Captain Kangaroo Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 It is difficult to tell the crowd size for this game. Like a lot of you, I see the lack of promotion and grow concerned. Although I could go deeper into that one, that's not why I posted.Regardless of the crowd size friday, the JAR has to rock like a Zips/K.e.n.t game. The hair on the back of all the Zips player's necks has to be on-end. This can be done with 3,000 people, or it can be done with 5,500. Those of us showing up need to walk that fine line between being absolutely obnoxious and overly exuberant.I have followed Zips basketball for over 20 years. This is the biggest game at the JAR since the 1986 Middle Tennessee OVC championship game. Yes, Xavier came into here 12 years ago and was also ranked. Thanks to 44 points by Jimal Ball, we gave them a great run. However, we had no business being in that game. No reason to expect to win.We have every reason to expect to win this game. This is probably the best Zips team we've fielded in 20 years. But the JAR has to rock tomorrow for us to have a chance. And...if we win the game...I will be profoundly disappointed if the students don't rush the floor. Screw the announcer telling you otherwise...get your ass out on the floor and dance. I'm in for $50.00 towards anyone's disorderly conduct citation. Proof of AK-Rowdy membership and arrest paperwork are required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Hey Captain. I don't want to downplay the exciting 1986 OVC Championship Game. However, at the beginning of the following season, we defeated a Cleveland State team, in overtime, that was RANKED IN THE TOP TEN at the time. That was the Cleveland State team that still had Mouse McFadden, and Ramsey and Smith (the guys who took them to the NCAA Sweet 16 the previous year). And we still had Marcel Boyce and Eric McLaughlin. I wonder how many of the "older" folks on here remember that classic?I was still a student at the time, and word was spreading around campus that we needed to get to the game two hours early just to get a decent seat. By gametime, they were letting people come in and sit on the track up against the glass barriers because there was nowhere left to sit. People were also sitting on the stairways in the bleacher sections. I don't think anybody in the upper level sat down the entire game!! I'd LOVE to see that kind of environment Friday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad1990 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I remember the Cleveland State game. I was a student at the time too. It was a crazy enviroment and I believe it was the biggest crowd the JAR has ever had or ever will have. The cowd was over 7,000 and its not possible to fit that many in the JAR now as that was before they had seat backs on the upper reserved side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted December 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Hey Captain. I don't want to downplay the exciting 1986 OVC Championship Game. However, at the beginning of the following season, we defeated a Cleveland State team, in overtime, that was RANKED IN THE TOP TEN at the time. That was the Cleveland State team that still had Mouse McFadden, and Ramsey and Smith (the guys who took them to the NCAA Sweet 16 the previous year). And we still had Marcel Boyce and Eric McLaughlin. I wonder how many of the "older" folks on here remember that classic?I was still a student at the time, and word was spreading around campus that we needed to get to the game two hours early just to get a decent seat. By gametime, they were letting people come in and sit on the track up against the glass barriers because there was nowhere left to sit. People were also sitting on the stairways in the bleacher sections. I don't think anybody in the upper level sat down the entire game!! I'd LOVE to see that kind of environment Friday night. I was at that game too. You physically couldn't shoe-horn another human being in the JAR. I think fire marshalls now limit the capacity to 5,500, but that night it was over 7k.I agree, that was awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyzip84 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 What a classic that game was! I recall the estimated crowd to be 8,000! I'm not sure if it was this game or another game around that time, but didn't the Zips also hand out some kind of "paddle" as a promotion? I seem to recall some of these (not the best promotional idea in retrospect!) being thrown at or near Kevin Mackey during the game Maybe this is walking a little "over" that fine line Can't wait to see if the atmosphere at the Nevada game can come close to that one or to last years Can't game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InTheZone Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I'm getting back into town just in time for the game. I'm going to try to bring around five people with me, but I'll have to buy walk up tickets. I'm guessing that's not going to be a problem, though I'd personally be more pleased if I wasn't able to get in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 What a classic that game was! I recall the estimated crowd to be 8,000! I'm not sure if it was this game or another game around that time, but didn't the Zips also hand out some kind of "paddle" as a promotion? I seem to recall some of these (not the best promotional idea in retrospect!) being thrown at or near Kevin Mackey during the game Maybe this is walking a little "over" that fine line Can't wait to see if the atmosphere at the Nevada game can come close to that one or to last years Can't game. They were "Clickers" for "Cricket"McLaughlin. I still have a couple in the basement. You know the type, made out of metal and fits in the palm of your hand. The noise was pretty loud and annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 You're right Hilltopper. They were cheap little metal things with the Acme/Click Store logo on them (for you younger folks, the store used to be called Acme/Click). They fit in your thumb, and you clicked them for Cricket McLaughlin. Here's another Akron Basketball Classic for you "older" folks....How about the game at the Richfield Coliseum in 1987 when we played #2 ranked Pitt? We were in that game the entire way. They gave us a student section right behind the Pitt bench (a good place to have a student section) and I remember waving goodbye to Pitt Center Charles Smith (future NBA player) when he fouled out. We were also yelling "you should have stayed in Akron" to Jerome Lane (Akron St. V. grad and future NBA player).That was fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipAlumn Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 ...... Here's another Akron Basketball Classic for you "older" folks....How about the NCAA Tournament in 1965 against the College of Steubenville. I especially remember that one because in High School I played for the "Big Red" and met a couple former teammates at Memorial Hall. Bill Turner, Don Williams and the boys showed why they were NCAA Runner-Ups the year before, and the crowd for this game (and all tournament games at Memorial Hall) was loud, wild, and sold out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad1990 Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 we defeated a Cleveland State team, in overtime, that was RANKED IN THE TOP TEN at the time.According to gozips.com the basketball team has never defeated a top 25 team. I didn't remember the CSU Vikings as being a top 10 team for that game as you mentioned but I didn't bother checking either. It was still a great game since CSU had been a sweet 16 team from the 85-86 season.I had forgotten about those cheap clickers! Ahh the memories, I can't believe coach Huggins got so much out of what little talent we had back in his Akron days. We have a much better team today, but I am not sure if Dambrot is the coach Huggins was in his Akron days yet.I hope tonight's game is rockin! Go Zips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Watcher Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Wasn't UT undefeated & ranked in one of the polls (maybe coaches only?) when the Zips beat them at the JAR circa 98 or 99? I remember that UT came in something like 17-0. Ball got in foul trouble & Felton came off the bench to drain a few huge 3's to help the Zips stay in it. Maybe they lost that game? Anyone recall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Zipgrad. I did notice that our website says that we have never beaten a ranked team. But, my recollection was that Cleveland State started that season something like 8 or 9 in one of the polls. Remember, they were returning all of their key players from a team that went to the Sweet 16.Maybe they slipped out of the polls before they played us? Or, maybe my recollection is bad. I thought their high ranking was why there was such a huge buzz over that game. I wonder how we could find out information from that long ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad1990 Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 The only thing I could find is this website: History of AP Rankings It lists all schools and how many times they have been ranked in their history. Is shows CSU with 0 rankings. However if you click on CSU it says they were ranked number 20 in the preseason poll for 86-87.I couldn't remember if CSU was ranked before that game either. It was only when I read the preview on gozips.com that I saw that the basketball team has never beaten a top 25 team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted December 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Wasn't UT undefeated & ranked in one of the polls (maybe coaches only?) when the Zips beat them at the JAR circa 98 or 99? I remember that UT came in something like 17-0. Ball got in foul trouble & Felton came off the bench to drain a few huge 3's to help the Zips stay in it. Maybe they lost that game? Anyone recall? I remember that game. Felton hit 3 consecutive 3's. After each one, Hipsher slammed his hand on the court in disgust. Felton apparently took the shots too soon in the vaunted Dan Hipsher motion offense.Shocking that Felton transferred after his Fr. season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted December 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Zipgrad. I did notice that our website says that we have never beaten a ranked team. But, my recollection was that Cleveland State started that season something like 8 or 9 in one of the polls. Remember, they were returning all of their key players from a team that went to the Sweet 16.Maybe they slipped out of the polls before they played us? Or, maybe my recollection is bad. I thought their high ranking was why there was such a huge buzz over that game. I wonder how we could find out information from that long ago? I think your recollection is bad! CSU was never ranked that high. Yes, they did return a bunch of players from the Sweet 16 squad. They eerily parallelled the Zips, who also returned the majority of their players from their NCAA qualifying team. Neither saw "The Big Dance" again, despite all the returning talent.The game was huge in NE Ohio because both teams were excellent, coming off NCAA appearances. That's what still kills me about last season's loss to Toledo. Win that game and there's 18,000 for our game vs. K.e.n.t in the finals. Win the Final game and...you get the picture...The Zips need to validate their program with a championship and an NCAA appearance. History shows people come out of the woodwork once that happens. NIT's don't cut it.The bandwagon starts tonight!!!!!!!BEAT NEVADA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted December 23, 2006 Report Share Posted December 23, 2006 Captain....looks like maybe I was giving the 86-87 Cleveland State Vikings a little too much credit. Zipsgrad. Thanks for the research. If Cleveland State was indeed in the Top 25 in the preseason poll, they must have slipped out of the polls before we played them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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