MAC Gems: A double dose of Akron for your shopping pleasure

Limited edition Central Michigan full-size replica helmet

Central Michigan only wore black once in their school’s history; an ill-fated home loss to Michigan State on national TV in 2012. It has been extremely hard to find anything from that day online since, as CMU never wore any part of the uniform again after that game.

I had the black replica uniform at one time, but I eventually gave that to my cousin Gabriel, who wears it all the time now.

This Schutt brand (full size!) replica helmet gets every detail right, right down to the pads and the matte finish. It’s the last one available and it’s going for $89.95. A significant amount of change, but with some full-size helmets running up to $250-$400, it’s a bargain AND a deal.

Commemorative 1988 California Bowl Mug: Western Michigan

The year after Eastern Michigan won their only bowl appearance in program history in 1987 at the California Bowl, rival Western Michigan would be the next MAC representative in the game.

The Broncos faced the Big West Champion Fresno State in that game, ultimately falling by a final sore of 35-30. The California Bowl used to be the opening bowl in the postseason and was ultimately relocated in 1992 to Las Vegas. It is still played today as a matchup between PAC-12 and Mountain West schools.

This baby can be yours with a good bid; no bids have been placed and the price stands at $8.50 to start. I’m sure you could probably negotiate to get it for between $15 and $20 if you want it THAT bad.

Kent State University Name... Pillow... Thing?

Have you ever wanted to cuddle with the name of your university? Take naps with the namesake of your alma mater? Well, now you can. Apparently.

Use it as an extra pillow for your leg or your back when you’re watching your beloved Golden Flashes, or at night when you just need a little more cushion. (Sadly, there is no reference to see how big the thing is, so you’re on your own there.

This... unique collector’s item, technically described as a “plush throw,” this lovely thing,made by Herrington Teddy Bear Company, can be yours for the low, low price of $6.99 + $4.16 shipping.

Caleb Porter-autographed Akron Zips Supporter’s Scarf

Let’s face it: Akron is most definitely a soccer school.

The Zips are a consistent top team in the country and have graduated national and club-level talent at some of the world’s best levels, including DeAndre Yedlin (currently at Newcastle United), Darlington Nagbe (currently with Portland Timbers) and Perry Kitchen (currently at hearts of Midlothian.)

Caleb Porter, the beloved manager of the MLS’ Portland Timbers squad, was once the manager (er, head coach, because America, I guess) of the Zips soccer squad. According to the product description, this has his real-deal signature on it.

There’s no certificate of authenticity or picture of the signing or whatever, so you can probably negotiate with the seller to get the price below $50 + $3ish shipping. It’s a must-have item for an Akron alum.

1937 University at Buffalo vs. Alfred University Football Program

Included in the pages are incredibly old-school roster and staff cut-outs, the traditional team picture (above), really strange cartoon art and a full-color Chesterfield Cigarette ad. (Those pictures can be seen in the link provided.)

Chesterfields were a class status in their time and really revolutionized the game in advertising. They were one of the first organizations to hire models to smoke cigarettes, for instance. Chesterfields also hold significant pop culture clout; Bear Bryant smoked 2-3 packs of unfiltered Chesterfields a day and Humphrey Bogart hawked the cigarettes in advertisements in his heyday. They are a favorite cigarette in Quentin Tarantino-directed movies and the James Bond films as well.

The game itself was a loss for the Bulls, as they fell to the Alfred Saxons 25-13. The Saxons held the dominant lead over Buffalo back when they were in the same division; Alfred leads the all-time series 23-19-5 and shut out Buffalo 12 times in that span, per GridironHistory.com.

You can get this baby for $19.99 with FREE shipping. I’d recommend finding a nice frame and putting it in your office; the cover is pretty aesthetically-pleasing.

Commemorative 2003 MAC Championship Baseball Cap: Miami RedHawks

(Apologies in advance for the side picture: the front view was too small to process properly. The front view can be accessed on the above link.)

Once upon a time, Miami was pretty good at this football thing. So much so, they won the MAC Championship game in 2003 and hats were made to celebrate the moment.

The RedHawks that season were led by head coach Terry Hoeppner and a quarterback by the name of Ben Roethlisberger. (He’s kind of a big deal.) The RedHawks went 13-1 that season and undefeated in conference, finishing the season ranked 15th in the AP Polls after a convincing 49-28 win over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl. Their only loss was in the opening game vs. Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.

Before that bowl win though, the RedHawks dismantled the 23rd-ranked Bowling Green team in the MACCG by a final score of 49-27.

This lovely hat, which is wool-serged and very well-designed, can be yours for $21.60. That’s a little pricy, but I assume that’s because of the free shipping. Also, because it’s wool. A worthy item for any true RedHawk fan’s head.

BONUS:

Vintage Akron Zippers Football Pennant

I tried to keep this week’s edition to five items, each representing a different school, but I couldn’t help myself.

Per the original owner, the pennant is from 1936 and measures at 11 inches by 29 inches. The yellow lettering is hand-printed on blue felt, a true vintage look and feel. The original description said the team was referred to as the Warriors at the time, but records show the University was called the Zippers at that time. Perhaps he confused Akron with Akron-Wayne College.

Akron’s 1936 squad went 6-2 that season, the first of coach Sam Aiken’s three seasons at the helm of the Zips. Akron had a total record of 19-7-1 in Aiken’s tenure, one of the Zips’ most successful stretches.

This is an absolute-must have and if there was a similar CMU item, I would snatch it up before I finished writing this sentence. It can be yours for $165.00 + 7.50 shipping. A pretty penny yes, but LOOK AT THIS THING.