Steve French sportstalk

[zipboy]

I usually don't get home in time to catch French's show on TV Monday nights but was able to see it the past 2 weeks. Being someone closer to the program than most of us here are some comments that he made the past 2 weeks.1. The coaching staff is not acting like one about to be fired. He has seen several firings in the past and for the most part, coaches block out the distractions, but they aren't stupid. They know what is going on. At the same time, JD being let go is not a foregone conclusion.2. No question a missed opportunity this season with the new stadium. He must have said this 5 times for emphasis.3. He was surprised that attendance for OU was as good as it was. Akron football has never been a good sell, the MAC is seen as minor league in NE Ohio. People have never been and probably will never be excited about watching MAC football. 4. Can't will draw well the last 2 games will be pretty sparse.5. Expectations have raised when you spend over 80M in facility upgrades.

[Dr Z]

I used to really enjoy watching his show, I'm just far enough away from Akron now that I can't pick it up anymore.Steve isn't afraid to say anything, and sometimes pays for it with a totally wrong comment. I can understand hiscomments about JD, but I just can't see him keeping his job. It would be the biggest surprise in Akron football to meif JD is the head coach of the Akron Zips next year. I hope Steve speaks about Akron more on his show, sometimes Iwas the only caller to ask about Akron and that would be the only time he would mention them. BTW It's the only radio/tv show that I have ever called into in my life. I always felt like Steve knew the Akron info, but had to be prodded/calledfor the viewer to get it. At some point and time in his life, Steve should get some kind of award from the U.

[GP1]

At some point and time in his life, Steve should get some kind of award from the U.

He was. On the day Robert Lyons was placed in the Varsity A Hall of Fame, French was presented with an award. I can't remember what the award was called though.

[zip37]

What station, day, and time is he on? I just came out of my cave

[zipboy]

Monday nights from 6-7 on Retro TV formerly the CAT. It is channel 29 for TWC for me in northern Summitt. Dr Z, he gave his 10 minute monologue at the beginning and gave his thoughts. But in getting 8-10 callers over the night, 2-3 want to talk about the Zips.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

I used to really enjoy watching his show, I'm just far enough away from Akron now that I can't pick it up anymore.Steve isn't afraid to say anything, and sometimes pays for it with a totally wrong comment. I can understand hiscomments about JD, but I just can't see him keeping his job. It would be the biggest surprise in Akron football to meif JD is the head coach of the Akron Zips next year. I hope Steve speaks about Akron more on his show, sometimes Iwas the only caller to ask about Akron and that would be the only time he would mention them. BTW It's the only radio/tv show that I have ever called into in my life. I always felt like Steve knew the Akron info, but had to be prodded/calledfor the viewer to get it. At some point and time in his life, Steve should get some kind of award from the U.

FRENCH IS AROUND THE TEAM SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK......I'M SURE HE IS VIEWING THE FACT THAT THE TEAM HAS LOST THEIR BEST PLAYERS TO INJURIES AND THE FACT THAT JD HAS HIS KIDS PLAYING HARD......JD WILL KEEP HIS JOB!!! AND SO WILL THE REST OF YOU POUNDING ON HIM!!!!!!

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I used to really enjoy watching his show, I'm just far enough away from Akron now that I can't pick it up anymore.Steve isn't afraid to say anything, and sometimes pays for it with a totally wrong comment. I can understand hiscomments about JD, but I just can't see him keeping his job. It would be the biggest surprise in Akron football to meif JD is the head coach of the Akron Zips next year. I hope Steve speaks about Akron more on his show, sometimes Iwas the only caller to ask about Akron and that would be the only time he would mention them. BTW It's the only radio/tv show that I have ever called into in my life. I always felt like Steve knew the Akron info, but had to be prodded/calledfor the viewer to get it. At some point and time in his life, Steve should get some kind of award from the U.

FRENCH IS AROUND THE TEAM SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK......I'M SURE HE IS VIEWING THE FACT THAT THE TEAM HAS LOST THEIR BEST PLAYERS TO INJURIES AND THE FACT THAT JD HAS HIS KIDS PLAYING HARD......JD WILL KEEP HIS JOB!!! AND SO WILL THE REST OF YOU POUNDING ON HIM!!!!!!

First, the all caps thing is the same as yelling netiquette-wise. I know you're a little full of rage, but the yelling in every post...is it necessary? Second, JD will not keep his job and if he does, he certainly shouldn't. Lastly, it is wonderful to know that you are confident that all of us will be keeping our jobs. Thank you for that vote of confidence. I will sleep better tonight. Oh, and one more thing, you are awesome! Before I forget, if you weren't already aware, the Ohio.com site includes a section under each story for comments from readers. You strike me as someone who would be a perfect fit as an Ohio.com poster. You should check it out. STZ

[Z.I.P.]

FRENCH IS AROUND THE TEAM SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK......I'M SURE HE IS VIEWING THE FACT THAT THE TEAM HAS LOST THEIR BEST PLAYERS TO INJURIES AND THE FACT THAT JD HAS HIS KIDS PLAYING HARD......JD WILL KEEP HIS JOB!!! AND SO WILL THE REST OF YOU POUNDING ON HIM!!!!!!

I THINK RUMP IS ONTO SOMETHING HERE!!! How can you blame a coaching staff when the top two QB's are lost for the season, RB's are injured, DLinemen who were counted on can't play. Well that's the view from the living room of the Brookhart household. In reality, I do think there's an outside chance Wisty has sympathy. That's the reason why the ZN must put the pressure on the AD, rather than consider it a foregone conclusion. Cause it ain't!

[Spin]

He was surprised that attendance for OU was as good as it was. Akron football has never been a good sell, the MAC is seen as minor league in NE Ohio. People have never been and probably will never be excited about watching MAC football.

Maybe, but we set minor league baseball attendance records.Just gotta win once in awhile, put on a good show for families, advertise. Fans will start coming.

[Dr Z]

Dr Z, he gave his 10 minute monologue at the beginning and gave his thoughts. But in getting 8-10 callers over the night, 2-3 want to talk about the Zips.

Glad to hear that. That has to be small proof that the on campus stadium is making some difference. Does he still talk about the shirt he is wearing that night?

[skip-zip]

He was surprised that attendance for OU was as good as it was. Akron football has never been a good sell, the MAC is seen as minor league in NE Ohio. People have never been and probably will never be excited about watching MAC football.

Maybe, but we set minor league baseball attendance records.Just gotta win once in awhile, put on a good show for families, advertise. Fans will start coming.

I like how French tells it like it is. This is not going to be a "we need to leave the MAC" rant. But, winning games against our current level of competition is only going to take you so far in terms of increased attendance. Very few people in the area even know how Akron is performing in a given year. They don't care. All that matters to most is what the big boys playing for national championships are doing. That won't change to the degree that we all want it to change just by winning games against Can't, OU, Buffalo, etc.

[Captain Kangaroo]

But, winning games against our current level of competition is only going to take you so far in terms of increased attendance.

I disagree. When we win, we draw. 15k people drove to Detroit to see the Zips play a mediocre Memphis team in a non-BCS bowl game. They will drive to the corner of Brown and Exchange if we can ever put a winning team on the field.

Very few people in the area even know how Akron is performing in a given year. They don't care.

The do care, when the Zips are good. They do not care when the Zips are bad. It is that simple.Seriously - If you are "Joe Akron," why the hell would you want to endure a Zips game right now. Why would you want to buy a ticket or a ball cap? If the Zips are 6-2, it is an entirely different story than 1-7.

All that matters to most is what the big boys playing for national championships are doing.

No it doesn't. The Zips can easily draw 20,000 fans per home game if they have a winning product. When YSU was winning, they would draw 20,000. When YSU is losing, they draw 12,000. The people of Youngstown and Akron are no different. Winning draws fans, and losing repels them.I attended the Viking/Steelers game yesterday. Vikings fans were everywhere.I attended a Vikings/Steelers game 3-4 years ago, when Minnesota wasn't so hot, and I was one of two Vikings fans in the entire city of Pittsburgh.How many tribe fans are there when they win games? How many empty seats are there when they suck?

That won't change to the degree that we all want it to change just by winning games against Can't, OU, Buffalo, etc.

Yes it will. The examples are everywhere. Locally, and across the nation. Compete for championships at any level, and you will capture the public's fancy. Rack up losing record after losing record and you will draw flies.

[GP1]

Compete for championships at any level, and you will capture the public's fancy. Rack up losing record after losing record and you will draw flies.

I agree with Captain Kangaroo. All we need to do with our current schedule and being in the MAC is win 7 games a year. This isn't even asking for much. People will excuse away the BCS losing every year if they would just win the darn MAC. Going to bowl games on a regular basis would be enough to gain interest. Win the MAC every 3 years, compete for the championship every year and the town would produce good crowds. 20,000 average is not unreasonable.If we want to expect more wins than 7 every year, dump the BCS teams and beat up on some I-AA teams.Don't feel bad about the Vikings CK. I've seen many of undefeated teams come to the Steel City around the end of October only to go home with their first loss. The truth is, the Steelers needed that game much more than the Vikings did. 5-2 in all practical terms in the NFL is significantly better than 4-3. That game had one of the strangest vibes I have ever watched. Very strange game.

[Blue & Gold]

IMHO what we need to do is three-fold. 1. Open every season at home against a D-1AA school. NO MORE OPENING UP @ PENN STATE, WISCONSIN, or OSU (I know, already too late for next year.) As a longtime Zips fan, I know, unfortunately, that oftentimes the most exciting time of the Zips football season is the month BEFORE our 1st game. I'm SICK of first game beat downs. We need to fill the Info, on a warm fall day, and lay the beating down, not vice-versa.2. Schedule ONLY BCS conference schools that will give us 1-for-1 / home & home deals. This will, naturally, lower the level of BCS conference schools which we play, i.e., NO MORE Penn States (for crying out loud) or any Top 10 programs - at least for a while. More Minnesotas, Colorados, Northwesterns & Syracuses, thank you very much. And...3. Win the absolutely freakingly atrocious football conference that is the MAC. It should be SO EASY to be the next Boise State coming out of this conference. A mediocre D-1 team would go undefeated in this conference. Why can't it be us? It should be us. And, after some major shake ups at season's end (yeah, I believe we should wait until the season is complete), I still believe it will be us. With a schedule consisting of a D-1AA, two mid-level BCS schools and the MAC (lol) man, why shouldn't we average 9 wins per season, if not more? We do that consistently for a few years and the Info will be the place to be.Hope springs eternal.