zip81

A letter to the editor of the Canton Suppository, er, uh, Repository, speculates that with the new U of Akron stadium that the folks in the Rubber City may try to steal the Hall of Fame game away from Canton.Paranoid...a little...don't ya think?Akron will try to steal Canton’s HOF Game, tooIt looks as if the University of Akron will be getting its downtown football stadium, and it will probably be a palace compared to Fawcett or the Rubber Bowl. (I wonder why the cost of college tuition keeps spiraling upward?) Once that stadium gets close to reality, we can watch for someone in Summit County to start suggesting that their new stadium would be a much better venue for the NFL’s annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. I would suppose that any who are in the business of making money from the HOF Game would be sensitive to the attraction of a larger gate. Remember how Akron stole their Aeros? EARL JOBE, PLAIN TOWNSHIP

Some of you younger Zips may not believe this, but we did have a card section at one time at the Rubber Bowl!Picture below from the 1980 Tel Buch.

I remember this now.The engineering students encased the rock in a concrete block. The Greeks got all mad about it. So, they held a "Free the Rock" ceremony.The picture below is from the 1980 Tel Buch.Of course, there is a Lone Star leading the way with the first slug of the sledge!

New stadium to lift profile of UA, city On-campus stadium will have many uses Published on Thursday, Aug 09, 2007 A friend was talking about his son, who soon will be going to college.''What's Akron like?'' he asked.He hadn't been to the campus for 10 years back when only an optimist would call it a campus.''Just go down and take a look,'' I said. ''You won't believe it.''That's because I don't believe all that has happened at the University of Akron. If that sounds like some public relations plug, so be it. I'm a Cleveland State graduate and grew up in the Cleveland area, so it's not like I'm pushing the old alma mater.I'm simply saying that if you have even a passing interest in Akron being a viable city, this is great news. It's much bigger than just being about college football. It makes the city a better, more attractive place.So forget UA no longer being your dad's university it might not even be your big sister's. New dorms, new field house, new buildings, a new central campus area that feels and looks like a campus.All in the past 10 years.Now, a new football stadium, set to open by 2009.''It's an excellent move for Akron,'' Can't State Athletic Director Laing Kennedy said. ''It's something they have been talking about ever since I came to Can't 13 years ago. It's not easy to put all that together, but it's great for the MAC (Mid-American Conference) and Akron. Add that to their magnificent field house, and they are making real strides.''Like any good athletic director of a rival school 15 miles away, Kennedy quickly mentioned all the improvements at Can't State: the baseball field, the softball field, the golf training center, the upgrades around his football stadium.OK, we gave Kennedy his little commercial, and Can't State deserves it.As for UA?''I won't miss sitting on those fiberglass benches at the old Rubber Bowl,'' Kennedy said. ''I bet the fans won't, either.''The Rubber Bowl might be a warm, fuzzy field of dreams in the memory of your father or grandmother.The reality is that it costs nearly $500,000 annually ''just to keep it safe,'' Zips Athletic Director Mack Rhoades said. It's 66 years old and looks it. Rhoades said two surveys revealed that it would cost more than $60 million to upgrade it.It's cheaper to spend the estimated $55 million for a new on-campus facility.Stadium for AkronLet's start with the fact the idea makes sense, especially if the 30,000-seat stadium is to be Akron's stadium not just that of the University of Akron.It's ridiculous for a $55 million project to be used five to six times a year to be the home of a MAC football team. Nor should this stadium be about attracting better athletes and helping Zips coach J.D. Brookhart on the recruiting trail.That might be a nice by-product, but this must be bigger than trying to lift the Zips back to a bowl game. The new stadium should be used for good high school games and for other events with the university and city. It needs to be a vibrant place, not an exclusive football palace.''That's the goal,'' Rhoades said. ''We've already talked to (Akron Public Schools Superintendent) Sylvester Small about having some high school games there. We're looking at some concerts, too. It's why we will have an artificial surface, so we can have a lot of events.''Rhoades said it would be used during the week for flag football, soccer and other student events. About 45,000 square feet in the press box area would be used for classrooms and offices.''It just brings so much more to our campus,'' Rhoades said. ''The Rubber Bowl was eight miles away. It was hard to use it for campus activities. We were only one of 15 Division I schools not to have a football stadium on campus.''Rhoades mentioned being on a Memphis radio station talking about how UA pulled this off, as the host said it's exactly what the University of Memphis needed.InfoCision title donorKennedy said it was critical for UA to find ''its title donor,'' and once that deal was cut, the stadium became viable.InfoCision is the biggest sponsor and will have the stadium naming rights. Rhoades said about $30 million has been pledged, and the university believes it can raise the rest through bonds and other donors.Rhoades said his research revealed ''the main reason people say they don't go to Akron football games is the Rubber Bowl.''No doubt, that's a factor.UA always will be fighting for attention, even with what the Zips insist will be one of the nation's premier football facilities for fans. Akron is not Cleveland, but it seems everywhere within at least 100 miles of where the orange helmets take the field is one big Browns Town.And Saturdays, the entire state is a Big Buckeyes Village, with all eyes on the team from Columbus. The Zips averaged 16,132 fans last year. Can't State was at 17,004. Central Michigan led the MAC with a 21,563 average.The Zips' attendance ranked 106th out of 119 teams playing Division I football last season. And there were four MAC teams below UA in attendance: Temple (15,810), Miami (15,244), Ball State (15,061) and Eastern Michigan (14,734).MAC football is not a magnet for the casual fan, but it should be part of the campus experience. The new stadium will join Canal Park and other projects inspired by Mayor Don Plusquellic to make Akron into a place where you can tell your friends, just like I did: Hey, you really gotta see it.

I like Zen's too!

Thank you Captain...good stuff!

Looks good!Looks mean.Zippy's mean uncle.

I had forgotten that Old Knight Hall was renamed Crouse...thanks.One year that I was there, the engineering students encased it in a concrete block.Enough students complained that they had a "free the rock" ceremony and busted the concrete off with a sledge.

Is the Rock still in front of Old Knight Hall?That thing had so many layers of paint on it, it felt like paper mache'

I figured the U. would give the Rubber Bowl site back to the city since the city gave it to UA back in the day for next to nothing...I mean, wouldn't that be the decent thing to do?I don't think noisy auto racing would work out with all the residences to the north and east. Recreational/ballfields/soccer, etc. would be better IMO. They've been living with Chasers II haven't they?

Who said to tear down the JAR?We are talking about tearing down Memorial and Carol Halls.Build a new arena there and keep the JAR for Phys Ed and stuff.

there would be enough room (and about a 15% larger footprint) if it runs E-W instead of N-S... A replacement for the JAR perhaps?

I echo those sentiments. However, the fact that it is a boring driving was not a comment on the quality of people who live there....just the drive.My family comes from a little stinkhole of a former steel-making town in the Mon Valley south of Pittsburgh. The people are great, but it's still a stinkhole.

Not on a Zip board!Traitors!!

I hope you're right. I like Charlie and hope he's the Browns QB.Your response is a little strong, however. I don't see anybody here bashing Charlie.Sorry for not seeing your original post. I haven't been on the board lately, and yes, I get the picture. Thank you.

The most boring drive is I-70 from Columbus to Indy.Three hours of straight, flat, agriculture.Except for Huber Heights, the world's largest community of brick homes.

Yes, I remember all that.How about the buggy whip making class in East Hall?One good thing about Buchtel Ave. being open was cruising by Spanton to see the girls catching some rays.

Certainly no endorsement for the starting job....but good to see Charlie hanging in there.Quinn has his problems; doesn't he?However, according to The Plain Dealer, they didn't seem that far apart. Hard to believe such a pittance is keeping them from signing a deal.

It appears on the FRONT PAGE of the Sports section.Huge picture of Schepp.

These are the types of games MAC schools HAVE to win in order to gain any kind of respect.Army is another. Losing to them like we did last time would be a setback.I would love to see all three MAC schools clean their grain-silo cleaning butts. (Indiana)When I worked in Indianapolis radio, our sales manager (who was from Chicago) clued me in when I first got there.He said, "Indiana is a corn field. Indianapolis is a corn field with lights."

It would be nice to go into Bloomington and kick some Hoosier butt!!Wasn't this game suppose to be at the bowl?

Blog by the reporter who covers IU for the Indianapolis Star says if the Hoosiers are to make a bowl game this year, they have to beat the teams they're suppose to beat, including MAC teams Balls State, Western Mich. and Akron.1. Can IU win the games it is supposed to win?Look back on the 2006 season and the only thing that stood between IU and breaking its streak of years without a bowl game was a 35-28 loss to Division I-AA Southern Illinois on Sept. 16 at Memorial Stadium. You can make all the excuses you want. Terry Hoeppner had just had brain surgery and missed the game. Kellen Lewis was making his first start, and the quarterback position was in chaos with Blake Powers and Graeme McFarland also very much in contention for playing time. IU squandered an early 14-0 lead, and a 21-7 advantage with 8 minutes to play in the third quarter. Say what you want, but the bottom line is the Hoosiers lost to a Division I-AA team. Win that game, and you're bowl eligible. And at least two of the Big Ten's bowl representatives said it would have jumped at the chance to take IU to a bowl game had the Hoosiers been able to garner the sixth victory. IU knocked off Iowa -- but lost to Southern Illinois. The Hoosiers pounded Michigan State -- but lost to Southern Illinois. It all came back to that game. To make it to a bowl game, Indiana has to take care of business in games it is supposed to win. On the 2007 schedule, that list would include Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron and Ball State in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Then, the Hoosiers need to win at least two more games from a group that includes Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State and Northwestern. There are chances against Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Iowa, too, but the other four Big Ten games seem to offer better chances. But it will all come down to whether IU can win its four non-conference games, and then just go 2-6 in the Big Ten. That's all it takes, as sad as it sounds. And it's also all the Hoosiers have been unable to do for the past 13 seasonsLink to entire article:http://blogs.indystar.com/hoosiersinsider/...uest_begin.html

That is probably true about kids getting hit by cars. To this day, my wife and I still refer to anyone walking slowly across the street as UA students. When we were students, we always commented how it seemed that everyone crossing intersections was walking intentionally slow to hold up traffic. It was especially bad at the intersections around Spicer Hall. For any true older Akron Alum, you know that Spicer Hall is a cuss word.When I was a student, I would rather go to the dentist for a root canal then have to go into Spicer Hall. Once they started the call in registration it was a little better, but when you had to go into that death trap, it hurt bad...... Remember those big computer read outs they would tape to the wall of Spicer so you could see how many openings there were in each class?What a pain!I remember going up to those little pay windows at the end of the hall and putting my last two semesters on credit card!!!Money got pretty tight there at the end.

I was Yes, the campus is looking very nice.Remember the old fire station where the JAR now sits?And that little mail room inbetween the Student Center and Simmons Hall?Good memories.

Buck up....at least we have the memory of blowing off Earth Science to hit the Chuckery for a pitcher of 3.2 beer at 10 a.m. Earth Science. I think I had Dr Friola on the TV for that class at Leigh Hall.Or maybe that was biology.Does Dr. Hockman still teach TV MUM class?(what a joke that was)The Chuckery. All I remember about that place is the upper part where we would blow off class and play euker all day. :D3-2 beer. I can't believe we used to drink that stuff. Talk about being desperate for beer...... Wasn't Leigh Hall the Education Building?yes, 3-2 beer. We could get high test Wiedemann and Goebel at the University Party store cause they didn't card. Remember when our ID cards had raised numbers like credit cards?Well, a certain and current high-profile member of the athletic department took a razor blade and carefully cut the "9" off of 1959, turned it upsidedown and glued it as a "6" so I could buy hi beer!Very creative!