CSNbbs

Matt Markey, a beat writer for the Toledo Blade, was online for a chat session yesterday. He is a former beat writer for BG and currently writes about UT and the MAC for the Blade. He also teaches part time at BG. Overall he is a good guy who tries hard and has a nice writing style. Somewhat quite in person, but I enjoy talking to him at media day and game events. Here is a question and his response below on some of the best and worst places to visit within the MAC. My comments are below.


QUESTION: Matt, save me from a long drive to see our locals in some god-forsaken place. Spell out the best and the worst of the Mid-American Conference (cities, stadiums, fans food, etc., etc).

ANSWER: Matt Markey:(12:44 P.M. ET ) "Best city to visit - Orlando (UCF), worst - Ypsilanti (it is hard to determine where the city is, and if there is such a city); best stadium - Peden (Ohio U) the setting in a valley on the river is perfect, and the place is cozy and the right size for the MAC, with a grassy hill on one end for the students, worst stadium - Akron, the Rubber Bowl is a rusty, dilapidated dinosaur that should be recycled. Best fans - tough call, but I think Northern Illinois has a decent, rabid following that has so far displayed a certain degree of class; worst fans - it does not get much uglier than Marshall, where 40-year-old men curse and swear at the opposition while holding the hand of their six-year-old daughter. Food - a lot of very good choices, but the best is probably served away from the press boxes, where the fare tends to be contemporary cholesterol; worst - it has to be those cold pizzas at Ball State. Best trip - the drive to Ohio U through the Wayne National Forest; worst trip - another win for Marshall - five-and-a-half hours of two-lane bumpity-bump roads with stop lights in every berg along the way, and then when it is over, you are in West Virginia."


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Nicks Picks:
Best Stadium/game day atmoshere to Visit
1) WMU (love Waldo Stadium)
2) Ohio (beautiful campus, nice stadium, great band)
3) NIU (these past two seasons)
4) CMU (more historical)
***Marshall is #1 if you are a Herd fan, dead least if you are the opposition
****I will not rate Toledo since that is my alma mater and certainly favorite place/stadium to visit. On that fact I will not rate BG since they are the arch-rival and that would not fair. Certainly BG did have great game day atmospheres last season for NIU and Toledo. That is rare though.

Worst game day atmoshere
1) Kent St
2) Buffalo
3) EMU
4) Akron
***I have never been to a UCF game, just to their campus, so they are not rated by me. Orlando is a great city though.

Best looking cheerleaders & dance squads
1) Ball State - no one is even close, love "Code Red!"
2) Kent State - better than their b-ball teams
***Only saw pictures of UCF girls so they are not rated since I have not been there in person.

Best looking campus
1) Miami
2) Ohio

Vandelay Wrote:Food - worst - it has to be those cold pizzas at Ball State.

We have pizza? It's been some time since I've been on the road in the MAC, but I'm quite sure he's right about Ball State having the worst food.

Can't disagree on the game day at Kent. It is horrible; Band, cheerleaders, fans, everything. That in addition to losing and no wonder no one goes to games. We were just discussing that issue on the Kent board and the fact that the poor atmosphere is a hindrance to attendance. At least at OU, they have the band and a nice setting.

Quote:We have pizza? It's been some time since I've been on the road in the MAC, but I'm quite sure he's right about Ball State having the worst food.

True, but I'll take cold pizza over the rubbery hot dogs and stale popcorn they used to serve in the BSU press box back in my undergrad days, though.

The irony is, the press room at Worthen Arena has (or at least used to have) consistently some of the best food of any NCAA basketball venue where I've worked. Grinders from Mancino's, Calzones from Greek's, antipasto from Tony's, etc...

I'd have to agree with most of Markey's picks. O.U. will always be my favorite stadium. Akron is truely a dump. Kent has a terrible atmosphere. Fans are a fickle call because I see ******holes everywhere I've been.

Food is something that I avoid at stadiums. Eat out before and after the game at some good restaurants and get to see the town.

I agree with Waldo being a great stadium. The last time I was there (1988) it was a constant drizzle and the Falcons were getting shellacked.

I equally enjoy Miami and OU's stadia as well.

I've only been to the following MAC stadia, however:

Miami
OU
Toiletto
Kent
Akron
Ball St
WMU

Of course I love the Doyt over all because it's home - and there isn't anything you can say to change my mind, friends.

Food? There's food at the stadia? I wouldn't know, I was always 'working' the sidelines when I attended away games.

Best fans? I've haven't had any run-ins with bad fans, so I cannot answer this one.

Quote:Eat out before and after the game at some good restaurants and get to see the town.

I wholeheartedly agree, and my family certainly does this when we go to a game, but this is much tougher to do if you are a working journalist on deadline. The press box meal is often all you'll have time for if you're covering a game, which is why reporters make such a big deal out of something 99.9 percent of the folks who come into a stadium or arena will never see or even know about.

I've covered a couple of NCAA basketball tournaments, and I can tell you, particularly during the first and second rounds, you're pretty much at the arena from early morning until midnight. In some places, you don't have access to the concourse to make a run to the concession stands. The media room meal offerings become pretty important in that situation.

Vandelay Wrote:...worst trip - another win for Marshall - five-and-a-half hours of two-lane bumpity-bump roads with stop lights in every berg along the way, and then when it is over, you are in West Virginia."

The Marshall bashing from this guy was predictable, but I really don't understand this one. Toledo to Huntington is four lane highway all the way. And while I agree that you have to travel through several small towns with stop lights where you wouldn't want them, it's not THAT bad.

Besides, the whole trip takes place in the state of Ohio. If he doesn't like the views or the roads, that's more of an idictment of his own state than it is of Marshall University.

Stick4489 Wrote:

Vandelay Wrote:...worst trip - another win for Marshall - five-and-a-half hours of two-lane bumpity-bump roads with stop lights in every berg along the way, and then when it is over, you are in West Virginia."

The Marshall bashing from this guy was predictable, but I really don't understand this one. Toledo to Huntington is four lane highway all the way. And while I agree that you have to travel through several small towns with stop lights where you wouldn't want them, it's not THAT bad.

Besides, the whole trip takes place in the state of Ohio. If he doesn't like the views or the roads, that's more of an idictment of his own state than it is of Marshall University.

Remember, this is a Blade writer. He probably wishes he was in Columbus instead of Toledo.

Sure, the Rubber Bowl has it's problems. But it certainly has plenty of character.

MAC tOAMU Wrote:Sure, the Rubber Bowl has it's problems.  But it certainly has plenty of character.

Sure it does, like crumbling concrete, dilapidated restrooms, light stands obstructing views, and an inaccessible location. :rolleyes:

To many Ohioans, anything south of Athens County is out of state.

I haven't been to many different football stadiums, so I cannot comment on that. Of course being a BG fan, I love the Doyt!! I like the layout- of the Glass Bowl, as much as it pains me to say that.
As for eating, I'm going to be a homer and say BG. I think there are so many restaurants to choose from, such as pizza places, sports bars, etc. Man I miss them sandwiches at Mr. Spots!!!!

Of course im biased to Marshall but I agree with everything you said about Ohio U. I think it is by far the nicest place to watch a game in the MAC and has the nicest campus. I have been to every mac stadium except Buffalo and Eastern Michigan. Ohio U. has all of us beat IMO even Marshall.

If they ever start winning ill buy season tickets to OU and Marshall. (I live about 40 min away from OU)

Miami runs a close 2nd for nicest campus.

Gameday atmosphere goes to Marshall of course.

Also to make up for some of our stupid fans(which every school has btw) I am considering taking it upon myself to host opposing fans from this board for tailgating/pregame fun etc. I figure the last year in the MAC we need to make some freinds with opposing fans rather than telling everyone to piss off. Share any thoughts on this.. it would be cool to get the Marshall people to band together and do this for the other schools fans on this board. JMO

The Flash: "Sure it does, like crumbling concrete, dilapidated restrooms, light stands obstructing views, and an inaccessible location."

I wouldn't trade the Rubber Bowl for your stadium, either. When we played there two years ago I personally counted like 350 people in the stands. Announced attendance: 3500.

You don't gain or lose recruits over where you play five or six games a year. The Rubber Bowl has the new turf, as do the new, on campus practice fields. Oh and don't forget our new, behemoth, state of the art indoor practice facility. I'm kinda thinking recruits are gonna go for it, as well as the campus being rebuilt and renovated at a phenomenal pace.

But you are correct about the Rubber Bowl being the pits. I think that's why they're in the midst of planning for a new on campus football stadium.

Papa Lou BSU Wrote:I wholeheartedly agree, and my family certainly does this when we go to a game, but this is much tougher to do if you are a working journalist on deadline.

See Papa, I didn't read it that way. I thought he was just talking about the food in the stadium, not in the press box.

But in my undergrad days, we had Pizza Hut pizza brought to the press box. 2 pizzas. For the entire press box.

The funny thing is, you have almost the same drive to Ohio U that you have to Huntington.
You drive through the same parts of Ohio.

You drive through WV for about five minutes until you get to the Joan, and there aren't any two lane roads in WV you have to drive upon.

However, teaching ones six year old to curse properly is a tradition that did not originate in Huntington. Just perfected.

I've only been to two others besides the Glass Bowl.

The Doyt - Wasn't really impressed, maybe it's just the rivalry, but I don't have many good things to say. The fans certainly support their team and that good, very loud crowd. Food, can't say, mostly ate of the grill in the parking lot, and drank the rest of my meals.

Marshall (Joan something stadium) - Very surprised during this trip. We pulled up in the middle of one of the many tailgating areas, hoisted the Toledo flag and expected the worse. But, for the most part 99% of the fans were very gracious, excited that opposing fans made the trip and we had a great time. The stadium was pretty nice, fans were some of the loudest I've ever heard. Say what you will about Marshall fans, but they get into it and that makes the gameday experience exciting. The drive down, boring, yeah, but most drives through Ohio are.

That's a nice size crowd in that Rubber Bowl pic. Who were the Zips playing that night? Or is it a HS Playoff game?

tomv1 Wrote:That's a nice size crowd in that Rubber Bowl pic. Who were the Zips playing that night? Or is it a HS Playoff game?

Something that fake is obviously photoshop.