a-zip Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 There is one reason why football AND basketball got snubbed. THE FANS! PERIOD! Both team overachieved, played well and won big games. Remember Akron vs. Marshall this year. That was one of the best games of the year. Unfortunately only 30% of the fans that went to the game were there for the end (that leaves about 5K people). It is embarrassing and reflects poorly on our ability to draw fans. THAT IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT! Basketball, we went on a tear at the end of the season, won a big game against Miami. The University, athletic dept, coaches and players are doing their part. Heck, they are practically giving tickets away and nobody will go. Until people stop whatever they are doing, go to the Bowl or JAR we will not see any big schools come to Akron or postseason play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Not that I agree or disagree with your post, but what would you do different to attract fans ? You are really preaching to the choir here. I know first hand that most of the people on this board were at the end of the Marshall game high fiving players on the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo Craig Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 The local media doesn't help matters either. Open the Reakin Urinal and you would think it was a Columbus paper. Same thing goes for the Plain Dealer and all of the local TV news and AM sports talk. If you walk into any local sporting goods store, you'll see it loaded with Suckeye gear, but little or no Zips or Can't stuff. I keep hoping and praying that if the Zips start a long winning tradition that they will be able to overcome all or at least some of that, but I have to admit that I have my doubts if it will ever change. Today I opened the Reakin and was looking at the pairings for the womens NCAA. I noticed that the words "Ohio State" were in bold letters, but another school from Ohio, Bowling Green, did not get that recognition. This Suckeye bias needs to cease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 There is one reason why football AND basketball got snubbed. THE FANS! PERIOD! Both team overachieved, played well and won big games. Remember Akron vs. Marshall this year. That was one of the best games of the year. Unfortunately only 30% of the fans that went to the game were there for the end (that leaves about 5K people). It is embarrassing and reflects poorly on our ability to draw fans. THAT IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT! Basketball, we went on a tear at the end of the season, won a big game against Miami. The University, athletic dept, coaches and players are doing their part. Heck, they are practically giving tickets away and nobody will go. Until people stop whatever they are doing, go to the Bowl or JAR we will not see any big schools come to Akron or postseason play. I disagree. We've won NOTHING. Where are the MAC championship banners? Nowhere? Where are the Bowl trophies? Nowhere. Where are the big OOC victories in football and basketball? Nowhere. Where are the 9+ win football and 22+ win basketball seasons? Nowhere. We haven't won squat in comparison to just about anyone in the MAC since we've entered the conference. We beat Marshall during the football regular season. Six of the 12 teams Marshall played this year beat them. We beat Miami during the basketball regular season. So did woeful Marshall. Big fat hairy deal. "We went on a tear at the end of the basketball season"? We choked-away the MAC title at season's end losing two of our last three. One of those losses was to our rival, and local hoops measuring stick, Can't (for the second time, I might add). Some "tear." Then we bowed-out in the MAC quarterfinals...woo hoo. I was in Can't 7 years ago when we beat them in hoops for the first time in 31 years (in Can't). Us Akron fans sat in the Can't student section behind a hoop. There were plenty of empty seats. That game drew about 3,000 fans. 2,000 were Akron fans...it was like a home game. It was that year that Can't began their "run", winning 20 games for the first of what's now 7 consecutive years. Now Can't gets 5,000 of their OWN fans at most home games. And they've done that for about 6 straight years. How did Can't go from 1,500 fans to 5,000 fans? It wasn't by winning a few regular season games. It was by winning 20+, by consistently winning in the MAC tourney, by winning in the NIT, then winning in the NCAA's. THAT'S what draws fans to games. That combination of a winning tradition and a fan base is what gets you an NIT bid. If you really think that fans should be flocking in to see the Zips because they are simply competitive...you're nuts. I'll be at games...the rest of the guys on this board will be at games...but you aren't going to pack the house in football or basketball until you win championships. Personally, I feel we have the coaching staffs in-place to win championships, but almost two decades of football and basketball futility...essentially a generation...cannot be overcome with 6 or 7-win football and 19-win basketball seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 The local media doesn't help matters either. Open the Reakin Urinal and you would think it was a Columbus paper. Very true. Seems like Darnell Mayberry is now covering Zips athletics rather than that YSU fan. Good move BJ, might even buy a paper in a year or two if you keep this up. They still owe me years of "real" Akron coverage for all the years they have ignored them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a-zip Posted March 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 My point has to do with my belief that the football team and basketball team should have seen postseason play and the reason it did not happen is because of the lousy Akron fans. The teams played good enough. Football, we beat Marshall but they got the bowl bid - we were the only bowl eligible team not to get a game. In basketball, we had the highest RPI rating of any team to not to get postseason invite. I am not pointing out the individuals on this board as i am sure you are all loyal fans. Let me say this.........The Rubber Bowl and JAR can be loud places offering a tremendous homefield advantage. The teams would do better with these venues filled. And the committees that make invites to post season would take more notice if they thought people cared about the teams. In football, we have to travel to Penn State, Iowa, Maryland, Virginia etc early in the season. We get thumped and come home to an empty home field. VERY INSPIRING.... This past season was the best, gutsiest team in a while with a legit Heisman candidate who did a lot for the community. The community does nothing for the teams! What is the answer? I don't know. It is kinda like the chicken and the egg. The administration seems to be doing everything they can. I hope all these new facilities don't go to waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a-zip Posted March 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 "I was in Can't 7 years ago when we beat them in hoops for the first time in 31 years (in Can't). Us Akron fans sat in the Can't student section behind a hoop. There were plenty of empty seats. That game drew about 3,000 fans. 2,000 were Akron fans...it was like a home game." BTW- you supported my point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 "I was in Can't 7 years ago when we beat them in hoops for the first time in 31 years (in Can't). Us Akron fans sat in the Can't student section behind a hoop. There were plenty of empty seats. That game drew about 3,000 fans. 2,000 were Akron fans...it was like a home game." BTW- you supported my point... I'm glad I can support your statement that the local fans support for non-championship caliber teams will be luke-warm at best until championships are won. That once championships are competed for and won on a regular basis, there exists proof (in Can't) that local fans will show up. Great minds think alike, I guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a-zip Posted March 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 You are correct, the teams were not championship caliber in the begining of the season but they sure had a chance at the end. Answer three questions........... Were the teams eligible for postseason play? Did less deserving teams make it to postseason play? Why did the Zips not make it to postseason play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Why did the Zips not make it to postseason play? Didn't win enough games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 You are correct, the teams were not championship caliber in the begining of the season but they sure had a chance at the end. Answer three questions........... Were the teams eligible for postseason play? Did less deserving teams make it to postseason play? Why did the Zips not make it to postseason play? 1.) Were the teams eligible for postseason play? Football- Yes. Basketball - Every Division 1 team is eligible for post-season play. 2.) Did less deserving teams make it to postseason play? Basketball: No (see #3) Football- Yes. Marshall. Why did Marshall make it ahead of the Zips? Because they have a history of winning. A history of championships. Because of this history, they have national recognition. This makes them appealing to bowls. They also have a good fan base as a result of consistently winning championships (not simply going above .500 a few times every decade). 3.) Why did the Zips not make it to postseason play? Football: Because they lost the Miami game. They win the Miami game, they'll the MAC East champs and they go bowling. They lost. Basketball: Because they lost the final 3 key games they played: Can't, Buffalo and WMU. Losses to Can't and Buffalo cost them the MAC regular season title, which would have given them a 20-win season and an NIT birth. The WMU tourney loss cost them the NIT berth (Zips would have gone in lieu of WMU). The Zips proved themselves to be the 6th best team in the MAC at year's end. OU sacked-up at season's end and won the tourney. Buffalo made it to the finals and won 22 games. Miami won the regular season title. WMU and Can't both swept the Zips. The Zips got what they deserved in both football and basketball. They had their fate in their own hands and lost. To be honest, they simply ran into teams that were better. That happens. They had "nice" seasons, and greater things are expected of them next year. That's all. It wasn't the fan's fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-P Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Every year at this time we start "eating our own" because it's so damn dead around here. Looks like this year's no different............. BTW.........don't you ole timers love the way the newbies come in here all geeked up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipsrifle Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 I totally agree with the points that if we won, this thread wouldn't be here. We are in the position where we won't have anything given to us....We'll have to take it. At least we are in a position to be screwed like this....I can't remember the last time we had this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a-zip Posted March 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 "Newbies geeked up!" That is funny. I was simply stating an opinion. Is'nt what this forum is for? And OFCOURSE we would not be having this conversation if we had made it to postseason. I'll tell you what- I will just let the 3-4 of you "old Timers" talk amongst yourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 "Newbies geeked up!" That is funny. I was simply stating an opinion. Is'nt what this forum is for? And OFCOURSE we would not be having this conversation if we had made it to postseason. I'll tell you what- I will just let the 3-4 of you "old Timers" talk amongst yourselves. You posed 3 questions. I replied to each one, in detail. No "smack," no snide remarks...just my opinion on your three questions. That's how the board works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-P Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Eeeeeeeeesy there pardner. Luv havin ya'll on board..........just a passin comment. We luv the energy you're bringin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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