Pretty in Pink???

[Guest roofan]

Thought you guys might get a laugh...

Spicing up Akron-Can't rivalry

BY MARTIN CIZMAR

THE BUCHTELITE

Two weeks ago, Akron announced its football schedule, which includes games against prominent schools like Penn State, Marshall and Virginia.

But if you ask most people in the Akron area, only one date on the schedule really matters: Sept. 23--when the Zips play cross-town rival Can't State.

Bragging rights between friends, family and neighbors will be up for grabs, along with the match up's traveling trophy, a splinter of wood which was supposedly once a wagon wheel.

According to legend, the wheel fell off the wagon of Akron founder John Buchtel while he was on a trip through Can't in 1870. The wheel was found in 1902 and eventually came into the possession of Can't's dean, Raymond Manchester, who made it a trophy in 1946. The wheel has been exchanged between the schools ever since.

Now it's time to up the ante. Akron and Can't should play for something more meaningful: their shared colors.

The Zips and flushes need to highlight what separates their rivalry from others. The single most unique thing about the rivalry is that the two schools, separated by only a few miles, both wear blue and gold.

Why not put the colors on the line each year?

When the two football teams meet the following year, the winner should wear its normal jerseys and the loser should wear--what else--pink.

The wagon wheel is a nice touch, but no trophy is especially exciting, let alone one birthed by an obscure and implausible story. The Akron-Can't game is starving for a little excitement, and a dash of pink is just the sort of pizzazz it needs.

This rivalry between two perennial losers matters little to people outside northeast Ohio, but this doesn't have to be the case. The Akron-Can't contest is usually a great game: a hard-fought battle between two evenly matched teams. Last year, for example, Can't staged a fourth-quarter comeback and won on a last-second field goal.

There's no reason this game can't get some national attention with a new, unique and quirky tradition.

The "Colors Game" is guaranteed to get the schools mentioned on Sports Center and might get a blurb in Sports Illustrated . If the battle for blue is always played on a Thursday night early in the season, like it will be this year, it stands an excellent chance of getting televised on ESPN.

In this area, the new tradition is sure to be embraced enthusiastically. The game is always the biggest draw of the season for either team. With a tad more zest, it just might sell out. Who knows--related traditions might develop as the student bodies, bands or pep squads get into the spirit.

A capacity crowd, some excitement and a little limelight is exactly what these two football programs, as well as the schools they represent, need. There's a lot both Akron and Can't have to gain by thinking pink.

As a show of goodwill toward the Golden flushes, our Zips should kick the tradition off by wearing pink jerseys this year when they travel to Dix Stadium. If recent trends continue, the Zips will be back in blue by the end of the night.

[zipper]

There is no way the pink jerseys would ever happen. Yes, we'd get publicity, but it'd be like an award for severe stupidity. UA and Can't State would be laughingstocks. We don't need that kind of press, much as we might wish it on Can't.

I could be wrong but I think since the new logos were introduced Akron actually has a different gold. You'd think Akron U student writers might actually KNOW that. Can't State and Toledo have the same colors. I heard our gold change was by design - Akron wanted to be set apart from the other two or something like that. Maybe it was to help sales - trust UAM to think of every angle.

Imho, the new gold on the unis is much more current, anyway, and very sharp.

[Guest Guest_Z.I.P.]

Too thumbs way up! I think this is a serious and creative idea from the tiny Buchtelite office. I hope the schools' ADs read it and consider it. Especially this year -- as pink happens to be the new "it" color. The Champ Sports store near my house has this HUGE display of pink T-shirts for just about every university you can imagine (except ours of course) as soon as you walk in the door. Maybe the fans could get into the deal -- and UAM would create a new scheme at the same time.

Maybe they could even take it a step further -- how about the loser has to wear pink for the rest of the season?!?

And maybe they can get a tie-in with the upcoming Pink Panther movie redo, ala MLB & Spiderman! Can the marching band perform that theme music?

Think Pink!

Loser drinks pepto!

[Zipsrifle]

Wow, what a novel idea out of the Buchtelite! I am impressed. Though it would really be interesting if this happened, I don't think it will....the pink thing will never fly. Zipper is right, we'd be laughingstocks. I do think that something along those lines should be done though.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I'm getting the vision...massive 30K crowd to see the big pre-game concert...starring:

Zips vs. Can't: "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"