Appear To Anyone Else SBC Has New Co-Commissioner

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

Man oh man this burns my buns because you know it wasn't even a year ago that FAU Coach Howard Schnellenberger said "FAU needs to go ahead and build a new domed stadium and get the hell out of the Sun Belt Conference" (in more or less words).

So what does SBC commissioner Wright "obviously celebrity-wowed" Waters do? This is what he does: He puts Coach Howie and his team on the SBC TV package (is it really) "SEVEN" (7) freakin' times?

Has NORTH TEXAS (located in the USA's 7'th largest TV market as well as the SBC largest TV market) even made it on TV close to that number in the regular season and even after we beat the CUSA football co-champions in the 2002 NEW ORLEANS BOWL? Wrong career move, Wright. You are rewarding the wrong folks.

Don't even think our football team will appreciate that kind of snub because Coach Howie has obviously been in New Orleans schmoozin', wine-in' and dine-n' Waters for more air time. Hey, maybe all this extra attention may even work to one day get him the launch out of the SBC he wants, eh?

Some will now be officially taking mental notes on this kind of tommyrot and treatment from now on.

Edited July 26, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

MeanGreen61 · July 26, 2005

Doubt if FAU @ Kansas & FAU @Minn are part of the "Sun Belt Package". Bet the regional telecast is linked to the home team/conference package. FAU @ Louisville is most probably linked to Louisville & not part of the "Sun Belt Package". Who ya play and where ya play can add to your exposure.

SUMG · July 26, 2005

Doubt if FAU @ Kansas & FAU @Minn are part of the "Sun Belt Package". Bet the regional telecast is linked to the home team/conference package. FAU @ Louisville is most probably linked to Louisville & not part of the "Sun Belt Package". Who ya play and where ya play can add to your exposure.

You may be right about that, MG 61.

BUT..... FAU still has four conference games being televised (to our 3). Those all would be a part of the SBC package. And Florida International, which brings nothing to the table.....has as many games being televised (3) as a part of the SBC package as we do.

It seems that Wright sure wants to showcase those Florida schools. And think about this......our longest trip (both games at Miami when we play FAU and FIU down there) NEITHER ONE OF THOSE IS TELEVISED.

So, yeah Wright was sure as Hell nicer to these two damn Florida schools than he was to his league's four time defending champion.

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

Doubt if FAU @ Kansas & FAU @Minn are part of the "Sun Belt Package". Bet the regional telecast is linked to the home team/conference package. FAU @ Louisville is most probably linked to Louisville & not part of the "Sun Belt Package". Who ya play and where ya play can add to your exposure.

Even yet, MG61, Wrong Waters had to be aware of those games FAU would be playing on TV that were not in the SBC TV package before he finalized the SBC TV package.

Why didn't Wrong Waters tell his new good drinkin' buddy friend, Coach Howie: "Now Howie, you guys already have 3 games scheduled for TV with Kansas, Minn. and Louisville, so we are going to be fair with the rest of the Sun Belt (especially with our "4-peat" champions NORTH TEXAS) and just give your school 1 SBC TV package game and that will be against NORTH TEXAS since neither of the Mean Green's games in Florida are presently slated for any kind of television coverage." After all, Howie, that would put your school on TV 4 times and we just cannot let our FB champion have less TV games than you."

'Is that OK, with you Howie?" "Oh, it's not?" "Well then, lets see how we can change all this around to accomodate you and your school's first official year in the SBC."

We are being baptized by Waters, folks, and he's holding us under. He's amazingly turned his back on our program for his new celebrity hero friend, Howard Schnellenberger. Sure this is a rant, but thats just the way all this with Howie Smellen'berger smells to me. Awe............the power of celebrity. Want further proof of that? Just go as far as the UTEP Miners and Mike Price. His team is ranked # 90 something last year and is now in one publication's Top 25? Jeez?!?

We should all be pissed about this and some official at NORTH TEXAS should be raising a little hell over this face-to-face with Wrong Waters. Our "4-peat" Mean Green SBC football champions and its fans are royally gettting screwed, folks.

Edited July 26, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

good_ken · July 26, 2005

Can someone name the last big wrong decision that Wright Waters made? No, becuase he has done a very good job guiding this conference.

Remember, this is about TV, not football. What will sell better to TV?

Maybe, if we would like to be on TV more, we should upset an OOC opponent...that seemed to draw exposure to Troy and they didn't even win the conference last year.

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

Can someone name the last big wrong decision that Wright Waters made?

Most of us would give Waters his due for things he did in the past but as far as the present, Wright is wrong on this one.

NORTH TEXAS should be rewarded with more TV games than anyone else in the SBC because of our accomplishments and that has been the M.O. in the past. Accomplishment is usually deservedly rewarded. Someone has influenced Waters to do something different this time around with the SBC TV package and I can think of a former Big Time head football coach who probably sees working conference commissioners as sport.

I think the celebrity of FAU Coach Schnellenberger has somehow wowed Waters into going a bit over-board with what his influence with the SBC TV package has obviously given Coach Howie's school this Fall. Anyone don't think Howie has been politickin' with Waters during the off season I may want to talk about some ocean front property for sell in Arizona.

On the other side of the coin, Waters can ill afford to piss off the SBC school that is located in his league's largest televsion market.

Edited July 26, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

Baby Arm! · July 26, 2005

So should we add this to PMG's conspiracy against North Texas list?

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

So should we add this to PMG's conspiracy against North Texas list?

FAU... 7 TV games (WW's knew FAU had 3 games already scheduled for TV with Kansas, Minn. & Lou'ville)

NT......3 TV games period

I call them as I see them, conspiracy or no conspiracy, the MG Nation is not going to have our team as prime time SBC TV stars this year--who could even guess about next year. Coach Smellin'berger obviously worked his magic on Waters to make sure his school took over our TV role.

.......................................................................................................................

FWIW, Arkansas State has 5 SBC games on TV and because NT accomodated them so they could schedule Army in Jonesboro, we probably sacrificed an ESPN game because of that act of generosity. That also created the scenario as to where we had to schedule a game at Fouts the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You want to be responsible for promoting that game while the NT students are at home eating leftover turkey and dressing?

An early Christmas present from Mean Green Country, ASU...

Edited July 26, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

NT80 · July 26, 2005

Remember, this is about TV, not football. What will sell better to TV?
Maybe, if we would like to be on TV more, we should upset an OOC opponent...that seemed to draw exposure to Troy and they didn't even win the conference last year.

Can't argue with that.

ADLER · July 26, 2005

Can someone name the last big wrong decision that Wright Waters made? No, becuase he has done a very good job guiding this conference.

I too think that Wright Waters has done an outstanding job forming and running the SBC football conference. North Texas has benefitted greatly from the television exposure that we've received the past several years, and will also benefit from our conference rivals getting some exposure and becoming more familiar to college football fans.

We're very fortunate to have Wright Waters running the league.

Edited July 26, 2005 by ADLER

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

I too think that Wright Waters has done an outstanding job forming and running the SBC football conference. North Texas has benefitted greatly from the television exposure that we've received the past several years, and will also benefit from our conference rivals getting some exposure and becoming more familiar to college football fans.
We're very fortunate to have Wright Waters running the league.

JUST MY .02....

No where have I criticized Wright Waters for his previous SBC service; in fact, I think I have praised him as much as anyone on this board in the past--but this is now, ie, the present and people have been known to change colors in life and even in their job performance. Some employees (& some, uh, schools) have been known to take 3 giant steps forward--then 4 backwards. I just hope Wright will right this wrong that has happened under his watch and will help us all take another giant step forward.

This SBC TV thing needs to be addressed and changed before the 2005 football season even kicks off because it sets a bad precedent for future SBC football champions as in----win the SBC, go to NO's Bowl and then watch upstart schools in your league who have yet to average 10,000 per home game get all the SBC TV coverage percs the next year?

It is just a big (but correctable) blunder by Wright Waters as far as this one NT alum is concerned and one (as any of you on GMG.com would be) who doesn't like to see his school or his school's football team getting messed around with by anyone from the SBC headquarters. Anyway, this very pro-FAU SBC TV package takes Wright Water's approval ratings way south in my eyes and apparently already has with those from other SBC outposts because they are commenting with as much concern--starting with the Middle Tennesse Delphi board.

No where have I insinuated that Wright Waters be removed from his job over this one situation as that would be a bit knee-jerk and hasty, but NORTH TEXAS officials should surely confront him over this poor choice on his part and Mean Green fans everywhere should be duly pissed with this situation. I still smell a skunk with every bit of this 2005 SBC TV deal and I just feel that Waters is genflecting to a known coaching legend who just happens to be in the SBC for now, that is, until he gets his new stadium and can then find a better league for FAU as he suggested last year in a media quote.

IMHO, NORTH TEXAS also doesn't need to accomodate any other SBC school's (ASU) football schedules, either, because I feel this year that cost us one ESPN game and created more potential attendance chaos because we now have had to schedule a Saturday-after-Thanksgiving game that is going to literally crucify our 2005 attendance average this Fall. And BTW, have we given up on the concept of significant attendance improvement anymore?

Hey, I appreciate all our bowl games like any of you, also like any NT alum from my era and beyond certainly would, but that is not bringing new faces/new fans out of the woodwork to venerable Fouts Field, fellow Greenbackers. More TV game coverage is one of those things that can help wake up much of your fan base, though.

Edited July 26, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

untbowler · July 26, 2005

uh has anyone seen our home attendance and how bad we look on T.V. playing at Fouts. Unfortunately to many of us have seen the huge gaps at Fouts when we play at Fouts on TV. of course this also means we were not in attendance. FAU is the darling right now since they beat Hawaii last year, have a name Coach, plus lest not forgot they drubbed us last year, even after they did not get to go home in between Hawaii. That was an embarassing loss for us and hoepfully we go down to Boca Raton and beat the snot out of them.

TV or no TV lets get the job done in outside of Conference, for once. <_<

Edited July 26, 2005 by untbowler

Arkstfan · July 26, 2005

If you think the TV schedule is made in New Orleans rather than Charlotte and Bristol (homes of ESPN Regional and ESPN) you are sorely mistaken.

Not every game ESPN had interest in was added to the TV schedule. Arkansas State refused to move the Missouri game to Monday for TV. They weren't offering enough for ASU to take the financial risk.

ESPN and Regional aren't interested in the best games, they want "storylines" right now Howard is the interesting storyline in the Sun Belt as far as they are concerned. If FAU finishes with a winning record this year, it will be worse next year.

KAjunRaider · July 26, 2005

If you think the TV schedule is made in New Orleans rather than Charlotte and Bristol (homes of ESPN Regional and ESPN) you are sorely mistaken.
Not every game ESPN had interest in was added to the TV schedule. Arkansas State refused to move the Missouri game to Monday for TV. They weren't offering enough for ASU to take the financial risk.
ESPN and Regional aren't interested in the best games, they want "storylines" right now Howard is the interesting storyline in the Sun Belt as far as they are concerned. If FAU finishes with a winning record this year, it will be worse next year.

Doesn't FAU get coverage by the Sunshine Network.

Could all of these FAU games just be feeds from Sunshine?

Shof · July 26, 2005

Doesn't FAU get coverage by the Sunshine Network.
Could all of these FAU games just be feeds from Sunshine?

That's probably a big part of their TV deal. I know the Cajuns are scheduled for 6 TV games this year; but only 4 appear to be tied to the SunBelt deal. We open at Texas which is being televised by Fox Sports, and have a game against Fl. Intl on CSS. FL Atlantic and FL Intl are our only 2 home games on TV.

DeepGreen · July 26, 2005

North Texas has benefitted greatly from the television exposure that we've received the past several years, and will also benefit from our conference rivals getting some exposure and becoming more familiar to college football fans.
We're very fortunate to have Wright Waters running the league.

Waters has done a good job getting this league off the ground. Face it, we have no marquee teams like other, more established football conferences.

NT has benefitted for our TV exposure, but I think we have "earned" that exposure. But I also think that Waters sees King Howard as a good selling point for our league, thus he's using the King's star stature to expose the league even more. Our league needs more exposure no matter how we get it. And TV can help this conference as long as we all take care of some OOC business.

You all realize that Plummer is now on a role and this thread could go on and on and on.....

MeanGreen61 · July 26, 2005

You all realize that Plummer is now on a role and this thread could go on and on and on.....

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

Waters has done a good job getting this league off the ground. Face it, we have no marquee teams like other, more established football conferences.
NT has benefitted for our TV exposure, but I think we have "earned" that exposure. But I also think that Waters sees King Howard as a good selling point for our league, thus he's using the King's star stature to expose the league even more. Our league needs more exposure no matter how we get it. And TV can help this conference as long as we all take care of some OOC business.
You all realize that Plummer is now on a role and this thread could go on and on and on.....

And I'm running out of time, DG, because the Academy will be rolling out their nominations, soon

BUT seriously....let Coach Howie get all his coverage (and trust, me he needs lots of TV coverage for what he wants to do with his football program); anyway, let FAU (and the SBC) get their "Coach Howie' exposure against Kansas, Minnnesota and Louisville (all 3 on TV and before much larger audiences than he will see in the Sun Belt for the time being) AND not at the expense of the pioneer schools in this league.

ntsumgspe · July 26, 2005

Maybe, if we would like to be on TV more, we should upset an OOC opponent...that seemed to draw exposure to Troy and they didn't even win the conference last year.

What OOC opponents has FAU defeated to get all of this TV exposure ? <_<

NCMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

Even yet, MG61, Wrong Waters had to be aware of those games FAU would be playing on TV that were not in the SBC TV package before he finalized the SBC TV package.
Why didn't Wrong Waters tell his new good drinkin' buddy friend, Coach Howie: "Now Howie, you guys already have 3 games scheduled for TV with Kansas, Minn. and Louisville, so we are going to be fair with the rest of the Sun Belt (especially with our "4-peat" champions NORTH TEXAS) and just give your school 1 SBC TV package game and that will be against NORTH TEXAS since neither of the Mean Green's games in Florida are presently slated for any kind of television coverage." After all, Howie, that would put your school on TV 4 times and we just cannot let our FB champion have less TV games than you."
'Is that OK, with you Howie?" "Oh, it's not?" "Well then, lets see how we can change all this around to accomodate you and your school's first official year in the SBC."
We are being baptized by Waters, folks, and he's holding us under. He's amazingly turned his back on our program for his new celebrity hero friend, Howard Schnellenberger. Sure this is a rant, but thats just the way all this with Howie Smellen'berger smells to me. Awe............the power of celebrity. Want further proof of that? Just go as far as the UTEP Miners and Mike Price. His team is ranked # 90 something last year and is now in one publication's Top 25? Jeez?!?
We should all be pissed about this and some official at NORTH TEXAS should be raising a little hell over this face-to-face with Wrong Waters. Our "4-peat" Mean Green SBC football champions and its fans are royally gettting screwed, folks.

This is the beginning of the end, folks! It was nice while it lasted...

greenminer · July 26, 2005

What OOC opponents has FAU defeated to get all of this TV exposure ? <_<

FAU's wins over us, MTSU, and Hawaii last season are not the reason they're getting this TV exposure...

uh has anyone seen our home attendance and how bad we look on T.V. playing at Fouts. Unfortunately to many of us have seen the huge gaps at Fouts when we play at Fouts on TV. of course this also means we were not in attendance. FAU is the darling right now since they beat Hawaii last year, have a name Coach, plus lest not forgot they drubbed us last year, even after they did not get to go home in between Hawaii. That was an embarassing loss for us and hoepfully we go down to Boca Raton and beat the snot out of them.

...neither is attendance. As stated earlier, FAU had trouble averaging 10K; I guess Waters isn't concerned about how bad they might look playing on TV with those kind of numbers.

Coach Howie is the reason for their TV deal, nothing more to it than that.

-gm

PS: I don't think FAU's 20-13 win over us with the go-ahead at :29 left in the game defines a "drubbing"...just my opinion

PlummMeanGreen · July 26, 2005

This is the beginning of the end, folks! It was nice while it lasted...

More specific interrpretation of that, NCMeanGreen?

BTW, I do enjoy reading your posts---glad you joined this board recently.

Baby Arm! · July 27, 2005

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, ESPN Gameplan, ESPN Regional. ......

They're only interested in storylines and match ups. FAU has us beat in both regardless of who won the conference championship.

And even if Howard Schnellenburger worked the politics to get the TV coverage as PMG claims (but has no proof) What the heck is wrong with that? Shouldnt a coach be promoting his program, twisting arms and kissing babies to get his team as much exposure as possible?

Edited July 27, 2005 by Baby Arm!

PlummMeanGreen · July 27, 2005

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, ESPN Gameplan, ESPN Regional. ......
They're only interested in storylines and match ups. FAU has us beat in both regardless of who won the conference championship.
And even if Howard Schnellenburger worked the politics to get the TV coverage as PMG claims (but has no proof) What the heck is wrong with that? Shouldnt a coach be promoting his program, twisting arms and kissing babies to get his team as much exposure as possible?

THIS RANT IS WANING....

.....and the reason is that you are absolutely right about this, Baby Arm, because that really is FAU Coach Howie's job, I just don't quite understand why SBC commish' Waters didn't choose to ease all this on all the pioneering SBC schools who joined his football conference venture back in 2000; why he didn't choose to do this with FAU over the space of a few years rather than just thrust it all on us (seemedly) in one year, ie, the 2005 SBC football season.

But now FAU has to recruit under NCAA D1-A rules and cannot get the quick fix with 1-AA transfers who could become immediately elgible which I'm sure was a reason for some of Schnellenberger's success and probably a big reason a 4 year old football program FAU had 30 seniors on last year's team. AND IN ALL FAIRNESS TO COACH HOWIE, he is also known to be a good tactical coach with an NC or 2 at U of Miami who will beat some teams in the SBC based on his coaching superiority alone. This is not about his quality of coaching and never has been. Its probably more about the fact I'm pissed that he seems to have "out-politicked" NORTH TEXAS if the truth be known.

After 4 bowl games in a row, we seem to be sitting back passively waiting for all the fans to flock into Fouts Field instead of our dire need to (IMHO) market this thing as if we've had 4 losing seasons in a row; that is, to go out and aggressively seek out all the new faces/new fans in Denton County that we know are out there. All these potential fans out there we need inside the stadium have no clue what a good time Game Day is at our campus and that because the NT Athletic Dept. has done all the right things to insure that part is now covered. These are the fans that we need to get our average attendance figures at Fouts Field up to some respectable numbers.

Our Mean Green coaches and football players deserve SRO at Fouts Field every game no matter who we play and with almost 6 million in the Metroplex, I'm not sure to this day why they don't get that in this new millenium. It will undoubtedly happen one day in Denton, but it really should be happening now. And I wonder if even our attendance struggles are another reason SBC Commish' Waters seems to now be looking toward other schools to pass the SBC torch to?

I, too, also remember a name coach who used to hang around Denton that used to operate much like these high profile name coaches like Coach Howie (apparently) has and I had just forgotten how quickly they can cut thru the red tape and get things done by just waving their magic "high profile" wands. Others it takes years to do what the Mike Prices' can accomplish in 1 or 2 years and even at school like UTEP.

On the other side of the coin and the part that concerns me a bit for us is how I feel Wright Waters seems to be passing the baton to the Troys, the FAU's (and he wishes MT finally step up) because "IMO" I feel he thinks NORTH TEXAS has taken the SBC as far as its going to take it as far as success once we get to the the NO's Bowl. As always......just my .02.

Edited July 27, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

Eagle91Gator95 · July 27, 2005

Another wrinkle to keep in mind in this debate is the fact the the SBC has two new schools, very near each other, who are new to the league. They need to televise as many FAU and FIU games as possible to spur fan interest in those two markets and to introduce the other SBC schools to those fan bases. They are much more likely to tune in to watch their team play than two SBC schools that they know nothing about play each other (at this point).

Arkstfan is probably exactly right when he said that WW had little or no input on the game selection, but there are some reasons for him to like the extra coverage in his newest markets.

Just trying to look at this without my green colored glasses on........