DRC: Baker appeals to fans after dismal attendance for win over Southern Miss

Brett Vito · October 14, 2018

DRC: UNT on course to set attendance mark despite largely empty stadium for win over Golden Eagles

https://www.dentonrc.com/sports/unt-athletic-director-wren-baker-appeals-to-fans-after-dismal/article_1c149dd1-ddd5-554d-adf2-62a64bf6b650.html

SlimSlamSlum · October 14, 2018

I finally got my picture in the paper and all they got was the back of my head?

TheColonyEagle · October 14, 2018

Ok. I know some aren’t going to like this.

First, I agree with what Wren said. He’s absolutely right.

However....I don’t agree with him saying/tweeting it. What’s the upside? Are people that didn’t go, or left after the delay, etc gonna read that and say “you know what.....thanks UNT AD. Shame on me. I’ll go next time”

No they’re not. His tweet isn’t going to lead to increased attendance.

On the flip side, it’s gonna put a magnifying glass on the horrible attendance for that game. It’s gonna get an article written about it with a big ol picture of an empty stadium. It’s gonna make the program look bad. To those with just one eye on the program, it doesn’t help with our perception.

Bottom line, I don’t know what good comes out of tweeting what he tweeted (despite how 100% correct he was)

I am a huge Wren Baker fan.

But I don’t like publicly criticizing the fans. Especially in the middle of a season where we’ve broken 2 single game attendance records and are on track to break the season avg record

No upside.

Edited October 14, 2018 by TheColonyEagle

Aquila_Viridis · October 14, 2018

In any aspect where NT needs more support, it is never the right idea to sweep it under the rug, and it is always the right idea to get the message out. Though in this case, the message would be stronger if you show a picture of a big program with a lot of people out even with weather complications. I don't recall if there was such a situation yesterday. If so, you would want to also put that out there as a contrast and say something like, 'we can be as good as this program, but it means we have to act like them'.

wardly · October 14, 2018

Easy to say in a rainstorm when you are high and dry in a stadium box.I doubt that anyone from the athletic department got their feet very wet.

TheColonyEagle · October 14, 2018

11 minutes ago, Aquila_Viridis said:

you would want to also put that out there as a contrast and say something like, 'we can be as good as this program, but it means we have to act like them'.

I agree with you.

I just don’t think it’s a good look for it to come publicly from our AD. Especially in a season like we’re having. On the field AND in the stands.

I say pick your battles. That’s all.

GrandGreen · October 14, 2018

Baker has made a similar tweet before ever home game. This is not a direct reaction to the low attendance USM game.

meangreenJW · October 15, 2018

21 minutes ago, wardly said:

Easy to say in a rainstorm when you are high and dry in a stadium box.I doubt that anyone from the athletic department got their feet very wet.

This is one of the all time ridiculous posts. I'm at every home game and watch every road game (despite the difficulty of having all the outlets). I sit on the south 35 yard line. Baker is on the sidelines every game. Was there yesterday with associate AD Mosely. When I watch the road games including Liberty (in an epic downpour) he's there. Disagree with his statement if you want but to act like he isn't out there is false.

meangreenJW · October 15, 2018

24 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

I agree with you.

I just don’t think it’s a good look for it to come publicly from our AD. Especially in a season like we’re having. On the field AND in the stands.

I say pick your battles. That’s all.

Baker does usually tweet something positive after every good crowd as well and has this season. If you watch Litrell post game presser, I got the sense he was pissed about the crowd. He kind of sarcastically thanks the fans "that showed up." I wonder if Baker's message wasn't just as much a show of support for Littrell and the players.

Green Crazy · October 15, 2018

1 hour ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Ok. I know some aren’t going to like this.

First, I agree with what Wren said. He’s absolutely right.

However....I don’t agree with him saying/tweeting it. What’s the upside? Are people that didn’t go, or left after the delay, etc gonna read that and say “you know what.....thanks UNT AD. Shame on me. I’ll go next time”

No they’re not. His tweet isn’t going to lead to increased attendance.

On the flip side, it’s gonna put a magnifying glass on the horrible attendance for that game. It’s gonna get an article written about it with a big ol picture of an empty stadium. It’s gonna make the program look bad. To those with just one eye on the program, it doesn’t help with our perception.

Bottom line, I don’t know what good comes out of tweeting what he tweeted (despite how 100% correct he was)

I am a huge Wren Baker fan.

But I don’t like publicly criticizing the fans. Especially in the middle of a season where we’ve broken 2 single game attendance records and are on track to break the season avg record

No upside.

Do you think he should just ignore it? Its ridiculous and embarrassing that the opponent's fans equal the number of students. I'm sure it's out of frustration, but it needs to be said by someone in the school and can't be the coach or players. Honestly, the fans that stayed away yesterday because of the weather won't be bothered by this tweet. Half probably don't know his name let alone follow him on twitter.

17 minutes ago, wardly said:

Easy to say in a rainstorm when you are high and dry in a stadium box.I doubt that anyone from the athletic department got their feet very wet.

This is true, but then again, no one got their feet wet that went yesterday because not a drop of rain fell the entire game.

emmitt01 · October 15, 2018

He is 10000000000% correct and, for the sake of getting us to ALL act big time, I’m glad he said it.

He has delivered everything we asked for when RV left.

Littrell has earned every dime of his contract.

The players have done their part.

He should expect that the in-stand product matches the on-field one.

If Wren said “we handled all of the customer service requests at an excellent level TWICE this season, you should just be happy” we would (justifiably) call him out. We would say that this is the level of effort we should have always expected and he gets no credit for meeting it twice.

And NOBODY, athletic department employee or fan, had wet feet during that game yesterday.

KingDL1 · October 15, 2018

The simple answer is you should never make the customer wrong.

Weather like that is what it is and it will always be a problem unless it is a covered stadium.

We may gather more hard core fans but few average fan are going to sit in perceived real of imagined rain that we were receiving most of the last 24 hours leading up to that game time. .

meangreenJW · October 15, 2018

3 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

The simple answer is you should never make the customer wrong.

Weather like that is what it is and it will always be a problem unless it is a covered stadium.

We may gather more hard core fans but few average fan are going to sit in perceived real of imagined rain that we were receiving most of the last 24 hours leading up to that game time. .

I get your point. I don't agree but I do get what you're saying. At the same time, if you read what Baker said (not what Vito wrote), he really isn't that negative. It is more about encouraging everyone to show up for Rice. And what he says is true, championship programs do have great attendance regardless of weather. Setting that as the bar doesn't bother me. He should set a vision of what the program's goals is.

TheColonyEagle · October 15, 2018

9 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

He is 10000000000% correct and, for the sake of getting us to ALL act big time, I’m glad he said it.

Emmitt, he is absolutely correct.

Maybe I’m picking nits here.

My point is.....will him saying it publicly get us to “ALL act big time” If anyone says it will....how?

UNT 90 Grad · October 15, 2018

51 minutes ago, wardly said:

Easy to say in a rainstorm when you are high and dry in a stadium box.I doubt that anyone from the athletic department got their feet very wet.

Neither did anyone sitting in the stands since THERE WAS NO RAINSTORM DURING THE GAME.

TheColonyEagle · October 15, 2018

25 minutes ago, Green Crazy said:

Honestly, the fans that stayed away yesterday because of the weather won't be bothered by this tweet. Half probably don't know his name let alone follow him on twitter.

Exactly. So what’s the point of tweeting it? What is the upside?

emmitt01 · October 15, 2018

13 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Emmitt, he is absolutely correct.

Maybe I’m picking nits here.

My point is.....will him saying it publicly get us to “ALL act big time” If anyone says it will....how?

One can hope that it communicates to our fanbase that the expectation level has increased for this athletic program and that we all have a part to play in helping them get there. We are, after all, having this discussion in this thread so somebody clearly read his tweet.

I have been beating the “you don’t build a consistent winner by taking the ‘show me something and THEN I’ll show up’ approach” drum for 20 years since I was a student in Talons. I’ve begged, bribed, poked and prodded my peers and others to show up. But my voice is just that of a fan.

When the athletic director (and the head coach and players have echoed it BTW) comes out and actually says “hey fans, we’re doing our part so do yours” it should communicate to all that we the fan are a part of that championship vision we all clamor for.

It also sends a clear message to his head football coach and the players that he is willing to publicly demand the community to acknowledge the progress they have made by showing up. That part of his job, supporting his people, can’t be forgotten either.

If people want to ignore him, or get inexplicably bent out of shape because he speaks truth, then so be it (I know you are not doing this).

Edited October 15, 2018 by emmitt01

Green Crazy · October 15, 2018

I said it was probably frustration. We might of had 5k at the game yesterday. What would you suggest he do? If he does nothing, then people would complain that he's doing nothing. I think it needs to be said or people would think we had 18k at the game.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Green Crazy

KingDL1 · October 15, 2018

1 minute ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

THERE WAS NO RAINSTORM DURING THE GAME.

This is completely irrelevant to the situation with the prior weather that day the given forecast unless you live in Denton.

UNT 90 Grad · October 15, 2018

Just now, KingDL1 said:

This is completely irrelevant to the situation with the prior weather that day the given forecast unless you live in Denton.

Did you look at the student section?

emmitt01 · October 15, 2018

2 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

This is completely irrelevant to the situation with the prior weather that day the given forecast unless you live in Denton.

In my group yesterday were people from Weatherford, Burleson, and Perryton (6 hours away).

Green Crazy · October 15, 2018

1 minute ago, KingDL1 said:

This is completely irrelevant to the situation with the prior weather that day the given forecast unless you live in Denton.

The game started half an hour late. The forecast was clear that the rain was passing an hour before actual kickoff. If you live 45 minutes away, then you probably could of been in your seat with a beer in hand by kickoff. It could of been done by some.

KingDL1 · October 15, 2018

1 minute ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

Did you look at the student section?

And a what point does bitching about something like that help?

When I was an college student I would have gone out of my way to play in the rain.

KingDL1 · October 15, 2018

6 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

In my group yesterday were people from Weatherford, Burleson, and Perryton (6 hours away).

Do you want a star? Shit I will buy you a shot next time I see you!

I am glad you were there and I wish there was more like you. but no matter how much you bitch or shame other fans that percentage of hardcore fans willing to be there in yesterday's situation is not going to change. I would have guessed more students but I have never figured them out.

UNT 90 Grad · October 15, 2018

2 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

And a what point does bitching about something like that help?

When I was an college student I would have gone out of my way to play in the rain.

I’m not bitching, sir. Let’s recap. Wardly implied that the AD stayed drier than those that attended the game. I clarified that it didn’t rain during the game. You said my post was irrelevant. I was bringing relevance to my post despite why you said it was irrelevant.