How Does Akron Compete Against This?

[GP1]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1192752424..._weekendjournal Good grief. I knew it was bad, but I had no idea the difference was this great between us and them. They pay a tutor $25 to tutor physics. Do the math.....that's $52,000 per year. None of you should wonder why our guys flunk out and they don't.

[ZachTheZip]

Yeah, but if you talk to any of their fans, they "need" all that money. I mean, look at how bad they have it down there. They only have three video game consoles, and the rest of the players are forced to watch TV on their measly 56" Plasma setup. They've been improving life for their athletes. I mean, just a few years ago, the cheerleaders had to fly coach to away games. Can you imagine? How awful. OSU has a monopoly on the state academic budget. Even though they are one of only 19 schools that make a profit off sports, they get the vast majority of state funding for their programs. I think Fingerhut is trying to merge UA and CSU so that they both get run into the ground and OSU can suck up all that extra money we leave behind.

[Captain Kangaroo]

All that...and they beat us by 18 in football. Amazing.And we tied them in soccer.To be honest, I don't want to compete with "that." When I spoke to Dambrot at the golf outing, he was very proud of the fact that 11 of his 12 recruits at Akron thus far were getting their degrees.Contrast that with a sham student athlete like Greg Oden or Mike Conley who took a handful of cakewalk classes (History of Rock and Roll anyone?) one quarter to gain eligibility, then took the bare minimum in the 2nd quarter...which they subsequently dropped after the season's over...and went to the NBA. Now THAT'S college basketball in it's purest form. Go Zips!

[zip37]

WHY IS THE RESPONSE THAT OF SUPRISE, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS; OSU IS A FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL FACTORY, AND THAT FROM A UNIVERSITY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ACADEMIC JUGGERNAUGHT. ALL FINGERHUT WANTS IS FOR EVERYTHIN TO REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN-- READ OSU.

[GP1]

Yeah, but if you talk to any of their fans, they "need" all that money.

They do need the money. If they are going to recruit kids like Ted Ginn J., who are closer to being retarded than normal, then they need $52,000 a year tutors to help them.

[uafan]

I read an article this morning that OSU's football team...TEAM...has a GPA over 3.0. What is ours? About 1.5. Is it a shame that OSU gets the money they do, or that we call our players student athletes?

[LosAngelesZipFan]

As the article points out, these are not times of plenty in Ohio-- which makes what OSU spends on athletics all the more outrageous. The state should mandate the half what athletics gets funded go to offset the state's funding of university. It's insane that Ohio has one of the lower percentages of college graduates, in large measure because the cost of Ohio's state universities is way above average. Ohio and Ohio State are poster children for how out of whack our higher educational system is.

[zipboy]

All that...and they beat us by 18 in football. Amazing.And we tied them in soccer.And beat them in rifle which typically beats them . . . and womens track and CC which have historically beaten them . . . and softball last year.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I read an article this morning that OSU's football team...TEAM...has a GPA over 3.0. What is ours? About 1.5. Is it a shame that OSU gets the money they do, or that we call our players student athletes?

Can you cite the source for the 1.5 GPA statistic? I'd like to see it.

[GP1]

I read an article this morning that OSU's football team...TEAM...has a GPA over 3.0. What is ours? About 1.5. Is it a shame that OSU gets the money they do, or that we call our players student athletes?

Can you cite the source for the 1.5 GPA statistic? I'd like to see it.

Exactly. I would also like to see the source for OSU's football team having a 3.0. I doubt the student body at OSU or any school has a 3.0 GPA.

[GP1]

As the article points out, these are not times of plenty in Ohio-- which makes what OSU spends on athletics all the more outrageous. The state should mandate the half what athletics gets funded go to offset the state's funding of university. It's insane that Ohio has one of the lower percentages of college graduates, in large measure because the cost of Ohio's state universities is way above average. Ohio and Ohio State are poster children for how out of whack our higher educational system is.

You nailed it right on the head. Anyone donating a $75,000 treadmill for the hockey team has no perspective on the problems around them. It's beyond bad taste to just plain obnoxious. I don't think this article put OSU in a particularly good light.I went to an OSU vs. Toledo baseball game last season because a guy who worked for me had a nephew playing baseball for UT and I was in Columbus on business. While sitting there, I noticed they were watering the field hockey field beyond the outfield fence. At first I dismissed it as watering a field in the spring to get the grass to grow...no big deal. Then I noticed the field was an astroturf field. It is truely a Gilded Age at OSU.

[RACER]

give me a break.we spent 100 million on a practice facility.how many players has jd recruited that never even made it to akron.im a zips fan but i think some zips fans need to look in the mirror.you do not think akron would have took oden for one year.ck do you even know the guy.from what i have heard he is a pretty humble guy that has not ever been into trouble.you attack the kid for going to the pros and taking millions of dollars.like any body on this board would not leave school for that.give me a break.akron is no different than any other school when it comes athletics.

[ZippyAlum]

I know a young man who is a Frosh at Akron. He works nights full time in a factory to pay for his education and living expenses. He is basically on his own at the ripe age of 19. The boys in his house (appt.) took the mattress out of their sleeper sofa to give to him because he doesn't have a bed and was sleeping on a futon mattress on the floor. As far as success I'd put my money on him any time. I guess that's why I have so little sympathy for athletes on full scholarship who take what they're getting for granted. This kid is a hard worker and no doubt will be successful. I only wish some of our athletes would learn to be as dedicated.

[Buckzip]

give me a break.we spent 100 million on a practice facility.how many players has jd recruited that never even made it to akron.im a zips fan but i think some zips fans need to look in the mirror.you do not think akron would have took oden for one year.ck do you even know the guy.from what i have heard he is a pretty humble guy that has not ever been into trouble.you attack the kid for going to the pros and taking millions of dollars.like any body on this board would not leave school for that.give me a break.akron is no different than any other school when it comes athletics.

Absolutely true.This is Business 101 people. Teams that make all the money get to spend more money....The teams that are on national TV every week with huge audiences watching them and sell out 100,000 seat stadiums every week have just a tad bit more money to spend than teams that even the locals don't watch and can't put more than 15,000 butts in the seats consistently.I agree, it isn't fair and it makes an uneven playing field. However, college sports is a business. That is how business works.As for Oden, that is ridiculous. You guys would have taken him for 1 year and you know it. Don't even try to deny it.There will be much more of this 1 year crap knowing that the straight to the NBA from high school option is no longer available.

[Buckzip]

Yeah, but if you talk to any of their fans, they "need" all that money.

They do need the money. If they are going to recruit kids like Ted Ginn J., who are closer to being retarded than normal, then they need $52,000 a year tutors to help them.

Yet amazingly, he qualified to play. Something most of JD's recruits can't say. The tutoring starts after they qualify, not before....I know, I know, they pay someone to take the tests for them so they qualify, Does it make some of you feel better about UA by bashing others? I really don't get it.

[UADavid]

give me a break.we spent 100 million on a practice facility.how many players has jd recruited that never even made it to akron.im a zips fan but i think some zips fans need to look in the mirror.you do not think akron would have took oden for one year.ck do you even know the guy.from what i have heard he is a pretty humble guy that has not ever been into trouble.you attack the kid for going to the pros and taking millions of dollars.like any body on this board would not leave school for that.give me a break.akron is no different than any other school when it comes athletics.

Absolutely true.This is Business 101 people. Teams that make all the money get to spend more money....The teams that are on national TV every week with huge audiences watching them and sell out 100,000 seat stadiums every week have just a tad bit more money to spend than teams that even the locals don't watch and can't put more than 15,000 butts in the seats consistently.I agree, it isn't fair and it makes an uneven playing field. However, college sports is a business. That is how business works.As for Oden, that is ridiculous. You guys would have taken him for 1 year and you know it. Don't even try to deny it.There will be much more of this 1 year crap knowing that the straight to the NBA from high school option is no longer available.

Absolutely not true. Have you been to the rec. center? The majority of the money spent was for the students. Is it a nice indoor practice facility for varsity sports? Yes it is, but don't say they built a 100 million practice facility when that is not true. It is also used by the indoor track teams. And we are talking about half the building by size, not expense.

[Captain Kangaroo]

[give me a break.we spent 100 million on a practice facility.

If we spent 100million dollars on a football-exclusive practice facility, someone should be shot. Hell, our new football stadium only costs 55million. Keep in mind that the Stiles center is a full blown rec center for all students, that the building houses many athletic department staff, that the track, golf...basically all students and programs benefit from the facility.

how many players has jd recruited that never even made it to akron.

Too many for my liking. But the last class, sans Vince Hill, seems outstanding. Although no one really wants to mention it, there are also some excellent players from the first 3 classes.

im a zips fan but i think some zips fans need to look in the mirror.you do not think akron would have took oden for one year.ck do you even know the guy.from what i have heard he is a pretty humble guy that has not ever been into trouble.you attack the kid for going to the pros and taking millions of dollars.like any body on this board would not leave school for that.

I said Oden was a sham of a student athlete. He was. If it makes the thin-skinned OSU fan happy, I'll say that Kevin Durant was a sham student athlete too. I'm sure Oden is a nice kid. I never saw anything in the morning news that he beat his girlfriend, robbed a team mate's dorm, fell asleep drunk at the wheel...nothing. By all accounts he is a very good kid. But he was a sham student athlete. He has less than 10 credit hours at OSU than me. And I never attended OSU. Dambrot has a commitment to getting college students degrees. As a fan of collegiate athletics, I like that. And there's noting better to me than when a bunch of traditional student athletes beat a bunch of guys who are simply playing out the string until NBA draft day arrives. That's what is so great about the NCAA tourney. At least it it used to be before the big schools began excluding programs that weren't NBA developmental teams disguised as college programs.

give me a break.akron is no different than any other school when it comes athletics.

No difference between OSU, Texas, Florida, etc and Akron? You got me there.

[Captain Kangaroo]

As for Oden, that is ridiculous. You guys would have taken him for 1 year and you know it. Don't even try to deny it.

Personally, although you seem to know me better than myself, I would not have taken Oden. The one, one-and-done situation I liked was Larry Hughes. He could have jumped straight to the NBA, but he wanted to stay at home for a year and play in front of his family. And to help the Bilikins' program. That was classy.Say LeBron James wanted to help KD out, and wanted to play basketball in his home town with his high school friends for a year. I would have accepted that. Helping out a mentor from his youth, helping out his hometown program, turning down the NBA to do so (like Hughes, he had the option of turning pro or going to college)...that would have been borderline "noble." To me this is different than the OSU/Oden relationship, where Oden was specifically recruited from out-of-state to be a "student" for 1/2 a year. Getting into a recruiting war over 1-and-done players is a crime. It has nothing to do with collegiate athletics and all to do with money.OSU made millions of dollars from Oden and all it cost them was two quarters worth of out-of-state tuition scholarship money. It was a great business decision. But Oden was a sham student athlete. Given the choice...give me the Cedrick Middleton's of the world any day of the week.

[Buckzip]

As for Oden, that is ridiculous. You guys would have taken him for 1 year and you know it. Don't even try to deny it.

Personally, although you seem to know me better than myself, I would not have taken Oden. The one, one-and-done situation I liked was Larry Hughes. He could have jumped straight to the NBA, but he wanted to stay at home for a year and play in front of his family. And to help the Bilikins' program. That was classy.Say LeBron James wanted to help KD out, and wanted to play basketball in his home town with his high school friends for a year. I would have accepted that. Helping out a mentor from his youth, helping out his hometown program, turning down the NBA to do so (like Hughes, he had the option of turning pro or going to college)...that would have been borderline "noble." To me this is different than the OSU/Oden relationship, where Oden was specifically recruited from out-of-state to be a "student" for 1/2 a year. Getting into a recruiting war over 1-and-done players is a crime. It has nothing to do with collegiate athletics and all to do with money.OSU made millions of dollars from Oden and all it cost them was two quarters worth of out-of-state tuition scholarship money. It was a great business decision. But Oden was a sham student athlete. Given the choice...give me the Cedrick Middleton's of the world any day of the week.

So Captain, let me get this straight. Being the great big Zips fan that you are, you wouldn't want to take Oden and that "millions of dollars" he could generate for the UA program for 1 year. You don't want a "sham" of a student that is only there to make the program money. I wonder if our AD and coaches would agree with you.In a nutshell, that is what you just implied. Please tell me I am misinterpreting your explanation. I know you are pretty good with words and will find a way to get out of that, but that is what you implied.Too bad we can't get a show of hands from posters here. I think the majority, except gmann and skip and a few others would say, "YES, GIVE US A BIG NAME PLAYER THAT WILL ONLY BE HERE FOR A YEAR, BUT WILL PUT US ON THE MAP AND EARN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR OUR UNIVERSITY"I would vote yes to that every day of the week. I guess I am just crazy that way.

[Captain Kangaroo]

So Captain, let me get this straight. Being the great big Zips fan that you are, you wouldn't want to take Oden and that "millions of dollars" he could generate for the UA program for 1 year. You don't want a "sham" of a student that is only there to make the program money. I wonder if our AD and coaches would agree with you.In a nutshell, that is what you just implied. Please tell me I am misinterpreting your explanation. I know you are pretty good with words and will find a way to get out of that, but that is what you implied.

Nope. I like the type of student-athlete the MAC typically attracts. If I really liked the "Oden/Durant-type" I wouldn't spend the time I do on this board supporting the Zips. Would the Zips staff take an "Oden/Durant-type?" I don't see that question ever being a realistic one. It will never happen at UA. If they want to recruit that type of player, then they'll prove it one day by leaving Akron and moving on to one of the NCAA/NBA developmental schools/programs. It would be a lot easier (to root for a "machine")...that's for sure. But it isn't what I personally prefer.

[Buckzip]

So Captain, let me get this straight. Being the great big Zips fan that you are, you wouldn't want to take Oden and that "millions of dollars" he could generate for the UA program for 1 year. You don't want a "sham" of a student that is only there to make the program money. I wonder if our AD and coaches would agree with you.In a nutshell, that is what you just implied. Please tell me I am misinterpreting your explanation. I know you are pretty good with words and will find a way to get out of that, but that is what you implied.

Nope. I like the type of student-athlete the MAC typically attracts. If I really liked the "Oden/Durant-type" I wouldn't spend the time I do on this board supporting the Zips. Would the Zips staff take an "Oden/Durant-type?" I don't see that question ever being a realistic one. It will never happen at UA. If they want to recruit that type of player, then they'll prove it one day by leaving Akron and moving on to one of the NCAA/NBA developmental schools/programs. It would be a lot easier (to root for a "machine")...that's for sure. But it isn't what I personally prefer.

Well Cap, I don't know if you are giving a BS answer to cover up the hippocrasy or if you are being honest. However, knowing what I know of you I will assume you are being honest. I don't know how many Zips fans will admittedly agree with you, but that doesn't matter.I don't believe getting 1-2 players of that caliber turns you into a "machine". However, the money and exposure would be nice.I will admit, I admire your integrity. You are a better person than I am.

[RACER]

so part of the complex i used by students thats great.but the fact part of it is for varsity sports to.the point i was making is that some zips fans got mad because osu spends money on athletics.osu can spend alott of $ becasue it makes alott of money.akron fans need to quit worring about what osu is doing.life is not fair .never will be.so osu spends a ton of money on athletics.so what.why cry foul about it.

[ZachTheZip]

so part of the complex i used by students thats great.but the fact part of it is for varsity sports to.the point i was making is that some zips fans got mad because osu spends money on athletics.osu can spend alott of $ becasue it makes alott of money.akron fans need to quit worring about what osu is doing.life is not fair .never will be.so osu spends a ton of money on athletics.so what.why cry foul about it.

OSU spends more on athletics than some state school's entire budgets. Sure, they make money, but that is because of the monopoly that they already have on state sports. It takes money to make money. And Ohio legislature won't give us money so that we can start making our own. UA has to rely on donations and research grants almost exclusively, with the rest being paid for by the students. Life is not fair, except for those who can rely upon themselves. The stadium will actually generate money from the luxury boxes that will more than make up for the costs of its upkeep. It will generate money. The city of Akron is starting to realise that investing in UA will benefit them, and will soon be a source of money as well. Some of that extra cash will go towards athletics. UA is striving to be a world-class university, with world-class academics, research, and athletics. Our fate lies in the hands of Fingerhut and his crazy shemes. Proenza has told him that there already is a world-class university in NE Ohio, and it is in Akron. Fingerhut had no idea that we had a $500 million capital campaign or just how much better we are than CSU until he came here himself.Right now, the main thing holding us back from moving foward in athletics is our MAC affiliation. We compete well and are improving in the MAC in most sports, just not football. In 2011, the BCS contract expires and the conferences will shift. That is our chance. Until then, you'll see improvements here in spite of the gluttony of excess down I-71.

[Zip Watcher]

So Captain, let me get this straight. Being the great big Zips fan that you are, you wouldn't want to take Oden and that "millions of dollars" he could generate for the UA program for 1 year. You don't want a "sham" of a student that is only there to make the program money. I wonder if our AD and coaches would agree with you.In a nutshell, that is what you just implied. Please tell me I am misinterpreting your explanation. I know you are pretty good with words and will find a way to get out of that, but that is what you implied.Too bad we can't get a show of hands from posters here. I think the majority, except gmann and skip and a few others would say, "YES, GIVE US A BIG NAME PLAYER THAT WILL ONLY BE HERE FOR A YEAR, BUT WILL PUT US ON THE MAP AND EARN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR OUR UNIVERSITY"I would vote yes to that every day of the week. I guess I am just crazy that way.

You could start a poll to get that show of hands. Just start a new topic, and click the "edit poll options for this topic" that's near the top of the post entry area. PM me if you have problems, I know it's different from before.Put me down with the Captain .. and I'll clarify further. If a guy comes to UA to play .. and ends up being so awesome that he is faced with that decision of Million$ or school .. that's not the end of the world. But the guys that come here need to be STUDENT-Athletes. If dude comes in .. makes an honest go of being a student as do all the rifle team members, soccer team members and volleyball players .. then it's good by me. I just don't want to see this rent a stud thing when the whole world knows he's only there to wait out a year and there's no real effort or planning to gain a degree.I attended Big East & Big Ten schools where basketball was king. Since I finished up and moved back to this area, I've been a Zips ticket holder (grew up a Zips fan). I wouldn't trade my seats at the JAR for the same seats @ Mackey Arena or Gampel Pavilion. Now, I still follow the Boilers & Huskies from a distance, but I love & prefer the amateur aspect of UA athletics .. and it's not that clear in other places. Watching Nate Schindewolf get better & progress as a player while becoming a teacher in the area was way better than the Big Dog / Donyell Marshall plans I watched first hand in the 90's .. The C in NCAA should mean collegiant. It's not the NSPAA (semi-pro).I think I'll be most proud of KD & his staff when in a few seasons, Jimmy Conyers is playing his 4th season as a Zip after regaining his lost year of eligibility and preparing to receive a degree from the University of Akron. To me .. that's what matters above all else .. and KD gets that. We cannot and should not sacrifice the academic integrity of the institution to achieve success in athletic competition. Both academic and competitive goals can be accomplished if you have the patience and integrity to bring in the right type of student athlete and support him / her while they are here. And a guy like KD is proof.

[UADavid]

UA is striving to be a world-class university, with world-class academics, research, and athletics. Our fate lies in the hands of Fingerhut and his crazy shemes. Proenza has told him that there already is a world-class university in NE Ohio, and it is in Akron. Fingerhut had no idea that we had a $500 million capital campaign or just how much better we are than CSU until he came here himself

A very good article about this can be found here. The importance of this article shouldn't be overlooked. http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/conte...index_b-schoolsUA one of several universities featured for their research and technology transfer work. We are gaining national recognition as a research university. This will help all aspects of UA life including athletics.