Zips Football 2011

[GoZips]

I am excited about the upcoming men's and women's basketball seasons.

I am excited about the upcoming men's and, yes, even the women's soccer season.

Volleyball interests me. Heck, if we had a tidily winks team I'm probably attend some matches.

But, football ... blah.

Way, way too much negativity for my taste. Tired of players leaving, poor recruiting, bad

coaching, insipid reporting, and most of all ... losing.

Football is the cornerstone sport of college sports. And, sadly, Akron has become the

new Crap State.

In my mind's eye it is make it work now or kick Ianello and his staff to the curb.

He was a miserable and stupid choice to lead this program. He, like Brookhart,

came to this team with zero credentials. Akron can not afford these kind of decisions.

I mean no disrespect to Rob Ianello. I am sure he is a decent man, even a good man.

But, Akron needs a hard nosed, no nonsense football coach; not a learn on the job rookie.

It angered me so much last season that I did not renew my season tickets which I had

held for more than twenty years. I did not buy season tickets this year either.

As a fan I have only two options to voice my displeasure: bitching and not buying tickets.

I choose to do both.

For those of you "true believers" tell me where I am wrong.

[Valpo Zip]

I cannot disagree with anything you said. Just like you, I am trying to (force) my self to get excited about football. However, you selected a very bad time to start this thread. I just don't see any good that can come out of this discussion at this time.

This is our team for now...we'll have this discussion in November.

[ZachTheZip]

Maybe if they let you watch some practices

Of course, that would mean not having angry old groundskeepers patrolling the fences and yelling at you if you so much as walk downt he sidewalk next to the stadium.

And come November, we'll be discussing how much money the contract with Paul Winters should be worth when we hire him in December.

[GP1]

But, football ... blah.

Way, way too much negativity for my taste. Tired of players leaving, poor recruiting, bad

coaching, insipid reporting, and most of all ... losing.

The losing is the real problem. If they start winning, players stay, better players come to school, coaching looks better and the reporting picks up.

In a general sense, I'm excited for football season, but I love college football and it bleeds into my opinions of UofA/olutlook for the season. I'm going to hold back until the Temple game. I'll have a better sense then. If we get destroyed or look bad at home, my interest will fall off greatly. Until then, I'll remain positive.

[Zipgrad1990]

I'm not very excited about the upcoming season either and almost cancelled my season tickets for this year too (only 6 years for me though). I figured I'd give iCoach one more year but if I don't see a noticeable improvement I won't renew next year. Since the original reason I bought season tickets was to get tickets at the new stadium and support the university athletics, if I don't renew next year I'll get use my football season ticket money for better basketball tickets. I'm very excited about the upcoming basketball season!

I'm hoping iCoach is the answer (if only because I don't want to wait for another coach to turn the program around), but I also don't understand hiring a coach - again - without any head coaching experience!

I doubt if iCoach fails that he will be fired with more than 2 years left on his contract, so we are stuck with him for this year and next at a minimum.

[Zipsrifle]

I'm not very excited about the upcoming season either and almost cancelled my season tickets for this year too (only 6 years for me though). I figured I'd give iCoach one more year but if I don't see a noticeable improvement I won't renew next year. Since the original reason I bought season tickets was to get tickets at the new stadium and support the university athletics, if I don't renew next year I'll get use my football season ticket money for better basketball tickets. I'm very excited about the upcoming basketball season!

I'm hoping iCoach is the answer (if only because I don't want to wait for another coach to turn the program around), but I also don't understand hiring a coach - again - without any head coaching experience!

I doubt if iCoach fails that he will be fired with more than 2 years left on his contract, so we are stuck with him for this year and next at a minimum.

Put me in the same boat. Last year I said I wasn't excited for the season and THIS year I'm even LESS excited. I am willing to give iCoach this season to see what happens. 4 solid wins (no miracles) is a minimum in my book. To be honest, I know little about football and right or wrong, I'm putting my trust in the people in charge of this program to turn them into a winner. I'm very frustrated that our new stadium will likely be 4-5 years old with the sparkle gone before we have something decent on the field. We put a lot of money into this thing and right now it looks like we blew it. On the other hand, if we have to tear this program down, dig up the foundation, fill it in, and start over to have a long term winning program, I'll sit through a few more crappy years. Like most, I wasn't a fan of the iCoach hire, but this is where we are and I'm not one to turn my back when times get tough.

[K92]

If you're not excited for football, my first question would be "do you like football?" When the air gets those first small hints of autumn approaching, my college football passion begins to border on obsession. I love it all. I love the big non-conference tilts like LSU v. Oregon and Boise v. Georgia. I love the non-conference David v. Goliath matchups. I love it when there is a conference game in the 2nd slot on the schedule. I love to see the upsets. I love to watch pre-season favorites fade away and unheralded teams emerge. I love it when the weather turns cooler and we get into the meat of the conference schedules. I love the bitter rivalry games. I hate when the season ends after only 12 games.

More specifically, I look forward to Zips football starting again as soon as the last game is over. Last year when they announced the seniors at the Buffalo game, reality hit me. Then they played the video montage of the seniors to the tune of the old Alphaville "Forever Young". That about jerked my tear. Seriously. I didn't want it to end.

From that point on, the anticipation builds. There are spikes of excitement for National Signing Day and the spring game. When the rags come out around Memorial Day, I am ready to go, counting the days. I start dusting off the tailgate gear and ponder additions and improvements. I look for any piece of information on the Zips I can find. I've been looking into the mailbox with anticipation wondering if my season tickets are in there, because I can't wait to get back to campus to see my friends again at that first game. Chomping at the bit to see Ohio's Pride taking the field...Z...IP...ESSSSSSSSSSSSS...LET'S GO ZIPS! Everytime I see the big A marching across the field remains a big thrill for me.

I realize that there has been a lot of disappointment after the taste of success in 2005, but I remain positive that things things are (hopefully) turning for the better. When they do, I plan on being there. Mark me down in the excited column.

Go Zips!

[Blue & Gold]

If you're not excited for football, my first question would be "do you like football?" When the air gets those first small hints of autumn approaching, my college football passion begins to border on obsession. I love it all. I love the big non-conference tilts like LSU v. Oregon and Boise v. Georgia. I love the non-conference David v. Goliath matchups. I love it when there is a conference game in the 2nd slot on the schedule. I love to see the upsets. I love to watch pre-season favorites fade away and unheralded teams emerge. I love it when the weather turns cooler and we get into the meat of the conference schedules. I love the bitter rivalry games. I hate when the season ends after only 12 games.

More specifically, I look forward to Zips football starting again as soon as the last game is over. Last year when they announced the seniors at the Buffalo game, reality hit me. Then they played the video montage of the seniors to the tune of the old Alphaville "Forever Young". That about jerked my tear. Seriously. I didn't want it to end.

From that point on, the anticipation builds. There are spikes of excitement for National Signing Day and the spring game. When the rags come out around Memorial Day, I am ready to go, counting the days. I start dusting off the tailgate gear and ponder additions and improvements. I look for any piece of information on the Zips I can find. I've been looking into the mailbox with anticipation wondering if my season tickets are in there, because I can't wait to get back to campus to see my friends again at that first game. Chomping at the bit to see Ohio's Pride taking the field...Z...IP...ESSSSSSSSSSSSS...LET'S GO ZIPS! Everytime I see the big A marching across the field remains a big thrill for me.

I realize that there has been a lot of disappointment after the taste of success in 2005, but I remain positive that things things are (hopefully) turning for the better. When they do, I plan on being there. Mark me down in the excited column.

Go Zips!

[Buckzip]

If you're not excited for football, my first question would be "do you like football?" When the air gets those first small hints of autumn approaching, my college football passion begins to border on obsession. I love it all. I love the big non-conference tilts like LSU v. Oregon and Boise v. Georgia. I love the non-conference David v. Goliath matchups. I love it when there is a conference game in the 2nd slot on the schedule. I love to see the upsets. I love to watch pre-season favorites fade away and unheralded teams emerge. I love it when the weather turns cooler and we get into the meat of the conference schedules. I love the bitter rivalry games. I hate when the season ends after only 12 games.

More specifically, I look forward to Zips football starting again as soon as the last game is over. Last year when they announced the seniors at the Buffalo game, reality hit me. Then they played the video montage of the seniors to the tune of the old Alphaville "Forever Young". That about jerked my tear. Seriously. I didn't want it to end.

From that point on, the anticipation builds. There are spikes of excitement for National Signing Day and the spring game. When the rags come out around Memorial Day, I am ready to go, counting the days. I start dusting off the tailgate gear and ponder additions and improvements. I look for any piece of information on the Zips I can find. I've been looking into the mailbox with anticipation wondering if my season tickets are in there, because I can't wait to get back to campus to see my friends again at that first game. Chomping at the bit to see Ohio's Pride taking the field...Z...IP...ESSSSSSSSSSSSS...LET'S GO ZIPS! Everytime I see the big A marching across the field remains a big thrill for me.

I realize that there has been a lot of disappointment after the taste of success in 2005, but I remain positive that things things are (hopefully) turning for the better. When they do, I plan on being there. Mark me down in the excited column.

Go Zips!

Well Said.

Football is my life. I like playing football, and you can play football too..wiff a football.

[Dave in Green]

While I enjoy both football and basketball, I happen to like basketball a little more than football. So I always anticipate basketball season with a little more enthusiasm than football. But even with Zips football being down right now, I still lhave my season ticket and look forward to attending the home games and cheering for them to do better than most people think they will.

[akronad]

I'm with Go Zips on this issue. I love football. I see a t least 1 hs game per week and have supported Zips football for over 20 years. However, last year was a total abomination. We left by half-time on at least occassions last season, only because the Zips had played and were coached so poorly.

I wish the Zips nothing but the best and maybe in couple of years I will even go to another game.

[Dr Z]

....Akron needs a hard nosed, no nonsense football coach; not a learn on the job rookie.

Keener did a good job of describing how I feel. But I'm going to pull only one of your complaints and try to address it. Rob is not a rookie coach anymore. Your right last year was a learn on the job rookie effort. I would give him a D-....but, last year is OVER. They haven't invented anything yet to go back in time and change things, so I'm not focusing any more effort complaining about last season. I am willing to look past last season and focus on what is going on in the present and try to look to the future. I want to see if ROB progresses this year. It is possible that he will get that much better. He isn't going anywhere for at least two more seasons. Winning is the answer.

One other thing addressing GZ overall statement. I get a feeling of "lack of excitement" from a HUGE Zips fan. How can a marketing department loose a guy like this? It amazes me year in and year out how the Browns can get their fans excited for another loosing season. What does our marketing department do?

[Buckzip]

....Akron needs a hard nosed, no nonsense football coach; not a learn on the job rookie.

Keener did a good job of describing how I feel. But I'm going to pull only one of your complaints and try to address it. Rob is not a rookie coach anymore. Your right last year was a learn on the job rookie effort. I would give him a D-....but, last year is OVER. They haven't invented anything yet to go back in time and change things, so I'm not focusing any more effort complaining about last season. I am willing to look past last season and focus on what is going on in the present and try to look to the future. I want to see if ROB progresses this year. It is possible that he will get that much better. He isn't going anywhere for at least two more seasons. Winning is the answer.

One other thing addressing GZ overall statement. I get a feeling of "lack of excitement" from a HUGE Zips fan. How can a marketing department loose a guy like this? It amazes me year in and year out how the Browns can get their fans excited for another loosing season. What does our marketing department do?

When you are a fan of a team you don't really need to be "marketed" to.

Sure it is nice to have little goodies and things to get excited over, but they can't do an entire season like that.

Browns fans would be excited for a new season with or without any marketing effort.

I am looking forward to the next season as soon as the current season ends.

The Indians are a perfect example. Back in the 90's they sold out every game when they were winning. Once they went to crap, the sellouts stopped. Marketing has nothing to do with that.

The team winning and being fun to watch is all the marketing that is needed.

A good marketing campaign may bring butts into the seats, but it won't bring in fans if the team loses.

If the team started winning and got those butts in the seats, perhaps those people would come back. But with the team sucking like it does, most fans are merely bandwagon jumpers. They will come when the team proves to them that they are worthy to watch. Then they will act like they have always been hige fans.

I schedule my trips back home around the Zips schedule. I make sure I am home for at least 2 home games per year.

The only marketing I would like to have back is the Acme Zip game. That was a blast. The Rubber Bowl would be sold out and their was a soccer game earlier in the day before the game. The smell of fall was in the air, there were fireworks, maybe some parachute guys and bands.

Bring back the 70's version of Acme Zip......

[Dr Z]

Most people don't understand marketing. See the above post. Goodies don't equal marketing. He basically argues we don't need marketing, and then states he liked the marketing of the acme zip game and comes to games because of the scheduling. Winning is the best way to get people to a game?.....no kidding. Good/some marketing gets 20 percent more fans to a .500 team's season.

[Buckzip]

Most people don't understand marketing. See the above post. Goodies don't equal marketing. He basically argues we don't need marketing, and then states he liked the marketing of the acme zip game and comes to games because of the scheduling. Winning is the best way to get people to a game?.....no kidding. Good/some marketing gets 20 percent more fans to a .500 team's season.

I understand marketing as that is what my degree is in. I mentioned the Acme Zip game as one thing that can be done from a marketing standpoint. I plan my trips home according to the schedule. Marketing is not involved in that. Oh wait, the marketing department must put out the schedule so they are involved in that in your world.

So after your minor little attack on me you say that it will help a 500 team by 20%.

First off, my premise was based on our current team. This is not a 500 team or close to it.

Secondly-There is no way to prove the 20% increase based on any marketing effort.

The best marketing tool for the team is to WIN. A better marketing campaign won't help with that.

Marketing will not bring people to watch a bad team play. Prove me wrong on that.

If the team sucks, all the "marketing" in the world isn't going to help.

The stadium is beautiful-It doesn't seem to matter to fans.

The pricing is average for mid major-Are free tickets going to help that much?

The product is terrible. People don't want to waste their time on a bad product.

The Acme Zip game was the 1 promo UA did and they ended that.

Maybe you think they should have nerf football night or something like that. Yeah, that will pack the place.

[Dave in Green]

Winning is not a "marketing tool." Winning is the goal of sporting competitions.

Winning attracts larger crowds because more people like being associated with a winner than a loser.

Larger crowds can be attracted to both winning and losing teams by focusing on promoting factors independent of winning and losing.

It's rare that marketing can make up for all, or even most of, the attendance loss of a losing team. But it can almost always make up some percentage.

[Doug Snyder]

I think the worst thing the Marketing Department (any Marketing Dept.) can do is oversell their product. I am sure everyone as heard "under sell and over deliver" but I really think it it true and is entirely applicable here. I go to baseball spring training games not caring about a win or loss…but want to see what the new guys look like and if the veterans are in shape and healthy. I go to the current Cav’s games to see the development of individual players and to see who can fit long term. My expectations are not built on winning. But if I go to a Mount Union game…I expect to see a victory. Building the proper expectation is a delicate thing. You can’t tell your fan base “we suck this year and may lose all our games as we start the rebuilding process”. I do believe that is why it was so quiet last year. Better to say nothing at all. I think fan expectations are reasonable this year…I have only seen predictions of 4-5 games. No one is calling anyone a “loser” this year for having expectations of a sub 500 season. I think the most important thing in rebuilding is getting some buy in from your fan base and not alienating your core group of fans. In that regard….the marketing department (and the Administration) has not done a good job. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes…no one is perfect but making the same mistakes over again is what will be hard to overcome.

[Dr Z]

I understand marketing as that is what my degree is in.

I'm not sure I believe you. If your job was to market the football team starting tomorrow. What would you do? Please don't waste any of your budget on dumb giveaways. After you answer, I wouldn't mind hearing D.I.G's answer. I think he has a gasp on the concept.

[GP1]

Winning is not a "marketing tool." Winning is the goal of sporting competitions.

I respectfully disagree by 1/2. Winning is both a marketing tool and the goal of sporting competitions. Any winning program can use the fact that they win in their ads. I would. You can do lots of things with winning. You can sell shirts with how may conference championships you have won, bowl game appearances, etc. People wear these items around town and remind everyone who isn't participating they should and those who do, why they do. You can have ads with the team holding a championship trophy. You can have ads with your team playing in a bowl game. I could go on all day. You can't do much with losing.

Winning also drives season ticket sales as fans want to get their tickets early so they get a good seat so you can say in an ad, "Get good seats while they last." Nobody wants to watch a winning team from the 20 yard line if they can get better seats by buying early. Minor league baseball comes to mind. I saw a study once of ticket sales in minor league baseball. The vast majority of tickets sold for minor league baseball are season tickets. I'm sure that holds true for Akron football as well. If a team is waiting until the middle of the year to sell tickets, they won't succeed. If you have a losing season, nobody wants season tickets. If you have a winning season, fans want season tickets.

Winning is also a factor in recruiting. Recruiting is a form of advertising. Teams that win tend to get players that help them continue to win if they play their cards right.

Winning is a good product. I like to sell good products. Losing year after year after year is a crappy product. Tough to sell.

[Zipmeister]

I think the worst thing the Marketing Department (any Marketing Dept.) can do is oversell their product. I am sure everyone as heard "under sell and over deliver" but I really think it it true and is entirely applicable here. I go to baseball spring training games not caring about a win or loss…but want to see what the new guys look like and if the veterans are in shape and healthy. I go to the current Cav’s games to see the development of individual players and to see who can fit long term. My expectations are not built on winning. But if I go to a Mount Union game…I expect to see a victory. Building the proper expectation is a delicate thing. You can’t tell your fan base “we suck this year and may lose all our games as we start the rebuilding process”. I do believe that is why it was so quiet last year. Better to say nothing at all. I think fan expectations are reasonable this year…I have only seen predictions of 4-5 games. No one is calling anyone a “loser” this year for having expectations of a sub 500 season. I think the most important thing in rebuilding is getting some buy in from your fan base and not alienating your core group of fans. In that regard….the marketing department (and the Administration) has not done a good job. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes…no one is perfect but making the same mistakes over again is what will be hard to overcome.

Well at least the UofA isn't doing the worst thing.

[ZachTheZip]

I understand marketing as that is what my degree is in.

I'm not sure I believe you. If your job was to market the football team starting tomorrow. What would you do? Please don't waste any of your budget on dumb giveaways. After you answer, I wouldn't mind hearing D.I.G's answer. I think he has a gasp on the concept.

The Browns have a strong fan base because they're Cleveland's team. The Indians and Cavs don't represent the city in Clevelanders' minds like the Browns do.

if I was Akron's marketing department, I would try to build a sense of identity with the people of Akron. This is the team that represents us (us being the citizens of Akron) to the rest of the world and so we should support it as best as we can. I would have ran with the RooTown thing and put it everywhere. A giant banner on the fieldhouse that only people that are well aware of the team ever see won't do anything for the city. People follow high school sports around here because they believe that it represents their neighborhood. We need to create that attitude on a larger scale.

[GP1]

If your job was to market the football team starting tomorrow. What would you do? Please don't waste any of your budget on dumb giveaways.

I'd have giveaways, if I could get local businesses to donate them. It wouldn't be the focus of my marketing efforts though.

What to do with marketing money is the question at hand though. And a good question. I'd take a bunch of it over the next 3-4 years and pour it into an academic program to keep at risk players in school. At the same time, I'd go out and get at risk players and keep them in school and win some games. The big schools do this every day. Once I started to win, I'd have focused campaigns on winning and sell tickets based off of that.

It's supply and demand. Right now, there is no demand because the product is so bad. Selling tickets at high school football ticket rates sets the wrong tone because it is so hard to raise ticket rates. Think about it. If they sold tickets at $5 per ticket during a winning season and then raised it to $10 after a winning season, the Beacon Journal would have an article with the headline, "The University of Akron Raises Ticket Prices 100%". Nobody would read beyond that headline. They should keep ticket prices where they are, focus on getting a winning product on the field before concerning themselves with marketing. UofA has a winnig problem, not a marketing problem. I'm pretty certain that if UofA could average 7.5 wins per season over a three year period with never a losing season, one MAC Championship and one at large bowl bid, they would sell a lot of tickets. People from NE Ohio love football and would embrace a good college football team in a second. I'm not saying the place would be sold out, but I don't think a 15,000 person season ticket base should not be out of the question. With an average 5,000 walk-up, it would be a good time at The Big Dialer.

It's like the old question a woman asks, "Does this dress make me look fat?" The answer isn't the dress, it's the fat that makes her look fat, but nobody in their right mind would say it. We been on a steady diet of losing for so long, we have losing fat rolls like a Can't State cheerleader has fat rolls from eating pot laced brownies. We can have the greatest marketing campaign in the world and it isn't going to sell many tickets because the losing has been so bad.

[GP1]

if I was Akron's marketing department, I would try to build a sense of identity with the people of Akron. This is the team that represents us (us being the citizens of Akron) to the rest of the world and so we should support it as best as we can.

At this point, you would be telling the people of Akron they are a bunch of losers. Good luck selling that ticket. Start to win and then tell everyone the school is like them.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think the most important thing in rebuilding is getting some buy in from your fan base and not alienating your core group of fans. In that regard….the marketing department (and the Administration) has not done a good job.

True

[xu9697]

Football should be an easy sell. It is the most popular sport in this country, it only happens 6 days per year (speaking specifically to UA home games) and this year it happens on 6 Saturdays.

UA football is not yet an "experience"/"event". Browns games are an experience (and Browns typically suck). Opening Day in baseball is an experience (and plenty of teams consistently suck). The UA vs. Can't game is the closest thing we have to an experience (and both those teams typically suck).

Winning would have been a HUGE help in kicking off the new stadium experience. Not winning the first 2 seasons is a gigantic swing and a miss.