Show me the $ or W

UNTLifer · September 22, 2016

14 hours ago, wardly said:

In 2013 our average home attendance with 6 games was 23,509 in a stadium that seats only 30,850. That averages to about 75% of capacity, which is just O.K.[lets give us a solid "c".] We still have not gotten close to a sellout because of the poor product we have been trying to sell. While I agree that winning cures most problems, it doesn't cure all as illustrated by 2013 attendance. In my opinion, we just can't be a one hit wonder. We need to establish a successful winning tradition, which takes time. At 73 I am running out of time, patience , and interest.

Imagine what would happen if our AD, at that time, had really marketed the UH game opening Apogee and marketed all games in that manner. Considering they really did nothing, then 75% is outstanding.

untjim1995 · September 22, 2016

2 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Imagine what would happen if our AD, at that time, had really marketed the UH game opening Apogee and marketed all games in that manner. Considering they really did nothing, then 75% is outstanding.

I agree here, Lifer. 2013 showed there is interest if we can build up a winner. Marketing from an AD who actually tried something might have helped us, but it goes back to not being associated with a winner. The thing that people don't realize is just how powerful the influence of others really is for going to college football games. People want to go to games that others will be at--in other words, most fans don't want to go to games where there are more open seats around them than full seats. Sure, there are diehards that go to our home games, rain or shine, hot or cold, FCS or FBS, etc...but the love of being able to tell their buddies that I've been to every game to watch us play since whenever loses its luster when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately for us, since the Dickey SBC run was winding down, the light at the end of the tunnel ended up just being a train--Dickey wins 5 games in his last two seasons and burns every bridge he ever had built here, we hire Dodge straight from high school and we win 6 games in his tenure here. We hire McCarney, who talks a good game and takes Dodge's recruits and puts them into an actual college regiment and builds it up to bowl winner in 2013, only to watch it colossally end in failure just a year and a half later. And now we have Littrell, who looks and talks the part, but has to deal with almost no talent for his schemes. We sure hope the light we see is in fact, the sun, not a brand new train again, ready to bowl us over in another couple of years.

I think Wren Baker is going to really make us feel better going forward, but he's gonna have to have a winner to help make this thing work. Even if RV wasn't a terrible and lazy AD, the product we have spoon-fed our fans in the last 11+ years has been absolutely unacceptable. No amount of marketing would have made the Dodge years any better, nor would it have made the last two Mac years any less embarrassing.

wardly · September 22, 2016

RV has been blamed for every thing that happened in the past 10 years including our invasion of Iraq. If he was so bad, how did he keep his job for so long? I will agree that it was time for a change, and that Baker/Littrell appear to be good hires. However, I see no point in continuing to kick R.V. around the block. I hope that we can close the door on that chapter of UNT athletics any move forward together, as it will take the support of all of us to get us where we want to go.

Aldo · September 22, 2016

2 minutes ago, wardly said:

RV has been blamed for every thing that happened in the past 10 years including our invasion of Iraq. If he was so bad, how did he keep his job for so long? I will agree that it was time for a change, and that Baker/Littrell appear to be good hires. However, I see no point in continuing to kick R.V. around the block. I hope that we can close the door on that chapter of UNT athletics any move forward together, as it will take the support of all of us to get us where we want to go.

I want to move forward as well as anyone, but he did schedule us through, what 2021?

Reminders.

wardly · September 22, 2016

Most if not all schools schedule 10 to 15 years in advance. Not impressed by who he scheduled is in the eyes of the beholder, but 2021 is only another 5 seasons, and hopefully I will live that long.Looks to me like he scheduled 1 we should win[1AA opponent], 2 we might win,[SMU and Army], and 1 money game that we probably won't win.What's the problem with this?

Edited September 22, 2016 by wardly
omission

untjim1995 · September 22, 2016

48 minutes ago, wardly said:

Most if not all schools schedule 10 to 15 years in advance. Not impressed by who he scheduled is in the eyes of the beholder, but 2021 is only another 5 seasons, and hopefully I will live that long.Looks to me like he scheduled 1 we should win[1AA opponent], 2 we might win,[SMU and Army], and 1 money game that we probably won't win.What's the problem with this?

The problem is that the team he scheduled as a "should win" for many years ahead bring nobody new to the game to see us beat someone we should beat, and if we lose, its terrible for a school in our situation.

We suffered the worst loss in modern college football history with his scheduling, surrounding that loss with even other disastrous losses. And there is a reason Wren Baker is trying to fix the schedule--it is not good to only get SMU or Army to join a FCS as your home opponents in a stadium as nice as this in a location this advantageous to recruits.

RV's lasting legacies are that he opened up tailgating, had 17 big money guys do what he needed to do funding-wise above the university's funding, couldn't hire a revenue sport coach to save his career, and scheduled as poorly as an AD could do with Apogee as the stadium to host the games.

UNTLifer · September 22, 2016

8 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

I agree here, Lifer. 2013 showed there is interest if we can build up a winner. Marketing from an AD who actually tried something might have helped us, but it goes back to not being associated with a winner. The thing that people don't realize is just how powerful the influence of others really is for going to college football games. People want to go to games that others will be at--in other words, most fans don't want to go to games where there are more open seats around them than full seats. Sure, there are diehards that go to our home games, rain or shine, hot or cold, FCS or FBS, etc...but the love of being able to tell their buddies that I've been to every game to watch us play since whenever loses its luster when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately for us, since the Dickey SBC run was winding down, the light at the end of the tunnel ended up just being a train--Dickey wins 5 games in his last two seasons and burns every bridge he ever had built here, we hire Dodge straight from high school and we win 6 games in his tenure here. We hire McCarney, who talks a good game and takes Dodge's recruits and puts them into an actual college regiment and builds it up to bowl winner in 2013, only to watch it colossally end in failure just a year and a half later. And now we have Littrell, who looks and talks the part, but has to deal with almost no talent for his schemes. We sure hope the light we see is in fact, the sun, not a brand new train again, ready to bowl us over in another couple of years.

I think Wren Baker is going to really make us feel better going forward, but he's gonna have to have a winner to help make this thing work. Even if RV wasn't a terrible and lazy AD, the product we have spoon-fed our fans in the last 11+ years has been absolutely unacceptable. No amount of marketing would have made the Dodge years any better, nor would it have made the last two Mac years any less embarrassing.

True on Dickey.

I think Dodge could have been a big success, IF he had not been allowed to bring his entire HS staff with him. There were a few good coaches in the group, but that was an astronomical mistake.

Mac didn't hold his staff accountable to recruit, probably due to some alleged off the field issues, and turned what could have been a good thing in to a mess in a hurry.

Littrell, his staff, Baker and his new hires, along with renewed support from our administration should have us on the right track. Only time will tell, but all signs are pointing upward.

Quoner · September 22, 2016

6 hours ago, wardly said:

RV has been blamed for every thing that happened in the past 10 years including our invasion of Iraq. If he was so bad, how did he keep his job for so long?

wardly · September 22, 2016

So let me get this right. We want to schedule a home game each season with a bunch of pansies who we are expected to always beat, unless we don't. Sounds like us on the road playing a money game. There in lies WAG TAG's question. Bring in a pansy for the "W", or a Big Boy for a probable/possible loss that may draw more fans.Scheduling is a bitch when Portland State, our designated "W", beats the dog out of us.