akzipper
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Posts posted by akzipper
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Good post. I heard a story last night on the Charlotte news that the Panthers are looking into selling BofA Stadium to the City of Charlotte just to get out from having to maintain the stadium. In exchange for the City of Charlotte pouring millions of taxpayers dollars into the stadium for renovation (they were interviewing a woman on the streets of Charlotte who looked like wino and she explained the importance of the stadium to the City of Charlotte...it was one of the more laughable things I have ever seen on local news. Who needs Comedy Central when you can watch the local news?), the Panthers would sign a long term lease to remain in the City.
Maybe I'm remembering the story wrong, but weren't some of the new UA residence halls financed in a similar way? They partnered with a private organization to build them, but UA owns the lease?
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No reason to waste time and money? Don't tell an athletic director that.
Actually, if UofA had to take out a loan for the $102 million, it would be a lot more than $6 million a year over the 17 years. It doesn't matter though. Just ask any athletic director. Money grows on trees for them and just throw more money on top of student fees. Hell, there is enough money out there to make any resume look good.
The $102 million is what FirstEnergy paid for the naming rights for Browns Stadium and the lease is over a 17 year period. I wasn't suggesting that UA build an arena costing that much, nor saying a company would pay UA that much. That's not realistic for us. I expect if an arena is ever build it will cost less than the $60 million Infocision.
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I still like the NKU arena. No way would we do 3800, I think that number has very likely been misinterpreted.
Probably something like this...
Option one 7000-7500 - 64 million
Option two 3800 in addition (meaning 10,800-11,300) an additional 44 million ($108 million)
Option three changing JAR to all chairbacks and renovations to cut corners (Likely in the same 44-64 million area but only nets 1000 extra seats). Somebody probably heard 3800 and cutting corners and put two and two together.
As far as money is concerned let's not forget UPA also plays a major role in this, and yes FirstEnergy just gave Haslam $102 million for naming rights but there is always Gojo, Goodyear, Firestone, First Merit, and several Cleveland companies and Flying J (Haslam now owes the Akron area a favor).
Hopefully it was some sort of misunderstanding like this. Cutting corners is what got us stuck with the JAR to begin with. If they can't build it right this time, there's no reason to waste anyone's time. The $102 million is over 17 years, so it ends up being $6 million a year. Also, FirstEnergy hold the naming rights to 3 other stadiums, including UA's soccer field. It's tough to guess which companies would be interested. I will say that we can rule out Lebron James.
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Tom Wistrcill says this 3,800 seat arena is someone's pipe dream. No such consideration exists. The AD assured me this
morning that such a number has never been mentioned in any meeting he was part of. The real seating capacity being
discussed is 7,000 to 7,500.
Since nearly getting run out of town on a rail for the Rob Ianello screw up, Wistrcill has steadily improved his performance
as Athletic Director. The Ianello affair nearly killed his career. Tom has learned from that experience and it shows.
He assured me that there is NO thirty-eight hundred seat arena in the Zips plans.
I cannot but wonder if this isn't more of the work of the forces opposed to Keith Dambrot. Tom Wistrcill is a Dambrot supporter.
Well hopefully you are correct. I think the 7,500 range is perfectly acceptable especially when hearing 3000 mentioned. Would be one of the top-5 arenas in the MAC size-wise. I've always supported TW, except for the Ianello hiring. His legacy at UA to me rests on the future. The arena, conference realignment, Bowden, keeping Dambrot and the new soccer coach.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but I really like Northern Kentucky's arena. Build for $64 million and seats 9,400.
It has a great combination of chairbacks and bleachers, "big-time" feel, and most importantly suites close to the action. The bleachers located at the left would be a great place for the Rowdies.
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Coastal Carolina built a 3,600 seat arena for their team. They beat us this year.
Build a stadium that can be filled every game, not for one or two high capacity games a year. Empty seats look terrible.
Yeah, this would be an embarrassment.
You do realize that our Exhibition games almost draw 3,000 right?
Coastal Carolina is a school of only about 8,000 from the Big South Conf., in a City of only 16,000. You can't compare that to Akron, even if we did lose a fluke game to them this year.
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That was the definition of playing while disinterested. The players just weren't there, mentally.
I feel like this has been the case for the past few games. Very uninspired basketball. Historically though, teams will "look past" games like this. Weak opponent at home when rival Can't is on Saturday. I really hope that is all, and they can play strong next game!
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So am I to believe we're all in agreement that 3,800 seats is laughable at best, embarrassing at worst?
Anything under 5,000 to me is embarrassing, just because the JAR holds 5,500 and we are becoming a successful program.
The Stroh Center is a perfect example of what NOT to do, yet that "proposal" is actually worse than the Stroh.
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They need to come out with some concrete designs and release them to the public. How do they expect to get any money if nobody is even aware of the plans. Showing a rendering of a nice arena, with a decent amount of seating would impress people. When people are impressed they will be willing to put money forward. 3000 doesn't even sound realistic. We have been the best MAC program over the past 6-7 years, and have potential to get even bigger. Why would UA want to mess with that. Football is awful, soccer is on the decline, and basketball is all we have left. Even tonight with freaking Ball State in town, we had over 3,000. Anything under 6,000 would be pointless. Why build a new arena if it's not going to be an improvement?? dumb. This isn't football where you can expand seating if needed. Once you build an area, you are STUCK.
Someone mentioned the OVC? Average arena size in that conference is 7-8,000. Anything under 4 is pushing Division 2 status.
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However, to play your little game, closing off a few seats would force those 12 people who usually sit there to sit in the other seats, making the gym look more crowded. If people come for the first time and the place looks empty, that's one more reason for them not to come back.
The gist of my post was that if you're going to do something to try to draw in more people to one particular game, consider doing more things at that particular game to improve the gameday experience.
It's more embarrassing to see seats closed off than empty seats. That's UA saying, "well no one is going to sit there, so why bother". The inflatables don't add anything to the game, because people should be going to watch the Zips.
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I like this idea for most games (except Can't/OU at least). I know they do this at some D-league games. I hate it as a basketball fan, but it seems like the kids/families really enjoy it!
I think that right there is a reason why we should not do this. These are college sports, not minor leagues. We shouldn't have to rely on cheesy gimmicks like that to get people to the games. Football is one thing, since UA is encouraging fans to show up early and tailgate. But during basketball games it just gets annoying and defeats the purpose of those families attending games.
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If they think the bobbleheads will draw more people in to that game, then they need to make the gameday experience, at least for that day, a good one. Close up the end zone seats on the south side where no-one sits anyway and put up the kid bouncer. maybe have people there doing free face painting, etc. Have extra people working the concessions. Maybe even run some concession specials. Give those extra people a reason to want to come back beyond just the basketball (if basketball was all they wanted, they'd be coming already).
Draw more people to the game, by closing off seats?? That doesn't make any sense.
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Why wait that long?
We are in good shape going forward.
That's what people always say...then the new season starts and we're watching another 1-win football team.
Nothing about this team makes me think any differently
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"Send it in, Jerome!"
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This is an early concept drawing by UPA for the University Square project at Exchange and Brown Sts. Note that these early drawing shows Manny's and The Odd Corner remaning in place. Note the baseball practice facility at the south end of the project where the old women's stadium (Buchtel Field) is today.
Wow that is impressive. But with most early drawings, it's tough to really know what the finished area will look like. I heard that the Odd Corner was going to be forced to move yet again. Not sure how much truth to that, but maybe they can offer them one of the small storefronts in the new buildings.
Basically it looks like these building will take up the area between Brown and King St. Meaning the building on the far right is the first development being built between King and Sumner? Sure wish I was still at UA to see all of this being built. Exchange Street is really going to be an awesome place (never thought I'd ever say that). Just hope it becomes the "place to be" on Saturday gamedays!
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There isn't much to get excited about next years team. Is it possible to be worse? We are losing a lot of players, and not adding anything special.
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Some nice former Zips bobble heads suggestions on here.
We could go to other sports, too ... Jason Taylor, Domenik Hixon, Chase Balckburn, Dwight Smith, Teal Bunbury, Darlington Nagbe, Steve Zakuani, Christi Smith, Jenna Compton, Stevi Large ...
All of those are okay if you are a diehard Zips fan. If not, I highly doubt a casual fan would recognize any of those names. And like I said how many of those athletes have multi-million dollar foundations/sponsors to work with? Other than JT, none of them do.
I feel like UA could hand out $100 bills to every fan that attends a Zips game and people would still complain.
"Why is Benjamin Franklin on the bill, he didn't go to Akron?!" "Only $100, wow cheap we deserve at least $200"
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Read the news article. Everybody is overlooking the fact that UA partnered with the Lebron James foundation and Powerade to supply fans with the bobbleheads. Do any current or former UA athletes have multi-million dollar foundations or sponsors to work with? Does anyone really want a bobblehead of Mike Bardo or Romeo Travis? Can student-athletes even have bobbleheads due to the NCAA rules? Like it or not, Lebron is the most popular person to ever step foot in Akron, Ohio. AND, even when you're getting stuff for free you still bitch. If you don't want a bobblehead say "No, thanks" and move on.
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"If NIU would have made that shot the roof would have come off this place"
Not sure if anyone noticed but there were only 977 fans at this game
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I saw a photo of this building posted online. Will be built at the corner of Market and Forge.
Not bad, hopefully the new buildings along exchange will be similar.
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Probably the best post of the year so far Wadszip...but now you've got me bummed out. I didn't realize how weak our potential opponents are shaping up to be this year.
Well maybe we'll finally have a Bracketbuster game we'll almost surely win.
Honest question, when is the last time we won a Bracketbuster? I feel like we've been about 1-5 over the past 6 or something like that. Maybe a win over Creighton a few years ago?
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A new Zips star is born every game.
Early in the season, Kretzer was performing more the way I expected McAdams to perform. Reggie went off big-time today.It's nice to see individual players step up, but I still think this team needs a consistent star to be "born." I thought Tree or Harney were poised for a breakout, but kind of cooled off today. Maybe this team just isn't built in a way that allows any particular player to stand out consistently. I guess a positive of that philosophy is you don't have to depend on one player to get you wins.
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If anyone ever thinks Frenchy is a homer, listen to the NIU play-by-play man. yikes
"the foul call ratio may appear to be equal, but it wasn't"
Akron 22 NIU 24...that's pretty close if you ask me
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NIU has 3 wins
3 WINS!!!!
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"If NIU would have made that shot the roof would have come off this place"
Arena Update
in Akron Zips Basketball
Posted
Building a small arena will destroy this basketball program.
Name a big-time basketball program with an arena under 6,000.