Unt Traditions/spirit Committee (steps To Success)

trud1966 · April 9, 2007

The only change in the lyrics has been to reflect the change in our name in 1988. I believe that the original lyrics started off with "Let's give a cheer for North Texas State. This worked for decades, since we were called North Texas State Teachers college when the fight song was originally written.
The last line used to go "N.....T.....S.....U...N-T-S-U Fight Fight Fight!
I assume that prior to 1961, the chant on the last line was NTSC.
I remember the original tune being more musically challenging than the one that's played today.

Also, I emailed Nick Williams (Director of Green Brigade) to ask him if he could shed some light on the "old" fight song. I asked if there was any possibility of a recording out there that we could hear. My curiosity is killing me now with this. I'll cut and paste when he emails me back. Ive emailed him to thank him for the performances I've seen at all the home games I went to last year, he always responds. Nice guy...

Zeke · April 9, 2007

Ya know, I'm just dreading the day someone is going to suggest
North....Texas....Mean....Green........NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN - FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Dread today. Sounds good to me!

trud1966 · April 9, 2007

Dread today. Sounds good to me!

a HA! I KNEW it! I never should have suggested it!

Mad Hatter · April 9, 2007

Also, I emailed Nick Williams (Director of Green Brigade) to ask him if he could shed some light on the "old" fight song. I asked if there was any possibility of a recording out there that we could hear. My curiosity is killing me now with this. I'll cut and paste when he emails me back. Ive emailed him to thank him for the performances I've seen at all the home games I went to last year, he always responds. Nice guy...

Ask him about the possibility of playing the intro lines of the Godfather theme song (trumpet solo?) every time Giovanni Vizza goes into the game.

The Don needs his music........now.

Edited April 9, 2007 by Mad Hatter

Go_UTA · April 9, 2007

The only change in the lyrics has been to reflect the change in our name in 1988. I believe that the original lyrics started off with "Let's give a cheer for North Texas State. This worked for decades, since we were called North Texas State Teachers college when the fight song was originally written.
The last line used to go "N.....T.....S.....U...N-T-S-U Fight Fight Fight!
I assume that prior to 1961, the chant on the last line was NTSC.
I remember the original tune being more musically challenging than the one that's played today.

I remember the first time I heard the chant, "N-T-S-U Fight Fight Fight" I was pretty freakin' impressed. I'll just let you know that. I don't know what you do today, but that had a perfect feel to it, IMHO. The syllables matched the beat in just the right way. The crowd was really into it, and it was impressive. I was ready to go to freakin' war. (Of course, I've mellowed since those youthful days!)

April 10, 2007

The N...T...S...U... Eagles Fight! Fight! Fight! was a chant at the end of the fight song and not an actual part of the lyrics.

The lyrics (at least from the forties) were:

Let's give a cheer for North Texas State

Cheer for the green and white

Victory's in store, whate'er the score

Our team will ever fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Shoulder to shoulder we march along

Men with a purpose true

Playing the game, for the honor and fame

Of North Texas State and you.

(Then the chant)

I don't remember the chant existing before NTSU came into existence.

As Silver pointed out, there are only four Division 1-A schools with an eagle mascot. We are the second oldest behind Boston College. You don't go changing your mascot just because someone else adopts that mascot name. I can think of five 1-A Tigers off of the top of my head and two of them (LSU and Auburn) are in the same conference. Has any of them changed? No.

The eagle name was a part of our tradition for more than fifty years before Mean Green came along. I like Mean Green. It's catchy. But, it doesn't need to be exclusive. Use them both, separately or together. That makes us unique. Oh, Nebraska is often referred to as the Big Red but they haven't embraced it as we have the Mean Green. However, you can't draw a mean green. so I prefer a mascot that I know.

NT80 · April 10, 2007

As Silver pointed out, there are only four Division 1-A schools with an eagle mascot. We are the second oldest behind Boston College. You don't go changing your mascot just because someone else adopts that mascot name. I can think of five 1-A Tigers off of the top of my head and two of them (LSU and Auburn) are in the same conference. Has any of them changed? No.
The eagle name was a part of our tradition for more than fifty years before Mean Green came along. I like Mean Green. It's catchy. But, it doesn't need to be exclusive. Use them both, separately or together. That makes us unique. Oh, Nebraska is often referred to as the Big Red but they haven't embraced it as we have the Mean Green. However, you can't draw a mean green. so I prefer a mascot that I know.

http://www.unt.edu/inhouse/october52001/sc...vsmeangreen.htm

FirefightnRick · April 10, 2007

I remember the first time I heard the chant, "N-T-S-U Fight Fight Fight" I was pretty freakin' impressed. I'll just let you know that. I don't know what you do today, but that had a perfect feel to it, IMHO. The syllables matched the beat in just the right way. The crowd was really into it, and it was impressive. I was ready to go to freakin' war. (Of course, I've mellowed since those youthful days!)

Yup, that's what I've been talking up with our top brass in that we need a 7 syllable chant just like that. It has a beginning and an ending.

North, Texas, Mean, Green, FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

It can't get any more simple than that.

Rick

Mean Green 93-98 · April 10, 2007

Yup, that's what I've been talking up with our top brass in that we need a 7 syllable chant just like that. It has a beginning and an ending.
North, Texas, Mean, Green, FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
It can't get any more simple than that.
Rick

I think that would be 8 syllables.

CMJ · April 10, 2007

I think that would be 8 syllables.

Indeed...Texas is 2.

FirefightnRick · April 10, 2007

Right, I meant beats. "Texas" would be two syllables, but still falls under one beat, which fits what I'm talking about. Memphis, LSU, New York Jets, Philladelphia Eagles etc.... all have this.

Rick

Mean Green 93-98 · April 10, 2007

Right, I meant beats. "Texas" would be two syllables, but still falls under one beat, which fits what I'm talking about. Memphis, LSU, New York Jets, Philladelphia Eagles etc.... all have this.
Rick

Okay, I think I get what you're saying. Seven beats out of 2 bars, leaving the last beat.

Eagle-96 · April 10, 2007

Yup, that's what I've been talking up with our top brass in that we need a 7 syllable chant just like that. It has a beginning and an ending.
North, Texas, Mean, Green, FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
It can't get any more simple than that.
Rick

We could chant in much the same manner as the Memphis chant and incorporate flags. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

I am also partial to Ricks old suggestion of ending the NORTH - TEXAS chant with U-N-T EAGLES FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! or NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT.

The NORTH side of the statdium could chant the UNT EAGLES or NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN and the TEXAS side could chant the FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Eagle-96

Daddy Dumpsalot · April 10, 2007

So I went to the UNT bookstore yesterday. I was very dissapointed in our merchandise. I was looking for a zip up bottle koozie and all they had was these stupid shirt shaped koozies to fit around your bottle (fortunately Voertmans had it). Then I wanted to buy a green Polo shirt to wear to the games and golfing...what do I find? Not only a tiny table with a few of them on there but 3 + different color greens between Bookstore and Voertmans. Needless to say I didn't purchase any, and the Kelly green color was hideous, it looked like a faded dark green.

Eagle1855 · April 10, 2007

We could chant in much the same manner as the Memphis chant and incorporate flags. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

woah, woah, woah...

E-G-A... wait, E-A-G-E... E-A-G- this is too much work. Lets stick to words that are easy to spell, like UNT

Mad Hatter · April 10, 2007

woah, woah, woah...
E-G-A... wait, E-A-G-E... E-A-G- this is too much work. Lets stick to words that are easy to spell, like UNT

I went to the Memphis Vs. Ohio State Basketball game down in San Antonio, and it seemed like the Band Director was almost leading their Cheers, and the Cheerleaders were following his lead. When they did the T-I-G-E-R-S - TIGERS!!! cheer, the band director got the drums to beat and cymbals to crash on each syllable which made it sound a lot more uniform......it was also easy for the crowd to tell when to stop doing it (they do it over and over).....whenever the band director cut off the percussion section, the crowd stopped yelling. Maybe we need to get our Band and Cheer Leaders to work together more than they do now?

PlummMeanGreen · April 10, 2007

So I went to the UNT bookstore yesterday. I was very dissapointed in our merchandise. I was looking for a zip up bottle koozie and all they had was these stupid shirt shaped koozies to fit around your bottle (fortunately Voertmans had it). Then I wanted to buy a green Polo shirt to wear to the games and golfing...what do I find? Not only a tiny table with a few of them on there but 3 + different color greens between Bookstore and Voertmans. Needless to say I didn't purchase any, and the Kelly green color was hideous, it looked like a faded dark green.

As always, I stand to be corrected, but isn't kelly green the same green you see on Notre Dame caps/gear at stores such as Lids?

Also, doesn't kelly green have a specific number so that all retailers (including Voertmans) can be on the same page when ordering UNT kelly green gear (all using whatever the kelly green number is)?

In a perfect world, the UNT Branding Committee would have let all retailers know first in Denton and then to the uttermost parts of the earth 1 (maybe even 2) years before major changes would be made; that is, major changes would soon be made with logo and a different shade of color change would be made at a major Texas university of which a large university brandings project truly become, that is, a major under-taking. Yet as expressed on this forum numerous times by many of you (including myself) when all these branding planning sessions were first in their formative stages, they just seemed to be a very hushed & rushed affair, ie, compliments of the UNT System chancellor's office.

Did the UNT Branding Committee think the world was sitting (anxiously) on the edge of their seats waiting for an announcement from their elite committee that a logo and a new shade of green color change from Denton, Texas, America, were on the way? Did they actually think once they made their public announcement on their branding ideas that all (especially campus groups and all retailers) would be able to make immediate changes?

Seems that those from the UNT athletic dept. that order unis for our varsity football, basketball, track, etc,..........and from the UNT COM our marching band unis' were not given any semblance of much-needed early hints that changes were on the way for new brandings at UNT. For the UNT Branding Committee and for all of us who would be affected by their changes, what better campus representatives could there have possibly been to get the word out to the masses than all Mean Green varsity teams and our fabulous Green Brigade Marching Band?

Jeez, back then, our MG football team was even making numerous TV appearances, too, which could have been invaluable publicity for much of the Southwest and Deep South to see UNT's new look, but as we know know, our football team was still sporting our old look (unis) instead and the UNT Marching Band officials had already ordered about a half million dollar$ worth of band uniforms. Yet for all campus groups and retailers, if the UNT Branding Committee thought all would immediately be able to make quick changtes for new logos and a different shades of green, then there is still way too much naivity (of which naivity can sometimes become expen$ive) that still prevails at certain quarters of our campus. :rolleyes:

I just don't understand why there has been a problem with UNT vendors (especially those based in Denton) with all their coming up with kelly green on their display racks and shelves because other schools who use kelly green, ie, Notre Dame, Marshall (and now I think even Michigan State) don't seem to be making mountains out of mole hills when it comes to communicating to all their respective school's retail outlets what they are doing "now" with their brandings.

Edited April 10, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

UNTLifer · April 10, 2007

So I went to the UNT bookstore yesterday. I was very dissapointed in our merchandise. I was looking for a zip up bottle koozie and all they had was these stupid shirt shaped koozies to fit around your bottle (fortunately Voertmans had it). Then I wanted to buy a green Polo shirt to wear to the games and golfing...what do I find? Not only a tiny table with a few of them on there but 3 + different color greens between Bookstore and Voertmans. Needless to say I didn't purchase any, and the Kelly green color was hideous, it looked like a faded dark green.

Try this link: voertmans.com or the mean green gear link off of the athletic's website.

Eagle1855 · April 10, 2007

I went to the Memphis Vs. Ohio State Basketball game down in San Antonio, and it seemed like the Band Director was almost leading their Cheers, and the Cheerleaders were following his lead. When they did the T-I-G-E-R-S - TIGERS!!! cheer, the band director got the drums to beat and cymbals to crash on each syllable which made it sound a lot more uniform......it was also easy for the crowd to tell when to stop doing it (they do it over and over).....whenever the band director cut off the percussion section, the crowd stopped yelling. Maybe we need to get our Band and Cheer Leaders to work together more than they do now?

oh I agree, I think its a fine idea...

just a joke about the difikulties with speling, its just hard too spel all that stuff after a coupple of beers , you know? I'm as much a fan of entomology(sic) as the next guy...

Edited April 11, 2007 by Eagle1855

Mean Green 93-98 · April 10, 2007

So I went to the UNT bookstore yesterday. I was very dissapointed in our merchandise. I was looking for a zip up bottle koozie and all they had was these stupid shirt shaped koozies to fit around your bottle (fortunately Voertmans had it). Then I wanted to buy a green Polo shirt to wear to the games and golfing...what do I find? Not only a tiny table with a few of them on there but 3 + different color greens between Bookstore and Voertmans. Needless to say I didn't purchase any, and the Kelly green color was hideous, it looked like a faded dark green.

You might try this site: ShopMeanGreen.com

Cr1028 · April 10, 2007

Auburn doesn't have a tiger on their helmet and both teams use the University initials on their helmets. I like the Eagle as our mascot and love to chant U-N-T Eagles fight fight fight. I also like the Mean Green as our nickname, it is distinguishable and unique. I like to chant Lets go, clap, clap, Mean Green.

My point to all of this is having an Eagle on the helmet will look to Philadelphia Eagle. Wearing a green ball cap with just an eagle on it in the DFW area in the midst of a fierce NFC East race may not be the best judgement call, that is just how I see it.

Ibleedgreen · April 10, 2007

Plumm...In a perfect world the UNT branding committee would have sought input from the faculty, alumni and students about a color change. They asked us about the word marks and logo, why not the color change?

UNTLifer · April 10, 2007

My point to all of this is having an Eagle on the helmet will look to Philadelphia Eagle. Wearing a green ball cap with just an eagle on it in the DFW area in the midst of a fierce NFC East race may not be the best judgement call, that is just how I see it.

The new eagle, Son of Worm, could never be mistaken with Philadelphia, which only has the wings. I've worn a green ball cap with the new eagle on it for almost a year now, in DFW and Houston, and not one person has ever asked me if I am a Philly fan.

Baby Arm! · April 11, 2007

The new eagle, Son of Worm, could never be mistaken with Philadelphia, which only has the wings. I've worn a green ball cap with the new eagle on it for almost a year now, in DFW and Houston, and not one person has ever asked me if I am a Philly fan.

I've had the opposite experience. I've worn my Son of worm cap and have been mistaken for a Philly fan at least twice. Im not saying its not a great logo. I love SOW, but it's still relatively new and not associated with UNT yet with a lot of people. Right know the uninformed see and eagle and green color and they automaticaly think Philly. It will change, give it time. I think it would help by putting SOW on the side of the helmet.

FirefightnRick · April 11, 2007

I've had the opposite experience. I've worn my Son of worm cap and have been mistaken for a Philly fan at least twice. Im not saying its not a great logo. I love SOW, but it's still relatively new and not associated with UNT yet with a lot of people. Right know the uninformed see and eagle and green color and they automaticaly think Philly. It will change, give it time. I think it would help by putting SOW on the side of the helmet.

Which is why it's best to have it with either North Texas or Mean Green on it. There is no mistaking it then.

Or

As for the continued debate over the correct color of green, the Kelly vs the toothpaste vs Hunter? I wished I had taken some photos of the examples that Voertman's has now to simply show the difference. However, I know even certain greens don't come out well on a computer screen screen at times and monitors also vary so that wouldn't have mattered much.

Rick

Edited April 11, 2007 by FirefightnRick