Interesting POV from one D 1 coach

[FirefightnRick]

Florida's Urban Meyer seems to understand this is an entertainment business and the importance of building fan and spirit interest.

Meyer again pushes for increased student involvement

> Meyer: “I love the college game, I love the pageantry. I’m going to visit every fraternity, sorority and student organization, not because I have to. Maybe there is somewhere down the road where that doesn’t appeal to me. I met with our band director, not because I don’t have anything better to do, but because I love the pageantry of college football. We’re going to teach the entire student body at Florida the fight song. We’re going to teach our football team the fight song. We’re going to raise our helmets and sing the fight song with our student body, not because we have to, but because that still kind of fires me up.”

> Meyer on students learning and signing the Florda fight song after games: “I would still get water in my eyes after every [Notre Dame] home game and you walk over and everybody sings the fight song. I mean sing it. There wasn’t [mumbling] — I mean sing the fight song. That’s when I said, ‘You know what? That’s what it’s all about. That’s completing the experience.’ I got a letter one time from a girl at Utah. She’s an English student, Lindsay, I’ll never forget her. Basically, what she said was thank for making my collegiate experience unforgettable. You know her kids are now going to go to Utah. She’s now going to give money back to Utah. That’s going to be her passion because she sat in the stadium and did not miss a home game in my two years and sang the fight song 11 or 12 times — because we only lost at home one time. That’s why we do that.”

> Meyer on his ideal new tradition: “Complete ownership from the student body of our team. That’s nonexistent right now. There’s a little bit of alienation, but we’re going to get rid of that. It’s going to take some time. I can’t do it by myself. I’ve addressed it with the team. The respect we give the student body — we are not football players, we are student-athletes at the University of Florida.”

Rick

[NTEagle08]

this is nothing new with Urban Meyer, he is probably one of the most likable coaches in all of college football. He allowed the students at Florida last year to name the student section there at the Swamp, and Swamp Things was the winner. He also helped start up the MUSS, the student section at Utah, even the players on the back of their helmets wore the MUSS sticker to show the football team's graditude toward the students showing up.

[Eagle91Gator95]

The quotes listed by Rick are just a few of the many reasons UM is beloved by the Gator faithful. And NT could definitely use a better connection with the student body!!

[SilverEagle]

As much as we make disparaging remarks about Dennis Parker, one of the first things he did was have the team learn the alma mater, and he would have them gather in front of the band to sing it after every game. I was very impressed with that.

I remember that one of the first things that Rick V. did was ban any non-UNT gear being worn by the athletes. You can't imagine how shocked and dismayed I was to hear that North Texas athletes were wearing gear from other schools, in the locker room , while they were getting a RIDE from North Texas .

RV was also very much on board with the Talon's project to trade North Texas gear with students who were wearing non-UNT gear on campus. I wonder what happened to that program.

[untbowler]

RV was also very much on board with the Talon's project to trade North Texas gear with students who were wearing non-UNT gear on campus. I wonder what happened to that program.

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Probably some loony Faculty Members and Students figured it infringed on their Free Speech and thus the program died off like others

Edited June 7, 2006 by untbowler

[PlummMeanGreen]

The quotes listed by Rick are just a few of the many reasons UM is beloved by the Gator faithful.  And NT could definitely use a better connection with the student body!!

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What the Florida coach is doing might be considered minimum expecations for a head football coach at most mid-major schools that are finding it tough to sell tickets to many, many, many new fans. That would probably include most or all SBC schools.

If UNT had been averaging 30,000 per home game CUSA officials might have had a difficult time turning UNT down for membership no mattter how much politickin' against our membership was being done behind closed doors by a CUSA school-in waiting who had yet to officially play one CUSA game (assuming that was the case, of course).

Edited June 7, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[chomp]

I love the quotes from Coach Meyer, they get me fired up even though I am 12 years and 1100 miles removed from Gainesville. His quote about the girl at Utah is exactly right, it felt precisely the same way for me when I was at UF. As a faculty member at UNT now, I really wish that more of our students could experience that same connection to their university instead of simply seeing it as a brief stopping off point where they take classes.

[UNTLifer]

That's all I've been asking of DD. I've kicked the dead horse until I'm blue in the face!

[Stan R]

That's all I've been asking of DD.  I've kicked the dead horse until I'm blue in the face!

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At this point it boils down to three things, yes he's a "nice guy" blah blah blah but for this particular issue it can only be one of three things. DD's a smart guy. He knows we've been asking for this. So which of these is his excuse?

1.) I don't care.

2.) I'm not paid enough.

3.) I might do it if it weren't for the fact that I'm just lazy.

[emmitt01]

Probably some loony Faculty Members and Students figured it infringed on their Free Speech and thus the program died off like others

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No, I fear that since Talons has taken on a new leadership and attitude at times in the past this tradition (which I started from the ground up) may have died.

[Guest e-bone]

RV was also very much on board with the Talon's project to trade North Texas gear with students who were wearing non-UNT gear on campus. I wonder what happened to that program.

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I wonder what happened to Talons.

[UNTFan23]

I wonder what happened to Talons.

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Emmitt left ...

[FirefightnRick]

Emmitt left ...

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......and so did FirefightnRick......and Keith Swartz,....and Susan Hudak,......and Burleigh,....and Reko and Larry Sullivan,.....and Laura Williams,......and Laura Marshall,.....and Sherman Swartz,.......and Carlos,.....and Talon90,.....and untCampbell,........and MeanGreenFreak,......as well as the rest of the 120 member organization that chubbed out on Mean Green Spirit on a daily basis back in the late 80's, even though we were ONLY 1-AA at the time.

I suppose Coach Nelson, our very own drex, as well as the remaining NT Athletic department understood the importance of having a right hand at the student level working for them to build spirit on campus back then. So of course one of the largest student organizations on campus at the time, the Talons, new what was expected of them because of that leadership in the AD dept and did a great job offering the university just that. Truth be told, once Corky and his team proved to us and the rest of the metroplex that on any given saturday the Mean Green belonged on the same field with anyone, it wasn't very hard for the rest to drink the wine and get on board. But most important than probably anything else is that most of us felt back then, and still do today that not only was it an incredible honor to be the ones to carry on the university traditions and to raise spirit on campus, we also felt a sense of duty to do it as well.

Rick

Edited June 8, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[emmitt01]

......and so did FirefightnRick......and Keith Swartz,....and Susan Hudak,......and Burleigh,....and Reko and Larry Sullivan,.....and Laura Williams,......and Laura Marshall,.....and Sherman Swartz,.......and Carlos,.....and Talon90,.....and untCampbell,........and MeanGreenFreak,......as well as the rest of the 120 member organization that chubbed out on Mean Green Spirit on a daily basis back in the late 80's, even though we were ONLY 1-AA at the time.

I suppose Coach Nelson, our very own drex, as well as the remaining NT Athletic department understood the importance of having a right hand at the student level working for them to build spirit on campus back then.  So of course one of the largest student organizations on campus at the time, the Talons, new what was expected of them because of that leadership in the AD dept and did a great job offering the university just that.  Truth be told, once Corky and his team proved to us and the rest of the metroplex that on any  given saturday the Mean Green belonged on the same field with anyone, it wasn't very hard for the rest to drink the wine and get on board.  But most important than probably anything else is that most of us felt back then, and still do today that not only was it an incredible honor to be the ones to carry on the university traditions and to raise spirit on campus, we also felt a sense of duty to do it as well.

Rick

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Yep.

[meangreendork]

As much as we make disparaging remarks about Dennis Parker, one of the first things he did was have the team learn the alma mater, and he would have them gather in front of the band to sing it after every game. I was very impressed with that.

I remember that one of the first things that Rick V. did was ban any non-UNT gear being worn by the athletes. You can't imagine how shocked and dismayed I was to hear that North Texas athletes were wearing gear from other schools, in the locker room , while they were getting a RIDE from North Texas   .

RV was also very much on board with the Talon's project to trade North Texas gear with students who were wearing non-UNT gear on campus. I wonder what happened to that program.

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We still do it- got a table in front of the union for almost the entire fall and spring semester. It's either run on Wednesdays or Thursdays. We take t-shirts from other schools, trade em for NT shirts, simply. The shirts from 03-05 were deep green with North Texas on the front with a script font over a swish-like mark. The 06 shirts are that new ugly light green with new North Texas on the front and the San-Bay logo small on the upper-back (they cut us a deal).

Seriously.

Edited June 8, 2006 by meangreendork

[Bryan316]

We still do it- got a table in front of the union for almost the entire fall and spring semester. It's either run on Wednesdays or Thursdays. We take t-shirts from other schools, trade em for NT shirts, simply. The shirts from 03-05 were deep green with North Texas on the front with a script font over a swish-like mark. The 06 shirts are that new ugly light green with new North Texas on the front and the San-Bay logo small on the upper-back (they cut us a deal).

Seriously.

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I love how instead of inquiring with the current leadership, found on the Talons website, about this project (and others), which, as you mentioned, still happens throughout both semesters, they start flaming the organization. It's not just limited to this thread; it happens pretty much whenever they're mentioned, and it's the same handful of people.

[GreenBat]

I love how instead of inquiring with the current leadership, found on the Talons website, about this project (and others), which, as you mentioned, still happens throughout both semesters, they start flaming the organization.  It's not just limited to this thread; it happens pretty much whenever they're mentioned, and it's the same handful of people.

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The Talons get flamed because, for the most part, they don't do near what the charter states as their main purpose, SUPPORT ATHLETICS. I am not a Talon alum, but it seems like pulling teeth with no pain killer is less painful than getting most of the Talons to do something for the AD.

This is my first post on anything Talon related!

[meangreendork]

There seems to be a missing post. Wonder why that is...it's not like it wasn't mostly factual information with a little bit of opinion.

I mean, there's attendance at women's softball, basketball, football, volleyball, freshman orientation, the Get Connected events, the two big school-sponsored parties at the start of each year, the Campus Cleanup/GreenOut program, Adopt-a-Spot...who knows what else.

Edited June 10, 2006 by meangreendork

[Guest e-bone]

I love how instead of inquiring with the current leadership, found on the Talons website, about this project (and others), which, as you mentioned, still happens throughout both semesters, they start flaming the organization.  It's not just limited to this thread; it happens pretty much whenever they're mentioned, and it's the same handful of people.

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Tomorrow I'm going to check to see if there is a guiness record for the most commas used in one sentence.

[meangreendork]

Go easy on him, he's not an english major

[Bryan316]

There seems to be a missing post. Wonder why that is...it's not like it wasn't mostly factual information with a little bit of opinion.

I mean, there's attendance at women's softball, basketball, football, volleyball, freshman orientation, the Get Connected events, the two big school-sponsored parties at the start of each year, the Campus Cleanup/GreenOut program, Adopt-a-Spot...who knows what else.

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Yeah, where did my post go?

Not to mention Sunday bingo at the Carriage House, the soccer games, the animal shelter thing from last semester, putting up posters in the dorms during football season, and whatever else Jamie Adams (Director of Promotions for the AD and Talons advisor) asks.

[Guest e-bone]

I think I've missed 2 mens basketball games since I've been at UNT and go to a few womens games a season, and there has been a very noticeable decline in attendance and enthusiasm from the Talons. I'm sure there are a few who do their part, but I can only speak of what I've seen.

[Bryan316]

I think I've missed 2 mens basketball games since I've been at UNT and go to a few womens games a season, and there has been a very noticeable decline in attendance and enthusiasm from the Talons. I'm sure there are a few who do their part, but I can only speak of what I've seen.

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When was this exactly? Last season there were at least 30-40, depending on work, evening classes, and exams. However, the section next to the Talons is vacant for women's games and has suffered a "very noticeable decline in attendance" for men's games. There were even a few games where the Talons sat in the section below the couch as there was no one else there.

[Guest e-bone]

When was this exactly?  Last season there were at least 30-40, depending on work, evening classes, and exams.  However, the section next to the Talons is vacant for women's games and has suffered a "very noticeable decline in attendance" for men's games.  There were even a few games where the Talons sat in the section below the couch as there was no one else there.

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02-03 season. 30-40? Didn't ever see that. Might have happened, but never noticed any significant activity from the people who I thought were Talons.

[Zeke]

The Talons came alive in the Spring semester during bball last year. New leadership I was told. Starting in January, EVERY game they were there with their banner and cheering.

In the Fall they simply weren't there. Emmitt pissed them off last fall constantly telling a group of sitting Talons , "Calm down - you are getting too rowdy".