crew. Akron has a bowling alley or two, and a bunch of theaters. Guess we gotta tear down the Union...

IIRC they listed both.

I can personally attest to the low 4 year graduation rate, as it took my five years to complete my four year degree because there was no Into to Statistics class available. At Wayne, main, Polsky, Medina, nowhere. That cost me a lot. And this is a course that lends itself to web-based learning, as most/all work is done in Excel. Of course in my career I have used Statistics exactly 0 times. Basic Algebra would be a lot more beneficial to the 99.9999% of BSN's who never go into nursing research during their career. But this is the kind of stupid shit that leads to longer graduation times, transfers to other schools to avoid the extra $thousands and a year (or more) of career time spent in the classroom. Indifferent advisors don't help.

The difference being is the Info was built to replace an old decrepit facility used by student-athletes and student-fans as a recreational activity. Like the Rec or the theater. The EJT is an old decrepit facility used primarily by the community as a playhouse and (to a much lesser extent than in the past) concert venue. A vast majority of college students don't use it as such in today's world. Until graduation day. SS also sees the value of the football program in marketing and garnering attention of prospective students. The EJT must have been a major money loser, judging by the lack of renovations, and it being an early cut.