Ft Worth Caravan

KRAM1 · May 20, 2015

So, to start, it was the best attended Ft Wirth Caravan I have seen. Not good for a city the size of Ft Worth, but given the poor support for these events in Ft Worth in the past, this was a home run. Maybe 60-70 in attendance...all in. Regular cast of characters on the panels with the exception that Coach Sheffield from Track and Field spoke and I enjoyed hearing from him very much. Coach Mitchell was as excited to be the Mean Green's HC as she was last night in Gainesville. Coach Benford again mentioned his returning players and emphasized that Jeremy Combs and J'Maycel Reese are the "real deal". Still seems high on the potential for Brice, but indicates Brice will need some coaching and work with other D1players. Coach Benford seems to think the new 30 sec. Clock in the men's game will benefit the style of play the Mean Green runs. Coach Mac was better on the fan praise and a tad less on the extorting of fans to get "butts in the seats". RV, Mac, Mitchell and Benford all mentioned attendance and, in my opinion, that is fair. Players like playing, and tend to play better in front of full houses...fact!

Not much time for questions as answers tend to "go long", but overall a nice Caravan stop and, I for one, appreciate the Ft Worth folks for supporting this event a bit better than in the past. Do think a spot in Sundance Square might increase attendance even more whether at 5pm or noon. But, cost is a factor. What UNT needs is someone or some business in Ft Worth to step up and sponsor the event such as Park Place Lexus does in Plano and the bank in Gainesville. Surely, there is an alum in Ft Worth who could help with this...or a company...surely.

No new different from the Gainesville event. Food was OK...slider type burgers of beef or chicken, onion strings and potato chips from Lonesome a Dove (I think) and iced tea. Beer available for purchase. Hey, it's free folks if you pre-register..so, all good.

The most interesting thing for me was how few of those in attendance I really knew or had seen at UNT events before...and that's a good thing. In fact, at least five attendees joined the Mean Green Club for the very first time at the event. Very nice...thanks guys.

Was great to see Lance Dunbar and get to speak with him for a moment. Really nice guy and a great ambassador for UNT.

See you in Dallas tomorrow for lunch at the House of Blues. Will Dallas out draw Ft Worth? Remains to be seen.

VideoEagle · May 20, 2015

Thanks for the update!

Green P1 · May 20, 2015

I'd forgotten they'd moved these things to lunchtime. Isn't a bit ironic to plead for greater attendance at gatherings that they've oddly moved to a time of day when most cannot attend... Just like the coach's shows?

Thanks for the update.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Green P1

Greendylan · May 20, 2015

Mark,

I didn't get a chance to say hi to you, but I was at the table behind you. Your summary above is pretty thorough, so I don't really have too much to add, but I'll just agree that the attendance rhetoric was more laudatory to those present than what you reported from Gainesville.

UNTFan23 · May 20, 2015

I'd forgotten they'd moved these things to lunchtime. Isn't a bit ironic to plead for greater attendance at gatherings that they've oddly moved to a time of day when most cannot attend... Just like the coach's shows?
Thanks for the update.

It was my understanding for the basketball coaches' show it was moved due to a time conflict with practice for one/both coaches.

Marty · May 20, 2015

thanks for the update Kram.

Harry · May 20, 2015

Thanks for the update KRAM. Good to hear it went well.

SilverEagle · May 20, 2015

60-70 is a pretty good turnout.

Huff · May 20, 2015

My wife and I went to the meeting and were pleasantly surprised at the turnout. It was more than we had expected. The food was okay and lots of North Texas staff members were present. Most encouraging was the fact that there were a lot of younger guys there. That is good for our future. The coaches were about like always......very positive about the coming season. The best thing about it was that my wife won North Texas golf shirt that was given as one of the door prizes. She hardly has any green North Texas stuff.

KRAM1 · May 20, 2015

60-70 is a pretty good turnout.

Was hoping to say hi to you...one of our Tarrent County Mean Greeners! Hope to see you at one of the others. Three more chances, right?

KRAM1 · May 20, 2015

My wife and I went to the meeting and were pleasantly surprised at the turnout. It was more than we had expected. The food was okay and lots of North Texas staff members were present. Most encouraging was the fact that there were a lot of younger guys there. That is good for our future. The coaches were about like always......very positive about the coming season. The best thing about it was that my wife won North Texas golf shirt that was given as one of the door prizes. She hardly has any green North Texas stuff.

Congrats on the door prize. You know, I have probably been to as many of these Caravans as many and more than most, but I have never won a door prize. It's a conspiracy I tell you! Ha! Thanks for coming to the Caravan.

Harry · May 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/mgrnpxp/status/601069375437742080?t=1&cn=cmVjb3NfbmV0d29ya19kaWdlc3RfdHJpZ2dlcmVk&sig=ecd9723e89f3bfd30ace1d1718ebd8c141979d4e&al=1&refsrc=email&iid=98e7ccc97ce74fedb416e15432e88036&autoactions=1432160356&uid=42265260&nid=244+133

KRAM1 · May 20, 2015

I'd forgotten they'd moved these things to lunchtime. Isn't a bit ironic to plead for greater attendance at gatherings that they've oddly moved to a time of day when most cannot attend... Just like the coach's shows?
Thanks for the update.

No, what is interesting is that the attendance was greater than any of the Ft Worth events that I attended and I have attended several. Ft Worth attendance has been so bad that there was no Ft Worth stop last year. Great to see it back and great to see the Tarrent County support.

Folks can always find a reason why they did not attend...those who want to attend usually find the way to do so. And, seems I saw you eating lunch at Rudy's before the first noon time radio show....so....doubt the work thing is what really kept you from attending a radio show or two.

One reason these noon events are being tried in Dallas and Ft Worth is due to poor...very poor...evening attendance in the past at both. Why not try something different if what you are doing isn't working. Seems folks here cry for that all the time. Then when something does change...well, that is now the problem. Another reason is due to the fact that RV and a couple of other AD staffers attended an Alumni Association Young Professionals event held in Dallas during the lunch hour last year. He saw the attendance and noted it was larger than his Caravan Dallas attendance. Said he might try a lunch time event. If it doesn't work well...it can always return to an evening time or they might go back anyway. Verdict is out, but better attendance at noon in Ft Worth than the last few evening events.

Hope to see you at either the Plano or Denton event next week. Both are evening events.

Edited May 20, 2015 by KRAM1

Green P1 · May 20, 2015

No, what is interesting is that the attendance was greater than any of the Ft Worth events that I attended and I have attended several. Ft Worth attendance has been so bad that there was no Ft Worth stop last year. Great to see it back and great to see the Tarrent County support.
Folks can always find a reason why they did not attend...those who want to attend usually find the way to do so. And, seems I saw you eating lunch at Rudy's before the first noon time radio show....so....doubt the work thing is what really kept you from attending a radio show or two.
One reason these noon events are being tried in Dallas and Ft Worth is due to poor...very poor...evening attendance in the past at both. Why not try something different if what you are doing isn't working. Seems folks here cry for that all the time. Then when something does change...well, that is now the problem. Another reason is due to the fact that RV and a couple of other AD staffers attended an Alumni Association Young Professionals event held in Dallas during the lunch hour last year. He saw the attendance and noted it was larger than his Caravan Dallas attendance. Said he might try a lunch time event. If it doesn't work well...it can always return to an evening time or they might go back anyway. Verdict is out, but better attendance at noon in Ft Worth than the last few evening events.
Hope to see you at either the Plano or Denton event next week. Both are evening events.

It was nice to see and have lunch with you before that Coach's Show this year. Sadly I had to get the crew back to the Jobsite before the show actually began as the timeframe of our work day dictates a lunch from 11-12.

It's nice to know that the Denton event will be held after work though. Last year's was very enjoyable. I can't afford to miss any chance I get to enjoy the upper level luxuries of Appoge!

emmitt01 · May 20, 2015

So, you go to all of these? You're in Gainesville one night, Ft Worth the next, and NOT on RV's payroll?

KRAM1 · May 20, 2015

So, you go to all of these? You're in Gainesville one night, Ft Worth the next, and NOT on RV's payroll?

Yep...I try to attend them all. No payroll for me...I give my money to North Texas and as much of my time as a volunteer that I can. I try to find ways to support UNT not reasons to criticize it.

greenminer · May 20, 2015

Great turnout. This is a sign that Damarcus Smith might toss for 3,000 yards this year....right?

MeanMag · May 21, 2015

I could not knock off of work for 2 hours in the middle of the day, but I did receive a couple of very nice calls from the AD from real people in the 2 weeks leading up to the caravan. That stuff really helps.

In those same 2 weeks, I also received a call from a real person with the U of Houston Athletic Department. They wanted me to buy season tickets and talked to me like he knew me. I bought tickets through their athletic dept a few years back when we played them at their place... Nothing since.

He almost made me want to buy season tickets.

Seriously, the personal calls and messages that those people leave on voicemail (instead of hanging up) help. Keep it up NT.

SilverEagle · May 21, 2015

So, you go to all of these? You're in Gainesville one night, Ft Worth the next, and NOT on RV's payroll?

Yep...I try to attend them all. No payroll for me...I give my money to North Texas and as much of my time as a volunteer that I can. I try to find ways to support UNT not reasons to criticize it.

Sorry Emmitt, but I think you really walked into that one. Without reading his post I could have written his last self-flag-waving sentence almost word for word.

Edited May 21, 2015 by SilverEagle

KRAM1 · May 21, 2015

Sorry Emmitt, but I think you really walked into that one. Without reading his post I could have written his last self-flag-waving sentence almost word for word.

Yep...sometimes the lobs right down the middle are just too easy to hit out of the park.

NM Green · May 23, 2015

the department also needs to find other avenues to capture the "mystery" guests contact info. See I go in with my buddy on the season tickets. Everything is under his name his address his telephone and contact information. So there are four of us in the package but only one person being regularly contacted if he is. I never get calls or bugged by the ticket office and I say bugged to mean reminded about upcoming events renewals...one weekend I went to a ranger game in Houston. I was immediately contacted by their box office to purchase season tickets. I explained I just bought a walk up ticket after driving down for the game. He immediately gave me future dates sent me emails and tried to craft packages for me and my friends and I am a ranger fan. Every year my ticket office contact calls me with the upcoming Schedule and makes himself available. The Mean Green concierge would be phenomenal and uncover persons 2,3,4 in my current package setup. Hire me already I would so put this service into high gear.

GMG

KRAM1 · May 23, 2015

the department also needs to find other avenues to capture the "mystery" guests contact info. See I go in with my buddy on the season tickets. Everything is under his name his address his telephone and contact information. So there are four of us in the package but only one person being regularly contacted if he is. I never get calls or bugged by the ticket office and I say bugged to mean reminded about upcoming events renewals...one weekend I went to a ranger game in Houston. I was immediately contacted by their box office to purchase season tickets. I explained I just bought a walk up ticket after driving down for the game. He immediately gave me future dates sent me emails and tried to craft packages for me and my friends and I am a ranger fan. Every year my ticket office contact calls me with the upcoming Schedule and makes himself available. The Mean Green concierge would be phenomenal and uncover persons 2,3,4 in my current package setup. Hire me already I would so put this service into high gear.
GMG

You make a good point here. One way UNT is trying to do that very thing is by getting folks to fill out the drawing cards at the Caravan events. They ask for contact info. But, if they don't really do much with them it doesn't do much good.

NM Green · May 27, 2015

Agree Kram. I think we could do more at the games too. Spin the wheel for a magnet water bottle or key chain oh but first full out this card with email and contact info.

GMG