ABJ Article - Good Stuff!

[Johnny Utah]

NCAA robs Zips of hometown edge Soccer game shouldn't have been moved to Chicago By Patrick McManamonBeacon Journal sports columnistPublished on Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008 Did the University of Akron men's soccer team get shafted over the weekend? It sure seems that way. The NCAA sent its fifth seed in the men's tournament on the road, depriving a team that lost once during the season of the home-field edge it had rightly earned. Yes, UA could have won at Northwestern. Zips coach Caleb Porter would not blame the loss on the site. ''No excuses,'' he said Monday, even though UA dominated second-half play with 12 shots compared to Northwestern's two. But the NCAA did rob the Zips of one of its strengths — the home-field, or hometown, edge. The NCAA played weatherman and safety regulator and deemed the Northwestern field safer, even though the teams wound up playing in deplorable conditions. But, hey . . . the NCAA said the field was ''playable,'' never mind the white-cap waves on Lake Michigan in the background and the snow and sleet that fell sideways. The NCAA has rules, and sometimes they are applied in Byzantine ways. For the men's soccer tournament, the NCAA rule states that if a home field is unplayable because of weather, a game will be moved to the visiting team's site. This makes sense. Player safety, after all, is of the highest priority. But it did not make sense as applied to UA in this instance. Lee Jackson Field was not used for the Zips' second-round game last Tuesday because of miserable weather conditions that hampered the most strenuous efforts of the grounds crew to ready the field. Instead, the game was played at St. Vincent-St. Mary the next day, and UA won. Shortly after, the NCAA decreed UA's third-round game the following Sunday against Northwestern should be moved to Northwestern. It discussed this decision four-five days before the game was to be played, and announced it four days before game time. The first Porter heard of it was 30 minutes after the Zips beat Ohio State, with 2,500 in attendance at St. V-M. Never mind that everyone at UA was ready, willing and able to prepare the field, even if it meant working around the clock. And that meant everyone — from the coach to the athletic director. But D'Ann Keller, the NCAA's associate director of championships, said she had been told by two members of the UA administration that the field could not be made playable by Sunday. ''In a perfect world, we would have loved to have Akron host,'' Keller said. Zips folks want to know who made those statements to Keller, because they can't be found. Too, it does not sound difficult to wait until Friday to make a decision. Northwestern was not planning to leave for Akron until Friday afternoon. But the decision was made midweek. If the admirable concern was player safety, how does it add up that the game was moved to the Windy City of Chicago to play on a field located right next to Lake Michigan? Conditions Sunday were miserable. Kids played in shorts in a gale, with sleet and snow and ice that blew sideways, pelting the face so that skin tingled. That was judged ''safe'' — yet four days before the actual game, UA's field was judged ''unsafe.'' No sense putting our heads in the sand on this one. Clearly, someone lobbied the NCAA to move the game, whether out of concern for safety or out of a big-school haughtiness that theirs was the better venue. UA lost an edge, which matters when a team chases a national title. Since 2005, UA has lost just twice in 47 games at Lee Jackson. In those games, the Zips outscored opponents 117-19 and gave up just 0.40 goal per game. In the tournament games Sunday, all eight winners played on their home field. And one of those teams was allowed to move its ''home'' game to another local venue. North Carolina's field turned out to be unplayable, so the game was moved to a suburb of Raleigh and played five hours later than scheduled. Keller said that happened because North Carolina's opponent was already in Chapel Hill, much like Ohio State was in Akron when that game was moved. But Sunday, Wake Forest played in standing water, and in the first round Notre Dame hosted a game in muck and Dartmouth was allowed to shift to a different field. Bottom line: UA earned the right to play at home in the tournament with the way it played during the season. ''That's why we worked as hard as we did in every single game,'' Porter said. Instead of moving a mile away to play — the extreme possibility — the Zips bused for seven hours, and Northwestern gained an advantage. UA Athletic Director Mack Rhoades said he was ''incredibly disappointed in the way the NCAA handled this and the way this decision was made.'' ''I think we deserved the opportunity to respond and do the best we could to get our field ready to play,'' Rhoades said. ''I don't think we were given that opportunity. ''I don't think one or two members of the Men's Soccer Committee should make that decision on their own, as well.'' Said Keller, who insisted it was not a UA vs. NCAA issue: ''I had two different sources at the university saying it would not be ready. I have pictures of the field.'' Rhoades said the Zips were not given the option of finding another venue — such as St. V-M or even the Rubber Bowl. Instead, the NCAA decreed the work could not be done, the game would be moved — per its rules. ''I don't think the NCAA should dictate who wins championships,'' Rhoades said. ''I think student-athletes and coaches should.'' Rhoades will ask the NCAA to reconsider how these decisions are made, but he knows as well as anyone that the shame of the situation is that it ends a stellar season for UA soccer on a very down note. ''A great, great year,'' Rhoades said of the season and the effort put forth by Porter, Steve Zakuani and his teammates. ''That is the best soccer team in the nation in my mind,'' UA basketball coach Keith Dambrot said on WARF. ''We should have a parade for those guys.'' Complaining about the site does have its pitfalls. Nobody kept UA from winning in Northwestern, and nobody could guarantee Northwestern would not win in Akron. But the way things were handled and the way it played out . . . well, it pretty much stunk. If the NCAA really is all that interested in player safety, why not move the season earlier in the year so tournament games aren't affected by wintry conditions? Failing that, maintain the integrity of the season and the seedings by allowing home teams the flexibility of finding an alternate ''home'' site. Teams earn that seeding with their work during the season, when they beat good teams and do not let up against not-so-good teams. If North Carolina can shift its game and it works, then the same works for UA. UA's team gave its best to its school and its community all season long. It's a shame the rule makers running things couldn't do the same.

[zen]

Everybody knows what happened.NCAA saw a chance to move the game, and BAM, they took it. We know what their motivation was. We know they had no intent of doing what was right or doing what was fair.A law existed that suited their purpose, and instead of working with UA and communicating with them, they jumped at the chance to take a loophole option that achieved the purpose they desired.It's over.Time to move on.You can vote out corrupt politicians, but you cannot unseat a corrupt organization.Gotta work with it when you can, and live with it when you can't.

[GoZips88]

SO very easy for NWU officials (President, athletic director, head soccer coach) to put themselves into Akron's shoes ..."Do Unto Others ..."Would love to know how the NCAA soccer committee would have responded if the President of NWU, athletic director and/or the soccer coach told them "Absolutely not! We're not going to host the game. Work with Akron and find a suitable location in the Akron area. We wouldn't want our hard-earned home field advantage taken away from us and we're not going to do that to Akron."Doing things right (abide by rules/regulations/guidelines as currently written) or doing right things (protect seeding/right to home field)? Thank you NCAA and NWU for putting your best interests first ...

[RootforRoo44]

SO very easy for NWU officials (President, athletic director, head soccer coach) to put themselves into Akron's shoes ..."Do Unto Others ..."Would love to know how the NCAA soccer committee would have responded if the President of NWU, athletic director and/or the soccer coach told them "Absolutely not! We're not going to host the game. Work with Akron and find a suitable location in the Akron area. We wouldn't want our hard-earned home field advantage taken away from us and we're not going to do that to Akron."Doing things right (abide by rules/regulations/guidelines as currently written) or doing right things (protect seeding/right to home field)? Thank you NCAA and NWU for putting your best interests first ...

No surprise that it didnt happen. It's no San Francisco, but I wouldnt exactly call Chicago the center of morality in America. Though at least someone took notice here that we got shafted .

[GoZips88]

SO very easy for NWU officials (President, athletic director, head soccer coach) to put themselves into Akron's shoes ..."Do Unto Others ..."Would love to know how the NCAA soccer committee would have responded if the President of NWU, athletic director and/or the soccer coach told them "Absolutely not! We're not going to host the game. Work with Akron and find a suitable location in the Akron area. We wouldn't want our hard-earned home field advantage taken away from us and we're not going to do that to Akron."Doing things right (abide by rules/regulations/guidelines as currently written) or doing right things (protect seeding/right to home field)? Thank you NCAA and NWU for putting your best interests first ...

No surprise that it didnt happen. It's no San Francisco, but I wouldnt exactly call Chicago the center of morality in America. Though at least someone took notice here that we got shafted .

Yeah, I know. That was my "In a perfect world ..." post for the day.

[michelobdog]

No surprise that it didnt happen. It's no San Francisco, but I wouldnt exactly call Chicago the center of morality in America. Though at least someone took notice here that we got shafted .

Is that supposed to be a knock on gay people or just liberal people?

[GoZips88]

No surprise that it didnt happen. It's no San Francisco, but I wouldnt exactly call Chicago the center of morality in America. Though at least someone took notice here that we got shafted .

Is that supposed to be a knock on gay people or just liberal people?

Pretty sure it was a knock on Chicago politics people i.e. the end justifies the means i.e. dishonest as all hel ... heck.

[GoZips]

SO very easy for NWU officials (President, athletic director, head soccer coach) to put themselves into Akron's shoes ..."Do Unto Others ..."Would love to know how the NCAA soccer committee would have responded if the President of NWU, athletic director and/or the soccer coach told them "Absolutely not! We're not going to host the game. Work with Akron and find a suitable location in the Akron area. We wouldn't want our hard-earned home field advantage taken away from us and we're not going to do that to Akron."Doing things right (abide by rules/regulations/guidelines as currently written) or doing right things (protect seeding/right to home field)? Thank you NCAA and NWU for putting your best interests first ...

Its called integrity.Neither the NCAA (D'Ann Keller and others) nor Northwestern (sic) University possess a shred of integrity.Fault Northwestern's President, its board of regents, its athletic director and its men's soccer coach as alllacking a shred of integrity. Scumbags one and all.Never again will I consider the sewer known as Northwestern (or is that Northworst) an institution ofhigher learning. If I were an NU grad I would be totally ashamed of my alma mater.

[skip-zip]

The sad thing is....this kind of injustice may prompt a change to the rule, but it's too late to help us. I sure wish our people would have gone kicking and screaming to the NCAA offices the next day. It just stinks of favoritism, if you ask me. We aren't N. Carolina, so the rule wasn't applied the same way. And what about the fact that NW was not going to travel to Akron until Friday anyway?? We had 3 more days to show that our field was ready, and we weren't given the chance. It's just beyond comprehension.By the way....I LOVE Mac's comments.

[zippyrifle32]

but guys, northwestern earned that home game remember? it was on their website:

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's men's soccer team didn't only earn the right to play another game with Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Notre Dame, the Wildcats earned the chance to play another contest at Lakeside Field. NU (14-4-3) will host fifth-seeded Akron (17-1-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday in a third-round matchup.

[Zipsrifle]

You know, it would be interesting if someone started to jot down all the times the Mid-Major schools get screwed by the NCAA and wrote a book about it.

[RowdyZip]

Anyone else notice the significant increase in Zips coverage? Is there finally an effort to cover the REAL hometown team? I mean...2 or 3 articles about the soccer team? I would've never expected it, despite the quality of the program. Let's hope it continues for more than a few weeks...

[zippyrifle32]

Anyone else notice the significant increase in Zips coverage? Is there finally an effort to cover the REAL hometown team? I mean...2 or 3 articles about the soccer team? I would've never expected it, despite the quality of the program. Let's hope it continues for more than a few weeks...

and even one about the rifle team... it would appear that hell hath frozen over

[tbozeglav]

does that mean the apocalypse is soon coming?

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

It was a good article, although knowing what we all went through over the holiday period after the game, seeing how things transpired, what impresses itself the most in my mind is the ineffectiveness of the UA staffers, AD and President. Who the hell are the seemingly unidentified Akron staffers who blew it by telling D'Ann that the field wouldn't be ready, if in fact that happened? Why would Mack allow someone other than himself to discuss such things with the NCAA when the stakes are so high? While we on this board spent the holiday and weekend crashing D'Ann the monster's inbox, what the hell were Mack and Proenza doing? Certainly they understand by now that the NCAA will stick it in our keesters when given the chance. Why weren't they threatening lawsuits, screaming to the media, getting the message out that they were screaming like stuck pigs about this thing? Even now, it appears that the whole episode was greeted with mild upset by Mack and Proenza, and mild disappointment is the general tone coming out of UA about this. That's BS.Message for Mack, Porter, Proenza and company: If you wait for a few tepid comments to come out in a Leaking Urinal article almost a week after getting screwed, and have not rung the alarm loud and wide that you fought every step of the way, that tells me that you are complacent, lazy and punching the clock. Hell, I'd feel better even if they just SAID they were fighting like hell to change the decision. Are you telling me that one mid-level NOBODY at the NCAA named D'Ann has seemingly omnipotent power over these calls, many days in advance? We all know she's a mid-level hack and could have been overcome. She's low level enough that she was responding to MY emails over the weekend. Certainly Proenza, and possibly even Mack, could have/should have jumped WAY over her head to fight for the program.Pathetic. Shame on them.SeeTeeZipper

[zippyrifle32]

I'm glad seetee was there to inform us all what happened behind closed doors. I too would like to know who supposedly said the field was unplayable, yet I don't know. HOWEVER, I highly doubt that Mack, Proenza (why he should be so involved in every little athletic happening I don't know... I thought that's why they created Mack's position), and Porter all just sat back and said "oh well". This is the NCAA we're talking about. There are only so many avenues of action that you can take for appeals on decisions, and one would also have to consider the possible consequences of openly trashing the organization. They ultimately have the final say because it is their tournament. Sure we could finally say "screw em" and leave the NCAA for some other smaller organization, but that would be cutting off the nose to spite the face. These administrators all have to work through the bullsh*t network of organizational politics and political correctness. Hell yes I'm still pissed at the injustice of it all and I think that Mack got some great jabs in in the article. Read the quotes a little closer and you will see just how upset they really are... they just can't state it like you or I would because they need to be professional about it. I've personally been on the receiving end of a committee decision that was unjust, unfair, and dishonest in my athletic career. No matter what you say, even if you're 100% right and they are 100% wrong, the decision will stand. The most you really can do is move forward and work to ensure that it won't happen again in the future.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I'm glad seetee was there to inform us all what happened behind closed doors. I too would like to know who supposedly said the field was unplayable, yet I don't know. HOWEVER, I highly doubt that Mack, Proenza (why he should be so involved in every little athletic happening I don't know... I thought that's why they created Mack's position), and Porter all just sat back and said "oh well". This is the NCAA we're talking about. There are only so many avenues of action that you can take for appeals on decisions, and one would also have to consider the possible consequences of openly trashing the organization. They ultimately have the final say because it is their tournament. Sure we could finally say "screw em" and leave the NCAA for some other smaller organization, but that would be cutting off the nose to spite the face. These administrators all have to work through the bullsh*t network of organizational politics and political correctness. Hell yes I'm still pissed at the injustice of it all and I think that Mack got some great jabs in in the article. Read the quotes a little closer and you will see just how upset they really are... they just can't state it like you or I would because they need to be professional about it. I've personally been on the receiving end of a committee decision that was unjust, unfair, and dishonest in my athletic career. No matter what you say, even if you're 100% right and they are 100% wrong, the decision will stand. The most you really can do is move forward and work to ensure that it won't happen again in the future.

What an obnoxious post, rifle. Guess what Superstar? Neither of us were there, Master of the Obvious. The point is that there is ZERO indication in anything any of us have heard or read to indicate that UA really fought tooth and nail, the way many of us did, to do something about what happened. No explanation regarding whether D'Ann was lying about the officials who she asserted told her the field would not be ready to go, no indication regarding efforts to change the decision, no nothing other than a vague indication of disappointment. Isn't the point of stories and articles to flesh out things that the reader might have questions about? If Mack fought, why was that not fleshed out in the article. If a bunch of knuckleheaded fans like us can flood inboxes and make phone calls, do you suppose someone at UA might want to at least explain what steps they took to fight for the team, the alumni, the program? You're having been a UA athlete back in the day (which makes two of us by the way, along with probably half of the other posters here) means nothing in this particular scenario either.SeeTeeZip

[UAZipster0305]

Considering we lost, the article just sounds like sour grapes. Had it been written before the game and rallied more support then I'd give the some credit. Well written, but too little too late.What I want to know is how Mack and Dr. Proenza are going to guarantee the fans, alumni, and especially the team and Coach Porter that this will never happen again. I'd hate to see Coach Porter become the next Ken Lolla.

[tbozeglav]

Like I had mentioned in another thread, rumor has it (and based on the source its gotta be reliable) that they are getting things going to get a new soccer stadium or at least a new playing surface. On a related side note, the rumor also has it that they'd modify the west fence so the rowdies could stand behind both goals.

[zippyrifle32]

you're absolutely right seetee, not only are we being screwed by the ncaa, but they've somehow planted some of their own into our highest positions of the athletic administration . heck! mack not only told northwestern to take the game off his hands, but probably offered them a 5 goal head start cause he wants to see his teams lose. why was he pacing the sidelines in football all season? probably whispering the play calling he wanted into jd's ear to guarantee the losses. sound far fetched? so is your presumption that nobody fought the decision. even if they know who might have slipped something to the ncaa, it would be unprofessional to call them out publicly like that. And the point of stories and articles are not to "flesh things out", rather to provide the writer's interpretation or slant on a story of their choosing. You go to gozips.com and the worst thing you will see on there is a poor stat line. Depending on the newspaper, questionable recruits are depicted from good kid who needs a second chance to bad apple and future criminal. and you missed my point about being an athlete (big surprise there ). when the man in charge has the final say, no amount of discussion or incoherent bitching will change that. it sucks. move on. it also happened with men's b-ball and their 26 win season. there is nothing this past weekend that would have changed that decision, but this situation can be the fuel to make the changes necessary to see that it doesn't happen again. here's how i read it:

UA Athletic Director Mack Rhoades said he was ''incredibly disappointed in the way the NCAA handled this and the way this decision was made.''

we got screwed over

''I think we deserved the opportunity to respond and do the best we could to get our field ready to play,''

this isn't fair

Rhoades said. ''I don't think we were given that opportunity.

they didn't give us the chance or even listen to us

''I don't think one or two members of the Men's Soccer Committee should make that decision on their own, as well.''

there might have been ulterior motives of the committee, but we won't officially come forth with that accusation

Said Keller, who insisted it was not a UA vs. NCAA issue: ''I had two different sources at the university saying it would not be ready. I have pictures of the field.''

cover my ass, it's not my fault (sidenote - sources could be anyone athletic or non-athletic related)

Rhoades said the Zips were not given the option of finding another venue — such as St. V-M or even the Rubber Bowl. Instead, the NCAA decreed the work could not be done, the game would be moved — per its rules.

again, not fair, not listened too, game moved, final word, the end.

''I don't think the NCAA should dictate who wins championships,'' Rhoades said. ''I think student-athletes and coaches should.''

f*ck the ncaa i'm pissed

Rhoades will ask the NCAA to reconsider how these decisions are made,

point out to them how they f*cked up

but he knows as well as anyone that the shame of the situation is that it ends a stellar season for UA soccer on a very down note.

no matter what comes out of this it won't change our loss AT northwestern that ended the season.

[a-zip]

I am as pissed as anyone BUT I am failing to understand why the NCAA would have any bias for NW - There is no attendance bump, Akron Soccer is much more prestigious than NW, we have higher profile players and a much better soccer pedigree. I could understand if this was football and there was a 50K+ bump in attendance and increased interest but that is not the case here. I want to be pissed at someone but I am not so sure it is the NCAA................I just hope Caleb stays.

[zippyrifle32]

Like I had mentioned in another thread, rumor has it (and based on the source its gotta be reliable) that they are getting things going to get a new soccer stadium or at least a new playing surface. On a related side note, the rumor also has it that they'd modify the west fence so the rowdies could stand behind both goals.

there is a plan to redo the soccer "stadium" and field. however they are still trying to raise funds and the project is a few years down the road (especially with the recent info investment). the best way to get this moving along would be to call up caleb and fork over your money.

[tbozeglav]

I am as pissed as anyone BUT I am failing to understand why the NCAA would have any bias for NW - There is no attendance bump, Akron Soccer is much more prestigious than NW, we have higher profile players and a much better soccer pedigree. I could understand if this was football and there was a 50K+ bump in attendance and increased interest but that is not the case here. I want to be pissed at someone but I am not so sure it is the NCAA................I just hope Caleb stays.

NU is a Big10 team. Big10 teams have a huge market, regardless. The Big10 is one of the NCAA's children (SEC, Big12, PAC10, and Big East are the others) while everyone else is like the illegitimate child in the family. The NCAA has to make sure there are enough teams from its favorite conferences in the playoffs.

there is a plan to redo the soccer "stadium" and field. however they are still trying to raise funds and the project is a few years down the road (especially with the recent info investment). the best way to get this moving along would be to call up caleb and fork over your money.

Thats it exactly... I did hear however they are currently looking for any and all sources of money so that they can at least get something going. Hell, if they open up a Z-Fund thing for the project, I'll throw $100 towards the new facility. The soccer team needs it and rightfully deserves it.

[ZachTheZip]

I am as pissed as anyone BUT I am failing to understand why the NCAA would have any bias for NW - There is no attendance bump, Akron Soccer is much more prestigious than NW, we have higher profile players and a much better soccer pedigree. I could understand if this was football and there was a 50K+ bump in attendance and increased interest but that is not the case here. I want to be pissed at someone but I am not so sure it is the NCAA................I just hope Caleb stays.

OSU and NW are in the same conference. OSU was pissed that they had to play here, and wait an extra day because of the weather (almost identical scenario to the WVU game a few years ago). OSU lobbied the Big Ten to do whatever they could to punish us for having the insolence to beat them at a high school field. Big Ten whispers into somebody's ear at the NCAA, who then changes the game site prematurely while conveniently taking off a few days for Thanksgiving. Sound far-fetched? Some people have the idea that this is what happened. I don't think that was it at all.I say this was an inside job by a guy with a grudge or an OSU fan that just happens to work in UA athletics. We were sold out on the trip to OSU at the end of the season. Somebody warned them that we were bringing busloads of fans, because that somebody severely dislikes either the fact that we have better fan support or dislikes somebody who is in charge of creating fan support. Well, we won despite that. Then it happens again - UA plays OSU, this time at home, and we make them look bad on the field and in the stands. This somebody is even angrier, and decides to screw over Akron, so he makes a call. Then the NCAA is more than happy to move the game to Chicago under the pretense of "player safety".Whoever it was that works at UA and decided that our field would be unplayable four days in advance, without consulting Mack Rhoades or Caleb Porter who were both conveniently located off campus at SVSM at the time, needs to be fired.

[zippyrifle32]

Thats it exactly... I did hear however they are currently looking for any and all sources of money so that they can at least get something going. Hell, if they open up a Z-Fund thing for the project, I'll throw $100 towards the new facility. The soccer team needs it and rightfully deserves it.

I think (but am not 100% positive) that the Z-Fund stuff is strictly to aid in offsetting the cost of scholarships. I'm sure they would gladly take your money and put it into a soccer fund if you called them up tomorrow, but I don't think that's the same pot as the rest of the Z-Fund stuff. Call up the development office and see what they say.