IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!

[bobbyake]

Everyone, we're faced with a challenge this upcoming saturday. Not the challenge of beating Penn State, but the challenge of beating OSU. Both games are going to be played at 3:30. And I'm worried to see what game the bars are focused on. For some reason I think Johnny Maloys and other local bars will have the OSU game all over and on the speakers. So What can we do about this. I think we should all get together in our Akron gear and head out to the same bar 30 or more deep. WE can show these locals that AKron is a team people actually root for and maybe get that crap of a team osu off the big screen so those panzies have to watch AKron...... FEAR THE ROO!! let's do it.

[iheartkarriker]

BETTER IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Go to game at Penn State.....or as my dad use to call it State Penn..........

[ZachTheZip]

I would love to go to the Penn State game, but I work Saturday morning until 12:15 PM sooo... unless you have a private jet/helicopter that could land inside the stadium, I vote for bobbyake's idea. The Winking Lizard in Fairlawn is a good spot since they have always been Zips-friendly.

[bobbyake]

I'm trying to get people to play soccer from like 12:30 to 2 at cascade, then somewhere to watch the game at 3:30. I have class from 10 to 11:30 on saturdays so I can't go to the Penn State game unless your willing to give me a ticket, I'll miss class for it.

[sgm405]

Everyone, we're faced with a challenge this upcoming saturday. Not the challenge of beating Penn State, but the challenge of beating OSU. Both games are going to be played at 3:30. And I'm worried to see what game the bars are focused on. For some reason I think Johnny Maloys and other local bars will have the OSU game all over and on the speakers. So What can we do about this. I think we should all get together in our Akron gear and head out to the same bar 30 or more deep. WE can show these locals that AKron is a team people actually root for and maybe get that crap of a team osu off the big screen so those panzies have to watch AKron...... FEAR THE ROO!! let's do it.

Do you realize how silly you look with all of the anti-OSU crap? Dude...they aren't our rival...they aren't playing us...they have very little to do with us. Why even bring them up? You have a good idea in getting a bunch of UA fans together to watch the game somewhere. Isn't that enough? The bars are going to do what is best for their business. So if there are a lot of OSU fans that show up, they'll probably put it on that game. If there are a lot of Akron fans that show up, they'll probably put it on that game. Or...and I know this is a crazy thought...but some bars have - (drumroll please) - MULTIPLE TV's! So in review...1) Akron and OSU are not rivals and do not play each other this year. Quit pretending that there is some kind of competition or rivalry.2) Bar owners will put whatever game or games on TV that bring people in to drink their beer and eat their food. If the Akron Zips are really the team people want to watch that day in whatever bar you're in, that will be the game on the TV. 3) I love Akron and I'm very prideful in the Zips. With that said, I also know stupid comments when I see them. To call OSU a "crap team" when they are #1 in the nation and the favorite for the National Title is silly. To call their fans "pansies" is an even dumber statement. I'll just say this...you wouldn't need to come on an Internet message board at OSU to get 30 or more people to show up at a bar and watch the opener...they'd be there...and far more than 30. Our fans have gotten much, much better in the last year and a half, much of that due to the success of the AK-Rowdies. And I believe as the University and as athletics continue to take steps forward, the fan base will get better and better as well. But how about we try 1) Selling out the Rubber Bowl just once, 2) Coming in higher than 113th in average home attendance in D1 football - before we start calling out Buckeyes fans? Have you ever watched TV with a bunch of people...and a beautiful girl comes on the television...and a girl in the room starts ripping the girl on TV for silly reasons like her eyelashes or her nails because deep down, she envys that girl's beauty and success...and everyone else in the room that knows women knows that - like her or not - the girl on TV is a beautiful girl? Well, you get the point...I hope anyways. Bottom line: Quit worrying about OSU and focus on Akron having a great year...GO ZIPS!

[TXZipFan]

sgm405 - You are right in all that you said... BUT I don't think you are understanding what he's trying to accomplish. It's not a matter of OSU being our rival it's the simple fact that OSU fans don't respect Akron. He simply want to show people that the bucks aren't the only team in Ohio and not the only good team for that matter. RESPECT and we won't truly get it until the Zips roll into Columbus and win. P.S. Akron will win at OSU next year, you can take that to the bank!!!

[bobbyake]

You sound like the typical front runner. Let me ask you this question. How many classes have you taken at OSU???? Your a retard if you don't think Akron competes with OSU. You'll see it this saturday when Akron fans have to put up with OSU fans all over in the local bars. This is Akron, not Columbus. It's sad that anyone in Akron would choose watching OSU over Akron. But you'll see it. Why, because OSU competes with Akron in this market for fan support.I know you'll be watching the Buckeyes and wishing you were there instead of Akron, well, what's holding you back, go. The Buckeyes are garbage, go root for OU too if you want to root for a team because they have Ohio in it.Ohio State has nothing to do with Akron but you see people supporting them around here more than they would Akron. That's a challenge the University has to deal with every Saturday when people decide to stay home and watch OSU on TV instead of taking a trip to the rubber bowl. No one said anything about being rivals, we're talking about competition here. Believe it or not, OSU is one of Akron's competitors. If you don't think so, I hope your not a business major.When Charlie Frye made that comment about OSU and the Beacon Journal, what did that make you think??? OSU is an intruder in the Akron market. It's time we fight back and say "To Hell with OSU, GO ZIPS!!!!"

[bobbyake]

And don't forget, you'll never be a buckeye no matter how much of a fan you are unless you've ever actually went to school there. So get over it.

[sgm405]

You sound like the typical front runner. Let me ask you this question. How many classes have you taken at OSU???? Your a retard if you don't think Akron competes with OSU. You'll see it this saturday when Akron fans have to put up with OSU fans all over in the local bars. This is Akron, not Columbus. It's sad that anyone in Akron would choose watching OSU over Akron. But you'll see it. Why, because OSU competes with Akron in this market for fan support.I know you'll be watching the Buckeyes and wishing you were there instead of Akron, well, what's holding you back, go. The Buckeyes are garbage, go root for OU too if you want to root for a team because they have Ohio in it.Ohio State has nothing to do with Akron but you see people supporting them around here more than they would Akron. That's a challenge the University has to deal with every Saturday when people decide to stay home and watch OSU on TV instead of taking a trip to the rubber bowl. No one said anything about being rivals, we're talking about competition here. Believe it or not, OSU is one of Akron's competitors. If you don't think so, I hope your not a business major.When Charlie Frye made that comment about OSU and the Beacon Journal, what did that make you think??? OSU is an intruder in the Akron market. It's time we fight back and say "To Hell with OSU, GO ZIPS!!!!"

I grew up about an hour away from Akron. I have always been a big sports fan and have always rooted for the hometown teams over anyone else - Indians, Browns, Cavaliers. As a youngster, I obviously didn't know what college I was going to attend. My Uncle - an OSU Alum - got me into college football by watching the Ohio State Buckeyes. I started following them when I was about 7, and have followed them ever since. When I got accepted to The University of Akron, I became a Zips fan. I have gone to just about every home Zips football and basketball game there has been in my time at Akron, as well as many road games. Whenever Akron plays Ohio State in anything, I cheer for Akron 100%. When Akron is not playing OSU, I cheer for OSU. How that makes me a frontrunner, I do not know. How that makes me an OSU-wannabe, I also do not know. For whatever reason, you don't like OSU. And that's fine...really, it is. Nobody's forcing you to cheer for them. But if a person grew up with no ties to Akron...and they followed OSU football because their family member went there...and they cheer for Akron over OSU when the two compete...what's the problem? Ohio State is a favorite of many Ohioans because they are in situations similar to my own. Why should I all the sudden cheer against OSU, a team I've followed for almost 20 years, because my school now plays them two or three times a decade? That's just silly. Look...it's time to face reality. Ohio State is a premier football program. Most years, they'll start and finish in the top 10-15. Most years, they have a legitimate shot at winning the National Title. They will - more often than not - get the best recruits in Ohio. They have the largest fan base in Ohio because so many people grew up with no ties to Akron or Can't State or Toledo or other smaller MAC schools. NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE. I repeat...NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE. So instead of bashing people who cheer for OSU as a #2...instead of bashing OSU as a team and looing silly by calling them garbage......and instead of waging some kind of war on OSU fans, why not focus on AKRON. Focus on the success the Zips had last year. Focus on the great possibilities that they have this upcoming season. Focus on the fans becoming a bigger and bigger part of the success.

[sgm405]

sgm405 - You are right in all that you said... BUT I don't think you are understanding what he's trying to accomplish. It's not a matter of OSU being our rival it's the simple fact that OSU fans don't respect Akron. He simply want to show people that the bucks aren't the only team in Ohio and not the only good team for that matter. RESPECT and we won't truly get it until the Zips roll into Columbus and win. P.S. Akron will win at OSU next year, you can take that to the bank!!!

If that is truly the reasoning behind his rant, there are two faults with it...1) The way to earn respect from another school/team is to beat them, or at least play them well...and to do it with class. You do not earn respect from another team's fan base by calling them pansies or by saying their team is garbage (especially when they are #1 in the nation).2) Ohio State fans DO respect Akron fans. Let me tell you a story. I got to go down to Ohio State in 2001 to see them play Akron. I was lucky enough to watch the game with a press pass, wearing my blue and gold polo shirt in a sea of scarlet and gray. If you recall that game, the Zips stuck with the Buckeyes. In fact, had it not been for a few mental mistakes by the Zips players and some bad luck, Akron might've had a chance to pull off the upset. The final score was 28-14. I remember a lot from that game...how loud OSU stadium was, even through soundproof glass. How awesome the band is in person. How close and exciting the game was. How proud I was of the Zips performance. But the thing I remember most? The fans. After the game, many of the press members following the game commented to me that Akron should be proud with the way they played, and that they were impressed. It was definitely nice to hear. As I left the stadium with my 3 buddies who had purchased regular tickets (all wearing Akron gear), numerous Buckeye fans gave us a "good game" or a "you guys played well!"...or something along those lines. One lady in particular stopped my group and said, "You know, you guys have a great team...you really should have won today, and if it was against anyone else, I'd be cheering for you to do just that." All fans of OSU...all saying things they didn't have to say...all showing respect to Akron and the team. Sure, there are some idiot OSU fans out there. There are also some idiot Akron fans...and Penn State fans...and Can't State fans. Does that mean that every fan of that team is an idiot? (OK, maybe Can't). No. So again...please...stop trying to create a competition that is simply not there...and if it is truly about respect, ignore the idiot OSU fans and take a lesson from those who I ran into 5 years ago...to earn respect, you first must show respect.

[Buckzip]

SGM, thank you.Undergrad at OSU, MBA at Akron. I can be a fan of both by some logic. I guess nobody in this area can be a Zips fan unless they attended UA then. I agree, the bashing of OSU all the time is sad. It is pure jealousy.Anyone that ever visits an OSU board will see "most" OSU fans do cheer for other Ohio teams. When UA played for the MAC title and the bowl game, OSU fans were talking about it.OSU gets almost as many fans to their spring game than UA has at all of their home games combined. Their is no need to bash OSU to boost UA.

[fear the brown roo]

so anyhow, is there one main place for all of us to watch the game?

[bobbyake]

I'll bash OSU just like you'll bash Michigan. OSU is Akron's competition whether you like it or not and you can't tell me they aren't.I started a "Forget about the Buckeyes, Go Zips" campaign because I'm tired of seeing OSU stuff everywhere around here while Akron stuff is no where to be seen. The thing that really pissed me off was seeing a child that looked around the age of 9 or 10 at a basketball game against Eastern Michigan wearing an OSU hat going around saying "this is a real school." What is up with that? When are the people around here going to realize that Akron's a great school that has great athletic programs that can be very entertaining. It's hard for them to realize that when they'd rather sit at home and watch OSU than go to the Rubber Bowl to watch Akron. And when they do go to Akron events, they act like we're a second class program and wear OSU gear.I'm not jealous, I'm simply just taking shots at my schools competition, if you don't like the bashing, get over it. It's going to keep coming. This post was made to address the reality we're faced with on Saturday when it might be hard to watch your local team at a local bar or restuarant because the locals would rather watch a team from a city far away.

[bobbyake]

After the game, many of the press members following the game commented to me that Akron should be proud with the way they played, and that they were impressed. It was definitely nice to hear. As I left the stadium with my 3 buddies who had purchased regular tickets (all wearing Akron gear), numerous Buckeye fans gave us a "good game" or a "you guys played well!"...or something along those lines. One lady in particular stopped my group and said, "You know, you guys have a great team...you really should have won today, and if it was against anyone else, I'd be cheering for you to do just that." All fans of OSU...all saying things they didn't have to say...all showing respect to Akron and the team.

I've never said anything about disliking the OSU fans from Columbus. My issue is with the the fans that live in this area that would rather forget about the Zips and root for the Buckeyes.Please explain to me how OSU is not Akron's competition??? Maybe they aren't directly competitors in football, but as a college in general, they are. When high school students in this area are figuring out which college is the right choice for them, Akron and OSU are big competitors. Your blind if you don't think so. When the locals can't decide if they want to watch OSU play football on TV or take a trip to the Rubber Bowl, that's competition. Akron competes with OSU in many ways. Think of it from a business standpoint. But please, go ahead and explain to me how the University of Akron and the Ohio State University aren't competitors. Because you have yet to justify your claim while I've done this over and over again.

[zipper]

These are two different perspectives, both with validity, but the facts push in bobby's way. Winning consistently will change this. Some locals will become Zips fans, and some will be fans of both. The real rant should be directed towards the local media. They just can't decide if Akron is a suburb of Cleveland or Columbus. Let's face it, most of us are sheep. We'll root for whom we're told - this is why there's a big business world out there called ADVERTISING. Most of us would be very happy if they merely paid Akron equal respect, equal columns, equal interest.But again, winning should help. And for God's sake, we should be able to walk into some local pub and find the Akron game on tv instead of OSU. That should be just a matter of basic hometown pride.

[ZachTheZip]

Fear the Brown Roo,Yes there is a place for us all to meet for the game. Winking Lizards in Fairlawn is the most likely candidate because they have traditionally had big Akron fan support on game days. They encourage Akron fans to show up there to watch the away games. I think the owner might have played football there in the past or something like that. Or, if you can't make it to a place, it is on ESPN2, so anywhere with a cable hookup should have it. I might just go to Best Buy and watch it there if I can't make it to the Winking Lizard.

[Valpo Zip]

It is true that Akron is competing with OSU for both fan support and recruits. But again, when OSU is playing Michigan or NW or Illinois etc... i don't expect ohioans to root against OSU not because it is OSU but because it is the best team in the state.However, it is so irritating to walk on (akron's) campus and run into people wearing OSU gear, even in athletic events. Listen to this:Last year, i was at the M soccer game when we beated OSU 3-0, and there was a guy near me who was wearing OSU gear. I wasn't too irritated because i thought he was an OSU fan or alum or whatever coming to see his team. When the zips scored, he was happy and screaming "go zips" . I lost my cool then and told him what a frontrunner he was and how he is unloyal etc... to my surprise, he said that he was a zips fan and cheering Akron all the way and he even showed me his zipcard His argument was simply that he is a student and that he cannot afford buying multiple gears so he only bought one shirt and one hat (obviously OSU's) and that he wears them in every athletic event he attends (zips, indians, browns, hoban etc...)It is also true that the business owners, (in most cases) do not give a damn about either OSU or the zips, and that they only care about their businesses. So if it wasn't that the majority of the bars customers are OSU fans they wouldn't have them on the big screen.It is our role as zips fans to make our presence felt. When you go to the bar you have to ask to see the zips game on the big screen. When you go to the mall, or walmart or anywhere and go into a store to find them selling all OSU, big ten, even Texas and ND apparatus and nothing zips related whatsoever, do not turn away and leave. Let them hear it, tell them that you wanted to buy zips stuff and that you couldn't find it so that they understand that they are losing business. And last but not least, the main thing is that we keep telling our friends and relatives about the zips and convice them to attend games and hoping that the teams will keep winning may be one day the people in Columbus will be wearing zips stuff.

[Blue & Gold]

I love bobbyake's passion! Man, could you imagine if all of Akron rallied around the Zips like he does and found their drive in Zips athletics and not Columbus? Wow. Akron would then really be a community with it's own identity! I must agree with bobbyake. Columbus State is absolutely in a marketing war with not only the Zips, but every single large university in the state. In fact, if we simply reason together, why wouldn't Columbus State not want to retain complete and utter state dominance? CSU has been in underhanded legal battles with OU for decades, trying to erase the "Ohio" from OU's name. This has been a long and documented struggle - you'd want to get a passionate and knowledgable OU fan to let you know all about that. Here's just one example - why isn't OU's stadium named Ohio Stadium and OSU's stadium named Ohio State Stadium? If you stop and think, it quickly dawns on you that OSU's stadium actually is not Ohio Stadium, but is actually Ohio State Stadium. Well, it goes back to this long struggle. (OU's stadium is now named Peden Stadium.) This is the main reason I find so much humor in OU's smart@$$ Gang Green slogan - "THE State university of Ohio." It's an intelligent mockery of Columbus' insistence upon pronouncing "The" before their name as well as a slap in the face of Columbus State lawyers and administrators who have attempted to erase the name "Ohio" from OU! It's ALL marketing strategy and $$$ my friends. To think otherwise is to either be naive about the capitalistic system in which we live or to be an ostrich with your head in the sand. OU - OSU would be a natural football rivalry (Michigan-Michigan State; Colorado-Colorado State; Kansas-Kansas State; Iowa-Iowa State, etc., etc.) but OSU won't have it, for they don't want anyone to possibly ever view them as having any athletic peers in the state. They truly want to keep the other state universities relegated to the rank of second-class citizens. This is just factual and common sense - why wouldn't Columbus State think this way? They may be evil, but they're not stupid! This is what we have to fight. Columbus State refused to play Cincinnati in basketball while Huggins had the BearCats at the top of the Ohio basketball food chain. Why? Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. In fact, I'm more than sure that Columbus State administrators probably had a cow when Cincinnati was invited to a BCS conference! It goes on and on. What would really help the Zips, as well as other state universities build a fan base would be for OSU to tank it bad for about 5 years! This would help in recruiting, in sales and marketing, and in the over-all perception that yes, Akron is a valid alternative to Columbus State. However, what would help our cause even more would be for the Zips to build a consistently strong program. If the Zips could build a program which consistently finishes in or near the top 25, I'd be willing to bet Zips fever would spread through the greater Akron area and we'd be through seeing so much Columbus State clothing in our territory. Honestly, it may take a generation of Zips success to truly see a change in heart among Akron area sports fans. But then again, it may not. Perhaps people in our area would LOVE to support the local team. We can't really tell because 1) people love to be associated with a winner, but 2) we've only been "a winner" ONE year!!! So give us about 10 years of winning football and top 25 ranking and we may be surpremely surprised!!!B.t.w. I'm using a friend's computer to log this in and guess what his screen saver is? I'm sad to say it's Ohio Stadium. MY FRIEND WAS BORN IN AKRON!!! We've got a long way to go.

[sgm405]

After the game, many of the press members following the game commented to me that Akron should be proud with the way they played, and that they were impressed.  It was definitely nice to hear.  As I left the stadium with my 3 buddies who had purchased regular tickets (all wearing Akron gear), numerous Buckeye fans gave us a "good game" or a "you guys played well!"...or something along those lines.  One lady in particular stopped my group and said, "You know, you guys have a great team...you really should have won today, and if it was against anyone else, I'd be cheering for you to do just that."  All fans of OSU...all saying things they didn't have to say...all showing respect to Akron and the team.

I've never said anything about disliking the OSU fans from Columbus. My issue is with the the fans that live in this area that would rather forget about the Zips and root for the Buckeyes.Please explain to me how OSU is not Akron's competition??? Maybe they aren't directly competitors in football, but as a college in general, they are. When high school students in this area are figuring out which college is the right choice for them, Akron and OSU are big competitors. Your blind if you don't think so. When the locals can't decide if they want to watch OSU play football on TV or take a trip to the Rubber Bowl, that's competition. Akron competes with OSU in many ways. Think of it from a business standpoint. But please, go ahead and explain to me how the University of Akron and the Ohio State University aren't competitors. Because you have yet to justify your claim while I've done this over and over again.

Alright bobbyaxe...1) If you want to bash OSU, go for it. But at least come up with some material that makes you look like you know football. Seriously, by calling out their fans (some of the best in college football) and calling their team garbage (c'mon now) you just look jealous, bitter, and uneducated about football. 2) Good luck with your "Forget about the Buckeyes, Go Zips" campaign. I'm sure that one will really work...3. That's too bad that that ONE kid who was NINE was bashing Akron. I must ask...are you then saying he was in the wrong for bashing another school for no apparent reason? 4) I agree with you that getting more people out to the Rubber Bowl is important and needs to be done. I agree that more local excitement needs to be built. I agree that more pride needs to be taken with the Zips. I DISAGREE that the way to do that is by bashing the Buckeyes and their fans. 5) The competition thing...I've thought long and hard about how to explain this thing to you, because you obviously don't get it. So I'll try my best with another analogy. It's a bit out there, but here goes...Grady Sizemore and I go to a bar to pick up girls. Grady of course is very successful and is the most attractive guy in the bar. He also has the most resources for bringing girls in. Not every girl will want him over anyone else, but pretty much most of them will. I'm a pretty attractive guy who is just starting to have some real nice success. I don't have the resources that Grady does, but I do have some. Technically, because we are both trying to pick up girls, we are in competition. Realistically, any girl that Sizemore and I both want, he is going to get. Sure, there might be one who doesn't like Grady and goes with me, but pretty much - what Grady wants, Grady gets. So what can I do in this competition when talking to the girls?Focus on ME and the things I bring to the table. Focus on the success I've had and the success I'm headed towards. And what am I not going to do? Talk about him! The girls know what he has to offer. I'm not going to be able change that he's a rich, successful guy. So instead of badmouthing him to the girls and looking like a jealous wannabe, I'm not even going to bring him up. If someone asks, I'll say, "Oh yeah, him? Good guy...but let me tell you about me." Maybe the analogy is a bit out there, but if you really take the time to think about it, I think you'll get what I'm trying to say.

[zippyrifle32]

i think i'm going to walk over to bw3's on exchange (near my house) and ask for a tv to be turned if they don't have one on the game. i'd stay home and watch it, but we don't have cable hooked up yet.

[RowdyZip]

I'll post this again since no one else seemed to notice it. After hosting the ESPNU Bracket Buster party vs Nevada, I'm sure it's safe to say that Paninis is a solid supporter of Akron Athletics. So click here:http://paninisakron.com/Pages/PanEvents.htmAnd if you're too lazy to click on the link, I'll even tell you what it says: "Fear the Roo" gameday Saturdays. Kill the Keg Tailgate Party. $1 Beers till it's gone and $2 "Zip" burgers all day long. Several friends and I will be there, in blue and gold, and i'm sure we wont be the only ones and we'd love for some fellow board members to join us downtown.

[Drew]

I'm gonna be down there at Paninis with RowdyZip, come on, Zips football, cheap beer, and cheap food, how do you top that.

[Dr Z]

I'll post this again since no one else seemed to notice it.  After hosting the ESPNU Bracket Buster party vs Nevada, I'm sure it's safe to say that Paninis is a solid supporter of Akron Athletics.

Nice. Thanks for the post. I missed that the first time.I'll be at Happy Valley, but won't be able to make it to NC.

[Dale Carnegie]

After the game, many of the press members following the game commented to me that Akron should be proud with the way they played, and that they were impressed.  It was definitely nice to hear.  As I left the stadium with my 3 buddies who had purchased regular tickets (all wearing Akron gear), numerous Buckeye fans gave us a "good game" or a "you guys played well!"...or something along those lines.  One lady in particular stopped my group and said, "You know, you guys have a great team...you really should have won today, and if it was against anyone else, I'd be cheering for you to do just that."  All fans of OSU...all saying things they didn't have to say...all showing respect to Akron and the team.

I've never said anything about disliking the OSU fans from Columbus. My issue is with the the fans that live in this area that would rather forget about the Zips and root for the Buckeyes.Please explain to me how OSU is not Akron's competition??? Maybe they aren't directly competitors in football, but as a college in general, they are. When high school students in this area are figuring out which college is the right choice for them, Akron and OSU are big competitors. Your blind if you don't think so. When the locals can't decide if they want to watch OSU play football on TV or take a trip to the Rubber Bowl, that's competition. Akron competes with OSU in many ways. Think of it from a business standpoint. But please, go ahead and explain to me how the University of Akron and the Ohio State University aren't competitors. Because you have yet to justify your claim while I've done this over and over again.

Alright bobbyaxe...1) If you want to bash OSU, go for it. But at least come up with some material that makes you look like you know football. Seriously, by calling out their fans (some of the best in college football) and calling their team garbage (c'mon now) you just look jealous, bitter, and uneducated about football. 2) Good luck with your "Forget about the Buckeyes, Go Zips" campaign. I'm sure that one will really work...3. That's too bad that that ONE kid who was NINE was bashing Akron. I must ask...are you then saying he was in the wrong for bashing another school for no apparent reason? 4) I agree with you that getting more people out to the Rubber Bowl is important and needs to be done. I agree that more local excitement needs to be built. I agree that more pride needs to be taken with the Zips. I DISAGREE that the way to do that is by bashing the Buckeyes and their fans. 5) The competition thing...I've thought long and hard about how to explain this thing to you, because you obviously don't get it. So I'll try my best with another analogy. It's a bit out there, but here goes...Grady Sizemore and I go to a bar to pick up girls. Grady of course is very successful and is the most attractive guy in the bar. He also has the most resources for bringing girls in. Not every girl will want him over anyone else, but pretty much most of them will. I'm a pretty attractive guy who is just starting to have some real nice success. I don't have the resources that Grady does, but I do have some. Technically, because we are both trying to pick up girls, we are in competition. Realistically, any girl that Sizemore and I both want, he is going to get. Sure, there might be one who doesn't like Grady and goes with me, but pretty much - what Grady wants, Grady gets. So what can I do in this competition when talking to the girls?Focus on ME and the things I bring to the table. Focus on the success I've had and the success I'm headed towards. And what am I not going to do? Talk about him! The girls know what he has to offer. I'm not going to be able change that he's a rich, successful guy. So instead of badmouthing him to the girls and looking like a jealous wannabe, I'm not even going to bring him up. If someone asks, I'll say, "Oh yeah, him? Good guy...but let me tell you about me." Maybe the analogy is a bit out there, but if you really take the time to think about it, I think you'll get what I'm trying to say.

Your analogy doen't work because you wouldn't represent Akron in it. You don't get girls. You'd have to compare Grady with another baseball player for it to make just even a little since. Dumb analogy that wasn't well thought out.

[sgm405]

"Your analogy doen't work because you wouldn't represent Akron in it. You don't get girls. You'd have to compare Grady with another baseball player for it to make just even a little since. Dumb analogy that wasn't well thought out."First of all, how do you know what girls I do or don't get? Because you disagree with me or don't like my analogy, I must automatically not get girls? What an idiotic statement. Trust me Dale...noooo problems in that department. As for the analogy...Dale, you just don't get it. Grady represents OSU - A person (or team) that seemingly "has it all"I represent Akron - A person (or team) who has had some great recent success, has a great future, but doesn't have it all just yet...maybe one day, but not right nowThe girls represent recruits - Most hot girls (or top recruits) are going to go to Grady (OSU). I (Akron) will still get some hot girls (again, recruits), but pretty much only the the ones that Grady (OSU) doesn't want. Understand now?