What do Zips Fans Really think?

[MDZip]

Since this topic has been brought up on another forum, i thought it might be interesting to see what Zips fans really thought. I tried to make them realistic choices. I think anyone would take a national top ten for football or basketball but those aren't too likely to happen in the near future. As for me, I'd take the national championship in soccer. It may not be the most high profile sport, but it would give UA it's first team title. I'd be a little less excited if it was in something like say swimming, but I'd still be happy about it just like I was happy about our two NCAA champions last year. So what so you ZNO?Evidently I don't have the poll setup right, but the three questions were:1) National Championship in soccer2) Men win a first round NCAA tournament basketball game3) Football wins a low level bowl gameMods. feel free to delete the other one.

[zippyrifle32]

Since this topic has been brought up on another forum, i thought it might be interesting to see what Zips fans really thought. I tried to make them realistic choices. I think anyone would take a national top ten for football or basketball but those aren't too likely to happen in the near future. As for me, I'd take the national championship in soccer. It may not be the most high profile sport, but it would give UA it's first team title. I'd be a little less excited if it was in something like say swimming, but I'd still be happy about it just like I was happy about our two NCAA champions last year. So what so you ZNO?Evidently I don't have the poll setup right, but the three questions were:1) National Championshiop in soccer2) Men win a first round NCAA tournament basketball game3) Football wins a low level bowl gameMods. feel free to delete the other one.

I'll take national titles over anything else any day. It doesn't matter what sport it is in. After that, I would want to see bball wins, then a bowl game. To those who are now saying "who cares about soccer" - I do. I was also able to get several of my coworkers, including the VP to come to a few games. Even more people around the office were talking and asking about them.

[Buckzip]

National Title..Hands down.

[ZachTheZip]

People ask who cares about soccer. I ask who cares about the pizza pizza bowl?A national championship in soccer gets us more press than winning a single NCAA tournament game. Now, if the choice was going to the sweet sixteen, then I would take basketball but just barely. Elite Eight or farther and it's basketball hands down. The thing is that we're way closer to winning a title in soccer than we are making it to the elite eight in basketball.

[johnnyzip84]

It's an excellent hypothetical question I'd really have a hard time choosing. In the end, here is my preference.1) Low-Level Bowl win - maybe because the suffering has been so great, so recent, and nearly so constant. The brief taste in 2005 still lingers.2) NCAA Soccer championship - In the last 20 years, I have gradually become a big fan of soccer at all levels. I thoroughly enjoy not only the Zips results on the pitch, but HOW they accomplish them.3) Hoops 1st round NCAA tourney win - It's such a close call that it seems ridiculous to find this in third place. I guess if you make it a SECOND round win, this probably shoots to number 1 in my list. There's a LOT more program credibility gained from a 2nd round win as opposed to a "fluke" (in some of the public eyes) win in the opening round by a "Cinderella story".

[zip37]

National Championship in soccer. Mark it down, IT WILL HAPPEN!

[Zip_ME87]

It's a good question MDZip, but I choose not to choose. All 3 are possible and not mutually exclusive. I happen to love supporting all 3 sports. I wish I had enough time to add Women's basketball to the mix. Jodi Kest is doing a great job. Go Lady Zips!BTW, I understand if someone doesn't like soccer and chooses not to follow it. But, that doesn't make it unimportant. As I posted in another forum, I had similar experiences to zippyrifle this past soccer season. In one instance, I encountered a friend from work at the OSWho game last season...he said he was at the game and other Zips games because he loves good soccer, which the Zips play. When I spoke to him a few days ago, he said he was thinking about getting season tickets this year. (He is not a Zips alum nor do any of his family attend UA.) In another instance, I told a friend at work that if he liked soccer, he would love watching the Zips. He took his family to a game and followed that up with 5 more, and he had 8 tickets to the Tulsa game in the NCAA Tournament. Again, not a UA alum and no kids at UA (kids are too young). Numerous people at work also asked me about the Zips once the Cleveland news stations finally reported they were going to the College Cup.

[Let'sGoZips94]

National Championship, but I would also like to beat a meaningful team in the first round of the NCAA tourney because basketball is still more watched than soccer (in America).

[RootforRoo44]

Are you all out of your minds? Are you that upset about the loss to Can't Statecks this weekend that you've lost all hope or care for basketball? You honestly can say you'd rather win a National title in SOCCER over an upset (not like we'd get anything higher than a 11 seed ever) win in the first round of the NCAA tournament?! I'll put them in this order:1) Win a game in the NCAA tournament2) Win a Bowl game in football 3) National Championship in Womens Basketball4) National Championship in Mens Soccer5) Go to a Bowl game (close behind #4)BTW, dont get me wrong i definitely loved the ride this past year in soccer. I also have been to every home game but two in the last 3 seasons, but soccer is NOT basketball or football....period.

[meatwad]

BTW, dont get me wrong i definitely loved the ride this past year in soccer. I also have been to every home game but two in the last 3 seasons, but soccer is NOT basketball or football....period.

yeah, the soccer team actually is really really good....

[skip-zip]

People ask who cares about soccer. I ask who cares about the pizza pizza bowl?A national championship in soccer gets us more press than winning a single NCAA tournament game. Now, if the choice was going to the sweet sixteen, then I would take basketball but just barely. Elite Eight or farther and it's basketball hands down. The thing is that we're way closer to winning a title in soccer than we are making it to the elite eight in basketball.

I say this with respect, but are you serious!!!Just qualifying for the NCAA basketball tournament brings hundreds of times more publicity than a soccer title. Winning a game or two in the NCAA tournament would bring thousands of times more publicity to our University.As much as I think it would be a cool thing to win a soccer national championship, just remember that NCAA first round basketball tournament games are on CBS, while even the final game of the soccer cup can't even make it to the main station of ESPN.

[Dr Z]

Just qualifying for the NCAA basketball tournament brings hundreds of times more publicity than a soccer title. Winning a game or two in the NCAA tournament would bring thousands of times more publicity to our University.

Just around the office there are football bowl polls, ncca basketball polls, everybody knows about those. Even some women in the office get into those polls.Nobody really knows that Akron was in the soccer championship game (except us). I had to tell two alumni that used to play soccer in high school that Akron was in the championship game. After I watched the championship game, I talked to both of them during the week and asked if they watched...they answered "no" IMO soccer is just not entertaining to watch. With that said, I have respect for the game. I realize how physical soccer is and how skilled they are, it's just not entertaining to me. If the team wins the championship next year, I'll buy a shirt and wear it to promote them, but I would trade it for either of the other two choices. I'll go a step further and say I would trade a soccer national title for one football victory over the big ten team to the south.

[zipsbandman]

I'll take an NCAA tournament APPEARANCE over the soccer or football postseason options hands down....NCAA tourney is the greatest event in sports. After that I'd prefer a bowl game then the soccer title. I think we should all be proud of the soccer team but seriously.....

[Jalapeño Zippy]

1. National Title in Soccer2. NCAA Basketball Tournament3. Football Bowl GameNow if we start putting in stipulations order may change, but hands down a National Title period would mean alot to this school no matter what sport it is in.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

[RootforRoo44]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

I would say that "Zips Soccer Guy" describes about .01% of the Akron Alumni/Student population. MOST Akron Soccer fans are first and foremost Akron basketball/football fans and that's why this argument is pointless.

[g-mann17]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

I agree.I want all of it.Soccer National ChampionshipSweet 16 Basketball TeamMAC and Bowl Champion Football team (Pizza, GMAC, or whatever we can get)National Champion track athletesNational Champion rifleWomens BB beating BGSUI don't see why we can't have it all.

[Zip Watcher]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

Couldn't agree more. To me, it's a pointless discussion.Go Zips!! All of them.

[MDZip]

Hmmm, I think this has gotten off-track. No one is arguing that we wouldn't love for all of these things to happen, certainly any Zips fan would. The question as posed, however, stemmed from a discussion in another post about what Zips fans really cared about. I follow all three sports more closely than any other sport and I'd love to see a wnner in all of them, however, when I see someone say they'd happily trade a National Championship in a relevant but not one of the "big two" sports for something good simply to happen in one the big two, that confuses me. That was the intent of the original question which I think has brought out some fairly interesting perspectives. To simply dismiss it by saying I want it all, well who wouldn't?

[g-mann17]

Hmmm, I think this has gotten off-track. No one is arguing that we wouldn't love for all of these things to happen, certainly any Zips fan would. The question as posed, however, stemmed from a discussion in another post about what Zips fans really cared about. I follow all three sports more closely than any other sport and I'd love to see a wnner in all of them, however, when I see someone say they'd happily trade a National Championship in a relevant but not one of the "big two" sports for something good simply to happen in one the big two, that confuses me. That was the intent of the original question which I think has brought out some fairly interesting perspectives. To simply dismiss it by saying I want it all, well who wouldn't?

I think that is what the answer is though.All of the above. Don't worry about trading anything from one for something of the other, as a fan, you should want it all. Just because soccer is your #3 doesn't mean that their accomplishments are ho-hum. You need success everywhere. Heck if Ianello is smart, he's already talked to Porter and has planned him as a guest speaker for the football team. Lecture subject "striving for perfection and dominance everywhere".It's up to the University and athletes to make that happen.

[mes102]

THe only thing I would trade a national championship for in soccer, is a national championship or a final four in basketball...we're all waiting to win a team national championship, but when we discuss getting one, you're willing to trade it for 1 win or publicity from a bowl game or publicity of it......sorry...but no one remembers who beat Illinois last year or UConn 2 years ago in the 1st round so I don't want just 1 win in NCAA tourney to trade a national championship we've all been craving for...it would have to be a run in a tourney...Without looking, who can tell me who played in the Independence Bowl or the Insight Bowl and the scores of those games? most likely not...What I'm saying is that I rather be good enought to have a national championship instead of going to a meaningless bowl game that huge fans won't watch not from the area or a small run in the NCAA tournament that people won't remember 5 years later...Soccer to me or any sport(we just seem to be further ahead with soccer), if we are good at that, I'll watch it and root them on. At my high school alma mater, we were good at wrestling and produced many state champions, so i rooted for them as i did other sports cause that was our best shot at a state title but would not give up a state title in wrestling compared to basketball or baseball because we were known for wrestling(i know...i hate wrestling and it's pathetic)...I just think it's hypocritical that people would want to give up a national title in soccer for a good run in basketball or a samll bowl game(thanks to BCS system), when all i've been hearing is wanting a national team title...I want hardware that would last a lifetime and would always be at UA, instead of a memory that involved having a good time even though we didn't get the big hardware...i want more hardware on shelf, not less because guess I'm part of the .01 percent...

[Dr Z]

...sorry...but no one remembers who beat Illinois last year or UConn 2 years ago in the 1st round so I don't want just 1 win in NCAA tourney to trade a national championship we've all been craving for...it would have to be a run in a tourney...Without looking, who can tell me who played in the Independence Bowl or the Insight Bowl and the scores of those games? most likely not.

I like this topic. I don't think there is a wrong answer. How many Zips fans went to the Zips bowl appearance vs Memphis? How many Zips fans went to see the Zips play Gonzaga in the NCAAs last year? How many Zips fans went to see the Zips play Virginia in the soccer national title game? Not really apples to apples due to the geographical proximity, but you get the point.

[Zipmeister]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

I agree.I want all of it.Soccer National ChampionshipSweet 16 Basketball TeamMAC and Bowl Champion Football team (Pizza, GMAC, or whatever we can get)National Champion track athletesNational Champion rifleWomens BB beating BGSUI don't see why we can't have it all.

I have to basically go with the Gman here. The only difference would be I would have the club baseball team making the College World Series at the top of the list.

[meatwad]

I like this topic. I don't think there is a wrong answer. How many Zips fans went to the Zips bowl appearance vs Memphis? How many Zips fans went to see the Zips play Gonzaga in the NCAAs last year? How many Zips fans went to see the Zips play Virginia in the soccer national title game? Not really apples to apples due to the geographical proximity, but you get the point.

I went to all three. By far my favorite was the soccer weekend.I'm biased though.

[zippyrifle32]

I hate this question because it is very divisive.It pits "Zips Football Guy" vs. "Zips Basketball Guy" vs. "Zips Soccer Guy"You can't win at UA if you're a fan of all three.

I would say that "Zips Soccer Guy" describes about .01% of the Akron Alumni/Student population. MOST Akron Soccer fans are first and foremost Akron basketball/football fans and that's why this argument is pointless.

I hate this discussion because I hate people speaking on behalf of me. Of the people that are true Akron fans (follow the team and go to the events) the percentage of soccer followers is much higher than your .01% just for the fact that the majority of Akron Alumni/Student population aren't fans of Akron's sports teams. I like soccer and basketball and football. The greatest success a team can achieve is a national championship. Has men's bball even come close to the attendance of men's soccer this year? If they were able to add more seats, you know those NCAA playoff games would have had even bigger crowds.