Spin

I hear a lot of TW backers ask "what has he done to warrant losing his job?" but I don'thear anybody answering the question "What has he done to keep it?" First we need a definition of what an AD does. I found this "No matter which level, athletic directors oversee all aspects of an athletic program, including hiring coaches, scheduling, budget preparation, promotion, and facility management." at http://sportscareers.about.com/od/careerpaths/a/ADprofile.htm Pretty thorough definition. So let's look at that for a minute. Hiring coaches. iCoach was a disaster. no doubt. Firing him over his cell phone while he was driving to his mother's funeral was just plain disgusting. Many times worse than hiring him in the first place IMO. He lost Caleb (probably more to do with MLS economics than TW's management. Then again, if he fired Ron during that moment in his life, how easy could he be to work for?). He hired Bowden, a move that's still up in the air. Does he get the credit for that, or does The Vest?. He did bring in Coach Rembielak, that's a plus, even if that program is still treated as an intramural PIA. Scheduling. The football scheduling has improved (faster than the team has), but the basketball non-con is still horrible. Something that's well documented in this forum. Budgeting, we don't really know about that, being on the outside. If he returns money at the end of the FY instead of spending it on upgrades and marketing, that might make him bullet proof to the money people. Promotion. Facility Management. I brought this up in another topic http://zipsnation.org/forums/topic/32822-2015-baseball-preview/page-2#entry238844 Come on, how much would it really cost to upgrade that ballpark? Read the review in the last link, and the reply. Is that what you want to read about your university? Granted Zips baseball isn't popular, but how could it be? Overall I don;'tthink he's done crap. Despite the fact he was too far above me to say "Hi" or even nod when I spoke to him walking by, if he did his job worth a crap I wouldn't mind.

Ask the players...

That is a beautiful stadium. Great atmosphere too. The April 10th date will make for a nice doubleheader with baseball (vs NIU at 3pm). I'm thinking Penn Station for dinner in between.

I don't think the attendance at softball games are a whole lot better than baseball, yet compare the ballparks. I wonder if softball moms are on a whole different level of "whining" than baseball moms. It's gotta be tough to recruit ball players to that hole. Look what we're competing against... http://scolinssportsvenuesvisited.blogspot.com/2011/05/79-Can't-state-university-olga-mural.html http://www.ohiobobcats.com/facilities/wren-stadium.html http://www.stadiumsusa.com/stadium/mckie-field-at-hayden-park-45056/MU+RedHawks http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/scott-park-field-s1176/images http://www.ysusports.com/information/facilities/eastwood_field And then theres... http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/lee-r-jackson-field-s1975/ think small be small

Disappointing loss, but considering all the crap going on off the court, it was incredible what they accomplished with all they were up against. And at least we took K.E.N.T with us.

The audio stream has been down all night, been "watching" it on the stat tracker.

On a sidenote, Tuesday's game will be on ESPN3.

THAT'S the spirit!!!

So, despite the examples of other area venues that saw drastic attendance increases, we still don't want a new arena because attendance might not increase... Ignoring the need for basic creature comforts, easier access, better concessions/team stores/restroom facilities, and the community college impression of the university let's be happy with putting some lipstick on the gym that's smaller than many Division I practice facilities. This is all "we" want Zips basketball to be, I'll shut up now.

The other night on the news they showed footage of the Buckeyes, Flashes, and Zips basketball games. The Buckeyes and Flashes shots looked professional, HD, as good as NFL highlights. The Zips footage looked like it was taken with a VHS camera from the rafters, you couldn't even read the numbers on their backs. The view, of course, highlighted the poor design of the JAR, it looked like a high school basketball game from 1982. Sorry, putting lipstick on that pig is not going to make it look Division I. Watching those highlights is as painful as sitting in the JAR. Wayne College has better AV equipment in their gym. In class we learned about having vision and setting goals and working toward them. Be forward thinking. And that has helped me tremendously in my career. If only the athletics department and Zips fans were on board.

I understand that line of thinking, and if that's the direction the University wants to go, I'm fine with that. After what they've done for the soccer program and the football program, that would be a hell of a flip flop. But if that's all the U and the alimni wants to be, with tOSU eating our lunch everyday and selling T-shirts to our students and tickets to our area college basketball fan base, so be it. Just don't pretend. I enjoy going to a few minor league baseball games every year. I'm not going to follow them like I do the Tribe, but it's a good time. That's how I feel about a program that's just happy to be where the Zips are.

Too bad that's the last time they did that.

If you want to see real growth then you have to look past the Zips basketball fans who are alumni. You need to look at the local sports fan. College basketball is bigger and much more mainstream than AA baseball, indoor soccer and arena football, so there's no reason with a suitable facility and good marketing, college basketball should do AT LEAST as good as those niche sports.

You never replied to the half-dozen examples I gave before.

I keep hearing the Info called an "albatross" and a "bottomless pit" from jealous non-football fans. When the decision to build the stadium was made, factoring in the naming rights and other sources of income, it cost less than repairing the foundation of the Rubber Blow and refurb'ing to a somewhat inhabitable state. And I wonder why anybody wouldn't want the same thing for basketball??? I know baseball fans and hockey who are jealous of the softbal stadium (and soccer stadium, and football stadium) but none of them would argue against having a Division I (or even a Division 2) facility.

What sort of numbers are you looking for, for a college soccer team in the rust belt? I can't find any data on what we should expect. There are hotbeds of college soccer, and there are athletic departments that know their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to advertising. Outside that, I'm not sure we should be disappointed at 1,800.

Apples to oranges. I bet if we built a basketball arena and the team had 6 winning seasons in its 28 years in D1, and was 3-23 every year, nobody would waste their time and money going to their games either. Summit County broke attendance records in indoor freakin' soccer and minor league baseball. Imagine what a college basketball program could do with modern marketing and a modern facility. Or continue to think small, be small. Do you want to be Division 1 (and act like it) or not???

Why doesn't the basketball program play against schools that have famous football programs and vice versa? I always thought the name recognition would draw eyes when we beat them. For example, Auburn, FSU, Boise State, and Oregon in basketball.

I don't think that matters as much as you do. Less people are paying attention to local media outlets. Akron Soccer attendance during the good years is a perfect example, and the Aeros attendance records. And I remember when indoor soccer drew 18,000+ to the Big House on the Prarie and the media (especially the sports media) absolutely HATED indoor soccer. They kind of warmed up later to the Crunch, about the same time we had arena football, but it was still nothing compared to the big three. And they packed the Convo for playoff games. Tons of examples of big crowds at events that the media didn't cover. All I hear are excuses. Nobody wants to look at other local examples.

I'm really starting to think it's a waste of time to post an opposing view on this forum. If you can't objectively look at what others have said, there is no conversation.

I am too. If nobody's going to look for ways to get a new arena, might as well polish the turd some more.

Several of us on this forum have said we would attend a lot more games if we had a comfortable place to go. Just like when the Lil Indians moved from Thurmon Munson Rec League Softball Field to Canal Park. I'm still waiting for someone to explain how that wouldn't work here. A few months back a couple of us brought up that the athletic department would be further ahead playing at a different level. Everyone else went bat shit crazy that we have to be big time, Division I, Bowl Championship freakin' Series or bust baby!!! Yet you're satisfied with a gym smaller and less accessible/comfortable/useable than a modern high school gymnasium.

It's not just the fact the "minor" offenders are going free ("minor crime" is better defined as what happens to someone else) it's the message you're sending. Sure, go smash-and-grab shit out of skip's car, or sell drugs on a playground. We'll sentence you to jail, but you won't have to go. The arena should have been better hidden in a better issue. Fire and EMS levies are usually successful. School levies are the worst to get through. I strongly believe taxpayers should build an arena for Zips basketball. And for any other team that wants to make a go of it. We did it for a privately owned minor league baseball team. So did Niles, Avon, Eastlake... Hell I think tax payers should build a local NASCAR/IndyCar track. That's my sport and most of my friends. Why should football fans get all the taxpayer money? The arena levy should have been attempted long ago when times were good. And IMO the U should not have to cover any losses of the facility. But that's just my opinion. YMMV.

Now all the idiots who didn't want to increase the capacity of the jail get to watch a bunch of the inmates walk. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/summit-county-jail-inmates-will-be-released-in-january-1.552120 Arena or no arena the county residents got what they deserve.

I don't think the majority of the students realize we have a football program, or only remember the really crappy teams we had. My wife has several cousins who go there and during an outing me and my son left to go to a Zips game and they all asked why? The male, a sports fan, said he went to the first game at the Info, but the team is so bad there's no reason to go there even for free. That is where we are.