GP1

I think the best thing about watching MACtion is seeing how good of a job the camera crews do of avoiding showing empty stands.

This is fascinating. Thanks for posting. I live in South Carolina, but if there were no other cars on the road, it would take me less than 20 minutes to get to the Carolina Panthers stadium. Charlotte is a bustling city. The part of CLT that is most happening is the South End just across a bridge from uptown. South Blvd runs through it. When moved here 18 years, a mayor of CLT referred to South Blvd as The Corridor of Crap. Now, there are 10 miles of things to do. It's designed for young people to have fun. What happened in CLT could happen in Cleveland and to a smaller extent Akron. These cities MUST make their downtowns a place for young people to live, work and have fun. The failure of Cleveland has been not making downtown an attractive place to live and hoping people from suburbs come and spend money. If the people already live there, there is a lot less hoping. Columbus figured this out two decades ago. Cincinnati figured out later than Columbus and I hear it now has a busy downtown. Cleveland needs to figure it out soon. I can't believe the amount of energy people in Cleveland are putting into trying to keep the Browns by the lake. The best thing that could happen to Cleveland would be for that pile of junk of a franchise to move out to that junkyard by the airport and play there. It opens up acres of land for lakefront property and development for young people. That area would be better than Charlotte's South End.

You're not wrong.

I thought it looked strange on TV. The royal blue makes the logo stick out, which is what we don't need. They should have painted the logo I invisible ink.

92 is still the best winning percentage in D1 history at Akron. Amazing, this was 32 years ago. All Akron had was the Rubber Bowl and a work out room in the Natatorium. Faust actually provided hope to Zips fans. There really was hope for the program back then. Just a few more pieces and we would be on our way. And then the failure of leadership hit and here we are today.

Such a simple logo. So many things wrong.

I'm hoping they hire Jim Grobe out of the retirement home.

I have a friend who is a member of Fairlawn CC. Faust showed up and played by himself all the time. Everyone liked him and he treated everyone well. I don't think he ever had a membership though. He just showed up and played.

They can have influence.

Some of you are waaaay to worried about the ABJ. Save that junk for other topics. A good guy died today.

He was a very nice man who actually cared about his players. He didn't have the required level of sleaze even back then to be successful at the college level.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5916622/2024/11/12/gerry-faust-notre-dame-akron-college-football/

The first word that came in my head was "unbelievable", but then I remembered the endless self destruction.

Cutting is the easiest thing to do. I'd be interested in knowing what the plans for revenue growth are besides destroying the football program. We seem to have destroying the football program down as it is the only successful thing we do with the football program. Looking for new ideas.

I'll see you Jim Tressel and raise you a Jim Grobe. Seriously, Tressel is 71 years old. Luke has a few more million dollar paydays in his future. Akron ain't one of those places.

A cartoon kangaroo should absolutely be part of the marketing efforts with a direct appeal to children.

Sort of. I complain about them padding their resumes with meaningless accomplishments and then moving on to destroy another school.

You are right. Along with the rest of the mac we'll never be able to compete at the highest level. We could complete at a level between FCS and FBS. This level will exist before too long. We should stay right where we are. Also, along with the rest of the MAC well never compete against the highest level of basketball.

It is not. There in lies the problem.

If they won a minute seven games a year wearing only their jockstraps, I'd be okay.

How could they make it less emphasized? Seems almost impossible. What other MAC schools are getting a return on their football investments? At the most, zero. Sounds like we need new blood on the board with a better vision of how an athletic department benefits the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron.

It will take a month, minimum, to hire a new AD. The season will be over by then. The new one isn't going to fire Joe on day one. The only way Joe leaves will be on his own in January after coaches turn over.

Any?...No. Enough?....Yes. Akron needs someone younger with a lot of energy and nearly sociopathic about getting the football program turned around. Background at a football first school should be required. Evidence of making an athletic department benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around the school required. The football program has carried the weight for far too long. Time to get it turned around.

I don't want someone who is isn't interested in advancing their career. Accomplishments advance careers. Akron needs meaningful accomplishments.

I think he picked up a lot of valuable knowledge about mostly basketball. Akron is participating in very high level college athletics, not the Suburban League. Hiring him as AD would be a monumental mistake probably equal to hiring Dennison as AD in the late 80s.