tbozeglav Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I got to class about 10 minutes early today and had a chat with the prof. He actually brought up the topic of the win streak the guys are on and it got me to thinking... I remember someone on here saying something to the effect of "winning all these games gets joe akron excited for zips basketball" and I honestly believe that's happening. The greatest part... I dont think many realize the talent that's gonna be showing up next year in the form of one Zeke.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 UAZipsMan...I just wish those "Joe Akrons" would actually start coming to the games. Everyone with my group walked into the JAR yesterday about 10 min. before gametime, and all looked at each other with the "oh no" look when we saw the small turnout. And with at least half of the paid-for lower bowl seats empty, it wasn't quite what I had hoped for. And I actually think (some may disagree) that it was a good game time. It gave us enough time to go downtown to church, head out to lunch, and still be there in plenty of time. If the "reported" attendance numbers mean anything to you, we've gone from approx. 4,000, down to 3,000, down to 2,500 over the last 3 homes games. All games that were part of the win streak. I really can't explain it. The one that dissappoints me the most was the Can't State game. We had been drawing about 5,500 for that game over the last few years..even on a weeknight early in the conference season in one case....and it dropped to about 4,000 this year on a Saturday.If it's any consolation for us, we'll surely have higher numbers again for the OU, Miami, and BG games....as opposed to these past two games against the lesser-known West teams. But I sure as heck hope they are a lot higher if we're still in contention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksu sucks Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 UAZipsMan...I just wish those "Joe Akrons" would actually start coming to the games. Everyone with my group walked into the JAR yesterday about 10 min. before gametime, and all looked at each other with the "oh no" look when we saw the small turnout. And with at least half of the paid-for lower bowl seats empty, it wasn't quite what I had hoped for. And I actually think (some may disagree) that it was a good game time. It gave us enough time to go downtown to church, head out to lunch, and still be there in plenty of time. If the "reported" attendance numbers mean anything to you, we've gone from approx. 4,000, down to 3,000, down to 2,500 over the last 3 homes games. All games that were part of the win streak. I really can't explain it. The one that dissappoints me the most was the Can't State game. We had been drawing about 5,500 for that game over the last few years..even on a weeknight early in the conference season in one case....and it dropped to about 4,000 this year on a Saturday.If it's any consolation for us, we'll surely have higher numbers again for the OU, Miami, and BG games....as opposed to these past two games against the lesser-known West teams. But I sure as heck hope they are a lot higher if we're still in contention.I love professors who make comments on any of UA's athletic teams. Dr. Donovan from the Chemistry department wears Akron zips football jerseys all the time, and always makes mention of big upcoming home games. I wish all the profs at UA were as team spirited as he is.As far as attendance goes, your probably right skip-zip. The low numbers are mostly due to teams with out any real appeal to students and the Akron area. When BG, OU, etc come into town, I'd also expect to see more. A lot of the students have friends going to those colleges, so the game may mean more to them. Regardless, you can't blame the weather lately. It's been gorgeous outside (at least by mid-feb in NEO terms) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I think Joe Akron is at Defcon 4 right now. 20 wins gets him at Defcon 3. MAC finals berth gets him to Defcon 2. MAC Championship and a mid-court confetti shower gets him to the ever-elusive Defcon 1.Anything less and a Championship (like a #2 finish and an NIT bid) and Joe Akron drops back to Defcon 3. Reference:DEFCON 5 This is the condition used to designate normal peacetime military readiness. An upgrade in military preparedness is typically made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and announced by the United States Secretary of Defense.DEFCON 4 This refers to normal, increased intelligence and the heightening of national security measures.DEFCON 3 This refers to an increase to force readiness above normal. Radio call signs used by American forces change to currently classified call signs. This was reached after 9/11DEFCON 2 This refers to a further increase in force readiness just below maximum readiness. The most notable time it was declared was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, although the declaration was limited to Strategic Air Command. It is not certain how many times this level of readiness has been reached.DEFCON 1 This refers to maximum readiness. It is not certain whether this has ever been used, but it is reserved for imminent or ongoing attack on US military forces or US territory by a foreign military power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbozeglav Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I always thought it was the other way around for whatever reason. Even so, I really hope this win streak goes a long way to getting the word out about this team to more people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyZip Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Man, lemme rain on everyone's parade for a minute... I'm excited about the Zips. If you're reading this board, you're excited about the Zips.It's going to take more than running off a few MAC games in a row to interest people around here. They're so used to apathy, it'll take something B-I-G!Run off 17 straight to finish the year and maybe we can talk...The 6 in a row is GREAT, don't get me wrong...but (and this is weird for me to be saying) we need to temper our enthusiasm. Six in a row is the longest streak since 06-07 when they ran up 9 straight, the last win making them 18-4 (9-1) and the sparkling crowd that showed up?Drum roll...3,327 souls.I'd love to be wrong here, but I don't see much happening (at least "Joe Akron" or attendance wise) until there's something that pulls both BJ and Cleveland headlines...and double-digit streaks MAY do such a thing.Oh, and one last thing, I thought about adding this in a new thread but it'll find it's home here: LIDS, the mall-based hats store, currently is running a promotion wherein if you purchase any Zips hat, you receive a voucher for two free GA seats. The voucher is stamped by the UA Sports Marketing Department (who says we don't have one?). Of course, I would've never known unless a friend told me. Long story short, if you like NICE Zips hats, you can spring one there for $19-26 bringing the total cost after the tickets to -$1-$6 for a top of the line hat. Oh, and go to Summit Mall because Chapel Hell is already sold out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 The effect of a win streak like this one is almost non-existant. The much-improved coverage in the newspapers get maybe an extra 100 people to attend home games. What this does is build a pseudo-fanbase. It puts us in their minds, and then when something big happens they will come out of the woodwork.The ONLY way to see a significant increase in home attendance, and maybe get some local TV coverage, is to win the MAC tournament and get into the NCAA tourney. Even then, the only way most people around here will finally notice that we are there is when they begin to fill out their brackets for March Madness pools. Even THEN we are an afterthought until we pull off an upset and screw up everybody's brackets.You see the challenge ahead of this team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbozeglav Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 jeeze people... I never said that this win streak was going to double attendance or anything, I was simply pointing out that even a win streak against the lowly MAC West is starting to get our name out there. I fully realize the challenge ahead of the squad. I realize going to the NCAA tourney is what we need. I REALIZE THESE THINGS...you can try rain on my parade all you want, but I dont have a parade for you to rain on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipAlumn Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I have an idea .... it might not be great but it is an idea. Put a limit on the number of lower reserved seats that are given away to Zip sponsors as they are no used all that often. My daughter worked for a local bank that was a Zip sponsor and they had at least 4 lower reserve seat tickets. I used all four for one game a couple years ago and she was not allowed any more tickets. However I bought tickets throughout the season and more often than not those seats went empty all year long. The next year the bank was still a sponsor but somebody quit and my daughter could never find out who to contact to get tickets. Most companies don't really care about those seats after they sponsor a team, so sell those seats to fans who do care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I think Joe Akron is at Defcon 4 right now. Reference:DEFCON 5 This is the condition used to designate normal peacetime military readiness. An upgrade in military preparedness is typically made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and announced by the United States Secretary of Defense.DEFCON 4 This refers to normal, increased intelligence and the heightening of national security measures.DEFCON 3 This refers to an increase to force readiness above normal. Radio call signs used by American forces change to currently classified call signs. This was reached after 9/11DEFCON 2 This refers to a further increase in force readiness just below maximum readiness. The most notable time it was declared was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, although the declaration was limited to Strategic Air Command. It is not certain how many times this level of readiness has been reached.DEFCON 1 This refers to maximum readiness. It is not certain whether this has ever been used, but it is reserved for imminent or ongoing attack on US military forces or US territory by a foreign military powerFor the record, the DoD has gone to Force Protection Conditions, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta. Trust me, I'm typing this while in (Exercise) Charlie, hoping I don't get caught! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I always though the defcons went the opposite direction, but then again, I'm only basing that off of an old movie.... so what do I know... lol"Flush the bombers, get the subs in launch mode. We are at DEFCON 1"Then of course you have....'Indeed. Some fine ladies here, boys. Confidence is high, repeat, confidence is high.Sherman is moving to DefCon Two, full strategic arsenal ready for deployment."I don't need to cite the movie titles. They are both classics.Sorry about the hijack. You can call me Mister OffTopicI don't think Joe-Akron knows the zips played on Sunday, they were watching Bronzo and Kobeashi.Maybe Joe-UAkron saw a blurb in the buchtelite though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyZip Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I don't think Joe-Akron knows the zips played on Sunday, they were watching Bronzo and Kobeashi.Maybe Joe-UAkron saw a blurb in the buchtelite though.I did notice when I browsed a Beacon, waiting for lunch, that they gave a very respectable 75/25 split of the cover of the Sports section between the Cavs/Lakers and the Zips win. Keep it up and I might call it "our paper." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Attendance-related story from Sunday - My wife goes to the Chick-a-filet window at the JAR for a sandwich. The person behind the counter says "Oh, we only sell those when we're expecting crowds bigger than 1,000. We won't have any today."Defcon 75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I think most everyone has the right idea. A few "Joe Akrons" might notice what's going on right now....but I emphasize the word "few". And I know UAzipsMan is not talking about drawing enough people to fill the rafters, but it got me thinking about situations where people REALLY came out to watch a Zips game. I have only witnessed a few situations where the JAR was truly "packed". And that means you have difficulty finding a seat, even at the top of the bleachers behind the baskets. The OVC Championship game in 1986 The regular season game against Top-10 ranked Cleveland State at the beginning of the following year.Some games against Can't in the last decade or so.Senior Night when Romeo and Dru were playing their last game. Since we'll never host a conference championship game again, and may never have an Akron celebrity like LeBron again who's two friends come to play here..........we're probably down to Can't State games and games that have NATIONAL significance as our only real opportunities to pack the place in the near future. Although, I'd sure like to see us get a few good crowds early next year because people want to come see Zeke. That would be nice. Of course, if we were ever able to be nationally-ranked, EVERYONE would come out, and they'd all say "I've always been a Zips fan". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Watcher Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Attendance-related story from Sunday - My wife goes to the Chick-a-filet window at the JAR for a sandwich. The person behind the counter says "Oh, we only sell those when we're expecting crowds bigger than 1,000. We won't have any today."Defcon 75Chick Filet is closed on Sundays (all stores company wide). That's why no chicken on Sunday. Otherwise it would have been there.I bet the 1000 protection is for women's games / volleyball.The guy who owns the local franchises is investing tons of $$$ into Zips sports. Great to have him at the JAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 The guy who owns the local franchises is investing tons of $$$ into Zips sports. Great to have him at the JAR.I agree. A good sponsor pick up. Tough call...great referees...or a nice chicken sandwich. You can't have it all on Sundays, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Watcher Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I'll take the ref's any day of the week and three of them on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdZip Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Attendance-related story from Sunday - My wife goes to the Chick-a-filet window at the JAR for a sandwich. The person behind the counter says "Oh, we only sell those when we're expecting crowds bigger than 1,000. We won't have any today."Defcon 75My parents come up for games a couple times each year (they live ~2 hours away). They stood in line for 15 minutes to get their tickets. That might be a good sign except there were only 5 people in front of them--just hard to find a seat available I guess. Anyway, when my mother went to buy a Sprite for my kids, they were out--at halftime. Could have bought a Mountain Dew for them, but thankfully, she opted for Gatorade instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 The guy who owns the local franchises is investing tons of $$$ into Zips sports. Great to have him at the JAR.I agree. A good sponsor pick up. Tough call...great referees...or a nice chicken sandwich. You can't have it all on Sundays, I guess.Honor before chicken CK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyZip Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 My parents come up for games a couple times each year (they live ~2 hours away). They stood in line for 15 minutes to get their tickets. That might be a good sign except there were only 5 people in front of them--just hard to find a seat available I guess. Anyway, when my mother went to buy a Sprite for my kids, they were out--at halftime. Could have bought a Mountain Dew for them, but thankfully, she opted for Gatorade instead.A friend and I were redeeming the aforementioned vouchers for free GA tickets and had the same problem, upon reaching the ticket counter, i realized why:As I watched the ticket guy ready two GA tickets he had to navigate three windows screens and click about five times to ready and print me too GA tickets for a game with about 2500 in attendance. Is there a reason why they couldn't print a decent stack of GAs for walkups and sell as they go? It's make people a lot less grumpy if they didn't have to wait 15 minutes in a pick-your-poison choice of TWO ticket windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandzip Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 All of our thoughts on the effect a championship would have on Joe Akron came true. Just look how many new members are posting on the Nation today or on ohio.com for that matter. Let's hope they've become dedicated enough in the past couple of hours to buy tickets and make a trip to the tournament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 The effect is only temporary. Come next year we'll be right back where we started: having to earn the respect of the local fans.Still, it will be awesome to see all the people who normally ignore us go out and buy Akron gear or hold conversations about "their" team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 The effect is only temporary. Come next year we'll be right back where we started: having to earn the respect of the local fans.I agree completely. If the Zips get blown out this week, the effect of last night will be over within a week. The Zips need to play really well this Thrs/Fri. I'm not saying winning is a must, but they need to play well. A win would be HUGE!After last night, I think the Zips will be much more entertaining for the average sports fan to spend their money on. They were fun to watch last night. They have some really young scorers on that team and they will be worth the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.