Which would you rather have....

[InTheZone]

Things are kind of slow in here for the summer, so I thought this would be a fun topic to discuss. Which team are you more a fan of, which would you rather see win the MAC, and which would have a bigger impact for the university?

[GP1]

A football championship would be something that would generate increased interest for a new stadium. I overheard a couple of people talking at the Varsity A raffle about the stadium and I don't think we are as close to having a new one as we may hope. The property around the primary location is not as easy to get as we on this site may hope. I think we all were hoping to have a new stadium in three years and I really don't see that happening. We'll be lucky to get one in five years unless something drastic happens. The MAC Championship could increase the sense of urgency for a new stadium.

The championship would be something not only the University could benefit from, but it would give northeast Ohio something to really hang it's hat on and generate future support (ticket sales and Foundation donations) for the school. Just look at the crowd for the Miami game last season. There was a great turn out for the game because the team actually had an important game late in the year.

More than anyone else, I think Mike Thomas would benefit from the MAC Championship. He is a good man who has worked hard for the University and I believe has made some good decisions in hiring JD AND KD. A championship would solidify his position as Akron's best AD ever and move him on to bigger things which he will have earned. If we do win the MAC, he will be too expensive to keep around. When that new stadium is finally built, something in it should be named after him.

I also think winning the football championship is more difficult than winning the basketball championship. In order to win football, you have to have a great season that gets you to Detroit where you play another team that had a great season. In basketball, you can have an average to above average season, get to Cleveland, and go on a run. Once in the basketball finals, you may end up playing a team that has gone on a nice run also and the Championship game is a #4 vs. #5 (if that is possible) in the finals whick makes it a much easier game to win. Anything worth having is difficult to achieve and I think football would be much more difficult to win making it much more valuable.

Finally, a football championship would give the school national coverage for the MAC Championship and bowl game. While there is national coverage for basketball for the MAC Championship game, most March Madness games are only on television in local markets. The national coverage is much more important.

By the way, did I mention bowl game. I went to a bowl game with my wife to see her school, Miami, play last December against ISU. Win or lose, the bowl games are a great experience for fans and for the schools themselves. I can still taste the red snapper with crab Creole sauce over it at Earnest's Orleans in Shreveport. Did I mention the crab claws with dipping sauce..... Anyhow, it's getting close to dinner time and I'm feeling kind of hungry.

[Buckzip]

I would like both, but football is more special to me than basketball.