A few Game 1 thoughts....

untcampbell · September 4, 2023

* I pull for one school, and all of its teams. The only professional sport I watch is golf. There are no Ranger, Stars, Mavs or Cowboys wins to salvage a weekend. North Texas is it. I invest a lot of emotional capital, along with a few bucks, in my passion, my hobby.

* Pretty sure there is not a single player, coach or athletic department employee who has been here as long as I have. The school and the name last, no human does. I pull for the school and the name. Everyone else is temporary. I deeply care about this school, and its most passionate and long(er) time fans, like Gray Eagle, SUMG, FFR, et al.

* The three hours before the game, tailgating, do salvage some of the mood swing I get from a loss, any loss, but especially losses like Saturday. Yesterday, it was gumbo, cornbread, pre-game Scotch (Laphroaig this time), pre-game pickle and some really great family, including my son who has never missed a home game in his 27 years, and friends. Thanks also to @Pete Hadley for the nice welcome and parting gift, @malonebbqsauce. Maybe I need more Scotch next game.

* I try to wait 24 hours after a loss before paying much attention to gomeangreen.com. It is always nice to see how moods change from ground zero over the next 24-48 hours.

* I am a loud, often sarcastic fan. I yell when we win, and when we lose. I don't yell against players. Almost every fan that was sitting in my seats before I got there, and who we have to negotiate with to get the seats we paid for, abandons the general area I am sitting in well before the game ends, usually before the half. If you are planning to study at the game, you will probably move also.

* The 2Q Earle to Maclin bomb was thing of beauty. Seems like the ball was in the air for 23 seconds and Maclin ran to that ball like few could. I was almost drowned out by the other fans in Sections 109 and 110.

* @aztecskin, MGN now on Substack, put things in perspective. If North Texas didn't come out in the second half, we would have scored the exact number of points and gained 9 less yards. @Venson suggested, and I concur: start Stone, put in Ruder if needed. If he doesn't emerge, Stone should be the starter for the rest of the year.

* I gripe about the petty when the play on the field puts me in a bad mood. Petty like the much-hyped water stations. No one, security, other vendors, etc, knew where they were. When I spent about half of the third quarter looking for them, I found one that was empty and one other. On the way, I tried three water fountain stations. One worked. Petty like giving a decent amount of money to the program and buying approximately 80 football tickets a year for the games (48 of them season tickets) and having to pay $15 to print my tickets. Petty (not) like having to ask people to get out of my seats for something like the 70th straight game....every game since the stadium opened. Three different ADs have heard my complaint now, along numerous other department employees, including the 3 or 4 humans over the last decade or so that have invited me to breakfast once a year. Question for athletic department: will you print my tickets if I buy the breakfast next time another human?

* All that said, after dropping by gmg.com this afternoon, I come to one conclusion: I suspect no other group of college fans demands more and gives less. We get what we pay for.

You lads and lasses still need some venting, it appears. Flame away.

GMG

Edited September 4, 2023 by untcampbell

meangreenbob · September 4, 2023

8 minutes ago, untcampbell said:

* I pull for one school, and all of its teams. The only professional sport I watch is golf. There are no Ranger, Stars, Mavs or Cowboys wins to salvage a weekend. North Texas is it. I invest a lot of emotional capital, along with a few bucks, in my passion, my hobby.

* Pretty sure there is not a single player, coach or athletic department employee who has been here as long as I have. The school and the name last, no human does. I pull for the school and the name. Everyone else is temporary. I deeply care about this school, and its most passionate and long(er) time fans, like Gray Eagle, SUMG, FFR, et al.

* The three hours before the game, tailgating, do salvage some of the mood swing I get from a loss, any loss, but especially losses like Saturday. Yesterday, it was gumbo, cornbread, pre-game Scotch (Laphroaig this time), pre-game pickle and some really great family, including son who has never missed a home game in his 27 years, and friends. Thanks also to @Pete Hadley for the nice welcome and parting gift, @malonebbqsauce. Maybe more Scotch next game.

* I try to wait 24 hours after a loss before paying much attention to gomeangreen.com. It is always nice to see how moods change from ground zero over the next 24-48 hours.

* I am a loud, often sarcastic fan. I yell when we win, and when we lose. I don't yell against players. Almost every fan that was sitting in my seats when the game started abandons the general area I am sitting in well before the game ends, usually before the half. If you are planning to study at the game, you will probably move also.

* The 2Q Earle to Maclin bomb was thing of beauty. Seems like the ball was in the air for 23 seconds and Maclin ran to that ball like few could. I was almost drowned out by the other fans in Sections 109 and 110.

* @aztecskin, MGN now on Substack, put things in perspective. If North Texas didn't come out in the second half, we would have scored the exact number of points and gained 9 less yards. @Venson suggested, and I concur: start Stone, put in Ruder if needed. If he doesn't emerge, Stone should be the started for the rest of the year.

* I gripe about the petty when the play on the field puts me in a bad mood. Petty like the much-hyped water stations. No one knew where they were. When I spent about half of the third quarter looking for them, I found one that was empty and one other. On the way, I tried three water fountain stations. One worked. Petty like giving a decent amount of money to the program and buying approximately 80 football tickets a year for the games (48 of theme season tickets) and having to pay $15 to print my tickets. Petty (not) like having to ask people to get out of my seats for something like the 70th straight game....every game since the stadium opened. Three different ADs have heard my complaint now, along numerous other department employees, including the 3 or 4 humans that invite me to breakfast once a year. Question for athletic department: will you print my tickets if I buy the breakfast this year?

* All that said, after dropping by this afternoon, I come to one conclusion: I suspect no group of college fans that demands more and gives less. We get what we pay for.

You lads and lasses still need some venting, it appears. Flame away.

GMG

Is a million a year too low?
1.8 million?

Edited September 4, 2023 by meangreenbob

TIgreen01 · September 4, 2023

Good post until that last paragraph. You really think that this group of fans gives less per fan than the average Texas or Alabama fan? Keep in mind, we have literally zero casual fans. Everyone here is invested I’d guess. There are just not enough of us.

THOR · September 4, 2023

7 minutes ago, TIgreen01 said:

Good post until that last paragraph. You really think that this group of fans gives less per fan than the average Texas or Alabama fan? Keep in mind, we have literally zero casual fans. Everyone here is invested I’d guess. There are just not enough of us.

interesting thought....i have never thought about that. the school does not have many tshirt fans. it relies almost entirely on alumni. i do not think that is a good thing.

untcampbell · September 4, 2023

@TIgreen01 I'd certainly be up for testing the theory. I am not a huge giver by any means...I think there are something like 19 that can claim that. And that is the point. When there is only a few billionaires and millionaires, even they have an upper limit they can give. I bet they are praying other similar dollar givers to join them. Soon.

If I had my way, we would all post the amount of money we give to the program next to our (mostly) alias names. It wouldn't change our right to voice an opinion....just provide context as to the commitment of he who opines.

My point: The person who calls out "fire the coach" after that coach's first game is rarely the guy responsible for the million+ dollar buy out. I want to hear the opinions of the guys that are coming out of pocket.

(Caveat: I fully understand we all have different circumstances that affect what we give)

(Caveat 2: apologies to @UNTethered Eagle...just reading some of the other threads and it appears you already fought this battle)

GMG

Edited September 4, 2023 by untcampbell

aprice · September 4, 2023

27 minutes ago, THOR said:

interesting thought....i have never thought about that. the school does not have many tshirt fans. it relies almost entirely on alumni. i do not think that is a good thing.

DFW sports fans would never support a college team that isn't currently winning or have a rich history of winning. Its just how it is. When you see someone wearing UNT gear, you know there is a 99% chance they either went there or has a child that goes there. SMU has the same problem. Even though they've had better on the field success, nobody cares unless you're ranked in the top 25 consistently. Breaking that cycle is extremely hard and requires some luck, which is why its so rare

southsideguy · September 4, 2023

the only positive thing I really saw was our receivers seem to have very good hands. This three man front is not helping one of best weapons, Richards, he was being double teamed. It will be a long season for sure. We failed in all three phases of the game. The punting game not good. We have good running backs but they dont get a great amount of running time. When the first play of the game was up the middle I did not get a good feeling. WE cant compete against teams who pay their players. Sooner or later there will be two leagues. The semi pro league and the teams that are in the poor house and cant buy players. I use to love college sports but it just becoming professional sports without revenue sharing or luxury taxes.

Edited September 4, 2023 by southsideguy

Hunter Green · September 4, 2023

Scotty, I've known you a long time and there aren't many fans as dedicated as you. I find you an inspiration so just keep on doing what you do.

GO MEAN GREEN!

meaniegreenie · September 4, 2023

1 hour ago, southsideguy said:

the only positive thing I really saw was our receivers seem to have very good hands. This three man front is not helping one of best weapons, Richards, he was being double teamed. It will be a long season for sure. We failed in all three phases of the game. The punting game not good. We have good running backs but they dont get a great amount of running time. When the first play of the game was up the middle I did not get a good feeling. WE cant compete against teams who pay their players. Sooner or later there will be two leagues. The semi pro league and the teams that are in the poor house and cant buy players. I use to love college sports but it just becoming professional sports without revenue sharing or luxury taxes.

Good point. There were some really good catches. At least 2 or 3 were TDs.

UNTethered Eagle · September 4, 2023

9 hours ago, untcampbell said:

@TIgreen01 I'd certainly be up for testing the theory. I am not a huge giver by any means...I think there are something like 19 that can claim that. And that is the point. When there is only a few billionaires and millionaires, even they have an upper limit they can give. I bet they are praying other similar dollar givers to join them. Soon.

If I had my way, we would all post the amount of money we give to the program next to our (mostly) alias names. It wouldn't change our right to voice an opinion....just provide context as to the commitment of he who opines.

My point: The person who calls out "fire the coach" after that coach's first game is rarely the guy responsible for the million+ dollar buy out. I want to hear the opinions of the guys that are coming out of pocket.

(Caveat: I fully understand we all have different circumstances that affect what we give)

(Caveat 2: apologies to @UNTethered Eagle...just reading some of the other threads and it appears you already fought this battle)

GMG

I appreciate you for that.

It astonishing that some of our fans believe redacting financial support as a form of punishment to the school/team for poor performance will result in better....anything.

And I too understand we do not all have the same resources so if funds are not available to donate then keep a positive attitude. And if all that fails - tell somebody/do something. Otherwise in an effort maintain mental health they should find another hobby, or at least take a break.

(For those who care - I am an alumni of almost 20 years. And have long been on this board prior to ever creating an account and posting.)

GrayEagle · September 4, 2023

Scott, you are as rabid about UNT sports as maybe anyone I've known. I've known and enjoyed your company for what??? Thirty five or forty years? I'm not sure that we had enough talent to win that game even if our coaching, personnel and formations had been better. For Game Day they had us beaten in all three phases of the game. They had the ball twice as long as we did.

I hope (and expect that Eric will not be at this disadvantage the rest of the season. I still expect him to win the next four games. None of them are close to the talent of Cal.

The best news at the game was that DATCU donated $500,000 to UNT. That will enable the university to start the expansion of the Athletic Center and possibly enable our getting a few players out of the portal next year and/or recruiting top players.

97and03 · September 4, 2023

13 hours ago, TIgreen01 said:

Good post until that last paragraph. You really think that this group of fans gives less per fan than the average Texas or Alabama fan? Keep in mind, we have literally zero casual fans. Everyone here is invested I’d guess. There are just not enough of us.

I am pretty sure my Texas alumni buddy has to give more annually for pretty average seats than our HUB people do. I mean, according to their website, you don’t even get invited to the donor tailgate until the $1500 level. Texas plays at Alabama and you have to be at least at the $6000 level to request those tickets. On average, would guess they donate more.

untcampbell · September 4, 2023

Correct. I spent most of my childhood in adoration of Team Burnt Orange. Made my decision to go there on Jan 1, 1970. I was 9. UT beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl and won the national championship. I went there from Fall 1978-Fall 1979, was dating a girl at home, and transferred to North Texas Spring 1980. I embraced the school's athletics program from day 1 as passionately, truly more so, as I ever felt about UT. In fact, the first NT game I saw was on January 17, 1980 in the Super Pit, against Texas. We won 79-77 on, as I remember it, a buzzer shot 30-foot bomb by an excellent point guard but poor shooter named Pat Hicks. That set me on the path to where I am now. Rabid.

I am also grateful to God. He knew this cheap ass would never be able to enjoy the on and near the field experiences at UT that I have had here. What I give is first page here, but wouldn't even be listed in the program, if they still have those, at UT.

Since selling similar programs at Amon Carter Stadium as a kid during one of TCU's lowest football periods, I embraced the underdog. At NT, we have learned how to do what we can with what we have and what we are given. We can do that better, giving and living with what we got. But I still embrace the underdog. I hope, someday, to test the theory when this program is not the underdog. I suspect I will be just fine with that.

GMG

MCMLXXX · September 4, 2023

15 hours ago, untcampbell said:

* I pull for one school, and all of its teams. ...There are no Ranger, Stars, Mavs or Cowboys wins to salvage a weekend. North Texas is it. I invest a lot of emotional capital, along with a few bucks, in my passion, my hobby.

* Pretty sure there is not a single player, coach or athletic department employee who has been here as long as I have. The school and the name last, no human does. I pull for the school and the name. Everyone else is temporary. I deeply care about this school, and its most passionate and long(er) time fans, like Gray Eagle, SUMG, FFR, et al.

* The 2Q Earle to Maclin bomb was thing of beauty. Seems like the ball was in the air for 23 seconds and Maclin ran to that ball like few could. I was almost drowned out by the other fans in Sections 109 and 110.

Petty like giving a decent amount of money to the program...and having to pay $15 to print my tickets. Petty (not) like having to ask people to get out of my seats for something like the 70th straight game....every game since the stadium opened. Question for athletic department: will you print my tickets if I buy the breakfast next time another human?

* All that said, after dropping by gmg.com this afternoon, I come to one conclusion: I suspect no other group of college fans demands more and gives less. We get what we pay for.

GMG

Well said. I concur.

I said for the amount I give I am not paying $15 bucks for printed tickets. Message was heard. I have complained in the past about people constantly sitting in my seats at basketball games and have been ridiculed on this board every time so don't expect sympathy here. This time when my family goes to our 6 club seats 3 were occupied by folks who said we just saw these seats and decided to sit here. I did get invited to breakfast once, several years back as I recall, but that was it.

SilverEagle · September 4, 2023

13 hours ago, aprice said:

DFW sports fans would never support a college team that isn't currently winning or have a rich history of winning. Its just how it is.

And here we go again, the ol' chicken and egg discussion. To consistently win, you need a large, consistent, and vocal fan base. Because NO TEAM will play their asses off in tight games, or against daunting opponents unless they have a bunch of rabid fans behind them decked out in the school colors and screaming their heads off and giving them unconditional support regardless of the outcome of the game.

Then there are those who say we need to consistently win before those (aforementioned) fanatics will show up.......consistently.

Quote

breaking that cycle is extremely hard and requires some luck, which is why its so rare

Here are a few sayings/comments that I found about the issue of luck, that just might apply here.

“

Quote

Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

“Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.”

“The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.”

meaniegreenie · September 4, 2023

1 hour ago, 97and03 said:

I am pretty sure my Texas alumni buddy has to give more annually for pretty average seats than our HUB people do. I mean, according to their website, you don’t even get invited to the donor tailgate until the $1500 level. Texas plays at Alabama and you have to be at least at the $6000 level to request those tickets. On average, would guess they donate more.

That's a small percentage of their fans. Now average in the 300,000 T-shirt fans that bought their shirt at W-mart and contribute $0 to UT.

TIgreen01 · September 4, 2023

33 minutes ago, meaniegreenie said:

That's a small percentage of their fans. Now average in the 300,000 T-shirt fans that bought their shirt at W-mart and contribute $0 to UT.

Exactly my point. These are usually the ones putting people on blast trolling message boards and calling into talk radio shows. See CougarQueen for a UH example. Or the jackwagon schmoo fans over here bragging about there 5 billionaire alums that bankroll that program.

Edited September 4, 2023 by TIgreen01