Spin

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.

I haven't been posting layely as much as I was in the past, or going to as many games. I know some will say I'm not a "true fan", that doesn't bother me. I have a lot of ways of spending my leisure time, I prefer not to spend it all pissed off. We should have won a lot more games than we have the past few years. But, SSDD. Hope you come back GP, agree or disagree our discussions and arguments always made me think. I'm gonna miss that. Best of luck to ya.

C-USA makes sense for football and maybe basketball and soccer. But what about the other sports? Would it pay off enough to cover transportation of track, volleyball, softball etc to El Paso and San Antonio and Florida compared to Kalamazoo and DeKalb? OTOH couldn't the baseball and softball teams play a lot of ther conference away games in March when it's warm in the bottom half of the conference?

Everyone's sidestepping the issue of being able to tailgate with other people and attacking the smaller point of the cost to park away from other tailgaters. Myself I've never tailgated at the Info because of that. I can barbeque and play lawn games with the boys at home and not have to drag all that shit around. Or in a park. Either is better than doing it in an empty parking lot.

For a new arena???

And look at all that floor space

As I've said several times, nobody has asked me. Has anyone else been asked? If they won't ask, I won't volunteer...

How many peeps are there? ESPN3 isn't showing the home 'stands.

UMass took apart Can't State.

Not to mention the best in those countries will continue to play here in our major leagues. And coaches (reference the Cavs). They are minor leagues to the North American franchises.

Seriously??? Do you really think Maccabi Tel Aviv belongs on the same court as the San Antonio Spurs??? Or Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles should play in the World Series??? And the Super Bowl should have included the Saskatchewan Rough Riders??? I've seen a LOT of hyperbole in this thread but this is downright hilarious.

Wait, is this a replay of 2011?

Well we didn't get skunked...

I don't see how that first quearter could have gone any worse. We let Marshall run up 200 fricken yards in one quarter. Penn State would eat Marshall for lunch.

Apparently Can't State is out.