NewZipsFan

Bingo! Can the University do a better job of marketing, etc.? Sure. Can the coaches do a better job of getting the team ready to play and win? Of course. Can the players do a better job of committing themselves to the team, work harder, etc.? Absolutely. What can the fans/students do? Exactly what AK says above. SHOW UP! Bring your friends! Pick up a homeless person and bring him! Talk to people at work and encourage them to come out.... what was the quote.. ? "If you don't participate in athletics.... at least be an athletic supporter"...

Yep -- that's the guy

LOL about being Zach's twin... I have a feeling I'm quite a bit older than Zach As to the great football player with monster hands you referred to -- unfortunately - actually being NEW, I don't know who that is... Appreciate your finger crossing... I will never turn down well wishes, or constructive criticism, or offers of help. But I do know that luck is not going to have anything to do with the overall positive progress that will be seen with the football program in a very short period of time. (Notice that I did say "overall" -- because as we all know -- LUCK can mean the difference in winning or losing close ball games all too often!)

I'll tell you who'd vote for this one... Coach Bobby Bowden.. He is a HUGE military buff. All he reads is military history, and if he hadn't been a coach he would've either been a Preacher or a General

That was last week when Coach Bowden was on a "meet the donors/alumni tour" with TW and George (forgot his last name - but he's in development or something) in Florida. Hopefully T-Buck will help get JT on campus soon!

So what do I win when we have record attendance this season? And/or when we have a sellout or three? Some sort of fitting title would suffice... Maybe "PsychicNewZipsFan"? Or "NewZipsFanKnowsAll"... I'm taking suggestions starting now through August 30th when we have a sellout crowd and kick UCF's and o'Leary's lying a** up and down our beautiful field

Something to live for Thanks for bringing me back....

I may go slit my wrists now.... Well, as the one article said, the NFL basically requires it now. I can understand why, I guess. Even still - the performance was one of the most moving I had ever seen. I will stand by my "Whitney Houston's National Anthem is the best of all time". That is all

I think a lot of this is based on population. The state of Alabama - obviously its between Auburn and Alabama first and foremost (people kill trees over that BS).. then there are actually SEVEN other schools that are in a higher division than the University of North Alabama (where Coach Bowden just came from). So that's NINE college football teams in the state of Alabama with a population of 4.8 million (just slightly higher than South Carolina at 4.6 million people). In this universe in itself, Alabama is more of the exception than the rule. Pro sports also comes into play tremendously. There aren't any professional sports teams in Alabama (pretty sure). No football. No baseball. No basketball. It is college football for all eternity down there. Ohio obviously has several pro teams in several sports - so allegiances, and dollars have to be divided with them as well -- not just Ohio State or Can't (Can't), Cincy, Toledo, etc... There are SOOO many choices in the state of Florida now, that unless the team (whether its college football, NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA) is winning - and winning big -- people just don't show up. So -- I guess Coach Bowden is right. Winning solves everything.

Alright then... I guess we will just have to beat UCF, FIU and Tennessee this season.... along with Can't (sorry - don't have the same hatred yet) and I guess everyone else on the schedule. Hell, why not. Coach Bowden went undefeated in his first season at Auburn -- this should be a piece of cake Ok - glass TOTALLY full...

Are you trying to say that Whitney Houston's rendition wasn't live? You are 100% WRONG if that's what you are thinking... That, my friend, was a LIVE performance of the most difficult song in the world to sing.

As I mentioned in another thread, my son does go to the University of Florida. He sent me the link to this video last night, and I cannot stop laughing... I think the guy who did it could make a fortune doing one for every rivalry....

OMG -- I had forgotten that Roseanne debacle at that baseball game... hysterical..and oh so inappropriate all at the same time..

I'm with you 150%! And so are my four new season tickets

Not selling UF short -- I've really been very impressed with their positive growth - which is probably why I see similarities. Heck, I send them a check twice a year -- my son is a Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology major there. Thank goodness he is not a football fan - otherwise we would have issues

I would bet my dog that you are at least 15 years younger than I am. Faith's rendition was great. But no one will ever surpass Whitney's. Period. Just my opinion And that of the rest of the rational world... lol

You in a bad mood today, Zipmeister? I haven't found you to be particularly negative over the past six weeks or so since I've been around here.... Yes, maybe I'm a little pie in the sky -- but I have SEEN it happen. Do ya'll realize that when Coach Bowden (Bobby) went to FSU, they were averaging about 10,000 a game in a 50,000 (I think) seat stadium? And they were winning at least 5 or 6 games a year before he got there... and Tallahassee is a SMALLLLLL town compared to the population of Akron and its surrounding areas. He turned the program around, they started winning - and guess what? People showed up! If you're telling me that there aren't at least 30,000 rabid, big-time college football fans within a 45 minute drive of the stadium - then I'll say, "ok - you win. Ya'll are crazy to have built this $60 million stadium etc. etc..." So tell me the honest truth --- are there 30,000 college football fans that would spend what I think is a VERY reasonable amount of money for a Division 1A (FBS) football ticket, within a reasonable drive of the stadium?

"Don't look behind the curtain... I am the great and powerful OZ"... LOL Just a HUGE college football fan who happened to move to the area very recently from Florida. I am an FSU alum, so I have always followed the Bowdens very closely (ok - not ALWAYS - but for the past 25 years) - and obviously a HUGE fan of the whole "dadgum" family. Its funny -- because there's nothing that I've ever posted that I haven't read on the internet somewhere (get with the social media stuff, people!! - as Coach Bobby used to say, "I don't know much about that Ebay or Internet thing"...but even at 82 years old he learned some new tricks. His tweets and Facebook posts can be hysterical!

Greatest ever - "exclamation point"! not question mark Too bad most of our team wasn't born when she performed it at that Super Bowl... Had to give the guys "goose bumps" to start the morning. I did hear from one player that the "workout was GREAT, and a GREAT way to start his birthday!". Love to hear that! GREATEST EVER - National Anthem (video)

Well, I've heard through the grapevine that it went very well this morning. Obviously, the players don't know what is expected of them yet (its the first day!) - but they probably do by now I heard there was good energy and enthusiasm, and Coach Bowden thinks that the next session will be even better. Oh -- and before they began, he had Whitney Houston's famous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner played in the field house. Yes -- this is true Many may not know this -- but Coach Bowden loves music -- mostly late 60's and 70's era... and James Taylor is his all time favorite. He even named one of his daughters Jamie Taylor Bowden

Good for him. I hope he finishes his high school career spectacularly, and goes on to great things at Ohio State. I just bet Urban Meyer won't be his coach for the whole time he's there. Five years is a LONG time for Urbie I wonder if he's offered any 8th graders yet?

I dunno.... johnny seems to be quite the insider.. I thought for sure he was really George from the ABJ on Signing Day

In my opinion, Akron is much farther ahead in many areas than Florida was 25 years ago. Florida was not always the "flagship" University in Florida. Florida State had better academic programs and facilities in many areas for many years. UF 25 years ago was maybe where UCF is now - with a lot less enrollment and far inferior athletic facilities. What I am obviously not conveying properly - and I apologize for my inability to communicate my point -- is that Akron has a vision for growth, many of the pieces already in place, and the commitment from the administration to make it happen. Why does a state have to have only ONE "flagship" University? Florida has a population of roughly 19 million, and Ohio has roughly 11 million people. Why can Florida have FSU, UF, UM - and to a lesser degree USF, UCF, FIU and FAU - but Ohio can only have Ohio State? There is plenty of population and love for college football for Akron to become a much bigger player in the state and the nation.

In just about 30 minutes, our new coaching staff will get their first opportunity to work with their team. Mat drills begin this morning at 5:45am. They will work out with the team 3 days a week for the next 4 weeks (with weight training in between)... The workouts will be video-taped so the coaches are really going to get a great feel for the types of players we really have. I am not a betting person, but if I were, I'd bet that they are going to be pleasantly surprised over the next couple of weeks. I can just imagine the excitement that these players have. Its truly a clean slate - and every single one of them has the opportunity to work his hardest and prove what kind of player he is. Hard work, enthusiasm, and tenacity will go a very long way to impressing Coach Bowden and company - as well as building a great football team. I can't wait to hear about it! Go Zips!

The story lines for this game are incredible! I would be SHOCKED if ESPN didn't pick it up. Ya'll remember that Terry lived in Orlando for 10 years - doing a daily ESPN Radio Show across central Florida for about 6 of those. There were many, many fans that wanted him as the HC at UCF. Plus - it is University of Central Florida -- a little bit like the whole "everyone is an Ohio State fan first, then an Akron fan second".. Well, there are TONS of FSU/Bobby Bowden fans that want nothing more than to see Terry do well - maybe even at the expense of their "2nd team" losing to Akron. You need to almost forget/throw out the record for the past two years -- the media interest is already exponentially higher in Akron just because of the new staff - and that will only build and continue as we get closer to the season. What's the old saying..... curiosity killed the football fan? People will be watching... Period. And I certainly hope that EVERYONE is planning on this game being a sell out. Anything short of that, and I will be 1) very surprised and 2) very disappointed. I say -- buy your tickets early - and often