Watcher's View:: Saturday was a GREAT day.

[Zip Watcher]

This is not really game analysis stuff, so I'm posting separately.It doesn't really live up to CK's "Run Son RUN!" tale from the U@B game at the Rubber Bowl, but I'm passing it along regardless.People ask me all the time why I'm such a big Zips fan, not being an alumnus and all (grew up in the area) .. and my only response is that it was one of the first teams my Dad would take me to as a kid. So it stuck with me.Well, my son is 4 years old now .. the Zips are something like 50-4 with him in attendance, and he really likes going to the games. In our basement, when he plays basketball (wood floors or basketball courts are known as the "jeremiah wood", btw), he's always the Zips, I'm some other team (either the Steelers or Bobcats .. "we don't like the bobcats!") and the Zips must win every time. So it's all good.This season, he's actually taken more to watching the game rather than just asking to walk around the track and stalk Zippy. Been a nice change, and he asks questions, makes comments that crack us up .. and it's good fun.Saturday was a new high for him. In the morning, we had already had a visit with Santa .. so the day was already huge in his eyes. We get to the game, and in the first 10 minutes there, Zippy stops by for a hug .. and "the Zips did win, Daddy!" .. so we're on a roll.Now, every game when the cheerleaders come out and throw the little gold mini-balls, all 6 of them, my boy stands and waves, and the balls fly high up over his head. He's happy with the explanation that "we'll try again next time" or "it's not our turn to get one .." Saturday, however, we were lingering a bit to visit with some people, and the kids start lining up for the shooting thing after the game on the floor. We're usually high-tailing it out of there to get him to sleep, so I've never watched this unfold before. I suggest to him that he get in the line .. and he does .. follows the kid in front of him around, and gets to take a shot (throw a ball in the air 3 feet to the 10' hoop) .. "ON THE JEREMIAH WOOD DADDY!!! .. ZIPPY WAS THERE TOO!" .. and after that they give the kids one of the blue mini-balls.So things are looking good .. got the Santa visit in .. Zips win .. son sees Zippy a bunch, has a dream come true to run on the court, got a mini-ball .. great, right? Sort of ..Well, by this time, KD is out for his post-game. I realize we're not going to make it back to the car for the discussion, so I decide to pop a squat behind them in the seats and listen there. SIDE NOTE: didn't they used to broadcast the postgame over the PA? /SIDE NOTE. I make the tactical error of sitting in the first row .. should have sat in the second row. Well my son is going back and forth on the second row, bouncing the mini-ball .. catching it .. repeating the "beat 'em up beat 'em up Go ZIPS Go!" .. he sees me sit in the front row, and comes down .. I tell him to hold on to the ball, but he bounces it anyway .. and it rolls .... down to the floor level, under the seats, just behind where KD & Frenchie are doing the post-game. You may have even heard on the air a little kid go "HEY! .. My mini ball!!" .. if you did, then add "got on the radio with Steve French" to the list of the accomplishments for the day.So the boy is CRUSHED .. in 5 seconds, we've lost all the upside of the day in the disaster of having a miniball and then losing it. I'm pretty certain at this point the 30 minute ride home will suck and he'll be crying the whole way. I figure the ball has rolled under the seats and gone forever, or until Sunday when the seats are retracted. Boy is inconsolable. He lingers by the steps, hoping to go down and get it .. but the wife is now pushing to get out of there .. KD interview continues .. I fear the worst. Little guy is really cute .. having a really hard time with it. Jimmy Conyers comes by .. waiting to be interviewed. My son loves Jimmy .. favorite player because of Hoosiers. Thinks Jimmy is "Jimmy Chitwood" .. Jimmy says hi! .. kid is too sad to even respond .. thinking about the lost mini-ball.Well, Joe Dunn looks up after KD walks away and I ask "are you off the air" .. he says, "yep, commercial" .. and I make a small request to check under his chair, hoping that will placate the boy .. and we can move on. But the boy tells Joe, "my mini-ball fell down there" .. wouldn't you know that Joe gets down on the floor, looks under the curtain with Frenchie's help, and retrieves the mini-ball, all in time to get back up .. get the headset back on and continue with the postgame.The greatest Saturday lately is saved by Joe Dunn & Steve French!!! All is right in the universe for the boy.Joe .. we had to scoot right after that and you were back on the air, so I didn't get a chance to thank you properly .. but here it is. Thanks for restoring my kid's great day. Send me the drycleaning bill if there is one .. and I really do appreciate your passion for the Zips. My kid loves the Zips .. and you helped reinforce that. When we're on the road with you for the postseason this March .. I owe you a cold one.Saturday was a great day for us. Thanks.Go Zips!View the full blog post here.

[skip-zip]

Zipwatcher...this is great stuff. Bringing our youngsters into the experience early might just be our best chance of turning our kids in this area into Zips fans before they get to school around kids wearing Suckeyes gear, and saying "Oh...Akron has a basketball team"? And I know this problem first-hand. I have a few nephews who range in age from 8-14, they all live in this area, and they all pay attention to nothing else but what is happening in Cowlumbus. And their parents are all Akron grads!!!!! So, Kudos to you!! They all look at me like I'm stupid when I offer to take them to an Akron basketball game...like...."you go to Akron basketball games?...why?" As if....we are some "little college team" or something. But, that's what they think. This is why I harp so much on the "lets do anything to gain any kind of national exposure" argument. Here's a few more thoughts...I've known Joe Dunn for years. He's a great guy, and has plenty of old stories to share with you, going all the way back to my student days in the early 80s, if you ever have a chance to sit down and talk to him. If you didn't know this, he was in charge of marketing and promotions for many, many years before he retired. Ok....someone, or you, must give me the official word on this......For nearly 30 years, I've always thought that cheer was "eat em up, eat em up, go zips go". Have I been wrong all this time?

[ziptrumpet87]

Ok....someone, or you, must give me the official word on this......For nearly 30 years, I've always thought that cheer was "eat em up, eat em up, go zips go". Have I been wrong all this time?

As a band alum who's done the cheer many times... I believe you are correct.

[Zippysgotagun]

Watcher, I'm with you. Been a Zips fan for years despite never attending UofA because my dad would take us (2nd of 4 kids) to Zips games all the time. My son is a year old now (2nd on the way), and I just can't wait until he's old enough to understand sports.Dunn might actually be the reason my dad always took me to games too. My dad has been friends with him for years, and occasionally, we'd get some freebies from him (couldn't afford to go too often, so it was nice to not have to pay every time ). We'd always make sure to stop by and say hi to him when we were there. Great guy, and great broadcaster!

[RootforRoo44]

love reading these stories ZW...keep them coming.

[ZachTheZip]

Ok....someone, or you, must give me the official word on this......For nearly 30 years, I've always thought that cheer was "eat em up, eat em up, go zips go". Have I been wrong all this time?

As a band alum who's done the cheer many times... I believe you are correct.

Yeah, but sometimes we do it a bit differently: Ziggy-Zaggy, Ziggy Zaggy, Oi, Oi, Oi! I have yet to learn where this comes from. Perhaps someone can enlighten us?Anyways, great comment ZW. I love hearing stories like this. It just confirms my belief that going to Zips games can be an "experience".

[Z.I.P.]

Yeah, but sometimes we do it a bit differently: Ziggy-Zaggy, Ziggy Zaggy, Oi, Oi, Oi! I have yet to learn where this comes from. Perhaps someone can enlighten us?Anyways, great comment ZW. I love hearing stories like this. It just confirms my belief that going to Zips games can be an "experience".

Sounds like the intro to Ay Zippy Zoomba. But don't tell the BeeGees.

[Bleacher Bum]

It's from an old German drinking tune, made popular on "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. At the end of each show they used to chant it then slam their beers....I can't find a video of it, but there's people doing their renditions all over YouTube.

[Bleacher Bum]

The whole segment is pretty funny, but at the 7:12 point is where it came from. "And now...Girls Jumping on Trampolines." --- God I miss that show.

[Zipsrifle]

Great post. I have a 2 year old daughter and she LOVES Zippy. We took her to her 2nd Zips FB game this year against UC(Her first was the miracle in Kalamazoo!) We did quite a bit of prep work in the weeks prior so that she wouldn't completely freak when she did finally meet the real Zippy. Anyway, she was very, very excited and at any point during the game, you could ask her where Zippy was and she would know exactly where in the stadium she was. She was completely decked out in her Akron gear, complete with gold ribbon in her hair and sparkling gold shoes. When we finally met Zippy she did great! She didn't freak and even paitenly waited when a rude group of college girls interrupted as apparently their picture with Zippy need to be taken NOW!! She gave Zippy the Rock, posed for a picture with Daddy and talked about it for the next week! Yea, my kids and nephews think the Akron Zips are the biggest thing out there.