Saturday's game between Akron and Kent State contained everything a rivalry of its
magnitude is all about. The intensity, excitement, and emotion of the double-overtime
thriller will be remembered for some time to come. Unfortunately, Kent State Head Coach
Doug Martin was not able to take the loss admirably and instead left a foul taste in my
mouth.

One would expect a head coach to be held to a higher standard, to swallow his pride and
congratulate the opposition on their victory, giving due credit for the win. Instead,
Coach Martin's remarks in Sunday's Beacon Journal were full of loaded remarks and
insinuations. As Coach Martin was quoted, his team "showed class after the game, which
can't be said about everybody." Because he refused to further comment on the empty
gesture, we are left to wonder what exactly he is referring to. From everything I
witnessed, Akron players and fans celebrated an emotional victory over their rival school
in the same manner I would expect from any team, even consoling their heartbroken
counterparts following the game and waiting for the entire Kent State team to clear the
field before celebrating with their fans in the end zone. Nothing I witnessed, outside
of the sheer expression of emotion and excitement from 20 year old boys, was classless.
Had Martin been on the other end of the outcome, he surely would not have let his players
tear through the Akron sidelines, take back the Wagon Wheel, and dance around the stadium
in celebration with their fans (see two years ago).

Also, Martin must have intentionally used "after the game," since his school's antics
during the game were anything but. A University of Akron grad student myself, I sat in
the Akron student section and witnessed at least two Kent State players and even more
disheartening, a university official, flaunt their middle fingers toward the Akron
student section on multiple occasions. Or perhaps "class" according to Martin is one of
his players ripping off his helmet following the game-tying field goal to end regulation
and sprinting to the Akron sidelines to taunt players and coaches before prancing back to
his own sidelines.

Before Coach Martin can go pointing fingers and sending loaded accusations at Akron, he
better look in the mirror and assess his own program. Perhaps this reaction to Akron's
celebration just shows exactly how far removed Martin is from winning himself.

Respectfully,

Adam Brooks