how much clout?

Tyler Maryak · October 23, 2015

Ah hell, what would it take to unite us instead of going at each others throats? Maybe I'm an idealist or something (maybe delusional), but I see us as a Mean Green Family. I mean, some of these insults would affect me if it were directed at me. @Censored by Laurie might say that I have a problem or lack the ability to comprehend humor or something (btw, i'll contribute to your run with my next paycheck, if i can still give on 11/1). This kind of stuff is what I fear people seeing when they want to check our validity. From the outsider, it looks like we're just lashing out in all directions.

Wardly's question seems fair enough to me. Some of us are making the point that contributions to UNT are going to be lost if RV remains the AD. But if that's an argument we're using and only 10% of us making that claim actually contribute to the university, how valid are our threats (for lack of a better word)? I know some people are saying that they WOULD give if he were no longer AD, but unrealized (and non-guaranteed) revenue is not as concrete as the dollars that are actually coming in. I can say that I would give $10,000 if he were fired, but what guarantee is there that I actually will? Who knows if I even have that capacity? (I dont.)

I've met so many of you in person and know you're great people. It kills me to see y'all being so rude to one another. We can disagree without name calling. Again, maybe the problem is me and I'm just missing something. Maybe I'm oversensitive. But maybe I'm not.

BTW, down votes are a very real, visual indication of a person's perception of you. Three little red arrows may be just that, but in reality it means that three people disliked what you said enough to indicate such and no one likes being told they're wrong. Slam me for having that belief or for being born in the year/generation i was born in, if you must. IDK, maybe if enough of you are pissed at me, you can unite to come at me and maybe we can heal this rift in our Mean Green Clan.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Tyler Maryak

Ben Gooding · October 23, 2015

I had lunch with Mark Miller 8 or 9 months ago. He convinced me to donate. I have donated to the MGC and even as a grad student I bought season tickets though I could get in for free. I could quraduple my donation if I so chose to and I hope to maybe one day. It is beyond apparent that donated money (in the millions) is absolutely wasted with the current administration. I will not donate another dime or buy season tickets again until we have a clean slate.

Oh yeah, so my clout is 0. Because everyone's should be at this point.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Ben Gooding

Army of Dad · October 23, 2015

Ah hell, what would it take to unite us instead of going at each others throats? Maybe I'm an idealist or something (maybe delusional), but I see us as a Mean Green Family. I mean, some of these insults would affect me if it were directed at me. @Censored by Laurie might say that I have a problem or lack the ability to comprehend humor or something (btw, i'll contribute to your run with my next paycheck, if i can still give on 11/1). This kind of stuff is what I fear people seeing when they want to check our validity. From the outsider, it looks like we're just lashing out in all directions.

Wardly's question seems fair enough to me. Some of us are making the point that contributions to UNT are going to be lost if RV remains the AD. But if that's an argument we're using and only 10% of us making that claim actually contribute to the university, how valid are our threats (for lack of a better word)? I know some people are saying that they WOULD give if he were no longer AD, but unrealized (and non-guaranteed) revenue is not as concrete as the dollars that are actually coming in. I can say that I would give $10,000 if he were fired, but what guarantee is there that I actually will? Who knows if I even have that capacity? (I dont.)
I've met so many of you in person and know you're great people. It kills me to see y'all being so rude to one another. We can disagree without name calling. Again, maybe the problem is me and I'm just missing something. Maybe I'm oversensitive. But maybe I'm not.

BTW, down votes are a very real, visual indication of a person's perception of you. Three little red arrows may be just that, but in reality it means that three people disliked what you said enough to indicate such and no one likes being told they're wrong. Slam me for having that belief or for being born in the year/generation i was born in, if you must. IDK, maybe if enough of you are pissed at me, you can unite to come at me and maybe we can heal this rift in our Mean Green Clan.

A reasoned, considerate, fair, and heartfelt post.

You must be delusional!

rcade · October 23, 2015

Ah hell, what would it take to unite us instead of going at each others throats?

You're tilting at windmills while this program is in the state it's in.

GrayEagle · October 23, 2015

I don't think there are many on this board that hate RV. I don't hate RV.
Personally, I think he is a nice guy, and I think he cares about our athletics. I just no longer trust his judgement in selecting coaches or developing winning programs. We need new leadership. He has been in charge for 15 years. That is a good length of time. Lets give him a nice send off and name the Athletic Complex after him. You can even name the whole Mean Green Village after him. I'd be fine with that. But, he needs to go.
I'm not going to tell you how much I donate to athletics every year, because it isn't any of your business. I've given to the Mean Green Club for years, bought season tickets for years, and every year I purchase more UNT athletic gear then my wife believes necessary.
Everyone on this board supports this program at a higher level then the average fan. That is really all you need to know about our donation levels.

I agree with almost all of what you said. I just believe that you accomplish little by not waiting until the end of his contract. No buyout. No PO'd donors.

There's a difference in the longevity of a coach and an athletic director. Rick (or someone) may need to make two more hires by the end of his contract. One is ongoing as we speak and the other will be determined at the end of the basketball season. Vito has quoted RV's boss as saying that he (President Smatresk) would be heavily involved in the football coach selection. That tells me that RV won't be able to screw up the selection unless others are in agreement. It wouldn't surprise me if the selection of a basketball coach (if needed) would also be by other than RV.

Rick did really screw up this termination and buyout by giving Dan McCarney an extension in addition to the raise. The raise was justified; the extension...not at all. For that reason (and the overall record of his major coaching hires), I don't believe that his contract should be renewed. But, let him launch baseball and build a new ballpark. That should about fill the amount of time left on his contract.

Edited October 23, 2015 by GrayEagle

Tyler Maryak · October 23, 2015

Oh yeah, so my clout is 0. Because everyone's should be at this point.

Lol, solid edit.

A reasoned, considerate, fair, and heartfelt post.
You must be delusional!

I appreciate the confirmation! Again, i would +1 you, but I go through them too quickly.

You're tilting at windmills while this program is in the state it's in.

I appreciate this criticism for allowing me to learn an idiom I had never heard before. Ok, my professor literally just used that phrase. freaky coincidence. Thank you, rcade! I was able to laugh at his joke because of you.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Tyler Maryak

Mike Jackson · October 23, 2015

I for one have already contacted the Alumni association and MGC media team. They know what my donation was and know from this day forward it will be $0 till RV is gone. And beyond that I pledge to step up from my previous donation level once he is gone. I am not a rich man and UNT is my only entertainment expense outside of TV/Internet bill and an occasional movie. Get real this program is DEAD as long as RV is in charge and anyone who thinks different is just in denial due their love for UNT and/or RV.

Ben Gooding · October 23, 2015

I for one have already contacted the Alumni association and MGC media team. They know what my donation was and know from this day forward it will be $0 till RV is gone. And beyond that I pledge to step up from my previous donation level once he is gone. I am not a rich man and UNT is my only entertainment expense outside of TV/Internet bill and an occasional movie. Get real this program is DEAD as long as RV is in charge and anyone who thinks different is just in denial due their love for UNT and/or RV.

I wouldn't call it "dead." We aren't the 80's ponies. But the word toxic has been thrown around and appropriately so. I would say this department is toxic and is a coach killer in its current state with this administration calling the shots. Hence the what is becoming a massive uproar.

Censored by Laurie · October 23, 2015

I keep trying to figure out some way to portmanteau the words Ouroboros and Anus.
Can't seem to figure it out, though. Little help?

aurora boranus.

the southern lights

Cerebus · October 23, 2015

I keep trying to figure out some way to portmanteau the words Ouroboros and Anus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKkZb3hcxUo

817Fan · October 23, 2015

Although its just me and my girlfriend, I've always bought 4 season tickets, chair backs & a blue lot pass. -Have for ten years. We host a tailgate party for all of our friends as well. If RV is still around I won't donate any longer. I simply can't support the direction he's taken the athletic program. You can do the math and figure out what my clout is if you want. -but it's really not about clout or banners or packs of wild dogs. It's about reluctantly moving on from a long term relationship that's become toxic.

Green Lantern · October 23, 2015

I for one have already contacted the Alumni association and MGC media team. They know what my donation was and know from this day forward it will be $0 till RV is gone. And beyond that I pledge to step up from my previous donation level once he is gone. I am not a rich man and UNT is my only entertainment expense outside of TV/Internet bill and an occasional movie. Get real this program is DEAD as long as RV is in charge and anyone who thinks different is just in denial due their love for UNT and/or RV.

You know that the Alumni Association and Athletics are completely seperate organizations, correct? Please reconsider pulling support from that organization. They have nothing to do with the current state of affairs in Athletics.

Christopher Walker · October 23, 2015

You know that the Alumni Association and Athletics are completely seperate organizations, correct? Please reconsider pulling support from that organization. They have nothing to do with the current state of affairs in Athletics.

While indeed separate, the Alumni Association as part of Advancement can view the giving profiles of any donor.

Green Lantern · October 23, 2015

While indeed separate, the Alumni Association as part of Advancement can view the giving profiles of any donor.

Very true. Point being that withdrawing financial support from the Alumni Association doesn't have the desired impact in relation to voicing displeasure with Athletics. The organizations (departments is probably a more apt descriptor at this point) are not linked. They do partner with outreach from time to time as they should.

In withdrawing UNTAA support in relation to this Athletics fiasco, you only punish an underfunded, hard working group of individuals for something totally out of their control. Their leadership has no tangible say so in terms of affecting change in this situation. Totally unnecessary collateral damage.

VideoEagle · October 23, 2015

In withdrawing UNTAA support in relation to this Athletics fiasco, you only punish an underfunded, hard working group of individuals for something totally out of their control. Their leadership has no tangible say so in terms of affecting change in this situation. Totally unnecessary collateral damage.

Very true.

UNT90 · October 23, 2015

My only point when I started this thread was to try to get a sense of were there enough UNT supporters who gave enough money to effect change, because like it or not that is the bottom line. So far it appears obvious to me that there aren't.

I'm a club seat holder of 2 seats and a $500 a year MGC donor (this would be more if I had any faith in the AD).

That may not seem like a lot to you, but it is an investment to me.

Maybe you should go back and look at the public poll. Go through the screen names of the 151people in that public poll that voted to fire RV. You will see a lot of names that you will recognize as financial supporters of this program.

Edited October 23, 2015 by UNT90