GP1

What are the ratings for the MAC Championship game?I don't believe for one second that displaying the MAC on national TV is a good thing for the MAC. Until the product improves, it isn't worth watching and is leaving a stench in living rooms around America. Quite frankly, the only reason they show Wednesday games is because they want to use it as promotion for the ABC/ESPN weekend line-up. I would like a regional network to pick up the MAC and show the games. The regional network would spend less time promoting itself and more time giving the fans interesting information about the league and schools playing.As far as the Dark Ages, the MAC is currently in the Dark Ages of the conference. In the 1950s and 1960s, the conference had teams like Miami which was a national power. Western Michigan was frequently good during that period as well. Moving into the late 20th Century and into the beginning of this century, Marshall, Toledo and Miami were all very good teams and Miami had a Top 10 finish during that period. Guys like Leftwich, Pennington and Roethlisberger were national names of interest and were REAL NFL prospects. Who is/was interesting the past couple of years? Nate Davis......please, this guy is struggling to make the 49ers right now. The fact that he left school early to become a third string QB is laughable. If Davis was more intelligent, he could have stayed one more year at BSU, found a team stupid enough to draft him and then actually put him on the field, and changed his name to Charlie Frye Jr. The same can be said of MBB in the MAC, there are absolutely no nationally known players and the talent level, with the exception of UofA, is getting worse.Where is the Conference now? In the two sports that matter, football and MBB, our conference champions get laughed off of the field of play in post season competition (spare me the NIT wins). The MAC was flat out embarassing last couple of bowl seasons. The Conference champion in MBB the past few years gets shipped off to the west coast to serve as first round fodder for a higher ranked team.We should not think for one second that the key to the MAC's success runs through Bristol, CT.

I mean the university as a whole. The university is growing and progressing quickly. The direction that the entire university is moving is not benefitted by being involved in a conference that no one cares about. I understand your defeatist attitude. It's much easier to say that everything sucks, it lacks any value, and it never will have any value. I get it, it's easy, because anytime something remotely negative happens you can say "look I was right". The problem is that the people involved now, the people who make decisions, don't want to be just "General Dollar" they don't want to just be some pissy little group of buildings sandwiched betwee downtown and the ghetto. That means building a campus people want to be on, building facilities people want to play in, and having vision enough to see that 5-10 years from now things can be different here.You can see it in our research, you can see it in how programs are constantly being rated higher, you can see it in the attitude of the new students. Athletics is just a small part. But unfortunately it is the most visible part. The average person doesn't know that The University of Pittsburgh developed the polio vaccine, but they do know that Florida was the National Champions. Proenza and the board of trustees recognize this, and that is why they have pumped nearly 100 million into the athletics programs. Is it the 300 million Minnesota spent on their stadium? No. But you know what it's a start. And the ammenities for the fans are strikingly similar.I will be happy if we can be a Boise State or Utah (undefeated BCS busters). But I will settle for being like Cincinnati (10-2 (should have been 9-3 damn it) Big East Champs). But it takes vision to get there, a willingness to accept change and determination to create it.Actually, I don't think my attitude is defeatest in the least. The only thing I want to be right about is UofA having the best teams in a bad conference and I believe that is possible. Our basketball team is a perfect example of that and I'm happy for their success. I wish all of our sports programs were experiencing their success. The soccer team is a better program and operates on a different level than our other sports so they should be kept out of the best team in a bad conference discussion. I'm not some Browns fan that roots for failure so I can be right about something. There is no joy in watching the MAC flounder year after year since 1940 whatever. At some point, reality has to set in for the member institutions and the question needs to be asked, "How do we at least make a bad conference presentable?" I think that is reality and an achievable goal for the MAC. I don't know exactly how to make the MAC more presentable, but I think they need to start with making the league smaller. The second is out of our control....the NCAA needs to make a group of 40 schools that are the highest level in college football and stop the charade that they treat all schools the same. These would be positive reforms that would benefit the Zips long term.

The NCAA should be cited for a lack of commitment to the non-BCS schools. It's almost criminal what they do.I agree about I-AA for football. The MAC needs to decide whether it wants to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. Heck, we would still get a big pay day for football because every BCS school plays I-AA schools now so we wouldn't be hurt financially. Imagine I-AA playoff games at The Big Phone Booth (InfoCision Stadium....InfoCision is after all a telemarketing company). It would be great.Yeah, no thanks. Any other MAC program that wants to drop feel free, but 1-AA is not a progressive direction. We're building a bigger a university and part of that is making sure that all our athletics compete at the highest level.If by progressive you mean get bigger, I'm not sure what that will accomplish other than flushing money down the toilet and I disagree. If by progressive you mean living in the world of reality, I would agree. I want to live in the world of reality.While we build at our rate, the BCS schools, with the aid of the NCAA, are building at a faster rate. The NCAA has made it so that is how it works. I actually think it would be really progressive if the NCAA would do what I say and have one BCS league (or whatever they want to call it) that is the highest level of college football and get rid of the dead weight in I-A as it is right now.As nice as our fieldhouse and new stadium are, the stadium is dwarfed by the stadiums of BCS schools. I think it would be progressive to just admit what the MAC is and what we are and deal with it in a realistic manner. If we stay I-A, let's be the best team in a bad conference and leave it at that. Anything else is unrealistic.

still gets me that the ref it happened right in front of hat to wait to blow the whistleI have to be honest, the cheap shot is there and the player deserved to be thrown out. However, it was not obvious to me until I saw it a few times. It happens very fast and I can see how the ref could miss it.

The NCAA should be cited for a lack of commitment to the non-BCS schools. It's almost criminal what they do.I agree about I-AA for football. The MAC needs to decide whether it wants to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. Heck, we would still get a big pay day for football because every BCS school plays I-AA schools now so we wouldn't be hurt financially. Imagine I-AA playoff games at The Big Phone Booth (InfoCision Stadium....InfoCision is after all a telemarketing company). It would be great.

The job of the commissioner is not to increase the talent level in the MAC. That is the job of the schools themselves. The only school I would like to see increase their talent level in the MAC is UofA so we can be an even better team. I like being the best team in a bad conference.I'm not sure what the commissioner can do to force big programs to visit MAC campuses (is that even a word?...not sure). Any program with a huge name would require a game in Cleveland.

I disagree.I loved parking in the Rubber Bowl lot. It really turned into a great party spot within the last 5-or-so years. What will be lost, tailgating-wise, is the ability to park wherever you want, however you want. The ability to be really obnoxious and have such ample spacing amongst fans that no one really cared if you were obnoxious. The ability to play football, golf, beer pong, whatever, without limits. All that was unique to the Rubber Bowl and is lost. But that's the price of moving up. Paying a premium to park an RV is VERY common at football games. I still think people will drink, play corn hole, cook out, play music and whoop it up @ Infocision. I know I will. For those students who want the beer pong, funnels, 110 decibel music etc, they will need to party in someone's off campus back yard, then walk to the game. That's the way it is done everywhere else.Well i wasn't necessarily complaining about paying for the RV. I just was asking if anyone knew the price.But i have a feeling that they will crack down on fun times and keep it from being a true college tailgate. And beer pong and beer bongs ARE part of tailgating. What's going to happen to my 20 foot beer bong?!That must have been the work of future engineers.

If it is, it will be the first intellectual thread on parking this board has ever had.....

5-5? Probably 5-7..... JD has had to play more difficult schedules, but there is still to much losing.....with the exception of the MAC Championship game of course.

2005...... I guess. This topic should actually be the "Golden Year" for UofA.2003 and 2004, would we have broken 50% wins without I-AA teams.

Interesting background.Both real experience in marketing and leadership positions. Sounds good enough to me. Let's see how he does. OK, I can't resist. It appears as if he has extensive experience marketing and leading Dollar General-like organizations. Division III and II are probably worse than Dollar General. Professional volleyball? If he has a track record of success marketing these groups, he can market the MAC. I say good luck Sir!

Wrong on all three counts. Can't is our rival and it is good for us to play them every year.BG and Toledo have a long standing rivalry that is good for the MAC so they stay.EMU is a Ohio/Michigan school and geographically makes sense.The three to go are Buffalo, Temple and NIU. I'm not sure why one MAC Championship makes Buffalo a good long term program for the MAC. As soon as the coach leaves, the winning will follow.NIU is not part of th Ohio/Michiagan group. They go. They aren't really a good fit for the MAC geographically. Sorry NIU.Temple. They don't really want to be here anyhow so they can be gone. They are an eastern school that needs to find an eastern conference to take them. The MAC takes schools that nobody else wants and Temple was one of those schools. Given the choice between A-10 BB or MAC football, they would take BB.None of these schools have a rivalry either so they can go. Then we still have the Akron vs Can't, BG vs Toledo, OU vs Miami, Michigan schools vs each other and well there's poor BSU out there, but they are a good fit for the conference.

Getting traded from Miami to KC has to be.....well.....depressing. KC is a horrible team. Maybe they can do some good there.

Bissinger is a great writer, but his books have become very predictable. Being called a screaming, vulgar maniac of a coach by a screaming, vulgar maniac of an author.... (see Bissinger video on Bob Costas yelling at blog Dead Spin writer Will Leitch (sp?)..... should be worn as a badge of honor by KD. Bissinger's books usually have the role of villain assigned to an authority figure over they young men who play for him. He did the same thing in Friday Night Lights and it looks as if KD may have been his target in this book. I didn't even know this book existed. In the end, Bissinger is an old, tired Baby Boomer who can't get over his silly childish opinions of authority figures. Is KD a user? I would bet that at the end of the day, there were a lot of people around that St. V program using each other for whatever motivations they may have had. I'm not sure that is "using" anyone. It's more self-interested and the person out there who isn't self-interested should throw the first stone at this point.

I've been telling you guys for months now what the solution is. If the odd numbers are hurting us, get rid of one team in the MAC and the conference will be better. The solution to the MAC's problems is the eliminate three teams from the confernece as soon as possible.I can't think of one good reason for a conference to take on a MAC school. The MAC is where you go when nobody else wants you. Bringing in a MAC school actually makes your conference worse and not better. The only sport we would be halfway competitive in is soccer and we could compete in any conference in the US. Ask Marshall how their trip to CUSA is going.

Save the money on classes. Here is all the marketing they need to know.There is a thing on the desk called a "telephone". Use this magical device to make appointments to speak to every group you can possibly get in front of to promote ticket sales for football, MBB and WBB. Further, use that time to raise money for the scholarship fund and build the donor base. Speakers should include....The AD, JD, KD and Coach Kest. Selling tools should include literature (recent literature has actually been pretty good). In the past, they have counted on literature to "sell" the program for them. Literature is a tool to help sell in person. Mailers traditionally have about a 1%-2% response rate. Following literature with face to face contact should result in at least a 10%-15% response rate. Give people a reason to buy and they will. Get in front of the community and put a face on the program.Billboards don't work. They are cheap for a reason. You get what you pay for.Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it. If your coaches are out speaking, customers connect the person on TV with the person in the room speaking with them. The three coaches I mentioned above are all good public speakers and likeable. Use that to your advantage. Schedule the times for them as they are very busy.Class over.Looking for a Job?No.....Own my own business in sales and marketing.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.comThat is awesome! I wonder if that is an actual show produced by FSN Ohio or if it is a paid advertisement which we are solely responsible for?If there are no commercials, UofA paid for it. If there are commercials, FSN Ohio sold the time.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.comThis is freaking awesome. If it was the idea of anyone at UofA, they should get a raise. Now is the time for face to face speaking visits by the staff and coaches. KD and JK should be out speaking every day they possibly can as their seasons, believe it or not, are going to be starting soon. Time sure does go fast. JD really can't because the season has started.

Save the money on classes. Here is all the marketing they need to know.There is a thing on the desk called a "telephone". Use this magical device to make appointments to speak to every group you can possibly get in front of to promote ticket sales for football, MBB and WBB. Further, use that time to raise money for the scholarship fund and build the donor base. Speakers should include....The AD, JD, KD and Coach Kest. Selling tools should include literature (recent literature has actually been pretty good). In the past, they have counted on literature to "sell" the program for them. Literature is a tool to help sell in person. Mailers traditionally have about a 1%-2% response rate. Following literature with face to face contact should result in at least a 10%-15% response rate. Give people a reason to buy and they will. Get in front of the community and put a face on the program.Billboards don't work. They are cheap for a reason. You get what you pay for.Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it. If your coaches are out speaking, customers connect the person on TV with the person in the room speaking with them. The three coaches I mentioned above are all good public speakers and likeable. Use that to your advantage. Schedule the times for them as they are very busy.Class over.

I think my attitude about the program and the MAC is right in line with reality. I love the Zips, but I can't pretend the Zips or the MAC are something they are not. Maybe if the program hasn't been so shitty for so long, my attitude wouldn't be so shitty. It's time for the players on this team to take control of the program and say enough is enough.As far as the book, the cover of the book proves the great GP1 is like a fine wine. He keeps getting better with age.

Answer: Nothing......In fact, with the exception of one 7-3-1 season long ago now and one MAC Championship over the past 20 odd years, we have not done anything to deserve respect. Respect is earned, not given. This team can be very good this year. The talent is there. The problem is that the players playing for the Zips don't have a track record of coming through in the clutch. I don't see that changing this year. I'll wait for one of the 50 prediction threads that will pop up over the next couple of weeks, but I don't see good things ahead for the Zips this season. When posting the prediction thread, please post the schedule as well starting with the sentence....."Given the schedule below (post schedule below), what is your prediction for the 2009 season." Yay! More self deficating "we suck and we'll always suck" comments. Soon to come fromg GP1 "MAC is 'toilet bowl' football" and "all you dumb Browns fans"; also don't miss "even my wife thinks the MAC stinks" and "we are a mid-level program in a toilet conference". I just hate to be misquoted. I've never said the MAC is "toilet bowl football"........it's "Dollar General football".Let's see, stupid Browns fans....check. My wife thinks it stinks......check. Mid level team in a toilet conference.....wrong......we are a mid level team in a third tier conference.The point is this. If we want to be considered a good team, we need to earn it with winning. I don't see how that is a put down. The fact is, we have almost never been a very good team and that needs to change. The players need to get it done this season. We can't pretend to be something we aren't or we will never be able to change what we are.

Answer: Nothing......In fact, with the exception of one 7-3-1 season long ago now and one MAC Championship over the past 20 odd years, we have not done anything to deserve respect. Respect is earned, not given. This team can be very good this year. The talent is there. The problem is that the players playing for the Zips don't have a track record of coming through in the clutch. I don't see that changing this year. I'll wait for one of the 50 prediction threads that will pop up over the next couple of weeks, but I don't see good things ahead for the Zips this season. When posting the prediction thread, please post the schedule as well starting with the sentence....."Given the schedule below (post schedule below), what is your prediction for the 2009 season."

Scholarship player or walk on?

It is interesting when talking about team captains, Alex Allen comes up first (not a surprise) then JD made a comment about 4 OL and named a few others. Jacq wasn't one of them. For a QB who is going to be a 3rd year starter and is a senior, I was surprised.Maybe Jacq is just what he is. I still like the idea of a senior QB. The MAC is a high scoring league and points are hugely important. In a lot of leagues, that would mean the last one with the ball wins the game. In the MAC, the mindset should be, "the last one to make a mistake loses". Jacq can't be the last one to make a mistake.

Here is the question. It is the job of the coach to retain good players, but with every organization there is a degree of turnover that happens naturally. So what is an acceptable turnover rate? If we cut our turnover rate down to 4 per year and then the next year they have 5, then the "the program is going in the wrong direction so fire the coachers" (these are the same people in corporate America who have Six Sigma black belts or Browns fans) pop up their heads in an effort to try to be right about something. I think losing five scholarship players in a season is within the "acceptable" category of turnover for a football program.It is silly to believe there aren't going to be a couple of players a year who flunk out. UofA does not have the resources to keep every player from flunking out. It is also silly to believe there aren't going to be a couple of players a year who want to leave UofA because they just don't like the school or are unhappy for what ever personal reason they may have. Some may just not want to play football anymore and they stay in school because they like it at UofA. The turnover rate will NEVER be zero and some people need to get over that.