How o make a GRAND ENTRANCE (revisited)

[SilverEagle]

The GRAND ENTRANCE by a College football Band is one of the great traditions of College Football. It is the ultimate and most visible display of school spirit and pride.  I provided three examples in this 2012 thread, and Eagle MBA provided his favorite (ND). I came across this thread by accident whilst searching for an example of the current (since we started playing at Apogee) pre-game GRAND ENTRANCE by the Green Brigade.

Your know what? There isn't any! You know why? Because even they, and their loyal followers (aka family and friends) know  that what the Green Brigade does for a pre-game show is woefully inadequate.....and that's a charitable assessment. 

So for all you new(ish) North Texas football fans, please click on the thread below and see how a College Football game is supposed to begin. I'll add some local schools as well.

 

Baylor. Not my favorite, but still better than us.

 

and Texas Tech

 

[greenjoe]

I think this should be sent to Wren and to President Smatreck (sp).  Both of these men know what makes a great football experience and I think both would reply.  Perhaps some gentle pressure or influence could be applied to the GB and a more entertaining product put on the field. 

I cant wait for Saturday.

GO MEAN GREEN

[emmitt01]

Now THIS is how you warm up a crowd...

 

[UNT 90 Grad]

1 hour ago, greenjoe said:

I think this should be sent to Wren and to President Smatreck (sp).  Both of these men know what makes a great football experience and I think both would reply.  Perhaps some gentle pressure or influence could be applied to the GB and a more entertaining product put on the field. 

I cant wait for Saturday.

GO MEAN GREEN

I dunno.  Wren came from Memphis.  Is their band up to @SilverEagle‘s standards or similar to the Green Brigade?  You decide.  

 

[SilverEagle]

1 hour ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

I dunno.  Wren came from Memphis.  Is their band up to @SilverEagle‘s standards or similar to the Green Brigade?  You decide.  

 

Before that he was at Missouri......

......and he got his masters from Oklahoma State...

 

 

[SilverEagle]

2 hours ago, emmitt01 said:

Now THIS is how you warm up a crowd...

 

Yep, but  these guys aren't too bad.....

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by SilverEagle

[Green Crazy]

[southsideguy]

i guess this post shows progress in the  program, complain about the coaching and ad, got new ones and doing well.

We worried about making a fashion statment with the uniforms, seems to been taken care of.

I guess the next step is talkiing about the band but at least were not still talking finding a new AD and a Coach.

Less then a week away, crush the ponies.

[Travis]

If you want a bunch of ooohs and aaaahs before the game... you need only me to walk through the end zone gate area...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

naked.  

[greenjoe]

The Ohio State Band had the crowd in a frenzy before they played their first note.  

[GreenGonzo]

Agree with you, SilverEagle.  Our band's entry has no pizzazz whatsoever.  So much more excitement could be added.

[EagleMBA]

22 minutes ago, greenjoe said:

The Ohio State Band had the crowd in a frenzy before they played their first note.  

Same thing happens with the crowd at Notre Dame. There is so much noise that you think it couldn't get louder...until the team takes the field.  The crowd is prepared by the band to explode. The intensity is maintained in the interim by the cheerleaders leading  chants.

[drex]

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is worked up into a frenzy.

[UNTLifer]

Just now, drex said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is worked up into a frenzy.

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is in their seats ready to go before kick off.  Once we master that, I want them in their seats early enough to see the Grand Entrance SE desires.  This is most glarìng on Senior Day.   I hate to see those young men announced and then they run in to a stadium that ìs a 1/4 full.

[SilverEagle]

51 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is in their seats ready to go before kick off.  Once we master that, I want them in their seats early enough to see the Grand Entrance SE desires.  This is most glarìng on Senior Day.   I hate to see those young men announced and then they run in to a stadium that ìs a 1/4 full.

Yep. 

[EagleMBA]

Those rabid crowds at those schools we've mentioned are in their seats more than 30 minutes before kickoff. They are there because they enjoy the celebration of their schools' traditions, the entertainment and pageantry, and because they know and enjoy the thrill of being fired up to support their teams. The teams, in turn, feed off this when they enter the field of battle.

When I have guests with me, I have to push to get them into the stadium. Then they want to hit the concessions and store because they are not riveted to anything going on at that moment. Good for business but bad for spirit. 😞

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is in their seats ready to go before kick off.  Once we master that, I want them in their seats early enough to see the Grand Entrance SE desires.

I'll not try to speak for Silver, but as for me, I don't see those as two separate things. Put on the show, the word will spread, and soon the crowd will be timely. The competitive team is going to assist in this. JMHO.

[DeepGreen]

5 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is in their seats ready to go before kick off.  Once we master that, I want them in their seats early enough to see the Grand Entrance SE desires.  This is most glarìng on Senior Day.   I hate to see those young men announced and then they run in to a stadium that ìs a 1/4 full.

That’s an easy fix.  Have Senior Day at the first home game of the season.

[UNTLifer]

19 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

That’s an easy fix.  Have Senior Day at the first home game of the season.

We still would only be 1/4 full when they announce the seniors.  People need to get in the stadium at least 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

[greenjoe]

Most of the college games I've seen on the road are opponents that have the pre-game show down (OU, Texas, A&M, etc).  Do other schools, such as others in CUSA put on a half hearted pre-game show ?  Do other bands in our conference wear shorts and t-shirts at the first few games ?

[SilverEagle]

16 hours ago, drex said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is worked up into a frenzy.

Well, if you leave it purely in the hands, feet, and/or embouchure's of the Green Brigade, then that'll never happen. 

The same goes for the cheer staff and the Talons.  The best thing the cheer staff does is the NORTH-TEXAS yell.....which it took them long enough to come up with in the first place. But (typical of our spirit groups) they know how to start it, but they don't know how to finish it. And they don't coordinate it with the band.

The best thing the Talons do is make it through a game without a misfire of the cannon.  AND I would be willing to bet an Apogee brew that 90% of the alumni/students in the stands don't know that it's the Talons that are in charge of the Cannon. 

AND finally, WHERE IS THE FRIGGIN BELL!  A little lesson for all who don't know....it pre-dates the cannon as a spirit icon/instrument.

AND, does anyone born after 1980 know what old North Texas tradition (few as they are) the spirit bell represents?

Edited August 27, 2018 by SilverEagle

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, SilverEagle said:

AND finally, WHERE IS THE FRIGGIN BELL!  A little lesson for all who don't know....it pre-dates the cannon as a spirit icon/instrument.

AND, does anyone born after 1980 know what old North Texas tradition (few as they are) the spirit bell represents?

Yes, where is the bell.

Yes, but I was born just prior to 1980.

[DeepGreen]

18 hours ago, drex said:

I want to be there when a North Texas crowd is worked up into a frenzy.

How old are you Drex?  It's possible they you may be dead and gone before a UNT crowd is "worked up into a frenzy".

[GrandGreen]

Damn, reading this thread; you would think that the NT game experience hasn't substantially improved.  Am I wrong, are did not NT football go undefeated at Apogee last year.  That trumps how the band marches in or how enthusiasm the pep organizations are. 

I do think the Green Brigade with probably the best musicians in the country could do a much better job.  Not a fan of the huge band military march in to the stadium that this thread is promoting.  Not against it, but some of those bands cited have IMO pretty ordinary performances in other facets of their showmanship.  

Overall half time performances, song selection, spirit and talent are more important than how they get on the field.  The problem is that NT with now a band plus others of over 400 members seems to be trying to emulate the UT, OU etc. of the world. 

 I would certainly vote for new band leadership.  The music department certainly does not seem to put a lot of emphasis on the marching band.  It is almost like it is beneath them to be concerned about such a trivial performance. 

As far as wishing that the crowd was more into the game, and comparing NT to the super-budget teams is got to lead to disappointment.  The sad truth is that there are probably more NT alumni that are fans of UT than NT.  i know a several who are season ticket holders at UT and won't even consider a game in Denton.  

[DT 90]

The Aggies have never had a grand pre game entrance. Texas Aggie Halftime. 

Never needed one.

The best time to go to the concession stand is halftime because no one leaves........

[GreenN'walinsVet]

The problem is not just singled to the band.  Yes the dotting of the I at Ohio State, The Penn State Blue Band Flip, and some of the other great pregame band traditions are great, but there are others that have great pregame traditions that do the same thing that don't need the band.

Texas A&M, Virginia Tech (Enter Sandman), Michigan's "Go Big Blue" sign, etc... come to mind.  

Others have great in game traditions: Aggies swaying to the fight song, USC lighting the olympic torch, Wisconsin's "jump around", Florida States War Chant, Florida's Gator Chomp, OSU's wave, Penn State's stadium wave, etc...

The problem is UNT has no pre game traditions that bring fans in early, no in game traditions that fans look forward to, nothing.  It is a football game and a football game only, and that is where the problem lies.

Edited August 27, 2018 by GreenN'walinsVet