skip-zip

You know, a game like this would be entertaining....for a few minutes. Then we'd all be bored.

Wow. This discussion takes me back to my student days in the early 80's.First, it would not be a problem playing independent in football as long as we had conference affiliation for every other sport. Football only involves scheduling 10-12 opponents a year. It's trying to make up schedules for all of the other sports that causes a problem if you are indepedent, like we were back then.I know that people like Muse, Huggins, Faust, and Adams(AD) would have loved to get us into a conference like Conference USA (it was called the Metro back then), or the Big East because both were a geographical fit, and had city schools, much like our own.However, when that never happened, and we began to have problems operating as an independent, we joined the MAC.Now, I know there were people around Akron that wanted us in the MAC, but I was not one of them. I thought that the MAC would limit our potential for growth. But, I changed my mind over the years as the MAC started getting access to more bowl bids in football, and multiple NCAA b-ball tournament selections.But, that has changed. Darn near every 1-A football team with a winning record now gets a bowl bid, and the MAC hasn't gotten multiple NCAA b-ball bids in years.So, what's our benefit to being in the MAC now?

I don't think any of us really have any problems with other MAC teams getting in. Heck, we'd like to have half the MAC get postseason bids, but that is not going to happen.Your point is correct. If you can get some wins, and some respect, it helps all of us.Go Toledo, and Go Miami.You guys have to understand, it's been an awful weekend. It's understood that the officiating was a problem for all of us this season, but the fact that it decided to have it's biggest blunder at the most critical time was hard to swallow. Then the two tournament snubs.We've gotten a triple screw job, and it's going to take us awhile to recover.

meatwad....I love your comparison.Let me say this one more time. I'm not going to debate whether the shot would have counted, or wouldn't have counted, if the clock had started on time. That can be debated forever. But, what I can say for sure is this...When the Miami team was coming up the court, if they were seeing the CORRECT time on the clock, they would have had to rush that play much faster. It would have been a more frantic shot (no dribble, no side step, no pump fake), and would have been an even bigger miracle if it had gone in. Anyone with any basketball knowledge would tell you this. For those who still think that Miami would have done the same thing, you are wrong. The guy holding the ball would have never risked making a head fake, taking a dribble, or a side step....IF HE WAS SEEING THE CORRECT TIME ON THE CLOCK. The timekeeper's error helped Miami get the ball up the floor, and get a pretty decent, squared-up shot. How can anyone possibly argue otherwise?

Here's another one.Bob Golic's show on WNIR - 330-673-1234. I think he's on from 3-6pm.

Steve,Good to hear from you. You are getting talked about quite a bit all over Akron, and we are looking forward to having you as a Zip for the next four years.Good luck in your career here.....we'll be supporting you all the way.And as someone stated previously, we want to thank you for adding some bright light to an otherwise gloomy last couple of days. '86 Akron Alum

I'm wondering this morning if the NCAA is thinking, "Well, if we snub a team like Akron, instead of (fill in the blank) we probably won't get as many complaints...not enough people in a place like Akron probably care."Well...I guess, bases on what I am seeing here, they are going to be hearing plenty from the NATION !!Nice job guys !! NCAA

As much as we want to believe that this was all about the NCAA favoring BCS schools, and snubbing non-BCS schools, that doesn't answer our questions either.Read Terry Pluto's column in the Beacon this morning.I haven't verified this yet, but, apparently EVERY TEAM IN THE TOP-20 IN THE MID-MAJOR POLL IS PLAYING IN EITHER THE NCAA OR THE NIT.......except......you guessed it....AKRON !!!!

Ok...it gets better...First of all, two very good articles this morning on the Beacon's website about us getting snubbed. www.ohio.comBut get this...........If Terry Pluto's comments are correct, we were #7 in the mid-major poll.. AND EVERY TEAM IN THE TOP-20 IN THAT POLL WENT TO EITHER THE NCAA OUR NIT.......except AKRON???????????Are you kidding me???????

Guys, This is why having websites like this are so valuable. Before this, we'd have no way to exchange all of this information, PLUS have the ability to gather fans together to exercise our collective voice.This kinda reminds me of the way I felt when the NCAA didn't give us a bowl bid Charlie Frye's senior year. In that instance, we had the best record in the country of any team NOT going to a bowl game. Sound familiar?What does the NCAA have against Akron?

And there were people in the background playing basketball. I don't believe that would happen at 11:30 at night. Nor do I believe that the news stations would send someone down there to interview him, nor would he probably want to do an interview, at that time of night.

We may very well have to wait until tomorrow to get his reaction about not getting into the NIT.

meatwad...I heard no mention at all about the NIT in that interview.

Guys, It looks to me like that interview took place after the NCAA selections were announced, but before the NIT's were announced. Maybe I'm wrong, but they didn't talk about the NCAA at all, which makes me think that was taped before that happened.

One thing is for certain, and some of us have known this for years.....BOTH tournament committees put more stock in schedule strength, than wins and losses. So, I guess all you have to do is PLAY good teams, you do not have to win.So, I'd advise Coach D. to change his philosophy on scheduling, and start scheduling the toughest non-conference opponents that he can...even if they are road games, and we have no chance of winning.If we can't beat them...we might as well join them.It's our only choice.

We would not have played Oregon. Our seeding would have been higher than Miami's.

I would agree that winning the NIT would be better than being knocked out early in the NCAA.But....that's a big IF. Winning the NIT is not easy. Most of the teams are other bubble teams that did not get into the NCAA.

GP1...I've been around our sports programs for a long time, and I reluctantly have to agree with you that a championship isn't going to suddenly start bringing huge crowds to Rhodes Arena. Although, I really wish that would be the case. I think the past has shown us that when we are winning, our crowds get a little bit bigger, but it's not significant.I remember someone on here posting the attendance growth numbers from the Bob Huggins era, and the numbers only climbed a couple hundred p/game after we won the OVC title and went to the NCAA tournament.Would it be any different now? If I had to make an educated guess, I'd say no.

I think the fact that they are listing us as a projected #7 seed in the NIT answers one question for all of us, once and for all.We're going to miss the NCAA tournament by a good 20-30 spots.

Why are we never on the right end of the lucky stick? Look at our MAC tournament history, and we've had plenty of last-second breaks go against us.

zipsbandman....I really agree with you. And I've made plenty of controversial posts on here about fan apathy. But I want to keep wishing and hoping that we've had enough success to get past that now. But, unfortunately, I'm probably wrong.

I deal with the press all of the time in my professional life.They go after whatever they think is newsworthy. And this was newsworthy. There's nothing you can really do to control what they decide to cover, and what they don't.I know...it sucks.

I'm sick this morning too, but let me offer some encouragement from an older Zips fan.I was a Senior at Akron the last time we went to the NCAA Tournament in 1986, so believe me, I've endured some very lean years. I've even been to games where it seemed like only a few hundred people were in the stands. But, I feel like a string of good years is coming our way. We'll be good next year, and I know that a year seems like a long time. But if we keep moving in the right direction under KD, opportunities like we had last night will continue to happen. And we won't win them all. The most important thing right now is to break this string of apathy, and continue to get more fans on board, including continuing to increase student involvement. Did you see all of those Miami fans in the lower sections? Most of them were alums who travel to support their team. So, we need those of who are graduating to keep coming back again and again as adult fans, like so many of us have done. Because, we'll need all of you again very soon. Let's keep our heads up, and enjoy the ride. Plenty more opportunities are coming our way in the coming years. Go Zips !!

bigzipguy....you have another point that nobody has brought up yet.The shot itself would have been even more of a desperation shot if the correct time was running on the clock.

Ya, I never thought about losing twice to Miami. But, that will hurt us too.I'm still sick to my stomach over the loss, and like most of you, could hardly sleep.I've already documented why we won't get into the NCAA. It's because of teams like WVU out there who have wins against ranked teams. But, I am praying for a miracle.Wow...wouldn't it be a crime if we get no postseason bid? Will the NIT say "well, we have one MAC team (Toledo), should we really have 2 MAC teams"? This is going to be an interesting day.