9100 Attendance

[Lee Adams]

On 10/31/2017 at 11:35 AM, skip-zip said:

 

It could never rival the weather on Nov. 24th, 2005, which is the last time we had a game to clinch the MAC East Title.  Weather data shows it was 36 for a high, and 14 for a low, with 2.5 inches of snow.  Just in case anyone needs to be reminded. 

 

The way-too-early forecast shows 57 for a high and sun/cloud mix during the day.  

 

It will be a shame no matter what the weather brings, because we'd probably have 5-7k in the seats, even if we produced a 70 degree day.    

My wife almost refused to go to the 2005 game with me. In fact I believe they were contemplating cancelling the game because it was so cold and it was snowing/blowing so much. We sat in the parking lot listening to Frenchy on the radio to see if they were gong to play. It was quite amazing. Just before the game started the snow began to back off and a bright sunshine eventually bathed the players and fans(sigh). Its almost as if the football gods decided that this game had to be played that day so that the Zips could beat KS.u and go to Detroit. That game had to happen!

J.D. was later quoted as saying he knew we were going to win when KSSU fumbled and Akron ran it in for a TD. I don't know if the official temp was 14 above or 14 below. I know I have never been to a colder game. We sat in front of the press box to try to avoid some of the wind. Every 10 minutes or so my wife went to the restroom to get 'warm'.

I keep thinking if that many people would show up for that game,a 'meaningful' game under those conditions, just imagine if the Zips could play meaningful games on a regular basis.

They will never fill that place but if the perception of the program changed it could make a difference. 

[Section210Zip]

So i had to look. I forgot that it was a 10am kickoff. So at 10 am it was 25* with a windchill of 10*. By noon though the temp dropped to 16* and the windchill was -4*. The killer was the 28 mph winds with gust of 38 mph. 

 

 akron canton weather

 

 

[scottditzen]

On 10/31/2017 at 5:13 PM, Blue & Gold said:

That game was brutally, brutally, dangerously, life-threateningly cold. I'm a huge Zips fan but simply couldn't take it. I left at halftime... of a close game... against K.ent... in which a win would send us to Detroit.  It's the coldest I've ever been in my life. Literally.

We didn't leave.....but we did eventually end up inside some heated area we weren't supposed to be in.

 

Anyhow, we used to smuggle so much beer into those games and on that day there was a real freeze danger. I like to believe that no beer was lost to the conditions....but I honestly can not remember. 

Edited November 3, 2017 by scottditzen

[skip-zip]

Scott,  You're bringing back memories. 

 

Going all the way back to my early 80's student days, we were filling our coats with beer to go into Zips games.  Nobody cared.  On days like that, I'd have a can of beer (probably Old Milwaukee....or something similar)  and a cup of hot chocolate sitting in front of me on the concrete, and I'd be switching back and forth.  

 

Nobody checked your coats and bags back in those days.  We weren't yet worried about illegals infiltrating the country to commit terrorism.  

[K92]

Those days were more fun than these days.

[LZIp]

6 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

Nobody checked your coats and bags back in those days.  We weren't yet worried about illegals infiltrating the country to commit terrorism.  

Oh crap Skip....this sentence really made me LOL

[LZIp]

Just now, K92 said:

Those days were more fun than these days.

Meh. We used to sneak water bottles full of vodka in our jackets

[K92]

LZ, I wish you could have experienced life before cell phones.  It was heavenly.

[skip-zip]

24 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Meh. We used to sneak water bottles full of vodka in our jackets

 

Ok, you have me beat.  If I wasn't a dumb, broke college student, I guess I would have figured that hard liquor would have done me more good than cold beers.  

 

23 minutes ago, K92 said:

LZ, I wish you could have experienced life before cell phones.  It was heavenly.

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by skip-zip

[Lee Adams]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

Meh. We used to sneak water bottles full of vodka in our jackets

Southern Comfort worked well also.

[skip-zip]

With the weekday home games coming up, I was reminiscing tonight about two of the really successful weeknight games in Akron in the past.  

 

The 1986 Murray State game.

The 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Everyone knows those games drew big crowds, and were memorable.  So, what's happened?

 

Did the "novelty" of weeknight games fade away?

Are there just too many of them that they aren't special anymore?

 

My recollection is that being on ESPN 1 or 2 was a really, really big deal to our students, fans, and even others looking for something fun to do on an odd game day.  And that is going to be the case for the OU game.  We'll also be late in the season, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  We'll also be in the middle of a division title race, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Very similar circumstance.  Yet, I can bet that the actual attendance may not be 1/2 of what we experienced for the 2004 game.  Heck, look at the weekday game against Toledo in November last year, when we were 3-2 in conference play, one win away from bowl eligibility, and it was a very warm (68 degree) November night.  The "announced" attendance was only 6k.  

[K92]

55 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

With the weekday home games coming up, I was reminiscing tonight about two of the really successful weeknight games in Akron in the past.  

 

The 1986 Murray State game.

The 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Everyone knows those games drew big crowds, and were memorable.  So, what's happened?

 

Did the "novelty" of weeknight games fade away?

Are there just too many of them that they aren't special anymore?

 

My recollection is that being on ESPN 1 or 2 was a really, really big deal to our students, fans, and even others looking for something fun to do on an odd game day.  And that is going to be the case for the OU game.  We'll also be late in the season, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  We'll also be in the middle of a division title race, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Very similar circumstance.  Yet, I can bet that the actual attendance may not be 1/2 of what we experienced for the 2004 game.  Heck, look at the weekday game against Toledo in November last year, when we were 3-2 in conference play, one win away from bowl eligibility, and it was a very warm (68 degree) November night.  The "announced" attendance was only 6k.  

“Announced”?

[ZipsVoice]

2 hours ago, skip-zip said:

With the weekday home games coming up, I was reminiscing tonight about two of the really successful weeknight games in Akron in the past.  

 

The 1986 Murray State game.

The 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Everyone knows those games drew big crowds, and were memorable.  So, what's happened?

 

Did the "novelty" of weeknight games fade away?

Are there just too many of them that they aren't special anymore?

 

My recollection is that being on ESPN 1 or 2 was a really, really big deal to our students, fans, and even others looking for something fun to do on an odd game day.  And that is going to be the case for the OU game.  We'll also be late in the season, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  We'll also be in the middle of a division title race, just like the 2004 Marshall game.  

 

Very similar circumstance.  Yet, I can bet that the actual attendance may not be 1/2 of what we experienced for the 2004 game.  Heck, look at the weekday game against Toledo in November last year, when we were 3-2 in conference play, one win away from bowl eligibility, and it was a very warm (68 degree) November night.  The "announced" attendance was only 6k.  

One of the weird things I remember about that night was, you know they made a big push to get as many “crazy” students there, and then, just after half time they started announcing that the student buses back to campus would leave at the start of the fourth quarter!!  We actually gave 3 students rides back to Campus because they didn’t to leave.

[skip-zip]

Here's a few more details. 

 

November 2004 vs. Marshall, Rubber Bowl, In a conference race.  ESPN2

46 Degrees

Attendance = 29,000

 

November 2016 vs. Toledo, Infocision Stadium, In a conference race.  ESPN2

68 Degrees

Attendance = 6,000

 

It's amazing to look at these two games.  The Marshall game even had much colder weather, and was in the crappy stadium that so many people claimed was "keeping fans from going to more games".

 

Yet, it was able to draw a crowd that was FIVE TIMES the size of the Toledo crowd.  

 

So, what's changed so dramatically in the last 12 years?

 

[LZIp]

15 hours ago, K92 said:

LZ, I wish you could have experienced life before cell phones.  It was heavenly.

True story..I remember being in Junior High and being one of the first people in my class to get a cell phone.

[K92]

2 hours ago, skip-zip said:

Here's a few more details. 

 

November 2004 vs. Marshall, Rubber Bowl, In a conference race.  ESPN2

46 Degrees

Attendance = 29,000

 

November 2016 vs. Toledo, Infocision Stadium, In a conference race.  ESPN2

68 Degrees

Attendance = 6,000

 

It's amazing to look at these two games.  The Marshall game even had much colder weather, and was in the crappy stadium that so many people claimed was "keeping fans from going to more games".

 

Yet, it was able to draw a crowd that was FIVE TIMES the size of the Toledo crowd.  

 

So, what's changed so dramatically in the last 12 years?

 

Quite a bit.

[K92]

24 minutes ago, LZIp said:

True story..I remember being in Junior High and being one of the first people in my class to get a cell phone.

When you look back on your white privilege does it make you happy or ashamed?

[skip-zip]

56 minutes ago, LZIp said:

I remember being in Junior High and being one of the first people in my class to get a cell phone.

 

I remember being 30 and being the first person I knew that had a cell phone.  

 

I even remember the huge bag phones that some people put in their cars 25 years ago.  

 

Things have changed.  

[94zipgrad]

Wow, this really got out there, Go Zips & hopefully we get people out for last 2 homes games & win the East

[94zipgrad]

@Dr Z can you move this to global warming in the I don’t care about football section, PLEASE

[Section210Zip]

this thread is like electric shock therapy. I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking. Then ...I'm like "I wonder what was said about the Zips. -click-" oooo I regret clicking

[Hilltopper]

I know people who were told they were not welcome on this forum for polluting threads with long winded diatribes day after day. I sure wish the moderators would nip this crap in the bud.

[72 Roo]

Mods, it's about time you filtered this crap out. This is a Zip sports forum. The other crap needs to be handled via PM's. Help us out here. Your opinion regarding Zip sports is welcome. Do the venting of other opinions away from this medium. Too many egos are on display lately.

[Dr Z]

Agreed. If you would like to discuss politics, there are plenty of forums to do so. ZipsNation was not created to discuss politics. PLEASE take it elsewhere, or you will lose your privilege to post here. 

 

Members who have problems with specific poster should take advantage of this option.

 

 

[Cykron]

On 11/2/2017 at 8:33 PM, Zipgrad01 said:

Buffalo game... 

 

 

This may be one of the saddest things I've ever seen.  You guys are decent fans.  And the team is good enough to deserve better.  I really hope the team performs well and you start filling the stands again.  I take my shots, but I really want the best for you guys.  As long as I am still married (which I hope will be for many more decades), I will be coming to Akron and paying attention to the Zips.  And this season, I'm proudly wearing a Zips pin on the lapel of my Iowa State jacket.